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'I Could've Kept It That Way': Trump Admits The Inflation Is His Choice - For A War That 'Isn't A War'

ZeroPointNow — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 16:15:00 +0000

'I Could've Kept It That Way': Trump Admits The Inflation Is His Choice - For A War That 'Isn't A War'

In a wide-ranging interview in which he touted record stock prices and rebranded weapons-grade uranium as "nuclear dust" (and then stormed out), President Donald Trump said the quiet part out loud: the prices Americans are paying at the pump are not an accident. This was all his decision.

"I could've kept it that way," Trump told NBC's Kristen Welker in an interview taped in a rain-battered Wisconsin barn before he was set to appear at a farming industry roundtable discussion - describing the cheap gasoline everyone enjoyed during his first few months back in office. "But I said, I have to take a little bit of a turn ... We're going to have higher gasoline. We're going to have a little higher fertilizer, et cetera, et cetera. But I'm going to get rid of a nuclear weapon in the hands of very dangerous people."

"The farmers love me"

Asked about farmers who can no longer afford fertilizer - seventy percent of them, by Welker's count - Trump didn't push back, but instead changed the subject to loyalty.

"I had a choice to make. I could keep it going. The farmers were doing great. Fertilizer was very cheap. Everything was cheap. Gasoline was very low. Everything was very low. I could've kept it that way. But I said, I have to take a little bit of a turn. The farmers are going to understand it better than anybody."

Trump leaned on his heavy support in the heartland. "I love the farmers, and the farmers love me. The farmers trust me," he said, pointing to the $28 billion in trade-war bailouts he cut growers in his first term. So - the economic cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran is something that Americans should be willing to eat for him.

And again, promises of utopia:

"And when we have a completion, you will see things like you've never seen. The oil will go down."

"It's all coming down as soon as the war's over," he promised of gas and diesel. When Welker pressed for a timeline, he bristled - "No, but you keep talking about speed" - and reached again for Vietnam.

Welker: 70% of farmers say they can't afford fertilizer.

Trump: The farmers are doing well. All of them support me.pic.twitter.com/ZIRNIE1IPR
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 7, 2026

The public is less patient: an Economist/YouGov survey this week found sixty-eight percent of adults want a deal to end the war as fast as possible, including fifty-five percent of his own 2024 voters. They are being asked to finance a known cost today against a promised windfall on an unscheduled tomorrow, on the word of a president whose case rests on never having to name the day. That is not an economic argument. It is a leap of faith with a fuel surcharge.

Blame The Fed

And of course, it's the Fed's fault for not aligning with Trump's agenda. Given whispers that the institution is actually considering hiking rates in response to a strong jobs report, Trump preemptively branded the move as a crime against prosperity.

"There's no reason to raise interest rates ... What they do is when they raise interest rates, they try and kill success. I don't want to kill success. We should actually lower interest rates."

And then - in what should give any bondholder pause: "Growth is the greatest thing you can have, and growth does not cause inflation." No, apparently it takes braking a core campaign promise to personally engineer higher prices. Meanwhile, new Fed chair Kevin Warsh gavels his first meeting later this month, and Trump was careful to say he would not "have a big influence on him" - except, he clearly spelled out his expectations.

"I would like to see rates get lower," he said, "because we could build this into the greatest machine that the world has ever seen, but you can't do that when everybody immediately raises interest rates."

Meanwhile, Trump insists Iran can be starved into surrender...

"They tried a blockade, and now we blockaded them," he said of Iran. "And, as you know, they're losing $400-500 million a day. It's not sustainable for them. They have an economy that's shot, in addition to everything else." The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a fifth of the world's seaborne oil; and the valve Trump is twisting shut to strangle Tehran is the same valve lifting fuel costs in Des Moines. The blockade he is celebrating and the inflation he admitted choosing are directly linked.

Asked what happens if the talks fail, Trump did not hedge: "Either way, we win." Asked about the highly enriched uranium still buried in Iran, he offered a branding note.

"The official name is highly enriched uranium. And I call it nuclear dust because it seemed to be nice, and everyone understands it better, and it's sort of cute, and people picked it up."

He assured Welker the sites are under constant watch from orbit: "If anybody walked there, if you walked over there, I would be able to read your first name on your lapel. And these are cameras up in space. It's pretty amazing technology. Space Force." He claimed, in passing and without elaboration, that the United States "took over Venezuela in a matter of minutes." He put Iran's surviving arsenal at "maybe 21-22% of their missiles ... It's a lot of missiles, but it's not what it was when we first attacked."

No New Wars (because this isn't a war!)

Trump was elected in large part on three words he repeated from 2015 onward: no new wars.

Welker asked the obvious question - had he broken that promise? Trump said 'no,' but then insisted that he had never made the promise in the first place.

"First of all, I didn't guarantee no war," Trump said. "Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?" When Welker pointed out that he had said it "over and over again," he did not relent. "So when you say I promised, I didn't promise anything. I don't like these endless wars. This is not an endless war."

WELKER: What changed? You insisted 'no new wars'

TRUMP: I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world? pic.twitter.com/UJacjLWL0p
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 7, 2026

For the anti-interventionists who treated that pledge as a covenant - the ones who forgave a great deal because at least he would not start the next Iraq - this is the moment the bill came due, narrated by the man who ran it up. He is now prosecuting two wars at once. He will not call either one a war. And his defense, start to finish, is not strategic. It is linguistic.

Not a war, a "military exercise" for "regime change"

Trump then leaned heavily on semantics, insisting this isn't a war...

"I call it a military exercise because people would rather have it called that," he said early on. "It's not a big war for us. It's not."

WELKER: Iran just attacked US allies in the region. Is the US at war with Iran?

TRIUMP: I call it a military exercise because people would rather have it called that. It's not a big war for us. pic.twitter.com/ghOfzVwxsZ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 7, 2026

Pressed on the naval blockade of Iran – which is, under international law, itself an act of war – he simply declined to engage the category. "I don't consider that a war, but if you want to define it as such, I guess you can." Asked directly how he would define it, he offered the cleanest statement of the whole doctrine: "I don't define it at all. I don't think about it. I just do what I have to do."

Describing the leadership Tehran has installed after the killing of the old Supreme Leader and his lieutenants, Trump volunteered the word the entire post-Iraq right swore off: "And you could say it's regime change actually because these are very different people. I find them to be more rational, very smart." - said the guy who built his brand on mocking the people who gave the country Iraq and Libya. And not in one country but two: in the same interview he claimed the United States "took over Venezuela in a matter of minutes."

Thirteen dead - better than Vietnam!

Trump's proof that it is all going well is a body count. "We've had 13 people killed," he said, more than once, "and that includes two wars. That's Venezuela, and that's Iran." He means it as triumph: fewer dead than Vietnam, than Iraq, than any war you can name. But for the people who took "no new wars" at face value, the framing collapses on contact. Thirteen Americans are dead in two conflicts the president started and refuses to call wars, sold under the banner he insists makes it acceptable: "You know, it's America first. I'm doing our country a service."

Trump: "I'm moving very fast. I'm into three months. You know, Vietnam lasted 19 years." pic.twitter.com/d4Ol50TIMH
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 7, 2026

That is the real breach, and it is worse than a broken promise. You can hold a man to a promise. What you cannot do is hold him to a war he will not admit is a war, or a pledge he insists he never made. The Wisconsin barn produced no policy reversal and no apology. It produced something more useful to understand: a president who has discovered that the surest way to keep a promise is to deny, on camera, that you ever gave it.

Doing The World A Service

At the end of the day, Trump had no choice:

"I had to stop a country, very powerful, very dangerous country, from having a nuclear weapon because they'd use it. They'd blow up the world. They'd blow up the Middle East. They'd blow up Israel. They'd come here. They'd blow up Europe. They're nuts, okay? They’re crazy people. I deal with them. And very high-strung people. Little crazy. And – I get along with them. I like them. But you don't want to let them have a nuclear weapon. And I'm doing the world a service, but I'm doing our country a service. You know, it's America first. I'm doing our country a service. Nice rain."

Indeed...

Trump then called Welker and the MSM 'crooked' and stormed out - which, hey, we can't argue with!

ZeroPointNow Sun, 06/07/2026 - 12:15

Americans' Average Monthly Mortgage Payment Tops $2000 For The First Time Ever

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:40:00 +0000

Americans' Average Monthly Mortgage Payment Tops $2000 For The First Time Ever

Authored by Michael Snyder via The Economic Collapse blog,

U.S. households are being financially squeezed at a level that we have never seen before. I have often said that we are in a long-term cost of living crisis that never seems to end, and that is not an exaggeration at all. Just about everything has been getting more expensive in recent years, and as a result our standard of living has been going down. In many areas of the country, you now have to earn six figures just to live a basic middle class lifestyle. The numbers that I am going to share with you in this article may be hard to believe, but they are very real. Inflation has been out of control for many years, and hard working American families are being absolutely crushed.

For the first time in U.S. history, the average monthly mortgage payment now exceeds $2,000…

Homeowners faced a sticker shock at the end of 2025 as the average monthly mortgage payment topped $2,000 for the first time—a historic milestone reflecting the combined pressure of high home prices and elevated interest rates.

In the fourth quarter of last year, the average payment for existing mortgage holders climbed to $2,005, representing a striking 44% surge compared to 2021, according to the latest quarterly outstanding mortgage report from the Realtor.com® economic research team.

In other words, the typical homeowner saw their monthly mortgage payment jump by more than $600 in just three years, an eye-watering surge.

Take another look at those figures.

All along, federal bureaucrats have been feeding us numbers that show that the inflation rate is very low, but the average monthly mortgage payment has risen by 44 percent just since 2021.

Needless to say, someone is not telling us the truth.

But that isn’t even the worst part.

Today, what the average American family is paying for health insurance each month is even higher than the average monthly mortgage payment…

The numbers don’t lie. The average American family now pays over $2,200 a month for health insurance; surprisingly, that’s more than the average monthly mortgage payment of $2,000. Let that sink in. Keeping a roof over your head costs less than keeping your family covered.

That is not a market failure. That is a system rigged by liberals and government bureaucrats designed to benefit corporate giants at the expense of everyday Americans. Premiums are soaring, and insurers are cashing in. It needs to stop.

Americans are noticing. A recent poll found that a staggering 90 percent of Americans say health insurance companies have too much control and should be broken up, with 74 percent strongly agreeing. The overwhelming majority of Americans know there is a problem. They are screaming for justice.

