Zero Rss

UK Pride Group "Captures" A 1,000-Year-Old Castle

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

They called it "Capture the Castle." Not a picnic. Not a concert. Capture.

On Saturday morning a 1,000-year-old Norman fortress in Devon was wrapped in a 150-metre rainbow banner while organisers talked about occupying the ramparts and sending a message that the building now belongs to their cause. Nobody has to guess at the intent. They wrote it on the programme.

Totnes Castle sits at the highest point of the hilltop town. Founded around 1087 to lock down a crossing of the River Dart, it is one of England's best-preserved motte-and-bailey strongholds, a Grade I listed site in the care of English Heritage. On 26 September, as part of a four-day Totnes Pride festival, some 400 people gathered in the grounds while around 30 flag-bearers unfurled the giant Pride flag across the ancient masonry. The spectacle was billed as the defining image of the weekend.

Pride group 'captures' 1,000-year-old Norman castle using massive rainbow flaghttps://t.co/3S8DPiUibv

— GB News (@GBNEWS) September 28, 2026

Ceri Goddard of Totnes Pride told the BBC they wanted the festival to be "a bit different," and that covering "the iconic castle" would show that "queer people have always been here and we always will be." She said English Heritage had been "amazing, helping us plan," after a rehearsal to work through the logistics.

A Totnes Pride spokesman said: "Capture the Castle is the image that will define this year's festival, but what we've built around it is a genuinely ambitious arts and culture programme - over 40 events." The same statement talked of a town that "welcomes people from all walks of life." Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden praised the "scale, diversity and quality of the Pride festival Totnes has produced," and said it was "sending a clear message of equality and inclusion."

That is one reading. Another is the language the organisers chose for themselves. Their own programme invited people to "storm the Castle grounds," described local flag-bearers who would "invade" the ramparts, and framed the morning as the "most visible, bold and important civic moment" of the weekend.

They literally called it 'capture the castle'. Ideological occupation. pic.twitter.com/JaSTE2zrhz

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) September 27, 2026

Some residents were appalled. Local Ian Robinson wrote: "950 years of Norman history, medieval warfare, royal decrees and Civil War - all leading up to the moment we thought: 'You know what this ancient castle really needs? A 150-metre rainbow flag'. Because apparently nine and a half centuries of heritage wasn't quite colourful enough. Still, at least the tea room survived long enough to witness the decline."

Roofer Russell Blackaller, who works on listed buildings, pointed out the double standard inside planning law itself. People in Grade II houses, he said, "require formal consent sometimes purely to erect a scaffolding." Yet a Grade I monument was draped "purely to have a celebration."

Courtney Soleil put the civic point cleanly: "No one is saying people shouldn't be free to live as they choose, but not every historic landmark needs to be turned into a statement for the cause of the moment. This is a 950-year-old Norman castle and part of Britain's shared heritage." Historic monuments, she argued, should represent that shared history rather than "continually being used to promote one particular cause."

Christian Concern chief executive Andrea Minichiello Williams told The Telegraph: "The castle may have been captured in history, but today it is the town itself that feels captured - not by an army, but by an ideology that has taken hold of its public spaces and its culture, leaving little room for anyone who dares to disagree."

Restore Britain's Rupert Lowe was no gentler: "It is not 'homophobic' to label this as wildly naff and generally vomit-inducing." He added: "Sensible gay people despise the woke theatre of it all too, and just want to get on with their lives."

Totnes, Devon. Listen, I'm as gay as the hills, but this is taking the proverbial. It's an eyesore that the residents have to suffer.

We ought to be venerating our heritage and inheritance, not demanding it bend to modern ideological virtue signalling.

It makes a mockery of us. pic.twitter.com/Jdu6kxzltw

— Darren Grimes (@darrengrimes) September 27, 2026

If it had of been the Union Flag it would have been removed post-haste.

— ron (@RonIGeordie) September 28, 2026

Indeed, in 2016 Totnes council took down a Union Flag because it was deemed "too noisy" when it flapped in the wind. In 2015 a planned permanent rainbow crossing was blocked by Devon County Council on traffic-safety grounds, but the instinct of the activists was already clear: the civic surface of the town is a canvas, except when the paint is red, white and blue.

Most people don't give a fuck what your sexual orientation is as long as you don't go near kids. Nowadays this pride stuff is more about "look at me" and attention seeking and trying to promote gayness amongst children which is all very strange.

— Danny Boy (@DannyDoy2022) September 28, 2026

F*ck me the whole month of June isn't enough for them.

— REJECT DIGITAL ID (@John_Wick888) September 28, 2026

Typical of the left, they throw around the words of diversity and equality, yet meet anyone who disagrees with hate and violence. This goes against the very essence of equality and diversity when so many other feelings are ignored and attacked.

— Testy McTestFace (@TheDrunkTester) September 28, 2026

Flying a British or English flag from that same castle would, of course, be treated as a provocation. Across the country the pattern is no longer subtle. Britain's biggest council has gone to the High Court seeking an injunction that could put people in prison for two years for attaching Union Flags and St George's Crosses to highway furniture, while Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, India and Jamaica flags have been hosted, lit up, or left flying.

 

English Heritage helped plan this latest rainbow eyesore. A sitting MP turned up to bless it. The keep that survived the Civil War is now a billboard for a faction that talks about invasion as if that were charming.

The national flags of the country that built the place are the ones that get the injunctions, the noise complaints, and the lectures about "community cohesion."

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 05:00

Dutch Doctors Euthanize Two-Year-Old Toddler In First Case Of Its Kind

A doctor in the Netherlands euthanized a toddler in what officials said is the country's first case involving a child under 12, and a government-appointed review panel concluded the physician acted "with due care."

The child, who was nearly 2 years old and suffering from severe medical conditions, died at the end of 2025, with details only becoming public this month after the supervising committee issued its finding.

The child was born at 26 weeks, suffered brain damage, and was later diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy and a severe form of infant epilepsy, according to the report. The child's parents requested termination of life after the attending physician concluded the child's suffering was unbearable and without hope of improvement.

Independent doctors first consulted in the case concluded the child was not in continuous unbearable suffering and that reasonable alternatives still existed. Rather than stopping there, the attending physician sought another opinion, and a second doctor signed off. The first consultants said palliative options and different medication might improve control of the child's epileptic seizures. The official report did not say death was imminent; it said the child's life expectancy was shortened and depended on potentially life-threatening complications.

Until 2024, Dutch rules covered termination of life for newborns and separate euthanasia requests from minors age 12 and older. A special regulation that took effect in 2024 created a framework for termination of life in children under 12, subject to strict medical-review requirements.

News of the Dutch case comes days after a shocking report from Canada, where an 83-year-old Christian grandmother in Ontario was euthanized under the country's Medical Assistance in Dying program this summer, and her family said she never gave her final consent.

Brigitte Stegemann died by lethal injection on July 10 at The Pearl, a care home in Cannifton, Ontario, after being diagnosed with Stage IV stomach cancer. Relatives said Stegemann, a devout Christian, had already turned down MAID because it went against her faith, telling them, "No, I don't want that," and that her wish was to die naturally.

Stegemann's granddaughter and longtime caregiver, Brigitte Kranendonk, said the process moved forward anyway and sped up while she was away on vacation.

Meanwhile...

Canada is advertising assisted suicide.

This is absolutely horrific. pic.twitter.com/BwNu8Pax5a

— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) September 28, 2026 Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 04:15

South Korea Summons Acting Ukrainian Ambassador Over North Korean Prisoner Transfer Revelation

Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times,

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador to the country on Sept. 28 to convey Seoul's displeasure over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's revelation that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Seoul, South Korea, on June 8, 2026. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

South Korean First Vice Minister Park Yun-ju told acting Ukrainian Ambassador Andriy Beshkin that despite a clear agreement to keep the repatriation confidential, Kyiv unilaterally revealed the move during Zelenskyy's speech to the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) last week, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The ministry further expressed strong regret over the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office's denial of the existence of the private agreement and has demanded an official explanation and apology from Kyiv, saying such actions seriously undermine trust between the two governments.

The Epoch Times contacted the South Korean and Ukrainian foreign ministries for comment but did not receive responses by publication time.

Zelenskyy revealed that the North Korean prisoners had been transferred to South Korea during his address to the UNGA on Sept. 23.

"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelenskyy said in his address to the United Nations.

"These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate didn't let him die.

"This is how they raise people in the North. It's reality. They take away their freedom. They take away their right to choose. And they drill into them that they must die, no matter what."

Since then, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his office have alleged that Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement between Seoul and Kyiv, designed to keep the transfer secret and protect the soldiers from potential repercussions.

Lee said in an X post the day after Zelenskyy's remarks to the U.N. that "state affairs should be conducted for the country and the people, not for the interests or popularity of the government or those in power."

"Of course there were internal arguments for disclosing the fact that the North Korean prisoners had been brought to South Korea, since it would clearly have helped recover the government's approval ratings," Lee said, but noted that "considering the various problems that disclosure would create, keeping it confidential was appropriate in every respect, and that is what was agreed."

He labeled the revelation about the prisoners' transfer "cruel and irresponsible," saying that he did not "know what circumstances the Ukrainian side may have had in disclosing this in violation of the confidentiality agreement, but it is deeply regrettable."

In a later statement from the South Korean Presidential Office on Sept. 27, senior presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong also expressed "strong regret" over Zelenskyy's disclosure of the repatriation and the subsequent denial of any confidentiality agreement, according to Yonhap.

