Aggregator

The "Nashville" alum insisted to "Tamron Hall Show" viewers on Wednesday that she does "want to call people out" -- and explained why she hasn't.

The "Nashville" alum insisted to "Tamron Hall Show" viewers on Wednesday that she does "want to call people out" -- and explained why she hasn't.

FBI Charges Assistant US Attorney For Stealing Smith Report Docs In Trump 'Witch Hunt' Case

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

Former Justice Department prosecutor Carmen Mercedes Lineberger has been indicted for allegedly removing confidential Justice Department material and then concealing her efforts. Lineberger is accused of secretly transferring Jack Smith’s final report and hiding the material under files labeled “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe.” There has not been a greater recipe for disaster since aides tried to fit all of Biden’s candles on a cake. The case is particularly interesting because there was another person who was accused of a secret removal of Justice Department material who was not prosecuted: former FBI Director James Comey.

Linebarger, 62, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, has been indicted on four criminal charges: one felony count of obstruction of justice, one felony count of concealing government records and two misdemeanor counts of theft of government property valued at less than $1,000.

According to the indictment, Lineberger altered electronic file names of government records to conceal unauthorized transmissions of the documents to her personal email accounts and used file names for cake recipes to conceal her possession of the confidential information.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon blocked the public release of the report after the prosecution collapsed against the President.

The Justice Department alleges that Lineberger received a copy of Smith’s report before the court sealed it. Months later, she allegedly decided to transfer it to her personal email account in violation of the court order and Justice Department rules.

She has now pleaded not guilty and faces up to 20 years on the obstruction charge and other charges.

The decision is notable for a couple of reasons.

First, Smith made one last move in dismissing the case against Trump that left the door open to resuming his prosecution. Smith moved to dismiss the indictment “without prejudice” and then stressed to the court that the Department has previously “noted the possibility that a court might equitably toll the statute of limitations to permit proceeding against the President once out of office.” In other words, Trump could be prosecuted after he leaves office.

It is not known what the motive might have been in this transfer. One possibility would be a type of souvenir or trophy grab, which would be ironic given Smith’s suggestion that Trump may have transferred classified material for that type of possessory thrill. Another is the possible use for a book. Finally, there might have been a desire to preserve evidence to avoid destruction during the Trump years or possible release to the media.

The second notable aspect is that Comey was accused of such a knowing removal, but he was never actually prosecuted.

There was no court order governing the material removed by Comey after his firing, but it was clearly departmental material.

The Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, found that Comey was a leaker and had violated FBI policy in his handling of FBI memos. He found that Comey grabbed the material on his way out of the Bureau, including those containing the “code name and true identity” of a sensitive source.

While he did not find a disclosure of the classified information, Horowitz found that Comey took “the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive investigative information, obtained during the course of FBI employment, to achieve a personally desired outcome.” He further added that Comey “set a dangerous example for the over 35,000 current FBI employees—and the many thousands of more former FBI employees—who similarly have access to or knowledge of non-public information.”

Comey later admitted that he asked his friend, Columbia Law Professor Daniel Richman, to leak information from the documents to the New York Times.

While Comey is facing a weak criminal case over threats conveyed through beach shells, some of us saw his conduct in removing this material as a more serious breach.

Comey went on to write books on “ethical leadership” and recently sent a message to current FBI personnel that they should “hang on” and wait out Trump: “In two and a half years, and then we can rebuild.”

Rebuilding the bureau in Comey’s image is a truly chilling notion. Those “good old days” with Comey allowed agents to launch a baseless Russian collusion investigation at the behest of the Clinton campaign and lie to a secret court to secure surveillance of Trump figures.

In the meantime, it will be Lineberger, not Comey, who will face a jury for the removal of confidential material.

For Lineberger, these types of charges tend to be cut-and-dried for prosecutors if they can show that the material was restricted and that she took steps to conceal the alleged theft. While she gained access before the court order, she allegedly transferred the material after the order and then hid the material in files labeled as cake recipes.  If those facts can be established in court, prosecutors likely believe that she can stick a fork in herself because she is done.

