Aggregator

We'll witness a clash of generations at the French Open on Friday morning.

I proudly consider myself a Fanttik fanatic (and you will be too.)

France To Reimburse Patients For Anti-Obesity Drugs

Authored by Guy Birchall via The Epoch Times,

France is set to begin reimbursing severely obese people for the cost of weight-loss drugs, French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said on May 28.

Wegovy at a pharmacy in London on March 8, 2024. Hollie Adams/Reuters

She said that Paris would subsidize the use of Danish company Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and American pharma giant Eli Lilly's Mounjaro from mid-June.

"I am quite proud, because we are the first country in the European Union to provide reimbursement ... on a permanent basis," Rist told French broadcaster TFI.

Officially, reimbursement will cover 65 percent of the cost of the weight-loss drugs, "but almost all patients will be covered" in full if they have "comorbidities, such as high blood pressure or diabetes," she said.

"For the vast majority, it will be 100 percent reimbursement," Rist added.

She said the eligibility criteria for the scheme would remain strict.

"It was decided to reimburse these medicines for people with severe obesity, with a body mass index above 35 with comorbidities, or above 40. These are people who may be candidates for surgery, for an operation to treat their obesity, and who will be able to receive these medicines if the doctor considers that they should be prescribed," Rist said.

She estimated the cost to French public finances at "around 100 million euros [$116 million] annually."

Elsewhere in Europe, though outside the EU, the UK and Switzerland both subsidize the use of similar weight-loss medications, known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s).

GLP-1s are hormones produced naturally within the body that regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite.

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) offers limited access to such drugs, with medications prescribed and a standard prescription fee of 9.90 pounds per item (about $13.26), or free, depending on the patient's circumstances.

In Switzerland, people who meet certain criteria are also eligible for reimbursement for the use of Wegovy under the government's mandatory health insurance scheme.

Further afield, Japan operates a scheme similar to Switzerland's, while Canada last month approved the sale of generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, paving the way for more widespread subsidized prescriptions for the medication. In Canada, the availability of subsidized Ozempic varies by province.

In the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 1 that Medicare patients will soon be able to obtain coverage for weight-loss drugs for $50 per month.

Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump said coverage for weight-loss and diabetes medications will begin in July.

"Today, I'm thrilled to announce that starting on July 1, we will also provide Medicare patients with the coverage for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound, Wegovy," he said. "So if it was $1,300, now it's $50. And the $1,300 doesn't cover a whole month. So it's really even more than that. So it's now down to $50."

In December 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a voluntary model known as Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive Health to expand access to GLP-1 medications for weight management and metabolic health, allowing Medicare Part D plans and state Medicaid agencies to cover the drugs while negotiating lower prices.

The model, which would enable the CMS to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices and standard terms of coverage, was initially expected to launch in January 2027, but officials said in April it would be delayed "pending further evaluation and data collection."

The CMS said in April that it would extend its bridge program, a short-term solution to provide eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries with access to certain GLP-1 drugs, until December 2027.

Part D refers to the prescription drug benefit run by private insurers approved by Medicare. CMS stated on its website that the bridge program would "operate outside of the Medicare Part D benefit's coverage and payment flow."

Overweight people walk through the city center in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oct. 10, 2006. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Tyler Durden Fri, 05/29/2026 - 05:00

Rescuers working at a flooded cave in Laos said Friday that they were trying to drain water out to help extricate five villagers who have been trapped for more than a week.

Vance Says Trump Not Ready To Approve Iran Deal, Citing Distance On Nuclear Issue Summary

• Rtrs citing Iran's Fars: Iran's armed forces carries out a missile launch operation from southern regions of the country toward specified targets. Reports of US ships targeted (unconfirmed); also 'warning shots' fired on 'illicit' vessels.
• Per Axios: "U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give it his final approval."
• Unconfirmed reports of Ayatollah denial of MOU.
• Saudi state media reports Pakistan is seeking to convince Washington to allow transfer of Iran's highly enriched uranium to China (Al Hadath).
• Iran launches ballistic missile on US base in Kuwait, which was reportedly intercepted by Kuwaiti forces.
• Fresh launch is retaliation for prior evening's skirmish involving US intercepting Iranian drones, and targeting coastal launch location.