That is outrageous.

Is there anyone out there that wants to attempt to defend how expensive health insurance has become?

Our system is so broken, and the politicians in Washington have given up on trying to fix it.

Meanwhile, pretty much everything else is becoming more expensive too.

And thanks to the war in Iran, American households have had to shell out an extra 100 billion dollars in just three months…

The war in Iran has cost US households $100 billion in three months, Moody’s Analytics says.

Now in its fourth month, the conflict has cost nearly $750 per household. The increased cost to consumers has mostly been felt in energy prices, but the inflation picture continues to deteriorate the longer the war drags on without a resolution in sight. What’s more, Moody’s says that tailwinds for household like Donald Trump’s tax cuts have been offset by war-fueled cost increased.

This is money that is coming directly out of your pockets.

The rising cost of gasoline alone has sucked an extra 400 dollars out of the typical U.S. household…

According to researchers at Brown University’s Watson School of International and Public Affairs, Americans have paid an additional $51.7 billion in gasoline and diesel costs since the conflict began on February 28, equivalent to nearly $400 per household. And Moody’s Analytics, in findings shared with CNBC, puts this figure even higher, at $450.

There is no end in sight for the crisis in the Middle East, and that means gasoline prices are likely to go significantly higher.

Commercial oil inventories are being rapidly depleted, and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is “dropping toward levels not seen since the 1980s”…

America’s emergency oil reserve is dropping toward levels not seen since the 1980s, as the United States rapidly drains its supplies to stabilize global energy markets rattled by the war with Iran.

According to the latest report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the U.S. has 365.1 million barrels of oil sitting in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in the week ending May 22, compared to 374.2 million a week prior and down by over 50 million barrels since the conflict began on February 28.

The price of oil has a direct impact on prices for just about everything else, and so that is really bad news.

As ordinary Americans are being squeezed harder and harder, household debt has been rising and the credit card delinquency rate has spiked to a very alarming level…

According to data released by the New York Fed in May, total U.S. household debt climbed to an all-time high of $18.8 trillion in the first quarter of 2026. Much of this is housing debt, and credit card balances dropped slightly over the period, but the rising total has coincided with an increase in late payments.

The percentage of credit card balances at least 90 days delinquent reached 13.1 percent in the first quarter, up 0.4 percent from the previous one and reaching its highest rate in 15 years.

Millions upon millions of Americans are working as hard as they can and it still isn’t enough.

To many people, it just seems like there is no way that they can win, and so many are choosing to simply drop out of the game.

In fact, one out of every three American men are no longer in the workforce at all…

The number of American men participating in the workforce has fallen to one of its lowest levels in nearly two decades, according to new federal labor statistics.

Just 66 percent of men age 20 and older were employed or actively seeking work as of April, according to data released earlier this month by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure has dropped sharply from 73 percent in 2006 and now sits near levels last seen during the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis.

The numbers mean roughly one in three American men are no longer in the workforce.

This is what a crumbling economy looks like.

Only 66 percent of American men that are at least 20 years old are working.

How low does that number have to drop for us to admit that we have a historic crisis on our hands?

I have heard from so many readers that are feeling more financial stress right now than they ever have in their entire lives.

That isn’t a coincidence.

Decades of incredibly foolish decisions have resulted in a sl0w-motion economic decline that has really started to pick up speed in recent years.

Now the pain is beginning to feel like it is unbearable, but the truth is that our problems are only going to intensify from here.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 11:40

Iran FM Blames U.S. "Contradictions" On Stalled Peace Talks As Tehran Slaps Million-Dollar Hormuz Tax On Ships

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:05:00 +0000

Iran FM Blames U.S. "Contradictions" On Stalled Peace Talks As Tehran Slaps Million-Dollar Hormuz Tax On Ships

The U.S. and Iran remain stuck in preliminary talks to end the war, with the main obstacle being Tehran's demand for access to billions of dollars in frozen assets and the Trump administration's refusal to provide upfront cash or broader sanctions relief.

Tehran is seeking about $12 billion upfront and $24 billion during a proposed 60-day negotiation window.

"Twenty-four billion dollars is not much for America if he wants to reach an agreement with Iran," Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran's top official, told CNN on Friday. "This is our own, not America's money."

For the Trump administration, releasing frozen funds for Tehran is optically displeasing because the president spent years blasting the Obama administration over the $1.7 billion Iran payment tied to the 2015 nuclear deal, and later criticized the Biden administration's move to allow Iran access to $6 billion in assets during a prisoner swap.

The U.S. government estimates that Tehran has $100 billion in inaccessible assets, mostly oil revenue trapped abroad, including funds in China, Qatar, Oman, and Iraq.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei spoke with CNN's senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen about the ongoing negotiations with the U.S.

Baghaei stated, "The main problem of negotiating with this administration is that you have to face so many changing positions, moving the goal posts, different statements, contradictory remarks by different officials, so it makes the whole process very cumbersome."

He outlined one of the main problems is that "the Americans must understand that they have to recognize Iran's rights," including its right to peaceful nuclear enrichment under the international non-proliferation treaty.

"At the same time, when they are talking about our blocked assets, they're not going to give us any concession," he said.

CNN reported earlier on Sunday that the US plans to allow Iranian assets to be used for rebuilding projects in Gulf countries impacted by the war, according to a source close to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Baghaei added that the US must "simply stop their sanctions" and "need to let Iranian assets be released and be available for the Iranians."

Beyond US-Iran talks, IRGC-linked Fars News reports that Iran has been collecting $1.5 million to $2 million per vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Fars said the payments are deposited into Iran's treasury under the budget law and directed toward designated spending areas. Some payments are reportedly settled not in cash but in USDT/Tether or through barter arrangements.

Polymarket odds for June 15 permanent peace deal ...

US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 15, 2026?
Yes 7% · No 94%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

Top Overnight Headlines (courtesy of Bloomberg):

US-Iran Conflict Flashpoints

US Central Command shot down two Iranian attack drones over the Strait of Hormuz early Sunday that threatened international maritime traffic
US forces intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones in the Persian Gulf late Friday and responded with attacks on radar sites in Iran
Six ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted, with a seventh not reaching its intended target
US attacked Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island early Saturday
Iran condemned US attack on its radar and coastal surveillance facilities as a clear violation of the April 8 ceasefire

Peace Negotiations Status

The US and Iran appear to be making little progress toward an interim deal to end the war 100 days after it began
Negotiations are bogged down over the fate of $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets
Pakistan's interior minister was in Tehran on Sunday in a fresh bid to restart negotiations between Iran and the US
Iran's Baghaei said the US needs to let Iranian assets be released and must stop their sanctions
The Trump administration is seeking to steer Iranian assets toward helping US allies in the Persian Gulf rebuild from damage inflicted by Tehran

War Damage and Infrastructure

About 7,000 megawatts of Iran's power-generation capacity was damaged in the war, with some 2,500 megawatts restored to service so far
Despite 4,000 megawatts of damaged power plant capacity remaining offline, there are currently no plans to implement planned blackouts this summer
Kuwait's airspace was temporarily closed for two hours early Saturday as a precautionary measure due to Iranian missile and drone attacks

Economic Impact

Italy extended a fuel tax cut until July 3, cutting pump prices by €0.05 per liter for diesel while keeping it unchanged for unleaded fuel
India raised prices of domestic cooking gas for the second time since the Iran war started, with a 14.2-kilogram LPG cylinder increasing by 29 rupees
Container shipping spot rates from Asia to northern Europe rose 27% to $3,649 as of Friday, while rates to the US West Coast increased 20% to $3,933
Crude oil remains below $100 a barrel despite the Strait of Hormuz being effectively blocked for over three months, defying forecasts for prices as high as $200

Previous US-Iran Wrap

US Intercepted Fresh Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks Overnight As Tehran Blasts 'Ceasefire Violations'

Institutional Market commentary:

Goldman analyst Johann Cohen: Markets appeared to suffer from headline fatigue, alongside fading expectations of any near-term agreement between the US and Iran.
UBS analyst Zeynep Akkok: European equities are resilient, with SX5E trading off earlier lows and price action is largely unchanged into the weekend as markets pause after recent moves. The focus remains on US-Iran negotiations, with US President Trump flagging talks are in their final stages, but the continued lack of tangible progress caps upside. The tone remains constructive, but increasingly conditional on delivery.
Goldman analyst Chris Hussey: But as we saw back in 2021, global supply chain shortages are plentiful. The prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is still cutting off about 10% of the world's oil supply with a bigger impact on things like jet fuel, diesel, and aluminum.

Global Supply Chain:

Energy Market:

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 11:05

US Intercepted Fresh Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks Overnight As Tehran Blasts 'Ceasefire Violations'

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:04:23 +0000

US Intercepted Fresh Iranian Ballistic Missile Attacks Overnight As Tehran Blasts 'Ceasefire Violations'

Summary

Iran's foreign ministry says US overnight action, especially bombing coastal radar facilities, is a violation of ceasfire.
New nighttime salvo of missiles on Kuwait, Bahrain: Six ballistic missiles fired at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted, CENTCOM said.
Overnight flare-up started with Iranian attack drones in Strait being intercepted by US forces.
Trump admits Iran still has some 20% of its missile arsenal: "It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked." (CNBC)

US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?
Yes 21% · No 80%
View full market & trade on Polymarket

* * *

Iran FM Blasts New US 'Ceasefire Violations'

Iran has again accused the US of breaking the ceasefire, with the Foreign Ministry on Saturday stating the US "not only lacks the will to reduce tensions and return to the path of stability, but with its adventurist actions, it seriously endangers the security of the region."

The ministry on X denounced fresh US attacks its coastal radar and surveillance facilities in Sirik region and on Qeshm Island - saying this breached the ceasefire. The ministry “strongly calls on the countries of the region to observe the principle of good neighborliness and adhere to the fundamental principle of international law of refraining from allowing aggressors to use their territory and facilities to plan and carry out aggressive actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran."

It seems clear that for each US action, Iran is seeking to establish deterrence, and so is not hesitating to fire or inflict some kind of 'cost' either on US bases or the Gulf allies hosting them.

