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  4.    <title>ZeroHedge News</title>
  5.    <link>https://www.zerohedge.com</link>
  6.    <description/>
  7.    <language>en</language>
  8.    
  9.    <item>
  10.  <title>Fed-dling While "Rome" Churns</title>
  11.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/fed-dling-while-rome-churns</link>
  12.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Fed-dling While "Rome" Churns&lt;/span&gt;
  13.  
  14.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;By Michael Every of Rabobank&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  15.  
  16. &lt;p&gt;The Bank of Canada cut its policy rate 25bp to 2.50% as expected, largely attributing its decision to softer CPI data, a loosening labour market, and a more optimistic inflation outlook given PM Carney’s decision to repeal retaliatory tariffs on US goods. We are forecasting another 25bp cut in October and see the terminal rate at 2.25%. However, the risk to our view is skewed in favour of two more cuts this year over none. (See &lt;a href="https://public-eur.mkt.dynamics.com/api/orgs/285245b1-7c6f-ef11-a66d-000d3a4b6c6a/r/6SA7-GvDqUCyPYMSqhYAAAEAAAA?msdynmkt_target=%7B%22TargetUrl%22%3A%22https%253A%252F%252Fmedia.rabobank.com%252Fm%252F4f0fd7f6a2a47ba4%252Foriginal%252Fbank_of_canada_post-decision_report_good_now_keep_going.pdf%253Futm_medium%253Demail%2526utm_term%253DN%25252FA%2526utm_source%253Ddynamics-rr%2526utm_campaign%253DSN%25253A%2520Email%2520273%2520419968%2523msdynmkt_trackingcontext%253Dff98dd6b-28f8-4c30-b2f9-3b7be3090200%22%2C%22RedirectOptions%22%3A%7B%225%22%3Anull%2C%220%22%3Anull%2C%222%22%3A%7B%22utm_medium%22%3A%22email%22%2C%22utm_term%22%3A%22N%2FA%22%2C%22utm_source%22%3A%22dynamics-rr%22%2C%22utm_campaign%22%3A%22SN%3A%20Email%20276%20bcbea6%22%7D%7D%7D&amp;msdynmkt_digest=%2B%2BJZViHAmsl%2BcBNX5rUY0Mg4ff2BLgEhD5m80FhMk5k%3D&amp;msdynmkt_secretVersion=7bb221762d0c46939816d3a5592b1359"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for our full report.)&lt;/p&gt;
  17.  
  18. &lt;p&gt;The Fed decision was also in line with expectations with a 25bp cut to 4.00 to 4.25%. (See &lt;a href="https://public-eur.mkt.dynamics.com/api/orgs/285245b1-7c6f-ef11-a66d-000d3a4b6c6a/r/6SA7-GvDqUCyPYMSqhYAAAIAAAA?msdynmkt_target=%7B%22TargetUrl%22%3A%22https%253A%252F%252Fmedia.rabobank.com%252Fm%252F1efec77a4fdedcee%252Foriginal%252Frate_cuts_and_the_sep_sep.pdf%253Futm_medium%253Demail%2526utm_term%253DN%25252FA%2526utm_source%253Ddynamics-rr%2526utm_campaign%253DSN%25253A%2520Email%2520274%2520194244%2523msdynmkt_trackingcontext%253D8e195626-e489-4cac-be7f-0fbba5960200%22%2C%22RedirectOptions%22%3A%7B%225%22%3Anull%2C%220%22%3Anull%2C%222%22%3A%7B%22utm_medium%22%3A%22email%22%2C%22utm_term%22%3A%22N%2FA%22%2C%22utm_source%22%3A%22dynamics-rr%22%2C%22utm_campaign%22%3A%22SN%3A%20Email%20276%20bcbea6%22%7D%7D%7D&amp;msdynmkt_digest=gK0vtAWiBDpyB7wvPuOhmYPJvgBZOUbIEbYy1WQNpnc%3D&amp;msdynmkt_secretVersion=7bb221762d0c46939816d3a5592b1359"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; for our report.) There had been speculation as to whether the meeting would be riddled with dissent, but it only stemmed from new joiner Miran’s call for a 50bp move. The key takeaway from the accompanying statement was that “the Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate…downside risks to employment have risen”. That said, Powell stated the -911K change in payrolls through to March 2025 was “almost exactly” what the Fed had expected. &lt;strong&gt;That’s either a good forecast or convenient given the Fed didn’t look like it saw it coming.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  19.  
  20. &lt;p&gt;Looking ahead, the ‘dot plot’ averages a Fed Fund rate of 3.6% by end-2025 and 3.4% by end-2026, -0.3 and -0.2 from June, respectively. However, one board member is forecasting a 2025 year-end implied rate of 2.88, which would suggest 50bps cuts at the October and December meetings. Some are speculating this may be Miran, but that cannot be proven. When pressed, Powell replied that “a wide range of views is natural in the current situation.” &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;We now forecast another 25bp cut at the October 29 meeting, and still see a terminal Fed Funds rate of 3.00%.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  21.  
  22. &lt;p&gt;In the press conference, Powell had to deal with a battery of more political questions: one wonders if this is going to be something we see more regularly.&lt;/p&gt;
  23.  
  24. &lt;p&gt;Notably, Powell’s tone and the FOMC statement was initially interpreted as dovish, invoking a 9bp dip in 2-year Treasury yields and 6bp in the 10-year. However, 10s ended higher on the day along with the 5Y-5Y forward inflation swap, pointing to rising inflation expectations as the Fed cuts into a stagflationary-esque environment. In the FX market, &lt;em&gt;pre-Fed&lt;/em&gt;, the FT noted, ‘Foreign investors in US assets rush for protection against swings in dollar’, with a “sharp increase in hedging” amid a “broad rethink on exposure” – but USD dipped then rallied.&lt;/p&gt;
  25.  
  26. &lt;p&gt;This Fed-dling of course took place as ‘Rome’ churns, rather than burns. Indeed, aside from political drama in D.C., in geopolitics:&lt;/p&gt;
  27.  
  28. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Powell%20fiddling.jpg?itok=AbKa1q7P" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Powell%20fiddling.jpg?itok=AbKa1q7P"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ca02823b-16ce-4e52-a617-b07910c45598" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="327" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Powell%20fiddling.jpg?itok=AbKa1q7P" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  29.  
  30. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The EU is reportedly to explore using €170bn of Russia’s frozen assets to fund Ukraine&lt;/strong&gt;, and though some European capitals remain wary over a ‘reparation loans’ plan, the US is apparently also calling on the G-7 to do so. Recall the US took half of Afghanistan’s FX reserves in 2022 and some of Iraq’s in 2003, Iraq seized Kuwait’s in 1990, and the Nazis Czechoslovakia’s gold in the 1930s - but nothing has been done on this kind of scale before. It could jump start more discussion of diversification from the dollar &lt;em&gt;and &lt;/em&gt;euro… but into what exactly?&lt;/p&gt;
  31.  
  32. &lt;p&gt;That’s as US Senator Graham told Hungary and Slovakia to stop buying Russian oil --“I hope and expect them to step up to the plate soon to help us end this bloodbath. If not, consequences should and will follow.”—while the Wall Street Journal, in ‘Putin’s Polish Drone Incursion and the China Factor’ asks “&lt;strong&gt;Is the war in Ukraine being prolonged primarily to serve Beijing’s interests?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  33.  
  34. &lt;p&gt;The EU set out plans for partnership with India on trade, technology, security, defence, and climate, also including the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). However, as The Hindu notes, “India’s military exercises with Russia and its continued purchase of Russian oil are seen in Brussels as potential obstacles to the deepening of the relationship with New Delhi.”&lt;/p&gt;
  35.  
  36. &lt;p&gt;Moreover, if the EU strikes a deal with India, it likely presages a US-India deal alongside it, not only in tariff and transshipment terms, but due to the IMEEC. Indeed, with Trump and PM Modi exchanging warm public greetings as the latter turned 75, it once again seems to be when we see US tariffs on India lowered, not if.&lt;/p&gt;
  37.  
  38. &lt;p&gt;In the Middle East, &lt;strong&gt;the EU proposed sanctions and the partial suspension of its trade deal with Israel&lt;/strong&gt;; just as the latter announced the world’s first &lt;strong&gt;laser-based interception system&lt;/strong&gt;, which could transform the economics of building the defensive shield Europe needs.&lt;/p&gt;
  39.  
  40. &lt;p&gt;Moreover, as the Free Press describes ‘Why Trump Let Netanyahu Strike Hamas in Doha’ (“The US president and the Israeli prime minister have developed a good cop-bad cop routine”) &lt;strong&gt;Saudi Arabia signed a ‘strategic mutual defence’ pact with Pakistan&lt;/strong&gt;, a sign of how rattled it was by the  recent Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar. That underlines the urgency for the US to cement a broader Middle East geostrategic architecture like IMEEC; and that’s as Syria’s President Sharaa said security pact talks with Israel could yield results “in the coming days.”&lt;/p&gt;
  41.  
  42. &lt;p&gt;In geoeconomics: China banned its tech companies from buying Nvidia’s AI chips, &lt;strong&gt;as Beijing steps up its efforts to boost semiconductor independence&lt;/strong&gt;; South Korean manufacturers outlined their plans to bolster U.S. shipbuilding (though the Hyundai plant in Georgia recently raided by ICE reportedly won’t see construction restart until 2026); and US tech giants urged Trump to push back on an Australian tax law they don’t like; and China is pushing for closer Southeast Asia trade links as it fends off US pressure.&lt;/p&gt;
  43.  
  44. &lt;p&gt;In the specific geoeconomic of energy: Abu Dhabi’s Adnoc saw its $19bn bid for Santos fail, keeping a key energy firm in Aussie hands; &lt;strong&gt;the USTR is poised to tweak the looming penalty for carrying US LNG on Chinese-built ships as there aren’t enough alternative ships yet&lt;/strong&gt;, and penalties would push up the price of its energy exports; and Bloomberg asks, ‘Why is China stockpiling so much oil?’ saying it’s “stirring conspiracy theories.” An understanding of statecraft would make clear this isn’t conspiratorial, just logical. &lt;/p&gt;
  45.  
  46. &lt;p&gt;From a broader perspective, the ‘WTO chief finds hope in Trump’s trade disruption, sees chance for ‘reglobalization’ (SCMP). Okonjo-Iweala, acknowledging that global trade is “heavily dented”, nonetheless says the “opportunity is knocking at our door to do things differently”- yet didn’t supply any concrete answers on how to address the “supply imbalances” she admitted the global system currently produces.&lt;/p&gt;
  47.  
  48. &lt;p&gt;From a national perspective -- that applies in many places -- former Bank of England chief economist Haldane says &lt;strong&gt;Labour must rethink its growth strategy “to curb the rise of the far right”, and left-behind communities need investment to stem the populist tide&lt;/strong&gt;. He also didn’t supply any concrete answers as to how to do it: and his answers and the WTO’s need to join up, as laid out with iron logic by Pettis &amp; Klein in ‘&lt;a href="https://public-eur.mkt.dynamics.com/api/orgs/285245b1-7c6f-ef11-a66d-000d3a4b6c6a/r/6SA7-GvDqUCyPYMSqhYAAAMAAAA?msdynmkt_target=%7B%22TargetUrl%22%3A%22https%253A%252F%252Fyalebooks.yale.edu%252Fbook%252F9780300261448%252Ftrade-wars-are-class-wars%252F%22%2C%22RedirectOptions%22%3A%7B%225%22%3Anull%2C%221%22%3Anull%2C%222%22%3A%7B%22utm_medium%22%3A%22email%22%2C%22utm_term%22%3A%22N%2FA%22%2C%22utm_source%22%3A%22dynamics-rr%22%2C%22utm_campaign%22%3A%22SN%3A%20Email%20276%20bcbea6%22%7D%7D%7D&amp;msdynmkt_digest=PPi405qwPO9NrF1xiyg8v35rpaYwzVTdkb5k4r2cnwE%3D&amp;msdynmkt_secretVersion=7bb221762d0c46939816d3a5592b1359"&gt;Trade Wars are Class Wars&lt;/a&gt;’.&lt;/p&gt;
  49. &lt;/div&gt;
  50.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  51. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T14:45:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 10:45&lt;/span&gt;
  52. </description>
  53.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  54.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  55.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067694 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  56.    </item>
  57. <item>
  58.  <title>New Report Reveals Soros' Open Society Funneled $80 Million To Pro-Terror Groups</title>
  59.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/new-report-reveals-soros-open-society-funneled-80-million-pro-terror-groups</link>
  60.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;New Report Reveals Soros' Open Society Funneled $80 Million To Pro-Terror Groups&lt;/span&gt;
  61.  
  62.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;The White House opened the week by &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/identify-disrupt-dismantle-destroy-white-houses-stephen-miller-declares-war-radical-left"&gt;declaring war&lt;/a&gt; on the radical left and its dark-money NGO network in the wake of Charlie Kirk's political assassination. President Trump and senior officials are zeroing in on George Soros' Open Society Foundations (OSF) empire, which they say has sown years of chaos nationwide, with Trump even hinting at potential RICO charges. &lt;/p&gt;
  63.  
  64. &lt;p&gt;Remember Black Lives Matter's &lt;strong&gt;color-revolution-style operation&lt;/strong&gt; that ignited &lt;strong&gt;riots across the nation in 2020&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  65.  
  66. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/G0r_ivhbsAAE5Xh.jpg?itok=bKzKq3tM" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/G0r_ivhbsAAE5Xh.jpg?itok=bKzKq3tM"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3bacc643-d226-4353-8a3d-8f54bf6e1660" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="392" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/G0r_ivhbsAAE5Xh.jpg?itok=bKzKq3tM" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  67.  
  68. &lt;p&gt;A new report from &lt;a href="https://capitalresearch.org/article/exclusive-soros-open-society-gave-80-million-to-pro-terror-groups/"&gt;Capital Research Center&lt;/a&gt; (CRC), a think tank tracking foundations, charities, and other nonprofits, has revealed OSF - now run by George's ultra-leftist, radical son, Alexander - has funneled over $80 million into groups linked to terrorism or extremist violence.&lt;/p&gt;
  69.  
  70. &lt;p&gt;CRC investigative researcher &lt;a href="https://x.com/ryanmauro"&gt;Ryan Mauro&lt;/a&gt; published the bombshell report titled&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; "Soros' Open Society gave $80 million to pro-terror groups,"&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and this may be the breakthrough in evidence the Trump team needs to prosecute OSF under RICO. &lt;/p&gt;
  71.  
  72. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-18_08-18-11.png?itok=7VAySyf9" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-18_08-18-11.png?itok=7VAySyf9"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1f27ea23-698b-4c42-82a5-628baf0e7c22" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="401" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2025-09-18_08-18-11.png?itok=7VAySyf9" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  73.  
  74. &lt;p&gt;Mauro stated in the report:&lt;/p&gt;
  75.  
  76. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  77. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Since 2016, George Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF), now run with his son Alexander, has &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;poured over $80 million into groups tied to terrorism or extremist violence&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;. The &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;evidence is stark&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;: Open Society has sent millions of dollars into U.S.-based organizations that engage in "&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;direct actions" that the FBI defines as domestic terrorism&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;. These groups include the &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Center for Third World Organizing and its militant partner Ruckus Society, which trained activists in property destruction and sabotage during the 2020 riots, and the Sunrise Movement, which endorsed the Antifa-linked Stop Cop City campaign, in which activists currently face over 40 domestic terrorism charges and 60 racketeering indictments&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;. At the same time, Open Society awarded $18 million to the &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Movement for Black Lives&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;, a group that co-authored a radical guide that glorifies Hamas's October 7 massacre and instructs activists in the use of false IDs, blockades, and economic disruption.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  78.  
  79. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nor is the danger confined to America's streets. Open Society has &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;funneled more than $2.3 million into Al-Haq, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) based in the West Bank&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt; and long accused of ties to the &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;, which the European Union and the United States designate as a foreign terrorist organization. Grants to Al-Haq between 2016 and 2023 ranged from $400,000 in general support to an $800,000 institutional award. In September 2025, the U.S. State Department sanctioned Al-Haq, citing its role in advancing campaigns that "directly engaged in the [International Criminal Court's] illegitimate targeting of Israel." That means &lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Soros's foundation has not only financed extremist groups within the United States but also funneled millions abroad to entities now formally sanctioned by Washington&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  80. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  81.  
  82. &lt;p&gt;Mauro joined Glenn Beck to discuss the "&lt;strong&gt;smoking gun&lt;/strong&gt;" evidence for &lt;strong&gt;potential RICO charges against OSF&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  83.  
  84. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  85. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  86. BREAKING:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  87. SOROS ABOUT TO GO DOWN?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  88. $80 million discovered going from Soros to domestic terrorist, criminal &amp; pro-terror groups&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  89. SMOKING GUNS released by Glenn Beck &amp; Ryan Mauro on Charlie Kirk Show&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  90. One week after Charlie's martyrdom&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  91. Proof is below this post &lt;a href="https://t.co/3ptO31hNob"&gt;pic.twitter.com/3ptO31hNob&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  92. — Ryan Mauro (@ryanmauro) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ryanmauro/status/1968478985072804302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 18, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  93. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  94.  
  95. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/gates-foundation-cuts-ties-arabella-advisors-linked-funding-radical-leftist-causes"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Trump Calls For RICO Charges Against Soros Over Violent Protest Support; Gates Foundation Abruptly Severs Ties With Rogue Arabella Advisors&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  96. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/706d7e022ef5ef61b343be3228a29dd5bd435876a8c393fa6e7ec6475b4d0b1d.jpg?itok=XGL7C3Oa" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/706d7e022ef5ef61b343be3228a29dd5bd435876a8c393fa6e7ec6475b4d0b1d.jpg?itok=XGL7C3Oa"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8920b1d1-9d9a-4a79-935b-e8b4c5e2749f" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="473" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/706d7e022ef5ef61b343be3228a29dd5bd435876a8c393fa6e7ec6475b4d0b1d.jpg?itok=XGL7C3Oa" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  97.  
  98. &lt;p&gt;Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller declared war (&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/identify-disrupt-dismantle-destroy-white-houses-stephen-miller-declares-war-radical-left"&gt;read report&lt;/a&gt;) on radical leftist groups. &lt;/p&gt;
  99.  
  100. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  101. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;"It is a vast domestic terror movement, and with God as my witness, we are going to use every resource we have... throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy these networks... and we will do it in Charlie’s name."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  102. Steven Miller and JD Vance update the… &lt;a href="https://t.co/PhZys5WdEP"&gt;pic.twitter.com/PhZys5WdEP&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  103. — Connor Tomlinson (@Con_Tomlinson) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Con_Tomlinson/status/1967629381293240774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 15, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  104. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;As well as Vice President JD Vance... &lt;/p&gt;
  105.  
  106. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  107. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Holy. Shit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  108. JD Vance is fed up:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  109. “Something is very wrong with a growing minority on the far-left. There is no unity with people who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination. There is no unity with people who argue he deserved it because he spoke words with which they disagreed.” &lt;a href="https://t.co/69kQBmDIF3"&gt;pic.twitter.com/69kQBmDIF3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  110. — Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/1967655944013361555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 15, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  111. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;And there's more. &lt;/p&gt;
  112.  
  113. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  114. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🧵&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@POTUS&lt;/a&gt; says enough is enough. Classifying ANTIFA (a loose and decentralized association) as a “major [domestic] terrorist organization” may prove largely symbolic but when taken in the context of what he and &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@StephenM&lt;/a&gt; et al have been saying—you can see the gloves are off. 🥊 &lt;a href="https://t.co/C4w7wa6QDV"&gt;https://t.co/C4w7wa6QDV&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  115. — Seamus Bruner (@seamusbruner) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/seamusbruner/status/1968652570957578335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 18, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  116. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Focus is also turning to Neville Roy Singham (&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbis-armed-queers-probe-just-start-lawmakers-urge-treasury-freeze-china-linked"&gt;read report&lt;/a&gt;) ... &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;/div&gt;
  118.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  119. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T14:25:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 10:25&lt;/span&gt;
  120. </description>
  121.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
  122.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  123.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067626 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  124.    </item>
  125. <item>
  126.  <title>Fetterman Blasts Democrat Colleagues For 'Inciting Violence'</title>
  127.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fetterman-blasts-democrat-colleagues-inciting-violence</link>
  128.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Fetterman Blasts Democrat Colleagues For 'Inciting Violence'&lt;/span&gt;
  129.  
  130.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://modernity.news/2025/09/18/fetterman-blasts-democrat-colleagues-for-inciting-violence/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  131.  
  132. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Democrat Senator John Fetterman has slammed his own colleagues in the Party, intimating that their rhetoric has incited violence and inspired the assassination of Charlie Kirk.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  133.  
  134. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/FETTERMAN.jpg?itok=JcGyPwNI" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/FETTERMAN.jpg?itok=JcGyPwNI"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="00f017dc-e061-49f7-bd1b-d1c074cb7e3a" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="281" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/FETTERMAN.jpg?itok=JcGyPwNI" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  135.  
  136. &lt;p&gt;Once again Fetterman is an outlier as practically the only Democrat to call out his own party for labelling anyone and everyone they disagree with as a ‘fascist’ or a ‘Nazi’.&lt;/p&gt;
  137.  
  138. &lt;p&gt;Speaking of Kirk on a Fox News interview, the Pennsylvania Senator urged “Don’t compare him to anyone! And if you do, you will incite somebody to say, ‘Well now, I feel like I have to take him out!'”&lt;/p&gt;
  139.  
  140. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  141. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🚨 WOW! Senator JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA) went off on his own party for calling everyone on the right "Nazi" and "fascist" after it's caused violence. &lt;a href="https://t.co/pGRFgN5Ej9"&gt;pic.twitter.com/pGRFgN5Ej9&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  142. "Don't compare him to anyone! And if you do, you will incite somebody to say, 'Well now, I feel like I have…&lt;/p&gt;
  143. — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1968116805420888519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  144. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;“People seem to have forgotten that the president took a shot to the head,” Fetterman continued.&lt;/p&gt;
  145.  
  146. &lt;p&gt;“Can you imagine if that shot would have gone the way Charlie Kirk’s went?” He posited.&lt;/p&gt;
  147.  
  148. &lt;p&gt;“What kind of condition our nation would be in?” Fetterman wondered.&lt;/p&gt;
  149.  
  150. &lt;p&gt;No sooner than Fetterman had uttered these words did we get yet another prime example of what he’s talking about from another Democrat.&lt;/p&gt;
  151.  
  152. &lt;p&gt;Stacey Abrams claimed that Trump is exploiting the assassination in order to stymie free speech and exert ‘authoritarian’ rule.&lt;/p&gt;
  153.  
  154. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  155. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Democrats: Republicans need to turn down the temperature!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  156. Democrat Stacey Abrams: Trump is exploiting Charlie Kirk’s death to advance authoritarian rule. &lt;a href="https://t.co/EG7f0e0Rd6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/EG7f0e0Rd6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  157. — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1968085837645746461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 16, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  158. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  159. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Charlie Kirk is murdered. The killer echoes years of Democrat rhetoric. Now Stacey Abrams says Trump’s the threat—for noticing. They don’t want less violence. They want less visibility. This is narrative control, not leadership.&lt;/p&gt;
  160. — Matthew Newgarden (@a_newgarden) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/a_newgarden/status/1968096092953932262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 16, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  161. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every week Fetterman appears to be edging away from the Left, having expressed support for the Trump administration on several issues now.&lt;/p&gt;
  162.  
  163. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  164. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Stunning that Fetterman seems to be the only voice of reason on that side.&lt;/p&gt;
  165. — Brandie with a 🐝 (@BrandieWithABee) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BrandieWithABee/status/1968133631140040816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  166. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  167. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;He is the voice of reason now😅😅🤣🤣&lt;/p&gt;
  168. — Sputnik🛰️ (@VasBroughtToX) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/VasBroughtToX/status/1968117254094196801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  169. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  170. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;"Fetterman's right — dehumanizing language fuels violence. Debate ideas, not people.&lt;/p&gt;
  171. — Tannu kumari🕊️ (@KumariTannu_0) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/KumariTannu_0/status/1968117201128525837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  172. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  173. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Fetterman sees what many Democrats can't see. He doesn't fit in that party.&lt;/p&gt;
  174. — Ana's Writing Nook (@AnaBredenberg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/AnaBredenberg/status/1968117473485656433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  175. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  176. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Why is he the ONLY Democrat saying this?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  177. Is it that hard for them?&lt;/p&gt;
  178. — OldSaltCityAce 🇺🇸 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 👑 (@OldSaltCityAce) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/OldSaltCityAce/status/1968119058269962569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  179. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;*  *  *&lt;/p&gt;
  180.  
