Zero Rss

Dutch Asylum Center Burns On First Day Of New Arrivals After Weeks Of Protests

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

A fire was started in bushes outside an asylum center in the Dutch town of Loosdrecht on Tuesday evening, prompting a major police response after weeks of local protests against the facility.

Protesters threw flares and fireworks onto the grounds of the building, which is located at the town hall on De Rading.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show rioters initially blocking firefighters from reaching the blaze.

After Mayor Mark Verheijen of Wijdemeren issued an emergency order, riot police intervened, and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

One person has so far been arrested on suspicion of arson and is awaiting questioning, De Telegraaf reported, citing a police source.

BREAKING: 🇳🇱 The asylum center in Loosdrecht is on fire.

Firefighters are reportedly being blocked from the scene.

The Dutch town has been protesting the arrival of asylum seekers for the past month with multiple demonstrations by residents. pic.twitter.com/4AzsAxhGVY

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) May 12, 2026

The fire came on the same day the first asylum seekers arrived at the temporary shelter, with 70 migrants expected to stay at the facility.

The project has been the focus of fierce local opposition for weeks. Loosdrecht, a town of around 8,000 people, had originally been set to receive 110 asylum seekers, but officials scaled the plan back to 70 after days of mass protests.

The opening of the center had also been delayed after officials said they could not guarantee the safety of the asylum seekers.

Local residents have argued that their own concerns about safety have been ignored. Last month, hundreds of women marched through the town carrying a banner that read, “Does our safety not matter anymore?”

De demonstranten gooien vuurwerk naar het AZC.

“We zijn er klaar mee, we zijn niet gehoord. Dit is geen democratie,” zeggen ze tegen @EljavMiddelkoop. pic.twitter.com/TGo4znAjUs

— Ongehoord Nederland TV (@ongehoordnedtv) May 12, 2026

Ongehoord Nederland TV reported on Tuesday that the first asylum seekers were due to move into the accommodation that day, which had prompted a large demonstration outside the building.

“In Loosdrecht, the first asylum seekers were housed today. The residents are seriously concerned about what consequences this will have for their safety. That is why they are gathering en masse tonight to demonstrate,” the broadcaster wrote.

After the fire started, residents at the scene told the broadcaster’s reporter, “We’re fed up with it, we haven’t been heard. This isn’t a democracy.”

The local mayor condemned the scenes, claiming it to be a deliberate attack on vulnerable people.

“A line has been crossed,” Verheijen said. “You may disagree with democratically made decisions, but you do so with words, not with fireworks and violence.”

Protesters argue that the decision has been anything but democratic and that their words have fallen on deaf ears.

Loosdrecht has been a melting pot for some time. The latest unrest follows earlier clashes between protesters and police, including footage that circulated on social media showing officers using baton charges against demonstrators. At least one protester was filmed last month lying unconscious on the pavement.

Former MEP Robert Roos previously criticized the police action, writing on X, “A baton may only be used in cases of necessity, proportionately, and aimed at less vulnerable areas (arms/legs). Striking someone until they are unconscious raises serious questions: was there really acute danger, or has the boundary been crossed here?”

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 03:30

Emmanuel Macron Says France's Fate Is "Tied To The African Continent"

For anyone who doubts that "Multiculturalism" is the preeminent political religion of the new age, the rhetoric of the majority of the European ruling class consistently proves the case. 

French President Emmanuel Macron was the co-host (with Kenyan President William Ruto) at the Africa Forward Summit this week in Kenya, where he repeated multicultural rhetoric in favor of mass immigration from Africa into Europe.  His comments seemed to be a message to the many anti-immigration movements now gaining momentum across the EU; asserting that without Africa, the French have no future.

It was France’s first major Africa summit in an English-speaking country, signaling a deliberate pivot away from French speaking African nations with an eye towards broader, “equal-footing” partnerships.  Macron argued that the French youth need to be made to understand that France is now part of Africa due to mass immigration.

NOW - France's Macron: "I want the youth of France to understand that our fate is tied with the African continent's fate, that we will succeed with Africa." pic.twitter.com/MuNunRUIEj

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 12, 2026

“I have no regrets. I have immense ambition for this continent that I love, which is a treasure for the world, the youngest and most dynamic continent on the planet. I want our young people in France to understand that their future is bound up in this continent. Africa will succeed, and we will succeed alongside it.”

"...There are some 17 million French people who were part of the African Diaspora. So we are part of this continent. It is a great chance for us as French. There are millions of French people who are French Malian or French Algerian or French Senegalese. So we have this great chance to be able to succeed alongside the African continent..."

France has been overwhelmed by third world immigration in the past decade.  Around 11% of the population is foreign born.  They represent around 20% of all welfare recipients in the country and have a poverty rate of 32%.  They also make up nearly 20% of all homicide suspects, 15% of all sexual assault suspects and 40% of all property crime.  

Surprisingly, Macron admitted during the summit that a large percentage of revenues to African nations actually come from remittances.  Immigrants travel to Europe, siphon money from the economy and send the cash back to their families in Africa.  It is a little known fact that remittances from the immigrant invasion into western nations are absolutely integral to the economies of the third world.  Without this cash transfer many of these economies would collapse.  

The third world has been feeding on the west for generations, not just through remittances, but a steady flow of foreign aid.  Macron, however, presents this dynamic as if it's a good thing.  

“First, we need to be realistic about the main source of financial flows towards African countries: remittances from the African diaspora. They come from all those who have emigrated, who are working hard in many countries to send money back to their families. These flows exceed the aid provided by governments.” 

The notion that mass immigration is necessary for western countries to remain economically viable is consistently debunked.  Third world populations take far more than they contribute, and they do not add any significant relief for the labor pool (unemployment rates continue to climb in Europe because of the influx of foreign nationals).  Europe is also experiencing growth deceleration and economic stagnation. 

Migrants bring nothing to the table, yet, European leaders continue to gaslight their respective populations with tales of multicultural Utopia.  Any day now, this magical future will arrive...  

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 02:45

The UK's New Multinational Naval Initiative Aims To Contain Russia In The Arctic & Baltic

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, head of the British Royal Navy, announced that his counterparts from the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Taskforce comprised of the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands agreed to create “a family of allied fleets”. Officially known as the “Northern Navies Initiative” (NNI), it’s explicitly aimed at containing Russia in the Arctic and Baltic. This represents the evolution of the UK’s Arctic-Baltic policy that was elaborated on last summer here.

Estonia, at the far end of the Baltic Sea in proximity to St. Petersburg, was identified as the eastern lynchpin of this strategy with Greenland now becoming its western one. The inclusion of (for now still Denmark’s) Greenland, Iceland, and of course the UK hypothetically enables this “family of allied fleets” to monitor the so-called GIUK gap, which is Russia’s Arctic gateway to the Atlantic. Denmark also controls the Baltic Straits so the NNI can indeed potentially blockade Russia to an extent.

As was explained here last month, however, any blockade would be an act of war that could prompt Russia to consider resorting to kinetic action in self-defense if its warnings go unheeded. Nevertheless, just like the US has (reportedly imperfectly) blockaded Iran, so too is it preparing to blockade China at the Strait of Malacca one day through its new military partnership with Indonesia and might thus also approve of the UK-led NNI preparing to blockade Russia in the GIUK gap and Baltic Straits one day too.

It’s impossible to predict what exactly might happen, let alone the precise sequence of events that could unfold, but three more points of insight can be shared about the NNI for observers’ benefit. The first is that Poland is still conspicuously absent from the Joint Expeditionary Taskforce, the basis upon which the NNI is being assembled, despite it being formed in late 2014. That might be due to Poland then beginning its most recent period of conservative-nationalist rule after the liberal-globalists lost power.

The conservative-nationalists prioritize the US as Poland’s top partner while the liberal-globalists prioritize Germany. Since late 2023, former dual British citizen Radek Sikorski returned to his post as Polish Foreign Minister, yet Poland still didn’t join the taskforce even though critics consider him to be the UK’s agent of influence. That might be due to Poland’s neglected navy, but new joint drills with Sweden and technical cooperation with the UK raise the chances of its future membership.

The second point of insight is that “The Russian Navy Deterred Estonia From Boarding Its ‘Shadow Fleet’” by now escorting such vessels in the Gulf of Finland, the policy of which could hypothetically be scaled to include more ships through the Baltic and Arctic as well for deterring the NNI. And finally, Russia’s Black Sea ports, the North-South Transport Corridor through Iran, a potential complementary corridor through Afghanistan-Pakistan, and Vladivostok serve as alternative routes to the sea.

Even though this last point means that any US-backed and UK-led NNI blockade of Russia in the Arctic and Baltic would be manageable, the latter conditional on the continued free passage of ships between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, Russia is unlikely to accept its imposition and would likely push back.