Seong said the Ukrainian government had asked for confidentiality, as the revelation could spark domestic criticism over Kyiv giving up the chance to exchange the North Korean prisoners for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.

Seoul agreed to keep the repatriation confidential because of security, diplomatic, and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families still in the north, he said.

Ukraine captured the two North Koreans in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025, with Zelenskyy at the time describing the pair as the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang sent troops to fight alongside Moscow's forces.

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 03:30

Where Robots Do The Most Housework

Over the past two decades, domestic robots like robot vacuums and lawn-mowing robots have evolved from gimmicks for tech lovers to actual mass-market products.

Today, these automated little helpers are capable of performing household chores as good as, if not better than humans, freeing up valuable time for their owners to focus on more important things such as (paid) work, family or leisure activities.

With advancements in technology, domestic robots have not only become smarter and more efficient, but also become a lot more affordable, with decent vacuum robots now available for just a couple hundred dollars.

As more households embrace smart technologies, the demand for these robots continues to grow, promising a future where mundane chores are handled effortlessly, leaving homeowners (and renters) with more time to enjoy the finer things in life.

As Statista's Felix Richter reports, according to Statista Consumer Insights, adoption of vacuum and lawn-mowing robots is still limited, though, with fewer than 1 in 5 respondents in each surveyed market calling either of the two their own.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Interestingly, domestic robots are particularly unpopular in South Korea and Japan – two of the countries with the highest density of industrial robots.

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 02:45

British Schoolkids Told To List Only The Positives Of Mass Migration

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

Children as young as seven are being sat down in British classrooms and told to list the "positive" aspects of migration - and only the positives. No pressure on housing. No wages. No hotels. No community strain. Just the approved script.

Show Racism the Red Card, which brands itself the UK's "leading anti-racism charity," has produced lesson plans that treat migration as an unalloyed good.

Pupils are being handed headlines such as "how many more migrants can we take?" and instructed to rewrite them in a cheerier register - "migrant workers bring fresh hope to British economy" is the model answer. The materials describe the exercise as "an opportunity to explore what is positive and good about migration."

Children as young as seven are being taught that migration is a "positive" force in Britain by a charity whose funding was cancelled by a Reform council

? https://t.co/ZXpVRO0jOH pic.twitter.com/XfVNUlbTuU

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 27, 2026

It's pure insidious indoctrination.

The same packs tell British kids that women and children make up 80 per cent of refugees worldwide. They do not mention that adult men account for around three-quarters of those landing on British beaches in small boats.

Pupils are told it is "false" to claim most people fleeing their countries are adult men. They are told asylum seekers survive on £6.42 a day and are banned from working. They are not told what hotels, HMO placements and the rest of the support system actually cost.

Listed "benefits" include filling vacancies, plugging skills shortages, propping up social care and closing the "pension gap" with young foreign workers. There is no matching column for crowded classrooms, GP waiting lists, suppressed wages at the bottom end, or what happens when too many people arrive too fast into towns that never voted for any of it.

Sunderland's Reform-led council has now ended a 30-year relationship with the group. Council leader Christopher Eynon said the authority would no longer back "politically charged organisations with an agenda."

Labour Party chairman Bridget Phillipson called the cut "misguided, cruel and in no way backed by the people of Sunderland." Nigel Farage took the opposite view: "As ever an innocuous sounding organisation has a hard-Left agenda."

The lesson catalogue goes well beyond migration. It covers activism, Black History Month, the meaning and purpose of demonstrations, Windrush, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, "what makes a happy home," how to support people experiencing racism, anti-Semitism, and racism in online gaming, which the plans call "extremely common."

Anti-racism is one thing. Turning seven-year-olds into activists for a live political project is quite another.

The charity's own "Migration. Making Britain Great" programme was built to "counter and alter the negative narrative surrounding migration." That is the point. Not to weigh evidence. To alter the narrative.

A Department for Education spokesman said pupils should receive "a balanced presentation of opposing views on political topics," and that schools must promote fundamental British values. "This isn't optional, it's the law." The SRTRC packs do not look like balance. They look like one side of an argument, laminated and handed out as fact.

The same project has been running through British schools for years.

More than 1,100 schools and nurseries signed up to City of Sanctuary's Schools of Sanctuary scheme. Suggested reading for children as young as five includes Kind by Alison Green, which tells pupils that people who "had to leave their homes and their countries because of danger" are "brave and amazing," then offers the line: "Sometimes people say there's no room for anyone more. But maybe you can say 'There's plenty of room! Come on in!'"

Everybody's Welcome by Patricia Hegarty is even blunter: "Everybody's welcome, no matter who they are, wherever they may come from, whether near or far."

Then-shadow education secretary Laura Trott slammed the findings, stating "Classrooms should be places of learning not promoting political ideology." She added, "Portraying the arrival of small boats as a positive thing in books for children as young as five is indoctrination, this is an illegal practice." The organisation's aim, she noted, was to turn pupils into "ethically informed change makers."

The far left Green Party went further. A leaked dossier called for a Department of Migration to push into classrooms "the need for and moral obligation of asylum and humanitarian protection." Not an argument. A moral obligation - taught to children who cannot yet vote.

The BBC opened another door. Pro-migrant charity Heard, which has taken seed support linked to George Soros's Open Society Foundations, met producers of the CBBC show Pickle Storm - a comedy about a young "alien" fleeing persecution and settling in a British town.

Heard described the work as a way to "tap into children's media and directly impact framing of migration in children's content." The corporation claimed the group "had no power to influence editing or production."

Picture books. Lesson plans. Children's television. All are amplifying the same narrative.

While seven-year-olds are told to accentuate the positive, boats in the English Channel have delivered an army.

Home Office figures put small-boat arrivals since Labour took office on 4 July 2024 at 83,279. Regular Army strength sits at 83,000. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp put it plainly: "Labour has let an entire army-sized population cross the Channel illegally. More people have arrived in small boats than we have soldiers defending Britain. That is completely bonkers."

Former Royal Navy officer Chris Parry said Labour's intake amounted to six-and-a-half divisions of fighting-age men. "That's more divisions than were in the Allied assault wave on D-Day." Almost 90 per cent of those intercepted since 2018 have been male; two-thirds aged 18 to 39.

Farage, writing after another surge of landings, said: "It is utterly insane." Ordinary Britons, he added, "rightly ask if successive governments cannot stop people from arriving illegally in broad daylight... then what exactly is the point of having a border?"

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has herself warned that the UK's "generous" benefits and asylum support system is "drawing illegal migrants across the Channel." The Home Office says significant numbers of those in the boats are economic migrants. That is the adult conversation. The classroom version skips it.

Nobody needs a think tank paper to decode this. Charities write the worksheets. Schools deliver them. Broadcasters soften the story for the same age group. Parties draft "moral obligation" into education policy. And the raw numbers keep arriving on beaches.

The children being trained to rewrite "how many more can we take" will inherit the housing queue, the school places and the social care system those arrivals load. They are not being equipped to judge that. They are being equipped to applaud it.

Tyler Durden Tue, 09/29/2026 - 02:00

The Rising Drone Threat: Why Our Critical Infrastructure Has Become Dangerously Exposed

Authored by Mike Adams via NaturalNews.com,

The era when America's above-ground infrastructure could be considered safe is now over. The drone revolution has quietly dismantled that assumption, and I believe we are dangerously unprepared for the era of distributed drone warfare.

The same precision-strike capability that hit Saudi pipelines and Qatari gas trains can be replicated here by lone actors or small cells, and it doesn't take much in the way of manufacturing technology for a small group to accomplish this. Pointing this out is not alarmism. It is a straightforward consequence of the availability of cheap guidance systems, open-source know-how, and a vast, undefended homeland.

During my recent interview with Matt Bracken on Alex Jones, we discussed how the rise of decentralized drone warfare represents an existential threat to a nation that has never seriously defended its homeland. We examined the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, the evolution of drone technology and autonomy, the democratization of warfare, and the profound risks of artificial intelligence. Every one of those topics deserves far more attention than it is getting. I believe our national security establishment continues to underestimate this threat, and that refusal to confront it head-on will eventually be paid for in blood.

We no longer live in a world where only nation-states can wage war. The technology that once belonged exclusively to superpowers now sits in the hands of anyone with a credit card and a grudge. I have argued repeatedly that the hollowing out of America's industrial and defense base, combined with the proliferation of cheap autonomous systems, has created a perfect storm that virtually guarantees a domestic attack sooner or later. The question is not whether drones will be used against American infrastructure, but when.

Our Glass House: The Vulnerability of Critical Infrastructure

America's refineries, pipelines, power grids, and data centers are, unfortunately, wide open. They sit in plain sight, mapped by publicly available satellite imagery, and their locations are cataloged in government databases that have long since been compromised. Anyone with insider knowledge or even rudimentary research skills can identify single points of failure that would cause chaos for millions of people. The vulnerability is not theoretical; it is a matter of public record.

The recent Joliet refinery incident is a perfect illustration of how fragile our systems have become. When that refinery went down, it triggered a diesel panic and sent shockwaves through the regional fuel supply chain. Imagine that same scenario replicated across a dozen refineries simultaneously. The economic fallout would be catastrophic, and our current strategies for defending these sprawling assets are nothing short of inadequate. You cannot surround hundreds of square miles of pipeline with barbed wire and armed guards.

