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Ex-CNN Propagandist Don Lemon Mulls Presidential Run

Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,

The Democratic Party has long attracted peculiarly strange individuals who have been floated as potential presidential candidates, including convicted felon Michael Avenatti, disgraced former first son Hunter Biden, Jerry Springer and anti-Trump filmmaker Michael Moore. Add former CNN anchor Don Lemon to that list.

Lemon, now a YouTuber whom CNN fired amid allegations of misogyny, toxic workplace behavior and friction with female coworkers, hinted at a potential presidential campaign in a Thursday interview with Politico.

"I'm not a politician. I'm a journalist. But now I get to learn about maybe what's to come and how to do it," Lemon said. "And maybe how to do it better."

He later added that he would run for president if enough people ask. "I'm an American patriot. I'm a son of the South, and if people call on me to do it, I'll do it."

Lemon previously flirted with the idea of running for president on the July 15 episode of the Can't Be Censored podcast, where he said he was "totally serious" about mounting a presidential campaign in 2028.

In response to a question about whether he has political ambitions, Lemon claimed that people have been asking him if he is running for president.

"And I don't know. I might. I'm serious. I don't know. I might, because people keep asking me to do it, or if I'm going to do it," Lemon said.

Don Lemon says he's seriously considering a run for president in 2028. pic.twitter.com/8vxyueRWta

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 19, 2026

In another interview with Vox, Lemon appeared to make the case for why he would be a better candidate than the politicians expected to join the crowded Democratic field for president in 2028.

"I'm not an insider and I am not a Democrat. I'd have to register as a Democrat in order to run," Lemon claimed. Asked if he believed voters wanted an outsider, Lemon replied, "I think people want independence."

Lemon has long claimed to be independent but has widely embraced policies heralded by the Democratic Party. For instance, he publicly voiced his support for the presidential campaign of then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

"I'm not a Democrat," he said at the time during an interview on NewsNation. "Not a Democrat. Not a Republican. I'm an independent. ... Some political leanings that are conservative and some that are liberal, like most people."

A potential Lemon bid, however, would have to overcome some hurdles in his legal, professional and personal life.

Lemon is facing federal civil rights charges after he allegedly participated in a 2025 anti-ICE riot inside Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon has pleaded not guilty.

NEW: Don Lemon tries lecturing a pastor on the First Amendment after a mob of far leftists stormed a church in Minneapolis. Pastor: "This is unacceptable. It's shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship..." Lemon: "Listen, there's a constitution, the First... pic.twitter.com/joHdCvaXe6

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 18, 2026

Lemon hosted a primetime CNN show from 2014 until 2022 before he was publicly moved to a morning show. His stint as co-host of CNN This Morning fell apart after he said women in their 40s are past their "prime."

He also repeatedly clashed with his co-hosts live on-air. Separately, an explosive Variety exposé accused Lemon of "diva-like behavior," while describing tensions between him and colleagues.

CNN's Don Lemon returns Wednesday after being absent on air for several days following sexist remarks he made about presidential candidate Nikki Haley. As part of his return, the co-anchor has agreed to participate in "formal training." pic.twitter.com/sShqjIAGN7

— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 22, 2023

In 2019, former bartender Dustin Hice filed a federal sexual assault lawsuit against Lemon, accusing the then-CNN anchor of fondling himself and putting his fingers on Hice's face. Hice later dropped the lawsuit in 2022.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 17:00

Federal Government Backs Supreme Court Challenge To AR-15 Bans

Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times,

The federal government is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to side with gun owners challenging state and local bans on AR-15-style rifles.

In a brief filed Friday, Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the justices to overturn rulings from the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Seventh Circuits, which upheld AR-15 bans in Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois, respectively.

"The AR-15 rifle is unquestionably in common use among law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes," the federal government argued.

The cases, Viramontes v. Cook County and Grant v. Higgins, have been consolidated for Supreme Court review.

Connecticut has prohibited what it deemed "assault weapons" since 1993. It significantly expanded the ban after the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, describing AR-15-style rifles as particularly dangerous and preferred by mass shooters.

Cook County, which covers the city of Chicago, adopted its current firearm ordinance in 2006, prohibiting the possession, sale, and transfer of a list of semiautomatic weapons.

The 'Common Use' Debate

At the center of the dispute is whether AR-15-style rifles qualify as weapons "in common use" for lawful purposes and therefore fall under Second Amendment protection.

The idea dates back to the Supreme Court's 1939 decision upholding a federal ban on short-barreled shotguns because those weapons were not "in common use."

The Court relied on the same concept in 2008 to invalidate a ban on handguns in the nation's capital, affirming that they are "the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense in the home."

Most recently, the Court referred to the common-use test in 2022 when it struck down a New York law requiring people to show a special need before receiving a license to carry a handgun in public.

Connecticut argues that AR-15-style rifles do not meet the Supreme Court's legal standard.

"Americans do not commonly own assault weapons for self-defense," state lawyers argued in an earlier Supreme Court filing, adding that the weapons are "neither used nor useful for that purpose."

The gun owners challenging the bans, however, argue that AR-15s easily pass the common-use test.

"If the most popular rifle in the country is not in common use," the challengers said in their petition, "it is hard to see what that phrase could possibly mean."

The Justice Department is siding with challengers in the debate.

"Today, AR-15s are lawful at the federal level and in 40 States, with law-abiding citizens using them for lawful purposes such as self-defense, target shooting, and hunting," the government said.

"Legislatures may not ban arms in common use among law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes."

DOJ Counters Pro-Ban Arguments

Sauer also rejected arguments that AR-15-style rifles can be banned because of their military origins, firepower, or use in mass shootings.

"When it comes to lethal arms, rifles such as AR-15s are not 'especially dangerous,'" the government argued.

Handguns are easier to carry and conceal and are used in crimes far more often than rifles, the government said. Yet the Supreme Court has already ruled that handguns cannot be broadly banned.

The government also rejected the argument that AR-15 bans are acceptable because people can still use handguns for self-defense.

Sauer compared that reasoning to banning one type of First Amendment-protected speech simply because another remains available.

Allowing a government to ban rifles because handguns remain legal would be "like saying books can be banned because people can always read newspapers," he wrote, quoting an analogy Justice Brett Kavanaugh made as an appeals court judge.

How Courts Could Judge 'Common Use'

The government also proposed a way for courts to determine whether a weapon is in common use without relying solely on estimates of how many people own it.

A longstanding ban adopted by Congress and most states could be evidence that a type of weapon is not commonly and lawfully possessed, the brief said.

The opposite would also be true. A firearm that has remained widely legal for decades would weigh in favor of constitutional protection.

The government argued that both the legal history and ownership figures favor the AR-15.

The AR-15 was developed by ArmaLite in 1956 and has been commercially available for decades. Industry estimates suggest that between 28 million and 32 million AR-15-style rifles are in circulation in the United States.

In 1994, Congress adopted a narrow ban on certain new semiautomatic firearms but did not prohibit possession of previously manufactured rifles. That ban expired in 2004.

The respondents' briefs are due Oct. 21. The Supreme Court has scheduled oral argument for Dec. 2.

A ruling is expected before the Court concludes its 2026-2027 term, typically in late June.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 16:00

Biggest 'Go Woke, Get Broke' Story Of A Generation: S&P Nukes Nike From Elite Blue-Chip Index

S&P Dow Jones Indices announced Friday that Nike is being booted from the S&P 100 after nearly two decades, another sign of how America's most exclusive blue-chip benchmark is being reshaped by the artificial-intelligence spending boom. But that's not the entire story... 

Perhaps what really happened with Nike is that it lost its way. Instead of focusing on basketball shoes and athletic leisure, it pursued the whole woke culture, which damaged the brand.

Injected itself into far-left politics. 

And this ... 

BREAKING: Nike is set to be removed from the S&P 100 after nearly 18 years.

The stock is now down almost 80% from its 2021 peak, turning one of the market’s most iconic consumer brands into one of its biggest recent disappointments. pic.twitter.com/3uJNIxcg4j

— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) September 5, 2026

Via Fox News...

Not surprising whatsoever who accelerated Nike's demise. 

LMAO, look at the marketing & strategy officers for Nike.

Don’t worry, guys; I’m sure Nike will climb out of the huge woke hole they are in 🥴🫠 pic.twitter.com/7CXinp8VUA

— Mrs B (@attackdogX) September 6, 2026

S&P Dow Jones Indices noted that Nike will remain in the broader S&P 500.

Nike's peak was in late 2021, when it sported a $280 billion market cap that has since crashed to as low as $56 billion following Friday's close, its lowest market capitalization since 2013.

No longer a growth story? 

Nike's upcoming demotion from the S&P 100, set to take effect on Sept. 21, comes after a series of missteps as the sportswear giant struggles to revive sales and has lost market share to rivals including On and Hoka.

Perhaps management should not have focused on left-wing cultural issues but instead on clothing and sneakers.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 15:30

Trump: Michael Cohen Recanted Testimony Behind NY Cases

Authored by Luis Cornelio via Headline USA,

Michael Cohen, a key witness in the New York criminal and civil cases against President Donald Trump, has "fully recanted" his testimony in both cases, the Republican president announced Friday via Truth Social.

Previously known as Trump's longtime fixer, Cohen was used by New York Attorney General Letitia James in her controversial civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization and by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in his so-called hush money case against Trump.

The civil case against the Trump Organization culminated in a $364 million fine over claims Trump inflated his asset values to secure more favorable loans for his business. The fine was tossed by the New York Appellate Division, which ruled the amount violated Trump's Eighth Amendment rights.

In his Truth Social post, Trump said Cohen was "pressured" and "coerced" into saying "things that were not true."

The fallout between Trump and Cohen began after the 2016 election, after Cohen started cooperating with federal prosecutors.

Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison and served more than a year behind bars after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including making false statements to Congress.

Trump and Cohen have made amends in recent months, particularly after Cohen came forward saying he was pressured by New York prosecutors to testify against Trump.

Trump thanked Cohen "for having the Wisdom and Courage to step forward and do the right thing!"

"His Act of Bravery is a Great Credit to the Justice System in New York City and State," Trump added, before demanding that the cases be dismissed.

"I am sure it was not easy for him! Now we are asking that any remnant of those Politically Weaponized Cases against me be immediately terminated and dismissed."

The president said that James and Bragg "broke the law in order to do this in order to prevent me from becoming the President of the United States. Such a thing can never be allowed to happen again!"

Trump appeared to be referring to a Jan. 16, 2026, Substack post in which Cohen accused prosecutors from James' and Bragg's offices of pressuring and coercing him to provide testimony that would help them build their cases against Trump.

