Zero Rss

NATO Chief Challenged On The "Defensive" Alliance's History Of Offensive Regime Change

After his Oval Office visit today, an affair dominated by foreign reporters speaking truth to power by clamoring for more global military spending, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had to defend his alliance’s often-touted moral assertion: that NATO is defensive in nature.

Asked by ZeroHedge whether NATO’s good deeds in Libya and Iraq (a de facto NATO "coalition of the willing") operation) qualified as defensive, Rutte had this to say:

NATO chief Mark Rutte often refers to his alliance as “defensive.”

I asked whether Hillary Clinton’s regime war in Libya or Cheney’s Iraq — both NATO operations — were defensive operations. pic.twitter.com/sa8X1qcsFt

— Liam Cosgrove (@cosgrove_iv) June 24, 2026

Rutte: Again, NATO is there to defend 1 billion people living in NATO territory, from California up to and including Turkey, and everything in between. This is a transatlantic, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Alliance. It is extremely powerful. It is the strongest defensive alliance in world history. And we have our discussions, as you have seen this afternoon. There are always debates. These are democracies.

ZH: But what about those wars? What about Libya and Iraq?

Rutte: I'm not going to comment on everything, but I can assure you, NATO is there to defend. But if we would be attacked, you can be assured, that if we get attacked by anyone, for example the Russians or whoever, that our reaction would be devastating.

One million Iraqis may be dead. Libya may no longer be a cohesive country, with sub-Saharan slave auctions returning post-NATO liberation… but hey! It was debated. We’re democratic.

Libya was infamously a Hillary Clinton operation, something she reportedly believed would be a slam dunk victory and propel her into the presidency in 2016. Instead, after killing Gaddafi, Benghazi happened, where embassy officials and CIA contractors were murdered in a surprise attack.

Most know of this scandal but few know why there was a secret CIA compound still located in Benghazi, Libya after Gaddafi had been murdered. As investigative reporter Seymour Hersh broke in 2014, it was to smuggle weapons from the no-longer-needed Libyan “rebels” to the freedom fighters in Assad’s Syria… a regime change that would eventually be achieved and was publicly celebrated by Israeli PM Netanyahu, who took partial credit.

Western values:

Hillary Clinton,on hearing about Gaddafi's death in Sirte, Libya.

20 Oct 2011.
Hillary Clinton: "We came, we saw, he died!"

Q:"Did it [Gaddafi's death] have anything to do with your visit?
Clinton: "Nah...I'm sure it did (giggles)"
🤔 pic.twitter.com/QoUQS0sp4d

— Richard (@ricwe123) March 19, 2023

Mark Rutte has been successful at ratcheting up weaponry spending across Europe, combining his ability to flatter Trump and by leveraging Trump’s threats against NATO members to “pay their fair share”. Rutte is apparently an aspiring Lindsay Graham as he approaches 60 years of age with no kids, wife, nor girlfriend and a seemingly singular focus at prolonging wars.

His latest attempt, today, to seduce Trump included a posterboard-demonstration featuring the global increases in European NATO spending that has occurred under Trump’s terms:

Rutte's presentation Wednesday in the Oval. Screenshotted from White House feed.

Nothing like cheerful, childless men trying to drag you into World War III while they constantly remind you of their moral virtuosity. Reminiscent of the Biden years.

Trump and Vance deserve great credit and support as they try to resist the warmongers in the Levant. Let's hope they can resist the ones in Brussels as well. And yes, yes.. Trump started the war in Iran. But, to anyone paying attention, it was against his will and now he and Vance are entering uncharted territory in their defiance towards Israel. To reference Sey Hersh again, from his latest Substack post:

“Last week President Donald Trump walked away from a postwar alliance dating back almost eight decades by telling Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that America’s romance with Israel is over. The bond between the two nations, officially dating back to 1948, when Israel was recognized by the United Nations, was shredded. Perhaps forever. Trump has told the New York Times and its columnists who bemoan what they fear will be a bereft and vulnerable Israel, in constant peril from a potential Iranian nuclear weapon, that Israel is on its own.

It had been an American political ritual, like kissing babies when campaigning, to support Israel in all things, as did President Joe Biden”

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/26/2026 - 04:15

Police Took 8 Minutes To Locate Henry Nowak's Fatal Stab Wound... Then Performed CPR Directly Over It

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity News,

The case of 18-year-old white British student Henry Nowak has delivered yet another layer of disturbing detail.

Officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary arrived at the Southampton scene roughly five to ten minutes after he was stabbed five times with a ceremonial knife. Henry remained conscious and spoke loudly at first. He told them he had been stabbed and could not breathe. They chose instead to believe the man who had just knifed him.

New evidence released this week shows it took those officers a full eight minutes to discover the fatal wound. During that time they lifted Henry, striking his head against a wall, and later began CPR. A female officer started compressions. According to the transcript and reports, officers performed chest compressions over his clothing and directly onto the area of the stab wound.

? BREAKING: Newly released evidence shows how police officers took eight minutes to discover the stab wound that killed Henry Nowak.

The attending officers also hit Henry's head on a wall as he was lifted, before a female officer begins CPR.https://t.co/C5Wb1IQZ93

— The Mercian (@TheMercianNews) June 24, 2026

It took police officers 8 minutes to check Henry Nowak for stab wounds. When they realised he wasn't breathing they did chest compressions over his clothes ONTO A STAB WOUND, somehow managing to make the situation even worse.

— Patrick Christys (@PatrickChristys) June 24, 2026

Bodycam footage shows officers dragging Henry across gravel, turning him, and forcefully pulling his arms behind his back to apply handcuffs. He lost consciousness within about three minutes of that restraint and was pronounced dead at 00:37 on 4 December 2025 after 51 minutes of resuscitation efforts.

A paediatric critical care specialist with battlefield medicine experience, Dr Krzysztof Magier, reviewed the footage and post-mortem report. He concluded there is a high probability that the police actions contributed to Henry's death.

The main source of bleeding was damage to the subclavian vein. Venous bleeding under low pressure often forms a natural clot that can slow or stop on its own. Forcefully twisting the arms behind the back and handcuffing likely stretched the vein, tore the forming clot, and triggered sudden massive internal haemorrhage.

Dr Magier stated: "I am convinced that if Henry had arrived there alive, the doctors would not have let him die." He added that paramedics arriving first could have given Henry a roughly 50% chance of survival through fluids, tranexamic acid to stabilise the clot, and other interventions. Southampton University Hospital, a major trauma centre, was only two to three minutes away by ambulance.

Serving and former Hampshire officers have now admitted that mandatory "Inclusion Matters" DEI training played a direct role in how they processed the incident. They described sessions that drummed in "white privilege" and "unconscious bias."

One officer said: "we had it drummed into us about our white privilege and unconscious bias." The outsourced trainer was described as "deeply hateful of white people and our culture." Officers feared career damage if they pushed back.

This ideological environment framed the white teenager as the likely aggressor and gave credence to the attacker's fabricated claim of racial abuse.

Vickrum Digwa, from a Sikh background, lied to police and his family reinforced the narrative on the 999 call, downplaying any knife involvement. Officers initially accepted the story. One was heard telling Henry: "Don't think you have mate."

An ex-police officer appearing on BBC Newsnight called the response "unfathomable." Basic procedure requires immediate medical assessment and priority for anyone reporting a stab wound and breathing difficulty - not restraint and dismissal. The BBC presenter appeared visibly surprised at the unsparing assessment.

Judge William Mousley KC noted the attending officer's "genuine shock" upon realising CPR was being given over a serious chest wound and suggested it showed officers "doing his best in a very difficult situation." The judge also observed that "sometimes, someone arrested and handcuffed will feign injury."

Dr Magier directly challenged that leniency: "I fear that the Judge and pathologist were too lenient towards the police."

A full jury inquest opens at Winchester Coroner's Court on 20 September 2027. It will examine whether any act or omission by police caused or contributed to the death.

The release of bodycam footage earlier this month triggered protests and disorder in Southampton. Henry's father, Mark Nowak, stated: "My son was dragged across gravel, handcuffed and called racist as he lay dying. Being read his rights was the last thing he heard."

Vickrum Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years. His sentence has been referred to the Court of Appeal as potentially unduly lenient. Prior warnings about Digwa - including 2022 reports of him firing an illegal air pistol in his garden - were reportedly not acted upon effectively by police.