  181. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via &lt;a href="https://pauljosephwatson.locals.com/support"&gt;Locals&lt;/a&gt; or check out our unique &lt;a href="https://www.modernity.news/shop"&gt;merch&lt;/a&gt;. Follow us on X &lt;a href="https://x.com/modernitynews"&gt;@ModernityNews&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  182. &lt;/div&gt;
  183.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  184. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T14:05:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 10:05&lt;/span&gt;
  185. </description>
  186.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 14:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
  187.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  188.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067645 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  189.    </item>
  190. <item>
  191.  <title>Dead Cat Bounce Or Bottom? Novo Jumps On Ozempic Study As Goldman Weighs In</title>
  192.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/dead-cat-or-bottom-novo-jumps-ozempic-study-goldman-weighs</link>
  193.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Dead Cat Bounce Or Bottom? Novo Jumps On Ozempic Study As Goldman Weighs In&lt;/span&gt;
  194.  
  195.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Novo Nordisk shares jumped the most in 18 months&lt;/strong&gt; in Copenhagen trading on Thursday after its diabetes wonder drug Ozempic beat Eli Lilly's older drug Trulicity in a real-world survey of 60,000 Medicare patients with diabetes and heart disease. &lt;/p&gt;
  196.  
  197. &lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;new study&lt;/strong&gt; was revealed at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes conference in Vienna earlier today. It showed that Medicare patients who took &lt;strong&gt;Ozempic were 23% less likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes, or death compared with those on Trulicity&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  198.  
  199. &lt;p&gt;Shares of Novo Nordisk in Copenhagen surged 7% on the announcement of the study, but remain down 36.5% year-to-date and more than 61.5% below the June 2024 peak of DKK 1,000. For Goldman analysts like Novo superbull James Quigley, &lt;strong&gt;the question is whether the 37% rebound since early August marks an actual bottom, or just another dead cat bounce&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  200.  
  201. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_25e3e4ab.png?itok=RKmT5LYo" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_25e3e4ab.png?itok=RKmT5LYo"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="62092ae4-cae5-415f-9458-878fa04a7f15" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="273" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Snag_25e3e4ab.png?itok=RKmT5LYo" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  202.  
  203. &lt;p&gt;Quigley penned a note to clients about the &lt;strong&gt;key takeaways from the new study presented at the EASD conference&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  204.  
  205. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  206. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Novo hosted an R&amp;D investor event in conjunction with the EASD conference in Vienna. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  207.  
  208. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Our key takeaways were: &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  209.  
  210. &lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  211. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Amycretin is primarily an obesity drug not a diabetes drug and base case is a similar efficacy, tolerability and safety as CagriSema but with one API, with an upside case being a better profile than CagriSema, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;/li&gt;
  213. &lt;li&gt;
  214. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Cagrilintide monotherapy trials will not use forced titration, could test higher doses, and will generate data in more subpopulations. On the need for a potential CVOT, the company said it is too early to say.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  215. &lt;/li&gt;
  216. &lt;li&gt;
  217. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;EVOKE/EVOKE+ is powered for 20% slowing in cognitive decline but can detect low teens % based on powering. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  218. &lt;/li&gt;
  219. &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The company commented any statistically significant result would be seen as meaningful based on clinician feedback. Overall, our conversations with management as well as KOL commentary at the EASD conference further highlights to us that in order to be successful in obesity, companies will need for a broad pipeline supported by deep databases behind each asset, as obesity will not be a one size fits all market, particularly with new entrants on the horizon.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  220. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  221.  
  222. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  223.  
  224. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  225. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/goldman-ubs-react-novo-nordisk-axing-9000-jobs-slashing-guidance-amid-glp-1-headwinds"&gt;Goldman, UBS React To Novo Nordisk Axing 9,000 Jobs, Slashing Guidance Amid GLP-1 Headwinds&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  226. &lt;/li&gt;
  227. &lt;li&gt;
  228. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/novo-shares-gain-wegovy-shows-big-edge-over-lillys-tirzepatide-heart-study"&gt;Novo Shares Gain As Wegovy Shows Big Edge Over Lilly's Tirzepatide In Heart Study&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  229. &lt;/li&gt;
  230. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;ZeroHedge Pro Subs can &lt;a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dp5cdvdke2y7e6i43bvu5/GS_Novo-EASD.pdf?rlkey=g5kfakps5uprglcl6t21l1stx&amp;st=bg06ifxh&amp;dl=0"&gt;read the full note here&lt;/a&gt;, along with more details on Quigley's 12-month price target.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  231. &lt;/div&gt;
  232.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  233. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T13:45:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 09:45&lt;/span&gt;
  234. </description>
  235.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  236.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  237.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067665 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  238.    </item>
  239. <item>
  240.  <title>Ethereum Un-Staking Queue Goes 'Parabolic': What Does That Mean For Price?</title>
  241.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/ethereum-un-staking-queue-goes-parabolic-what-does-mean-price</link>
  242.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Ethereum Un-Staking Queue Goes 'Parabolic': What Does That Mean For Price?&lt;/span&gt;
  243.  
  244.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-unstaking-queue-goes-parabolic-what-does-it-mean-for-eth-price"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Nancy Lubale via CoinTelegraph.com,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  245.  
  246. &lt;p&gt;The amount of Ether in the queue waiting to be unstaked has surged to its highest level, as investors may be looking to cash in on yearly profits.&lt;/p&gt;
  247.  
  248. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/0199368e-8038-7f69-9eec-ab4c7444.jpg?itok=PO0Otllt" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/0199368e-8038-7f69-9eec-ab4c7444.jpg?itok=PO0Otllt"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f457a13e-86df-49f2-a5ed-fb98960a0a19" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="333" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/0199368e-8038-7f69-9eec-ab4c7444.jpg?itok=PO0Otllt" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  249.  
  250. &lt;h2&gt;Ether’s exit queue hits record $12B ETH&lt;/h2&gt;
  251.  
  252. &lt;p&gt;Ethereum’s exit queue surpassed 2.6 million ETH worth $12 billion last week, with a 44-day wait time.&lt;/p&gt;
  253.  
  254. &lt;p&gt;This marked the largest amount of Ether ever set for withdrawal by the network’s &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/explained/what-is-a-blockchain-validator"&gt;validators&lt;/a&gt;, who are responsible for adding new blocks and verifying transactions in proposed blocks, playing a vital role in securing the Ethereum &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/learn/articles/how-does-blockchain-work-everything-there-is-to-know"&gt;blockchain&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  255.  
  256. &lt;p&gt;Data from ValidatorQueue &lt;a href="https://www.validatorqueue.com/"&gt;noted&lt;/a&gt; that the number of active validators was above 1.05 million, with 29.4% of the total ETH supply staked, i.e., around 35.6 million ETH. &lt;/p&gt;
  257.  
  258. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Ethereum staking exit queue goes parabolic,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;macro analyst MartyPary &lt;a href="https://x.com/martypartymusic/status/1967734794760097890"&gt;commented&lt;/a&gt; on the largest validator exodus in crypto history.  &lt;/p&gt;
  259.  
  260. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/0199576c-d780-7154-b454-1570210a.jpg?itok=04C-o04T" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/0199576c-d780-7154-b454-1570210a.jpg?itok=04C-o04T"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba445f87-ec03-47c3-ac38-d3135e38997f" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="291" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/0199576c-d780-7154-b454-1570210a.jpg?itok=04C-o04T" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  261.  
  262. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Number of Ether queued for exit. Source: Validator Queue&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  263.  
  264. &lt;p&gt;While this does not mean that all the validators are looking to sell their holdings, a significant portion of the over $12 billion may be offloaded to lock in profits, notably as the Ether price has risen 97% over the past 12 months.&lt;/p&gt;
  265.  
  266. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  267. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“The Ethereum exit queue is at a record high, with huge amounts of $ETH now waiting to exit staking,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/TheCryptoLark/status/1962145976740720640"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt; crypto YouTuber Lark Davis in an X post, adding:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  268.  
  269. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Heavy sell pressure incoming.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  270. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  271.  
  272. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, the Ethereum &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/learn/articles/how-to-stake-ether-eth"&gt;staking&lt;/a&gt; entry queue reached its lowest level in four weeks, adding to fears that a surge in the exit queue could lead to a major sell-off.&lt;/p&gt;
  273.  
  274. &lt;p&gt;More than 512,755 ETH, worth around $2.3 billion, were waiting to be staked at the time of writing, down from 959,717 ETH on Sept. 5, indicating a slowdown in demand for staking Ether.&lt;/p&gt;
  275.  
  276. &lt;h2&gt;Strong institutional demand allays ETF sell-off fears&lt;/h2&gt;
  277.  
  278. &lt;p&gt;Increasing accumulation and buying strength from &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/7-largest-ether-treasury-companies-by-holdings"&gt;Ether treasury companies&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/explained/ether-etf-inflows-explained-what-they-mean-for-traders"&gt;spot ETH exchange-traded funds&lt;/a&gt; (ETFs) are absorbing much of the selling pressure. &lt;/p&gt;
  279.  
  280. &lt;p&gt;Data from &lt;a href="http://strategicethreserve.xyz/"&gt;strategicethreserve.xyz&lt;/a&gt; highlights that &lt;strong&gt;collective holdings of strategic reserves and ETFs have surged 116% since July 1&lt;/strong&gt;, climbing to 11,762,594 ETH from 5,445,458 ETH.&lt;/p&gt;
  281.  
  282. &lt;p&gt;The sharp increase underscores a swift influx of Ether supply into the hands of major institutional and corporate players.&lt;/p&gt;
  283.  
  284. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/0199576b-33cb-72a5-a802-d71e725c.jpg?itok=GTZXKCOT" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/0199576b-33cb-72a5-a802-d71e725c.jpg?itok=GTZXKCOT"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2423339a-94d5-4ba8-a378-0985ffacdab5" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="244" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/0199576b-33cb-72a5-a802-d71e725c.jpg?itok=GTZXKCOT" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  285.  
  286. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ether treasuries and ETF holdings reserve. Source: strategicethreserve.xyz&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  287.  
  288. &lt;p&gt;The majority of these entities have or will stake the asset for additional yields for their strategies, which may boost the entry queue in the coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
  289.  
  290. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Another bullish narrative is tied to the potential &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-etf-staking-approval-institutional-demand"&gt;launch of ETH staking ETFs&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; This implies that some investors may be freeing up liquidity to re-enter these products later, effectively reshuffling their exposure without exiting the ETH market.&lt;/p&gt;
  291.  
  292. &lt;p&gt;While the SEC’s final deadline for approval is set for April 2026, popular analyst Axel Bitblaze &lt;a href="https://x.com/Axel_bitblaze69/status/1967953221022069100"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt; the green light could come much sooner, possibly as early as October 2025.&lt;/p&gt;
  293.  
  294. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  295. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I know we have been waiting for the ETH ETFs approval, but now it’s only a matter of time,” the analyst wrote in a Tuesday X post, adding:&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  296.  
  297. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“BlackRock's ETH staking approval next deadline is in October, and I think the approval will most likely happen.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  298. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  299.  
  300. &lt;p&gt;Capital &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-etfs-inflows-bitcoin-ethereum-solana"&gt;continued to flow into crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs&lt;/a&gt;) last week, with Ethereum investment products attracting $646 million in inflows, marking &lt;a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/ether-etfs-13b-corporate-treasuries"&gt;a return of institutional investor appetite for ETH&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  301. &lt;/div&gt;
  302.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  303. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T13:25:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 09:25&lt;/span&gt;
  304. </description>
  305.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
  306.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  307.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067290 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  308.    </item>
  309. <item>
  310.  <title>More Than 10 Russian Refineries Have Been Hit By Ukrainian Drones Since Early August</title>
  311.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/ten-russian-refineries-have-been-hit-ukrainian-drones-early-august</link>
  312.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;More Than 10 Russian Refineries Have Been Hit By Ukrainian Drones Since Early August&lt;/span&gt;
  313.  
  314.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another day, another Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian oil facility. This time&lt;strong&gt; a major Gazprom oil and petrochemical facility in the republic of Bashkortostan was struck on Thursday&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  315.  
  316. &lt;p data-end="546" data-start="298"&gt;"Two drones attacked the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat enterprise," Bashkortostan regional head Radiy Khabirov &lt;a href="https://t.me/radiyhabirov/11321" title="wrote"&gt;stated&lt;/a&gt; on Telegram. He called it a "terrorist attack" and described that security guards opened fire on the drones while they were inbound, though there were no injuries in the attack.&lt;/p&gt;
  317. &lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/gazpromfile.jpg?itok=QOCbnRMh" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/gazpromfile.jpg?itok=QOCbnRMh"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;figure role="group" class="caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images"&gt;&lt;img alt="" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="22c4a2a4-0957-4dd5-aaf4-ed9e740cd172" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="343" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/gazpromfile.jpg?itok=QOCbnRMh" typeof="foaf:Image" width="500" /&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;&lt;em&gt;Via Reuters&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  318.  
  319. &lt;p data-end="546" data-start="298"&gt;Videos from the scene showed thick black smoke rising above the facility, as emergency crews responded to battle the blaze and assess the damage - which is uncertain.&lt;/p&gt;
  320.  
  321. &lt;p data-end="546" data-start="298"&gt;Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat refinery is one of the country's largest, ranked as Russia's 10th-largest and processing around 10 million metric tons of oil annually, and a huge array of petroleum and chemical products. This isn't the first time it was struck by drones in an attack, given an incident which happened in 2024.&lt;/p&gt;
  322.  
  323. &lt;p data-end="546" data-start="298"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;At least ten separate Russian refineries &lt;/strong&gt;have come under cross-border drone attack from Ukraine &lt;a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russia-raises-august-oil-export-plan-after-drone-strikes-disrupt-refineries-2025-08-26/"&gt;since only early August&lt;/a&gt;, which has served to reduce nation-wide refining output by nearly 20% - or roughly 1.1 million barrels per day - and wholesale oil prices in Russia have risen sharply.&lt;/p&gt;
  324.  
  325. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"&gt;
  326. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Gazprom refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan is having a rough morning. &lt;a href="https://t.co/d9iK0otLEi"&gt;pic.twitter.com/d9iK0otLEi&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  327. — Jay in Kyiv (@JayinKyiv) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1968587435467530646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 18, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  328. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p data-end="378" data-start="159"&gt;Ukraine's military and media have classified Russia's refineries as essentially military targets, given they prop up funding of the armed forces as they execute Putin's 'special military operation'.&lt;/p&gt;
  329.  
  330. &lt;p data-end="378" data-start="159"&gt;For example there was this early August statement from &lt;a href="https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-drones-reportedly-strike-oil-facilities-in-russias-ryazan-oblast-occupied-luhansk-oblast/"&gt;Ukrainian media&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  331.  
  332. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  333. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;According to Ukraine's &lt;a href="https://t.me/GeneralStaffZSU/28647"&gt;General Staff&lt;/a&gt;, the ELOU-AVT-6 primary oil processing unit, with an estimated annual capacity of 6 million tons, was hit.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  334.  
  335. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The plant, which has a capacity of 13.8 million tons per year, &lt;strong&gt;was &lt;a href="https://kyivindependent.com/2-russian-oil-refineries-cut-or-halt-production-after-ukrainian-drone-attacks-reuters-reports/"&gt;previously struck&lt;/a&gt; by Ukrainian drones on Aug. 2, forcing two of its three main refining units to halt operations&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  336.  
  337. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ukraine's military said the facility plays a role in supporting Russia's armed forces.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  338. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  339.  
  340. &lt;p&gt;This reveals a concerted effort to permanently damage the Kremlin's ability to fund the war. &lt;em&gt;Newsmax&lt;/em&gt; has previously &lt;a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russia-ukraine-war/2025/09/05/id/1225208/"&gt;observed&lt;/a&gt; that "The impact has been felt nationwide. &lt;strong&gt;Motorists face fuel shortages, long lines, and record prices&lt;/strong&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;
  341.  
  342. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Salavat oil refinery in Bashkortostan lies &lt;strong&gt;more than 800 miles&lt;/strong&gt; from the Ukrainian border...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  343. &lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/slavat.jpg?itok=aTkMn_Qi" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/slavat.jpg?itok=aTkMn_Qi"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;figure role="group" class="caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images"&gt;&lt;img alt="" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="20827d4f-ea22-42a1-a2ae-a25d9015a5bf" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="363" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/slavat.jpg?itok=aTkMn_Qi" typeof="foaf:Image" width="500" /&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;&lt;em&gt;Via X&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  344.  
  345. &lt;p&gt;The report noted further, "Wholesale gasoline prices have jumped 54% since January, prompting authorities to suspend exports and impose rationing in some regions."&lt;/p&gt;
  346.  
  347. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, according to &lt;a href="https://tass.com/economy/2018331"&gt;TASS&lt;/a&gt; on Thursday, "The Russian Finance Ministry is budgeting for a gradual decrease in dependence on oil and gas, with the oil cutoff price in the budget rule planned to fall to $55 per barrel by 2030, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said at the Moscow Financial Forum."&lt;/p&gt;
  348.  
  349. &lt;p&gt;Siluanov said, "In order to make finances sustainable, we propose and budget for a reduction in the budget’s dependence on various restrictions, be they price or volume, on oil and gas revenues."&lt;/p&gt;
  350. &lt;/div&gt;
  351.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  352. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T13:05:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 09:05&lt;/span&gt;
  353. </description>
  354.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
  355.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  356.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067623 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  357.    </item>
  358. <item>
  359.  <title>House Rejects Bid To Censure Rep. Ilhan Omar Over Charlie Kirk Comments</title>
  360.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/house-rejects-bid-censure-rep-ilhan-omar-over-charlie-kirk-comments</link>
  361.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;House Rejects Bid To Censure Rep. Ilhan Omar Over Charlie Kirk Comments&lt;/span&gt;
  362.  
  363.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/house-rejects-bid-to-censure-rep-ilhan-omar-over-charlie-kirk-comments-5916808?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_campaign=ZeroHedge"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  364.  
  365. &lt;p&gt;The House of Representatives on Sept. 17 rejected a bid to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for comments she made about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk following his assassination.&lt;/p&gt;
  366.  
  367. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/image%20-%202025-09-18T052442.149.jpg?itok=MoJlhXY-" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/image%20-%202025-09-18T052442.149.jpg?itok=MoJlhXY-"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5a1e51a5-9cf9-417a-809c-8ecc2400c4dd" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="333" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/image%20-%202025-09-18T052442.149.jpg?itok=MoJlhXY-" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  368.  
  369. &lt;p&gt;The censure motion, brought by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), would have also stripped Omar of her assignments on the Education and the Workforce Committee and the Budget Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
  370.  
  371. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It was tabled in a 214–213 vote. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in &lt;a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025276"&gt;voting&lt;/a&gt; to drop consideration of the measure.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  372.  
  373. &lt;p&gt;The motion regarded the remarks Omar made about Kirk during an &lt;a href="https://zeteo.com/p/full-of-shit-ilhan-omar-dismisses"&gt;interview&lt;/a&gt; on Zeteo.&lt;/p&gt;
  374.  
  375. &lt;p&gt;During the interview, Omar criticized those she said were “people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate.”&lt;/p&gt;
  376.  
  377. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  378. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“There is nothing more [expletive] to completely pretend his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;the lawmaker said.&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  380.  
  381. &lt;p&gt;Mace’s resolution also cited Omar’s repost of a video on X that described Kirk as a “reprehensible human being.”&lt;/p&gt;
  382.  
  383. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Mace condemned Republicans who voted to table the measure.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  384.  
  385. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  386. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Democrats and these 4 ‘Republicans’ chose Ilhan Omar over decency, over justice, and over Charlie Kirk’s family,” Mace wrote in a &lt;a href="https://x.com/NancyMace/status/1968445681456275649"&gt;post&lt;/a&gt; on X after the vote. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  387.  
  388. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“They showed us exactly who they are. Never forget it.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  389. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  390.  
  391. &lt;p&gt;Omar, meanwhile, thanked her House colleagues “for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor.&lt;/p&gt;
  392.  
  393. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  394. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Appreciate them safeguarding first amendment protections and the usage of the censure,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;she said in a &lt;a href="https://x.com/IlhanMN/status/1968448737081995710"&gt;post&lt;/a&gt; on X after the vote.&lt;/p&gt;
  395. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  396.  
  397. &lt;p&gt;One of the four Republicans who voted to table the measure, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), defended his vote in a &lt;a href="https://x.com/CoryMillsFL/status/1968448662763110509"&gt;post&lt;/a&gt; on X.&lt;/p&gt;
  398.  
  399. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  400. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The 7 Articles and 27 Amendments of our Constitution are not only to be followed when it serves your purpose,” Mills wrote.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  401.  
  402. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“This is a [First Amendment] issue. We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their [First Amendment] Right.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  403. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  404.  
  405. &lt;p&gt;Reps. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) also voted to table the measure.&lt;/p&gt;
  406.  
  407. &lt;p&gt;After Mace unveiled her resolution to censure Omar, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) responded with a countermeasure to censure Mills over allegations involving his personal and professional conduct.&lt;/p&gt;
  408.  
  409. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Earlier this month, lawmakers in the lower chamber also rejected an effort to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and strip her of her committee assignments after she was indicted on federal assault charges&lt;/strong&gt; following a clash with federal officers at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey.&lt;/p&gt;
  410. &lt;/div&gt;
  411.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  412. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T12:45:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 08:45&lt;/span&gt;
  413. </description>
  414.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  415.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  416.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067624 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  417.    </item>
  418. <item>
  419.  <title>Initial Jobless Claims Tumble Back Into Their Four-Year Range As Texas Anomaly Normalizes</title>
  420.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/initial-jobless-claims-tumble-back-their-four-year-range-texas-anomaly-normalizes</link>
  421.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Initial Jobless Claims Tumble Back Into Their Four-Year Range As Texas Anomaly Normalizes&lt;/span&gt;
  422.  
  423.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Initial jobless claims tumbled back into their four year range after spiking the prior week. From 264k prior, 231k Americans filed for jobless benefits for the first time last week&lt;/p&gt;
  424.  
  425. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/bfm3E8A_1.jpg?itok=-Cg6QxRY" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/bfm3E8A_1.jpg?itok=-Cg6QxRY"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0792af4f-a2db-467c-9970-0e4ae3312375" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="331" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/bfm3E8A_1.jpg?itok=-Cg6QxRY" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  426.  
  427. &lt;p&gt;Source: Bloomberg&lt;/p&gt;
  428.  
  429. &lt;p&gt;The drop in initial claims reflects a reversion of the mystery spike in Texas (apparently driven by hiring/firing of state educators)...&lt;/p&gt;
  430.  
  431. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/bfmB4EB_0.jpg?itok=pj-hMjbf" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/bfmB4EB_0.jpg?itok=pj-hMjbf"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1785f723-8120-48a7-91f5-923a7b7e6028" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="335" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/bfmB4EB_0.jpg?itok=pj-hMjbf" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  432.  
  433. &lt;p&gt;Source: Bloomberg&lt;/p&gt;
  434.  
  435. &lt;p&gt;Texas swung from the biggest increase to the largest decrease in claims...&lt;/p&gt;
  436.  
  437. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/get_attachment_url%20%2828%29_0.jpg?itok=ipb6SQ67" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/get_attachment_url%20%2828%29_0.jpg?itok=ipb6SQ67"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f27bd7aa-3826-4cd4-8f8d-a66969998e9a" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="246" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/get_attachment_url%20%2828%29_0.jpg?itok=ipb6SQ67" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  438.  
  439. &lt;p&gt;Continuing Claims trended lower but remains above the Maginot Line of 1.9 million Americans...&lt;/p&gt;
  440.  
  441. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/bfmE64.jpg?itok=LH9oHBbq" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/bfmE64.jpg?itok=LH9oHBbq"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8d994bde-9993-4734-9da8-39005e8eae7b" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="337" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/bfmE64.jpg?itok=LH9oHBbq" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  442.  
  443. &lt;p&gt;Source: Bloomberg&lt;/p&gt;
  444.  
  445. &lt;p&gt;Will this lead Powell and The Fed to now cut back on their easing bias? Baffle 'em with bullshit (data) is back...&lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;/div&gt;
  447.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  448. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T12:39:15+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 08:39&lt;/span&gt;
  449. </description>
  450.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:39:15 +0000</pubDate>
  451.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  452.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067642 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  453.    </item>
  454. <item>
  455.  <title>Futures Jump To Fresh Record High After Fed Restarts Rate Cuts</title>
  456.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/market-recaps/futures-jump-fresh-record-high-after-fed-restarts-rate-cuts</link>
  457.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Futures Jump To Fresh Record High After Fed Restarts Rate Cuts&lt;/span&gt;
  458.  
  459.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Futures are higher and back into record territory as investors shrug off some contradictions in the Fed’s policy statement and Powell’s hawkish news conference and refocus on the most dovish Fed statement since 2021, per JPM. "For whatever reason, it appears the Fed’s reaction function has shifted in a more dovish direction," according to Bloomberg Econ head Anna Wong. S&amp;P 500 futures were 0.8% higher at 8:05 am ET while Nasdaq 100 futures were +1.1%. Pre-mkt, Mag7 / Semis are bid up with NVDA +2.3%, AVGO +1.9%, TSLA +1.6%, GOOG +1.3%; tech was boosted by news that &lt;strong&gt;NVDA would buy a $5BN stake in rival chipmaker Intel. &lt;/strong&gt; Nikkei +1.15%, Hang Seng -1.35%, Shanghai -1.15%, FTSE +15bps, CAC +1.1%, DAX +1.2%. "&lt;em&gt;Last night the market was taking the view that this wasn’t so much of a dovish cut but, after sleeping on it, it decided that it was enough to keep the market going&lt;/em&gt;,” said Karen Georges, an equity fund manager at Ecofi in Paris. &lt;em&gt;“Fed cuts are good for tech and long duration stocks.” &lt;/em&gt;Sure enough, both tech and small caps are outperforming as the US is poised for an "Everything Rally" alongside a global risk-on tone. The yield curve is bull flattening and USD is flat. Large-Caps across all the super-sectors are higher pre-mkt. Today’s macro data focus is on jobless claims where investors will look to confirm last week’s spike was a one-off. &lt;/p&gt;
  460.  