TRUMP: Reposts Michael Cohen article claiming political power corrupts justice, citing insider warning pic.twitter.com/FlydWGDuBI

— Trump Truths (@trumptruthsbot) September 4, 2026

Cohen wrote at the time:

"From the time I first began meeting with lawyers from the Manhattan DA's Office and the New York Attorney General's Office in connection with their investigations of President Trump, and through the trials themselves, I felt pressured and coerced to only provide information and testimony that would satisfy the government's desire to build the cases against and secure a judgment and convictions against President Trump."

He later added:

"I experienced a similar dynamic in the Attorney General's civil case. Letitia James made it publicly known during her 2018 campaign for attorney general that, if elected, she would go after President Trump. Her office made clear that the testimony they wanted from me was testimony that would help them do just that. Again, I felt compelled and coerced to deliver what they were seeking."

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 15:00

A GoFundMe In Support of Lindsay Clancy Nears $1.2 Million After Mistrial

A Massachusetts jury deliberated for roughly 38 hours over seven days and failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the case against Lindsay Clancy, resulting in Judge William Sullivan declaring a mistrial on Friday due to a holdout juror. 

Clancy has admitted to strangling her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, with exercise bands inside the family's home in Duxbury, Mass., in January 2023 after sending her husband out to pick up dinner. She then cut her own wrists and neck, then jumped from a window, which left her paralyzed from the waist down.

Reddington built his case on a claim of severe postpartum psychosis, worsened, he argued, by a combination of prescription medications. Prosecutors rejected that framing entirely and argued Clancy understood what she was doing and planned the killings in advance. Clancy had not been diagnosed with psychosis before the murders and reportedly had not told any doctor she was hearing voices.

Judge Sullivan has scheduled a status and trial assignment hearing for Sept. 29.

Lindsay Clancy's supporters are clearly expecting a new trial. The Musgrove Family Fund, a GoFundMe campaign supporting Clancy's parents, Michael and Paula Musgrove, surpassed $1.16 million in donations from more than 33,000 donors within hours of the mistrial. Organizer Brandee Mulligan, a 42-year-old mother of three, raised the fund's goal to $3 million that same day and told supporters the extended legal process means the Musgroves will need help for a while longer.

"The original purpose of this fundraiser hasn't changed - it's simply to take one thing off their plate while they continue to show up for their family. If they have to keep showing up longer, I want to make sure the support does too."

The Musgroves left Wallingford, Connecticut, and moved roughly 150 miles to stay near Duxbury. Clancy's sister, Allison Ozga, appeared at the proceedings alongside them. GoFundMe's page states the Musgroves are the named beneficiaries who receive the money themselves, that Mulligan has no access to any of it, and that both the parents and Reddington knew about the campaign before it went live.

Mulligan, who is from Wisconsin and launched the fund on Aug. 11, previously told the Daily Mail that she had no contact with the Musgroves when she first created it and "did it without even asking permission." A GoFundMe spokesperson has confirmed the campaign is verified and that all funds go to Mike Musgrove as the intended beneficiary.

"In January 2023, Lindsay Clancy was accused of killing her three young children in the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts home," the GoFundMe page reads. "More than three years later, her case is now being tried in court. Throughout those three years, Lindsay's parents, Mike and Paula Musgrove, have continued to show up for their daughter."

"And that is who this fundraiser is for, Mike and Paula, who have spent years traveling back and forth, staying in hotels, attending court proceedings and ultimately relocating from Connecticut to Massachusetts so they could remain close to Lindsay," the page continues. "Their lives have largely been put on hold while they have continued doing what parents do: showing up for their child during the unimaginable. That has come at an enormous financial cost. This fundraiser is not asking anyone to agree on Lindsay, her case, or what the outcome of her trial should be. People will have different feelings about all of those things."

The new donations range from five dollars to three hundred, one-time gifts sitting beside recurring monthly pledges, though some of the biggest donations to the fund are in the thousands. One anonymous donor gave $5,000.

One donor wrote that their heart was with Lindsay and her parents and that they could not imagine the pain the family has endured. Another, on a fifth contribution, wrote that they could not imagine what Lindsay and her family are feeling right now.

The fund's success has spawned imitators on the platform, both for and against the family, including pages titled "Lindsay Clancy is an awful person!" and "Against the Musgrove Family Fund." GoFundMe told CT Insider it is monitoring and "reviewing" all Clancy-related fundraisers, and that "any found to be in violation of our terms of service will be removed."

Copycat

The trial appears to have produced at least one copycat. Corie A. Walsh, 38, of Frankfort, Illinois, was charged Friday with three counts of first-degree murder after her 2-year-old son Barrett was found hanging in the basement of the family home, a ligature around his neck. A 17-year-old neighbor was performing CPR when police arrived. Officers found Walsh upstairs in a bathtub, surrounded by bloody water, with cuts to her wrists and thighs. Her three other children were unharmed. Her husband was out of town.

Prosecutors said in a court proffer that Walsh "had recently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial" and had been "actively discussing the case via group text message with her friends" until hours before her son was found. The boy died Tuesday afternoon, while the Clancy jury was still deliberating. Walsh told officers she killed him because he was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ."

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 14:30

From Par To Pennies

Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance

Private credit’s reckoning is not arriving with one grand, spectacular crash. It is arriving slowly and steadily, one loan at a time.

For years, one of private credit’s great attractions was the remarkable stability (or perceived stability) of its valuations. Public bonds could fall ten points in a week. Leveraged loans could gap lower after a bad earnings report. But private loans somehow possessed the soothing ability to remain at 98, 99 or 100 cents on the dollar through almost anything, all while paying investors a healthy yield.

Incredible, right? Another financial fairy tale…a proverbial unicorn sh*tting rainbows.

Until reality eventually reared it’s head, and now, to the surprise of no one, we are finding out unicorns don’t exist. Imagine that. We are learning that the absence of volatility in a reported mark does not mean the absence of deterioration in the underlying loan. And that is increasingly where the private credit story gets heinous…and why I’ve been writing about it for 2 years now.

The opacity is unlike any other corner of markets. Some borrowers can weaken for months, even years, while their loans remain marked at levels suggesting that most or all of the money is still coming back.

Eventually, though, something happens that makes the deterioration impossible to finesse away. A borrower stops paying interest. A hoped for refinancing disappears. The sponsor declines to put in more equity. A rescue transaction collapses. Or, most decisively, like we are seeing more and more, the underlying company files for bankruptcy.

That is when the soothing stability of private credit can suddenly disappear. A loan that sat near par through months of worsening fundamentals can plunge to 50, 20, five cents or even zero in remarkably short order. The economic deterioration may have been happening all along. The mark simply waited until reality became too difficult to ignore. You then get headlines like this one from Bloomberg yesterday.

And increasingly, the pattern looks familiar. A company struggles, leverage stays high, liquidity deteriorates and interest becomes harder to pay. Yet there is always a reason not to mark the loan too aggressively. Maybe EBITDA recovers. Maybe rates fall. Maybe the sponsor writes another check. Maybe there is a refinancing, an asset sale or a transformational M&A deal just around the corner. Maybe the guy responsible for marking down the loan has set his “out of office” email response to inform people he is taking 2 month vacation on his yacht in Malta.

🔥 85% OFF FOREVER IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TODAY: I am again offering an 85% discount to anyone that wants to become a Fringe Finance annual subscriber today. It’s a discount you can keep and stays applied for as long as you wish to remain a subscriber: Get 85% off forever

Hope, conveniently, has a fair value. It’s always 100 cents on the dollar or damn close to it. But then…painstakingly and eventually…reality catches up and 100 cents quickly becomes 20 cents. Or zero cents.

The latest example is Loparex, a borrower held by Blue Owl Capital Corp., or OBDC. According to Bloomberg, at the end of 2025, its first lien debt was still carried around par and its second lien debt at roughly 88 cents on the dollar. By June, OBDC was carrying portions of the second lien at about five cents and one first lien position at roughly 22 cents. Loparex was also put on nonaccrual. Moody’s has since deemed the company in default and said a Chapter 11 filing is a possibility.

Perhaps recoveries ultimately exceed those marks. That happens in restructurings. But the interesting number is not five cents. It is 88 cents.

The loan did not suddenly become troubled on the day somebody changed the valuation. Loparex had been struggling with its debt load for years, including a 2024 distressed exchange that S&P considered tantamount to default. Yet the second lien still ended 2025 marked at roughly 88.

This gets to the central problem with private credit valuations that I have been harping on non-stop for years. These loans generally do not trade in liquid markets, so managers rely on models, comparable companies, third party valuation firms and their own judgment. That is unavoidable. But it also means that valuation becomes most subjective precisely when the underlying credit becomes most uncertain. If an executive were so inclined, he could figure out a way to model a bankrupt hot dog cart at a $1 trillion valuation. Like the Fed, printing cash, it’s all just made up bullsh*t out of thin air manipulated in seconds on a spreadsheet.

And that’s all good and well. But bankruptcy has a nasty habit of pissing in the proforma punchbowl. Once a company actually files bankruptcy, the comfortable range of hypothetical outcomes (hereinafter referred to as “bulls*it”) gets much narrower. Creditors, restructuring advisers and courts start converting theoretical enterprise values into actual recoveries. At that point, extending and pretending gets considerably harder. 

Bankruptcy does not necessarily create the loss. It can simply make the loss impossible to avoid recognizing.

Here are some recent examples that make the point and what to watch out for.

--

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and very often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning, meaning if I’m long I could sell or if I’m short I could cover at any time.

Contributor posts, guest posts and curated posts have been hand selected by me, but have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author or reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.

I cannot guarantee the accuracy of any or all facts and figures included in this article though I made an effort to get them right. I have been wrong before and will be wrong again, and encourage you to always double check, do your own research and speak to a licensed financial professional, which I am not.

This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things I’m bearish on. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions.

Starting in 2026, I have been attempting to no longer actively trade as much as I once did (read my story here). My goal is for my investing/saving to be done by recurring contributions mostly to sector ETFs and a few select equities, trusted third parties who oversee my accounts, and advisors. Such advisors or funds, through individual equities, options, index funds, mutual funds, ETFs, or other securities, may have positions in, exposure to, or holdings of names mentioned herein that I know nothing about. It is possible I could own, have exposure to, or not own anything, at any point. In an attempt to lead a healthier lifestyle, I’ve also excluded myself from fantasy sports, sports betting, online and in-person casinos and prediction markets.

Any of my positions can change immediately as soon as I publish, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. If you see numbers and calculations of any sort, assume they are wrong and double check them. I failed Algebra in 8th grade and topped off my high school math accolades by getting a D- in remedial Calculus my senior year, before becoming an English major in college so I could bullsh*t my way through things easier. Hence, why I am a writer.