The pattern fits a broader picture of institutional capture. Training that elevates identity politics over impartial procedure produces exactly this outcome: a dying white teenager treated as a threat while his attacker's narrative receives deference.

Critics from across the spectrum have highlighted the double standard compared with other high-profile custody deaths that triggered institutional upheaval and global campaigns.

He wasn't breathing ? you start chest compressions immediately.

That's basic first aid protocol.

Taking 8 minutes to check for stab wounds, handcuffing him while he's saying he can't breathe, and then compressing over clothes directly onto the wound is a complete failure of...

— WasAcop (@WasAcop) June 24, 2026

I read that they also banged his head when they moved him after realising that he'd been stabbed. Honestly, when you think this case can't get any worse, it does. ?

— Leanne (@LeanneSpurs) June 24, 2026

They were told he had blood coming out of his mouth when they arrived, and he repeatedly said he'd been stabbed.

Totally unacceptable dereliction of duty.

— PixelatedBoot (stamping on a human face – forever) (@PixelatedBoot) June 24, 2026

It would help if the police were taught life saving rather than DEI protocol.

— Pat Herbert (@PatHerbert2) June 24, 2026

Henry's family has asked that his death not be used to sow further division. The facts, however, speak for themselves. When police training and culture elevate racial grievance narratives above the immediate duty to preserve life, the result is not justice - it is preventable tragedy.

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Tyler Durden Fri, 06/26/2026 - 03:30

Rome Rebukes Rutte: Italy Rejects Claim US Flew Iran War Missions From Its Bases

It's no longer just a Trump-Meloni spat on the level of public rhetoric, but Italy is newly making clear that it is imposing real policy and limitations on the US, now clarifying that it had formally denied US use of its bases to strike Iran for past and future potential missions.

This has been a long time in coming, as Italy already clearly restricted at least some US use of its bases within the past months related to the Iran war, but now it is official.

On Thursday Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani reportedly told his Iranian counterpart by phone he firmly rejects NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's recent claims that US forces used Italian military bases in operations against Iran.

Tajani has insisted that Italian bases were never used for any kind of offensive strikes on the Islamic Republic. According to US military publication Stripes, "The Iranian foreign minister thanked Italy for the clarification and said a clear, formal denial was necessary."

via US Navy

Italy of course remains a member of NATO, and so the fact that Rome was responding to recent remark's of the organization's leader is glaring, and reveals a serious inter-NATO rift.

The NATO chief had been interviewed on Fox earlier this week, wherein he claimed that some 500 American military flights had taken off from bases in Italy in support of Operation Epic Fury. Italy's foreign ministry is firmly rejecting the claim.

In addition, the Italian Defense Ministry came out and said that Rutte "has nothing to do with Operation Epic Fury" - which might explain whey he's making "completely misleading" remarks.

"Italy only authorizes flights that are provided for by the treaties and totally exclude kinetic activities," said that Italian defense ministry statement.

It seems Italy is trying to appease both the Iranian and US sides at once, by trying to shroud its role in ambiguity and abstract definitions of terms: 

In a post analyzing how Italy’s bases were used to support the war, the site ItaMilRadar said this week that Navy MQ-4C Triton surveillance drones from Sigonella “conducted extensive intelligence and reconnaissance missions over the Persian Gulf area” before the Triton operations appeared to shift to Jordan in April. Navy P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft operated from the base before and during the war, and several deployed to Djibouti to support U.S. naval forces in the Indian Ocean, according to the site.

Back in late March, as US-Israeli bombs were still being unleashed on Iran, a statement from PM Meloni’s office had also alluded to matters of procedure, stating that Italy is "acting in full compliance with existing international agreements"  - while underscoring that each request must be "carefully examined on a case-by-case basis, as has always been the case in the past."

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto had also at the time confirmed that "some US bombers" were denied landing at Sigonella – one of seven US navy bases in Italy. The complaint is that the US didn't follow required permission protocol, and requested landing only while in the air and already en route to Sicily.

But the truth also is that American hegemonic action in the Middle East, and the Iran conflict in particular, remains deeply unpopular among the Italian population, which has long had a strongly anti-war bent especially among the youth.

In a display of obedience to the US, the NATO Secretary General bragged about NATO's participation in the war of aggression against Iran:
- “If you take Italy for example, 500 U.S. planes took off from U.S. bases in Italy to support Operation Epic Fury." pic.twitter.com/cuJWD6Uy7N

— Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) June 25, 2026

The Guardian previously wrote, "The unpopularity of Trump in Italy has also started to erode the popularity of Meloni, who is ideologically in tune with the US president and has established good working relations with him." However, she's lately sought to distance her government from the war, having told parliament earlier this month there's a growing dangerous trend of interventions "outside the scope of international law."

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/26/2026 - 02:45

Majority Of Poles Are Against Ukraine Joining The EU

Via Remix News,

Poles are divided in their assessment of Ukraine’s possible accession to the European Union.

However, according to the latest IBRiS poll conducted for Radio ZET, the voices of those opposed to accession dominate.

A total of 35.3 percent of those surveyed voted in favor of Ukraine’s admission to the European Union. Strong support for such a solution was expressed by 8.4 percent of respondents, while 26.9 percent replied “rather yes.”

There are definitely more opponents of Ukraine’s membership in the EU. A total of 59.7 percent of those questioned took a negative position. The answer “probably not” was given by 27.4 percent of respondents, and “definitely not” by as many as 32.3 percent.

Another 5 percent remain undecided — respondents who chose the answer “I don’t know” or “hard to say.”

Among supporters of the ruling coalition, 64 percent support Ukraine’s accession to the EU, while 73 percent of opposition voters say Ukraine should not join.

The study was conducted by the IBRiS Institute for Market and Social Research using computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) on June 12–13, 2026. The survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,068 adult Poles.

Zelensky canceled his visit to Poland

The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC), co-organized by Poland and Ukraine, will begin in Gdańsk on Thursday.

One of the highlights of the event will be a joint meeting of the Polish and Ukrainian parliaments.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not come to Gdańsk; the Ukrainian delegation will instead be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko

. It is also known that the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, will not come to Poland.

The Gdańsk conference is being organized in the shadow of sharp tensions between Poland and Ukraine — all due to Zelensky’s decision to name one of the Ukrainian army units after “UPA heroes.”

In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki decided to strip Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle.

Read more here...

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/26/2026 - 02:00

A Bridge To The Future: America's 250th Celebration Time Capsule

Authored by Walker Larson via The Epoch Times,

On July 4, 2026, the United States of America has a date with the future.

America250, the national, nonpartisan group tasked with organizing the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, will establish a bridge with the year 2276 by burying a time capsule at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia on July 4 of this year. For 250 years, the capsule will lie there silently waiting, as the ship of the nation surges forward through the uncharted seas of the future. Then in 2276, the capsule will be reopened, providing future Americans with a glimpse into their past—our present.

The capsule contains contributions from all three branches of government, all 50 states, District of Columbia, and five territories, and America250 programs. According to the America250 website, “the Time Capsule reflects a national responsibility to preserve a representative record of the United States at 250 years.” The three-foot-tall, 900-pound capsule has been officially sealed and now awaits burial.

“This moment is as much about the future as it is the past,” Rosie Rios, chair of America250, proclaimed. “When it is opened in 2276, future generations will see the care, pride, and optimism with which Americans marked our 250th anniversary.”

The capsule contains some remarkable items, including a whale bone from Maine, an AI prophecy from California, and a diamond from Arkansas. The Library of Congress has included a molecular data storage device, about the length of a pencil eraser, that contains synthetic DNA in which is encoded digital copies of key Library collection items, such as Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and an 1898 audio recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Maine's contribution to the America250 time capsule is this bone from the North Atlantic right whale found off the coast of the Gulf of Maine. Courtesy of America250

America250 has explained that the artifacts, letters, records, and objects—most of which have been placed in six-by-four-by-two-inch archival boxes—have been selected to tell the story of the United States, as it exists on this semiquincentennial. Each state and territory established its own commissions to select representative items from that area to be submitted for inclusion in the capsule.

Rios observed, “When it is opened in 2276, we want future generations to have a clear, authentic window into who we were at 250—what we valued, what we built, and how we saw ourselves as a nation.”