More Pakistani efforts to forge together agreement to get US-Iran back to the formal negotiating table:

Pakistan's Interior Minister @MohsinnaqviC42 has just departed from Lahore for Tehran where he will meet Iranian Leadership and deliver important messages as part of Pakistan's Mediation efforts between the US and Iran -- This is Naqvi's third standalone visit to Tehran and 4th… https://t.co/mmaVRrU2aX
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) June 6, 2026

Salvo of Ballistic Missiles Fired on Kuwait, Bahrain

Soon after the initial drone shootdown engagement (below), it became apparent that anti-air defense systems were active over Kuwait, as its armed forces warned the public that explosions were the result of inbound projectile intercepts. While there were no reports of damage, the ground result is still anything but clear or certain (based on past instances of the US and Gulf allies concealing or downplaying damage or casualties).

Within hours after this initial exchange of fire, Iran followed up with more ballistic missiles on nearby Bahrain and Kuwait - as 'punishment' for the countries hosting US forces and American bases.

Bloomberg reports that "Six ballistic missiles fired at Bahrain and Kuwait were intercepted and another failed to reach its intended target, hours after four drones headed to the Strait of Hormuz were shot down, Centcom said." It notes that the "US military struck Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island in return."

It Started With Iranian Drone Shootdowns

More details have come to light of the latest overnight flare-up in fighting between US and Iranian forces in and around the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf.

The Friday night and overnight clashes started when the US military reportedly intercepted and shot down at least four Iranian one-way attack drones. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the incoming unmanned aerial vehicles were heading directly toward the Strait of Hormuz and posed an "imminent threat to maritime traffic."

Following the drone shootdowns, American forces immediately launched retaliatory strikes against key military targets inside Iranian territory. CENTCOM further detailed that American assets hit Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites located in Goruk, a city in the Hormozgan province, as well as on Qeshm Island, a strategically vital Iranian outpost in the mouth of the strait.

Each Exchange Another Escalation Toward Full-Scale War

One thing is clear: these 'limited' escalations are becoming more regular, and even almost nightly at this point, raising the stakes and possibility of a more full-on, dangerous renewed war.

Every exchange like this could mean a return to full-scale war, and that’s what’s going to happen eventually unless Trump just pulls out, which I don’t think he’s gonna do. https://t.co/PFUiLoXktm
— Dave DeCamp (@DecampDave) June 6, 2026

It has also become increasingly evident and acknowledged that the ceasefire has allowed Iran to reconstitute much of its missile and drone capabilities, and underground launch tunnels are being dug out with heavy equipment.

President Trump himself has recently admitted this state of things, amid the extended ceasefire:

US President Donald Trump, who has insisted for months that Iran was near its breaking point, conceded Friday that the country retains some missile and drone capacity. In an interview with NBC News, he said about 21-22% of Tehran’s missile arsenal remains.

“It’s a lot of missiles, but it’s not what it was when we first attacked,” he told the television network during a visit to Wisconsin. Earlier Friday, he told reporters the US is “having great success with Iran,” and “they’re in no position to have a nuclear weapon.”

Sunday will mark 100 days since the start of Operation Epic Fury. Trump and US officials had touted only a 'short' conflict, and seemed to have been betting on the government being toppled.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 11:04

UK Cop Fired For Questioning Islam In 'Safe Space'

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:30:00 +0000

UK Cop Fired For Questioning Islam In 'Safe Space'

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,

A Christian police community support officer lost his career after asking a Muslim colleague about jihad and Hamas atrocities during a diversity session that promised open discussion. At the same time, training drilled "white privilege" into police ranks.

Luke Salmons, a 46-year-old Christian father of two and respected PCSO with North Yorkshire Police, relates how he attended a mandatory training day on race, religion and culture. Trainers spent several minutes marching up and down the room chanting "Islam is a religion of peace" repeatedly. A Muslim sergeant then spoke about his faith and invited questions in what was presented as a "safe space" where "there was no such thing as a bad question."

Salmons asked what the sergeant, as a peaceful Muslim, thought about the situation in Gaza and atrocities carried out by Hamas and other groups in the name of Islam. He also asked what jihad meant to him. The discussion was civil. The sergeant later invited Salmons for coffee to continue the conversation privately.

Christian police officer had his career ended for asking questions about jihad and radical Islam during a 'safe space' discussion on race and diversity. pic.twitter.com/rAxi5U8zYF
- Patrick Christys (@PatrickChristys) June 5, 2026

Salmons brought a book on the topic to work. Colleagues photographed it in his locker and reported him as a risk. An inspector then suspended him, declaring "I don't like your beliefs." Salmons noted the obvious double standard: no inspector would ever say that to a Muslim officer.

He was suspended on full pay for months, resigned under pressure in April 2025, and faced gross misconduct proceedings. Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, he appealed. Chief Constable Tim Forber overturned the dismissal before Salmons had even finished presenting his case. There was no apology and the episode devastated his family.

"I loved my job and I was good at it. I was well respected as a PCSO and my colleagues said they loved working with me and couldn't understand what was happening. But an overzealous inspector took against me and that was the end of my career, even though I had done nothing wrong," he related.

"It devastated me and my family. For months we lived in total uncertainty, with my reputation being shredded in secret. I resigned not because I had done anything wrong, but because the silence, the delay and the pressure became unbearable for my wife and daughters," Salmons added.

This is the new reality inside parts of British policing: open discussion of uncomfortable facts about Islamist ideology is treated as career-ending wrongthink, while entire days are devoted to chanting slogans and centring one faith above others.

The same ideological pressures are visible in operational failures. In the Henry Nowak case, an 18-year-old white British student was stabbed five times. He told responding officers he had been stabbed and could not breathe. Instead of treating him as a medical emergency, officers handcuffed him after his attacker falsely claimed racism. The attacker was allowed to walk away. An inquest is examining whether the handcuffing contributed to Nowak's death.

The police watchdog investigated itself and declared no wrongdoing.

Serving and former Hampshire officers later admitted the mandatory DEI training played a role. They told former Home Secretary Suella Braverman they had "it drummed into us about our white privilege and unconscious bias." One described the outsourced trainer as "deeply hateful of white people and our culture."

Meanwhile, shocking street interviews and bodycam footage show officers across forces admitting they will arrest people for speech that causes offence if an allegation is made - including phrases such as "send them all home." In one Birmingham incident, officers restrained a light-skinned suspect while a crowd of young men from ethnic minority backgrounds kicked and struck him; the police did not intervene to protect the suspect.

There has been a collapse in police standards:

These are the predictable result of years of diversity training that reframes native Britons, especially white ones, as inherent problems and elevates subjective feelings of offence above evidence and equal protection.

Into this crisis steps Keir Starmer. When US Vice President JD Vance directly addressed the Henry Nowak murder and the broader pattern, Starmer's team responded by once again accusing outsiders of interference.

Keir Starmer hits back at JD Vance for 'stirring up division' after he pointed to 'migrant invasion' as cause for Henry Nowak's murderhttps://t.co/Pwg1KGDNe7
- GB News (@GBNEWS) June 5, 2026

A No 10 spokesman said: "In recent days we have seen people trying to interfere in our democracy and seeking to stir up division on our streets. The Nowak family are grieving after Henry's horrific murder. They have said they do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred or tension. We should be respecting their wishes. Our politics should bring people together even in the most terrible of circumstances. That is who we are as a country."

Downing Street also rejected "any suggestion of two-tier policing."

Vance had stated the uncomfortable truth: "Henry Nowak died the same way a civilization dies: abandoned, handcuffed by authorities who neither trusted nor cared for him, and accused of hate crimes he did not commit. His murder is as tragic as it is enraging. He should still be alive today, and he would be if the last few generations of European elites had stood their ground against the politics of self-hatred and the mass invasion of migrants, many of whom despise the West and the people who love it."

He added: "Each time a life like his is lost, the proper response - the only response - is righteous anger. One of the most important things the Trump administration has proven to the world is that stopping the flow of mass migration and defending national sovereignty is a matter of political will and leadership. Anything else is an excuse."

Henry Nowak's murder will become a watershed moment in the UK.

And the Americans are right to share their concerns about what is happening to our country. pic.twitter.com/0Qdf972jQO
- Matt Goodwin (@GoodwinMJ) June 5, 2026

Starmer's outrage rings hollow. The same voices now demanding silence on UK failures spent years commenting on American policing cases. The real division comes from policies that import incompatible cultures at scale, shield certain ideologies from scrutiny, and punish officers who notice the consequences.

Hmmm pic.twitter.com/32jNIK0aHI
- @amuse (@amuse) June 5, 2026

Starmer now brands anyone linking such failures to mass migration and ideological capture as "stirring up division." Britain's police forces have been turned into enforcers of protected ideologies rather than impartial protectors of the public.

Luke Salmons was punished for treating a "safe space" as genuinely open. Henry Nowak paid with his life while officers prioritised a racism narrative drilled into them by ideologues. Thousands more officers stay silent for fear of the same fate. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's response to criticism is to attack the messengers.

Equal justice, free inquiry inside the police, and honest discussion of the cultural and demographic realities driving these failures are not optional extras. They are the minimum requirements for a functioning civilisation. Anything less is managed decline dressed up as compassion.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 10:30

Short-Term Bitcoin Holders Are Realizing Their Largest Losses On Record; Most Oversold Since 2018 Collapse

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 13:55:00 +0000

Short-Term Bitcoin Holders Are Realizing Their Largest Losses On Record; Most Oversold Since 2018 Collapse

After this week's bloodbath...

Bitcoin is now flashing its most oversold signal since 2018, raising the odds of a relief rebound toward $70,000 in the coming weeks.

The extremely oversold reading followed a roughly 30% decline in BTC over the past month, as geopolitical risks, higher oil prices, fading hopes for a 2026 Federal Reserve rate cut, and panic over Strategy’s latest Bitcoin sale weighed on sentiment.

In addition, there was some online chatter seems to speculate that retail investors may be selling crypto to chase the biggest IPO ever.

The Elon Musk-owned rockets, satellite and AI company SpaceX is selling up to 30% of its record $75 billion offering straight to retail investors through Robinhood, Fidelity and Charles Schwab, more than three times the slice a typical IPO sets aside for individuals.

The roadshow opened Thursday already oversubscribed, with more orders than shares on offer, Bloomberg reported. It is offering shares at a $1.8 trillion valuation.

Bitcoin fell roughly 16% over the same timespan and briefly traded below $60,000 before recovering to around $61,000.

Oversold readings this extreme often appear near seller-exhaustion zones where short-term buyers begin positioning for a relief rebound.