Accordingly, the risk of a hot NATO-Russian war breaking out at sea as opposed to NATO’s Eastern Flank in Central & Eastern Europe is growing, which adds another dangerous dynamic to the New Cold War.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 02:00

Neocon Grandee Robert Kagan Issues Surprise Scathing Critique Of Iran War

Via Middle East Eye

Robert Kagan, one of the United States’ most prominent neoconservative voices and a long-time pro-Israel hawk, has warned that Washington is heading towards "total defeat" in its war on Iran - a setback he says “can neither be repaired nor ignored”.

Writing in The Atlantic, Kagan said the damage inflicted by the conflict cannot be reversed. "There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done," he concluded bleakly.

AFP via Getty Images

Kagan, who co-founded the neoconservative think tank Project for the New American Century in 1997, helped shape a political current that pushed the US to project military power globally.

That doctrine culminated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and deeply influenced the George W. Bush administration.

He remained closely tied to that policy ecosystem, including through his wife, Victoria Nuland, who served as an advisor to the arch neoconservative Vice President Dick Cheney. For years, Kagan championed US interventionism - making his stark warning about the current war all the more striking.

In his analysis, Kagan argued that control over the Strait of Hormuz has fundamentally shifted the balance of power.

"With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world," Kagan noted.

He added that the war has not only strengthened rivals such as China and Russia but has also eroded Washington’s global standing.

"Far from demonstrating American prowess, as supporters of the war have repeatedly claimed, the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America's failure," he said.

'Disastrous for Israel'

Kagan warned that US President Donald Trump now has limited options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting Washington may have exhausted its leverage.

He compared the scale of the current crisis to some of the most damaging moments in US military history, including the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the Vietnam War. Unlike those conflicts, he argued, the United States may not be able to recover from the consequences this time.

"Defeat for the United States, therefore, is not only possible but likely," he stressed.

Kagan said Iran’s ability to counter US pressure leaves Washington with few viable paths forward without triggering severe damage to Gulf economies and the wider global system. "If this isn’t checkmate, it’s close," he added.

He also stressed that Tehran is unlikely to relinquish its grip over the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as a powerful strategic lever.

"Iran cannot afford to let the strait go, no matter how good a deal it thought it could get. For one thing, how reliable is any deal with Trump?"

Below: a genuinely incredible scene...

The Iran war is so bad that PNAC co-founder Robert Kagan now describes Israel as a strategic liability leading the US into a quagmire

“It’s kind of like saying South Vietnam was a great ally in the fight against North Vietnam.”

Bill Kristol nods alongpic.twitter.com/qMfdmmEPMh

— Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 16, 2026

In a separate interview with PBS, Kagan extended his warning to Israel, arguing that the war could backfire on one of Washington’s closest allies.

"This war has the potential of ending in a very disastrous way for Israel precisely because the leverage in the region and the influence in the region is going to shift away from the United States and Israel and toward Iran and its supporters."

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 23:25

Mass Casualty Event After Israeli Airstrikes On Beirut Highway

Another mass casualty event has occurred in Lebanon, as national media says that on Wednesday eight people died, including two children, when Israeli strikes targeted cars on a highway south of Beirut. 

Israeli media itself described that "The three separate airstrikes were carried out well beyond the main theater of conflict in the south, targeting vehicles on the coastal highway in an area around 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Beirut, security sources said." The attack was reportedly carried out by drones.

EPA image

"Images showed a burnt-out car in the middle of the road and rescuers carrying a body at one of the sites, near Jiyeh," Times of Israel continues. "On Saturday, similar strikes targeted two other cars in the same area."

There was no immediate comment or explanation from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in wake of the bombings. Photographs of bombed-out and charred cars have widely circulated in the aftermath.

Hezbollah has meanwhile remained opposed to formal talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments, with the Iran-backed Shia paramilitary group not participating.

The next round of negotiations are expected in Washington on Thursday, and they will be overseen by the State Department.

From Israel's perspective, this means the ceasefire doesn't extend to Hezbollah, and it currently has an IDF ground force inside southern Lebanon, amid tit-for-tat drone and missile strikes. 

According to the latest on evacuation orders in the south, Al Jazeera writes:

On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military issued forced displacement orders for the residents of Meiss el-Jabal, Yanouh, Burj Shemali, Hula, Debl and Aabbasiyyeh, warning that it will soon act against these six southern Lebanese villages “forcefully”.

Anyone who remains “endangers their life,” the military said, warning residents to move at least 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) away to “open areas”.

At least seven villages in the area have been subject to evacuation order, but Lebanese officials have complained that in some cases civilian areas are hit which were previously deemed safe zones.

The death toll continues to mount, per the same report:

On Tuesday, 13 people were killed in attacks on towns in the south, including two Lebanese Civil Defence paramedics, Hussein Jaber and Ahmad Noura, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.

The ministry reported that at least 380 people have been killed during the truce, bringing the total death toll since the Israeli invasion and bombardment began on March 2 to more than 2,800.

Jiyeh coastal road, south of Beirut:

Israel targets a car on the Jiyeh coastal road, south of Beirut

Follow https://t.co/B3zXG73Jym pic.twitter.com/LobCfOs4hz

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) May 13, 2026

Iran has meanwhile insisted that the Lebanon conflict be part of any final ceasefire deal between Tehran and Washington. However, talks are at a standstill, with Iran having issued five conditions as a basis for the resumption of talks.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 23:00

The Hidden Cost To The American Worker From The AI Boom

Authored by Steven Edginton via American Intelligence,

While many warn that artificial intelligence itself will displace American workers, far less attention is paid to the fact that the very companies building AI are already replacing American employees with cheaper foreign labor. In many cases, though, the immediate threat to American workers is not the technology itself, but the hiring practices of the firms developing it.

In 2025, 406,348 H-1B visas were given to foreign workers in the United States, according to the latest U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. For hundreds of thousands of Americans, that figure is a nightmare.

The H-1B visa program, created in the 1990s as a temporary work visa supposedly for highly-skilled migrants, has flooded America with millions of cheap foreign workers.

For the last few months, I have been investigating the issue of the H-1B program and its impact on Americans for a new documentary for GB News. During that process, I received a flood of messages from workers across the country describing how they were forced to train their foreign replacements, saw their jobs were sent overseas, or witnessed ethnic tribalism in hiring that shut Americans out of jobs altogether.

The largest users of the H-1B program are Big Tech companies, many of which lobby Congress aggressively against reforms that could disrupt their pipeline of foreign labor.

Tech workers in Silicon Valley, one of America’s great civilizational achievements, are now overwhelmingly foreign born. According to the 2025 Silicon Valley Inde, roughly two-thirds of Silicon Valley tech workers were born outside the United States. There are more Indian-born tech workers there than those born in California. Highly-educated tech workers from India and China outnumber those from the United States, making up 41 per cent of the workforce compared with 30 per cent.

Lawmakers should evaluate the national security implications of a strategically vital American industry becoming taken over by, and increasingly dependent on, foreigners.

But the most visceral impact of this change has been on American tech workers.

According to an analysis by Harvard economist George Borjas, H-1B workers are on average 16% cheaper to employ than their American counterparts. For each H-1B worker employers save an average of $100,000 over the six-year term of the visa. Employers then have the ability to sponsor H-1B workers for green cards, ensuring they replace American workers in perpetuity.

One Silicon Valley based employee told me she lost her job after her Indian manager forced her to hire an Indian assistant, who she was later told to train so that he could replace her. Since then, she has been struggling to find work for two years, and was forced to sell her home.

In another case, a whistleblower, who until recently worked at FedEx, said her entire team’s jobs were off-shored to India. A former Google contractor said he was told to train his replacements in the Philippines. These stories are not atypical, especially for older workers who are competing for jobs with young, cheaper foreigners.

Many have also seen ethnic tribalism in hiring. At Google one former employee said he saw Indians give other Indians confidential interview questions to help them secure jobs. Others told me similar stories, where ethnic nepotism has led to workplaces becoming hives for foreign workers who all spawned from one particular city or even village in India. One high-profile example of this can be seen in the case of Cognizant Technology Solutions, an IT consulting company founded in India. Several successful lawsuits against the company in recent years have found discrimination against non-Indian employees in hiring and promotions.

To deal with these challenges, the Trump administration has attempted to crack down on the H-1B visa. Last year a new $100,000 fee was announced which would apply to employers hiring foreign talent. While official figures on the impact on H-1B applications are not yet available, experts estimate that applications may have fallen by between 30 and 50 per cent.

However, veteran anti-immigration campaigner and lawyer Rosemary Jenks said the new fee has had little overall impact as it doesn’t apply to domestic H-1B applications. Those who convert their visas to H-1Bs, such as students, or those renewing their H-1Bs are exempt from the $100,000 charge. Jenks’ view was confirmed to me by an immigration lawyer in Silicon Valley, who said she had seen a significant increase in domestic H-1B applications.