  461. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/ES%202025-09-18_8-08-42.jpg?itok=-P-eoVg-" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/ES%202025-09-18_8-08-42.jpg?itok=-P-eoVg-"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="dcdf8027-5698-4e71-a3b2-a19cd91697d7" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="283" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/ES%202025-09-18_8-08-42.jpg?itok=-P-eoVg-" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  462.  
  463. &lt;p&gt;In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are green across the board (Tesla +1.1%, Nvidia +3%, Alphabet +1.2%, Microsoft +0.3%, Apple +0.4%, Amazon +0.5%, Meta Platforms +0.6%). Some other notable movers:&lt;/p&gt;
  464.  
  465. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;89bio (ETNB) surges 83% after Roche said it will acquire the biopharmaceutical company for up to $3.5 billion.&lt;/li&gt;
  466. &lt;li&gt;Cracker Barrel (CBRL) falls 8% after its sales guidance missed expectations, showing the brand is still dealing with the fallout from its controversial and short-lived logo change.&lt;/li&gt;
  467. &lt;li&gt;CrowdStrike (CRWD) rises 4% in the wake of an investor briefing where the software company discussed its AI strategy and gave a preliminary FY27 outlook for net new annual recurring revenue that analysts see as strong.&lt;/li&gt;
  468. &lt;li&gt;Darden Restaurants (DRI) falls 6% after adjusted earnings per share missed expectations. Same-store sales growth for Olive Garden also came in below consensus estimates.&lt;/li&gt;
  469. &lt;li&gt;FactSet (FDS) slips 3% after the the financial data provider forecast adjusted earnings per share for 2026, guidance that missed the average analyst estimate.&lt;/li&gt;
  470. &lt;li&gt;GE Healthcare Technologies (GEHC) ticks 1.7% higher as the company is exploring options including the sale of a stake in its China unit, people familiar with the matter said.&lt;/li&gt;
  471. &lt;li&gt;Intel (INTC) climbs 28% after Nvidia agreed to invest $5 billion in the company and said the two will codevelop chips for PCs and data centers.&lt;/li&gt;
  472. &lt;li&gt;IonQ (IONQ) gains 4% after the company signed a MOU with the US Department of Energy to advance the development and deployment of quantum technologies in space.&lt;/li&gt;
  473. &lt;li&gt;Red Cat Holdings (RCAT) falls 10% after the drone technology company launched a secondary offering of shares via Northland Capital Markets.&lt;/li&gt;
  474. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;In tech news, Huawei unveiled new technology from memory chips to AI accelerators, outlining a multiyear plan to challenge Nvidia’s dominance. Elsewhere, the FT reported that China has decided to end an antitrust investigation into the dominance of Google’s Android. And Meta unveiled its first smart glasses with a built-in screen, the $799 Meta Ray-Ban Display. &lt;/p&gt;
  475.  
  476. &lt;p&gt;In other corporate news, Disney’s ABC is taking Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air indefinitely amid a backlash to remarks the late-night host made about the killing of Charlie Kirk. And Eli Lilly said that Mounjaro helped kids as young as 10 control their blood sugar and lose weight.&lt;/p&gt;
  477.  
  478. &lt;p&gt;While stocks initially fluctuated in the hours after the Fed’s decision, on Thursday investors turned their focus to projections showing two more rate cuts for 2025, &lt;strong&gt;one more cut than they saw in June.  &lt;/strong&gt;That said, there is no smoking guy for the overnight strength with as news flow is light. Strategists said the Fed’s focus on recent labor-market weakness suggests it’s ready to support the economy, even at a time when growth remains robust and corporate profits advance. According to Goldman, the "FOMC statement leaned dovish while Powell was more balanced and framed the cut as “risk management” in response to downside risks in the labor mkt."&lt;/p&gt;
  479.  
  480. &lt;p&gt;“The ‘front-loading’ is probably the most important part of all this,” said Michael Brown, research strategist at Pepperstone Group Ltd. “If labor market weakness persists, then the Fed will continue to cut. The monetary backdrop is set to become much easier, much sooner.”&lt;/p&gt;
  481.  
  482. &lt;p&gt;Also overnight, Norway's Norges Bank cut 25bps (as expected) and the the BoE kept rates unchanged at 4.00% also as expected.&lt;/p&gt;
  483.  
  484. &lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, the AI narrative remains a key thematic driver for many, while small-caps — typically more sensitive to rate cuts — are quietly breaking out of a long-term downtrend. Citigroup strategists note that Fed cuts have historically been a tailwind for global equities and a catalyst for broadening market performance.  And investors who have driven stocks to record highs do expect a rather positive growth backdrop. Bank of America’s fund manager survey published this week showed that 67% anticipate a soft landing and 18% no landing, with only 10% braced for a downturn.&lt;/p&gt;
  485.  
  486. &lt;p&gt;Europe's Stoxx 600 is up by 0.6% with tech firms leading the way. Here are some of the biggest European movers today:&lt;/p&gt;
  487.  
  488. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Kone shares rise as much as 5%, hitting their highest level since early 2022, as the Finnish company is exploring a potential bid for rival TK Elevator&lt;/li&gt;
  489. &lt;li&gt;Wolters Kluwer shares rise as much as 5.6% on Thursday after the professional publisher said it’s speeding up the pace of share buybacks&lt;/li&gt;
  490. &lt;li&gt;Renishaw advances as much as 9.2%, hitting the highest since mid February, after the precision measuring equipment maker reported its full-year results&lt;/li&gt;
  491. &lt;li&gt;Nanobiotix shares rise as much as 20% to the highest since October 2021 after the French biotechnology company announced positive new results from an early-stage clinical study&lt;/li&gt;
  492. &lt;li&gt;Inchcape shares climb as much as 5% after analysts at UBS initiated coverage on the automotive distributor with a buy rating&lt;/li&gt;
  493. &lt;li&gt;Spire Healthcare shares rise as much as 7.7% as certain investors push the private hospital operator to explore a sale, according to a report from Sky News&lt;/li&gt;
  494. &lt;li&gt;OVS shares rise as much as 8.1% in Milan, the most since April 10,  after the Italian fashion retailer reported an increase in adjusted Ebitda and net sales for the first half of the year.&lt;/li&gt;
  495. &lt;li&gt;Lime Technologies gains as much as 7.6%, the most since May, after DNB Carnegie raised its view on the Swedish enterprise software group to buy from hold&lt;/li&gt;
  496. &lt;li&gt;SIG shares fall as much as 24%, the most on record, triggering a temporary trading halt after the Swiss packaging maker cut its revenue growth guidance for 2025&lt;/li&gt;
  497. &lt;li&gt;Next shares drop as much as 6.6% after the UK fashion retailer said it expects UK sales growth to be lower in the second half compared with the first&lt;/li&gt;
  498. &lt;li&gt;Barry Callebaut falls as much as 5.1%, the most in a month, after Deutsche Bank cut its recommendation on the Swiss chocolate firm to hold from buy&lt;/li&gt;
  499. &lt;li&gt;Pets at Home shares plummet as much as 23%, marking the biggest drop on record, after the pet supply retailer warned the market remained subdued&lt;/li&gt;
  500. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Earlier in the session, Asian stocks fell, weighed by late losses in Chinese shares as a tech-led rally showed signs of cooling. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index dropped as much as 0.7%, on course to snap a 10-day winning streak. Chinese tech giants Tencent and Alibaba were among the main drags on the gauge. Australian energy firm Santos also posted steep losses after a third attempted sale faltered. The decline on Thursday puts a pause on the Asian benchmark’s climb after hitting a record high in the previous session. Sentiment in the region was downbeat even as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates. Trading in Chinese equities turned volatile late in the day, with analysts pointing to profit taking after the recent rally. Mainland China’s benchmark CSI 300 Index fell 1.2%, while a gauge of Hong Kong-listed Chinese shares dropped 1.5%. Equities also fell in New Zealand after the country’s economy shrank more than expected in the second quarter.  Elsewhere, South Korea outperformed as chipmakers got a boost from expectations for earnings to beat estimates amid an environment of lower borrowing cost. Tech stocks also rose in Japan on continued interest in artificial intelligence.&lt;/p&gt;
  501.  
  502. &lt;p&gt;In FX, the dollar swoons against G-10 currencies, with the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index erasing most of its earlier gain. New Zealand dollar is the worst performer following a weak GDP reading. Sterling and gilts are steady ahead of an expected hold from the Bank of England. Norwegian krone pares its decline against the euro after Norges Bank cuts rates but gives a hawkish outlook.&lt;/p&gt;
  503.  
  504. &lt;p&gt;In rates, US Treasuries outperform peers as European bonds decline; Treasuries held gains accumulated during Asia session and European morning, erasing Wednesday’s losses that followed Fed Chair Powell’s post-FOMC comments advocating a cautious approach to further easing.  Treasury yields are 3bp-4bp richer across the curve with intermediates leading, flattening 2s10s and 2s5s spreads by about 1bp; 2s5s30s fly is about 1.5bp richer after widening sharply Wednesday. &lt;strong&gt;US 10-year yield is back down to around 4.05%, richer by 4bp on the day, with bunds and gilts in the sector lagging by 5bp. &lt;/strong&gt;Following Wednesday’s FOMC rate cut, OIS contracts price in around 45bp of additional easing over this year’s two remaining meetings and a terminal rate of around 2.9% by mid-2026. Treasury auctions resume at 1pm New York time with $19 billion 10-year TIPS reopening. Focal points of US session include weekly jobless claims data and a 10-year TIPS reopening. UK gilts have had muted initial reaction to Bank of England voted 7-2 to keep policy rate at 4% as expected.&lt;/p&gt;
  505.  
  506. &lt;p&gt;In commodities, gold reverses an earlier decline to gain about $9 to around $3,668/oz and oil prices fluctuate in a narrow range, with Brent below $68/barrel.&lt;/p&gt;
  507.  
  508. &lt;p&gt;US economic data slate includes weekly jobless claims and September Philadelphia Fed business outlook (8:30am), August Leading index (10am) and July TIC flows (4pm)&lt;/p&gt;
  509.  
  510. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Market Snapshot&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  511.  
  512. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;S&amp;P 500 mini +0.9%&lt;/li&gt;
  513. &lt;li&gt;Nasdaq 100 mini +1.1%&lt;/li&gt;
  514. &lt;li&gt;Russell 2000 mini +1.5%&lt;/li&gt;
  515. &lt;li&gt;Stoxx Europe 600 +0.8%&lt;/li&gt;
  516. &lt;li&gt;DAX +1.3%&lt;/li&gt;
  517. &lt;li&gt;CAC 40 +1.2%&lt;/li&gt;
  518. &lt;li&gt;10-year Treasury yield -4 basis points at 4.05%&lt;/li&gt;
  519. &lt;li&gt;VIX -0.9 points at 14.83&lt;/li&gt;
  520. &lt;li&gt;Bloomberg Dollar Index little changed at 1191.67&lt;/li&gt;
  521. &lt;li&gt;euro +0.1% at $1.183&lt;/li&gt;
  522. &lt;li&gt;WTI crude -0.3% at $63.88/barrel&lt;/li&gt;
  523. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Top Overnight News&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  524.  
  525. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;US government shutdown risks are rising, with Democrats demanding health care policy changes that House Speaker Mike Johnson has said have “zero” chance of becoming law. The US House cleared the procedural hurdle for a floor vote this week on the stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown. BBG&lt;/li&gt;
  526. &lt;li&gt;Punchbowl, on the possibility of a US shutdown, surmises "Republican and Democratic leaders are growing further apart rather than closer."&lt;/li&gt;
  527. &lt;li&gt;Donald Trump’s UK visit turns to diplomatic talks with PM Keir Starmer, which are expected to focus on trade and the war in Ukraine. There will be a joint press conference, at which some tech investments may be announced. BBG&lt;/li&gt;
  528. &lt;li&gt;The Trump administration is drawing up plans to use tariff revenue to fund a program to support US farmers as they head into harvest facing falling export sales and rising input costs. FT&lt;/li&gt;
  529. &lt;li&gt;China is dropping an antitrust probe into Google, as Beijing and Washington step up negotiations over TikTok, Nvidia and trade at a time of heightened tensions between the superpowers. FT&lt;/li&gt;
  530. &lt;li&gt;China rare earth exports jumped to a record level in Aug as Beijing permits expanded shipments following an easing of tensions with Washington. BBG&lt;/li&gt;
  531. &lt;li&gt;Huawei outlined its long-term chip plans for the first time on Thursday and said it would launch some of the world's most powerful computing systems - underscoring China's drive to wean itself off foreign semiconductor suppliers like Nvidia. RTRS&lt;/li&gt;
  532. &lt;li&gt;Norway’s central bank lowered rates by 25bp to 4%, as expected, and while it forecast additional cuts over the coming year, it also noted that “a somewhat higher policy rate will likely be needed ahead compared with the outlook in June. Norges Bank&lt;/li&gt;
  533. &lt;li&gt;Germany will borrow about a fifth more than planned in the fourth quarter to help fund a surge in spending on infrastructure and the armed forces. They aim to raise €90.5 billion ($107 billion) in the October-December period, excluding green bonds, according to an updated plan published Thursday. That’s €15 billion more than December’s original program and follows an increase of €19 billion in the third quarter. BBG&lt;/li&gt;
  534. &lt;li&gt;The BOE will probably announce a slowing of gilt sales at its decision today amid concern about worsening bond market volatility. No rate change is expected. BBG&lt;/li&gt;
  535. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trade/Tariffs&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  536.  
  537. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;China is reportedly dropping the Google (GOOG) antitrust probe during US trade talks, according to FT.&lt;/li&gt;
  538. &lt;li&gt;US House China Panel Chair said he's concerned regarding the TikTok deal.&lt;/li&gt;
  539. &lt;li&gt;Brazilian President Lula said he has no relationship with US President Trump, while he described US tariffs as 'eminently political' and said US consumers would be facing higher prices for Brazilian goods as a result, according to a BBC interview. It was also reported that Lula signed an executive order that exempts some data centre equipment from federal taxes.&lt;/li&gt;
  540. &lt;li&gt;Chinese Commerce Ministry says it will review approval for technology and intellectual property transfers linked to TikTok.&lt;/li&gt;
  541. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A more detailed look at global markets courtesy of Newsquawk&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  542.  
  543. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;APAC stocks traded mixed following the choppy reaction to the FOMC meeting, where the Fed cut rates by 25bps, as expected, and just about signalled two further rate cuts this year, although Fed Chair Powell provided some hawkish-leaning comments during the presser. &lt;/strong&gt;ASX 200 declined with underperformance in energy as Santos shares suffered a double-digit percentage drop after the XRG consortium abandoned its USD 18.7bln takeover bid, while sentiment was also not helped by a surprise contraction in employment data. Nikkei 225 rallied back above the 45k level and printed a fresh all-time high amid currency weakness and with the index unfazed by disappointing  machinery orders, while the BoJ kick-started its 2-day policy meeting where it is widely anticipated to remain on pause. Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp were mixed with continued tech strength seen after China's CAC reportedly informed firms such as Alibaba and ByteDance to terminate their testing and orders of NVIDIA's RTX Pro 6000D, in order to focus on China's domestic semiconductor industry, while Huawei unveiled its new AI chip tech to rival the AI darling. Nonetheless, the Hong Kong benchmark faded early gains despite the HKMA cutting rates in lockstep with the Fed, with a pullback seen after it briefly breached the 27,000 level for the first time in four years.&lt;/p&gt;
  544.  
  545. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Top Asian News&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  546.  
  547. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hong Kong Monetary Authority lowered its base rate by 25bps to 4.50%, as expected, while HKMA Chief Executive Yue said the interest rate cut will have a positive impact on the property market and the economy.&lt;/li&gt;
  548. &lt;li&gt;Huawei unveiled its new AI chip tech to rival NVIDIA (NVDA), with the Co. to launch its Ascend 950PR chips during Q1 2026 and plans new AI chips through 2028, while Huawei's Vice Chairman said the Co. will launch Taishan 950 SuperPod for general-purpose computing in Q2 2026.&lt;/li&gt;
  549. &lt;li&gt;New Zealand Finance Minister Willis announced the appointment of Haley Gourley to the RBNZ Monetary Policy Committee.&lt;/li&gt;
  550. &lt;li&gt;SoftBank (9984 JT) and OpenAI's Japanese AI joint venture reportedly delayed, according to Reuters sources.&lt;/li&gt;
  551. &lt;li&gt;Japanese former digital minister Kono is to back Koizumi in the LDP leadership race, according to Kyodo News&lt;/li&gt;
  552. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;European bourses (STOXX 600 +0.8%) opened firmer across the board and has continued to hold an upward bias throughout the morning. &lt;/strong&gt;Positive sentiment which comes after the Fed decided to cut rates by 25bps, but it has been described as a “hawkish cut” by some analysts. Nonetheless, sentiment has been boosted across the equities complex. European sectors opened mixed but now has a very slight positive tilt. The cyclical sectors are all towards the top of the pile, with sentiment boosted following the Fed’s decision to cut rates by 25bps; Tech continues its past couple of days of outperformance, largely led by Dutch semi-conductor names; ASML (+2.5%), BE Semi (+2%). Industrials take the second spot, then followed by Construction &amp; Materials. To the bottom of the pile lies Optimised Personal Care, followed closely by Media and Retail; the breadth of those in negative territory is very narrow.&lt;/p&gt;
  553.  
  554. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Top European News&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  555.  
  556. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Norwegian Key Policy Rate 4.0% vs. Exp. 4.0% (Prev. 4.25%); Committee judges that a somewhat higher policy rate will likely be needed ahead compared with the outlook in June. Updated MPR: Q4-2025 4.00% (prev. 3.98%), Q1-2026 4.00% (prev. 3.81%), Q2-2026 3.92% (prev. 3.62%), Q3-2026 3.85% (prev. 3.49%), Q4-2026 3.74% (prev. 3.39%). Q4-2027 3.34% (prev. 3.14%).&lt;/li&gt;
  557. &lt;li&gt;Norges Bank Governor Bache says activity picked up more than expected The timing of the next move is not certain.&lt;/li&gt;
  558. &lt;li&gt;German government to raise additional EUR 10.5bln via capital market in Q4.&lt;/li&gt;
  559. &lt;li&gt;German Debt Agency Head says the nation will not issue 50yr bonds; seeing good demand for long-dated bonds from central banks German paper is benefiting from uncertainty regarding France.&lt;/li&gt;
  560. &lt;li&gt;ECB's de Guindos says need to pay a lot of attention to NEER rather than just EUR/USD Risk of undershooting for the ECB is "not big" or "especially relevant". Risks to inflation are balanced and two-sided. Do not target a specific EUR level.&lt;/li&gt;
  561. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;FX&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  562.  
  563. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;USD trimmed earlier gains after ultimately strengthening in the aftermath of the FOMC with initial selling seen in reaction to the Fed's decision to cut interest rates by 25bps, which was as expected, and as the SEPs showed projections for two more cuts this year. The dollar rebounded during the post-meeting press conference, where Powell provided hawkish-leaning comments in which he noted that he feels they don't need to move quickly on rates. DXY resides in a 96.897-97.311 range at the time of writing.&lt;/li&gt;
  564. &lt;li&gt;EUR is posting mild intraday gains in tandem with the dollar trimming earlier upside. Newsflow for Europe has been light, although ECB's de Guindos hit the wires and suggested the ECB needs to pay a lot of attention to NEER rather than just EUR/USD, whilst the risk of undershooting for the ECB is "not big" or "especially relevant", and risks to inflation are balanced and two-sided. EUR/USD resides in a 1.1780-1.1838 range.&lt;/li&gt;
  565. &lt;li&gt;USD/JPY swung between gains and losses in reaction to the Fed, with USD/JPY eventually reclaiming the 147.00 status, while the Japanese currency was not helped overnight by disappointing Machinery Orders, and the BoJ also kick-started its 2-day policy meeting, where it is widely expected to keep rates unchanged. Elsewhere, Japanese LDP leadership candidate Hayashi, noted that Japan's consumption tax is an important source of revenue to fund social welfare costs, and added that "Abenomics" was an appropriate policy at a time when Japan was suffering. Hayashi also suggested that Japan's conditions have allowed the BoJ to raise rates, the economy is now at a new phase, and Japan's inflation is cost-push, not demand-driven. USD/JPY trades in a current 146.77-147.53 range.&lt;/li&gt;
  566. &lt;li&gt;Cable faded the knee-jerk reaction to the FOMC and reverted to sub-1.3700 territory, while attention turns to the BoE. The BoE is expected to keep the Base Rate at 4.0% via a 7-2 vote, following August’s close-cut easing. Inflation remains above target, with further easing not fully priced until April 2026. Attention will focus on any guidance on future cuts and on quantitative tightening, where consensus expects a slowdown to GBP 70bln per annum from October. BoE is expected to slow the pace of QT, reducing gilt sales to GBP 70bln a year (from GBP 100bln) amid concerns that current sales are exacerbating bond market volatility, with limits also possible on long-dated gilt disposals, according to a Bloomberg survey. Cable trades in a 1.3586-1.3640 range&lt;/li&gt;
  567. &lt;li&gt;Antipodeans are both softer with the Kiwi the marked G10 laggard following weak GDP data for Q2 in which the economy contracted by 0.6% Y/Y (exp. 0.0%) and resulted in money markets fully pricing a cut at the RBNZ meeting in October with an off chance for an oversized 50bps reduction.&lt;/li&gt;
  568. &lt;li&gt;EUR/NOK knee-jerked higher on the Norges Bank's decision to cut rates by 25bps, but soon reversed as traders digested the hawkish MPR and commentary.&lt;/li&gt;
  569. &lt;li&gt;PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 7.1085 vs exp. 7.1113 (Prev. 7.1013).&lt;/li&gt;
  570. &lt;li&gt;Brazil Central Bank maintained the Selic rate at 15.00%, as expected, with the decision unanimous. BCB removed the reference to the continuation of the interruption of the rate hiking cycle and said it will remain vigilant, while it will evaluate whether maintaining the interest rate at its current level for a very prolonged period will be enough to ensure the convergence of inflation to the target. Furthermore, it stated that future monetary policy steps can be adjusted, and it will not hesitate to resume the rate hiking cycle if appropriate.&lt;/li&gt;
  571. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Fixed Income&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  572.  
  573. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;A firmer start to the day for USTs. Following the two-way moves seen on the Fed with the 25bps cut and statement sparking a dovish move, however, this then reversed into and during the press conference from Chair Powell. As it stands, USTs are higher by a handful of ticks towards the upper-end of a 113-00 to 113-12 band. From the Fed, a few points of note worth briefly discussing. Firstly, the vote split saw just Miran dissent and push for a 50bps move, with the omission of Bowman and/or Waller from the 50bps camp of note, and potentially factoring into the initial reversal of the dovish move seen before Chair Powell began. Thereafter, Powell was much more hawkish than the statement suggested. Powell placed less emphasis on the dovish statement/SEP, described the cut as a risk management decision in response to “meaningful” downside risks to the labour market. Now attention turns to Jobless Claims.&lt;/li&gt;
  574. &lt;li&gt;Bunds moved in tandem with USTs on Wednesday evening. This morning, the benchmark has been a little choppy. Initially held near the unchanged mark before picking up a little bit in the European pre-market, seemingly as European futures waned ever so slightly from best levels. However, this strength didn’t amount to much with Bunds only firmer by 10 ticks at best. Since, the benchmark has pulled back into the red and resides towards the lower end of a 128.75 to 129.02 band. No move in Bunds to the slightly softer than usual, but still robust enough, Spanish tap; and a strong French outing.&lt;/li&gt;
  575. &lt;li&gt;For Gilts, the main event today is the BoE. Into it, Gilts are a touch softer moving in tandem with Bunds, at the low end of a 91.44-67 band. The decision is, all but certain, to be unchanged at 4.00%. On this, the vote split may draw some attention as we are likely to see dovish dissent from Dhingra (in-fitting with her known bias) and Taylor (voted for 50bps cut last time, changed to 25bps in order to attain a consensus). More pertinently, the balance sheet. The BoE is expected to provide an update on QT. The pace will undoubtedly be slowed from the current GBP 100bln per anum rate from October. Consensus is for a reduction to around GBP 70bln.&lt;/li&gt;
  576. &lt;li&gt;Spain sells EUR 5.41bln vs exp. EUR 5-6bln 2.40% 2028, 3.20% 2035, and 4.00% 2054 Bono.&lt;/li&gt;
  577. &lt;li&gt;France sells EUR 11.5bln vs exp. EUR 9.5-11.5bln 0.75% 2028, 2.40% 2028, 2.70% 2031, and 3.50% 2033 OAT.&lt;/li&gt;
  578. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commodities&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  579.  