In 2018, the collapse was triggered in large part by the SEC's regulatory crackdown on ICOs, announcing its first civil penalties against Paragon and CarrierEQ/Airfox. But, the 2018 bear market was already underway due to the bursting of the 2017 ICO bubble, regulatory uncertainty (China bans, etc.), exchange hacks, and fading retail hype. November was more of a capitulation phase than a new shock.

In 2020, Bitcoin’s RSI dropped to around 15.56 before BTC rebounded by about 50%, helped by the Federal Reserve’s emergency shift to near-zero interest rates and large-scale bond purchases.

In February 2026, for instance, BTC’s daily RSI dropped to around 15.86 while price held above the $60,000 support area. The signal preceded a nearly 30% recovery toward $82,850.

Following bitcoin's worst week in two years, Strategy(MSTR) Executive Chairman Michael Saylor published a framework on X, arguing that the Bitcoin community is evolving into four distinct ideological camps.

As CoinDesk reports, rather than viewing these groups as competitors, he presents them as complementary forces that will collectively shape bitcoin’s future.

The first group, Bitcoin Maximalists, sees Bitcoin as the ultimate monetary breakthrough. They believe bitcoin has already solved the problem of digital scarcity and offers superior property rights, protection from inflation, and economic empowerment. Their focus is conviction: bitcoin is not one crypto asset among many, but the dominant digital monetary network.
The second group, Bitcoin Capitalists, views Bitcoin as a form of digital capital that should be integrated into the global economy. They support corporate treasury adoption, institutional custody, bitcoin-backed securities, lending markets, and broader financial infrastructure. Their goal is to expand bitcoin's reach by embedding it into existing economic systems rather than replacing them.
The third group, Bitcoin Technologists, focuses on improving the protocol. They argue that Bitcoin must continue to evolve to address challenges in scalability, privacy, usability, security, and future threats such as quantum computing. While they support innovation, Saylor notes that changes to bitcoin's base layer must be approached cautiously to avoid unintended consequences.
The fourth group, Bitcoin Fundamentalists, prioritize protecting bitcoin's original principles: decentralization, self-custody, immutability, censorship resistance, and individual sovereignty. They are wary of excessive institutional influence, financialization, and protocol changes that could compromise Bitcoin's core characteristics.

Saylor's central argument is that Bitcoin needs all four perspectives. Maximalists provide conviction, Capitalists drive adoption, Technologists ensure long-term resilience, and Fundamentalists safeguard the protocol's integrity.

Saylor argues that Bitcoin's most successful path lies in a balance among these four forces.

As CoinTelegraph reports, Bitcoin has fulfilled two of three key conditions to spark the next BTC price “rally,” new analysis says.

Bitcoin price comeback hinges on US, Korea demand

Bitcoin whale traders are laying the foundations for BTC price relief, even as BTC/USD plumbs two year lows.

In an X post on Friday, trader CW confirmed that Bitcoin whales on both Hyperliquid and Bitfinex are signaling a market rebound.

BTC/USD long positions on Bitfinex. Source: CW/X

CW notes that Hyperliquid whales have adopted a “bullish stance” on the market, while on Bitfinex, long positions have tailed off. The latter is a classic sign that an uptrend is due next.

“What remains is for the Kimchi Premium and Coinbase Premium to turn positive,” he commented.

The Coinbase Premium is the difference in price between Coinbase’s and Binance’s BTC/USDT pairs and has been mostly negative in 2026.

Bitcoin Coinbase Premium Index. Source: CryptoQuant

A negative premium reflects weak US demand, while the Kimchi Premium monitors the South Korean exchange sector.

Once demand returns across the board, Bitcoin has a better chance of reentering a sustainable uptrend.

CW acknowledged that the Kimchi Premium has already “decreased significantly” versus earlier in the week.

Bitcoin starts its latest "bottoming out" phase

As Cointelegraph reported, consensus overall favors a macro bottoming phase playing out for BTC/USD next.

The week has seen the pair touch a key bear-market trend line in the form of its 200-week simple moving average (SMA) — another essential ingredient in a bottom formation.

“Bitcoin has only just started deviating below the 200-week SMA,” trader and analyst Rekt Capital emphasized to X followers on Friday.

“The significance of this is that historical Bear Market Bottoming out formations have started to develop via such deviations.”

BTC/USD one-week chart with 200SMA. Source: Rekt Capital/X

Earlier, trader Leviathan described BTC price action as copying the 2022 bear market "almost perfectly."

Additionally, CoinTelegraph notes that short-term bitcoin holders are realizing their largest losses on record, according to Checkonchain data cited by crypto analyst Scott Melker.

The short-term holder realized profit/loss ratio has dropped to a new all-time low, falling below levels seen in previous Bitcoin drawdowns.

Bitcoin short-term holder realized profit/loss ratio vs. price. Source: Checkonchain

The metric tracks whether recent buyers are selling at a profit or loss. A deeply negative reading means newer holders are exiting below their cost basis, signaling panic selling.

Melker also noted that roughly 5.3 million BTC held by long-term holders is now underwater, above the post-FTX peak and the highest level since the March 2020 COVID crash.

Similar stress has appeared near past capitulation zones. Bitcoin bottomed near $15,500 after FTX before rallying roughly 690% to around $126,000 in 2025. After the COVID crash, BTC rose about 1,700% from $3,800 to nearly $69,000.

"Sentiment has tracked price almost perfectly," Melker said, adding:

"Traders were euphoric at the May peak, then hit peak despair on June 3. That’s usually when the bottom is close. Usually."

And finally, bitcoin bears piled aggressively into short positions as BTC price slid to $60,000, raising the question: Will the $2.6 billion in new short leverage lead to an upside squeeze?

The Bitcoin (BTC) crash to $61,100 on Friday wiped out $335 million in leveraged long positions. However, after a 21% decline in Bitcoin's price, bulls might have set a perfect trap as negative market sentiment intensified. Bearish positions built up heavily between $63,000 and $66,000, setting the stage for a potential $2.6 billion short squeeze.

Estimated cumulative Bitcoin liquidation at major exchanges, USD. Source: CoinGlass

Estimated liquidations for a further 8% drop in Bitcoin to $57,000 from $62,000 stand at $1.2 billion. In contrast, a rally to $66,000 would put $2.6 billion of short positions at risk. This potential squeeze might provide enough fuel to revive buyer confidence following a record-breaking 13-day streak of net outflows from spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs daily net flows, USD. Source: SoSoValue

The minor $3 million net inflow on Thursday could represent a temporary breathing room after 15 days of selling that drained $5.1 billion. It remains too early to conclude that momentum has officially flipped in favor of the bulls. Ultimately, if bears kept their leverage low and played conservatively, the actual threat of a massive short squeeze might be minimal.

Bitcoin perpetual futures annualized funding rate. Source: Laevitas

A neutral funding rate typically ranges between 6% and 12%, with longs paying to keep their positions open. The current negative 2% Bitcoin perpetual futures funding rate suggests growing confidence among bears. Thus, even if it takes time for Bitcoin to reclaim the $66,000 level, bulls have fully deleveraged, reducing downside risk.

Nasdaq 100 futures (left) vs. Bitcoin/USD (right). Source: TradingView

Bitcoin has severely underperformed the Nasdaq 100 index, but the tech sector is beginning to display weakness after Broadcom (AVGO US) closed down 12.6% Thursday, erasing $280 billion in market value. The company trimmed its AI chip sales forecast for the second half of 2026, putting investors on alert.

Impact of the tech sector IPOs and Strategy’s 32 BTC sale

Other prominent names in the AI sector also felt the impact. Micron (MU US) traded down 7.8% while Arm (ARM US) dropped 4.5%. With highly anticipated IPOs from SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI in sight, investors likely opted to raise cash ahead of those offerings. Analysts claim this liquidity drain also contributed to Bitcoin's recent weakness.

Source: X/dgt10011

Jeff Park, partner at ParaFi Capital and Bitwise advisor, argues that the AI sector is draining money from other investments as the market becomes a “hot ball of money” that everyone suddenly “has to own”. However, Park reminds that once this period of AI mania blows off, capital will eventually rotate back to Bitcoin as its discounted valuation works in its favor.

Regardless of whether Bitcoin’s weakness stems from AI sector hype, excessive confidence from bears poses a major risk once spot Bitcoin ETF inflows pick up or the fear surrounding a recent 32 BTC sale from Strategy (MSTR US) dissipates.

A rally back to $66,000 might seem unlikely at first glance, but a sudden short squeeze could quickly shift momentum in favor of the bulls.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 09:55

Germany's First F-35 Stealth Fighter Moves Closer To Service With Key Engine Installation

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:45:00 +0000

Germany's First F-35 Stealth Fighter Moves Closer To Service With Key Engine Installation

Authored by Sujita Sinha via Interesting Engineering,

Germany's first F-35A fighter jet is now closer to delivery after its engine was installed during final assembly, according to Lockheed Martin. This milestone shows steady progress on one of Germany's biggest defense modernization efforts since the Cold War.

Germany's first F-35 reaches a key production milestone as its powerful F135 engine is installed.Lockheed Martin Europe/X

Lockheed Martin Europe posted the update on social media, describing the engine installation as "another key production milestone on the path to delivering advanced 5th Gen capability for Germany."

The company shared photos of the aircraft on the assembly line as workers installed the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. Now that the engine is in place, the jet will move on to final testing before its first flight and handover to the German Air Force.

Powerplant Transforms Aircraft Into Operational System

Germany's first F-35 uses the Pratt & Whitney F135, which is the most powerful engine in any Western fighter jet today. It produces about 43,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner and is a key part of the jet's design.

The F135 was made specifically for the F-35 and cannot be swapped for another engine. Besides providing power, it also helps the jet stay stealthy. Engineers shaped the exhaust nozzle and air intake to lower radar visibility from different directions.

Installing the engine is a major step in final assembly because it marks the change from a finished airframe to a working combat jet. After the engine is in, technicians start checking how the propulsion system works with the jet's controls, sensors, and software.

Die Power hinter Deutschlands erster F-35 🇩🇪

Mit dem erfolgreichen Einbau des Triebwerks hat das Flugzeug einen weiteren wichtigen Meilenstein erreicht - auf dem Weg zur Auslieferung modernster Fähigkeiten der 5. Generation für Deutschland. pic.twitter.com/foTw7YotgE
- Lockheed Martin Europe (@LMEuropeNews) June 4, 2026

Berlin's Response To A Changing Security Environment

Germany decided to buy the F-35A soon after Russia began its full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The F-35A will replace the Luftwaffe's old Tornado jets, which have been used for NATO nuclear-sharing missions for many years.