The more-than-200 artifacts span a wide range of types, including civic records, scientific items, cultural artifacts, sports memorabilia, and items that express what everyday life in America is like in 2026.

Notable objects include student submissions from America250’s America’s Field Trip contest that respond to the question, “What does America mean to you?” There’s also a Coca-Cola glass bottle, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, a coin from the 2026 NFL playoffs, a map of Alaska when it was sold to the United States by Russia in 1867, a photograph of the military eagle “Old Abe,” and a poem celebrating America by contemporary South Dakota poet Joseph Bottum. Experts from the Library of Congress scrupulously analyzed each item to ensure that it was an appropriate material that wouldn’t decay or compromise the vessel’s integrity.

Also included in the time capsule: As part of America250’s America’s Soundtrack initiative, Coca-Cola donated a “message in a bottle” with a lyrics sheet for their song, “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” inside an iconic Coke bottle. Courtesy of America250

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) along with preservation experts at the Library of Congress developed the capsule itself, and it was constructed at NIST’s technology fabrication shop. Its smooth, cylindrical hull is made of stainless steel and a water- and air-proof compression seal of indium. Finally, a 1,100-pound steel bell jar will be placed over the capsule when it is buried, forming an air pocket that will keep the cylinder’s dry for its 250-year sleep.

The duty of burying the capsule falls to the National Park Service in conjunction with the Independence Historical Trust, the philanthropic partner to Independence National Historical Park. The time capsule will become an heirloom and responsibility inherited by successive generations of park officials as they pass on the information about the time capsule from decade to decade, century to century, until the year 2276. The National Park Service has information about the capsule in its succession plans, as well as a capstone with information on the capsule, to be placed over its burial site.

A historic national event such as this inspires reflection about the passage of time and the meaning of legacy. Michael Berilla, director of the fabrication technology office at the NIST, who led the team that built the capsule, wrote a rather poignant message to whoever uncovers the cylinder:

“Greetings from the living, breathing hearts and hands of 2026. We will have long since returned to dust, but our devotion, pride, and unwavering hope for what our world could become are alive right here inside this steel. We built this for you.”

As Berilla’s words suggest, the capsule opens a kind of portal between us and our descendants, an opportunity to gaze through the haze of time and, for a moment at least, catch the eyes and hearts of people who do not yet walk the earth, people to whom we will be only a shadowy memory. For a brief window, though, when those future hands unearth this vessel of relics, the shadows of time will flee, and they will be bound to us across that chasm of years in a common surge of hope, gratitude, and patriotism.

Let us hope and pray that the world in which our descendants bring the capsule to light will be more luminous than the one in which we bury it. If it is so, then our efforts as individuals, families, and as a nation will not have been in vain.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 23:25

Trump's War Economy Accelerates As Lockheed Wins $35 Billion Deal To Quadruple Missile-Interceptor Output

President Trump's war economy continues to gain steam as weapons production is kicked into high gear and stockpiling becomes a top priority for the Department of War.

The latest evidence: Lockheed Martin has won a DoW contract worth up to $35 billion to quadruple production of THAAD missile-defense interceptors, according to Bloomberg.

The seven-year agreement follows a January framework deal between Lockheed and DoW to boost interceptor output over the next few years. It also comes as the White House moves to mobilize the defense industrial base, with Trump invoking the Defense Production Act to reduce manufacturing bottlenecks.

On Wednesday afternoon, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Trump that the goal of increasing munitions production “is important because we have to replenish our stockpiles and make sure we are totally ready for whatever might emerge."

The urgency behind the upcoming replenishment cycle comes after four years of war in Ukraine and the recent U.S.-Iran war drained key weapons stockpiles.

Trump also met with defense-industry executives on Wednesday as the administration seeks to accelerate production of other key air-defense weapons.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers in mid-May that because of Trump's "smart business deals” have sent an unmistakable demand signal to defense-industrial partners: build more, build faster, and prepare for sustained procurement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• "Answering The Call": Ford Motor Eyes WWII-Style Production Push For Trump's War Economy

DoW recently published a map of America's expanding defense industrial base, centered mostly in the South and Rust Belt.

Last week, Nancy Lazar, Piper Sandler's chief global economist and head of the firm's economics research team, told clients she was bullish on goods-producing jobs, including construction workers building out the next wave of data centers.

We would add that surging production of missiles, interceptors, drones, tanks, planes, and bombs could further accelerate that shift, moving the labor market away from two decades of low-productivity service-sector jobs and back toward higher-paying industrial work tied to national security, reshoring, and Trump's war economy.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 23:00

Exxon Wins Big As Supreme Court Revives Cuba Seizure Case

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Exxon Mobil can move forward with its lawsuit against Cuban state-owned oil companies over assets seized after Fidel Castro came to power, reopening a dispute tied to Cuba’s 1960 nationalizations, according to CNN.

The 6-3 decision comes as President Donald Trump has taken a more aggressive stance toward Havana.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the majority, with the Court’s liberal justices dissenting.

CNN writes that the ruling is part of a broader wave of legal and political pressure on Cuba. In May, the Trump administration indicted former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft that killed four people, including three Americans. Trump has also floated military action, saying in March he might have the “honor of taking Cuba.”

Exxon’s case centers on property seized in 1960 and a 1996 law that allows US nationals to sue over confiscated Cuban assets in American courts. Before the revolution, Standard Oil—later Exxon Mobil—operated a refinery, product terminals and 117 service stations in Cuba, all of which were nationalized by Castro’s government.

A US commission in 1969 valued Standard Oil’s losses at nearly $72 million. With interest and Exxon’s request for treble damages, the total exposure could reach into the hundreds of millions.

The legal fight turned on whether the 1996 Cuba law overrides another federal statute that generally shields foreign governments from lawsuits in US courts. Exxon argued Congress created a clear exception for claims involving seized Cuban property, while the Cuban companies said sovereign immunity should still apply.

The Trump administration backed Exxon, telling the Court that “The United States has compelling foreign-policy interests in ensuring that US nationals whose assets were illegally expropriated by Fidel Castro’s communist regime receive recompense and in preventing the Cuban government from further benefiting from its wrongdoing.”

Lower courts were divided, and the DC Circuit had previously ruled against Exxon. The Supreme Court’s decision now clears the way for the lawsuit to proceed.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 22:10

Is Trump 2.0's 'Escalation' Strategy Against Russia Starting To Take Shape?

Authored by Andrew Korybko,

The US is preparing to radically intensify the Ukrainian Conflict over the coming year...

Trump’s decision to sign the “G7 leaders’ joint statement on geopolitical issues” calling for more arms to Ukraine and sanctions on Russia signaled that he’ll now “escalate to de-escalate” (E2DE) through a “war of attrition” waged by Ukraine. The EU will back this campaign to the hilt and Trump 2.0 will seek to obtain control over Russia’s natural resources companies as its top goal via the coercive selling of shares under pain of continued NATO-backed Ukrainian strikes against associated infrastructure if Putin refuses.

The contours of his administration’s E2DE strategy are now starting to take shape. Nearly two weeks before he signed the abovementioned joint statement, the House passed a bill that would “provid[e] more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. It would make another $8 billion available for Ukraine’s defense through loans.” On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Trump then said that he’ll soon reimpose oil sanctions against Russia, which would disrupt Putin’s Sino-Indo balancing act.

Around the same time, “A group of US senators has introduced legislation that would amend existing law to allow Ukraine to use assets confiscated from the Central Bank of Russia and other Russian sovereign assets to purchase military equipment.” All of this coincided with reports that the Senate also introduced language into the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) calling for continued intelligence support to Ukraine across all of next year to aid its quest to reconquer its lost land (and possibly more).

To top it all off, Zelensky then expressed confidence shortly thereafter that Trump will follow through on his explicitly conveyed interest in allowing US companies to manufacture air defense missiles (and likely also other arms) in Ukraine, thus tremendously raising the stakes if Russia strikes these facilities. Of course, it’ll take time for the US to replenish its own missile stockpile after the Third Gulf War, but the writing is on the wall and it reads that Trump 2.0 is preparing to radically intensify the Ukrainian Conflict.

Specifically, its E2DE strategy is expected to closely follow what the Wall Street Journal outlined last fall and which was analyzed here at the time, namely helping Ukraine surpass Russia’s drone capabilities, more secondary sanctions, and provoking unrest inside of Russia. To that end, the House and Senate initiatives will bolster Ukraine’s strike capabilities (including long-range missile ones), while Trump’s sanctions threat will deal with the second part. This combination might lead to unrest inside of Russia.