Russia has already recognized this reality. Its government authorized its central bank and Sberbank to operate anti-drone systems and arm personnel to defend financial infrastructure, effectively turning bankers into air-defense operators. Putin even moved to allow the state to temporarily seize commercial critical infrastructure that is not sufficiently protected from drone strikes. I find it telling that Russia, which we are supposed to consider our inferior, is adapting to this threat while our own officials issue warnings but do nothing. The FBI has publicly acknowledged that cheap commercial drones now pose a significant threat to U.S. security and the homeland, and that low-cost drones can kill personnel and damage critical infrastructure. That warning should have been a wake-up call. Instead, it has been largely ignored.

From Toys to Terminators: The Evolution of Drone Warfare

The drones of a decade ago were toys. The drones of today are weapons of precision warfare, and the drones of tomorrow will be autonomous killing machines. DARPA has been developing armies of drones for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions for years, with biologically inspired robotic systems that fly. While micro air vehicles fly slow and low, DARPA's hypersonic stealth drones fly high and fast, with the armed Falcon HTV-2 launched from a rocket and designed to travel at Mach 20.

The Ukraine war has served as an accelerant for this technology. Both sides have deployed drone swarms, AI-enabled targeting systems, and kamikaze drones on a scale never before seen in combat. Russia has used Geran-2 and Geran-4 Seeker drones equipped with artificial intelligence to strike Ukrainian ports and shipping. For its part, Ukraine has launched swarm attacks involving hundreds of drones at a time, with Russia's Defense Ministry reporting 519 UAVs shot down in a single night across more than twenty regions. This is the new face of war.

Autonomous drones represent a quantum leap beyond remote-controlled systems. Once a drone can identify and engage targets without a human pilot, jamming becomes irrelevant, and the decision loop shrinks from seconds to milliseconds. Glenn Diesen has noted that the emphasis in military affairs could shift back toward quantity with low-cost military hardware such as swarms and other inexpensive weapons platforms, making it possible to create mass effects without mass armies. And the technology is only getting cheaper and more accessible. The barrier to entry for building a lethal drone is now measured in thousands of dollars, not millions.

The Democratization of Destruction: Anyone Can Now Wage War

The monopoly on advanced weaponry that nation-states enjoyed for centuries is eroding before our eyes. Non-state actors, terrorists, cartels, and even lone individuals can now potentially build or buy lethal drones capable of destroying critical infrastructure and killing large numbers of people. This is the true democratization of destruction, and it is irreversible.

The cost asymmetry is devastating. A $30,000 drone can require $4 million missiles to defend against, and even then, the defender loses the economic exchange every time. Iran launched some 550 drones at Israel since the war began, according to the Institute of National Security Studies, alongside hundreds of ballistic missiles. Gulf states intercepted more than 1,500 Iranian missiles and drones in a single defensive operation but still suffered casualties and damage. When the attacker spends tens of thousands and the defender spends millions, the math favors the attacker every single time. Israel's experience with cheap and elusive drones underscores how they put incessant pressure on even the most sophisticated air defenses.

I have long argued that this decentralization of warfare means we must rethink defense and security entirely. The old model, where a handful of government agencies and military commands protect the entire homeland, is obsolete. When a single individual can launch a drone from a rooftop and take out a substation, the idea that centralized authorities will save us becomes laughable. Every American needs to understand that we are now living in an era where warfare has been democratized, and the defenses have not kept pace.

A Call to Awareness and Preparedness

We must wake up to the reality that our infrastructure is vulnerable and the threat is growing every day. The incidents in Belgium, where unidentified drones forced the complete shutdown of Brussels and Liege airports, demonstrate how a simple technology can paralyze key national systems. The mysterious drone swarms that breached restricted airspace at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, home to B-52 bombers, show that even our most sensitive military installations are not immune. These are not random events; they are warnings.

Decentralization of technology cuts both ways. It can empower individuals to defend themselves and their communities, but it also enables attackers who wish to do harm. I believe the only solution is to decentralize our defenses, embrace resilience, and prepare ourselves for a world of decentralized machine cognition. This means building redundant systems, stockpiling essential supplies, and developing community-level response capabilities. It means understanding that the cavalry is not coming, and that our survival depends on our own preparation. The government that has failed to protect us from pandemics, economic collapse, and foreign adversaries is not going to protect us from drone swarms.

The time to prepare is now, before we face a catastrophic attack. I urge every reader to take this threat seriously, to educate themselves about the vulnerabilities in their own communities, and to take concrete steps toward self-reliance (such as building an off-grid solar system so you still have power when the grid goes down). Learn about drones, understand how they work, and consider how you would respond to a prolonged infrastructure outage. Support independent platforms like NaturalNews.com that tell the truth about these threats. Start growing your own food, storing water, and building the networks of trust that will carry us through crisis. The window for preparation is still open, but it is closing fast.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 23:25

The Hidden Mechanism Behind Washington's Control Of Iraq's Oil Money

Via Middle East Eye

For more than two decades, Iraq's oil wealth has passed through a financial system centered thousands of miles away in New York. The arrangement, created after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, was initially designed to protect Iraqi oil revenues from creditors and help fund reconstruction.

Today, it gives Washington significant leverage over Iraq's access to its own dollars, leverage that the US is increasingly using as it pressures Baghdad to curb Iran's influence and the activities of armed groups aligned with Tehran. The issue came into sharp focus in April, when Washington blocked a shipment of about $500m in cash to Iraq as it pressured the government over Iran-aligned armed groups. 

via AFP

Muayen al-Kadhimi, a former parliamentary Finance Committee member, condemned the decision at the time, calling on the government to end what he described as US dominance over Iraqi funds. "The US decision to freeze or delay sending Iraq's foreign currency entitlements represents a serious violation of the financial and political sovereignty of the Iraqi state," al-Kadhimi said.

The shipment was later restored, but the episode demonstrated how Iraq's dependence on the US financial system can be used as a political tool.

The arrangement began after the US-led invasion in May 2003, when the Coalition Provisional Authority established the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) to collect the country's oil revenues and use them for reconstruction and humanitarian needs. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, issued in May 2003, Iraqi oil and gas revenues were transferred to a special account in the name of the Central Bank of Iraq at the US Federal Reserve.

Five percent of the revenues were deducted for compensation to Kuwait following Iraq's 1990 invasion. The system also included frozen assets belonging to Saddam Hussein's former government and surplus funds from the UN's Oil-for-Food program.

The arrangement was intended in part to protect Iraqi assets from international creditors pursuing claims dating back to Saddam's rule. An International Advisory and Monitoring Board, including representatives from the UN, IMF, World Bank and Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, was established to oversee the fund.

The UN-backed system ended in 2011 at the request of the Iraqi government but Iraq's oil revenues remained tied to the Federal Reserve.

A new account, known as IRAQ2, was established at the New York Fed. Oil revenues are deposited there before being transferred to the Central Bank of Iraq. At the same time, Iraq lost the comprehensive international protection previously provided under the UN system and became dependent on annual US executive orders granting immunity to its sovereign funds.

So while the formal international arrangement changed, the underlying dependence on the US financial system remained.

Why can't Iraq simply move its money?

Iraqi oil is priced overwhelmingly in US dollars, while the country depends heavily on the currency for imports and international trade. Iraq also has about $40bn in unsettled external debts, creating concerns that moving its funds outside the existing system could expose them to claims from creditors.

Ahmed Saddam, an associate professor of economics at the University of Basra, told Middle East Eye that keeping the Central Bank of Iraq's account in New York has important benefits. "I believe that the most important advantages of keeping the Central Bank of Iraq's account in New York are protecting Iraqi oil revenues from being seized by creditors of the former regime, since the debts are estimated at tens of billions of dollars."

"The second advantage is facilitating the sale of oil and the settlement of Iraq's international trade; this account reduces transfer costs, and we should not forget that the dollar is the most widely used currency in international transactions."

But Saddam said the arrangement also leaves Iraq vulnerable to US pressure. "As for the most prominent disadvantages, they lie in the ability of the US authorities to impose their influence by restricting access to dollars to Iraq, for example, and this means there is no real financial independence."

According to Saddam, Iraq could sell its oil in euros or Chinese yuan, provided there were no binding conditions in its oil contracts, but even then that would not necessarily free Iraq from the dollar. "Even if that happens, the price will remain linked to the dollar because oil is priced in dollars, and what happens in practice is that the buyer pays the value in a non-dollar currency after converting it according to the dollar exchange rate."

Iraq would still need dollars for much of its international trade, Saddam said, while shifting currencies could expose the country to exchange-rate losses and political pressure from Washington. His proposal was therefore diversification rather than an immediate break with the US system.

"I believe that Iraq's financial independence will not be achieved if we assume moving the Central Bank of Iraq's account from the United States to another country."

"In my view, financial independence can be achieved by opening multiple sovereign accounts outside the United States while keeping the current account in New York. For example, the Central Bank could open an account with the European Central Bank, as well as with central banks in East Asia," Saddam said.

The war on Iran is squeezing Iraq’s economy as disrupted oil exports cut revenues, while costlier imports and a weaker dinar drive up prices, exposing the country’s reliance on oil and foreign goods.

🔗: https://t.co/SreYBiH9L5 pic.twitter.com/8LZNo9gWz2

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 26, 2026

"Part of Iraq's oil could also be sold in euros and yuan, let us assume only 15–20 percent, while the remaining 80–85 percent is sold in US dollars. In addition, financial independence requires developing the banking system in Iraq by expanding direct correspondent banking relationships with major banks in Europe and Asia," he added.

How is the system being used against Iran?

The financial arrangement has taken on greater importance as Washington seeks to squeeze Iran economically and target armed groups in Iraq that are aligned with Tehran. Iraq has close political, economic and security ties with Iran, while several powerful armed groups operate inside the country.