As part of NATO, Germany keeps aircraft and trained pilots ready to deliver U.S. nuclear weapons if needed. With the Tornado nearing retirement, German officials looked for a replacement that could handle future missions.

The F-35A, which takes off and lands like a regular jet, became the top choice for its stealth, survivability, and certification for nuclear missions. German leaders found that no European jet matched these features for the job.

Multi-Billion-Dollar Investment In Future Air Power

Germany has ordered 35 F-35A jets for about $8.4 billion. The deal covers more than just the planes - it also includes pilot training, simulators, logistics, weapons integration, and the infrastructure needed to run the fleet.

This purchase puts Germany in a growing group of European countries that have joined the F-35 program. The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Poland, Finland, and Switzerland have all either received or ordered the jet.

As more European countries use the F-35, NATO is shaping its future air combat plans around this common fifth-generation jet. Using the same aircraft makes training, maintenance, and joint missions easier.

Next Steps Before Delivery

The engine was installed following the usual steps at Lockheed Martin's F-35 production line in Fort Worth, Texas. After installation, the jet undergoes additional system checks, fuel testing, and ground runs to ensure everything works properly.

Next, engineers check how the engine works with the jet's software and flight systems before allowing flight tests. Once these steps are done, the jet can be accepted by the customer.

For the Luftwaffe, acquiring the F-35A will give it new capabilities that Germany's current fighter jets do not have. The Eurofighter Typhoon and Tornado can handle air combat and strikes, but neither was built to be stealthy.

The F-35's stealthy design allows it to fly in heavily defended airspace and makes it harder for enemy radar to detect. As advanced air defenses spread, this feature is expected to be key in Germany's future military plans.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 08:45

Europe 2.0, Beyond Brussels: The End Of The European Union As We Know It

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:10:00 +0000

Europe 2.0, Beyond Brussels: The End Of The European Union As We Know It

Authored by Frank-Christian Hansel via American Greatness,

Europe has reached the end of an era. Not the end of its history, but the end of its false form. For decades, the European Union served as the great substitute project of a continent that no longer dared to think politically. It promised peace without power, order without a people, unity without roots, and prosperity without cost. That was its founding lie, and it was a lie from the very beginning.

Political order does not grow out of procedural routines, commission papers, or moral self-incantation. It grows out of peoples, interests, borders, loyalties, and the willingness to defend what is one’s own. Legitimate authority rests on a people and its consent, not on an apparatus and its expertise. That older idea—that government draws its life from the governed rather than from the competence of its administrators—is precisely what Brussels has spent two generations trying to administer away.

That is why today’s EU is not the high point of European history but its bureaucratic state of exhaustion. It is too centralized to be free and too artificial to be binding. It commands an immense body of rules and possesses no sustaining political soul. It has institutions, but not the kind of historically grown legitimacy that holds a community together across generations.

And so it answers every crisis with the same reflex: more centralization, more redistribution, more standardization, more discipline. What is sold as the solution is only the problem enlarged.

Europe is not failing because there is too little Brussels. Europe is failing because there is too much Brussels. It is failing because of a political class that no longer sees the continent as a historical space but as an object of administration. It is failing because of an ideology that treats every organically grown difference as a defect and therefore regards peoples, traditions, and national particularities as raw material to be processed. And it is failing because of a functional elite that has learned to disguise power as morality and to pass off its own interests as universal values.

There is a name for this kind of governance: the administrative state—the permanent, unelected layer that survives every election, answers to no voter, and grows whether the public wants it to or not. Brussels is that layer raised to the continental power and freed from even the inconvenience of a national electorate. There is no European demos to vote the managers out. That is not a flaw in the design. It is the design.

The real scandal of Europe today is not even its material mismanagement but its intellectual arrogance. The Union behaves as though it could suspend history—as though cultures could be harmonized like technical standards, as though political loyalty could be decreed the way one issues a packaging regulation. As though a continent of radically different historical experiences, economic structures, demographic trajectories, and security realities could be pressed into one standardized form without damage. Yet the damage is already visible. The EU is not unifying Europe. It is wearing it down.

To see why, it helps to return to a text that saw the whole thing coming. In 2011, long before today’s disruptions, the German social scientist Gunnar Heinsohn published an essay whose title I have borrowed and broadened here: “Europa 2.0: Neuzuschnitt der Alten Welt” (Europe 2.0: Recutting the Old World). It was written in the first panic of the euro rescues, and it has aged with uncomfortable precision.

Heinsohn’s argument was not, in the first place, a complaint about Brussels. It was an argument about arithmetic. He began with the chain of liabilities that the productive European middle class—the net taxpayers, the people who put in more than they take out—had quietly been made to guarantee. First, the bank rescues of 2008. Then the Greek bailout and the great euro backstops of 2010, which shielded bondholders and the comfortable classes of the periphery at the expense of taxpayers who were never asked. Then the implicit guarantees extended to the aging, shrinking states of the European East. And beneath all of it, an ever-growing domestic population to be supported for life. The decisive point was simple and merciless: when all these promises—upward, downward, and outward—come due at once, no one will be left to bail out the people who were made to do the bailing.

The mechanism is general. A government that collectivizes debt, anonymizes liability, and blurs responsibility will always end by taxing the people who never agreed to the bad decisions of others. Heinsohn merely showed that the European Union had written this principle into its very constitution. Any order that treats difference primarily as a financing problem must degenerate into a transfer machine. And a transfer machine is, sooner or later, politically hated—because it morally expropriates the productive and politically infantilizes the weak, rewarding neither virtue nor reform but only dependency. What it produces in the end is not solidarity but resentment: a bureaucratically managed exhaustion of the common good.

But Heinsohn’s deeper move was to set this fiscal machine on top of a demographic one—and here the argument becomes genuinely radical. The transfers are not merely unjust; they are mathematically doomed, because the population expected to honor them is collapsing. Across much of Europe, and most severely in the East, birth rates have run far below replacement for two generations. The productive base shrinks while the dependent base grows and ages. You cannot underwrite an expanding empire of guarantees with a contracting nation of guarantors. The numbers do not forgive ideology.

From this, Heinsohn drew a conclusion that polite Europe still refuses to say aloud: not all human capital is equal, and a civilization that loses its capacity to attract and cultivate talent does not stay rich for long. Innovation is decided at the top of the distribution, by the density of the highly capable, not by raising the average.

Importing large numbers of low-skill dependents, he argued, costs billions and replaces not a single first-rate mind, while a society that selects for ability—as the Swiss and the Danes already do—renews itself. Strip away the provocation and a plainer proposition remains: a serious country runs immigration in its own interest, as a selective system, choosing the people it needs rather than absorbing whoever happens to arrive. A civilization unwilling to reproduce itself has, in any case, already mortgaged its own future. Whatever one makes of these claims, Heinsohn’s 2011 essay reads today less like a period piece than like a forecast.

What, then, is the alternative? Heinsohn’s answer was not “more Europe,” and it was not “back to the nation-states of 1914.” It was a recutting—a deliberate sorting of the continent into political spaces that can actually function, each organized around two hard criteria: a currency that is genuinely sound and a society genuinely attractive to the talent it needs.

His model for both was not an abstraction. It was a sort of Switzerland.

Consider what Heinsohn admired in it. Its central bank does not monetize the debt of badly run governments; it will not take their paper as collateral and will not buy it—which is exactly why a country of fewer than nine million can hold a reserve-grade currency. Sound money, enforced by the refusal to bail anyone out. Its cantons do not subsidize one another into permanent dependency; there is no grand equalization scheme shuffling money from the competent to the connected. Instead, the cantons compete—for innovative firms, for capable workers, for investment—and grow their revenue by winning that competition rather than by lobbying for a larger share of someone else’s. Tax competition, fiscal discipline, and federalism as a sport rather than a shakedown. And immigration authority sits at the local level: it is the communes, not a distant central ministry, that decide who settles where—which is why the children of Swiss immigrants tend to perform like Swiss children rather than like a permanent underclass parked wherever a bureaucrat finds room.

The list of features is easy to state: sound money, decentralized authority, local control over who settles where, tax competition in place of redistribution, and a central government that coordinates only the few things that genuinely must be coordinated and leaves the rest to the level closest to the decision. The European word for this is subsidiarity. Heinsohn’s quiet provocation was to note where it actually survives—not in the European Union, but in the small, stubborn confederation that the Union spent two decades trying to fine, pressure, and squeeze into compliance.

Heinsohn then took the principle to its conclusion and asked what Europe would look like if it were organized by those criteria rather than by inherited borders. The criteria themselves are the point, and they are worth stating plainly, because they describe a direction rather than a destination:

A viable space, in his account, is one that can secure its own sound currency without monetizing anyone’s debt; one attractive enough to draw and keep the talent it needs rather than merely the dependents it acquires; one governed closely enough to its people that consent is real and not merely assumed; and one freed from open-ended liability for the failures of others. Spaces that can meet those tests cohere on their own. Spaces that cannot have to be held together by transfers and decree—which is the very condition that Europe is now exhausting itself trying to maintain.

From this, he sketched a deliberately provocative map—not a forecast and not a plan, but a way of making the criteria concrete. He imagined the continent re-associating into a handful of post-national economic and cultural spaces, sorted by affinity and by their capacity to meet those tests:

A northern federation gathering the Scandinavian countries with the prosperous German north. An Alpine federation built around the Swiss core, drawing in the wealthy regions of southern Germany, Austria, and northern Italy that already share its economic temperament. A revived commonwealth across the old Polish-Lithuanian space to the east. A Mediterranean union with its own southern currency and its own vocation, reaching from the Iberian Atlantic to the eastern shore of the sea. And where the old centers of the postwar order remained, a residual western bloc around Berlin, Paris, and London. He even allowed himself the heresy of supposing that productive regions might one day choose, politically, which space to belong to—that belonging itself might follow function rather than inheritance.

I set this out as Heinsohn set it out: as a thought experiment offered to clarify a direction—not as anyone’s program, and certainly not as mine. Its value lies not in the borders it draws but in the question it forces. Political belonging is not a law of nature fixed forever by the cartographers of 1815, and spaces that generate neither real sovereignty nor genuine loyalty have no claim to permanence simply because they happen to exist. Heinsohn noted, dryly, that his redrawn map was the conservative, earthbound option—far more grounded than the libertarian dream of seasteading, of escaping onto artificial islands beyond the reach of any government at all. When the sober alternative is a recut continent, and the radical one is floating cities in international waters, you have a fair measure of how exhausted the inherited order has become.