//--> //--> //--> US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?
Yes 42% · No 59%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

*  *  *

Vance says Trump Not Ready to Approve MOU with Tehran

Vice President J.D. Vance says that US President Trump is not yet ready to endorse the Iran agreement, but still noted that US and Iran made a lot of progress towards a ceasefire deal, according to AFP

The US and Iran remain at odds on uranium enrichment and stockpiles, he confirmed. And further:

US VP Vance says US and Iran are exchanging proposals regarding some drafting points including issue of enrichment, adds time is still early to know when an agreement with Iran will be reached and if it will happen at all

Reports of New Military Incident in Hormuz Strait

Following earlier reports of the US & Iran having tentatively reached a Memorandum of Understanding on 60-day truce for talks, and pending Trump's approval, there has been fresh Thursday night (local time) chatter out of Iran on potential fresh attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel and US media correspondents have commented based on emerging accounts of Iranian sources: Iran has reportedly targeted American ships in Hormuz. Times of Israel writes:

The fresh fighting appeared to begin when Iranian forces fired at four ships attempting to cross the strait, state broadcaster IRIB reported on Thursday.

“Four vessels attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz and enter the Persian Gulf without coordination with the security forces,” IRIB posted on Telegram, saying the incident took place at around 12:35 a.m. local time. It did not provide details on the ships.

“They were warned, but after they ignored the warning, warning shots were fired at them, forcing them to return,” the broadcaster added.

Iranian channels claim that Iran targeted 4 American ships that attempted to cross Hormuz https://t.co/LOIvivvamF

— Guy Elster גיא אלסטר (@guyelster) May 28, 2026

And Reuters:

IRAN'S FARS: IRAN'S ARMED FORCES CARRIES OUT A MISSILE LAUNCH OPERATION FROM SOUTHERN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY TOWARD SPECIFIED TARGETS

Israel's Channel 12 also cited Iranian 'opposition sources' to say that there was a missile launch observed near the city of Bushehr in southern Iran. If this fresh incident is confirmed, it would mark the third such clash between US and Iranian forces in the contested waters within just a couple days.

Some latest on MOU status:

⚡️Iranian official tells me that from Iran’s perspective, there is a final draft of an MOU w/ the U.S. But Iran has zero trust in Trump or the U.S. word & can’t rule out chance of more U.S.-Israeli strikes. Therefore Iran is proceeding cautiously on any official announcement.…

— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) May 28, 2026 Bessent: We are being Patient, & Strikes could Come Back

Q: The US attacked Iranian drones, and this morning CENTCOM accused Iran of an 'egregious ceasefire violation.' How can the administration still argue that a ceasefire is in effect?

BESSENT: We are being patient. But if the president doesn't think he can get a peace deal, then… pic.twitter.com/Aqe6RL7e2b

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 28, 2026 Reports that Ayatollah has Not Accepted MOU

And very quickly on the heels of the Axios report, there chatter that the Iranian side has not actually approved:

Reports Mojtaba Khamenei Did Not Approve Deal - i24 @AmichaiStein1 https://t.co/cUVMLI3YDy pic.twitter.com/K1PiYumQLU

— LiveSquawk (@LiveSquawk) May 28, 2026 Oil Tumbles on Reported MOU Breakthrough

Per Barak Ravid: "U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give it his final approval," two US officials have told Axios. This could be the hugest diplomatic breakthrough yet, after weeks of stalled talks, but it awaits President Trump's.

"U.S. officials said the deal terms were mostly agreed as of Tuesday, but both sides still needed to get approval from senior leadership," Axios notes by way of caveat. According to some emerging details from the report:

• The U.S. officials claimed the Iranians later came back and said they had the necessary approvals and were prepared to sign. Iran has not confirmed that.
• The U.S. negotiators briefed Trump on the details of the final deal and he asked to take a few days to think about it.
• "The president relayed to the mediators that he wants a couple of days to think about it," a U.S. official said.