To be clear, that final phase is unlikely to materialize since the diverse Russian people remain united due to keenly understanding the existential stakes of this conflict as regards its grand strategic goal of “Balkanizing” their civilization-state, plus they’re not prone to protest much either. Nevertheless, the US is still preparing to try anyhow, hoping to at least generate enough disapproval of the status quo that the ruling United Russia party is forced to enter into a coalition after September’s next Duma elections.

Looking forward, the groundwork is rapidly being established for Trump 2.0 to make next year all about Russia, and the Democrats’ possible recapture of Congress or at least one of its chambers after November’s midterms could facilitate this. If Russia doesn’t achieve its goals before that happens or cut a reasonably fair deal by that time, then there’ll be no realistic chance of any such deal till 2029 at the earliest, thus meaning that only victory or defeat would be possible before that date. The clock is ticking.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 21:45

China’s Crackdown Threatens Hong Kong’s IPO Boom And Offshore Wealth

China’s latest push to choke off capital flight is starting to hit Hong Kong right where it hurts, according to a new feature from Bloomberg.

For years, the city has served as the main offshore escape valve for mainland wealth — the place where Chinese founders, executives and wealthy families parked money, opened private bank accounts, bought property and set up family offices. Now Beijing is tightening that channel, raising questions about whether Hong Kong can remain Asia’s go-to offshore wealth hub.

Bloomberg writes that the latest measures include roughly $330 million in penalties against three brokerages widely used by Chinese investors to access offshore markets, along with tighter scrutiny of banks, trust structures and wealthy individuals moving money abroad. Advisers in Hong Kong say clients quickly began asking whether their accounts could be affected and whether more restrictions are coming. As one lawyer put it, Beijing isn’t slamming the door shut all at once — “they are installing a doorframe.”

That matters because Hong Kong has become deeply dependent on mainland money. Chinese households and companies moved a record $807 billion out of the country last year, and a large share of it landed in Hong Kong, helping the city overtake Switzerland as the world’s biggest offshore wealth hub. That money has supported luxury spending, real estate, stock trading and Hong Kong’s IPO rebound.

Now the mechanics of moving that money are getting harder. Bankers say mainland clients are facing tougher onboarding standards, including declarations that their wealth was sourced outside China. Private banks are fielding more questions from nervous clients, and some ultra-wealthy Chinese are already looking beyond Hong Kong to Europe, Switzerland and the US. The goal doesn’t seem to be stopping every dollar from leaving China, but making sure Beijing has more visibility and leverage over where it goes.

Beijing is also targeting the offshore structures Chinese founders have long used to turn mainland business success into foreign wealth. For years, the playbook was simple: build a company in China, wrap it in an offshore structure, list it abroad or in Hong Kong, collect dividends, then move that money into overseas property, trusts or family offices. China is now squeezing that route too, restricting red-chip IPO structures and tightening rules around whether Hong Kong listing proceeds can remain offshore.

The result is pressure on one of Hong Kong’s most lucrative ecosystems all at once: wealth management, offshore structuring, IPO underwriting and luxury spending tied to mainland fortunes. If rich Chinese can’t move money into the city as easily, Hong Kong doesn’t just lose deposits — it loses deal flow, brokerage activity, family office growth and some of the conspicuous consumption that has powered its rebound. As one Hong Kong lawyer put it, “The family office figures are looking great, but the doors are shutting.”

What’s driving this is straightforward: China needs control, and it needs revenue. The property downturn has hammered local finances, land-sale income has dried up, and Beijing has become more aggressive about tracking taxable wealth that has slipped offshore. It may not want to end offshore investing altogether, but it clearly wants tighter oversight, tighter rules and a bigger claim on the money once it leaves.

For Hong Kong, that creates a real tension. The city still wants to market itself as the natural offshore home for Chinese capital and the financial bridge between China and the rest of the world. But the more Beijing clamps down, the harder it becomes for Hong Kong to play that role with the same freedom it once did — making it look less like a safe haven and more like an extension of the same system wealthy Chinese were trying to hedge against in the first place.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 21:20

Supreme Court Strikes Down Hawaii's Gun Restrictions In Major Second Amendment Case

Authored by Stacy Robinson & Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 on June 25 to strike down a Hawaii gun law that banned residents from carrying concealed weapons in privately owned public places, such as gas stations and shopping malls, without permission from the owners.

The Supreme Court in Washington on June 23, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The majority opinion in Wolford v. Lopez was authored by Justice Samuel Alito.

Justices Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor dissented in the case, which was closely watched by gun rights advocates.

Alito said the Second Amendment "has the same meaning in all parts of the United States."

"It cannot give way to 'the spirit of Aloha' in Hawaii - any more than it can yield to the spirit of the Big Apple - or the Windy City," he said.

"It applies in the same way to our 50th State (where about 8% of adults possess guns) and our 49th State (where the figure is roughly 59%).

"Merely local attitudes can neither shrink nor inflate the meaning of fundamental Bill of Rights guarantees that apply to the States through the Fourteenth Amendment."

Over the years, the court has invoked the so-called doctrine of incorporation to apply the constitutional protections of the Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the Constitution - to the states. Initially, the Bill of Rights was understood to apply only to the federal government.

Hawaii's Act 52 banned handguns on private property unless the permit holder had received "express authorization to carry a firearm on the property by the owner, lessee, operator, or manager of the property."

It also banned firearms in bars, beaches, parks, and "sensitive places" such as hospitals, schools, and government buildings.

The law placed the onus on private property owners who wish to allow concealed carry on their property to communicate their policy to the public.

The state calls the rule requiring express authorization to carry the "default rule," but critics call it the "vampire rule," naming it after the mythical creatures that need permission to enter a property, Second Amendment expert Cam Edwards previously told The Epoch Times.

When the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reviewed the Hawaii law, it said the restrictions fell "well within the historical tradition," a reference to the legal test the Supreme Court adopted in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), which held that the Second Amendment protects the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.

The appeals court had upheld the state law, pointing to a New Jersey anti-poaching law from 1771 and a Louisiana law from 1865 that it said were "dead ringers" for Hawaii's restrictions.

Earlier in the litigation, a federal district judge blocked the law, but the Ninth Circuit largely reversed that decision. In a 2-1 vote, the appeals court allowed Hawaii to enforce much of the law because, in its view, Act 52 was consistent with Bruen, which recognized a "sensitive places" exception to the right to bear arms in public.

At the oral argument on Jan. 20, Hawaii argued that the state statute protects private property rights and the public, while those challenging the law contended it violates their constitutionally protected right to carry guns in public to defend themselves.

The case was brought by three Hawaii gun permit holders and the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, a gun rights organization, alleging that the state violated the right to bear arms.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 20:55

Mark Carney Seeks "New World Order" That Excludes The US

It's rare to hear the phrase "new world order" spoken publicly in the post-pandemic world where globalists ultimately failed to implement their spectacular covid coup.  In 2020, they were everywhere in the media bragging about the takeover; reveling in the vast geopolitical and economic changes that would come with their "4th Industrial Revolution".  Today, there's barely a whisper of these concepts beyond closed doors. 

High-level globalist and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, didn't get the memo.  His policy initiatives in the great white north are perhaps even more authoritarian than Justin Trudeau's and more insidious.  Canada is on the fast track to becoming a woke Orwellian nightmare state, and this is putting the country in the direct path of conflict with the US. 

Carney has continued his efforts to pivot away from the United States and align with Europe.  In statements made over the past two weeks, Carney argued that middle-power countries shouldn't compete for favor with America.

Carney asserts that Canada and the European Union have a combined population that is more than twice that of the United States, a similarly sized economy and a collective defense budget that is twice that of China's.  He also said smaller nations can multiply their strength by partnering with "like-minded allies" (i.e. far-left globalist governments).  

The Prime Minister claims that Canada and Europe as a "force for good" that upholds values like human rights, dignity, and pluralism.  As opposed to the US?  Carney has been explicit in his antagonism for US meritocracy, nationalism and conservative ideals.  It's the primary reason why the Trump Administration has targeted Canada with tariffs.  Canada's woke authoritarianism is becoming a serious problem for greater North America.  

Why give economic advantage to a foreign government that wants to destroy everything you stand for?  