And when it comes to foreign competition for jobs, the H-1B program isn’t the only challenge for American workers.

This week Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced it has found more than 10,000 cases of potential fraud in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. This scheme allows foreign students to work in the United States for up to two years after graduating (who can then convert their student visas into H-1Bs, and eventually green cards). ICE officials said they had found “empty buildings and locked doors at addresses where hundreds of foreign students are allegedly employed”.

Unlike the H-1B program, which requires employers to pay the “prevailing wage” for roles, those employed under OPT can be paid any wage. The result is that American graduates are competing for entry level jobs with foreigners who are willing, and able, to work for far less. As of last year, 294,253 students are in the US on the OPT program.

Some Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have called for the H-1B visa to be abolished entirely. But until Congress is willing to confront the political influence of the Big Tech lobby, America’s dependence on cheap foreign labor is unlikely to end. The irony is that while Americans are told to fear displacement by artificial intelligence in the future, many are already being displaced in the present by hiring practices of the very firms building it.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 22:35

Israel's Netanyahu Made Clandestine Trip To UAE During Height Of Iran War

Amid the fog of the Iran conflict, some serious geopolitical chess moves were happening in the shadows, with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu having slipped behind what were once enemy lines, into the the quarters of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for a clandestine summit which could help realign the region.

"This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE," Netanyahu's office confirmed in a Wednesday statement.

It provides top level confirmation of a new CBS report, which revealed that "Netanyahu made a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates recently, where he met with Mohammed bin Zayed, the country's president."

The clandestine meeting occurred in late March, and out of that grew out of the Abraham Accords, given UAE was the first to sign onto normalization with Israel back in 2020. Strangely, later in the day Wednesday, the UAE Foreign Ministry denied the trip ever took place.

It was also revealed this week Israel actually deployed its prized Iron Dome batteries and IDF personnel directly onto UAE soil during the conflict to defend against the significant Iranian attacks.

But the diplomacy didn't stop with the heads of state. Intelligence sources indicate that Mossad chief David Barnea has been a frequent flier to the UAE, making at least two trips during the heat of the Iran war to synchronize "military operations" - a move first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee "There’s an extraordinary relationship between the UAE and Israel." This developing realignment means that the defense of the Gulf is now inextricably linked to Israeli tech and intelligence. 

"I'd like to say a word of appreciation for United Arab Emirates, the first Abraham accord member," Huckabee said at a Tel Aviv Conference this week. "Just look at the benefits. Israel just sent them Iron Dome batteries and personnel to help operate them."

"The Gulf states now understood they will have to make a choice - is it more likely they will be attacked by Iran or Israel?" Huckabee posed before the Israeli audience. "They see that Israel helped us and Iran attacked us. Israel is not trying to take over your land, and is not sending missiles to you."

So clearly there is a coordinated effort to finally make public very sensitive information - that for the first known time in history Israel is directly transferring weapons to a Gulf Arab state, while its head of state is making personal secret drop-ins for direct face time.

So during the war we saw Saudi Arabia bombing Iraq and Iran, UAE bombing Iran and Kuwait bombing Iraq https://t.co/NDweJxldFu

— Faytuks News (@Faytuks) May 13, 2026

Even long before the current Iran conflict, there was a growing covert relationship between Israel and some Gulf states going back to the early phase of the Syrian proxy war, in the last decade.

Israel and the Sunni autocrats conspired to overthrow Bashar al-Assad, a longtime key ally of Iran, and they cooperated on funding and supplying anti-Damascus jihadi insurgents. Out of this shadow war came a greater mutual understanding.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 22:10

Trump Says Cuba Is Seeking Help: 'We Are Going To Talk'

Authored by Troy Myers via The Epoch Times,

Cuba wants help, and the United States will hold talks with the communist island nation, President Donald Trump announced in a Tuesday post on Truth Social.

He did not specify when those talks would take place.

“No Republican has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction—down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote in his post.

The president has made Cuba a focus of his second term, increasing pressure on Havana in the form of sanctions, an oil blockade, and repeated comments from himself and others in his administration about how Cuba is next after the U.S. military captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Cuba, in January.

As he left for his trip to China, Trump declined providing any further information to reporters at the White House.

“Cuba is not doing well. It’s a failed nation, and we'll be talking about ‌Cuba at ⁠the right time,” Trump said.

Asked about any planned talks with the country, a White House official said, “Within a short period of time, they will fall, and we will be there to ​help them out.”

Trump has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions against the Cuban regime to choke the leadership out and push it toward making a deal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent, announced some of those sanctions on May 7.

On May 1, Trump signed a presidential action broadening sanctions on the communist government, imposing them on individuals, entities, and affiliates of the regime. It also targeted anyone complicit in human rights violations or corruption.

“[Cuba’s policies] constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat,” Trump’s order said. “Not only are these policies, practices, and actions designed to harm the United States, but they are also repugnant to the moral and political values of free and democratic societies.”

On Jan. 29, Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on any country that provides Cuba with oil. Days later, the president said Mexico would cease oil shipments to the country.

The oil blockade, sanctions, and U.S. capture of Cuba’s main oil provider in Maduro have crippled the nation’s energy infrastructure.

Blackouts, shortages, and fuel rationing have become part of daily life in Cuba.

Although the United States offered some relief in allowing a Russian-flagged tanker to bring 730,000 barrels of oil to Cuba on March 31, the supply lasted less than 10 days.

Cuban Americans, including Fidel Castro’s daughter, have sharply denounced the communist government, calling on Trump to turn his attention to Cuba.

Trump has pitched the idea of a  “friendly takeover” of the country, or a military takeover, adding that he believes he will have the “honor of taking Cuba.”

“That’s a big honor, taking Cuba in some form,” Trump told reporters in March. “Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it.”

Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from March 13–15, the first presidential visit to the country since Trump’s 2017 stop in his first term. China has called for the United States to end its oil blockade and sanctions against Cuba.

“We’re going to have a very good meeting,” Trump said before departing.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 21:45

Trump's Booming War Economy Explained In One Chart

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke with lawmakers last week and, at one point, laid out how the U.S. war economy is roaring back to life under the Trump administration.

Hegseth's message was clear: President Trump's "smart business deals" have sent an unmistakable demand signal to defense-industrial partners: build more, build faster, and prepare for sustained procurement.

"The department has helped stimulate more than two hundred and fifty private investment deals in thirty-nine states, 180 cities, 150 companies worth more than 50 billion dollars," Hegseth said, adding, "It's resulted in 280 new or expanded facilities with 18 million square feet of American manufacturing and more than 70 thousand new jobs in defense."

.@SECWAR "Over the past year, through historic, multi-year procurement agreements – smart business deals – we have sent a permanent, unambiguous demand signal to our industry partners to BUILD MORE AND BUILD FASTER.

The result has been a surge – a revitalization – of our great… pic.twitter.com/wrqI5e5HQR

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) April 29, 2026

Hegseth's comments about America's industrial base roaring back to life should come as no surprise to readers, as we've outlined:

• War Economy Returns: From Trucks To Tanks, Pentagon Looks To Automakers To Rebuild America's Arsenal

• Race To Refill U.S. Weapons Stockpiles Will Supercharge War Economy

"By changing our department's business model, American companies are investing in America with their own money, their own capital. A historic demonstration of American manufacturing and defense revitalization – all again with their capital, not Uncle Sam's," Hegseth noted.

Following Hegseth's testimony with lawmakers, the Department of War posted on X a graphic titled "The Arsenal of Freedom," which maps out the department's defense-industrial investments since January 20, 2025.

Welcome to the war economy.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 21:20

"Completely Insane": Federal Govt Withholds $1.3BN In Medicaid Reimbursements To California, Citing Fraud

Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times,

The Trump administration will withhold $1.3 billion in Medicaid payments to California due to potentially fraudulent billing patterns, Vice President JD Vance announced on May 13.

The action comes among a host of others taken recently to crack down on fraudulent activity in Medicare and Medicaid.

“We want to protect these programs for the kids and the families who need them. We want to ensure that the American taxpayer isn’t getting fleeced,” Vance told reporters.

JUST IN: VP JD Vance announces "the federal government is deferring $1.3 BILLION dollars in Medicaid reimbursements from the state of California."

He adds that "California has not taken fraud very seriously." pic.twitter.com/dcyMtxqouj

— Julia 🇺🇸 (@Jules31415) May 13, 2026

Analysis of Medicaid billing patterns in California aroused suspicion, according to Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“We’ve discovered $630 million in billing from folks who are egregiously the top 5 percent of outliers in billing. These numbers are so big you can’t imagine anyone billing for these [amounts],” Oz told reporters.

California itself is an outlier among states, Oz said.

“In California, the growth of spending on personal care services is twice the rate of the average of the rest of the country,” Oz said.