The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. Many times I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour.

Also, again I just straight up get sh*t wrong a lot. I mention it multiple times because it’s that important you understand.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 14:00

They/Them Communist Activist Declares Ozempic "Fascist" Plot To "Genocide Fat People"

America's socialist leadership increasingly looks less like a political movement and more like a circus where the clowns run the show.

Its most radical theorists openly advocate dismantling capitalism and the institutions underpinning the Western order while romanticizing communist regimes defined by nation-killing economic ruin and political repression. Rather than building a credible working-class movement, these clowns have marginalized themselves through far-left extremism and become objects of national ridicule.

The latest clown show comes from Da'Shaun L. Harrison, an Atlanta-based writer, activist, and self-described Afropessimist, anarcho-communist, abolitionist, and trans theorist who uses they/them pronouns.

Recently, at the Socialism 2026 conference, Harrison called the political deployment of GLP-1 drugs "fascistic" because they exist in "a world fixated on genociding fat people."

"The political deployment of GLP-1s is fascistic, not because individuals take them, but because the conditions under which they become necessary are shaped by a world fixated on genociding fat people," Harrison continued.

To explain why GLP-1s are fascistic, Harrison turned to Frantz Fanon and "Black flesh under colonial surveillance."

🚨 Da’Shaun L. Harrison at Socialism 2026 argues that the political deployment of GLP-1 drugs is “fascistic” because they exist in “a world fixated on genociding fat people.”

“The political deployment of GLP-1s is fascistic, not because individuals take them, but because the… pic.twitter.com/CMxfUTUq0e

— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) September 5, 2026

If Harrison wants to really own his own words, then every diet, every gym, every bariatric surgery, and every doctor who says folks are overweight should be viewed as a war criminal. Make this far-left activist eat his own words. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 13:30

Diplomatic Blitz: Witkoff, Kushner Hold "Substantial" Ukraine Talks After Putin Meeting

President Trump's diplomatic sprint shifted from Moscow to Kiev over the weekend, with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner arriving in Ukraine for talks with senior officials. The visit came one day after the pair met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian state media outlet TASS cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said Putin's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner had created an "atmosphere of trust, at least through this channel of communication."

Putin meets Witkoff and Kushner for peace talks. pic.twitter.com/NqqAelwuEG

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 5, 2026

"The very fact that the meeting is taking place means that an atmosphere of trust does indeed exist, at least through this channel of communication, and that it is strengthening. As a rule, however, expanded exchanges of such welcoming remarks emerge when there are messages that the head of state considers necessary to convey," Peskov explained to the outlet.

A White House official said Witkoff and Kushner's three-hour meeting with Putin "discussed substantive plans for next steps, which will be announced in the coming weeks."

Last week, Reuters cited Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov, who said Putin, Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping may hold a trilateral meeting at the next Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November.

After the Moscow meeting on Saturday, Witkoff and Kushner traveled to Ukraine for the first time during Trump's second term as part of his pledge to bring the conflict to an end.

Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Ukraine by train.

They were greeted by senior Ukrainian officials. pic.twitter.com/KLRk9796Zf

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 6, 2026

Bloomberg reported early Sunday that Witkoff and Kushner's first round of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other high-level officials had ended.

Witkoff was quoted by the outlet as describing his talks with Ukrainian officials as "substantial," although no further details about what was discussed were released.

"We all want to end the war, and we are on the same page here," Zelenskyy said in brief remarks to reporters after the first meeting. "Every such meeting gets us closer to peace."

Steve Witkoff to Zelensky:

We're having a great time here, and the hospitality is unsurpassed.

The President wanted Jared and I to come here.

We had a great trip, took the train, and as you said, it was a delightful trip. pic.twitter.com/QTFxcdlwdT

— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 6, 2026

Zelenskyy was expected to speak to the reporters later in the day alongside the US envoys.

The push for a diplomatic end to the four-and-a-half-year conflict began with CIA Director John Ratcliffe's unexpected visit to Moscow nearly two weeks ago.

Ahead of the weekend meetings, Bloomberg reporters were increasingly less optimistic about a breakthrough peace deal, saying the prospects for ending the war remained low.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 13:05

Iran Vows 'Faster, More Painful' Response To US Attacks After Weekend Sea Battle

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Sunday announced a heightened military posture in the war with the US, saying that new attacks on the country will "meet a faster, heavier and more painful response."

"If they haven't understood by now, they should understand before it’s too late that the rules of the game have changed and that from now on, any violation of Iran’s interests and security will receive a ‘faster, heavier, and more painful’ response,” Ghalibaf said in a post on Telegram. He has warned that Iranian retaliation will no longer be "proportionate".

Source: US Central Command 

Ghalibaf also conceded that Iran faces severe economic pressures amid US-led sweeping sanctions and the campaign of 'strangulation' and isolation efforts.

"Severe fluctuations in the exchange rate, inflation, unemployment, and market management are fundamental challenges that have put serious pressure on people’s livelihoods," Ghalibaf said.

He also laid out that the Islamic Republic must aim to bolster domestic production and use technology to "devise short-term and permanent solutions." Iran's military has all along touted that it never stopped manufacturing missiles and drones, even as US-Israeli bombs decimated many industrial sites.

Ghalibaf's words come a day after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked three American military ships and three oil tankers using an "unauthorized" route in the Strait of Hormuz. Also, in the latest:

Iran said Sunday it struck an unmanned U.S. vessel trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a claim that the U.S. military dismissed as a "total lie."

The US military earlier on Saturday had struck three Iranian oil tankers, M/T Downy, M/T Stark 1, and M/T Kylo - in a major first of the conflict (that is, a US attack on civilian vessels).

The Iranian parliament speaker continues to try and troll Trump and Bessent on X:

Wheels up. Warm-ups before liftoff:

Diesel ATH: Short it

Your biggest creditor dumping: Good luck with Yentervention++

NOR cutting $80B: Rename Norway to Americaway

Low recruitment: Debt-to-Service w/ DO[Israel's]W, per your puppeteers

Oh. Fed's dot plot flashing red 😁 https://t.co/E1KzG1T6Yf pic.twitter.com/zJb56tsd7p

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) September 6, 2026

Washington is meanwhile touting more and more energy flow through the Strait of Hormuz, while also appealing for other nations to help:

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says on average nine million barrels of oil a day are getting through the Strait of Hormuz that should help relieve pressure on rising energy prices.

Wright told CNN with oil also moving through pipelines in the region, “we’re probably two-thirds or more of pre-conflict flows”.

Those flows, however, depend on the presence of the US Navy to help escort tankers and provide some protection against possible Iranian attacks. Wright said he expected other countries will eventually support the Navy’s efforts.

But events like this weekend are likely going to continue to escalate the crisis. "There’s going to be more clashes between the Iranians and the Americans. There can be miscalculations. There can be more civilian casualties" especially on the Iranian side, Sina Azodi, the director of the Middle East studies program at George Washington University, has explained.

The "small potatoes" conflict according to the Commander-in-Chief...

Reporter: Can you explain to the American people, if this is not a war, what exactly is it?

Trump: A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing.

Reporter: It certainly doesn’t feel like small… pic.twitter.com/a4hvccNCoD

— Acyn (@Acyn) September 4, 2026

"The [US] secretary of defense can send more troops to the region, but I don’t think the Iranians are going to back down. They’re going to resist that blockade and impose further costs on the United States," the analyst said.

Indeed every escalation step ordered by Washington has typically resulted in the Iranians 'answering' with significant missile and drone attacks on US bases in the Gulf, and as far away as Jordan. Some analysts are calling this a successful 'debasification' campaign that has existed since the war's start.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 12:40

Waste Of The Day: $79M To Not Work

Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations,

Contractors working for the State of Illinois took a 470,000-hour paid lunch break on taxpayers' dime.

A company hired during the Covid-19 pandemic to fill staffing shortages at hospitals and long-term care facilities spent more than a third of its time on "standdown," a contract provision that paid them to be on-site and available in case they were needed.

The contractor, Favorite Healthcare Staffing, was supposed to notify the state any time its employees were on standdown for more than 24 hours. There was no evidence those notifications occurred, and the state only conducted limited oversight, according to an Aug. 11 report from Auditor General Christopher Meister.

Key facts: Favorite Healthcare earned $220.3 million from Illinois from 2022 to 2023, including $78.5 million for standdown hours.

The audit found 270 employees who billed for standdown time without actually working a single hour in two years. They earned $7.5 million.

At least eight employees even billed overtime at rates of up to $330 per hour during weeks they were on standdown for five consecutive days, according to the audit. One employee billed for overtime while he was in quarantine and not working.

Other employees billed more than 24 hours in a single day. The state paid their invoices without flagging the discrepancy, the audit found,

Favorite Healthcare was reimbursed $1.4 million for lodging costs, even though its employees were staying in their personal residences.

Upon discovering the issues, Illinois hired the consulting firm Innovative Emergency Management to review Favorite Healthcare's invoices.

But Innovative Emergency Management also had its own billing issues, the audit found. The company billed Illinois using duplicate timesheets and for employees who did not report working any hours.

Illinois later had to hire yet another firm, Crowe, to review Innovative Emergency Management's invoices. Crowe earned $1.3 million.

Summary: The public should not have to pay contractors to sit around and twiddle their thumbs, nor pay consultants to figure out why.

The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 11:40

Twelve Companies Make DOE's Latest Nuclear Launch Pad Cut

The DOE's National Reactor Innovation Center announced 12 companies covering 13 projects for its latest Nuclear Energy Launch Pad (NELP) round on August 24th. Similar to the project coverage from the first round, this new group also spans multiple stages of the nuclear industry. 

As we covered when the first four companies were selected, the initial group included the uranium enrichment company General Matter and reactor developers Radiant, Deployable Energy and NuCube Energy.

Multiple companies are seeing repeat entries into the fast-track nuclear development programs under the DOE:

• Oklo, Antares, and Valar are all returning after achieving criticality on their pilot reactor designs under the DOE's Reactor Pilot Program
• Deployable Energy is returning with two programs after also being included in the initial NELP selection round.

The NELP offers access to nuclear expertise and infrastructure with a prioritized pathway through DOE authorization. The NELP is the new program that succeeded the DOE Reactor Pilot Program and DOE Fuel Line Pilot Program that have kick-started the nuclear renaissance in the US.