In response, Carney is seeking to join forces with the European Union with a vision for a "new world order" that excludes the US entirely.  

“The new world order will be built starting with Europe...Canada is the most European of non-European countries. We are transforming our cooperation with Europe.”

This rhetoric helps to explain why Canadian representatives have been oddly absent from recent trade negotiations and why Canada is no the only nation in the G7 that is experiencing a recession.  Some Canadians are beginning to wonder if Carney is deliberately trying to sabotage any potential agreement that would end trade disputes with the US?  The answer seems to be "yes", he is undermining negotiations by simply not showing up.

🚨 CARNEY MISSING IN ACTION 🚨
The U.S. ambassador says Canada and the U.S. are “not anywhere close” to a trade framework.

Now Mexico’s economy secretary says Canada was absent from negotiations.

So what exactly has Mark Carney been doing? pic.twitter.com/dUd7srnGJ8

— Northern Perspective (@NorthrnPrspectv) June 24, 2026

The idea that Canada and Europe will be able to form a counter-economy to the US ignores the fact that the US makes up 30% of global consumer spending.  No other nation comes close.  Even with the struggles of inflation, US consumer markets are a clear driver of trade around the world and there is no replacement.  

The idea of a joint Canada/EU alternative also ignores the fact that these countries are largely socialist, which means their populations are crushed by high taxes, overwhelming bureaucracy and regulations that kill small businesses.  Even if these countries work together, they will never have the business momentum required to drive growth.  They are a lost cause that will sink further and further into full blown communist as a way to compensate.    

Donald Trump's trade and tariff negotiations have sought to correct the unfair imbalances created by NAFTA under Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.  This agreement created the primary nexus point for the globalization of the US economy and it was the final nail in the coffin for US manufacturing.  Both Canada and Mexico were heavily enriched by the trade boost and cross border investments tripled while production jobs flowed out of the US.

The end goal of globalization is clear by the trade agreements that globalists create:  The goal is artificial international wealth redistribution by forcing top tier economies to give up their advantages to smaller economies.  In other words, wealthy countries are being incrementally degraded to make them equal with the lowest common denominator.

The more the US seeks to emulate European models, the more the economy declines.  The same will happen to Canada.  The country does have the means to be far more independent and self reliant, but that would require a dramatic change in national leadership (a conservative and pro-business regime).  It doesn't look like this will happen anytime soon, and so, Canada faces a long and arduous path to financial oblivion. 

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 20:30

YouTube Settles With Florida Teen Alleging Social Media Addiction Harms Ahead Of California Trial

Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times,

Google's YouTube has settled a lawsuit brought by a 16-year-old Florida boy who says the platform's features played a role in his social media addiction and harmed his mental health.

A 12-year-old boy watches YouTube on his smartphone on March 27, 2026. Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

The settlement was reached ahead of a second California state court trial set to start on July 27. That trial will review similar allegations against Meta Platforms' Instagram, Snap Inc.'s Snapchat, and ByteDance's TikTok.

California state court filings portray the plaintiff, identified only as R.K.C., as first using social media at about age 8. He says he became addicted, lost sleep, and developed depression and anxiety.

Terms of the agreement between YouTube and the teenager were not disclosed.

"YouTube's decision to resolve this case before having to face a jury speaks for itself," the plaintiff's attorneys, John Morgan and Emily Jeffcott, said. "We will continue fighting on behalf of all those affected by social media addiction to bring these companies to justice and compel them to prioritize the safety of their young users over their bottom lines."

Meanwhile, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda noted the company's continuing work on safety tools.

"Our focus remains on building age-appropriate products and parental controls that deliver on that promise," he said in a statement.

The settlement follows a March verdict in a separate California case, in which a jury determined that Meta and Google were negligent after a young woman alleged that attention-grabbing design features on YouTube and Instagram played a role in her addiction.

Meta was instructed to pay $4.2 million in damages, and Google $1.8 million. A judge dismissed the companies' request to set aside the verdict earlier this month.

More than 3,300 lawsuits regarding addiction claims against social media companies are pending in California state court. Another 2,600 cases brought by individuals, school districts, municipalities, and states are pending in federal court in California.

States Pursue Claims

In May, a Kentucky school district settled with Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube before trial. The companies paid the district $27 million in total.

A jury in New Mexico ordered Meta in March to pay $375 million after finding that the company misrepresented the safety of its platforms for young users.

Nearly every state has filed lawsuits in local courts alleging that the companies misrepresented platform safety for young users and created services to addict children.

The July trial in California is the second in state court to test claims that social media platforms are intentionally engineered to be addictive and that this design has played a role in a youth mental health crisis.

Plaintiffs argue that attention-grabbing design features and other elements ensure that young users are engaged to an excessive degree, contributing to mental health problems.

Defense arguments in previous proceedings have pointed to other potential causes for the difficulties experienced by young people, including family circumstances and individual factors.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 20:05

China Eyes Iran's Postwar Reconstruction In Bid To Lock Up Future Oil Supplies

Beijing is positioning itself to lead the post-war reconstruction effort in Tehran - a move analysts suggest could secure China long-term access to critical Iranian oil reserves.

The diplomatic groundwork was laid during a recent meeting in New Delhi between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, according to Nikkei Asia. The talks underscore China's broader strategy to expand its economic and diplomatic footprint in the Middle East amid the vacuum left in the wake of one failed US regime change and occupation war after another.

According to the report, Wang signaled Beijing's long-term commitment to the Islamic Republic in the wake of prior weeks of heavy US-Israeli bombing, stating that: "China will continue to provide assistance to Iran while supporting reconstruction and peacebuilding efforts in the region."

via Reuters

To date, China's official involvement has largely centered on humanitarian logistics - at least according to its public-facing narrative.

This includes an upcoming deployment of emergency medical supplies to Lebanon, following recent Israeli military strikes in the country. However, observers note that the transition from humanitarian relief to large-scale infrastructure development is a key mechanism for Beijing to solidify energy security.

Nikkei Asia has issued the following commentary on China's long-term plans in the Middle East:

Some observers argue that the U.S.-Iran war has strengthened Beijing's presence in the Middle East. Rumi Aoyama, a professor at Japan's Waseda University specializing in Chinese diplomacy, called China a "central hub where information on the situation in the Middle East was concentrated."

China has dialogue channels with both Washington and Tehran, and it enjoys friendly ties with mediator Pakistan as an arms supplier. The Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers frequently visited China during negotiations on ending the war to report on the situation.

The Iran war may also have worked to Beijing's advantage in its dealings with Washington. With the U.S. prioritizing that conflict, it has been forced to ease up its pressure on China with regard to security and trade.

Yet Beijing has still welcomed the memorandum of understanding toward ending the war because stability in the Middle East is crucial for its energy security. Higher fuel and material prices caused by the war have dealt a blow to the Chinese economy.

Tehran, facing severe economic devastation and isolation from Western markets, has welcomed the Chinese overtures. High-level Iranian officials have made it clear they view Beijing not merely as an investor, but as a strategic anchor - akin to how defense ties with Russia have rapidly improved.

China has long been seen by outside observers as focusing on its soft power, such as through Xi's Belt and Road Initiative.

While Western policy has relied heavily on military intervention, Beijing is leveraging capital and reconstruction agreements to cement its influence over the Persian Gulf's energy infrastructure.

As we noted previously, China - the world’s largest oil importer - sharply reduced crude imports after the conflict erupted in late February as prices initially spiked, sending oil imports to a 9 year low, a key reason why oil prices did not spike even higher in the past few months.

Also as Bloomberg has noted, the nation’s sustained slowdown in flows has brought into focus a nationwide shift away from fossil fuels that’s been driven by greater electrification.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 19:40

Chicago Teachers Seek Billions In Special Session For "What We Are Owed"

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has long been one of the most radical labor organizations in the country from its insistence on teachers being subsidized in political protests to members praising the former Communist regime in Venezuela. Now, with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the CTU is demanding yet another massive public infusion of money despite the dismal performance of its members in actually improving scores for Chicago children. They are calling for a special session and billions in more funding.

We have previously discussed how teacher unions have become virtual slush funds for Democratic Party operations, spending over a billion dollars on Democratic candidates and campaigns. In return, Democratic politicians have agreed to bloated pension and compensation packages that have driven cities and states into the red, particularly in Illinois.