“We estimate there’s $500 million that could be a risk of being taken from federal taxpayers.”

Fewer than 20 of 800 Medicare providers recently removed from the program due to suspicious billing activity have called to complain, Oz said, offering that as evidence that they likely were not legitimate providers.

VP Vance responded with a double take after hearing that wild stat from Dr. Oz:

"You're saying that we kicked off 800 fraudulent healthcare providers off of the Medicare system and not a single one of them called the government and said, 'hey, you made a mistake?'"

UNBELIEVABLE. Vice President Vance just did a double take after hearing this wild stat dropped by Dr. Oz:

"You're saying that we kicked off 800 fraudulent healthcare providers off of the Medicare system and not a single one of them called the government and said, 'hey, you made… pic.twitter.com/EaJTz1lNoA

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) May 13, 2026

"It's just completely insane," remarked a surprised Vance!!

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 20:55

America's Fanatical Left Wing Mayors Are A Malignant Threat

This week the Democrat mayor of Arcadia, CA pled guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China.  Prosecutors alleged that from 2020–2022 (pre-mayor but continuing into her time in office), she and an associate operated a website promoting pro-China propaganda at the direction of PRC officials, without registering as a foreign agent. 

She faces at up to 10 years in prison for the crime, and it raises questions about how many more US mayors are on the payroll of foreign governments.  But this scandal, like most scandals surrounding Democrats, will probably be erased from public discussion and forgotten within days.  It's a tale that keeps repeating over the last decade and the lack of scrutiny (or pattern recognition) is leading to devastating consequences for the US as a whole.

The common reaction among many conservatives when they come across such news is to dismiss it as predictable.  "The idiots living in that city got exactly what they voted for..." is the often heard retort.  The implication being that it's "not our problem" and that leftists should be allowed to rot in the hellholes they created for themselves.  But the truth is, it is a problem, for the entire country. 

It's difficult to determine when it became fashionable for conservatives and centrists to abandon the fight for America's cities, but the consequences are spreading like a cancer into the political sphere.  Leftists view these cities as victories.  They see them as "territories, or "home bases" where they can launch assaults on various targets without fear of serious prosecution. 

Allowing this takeover to continue should be treated as embarrassing by anyone with a modicum of moral clarity.

Failing metros also represent symbols of embarrassment on the global stage.  When people around the world see the fentanyl zombie hordes of San Francisco or Philadelphia, that image sticks in their minds as a meme for the US.

 

In August of 2025 when the White House intervened to stop the out of control crime in Washington DC, Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser and the media fought tooth and nail to prevent outside enforcement.  Bowser's administration is facing scrutiny after it was revealed that the MPD was allegedly rigging data in order to hide the increasing violent crime rate.

It should be noted that Trump's federal actions cut total crime by 19%, homicides are down by 36%, violent crime is down 6% and robberies are down 25%.  There has been no rebound, and residents continue to express their thanks for Trump stepping in.

But one city being removed from chaos is not enough; the cancer is metastasizing.    

Democrat Socialist (communist) mayors are embedded across the country and the results are increasingly ugly.  Mayor Brandon Johnson in Chicago is reportedly stopping local police from investigating and arresting people involved in spontaneous teen riots across the city.  

Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat, says that Chicago is in for a "very long, very brutal" summer of street takeovers if the mayor doesn't get a grip on the situation. He said policies in Chicago prevent police from correctly handling the violent teen mobs seen in recent months. These mobs are largely made up of black teens, and under the concept of DEI, they get to do whatever they want.

WOW: Thugs took over an intersection in Chicago’s Gresham neighborhood during an illegal street takeover — ransacking a totaled car, setting it on fire, and then blowing it up in the middle of the road.

Fox News: “Chicago police told Fox News Digital that once officers… pic.twitter.com/9PXZiEpSvS

— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) April 22, 2026

In New York under Zohran Mamdani, the mayor is giving regular speeches about "peace and harmony" under Islamic immigration.  Meanwhile, malicious mobs of leftists and Muslims are now prowling NYC neighborhoods attacking random Jewish people, police and anyone wearing MAGA clothing.  Law enforcement is reportedly being held back from any meaningful response. 

🚨BROOKLYN:

Insane footage of pro-Hamas rioters marching through a Jewish neighborhood toward a synagogue while assaulting Jewish kids.

Sharia supremacists want to conquer not coexist. pic.twitter.com/GMWiUpez3u

— Jayne Zirkle (@JayneZirkle) May 12, 2026

I hope every fucking NYPD officer quits and tells Mamdani to fuck off. pic.twitter.com/PoQuLCxHQ9

— Gina Milan (@ginamilan_) May 12, 2026

Under far-left Mayor Katie Wilson, who was living off her parent's money at age 43 before she was elected, Seattle is witnessing a mass exodus of businesses and higher income taxpayers.  The city was already facing a detrimental budget deficit, but now it is also facing substantial job losses.  Even Starbucks, which got it's start in Seattle, is leaving for Tennessee.  Wilson's response?  "Good riddance..."

Headline: The Strategy of the "Opposite" 📉➡️📈
​
Seattle’s Mayor, Katie Wilson, was recently caught on video laughing about the "millionaire march" out of Washington State, literally telling residents, "Bye."

​But there’s a reason Florida is seeing record growth. Governor Ron… pic.twitter.com/HJqepuaRWZ

— Jason American Patriot™ (@TruthJasonLee) May 3, 2026

In other words, she's happy about the economic destruction of the city she has been charged with managing.  

It is important to realize that leftists view chaos and the deconstruction of the existing society as a good thing.  They applaud high crime, mob violence, economic decay and foreign corruption.  The faster the plunge happens, the sooner they can build their delusional equity-based Utopia.  Once this fact is understood, everything they do makes perfect sense.

But there is some light at the end of the tunnel.  Far-left DEI Mayor Karen Bass of LA is facing significant competition in the 2026 election race.  Her failures in the Palisades fires, rampant homelessness, violent crime and overall mismanagement of city infrastructure might have awakened residents of the city to the idea of voting outside the Democratic Party. 

Conservative candidate Spencer Pratt is surging in the polls.  After the latest public debate, 89% of voters picked Pratt as the winner.  Though Bass continues to lead with 40% of voters polled, Pratt's run is exposing weaknesses in the armor of Democrat controlled urban areas.  At the very least, far more people than expected are fed up with leftist leadership.    

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 20:30

Charitable Giving: How To Manage Donations With New Tax Laws

Authored by Javier Simon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

When you donate to qualified charitable organizations under the IRS, you could get some tax benefits in the form of charitable deductions.

The OBBBA introduces new limits and tax breaks for charitable giving starting in 2026. Fox_Ana/Shutterstock

But tax laws are constantly changing, and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has brought some major changes to charitable deductions beginning in tax year 2026. These shifts affect both itemizers and those who take the standard deduction.

So let’s take a closer look.

Non-Itemizer Deduction

Normally, charitable deductions mostly benefit those who itemize their deductions. But beginning in tax year 2026, those who take the standard deduction can also deduct up to $1,000 worth of cash gifts to qualified operating charities if filing single or $2,000 if married and filing jointly.

However, this particular deduction doesn’t apply to contributions to donor-advised funds.

For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increased to $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. These figures will be adjusted annually for inflation.

These are historically high standard deduction levels made permanent through the OBBBA, so you may want to check if your total itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction.

Charitable Deduction ‘Floor’

For tax year 2026 and on, itemizers can only deduct the portion of their total donations that exceed 0.5 percent of their adjusted gross income (AGI).

So, if your AGI is $100,000, only the value of donations above $500 would be deductible. That $500 is the “floor.” For example, if an individual with an AGI of $100,000 donated $700 to an IRS-qualified children’s hospital, only $200 would be deductible ($700 – $500 = $200).

In other words, smaller donations may not generate as robust a tax benefit—or any at all in some cases. To get around this, many advisers recommend “bunching” several years of planned donations in one tax year to clear the floor.

New Cap for High Earners

If you’re in the highest tax bracket of 37 percent, the tax savings of your charitable deductions are capped at 35 percent. This means that if you’re in that tax bracket, a $20,000 donation would get you $7,000 in tax savings rather than $7,400 at 37 percent.

But there are many ways you can reduce your taxable income. For example, you can maximize pre-tax accounts like 401(k)s, IRAs, and HSAs. Such moves could move you to lower tax brackets.

The 60 Percent Cap Is Permanent

You can deduct cash gifts made to qualified charities up to 60 percent of your AGI. However, you must first clear the 0.5 percent floor.

New QCD Limits

A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) allows individuals aged 70 1/2 or older to donate up to $111,000 in 2026 to a qualified charity directly from a traditional IRA—and that charitable distribution won’t count toward your taxable income.

Plus, your QCD can satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD). RMDs are certain amounts of money most people must annually withdraw from their traditional IRAs once they reach age 73, even if they don’t need it.