  580. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;WTI and Brent are subdued but confined to a tight range in the aftermath of the Fed and with notable energy-specific newsflow on the lighter side. WTI currently resides in a USD 63.14-63.91/bbl range while Brent sits in USD 67.37-68.01/bbl parameters.&lt;/li&gt;
  581. &lt;li&gt;Spot gold began the European session in the red, pressured by the firmer Dollar in the aftermath of the Fed's decision to cut rates by 25bps, and the hawkish-leaning Powell presser thereafter. As the morning progressed, the Dollar did come off best levels, which has allowed XAU/USD to climb into modest positive territory; currently trading towards the upper end of a USD 3,634.28-3,671.67/oz range.&lt;/li&gt;
  582. &lt;li&gt;Base metals subdued across the board despite firmer sentiment in Europe but following the losses seen across Chinese markets. 3M LME copper fell back under USD 10k/t and found resistance at the level, residing in a USD 9,931.55-9,999.95/t band.&lt;/li&gt;
  583. &lt;li&gt;Peru's President signed a modification contract, allowing Chevron (CVX) and Westlawn's formal entry into Peru.&lt;/li&gt;
  584. &lt;li&gt;Spot gold was contained after ultimately retreating as the dollar strengthened due to Fed Chair Powell's hawkish tone at the post-FOMC presser.&lt;/li&gt;
  585. &lt;li&gt;Qatar raises November term price for Al-Shaheen oil to USD 3.61/bbl, via Reuters citing sources.&lt;/li&gt;
  586. &lt;li&gt;Russian Finance Minister says they plan to lower the bar for oil and gas revenue formation when preparing the budget; plan to lower cut-off price of oil, currently at USD 60/bbl, by USD 1bln every year to 2030.&lt;/li&gt;
  587. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Geopolitics&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  588.  
  589. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Syrian President al- Sharaa told reporters that security talks with Israel could lead to results in the "coming days" and if a security pact succeeds, "other agreements" could be reached but "peace, normalisation" is not currently on the table, while he added there is no pressure on Damascus to reach a deal with Israel from Washington.&lt;/li&gt;
  590. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;US Event Calendar&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  591.  
  592. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;8:30 am: Sep 13 Initial Jobless Claims, est. 240k, prior 263k&lt;/li&gt;
  593. &lt;li&gt;8:30 am: Sep 6 Continuing Claims, est. 1950k, prior 1939k&lt;/li&gt;
  594. &lt;li&gt;8:30 am: Sep Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook, est. 1.7, prior -0.3&lt;/li&gt;
  595. &lt;li&gt;10:00 am: Aug Leading Index, est. -0.2%, prior -0.1%&lt;/li&gt;
  596. &lt;li&gt;4:00 pm: Jul Net Long-term TIC Flows, prior 150.8b&lt;/li&gt;
  597. &lt;li&gt;4:00 pm: Jul Total Net TIC Flows, prior 77.8b&lt;/li&gt;
  598. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DB's Jim Reid concludes the overnight wrap&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  599.  
  600. &lt;p&gt;Last night the FOMC delivered its first rate cut of 2025, lowering the fed funds rate by 25bp to 4.00-4.25% as expected. But with Chair Powell describing the decision as a “risk-management cut”, markets were left feeling less confident on the extent of the likely easing cycle and Treasury yields were higher across the curve by the close with US equities flattish after a choppy post FOMC last couple of hours of trading. This morning in Asia markets have taken a slightly more positive take with S&amp;P (+0.49%) and NASDAQ futures (+0.73%) rallying and US Treasury yields 2-2.5bps lower across the board.&lt;/p&gt;
  601.  
  602. &lt;p&gt;As expected by our economists, the Fed’s dot plot saw the median dot narrowly shift from 50bp to 75bps of total cuts for 2025, so implying 25bps cuts at each of the remaining two meetings. The 2026 and 2027 median dots were also 25bps lower at 3.4% and 3.1% respectively even as median growth and inflation projections for 2026 were both revised two-tenths higher compared to June. This suggested a more dovish Fed reaction function to the evolving balance of risks, and in the press conference Chair Powell said it was "risks that we’re seeing to the labour market” that drove the rate cut as the labour market could no longer be described as “solid”.&lt;/p&gt;
  603.  
  604. &lt;p&gt;However, Powell also noted that the balance of risks was still slightly tilted towards inflation concerns and de-emphasised the dot plot signal of two additional 2025 cuts, rather saying that the FOMC was in a “meeting-by-meeting situation”. So left a sense that the Fed is not yet envisaging an aggressive easing cycle and fed funds futures drifted higher in response, with December 2026 pricing rising by +7.5bps on the day to 2.93%.  Our US economists note that while there was greater-than-expected unity in yesterday’s decision – with Stephen Miran, who joined the Fed Board of Governors earlier in the week, being the lone dissent in advocating for a 50bp cut – the dot plot still signaled a highly divided Committee, with 2026 dots spread pretty evenly from 2.5% to 4.0%. Our economists maintain their baseline of two more 25bps cuts in October and December, but see risks of a skip if labor market and inflation data both surprise to the upside. &lt;/p&gt;
  605.  
  606. &lt;p&gt;Markets have seen saw a topsy-turvy reaction post-FOMC. An initial kneejerk rally in Treasuries turned into a sell-off with 2yr yields closing +5.0bps higher at 3.55% despite trading as low as 3.466% just after the decision. There were similar yield rises for the 10yr (+6.0bps to 4.09%) and 30yr (+4.2bps to 4.69%). As discussed at the top yields are back down a couple of basis points this morning. A negative turn was also visible in equities, with S&amp;P 500 falling as a low as -0.84% intra-day as Powell spoke, though the index recovered back to only -0.10% down by the close. Information technology (-0.70%) led the declines for the S&amp;P but more domestic and rate-sensitive sectors advanced, led by financials (+0.96%) and consumer staples (+0.90%). As also discussed at the top US futures have rebounded this morning. Meanwhile, the dollar index is up +0.18% overnight, building on yesterday’s +0.25% advance that came despite an initial post-FOMC decline of nearly -0.5%.&lt;/p&gt;
  607.  
  608. &lt;p&gt;Before the Fed, European markets put in a mixed performance, with the STOXX 600 (-0.03%) posting a marginal decline. In part, that was simply investors remaining in a holding pattern before the Fed, but matters weren’t helped by an underperformance in French assets, as limited progress on the budget talks between new PM Lecornu and the Socialists unsettled investors. So that meant the CAC 40 (-0.40%) underperformed, and the 10yr Franco-German spread widened +1.1bps to 81bps, closing back in on its 8-month high.&lt;/p&gt;
  609.  
  610. &lt;p&gt;Outside of France however, European markets put in a better performance, and in absolute terms we saw yields move lower across the continent. That was helped by a downward revision in the final Euro Area CPI print for August, which came in at +2.0% (vs. flash +2.1%), so exactly in line with the ECB’s target. So the downward inflation revision and the prospect of a Fed rate cut helped yields on 10yr bunds (-2.1bps), OATs (-0.9bps) and BTPs (-1.4bps) to fall back.&lt;br /&gt;
  611. Looking forward, central banks will stay in the spotlight today, as the Bank of England announce their latest policy decision. It’s widely expected that they’ll keep rates unchanged at 4%, and our UK economist Sanjay Raja expects a 7-2 vote split. So the main focus will instead be on any changes to their forward guidance and the QT decision. In his preview (link here), he argues that there’s a material risk that the MPC abandons its “gradual and careful” guidance surrounding the downward path for Bank Rate. And on QT, he expects the MPC to reduce their QT envelope from £100bn to £70bn with a broad landing zone of £65-75bn. Ahead of the decision, we also had the latest UK inflation data for August, although there was little market reaction as it was much as expected. So headline CPI was steady at +3.8%, whilst core CPI fell to +3.6%, both in line with consensus. &lt;/p&gt;
  612.  
  613. &lt;p&gt;Asian equity markets are mostly rallying this morning on the Fed move with the Nikkei (+1.33%) and KOSPI (+1.19%) notably higher. In contrast, the Hang Seng (-0.21%) is slightly lower, erasing earlier gains, while both the CSI (+0.32%) and the Shanghai Composite (+0.45%) are up. The S&amp;P/ASX 200 (-0.60%) is defying the regional trend following a disappointing jobs report.&lt;/p&gt;
  614.  
  615. &lt;p&gt;Australia's unemployment rate remained stable at 4.2% in August, but employment unexpectedly declined, with the economy losing approximately 5,400 jobs, including a drop of 41,000 in full-time positions, despite an increase in part-time roles. The report implies that the labour market may be gradually softening. There is no change to the house view of a November, February and March series of 25bps cuts to a 2.85% terminal rate but the report leans on the dovish side.  &lt;/p&gt;
  616.  
  617. &lt;p&gt;Additionally, New Zealand’s economy contracted more than anticipated in the second quarter, as weak manufacturing activity and declining export volumes largely counterbalanced modest growth in private spending. The economy contracted by -0.9% q/q, worse than the expected -0.3% decline, and reversing the revised +0.9% increase from the previous quarter. Furthermore, GDP decreased by -0.6% y/y, falling short of expectations that growth would remain stable. GDP had also declined by -0.6% in the first quarter.&lt;/p&gt;
  618.  
  619. &lt;p&gt;Elsewhere in markets, the FT reported that China’s internet regulator had told the country’s tech companies to stop buying Nvidia AI chips and terminate its existing orders. The news caused Nvidia to fall -2.62% yesterday, making it the worst performer in the Magnificent 7 (-0.40%).  Separately, US housing data for August showed the fewest building permits since May 2020 during the pandemic, down c.11% YoY and to an annualised rate of 1312K (vs. 1370k expected).&lt;/p&gt;
  620.  
  621. &lt;p&gt;Finally on central banks, the Bank of Canada cut their overnight rate by 25bps as expected to 2.5%. It was the first rate cut since March, but there was little guidance in the statement on where policy was heading next, and the statement said that they were “proceeding carefully”. That backdrop saw Canadian government bond yields move higher, with the 10yr yield up +3.9bps to 3.19%.&lt;/p&gt;
  622.  
  623. &lt;p&gt;To the day ahead now, in addition to the BoE’s decision we’ll also get the Norges Bank decision. Data releases include the US September Philadelphia business outlook, August leading index, July total net TIC flows and initial jobless claims. In Europe, we’ll receive Italy’s July current account balance, ECB July current account and the Eurozone July construction output. Lastly, the US will also be holding its reopening of 10-yr TIPS Auction.&lt;/p&gt;
  624. &lt;/div&gt;
  625.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  626. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T12:32:43+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 08:32&lt;/span&gt;
  627. </description>
  628.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:32:43 +0000</pubDate>
  629.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  630.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067627 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  631.    </item>
  632. <item>
  633.  <title>President Trump Announces Plan To Designate ANTIFA As A Terrorist Organization</title>
  634.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/president-trump-announces-plan-designate-antifa-terrorist-organization</link>
  635.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;President Trump Announces Plan To Designate ANTIFA As A Terrorist Organization&lt;/span&gt;
  636.  
  637.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Antifa will be designated by the United States as a terrorist organization, &lt;a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115222459539841970"&gt;President Donald Trump announced after midnight on Sept. 18&lt;/a&gt; while visiting the United Kingdom.&lt;/p&gt;
  638.  
  639. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  640. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;Trump &lt;a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115222459539841970"&gt;posted&lt;/a&gt; on Truth Social.&lt;/p&gt;
  641. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  642.  
  643. &lt;p&gt;The president said he would also strongly recommend that anyone funding the group be investigated.&lt;/p&gt;
  644.  
  645. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Truth-Social-ANTIFA.jpg?itok=Lg7GBu2e" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Truth-Social-ANTIFA.jpg?itok=Lg7GBu2e"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e03508e3-0d09-417d-b509-5bb5fb9dc030" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="262" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Truth-Social-ANTIFA.jpg?itok=Lg7GBu2e" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  646.  
  647. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/trump-to-designate-antifa-as-terrorist-organization-5916744?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_campaign=ZeroHedge"&gt;Jill McLaughlin reports for The Epoch Times&lt;/a&gt; that Trump’s announcement was made after he and the first lady met with Britain’s &lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/trump-meets-king-charles-on-first-day-of-uk-state-visit-5916354"&gt;royal family&lt;/a&gt; at Windsor Castle on the first day of a two-day state visit to the UK.&lt;/p&gt;
  648.  
  649. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On Monday, Trump hinted at the designation,&lt;/strong&gt; saying he would support it in the wake of the assassination of Christian conservative commentator Charlie Kirk last week.&lt;/p&gt;
  650.  
  651. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  652. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It’s something I would do, yeah, if I have the support from the people back here,” Trump said, referring to administration officials standing behind him, including Attorney General Pam Bondi.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  653.  
  654. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Antifa is terrible,” &lt;/strong&gt;Trump added.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  655. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  656.  
  657. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Antifa gathered outside the castle in London, chanting, “Charlie’s in a box” on Wednesday, referring to Kirk.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  658.  
  659. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“These societal outcasts are so removed from reality they think it’s funny to laugh at patriots being horrifically murdered,” Turning Point UK, a branch of Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA, &lt;a href="https://x.com/tpointuk/status/1968423071053660491?s=61"&gt;posted&lt;/a&gt; on X.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  660.  
  661. &lt;p&gt;The suspect in Kirk’s assassination, Tyler Robinson, is believed to hold extreme leftist viewpoints, according to officials.&lt;/p&gt;
  662.  
  663. &lt;p&gt;He also engraved anti-fascist messages on bullets that were recovered by officials.&lt;/p&gt;
  664.  
  665. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The FBI continues to investigate the assassination but has not said whether Robinson was in communication with or associated with any antifa groups.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  666.  
  667. &lt;p&gt;Antifa—short for anti-fascist—is a political movement that gained popularity with far-left wing activists in the United States after Trump was elected for his first term in 2016.&lt;/p&gt;
  668.  
  669. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trump raised the idea of designating antifa as a terrorist group in 2020, posting on Twitter, “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  670.  
  671. &lt;p&gt;Former Attorney General William Barr confirmed the group was present at some of the &lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/antifa-the-network-of-violent-revolutionaries-behind-much-of-todays-rioting-3375383"&gt;violent protests&lt;/a&gt; following the death of George Floyd.&lt;/p&gt;
  672.  
  673. &lt;p&gt;Former FBI Director Christopher Wray viewed Antifa differently, saying during a congressional hearing in September 2020 that Antifa is “not a group or an organization” but “a movement or an ideology.”&lt;/p&gt;
  674.  
  675. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Those who are involved in the &lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/the-communist-origins-of-the-antifa-extremist-group-2282816"&gt;movement&lt;/a&gt; are motivated by communism and anarchism,&lt;/strong&gt; according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan think tank in Washington, D.C.&lt;/p&gt;
  676.  
  677. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  678. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🚨Antifa certainly terrorizes civilian populations and commits acts intended to intimidate and coerce political outcomes. Investigate!!! Political violence MUST be dealt with and I applaud &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@POTUS&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@StephenM&lt;/a&gt; for taking it seriously. &lt;a href="https://t.co/70zKLYKwvp"&gt;https://t.co/70zKLYKwvp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  679. — Peter Schweizer (@peterschweizer) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/peterschweizer/status/1968663698806919541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 18, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  680. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;Antifa members are known to wear black clothing and masks during protests to shield their identities.&lt;/p&gt;
  681.  
  682. &lt;p&gt;The Trump administration did not offer details on Wednesday on how or when it would designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.&lt;/p&gt;
  683.  
  684. &lt;p&gt;Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) &lt;a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-antifa-terrorist-protests-0c6353e2c3da13da1596b3857cb59922"&gt;praised&lt;/a&gt; Trump’s announcement.&lt;/p&gt;
  685.  
  686. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  687. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Antifa seized upon a movement of legitimate grievances to promote violence and anarchy, working against justice for all. The President is right to recognize the destructive role of Antifa by designating them domestic terrorists.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  688. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  689.  
  690. &lt;p&gt;In the United States, groups are &lt;a href="https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism"&gt;designated&lt;/a&gt; as terrorist organizations after committing violent, criminal acts to further ideological goals of political, religious, social, racial, or environmental natures, according to the FBI.&lt;/p&gt;
  691.  
  692. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/ows-occupy-oakland-5.jpg?itok=tPAPP09z" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/ows-occupy-oakland-5.jpg?itok=tPAPP09z"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f7d5eb6f-2d48-4e16-9702-55146bab0a35" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="334" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/ows-occupy-oakland-5.jpg?itok=tPAPP09z" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  693.  
  694. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/09/18/president-trump-announces-intent-to-designate-antifa-as-a-major-terrorist-organization/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;As 'sundance' explains at TheConservativeTreehouse.com,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;strong&gt;it will be interesting to watch how the Dept of Homeland Security, FBI, Dept of Justice and U.S. State Department respond to this intended designation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  695.  
  696. &lt;p&gt;For many years we have watched the various assemblies of Revolutionary Communists (RevCom), Occupy Wall Street (OWS), Black Lives Matter (BLM) and personnel related to these organizations, evolve and align into the organization of radical leftists now known as Antifa.&lt;/p&gt;
  697.  
  698. &lt;p&gt;Previously, despite their funding, organized and coordinated activities, the FBI had called them a “movement and ideology” and not an organization.  However, their organizational model should not be hard to unravel.  There is a &lt;strong&gt;funding mechanism&lt;/strong&gt; for these activities which should be easy for government officials to research.&lt;/p&gt;
  699.  
  700. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In the 2020 election the domain registry of Antifa.Com had a landing page of JoeBiden.com&lt;/strong&gt; [&lt;a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/world/fact-check-antifacom-does-redirect-to-joebidencom-but-this-is-not-proof-of-a-idUSKBN25S5BM/"&gt;background&lt;/a&gt;]. &lt;/p&gt;
  701.  
  702. &lt;p&gt;Various off-shoots of the leftist cause, anarchists, occupy, blm and pro-Palestinian agitators all align with the ideology of the foot soldiers who take to the streets and create chaos.&lt;/p&gt;
  703.  
  704. &lt;p&gt;Perhaps no other person is more responsible for tracking Antifa’s domestic network of activity than Andy Ngo [&lt;a href="https://x.com/MrAndyNgo"&gt;Twitter Feed Here&lt;/a&gt;]. &lt;/p&gt;
  705.  
  706. &lt;p&gt;Ngo has confronted the group, tracked their activity, documented their violence and traced major parts of their organization.&lt;/p&gt;
  707.  
  708. &lt;p&gt;As Andy Ngo said in the &lt;a href="https://x.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1968516635926405242"&gt;aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;strong&gt; “&lt;em&gt;Expect a lot of liberal and left-wing media propaganda the next few days about Antifa. They will say the movement doesn’t organize into groups and that those involved are peaceful, racial justice activists simply opposed to fascism. Don’t let them get away with lying&lt;/em&gt;.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  709.  
  710. &lt;p&gt;Mr Ngo puts the challenges of labeling Antifa as a terrorist group into context here. &lt;/p&gt;
  711.  
  712. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It will be difficult for President Trump to assemble a legally binding designation against the reality of constitutional protections surrounding the First Amendment. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  713.  
  714. &lt;p&gt;However, organized criminal activity under existing conspiracy and RICO statutes is entirely possible.&lt;/p&gt;
  715.  
  716. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;My personal opinion of the situation is less about labels and designations and more about just confronting the violent activity as it percolates. &lt;/strong&gt; Arrest the people for their direct behavior, in the moment the behavior takes place.  If they block or impede federal authorities or create civil unrest through violent or unlawful activity, then arrest them immediately.&lt;/p&gt;
  717.  
  718. &lt;p&gt;Again, this is going to come down to how the Dept of Justice and FBI approaches the investigations of individuals and targeting mechanisms of the operation that Antifa uses.&lt;/p&gt;
  719.  
  720. &lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5E0a7wU6pUg" title="Reacting to President Trump Declaring Antifa a Terrorist Organization" width="560"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  721. &lt;/div&gt;
  722.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  723. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T12:01:17+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 08:01&lt;/span&gt;
  724. </description>
  725.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:01:17 +0000</pubDate>
  726.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  727.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067616 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  728.    </item>
  729. <item>
  730.  <title>Cable Dips As BoE Holds Rates Steady (As Expected), Slows QT</title>
  731.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/cable-dips-boe-holds-rates-steady-expected-slows-qt</link>
  732.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Cable Dips As BoE Holds Rates Steady (As Expected), Slows QT&lt;/span&gt;
  733.  
  734.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;h2&gt;Summary:&lt;/h2&gt;
  735.  
  736. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  737. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In a 7-2 decision, BoE chose to hold rates steady&lt;/strong&gt;, with long-term doves Swati Dhingra and Alan Taylor voting for a cut.&lt;/p&gt;
  738. &lt;/li&gt;
  739. &lt;li&gt;
  740. &lt;p&gt;It will continue with a “cautious and gradual” approach to any future rate cuts – no change in the language there.&lt;/p&gt;
  741. &lt;/li&gt;
  742. &lt;li&gt;
  743. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Quantitative tightening will slow&lt;/strong&gt; from £100 billion a year to £70 billion, and the Bank will skew those sales to shorter-dated maturities.&lt;/p&gt;
  744. &lt;/li&gt;
  745. &lt;li&gt;
  746. &lt;p&gt;The BOE’s&lt;strong&gt; inflation expectations for the year are broadly unchanged&lt;/strong&gt;, and it noted slightly better-than-expected growth in the second quarter, but said the economy remains subdued.&lt;/p&gt;
  747. &lt;/li&gt;
  748. &lt;li&gt;
  749. &lt;p&gt;The market reaction has been &lt;strong&gt;fairly muted&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  750. &lt;/li&gt;
  751. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Bank of England held its &lt;strong&gt;key interest rate steady&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday (as widely expected), just a day after the Fed cut borrowing costs for the first time in nine months.&lt;/p&gt;
  752.  
  753. &lt;p&gt;Policymakers have lowered rates five times since August 2024, cutting at three-month intervals.&lt;/p&gt;
  754.  
  755. &lt;p&gt;At the central bank's last meeting two rounds of voting were required for the first time since the Monetary Policy Committee was launched 28 years ago, with MPC member Alan Taylor switching his vote to break a deadlock in favor of a quarter-point cut.&lt;/p&gt;
  756.  
  757. &lt;p&gt;This time around,&lt;strong&gt; seven of the MPC's nine members voted to hold rates steady, while two voted to cut borrowing costs by a quarter of a point.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  758.  
  759. &lt;p&gt;will continue with a “cautious and gradual” approach to any future rate cuts – no change in the language there.&lt;/p&gt;
  760.  
  761. &lt;p&gt;The BoE revealed that it will &lt;strong&gt;reduce its Asset Purchase Facility (APF) by a total £70 bn in the year October 2025 to September 2026 from a total £100 bn in the year just ending&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  762.  
  763. &lt;p&gt;Of that, £53 bn will be through passive run-off (£87 bn this year) and £17 bn will be in active sales (£9.3 bn this year).&lt;/p&gt;
  764.  
  765. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There was a three-way split on QT&lt;/strong&gt; with Pill preferring the maintain the current pace of £100 bn/year (and hence a much faster pace of active sales).&lt;/p&gt;
  766.  
  767. &lt;p&gt;Mann wanted a slower pace of £62 bn, which would have left active sales the same in the coming year as last.&lt;/p&gt;
  768.  
  769. &lt;p&gt;As Bloomberg's Jacob Reid reports, &lt;strong&gt;an important part of the QT announcement isn’t just the scale of the slowdown -- it’s their decision to sell even fewer longer-dated gilts than other maturities, in a change of previous policy.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  770.  
  771. &lt;p&gt;About 20% of the of the required sales will be bonds with maturities of more than 20 years, with the remainder split evenly between short- and medium-term debt.&lt;/p&gt;
  772.  
  773. &lt;p&gt;It mirrors the government, which is also selling fewer long-dated bonds, after the 30-year yield spiked to a three-decade high, and demand for such securities has waned from traditional buyers such as pension funds. &lt;/p&gt;
  774.  
  775. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Governor Andrew Bailey said the new sales profile would “minimise the impact on gilt market conditions.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  776.  
  777. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  778. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The bank also noted that “structural changes” in the bond market had reduced demand for long-term debt which “could pose a risk that QT would have a greater impact on market functioning than previously.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  779.  
  780. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“This is a pragmatic decision from policymakers, which should help alleviate some modest pressure at the long-end of the curve,” said Michael Brown, a strategist at Pepperstone in London.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  781. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  782.  
  783. &lt;p&gt;The market reaction is largely muted for now with &lt;strong&gt;cable falling modestly&lt;/strong&gt; on the statement. The FTSE 100 has ticked up from a lunchtime low, and gilt yields are ever so slightly down at the shorter end of the curve. Traders have slightly boosted easing bets.&lt;/p&gt;
  784.  