It is a closed loop of influence and excess. The teacher unions funded Democratic campaigns and Democratic politicians then sign off on windfall union contracts without forcing any improvements for the actual students.

For these students, the system borders on the criminal. Rather than actually improve their educational results, the Chicago teachers (like unions and administrators in other cities) have lowered their proficiency standards. Even with that lowering, just 2 out of 5 children meet the lower proficiency standards. Forty percent of Chicago students are "chronically absent" from class.

According to the latest Illinois Report Card, 38% of the state's public school students demonstrated proficiency in math last year. 52% showed ELA proficiency.

Nevertheless, teachers demanded the right to join May Day protests during work hours to speak against immigration enforcement, billionaires, and oligarchs. They called on citizens to boycott stores to oppose the super-wealthy and billionaires.

They are now demanding a special session to fund what "we are owed."

Chicago Board of Education member Jitu Brown demanded "The $2 billion that we are owed just adequately funds, but when you are repairing harm you have to fund above and beyond." Brown called on Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who was previously a Chicago teacher and is generally viewed as owing his election to the unions, to repeat his December 2025 $1 billion tax-increment-financing push for the Chicago Public Schools.

As always, the CTU and IFT President Stacy Davis Gates framed the demand in class-warfare terms, calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to convene a special legislative session to raise revenue from the "ultra-wealthy."

Of course, Pritzker did not respond by raising concerns about the dismal educational record for students, but by promising more money. While he acknowledged that they have increased spending every year, with the budget hitting $3 billion, he said the unions are right that they need even more money.

Notably, both the IFT and CTU are demanding that Pritzker reject a federal tax credit scholarship program that would provide tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations that fund education-related expenses for students in public, private, and homeschool settings.

The unions oppose any voucher system that would give poor families a real choice in seeking better education for their children. Both AFT president Randi Weingarten and NEA president Rebecca S. Pringle opposed voucher options.

Some of us have changed our views of vouchers in light of the stranglehold these unions have on public education.

Decades ago, my parents helped create an organization to stem the exodus of families from public schools and to reinforce academic standards in the Chicago Public School system. They convinced more families to remain in the system because they believed (as I do) that public schools can play a critical role in shaping citizens through diverse, shared experiences.

I was long skeptical of voucher systems because of that commitment to public education. However, teacher unions and administrators are destroying public education in America. They are treating families as captive audiences while infusing education with social and political agendas. The only way to break this decades-long cycle of failure, in my opinion, is to give families alternatives by allowing them to send their children to schools with core educational priorities (as opposed to advocacy).

Of course, none of this matters when teachers' unions are funneling over a billion dollars into Democratic campaign coffers. This is all part of a pay-to-play operation. The unions fund Democratic campaigns and then Democratic politicians fund bloated union contracts. Teachers then cycle some of this money back into Democratic campaigns in a self-perpetuating machine. The only losers are the taxpayers and, more importantly, the children.

Time to cue Pringle on using their massive political campaign chests to "win all the things":

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 19:15

How Hakeem Jeffries Is In Big Trouble Politically After The Primaries

Tuesday night in New York City was no routine Democratic primary. Instead, it turned into a referendum on the Democratic Party itself, and the party lost.

Three socialist-backed candidates, backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, won their races. The Democratic establishment got slaughtered, and the man left holding the wreckage is House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

Every candidate Jeffries backed went down. That alone would be a bad night. What made it worse was the scene at the victory party for socialist-backed winner Claire Valdez, where the crowd erupted in boos when Jeffries's image appeared on screen, then broke into a chant: "You're next," a clear sign that his leadership position won't protect him from being a target of the Democratic Socialists of America Party.

The reaction from the crowd to @RepJeffries pic.twitter.com/hxqaFQCLdT

— katie honan (@katie_honan) June 24, 2026

The Republican National Congressional Committee read the room and sent Jeffries flowers and a condolence card. "Three losses in one night is tough," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said. "We wanted so-called 'Leader' Jeffries to know our thoughts are with him, his candidates, and whatever remains of his influence in the Democrat Party." When the opposition party is sending you sympathy arrangements, you've had a historically bad evening.

NEW: The @NRCC has delivered flowers and a condolences card to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) DC office after the House candidates he endorsed lost to Mamdani-backed socialists in NY last night. NRCC statement to @FoxNews: "Three losses in one night is tough. We… pic.twitter.com/tBhVrRZYzH

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 24, 2026

The casualties weren't minor figures. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), a long-term incumbent who chaired the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, lost his seat. So did Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), who built his national profile as lead counsel for House Democrats during Donald Trump's first impeachment. Goldman is no moderate, and was arguably a hero of the left for years, yet voters in his own district just showed him the door because Mamdani wanted someone else.

What Tuesday revealed is something the Democratic establishment has been reluctant to admit: its own primary voters have turned against it. These aren't Republicans crossing over to cause chaos. These are Democrat voters who want to torch the house from the inside, and are using the Democratic Party infrastructure to do it.

Former DNC chairman Jaime Harrison saw it clearly enough to say something about it. "I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don't run for our nomination," Harrison wrote on X Tuesday night. "Don't use our resources. Don't rely on our volunteers. Don't use our infrastructure. Don't ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support. Political parties aren't perfect, but they're built by millions of people who knock doors, make calls, organize meetings, and fight for the values they believe in. If you don't believe in the party, then don't ask its members to carry you across the finish line."

I say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don't run for our nomination. Don't use our resources. Don't rely on our volunteers. Don't use our infrastructure. Don't ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support. Political parties aren't perfect, but they're built by millions of people who knock doors, make calls, organize meetings, and fight for the values they believe in. If you don't believe in the party, then don't ask its members to carry you across the finish line.

— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) June 23, 2026

Harrison is right about what's happening, even if his party built the conditions that made it inevitable. The Democratic Socialists of America have figured out a remarkably efficient strategy of running as insurgent candidates in Democratic Party primaries. They're parasites running on a host they intend to replace. And right now, they've got Jeffries in their crosshairs.

Jeffries survived Tuesday's primaries because nobody ran against him. But the DSA has now demonstrated it can knock off a caucus chairman and a nationally known impeachment lawyer in a single night. An emboldened socialist movement likely won't let Jeffries coast through the next cycle without a primary challenge. The "You're next" chant wasn't an empty slogan, but a promise.

The broader implications extend well past New York. Socialist candidates winning primaries in deep blue districts may feel like a local story, but the pull it exerts on the national party is real. Every time the Democrats lurch further left to appease their activist base, they surrender more ground with the centrist voters they need to appeal to nationally to win elections. The American electorate outside deep blue cities like New York City is not particularly receptive to socialism, and Republicans will spend the next two years making sure voters in swing districts understand exactly what the Democratic Party now stands for.

Jeffries entered Tuesday as the leader of House Democrats and the presumptive future Speaker. He exited it as a man his own base wants to bury. That's a hard thing to recover from, and the people who want him gone are just getting started.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 18:50

Qualcomm To Design China-Specific Data Center Chip In Compliance With US Export Curbs

Qualcomm unveiled its data center chip lineup on Wednesday, becoming the latest chipmaker to enter the AI processor race in an attempt to challenge market leader Nvidia. CEO Cristiano Amon told Nikkei Asia the company is eyeing the China market for its data center products, including designing chips specifically for Chinese customers that are in compliance with U.S. export controls.

The mobile chip giant is revamping the design of data center processors, which is traditionally powered by graphic processing units (GPUs) and high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. 

Amon teased Dragonfly - a dedicated brand for AI data center solutions designed to break Nvidia's grip on AI infrastructure - at the Computex trade show in Taipei early this month. 

The company unveiled more details about Dragonfly at its investor day in New York on Wednesday. Dragonfly encompasses four product lines: AI accelerators, data center CPUs, custom silicons and connectivity chips. Amon said Qualcomm is working to bring all four data center product lines to China, including customized AI accelerators for the Chinese market that will comply with US export controls limiting advanced AI chips sales above certain threshold.

"We have a big business in China, and I think as we started to diversify the company, our partnership with China and our China customers also expanded," said Amon, adding the relationship with Chinese smartphone makers and auto companies is also going to be "a strength that we're going to bring on the data center side. " However, "there are very clear guidelines about how you can ship products to China, and we have versions of all of our products that comply with those guidelines, " he said. "We are engaged in conversations and are positively optimistic about the reaction we're getting."