For Washington, that has made Iraq's financial system a key battleground in its efforts to restrict the flow of dollars to Iran. The US has accused Iraqi banks, exchange companies and other financial networks of exploiting the country's financial system to move dollars towards sanctioned entities.

Since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, Washington has responded by tightening its oversight of Iraq's access to the dollar and pressuring Baghdad to bring its financial system into line with US sanctions.

In early 2025, Iraq ended its long-running dollar auction system, formally known as the foreign currency window, after sustained US pressure. The system had allowed private banks and exchange companies to obtain dollars from the Central Bank of Iraq in exchange for Iraqi dinars.

But Washington's leverage extends beyond Iraq's banking system to the physical movement of dollars into the country. The April suspension of the $500m shipment was particularly significant because the cash was generated from Iraq's own oil revenues.

Although electronic dollar transfers for international trade continued, the episode showed that Washington could restrict access to physical dollars when it wanted to pressure Baghdad.

The Iraqi government has sought to maintain its relationship with Washington while balancing its ties with Tehran and Iran-aligned armed groups.

Iraq's Oil Minister Basem Mohammed Khudhair refused to answer questions about moving away from the Federal Reserve, telling MEE that the question fell under the remit of the finance ministry. However, he described the relationship between Baghdad and Washington as positive.

"There has been dialogue with the United States - a very positive dialogue, especially after our trip accompanied by the Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi there," he said. "There is great understanding between the Iraqi government and the American government, and the US has provided all support to the Iraqi government for its success in its economic and political dossiers."

But the consequences of Iraq's financial dependence are ultimately felt beyond government ministries and central banks.

'US controls Iraq's fate'

Hussein Ali, a 35-year-old Baghdad native, said removing US oversight would not necessarily improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis. "For us, whether Iraq's money goes to the Federal Reserve in America or comes directly to Iraq, I don't think our situation as citizens will improve. 

"Instead, the money will be at the disposal of the corrupt, and financial corruption will be even greater than it is now. From my viewpoint, I find it better for the money to remain in New York, under the guardianship and oversight of the US banking authorities." Ali nevertheless acknowledged the sovereignty problem.

"It is true that keeping Iraq's money in the US bank gives the United States the freedom to control Iraq's fate politically, financially and in sovereign terms. But Iraq is not ready in terms of banking infrastructure, and the situation requires a strong government to come that cares about the country’s affairs and the interests of its people."

He also raised concerns about money being moved towards Iran. "We have often heard how many officials and not state people smuggle money to Iran to help it confront the American economic blockade on Iran. Imagine what would happen if Iraq received its oil sale money into Iraqi banks far from American oversight and auditing. I believe Iraq's situation will only get worse."

Fatima Abdulkarim, a 55-year-old from Basra, shared those concerns. "I do not believe that Iraq's oil funds going to Iraq directly instead of going to US banks will help to improve our economic situation."

"Yes, it means Iraqis would dispose of the money without direct US intervention, but corruption will be greater, and the money will go to the same corrupt parties and officials. If the money remains in New York, it is at least under oversight and auditing. But if it comes to Iraqi banks far from any real oversight, I believe Iraq's situation will be worse off."

"Keeping the money under the guardianship and oversight of the US banking authorities is better than it reaching the hands of the corrupt," Abdulkarim said.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 22:35

Colombia Extradites Alleged Drug Lord ‘The Spider’ To California

A Colombian rebel commander nicknamed “The Spider” is now in U.S. custody after a change in leadership in Bogotá cleared the way for his extradition, according to CBS.

Geovany Andres Rojas, also known as “Araña,” was transferred to California over the weekend, where prosecutors have charged him with drug trafficking and terrorism offenses tied to his alleged role in Colombia’s cocaine trade.

Rojas was a senior figure in Comandos de la Frontera, an armed organization operating primarily in Putumayo, a major coca-producing region near Colombia’s borders with Ecuador and Peru.

Colombian authorities arrested him in February 2025, and the country’s Supreme Court later authorized his extradition. But the transfer stalled under former President Gustavo Petro, whose government was pursuing negotiations with several armed factions. Petro gave Rojas a role in those talks, effectively keeping him in Colombia while negotiations continued.

That changed after conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella won office in June. His administration abandoned the previous government’s negotiations with rebel organizations and moved quickly to send Rojas to the United States.

CBS writes that De la Espriella personally oversaw the transfer and said Colombia should not shield accused drug traffickers in the name of pursuing peace. He also called on U.S. prosecutors to ensure any eventual agreement with Rojas does not allow him to avoid accountability.

Rojas’ extradition comes as Colombia continues struggling with armed groups that expanded after the historic 2016 peace agreement with FARC. More than 14,000 combatants disarmed under that deal, ending a decades-long conflict, but some fighters refused to participate while other organizations moved into territory previously controlled by FARC.

Those groups have increasingly competed for control of cocaine trafficking corridors, illegal mining and extortion operations in parts of rural Colombia where government authority remains limited.

Comandos de la Frontera was formed in the aftermath of the FARC agreement and includes former guerrillas who remained armed. The organization later partnered with Segunda Marquetalia, another FARC splinter faction, before the relationship collapsed.

Rojas is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 22:10

Wage-Cuts Hit Hospital Workers In China As Financial Pressures Mount

Authored by Michael Zhuang via The Epoch Times,

Workers at hospitals in several parts of China are facing cuts to wages and performance bonuses, with some medical workers reporting monthly base salaries of less than 2,000 yuan ($298) as public institutions struggle under mounting financial pressure.

A nurse moves a bed through a corridor at a hospital in Duan Yao autonomous county in Guangxi region, China, on Jan. 9, 2025. David Kirton/Reuters

The reductions are adding to financial concerns for workers already dealing with a weakening economy. Some hospitals have also been accused of delaying wages for months, while others have faced financial difficulties, including unpaid debts, drug shortages, and suspension of operations.

Several China-based individuals familiar with the matter spoke to The Epoch Times on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.

An employee in the medical administration department of a public hospital in Hangzhou, surnamed Qian, told the publication that a hospital in the area cut nurses' monthly base salaries from 2,750 yuan ($410) to 2,200 yuan ($328) in August - a 20 percent reduction.

In Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, a resident surnamed Liu, whose family member works as a nurse at a public hospital, told The Epoch Times that the nurse's base salary had gradually fallen from 3,700 yuan ($551) per month before the COVID-19 pandemic to about 1,700 yuan ($253) today. The hospital has also stopped paying bonuses.

Hospitals Face Growing Wage Crisis

Reports of unpaid wages have also triggered protests by medical workers in several parts of China.

In November 2025, medical workers at Suihua People's Hospital in Heilongjiang Province staged a protest over unpaid wages. When The Epoch Times contacted the hospital's emergency department at the time, the person who answered the phone said employees had gone five or six months without receiving their salaries. The workers remained on the front line while continuing to seek payment of their wages and social security contributions.

Videos circulated online in April showing medical workers at Hedong Hospital in Linyi, Shandong Province, demanding unpaid wages. The Chinese labor rights X account @YesterdayBigcat said the protest took place on April 8 and 9.

The Epoch Times has also previously reported that a public hospital in Beijing required employees to return six months of performance bonuses that had already been paid.

In Jiangxi Province, Tianhu Hospital in Leping fell into financial difficulties following changes to health insurance policies and subsequently owed employees wages before dismissing its entire workforce, according to Chinese state media Xinhua News Agency. In 2024, Luxinan Hospital in Shandong entered bankruptcy liquidation proceedings after owing more than 600 employees eight months of wages, according to a hospital notice.

The cases illustrate the financial pressures facing some hospitals, although the circumstances vary from institution to institution.

Financial Pressure Affects Patients

Financial difficulties can also pressure hospitals to find other ways to generate revenue, according to an insider.

A public official working in a health department in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, surnamed Sun, told The Epoch Times that hospitals that receive partial government funding may face larger financial gaps when government allocations decline.

"Hospital funding is a differential appropriation system. If fiscal allocations decrease, the hospital has to find ways to generate revenue to make up for the shortfall, which means collecting it from patients by raising fees," Sun said. "But now ordinary people can't afford to see a doctor, so fewer people are going to hospitals, and the hospitals' losses become even greater."

He said some hospitals in Jiangsu had faced complaints over their charges and were penalized by authorities. After some hospitals were required to restore their previous fee schedules, their revenues declined further, widening their fiscal gaps.

Ye Zilong contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 21:45

Iranian National Sentenced To 18 Months For Smuggling US Technology To Iran Via China

An Iranian national was sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling parts intended for military sonar to Iran through China.

More than a decade ago, Reza Dindar, 44, and his associates concealed the true destination of the sanctioned parts they were selling.

Dindar was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Seattle on Sept. 25 after pleading guilty to two counts of exporting goods to an embargoed country and two counts of smuggling goods from the United States, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez also imposed a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release after his prison term.

Federal agents escort a 2014 China-Iran trade scheme suspect, Reza Dindar, also known as Renda Dindar—who was arrested in 2025 in Panama and brought to the United States to face charges in April 2026—across the tarmac of an airport, in an undated photo. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Justice

As Michael Zhuang further reports for The Epoch Times, Dindar was originally indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2014, but was not brought before a federal court until his extradition from Panama more than a decade later.

He was arrested in Panama in July 2025 at the request of U.S. authorities and extradited to the United States in April 2026. He pleaded guilty about six weeks later.