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/21/2026 - 09:00

It's not traditional horror, but David J. Rosen and David Gordon Green's Apple TV show brilliantly builds nail-biting paranoia.

Casey Mize will help lead the host Tigers past the Guardians on Thursday afternoon, Stitches predicts.

Renter Nation Returns? Multi-Family Unit Starts & Permits Soar In April

On the back of a small uptick in homebuilder confidence (though still languishing)...

...Building Permits jumped notably (+5.8% MoM vs +2.5% exp) in preliminary April data (while Housing Starts dipped 2.8% MoM, though less than the 5.2% MoM decline expected)...

The pace of starts and permits on a SAAR basis has remained flat for four years...

Multi-family unit starts and permits soared in April...

As single-family home starts stagnate...

It appears builders believe that 'Renter Nation' is on its way back.

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/21/2026 - 08:50

SAN DIEGO – Judge me by the results. Shohei Ohtani has never said that explicitly, but that’s the message he’s indirectly conveyed over the years by being as private as he is. Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani silenced the doubters with dominant two-way performance in 4-0 victory over the Padres Wednesday night. He doesn’t share many...

Newly resurfaced bodycam video shows the horrifying moment cops discovered speeding “Hell on Wheels” killer Mackenzie Shirilla still alive in her wrecked car as they scrambled to piece together what unfolded in the now infamous crash.

Foreign Treasury Selling Is Getting Serious

Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance

We already knew that the bond market was starting to call bullshit on America’s fiscal and monetary policy. Now we know that foreign governments are dumping U.S. Treasuries, and China is leading the way…even while President Trump pals around with President Xi Jinping.

According to CNBC, foreign holdings of U.S. government debt fell sharply in March as central banks sold Treasuries to defend weakening currencies during the geopolitical and energy shock tied to the escalating Middle East conflict.

China reduced its Treasury holdings to roughly $652 billion, the lowest level since 2008. Japan, the single largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, also cut exposure aggressively. Overall foreign holdings dropped from approximately $9.49 trillion to $9.25 trillion in a single month.

That should deeply concern anyone paying attention to the structural fragility underneath the U.S. financial system.

For decades, the global economy has operated on a relatively simple arrangement. The United States issues the world’s reserve currency, foreign governments recycle trade surpluses into U.S. Treasuries, and America finances massive deficits because the rest of the world willingly absorbs its debt. That system only works as long as there is confidence in the dollar, confidence in the Federal Reserve, and confidence that U.S. government debt remains the safest and most liquid place on earth to park capital.

When major foreign holders begin reducing exposure during a period of rising inflation, exploding deficits, and growing fiscal instability, it creates a potentially dangerous chain reaction. And the timing for the world to be dumping treasuriers right now could not be worse.

Bonds are already under pressure because inflation is proving far stickier than policymakers expected. As I wrote last week, both CPI and PPI came in significantly hotter than anticipated, forcing markets to rapidly reassess the possibility that the Federal Reserve may actually need to raise rates again instead of cutting them.

Meanwhile, deficits continue spiraling, interest expense on the national debt keeps exploding higher, and the Treasury must issue enormous amounts of new debt simply to keep funding government spending. Now layer weakening foreign demand on top of all of that.

That combination is nasty. If foreign governments buy fewer Treasuries while supply continues surging, yields move higher. Higher yields tighten financial conditions across the entire economy. Mortgage rates stay elevated. Corporate refinancing becomes more expensive. Regional banks sitting on massive unrealized bond losses face renewed pressure. Commercial real estate weakens further. Consumers get squeezed harder.

And because Treasuries serve as the foundational collateral layer of the global financial system, instability there spreads everywhere else. This is why the liquidation story matters far beyond geopolitics.

China reducing Treasury exposure is not entirely new. The broader trend has been developing for years as Beijing slowly diversifies reserves away from direct dependence on U.S. assets. Whether through outright selling or indirect “shadow holdings” routed through financial centers like Belgium and Luxembourg, the direction has been fairly clear for a long time.