  785. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/bfm5BAB_0.jpg?itok=q0NdzKI_" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/bfm5BAB_0.jpg?itok=q0NdzKI_"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="35af44aa-9a5d-435a-9ed4-0b75758bd133" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="339" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/bfm5BAB_0.jpg?itok=q0NdzKI_" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  786.  
  787. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The guidance from the BoE remains intact &lt;/strong&gt;– interest rates are likely to drop further, but Governor Bailey said the moves would need to be made “gradually and carefully”.&lt;/p&gt;
  788.  
  789. &lt;p&gt;The BoE said it remained focused on squeezing out existing and emerging inflation.&lt;/p&gt;
  790.  
  791. &lt;p&gt;UBS notes that wage growth remains a key problem for the Bank of England:&lt;/p&gt;
  792.  
  793. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The BoE’s base case is that UK wage growth will slow down, and from there, services sector inflation will slow. But it isn’t certain how long that process will take. &lt;/strong&gt;Further, the BoE is concerned that the recent increase of inflation and the potential it rises further in September will actually put some upward pressure on wages. On top of that, it raised the prospect of higher food prices keeping headline inflation upwards.&lt;/p&gt;
  794.  
  795. &lt;p&gt;In other words, while the core view is that wages and hence inflation will slow, there is a significant risk that assumption is wrong and quite the reverse happens with a low-level price/wage spiral occurring.&lt;/p&gt;
  796.  
  797. &lt;p&gt;The broad view from the Committee was: “In general, upside risks around medium-term inflationary pressures remained prominent in the Committee’s assessment.”&lt;/p&gt;
  798.  
  799. &lt;p&gt;The BoE noted that the labour market had loosened, but it wasn’t sure that sufficient slack had opened to mitigate inflationary pressures.&lt;/p&gt;
  800.  
  801. &lt;p&gt;Finally, The BoE notes that &lt;strong&gt;trade policy uncertainty was estimated to have increased slightly &lt;/strong&gt;since the Committee’s August meeting, albeit it was still significantly lower than earlier in the year. They note aspects of US tariff policies were facing domestic legal challenge in coming weeks.&lt;/p&gt;
  802. &lt;/div&gt;
  803.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  804. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T11:50:55+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 07:50&lt;/span&gt;
  805. </description>
  806.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:50:55 +0000</pubDate>
  807.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  808.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067613 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  809.    </item>
  810. <item>
  811.  <title>Intel Shares Soar 30% After Nvidia Agrees To Invest $5 Billion</title>
  812.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/intel-shares-erupt-nvidia-deal-us-governments-stake-already-paying-dividends</link>
  813.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Intel Shares Soar 30% After Nvidia Agrees To Invest $5 Billion&lt;/span&gt;
  814.  
  815.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;A little over a month ago, we correctly predicted that &lt;strong&gt;the US government would purchase a stake in troubled chipmaker Intel &lt;/strong&gt;(a few days later, the Trump admin unveiled it would acquire a 10% stake in the chipmaker, sending its price soaring).&lt;/p&gt;
  816.  
  817. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  818. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;The Pentagon took a stake in US rare earth miner MP Materials... when will it do the same with Intel&lt;/p&gt;
  819. — zerohedge (@zerohedge) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/1953429200276222251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;August 7, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  820. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;But not even we could predict what happened next: Intel shares are soaring in premarket trading - and if gains of 30% hold until the close it would mark the largest daily increase on record in Bloomberg data, dating back to the early 1980s... &lt;/p&gt;
  821.  
  822. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_2570cb36.png?itok=sdzqPw9v" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_2570cb36.png?itok=sdzqPw9v"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3eec17ab-6c72-4c8e-83d0-d2ed39ba1513" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="265" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Snag_2570cb36.png?itok=sdzqPw9v" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  823.  
  824. &lt;p&gt;... on news that &lt;strong&gt;Nvidia will invest $5BN in Intel at $23.28 per share, as part of a deal to jointly develop and manufacture new chips for PCs and data centres. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  825.  
  826. &lt;p&gt;The collaboration centers on integrating NVIDIA's NVLink technology with Intel's x86 CPU ecosystem, combining NVIDIA's AI and accelerated computing strengths with Intel's leadership in CPUs, process technology, and advanced packaging.&lt;/p&gt;
  827.  
  828. &lt;p&gt;Highlights of the partnership:  &lt;/p&gt;
  829.  
  830. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  831. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Data Centers: Intel will build NVIDIA-custom x86 CPUs, which NVIDIA will integrate into its AI infrastructure platforms.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  832. &lt;/li&gt;
  833. &lt;li&gt;
  834. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Personal Computing: Intel will produce new x86 SoCs incorporating NVIDIA RTX GPU chiplets, powering next-gen PCs with combined CPU-GPU integration.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  835. &lt;/li&gt;
  836. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;The partnership also includes Nvidia investing $5 billion in Intel stock at $23.28 per share, pending regulatory approvals. &lt;/p&gt;
  837.  
  838. &lt;p&gt;Comments from Nvidia and Intel executives on the partnership:&lt;/p&gt;
  839.  
  840. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  841. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nividia CEO Jensen Huang&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;: "AI is powering a new industrial revolution and reinventing every layer of the computing stack — from silicon to systems to software. At the heart of this reinvention is NVIDIA's CUDA architecture. This historic collaboration tightly couples NVIDIA's AI and accelerated computing stack with Intel's CPUs and the vast x86 ecosystem — a fusion of two world-class platforms. Together, we will expand our ecosystems and lay the foundation for the next era of computing."&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  842. &lt;/li&gt;
  843. &lt;li&gt;
  844. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;: "Intel's x86 architecture has been foundational to modern computing for decades — and we are innovating across our portfolio to enable the workloads of the future. Intel's leading data center and client computing platforms, combined with our process technology, manufacturing and advanced packaging capabilities, will complement NVIDIA's AI and accelerated computing leadership to enable new breakthroughs for the industry. We appreciate the confidence Jensen and the NVIDIA team have placed in us with their investment and look forward to the work ahead as we innovate for customers and grow our business."&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  845. &lt;/li&gt;
  846. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nvidia and Intel have been rivals for decades. But Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s chief executive, hailed a “historic collaboration” to combine its graphics processing units, which dominate the market for artificial intelligence infrastructure, with Intel’s general-purpose chips. &lt;/p&gt;
  847.  
  848. &lt;p&gt;Today's announcement follows less than a month after the &lt;strong&gt;Trump administration shocked markets when it acquired a stake in Intel at $20.47 per share. &lt;/strong&gt;As part of that agreement, the US acquired 433.3 million newly issued Intel common shares, equivalent to approximately a 10% ownership stake. &lt;/p&gt;
  849.  
  850. &lt;p&gt;Do valuations matter? &lt;/p&gt;
  851.  
  852. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_263a9e92.png?itok=haJm_iun" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_263a9e92.png?itok=haJm_iun"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f49591c7-052a-4dbb-a139-389a5dbc8e05" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="249" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Snag_263a9e92.png?itok=haJm_iun" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  853.  
  854. &lt;p&gt;Recall Trump recently said, "I will also help those companies that make such lucrative deals with the United States. ... I love seeing their stock price go up, making the USA RICHER, AND RICHER ... More jobs for America!!! Who would not want to make deals like that?"&lt;/p&gt;
  855.  
  856. &lt;p&gt;Trump wasn't kidding: the U.S. Govt's Intel stake is already up 14% in under a month relative to the NVDA valuation round (translating to a 168% annualized gain) and is up more than 50% relative to the market price, which has soared by 30% this morning on the news of the historic investment.&lt;/p&gt;
  857.  
  858. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/INTC%202025-09-18_04-38-34.png?itok=z3kHfRgo" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/INTC%202025-09-18_04-38-34.png?itok=z3kHfRgo"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fd38c5d5-2190-4861-9c80-86c61d22fbf0" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="311" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/INTC%202025-09-18_04-38-34.png?itok=z3kHfRgo" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  859.  
  860. &lt;p&gt;And with this bullseye, US Capital LLC is now outperforming about 95% of all hedge funds this year. &lt;/p&gt;
  861.  
  862. &lt;p&gt;The next question: what company is next (&lt;em&gt;spoiler: &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/centrus-signs-mou-expand-uranium-enrichment-us-soil-lutnick-table"&gt;LEU&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;). &lt;/p&gt;
  863. &lt;/div&gt;
  864.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  865. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T11:35:28+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 07:35&lt;/span&gt;
  866. </description>
  867.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:35:28 +0000</pubDate>
  868.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  869.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067608 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  870.    </item>
  871. <item>
  872.  <title>China's Regulatory Recalibration: Drops Google Antitrust Probe, Crosshairs Now On Nvidia</title>
  873.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinas-regulatory-recalibration-drops-google-antitrust-probe-crosshairs-now-nvidia</link>
  874.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;China's Regulatory Recalibration: Drops Google Antitrust Probe, Crosshairs Now On Nvidia&lt;/span&gt;
  875.  
  876.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;China has &lt;strong&gt;concluded its antitrust investigation&lt;/strong&gt; into Google's Android empire in the world's largest handset market, a move that should be viewed as a &lt;strong&gt;tactical concession&lt;/strong&gt; in U.S.-China trade talks and TikTok negotiations.&lt;/p&gt;
  877.  
  878. &lt;p&gt;President Trump and President Xi are set to discuss trade on Friday, with &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/tiktok-us-will-be-controlled-oracle-silver-lake-and-andreessen"&gt;negotiations for TikTok&lt;/a&gt; still underway. At the same time, Beijing has tightened pressure on Nvidia, &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/beijing-bans-alibaba-bytedance-buying-nvidias-custom-ai-chip"&gt;banning major Chinese tech firms&lt;/a&gt; from buying certain AI chips earlier this week. &lt;/p&gt;
  879.  
  880. &lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.ft.com/content/069e1e62-748f-43d1-9559-18767ec53a48"&gt;Financial Times&lt;/a&gt; reports that the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has &lt;strong&gt;terminated its competition investigation into Google&lt;/strong&gt;, which was formally opened in February and focused on the Android operating system and its impact on domestic brands, including Oppo and Xiaomi.&lt;/p&gt;
  881.  
  882. &lt;p&gt;"&lt;strong&gt;Drop one case but seize the other&lt;/strong&gt;," said one person familiar with SAMR operations, adding, "&lt;strong&gt;China is trying to narrow its retaliatory targets to make them more potent&lt;/strong&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;
  883.  
  884. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-18_07-04-21.png?itok=lvlpGMSO" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-18_07-04-21.png?itok=lvlpGMSO"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7fc53a24-6bd8-41e1-bcb1-2bffe6d86d97" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="330" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2025-09-18_07-04-21.png?itok=lvlpGMSO" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  885.  
  886. &lt;p&gt;On Monday, SAMR, China's top market regulator, &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinas-top-market-watchdog-rules-nvidia-violated-antitrust-law"&gt;ruled that Nvidia had violated anti-monopoly laws&lt;/a&gt; in its acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, an Israeli-American networking products supplier. The antitrust review began in 2019. &lt;/p&gt;
  887.  
  888. &lt;p&gt;By Wednesday, the Cyberspace Administration barred Alibaba, ByteDance, and other tech firms from purchasing Nvidia's AI chips, including the RTX Pro 6000D, which was custom-built for the Chinese market. Domestic chips, mostly, achieved the same performance as Nvidia's model. &lt;/p&gt;
  889.  
  890. &lt;p&gt;"&lt;strong&gt;Google barely has any meaningful business in China — this is purely a symbolic gesture of goodwill&lt;/strong&gt;," Vey-Sern Ling, a managing director at Union Bancaire Privee, told &lt;a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-18/china-drops-google-antitrust-probe-during-trade-talks-ft-says"&gt;Bloomberg&lt;/a&gt;. "&lt;strong&gt;Every favor is counted, even those that don't cost anything&lt;/strong&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;
  891.  
  892. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;China's regulatory recalibration&lt;/strong&gt; to focus on Nvidia comes as Beijing and Washington ramp up negotiations over TikTok, with Trump scheduled to speak with Xi tomorrow.&lt;/p&gt;
  893.  
  894. &lt;p&gt;Mounting Chinese pressure on Nvidia comes as the chart below shows that &lt;strong&gt;upside price action has stalled&lt;/strong&gt; since mid-August. The $180 level is the current resistance.&lt;/p&gt;
  895.  
  896. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_255c2478.png?itok=zekVnBhB" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Snag_255c2478.png?itok=zekVnBhB"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bf96d857-b58b-4226-a148-ba1687d78683" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="275" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Snag_255c2478.png?itok=zekVnBhB" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  897.  
  898. &lt;p&gt;Crypto czar David Sacks lists major China news in the AI race: &lt;/p&gt;
  899.  
  900. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  901. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;There was major news from China in the AI race this week:&lt;br /&gt;
  902. 1. Huawei introduced a new AI chip to compete with Nvidia.&lt;br /&gt;
  903. 2. The Chinese government instructed Chinese companies to stop buying certain Nvidia AI chips.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  904. Taken together, the message is clear: China is not desperate for… &lt;a href="https://t.co/KcrrI7WJCs"&gt;pic.twitter.com/KcrrI7WJCs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  905. — David Sacks (@DavidSacks) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/DavidSacks/status/1968619522484543756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 18, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  906. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;. . . &lt;/p&gt;
  907. &lt;/div&gt;
  908.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  909. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T11:15:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 07:15&lt;/span&gt;
  910. </description>
  911.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
  912.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  913.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067588 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  914.    </item>
  915. <item>
  916.  <title>Rothschild Family Exploring Sale Of Their Stake in The Economist Magazine</title>
  917.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/rothschild-family-exploring-sale-their-stake-economist-magazine</link>
  918.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Rothschild Family Exploring Sale Of Their Stake in The Economist Magazine&lt;/span&gt;
  919.  
  920.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;British magnate Lynn Forester de Rothschild is considering the sale of a long held family stake in The Economist magazine.  Rothschild has hired advisers at Lazard to explore selling a 20% stake for as much as £400m, &lt;a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-15/forester-de-rothschild-said-to-explore-sale-of-stake-in-the-economist-group"&gt;according to Bloomberg&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  921.  
  922. &lt;p&gt;Any sale would represent the most dramatic change in ownership for the 182-year-old weekly since 2015, when British education publisher Pearson sold the majority of its 50% stake alongside its sale of The Financial Times.  The magazine was founded in 1843 and has enjoyed Rothschild investment ever since. &lt;/p&gt;
  923.  
  924. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/RothschildIC1.jpg?itok=t1u0AUk3" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/RothschildIC1.jpg?itok=t1u0AUk3"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ac745a82-c4af-4385-98ea-a03fe0c86425" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="334" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/RothschildIC1.jpg?itok=t1u0AUk3" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  925.  
  926. &lt;p&gt;However, overall readership has been in decline for at least a decade, which is the likely reason for the sale of shares by longtime benefactors.  In 2015 The Economist maintained an audience of 1.6 million; that has fallen to 1.2 million in 2025, similar to reader numbers the outlet held in the early 2000s. &lt;/p&gt;
  927.  
  928. &lt;p&gt;The Economist has grown increasingly and openly left-leaning in that time period, with a distinct hostility towards the Trump Administration.  Headlines such as "Donald Trump Is Unpopular. Why Is It So Hard To Stand Up To Him?", "The Sinister Brilliance Of Donald Trump’s Security Theatre" and "Donald Trump’s Awful Trade Policy Will Outlast Him" have become a common theme for the publication.  &lt;/p&gt;
  929.  
  930. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/EconomistTrump1.jpg?itok=q5Pkwnes" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/EconomistTrump1.jpg?itok=q5Pkwnes"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f16253a4-0445-49a8-a558-5a7f7fee8e0b" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="668" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/EconomistTrump1.jpg?itok=q5Pkwnes" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  931.  
  932. &lt;p&gt;It should come as no surprise, but The Economist is also aggressively globalist in its ideological bent with numerous articles &lt;a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/05/09/the-worlds-economic-order-is-breaking-down"&gt;warning of potential doom&lt;/a&gt; should the current order be disrupted by populism, international trade restrictions or a focus on domestic production over outsourcing.  They also continue to defend mass immigration to the west from third world nations, exploiting the common fallacies used by woke progressives, including the claim that western economies cannot survive without population growth sourced from migration.  &lt;/p&gt;
  933.  
  934. &lt;p&gt;&lt;iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fjKYtfpe1a0" width="640"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  935.  
  936. &lt;p&gt;These arguments commonly use GDP expansion data as "proof" that mass immigration improves western economies.  In reality, GDP in the west is calculated to include a large percentage of government spending.  As migrants enter the US or Europe, around 60% (or more) immediately tap into government subsidies and welfare programs.  This increases government spending, and thus, increases GDP (directly and indirectly). &lt;/p&gt;
  937.  
  938. &lt;p&gt;Federal and state government spending in the US accounts for at least 30% of total national GDP.  This is why states like California, with their open borders and sanctuary status, seem to enjoy superior GDP numbers - They spend more taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants, thereby driving up their GDP.   &lt;/p&gt;
  939.  
  940. &lt;p&gt;It's not legitimate economic improvement, it's wealth redistribution on a global scale. It's a scam.  This is just one of the many false narratives promoted buy The Economist over the years.&lt;/p&gt;
  941.  
  942. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/The_Economist_World_Ahead_2025.jpg?itok=fbZcqR12" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/The_Economist_World_Ahead_2025.jpg?itok=fbZcqR12"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d8cb0d32-7874-4d42-9d40-a5af6e1f86de" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="667" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/The_Economist_World_Ahead_2025.jpg?itok=fbZcqR12" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  943.  
  944. &lt;p&gt;The Economist is also well known for its creepy predictive annual covers, which some people believe are rife with symbolism and secret messages.  Others suggest the magazine is a platform for globalists like the Rothschilds to test the waters on Orwellian policies.  Take a look at this cover from 1988 stating "Get ready for a world currency" (2018 just happened to coincide with the global proliferation of digital currencies and crypto):&lt;/p&gt;
  945.  
  946. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/EconomistNWO1.jpg?itok=XFejmv09" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/EconomistNWO1.jpg?itok=XFejmv09"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e1c97c8-4674-41fb-a142-ccf97012c9d0" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="686" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/EconomistNWO1.jpg?itok=XFejmv09" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  947.  
  948. &lt;p&gt;As readership in corporate media dwindles and more people turn to alternative sources on the web, legacy publications like The Economist will face numerous obstacles to growth in the next five years.  The Rothschilds are well known for their "uncanny" ability to jump ship on bad investments before a greater plunge.  It would appear that The Economist's long relationship with the family is no longer enough to keep them interested.  &lt;/p&gt;
  949. &lt;/div&gt;
  950.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  951. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T10:55:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 06:55&lt;/span&gt;
  952. </description>
  953.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
  954.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  955.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1066849 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  956.    </item>
  957. <item>
  958.  <title>As Birth Rates Decline, Here's How To Boost Fertility</title>
  959.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/birth-rates-decline-heres-how-boost-fertility</link>
  960.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;As Birth Rates Decline, Here's How To Boost Fertility&lt;/span&gt;
  961.  
  962.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/5-ways-to-boost-fertility-in-a-world-of-declining-birth-rates-5902834?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&amp;src_src=partner&amp;src_cmp=ZeroHedge"&gt;Authored by Mary West via The Epoch Times&lt;/a&gt; (emphasis ours),&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  963.  
  964. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Last year, the U.S. fertility rate reached an all-time low&lt;/strong&gt;, according to World Bank &lt;a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.TFRT.IN"&gt;data&lt;/a&gt;. For those concerned about infertility, it may be a good idea to consider interventions that improve health, as they can boost the chance of becoming pregnant.&lt;/p&gt;
  965.  
  966. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Female-Sexual-Health_jpg_92.jpg?itok=aqTg3WIH" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Female-Sexual-Health_jpg_92.jpg?itok=aqTg3WIH"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="79e1a41f-48bc-4f4c-8908-462669bbd923" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="246" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Female-Sexual-Health_jpg_92.jpg?itok=aqTg3WIH" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  967.  
  968. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Optimal fertility is really just an expression of optimal health&lt;/strong&gt;, Jessica Sharratt, doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine at Heal Los Angeles, told The Epoch Times.&lt;/p&gt;
  969.  
  970. &lt;p&gt;“When your metabolism, hormones, immune system, and mitochondria are thriving, your reproductive health benefits, too.”&lt;/p&gt;
  971.  
  972. &lt;p&gt;In some cases, lifestyle changes alone can make a significant difference, as they not only boost fertility but also lay the foundation for a healthier pregnancy, said Drs. Abby Eblen, Carrie Bedient, and Susan Hudson, reproductive endocrinologists and co-hosts of the Fertility Docs Uncensored podcast.&lt;/p&gt;
  973.  
  974. &lt;p&gt;“However,&lt;strong&gt; lifestyle changes and medical treatments often work best in conjunction with each other&lt;/strong&gt;,” they told The Epoch Times.&lt;/p&gt;
  975.  
  976. &lt;p&gt;Sharratt suggests lifestyle changes 3–6 months before trying to conceive, to give time for healthier eggs to develop.&lt;/p&gt;
  977.  
  978. &lt;h2&gt;1. Pursue an Optimal Weight&lt;/h2&gt;
  979.  
  980. &lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10856238/"&gt;review&lt;/a&gt; published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences suggested that &lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-night-time-fat-burner"&gt;modest weight loss&lt;/a&gt; is important for fostering fertility. Outcomes in women include improvements in reproductive hormone profiles, menstrual cycle regularity, ovulation, conception, and pregnancy. Outcomes in men include improvements in reproductive hormone profiles, sexual function, and sperm form and movement.&lt;/p&gt;
  981.  
  982. &lt;p&gt;Dr. David Ghozland, board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology in Orange County, California, said in an email to The Epoch Times that he often sees the benefits of weight loss on fertility in his practice. One of his patients, a 28-year-old, had been trying to conceive for 18 months. Last month, after losing only 22 pounds over the course of four months, she became pregnant.&lt;/p&gt;
  983.  
  984. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;He said that the metabolic link is much more profound than most physicians realize. &lt;/strong&gt;The mechanism is that visceral adipose tissue produces inflammatory chemicals that act directly to disrupt follicular development, which precedes egg formation. Reducing inflammation through weight loss creates conditions in which conception may again become possible naturally.&lt;/p&gt;
  985.  
  986. &lt;p&gt;“In my clinic, [in vitro fertilization] IVF patients who enhance their metabolic health before using fertility medications experience success rates that are 65 percent higher during their initial IVF cycle,” said Ghozland.&lt;/p&gt;
  987.  
  988. &lt;h2&gt;2. Eat a Healthy Diet&lt;/h2&gt;
  989.  
  990. &lt;p&gt;Nutrition plays a big role in reproductive health, Amy Chow, a registered dietitian at BC Dietitians, said in an email to The Epoch Times.&lt;/p&gt;
  991.  
  992. &lt;p&gt;The food we eat can influence hormone balance, egg and sperm quality, and the body’s ability to conceive. Aside from providing energy, &lt;strong&gt;nutrients play bioactive roles that support reproductive function, reduce inflammation, and help regulate key processes such as ovulation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  993.  
  994. &lt;p&gt;A &lt;a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10886842/"&gt;review&lt;/a&gt; published in Biology found that the Mediterranean diet protects against infertility, while the Western diet increases risk.&lt;/p&gt;
  995.  
  996. &lt;p&gt;Fatty acids are an example of a nutrient with bioactive properties, said Chow. In the Mediterranean diet, sources such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, and fatty fish provide healthy fats that reduce &lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/ultra-turmeric"&gt;inflammation&lt;/a&gt; and support fertility. In contrast, the Western diet’s trans fats—common in processed and fast foods—promote insulin resistance and inflammation, which can impair ovulation and lower fertility, according to cohort &lt;a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5860620/"&gt;studies&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  997.  
  998. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The type and quality of proteins eaten also affect fertility, she said.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  999.  
  1000. &lt;p&gt;Plant-based proteins, such as those in beans, tend to support fertility, while excessive intakes of animal proteins may be linked to a higher risk of infertility. &lt;a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10005661/"&gt;Research&lt;/a&gt; suggests that animal protein is linked to a high risk of anovulation—the failure to ovulate—while replacing some animal protein with plant protein reduces the risk of anovulation infertility.&lt;/p&gt;
  1001.  
  1002. &lt;p&gt;Concerning carbohydrates, Chow recommends focusing on whole, fiber-rich, and low-glycemic index options, which can help stabilize blood sugar and support the body’s natural hormonal regulation. Examples include brown rice, old-fashioned oats, and 100 percent whole-grain bread. In contrast, high-glycemic foods include cookies, crackers, cakes, white bread, and sugary beverages.&lt;/p&gt;
  1003.  
  1004. &lt;p&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;People with or without hormone-related conditions, like [polycystic ovary syndrome] PCOS or endometriosis, can benefit from dietary improvements&lt;/strong&gt;,” Chow said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1005.  
  1006. &lt;p&gt;Endometriosis causes infertility through multiple factors, including disrupted ovary function and a reduced capacity to support the implantation of a fertilized egg due to scarring.&lt;/p&gt;
  1007.  