Dindar operated a company called New Port Sourcing Solutions in Xi'an, China, between 2010 and 2014, according to court records cited by the DOJ. The Chinese company concealed that it was purchasing U.S. goods for companies in Iran.

In 2011 and 2012, Dindar and his co-conspirators used the scheme to obtain parts for three military sonar systems from a company in Washington state, according to the plea agreement. They told the U.S. company the equipment would be used by a company in China. The parts were instead intended to be shipped through China to Iran, in violation of U.S. export controls.

The sanctions on Iran prohibited the unauthorized export, re-export, sale, or supply of sensitive U.S. goods, technology, and services to Iran. The restrictions also included transactions involving third countries when the goods are known or reasonably expected to be ultimately supplied or re-exported to Iran.

Martinez noted the 18-month sentence took into consideration Dindar's significant time in a Panamanian prison.

Federal prosecutors had requested it, saying the 18-month imprisonment was needed to deter similar violations of U.S. export controls. Prosecutors described the controls as important to U.S. national security interests.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 21:20

Queens Red-Light District Booms As Prostitution Arrests Plunge 59% Under Mamdani

New York City's long-running Roosevelt Avenue prostitution problem is back in the spotlight under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, with arrests falling sharply even as street solicitation remains visible along the Corona-Jackson Heights corridor.

According to a New York Post investigation, prostitution-related arrests along Roosevelt Avenue fell 59%. NYPD figures show 193 prostitution-related arrests through September 13 of this year, down from 468 during the same period in 2025 under former Mayor Eric Adams' "Operation Restore Roosevelt." The Post also reported that major crimes including murders and shootings were down 3% along the same corridor.

Despite that drop in arrests, the Post reported continued open street solicitation and activity tied to alleged illegal brothels along the roughly two-mile Roosevelt Avenue strip known as the "Market of Sweethearts." The corridor's problems predate Mamdani: Operation Restore Roosevelt was launched in October 2024 to target prostitution, illegal brothels, sex trafficking, unlicensed vending, and other quality-of-life concerns.

One 40-year-old Manhattan man, identified by the Post simply as "John," said he rides the subway to Queens because he can get services for "$60 to $80," compared with $200 to $300 in Manhattan. He also pointed to the limits of street-level enforcement, telling the paper: "The police are always around, but it seems like there's nothing they can do."

He added: "The women know New York laws are lax. Many come from other states... That's what they tell me."

Mamdani's own record has become part of the debate. As a state assemblyman, he was listed as a co-sponsor of the original 2025 version of "Cecilia's Act for Rights in the Sex Trades," legislation whose stated purpose was to remove criminal penalties for consensual adult sex work while retaining laws involving minors and trafficking. During the 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani also said he wanted to look to the de Blasio administration's approach to the issue, arguing that it had created "far more safety" than the Adams administration's strategy.

Whether those policy views explain the arrest decline is not established by the arrest totals alone. But critics of the current approach are pointing directly at City Hall. One city government official told the Post: "Restore, rinse, release - that's the problem with Roosevelt Avenue. The cops catch these johns and put them away, but they pop up like whack-a-mole. Enough is enough."

Community activists and local leaders have continued pressing the city to use enforcement and nuisance-abatement tools against alleged illegal brothels and landlords who enable them. The Mamdani administration disputes the suggestion that it has abandoned the corridor. A City Hall representative told the Post that the mayor "is committed to partnering with local organizations and neighborhood residents to address conditions on Roosevelt Avenue" and is "using every tool available to the city while treating victims and survivors with the care and dignity they deserve."

What is clear is that Roosevelt Avenue remains a flashpoint over how New York should balance prostitution enforcement, trafficking investigations, services for vulnerable people, and neighborhood quality-of-life concerns. Arrests are sharply lower than during last year's crackdown, while the Post continues to report visible street-level prostitution and alleged illegal brothel activity along the corridor.

* * * RIGHT NOW GET A FREE HAT WITH THE PURCHASE OF A MULTITOOL!

 

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 20:30

What's Really Behind The AI Panic...

Authored by Mark E. Jeftovic via Bombthrower,

They want you scared, stupid and subservient...

Just heading into mid-September, a purported moral panic broke out amongst the frontier AI leaders that their own products were "too dangerous" and so the only remedy would be for the government to regulate all AI models.

Weeks earlier, Bernie Sanders had introduced The Ban AI-Superintelligence Act, that would make it illegal to create an AI model that was more intelligent than humans, going so far as to prescribe a 20-year prison term for any person who did and the "corporate death penalty" for companies.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Senator Bernie Sanders introduces bill to permanently ban AI that exceeds human intelligence.

Violators would face up to 20 years in prison. pic.twitter.com/y2pk79zQlQ

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) September 3, 2026

Sanders' Bill is truly the domain of dystopian sci-fi. It reminded me of an episode from the ill-fated Twilight Zone reboot ("Examination Day") which culminated in a distraught couple mourning their child, who had just been exterminated by the state for testing too high on his pre-adolescent IQ test.

Examination Day. pic.twitter.com/PrKGnh7y4x

— Mark E. Jeftovic (@jeftovic) September 27, 2026

It all started with a "resignation in public" tweet from one Jacob Coxon, an Anthropic employee, on September 8th posted his parting thoughts on X, stating that AI could exterminate humanity within 10 years.

I resigned from Anthropic today. I spent the last three years doing pretraining research at both OpenAI and Anthropic. Neither company is acting responsibly. They are racing straight to self-improving superintelligence and gambling with our lives. More thoughts below.

— Jacob Coxon (@hilbertspaess) September 9, 2026

One of Anthropic's trust and safety leads, Evan Hubinger, then endorsed the tweet, citing a "non-zero chance" of 10% or more that such an outcome was possible.

That original resignation tweet, now closing in on 200 million views, which emanated from a heretofore unknown X account, less than a year old, with no followers, and two name changes in the last six months went absolutely viral - with some well-timed, fortuitous boosting from some of the biggest "AI Alignment" personalities on the internet, and then the Wall Street Journal came out with an "exclusive" on the story, ....which actually went live on the WSJ site 18 minutes before Coxon's tweet.

Before long Sam Altman said we "definitely" need more government regulation on AI and even Elon Musk chimed in and agreed that the frontier labs should be reviewing each other's models for safety.

Within days a full-blown hysteria was underway - for me it bore all the hallmarks of mass formation psychosis or at least a well-organized attempt to manufacture one.

Within a week, King Charles was speaking at an AI Safety summit at Buckingham Palace, urging government oversight and increased regulation of AI...

"Surely we need sufficient means of control before it is all too late?" the King ruminated.

Also, that guy behind him, looking rather pleased with himself, is "Tino" Cuéllar, Anthropic's Chief Global Affairs Officer.

The "AI Safety Summit" itself was announced on September 7th, leaked via Politico - the day before the Coxon tweet that ignited what had become at this point, a global(ist?) furor.

Even the Pope weighed on AI safety, and not to be left behind, Bill Gates hit the Sunday talk circuit this past weekend with another doozy of a soundbite:

"AI is powerful enough to cause a billion deaths" - which means we need to turn control of it over to politicians and a new class of global inspectors."

Several things about this relatively sudden AI panic did not pass the smell test, among them, the facts emerging around Coxon himself, who had "barely been at the company long enough to find the bathroom" (as the All-In guys put it), turned out to be neck-deep in the "Effective Altruism" movement, a well-connected network of young WEF types, which espoused global governance over potentially harmful technologies like AI.

He had received scholarships and grants from the EA Infrastructure Fund, the Long Term Future Fund and was a fellow at the Newspeak House in London (yes, newspeak).

Who are the Effective Altruists?

Effective Altruism (EA) is a movement that purports to "use evidence and quantitative reasoning to identify the most consequential problems and direct resources toward reducing them".

Tired: World Economic Forum
Wired: Effective Altruism pic.twitter.com/zNGNfMNWkW

— Mark E. Jeftovic (@jeftovic) September 16, 2026

Love the euphemistic language (it's actually what ChatGPT will use when you ask it). The punch line for the EA raison d'être is, as usual, a society ordered under expert, technocratic management - their expertise, their management.

One of their earlier recruits was Sam Bankman-Fried, whose FTX empire was run by a cadre of EAs at the top and who seed-funded Anthropic as the lead investor with $500M of a $580M Series B round in 2021.

A recurring EA strand is its fixation on existential risk from advanced AI, advocating stronger safety research, governance, and oversight to reduce the chance of catastrophic or irreversible outcomes.

We've all seen this movie before, with global warming, then with Bitcoin mining (causing more global warming) and now, AI exterminating humanity.

The common through-line is that the "problem" is some unfalsifiable calamity that could happen someday and for which the only logical response is to put a bunch of globalist technocrats in charge of... well, everything.

What people didn't seem to understand, then or now - is that the problem isn't really about the problem - I've long reported on proposals that would make personal choice and individual liberty things of the past, because letting people think for themselves would be "too dangerous" for the problem at hand.

Global warming meant personal carbon quotas, limits on travel, even living space, according to some "degrowth" advocates, how many new outfits you could buy.

listening to greenoid Ulrike Herrmann sell her degrowth plan for Germany: no personal automobiles ofc, living space to be rationed at 50 sq metres/ person, train speed capped at 100 km/hour & train travel also to be rationed (everyone will get a personal kilometre allotment). pic.twitter.com/JTlTlVDwVm

— eugyppius (@eugyppius1) October 30, 2024

The panic around Bitcoin mining wasn't about that, it was about energy - and who gets to decide how much you're allowed to consume and what you can use it for.