But Japan selling aggressively alongside China is where things become even more uncomfortable. Some of Japan’s selling is likely tied to defending the yen as energy shocks and rising oil prices pressure its economy. Japan imports the overwhelming majority of its energy, so a collapsing yen combined with surging import costs creates enormous strain domestically. Selling Treasuries gives Tokyo access to dollar liquidity it can use to intervene in currency markets and stabilize the yen before the situation spirals further.

Japan has spent decades as one of the most reliable buyers of U.S. debt. If even Tokyo is becoming less comfortable absorbing massive amounts of Treasuries while inflation remains elevated and deficits continue exploding, markets should pay attention. Japan may simply see the same thing the bond market increasingly sees: the United States is issuing debt at an unsustainable pace into an environment where inflation is no longer fully under control.

If that’s the case, that is not just a portfolio adjustment. That is a confidence signal. The uncomfortable reality is that the United States has become dangerously dependent on perpetual debt expansion at the exact moment global appetite for absorbing that debt is becoming less certain.

🔥 50% OFF FOR LIFE: Using this coupon entitles you to 50% off an annual subscription to Fringe Finance for life: Get 50% off forever

And this is where the Federal Reserve’s trap becomes even more severe. If inflation reaccelerates while Treasury demand weakens simultaneously, the Fed faces two terrible options: raise rates further to defend credibility and contain inflation, risking deeper stress across banks, housing, private credit, equities, and the broader economy or step back in with liquidity programs and money printing to stabilize markets and absorb debt issuance, effectively reigniting the same inflation problem they spent years trying to contain.

That is the corner policymakers have backed themselves into after years of artificially suppressed rates, endless stimulus, and the assumption that global demand for U.S. assets would remain infinite regardless of fiscal discipline.

It won’t. And I wrote this past week about why it seems incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has a job in front of him that seems impossible. 

The most dangerous part of this story is that markets still seem unwilling to fully process what sustained deterioration in Treasury demand would actually mean. Investors have spent decades treating U.S. government debt as the unquestioned risk free foundation of the financial system.

But when foreign governments begin reducing exposure while inflation stays elevated and deficits spiral, that assumption starts getting tested in real time.

And once confidence in the system itself begins eroding, things can unravel far faster than policymakers would like to admit.

--

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author.

This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. I may or may not own names I write about and are watching. Sometimes I’m bullish without owning things, sometimes I’m bearish and do own things. Just assume my positions could be exactly the opposite of what you think they are just in case. If I’m long I could quickly be short and vice versa. I won’t update my positions. All positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice and at any point I can be long, short or neutral on any position. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. If you see numbers and calculations of any sort, assume they are wrong and double check them. I failed Algebra in 8th grade and topped off my high school math accolades by getting a D- in remedial Calculus my senior year, before becoming an English major in college so I could bullshit my way through things easier.

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

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/21/2026 - 08:45

Is Brad Pitt the definitive Achilles, or just the traditionally hottest?

Two New York City EMTs were nearly killed helping a teenager who had been shot in the Bronx when their ambulance was struck by gunfire, according to police.

Jobless Claims Refuse To Show Any Signs Of AI Jobpocalypse

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the first time fell to 209k last week (below expectations), continuing to show absolutely on signs of any labor market stress...

Source: Bloomberg

That is basically unchanged since 2021.

Continuing jobless claims ticked up modestly but remains below 1.8 million Americans (just off two year lows)...

Source: Bloomberg

So, despite the tsunami of headlines every day about the AI jobpocalypse, 'hard' data shows no signs of any pain yet (wait until the severance packages run dry)...

Tyler Durden Thu, 05/21/2026 - 08:35

Kripke shared that they are developing plans to continue the Gen V story. 

We've learned by now not to try to predict Widow’s Bay.

Davis transferred to Sam Houston State ahed of the school's spring practice after spending time with West Virginia (2025) and Division II Virginia Union (2020-24).

Pitt allegedly made a bold decision on set that upset the famous director.