Key question: is Iran's high enriched nuclear material part of the MOU? This could put it in jeopardy.

Oil tumbles on the headline...

Uranium Transfer to China?

According to Saudi state-funded Al Hadath, Pakistan will present to the US the "transfer of Iranian uranium to Beijing under international supervision."

The report seems unlikely, given it is also worded in such a way as to suggest the scheme originates with Pakistan, as a desperate attempt to keep stalled talks alive. Tehran has never indicated it would contemplate sending its enriched uranium stockpile abroad, even to a 'friendly' nation. 

Iranian Launch on Kuwait

The government of Kuwait on Thursday has made clear it retains all rights to take measures to preserve its security, following a overnight Iranian missile strike. Kuwait's Foreign Ministry further condemned the fresh missile ⁠and drone ⁠attacks on its territory as ‌a serious escalation and "blatant violation of sovereignty and ⁠security." The Iranian launch, which Tehran says targeted a US base in Kuwait, came in response to US bombardment of an Iranian drone base near the southern city of Bandar Abbas which occurred just prior.

via Associated Press

In a new statement, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirms that "At 10:17 p.m. ET on May 27, Iran launched a ballistic missile toward Kuwait that was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces."

"This egregious ceasefire violation by the Iranian regime occurred hours after Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones that posed a clear threat in and near the Strait of Hormuz," the US military statement continued.

"All drones were successfully intercepted by U.S. forces which also prevented a sixth drone launch from an Iranian ground control site in Bandar Abbas," it added. "U.S. Central Command and regional partners remain vigilant and measured as we continue to defend our forces and interests from unjustified Iranian aggression."

Additionally, the Gulf statement strongly condemned the fresh Iranian attack, with the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, denouncing it as follows: "The secretary-general pointed out that the continuation of these treacherous attacks is a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations, and the principles of good neighborliness." The GCC statement added: "His excellency affirmed the GCC countries’ full support for the state of Kuwait in all measures it takes to preserve its security and stability, and the safety of its citizens and residents,"

A separate statement from Saudi-led Gulf allies further condemned the act of 'terrorism' - per Al Aljazeera:

The United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have condemned a missile attack on a US airbase in Kuwait with only the UAE expressly naming Iran as responsible for the “terrorist attacks”.

In statements shared on social media, the foreign ministries of the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia said they consider the attack “a flagrant violation” of Kuwait’s sovereignty, and expressed their countries’ “full solidarity” with Kuwait and “support for all measures” it takes to preserve its sovereignty, security and stability.

Two US-Iran Clashes Incidents This Week

This marks the second live-fire attack flare-up this week, after earlier Wednesday Iran fired drones on American and other foreign commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

"American F/A-18, F-16 and F-35 jet fighters shot down the drones, then the F/A-18s hit the ground-control unit before it could launch a fifth drone, one of the officials said," The Wall Street Journal summarizes of that first incident.

State TV released video of the ballistic missile launch targeting a US base in Kuwait:

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard released footage showing the launch of missiles toward the U.S. base in Kuwait, describing it as retaliation for the American attack near Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

The video also featured symbolic anti-U.S. imagery. pic.twitter.com/s1qlIQEQRy

— Clash Report (@clashreport) May 28, 2026 Stalemated Talks Hung Up on Nuclear Issue

It seems that Iran is asserting some red lines through single, sporadic attacks, when it perceives a US military violation of its sovereignty. WSJ cites the following:

The spokesman for the National Security Commission in Iran’s parliament said Trump’s unwillingness to acknowledge that the U.S. and Tehran were still at war was a sign of his weak negotiating position. "Diplomats should not let go of the enemy’s weak point and should impose maximum demands on them," the spokesman said.