But by the time you reach 73, you may have grown a sizable nest egg. RMDs are partially calculated based on your IRA balance. So if it’s large enough, it can bump you into a higher tax bracket. It may even trigger net investment income tax and surcharges on your Medicare Part B and Part D premiums through what’s known as the income-related monthly adjustment amount.

So having your QCD satisfy your RMD can be quite beneficial. But remember, there are limits to QCDs, so if your RMD for 2026 is larger than $111,000, the difference would still be taxable. In other words, your QCD can partially or fully satisfy your RMD.

The Bottom Line

Charitable giving is a key component in the financial plans of many individuals. It not only allows them to contribute to the causes they care about but also earns people tax breaks. However, tax laws often fluctuate. The OBBBA is a sweeping law that brought major changes to charitable deductions, so it’s important to discuss your philanthropic goals for the year with a qualified tax adviser.

The Epoch Times copyright © 2026. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 20:05

Vance Shrugs Off Backlash After Trump Says Americans' Finances Don't Factor Into Iran War "Even A Little Bit"

Just before leaving to China on Tuesday, President Trump fielded question from the media and issued some shocking remarks which are sure to hurt, not help Republicans, during a week in which the Iran war hits the 75-day mark.

President Trump conceded that the financial situation for Americans was not a factor in his decision-making when it came to Iran, at a moment Americans are alarmed at steadily rising gas prices, and the potential that the cost of everything from groceries to other basic staples could go up. The real surprise was that he didn't even try dodge the question or massage the topic like many politicians would choose to do, instead he emphasized: "Not even a little bit."

"The only thing that matters, when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing: we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon… that’s the only thing that motivates me," he added. Watch:

President Trump is asked how much he considers Americans' financial situation when negotiating with Iran:

"Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters is they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans’ financial situation. I don't think about anybody." pic.twitter.com/BFxqVtZgQr

— The American Conservative (@amconmag) May 12, 2026

Congressional GOP members are no doubt squirming in wake of these blunt comments, and Trump's own staff surely wasn't thrilled. Trump didn't so much as hesitate in his remarks, and midterm elections are coming up fast, with the Iran conflict and Hormuz showdown showing no signs of abating.

Some have argued that Trump as Commander-in-Chief is in 'war mode' and so doesn't want to tip his cards or let the Iranians perceive that they have leverage and can impose a political cost, especially amid talks and stalled negotiations. But the reality is that at the end of the day Americans by and large don't prioritize foreign policy issues over and above how their how bank account is doing, and their ability to maintain a decent standard of living.

One key problem with framing this as ultimately all about Iran not having a nuclear weapon, is that till this moment the official line from the US intelligence community remains that it sees no evidence the Islamic Republic is actually seeking a nuke. Nothing has changed of the public US intelligence community's assessment since headlines like these were issued during the June war: Israel says Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon. US intel says it was years away.

All of this is also perhaps why on Wednesday Vice President J.D. Vance seemed to try and nervously deflect and reject the question as a reporter asked about Trump's "not even a little bit" remarks from the day prior. Here's the fresh exchange:

REPORTER: "Do you agree with the president's position that Americans' financial situations should not be a consideration in that [Iran] decision-making process?"

JD VANCE: "Well, I don't think the president said that. I think that's a misrepresentation of what the president said. But look, I agree with the president that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon."

"The fundamental goal here is the president wants to make the world safe, but particularly the American people safe from Iran having a nuclear weapon."

"We care about how the American people are doing economically. We've also got a number of other challenges. Of course, the president has to confront all these challenges simultaneously."

🚨 NOW — REPORTER: "Do you agree with the president's position that Americans' financial situations should not be a consideration in that [Iran] decision-making process?"

JD VANCE: "Well, I don't think the president said that. I think that's a misrepresentation of what the… pic.twitter.com/eMPCXhmV8a

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 13, 2026

This narrative from Trump is certainly a losing one, and Vance - who no doubt is increasingly worried that a protracted Iran quagmire could dampen his chances for the presidential election in 2028 - absolutely knows it.

After all, the average price of gas in the US now sits at $4.50 per gallon, a 51% increase since the start of Operation Epic Fury. There's also a good chance that a full-scale bombing campaign could return, even as Pentagon officials struggle to articulate a clear strategic vision and end game. And yet, the Trump administration is previewing that the campaign could restart under the name 'Operation Sledgehammer'.

In the meantime, there's no putting this genie back in the bottle...

CNN split screen of Trump saying he doesn’t think about Americans’ financial situation and Vance claiming that Trump didn’t say that. pic.twitter.com/7ACtYu9ImE

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2026

Below: A legitimate questions about America's future, and putting Americans first, which is met with Trump's scorn...

Reporter: You promised to bring inflation down. It's now at its highest level in three years. Are your policies not working?

President Trump: My policies are working incredibly. If you want to let them have a nuclear weapon, you’re a stupid person—you happen to be. pic.twitter.com/ETPJrrQfjv

— Acyn (@Acyn) May 12, 2026

Those on the political right, including a significant sector of MAGA who feel betrayed by Trump for starting another war of choice in the Middle East (which on the campaign trail he repeatedly promised not do do), are not going for forget this either.

For example, Liberty Lockdown show host Clint Russell in a viral tweet had this to say: Regarding the Iran war Trump says American's financial situations don't matter to him "even a little bit". When the GOP gets annihilated in November don't you dare blame Tucker or Megyn or Candace or Fuentes or Massie. Just watch this over and over.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 19:40

Rising Jet Fuel And Ticket Prices Could Disrupt Summer Air Travel

Submitted by Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com

Summer travel could be disrupted for millions of airline passengers as airlines pass on higher jet fuel prices onto air fares and cancel unprofitable routes, according to the global association Airports Council International.

The surge in jet fuel prices as a result of the Middle East crisis leads to higher air fares. Passengers should be prepared for higher ticket prices for longer, Stefano Baronci, the Airports Council International’s director general of Asia Pacific and Middle East, told Bloomberg in an interview published on Wednesday.  

Supplies of the fuel from the Middle East cannot move past the Strait of Hormuz, while Asian refiners slashed exports amid reduced run rates and preference and/or orders to keep more supply for their respective domestic markets.

So, the recent crash in global exports of jet fuel – which is the most stressed barrel during the ongoing supply shock – was not unexpected. 

Jet fuel supplies from Northeast Asia and India West Coast crashed and tightened the global jet fuel market so much that officials and airline executives started talking about fuel shortages in a few weeks’ time.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), warned in mid-April that Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supply.

But the Airports Council International’s Baronci dismissed concerns about shortages, noting that the high prices remain the key problem for the industry going forward. With higher air fares, demand destruction is inevitable and airlines could opt to slash more routes this summer, he added. 

Earlier this month, Lufthansa Group, Europe’s biggest airline, said it expects the surge in jet fuel prices to cost it an additional $2 billion this year as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz “is leading to a shortage in kerosene supply and thus to a significant increase in kerosene prices.” 

The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have severely constrained Europe’s jet fuel supply, while jet fuel prices spiked to over $200 per barrel in April before easing to about $150 a barrel this month, which is still way above pre-war levels. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 19:15

24/7 Live Feed: Watch Humanoids Work On Factory Floor

We have spent several quarters building the case for readers that humanoid robotics is approaching an inflection point, transitioning from years of training videos and promotional stunt videos to real-world factory-floor deployment.

Multiple leading research desks we have cited expect global shipments of humanoid robots to begin ramping later this year and the years ahead, suggesting the job-displacement wave now hitting white-collar workers through AI chatbots could soon extend to blue-collar labor across warehouses, manufacturing lines, and beyond.

Let's revisit an early February note from UBS analysts led by Phyllis Wang, who forecast that shipments of humanoid robots would begin ramping this year before accelerating sharply in the years ahead. Wang outlined several scenarios, all pointing in the same direction: up and to the right.

Let's fast-forward to Wednesday, when U.S.-based robotics company Figure AI launched a live feed on X and YouTube of its robots "running a full 8-hour shift at human performance levels."

Last week, Figure CEO Brett Adcock told Sourcery's Molly O'Shea about a "near-term" push to bring humanoid robots into homes, where they would perform basic household tasks under a consumer subscription model that could cost "hundreds per month," similar to a car lease.

Adcock said the robots could "cost something like $600 a month" for consumers...

.@adcock_brett says in the "near term" @Figure_robot will sell humanoid robots for the home for ~$600/month:

"You can plug it in a wall outlet, it'll go to its dock and charge."

"I want it to do the laundry every day, dishes every day, and tidy the house multiple times a day." https://t.co/z1GlCILVW9 pic.twitter.com/n8lFocjUy1

— sourcery (@sourceryy) May 5, 2026

Figure's most recent funding round was in September, when it raised more than $1 billion in Series C financing at a $39 billion valuation.