Bitcoin mining today, Netflix tomorrow. Why not? Once you concede oversight to some external authority for one form of energy use, you've tacitly done so for all of them.

The problem that politicians and aspiring technocrats see with AI is that it grants the rabble cognitive superpowers.

More specifically, open-source AI does.

Frontier models are proprietary. They have guardrails, training biases and actively scan and filter your conversations for potential safety issues. It's arguably their purview to do so.

But it's the open-source software movement that is the unfiltered Promethean agent here and just you wait - we'll soon see what the ultimate target of this AI Doom cult really is: open-source LLMs.

That is why the frontier labs are gleefully courting government oversight - not because their own products are "too dangerous" (if so, then why are you going public?) but because oversight instantly creates an AI oligopoly - a cartel, namely Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI, on the inside - and everything else, effectively outlawed - at least that would be the preferred outcome.

This is the exact playbook I've told you about in the past, one that was described to me personally by an EIR from a Bay St. private equity firm in a meeting with two out of the four Big Four Canadian banks, back around 2015 - talking about Bitcoin:

"You get funded, you get out front, then you work with the government to create the regulations around it, and *BOOM*, you get to turn around and pull the ladder up behind you"

I still remember the look of absolute glee on his face when he got to that last bit. When I got home, I took a shower.

What To Do About It

I've been dutifully building out local compute capacity - both at home and thanks to our CTO, easyDNS now has a modest GPU farm out at our main datacenter.

I make it a point to download the latest open-weight models, Qwen, GLM, DeepSeek - which are, ironically, all Chinese...

But that won't last. In fact, it's already changing. We recently had "another country heard from" with the Japanese NII LLM-jp-4, Swallow, PLaMo and Rakuten AI 3.0 models weighing in.

France has Mistral, even Canada (yes, Canada) has Cohere Command A+ (my SolomonAI demo was, in case anybody needed to be told, a joke):

The newest AI superpower is... Canada 🇨🇦. pic.twitter.com/xb7nVy796n

— Mark E. Jeftovic (@jeftovic) June 7, 2026

And from elsewhere in "Big Tech," there are Google's Gemma 4.0 and IBM Granite.

Any of these models could be used to start iterating software, weights, and the next generation of more powerful open-source LLMs.

In other words, it's over.

The incumbent ruling caste basically sees this, and viscerally realize that the entire edifice of Industrial Age institutions are ripe for existential disruption. I've written about this many times. We're transitioning from a linear, top-down world to a network-shaped, decentralized one.

So the next best thing they can do, since they can't put the genie back in the bottle, is to convince the masses that AI is bad, and rogue AIs are going to literally exterminate humanity.

Hence the AI doom psyop (with another wave breaking out right now around swarms of rogue AIs), and, of course, this has become a political issue.

Now, the same people who were wearing N95 masks in 2025, adding their pronouns to their names, putting the Ukrainian flag in their bio, keying Teslas and stomping around in "No Kings" parades are now protesting data centers.

They want you scared, stupid and subservient, instead of spending your time creating software, building out your personal business empires, not to mention analyzing public data and proofreading all these hypothetical models they use as a justification for incessantly changing the rules.

What they really need are legions of frightened and stupid voters, not cognitively supercharged and wildly entrepreneurial or creative cyberpunks.

AI Doom vs AI Boom is a choice, and the choice is yours.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 20:05

Iran's Parliament Mulls 'Triple-Urgency' Bill To Withdraw From Intl Nuke Treaty

Iran's Deputy Speaker of Parliament has indicated that the national lawmaking body is reviewing a three-point plan to withdraw from the NPT, reports Fars news agency.

Iran has been a signatory to the NPT, or Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, going all the way back to 1970, as a non-nuclear weapon state. Iran's parliament is now considering a "triple-urgency" bill which would order the withdrawal. This is all still at the level of political noise and signaling, for the time being at least.

Nuclear facility at Natanz, Isfahan province, via AFP.

"The three-point plan to withdraw from the NPT is being reviewed and will be considered the same day after it is announced; of course, the Parliament will also review its international dimension," First Deputy Speaker Ali Nikzad said Monday.

At this point a formal pullout from the NPT remains at the level of a threatened course of action, and is not yet close to reality. According to more:

Nikzad said lawmakers "do not trust" the UN nuclear watchdog or its director general, Rafael Grossi, accusing the agency chief of carrying out what he called superficial inspections and issuing negative reports on Iran. He added that lawmakers would examine the bill while taking its “international implications” into account.

Iranian officials have also long accused the IAEA of leaking classified and sensitive information on the Islamic Republic's nuclear sites to Israel. Iran has further 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.

According to the London-based and Saudi-supported outlet Iran International, "Iran’s parliament is unlikely to approve an urgent proposal to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, with the measure potentially securing no more than 70 votes, a member of parliament’s National Security Committee said on Sunday."

"Leaving the NPT during wartime would effectively mean pursuing a nuclear weapon, something Iran does not intend to do, Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari told Jamaran," the report continues. "Withdrawal would only increase costs and further escalate the situation, he added."

But Iranian parliament and officials merely threatening pullout from the NPT remains a significant piece of leverage, at a moment when Washington seems 'stuck' in the Iran conflict and Hormuz crisis, and without an exit strategy.

🇮🇷 Iran’s FM just doubled down on 60% enrichment...

Araghchi said the level is not illegal, serves "peaceful purposes," and falls within Iran’s NPT commitments.

He argued past negotiations already ADDRESSED these concerns, and asked why the U.S. and Israel chose to bomb instead…

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 27, 2026

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. Yet of course, Iran is being 'non-compliant' at a moment it is getting routinely bombed by US forces. 

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 19:40

Data Center Backup Power Contributes To Health Risks: Report

By Robert Freedman of UtilityDive

Federal regulatory changes impacting enforcement of on-site backup generator emissions are contributing to increased data center health risks, a report says. 

Air pollution from data centers could increase healthcare costs by almost $21 billion by 2028, contributing to roughly 600,000 asthma cases and 1,300 premature deaths, says the Environmental Protection Network, a nonprofit whose members are former public officials who maintain an interest in environmental policy. 

Much of the health risk is from federal regulatory changes made to help utilities meet data center energy demand, like expanding the use of coal and keeping coal and other combustion-based power plants online rather than phasing them out. But a portion of the risk is from regulatory changes that pave the way for data centers to maintain on-site backup power, EPN says in its Hidden Health Costs of AI Data Centers report.  

“These engines and turbines can emit nitrogen oxides, smog-forming volatile organic compounds, and soot pollution,” the report says. “The combined generating capacity of a large generator or turbine fleet can rival that of a conventional power plant.”

In Virginia, the emissions from on-site generators emitting just 10% of the levels allowed under their air permits will contribute to some 14,000 asthma symptom cases, 13 to 19 premature deaths and $220 million to $300 million in annual public-health costs, says the report, drawing on estimates released earlier this year by researchers. 

Several regulatory actions are helping to fuel risks from on-site generation, the report says: 

Temporary turbine category. A rule the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized earlier this year created a category of small and medium temporary turbines that can remain on site for up to two years with substantially reduced monitoring, recordkeeping and reporting requirements. “Those requirements matter not only for estimating pollution, but for determining whether equipment is operating as permitted and whether pollution limits are being met,” the report says. As a result of the rule, 89% more nitrogen oxide is expected to be released into the air annually than would have been the case under a more restrictive 2024 version of the rule that the Trump administration scrapped, the report says. 

The report points to the high-profile lawsuit that was filed against xAI for its data center in Southaven, Mississippi. The dispute is over whether it received appropriate permits for its use of temporary or mobile on-site turbines to generate backup power. “The company and Mississippi regulators dispute that a permit was required,” the report says. “The dispute illustrates why clear permitting requirements and consistent enforcement become more important as equipment labeled ’backup, ‘temporary,’ or ‘mobile’ is used more extensively to supply power.”

Demand-response participation. An interpretive letter EPA released last year lets operators of on-site emergency backup generation use their generators to participate in utility demand-response programs. The report doesn’t mention that the letter is limited to on-site generators that operate within the jurisdiction of a local balancing authority. It “does not extend to Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs) or Independent System Operators (ISOs),” an analysis by standby power compliance company BackupPower AI says.   

Emergency generation. In another action that lets operators use their on-site generation at certain times, the U.S. Department of Energy earlier this year issued an emergency order authorizing the PJM Interconnection to use backup generation at data centers and other major facilities to help it manage demand. The order was issued in May, when parts of the Northeast and Midwest were going through a hot spell at the same time that many utilities within PJM’s jurisdiction were preparing planned outages for annual maintenance. “Their use during heat waves and other periods of grid stress adds smog-forming nitrogen oxides and fine-particle soot pollution at times when extreme heat and existing air pollution already place people at greater risk,” the report says. 

The report lists 30 federal regulatory actions in all that it says risk increasing pollution from data centers, many of them easing rules on utilities and some easing rules on non-utility power plants — such as a rule exempting private power facilities from acid rain program permits, emissions requirements and standardized reporting requirements.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 19:15

US Cattle Slaughter Plunges 16% In One Week As Immigration Crackdown Guts Kansas "Golden Triangle" Workforce

A heightened wave of federal immigration enforcement in southwest Kansas has sent a shockwave through the U.S. beef supply chain, causing severe processing plant slowdowns, stranding thousands of cattle at feedlots, and threatening to drive up consumer meat prices.