Currently, negotiations are still primarily stuck on the nuclear issue. President Trump has vowed not to let off sanctions pressure until Tehran agrees to dismantle its nuclear program by handing over highly enriched uranium to be transferred off its territory. Iranian officials say this simply will not happen, and that it would be tantamount to handing over the country's sovereignty. Tehran has insisted the nuclear file must be dealt with after the war is over, and later on down the line.

More Latest Developments

Round-up via Newsquawk...

• US official said US military carried out new strikes on an Iranian military site and shot down multiple Iranian drones that posed a threat to US forces and commercial maritime in the Strait of Hormuz.
• IRGC said it targeted the US air base in response to the US aggression earlier near Bandar Abbas Airport, according to Tasnim. said:. Any further US attacks would trigger a more decisive response. Washington bears responsibility for consequences.
• Military source tells Tasnim that hours ago, a US oil tanker intended to cross the Strait of Hormuz by turning off radar system, but IRGC Navy fired at it and forced it to turn back, while US army fired into Bandar Abbas but caused no damage. This was the cause of the earlier reported explosions. No casualties or damages were caused by the US, which fired at a scorched-earth area.
• Iran's Navy forced four vessels to turn back in the Strait of Hormuz by firing warning shots, according to Tasnim.
• Sound of three explosions heard from the east of Bandar Abbas, Iran, with exact location and source of the sounds still unclear, while air defences were activated for a few minutes, according to Fars News Agency.
• "Hearing the sound of multiple explosions in Kuwait", ISNA reported, "Kuwait’s official news agency stated that air defense systems are currently countering missile and drone attacks" [likely referring to earlier reported].
• Air raid sirens sounding in Kuwait, while Kuwaiti Army said air defense intercept hostile missile and drone attacks, according to Al Hadath.
• Commentary
• US Treasury Secretary Bessent said Gulf Strait Authority action targets Hormuz tolls, adds the Treasury is maintaining maximum pressure on Iran.
• Iranian National Security Council Official Bagheri said Iran’s assets must be released unconditionally, Tasnim reported.
• US issues fresh Iran-related sanctions by adding Persian Gulf Strait Authority to its SDN list.
• US has carried out a defence operation in Bandar Abbas, Iran, according to Faytuks Network citing an official that said, “the US will act to safeguard its regional interests, and this does not affect the ceasefire”.
• Iran Supreme National Security Council Deputy Secretary Baqeri met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov, and discuss a number of important issues on the current international agenda with focus on the situation around Iran's nuclear program. Via IRNA/Telegram.
• Deputy Head of Public Relations for the IRGC Aerospace Force, Ali Naderi, said on Wednesday If enemies launch military action again, the Islamic Republic's response will be different from anything seen so far. said: "...they will face a new image of Iran".
• Head of Iranian Parliament National Security Committee said Iran will not be pushed back by US President Trump's rhetoric from its red lines: rights to enrich uranium and its possession, authority over the Strait of Hormuz and removal of sanctions.
• IRIB reporter said no signs of an explosion have been seen in Bandar Abbas, while some people have heard the sound of this explosion and none of the officials concerned about the matter have issued any official statement.
• Axios reported that US military had shot down 4 Iranian drones targeting ships and an Iranian drone launcher on the ground.
• Israeli fighter jets carry out attack on the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, according to Mehr News Agency.
• Hamas spokesperson said the Gaza ceasefire agreement faces risk of collapse due to occupation's crimes and ongoing violations, Al Jazeera reported.
• IDF said it's striking Hezbollah infrastructure in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon.

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/29/2026 - 04:44

Tragedy has unfolded in Tennessee, where persistent wet weather and flooding have resulted in the death of a woman on Thursday.

Canadian Government Is Crushing Indie Media With Two Sneaky Policies

Canada is not only going the way of Europe with the country's draconian speech laws, it is in many ways surpassing the suppression and censorship across the Atlantic.  The speed at which the population is being robbed of their freedoms is staggering, and much of this is being done through backdoor bureaucracy.  