The increased visibility around Figure, whether through the CEO on a podcast or the startup's new live feed showing robots operating on a factory floor, raises an obvious question: Is the manufactured hype being deliberately amplified ahead of a potential fundraising push?

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 18:50

Chaos Unleashed: When "Irrational" Makes Perfect Sense

Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

Once fairness and honesty have been stripped out of a social order, social trust collapses. Once trust collapses, society disintegrates.

It's important to understand the dynamics of chaos before the certainties in our lives are swept away.

Over the past few months, I've been exploring the dynamics of delusion and breakdown:

1. our reliance on models to make sense of the world and what happens when those models no longer track reality;

2. the difficulties in adapting when our old model breaks down;

3. our growing reliance on complex systems and AI;

4. our frustration with broken systems that are impervious to reform;

5. how the status quo makes a show of reforming broken systems, substituting theatrics for substance;

6. the destabilizing consequences of extremely asymmetric distributions of wealth, power and income;

7. the erosion of our standard of living and quality of life as "progress" is replaced by Anti-Progress and an Ultra-Processed Life of transactions and synthetic facsimiles of authenticity;

8. how these forces have shaped two "fork in the road" narratives:

A. boundless prosperity for all generated by AI and technology

B. the breakdown of an imbalanced, inherently destabilizing socio-economic-political system of the powerful and the powerless defined by moral decay, the collapse of trust in institutions, widening extremes of inequality and the substitution of artifice for authenticity, a.k.a. everything is fake, to maintain the illusion that all is well.

These ideas inform my recent work:

One of Us Is Delusional, But Which One?

When Predictability Collapses, What's Scarce and Valuable Is Adaptability

AI, Money, Human Nature and the Problem with Problems

Why We're Helpless When Things Break Down

The Fork in the Road Ahead

Recession and Revolution: Our Experience Isn't a Model or System

What Would Be Truly Bullish? Actually Fixing What's Broken

There are two underlying material-world dynamics that tie all these themes together:

1. Growth / Progress--defined as higher energy consumption per capita that results in increased purchasing power of wages--is no longer robust enough to raise all boats. This reality is reflected in the declining purchasing power of wages, which is typically labeled "a rise in the cost of living" / inflation.

2. At the same time, the top 10% ownership / professional / managerial elite is taking a larger share of the pie due to a number of factors, including regulatory capture, political changes in tax laws that favor asset-owners, etc., and the explicit but unstated policy decision to give the stagnating economy the appearance of "growth" by inflating credit-asset bubbles that enrich those who already own assets at the expense of those who don't own enough to matter.

These boil down to the distribution of "pain" and "gain": who gets the pain and who gets the gain, and whether the pain and the gain are distributed across all socio-economic classes or are they asymmetrically distributed.

The "pain" of declining purchasing power of wages, living standards and quality of life (for example, health, financial security. etc.) is being distributed to the bottom 80% while the "gains" are distributed to the top 10% owners of capital. (A tiny percentage of the gains trickles down to the cohort between 80% and 90% who own enough capital to maintain a "middle class" lifestyle.)

As I have noted many times, humans are hardwired to be innately attentive to the three dynamics that give humanity's social skills such immense adaptive power:

1. fairness / unfairness (justice, injustice)
2. truth / honesty / authenticity
3. trust (but verify)

Once fairness and honesty have been stripped out of a social order, social trust collapses. Once trust collapses, society disintegrates.

I consider it self-evident that extreme asymmetries of distributing pain and gain cannot be justified as "fair" nor are they perceived to be "fair" by those absorbing the pain.

I also consider it self-evident that truth / honesty / authenticity have been replaced by theater, staged performances and the self-serving artifices of making a show of reforming broken systems.

That social trust is in steep decline cannot be plausibly denied.

This raises the question: how does this disintegration manifest?

Tim Morgan of Surplus Energy Economics (highly recommended reading) has provided an insightful context for understanding how social-economic-political disintegration follows a profoundly human and inherently "irrational" emotional progression.

As he explains, in our technocratic system, causal chains are invariably presented as mechanistic: technology changes this, monetary policy changes that, and so on. We understand "how things work" as linear, reductionist, left-hemisphere mechanical processes of inputs, processes and outputs.

But humans are not machines, and society is not a mechanism comprised solely of institutions and technocratic / financial processes.

Morgan offers the missing half of disintegrative dynamics: the emotional progression of grief famously described by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross in her 1969 book On Death and Dying, a process that in one way or another works through five emotional states: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Morgan posits that we are collectively grieving the loss of growth without being fully aware that we're experiencing this dynamic because we're in the denial stage.

#323: They First Make Mad: Stress and Grief at the End of Growth (Tim Morgan of Surplus Energy Economics)

Kubler-Ross describes a system that is not linearly mechanical; it's a progression that often veers into emotional states that can be described as "irrational" even as they are completely rational to those experiencing them.

This is a system of emotional processes and truths that can't be understood with the conventional tools of systems dynamics or the social sciences, for the "irrationality" of each state is intrinsic to the progression.

Humans are not mechanisms, and neither is this emotional system. What appears "irrational" is not irrational; it's the way this system works to reconcile our inner life with existential life-changing events.

The status quo's survival strategy is to claim that the Anti-Progress of systemic decline in the standard of living / quality of life experienced by the bottom 80% is still "growth" and "Progress," but this model is veering so far from lived experience that it's increasingly delusional for those not being enriched by bubbles in stocks and housing.

Since we resist losing what we value and are accustomed to--a positive social identity, livelihood, security--the bottom 80% are experiencing the uneasy limbo that precedes a profound phase change that cannot be reversed.

In this temporary state of instability, they're clinging to denial that the era of "growth / Progress" that actually improved their living standards and quality of life has ended, even as the tightening vise of decline increasingly stresses their security, social mobility and belief in the model of permanent upward mobility and prosperity.

The pain generated by decline comes in forms that don't lend themselves to measurement: anxiety, precarity, etc., emotions that make denial a form of emotional solution. But this "solution" doesn't resolve the anxiety or precarity; it's only an emotional Band-Aid / coping mechanism.

Our hardwired awareness of unfairness, artifice and the collapse of trust can't be suppressed, and these chip away at denial. Eventually the denial breaks down, much like an avalanche: the scales fall from our eyes and we see everything we've denied as inescapably real.

On the other side of this phase change is anger.

Denial becomes increasingly delusional as declines that would have been shocking in previous eras of prosperity are now accepted with the passive shrug of the powerless. Selling one's blood for extra cash--once the sole domain of destitute junkies needing cash to feed their addiction--is now an accepted middle-class "gig" to earn extra cash to support a lifestyle that is slipping away:

The Middle-Class Suburbanites Who Sell Their Blood Plasma to Get By.

Another hallmark of middle-class security--the IRA/401K retirement fund--is being drained to pay for everyday expenses:

They Withdrew 401(k) Money Early, and They Have Some Regrets.

In an era of declining purchasing power of wages, the money being withdrawn is unlikely to be replaced.

This account by an anthropologist sheds light on the themes I'm describing:

"The America I move through today often feels alien to the one I thought I knew. Those who fall behind are seen not as constrained, but as having failed. The result is a pervasive, if often unspoken, alienation--one that erodes shared bonds and leaves people to navigate inequality on their own.

Most troubling is the way this environment feeds a politics of grievance. Anger and frustration are redirected toward scapegoats rather than toward the structures that concentrate wealth and power. Identity and culture become tools of division rather than sources of connection. In that context, authoritarianism finds its opening--not as a rupture, but as an extension of patterns already in place."

Since humans are social animals, private anger that is shared becomes public anger--a much more powerful, more volatile emergent property of the phase change from denial to anger.

In this context, we can understand the "wealth tax" in California and the tax on second homes worth in excess of $5 million in New York City as precursors of this phase change from denial to anger which fuels the desire to restore some balance by clawing back some of the gains of the super-wealthy.

This is an example of what I call redress in my book Investing In Revolution: the desire to rebalance extremes of inequality to restore some measure of trust in institutions and the system. Redress can also be fulfilled by restoring previously existing limits on concentrations of power that tilted the system to distribute the lion's share of gains to the few at the top.

Examples of the rules being changed to benefit the wealthy include stock buybacks (previously illegal), Citizens United and a long list of other regulatory changes designed to benefit those with the wealth to buy political influence.

If redress is thwarted or watered down to just another virtue-signaling performance of fake reform for show, the alternative manifestation of anger is retribution. When anger slides into rage as redress is thwarted, retribution has the potential to gain an emotional momentum few anticipate.

Absent systemic unfairness, deception and distrust, anger can proceed to bargaining without transitioning into rage: when bad things happen to us while others are unaffected, it feels unfair--but since it isn't intentional--no one sacrificed our interests to serve their own--we eventually find ways to accept that life is inherently unfair.