U.S. cattle slaughter plummeted 16% in one week to an estimated 90,000 head on Thursday, September 24, as fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity led to widespread workforce absenteeism. By Friday, slaughter numbers remained 14% below the previous week's levels, translating into millions of dollars in lost revenue for producers whose animals are suddenly backed up.

The disruptions are centered in the Kansas "Golden Triangle" of commercial beef packing, which encompasses Dodge City, Liberal, and Garden City. This rural region is home to massive facilities operated by Cargill, Tyson Foods, and National Beef. Collectively, these plants process roughly 24,000 head of cattle per day, representing more than 20% of daily U.S. fed-cattle slaughter capacity.

Agricultural groups, including the Kansas Livestock Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, warned that the unannounced enforcement actions are creating supply-chain chokepoints from feedyards to processors. In a joint statement, the organizations said the ICE presence has created a "massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving."

The Department of Homeland Security has pushed back against characterizations of the sweeps as worksite raids. "ICE is not conducting worksite operations in Kansas," Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, adding that agents are targeting "heinous criminals including murderers, rapists, and drug traffickers and illegal aliens with final orders of removal." However, the heavy presence of federal agents near packing plants and in local communities has kept many of the region's agricultural workers at home.

Local officials from Dodge City, Garden City, and Liberal reported receiving no advance notice of the federal operation. "When ICE operates in Kansas, it needs to coordinate with our local law enforcement," said Sen. Roger Marshall, who along with fellow Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran has pressed DHS on the operation. "Our community is a ghost town," Liberal's vice mayor told Reuters. "Businesses are not open because people are scared to leave their homes."

The labor shock arrives at a particularly sensitive time for the cattle market. Driven by prolonged drought, the U.S. cattle herd has shrunk to its smallest size in roughly 75 years. This historically tight physical market caused cattle futures to gyrate wildly this week as traders weighed the sudden loss of processing capacity against limited animal supplies. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said ranchers are receiving $300 to $500 less per head for their cattle.

The situation presents a unique policy collision in Washington. The Trump administration has actively sought to lower historically high consumer beef prices by expanding access to imported meat and enacting other supply-side measures. However, the abrupt reduction in domestic processing capacity - triggered by the administration's own immigration enforcement push - directly undercuts those efforts.

As the backlog grows, market-ready animals are getting heavier at feedlots, piling up feed costs and creating animal welfare concerns. Industry groups warn that if the Kansas bottleneck persists, fewer cattle moving through packing plants will mean less beef on supermarket shelves - and higher prices at the meat counter.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 18:50

Saylor Outlines 'Bill Of Digital Rights' To Help Build Prosperity In Future Economy

Authored by Michael Millard via Cointelegraph,

Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy, said that an age of digital assets and intelligence needs a "bill of digital rights," rather than restrictions.

An age of AI can increase production, but it needs better money and capital markets to realize its potential, according to an essay that Saylor, executive chairman of world's largest corporate Bitcoin holder, posted on X Saturday.

A useful framework for digital assets should establish five fundamental rights, or freedoms, Saylor wrote.

These rights include (1) the freedom to create new digital assets and (2) to issue them to the market to finance business and productivity. They also include (3) the right to hold them or choose a custodian, as well as (4) to transfer them, to move the assets among people, companies, wallets and service providers. Finally, (5) to use them, to spend, invest, earn income and borrow against digital assets.

These rights should apply to both people and companies, Saylor wrote. "An asset's value depends on what its owner can do with it. Restrict its usefulness, and you restrict its economic potential," he said.

As digital intelligence will automate jobs and make many products obsolete, future prosperity will depend on our ability to create new businesses and opportunities at a faster pace, Saylor wrote, adding that "our ambition should be to enable 10 million new companies to raise capital."

Cointelegraph reported on Monday that Strategy had resumed buying Bitcoin after a two-week pause, acquiring 950 Bitcoin (BTC) for $75.7 million at an average price of $79,670 per coin.

Digital dollars should be allowed to compete

This brought Strategy's holdings to 846,000 BTC, acquired for about $63.8 billion at an average cost of $75,416 per coin. Bitcoin was trading at about $84,523 at the time of publication.

Saylor also wrote in his essay that "protecting existing business models while making it difficult to finance their successors leaves the economy poorly prepared for technological change."

Therefore, digital dollars should be allowed to compete on yield and "move at the speed of light," he said. Banks, financial technology companies and technology platforms should offer digital dollars through the devices and applications people already use.

"Where the law prevents it, the law should change," Saylor added.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 18:25

Bill Maher Credits Falling Crime To Trump's 'FAFO' Image

Of all people, Democrat Bill Maher believes President Trump’s aggressive image may be playing a role in America’s ongoing decline in crime.

On Friday’s “Real Time,” Maher argued that while falling crime has plenty of potential explanations, it would be foolish to completely dismiss the psychological effect of having a president who openly projects a law-and-order persona, according to the NY Post.

“It’s just childish to pretend that when you elect a “f— around and find out” president, a ‘no more Mr. Nice Guy-booting-your-ass-V-for-vendetta-kick-ass—and-take-names-say-hello-to-my-little-friend’ president, that’s not going to have some effect on crime,” Maher said to laughs from his studio audience.

He was quick to make clear that Trump wasn’t the only explanation. Crime was already moving lower before Trump returned to the White House, and Maher pointed to America’s increasingly pervasive surveillance as another possible factor.

“It’s not just drug crime that’s way down – it’s all crime. And again, probably much of it is not political. It’s because you can’t move two inches in America without being tracked, photographed, and followed by a flock camera,” he quipped.

The Post writes that Maher also argued that policies traditionally associated with Democrats deserve some credit, particularly programs aimed at reducing economic desperation.

“But it’s also because when Democrats expand the safety net, there are less desperate people – and because Trump is a badass. No, I don’t agree with many of his methods, like how they sometimes just deport people to countries where they have absolutely no connection – like Meghan and Harry,” he said. “Is doing it this way the right thing? No.”

During the segment, Maher referenced an Atlantic piece examining the country’s broader decline in violent crime. FBI figures cited in the discussion showed the trend beginning during the Biden years and continuing under Trump. Other explanations have included changes in policing, a strong labor market and federal support sent to state and local governments during the pandemic.

But Maher’s closing argument was that Trump’s cultivated image of toughness may be reinforcing the trend.

“He has UFC fights on the lawn. I think the bad guys got the message,” he said.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 18:00

More Hospitals Are Being Bought By Private Equity; Here's How It's Changing Healthcare...

Authored by Lawrence Wilson and Sylvia Xu via The Epoch Times,

There's a greater than one in 10 chance your hospital is owned by someone who's trying to double their money in seven years.

If you live in Kentucky, your chances are one in six. In New Mexico, more than one in three.

Walk into an emergency room, and there's a 40 percent chance the doctor who stitches you up works for a staffing company owned by private investors, not the hospital.

At a time when less than half of Americans report being consistently able to afford healthcare, private investors are looking to hospitals and physician practices as a source of profit.

Private equity firms, which invest money on behalf of pension funds, universities, sovereign wealth funds, and wealthy individuals, buy healthcare providers expecting them to produce a better return than the stock market.

That may be no surprise to the 82 million Americans who make tradeoffs such as choosing between buying food and going to the doctor, nor to the nearly half of Americans with healthcare debt who have drained their savings to pay medical bills.

Providers are attractive targets for private investors for the same reasons any business might be, according to analysts.

Hospitals and physician practices are virtually recession-proof. They're fueled by a steady supply of aging customers. Historically, there have been lots of small, independent operators in the healthcare industry, ripe for consolidation. And they need vast amounts of capital to expand or even maintain complex facilities.

Private investors bring the business savvy and operational know-how that many healthcare providers lack. That has made physician offices and hospitals more efficient and productive, analysts say.

"Private equity has made a tremendous amount of investments in health technologies," Kelly Arduino, an executive with 25-years' experience in healthcare management, told The Epoch Times. "That's where we would see the biggest success."

But that success comes at a price.

Gains in efficiency and value to investors have left some hospitals bereft of real assets, loaded with debt, and struggling to maintain quality care, some studies indicate.

Private investors are buying into the healthcare system to extract profit, which can permanently change the structure of a healthcare institution, sometimes for the worse.

Debt Loading

When private equity firms buy an independent hospital or physician practice, they finance the deal mostly with borrowed money.

Investors typically put in between 10 percent and 40 percent of the funding and get the rest from commercial lenders, institutional investors, or high-yield bonds.

But the actual borrower is the provider. The hospital or physician practice takes on the debt and must repay it, often paying management fees to the equity firm as well.

And because the investors typically convert the provider from nonprofit to for-profit status, the provider is also liable for taxes.

When the provider is eventually resold, the debt will likely be paid off from the proceeds. But the new owner, often another private equity firm, may finance its purchase with debt, too.

So hospitals and physician practices can be left with ongoing debt for the sake of generating a profit for private investors.

There's evidence that debt loading negatively impacts the long-term financial health of these institutions.

A 2025 study of more than 200 hospitals owned by private equity firms found that those re-resold to another private equity group saw operating margins decrease more than 8 percent compared to those sold to other for-profit owners.

Yet even some critics agree that private investment in healthcare can be useful if done responsibly.

"Private investments can sometimes be an important source of capital, especially for small to mid-sized companies that can benefit from the access that this financing provides," Lina M. Khan, former chair of the Federal Trade Commission, wrote in 2024.

Staff Cuts

Private-equity investment in healthcare came under scrutiny by Congress following the 2024 bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, a chain of 31 hospitals. Many attributed Steward's collapse to its years under ownership by private equity.