One factor that consistently frustrated the globalist Trudeau regime during the pandemic lockdowns was the Canadian public's access to national and international independent media.  Even with political leaders working directly with social media giants to censor users, truthful data outside of the institutional filters was still being effectively spread by alternative journalists and news sites. 

This ultimately led to a large enough backlash in Canada and the US that eventually, covid mandates had to be abandoned.  Indie journalists were central to the effort to expose pandemic fallacies promoted by politicians as "science". 

It would seem that in Canada, the elites are quickly working to close that loophole. 

Mere proximity to the US makes censorship projects more difficult for the Canadian government, though incrementalism is well underway and "hate speech" laws in Canada are used on occasion to silence dissent, specifically on transgender issues.  But officials are utilizing two sneaky policies as a way to subvert indie media outlets without directly shutting them down. 

The first policy is the Canadian Online News Act passed in 2023.  This bill was presented as a way to force Big Tech intermediaries like Google and Facebook to share profits they derive from the flow of content created by mostly smaller digital media providers (indie media).  It requires large online platforms to compensate Canadian news outlets for making their content available—through links, snippets, sharing, or search results.      

The Act argues that platforms benefit from news content (driving engagement and traffic) without fairly sharing value with creators. It's supposed aim is to sustain journalism, especially local and independent outlets. 

However, the opposite has happened.  Big Tech companies are blocking Canadian media instead, making it difficult or impossible to maintain traffic to their websites.  Google has cut a $100 million deal to avoid settlements with individual outlets, but once it is spread out, this money is nowhere near enough to make up for the ad revenues losses they face.

Larger corporate media outlets are able to survive because they have the money to advertise and generate their own views.  Indie outlets rely on word of mouth and link sharing, which is now being eliminated because of government regulation.

The second policy which is crushing indie media in Canada is the use of government subsidies as a designator for "official journalism".  

Two major federal departments - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) - have quietly updated their media accreditation policies to prioritize or limit government responses to journalists.  Canadian bureaucrats are increasingly restricting which outlets they will talk to and will only work with those designated as Qualified Canadian Journalism Organizations (QCJO). 

QCJO is a government program (administered by the Canada Revenue Agency) tied to tax credits and subsidies for journalism and it's linked to broader media support efforts, including overlapping with the Online News Act.  

To put it plainly, government institutions in Canada are saying that only certain media outlets that receive subsidies are considered "real news".  Eligible outlets get favored access to officials and information.  In other words, the government decides who is a journalist and who is not.

Backlash forced the government to back-peddle and clarify that QCJO status is strictly for tax/funding eligibility and not a press pass or accreditation tool to determine who qualifies as a "legitimate" journalist.  Critics argue, though, that the framework for this government filter is still in place even if they are not currently using it. 

If subsidies become a press pass, then only government funded and controlled media outlets will be able to operate in the Canadian system. 

One might question why anyone outside of Canada should care about how they regulate or manipulate their news platforms.  After all, Canada is a tiny country their impact on the rest of the west is minimal.  But this is a short-sighted way of thinking. 

It might be wiser to look at Canada as a kind of political petri dish; a beta test for regulations and controls that are likely to be tried in other countries in the near future.  Canada enforced some of the most stringent and authoritarian covid mandates of any western nation (except perhaps Australia and New Zealand).  Though this ultimately failed, it still shows that globalists view Canada as a testing ground. 

Today, the top goal of far-left governments is clearly the sabotage of independent media.  They've realized that they cannot assert dominance in other areas of life without first fully silencing free media.         

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/29/2026 - 04:15

“There are immigrants being held in for-profit detention centers around the country such as Delaney Hall in my own home state of New Jersey, where our own governor has been refused access to meet with the detainees about the conditions there,” Springsteen, 76, said.

Minnesota’s Democratic governor on Wednesday pardoned an illegal alien previously convicted of armed robbery before he could be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Jai Vang, an illegal alien from Laos, was convicted of aiding and abetting and armed robbery in Hennepin County in 1994, according to FOX 9. The incident occurred when he was 18...