Qualcomm's data center processor features a design that differs from AI racks deployed in data centers. Dubbed high bandwidth compute (HBC), Qualcomm said the near-memory compute design will make its data center chips deliver six times the bandwidth per watt versus HBM-based solutions.

The data center compute market is dominated by AI racks powered by Nvidia's GPUs and HBM chips that are produced by South Korean companies SK Hynix and Samsung. Both Samsung and SK Hynix are also working on near-memory and on-memory compute as memory capacity becomes the latest AI deployment bottleneck.

Amon said the HBC will be different from the processing-in-memory (PIM) architecture other memory chipmakers are developing.

"This is a very unique technology that allows you to develop 3D-stacking of the DRAM alongside logic that is built for the accelerator," he said, adding that HBC significantly increases available memory, reduces bandwidth bottleneck and improves compute efficiency.

As the global memory chip crunch continues, Amon said they have secured enough memory for its data center products in fiscal year 2027 and the new HBC technology will also help ease the memory chip shortage.

"This technology is starting to get interest, we now have memory vendors, small and large ones, now engaging with Qualcomm and want to partner with Qualcomm on HBC," the CEO said.

In addition to better compute performance, Qualcomm said the HBC architecture also uses less energy and costs less to own. In video messages, Microsoft and Meta CEOs said the two companies' data centers will be early adopters of Qualcomm's data center chips including HBC and CPUs.

Qualcomm said the first HBC chip will ship with its AI250 data center rack in fiscal year 2027. The company told investors Wednesday the new data center products are expected to bring in $300 million in revenue in the current fiscal year, and $5 billion in fiscal year 2027, which starts in October. Qualcomm estimates the total addressable market for data center chips will be more than $1 trillion by 2029 and the company will take a more-than-5% share of that market.

At the Wednesday keynote, Amon said it is "never too late" for Qualcomm to enter the data center chip business because "this is a market that moves very, very fast. So, if you have technology leadership, there's always room for you."

In addition to AI accelerators powered by the new HBC design, Qualcomm also unveiled a CPU designed for data centers and AI inference, announcing the company has won "two major hyperscaler deals" for custom-designed data center chips that will bring in "meaningful revenue" by the end of the year.

Amon also touted a close partnership with the contract chipmaking giant TSMC that will give it a leg up in the data center chip race.

"As soon as TSMC finishes the mask, we go to production, and we go to production at scale. That's the maturity of our manufacturing capabilities," said Amon. 

It is yet to be seen if Qualcomm can convince investors and customers alike to be a competitive alternative to Nvidia products.

"Current data center revenues remain de minimis and reliant on Qualcomm proving they are able to bring strong CPU [and] NPU performance from consumer devices to more complex data center workloads," Vivek Arya, analyst at Bank of America, said in a note Tuesday, adding that Qualcomm is entering a "fast-growing but hyper competitive AI market full of large incumbents."

NPU refers to neural processing units, hardware designed to perform AI computing tasks.

Ahead of an investor meeting Wednesday, Qualcomm announced the acquisition of chip software startup Modular Inc. in an all-stock deal valued at nearly $4 billion that will help Qualcomm compete with Nvidia's CUDA ecosystem.

In addition to its advanced AI processors, Nvidia's lead in the data center market is solidified by the CUDA computing platform that makes its AI chips more efficient and easier to program.

On Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told the annual shareholders meeting that while his company's systems "may not be the cheapest to produce, to purchase, but Nvidia generates the lowest cost tokens, the highest token throughput and the most revenues. "

Bloomberg reported last month that Qualcomm had struck a deal with ByteDance to supply the Chinese tech giant with custom AI data center chips. The deal is structured to fall within existing U.S. export control thresholds, a design choice that signals Qualcomm's intent to capture Chinese AI demand without irritating the White House.

The U.S. chip giant will likely face similar regulatory scrutiny as Nvidia and others over China exports.

The Trump administration unveiled new guidelines for the export of powerful AI chips to Chinese entities outside of China in June. The U.S. Department of Commerce said it will implement license requirements for Chinese companies headquartered in China, even if they are physically located outside the country.

China accounted for 46% of Qualcomm's revenue in 2025, mostly from smartphone chips. Qualcomm's CEO was part of a high-profile business delegation that accompanied Trump when he visited President Xi Jinping in China this May. Amon said Wednesday the company's presence at the leaders summit is an example of what a "win-win" relationship between the two countries looks like.

Amon said the epicenter of AI agent development is in China, with new agentic use cases emerging across platforms from smartphones and glasses to cars.

"Actually, when I talk about China, I am in a situation right now that I don't know who the mobile customers are anymore, because there are OEMs, but every single AI foundational model company building agents also are customers," he said.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm announced a deal with Saudi Arabian AI company Humain, which has committed to deploying 200 megawatts of Qualcomm accelerator racks, beginning this year.

The world's leading mobile chip developer, Qualcomm, has long been a leader in premium chips for flagship smartphones such as Samsung Electronics and Xiaomi, and has gradually expanded into the PC market. It announced its first chip for budget PCs at Computex in Taipei earlier this month.

Qualcomm still generates most of its revenue from mobile chips. For the latest quarter, its handset chip business reported a 13% year-on-year revenue drop to $6 billion, which accounted for 57% of its revenue in the January to March quarter. Its Internet of Things business, which includes PC chips, recorded a 9% sales jump on the year to $1.7 billion. By fiscal year 2029, however, the company expects handsets to account for only a third of revenue with data center products on par with smartphone chips.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 18:00

Adani Targets 10 GW Nuclear Power Capacity In India By 2035

By Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com

Adani Group, the conglomerate of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, could become India’s biggest private nuclear power capacity developer within a decade, targeting 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2035, as India opened its civil nuclear power sector to private investment. 

“Our entry into nuclear energy through Adani Atomic Energy is another confident step towards securing India's long-term energy future,” Gautam Adani said at the annual general meeting of Adani Group on Wednesday. 

“With land identified and a 10 GW targeted capacity by 2035, we are positioning ourselves early to serve the growing national demand for clean, round-the-clock power,” the billionaire said. 

A panel set up by India’s power ministry has said in a report that India’s goal to boost its installed nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047, up from just 8.8 GW now, would require as much as 19.28 trillion Indian rupees, or $204 billion at current exchange rates, of cumulative capital.   

The Indian government has said that its Nuclear Energy Mission targets 100 GW capacity by 2047 “through deployment of existing and emerging advanced nuclear technologies, both indigenous & with foreign cooperation.” 

Adani Group is reportedly in talks with the state government of India’s northern Uttar Pradesh state on a public-private partnership to build small modular reactors (SMRs) as India opens its nuclear energy sector to private investment.

Adani is in discussions with Uttar Pradesh officials to build eight SMRs with capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) each at yet-to-be-identified sites in the state, anonymous sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg at the end of 2025.  

If the group meets its target to have 10 GW in nuclear capacity by 2035, it would become India’s third-largest operator of nuclear power capacity behind state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and state coal giant NTPC Limited. NPCIL currently operates all of India’s 8 GW of nuclear power capacity. 

Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries of another billionaire, Mukesh Ambani, is also considering investments in India’s nuclear power sector after the opening to private capital.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 17:40

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Admin's Mail-In Voting Restrictions, National Voter Database For Midterms

A federal judge in Boston has blocked key parts of President Donald Trump’s March executive order that sought to impose new limits on mail-in voting and create a nationwide list of eligible voters using federal citizenship data. The ruling, issued June 25 by Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, prevents the administration from enforcing the directives for the November midterms in the two dozen Democratic-led states and jurisdictions that challenged the order.

Judge Indira Talwani

Talwani found that no federal law authorizes the government to build the type of voter database outlined in the order or to use the threat of criminal prosecution to pressure state and local election officials into using it. The March order directed the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to compile a national list of potentially eligible voters based on citizenship information and share it with states. It also called for new design standards for mail ballot envelopes and directed the U.S. Postal Service to create its own list of voters eligible to receive mail ballots.

The judge wrote that there was no US law that authorized the federal government to create the type of voter databases Trump had called for and to use the threat of criminal prosecution to “intimidate” state and local officials into using those lists. -Bloomberg

The decision - which came one day after Postmaster General David Steiner told lawmakers that the USPS will no longer deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide voter data - adds to the legal obstacles facing the administration’s election-related initiatives as officials race to implement changes before the midterms. Challengers argued the order represented an improper federal intrusion into state-run elections and risked disrupting preparations and disenfranchising eligible voters. The administration has maintained that the steps are needed to strengthen election integrity and address concerns about fraud.