The actor, 62, allegedly made a bold decision on set of a 2019 film that upset the famous director, according to Bruce Dern.

This low-maintenance robot cleaner traps 99.97% of dust and allergens and connects to Amazon Echo and Google Home

Watch: Vance Urges UK Patriots To Defend Their Culture Against Starmer Mass Migration Betrayal

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

US Vice President JD Vance has sent a direct message of support to Britons standing up for their culture, telling attendees of the Unite the Kingdom rally to push forward despite Keir Starmer’s attempts to silence opposition to mass migration.

The rally, held this past weekend in London and organised by Tommy Robinson, saw thousands of patriots turn out waving British flags. 

Starmer’s government had tried to sabotage the event by blocking visas for 11 foreign speakers it labelled “far-right agitators.”

🚨 WOW! JD Vance just broke it down PERFECTLY for patriots in the West rising up against 3rd world migration, BUCKING Keir Starmer calling it "far-right"

"To everybody in the UK who rejects [3rd world migration], I'd encourage them to just KEEP ON GOING! It's OK to want to… pic.twitter.com/cKUjz95Nt7

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 19, 2026

The Prime Minister openly boasted about the bans on X, writing “I’ll always champion peaceful protest. But the Unite the Kingdom march organisers are peddling hatred and division. We’ve already blocked visas for far-right agitators who want to come here to spew their extremist views. They don’t speak for the decent, fair, respectful Britain I know.” 

He followed up: “Today the voices of division will be loud. They don’t speak for the country I know, one that belongs to all of us.”

A video from the event captured a striking contrast, showing a left-wing woman in tears hugging her masked companion in fright at the sight of the national flag. 

Left-wing woman breaks down in TEARS while hugging mask wearing boyfriend after being triggered by thousands of people marching with British flags. 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/8JMyBBq3kw

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 18, 2026

Vance rejected the establishment narrative that wanting secure borders equals extremism.

“To everybody in the UK who rejects 3rd world migration, I’d encourage them to just KEEP ON GOING! It’s OK to want to defend your culture!” Vance stated. 

He added, “All over the West is this idea that the way to generate prosperity is to bring in MILLIONS and millions of unvetted people and DROP them into your neighborhoods — and we simply reject that idea!”

“It’s OK to want to live in a safe neighborhood. It’s okay to want your job to go to yourself and your neighbors and not to a stranger who you don’t even know. It is reasonable for the people in Western societies to want to control who comes into their country and who doesn’t,” Vance stressed.

He added: “A lot of people, frankly, a lot of people in the media have tried to persuade all of those people that it’s somehow racist to want to protect your borders… even though very often the very people who are most affected by low wage immigration are lower income black and Hispanic Americans right here in the United States of America, and I guarantee that’s true in the UK.”

Vance concluded by drawing a direct link to America First: “So we believe in making America great again. You can’t do that unless you protect your borders. I’d encourage our friends in the UK to follow the same path.”

This latest intervention builds on Vance’s repeated clashes with Starmer and European leaders. He previously called out the British Prime Minister to his face over the UK’s free speech crackdown.

The US later vowed to use its “full arsenal of tools” against Starmer’s policies 

Vance has also long warned about the dangers of Europe’s migration experiment, describing it as “civilisational suicide” 

He has cautioned that Islamist extremists could seize control of European nukes within 15 years.

Vance has also triggered globalist outrage with his blunt speeches on replacement-level migration.

While Starmer brands patriotic pushback as “hatred and division,” ordinary Britons at the rally made clear they simply want what Vance described as basic common sense: safe streets, jobs for locals, and control over their borders.

Vance’s words arrive as frustration with open borders boils over across the West. Working-class communities on both sides of the Atlantic are paying the price through suppressed wages, overburdened services, and rising insecurity — effects the political class routinely dismisses.

By standing with those who reject cultural erasure, Vance is highlighting a fundamental truth: people of free nations have the sovereign right to preserve their identity and security.

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 Thu, 05/21/2026 - 08:05

On Wednesday, the former model took to Instagram, revealing that she had bene diagnosed with breast cancer.