The usable core of all this is not the map, but the principle, and the principle is what I want to carry forward. Europe should no longer be conceived as a project of uniformity but as a system of differentiated political spaces. This is not a regression into petty-state fragmentation. It is the overdue recognition of European reality. The continent has always been most productive when it combined diversity with form—when its political units stayed manageable, legitimate, and capable of acting, and broader cooperation happened only where it genuinely made sense. It grew weak whenever it manufactured institutions that produced neither real sovereignty nor genuine belonging.

A new Europe would therefore begin with a ruthless disentangling. Everything that does not absolutely require continental regulation goes back to sovereign states—not out of nostalgia, but out of reason. Border protection, major infrastructure corridors, selected security cooperation, raw-material and energy security, and certain trade questions: these may need joint coordination. But cultural policy, social policy, identity questions, vast stretches of economic and regulatory law, and above all the question of democratic self-government do not belong to a supranational apparatus. Wherever politics becomes existential, the decision must move back toward the people and the state.

This is also where the deepest and most delicate point lies, the one that separates a serious continental order from a managed bloc. Europe can think as a continent only if it stops organizing itself around a permanent architecture of enemies. An order built primarily against Russia is, in the long run, not a European order at all;

it is the strategic extension of outside interests carried out on European soil. A viable continental order would have to find a way to include Russia rather than excommunicate it forever.

This is not sentimental Russophilia, and it is not a denial that real conflicts exist. It is the recognition of a basic fact of geopolitics: a continent that permanently writes its largest eastern power off the map turns itself into the forefield of others. Peace does not come from moral outrage. It comes from a durable order of power, interests, and space—balanced security interests, limited spheres of influence, and reorganized economic interdependence. Whoever defines Russia out of Europe defines Europe as a geopolitically incomplete space, dependent for its security on decisions made elsewhere. And a continent that will not defend, fund, or even define itself can hardly be surprised when its allies begin to ask why they should keep doing so on its behalf.

And here Heinsohn’s monetary intuition returns one last time. He imagined that even the names of currencies could keep a European feeling alive—a Nordic crown, an Alpine franc, and an eastern and a western and a Mediterranean euro, competing for international trust. Strip away the specifics, and the principle is straightforward: competition disciplines money as it disciplines everything else. A single currency imposed on radically unequal economies is not a symbol of unity. It is a mechanism for converting other people’s indiscipline into your own inflation.

What follows from all this is a single European principle: cooperation without fusion. Proximity without centralism. Continentality without empire. Europe would no longer be a union of ideological conformity but a confederation of historic peoples and political spaces—able to breathe again because not everything would have to be forced to the same institutional, economic, and moral temperature. In place of harmonization at any price: the freedom to shape one’s own order. In place of integration as an end in itself: cooperation grounded in shared interests. In place of a normative superstate: a Europe of different speeds, forms, and focal points.

And that, precisely, is the only road to genuine European sovereignty. Europe will not become sovereign because Brussels accumulates more powers. It will become sovereign only when its states and peoples recover real political substance and form alliances on that basis. Sovereignty requires capabilities, not rhetoric—industrial, military, technological, and cultural self-assertion. A Europe that obsesses over censorship and regulation at home while failing to secure its borders, its energy, and its strategic infrastructure abroad is not sovereign. It is a normative colossus on geopolitical clay feet.

This is where the mask of European moralism finally falls away. The Union speaks of democracy while narrowing the range of permissible opinion. It speaks of diversity while pursuing cultural conformity. It speaks of peace while manufacturing new lines of confrontation through ideological bloc logic. It speaks of openness while losing control of its borders. It speaks of resilience while making itself dependent. None of this is an accident. It is the logical result of a project that replaced political reality with normative self-staging.

The alternative is not a naive nationalism but a European realism, a realism that understands that peoples do not vanish because elites find them embarrassing; that spaces do not lose their meaning because technocrats redefine them as functional zones; that history does not end because a bureaucracy tries to regulate it away; and that order endures only where freedom, belonging, and responsibility are brought back together.

Europe therefore does not need a cosmetic correction of its institutions. It needs a change of political form: away from a morally charged administrative union and toward an order of the continent; away from abstract universal ideology and toward a concrete civilizational politics; and away from the permanent effort to define the European against the very conditions that made Europe possible. Europe must stop trying to emancipate itself from its own inheritance and learn again to draw strength from it.

Only then could today’s zone of crisis become a historical space once more: a Europe no longer under the guardianship of its own apparatus; a Europe that does not treat every internal difference as a threat or every external border as a moral failing; a Europe that takes itself seriously as a continent—plural in its forms, clear in its borders, sober in its interests, and resolved to defend itself.

The time of the Union as we know it is running out. The only question is whether Europe will shape this transition itself—or whether it will be torn apart by the contradictions of its own artificial construction and have its place in the world decided by others.

The alternative is clearer than many care to admit:

Either Europe becomes political again - or it remains an apparatus until other powers decide its place in the world.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 08:10

Most Teens Aren't Going To Social Media For Politics

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:35:00 +0000

Most Teens Aren't Going To Social Media For Politics

Teens turn to social media for multiple purposes: to catch up with friends, for entertainment and to connect with others over similar interests.

However, as Statista's Anna Fleck reports a possible misconception, however, is that many are going to platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok for politics.

According to a recent survey of 1,458 teenagers in the United States, conducted between September 25 and October 9, under one in three respondents said that keeping up with politics or political issues was a main personal draw towards each of the respective social media platforms.

You will find more infographics at Statista

While most teens said that politics was not one of the main reasons for using the apps, U.S. teens were most likely to turn to TikTok and Instagram for political content (29 percent and 28 percent, respectively, said they would), followed by Snapchat (19 percent).

More popular reasons to use TikTok were entertainment (96 percent) and to know what’s going on with family and friends (86 percent).

When it comes to social media platforms as a source for news, then TikTok was also more commonly chosen over the other two.

Still, under half of respondents (45 percent) picked it as a main reason for using the platform, followed by 39 percent for Instagram and 26 percent for Snapchat.

Pew analysts found that Black teens were more likely than white and Hispanic teens to turn to TikTok for news, product recommendations and keeping up with athletes or celebrities and connecting with others.

Meanwhile, white teens on Snapchat were most likely to message people every day.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 07:35

A Serious Country Does Not Swap Its Greatest Leader On Banknotes For Little Animals

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:00:00 +0000

A Serious Country Does Not Swap Its Greatest Leader On Banknotes For Little Animals

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity,

The Bank of England has now admitted the quiet part out loud. Historical figures including Winston Churchill were removed from future banknotes after researchers told officials they were "elitist and divisive."

The move replaces British legends with wildlife in a calculated step to sideline national heroes and accelerate cultural replacement.

This is not a neutral design update. It is institutional capture in action, where the man who rallied Britain against Nazi tyranny gets sidelined because focus groups and consultants found him too problematic for modern sensitivities and would prefer to look at a Fox or a hedgehog instead.

The Bank of England axed historical figures such as Winston Churchill from banknotes after being told they were "elitist and divisive", The Telegraph can reveal.

Read the full story here https://t.co/4et9ekywsg pic.twitter.com/V0WSXoKOfK
- The Telegraph (@Telegraph) June 5, 2026

The revelation aligns precisely with plans first laid out months earlier. Back in March, the Bank announced it would phase out portraits of Churchill on the £5 note, Jane Austen on the £10, JMW Turner on the £20, and Alan Turing on the £50. In their place would come native British wildlife, plants, and landscapes.

King Charles III would remain on the front of the notes. Officials claimed the shift followed a public consultation with over 44,000 responses, where around 60 percent supposedly favored nature themes for security reasons and to celebrate the environment.

Critics at the time called the idea absurd and bonkers. They warned it represented a war on history and showed the Bank had been captured by progressive ideology. One former business minister said notes should honor the historical giants who shaped the nation rather than fuzzy animals.

Another asked what came next - squirrels running the economy. Observers noted it fit a wider pattern of erasing or downplaying Britain's past under the banner of progress and diversity.

That pattern includes London museums draping portraits to "reclaim Caribbean history," the removal of Shakespeare, Thatcher, and Churchill artworks from 10 Downing Street in favor of pieces by artists with Caribbean ties, Cambridge panels labeling Churchill a white supremacist whose empire was supposedly worse than the Nazis, and a London primary school renaming "Churchill House" after Marcus Rashford to promote diversity. Statues of Churchill have faced vandalism and calls for removal, including during pro-Palestine protests earlier this year. Each step chips away at the symbols that once unified national memory.

Now the June reporting makes the motive unmistakable. Research commissioned by the Bank concluded that figures such as Churchill, Alan Turing, and Jane Austen were "contentious and not representative of the UK's cultural and natural diversity." Officials received advice to replace the portraits with nature images because historical figures represented "a backward-looking vision of the UK that carries too great a risk of division and controversy."

A serious country does not swap its greatest leader on its banknotes for little animals

Imagine India ditching Gandhi for a monkey. Or the USA dropping Washington for a racoon

This is the rot that is eating away at our confidence, identity and cohesion:

Bank dropped Churchill...
- Alex Phillips (@ThatAlexWoman) June 5, 2026

The Bank has insisted the decision was not driven by that specific research but by an earlier poll showing public preference for nature. Yet the Freedom of Information details tell a different story about how the process unfolded behind closed doors.

A public consultation is currently running on the wildlife shortlist. Proposed replacements include an owl, hedgehog, badger, or common frog. One commentator summed up the national mood: "We are not a serious country anymore."

The Bank of England is removing historical figures from banknotes and replacing with wildlife. They are currently running a public consultation on the wildlife shortlist. So on its next issue of banknotes, Winston Churchill, Jane Austen, JMW Turner will be replaced with the likes... pic.twitter.com/rshMcbol0g
- James Melville ? (@JamesMelville) June 4, 2026

Some of the animals under consideration are not even native to Britain. That detail alone exposes the move as more than harmless environmental appreciation. It functions as a psyop to further erode British culture - stripping away recognizable national symbols and replacing them with generic or imported imagery that weakens any sense of rooted identity.

'Some of them aren't even native to the UK! It seems like a very, very bizarre choice?'