While not every company has been open about what they're working on under the NELP, we collected what we could find on each of the companies and their various programs:

Antares Nuclear: Transportable microreactors for military and space applications. Its R1 design combines TRISO fuel with sodium heat pipes, targeting 100 kilowatts to 1 megawatt of electricity. Its selection uses “Launch Pad USA”, which means they do not have to be at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) site to enjoy the benefits of the program

Atlas Atomics: They’re developing heavy-water reactor technology intended to combine electricity generation with medical and industrial isotope production and the reuse of spent nuclear fuel. Not much is known about their reactor design, but based on it being heavy water, it makes it similar to the CANDU reactor fleet in Canada. And with a previously written letter of support for Utah being one of the locations considered for the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, it is anticipated the company will be starting in the same state for their initial work.

Deployable Energy: Working on Unity, a transportable, high-temperature gas-cooled “nuclear battery” designed to generate 1 megawatt using helium cooling and conventional <5% enriched LEU fuel for industrial, defense, maritime and remote applications. Its two NELP selections cover a full-power demonstration at INL and a maritime demonstration with Hornbeck Offshore under Launch Pad USA.

Forge Atomics: Developing Ember, a factory-built, 25-megawatt reactor for data centers and the grid. It's one of the least novel designs on the list, leaning into the industry's decades of experience with pressurized water designs and conventional LEU fuel. Components are sized for highway transport, with factory manufacturing intended to bring down construction costs and delays.

Hexium: Developing laser-based isotope enrichment, initially targeting lithium for fusion and fission applications. The company is modernizing Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation, technology developed at the DOE's national labs, and has also outlined plans for uranium enrichment. The company announced partnerships with Oklo and TerraPower when they initially came out of stealth last year.

Lightbridge: Developing twisted uranium-zirconium metallic fuel rods for existing and new reactors, including small modular reactors, aiming to improve heat transfer, increase output and extend refueling intervals. Its NELP project is SHED, a planned INL manufacturing facility for lead test assemblies destined for testing in U.S. commercial power reactors.

Nusano: Developing accelerator-based radioisotope production for cancer diagnosis and treatment, with additional work on industrial isotopes and nuclear batteries. Its energy business is pursuing mass-separation technology that enriches uranium metal to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) for advanced reactor fuel.

Oklo: Developing Aurora fast-fission reactors to supply electricity and burn used nuclear fuel from traditional reactors. Their business model calls for owning and operating plants and selling their output under long-term contracts. The company is also pursuing nuclear-fuel recycling and isotope production for medical, industrial and research applications.

Raven-Flint Nuclear: Developing the Corvus Route for uranium conversion, producing uranium hexafluoride without elemental fluorine gas. Following laboratory production, its NELP project is Torch, a planned pilot conversion plant at INL targeting 500 tonnes of uranium annually. That would add capacity between uranium mining and enrichment.

Scaled Atomics: Developing the MN-350, a mobile nuclear power system designed for a standard 20-foot shipping container and a ten-year refueling interval. It targets military missions, disaster response and remote commercial sites. The company says Launch Pad USA will help advance MN-350 from advanced design toward demonstration and commercial deployment.

Sublime Nuclear: Focused on rebuilding the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers. Unfortunately, that's about as much information as is currently available. The website doesn't have much else to it, and no press releases have been put out by the company yet.

Valar Atomics: Developing high-temperature gas-cooled reactors for mass production and deployment. Its ambitions extend across AI data centers, industrial heat, hydrogen and synthetic fuels, with manufacturing and deployment concentrated at what it calls gigasites. The company made headlines recently with a recent funding round that reached over $1 billion in equity and debt.
 

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 11:05

September Market Weakness: The Setup Has Teeth

Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com,

The Setup Has Teeth

Earlier this week, in our Daily Market Commentary, I flagged that the market was testing support after three straight down days, starting in September, with the calendar. That was just the warm-up, as the real story lies in a note from Scott Rubner at Citadel Securities, whose read on September market weakness is among the best that I have read. Rubner’s case is not that the bull market has ended. It is that the near-term math just changed, and hardly anyone is positioned for the shift.

Why September Market Weakness Is A Record, Not A Fluke

September has a losing record that is worth paying attention to. Since 1928, September is the only month in the year that closes lower more often than higher. Over the past century, the average return is a loss of roughly -1.1%, and in midterm election years like this one, it slips to roughly -1.5%. Furthermore, the back half of the month is the weakest two-week stretch of the calendar year.

As CNBC noted in its writeup of Rubner’s work, this is not a “quirky stat” from a cherry-picked window, it is close to a century of data pointing the same direction, and the average intra-month selloff of -4.7% (nearer -6.2% in midterm years) is the kind of air pocket that turns a quiet drift into a real drawdown before most investors update their models. Such is the reputation September has earned honestly.

The Buyers Who Carried August Are Leaving The Table

Here is what makes this year different. Every cohort that pushed the S&P 500 to records in August is stepping back at the same time. The earnings tailwind that carried the tape is largely behind us. Retail buyers, who returned in force through the summer, tend to fade in September, and Citadel’s own data show their buying on down days has run near half its normal pace since 2019. (Chart courtesy of Citadel Securities)

As we have discussed previously, the corporate bid, which has been a net buyer of equities since 2000, turns negative. Companies authorized more than $1.1 trillion in buybacks through August, but that buyer goes quiet as blackouts accelerate around September 12, right before third-quarter reporting. (Chart courtesy of Citadel Securities)

The systematic crowd, the CTAs and volatility-control funds that reloaded off the July lows, have already spent most of their capacity. (Chart courtesy of Citadel Securities)

When you add up the cohorts, the demand side is quietly EMPTYING.

So, here is the most common criticism hitting my inbox this past week: “Yes, but that seasonality is just a statistic.” That is a fair statement, and it is indeed an average of returns. However, a statistic is exactly what it is. A statistic with five structural tailwinds draining out behind it, though, stops being a coin flip and starts being a setup

Protection Has Rarely Been This Cheap Into The Noise

Now, the part that should get your attention. Volatility collapsed in late August. The VIX fell to around 14, its lowest reading of the year, and S&P skew sank to the first percentile of its range, which is a technical way of saying downside insurance was the cheapest it had been all year. The one-month, 25-delta put changed hands near its most affordable level since December 2024.

As we headed into the month, a garden-variety three-day decline popped the VIX back toward 16 in just a handful of sessions. The size of that move, given the very mild decline, tells you how little cushion was priced in. Cheap protection is landing just as the macro calendar turns increasingly noisy, with the jobs report yesterday, then CPI, and an FOMC decision all stacked into the next two weeks. When protection is this cheap and buyers are this tired, the cost of being caught without a hedge climbs quickly. As Howard Marks likes to remind investors, you cannot predict, but you can prepare, and September has consistently been a month to prepare for.

To wit: cheap insurance is a gift the market rarely leaves on the table for long, and it never rings a bell on the morning it decides to take the gift back.

The Options Market Is Carrying A Record Into Expiry

The last piece of the September puzzle is purely mechanical. On the third Friday of the month, the September options expiry will occur. That event is currently on track to set a record. Roughly $9.6 trillion is set to roll off through September 18. Then about $6.2 trillion of that is concentrated to expire on the 18th alone. That single day would clear the June triple-witch near $7.7 trillion, which was itself a record. Add quarter-end pension rebalancing, with funding ratios near 112% and plans de-risking out of stocks and into bonds, and the plumbing itself leans against equities into month-end.

Notably, none of this guarantees a market selloff. However, it does stack the odds against overly aggressive investors. Currently, every major desk from JPMorgan to BofA has turned cautious. However, CNBC’s own investment committee is refusing to sell a single share into the weakness. That crowd can be right about the direction and still be wrong, or early, on the timing. Such is the nature of a market that loves to punish the obvious trade.

A Second Desk Lands On The Same Downside

While Scott Rubner reads the market through flows, BTIG’s Jonathan Krinsky reads it through the tape. Interestingly, he lands in nearly the same place as Rubner. Krinsky’s framing is that the post-summer rally has been a game of “musical chairs” rather than a true “broadening.” Money rotated out of Technology and AI into Consumer Cyclicals and Large Cap Value. At the same time, the index sits roughly where it did on June 2. Breadth has quietly rolled over. The share of Russell 3000 names above their 50-day average is the lowest since early April. Furthermore, the one-month correlations just jumped to their highest level since June. That is a classic tell that names begin to fall together.

 

The other half of the concern is investor complacency. The five-day put/call ratio sits near 0.82. That is one of the lowest readings in years. Notably, the tape has not printed a single 80% NYSE downside-volume day in almost a year. That long stretch falls against a historical average of 21.

Lastly, Krinsky’s base case is a failed retest of the 7,600 breakout, followed by a slide toward 7,200-7,300. Such a pullback would encompass 7% to 8% off the highs. While not a meaningful decline, given the market’s low volatility and high investor complacency, it will “feel” much worse. That lower zone sits right on Rubner’s midterm seasonal math and the rising 200-day average near 7,127.

Think about it this way. When both a flow desk and a technical desk reach the same number from opposite directions, you should at least respect it. Crucially, none of that means that it will happen with absolute certainty, nor does it pinpoint the day. But it is certainly a risk worth appreciating.

 

What Should Investors Do Now

So, what does this all mean for investors? Most importantly, this is a tactical market reset, not a call to abandon equities and go hide in cash. Scott Rubner himself framed the September weakness as a “better entry point ahead of a more constructive mid-October.”

He is correct. Once mid-October arrives, the options expiry will have cleared, the FOMC will have met, and corporate buybacks will have resumed. Notably, the market will be focusing on Q3 corporate earnings reports. which typically support markets heading into November.  

Therefore, the investor playbook is to use market strength to rebalance portfolio risk rather than chase it.

The moves worth making now are the unglamorous ones. Start by taking profits and banking gains where a position has run well past its intended weight. Raise a little cash so a pullback becomes an opportunity rather than a scramble. Then add downside protection while it is still on sale. Why? Because the whole point of Rubner’s note is that the insurance is cheap today and may not be next week. Such is the value of preparing before the crowd decides it has to.

September rarely hands out cheap insurance and a clear warning at the same time. When it does, the disciplined move is to take both.

*  *  *

Heading into next week, the support and resistance levels are evident. The first resistance is the record at 7,796, about 1% away. Just above that are the round numbers at 7,900 and 8,000. (Those are our year-end targets that sit just above previous all-time highs.) Conversely, support starts at the 50-day near 7,585. That level also marks the breakout that a failed retest would expose. Just below that level is the 7,300 zone, then the 200-day at 7,137, the same downside band the seasonal math points toward.

With that setup going into next week, we will want to continue playing defense rather than offense. Secondly, investors should consider increasing cash buffers keep stops under the 50-day. Lastly, use any push toward the record market levels to trim rather than chase.