Denver mayor says travelers can 'decide for themselves what's fact and what's fiction.'

Leak Exposes Germany Forcing Social Media To Boost State Propaganda, Bury Dissent

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

European elites are reeling from the information revolution they failed to suppress. A fresh leak exposes Germany’s state media regulators plotting a new law to compel social media platforms to automatically boost “reliable” and “trusted” mainstream outlets in their algorithms.

Sold as a defense of “media plurality” against disinformation, this scheme reveals the ugly truth: after brute-force censorship ignited a global backlash and helped propel Elon Musk’s purchase of X, authorities are now seeking to engineer the feeds themselves to favor their approved narratives while sidelining dissent.

This marks a shift from overt suppression to insidious manipulation. What began as panic over losing control has evolved into calculated digital gerrymandering. The awakening—fueled by years of heavy-handed crackdowns—created demand for uncensored spaces. Now, unable to fully extinguish that flame, regulators aim to starve alternative voices of oxygen through algorithmic favoritism.

I can assure you 2 dozen other countries are watching closely to see if Germany can get away with it. If no very visible retaliatory threat or diplomatic intervention is made here by USG, you will not believe the speed at which this cancer will spread.

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) May 27, 2026

The internal strategy paper from Germany’s Landesmedienanstalten, the network of state media authorities, outlines plans for a Digital Media State Treaty. It would grant automatic algorithmic preference to selected outlets.

The document remains in preparatory stages but is slated for presentation to politicians imminently. Thorsten Schmiege, head of the regulators and Bavaria’s media authority president, indicated a first draft could arrive this summer.

Critics rightly note the core problem: who defines “reliable” and “trusted”? The same state bodies entangled with public broadcasters that have repeatedly demonstrated bias. This isn’t about plurality; it’s about preserving a monopoly on public discourse as legacy media hemorrhages trust and audience.

Mike Benz, former State Department cyber official and vocal critic of censorship regimes, highlighted the international stakes in a pointed post reacting to the leak. He warned that dozens of other countries are watching closely to see if Germany can get away with it.

Benz stressed the need for visible US retaliatory threat or diplomatic intervention, stating that without it, “you will not believe the speed at which this cancer will spread.” He urged nipping this in the bud by whatever diplomatic, economic, or sanctions means are necessary.

This proposal doesn’t emerge in isolation. It builds directly on the patterns of escalating control seen across Europe. The EU’s “Democracy Shield” and broader Digital Services Act framework already pressure platforms into systemic content demotion under the guise of risk assessments.

Those tools have chilled speech across the continent. Germany’s move represents the next logical escalation: not just removing content, but ensuring state-aligned sources dominate what users actually see.

The EU’s €140 million fine slapped on X for alleged transparency violations formed part of a sustained assault. Musk responded forcefully, pointing to EU commissars’ role in stifling debate that could have mitigated Europe’s self-inflicted wounds.

That fine wasn’t about protecting users—it was punishment for refusing to play ball with narrative gatekeepers.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls for draconian measures and a full ‘Ministry of Truth’ apparatus further illustrate the continental appetite for control.

In the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has pushed for a dedicated government disinformation unit, while the Online Safety Act has emerged as a comprehensive censors’ charter.

These developments show how temporary “emergency” powers metastasize into permanent architecture for managing reality.

The Digital Leviathan rose precisely to handle challenges like mass migration criticism and policy failures that elites preferred to keep hidden.

When combined with this algorithmic favoritism, the strategy becomes clear: starve challengers of reach while subsidizing compliant voices through forced visibility.

And then there are also punishments ready, such as debanking, to discourage journalists from stepping outside the approved thresholds.

Barack Obama’s infamous suggestion of a social media Ministry of Truth feels less like hyperbole and more like prophecy when viewing these coordinated efforts.

The backfire was predictable. Heavy censorship created martyrs, exposed hypocrisy, and drove users toward platforms prioritizing free expression. Musk’s acquisition of X exemplified this shift. Now, regulators adapt by gaming the very recommendation systems that exposed their weaknesses.