@samfrancisuk reacts to the Bank of England removing Winston Churchill from banknotes, opting instead to feature animals. pic.twitter.com/T2uQXhDhmx
- GB News (@GBNEWS) June 6, 2026

This fits the same ideological framework that has infected other institutions. DEI priorities and critical race theory obsessions treat any strong assertion of British heritage as inherently suspect. The man who helped defeat fascism is recast as "divisive" while the focus shifts to animals that supposedly better reflect "cultural and natural diversity." The result is a currency that no longer celebrates the people who built and defended the country. It celebrates detachment instead.

The broader assault continues without pause. Schools, museums, government buildings, and now the Bank of England itself participate in softening, diluting, and apologizing for the past. Historical giants are judged not by their achievements but by whether they pass modern committee tests on representation. When they fail, they are quietly retired in favor of whatever the latest advisory group deems safe and inclusive.

Britain's wartime leader did not save the nation so that unelected researchers and captured bureaucracies could later declare him unfit for the money supply. Yet that is exactly what has happened. The same institutions that owe their continued existence to Churchill's stand now treat his image as a liability.

A country that systematically removes its heroes from public view is not evolving. It is forgetting how to value itself. The Bank of England's choice to prioritize "non-divisive" wildlife over the figures who actually shaped the United Kingdom sends a clear message: national pride is now considered too risky for everyday transactions.

Britons who still believe their history is worth defending have every reason to push back. This is not about banknote design. It is about whether the nation retains the confidence to honour the people and events that made it possible. Replacing Churchill with a hedgehog is not progress. It is surrender dressed up as sensitivity.

Tyler Durden Sun, 06/07/2026 - 07:00

An Emerging Market Crisis In Oil-Poor Asia?

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 03:20:00 +0000

An Emerging Market Crisis In Oil-Poor Asia?

Authored by Satyajit Das via NewIndiaExpress,

Reliable availability of cheap energy is, as the Iran war highlights, essential to modern economies and societies, at least for the foreseeable future. Shocks divide the world into the oil haves and oil have-nots.

Alongside higher energy prices, shortages of petrochemical derived chemicals will affect agriculture, mining, plastics, textiles, semi-conductors and construction. Given that even if the conflict was to end with a lasting agreement it would take months or years for restoration of normality, the effects are likely to be severe.

Europe, already affected by their decision to cut-off Russian gas supplies, and Japan, are affected. But the major consequences will be felt across oil poor South and East Asia.

The extent of the damage depends on pre-existing vulnerabilities, including insufficient currency reserves, poor public finances, trade imbalances, high debt levels, especially foreign currency denominated borrowings, reliance on overseas capital, narrow industrial bases, and poor contingency plans.

The Table below sets out some key vital statistics

Notes: all figures are mainly for 2025

For energy importers, supply disruptions work through several pathways. Import costs rise flowing through into the economy. It most immediate manifestation is a widening current account deficit.

Given the pervasive impact of transport costs, prices increase across the board. Rising input expenses for businesses affect profitability and, ultimately, viability. As essentials cost more, the fall in surplus income decreases consumption slowing the economy with resultant unemployment. Tax revenues fall and welfare spending kick in worsening government budgets. This is frequently aggravated by vote buying subsidies, frequently for fuel costs, and transfers to alleviate cost of living pressures.

Financially, the most obvious signs are a weakening of the currency and falling asset prices. Asian currencies are down by 5 to 6% from the start of the Iran war. Asian stock markets, at least those without exposure to semi-conductor stocks like South Korea and Taiwan, have fallen. Volatility in asset markets is very high.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/global-markets-war-graphic-2026-05-27/

Typically, foreign investment inflows slow. Portfolio investors in equities and bonds exit as asset values translated into their base currency decrease. Direct investment falls reflects the poorer prospects. Banks face higher non-performing loans from the weaker economy as well as lower loan demand. Where reliant on foreign borrowings to supplement domestic deposits, the availability of funding is affected.

Inflation places pressure on interest rates which further slows the economy and exacerbates the economic and financial stresses. The current crisis is a textbook case of how oil shocks work through economies. Other factors, including the now-ignored Trump tariffs and economic warfare in the form of trade restrictions and sanctions, will exacerbate the problems. The risk of an economic and financial crisis in many of the affected countries is now elevated.

What is to be done? Like the Irish farmer’s direction to a traveller: “I wouldn’t start from here!”

The classic policy prescription is to let the currency devalue and force the necessary adjustments. An alternative is to intervene in the currency markets and simultaneously use higher short-term interest rates to support the exchange rate. The most extreme measure is for governments to restrict capital movement and, as an option, implement prices and income controls. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

Depreciation of the currency should, in theory, have the effect of reducing imports by choking off purchases assuming the application of the normal laws of supply and demand.

It should simultaneously boost exports. It forces the necessary adjustment of living standards, often brutally particularly vulnerable low-income groups.

In practice, its effectiveness depends on several factors, particularly the elasticity of demand for a country’s imports and exports. If the import is vital, like energy, and not replaceable or the cost can be passed on, foreign purchases may not decrease. Improvements in export volumes depend on the type of product and the demand sensitivity to price. It also depends on competition and substitutes. If competitors have superior products or are willing to match the prices, then volumes may not respond. This is particularly problematic when the whole emerging market complex is affected and all countries want to devalue at the same time, reducing the ability of a single country to cheapen its currency. An additional problem is the global nature of the slowdown across advanced economies, like the US and Europe, which will reduce exports demand which is central to Asian economies.

Devaluation also feeds inflation through higher import costs, unless it destroys demand which would lead to a sharp reduction in growth. A weaker currency may accelerate capital flight as investors fear losses. It creates unhelpful behaviours with importers accelerating purchases and exporters delaying conversion of foreign currency inflows. Foreign currency borrowers without any equivalent matching revenues providing a natural hedge face rising indebtedness. Emerging market businesses frequently take advantage of lower interest rates, relative to domestic funding, running the currency risk.

Intervention is money markets rarely works. It risks using up currency reserves needed to cover commercial imports or short-term debt. Historically, success requires co-operation between major central banks as in the 1985 Plaza Accord which devalued the dollar. Emerging market central banks have a poor track record. In the 1997 Asian market crisis, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia severely depleted their foreign exchange reserves in failed attempts to defend their currencies, which was fixed against the dollar. In general, where foreign currency debts and investments exceed reserves, such interventions rarely succeed.

To stem falls in the currency, central banks in India, Indonesia and the Philippines, have repeatedly intervened in currency markets drawing down foreign exchange reserves but with limited success.

Capital controls would require managing the exchange rate and restricting foreign currency inflows and outflows. They can manage a crisis to maintain economic sovereignty over exchange rates, interest rates, inflation and the banking system. In the longer-term, capital controls will deter foreign investment because investors fear loss of the freedom of repatriating funds. It often leads to a currency black market and workarounds which underline their effectiveness.

In market-based system, it is difficult to insulate an economy from external events, especially of the magnitude of the Iran war. Poorly developed domestic capital markets, which limits local supply of capital and risk management tools, impairs the ability to absorb shocks.

Many emerging market economies are also woefully unprepared. Assuming no disruption in supply chains, they have pitifully low buffer stocks or reserves. Their economies remain narrowly structured with little diversification of their industrial base. Despite a history of energy dependence and previous disturbances, there has been limited efforts to increase energy independence by conservation measures or seeking alternative sources. Investment in renewables, such as solar, wind, hydro and biofuels, remains inadequate. Even emergency plans for rapidly scaling up alternative fossil fuels, like coal, are largely absent. In contrast, China’s forward planning has focused on building up substantial strategic oil reserves and renewable energy supplies, which now account for up to 40% of its total electricity generation and over 50% of its total installed power capacity.

Governments have encouraged magical thinking amongst citizens, encouraging them to believe that policymakers can shield them from these events. Subsidies, transfers and price controls are electorally popular, but they do not address the core problems.

Like Aesop’s grasshopper, energy deficient countries have wasted summers of abundant supplies and now find them facing a difficult winter.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 23:20

Watch: More Evidence Iran Is Rapidly Restoring Its Missile Tunnels

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:45:00 +0000

Watch: More Evidence Iran Is Rapidly Restoring Its Missile Tunnels

President Trump has newly estimated that Iran has 21%-22% of its missiles remaining. Trump said in an interview with NBC: "They have some missiles and drones, percentage-wise maybe 21%-22% of the missiles. That's a lot, but it's not what it was before the war."

He and top White House officials had previously mused that the Iranians are working hard to reconstitute their defenses after the opening US-Israeli heavy bombing campaign of Operation Epic Fury.

The fresh statement comes on the heels of a Washington Post story last month which cited CIA estimates saying Iran still holds about 70% of its missiles and 75% of missile launchers it had before the war. So there's a likelihood that Iran still has significantly more than just 20% of its arsenal.

There's also some anecdotal evidence, and statements from the Iranians themselves, such as in the following... Watch:

Iran restored internet access, revealing footage of rescue operations at western Iranian tunnel sites struck by U.S. and Israeli forces. The tunnels were used to shelter missile launchers. pic.twitter.com/PnTfwjoV0B
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 5, 2026

The Iranians have been utilizing basic construction equipment to dig out several missile launchers and reopen subterranean tunnels tied to its missile program.

"Iran has repaired other parts of the bases as well, including roads that the US and Israel bombed to prevent missile launchers from using them," CNN wrote last week. "Satellite images show almost all these craters have now been filled, and at two sites, even repaved."

Sam Lair, a research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the same outlet late last month that "There’s nothing to prevent the launchers from being armed with the ample stockpile of missiles that the Iranians still have."

He sought to highlight the limits of American firepower, in terms of damage, and given that it hasn't been sustained:

“The US military is good at delivering tactical successes, and entombing and suppressing the Iranian missile force is a great example of that,” said Lair.

“However, if that isn’t accompanied by a set of reasonable strategic war aims and an achievable theory of victory, it can end up being a strategic failure.”

Via AP: Zagros Mountains in central Iran, where a deep underground nuclear facility was reportedly built.

President Trump has been touting the near annihilation of Iran's arsenal, and has lately said the rest of its launch sites could be taken out in a day if he gave the order.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 22:45

A New Shortcut To Quantum Entanglement

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 02:10:00 +0000

A New Shortcut To Quantum Entanglement

Authored by University of Chicago via ScienceDaily,

Many of the most promising quantum technologies, including advanced sensors and future quantum computers, depend on a phenomenon known as entanglement, where particles become deeply connected and influence one another in ways that cannot be explained by classical physics. Creating the complex entangled states needed for these technologies has traditionally required sophisticated equipment and carefully designed experimental systems.