To be fair to the bullish camp, a decisive close back above 7,796 would neutralize the momentum warning and reopen those round-number targets. There are several risks ahead, from the mid-term election cycle to the loss of corporate buybacks, so this is a two-sided setup rather than a directional call. However, pay close attention to the 7,585 next week. If the market can hold that level, the uptrend will remain intact. If it fails, the seasonal downside risk increases.

Key Catalysts Next Week

Next week is a holiday-shortened trading week with one question that will dominate it.

“Does inflation confirm the hike that Friday’s jobs report just put back on the table?”

With the market closed on Monday for Labor Day, that stacks the two prints that will matter the most at the very end. PPI lands Thursday morning and CPI follows Friday, both at 8:30 AM ET, and both feed straight into the September 16 FOMC decision.

This week is where the Fed debate will get settled. Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, framed it well after the jobs report. The upside payroll surprise certainly heightened rate-hike concerns, but the outcome will hinge on next week’s inflation numbers. If CPI and PPI come in cooler than feared, the Fed can discount the hot labor market signal. However, if both prints come in hotter than expected, a September hike moves from a coin flip to the base case.

As far as the rest of the week goes, the slate is fairly thin. Tuesday brings NFIB small business optimism and consumer credit. Then on Thursday, we will see jobless claims, existing home sales, and wholesale inventories. As noted, PPI also drops on Thursday, with Friday’s CPI report coming alongside the preliminary Michigan sentiment read. The Fed itself goes quiet, with the pre-meeting blackout that began September 5 keeping every official off the tape through the decision.

Overall, the earnings calendar remains very light, with the vast majority of earnings already behind us. However, of note, Oracle reports on Thursday after the close and will be scrutinized for AI cloud demand and hyperscaler capex. Its numbers and backlog commentary will swing semiconductors and the broader AI complex more than any single macro release.

Adobe follows the same afternoon. Crude is the other wildcard, with a 9% weekly surge on Middle East supply fears keeping energy and inflation risk alive. Thin post-holiday liquidity can exaggerate the reaction to both inflation prints, so expect sharper intraday swings than the calendar alone would suggest.

Friday’s CPI is THE report for the week, and everything else is pretty much a sideshow until that number crosses.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 10:30

UN Demands African Statues In London As Britain Is Told To Atone For Slavery

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

The United Nations has decided that Britain has not grovelled enough.

After years of toppled statues, boarded-up war memorials and official lectures about "colonialism," a UN human-rights committee now wants the country that ended the Atlantic slave trade to fill its public squares with statues of "people of African descent,"

The globalist body also suggests Britain should rewrite what children are taught, and treat historic slavery as a live brief for migration policy and hate-speech enforcement.

'It's high-time we called out the ideological capture of UN committees.'

'It's recognition of the contribution made by Africans at the height of colonialism.'

Broadcaster Rafe Heydel-Mankoo and Ken Hinds debate whether statues of Africans should be erected to atone for slavery. pic.twitter.com/51h05u6WvF

— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 2, 2026

This comes in the form of formal "reparatory justice" guidance from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, published six months after member states voted in New York to treat the transatlantic trade as the "gravest crime against humanity" and to press former slaving nations for apology, restitution and cash.

Britain abstained. The committee has carried on regardless.

The recommendations sit in guidance largely drafted by CERD panellists Gay McDougall, an American lawyer, and Pela Boker-Wilson, a Liberian legal expert. Former slave-trading states, the committee says, have a moral and legal "obligation to repair" the damage of slavery.

The guidance suggests that "Public spaces should honour the contributions of people of African descent and clearly acknowledge the wrongs of those who supported or benefited from historical atrocities."

That, the authors add, can mean artworks, statues, memorials and "dedications," and "Satisfaction to people of African descent can include the right to investigation and truth, public judgments and acknowledgements, apologies, acceptances of responsibility and public commemorations."

Full on virtue signalling grovelling, in other words.

The committee adds that schools "must ensure that schoolbooks and curricula present accurate, unbiased accounts of transatlantic chattel slavery, its aftermath and current realities, based on thorough research."

It adds that political leaders should "educate the public on the importance of reparatory justice for building a healthy, inclusive society." And on speech and migration, states "must act early to prevent prejudice and address misinformation about transatlantic chattel slavery and its ongoing harms to people of African descent."

It further outlines that reparations should include policies "eradicating xenophobia towards migrants and others perceived as such."

In other words: monuments, classrooms, archives, apologies - and a tighter leash on anyone who objects.

United Nations says Britain should put statues of 'people of African descent' in public spaces to atone for the slave trade https://t.co/W77TO8IXNr

— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) September 2, 2026

The report even revisits the 2020 Black Lives Matter summer. Protesters who tore down monuments linked to slavery and empire, it complains, were unfairly "disparaged" in the media, their cause painted as "obscure" and "Left-wing."

Edward Colston, dumped in Bristol harbour, is cited as the exhibit. The vandalism is recast as a moral lesson the United Kingdom has still not learned.

The political class in London has spent years flattering this mood. The public has not.

Historian and GB News presenter Matt Goodwin put the demand in one line: UN lawyers want "British people who never owned slaves and whose ancestors helped end the slave trade to pay people who were never slaves while ignoring the many millions of slaves in non-Western nations today." His verdict: "jog on."

UN woke lawyers want British people who never owned slaves and whose ancestors helped end the slave trade to pay people who were never slaves while ignoring the many millions of slaves in non-Western nations today.

I have two words: jog on pic.twitter.com/e059k0MZEw

— Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) September 2, 2026

Cambridge historian Professor Robert Tombs, founder of History Reclaim, called the campaign "sinister" and aimed at "censoring free discussion and imposing a certain view."

"Those who supported and benefitted included the predecessors of those who now demand reparations," he said. An "accurate, unbiased" account, he added, "would mean paying tribute to those in Britain and elsewhere who struggled to end the Atlantic slave trade."

"On that subject, we hear a lot about how Britain paid compensation to White slave owners in its colonies, but I have rarely if ever heard public recognition of the money paid to black slave traders for the same reason." His conclusion was blunt: "the whole thing is a huge financial and political scam."

Professor Lawrence Goldman, emeritus fellow in History at St Peter's College, Oxford, made the same point from another angle. "It's ironic that the UN should be telling Britain what to do about slavery. It was in Britain more than 200 years ago that the anti-slavery movement started, and we then led in the fight to end slavery across the world in the Victorian era, long before the UN existed."

He added, "But millions of people today are modern slaves, unable to live and work freely. Rather than lecture the leading anti-slavery nation about the past, the UN should do something about slavery in the present. That's its job."

That job is the one the UN keeps declining. Descent-based slavery still exists in parts of the Sahel. The Arab and East African trades ran for centuries after Britain banned its own. The committee's guidance barely glances at any of it. The target is always the same short list of Western capitals.

James Kariuki, formerly Britain's chargé d'affaires at the UN, has said London engaged in talks with the UN but "continues to disagree with fundamental propositions of the text." The EU's explanation of vote was even clearer: suggestions of retroactive international law and reparations claims were "incompatible with established principles of international law."

A UN judge has already floated a figure of more than £18 trillion as Britain's supposed bill - a sum several times the size of the UK economy. The Brattle Group's earlier estimate for Western states ran to tens of trillions. Many are adamant that these numbers are a shakedown dressed as justice.

The fashionable story treats Britain as the author of African slavery. The record is the opposite of that cartoon.

Parliament banned the British slave trade in 1807. The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 then dismantled slavery across most of the empire, freeing more than 800,000 people in the Caribbean, the Cape and Mauritius.

To force the measure through against the West India interest, the Treasury committed about £20 million in compensation to registered owners - roughly 40 percent of annual government spending at the time.

The debt was financed through gilts. When the Treasury modernised the gilt portfolio in 2015, the last of those instruments was redeemed. That fact is now used as a taunt. It is also evidence of something the UN will not say: Britain paid an enormous price, in cash and in political capital, to end a system it had once joined.

Then came the part no UN committee wants to see on a plinth. From 1808 the Royal Navy's West Africa Squadron hunted slaving ships off the African coast. Over roughly half a century it seized around 1,600 vessels and freed some 150,000 Africans.

Sailors died of fever in large numbers doing work no other great power was willing to fund at that scale. At its height the suppression effort consumed a serious slice of national effort - diplomatic pressure, mixed courts, bribes and gunboats - to drag other nations into line.

Wilberforce, Clarkson, Sharp, Equiano and the Quaker networks did not wait for a UN working group. They built a mass movement inside a slave-trading country and won. African brokers and kingdoms, meanwhile, captured and sold people into the Atlantic system for generations.

The trans-Saharan, Red Sea and Indian Ocean trades ran longer still. Will any of these facts be included in an "accurate, unbiased account"?

Instead the official culture treats "colonial" as a magic word that wipes the slate. Nelson, Wellington, Picton, explorers, viceroys, even figures whose later lives were spent against bondage are folded into one smear.

In June 2020, after Colston went into the harbour and "was a racist" was sprayed on Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, London boxed up its own history.

Churchill, a statue of George Washington, and the Cenotaph - the memorial to the British dead - were boarded over before further marches.

Churchill's statue today in London. I'm speechless. pic.twitter.com/lU6Y37my7e

— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) June 12, 2020

Robert Milligan was lifted from outside the Museum of London Docklands. Guy's and St Thomas' talked of moving figures linked to slavery. Oriel's Rhodes statue became a permanent siege. Within months the argument had spread from slave traders to anyone who could be tagged "empire."

Sadiq Khan then appointed a Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm: a 15-member panel of curators, campaigners and cultural operators tasked with reviewing statues, street names and memorials so that London might be 'corrected'.

The mayor's office insisted the body was "not being established to preside over the removal of statues." Khan had already said "there are some slavers that should come down, and the commission will advise on that." Jacob Rees-Mogg called the exercise a stack of "loony, left-wing wheezes." Shaun Bailey called the appointees "unelected activists."

Excited to announce brilliant members for London's new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm – we will be working hard to ensure London's history is fully reflected and celebrated. @MayorofLondon https://t.co/AWd2pe8uZU pic.twitter.com/f2pyVRmJGF

— Justine Simons OBE (@justinesimons1) February 9, 2021

The net widened. Figures whose records included opposition to slavery were swept into the same "contested heritage" files. The point was never a careful ledger. It was to make British history look illegitimate in its own capital.

Wales made the method official. Labour's devolved government audited commemorations and issued "best-practice" advice that statues of "powerful, older, able-bodied white men" may be "offensive" to a "more diverse" public.

"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered"

Wales: Orwell called it https://t.co/CbFITY7rw8

— Martin Daubney ?? (@MartinDaubney) March 12, 2023

Councils were told to set the "right historical narrative." Options included concealing monuments, boxing them, wrapping them in new artworks, renaming streets - or destroying them.