But when the system is built on unfairness, deception and distrust so the few can benefit at the expense of the many, anger heats up into rage when redress is denied. This rage seeks expression, and if it's shared by others, it quickly spreads into a volatile public movement.

Bargaining, depression, and acceptance are off the table until substantive redress is achieved or the rage burns itself out.

Chaos looks irrational due to its unpredictability and destructive potential. But when viewed as part of a hardwired emotional casual chain triggered by unfairness, deception and distrust, then not only are anger and demands for redress rational, so too is rage unleashing chaos when legitimate demands for redress are denied by those in power.

At this volatile juncture where the emergent properties of public rage take on a life of their own, the importance of shared beliefs and ideals becomes paramount: absent a narrative and model that inspires positive collective actions, the emergent properties of public rage manifest as uncontrollable chaos.

History offers several templates for what happens once the spark of public anger ignites a fast-spreading wildfire of rage and retribution. One is martial law, a military clampdown that erases public expression and replaces democratic institutions with authoritarian rule. This is the root of Napoleon's famous quip about quelling the mob with a "whiff of grapeshot," i.e. blasting the mob with cannons loaded with round bullets.

In other cases, an authoritarian or self-serving, corrupt neofeudal regime attempts to quell the disorder, but the force needed to suppress the public rage is beyond those being tasked to shoot down their family and friends to save the regime from the consequences of its exploitation and lies.

But the consequences of model collapse don't go away with force. All that force accomplishes is the suppression of public anger. What's needed to nurture a society that values, prioritizes and incentivizes fairness, authenticity and trust is a new model that inspires the disenfranchised with a coherent set of values and goals.

Ivan Illich described this in a way we can all understand:

"Neither revolution nor reformation can ultimately change a society, rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story, one so inclusive that it gathers all the bits of our past and our present into a coherent whole, one that even shines some light into the future so that we can take the next step. If you want to change a society, then you have to tell an alternative story."

Developing this alternative story is the point of my work. The outlines are not complicated:

1. shift the goal from "growth" (The Waste Is Growth, Everything Is Disposable Landfill Economy) to a sustainably rewarding quality of life that isn't measured solely by material consumption but by the "prosperity" of positive social roles, upward mobility (chances to get ahead), agency (control of one's life) and a say in decisions affecting shared interests (for example, the quality of air / water and public institutions).

2. Limit centralization and the consolidation of financial, economic and political power in the hands of the few, who inevitably use this power to serve their interests at the expense of the many.

We can understand this alternative story as a secular Reformation, a necessary response to a incorrigibly corrupt status quo whose foundational story (infinite growth via what Tim Morgan succinctly describes as "infinite monetary stimulus and limitless technological possibility") is unsustainable and therefore delusional.

Absent a coherent, realistic, inspirational alternative story, once chaos is unleashed, there is no pathway to the restoration of fairness, authenticity and trust within a sustainable model that serves everyone's interests.

John Maynard Keynes famously stated that "markets can remain irrational longer than you can stay solvent."

The same can be said of redress-denied, rage-fueled chaos: it too can remain irrational longer than we can imagine.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 18:25

Democrats Are Not In Good Shape For The Midterms

The conventional wisdom heading into 2026 was simple enough: an unpopular president, a restless electorate, and history's gravitational pull toward the opposition party would deliver the House back to Democrats.

CNN's Harry Enten spent this week throwing cold water on that narrative — and the data he brought to the table should give Democrats serious pause.

Start with the map.

Democrats were counting on Virginia’s new map to give them four more solid seats heading into the midterms, but the Virginia Supreme Court struck it down in a 4-3 ruling, finding that the Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when referring the measure to voters. Democrats quickly appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but experts largely agree that the high court won’t take the case.

On Monday, Enten called the outcome for what it is. "I think it's fairly safe to say that Republicans will, in fact, win” the redistricting wars, he said. Then came the caveat that only partially softened the blow: "But what exactly does that mean? Does that mean it's a nightmare for Democrats? Well, sort of, but not really." 

The caution is understandable. Redistricting alone was never likely to guarantee Republicans control of the House, but it has made the Democrats’ path back to a majority considerably steeper. Before the current wave of Republican-driven mid-decade redistricting, a simple popular vote win would have been sufficient for Democrats to retake the House. That threshold has now moved. Democrats, having failed in Virginia, needed to offset the net losses in red states that have updated their maps. They haven't. The margin Democrats need in the national popular vote to flip the chamber has climbed to roughly 3 to 4 points — and that's before accounting for any further setbacks.

On Tuesday, Enten pointed out that new polling shows Democrats leading the generic congressional ballot by just 3 points, which is within the margin of error. "Democrats are up by three points, and I want you to note the yellow lettering," Enten said, walking viewers through the graphic. "No clear leader. It is within the margin of error." Pre-redistricting, Enten said that kind of lead might have been enough to put the gavel back in Democratic hands. "But now, with the redistricting, their ladder, they have to climb ever higher, and a three-point win may very well not do it."

Run the math, and the implications are clear.

 "If this were, in fact, the actual result come election day, the race for Congress, the race for the House, would be basically a toss-up."

And a toss-up is not where the party that spent the past several months banking on Trump's economic unpopularity expected to find itself.

The problem facing Democrats right now is that, across all of the traditional indicators, conditions favor the Democrats, which should suggest a blue wave. But they don’t.

"Just because Donald Trump is unpopular doesn't make Democrats popular," Enten observed, delivering the line with the understated precision of someone who had been waiting to say it for months.

Perhaps most striking is the erosion of the Democratic generic ballot lead over a matter of weeks. In March, Democrats held a 6-point advantage. It has since compressed to 3. That kind of momentum in the wrong direction — cutting the lead in half during a period when Trump's economic numbers cratered — is not what opposition surges look like. As Politico put it, "Democrats are in arguably on worse footing in their bid to retake the House than they were less than one year ago."

The Democratic Party has a real ceiling problem, and the structural math is now working against it.

"Republicans very much in the race for the House of Representatives," Enten said. "They're in that game."

He closed with the kind of assessment that cuts through spin: "I think this poll serves as a big time reality check for Democrats, and that is, it ain't over yet, especially with the redistricting when we look ahead to the 2026 race for Congress." 

The new CNN poll should serve as a big time reality check for Dems.

Yes, Trump isn't liked on the economy... but neither are the Dems.

Dems' lead on the generic House ballot isn't growing.

With redistricting, the race for House control is well within the margin of error. pic.twitter.com/ewJ6w1W1AT

— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) May 12, 2026

With six months to go before the midterms, the map and the polls have gotten worse for Democrats. 

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 18:00

Where Have The Men Gone?

Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,

The Department of Labor keeps careful track of employment and the demographics thereof. Their latest report on men in the labor force is both mysterious and deeply alarming. It turns out that the labor force is missing about 7 million men who would otherwise be working. Close to a third of working-age men have vanished from the labor force.

The labor force participation rate among “prime age men,” age 25 to 54, in the 1950s approached 100 percent. Now it is 89 percent, meaning roughly 11 percent are not in the labor force (neither working nor looking for work).

Among all men over 16 years of age, the rate is a devastatingly low 66 percent, so about one-third are gone. Among U.S.-born men, nearly 22 percent are gone.

This is really quite shocking.

The trend in decline dates far back, accelerated in the 1960s, stabilized in the 1980s, declined again after the turn of the century, and took a deep dive after the pandemic lockdowns and never recovered. It is falling again now, nearly to the lows we saw when the economy was actually locked down.

The explanations for this are all over the map. Disability ranks at the top.

But we aren’t really talking about wooden legs and paraplegics here. This traces to mental disorders, substance abuse, obesity and chronic disease, low motivation, pharmaceutical injury, and general lethargy and demoralization.

How do they pay the bills? The lucky ones have trust fund flows. The conventional ones live with Mom and Dad and take disability benefits. The really unlucky ones are simply homeless.

The number of men who live with parents has tripled since the 1950s when the expectation was that you would be kicked out of the nest at 17 and only return for holidays and special occasions. Otherwise, any self-respecting dude would make a living for himself, find a bride, and set up his own family. The idea of basement dwelling was simply unheard of.

There is overlap here with men falling out of the workforce. Men (especially non-college) living with parents are 20 percent less likely to be in the labor force than those living independently.

We all have stories. In fact, you are thinking of some men you know now and how it happened that they just lost interest in the normal flow of life. Instead, they spend their time with gaming, scrolling, porn, OnlyFans, and some other pointless or destructive pursuit. They rely on substances and drugs to dampen the pain. They have given up.

There is plenty of blame to go around. The full feminization of the workplace is only a few decades old now, with every firm being lorded over by Human Resources, which is dominated by women by 70–80 percent. They serve as a breeder of conflict such that any offense is immediately reported if it usually involves men as the target.