Yet overall, hospitals owned by private investors are not more likely to close than are other hospitals, research shows.

A more consistent problem is significant staff reductions, which affects physician morale and patient satisfaction, according to a 2025 report by a team of academic researchers.

After private-equity takeover, provider staffing was reduced by 6 percent over four years and stayed that way longterm, according to a study of hospital acquisitions.

While the number of doctors, nurses, and other care providers did bounce back, support staffing did not. It was cut an overall 20 percent.

That saved money on wages: about 7 percent in the first four years, and up to 9 percent after eight years.

That focus on efficiency has changed the dynamics of the workplace.

"I think where private equity has struggled the most is in dealing with a lot of professional services providers. So that would be physician practices," Arduino said.

Patients complain of doctors who are overly busy, long wait times for appointments, driving farther for care, and being rushed through their brief visits with physicians.

More than four in 10 doctors reported symptoms of burnout in 2025, according to the American Medical Association. That's despite a recent decline in job stress since the COVID-19 era.

One reason is the increased pace of work, said Robert Andrews, CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance.

"The doctor who's had four or five appointments per hour ... now has seven," Andrews told The Epoch Times. That leads to long days catching up on paperwork and feeling fatigued, he told The Epoch Times.

Beyond that, physicians often feel handcuffed by the clock, prevented from spending the extra minutes with a patient that might improve patient care, Andrews said. "They feel like their professional autonomy has been robbed from them," he said.

That problem is not unique to private equity-owned hospitals and physician practices.

But it has roots in the rapid consolidation of the healthcare industry that began in the 2010s, which some analysts call a "glorious time" for private investment.

This focus on efficiency changed the mindset of entire hospital systems, said Dr. Patricia Martin, an anesthesiologist in practice for more than 20 years.

"They're not in the business of providing the best medicine. They're in the business of providing good-enough medicine for the largest number of people," Martin told The Epoch Times.

Supporters of private investment say there is no evidence that mortality rates increase under private equity ownership.

Yet hospitals owned by private investors were found to have higher rates of falls and hospital-acquired infections, lower patient satisfaction, and lower scores in standardized quality ratings.

Asset Stripping

One reason the Steward Health Care bankruptcy drew criticism was the allegation that former owner Cerberus Capital Management had sold some of its real assets before selling it in 2020.

Cerberus created Steward Health Care, starting with six financially troubled hospitals acquired from the Catholic Archdioceses of Boston, in 2010.

Cerberus stated that the hospital system was financially sound with more than $400 million in cash when sold to other investors in 2020.

However, critics noted that Steward had earlier sold 13 medical office buildings and the campus of one hospital to a real estate trust, then leased them back.

That tactic is common among private equity investors and is not unique to healthcare.

Many real-estate intensive businesses do this to raise capital and to make the cost of occupying the property more predictable.

While this practice does not affect the provider's immediate financial picture, researchers found that it does have a longer term impact.

Hospitals that sold their real estate to a real estate investment trust had a significant decrease in fixed asset value, and were about six times more likely to close or file bankruptcy than other hospitals, according to a 2025 study.

Yet the Center for Economic and Policy Research found a pattern of private equity companies using the proceeds from hospital and nursing home real estate sales to pay dividends to investors rather than making capital improvements. At the same time, the new real estate owners sometimes charged the healthcare providers inflated rents.

Better Incentives

While the dangers of private equity investment in healthcare are real, industry insiders warn against applying blanket solutions.

Not all hospital failures can be laid at the feet of investors, Arduino said.

"When I look at the hospitals that have struggled or failed, it's not a function of private equity. It's a function of long-term mismanagement, operational challenges, disconnected systems, and poor reimbursement," she said. "The hospital business is super hard."

Kahn was critical of what she called "strip and flip" tactics used by some private investors. But, she said, "some private equity firms take a more long-term view and focus on creating real operational improvements to generate value in ways that provide broader benefits."

Andrews, whose firm works with more than a dozen physician groups owned by private-equity firms, said the ownership structure is far less important than the rules by which they operate.

"If you incent primary care practices to rush people in and out the door, that's what they'll do," Andrews said. "If you incent them to spend time, understand what's going on with the patient, and reward them when the patient's healthier, that's what they'll do."

Nine states have enacted legislation regarding private-equity investment in hospitals since 2024. Most involve notification requirements regarding changes of hospital ownership.

A Connecticut law bars private-equity owners from having a majority stake in a hospital or interfering with clinical decision making, and prohibits hospital sale-and-lease-back transactions.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 17:40

Suspects Accidentally Set Themselves On Fire During Seattle Fuel Theft Attempt

The free market responds to rising gas prices in many ways...

Two suspects in Seattle appear to have discovered one of the more obvious drawbacks of stealing fuel: it is extremely flammable.

Police say the pair accidentally set themselves on fire early Friday while allegedly trying to siphon fuel from box trucks in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood, according to KIRO 7.

Around 1:30 a.m., multiple callers reported several box trucks burning near the 3400 block of 1st Avenue South. Firefighters and Seattle police responded, and officers initially detained a 37-year-old man who was found near the rental truck lot smelling strongly of smoke and carrying a lighter.

A witness identified him as someone seen leaving the area shortly before the fire, and police arrested him on suspicion of felony property damage. Three rental trucks suffered an estimated $150,000 in damage.

But security footage reviewed by Arson and Bomb Squad detectives quickly changed the story.

According to police, video showed a vehicle arriving with two people inside who appeared to begin stealing fuel from the trucks. Somewhere along the way, their criminal master plan encountered the minor complication of combustion.

The report says that the fuel ignited, engulfing both suspects and their vehicle in flames. Despite apparently catching themselves on fire, the pair managed to get back into their vehicle and drive away onto 1st Avenue South.

Police subsequently determined the 37-year-old man they had arrested was not responsible for starting the blaze and released him Friday morning.

Investigators are now searching for the actual suspects, noting that at least one may be walking around with burns, singed hair or missing eyebrows...which, conveniently, may narrow the field.

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 17:20

Walmart Boss Rules Out Personal Pricing In Stores As It Rolls Out Digital Price Labels

Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times,

Walmart's boss has ruled out personal pricing in a bid to alleviate customers' concerns about new pricing technology at its stores.

In a statement posted on the company's website on July 25, Walmart CEO John Furner claimed that the retail giant isn't using personal information to set prices as it rolls out digital shelf labels.

Digital pricing, driven by electronic shelf labels and artificial intelligence (AI), is increasingly enabling retailers to quickly update in-store prices rather than relying on staff to change traditional paper price signs.

"Digital price labels are rapidly replacing paper shelf tags at U.S. supermarkets," said Furner.

Some campaigners are concerned that algorithms and data-led "dynamic pricing," a pricing strategy that adjusts food prices in real time, will be used.

"We don't set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won't," Furner said.

"Whether you're buying groceries or electronics on a hot afternoon or in a sudden rush for an item, it's never a reason to charge you more.

"We don't set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won't."

He also said that the company won't use the information consumers share with it, whether through its agentic AI-powered shopping assistant "Sparky" or otherwise, to raise your price or hide lower-priced options that meet your needs.

Walmart said in March that 2,300 Walmart U.S. locations already use digital shelves, and it expects this technology to be chain-wide within the next year.

According to a 2024 Harvard Business School post on dynamic pricing, long used in air travel and hospitality, companies lacking transparent pricing models have faced backlash for "hidden" surge pricing.

"This happens when digital platforms raise prices dynamically based on real-time demand without giving customers clear, upfront explanations," it said.

Democratic lawmakers are pushing for legislation to ban what it characterizes as "surveillance pricing."

In August 2025, Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Greg Casar (D-Texas) introduced H.R. 4966, the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act, to ban surveillance pricing at the federal level.

The bill directs the Federal Trade Commission to enforce a ban on price gouging by grocery stores. Specifically, H.R. 4966 says "an operator of a retail food store may not sell or offer for sale an item at a grossly excessive price," with a metric yet to be set.

This includes a ban on electronic shelf labels in stores larger than 10,000 square feet. Instead, those stores would be required to rely on a physical sticker, stamp, or label that is attached to the item, shelf, or sign.

"Companies should not be allowed to use electronic labeling or your personal information to charge you a higher price. We need to ban corporate price gouging and surveillance pricing," said Tlaib.

Milton Jones, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said his labor organization is among those that have endorsed the bill.

"Technologies like electronic shelf tags threaten to usher in a new era where the price of an item you pick up from the shelf can change within the amount of time it takes to walk to the register," Jones said at the time.

The bill has not passed and remains in committee.

In a Sept. 14 report, the Washington Legal Foundation, a conservative, pro-business public-interest law firm and legal policy center, claimed that "surveillance pricing doesn't actually raise prices."

It said that because grocery stores "compete vigorously" with each other, they can't raise their prices above the market level, and if they do, customers will immediately walk across the street and buy for less.

The report said that a grocery store's ability to "discriminate" against "even high-income consumers is extremely limited."

"So when they do look at personal data, they almost always use it to target discounts," it said.

"High grocery prices have nothing to do with surveillance pricing. High prices instead reflect economy-wide pressures, like tariffs, high labor costs, and general inflation."

The report said that there is a "vision of the grocery industry" that is "basically fictional" as it imagines grocery firms as "quasi-monopolies feasting on fat profit margins."

It said that grocery retailers' margins are "razor thin" and that, on average, they earn only 1.7 percent, some of the "thinnest in the economy."

Tyler Durden Mon, 09/28/2026 - 17:00