Nelson, Wellington, Thomas Picton and Henry Morton Stanley were named. Diversity, the guidance lamented, was "hardly visible at all in public commemorations," which risked the "perception that the achievements that society considers noteworthy are those of powerful, older, able-bodied white men."

That sentence is the tell. A country is instructed to be ashamed of the men who built its navy, won its wars and, in the same era, smashed the trade the UN now pretends Britain never opposed. The term "Colonial" does the rest of the work.

The people who never owned a slave, and whose great-great-grandparents were more likely to have been mill hands than planters, are the ones invited to feel the shame. The governments that still tolerate bondage get a pass. The UN, which cannot keep slaves out of the Sahel or young protesters off Iranian gallows, finds the time to lecture the country that policed the Atlantic.

Britain abolished the trade. Britain spent a fortune and a navy making that abolition stick. The UN's answer is more statues, more guilt, and a warning to be nicer to the next boat full of illegal migrants. That is not reparatory justice. It is a political project that needs British history to stay on its knees.

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Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 09:20

Interpreting The Taliban's Invitation For American Investments

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

This was arguably a preemptive de-escalation move that would also gauge the US' intentions...

The New York Times (NYT) interviewed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul as part of their coverage of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. Muttaqi invited the US to reopen its embassy and invest in his country's minerals, dams, and roads. He also declared that "We consider the chapter of war to have come to an end, and from now on, we want relations based on mutual respect and a new chapter of positive engagement." This new policy requires some interpretation.

After all, Trump has repeatedly called for the return of US forces to Bagram Airbase and the US has pivoted to the Taliban's new Pakistani enemy over the past year and a half of his second term, both of which the NYT mentioned as possible obstacles. The Taliban also refuses to return the US arms and equipment that were left in Afghanistan while denying that it's holding a dual Afghan-American citizen prisoner. The State Department thus predictably told the NYT that bilateral ties won't be normalized.

Two of the experts that the NYT interviewed referenced Trump 2.0's business-driven foreign policy, ergo why some might be surprised that the State Department rejected normalizing bilateral ties as a quid pro quo for presumably privileged access to Afghanistan's rare earth minerals wealth. This goes to show that geostrategy, not geo-economics, is presently determining Trump 2.0's policy towards Afghanistan. Interestingly enough, however, it's the opposite with the Taliban. Here are three background briefings:

* 2 July: "Reviewing Russia's Latest UNSC Briefing On Afghanistan"

* 19 July: "Lavrov Warned That Western Arms & Ammo Are Being Sent From Ukraine To ISIS-K In Afghanistan"

* 16 August: "Five Reflections On The Fifth Anniversary Of The Taliban's Return To Power"

In a nutshell, Pakistan is passively facilitating the flow of arms to ISIS-K as part of its undeclared war with Afghanistan, which the US discreetly approves of as a means of pressuring the Taliban into complying with its demands. If the Taliban were weakened or deposed, they might not ever regain their former strength due to their historical Pakistani patron having cut them off and their new Russian military-technical partner being unable to replace the multifaceted support that Islamabad previously provided.

The end result could be the re-subjugation of Afghanistan, but this time as a US-Pakistani client state that would serve as a launchpad for expanding their military and economic influence into Central Asia, which aligns with Trump 2.0's Neo-Reagan Doctrine of rolling back Russian influence. Turkiye is already poised to do the same from the west via August 2025's "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity", which also functions as a NATO military logistics corridor, so the combined effect could be profound.

Given the grand strategic consequences if the US and Pakistan successfully re-subjugate Afghanistan, there's a certain logic to why Trump 2.0 rejected the rare earth minerals opportunity that the Taliban offered it. The group arguably did this as a preemptive de-escalation move that would also gauge the US' intentions, which are now crystal clear. Looking forward, joint US-Pakistani pressure on Afghanistan is therefore expected to increase, which could lead to an increase in Russian-Taliban military-technical ties.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 08:10

Iran: Several Ballistic Missiles Fired At US Aircraft Carrier, Navy Destroyer

Summary:

• Iran says it has attacked 3 'US-linked' along with 3 American ships in the Hormuz Strait
• State media released footage of foreign vessels under attack in "response" to US aggression
• CENTCOM Confirms Iranian Tankers Hit Near Kharg Island
• Iranian Tanker Reportedly Hit By Missiles Near Kharg Island

*  *  *

Iran Unleashes Large Drone Swarm Attacks on Several Ships

Iran state media is releasing footage of its own Saturday action against US assets in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, as part of the fresh weekend tit-for-tat fighting with the United States. Per state PressTV and IRIB, it seems Tehran is saying it has targeted six vessels:

• The IRGC targets three US-related vessels and three oil tankers in the Hormuz Strait, warning all vessels against choosing unauthorized routes to transit Hormuz.
• In response to US attacks on three Iranian tankers, Iran has targeted three vessels in the unauthorized route of the Strait of Hormuz, along with three American ships.

Al Jazeera Breaking:

BREAKING: Iran says several ballistic missiles fired at US aircraft carrier, Navy destroyer

The IRGC Navy is claiming a "response" to US aggression: "This morning, the terrorist and aggressor US military, in a brutal act born of desperation from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, attacked three oil tankers belonging to the Islamic Republic, causing damage," the force said in a statement on Saturday. In response, it continues: "the fighters of the IRGC Navy targeted three oil tankers traveling along an unauthorized route through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as three vessels affiliated with the child-killing United States, in other areas."

IRAN SHOWS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN STRIKES on ‘VIOLATING’ vessels in Hormuz — Tasnim

IRAN SHOWS NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN STRIKES on ‘VIOLATING’ vessels in Hormuz — Tasnim

VESSEL after VESSEL gets HAMMERED https://t.co/TLh1CwAfTa pic.twitter.com/P6xgBnwMCe

— RT (@RT_com) September 5, 2026

In response to US attacks on three Iranian tankers, Iran has targeted three vessels in the unauthorized route of the Strait of Hormuz, along with three American ships. pic.twitter.com/HAzpefIWJV

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) September 5, 2026

The overnight into early Sunday hours are going to be interesting, awaiting more possible Pentagon action, even as the Department of War says this is not a "war".

CENTCOM Confirms Strikes 

US Central Command confirmed on X that US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships. 

CENTCOM provided details:

Following Iran's failed attacks, CENTCOM permanently disabled the IRGC crude oil carriers M/T Downy off the coast of Kharg Island and M/T Stark 1 near Jask. American forces also completely destroyed the unladen crude oil carrier M/T Kylo (also known as the "Noxen") in the Gulf of Oman, striking the vessel in multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.

The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend them.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper stated:

Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost —taking out three of yours. 

We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran's limited and exposed oil fleet. 

https://t.co/Xo0Vj0t2AJ

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) September 5, 2026

The key question heading into Sunday evening is how Brent crude futures will price the US strikes on Iranian tankers near Kharg Island. 

Iranian Tanker Reportedly Hit By Missiles Near Kharg Island

Iranian state media reported early Saturday that US forces had struck an oil tanker near Kharg Island. Although the US military has not confirmed the maritime incident, the attack, if verified, would mark a significant escalation near Iran's most important crude-export terminal and increase the risk of further disruptions to Persian Gulf energy flows.

Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said several missiles hit the tanker early Saturday and published images purportedly showing black smoke rising from the ship.

Video of the Iranian oil tanker which was reportedly hit this morning by the US near the Iranian Kharg Island. pic.twitter.com/217O0lLn09

— Mehdi H. (@mhmiranusa) September 5, 2026

Kharg Island is the jugular vein of Iran's oil economy. The deepwater terminal handles about 90% of the country's crude exports, connecting Iran's major onshore fields to global markets, specifically China. 

Henri Patricot, CFA, a Paris-based energy equity research analyst at UBS, published Kpler data showing that crude loadings at major Iranian export terminals, including Kharg, have been significantly reduced over the course of the six-month conflict.

Weekly average crude loadings in the Middle East by port location also show a slight recovery on an ex-Iran basis across the major Gulf producers.

Average flows through Kharg have ranged from 1.5 million to 2 million barrels per day, although the data above show that those volumes collapsed to roughly 220,000 to 255,000 barrels per day in August under the US naval blockade. The island also contains massive storage facilities, pipelines, and loading berths. Any attack by US forces, whether kinetic through air-delivered munitions, or offensive cyber operations, could cripple Tehran's largest moneymaker.

President Trump warned Friday that the US could soon attack Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected Iranian nuclear facility.

As for Hormuz flows, Goldman commodities strategist Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby and her team said this week that they had to revise tanker-flow estimates sharply higher (full note available here for pro subs), suggesting that Tehran's ability to control the strategic maritime chokepoint has been significantly degraded.

Grigsby and her team told clients on Wednesday that Gulf oil exports had recovered to between 15 million and 16 million barrels per day, roughly two-thirds of prewar levels.

However, Grigsby pointed out that visible tanker data show flows of only about 10 million barrels per day on a seven-day moving average. That 5 million-barrel-per-day gap reflects what Goldman's energy team called the "rise of dark transits." In other words, tankers are switching off their Automatic Identification System transponders to avoid detection by Iran.

Net hit to Persian Gulf flows of 7.9mb/d now 

Polymarket odds that Tehran will lose control of Kharg Island stand at 2% by Sept. 30 and just 7% by year-end.

What the Trump administration decides to do with Kharg remains the energy market's billion-dollar question.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:50

IAEA 'Unclear' On Iran's Nuclear Program As US, Europe Escalate At UN Security Council

Western allies are pressing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ‌board to bring a formal complaint and resolution before the UN Security Council and the General Assembly. Reuters reports Saturday that the US, UK, France, and Germany are behind the new pressure campaign, which hinges on a request that the nuclear watchdog's director general transmit the new resolution.

The draft resolution, as seen by Reuters, calls on Iran to "urgently remedy ‌its non-compliance ⁠with its Safeguards Agreement by taking all steps deemed necessary by the Agency and the Board, so that the Director General can provide the necessary assurances regarding the correctness and completeness of Iran's declarations."

via Associated Press

"The draft has not yet been formally submitted to the board and negotiations over the exact wording are ongoing," Reuters wrote based on diplomatic sources. 

Prior such draft resolutions have all been approved by the IAEA board. A year ago, prior to Trump launching Operation Epic Fury, an adopted IAEA resolution charged that was Iran in breach of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which Tehran is a formal signatory to.

But Iran is being 'non-compliant' at a moment it is getting routinely bombed by US forces. Iran has also frequently pointed out the obvious double standard - that Israel itself is armed with nukes and is not a signatory to the NPT.

This fact has long been an 'open secret' in Washington and among world leaders. But if the US government were to officially recognize Israel as a nuclear-armed power, it could trigger legal repercussions which would impact foreign aid to Israel.