Advocates for this German law claim it counters “disinformative, polarizing” content. Yet the track record of the “trusted” outlets they seek to elevate undermines that claim entirely. The BBC provides a textbook case, with scandals ranging from manipulated editing exposed in the looming Trump lawsuit to further outrageous actions that continue to erode public confidence.

Public broadcasters aren’t neutral arbiters; they’re funded arms of the establishment view.

Germany’s own state media offers equally damning examples, including the fake AI-generated clip of ICE troops arresting a migrant family and systematic slander campaigns against figures like Charlie Kirk after his assassination.

These aren’t isolated lapses but symptoms of systemic narrative enforcement. When public funding meets ideological capture, journalism dies and propaganda thrives.

This aligns with long-standing critiques: legacy outlets function as extensions of the information state. Their declining relevance stems not from competition alone but from audiences recognizing the disconnect between reported reality and lived experience—particularly on immigration, economics, and cultural transformation.

Boosting them algorithmically won’t restore credibility; it will only highlight their dependence on artificial life support.

Parallel to algorithmic rigging, direct assaults on X continue under familiar banners. UK government schemes to restrict or shutter the platform over Grok’s humorous roasts, alongside outright ban threats, expose the cynicism.

Official claims of “protecting children” crumble under scrutiny, as these efforts target political speech far more than genuine safeguarding.

Spain’s far-left coalition similarly floated limitations, revealing a broader European discomfort with unmoderated conversation.

These pretexts enable deeper control. EU chat control proposals threaten end-to-end encryption, effectively ending private digital communication.

UK moves toward mandatory digital IDs with biometric tracking, combined with age verification theater, form pieces of a surveillance mosaic.

Government censorship of the internet is worse than ever in the UK, with the disinfo unit shifting focus from lockdown skeptics to mass migration critics.

Authoritarianism arrives not with tanks but with logins and compliance portals.

Germany stands at the forefront of this crackdown. Courts contemplating speaking bans against prominent politicians, alongside convictions of ordinary citizens for blunt criticism—like a pensioner penalized for calling a Green minister an “idiot”—signal a nation abandoning its post-war free speech commitments.

This environment makes the algorithmic proposal even more sinister. When the state already criminalizes mild dissent, empowering it to curate digital visibility creates a closed loop of approved thought. Independent voices face compounded marginalization online.

The German initiative forms part of a continent-wide offensive against digital liberty. These measures share a common thread: elites viewing open information flows as existential threats rather than democratic necessities. The result is a managed internet where “safety” justifies surveillance and “plurality” means enforced uniformity.

Thankfully, pushback is mounting. Concepts for a genuinely censorship-resistant internet—emphasizing decentralization, open protocols, and user sovereignty—offer technical pathways beyond centralized control. Legal and political pressure remains essential.

The Trump administration has signaled zero tolerance for European overreach. America stands ready to smash these UK and EU internet crackdowns.

Considerations of travel bans targeting officials enforcing speech restrictions, and actual entry prohibitions against anti-free-speech globalists demonstrate leverage available to free societies.

These actions protect not just American platforms but the principle of open discourse worldwide.

The ultimate solution lies in rejecting the premise that information must be managed by self-appointed State guardians. Platforms succeeding through transparency and user choice expose the fragility of legacy models. Citizens increasingly demand accountability: defund captured public broadcasters, enforce viewpoint neutrality where subsidies exist, and prioritize constitutional protections over bureaucratic comfort.

Continued overreach will accelerate the very trends regulators fear. Each attempt at algorithmic rigging further erodes trust, driving innovation toward decentralized alternatives and reinforcing public skepticism.

The information awakening wasn’t a temporary glitch—it represents a fundamental realignment toward truth over narrative. Musk’s X stands as proof: refusing to bend created the space for genuine debate that elites now scramble to recapture through backdoor algorithmic controls.

Europe’s elites face a choice: adapt to a world where ideas compete freely or double down on control and risk greater backlash. The battle for the digital public square will define the coming decade.