  1008. &lt;p&gt;Chow added that while fertility supplements are widely marketed, dietitians always advise a “food-first” approach. Most people can meet their nutritional needs through a balanced diet.&lt;/p&gt;
  1009.  
  1010. &lt;p&gt;“An important practice that impairs fertility is undereating, which includes excessive weight loss, stress, and exercise,” Shira Sussi, a prenatal dietitian, said in an email to The Epoch Times.&lt;/p&gt;
  1011.  
  1012. &lt;p&gt;When the body doesn’t get enough food for energy, this deficit can lead to low levels of estrogen, sometimes accompanied by high cortisol (stress hormone), as well as low thyroid and insulin levels, she said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1013.  
  1014. &lt;p&gt;Sussi noted that severe undereating can disrupt hormones and lead to functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, a condition that stops ovulation. “I would even argue against practicing intermittent fasting when trying to conceive, given this link between undereating, ovulatory dysfunction, and hormone imbalance,” she said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1015.  
  1016. &lt;h2&gt;3. Manage Stress&lt;/h2&gt;
  1017.  
  1018. &lt;p&gt;Laurie Binder, a doctor of acupuncture with Santa Monica Acupuncture and Wellness, said that in both sexes, managing stress is vital. High cortisol levels can disrupt the delicate balance of reproductive hormones. Acupuncture does this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging the body to shift from a “fight-or-flight” state into a “rest-and-reproduce” state.&lt;/p&gt;
  1019.  
  1020. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(&lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-mood"&gt;Stress management solution&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1021.  
  1022. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When the body is in a fight-or-flight state—sympathetic nervous system dominance—stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline rise&lt;/strong&gt;. These hormones can interfere with ovulation and reduce blood flow to the reproductive organs. Essentially, the body prioritizes survival over reproduction, she said.&lt;/p&gt;
  1023.  
  1024. &lt;p&gt;Substances that strain the body—whether recreational, prescription, or excessive caffeine, tobacco and alcohol—can also quietly undermine fertility. A &lt;a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8812443/"&gt;review&lt;/a&gt; published in Reproduction and Fertility advises the following:&lt;/p&gt;
  1025.  
  1026. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Refrain from using recreational drugs, which increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and infections that lead to infertility.&lt;/li&gt;
  1027. &lt;li&gt;Avoid taking unnecessary prescription drugs, as many of them affect reproductive processes.&lt;/li&gt;
  1028. &lt;li&gt;Limit excessive caffeine intake, which can worsen fertility problems.&lt;/li&gt;
  1029. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Additionally, regular exercise is a powerful tool for reducing stress, offering particular benefits for women coping with infertility.&lt;/p&gt;
  1030.  
  1031. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Read the rest &lt;a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/5-ways-to-boost-fertility-in-a-world-of-declining-birth-rates-5902834?utm_source=partner&amp;utm_campaign=ZeroHedge&amp;src_src=partner&amp;src_cmp=ZeroHedge"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;here...&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1032.  
  1033. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ladies, &lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-female-enhancement"&gt;we sell something for this&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-female-enhancement"&gt;...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1034.  
  1035. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Ingredients: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1036.  
  1037. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dong Quai: &lt;/strong&gt;Called the &lt;strong&gt;"female ginseng," &lt;/strong&gt;it's used in traditional Chinese medicine to&lt;strong&gt; regulate menstrual cycles &lt;/strong&gt;and alleviate menopausal symptoms.&lt;/li&gt;
  1038. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Damiana Powder:&lt;/strong&gt; Traditionally used to &lt;strong&gt;boost sexual health, mood,&lt;/strong&gt; and as a mild stimulant.&lt;/li&gt;
  1039. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;L-Arginine&lt;/strong&gt;: An amino acid known for improving blood flow, which can &lt;strong&gt;aid in sexual function &lt;/strong&gt;and overall cardiovascular health.&lt;/li&gt;
  1040. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maca&lt;/strong&gt;: Renowned for its positive effects on &lt;strong&gt;hormonal balance,&lt;/strong&gt; it can boost fertility, energy, and &lt;strong&gt;sexual desire.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  1041. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Epimedium Powder (Horny Goat Weed):&lt;/strong&gt; Often linked with &lt;strong&gt;enhanced sexual function&lt;/strong&gt; due to its potential to improve blood circulation.&lt;/li&gt;
  1042. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Catuaba&lt;/strong&gt;: This Brazilian herb is known for its &lt;strong&gt;aphrodisiac &lt;/strong&gt;properties, promoting sexual vitality and reducing fatigue.&lt;/li&gt;
  1043. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Muira Puama&lt;/strong&gt;: Known for its use in &lt;strong&gt;enhancing libido&lt;/strong&gt; and helping with&lt;strong&gt; menopausal symptoms.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  1044. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Thiamin &lt;/strong&gt;(Vitamin B1), Niacin (Vitamin B3), Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12: These B vitamins are crucial for &lt;strong&gt;energy production, mood regulation&lt;/strong&gt;, and cognitive function, supporting overall vitality.&lt;/li&gt;
  1045. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BioPerine: Enhances the bioavailability of all ingredients,&lt;/strong&gt; ensuring your body gets the most out of each dose.&lt;/li&gt;
  1046. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;And &lt;a href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-male-enhancement/?m=search&amp;st=male&amp;aq=true"&gt;for the fellas...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1047.  
  1048. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Ingredients:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1049.  
  1050. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Longjack (Tongkat Ali):&lt;/strong&gt; Known for &lt;strong&gt;boosting testosterone levels&lt;/strong&gt;, which can lead to increased strength, energy, and libido.&lt;/li&gt;
  1051. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Maca&lt;/strong&gt;: Traditionally used to enhance fertility and &lt;strong&gt;sexual performance&lt;/strong&gt;, Maca also supports energy and mood.&lt;/li&gt;
  1052. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;L-Arginine:&lt;/strong&gt; An amino acid that &lt;strong&gt;promotes blood flow&lt;/strong&gt;, aiding in improved vascular health and performance.&lt;/li&gt;
  1053. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ginseng&lt;/strong&gt;: This adaptogen is celebrated for its effects on &lt;strong&gt;endurance&lt;/strong&gt;, cognitive function, and overall male vitality.&lt;/li&gt;
  1054. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nettle Extract: &lt;/strong&gt;Helps in blocking the conversion of testosterone into DHT, potentially &lt;strong&gt;supporting prostate health and hormone balance&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;
  1055. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pumpkin Extract:&lt;/strong&gt; Rich in zinc, essential for &lt;strong&gt;testosterone &lt;/strong&gt;production and prostate health.&lt;/li&gt;
  1056. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Catuaba&lt;/strong&gt;: A Brazilian herb used for its &lt;strong&gt;aphrodisiac &lt;/strong&gt;qualities, enhancing libido and reducing fatigue.&lt;/li&gt;
  1057. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tribulus&lt;/strong&gt;: Often linked to increased stamina and muscle building, it supports&lt;strong&gt; physical performance.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  1058. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Oyster Extract: &lt;/strong&gt;Provides high levels of zinc and other nutrients crucial for &lt;strong&gt;male reproductive health&lt;/strong&gt; and testosterone levels.&lt;/li&gt;
  1059. &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boron&lt;/strong&gt;: A trace mineral that can &lt;strong&gt;positively affect hormone levels,&lt;/strong&gt; including testosterone, and support bone health.&lt;/li&gt;
  1060. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-male-enhancement/?m=search&amp;st=male&amp;aq=true" data-image-href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-male-enhancement/?m=search&amp;st=male&amp;aq=true" data-link-option="2" href="https://store.zerohedge.com/iq-male-enhancement/?m=search&amp;st=male&amp;aq=true"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b06e581c-fb4e-4a36-bfa9-e7469857e231" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="240" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/birthrate.jpeg?itok=bQEWYJhA" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1061. &lt;/div&gt;
  1062.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1063. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T10:30:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 06:30&lt;/span&gt;
  1064. </description>
  1065.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1066.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1067.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1066970 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1068.    </item>
  1069. <item>
  1070.  <title>"We Need To Move Fast": Led By Canada, Global Push For Icebreakers Heats Up</title>
  1071.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/we-need-move-fast-led-canada-global-push-icebreakers-heats</link>
  1072.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;"We Need To Move Fast": Led By Canada, Global Push For Icebreakers Heats Up&lt;/span&gt;
  1073.  
  1074.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p data-end="613" data-start="186"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The global race to dominate the melting Arctic is heating up, and Canada is finally building the heavy icebreakers it hasn’t had in half a century. &lt;/strong&gt;At Helsinki Shipyard last month, workers cut the first steel for Canada’s new C$3.3 billion ($2.4 billion) heavy icebreaker, the &lt;em data-end="330" data-start="315"&gt;CCGS Arpatuuq&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1075.  
  1076. &lt;p data-end="613" data-start="186"&gt;Due in 2030, it will be the first such vessel built partly in Canada in over 50 years, &lt;a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-09-16/arctic-icebreaker-ships-are-in-high-demand-as-nations-vie-for-power?re_source=postr_story_0"&gt;according to Bloomberg&lt;/a&gt;. A second, the &lt;em data-end="444" data-start="433"&gt;Imnaryuaq&lt;/em&gt;, is under construction in Vancouver. Together, they’re part of Ottawa’s plan to more than double its aging fleet as Arctic sovereignty and security take center stage.&lt;/p&gt;
  1077.  
  1078. &lt;p data-end="613" data-start="186"&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.07.jpg?itok=HeAWCQul" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.07.jpg?itok=HeAWCQul"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5de72467-f292-445f-9db2-9e27b26d7072" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="585" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.07.jpg?itok=HeAWCQul" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1079.  
  1080. &lt;p data-end="855" data-start="615"&gt;The urgency rose after Donald Trump threatened tariffs and suggested Canada should become the 51st US state. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded with C$9 billion in extra defense spending, stressing that patrolling the Arctic is crucial.&lt;/p&gt;
  1081.  
  1082. &lt;p data-end="1165" data-start="857"&gt;Trump has his own ambitions: adding 48 icebreakers to America’s tiny fleet of three. A new tax law earmarked $8.6 billion, enough to start building 17. &lt;/p&gt;
  1083.  
  1084. &lt;p data-end="1165" data-start="857"&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.26.jpg?itok=Gbpqn_eP" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.26.jpg?itok=Gbpqn_eP"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7e84f28f-e1f1-4756-87db-bc6b4f31bd9b" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="600" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.42.26.jpg?itok=Gbpqn_eP" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1085.  
  1086. &lt;p data-end="1617" data-start="1167"&gt;Bloomberg &lt;a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-09-16/arctic-icebreaker-ships-are-in-high-demand-as-nations-vie-for-power?re_source=postr_story_0"&gt;writes&lt;/a&gt; that globally, the competition is fierce. Russia leads with 47 heavy or medium icebreakers in service and at least 15 more in the pipeline. “Nobody has such a powerful fleet as us,” Vladimir Putin boasted in August, noting that eight of Russia’s ships are nuclear-powered. China, Finland, and others are also expanding. “I have never seen a demand signal like this in shipbuilding for icebreakers,” said James Davies, CEO of Quebec-based Chantier Davie.&lt;/p&gt;
  1087.  
  1088. &lt;p data-end="1924" data-start="1619"&gt;Climate change makes the vessels more vital: thinner ice means new shipping lanes, year-round access to oil and gas, and more military activity. “Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations,” one US official noted, highlighting safety concerns that echo beyond the Arctic.&lt;/p&gt;
  1089.  
  1090. &lt;p data-end="1924" data-start="1619"&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.43.06.jpg?itok=eD9Vosx4" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.43.06.jpg?itok=eD9Vosx4"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="28aae2fc-9234-4970-81a2-601fb62dae77" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="350" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-09-17%20at%2009.43.06.jpg?itok=eD9Vosx4" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1091.  
  1092. &lt;p data-end="2333" data-start="1926"&gt;Canada’s new icebreakers will support research, mapping the seabed, and monitoring traffic in contested waters such as the Northwest Passage. “We cannot see airplanes. We cannot see under water. Whether or not those are capabilities that the government of Canada might want for us to have in the future … is still something that will need to be determined,” said Neil O’Rourke of the Canadian Coast Guard.&lt;/p&gt;
  1093.  
  1094. &lt;p data-end="2576" data-start="2335"&gt;Finland is a key partner: it builds 60% of the world’s icebreakers and designed Canada’s new ships. Its president, Alexander Stubb, put it bluntly: “&lt;strong&gt;We can churn them out in somewhere between two and three years. And we need to move fast.”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1095. &lt;/div&gt;
  1096.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1097. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T09:45:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:45&lt;/span&gt;
  1098. </description>
  1099.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1100.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1101.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067243 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1102.    </item>
  1103. <item>
  1104.  <title>CEOs Of Discord, Steam, Twitch, Reddit Summoned To Washington Over Online Radicalization</title>
  1105.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ceos-discord-steam-twitch-reddit-summoned-washington-over-online-radicalization</link>
  1106.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;CEOs Of Discord, Steam, Twitch, Reddit Summoned To Washington Over Online Radicalization&lt;/span&gt;
  1107.  
  1108.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;The White House has &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/identify-disrupt-dismantle-destroy-white-houses-stephen-miller-declares-war-radical-left"&gt;declared war&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;strong&gt;Marxist revolutionary groups and dark-money-funded NGOs&lt;/strong&gt; after recognizing the severity of the &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/america-has-transtifa-problem"&gt;nihilistic accelerationist movement&lt;/a&gt; spreading across America, especially now after &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/white-house-plans-security-boost-civil-terrorism-fears-after-fbi-investigates"&gt;realizing the security threat&lt;/a&gt; - dubbed "&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/masked-protest-industrial-complex-isnt-peaceful-its-civil-terrorism-playbook-combat-chaos"&gt;civil terrorism&lt;/a&gt;" - in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. The administration now sees more clearly that &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/dark-money-network-funneled-millions-no-kings-nationwide-color-revolution-operation"&gt;endless color revolution-style operations&lt;/a&gt; - whether protests, riots, or armed attacks on federal agencies such as ICE and Border Patrol - are &lt;strong&gt;supported by left-wing groups, and supported or even directly funded by certain NGOs&lt;/strong&gt;. As Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller said earlier this week, the mission is to "&lt;strong&gt;identify, disrupt, dismantle, and destroy&lt;/strong&gt;" these left-wing organizations that "&lt;strong&gt;promote violence in this country&lt;/strong&gt;."&lt;/p&gt;
  1109.  
  1110. &lt;p&gt;In the crosshairs of federal agents investigating the Kirk assassination is the &lt;strong&gt;Marxist revolutionary group &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/armed-queers-marxist-revolutionaries-under-investigation-possible-foreknowledge-kirks"&gt;Armed Queers Salt Lake City&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and its founder…&lt;/p&gt;
  1111.  
  1112. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  1113. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🚨Mainstream outlets now reporting: Alleged assassin Tyler Robinson did not act in a vacuum. There may even be DOZENS (!) with advanced knowledge of his sinister plans.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1114. Marxist infiltration…transgender ideology….trips to Cuba…money from CCP Operatives…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1115. This investigation is… &lt;a href="https://t.co/0O3DRLDrU1"&gt;pic.twitter.com/0O3DRLDrU1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1116. — Peter Schweizer (@peterschweizer) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/peterschweizer/status/1968021149285224499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 16, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1117. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Iranian woke trans warrior&lt;/strong&gt; and Armed Queers SLC leader, Ermiya Fanaeian, recently warned,&lt;strong&gt; "I think sometimes violence must happen." &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1118.  
  1119. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  1120. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Ermiya Fanaeian, Iranian trans who's in charge of Armed Queers SLC: "I think sometimes violence must happen"&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/FBI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@FBI&lt;/a&gt;, look into this Utah militia &lt;a href="https://t.co/tCiEpAovbx"&gt;pic.twitter.com/tCiEpAovbx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1121. — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/1968313676135592267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1122. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-17_14-28-05.png?itok=hYP6Zjmb" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-17_14-28-05.png?itok=hYP6Zjmb"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="435619f9-bd7e-4987-86ca-1bdaf2dee337" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="270" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2025-09-17_14-28-05.png?itok=hYP6Zjmb" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1123.  
  1124. &lt;p&gt;For the last few days, FBI Director Kash Patel has faced questions on Capitol Hill. He said Tuesday that the &lt;strong&gt;bureau is investigating members of a Discord chat in which Tyler Robinson&lt;/strong&gt;, the accused assassin of Kirk, revealed his involvement in the killing. &lt;/p&gt;
  1125.  
  1126. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/G07hAZyXgAArRr6.jpg?itok=OFPHa6Pw" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/G07hAZyXgAArRr6.jpg?itok=OFPHa6Pw"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a945b500-6223-4c4e-9afc-518e73d3e224" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="484" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/G07hAZyXgAArRr6.jpg?itok=OFPHa6Pw" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1127.  
  1128. &lt;p&gt;"&lt;strong&gt;Discord, the platform, ownership, has been working with our lawful process, and we are obtaining materials from them on a rolling basis&lt;/strong&gt;," Patel stated in a second round of questioning on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.  &lt;/p&gt;
  1129.  
  1130. &lt;p&gt;Discord confirmed Robinson had an account on the platform, and an internal investigation found "no evidence that the suspect planned this incident on Discord or promoted violence on Discord."&lt;/p&gt;
  1131.  
  1132. &lt;p&gt;However, Discord's statement did not stop &lt;a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/chairman-comer-invites-ceos-of-discord-steam-twitch-and-reddit-to-testify-on-radicalization-of-online-forum-users/"&gt;House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman&lt;/a&gt; James Comer (R-Ky.) from &lt;strong&gt;summoning CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit to testify at a full committee hearing early next month&lt;/strong&gt;. The hearing will examine the &lt;strong&gt;radicalization of users on online forums&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  1133.  
  1134. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  1135. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;🚨BREAKING🚨&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1136. I'm calling on the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, &amp; Reddit to testify at an Oversight Committee hearing on October 8.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
  1137. The hearing will examine the radicalization of online forum users, including instances of open incitement to commit politically motivated acts.&lt;/p&gt;
  1138. — Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1968326627928207617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1139. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;"&lt;strong&gt;The politically motivated assassination of Charlie Kirk claimed the life of a husband, father, and American patriot. In the wake of this tragedy, and amid other acts of politically motivated violence, Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence. To prevent future radicalization and violence, the CEOs of Discord, Steam, Twitch, and Reddit must appear before the Oversight Committee and explain what actions they will take to ensure their platforms are not exploited for nefarious purposes&lt;/strong&gt;," said Chairman Comer.&lt;/p&gt;
  1140.  
  1141. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bluesky-reddit-democrats-celebrate-charlie-kirks-assassination-trump-declares-war-radical"&gt;Radicalization that includes...&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1142.  
  1143. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/G0kaUf1W0AAWs0X.jpg?itok=Lc0nmzC3" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/G0kaUf1W0AAWs0X.jpg?itok=Lc0nmzC3"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a9410ba1-3a9f-4fdd-9e7c-95a4467a5834" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="500" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/G0kaUf1W0AAWs0X.jpg?itok=Lc0nmzC3" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1144.  
  1145. &lt;p&gt;While Discord denies that Robinson planned the assassination with other far-left extremists on its platform, a new report by &lt;a href="https://x.com/scoopercooper"&gt;The Bureau's Sam Cooper&lt;/a&gt;, together with Toronto lawyer and independent journalist Caryma Sa'd, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/discord-scrutinized-kirk-assassination-used-canadian-far-left-networks-circulate"&gt;reveals that Antifa-aligned networks in Canada use Discord&lt;/a&gt; to share dossiers on political targets and coordinate other revolutionary activities.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1146.  
  1147. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-17_10-23-02_1.png?itok=x9oqvTSu" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-17_10-23-02_1.png?itok=x9oqvTSu"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e8b70cdb-c105-4d41-b8f0-025fe1fbdbb0" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="341" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2025-09-17_10-23-02_1.png?itok=x9oqvTSu" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1148.  
  1149. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1150.  
  1151. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/political/america-has-transtifa-problem"&gt;America Has A "Transtifa" Problem&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
  1152. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;. . .&lt;/p&gt;
  1153. &lt;/div&gt;
  1154.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1155. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T09:44:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:44&lt;/span&gt;
  1156. </description>
  1157.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:44:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1158.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1159.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067360 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1160.    </item>
  1161. <item>
  1162.  <title>German State Media Have Systematically Slandered Charlie Kirk Since His Assassination</title>
  1163.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/german-state-media-have-systematically-slandered-charlie-kirk-his-assassination</link>
  1164.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;German State Media Have Systematically Slandered Charlie Kirk Since His Assassination&lt;/span&gt;
  1165.  
  1166.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.eugyppius.com/p/german-state-media-have-systematically?hide_intro_popup=true"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by 'eugyppius' via 'A Plague Chronicle',&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1167.  
  1168. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This woman is &lt;a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunja_Hayali"&gt;Dunja Hayali&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1169.  
  1170. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2833%29_6.jpg?itok=Hi8-oOLa" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2833%29_6.jpg?itok=Hi8-oOLa"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fbb3fc53-0f5e-4d8e-af73-542d2263d07e" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="281" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2833%29_6.jpg?itok=Hi8-oOLa" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1171.  
  1172. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;She is known to millions of Germans as the anchor for the ZDF public news programme &lt;em&gt;heute &lt;/em&gt;(“today”). &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1173.  
  1174. &lt;p&gt;The day after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, &lt;a href="https://x.com/oida_grantler/status/1966241011409252520"&gt;Hayali glossed the story&lt;/a&gt; by conceding that “there is no justification for those groups celebrating [Kirk’s] death,” before deploring without any specific reference or citation &lt;strong&gt;“his often abhorrent, racist, sexist and misanthropic statements.” &lt;/strong&gt;She proceeded to call Kirk a “radical religious conspiracy theorist” who nevertheless “struck a chord with many people,” given his large following and his “well-attended” events.&lt;/p&gt;
  1175.  
  1176. &lt;p&gt;Later, Hayali &lt;a href="https://x.com/XzumTreme/status/1966775939884282128"&gt;appeared on a state media podcast&lt;/a&gt;, where she again with no evidence &lt;strong&gt;attacked Kirk as “too radical, too racist, misanthropic and misogynistic” and “simply inhumane.”&lt;/strong&gt; She said that while “violence cannot be a solution,” “you don’t have to feel sympathy or pity” in connection to his violent death. Instead of offering condolences or regret for his murder, she advised that it would be better to “just shut up for a moment and perhaps not say anything at all.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1177.  
  1178. &lt;p&gt;Following a massive public outcry, &lt;a href="https://taz.de/Nach-Social-Media-Shitstorm/!6113897/"&gt;Hayali has declared herself the victim of a right-wing hate mob and said she will take a few days off&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1179.  
  1180. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This man is Elmar Theveßen. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1181.  
  1182. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2834%29_6.jpg?itok=B-zya6uO" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2834%29_6.jpg?itok=B-zya6uO"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a5729424-c832-4bb9-91ec-ce9ee93de8c8" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="334" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2834%29_6.jpg?itok=B-zya6uO" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1183.  
  1184. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;He is the Washington D.C. correspondent also for the state media broadcaster ZDF,&lt;/strong&gt; and he is routinely presented to the German public as an expert on all things American.&lt;/p&gt;
  1185.  
  1186. &lt;p&gt;The day after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Theveßen appeared on Markus Lanz’s eponymous political talkshow before a nationwide audience &lt;a href="https://www.cicero.de/kultur/elmar-thevessen-und-charlie-kirk-weltanschauung-fullt-wissenslucken"&gt;to peddle a series of lies about the recently deceased&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  1187.  
  1188. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1189. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theveßen:&lt;/strong&gt; [Kirk] has very, very strong right-wing convictions. Let me give you a few examples. For example, he said that homosexuals should be stoned to death (...). He said that black people are taking jobs away from white people because of the policies of the Democrats in recent years. He said that if you’re sitting in an aeroplane with a black pilot, you should be afraid.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1190.  
  1191. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lanz:&lt;/strong&gt; Have I understood you correctly, he said homosexuals should be stoned?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1192.  
  1193. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Theveßen:&lt;/strong&gt; Yes, of course he’s referring to the Bible, when he says that Christianity should be taken literally. He’s not applied this to modern times, which is actually, um, largely, well of course. But you can say these are racist statements, these are anti-minority statements, and it’s also true, clearly, he belongs to the right-wing radicals in the USA...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1194. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1195.  
  1196. &lt;p&gt;Theveßen repeated &lt;a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/14/alastair-campbell-apologises-for-charlie-kirk-claim/"&gt;the notorious &lt;/a&gt;falsehood that Kirk advocated stoning homosexuals to death &lt;a href="https://x.com/OERRBlog/status/1966883792397971881"&gt;in two other podcast appearances on 11 September&lt;/a&gt;. This was not an isolated slip-up. As everyone now knows, of course, Kirk had merely insisted Old Testament exhortations to love one’s neighbour do not imply any biblical endorsement of homosexuality because they stand alongside much harsher provisions, like that at Leviticus 20:13. Theveßen’s other statements are also crude mischaracterisations of Kirk’s opposition to minority hiring preferences and his criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration’s &lt;a href="https://nypost.com/2025/02/14/opinion/obama-biden-endangered-flights-by-nixing-whites-as-air-traffic-controllers/"&gt;efforts to relax merit-based hiring standards for Air Traffic Control in favour of a (more minority-friendly) “Biographical Questionnaire&lt;/a&gt;.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1197.  