Days ago IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated in a formal report that the status of Iran's nuclear program remains unclear: 

The status of a key part of Iran's nuclear program remains unknown while international inspectors have yet to gain access to nuclear facilities, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported on Tuesday, as the country’s six-month conflict with the United States shows no signs of resolution.

IAEA monitors cannot verify the location or status of Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb grade uranium, according to the 11-page restricted report that was sent to member states and cited by Bloomberg and Reuters.

"The agency’s lack of information about this nuclear material and access to facilities to verify it is a matter of proliferation concern," Grossi wrote in the report.

Tehran's position has remained that the IAEA is too cooperative with Israeli intelligence, and that it's neutrality has been compromised...

Next week @iaeaorg which is a spy org for Israel will vote to declare Iran breach of NPT. They bombed all the sites and still want to send spies to inspect them. 😂 pic.twitter.com/bIGgOlUYAN

— Ali (@MerruX) September 4, 2026

He called on Iran to allow inspectors back in "with the utmost urgency" - and yet, this a place that's still under threat of more US bombing campaigns. There is basically an active war still on, even with occasional pauses.

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:35

Is This Peak 'Clown World'?

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

Transport for London has dropped a dog house-shaped "calm space" onto the concourse at Ealing Broadway station and called it progress.

The tiny pod features a bench, noise-dampening acoustics and a "soothing" forest mural. They claim that it is part of an effort to "boost accessibility for neurodivergent travellers under TfL's Equity in Motion strategy," whatever that means.

Massive backlash has ensued, with many questioning this as a priority over train delays, complete lack of air conditioning on many lines, poor cleanliness, broken escalators and an epidemic of fare dodgers costing £190 million a year.

We're trialling a calm space at Ealing Broadway station for four weeks ?

From today, you'll find a quieter space for customers who may benefit from a calmer environment during their journey.

What we learn from the trial will help us understand how we can make our network... pic.twitter.com/mRFiD2vtvM

— TfL (@TfL) September 4, 2026

The kennel is part of TFL's 'Equity in Motion' scheme, a 'customer inclusion plan' launched in February 2024 which it claims will make travel "fairer, safer, more inclusive and more accessible."

Mark Evers, who leads customer insight, strategy and experience at TfL, told Ealing.News: "Everyone should be able to travel confidently and independently across London, and we know that busy environments can sometimes pose a barrier and be overwhelming, particularly for our neurodivergent customers."

"These trials will help us understand how we can better support customers who might need to take some time out when using our services," he added.

Jesus wept.

The photograph did more work than the press release. Open sides. Pitched roof. Wood-effect walls. A painted woodland. A single bench. It reads as a child's playhouse parked in a ticket hall.

Literally crying ? it's a fucking dog kennel ? https://t.co/lnMfJYhkfv

— Emma Manzini (@EmmaManzini) September 5, 2026

Absolutely, totally and utterly insane. Once upon a time I'd have thought that post from TfL was a joke. Now I believe it's real. Sadly.

— Alastair Hilton (@London_W4) September 5, 2026

Darren Johnson, a former London Assembly member, went at the physics of the claim:

I am not sure that putting an open-sided kiosk in a station used by 42,000 passengers a day and calling it a 'calm space' actually makes it a calm space. https://t.co/pDBoR212mV

— Darren Johnson (@DarrenJohnson66) September 5, 2026

Surely the forest mural will counter the tannoy blasts, barrier alarms and the endless chirruping of TikTok reels blasting from phones, right?

Everyone who played any part in creating this has a 'non-job'. https://t.co/rkSJBiRidS

— Leo Gibbons (@Layo_FH) September 4, 2026

Serious question... if you can actually get on a tube to go somewhere, how the fuck is waiting in a weird shed going to help you?

This is design by fuckwit. It really is. https://t.co/3kv6IejafA

— Arthur Foxache ?? (@OldMackIsBack) September 4, 2026

Just make the fucking trains arrive clean and on time. https://t.co/1g7JYRs9xp

— Jack (@FFS_WhatNow) September 4, 2026

When I was a Councillor my Ward included Ealing Broadway Station. It is a manic station with lots of issues. This 'calm space' is an absolute joke, and a complete waste of money. It won't be long until it is vandalised https://t.co/iRDJzcIxGy

— Alexander Stafford (@Alex_Stafford) September 4, 2026

There are plenty of more pressing issues:

This is all nice and well but Highbury and Islington Station has been missing a ceiling and wall tiles for the last 8 years. Priorities.

— Joseph (@josephkazUK) September 4, 2026

Do they really think this thing is going to be used as they envisage?

I give it two days until diversity takes a shit inside and then moves in. https://t.co/F4ec7PoaKP

— WireSpy (@WireSpy92) September 4, 2026

20 minutes until needles, dimps, empties and piss puddles?

— Cooking Lager is drinking a wrexham lager (@CarpeZytha) September 4, 2026

American Citizen, under Milo's joke post, was blunter: "Chances are a migrant will be inside this taking a shit."

Chances are a migrant will be inside this taking a shit.

— American Citizen (@paisnano) September 5, 2026

Day 1-4: 13 year old gangsta wannabes take over and blurt drill music from a Bluetooth speaker and nuisance stream from it.
Day 5: Homeless guy takes a shit in it
Day 6: Someone is sexually assaulted inside it by an Eritrean
Day 7: Dismantled and removed by TFL https://t.co/nhjMIvPAX8

— Sir Webblyingworth Brian Squirrelingtonshire ? (@WebSquirrel) September 5, 2026

To be fair, the house is more cosy looking than those featured in plenty of accommodation ads in London.

Detached house to let in W5, 3500pw plus bills https://t.co/ekolfpb3Qj

— David P GCSE (multiple) (@DavidPGCSE) September 5, 2026

When passengers noted that the pod would be almost immediately wrecked or occupied, TfL actually replied, suggesting "We understand the concern. The pod is located close to station staff and within CCTV coverage, and it's included in routine station security and safety checks."

They added, "Any inappropriate behaviour will be managed in line with standard station procedures, and any damage will be addressed as needed. The trial will also help us understand how the space is used in practice."

We understand the concern. The pod is located close to station staff and within CCTV coverage, and it's included in routine station security and safety checks. Any inappropriate behaviour will be managed in line with standard station procedures, and any damage will be addressed...

— TfL (@TfL) September 5, 2026

That sentence is doing a lot of work. "Standard station procedures" is the same toolkit that already coexists with barrier-jumping, vaping in carriages, speakerphone culture and graffiti that TfL has had to throw extra cleaning gangs at.

The Times reported earlier this year that a graffiti surge left parts of the Underground looking, in one MP's phrase, "like 1970s New York," with Bakerloo and Central hit hardest because those lines have so little spare stock that tagged trains stay in service. Bakerloo's 1972 stock is the oldest passenger rolling stock in the country.

CCTV does not stop crime when there is no consequence. People refuse fares, vape on trains and disturb other passengers with impunity.

This is not a quiet branch line. Ealing Broadway is a Zone 3 interchange for the Central line, District line, Elizabeth line and National Rail. At peak times it is a crush of school runs, office traffic and Heathrow-bound crowds.

It is also a known fare-evasion hotspot. BBC reporting from the concourse described officers watching people hurdle barriers, crawl under them and "double gate" behind paying passengers.

TfL has put the network-wide loss at about £190 million a year - 3.5 per cent of fare income - and wants 1.5 per cent by 2030. A later disclosure to Tube Alerter, reported by MyLondon, said the real figure could be as high as £211 million because TfL applies a 10 per cent haircut to avoid "overstating" the loss.

The same station had a passenger trapped and dragged by a train in November 2024. RAIB published its report in March 2026. Temporary barriers went up on platform 4 because of the gap between train and platform. Lifts routinely fail. Step-free access comes and goes. That is the arena into which TfL has now inserted a woodland cubby and a QR code for feelings.

Ffs.
How about you ban people have their phones on speaker or listening to music?
Molly coddling adults in this way is embarrassing.
A functioning society never needed this kennel before.

— Karrie (@KarrieboKarrie) September 5, 2026

What???????
Can someone please tell me what is going on with this generation???
All this 'safe space' nonsense and 'you're safe with me' badges??
Can anyone imagine this generation in the world wars????
What are they all scared of? https://t.co/AyhNvwsw4I

— Women Won't Wheesht ??? (@TheParty1sOver) September 5, 2026

TFL, which cannot keep toilet facilities usable, has discovered the language of trauma for a four-week photo opportunity.

There is no air con on most of the deep Tube. Central, Bakerloo, Jubilee, Victoria, Waterloo & City, Piccadilly and Northern still cook passengers in summer. Only about 192 of 620 Tube trains are air-conditioned. The trains many west Londoners ride every day were built when Ted Heath was in Downing Street.

Sadiq Khan's City Hall has spent years announcing equity frameworks while the basic deal of public transport - you pay, the train comes, the carriage is usable - has got sloppier. Fare evasion doubled on the Tube against pre-pandemic levels. Prosecutions are still well below the old peak. Penalty fares often go unpaid. Staff take the abuse. Paying passengers fund the gap. Then the same organisation asks those passengers to admire a sensory pod.

This is peak clown world.

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

Tyler Durden Sun, 09/06/2026 - 07:00

The Real Elites Vs. The Ruling Elites

Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute,

Always and everywhere, political institutions are controlled by elites. It doesn't matter if the regime type is democratic or monarchical. It doesn't matter if there is a written constitution or not. All political institutions - and certainly every sovereign state - are run by a group of elites who control the means of coercion.The myth of "rule by the people" is precisely that: a myth.

But this leaves a big question open: who are the elites? Wilfredo Pareto, that pioneer of Italian elite theory, convincingly suggests that elites are simply those people who are most skilled in their respective fields. Being skilled does not suggest any sort of virtue or beauty, of course, and we cannot assume that any member of the elite will be more moral or refined than any, say, middle-class mechanic.

In the case of political elites, to be "elite" simply means to be the most effective at organizing and commanding political action. This can be done toward both virtuous ends or evil ends. The political elites excel at the gaining and wielding of political power. Nothing more. In hereditary monarchies, for example, the monarch is a monarch because his ancestors were more effective at using violence - and at stealing and killing - than were their competitors. Their descendants are able to remain in the elite through effective political scheming to maintain their positions. In democracies, those who gain and maintain power are effective at deceiving the voting public and at currying favor with the ruling coalitions of various interest groups. They're not "the elite" because they are especially virtuous or well educated. They simply excel at cultivating the knowledge necessary to wield the power of the state against their enemies and against potential rivals.