College students have been taught for years that the word toxic and masculinity are inseparable, while the phrase “toxic femininity” does not exist. Indeed, it is commonplace for any competent man in the workforce to be falsely accused of absurdities. No company is willing to risk the litigation costs, and so it throws the guy out even with zero evidence of wrongdoing.

Years ago I heard one guy in an investment bank say that every man in his office regards women as essentially inanimate, like statues with whom never to engage at any level. He added that no responsible man would ever get on an elevator if there is a woman alone in there. Doing so risks your career because you can be accused of anything to your doom.

Is the corporate workplace today hostile to men? To say absolutely is a huge understatement. It should not be shocking to discover that millions of men have simply said they want no part of it.

Oddly, men today can get by on not much money at all. If they are living with family, room and board are free. If you prefer looking like a slob, clothing expenses are nearly zero too. In today’s world, it is possible for a working-age man to manage with only a trickle of government benefits. Without a serious inner drive to achieve something, one year can fold into the next.

As a general principle, a man without a job is only going to get ever sicker. The whole of society suffers their absence.

There are always good excuses. The labor markets are extremely tight right now, especially for men with soft-discipline college degrees who have no marketable skills despite being six figures in debt. Here is a real tragedy. They were told to stay in school and just get that piece of paper. Now the job market is not particularly interesting.

Then you have the cost of housing, which is extremely high. Buying a house is out of the question. Even with simple renting, lease applications are extremely strict now. You have to show stable income flows and have excellent credit. No landlord these days is willing to risk nonpayment given what happened in 2020 when the government imposed an eviction moratorium.

You also have a major problem with what is called the reservation wage. This is the level that one expects to get paid even when market conditions are not cooperating. Sure, some guys can take their lumps and start delivering or driving rideshare. But for many men, taking such a job is an assault on their personal dignity. They won’t do it.

In the end, we really are talking about a volitional choice to drop out.

Talking with others about this, we all know cases in point. They are embarrassed, isolated, and in a spiral of demoralization that is hard to fix.

I was listening to a podcast the other day by an influential guy who said something that really spooked me. I somehow can’t shake his words. He said that realistically there is nothing to do. Nothing. He continued to explain that you can hang out at home and play on the computer or go to a restaurant. After you eat, you can go home again and play on the computer. He said some people recommend travel but he said this is pointless because it is the same whether in Milan or Milwaukee: you sit in your room or go eat. Nothing else.

These are astonishing words to me. For how many others is he speaking? Have we really come to this place as a culture? What would you suggest to this young man? You can of course yell and say: get a life! The trouble is that we have an entire generation or two of men who don’t even understand what that is.

Ideally, if we could go back in time, men would get a serious job like construction at the age of 15 or so. My brother did this and it was astonishing to watch. He would come home at 5 p.m. and fall into bed moaning in pain, rouse himself for dinner, and then collapse again. It was this way for a week until his body and mind adjusted. Wow, did he learn a thing or two.

My case was less rigorous: roof repair, piano moving, organ tuning, well digging, courier services, and finally department store maintenance. I never did the road crew but I did learn the joy of work early.

That doesn’t help the late 20-something who sees no real point to waking up. What to do?

For the past year, I’ve been working on a book that explores an interesting thesis; namely that there is a crying need these days for men to lead a rehomesteading movement, starting right now in one’s apartment or wherever you live.

The book traces the history of domesticity and how tasks have been allocated by gender and how technology and demographics have scrambled these roles in ways to which society has yet to adjust.

Just to cite one obvious point, in the 1950s, 4 out of 5 households with children under 18 had one stream of income provided by the husband/father.

Men knew their roles and responsibilities, long inherited from history when men were in the fields and factories and wives and mothers took care of vast domestic responsibilities.

Today that figure is only two in five. Two-thirds of households with children have two income streams with both parents pursuing some professional life outside the home. This happened due to declining real household income. Mainly it was inflation and not feminist ideology that drafted adult women into remunerative labor outside the home.

The result created a loss of purpose for men, many of whom feel lost and useless. My book provides a practical answer; namely taking on the multitude of tasks in the home that have otherwise been abandoned. The book breaks it all down room by room including detailed explanations of home decor, cleaning, sewing, cooking, and entertaining. The book’s title: “A Man’s Castle.”

Going back to the podcast guy who complains there is nothing to do, my answer would be to look around where you live. The window blinds have a coat of dust and grime on them. Your clothes have holes that could be sewn. The laundry is backed up and stains are everywhere. Make a roast. Look up how. You could have people over and then take responsibility for assuring that everyone has a good time.

Believing that these are not the jobs of men is part of the problem. My solution might sound mundane but at least it begins to address the real issue: the lack of purpose and meaning. Rehomesteading isn’t the whole answer but it is a beginning.

Now that a third of working-age men have slipped into a life of lethargy and nihilism, it’s time to sound the alarm. We have to start fixing this.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 17:40

Japan's Refinery Utilization Hits 73% As Strategic Oil Stocks Flow In

With global refineries working overtime to convert oil into much needed product, Japan's refinery utilization rates also surged in May, as releases from petroleum reserves and increased supply of non-Middle East crude are easing the crude supply crunch seen in March and most of April, OilPrice reported.

For the first time since March, refiners in Japan have boosted their average utilization rate to above 70% in the past two weeks, data from the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) showed on Wednesday.

Utilization rate of the designed capacity was 73.3% in the week to May 9, following 77.3% utilization rate the week prior to May 2, the data showed. These run rates compare to utilization rates in the 60% range in April, according to the weekly statistics data released by the PAJ.

Resource-poor Japan is one of the biggest energy importers globally and relied on the Middle East for as much as 95% of its oil imports before the war. Most of the oil comes from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Of these Middle Eastern supplies, about 70% typically arrived in Japan on tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.

As the war choked supply from the Middle East, Japan began releasing oil stocks from national reserves at the end of March, as part of the IEA-coordinated record-high release of 400 million barrels of oil and fuel. Japan is releasing a total of 80 million barrels of oil stocks, including 54 million barrels of crude and 26 million barrels of oil products as part of the IEA's 400-million-barrel release.

The ongoing stocks release, which is Japan's biggest, is helping refiners increase throughput. So is alternative supply from producers outside the Middle East, including rare cargoes from Azerbaijan and Latin America.

Some of the largest refiners in Japan, including Cosmo Energy Holdings and Idemitsu Kosan, aim for average utilization rates of more than 90% in the current fiscal year ending March 2027.

Cosmo Energy's outlook for the fiscal year include assumptions that crude oil production in the Middle East would normalize in August, and crude procurement "from September onward."

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 17:20

Vaccine Researcher Trying To Debunk Measles-Autism Claims Extradited To US On CDC Fraud Charges

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

A researcher who co-authored papers that he and others said undercut claims that measles vaccination causes autism has been extradited to the United States on fraud charges 15 years after he was charged.

Poul Thorsen in an undated file image (L), and being extradited to the United States on May 7, 2026. HHS OIG via The Epoch Times

Poul Thorsen, 65, a Danish national, was transported from Germany to the United States on May 7 and arraigned on charges of federal wire fraud and money laundering, according to court filings and U.S. prosecutors.

A judge ordered Thorsen held without bail after he pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom in Atlanta.

Thorsen is accused of stealing more than $1 million in grant money from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thorsen was working as a visiting scientist at the CDC in the 1990s when he convinced officials to award a grant to Denmark. The CDC awarded more than $11 million to Danish government agencies from 2000 to 2009 to study any relationship between autism and vaccines, among other matters. In 2002, Thorsen moved to Denmark and became the grant’s principal investigator—the person in charge of administering the money the CDC was providing for research.

Thorsen allegedly went on to submit papers that listed fake expenses, according to charging documents. The papers resulted in Aarhus University transferring money to accounts that officials believed belonged to the CDC, but were actually Thorsen’s personal accounts.

Thorsen is accused of using the money to buy, among other purchases, a home in Atlanta and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

“Poul Thorsen allegedly stole more than $1 million in federal grant money by submitting fabricated invoices and diverting funds to his personal bank accounts,” U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg said in a statement.

“Thorsen’s extradition reinforces a core principle: individuals who are accused in an indictment of defrauding the American people and misusing federally funded research will be pursued wherever they flee,” added Kelly Blackmon, special agent in charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General.

A lawyer representing Thorsen did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.

Thorsen was originally charged in 2011. He had remained a fugitive until being arrested in Passau, Germany, on June 4, 2025.

In 2026, German authorities agreed to extradite Thorsen to the United States.

Thorsen has co-authored dozens of papers, including a study that researchers said showed that children who received a measles, mumps, rubella vaccine were less likely to be diagnosed with autism compared to children who did not receive the vaccine.

None of the papers appeared to have any markings noting the charges against him as of May 11.

Tyler Durden Wed, 05/13/2026 - 17:00