  1198. &lt;p&gt;Were Charlie Kirk still alive, he could request that charges be brought against Theveßen for slander, and his widow could probably still file a complaint under section 189 of the German criminal code, which prohibits “&lt;a href="https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stgb/englisch_stgb.html#p1900"&gt;Defiling the memory of the dead&lt;/a&gt;.” Of course, nobody thinks this will happen, which is why Theveßen has decided to trifle with the truth in this case.&lt;/p&gt;
  1199.  
  1200. &lt;p&gt;In response to inquiries from BILD, Theveßen said that he “&lt;a href="https://www.bild.de/politik/ausland-und-internationales/experte-irritiert-bei-lanz-hat-kirk-diese-schrecklichen-dinge-wirklich-gesagt-68c3d504f313976149c6cdc7"&gt;regrets not having been more detailed&lt;/a&gt;,” but naturally he stopped short of apologising. After I and others brought Theveßen’s remarks to the attention of the U.S. State Department (along with &lt;a href="https://x.com/hori_____zont/status/1966438200999575673"&gt;another podcast appearance&lt;/a&gt; in which Theveßen implied that Stephen Miller was a neo-Nazi), Richard Grenell called for authorities to revoke his work visa …&lt;/p&gt;
  1201.  
  1202. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2835%29_5.jpg?itok=5ptmuEq3" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2835%29_5.jpg?itok=5ptmuEq3"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d7c1241b-83c2-4fcc-b158-7562039e5c5f" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="228" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2835%29_5.jpg?itok=5ptmuEq3" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1203.  
  1204. &lt;p&gt;… and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau replied with this ominous image:&lt;/p&gt;
  1205.  
  1206. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2836%29_4.jpg?itok=P_aGJyIi" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2836%29_4.jpg?itok=P_aGJyIi"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="83a89d1d-4a7b-4dad-8cfe-634ce689a623" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="330" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2836%29_4.jpg?itok=P_aGJyIi" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1207.  
  1208. &lt;p&gt;Mysteriously, the ordinarily voluble Theveßen has gone silent.&lt;/p&gt;
  1209.  
  1210. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2837%29_4.jpg?itok=71B16GQ4" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2837%29_4.jpg?itok=71B16GQ4"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e05ed78d-5d15-4073-b025-fe337d7db152" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="283" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2837%29_4.jpg?itok=71B16GQ4" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1211.  
  1212. &lt;p&gt;This woman is Caren Miosga; she hosts a popular Sunday evening political talkshow for ARD, another German state media broadcaster. This past Sunday, &lt;a href="https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/caren-miosga/schadet-linke-politik-unserem-wohlstand-frau-reichinnek/ndr/Y3JpZDovL25kci5kZS8zZWRlMzI2Yi00ZWI0LTQyNjktOTY3MC1mN2JhOGRkMzgzNTBfZ2FuemVTZW5kdW5n"&gt;Miosga interviewed the leading Left Party politician (and TikTok star) Heidi Reichinnek&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  1213.  
  1214. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2838%29_4.jpg?itok=hhBHaDEf" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2838%29_4.jpg?itok=hhBHaDEf"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8f3f6cc-9bf6-49b7-8502-e2bc0a49b450" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="290" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2838%29_4.jpg?itok=hhBHaDEf" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1215.  
  1216. &lt;p&gt;Among other things, the two women discussed Charlie Kirk’s assassination, at which point this exchange occurred:&lt;/p&gt;
  1217.  
  1218. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1219. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miosga:&lt;/strong&gt; Let’s also talk about what happened this week. In the US, ultra-right activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk was shot dead this week. Afterwards, your personal assistant posted a so-called meme, a photo with the caption. Let’s take a look …&lt;/p&gt;
  1220.  
  1221. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2839%29_4.jpg?itok=Z29njqAC" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2839%29_4.jpg?itok=Z29njqAC"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c24746f6-ad6a-415d-8f6b-d3d3e3266ebf" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="243" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2839%29_4.jpg?itok=Z29njqAC" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1222.  
  1223. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miosga:&lt;/strong&gt; He then deleted this post, saying that right-wing extremists had put it in the wrong context. Did he tell you what the proper context was?&lt;/p&gt;
  1224.  
  1225. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reichinnek:&lt;/strong&gt; On the very same day, there was another school massacre.&lt;a href="https://www.eugyppius.com/p/german-state-media-have-systematically?hide_intro_popup=true#footnote-1-173666845"&gt;1&lt;/a&gt; And that was a very cynical way – but unfortunately also a very fitting way – to say, with this school massacre, you just move past it.&lt;/p&gt;
  1226.  
  1227. &lt;p&gt;But I thought it was really good that you also described [Kirk] as ultra-right-wing, because others call him a “right-wing conservative” and that’s simply not true. He was a white supremacist, he was against the right to [sex/gender] self-determination. He said he would force his ten-year-old daughter to give birth were she to be raped. He is a racist.&lt;/p&gt;
  1228.  
  1229. &lt;p&gt;So these statements he makes are really extreme. And I think you should never rejoice over anyone’s death. But you also don’t have to feel pity or respect for a person like this … Kirk, who was shot, said that some casualties are simply something we have to endure for the freedom to bear arms.&lt;/p&gt;
  1230.  
  1231. &lt;p&gt;And [my aide] used this meme satirically, to point out that this focus [on political violence] is completely absent when it comes to other areas. For example, it was absent in the case of the murdered Democrats. … And I’m always very surprised that it is precisely this ultra-right-wing nationalist who is now being mourned so widely. I’m rather annoyed that the Junge Union [the youth wing of the CDU], for example, posted their condolences, when you consider what kind of person Kirk was. They didn’t do that for the murdered Democrats a while ago. So that’s also a question that needs to be asked.&lt;/p&gt;
  1232.  
  1233. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miosga:&lt;/strong&gt; But he was murdered.&lt;/p&gt;
  1234.  
  1235. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reichinnek:&lt;/strong&gt; Yes, by another Republican. And that’s problematic.&lt;/p&gt;
  1236.  
  1237. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Miosga:&lt;/strong&gt; And you’re surprised that people want to mourn someone who was murdered?&lt;/p&gt;
  1238.  
  1239. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reichinnek:&lt;/strong&gt; I don’t know if this is the kind of person you would say was such a good person and just a right-wing conservative. No, he was very problematic. And as I said, you have to be aware of whom you’re platforming.&lt;/p&gt;
  1240. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1241.  
  1242. &lt;p&gt;Reichinnek’s lies are partly of her own making, and partly elaborated from the media mythology that the German press have created around Kirk’s shooting. This mythology includes the dishonest speculation that Tyler Robinson, the shooter, had some connection to “far-right” groups and the American right-wing activist Nick Fuentes, “&lt;a href="https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Was-die-Nachrichten-auf-den-Patronen-des-Kirk-Attentaeters-bedeuten-article26030649.html?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=dlvr.it&amp;utm_content=n-tv.de%20-%20Startseite&amp;utm_term=ntvde"&gt;who has criticised Charlie Kirk in the past for his allegedly moderate stance&lt;/a&gt;.” In fact &lt;a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/us/kirk-shooting-suspect-ideology-partner.html"&gt;everything we know about the shooter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.stevesailer.net/p/charlie-kirk-was-assassinated-by"&gt;who was in a relationship with a trans woman&lt;/a&gt;, suggests he was a simply a leftist who despised Kirk’s politics. Various social media accounts connected to the transgender community &lt;a href="https://freebeacon.com/politics/exclusive-fbi-investigating-social-media-accounts-that-appeared-to-indicate-foreknowledge-of-kirk-assassination/"&gt;appear to have had foreknowledge of Kirk’s assassination&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1243.  
  1244. &lt;p&gt;Neither Miosga nor Reichinnek have issued any clarifications or corrections, nor have they apologised.&lt;/p&gt;
  1245.  
  1246. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I originally planned a much broader piece on the reaction to Kirk’s assassination, but the loathsome celebrations of social media activists are now well-trodden territory, so I have confined myself here only to the most mainstream, accepted, and establishment-friendly press personalities and media outlets in Germany.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1247.  
  1248. &lt;p&gt;We have before us here a systematic campaign, too coordinated and consistent to be an accident. The aim of this campaign is twofold. On the hand, our press hopes to portray Kirk as an unhinged and dangerous fascist, but to stop just short of blaming him for his own death – the sin for which &lt;a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2025/09/11/matthew-dowd-msnbc-charlie-kirk/86088891007/"&gt;MSNBC fired their “analyst” Matthew Dowd&lt;/a&gt;. On the other hand, they want to cast his assassination as very far from regrettable, while leaving any open celebration to the foul activist circles in their milieu.&lt;/p&gt;
  1249.  
  1250. &lt;p&gt;Before 10 September, most Germans had never heard of Charlie Kirk, and so there was no reason for our press to denounce his politics and lie about him in this way. They could’ve reported this story much differently – perhaps as yet another crazy campus shooting in the gun-crazed United States (a favourite if tiresome trope of German media elites, however inapplicable in this case), or simply as the regrettable murder of a prominent American activist with connections to the MAGA movement.&lt;/p&gt;
  1251.  
  1252. &lt;p&gt;Instead they have chosen the path of deceit and slander, because they are hysterical and desperate lunatics who have cultivated a political discourse that is so deranged as to be nearly beyond comprehension. If this were a German story about the murder of a prominent AfD activist, our journalists would report on it as sparingly as possible and condemn the AfD for playing the victim, while activists would stage a new round of demonstrations “against the right.” But this is an American story, and because the headlines from the United States have made Kirk’s assassination unavoidable, they have instead chosen this shameful path. They think they can get away with it, because German journalism is a highly insular and incestuous world, and language barriers ordinarily prevent lies of this nature from traveling very far beyond our own borders.&lt;/p&gt;
  1253.  
  1254. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;UPDATE: &lt;/strong&gt;A &lt;a href="https://x.com/DettmannSimon/status/1967950027743191079"&gt;twitter friend&lt;/a&gt; has just brought a further case to my notice, even more egregious than the others here. Today, the WDR political satirist Florian Schroeder &lt;a href="https://www1.wdr.de/mediathek/audio/wdr2/wdr2-kabarett/audio-florian-schroeder-charlie-kirk-100.html"&gt;had the following to say in his godforsaken podcast&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  1255.  
  1256. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1257. &lt;p&gt;Some media outlets described Charlie Kirk as a conservative. Unfortunately, that’s pretty stupid. Many true conservatives still haven’t realised that they would be the first victims of extremists like Kirk. These world-weary conservatives come across as people who probably would’ve cried if Stauffenberg’s assassination plot had succeeded. Their argument is that the victim was someone who inspired young people; and besides, Kirk at least discussed things with his opponents, so he can’t have been a right-wing extremist. But that’s exactly why he is. Because extremists discuss things too. By pretending to talk to those they disagree with and spouting the same old tired arguments, they can then present themselves as champions of freedom of expression.&lt;/p&gt;
  1258. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1259.  
  1260. &lt;p&gt;So, Kirk is Hitler, his assassin is a successful Claus von Stauffenberg, who has saved these tiresome “conservatives” from being Kirk’s “first victims.” All this nonsense just openly propagated by a German state media broadcasting operation.&lt;/p&gt;
  1261. &lt;/div&gt;
  1262.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1263. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T09:00:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 05:00&lt;/span&gt;
  1264. </description>
  1265.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1266.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1267.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067416 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1268.    </item>
  1269. <item>
  1270.  <title>Russia's Space Chief Vows To Deliver Starlink Rival at 'Rapid Pace'</title>
  1271.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/russias-space-chief-vows-deliver-starlink-rival-rapid-pace</link>
  1272.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Russia's Space Chief Vows To Deliver Starlink Rival at 'Rapid Pace'&lt;/span&gt;
  1273.  
  1274.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;Monday saw a &lt;a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/business/elon-musk-starlink-service-outage-intl-hnk"&gt;brief global outage&lt;/a&gt; of Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink impact tens of thousands of people, including Ukrainian military forces across the entire frontline. Despite such occasional hiccups Ukraine has long successfully relied on Starlink throughout the conflict, especially to run its fleet of attack drones.&lt;/p&gt;
  1275.  
  1276. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Russia is working on its own domestic-made 'answer' to Ukraine's frontline Starlink advantage&lt;/strong&gt;, at a moment it is seeking to modernize its space program. A Russian aerospace company, known as Bureau 1440, is currently developing a &lt;strong&gt;low Earth orbit satellite system &lt;/strong&gt;for global broadband data delivery.&lt;/p&gt;
  1277. &lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/b1440.jpg?itok=oFjEoWMR" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/b1440.jpg?itok=oFjEoWMR"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;figure role="group" class="caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images"&gt;&lt;img alt="" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0d7cf66c-0892-45ed-8962-8064c166d743" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="463" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/b1440.jpg?itok=oFjEoWMR" typeof="foaf:Image" width="500" /&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;&lt;em&gt;Source: Bureau 1440&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1278.  
  1279. &lt;p&gt;"Several test vehicles in orbit have already been inspected and the production ones have been modified accordingly," Dmitry Bakanov, the newly appointed 39-year-old head of Roscosmos, has &lt;a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-09-17/russias-space-chief-promises-an-analogue-for-musks-starlink-soon"&gt;said&lt;/a&gt; in an interview. "We are also moving at a rapid pace in this direction."&lt;/p&gt;
  1280.  
  1281. &lt;p&gt;Bakanov recently acknowledged in a state TV interview that the Russian space sector had fallen behind due to "inertia" and a lack of fresh talent, and now he's seeking to attract attract a younger generation of engineers and scientists to revitalize the space program.&lt;/p&gt;
  1282.  
  1283. &lt;p&gt;The reality is that SpaceX has rapidly outpaced former Russian dominance in satellite and rocket technology, and Russian officials have at times openly admitted this.&lt;/p&gt;
  1284.  
  1285. &lt;p&gt;Previously this summer, Bakanov previewed: "The first launch is scheduled for the end of this year," according to TASS, detailing that the mission would carry 16 satellites. &lt;strong&gt;"Just like how Starlink was deployed."&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1286.  
  1287. &lt;p&gt;Bureau 1440 expects &lt;strong&gt;over 900 satellites to eventually be launched by 2035&lt;/strong&gt;, including 250 satellites connecting commercial services sometime by 2027.&lt;/p&gt;
  1288.  
  1289. &lt;p&gt;An idea for a Starlink competitor was first unveiled and pushed by President Putin in 2018, called Sfera, but that project had to be abandoned amid sanctions on Roscosmos.&lt;/p&gt;
  1290.  
  1291. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  1292. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Roscosmos chief Dmitry Bakanov said on Sept. 17 that Russia will soon launch “Rassvet,” a Starlink-like satellite internet network using Bureau 1440’s low-Earth orbit satellites. &lt;a href="https://t.co/Z2DWAnj5UL"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Z2DWAnj5UL&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1293. — Polymarket Intel (@PolymarketIntel) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PolymarketIntel/status/1968223406790459675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 17, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1294. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;One industry-related report &lt;a href="https://biz.liga.net/en/all/telekom/novosti/russia-has-announced-its-own-analogue-of-starlink-the-rassvet-satellite-internet-system"&gt;has noted&lt;/a&gt; that "By the end of 2024, Roscosmos had carried out only 17 space launches – two fewer than in 2023 and four fewer than in 2022. For comparison, the US carried out 145 launches, and China – 68."&lt;/p&gt;
  1295. &lt;/div&gt;
  1296.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1297. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T08:15:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 04:15&lt;/span&gt;
  1298. </description>
  1299.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 08:15:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1300.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1301.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067225 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1302.    </item>
  1303. <item>
  1304.  <title>The Dangerous Myth Of Managing Earth's Climate</title>
  1305.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/dangerous-myth-managing-earths-climate</link>
  1306.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;The Dangerous Myth Of Managing Earth's Climate&lt;/span&gt;
  1307.  
  1308.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://resourceinsights.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-myth-of-managing-biosphere.html"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Kurt Cobb via Resource Insights,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1309.  
  1310. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2494279-is-earths-climate-in-a-state-of-termination-shock/"&gt;A recent piece in &lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2494279-is-earths-climate-in-a-state-of-termination-shock/"&gt;New Scientist&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/em&gt;has reminded me that&lt;strong&gt; it is a myth that humans, if they are wise and clever enough, can learn to "manage" the biosphere.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1311.  
  1312. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-15_svicoeiszb.jpg?itok=__40Cwwr" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/2025-09-15_svicoeiszb.jpg?itok=__40Cwwr"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="16fb5622-f893-42b3-b237-6784c56dd6b3" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="209" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/2025-09-15_svicoeiszb.jpg?itok=__40Cwwr" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1313.  
  1314. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The piece is about the unfortunate trade-off between pollution reduction and global warming.&lt;/strong&gt; It has been known for some time that successful efforts to reduce air pollution have resulted in fewer particles in the atmosphere, particles that reflect sunlight back into space.&lt;strong&gt; This reduction has actually accelerated global warming even as it has improved air quality and reduced illness and death.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1315.  
  1316. &lt;p&gt;The warning in the &lt;em&gt;New Scientist &lt;/em&gt;piece comes from imagining a scenario in which world governments somehow agree on global action to curb warming climate by &lt;em&gt;"spraying reflective particles into the stratosphere that dim the sun. The strategy works: temperatures at ground level stabilise, and life goes on as normal despite escalating carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere."&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1317.  
  1318. &lt;p&gt;But then in 2050:&lt;/p&gt;
  1319.  
  1320. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;em&gt;[S]omething goes wrong. The spray guns break down, the money runs out, a pandemic hits or a global war disrupts operations. Whatever the case, the planet starts to heat up, fast, as years of pent-up emissions kick into effect. Ecosystems can’t cope, wildlife perishes en masse, societal chaos ensues.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1321.  
  1322. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The phenomenon is called "termination shock." &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1323.  
  1324. &lt;p&gt;The piece explains that we've been experiencing something like a termination shock because efforts in the last two decades to reduce air pollution have been so successful.  The result has been temperature warming faster than anticipated, unexpected regional changes such as increases in tropical cyclones, and increased monsoons responsible for greater flooding.  One researcher said that effects of a termination shock caused by a sudden cessation of worldwide program that inserts large amounts of reflective particles in the atmosphere would be much worse than what we are seeing today.&lt;/p&gt;
  1325.  
  1326. &lt;p&gt;Read the entire piece &lt;em&gt;New Scientist&lt;/em&gt; for the complete list of horribles.&lt;/p&gt;
  1327.  
  1328. &lt;p&gt;Having recently re-read James Lovelock's &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.oup.com.au/books/higher-education/science/9780198784883-gaia"&gt;Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/em&gt;I was reminded of some key points he makes about attempts to manage the biosphere.&lt;/p&gt;
  1329.  
  1330. &lt;p&gt;Before getting to those points, for those who are unfamiliar with Lovelock and his &lt;strong&gt;Gaia Theory, it goes something like this: The Earth can be seen as a single organism using its natural processes that involve both living and nonliving materials to maintain conditions favorable to life. &lt;/strong&gt; He calls this system Gaia after the Greek goddess of the Earth.&lt;/p&gt;
  1331.  
  1332. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;(I can recommend the book which is highly readable for the layperson.)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1333.  
  1334. &lt;p&gt;Lovelock's key points for my purposes here are that humans are a part of this Gaian system just like all other Earthly beings and that we have our role to play in keeping conditions favorable to life. &lt;strong&gt;The idea that humans could manage such a complex system is almost laughable&lt;/strong&gt; to Lovelock who notes:&lt;/p&gt;
  1335.  
  1336. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;There can be no prescription, no set of values, for living within Gaia. For each of our different actions there are only consequences.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1337.  
  1338. &lt;p&gt;Earlier in the book Lovelock states:&lt;/p&gt;
  1339.  
  1340. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;em&gt;Each time we significantly alter part of some natural process of regulation or introduce some new source of energy or information, we are increasing the probability that one of these changes will weaken the stability of the entire system, by cutting down the variety of response.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1341.  
  1342. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Two possible negative outcomes he mentions are runaway positive feedback and sustained oscillation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1343.  
  1344. &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
  1345. &lt;p&gt;Runaway positive feedback could over time move Earth's climate permanently into one resembling that of Venus where surface temperatures can melt lead. &lt;/p&gt;
  1346. &lt;/li&gt;
  1347. &lt;li&gt;
  1348. &lt;p&gt;Sustained oscillation could cause the Earth to cycle quickly between an ice age climate and a tropical one.&lt;/p&gt;
  1349. &lt;/li&gt;
  1350. &lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Lovelock notes that modern peoples live mostly in cities and so &lt;strong&gt;focus on solving problems that arise between individual people and between people and the urban institutions they create, not the problems that arise between people and the natural world they inhabit.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1351.  
  1352. &lt;p&gt;This puts humans at an increasing disadvantage in attempting to determine how best to live within Gaia over the long term.&lt;/p&gt;
  1353.  
  1354. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1355. &lt;/div&gt;
  1356.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1357. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T07:30:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 03:30&lt;/span&gt;
  1358. </description>
  1359.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1360.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1361.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067330 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1362.    </item>
  1363. <item>
  1364.  <title>Only Half Of Brits Think Monarchy Is Important</title>
  1365.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/only-half-brits-think-monarchy-important</link>
  1366.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Only Half Of Brits Think Monarchy Is Important&lt;/span&gt;
  1367.  
  1368.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://natcen.ac.uk/news/british-social-attitudes-support-monarchy-falls-new-low/"&gt;A survey that has been asking UK residents periodically&lt;/a&gt; if they think the country's monarchy is important or whether it should be abolished has reached &lt;strong&gt;a new low point in royal approval.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1369.  
  1370. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/35142/share-of-uk-respondents-who-think-it-is-isnt-important-for-britain-to-have-a-monarchy/"&gt;As Statista's Katharina Buchholz shows in the chart below, &lt;/a&gt;the latest installment in 2024,&lt;strong&gt; only 51 percent of &lt;a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/755/uk/"&gt;Brits&lt;/a&gt; said the monarchy was very or quite important, &lt;/strong&gt;while 31 percent said it was not very or not at all important. Another 15 percent of Brits wanted to see the monarchy be abolished.&lt;/p&gt;
  1371.  
  1372. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.statista.com/chart/35142/share-of-uk-respondents-who-think-it-is-isnt-important-for-britain-to-have-a-monarchy/" title="Infographic: Only Half of Brits Think Monarchy Is Important | Statista"&gt;&lt;img alt="Infographic: Only Half of Brits Think Monarchy Is Important | Statista" height="500" src="https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/images/normal/35142.jpeg" style="max-width: 960px;" width="500" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1373.  
  1374. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;You will find more infographics at &lt;a href="https://www.statista.com/chartoftheday/"&gt;Statista&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1375.  
  1376. &lt;p&gt;The perceived importance of the British monarchy reached low points before at just 59 percent finding it important in 2003 and just 55 percent saying the same in 2021.&lt;strong&gt; The biggest overall losses happened between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, though, and coincided with the rise in popularity of Princess Diana,&lt;/strong&gt; who divorced then-heir to the throne Charles in 1996 and died in a tragic car accident in 1997.&lt;/p&gt;
  1377.  
  1378. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In 1984, 86 percent had still found the institution very or quite important.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1379.  
  1380. &lt;p&gt;The monarchy gained some popularity again in the 2010s, when younger royals like Prince William and Prince Harry stepped into the spotlight.&lt;/p&gt;
  1381.  
  1382. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Approval also spiked in 2022 - the year of Queen Elizabeth's death - to 63 percent attesting importance.&lt;/strong&gt; However, in 2023, a new low of 54 percent approval had already been reached. In 2024, both the number of people finding the monarchy important and those finding it unimportant set new records in disfavor of the &lt;a href="https://www.statista.com/topics/3775/the-british-royal-family/"&gt;British royals&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1383.  
  1384. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The number of abolishionists was highest in 2023 at 16 percent.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1385. &lt;/div&gt;
  1386.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1387. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T06:45:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 02:45&lt;/span&gt;
  1388. </description>
  1389.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1390.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1391.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067413 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1392.    </item>
  1393. <item>
  1394.  <title>"We'd Kick Russia's Ass": Trump's Special Envoy To Ukraine Says Moscow Is Losing The War, Would Collapse Without China</title>
  1395.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/wed-kick-russias-ass-trumps-special-envoy-ukraine-says-moscow-losing-war-would</link>
  1396.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;"We'd Kick Russia's Ass": Trump's Special Envoy To Ukraine Says Moscow Is Losing The War, Would Collapse Without China&lt;/span&gt;
  1397.  
  1398.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://rmx.news/article/wed-kick-russias-ass-trumps-special-envoy-to-ukraine-says-moscow-is-losing-the-war-would-collapse-without-china/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Via Remix News,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1399.  
  1400. &lt;p&gt;Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg had a lot to say on Russia’s famed might and those recent drone incursions into NATO airspace. &lt;/p&gt;
  1401.  