Economic Elites vs. Political Elites

There is, however, often confusion as to the difference between economic elites and political elites. One could say that economic elites are those who are most skilled at the management of property. Yet, the nature of the economic elites depends largely on what type of regime exists within society. In a society that has a mostly market system, the economic elites are those who are most productive in the free marketplace. These are the people who are skilled at entrepreneurship, sales, logistics, investing, and all other aspects of a freely functioning market. In a mostly free society, the economic elites are free to spend most of their time on their activities in the marketplace, and they are thus rewarded for spending their efforts in improving their own productivity. Moreover, all of society benefits from these sorts of economic elites. This is because rewards in the marketplace stem from delivering more goods and services to more people at a price that a growing number of people can afford.

Things are different in a society where the economy is dominated by the state - and thus by the political elite. In such a society, the economic elites are those who are most skilled at using the power of the state to achieve success in the state-regulated marketplace. In this case, the economic elites are those who are able to partner with the regime to obtain policies that benefit the elites through the manipulation and regulation of the market. These policies include bailouts, state-backed monopolies, and an easy-money-fueled financial system. In this system, the economic elites are able to maintain and enhance their positions and their wealth through effective political action, and by serving the political elites instead of customers in the marketplace.

When this happens, we cannot assume that the economic elites are there because they add value to society. Rather, the economic elites in this latter system are parasitical. They rely on the exploitation of others to maintain their positions and to expand their market share. One of the most dramatic examples of this can be seen in the response to the financial crisis that began in 2008.

Had the marketplace been allowed to function, many large banks and other firms would have been bankrupted, and their property repurposed by other, more efficient owners and managers. Those new owners could have become a new economic elite. But thanks to the intervention of the incumbent political elites, failing firms were saved through the redistribution of wealth from the productive classes to hand-picked, politically connected incumbent firms and owners. Thus, firms like Citicorp and AIG were bailed out, new regulations imposed, and firms like JP Morgan greatly expanded their market share. The Federal Reserve's mass purchasing of mortgage-backed securities rescued a large portion of the financial sector from insolvency. As a result, most of the economic "elite" we find in the financial sector owe their positions to political action rather than any actual skill in the marketplace. Sure, these people are fond of telling themselves that they are rich because "the market" values them so highly. In reality, they are successful because lobbyists have succeeded in propping up their firms and ensuring, through constant monetary inflation, growth in their portfolios.

But this is just one example. In any society where the political elites are prolific spenders, or engage in widespread regulation of the economy, the economy is continually distorted in a way as to favor the politically well connected at the expense of everyone else. For example, the economic "elites" who rely heavily on government contracts - e.g., Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, the founder of Flock Safety, et al - are not in the elite because they are especially productive in a free market. They are in the elite because they are adept at seizing the property of taxpayers through the tax-and-spend mechanism.

Note that in this interventionist system, the real economic elites - the people who would have risen to the top of an actually free economy - are crowded out and kept down by government action that favors certain firms. Who are these would-be elites? We'll never know, and instead we are left with our counterfeit billionaire class which is "elite" only in their skill at exploiting people who do real work in the private sector.

Conclusion

Thus we have a merging of the economic and the political elite. Both types of elites generally rely on some sort of deception to buttress their claims.

The political elite, for example, claim their positions by virtue of some sort of mandate from heaven, or moral virtue, or because they allegedly reflect the "will of the people." These are all lies, of course, but have nonetheless worked to fool and pacify the public for many centuries.

Under a regime of economic interventionism, the economic elites rely on lies as well. They claim they are elites because they are efficient or hard-working, or "serve the customer." These are lies as well since, in the absence of a free - or even mostly free - market, the elites are, in fact, in their positions due to political maneuvering. They are, in effect, merely an extension of the political elite. The more interventionist the regime is, the more this is true.

The real elites have always been those who receive the voluntary and free support of others through the private sector, or through other non-violent means of interaction: through families, religious institutions, and other institutions of the private sector. On the other hand, those who become "elites" through the initiation of violence, and through the looting of others, have always been frauds and imposters.

Tyler Durden Sat, 09/05/2026 - 23:20

Hegseth's Polygraphs Return To Pentagon In 'Major Leak Hunt' Over Iran War

The polygraphs have returned to the Pentagon, after the Trump administration has been furious over what the president calls 'leaks' by US officials to the press, particularly regarding alleged diminished munitions stocks and missile shortages.

The New York Times reports Saturday that Pentagon investigators have questioned roughly 50 personnel on the Joint Staff whether they had disclosed classified information to journalists.

File image, Anadolu Agency

The publication calls it a "major leak hunt" - with the widespread polygraph tests having taken place in August, and possibly with more rounds to come.

"Between 1,500 and 2,000 officers and officials work for the Joint Staff, which coordinates operations, policy and war plans with combatant commanders around the world," the NY Times notes.

Dozens of other officials, including under US Central Command (CENTCOM), were also polygraph tested earlier this summer.

An avalanche of media reports in August, and from earlier in the summer, have said the US exhausted much of its stock of long-range Tomahawk missiles on the Iran war, along with Patriot and THAAD missile interceptors.

US officials have stated to CBS that no one failed the tests, but it has had a chilling effect, given that sources have also described the scope of the dragnet as "extraordinary". 

All of this seems not only geared toward preventing leaks to the press, but comes amid a climate of perceived 'disloyalty' and dissent against War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Polygraphs are typically used in the military or intelligence community in cases of suspected foreign espionage or instances of suspicion of handing off classified information. Hegseth has already greatly narrowed his trusted inner-circle.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has only said that the Department of War "takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly."

This isn't the first wave of polygraphs at the Pentagon under Trump. Hegseth had previewed these actions all the way back in Fall 2025. There's also been widespread signings of NDAs.

Now they gotta do it again to find out who leaked this https://t.co/t0P837nvoq

— Dave DeCamp (@DecampDave) September 5, 2026

While there already exist laws and policies covering unauthorized disclosure of classified, restricted, or sensitive information, this is clearly part of a broader push to tighten up leaks.

The reality too is that leaks to the media are a fairly standard part of any administration, going back through American history. Trump likely knows this, but is naturally leery of any further efforts to undermine his policies - especially in this sensitive moment ahead of the November midterm elections.

Tyler Durden Sat, 09/05/2026 - 22:45

China Expands Online Content Controls, Putting More Pressure On Creators

Authored by Michael Zhuang via The Epoch Times,

China's new rules governing companies that produce and distribute content for social media took effect on Sept. 1, potentially exposing both independent content creators and the accounts they manage to penalties for violations.

Men play games on computers in an internet bar in Beijing on Dec. 16, 2015. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

The regulations require companies providing services such as content planning, production, distribution, marketing, promotion, and talent management to register as service providers.

Critics and independent content creators told The Epoch Times that the rules could broaden the communist regime's control over online content, particularly information about sensitive social issues such as unemployment, unpaid wages, unfinished housing projects, and protests.

They spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.

Under the new rules, companies already registered to provide such services have 30 days from the regulations' effective date to amend their business registrations.

Companies involved in online performance management, publishing, audiovisual services, or internet news services must also obtain the relevant licenses.

The rules require covered companies to appoint a person responsible for content management and establish a management team, as well as procedures governing employees and emergency responses.

When signing contracts with online creators, companies must verify their identities and clearly define their management responsibilities.

Platforms can also impose measures on both the companies and the content creators they have contracted with when alleged violations of laws, regulations, platform rules, or contractual agreements occur.

Those measures can include restricting account functions, suspending monetization, or shutting down accounts.

Risks to Online Creators

For people working in China as independent content creators, the new requirements have raised concerns about both income and uncertainty over what content is permissible.

A content creator in Shenyang, China, told The Epoch Times that the rules could directly affect the livelihoods of people who depend on online traffic for income.

"Many people doing livestreams don't know what they can say and what they can't say. Once the traffic gets high, the risks come with it," she said.

The content creator explained that she has seen other creators have their accounts blocked after their livestreams began attracting substantial audiences.

She also questioned how regime authorities and platforms would determine what constitutes prohibited content.

"What does it mean to incite emotions, and what does it mean to make false propaganda? Who decides? There is no clear standard," she said.

The regulations are formally framed as a system for managing businesses involved in the distribution and operation of online content.

However, critics say the requirements could extend beyond large multi-channel networks (MCNs), and apply to smaller operations that may not previously have considered themselves part of the industry.

A Chinese online commentator told The Epoch Times that the rules could encompass small studios, account-management teams, and small livestreaming accounts.

"In the past, many small studios simply helped people obtain advertising, edit videos, and do promotions. They didn't consider themselves MCNs," the commentator said.

"This time, the regulations are very broad. As long as you participate in producing content for online accounts, or help distribute it, you could be required to register and file records, and you would have to assume them as a condition for operating."

In his view, the system shifts part of the regime's censorship responsibilities onto platforms and content-operations companies. Rather than directly intervening in every piece of content, the regime can require companies and platforms to police the accounts under their control.

Concerns Over Reporting on Social Issues

The potential impact could be particularly significant for creators who cover social and economic problems in China.

An independent content creator in Harbin, China, who focuses on analyzing social issues and asked to be identified only by his surname Li, told The Epoch Times that he regularly follows issues including gig employment, difficulties facing restaurants and other businesses, unfinished housing projects, and problems withdrawing money from banks.

Such topics, he said, could potentially be interpreted by platforms as negative information or as an attempt to exploit social issues for attention.

"If influencers continuously follow these things, the network regulators may think you are hyping up a social incident, seeking attention, and making money from traffic," Li said.

"I can only speculate this way. The regime has not clearly stated the standards."

Although Li primarily analyzes information from the perspective of a reader, rather than reporting firsthand on every incident, he said he remains concerned about the restrictions.

"Some content is not false; it's just different from what the official releases say," he said. "Creators are afraid of losing their accounts or income, so they may simply give up publishing. This is self-censorship."

Li said the result could be that social events increasingly have only the version of events permitted by regime authorities.

Once creators face the possibility of having their accounts closed, losing their ability to earn money, or effectively losing their livelihoods, he said, they may choose not to publish information even when they believe it to be accurate.

The regulations impose penalties for violations under existing laws and regulations. Where no specific penalty is provided, the regime can issue warnings and impose fines ranging from 10,000 yuan ($1,490) to 200,000 yuan ($29,800).

For creators and critics, however, the greater concern may be the effect of the rules before any formal penalty is imposed.

If platforms and companies are held responsible for the content produced by the accounts they manage, they have an incentive to remove material that could attract regulatory scrutiny.

That could leave creators increasingly reluctant to report on sensitive social issues, not necessarily because the information is false, but because the potential loss of an account, audience, or income may make publishing it too risky.

Xiao Bin contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Sat, 09/05/2026 - 22:10