Platforms and citizens prioritizing unfiltered exchange hold the advantage, provided they maintain vigilance against these evolving threats—from the German proposal and EU Democracy Shield to UK child protection pretexts and domestic speech prosecutions.

Free societies thrive on open debate, not engineered consensus. The push to game algorithms in favor of propaganda houses won’t save failing narratives; it will only hasten their irrelevance while empowering alternatives rooted in user trust and technological freedom.

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

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/29/2026 - 03:30

A man wanted in connection with the killings of three men was apprehended Thursday after a massive search of Hawaii’s Big Island that had left residents on edge.

An Austrian court on Thursday convicted a man of planning to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna nearly two years ago. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Even the biggest stars in the city want to be like Jalen Brunson. 

Dear Abby advises a parent who suspects their daughter's boyfriend stole $300 from their bathroom.

Six Flags has banned a thrill-seeking influencer for sneaking an order of McDonald's McNuggets down his pants and having the snack while riding a 300-foot roller coaster — and sharing the video online.

Stealth Technology In A Can Could Make Suicide Drones Invisible

A Turkish defense startup claims it has developed a spray-on radar-absorbing paint coating that could reduce the radar signature of one-way attack drones without the exorbitant costs of traditional stealth materials, a capability once only reserved for major defense primes.

Military and defense news outlet The Defense Blog reports that researcher Yunus İnce, along with colleagues at a small defense research firm, has developed a spray-on radar-absorbent material called "Kürşat 3.0."

A Turkish startup claims it built a spray-on coating that makes drones invisible to radar — and says tests hit 43.2 dB attenuation. No independent verification yet. But if it works, stealth just got a lot cheaper.https://t.co/PTibodzoU2

— The Defence Blog (@Defence_blog) May 24, 2026

The coating reportedly consists of volcanic basalt and pumice and is designed to reduce radar return signals by up to 43 dB.

If independently validated, this would exceed the 20 to 30 dB reduction typically seen with many current radar-absorbent coatings, potentially giving low-cost drone platforms a new, cheap survivability upgrade once reserved for billion-dollar stealth military aircraft programs.

The Defense Blog offered additional color into the importance of this new spray-on radar-absorbent material:

The military logic driving interest in this kind of development is not difficult to follow.

The war in Ukraine transformed the global understanding of what small, cheap unmanned aircraft can accomplish in combat, as both sides demonstrated that drones costing a few hundred to a few thousand dollars could destroy armored vehicles, collapse supply lines, and sustain operational pressure at a scale that conventional artillery and air power struggle to match on the same budget.

The response from defenders has been a rapid expansion of electronic warfare systems, radar-based detection networks, and layered interception capabilities designed to find and destroy drones before they reach their targets.

Reducing a drone's radar signature meaningfully complicates that detection chain at every stage, and doing so through a coating that adds negligible weight and requires no structural modification to the airframe would make the capability accessible to operators using commercially available hardware rather than purpose-built stealth platforms.

Yunus responded on X to The Defense Blog's report, in which he says:

Here is the independent verification you mentioned. Official spectrum analyzer validation from Pamukkale University Electrical Engineering Lab: over 40 dB baseline, 43.2 dB peak attenuation. We are ready for the field.

Here is the independent verification you mentioned. Official spectrum analyzer validation from Pamukkale University Electrical Engineering Lab: over 40 dB baseline, 43.2 dB peak attenuation. We are ready for the field. 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/XTqAcPOfbd

— yunus (@yunus50) May 25, 2026

As we've previously stated, the rise of suicide drones will usher in counter-UAS systems, but with inexpensive stealth upgrades likely on the horizon, there will also be a rise in passive acoustic threat detection for the military and critical infrastructure, including data centers and power grids.

Tyler Durden Fri, 05/29/2026 - 02:45

A 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, Shrey took an unusual route to the title.

The initial plan was the NBA. 

The actor told Adam Carolla he hopes to return someday because 'pound-for-pound' California has so much to offer.