  1402. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/G0yltKYWEAA5dEI.jpg?itok=cVN8v6Tr" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/G0yltKYWEAA5dEI.jpg?itok=cVN8v6Tr"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="353990b6-16d9-49cc-8304-d06b0a1bf43c" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="333" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/G0yltKYWEAA5dEI.jpg?itok=cVN8v6Tr" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1403.  
  1404. &lt;p&gt;Claiming 19 incursions cannot be an accident, Trump’s envoy said Vladimir Putin “is acting purposefully, he’s sending a signal, and he wants to hear a response,” reports &lt;a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2025/09/13/7530746/"&gt;Ukrainska Pravda&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1405.  
  1406. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Ukraine will not lose this war. Ukrainians have a moral superiority over Russia, that’s obvious,” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;Kellogg also noted, specifically praising Ukraine’s advanced drone production capabilities. &lt;/p&gt;
  1407.  
  1408. &lt;p&gt;As to Russia, he said during the interview at the &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGoG63HQYK8"&gt;YES Annual Meeting 2025&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“They talk a big game,” adding that Putin often likes to tout that Russia is a nuclear power, but other Western powers have nuclear weapons too. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1409.  
  1410. &lt;p&gt;On the topic of Russian superiority,&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt; “We’d kick their ass (…) They’re not as good as Putin says they are.” &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;He also credits Ukraine with helping curb Moscow’s military might. &lt;/p&gt;
  1411.  
  1412. &lt;p&gt;Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also confirmed to U.S. President Trump that &lt;strong&gt;Russia is “not winning” the war,&lt;/strong&gt; according to Kellog. &lt;/p&gt;
  1413.  
  1414. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“If he was winning, he’d be in Kyiv,”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Kellog added, again giving credit to Ukraine for slashing Russia’s military power. &lt;/p&gt;
  1415.  
  1416. &lt;p&gt;Poting on X, Kellog said, “The vision of our country is to see a halt to the death and destruction and restore peace and stability in Europe. Promoting peace over endless wars and proxy conflicts abroad is a defining feature of the America First leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1417.  
  1418. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  1419. &lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Honored to speak at the Yalta European Security Conference this week in Kyiv alongside the European National Security Advisors to deliver an America First perspective on bringing this war to an end. The vision of our country is to see a halt to the death and destruction and… &lt;a href="https://t.co/GGEXxxmQrr"&gt;pic.twitter.com/GGEXxxmQrr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1420. — Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/generalkellogg/status/1967129342397272500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;September 14, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1421. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kellogg also spoke about Russia’s total dependence on China. &lt;/p&gt;
  1422.  
  1423. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Russia has now become China’s junior partner. At present, we can say that China has both an economic advantage over Russia and a military advantage, and even historically. I will say more – if China completely cut off its aid to Russia, – this war would end tomorrow,”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt; Kellogg claims.&lt;/p&gt;
  1424.  
  1425. &lt;p&gt;Urging more aggressive action, including further sanctions, against Putin, Trump’s envoy maintained that Russia does not have “the capacity that they had that they could march towards Berlin or anywhere else.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1426.  
  1427. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://rmx.news/article/wed-kick-russias-ass-trumps-special-envoy-to-ukraine-says-moscow-is-losing-the-war-would-collapse-without-china/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Read more here...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1428. &lt;/div&gt;
  1429.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1430. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T06:00:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Thu, 09/18/2025 - 02:00&lt;/span&gt;
  1431. </description>
  1432.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1433.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1434.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067319 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1435.    </item>
  1436. <item>
  1437.  <title>Dueling Military Drills Might Become The New Normal In Central &amp; Eastern Europe</title>
  1438.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/dueling-military-drills-might-become-new-normal-central-eastern-europe</link>
  1439.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Dueling Military Drills Might Become The New Normal In Central &amp; Eastern Europe&lt;/span&gt;
  1440.  
  1441.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/dueling-military-drills-might-become"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1442.  
  1443. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Last week’s unprecedented NATO downing of Russian drones over Poland,&lt;/strong&gt; which this analysis &lt;a href="https://thealtworld.com/andrew_korybko/the-reported-russian-drone-incursions-into-poland-might-have-been-due-to-nato-jamming"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; argues was due to jamming causing them to radically veer off course, &lt;strong&gt;drew wider attention to the dueling military drills in Central &amp; Eastern Europe (CEE). &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1444.  
  1445. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2832%29_6.jpg?itok=Slmo9ea6" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2832%29_6.jpg?itok=Slmo9ea6"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="99279004-d095-41a6-8daa-00a235a1d793" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="375" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/httpssubstack-post-media.s3.amaz%20%2832%29_6.jpg?itok=Slmo9ea6" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1446.  
  1447. &lt;p&gt;The day before the incident, &lt;a href="https://www.rt.com/news/624346-poland-belarus-border-closure/"&gt;RT&lt;/a&gt; informed their audience that &lt;strong&gt;Poland, Lithuania, and eight other NATO allies in Latvia were carrying out three separate drills timed to coincide with Russia and Belarus’ then-upcoming Zapad 2025 ones in that latter state.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1448.  
  1449. &lt;p&gt;To illustrate the mismatch between each side, Poland’s, Lithuania’s, and Latvia’s drills respectively involve &lt;a href="https://united24media.com/latest-news/poland-to-host-iron-defender-25-its-largest-military-drills-in-2025-11302"&gt;30,000&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://united24media.com/latest-news/lithuania-launches-thunder-strike-military-drills-ahead-of-russia-belarus-zapad-exercises-11310"&gt;17,000&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/NATOJFCBS/posts/from-september-2-to-october-8-latvia-hosts-the-national-defence-exercise-namejs2/1205773321591404/"&gt;12,000&lt;/a&gt; for a little less than 60,000 total troops compared to Zapad 2025 only involving 13,000 troops from Russia and Belarus. Observers should also know that Belarus only has &lt;a href="https://archive.is/VJJQE#selection-717.0-726.0"&gt;around 60,000&lt;/a&gt; servicemen (48,000) and border guards (12,000) in total so these NATO drills on its western and northern borders comprise the same number of troops as its armed forces.&lt;/p&gt;
  1450.  
  1451. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It's little wonder then that Russia earlier transferred &lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/belarus-warning-about-using-nukes"&gt;tactical nukes&lt;/a&gt; to Belarus with the right to use them in self-defense and is planning to deploy hypersonic Oreshnik missiles there too for deterrence purposes. &lt;/strong&gt;NATO as a whole and in particular its three aforesaid members who hosted the latest drills believe that Belarus is the &lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-wests-next-anti-russian-provocation"&gt;“weak link”&lt;/a&gt; in Russia’s regional security matrix and thus think they can intimidate it via large-scale drills into “defecting” to the West after summer 2020’s attempted Color Revolution failed.&lt;/p&gt;
  1452.  
  1453. &lt;p&gt;This plot won’t succeed due to Russia’s Article 5-like mutual security guarantees for Belarus, its abovementioned tactical nuke and Oreshnik deployments there, and President Alexander Lukashenko striking up a &lt;a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-praises-wonderful-call-with-sanctioned-belarus-leader/ar-AA1KAJHL"&gt;surprising friendship&lt;/a&gt; with Trump via his role in trying to facilitate a grand deal with Putin. Nevertheless, none of this means that NATO will abandon its intimidation campaign against Belarus, ergo the importance of regular joint Russian-Belarusian drills in order to visibly demonstrate deterrence.&lt;/p&gt;
  1454.  
  1455. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;These same drills are then deliberately misportrayed by the West as aggressively intentioned and consequently exploited as the pretext for staging their own much larger ones at the same time for faux deterrence purposes that thinly veil their aggressive motives against Belarus and Russia by extension.&lt;/strong&gt; This dynamic isn’t new but has been dishonestly dramatized by the West since the start of the &lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/korybko-to-azerbaijani-media-all"&gt;special&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/20-constructive-critiques-about-russias"&gt;operation&lt;/a&gt; for maximum domestic fearmongering purposes that advance the elite’s geopolitical agenda.&lt;/p&gt;
  1456.  
  1457. &lt;p&gt;Given these stakes, it’s expected that they’ll maintain this dynamic even after the &lt;a href="https://thealtworld.com/andrew_korybko/heres-what-i-learned-from-analyzing-the-new-cold-war-every-day-for-three-years-straight"&gt;Ukrainian Conflict&lt;/a&gt; ends, which’ll keep NATO-Russian tensions high for the indefinite future. The Western elites might also have economic interests in doing so since this’ll serve as the impetus for accelerating construction of the “&lt;a href="https://korybko.substack.com/p/the-eu-defense-line-is-the-latest"&gt;EU Defense Line&lt;/a&gt;” along NATO’s borders with Russia and Belarus. Knowing how corrupt the West is, it should be assumed that some officials have invested in companies involved in this megaproject.&lt;/p&gt;
  1458.  
  1459. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The new normal of dueling military drills in CEE is therefore driven by the Western elite’s geopolitical interests in fearmongering about Russia and their economic ones in enriching themselves from this. &lt;/strong&gt;Russia won’t unilaterally suspend these drills since doing so could further embolden Western warmongers and inadvertently prompt Belarus into panicking that it might soon be “sold out”. The ball is thus in NATO’s court whether or not to maintain this dynamic, but all indications suggest that it will.&lt;/p&gt;
  1460. &lt;/div&gt;
  1461.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1462. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T03:25:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Wed, 09/17/2025 - 23:25&lt;/span&gt;
  1463. </description>
  1464.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 03:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1465.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1466.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067323 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1467.    </item>
  1468. <item>
  1469.  <title>Russia Pushes For Resumption Of Direct Flights With US In Bilateral Talks</title>
  1470.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-pushing-resumption-direct-flights-us-bilateral-talks</link>
  1471.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;Russia Pushes For Resumption Of Direct Flights With US In Bilateral Talks&lt;/span&gt;
  1472.  
  1473.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;First, earlier this month saw the Trump administration lift some sanctions on Belarus in a surprise move (part of a &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/belarus-frees-52-political-prisoners-gains-us-sanctions-relief-warm-letter-trump"&gt;prisoner return deal&lt;/a&gt;) - which opens national airline Belavia to international routes, including to the US - and now Moscow has announced there could be resumption of direct flights with the United States. Next, Pentagon observers &lt;a href="https://www.zerohedge.com/military/us-military-officers-surprise-visit-belarus-observe-joint-russian-war-games"&gt;showed up in Belarus&lt;/a&gt; to observe joint exercises with Russia, which was also a clear sign of improving Washington-Moscow relations.&lt;/p&gt;
  1474.  
  1475. &lt;p&gt;Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov &lt;a href="https://tass.com/politics/2017761"&gt;told&lt;/a&gt; a press briefing Wednesday, "For our part, today, on the bilateral track with the United States, we are focused, in particular,&lt;strong&gt; on the task of resuming direct flights&lt;/strong&gt;. Unfortunately, there is no proper response from the American side yet. We are making additional efforts, our relevant departments and structures are involved in this work."&lt;/p&gt;
  1476. &lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/rssaviation.jpg?itok=c42Op0V7" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/rssaviation.jpg?itok=c42Op0V7"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;figure role="group" class="caption caption-img inline-images image-style-inline-images"&gt;&lt;img alt="" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c0e4f447-dbca-4f52-a9de-6d89bcca43e4" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="274" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/rssaviation.jpg?itok=c42Op0V7" typeof="foaf:Image" width="500" /&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;&lt;em&gt;Via TASS&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;
  1477.  
  1478. &lt;p&gt;He added, "We hope that by the time the format that has been called 'bilateral consultations on irritants' in recent months is resumed, a more constructive attitude will be formed in Washington and we will make real progress in resolving this issue," Ryabkov added.&lt;/p&gt;
  1479.  
  1480. &lt;p&gt;This is happening even as direct Russia-Ukraine talks have clearly stalled, and there's no forward momentum. But things are still happening directly between the US and Russia, as TASS &lt;a href="https://tass.com/politics/2017761"&gt;details&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  1481.  
  1482. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1483. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Russia’s delegation to the first and second rounds of consultations was led by Moscow’s Ambassador to Washington Alexander Darchiev, while Washington’s delegation was headed by US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Sonata Coulter. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1484.  
  1485. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The first meeting, which took place behind closed doors, lasted for over six hours, and the second round of talks lasted for five hours and a half&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1486. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1487.  
  1488. &lt;p&gt;Russia's aviation sector has been under sweeping US and EU sanctions as a result of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This has unleashed an &lt;strong&gt;ongoing crisis for Russian carriers&lt;/strong&gt;, who are in &lt;strong&gt;constant need of parts&lt;/strong&gt; and proper up-to-date mechanics. &lt;/p&gt;
  1489.  
  1490. &lt;p&gt;The growing trend of aviation parts smuggling was documented in US state-funded sources earlier this year &lt;a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-flight-dangers-sanctions-war-aviation/33323526.html"&gt;as follows&lt;/a&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
  1491.  
  1492. &lt;blockquote&gt;
  1493. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;On February 13, two weeks before Russia's full-scale &lt;a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crisis-crosshairs-live-briefing/31668477.html" target="_blank"&gt;war against Ukraine&lt;/a&gt; reached the three-year mark, the US Department of Justice announced it had arrested three people linked to an Ohio company on charges of exporting $2 million worth of civilian aircraft parts and components to Russia in circumvention of US export laws.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1494.  
  1495. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It was at least the fifth time in the past three years that the United States has accused an individual or larger entity of involvement in a scheme to illegally ship aircraft parts to Russia&lt;/strong&gt;. In the latest case, all three individuals were current and former employees of Flighttime Enterprises, a US subsidiary of a Russian aircraft parts supplier.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1496. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  1497.  
  1498. &lt;p data-end="1353" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="1178"&gt;Like with most Western sanctions on 'rogue' states abroad, it is the common people who suffer most. For example, in late July&lt;strong&gt; 48 people aboard a passenger plane after it crashed in Russia's Far East. The ageing plane was Soviet-era twin turboprop&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1499.  
  1500. &lt;p data-end="1353" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="1178"&gt;The same trend has been seen in Iran, which over the last decade has witnessed horrific aviation accidents, including the loss of a sitting president when his military helicopter crashed near Azerbaijan. Getting sanctions lifted on the aviation industry is likely a top priority of Russia's when it comes to bilateral talks with the US.&lt;/p&gt;
  1501. &lt;/div&gt;
  1502.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1503. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T03:00:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Wed, 09/17/2025 - 23:00&lt;/span&gt;
  1504. </description>
  1505.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 03:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1506.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1507.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067351 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1508.    </item>
  1509. <item>
  1510.  <title>The Scouring Of The American Middle Class</title>
  1511.  <link>https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/scouring-american-middle-class</link>
  1512.  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name" class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden"&gt;The Scouring Of The American Middle Class&lt;/span&gt;
  1513.  
  1514.            &lt;div property="schema:text" class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://mises.org/mises-wire/scouring-american-middle-class"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Authored by Artis Shepherd via The Mises Institute,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1515.  
  1516. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The war of words between President Donald Trump and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has been revealed as largely histrionic. &lt;/strong&gt;Like their predecessors—Richard Nixon and Arthur Burns—over 50 years ago, Trump and Powell have been acting out a performative charade regarding when and to what extent artificially low interest rates should go even lower in the midst of persistent inflation. The supposed sparring between Trump and Powell merely guarantees the result both want—more easy money.&lt;/p&gt;
  1517.  
  1518. &lt;p&gt;In a recent speech at the obnoxious Jackson Hole symposium, Powell incredibly stated that current monetary policy was “restrictive.” He followed that up with veritable chum for easy money sharks: “…the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance.”&lt;/p&gt;
  1519.  
  1520. &lt;p&gt;Translation: the Fed intends to resume cutting interest rates at the next September meeting. Per the online betting marketplace Kalshi, the &lt;a href="https://kalshi.com/markets/kxfeddecision/fed-meeting"&gt;odds&lt;/a&gt; of a September rate cut immediately shot up from 59 percent to 81 percent.&lt;strong&gt; But whether or not Powell and the Fed cut rates in September is almost irrelevant. One need only open his eyes to see the matter clearly.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1521.  
  1522. &lt;p&gt;&lt;a data-image-external-href="" data-image-href="/s3/files/inline-images/AdobeStock_Middle%20class.jpeg.jpg?itok=526RJJxW" data-link-option="0" href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/AdobeStock_Middle%20class.jpeg.jpg?itok=526RJJxW"&gt;&lt;picture&gt;&lt;img data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="36067cfa-fb75-4787-8bf9-c6c68b98ceb6" data-responsive-image-style="inline_images" height="375" width="500" class="inline-images image-style-inline-images" src="https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/AdobeStock_Middle%20class.jpeg.jpg?itok=526RJJxW" alt="" typeof="foaf:Image" /&gt;&lt;/picture&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1523.  
  1524. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Money Everywhere&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  1525.  
  1526. &lt;p&gt;As of this writing, US stock markets are at all-time highs, with valuations (as measured by the &lt;a href="https://www.multpl.com/shiller-pe"&gt;CAPE ratio&lt;/a&gt;) at levels only seen once before—during the peak of the dot-com bubble in 1999. Within this milieu, &lt;a href="https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2025/08/21/margin-debt-finra-rises-new-record-high-july-2025"&gt;margin debt has also hit an all-time high&lt;/a&gt; in July, meaning that investors are taking loans to speculate in stocks while ignoring the magnified risk therein.&lt;/p&gt;
  1527.  
  1528. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Junk bonds—a euphemism for sub-prime corporate debt—trade at &lt;a href="https://archive.ph/FecJa"&gt;spreads as tight as they’ve ever been&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt; In other words, investors in the risky debt of poorly performing companies are willing to accept pitifully meager returns in exchange for excessive credit risk.&lt;/p&gt;
  1529.  
  1530. &lt;p&gt;The junkiest bonds of all—US Treasuries—yield essentially zero when a realistic measure of price inflation is used as the discount rate. Poorly performing companies at least have a product to offer. The US government, on the other hand, revels in the devaluation of the instrument—the US dollar—with which it pays its debts. For investors in US sovereign bonds, default and repayment are functionally indistinguishable.&lt;/p&gt;
  1531.  
  1532. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA"&gt;Home prices&lt;/a&gt; are at all-time highs, with the &lt;a href="https://www.longtermtrends.net/home-price-median-annual-income-ratio/"&gt;home-price-to-income ratio&lt;/a&gt; near 7.5x, itself an all-time high.&lt;/strong&gt; As a result of this imbalance, the average first-time homebuyer is now a record 38 years old. Clearly, the young are finding their &lt;a href="https://jbrec.com/insights/life-choices-shift-us-homeownership/"&gt;options limited&lt;/a&gt; by home price inflation, which is leading to muted and delayed family formation.&lt;/p&gt;
  1533.  
  1534. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The &lt;a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M2SL"&gt;money supply&lt;/a&gt; (“M2”) has grown by 5 percent in the last 12 months, the very definition of inflation. &lt;/strong&gt;Simultaneously, even government measures of price inflation have accelerated. CPI—the absurdly sandbagged and impractical measure of US consumer price inflation—has been above the Fed’s 2 percent target for nearly five years straight. The most recent reading showed annualized month-over-month &lt;a href="https://www.bls.gov/cpi/"&gt;CPI&lt;/a&gt; at 4.1 percent while the &lt;a href="https://www.bls.gov/ppi/"&gt;Producer Price Index&lt;/a&gt; (“PPI”)—a measure of wholesale price inflation—showed an annualized month-over-month reading of a whopping 11.5 percent.&lt;/p&gt;
  1535.  
  1536. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The True Cost of Cheap Money&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  1537.  
  1538. &lt;p&gt;In the midst of this rapidly-inflating asset market and the undeniably loose monetary conditions fostered by the US government and the Fed, it behooves the rational observer to ask not just the obvious &lt;em&gt;cui bono&lt;/em&gt; questions, but who foots the bill for this policy? &lt;em&gt;Cui malo&lt;/em&gt;? The answer is that the average American, or the “middle class,” is the host on which the easy money parasite feeds.&lt;/p&gt;
  1539.  
  1540. &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Since 2008, government statistics suggest that median &lt;a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881500Q"&gt;nominal wages&lt;/a&gt; have risen at an average annual pace of 3.0 percent, compared to 2.3 percent for CPI over the same period. This indicates that real wages have increased by a meager 0.7 percent annually over that timeframe. But in surveying the major expense categories for average Americans, has anything increased by only 2.3 percent per year over that period?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1541.  
  1542. &lt;p&gt;Apartment &lt;a href="https://ipropertymanagement.com/research/average-rent-by-year"&gt;rent&lt;/a&gt;, measured nationally, has increased by 4.1 percent annually and &lt;a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CSUSHPINSA"&gt;home prices&lt;/a&gt; have increased by 4.2 percent annually, despite dipping significantly from 2007-2011. &lt;a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PCU9241269241262"&gt;Home insurance&lt;/a&gt; is up 3.0 percent annually. &lt;a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/california-health-insurance-premium-costs-exceed-inflation-data-dataviz/"&gt;Health insurance&lt;/a&gt; is up 5.0 percent annually. Prices for &lt;a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/25/how-much-eggs-cost-by-year.html"&gt;eggs&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://www.in2013dollars.com/Uncooked-ground-beef/price-inflation/1975"&gt;beef&lt;/a&gt;—basic staples of a healthy diet—are up 6.8 percent and roughly 5.0 percent (depending on the type of beef) annually, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;
  1543.  
  1544. &lt;p&gt;Based on the latest available data, the average cost for a &lt;a href="https://gogocharters.com/blog/average-vacation-cost/"&gt;one-week vacation&lt;/a&gt; in the US for a family of four is roughly $8,000. That figure also happens to match the &lt;a href="https://smartasset.com/checking-account/savings-account-average-balance"&gt;median balance of savings&lt;/a&gt; in the country. As a result, middle class families have a choice—enjoy a family trip and drain the savings account, or skip the leisure and keep the thinnest sliver of financial cushion in case of emergency.&lt;/p&gt;
  1545.  
  1546. &lt;p&gt;In the background, the federal government continues to spend and borrow like a deranged madman, ensuring ever more inflation and dollar debasement in the future. The Trump administration is well on its way to a &lt;a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/deficit-tracker/"&gt;$2 trillion deficit&lt;/a&gt; this fiscal year and a $44 trillion debt balance by the time Trump leaves office in early 2029.&lt;/p&gt;
  1547.  
  1548. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This dynamic is not a real problem for the asset-rich, but for the middle class it is an unrelenting pressure.&lt;/strong&gt; Lacking assets and the resources to acquire them—recall that the median savings balance is $8,000—average Americans face the prospect of falling further behind as inflation tenaciously undermines their quality of life. In a desperate effort to keep up, many have turned to borrowing and then speculating in asset markets with the proceeds.&lt;/p&gt;
  1549.  
  1550. &lt;p&gt;This toxic combination of leverage, lack of investment risk awareness, and the need to “stretch for yield” in the absence of sufficient savings rates has already led to widespread wealth destruction for average Americans. In the apartment investment market, for example, mom-and-pop investors have lost tens of billions of dollars in equity. After soliciting those funds, unscrupulous “syndicators” combined them with risky bridge loans to buy swaths of apartment properties which immediately &lt;a href="https://mises.org/mises-wire/are-apartment-syndicators-incompetent-or-crooked-answer-yes"&gt;collapsed&lt;/a&gt; in value when short-term interest rates began increasing in 2022. Other asset markets are in similarly perilous shape, and the average American investor does not have the benefit of a US Treasury bailout. In fact, any bailout will be at their expense.&lt;/p&gt;
  1551.  
  1552. &lt;h2&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Long Con&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  1553.  
  1554. &lt;p&gt;At this stage, there is little that can be done to avoid a reckoning, but—contrary to popular belief—it is unlikely to take the form of a distinct, sudden crash. Rather, we are in the middle of that reckoning now—a slow and continuous degradation of life quality for the majority of the population.&lt;/p&gt;
  1555.  
  1556. &lt;p&gt;Much like the similar, gradual-but-undeniable collapse of Britain over the course of the 20th century, the result of this process is a society increasingly devoid of productive virtue, with a contempt for individual freedom. In their place will continue to grow a pernicious central state apparatus obsessed with warfare, “social justice” for &lt;a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-forceful-and-unprecedented-steps-to-combat-anti-semitism/"&gt;pet groups&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="https://mises.org/mises-wire/immorality-keynesian-economics"&gt;economic theories developed by the dimwitted and immoral&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
  1557.  
  1558. &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The robbery of the middle class by the political class is not accidental. It is the inevitable corollary of inflation, a policy willfully chosen by the state.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  1559. &lt;/div&gt;
  1560.      &lt;span rel="schema:author" class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" lang="" about="https://cms.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" class="username" xml:lang=""&gt;Tyler Durden&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
  1561. &lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2025-09-18T02:35:00+00:00" class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"&gt;Wed, 09/17/2025 - 22:35&lt;/span&gt;
  1562. </description>
  1563.  <pubDate>Thu, 18 Sep 2025 02:35:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1564.    <dc:creator>Tyler Durden</dc:creator>
  1565.    <guid isPermaLink="false">1067263 at https://www.zerohedge.com</guid>
  1566.    </item>
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