The U.S. Postal Service has been developing a proposed rule, required under the same March executive order, that would condition delivery of mail ballots on states providing lists of eligible absentee voters to the federal government. Steiner described the measure as a way to ensure ballots reach only eligible voters. Democratic lawmakers criticized the proposal as an overreach into state election authority. The rule is undergoing public comment and faces its own legal challenges.

Trump, meanwhile, has also pushed Republican lawmakers to pass legislation containing proof-of-citizenship and other voting restrictions, including the SAVE Act. During a fiery June 24 meeting with Senate Republicans, he declined to sign a bipartisan housing bill until Congress advances the voting measures. The closed-door session highlighted tensions within the party, though Republican leaders emphasized the need for unity ahead of the midterms. Trump and his allies argue that stronger verification requirements are essential to maintain public confidence in elections.

The order comes one day after another Obama-appointed federal judge in Boston blocked key portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order overhauling federal election procedures, ruling that the president exceeded his constitutional authority by attempting to impose new voting requirements without congressional approval.

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper concluded that the Constitution gives primary authority over elections to the states and Congress, not the executive branch. The ruling makes permanent a preliminary injunction Casper issued last year in a lawsuit filed by Democratic attorneys general from 19 states.

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 17:20

Hegseth Hails First Test Of America's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Shield

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

The Pentagon has carried out the first milestone test of the Golden Dome for America missile defense program, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on June 23 that an autonomous targeting system and directed-energy technology successfully intercepted a series of simulated incoming threats.

Declaring the test a “full mission success,” Hegseth said in a statement on social media that the system detected, tracked, targeted, and destroyed multiple drone and cruise missile threats, marking a watershed moment for President Donald Trump’s signature homeland missile defense shield.

“President Trump is making President [Ronald] Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) vision a reality,” Hegseth said. “With Golden Dome, the War Department will defend our homeland more powerfully than ever before. Golden Dome is real, powerful, and on track.”

Hegseth said the demonstration showcased next-generation military technologies and represented a major step toward building what the administration has described as a multilayered shield against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and drones.

“Golden Dome is the decisive response to a new era of threats,” Gen. Mike Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome for America program, said in an April update on the system.

“We are moving with purpose and urgency to forge a shield that is layered, integrated, and automated.”

The test comes about a month after Trump announced that the Department of War had selected a final architecture for the Golden Dome.

“It should be fully operational before the end of my term,” Trump said on May 20 at the White House, describing the $175 billion program as a “state-of-the-art” system that includes space-based sensors and interceptors.

“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they’re launched from space. And we will have the best system ever built.”

Speaking alongside Trump during the Oval Office announcement in May, Hegseth said that there were a number of parallels between the Golden Dome system and the Strategic Defense Initiative put forward by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, sometimes referred to as “Star Wars.”

“President Reagan, 40 years ago, cast the vision for it. The technology wasn’t there. Now it is, and you’re following through,” Hegseth told Trump.

During his first week back in office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive missile defense plan, initially under the moniker “Iron Dome for America.”

Trump’s order called for expanded use of space-based sensors and interceptors while also directing the Pentagon to develop and deploy nonkinetic technologies such as directed-energy systems, including lasers.

“The threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States,” Trump wrote in the order, lauding the Reagan-era vision for a nationwide missile defense shield and the technological advances it brought about—while noting that Reagan’s program “was canceled before its goal could be realized.”

The June 23 test appeared to demonstrate some of the capabilities outlined in Trump’s order. Hegseth highlighted the use of directed-energy technology and an autonomous targeting system known as the dynamic defense autonomous defeat system to eliminate “a multitude of incoming threats.”

“This test was executed on schedule—and dynamically defeated every threat,” he said.

Trump has said Canada is interested in taking part in the Golden Dome initiative as part of broader efforts to bolster North American missile defenses.

“Canada wants to be a part of it,” Trump said during the May announcement. “We'll work with them on pricing.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 17:00

Mayor Blames "Slavery" As Chicago Wrestles With Deadly Crime Spree

The city of Chicago, long run by Democrats, has an infamous black crime problem.  Over the course of Father's Day weekend around 47 people were shot and 8 people killed, with a 105% increase in violent crime compared to 2025.  On "Juneteenth", a drive-by mass shooting in Princeton Park injured at least 12–14 people with over 100 shell casings recovered. 

The situation is so bad that many black commentators are starting to speak out, demanding to know why black Americans can't seem to stop killing each other.

Stephen A. Smith: "Every time we turn around, there's something going on in Chicago. And the vast majority of victims happen to be black. When we gon' speak about that? Same energy, y'all."pic.twitter.com/oeb0mKDLmN

Honestly I kinda like that common sense is making a comeback.…

— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) June 24, 2026

All the evidence, all the data, suggests that Father's Day weekend violence in the black community is so egregious exactly because there are almost no fathers.  In Chicago, 80% of all black births are to single mothers and 72% of black children live in single parent households, compared to a national average of 25% across all ethnic groups.  Approximately 70% of all juveniles facing incarceration come from single parent households.  

Coupled with an overall culture that idolizes violence and lacks basic impulse control learned from proper parenting, the source of the problem is clear.  Democrats, however, have a different theory. 

In a press conference addressing Chicago's national embarrassment, Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson diverted the discussion into his own personal pet project on reparations.  He argues that the "history of slavery" in the US is the source of income inequality; insinuating that income inequality is the root cause of violent crime in the black community.  In other words, black-on-black crime is somehow all white people's fault.

40+ shot over the weekend in Chicago and Mayor Johnson is talking about … "slavery continuing to harm Chicago" pic.twitter.com/0qEQ2qyRGy

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 23, 2026

🚨 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is easily the dumbest mayor in America — and he still got elected by people even dumber than him.

Good grief. 🤦‍♀️

This clown isn’t even a basic history buff: praising Johnson while bashing Nixon?

Meanwhile, 40 shot and 8 killed in Chicago over… pic.twitter.com/xmPy2l3cro

— GRANDPA’s FREE ADVICE (@GOP_is_Gutless) June 23, 2026

The running theme among minority groups (and liberals in general) in the US is a complete lack of accountability for their own actions.  Because slavery or segregation existed in the past, people who have never experienced either of these things believe they have a scapegoat for all the problems within their culture.  It doesn't work that way.

The Chicago Mayor asserts that government handouts or reparations will solve the black crime issue, but the black community had much lower crime rates in the 1940s-1950s before welfare became ubiquitous and during segregation.  In the 1960s when segregation was ended and President Johnson introduced his "Great Society" programs, crime among blacks skyrocketed.  Clearly, something happened and it wasn't slavery or segregation. 

Mayor Johnson has refused to counter criminal activity, blocking motions to enforce curfews for minors who now engage in "teen takeovers" or flash mobs that hijack city streets and consistently end in looting, property damage and shootings.  City officials are asking the teens what they think should be done, and of course, they think less restrictions are the answer.

Chicago City Council just hosted "teens" for advice about "teen takeovers" and crime.

Their solution? Less restrictions. pic.twitter.com/o3zOUx7rC1

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 24, 2026

It is typical of progressive leaders and fatherless cultures to suggest more unfettered freedom is the magic salve to end crime among young people, when the opposite is what's called for.  Clearly black households in Chicago lack basic parenting restrictions that usually keep underdeveloped teen brains in check.  The only answer, then, is for the city to act as the parent, enforcing curfews and other measures until the deeper problem can be fixed.

🚨WHAT ON EARTH?!!!!

Hundreds of cars were vandalized in Chicago after police broke up a "teen takeover" and kids began fleeing by JUMPING ON CARS AND SMASHING WINDSHIELDS!!!

WHERE ARE THE PARENTS OF THESE KIDS???!!!!!!!

THIS HAS GOT TO STOP!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/n59199CtGL

— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) May 25, 2026

Instead, progressive officials turn to irrational teens for advice on what to do while blaming "white supremacy" as the culprit behind everything wrong in their lives.  There is no fixing Chicago - Not without a radical change in leadership and some tough love for black communities.   

Tyler Durden Thu, 06/25/2026 - 16:40