Researchers have shown that a few simple adjustments to a standard quantum optics setup can generate a surprising range of highly entangled quantum states. Credit: Clerk Group

Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have now proposed a much simpler approach. Their new theoretical method can generate and control a wide range of entangled quantum states using tools that are already common in many quantum physics laboratories.

The work, published in Physical Review X, could help advance ultra precise quantum sensing and open new opportunities for exploring fundamental physics.

"We wanted to take simple ingredients that you find in a lot of physical platforms and put these together in a minimal way to get something interesting, complex and powerful," said Aashish Clerk, professor of molecular engineering at UChicago PME and senior author of the new study.

The research was supported by Q-NEXT, a U.S. Department of Energy National Quantum Information Science Research Center led by DOE's Argonne National Laboratory.

Rethinking Cavity QED Systems

The team's approach is based on cavity quantum electrodynamics, commonly known as cavity QED. In these experiments, atoms or other particles are placed inside an optical cavity, which consists of two mirrors that trap light between them. The particles then interact with the confined light inside the cavity.

A limitation of many cavity QED systems is that all of the atoms interact with the light in exactly the same way. Because the atoms are effectively indistinguishable, the range of quantum states that can be produced is restricted.

"The challenge has always been that these systems have too much symmetry. All the atoms are talking to light in the same way," Clerk said. "That really restricts what kind of entangled states you get."

In a typical cavity QED setup, each atom has a ground state and an excited state separated by a specific energy difference.

The researchers found a straightforward way to reduce the system's symmetry. While all atoms continue to be driven by the same laser, additional lasers or magnetic fields are used to shift the excited state energies of different groups of atoms. The atoms are arranged so that each one is paired with another atom that has an equal but opposite energy offset.

This simple modification allows atoms to behave differently from one another while preserving enough structure for the system to remain controllable and predictable. By changing which atoms receive particular energy shifts, scientists can tune the system to produce a variety of entangled states without altering the physical hardware.

"You turn these lasers on and wait, and at some point the system stabilizes into an interesting, highly entangled quantum state," said Anjun Chu, a postdoctoral researcher in the Clerk group and first author of the new work. "By simply adjusting the lasers, we can access kinds of entangled states that no one had thought about before."

Building Better Quantum Sensors

One of the most promising uses for the new approach is quantum sensing.

In theory, entangled quantum states can detect extremely small differences in magnetic fields or gravitational fields between separate locations. However, developing states that are both highly sensitive and resistant to noise has remained a major challenge.

The researchers demonstrated that a version of their proposed system containing two groups of atoms could be used to measure field gradients. When the two atomic ensembles are placed in different locations, the resulting quantum state reflects the difference between the local magnetic or gravitational fields. At the same time, it naturally rejects background noise that affects both locations equally.

"You're able to do two things that are normally not compatible with one another: Use entanglement to build an exquisitely sensitive sensor but also have robustness to arbitrarily large amounts of noise," Clerk said. "Normally, entanglement is very fragile. This approach has some amazing resilience."

Another advantage is that the information stored in these quantum states can be extracted using standard Ramsey measurement techniques, eliminating the need for specialized or exotic measurement methods.

Applications Beyond Sensing

The researchers also showed that the same platform can generate unusual quantum states that have long attracted interest from physicists.

One example is the AKLT state, a well known many body entangled state first introduced in the 1980s to describe unusual magnetic materials. The team found that their relatively simple setup can stabilize this state. In addition to helping scientists study complex magnetic systems, the AKLT state may also have applications in quantum computing.

Next Steps For The Research

The work remains theoretical for now, but the researchers are already discussing possible experimental tests with other groups.

They are also investigating more sophisticated ways to arrange atoms within the system and exploring the full range of quantum states that their method may be capable of producing.

"The fact that such simple ingredients can generate such complex and useful quantum states gives us hope that even before we reach the dream of a general all-purpose quantum computer, we can already generate quantum states that let us do things we couldn't do in a purely classical world," Clerk said.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Quantum Information Science Research Centers as part of the Q-NEXT center.

Journal Reference: Anjun Chu, Mikhail Mamaev, Martin Koppenhofer, Ming Yuan, Aashish A. Clerk. "Reconfigurable Dissipative Entanglement between Many Spin Ensembles: From Robust Quantum Sensing to Many-Body State Engineering." Physical Review X, 2026; 16 (2). DOI: 10.1103/qdh9-2pc7

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 22:10

UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:35:00 +0000

UN Food Agency Warns Millions Pushed Into Hunger By Prolonged Iran War

The United Nations food agency is sounding a catastrophic alarm on the macroeconomic fallout of the ongoing conflict in Iran and the Persian Gulf region. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), millions of people are actively being plunged into acute hunger due to the war - realizing a grim trajectory the agency previously warned would occur if the Middle East crisis stayed prolonged and global oil prices remained elevated.

Fragile economies are feeling the most pain, with WFP analysis of three highly vulnerable nations revealing that an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan, and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are currently struggling to meet their most basic daily nutritional needs. Back in March, the WFP estimated that a staggering 45 million people globally could be pushed into severe food insecurity by the end of June, compounding the over 300 million people globally who were already facing critical food shortages before the war erupted.

via EPA

The Rome-based UN agency issued a new detailed assessment at the end of this past week, describing how that the Middle East crisis is actively generating "significant spillovers" - by driving up the cost of food and fuel while heavily disrupting global trade networks.

Crucially, the agency warned that the economic bleeding will not stop immediately, even if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs. "These impacts are expected to intensify in the coming months, even if the crisis in the Middle East de-escalates," it wrote.

"We remain by that prognosis," WFP’s acting Executive Director Carl Skau informed a UN press briefing. "That’s mainly because the correlation between the prices of energy and food is so tight in many places, and also that in the poorest countries people are already spending all their money on food, and hence when food prices rise, they eat less."

Even prior to the Iran war's start, near the beginning of the war, United Nations agencies themselves were feeling the crunch after a significant drawdown in US support and funding.

The Trump administration slashed support over criticism that the UN has long failed to promote American interests.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been warning that outstanding dues reached a record $1.568 billion at the end of 2025 and that collections covered only 76.7% of assessed contributions, leaving the organization dangerously exposed.

As for how this impacts the WFP, it says it has already been forced to strictly ration and limit aid to millions of impoverished people due to drastic international funding cuts.

The agency has issued urgent plea to global donors to immediately step up financial contributions, with a specific focus on stabilizing Somalia and Afghanistan, "because the human consequences of not doing more will be massive."

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 21:35

Protesters Target NV Energy At Utility Conference As Anger Over Soaring Electricity Prices Boils Over

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 01:00:00 +0000

Protesters Target NV Energy At Utility Conference As Anger Over Soaring Electricity Prices Boils Over

By Herman Trabish of UtilityDive

Protesters shouting affordability complaints and chanting slogans interrupted a speech by NV Energy President and CEO Brandon Barkhuff on Wednesday. Barkhuff was speaking to some 1,000 utility executives and electricity industry stakeholders during the Edison Electric Institute 2026 conference at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

After being escorted out by security, the protesters spoke to the media outside the hotel to demand the cancellation of a daily demand charge for NV Energy customers slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2027, as well as to demand action on clean energy and high electricity bills.

The confrontation shows the extent to which energy costs have stoked public anger, raising pressure on utilities and their regulators.

Leslie Vega, climate equity policy fellow at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, speaks to the media on June 3, 2026, after protests at an electric utility conference in Las Vegas. The group was protesting high electricity bills and NV Energy’s use of residential demand charges.

Utilities have made affordability a cornerstone of their public messaging as they prepare to spend over $1 trillion over the next five years to meet a surge in demand, much of it driven by large-load data centers.

In Nevada, The Public Utility Commission in September unanimously approved a demand charge and new rate design for NV Energy customers in the southern portion of the state. It also approved changing the utility’s net metering design in ways that solar advocates said would weaken customer protections and set back Nevada’s clean energy goals.

“In Las Vegas, one of the fastest-warming cities in the country, you cannot live without electricity,” said protest organizer Leslie Vega. Vega, a climate equity policy fellow at the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, said she’s lost loved ones to heatstroke and sees the demand charge as air conditioning rationing.

“We’re not just asking for lower rates. We’re asking for survival,” she said.

NV Energy issued a statement following the protest citing “misinformation and confusion” about the daily demand charge.

“Daily demand [charges] will lower bills for the majority of our southern Nevada customers,” it said. “We understand that energy costs are an important issue for our customers, and that’s exactly why daily demand [charges are] critical in stopping subsidies that shift costs to other customers.”

Demand charges are tied to a customer’s peak electricity use, and NV Energy’s daily demand charge is based on the energy a customer consumes during a 15-minute period of peak usage each day. The utility expects the demand charge to add about 49 cents/day to a typical customer’s bill, but says most southern Nevada customers will see monthly bills that are similar to or slightly lower under the new structure.

Regulators and the utility have said that consumers who are concerned about potential spikes on their bill from the charge can shift their electricity use, but advocates say that’s not realistic, especially for cooling. Las Vegas temperatures on Wednesday reached 103 degrees as the city experiences its longest 100-degree streak of the year, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“It’s impossible” not to run air conditioning during peak hours, said Vega. She was joined outside the hotel by several dozen other protesters with the United Ratepayers coalition.

The coalition is demanding cancellation of the demand charge, which Vega called a “financial threat” against Nevadans who don’t know how it will affect their bills and can’t manage it, as well as other changes.

“What we ask is lower rates for our lower-income community, an increase in solar energy and green energy and getting away from fossil fuels,” she said. “We might not be economists and engineers, but I would like to remind our Public Utility Commission that approved Nevada Energy’s daily demand charge that their own staff economists and engineers advised them against the daily demand charge.”

Vega said the coalition will continue to lobby elected officials.

A spokesperson for the Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities and organized the conference where Barkhuff was speaking, said in a statement that EEI understands “people are frustrated about their energy bills” and shares those concerns.

“That’s why we’re here — working to do everything we can to lower customers’ bills and serve communities,” they said.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 21:00

Lebanese Army Officers Among 9 Killed In Israeli Airstrike On South Lebanon

Tyler Durden — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:25:00 +0000

Lebanese Army Officers Among 9 Killed In Israeli Airstrike On South Lebanon

In a rare, major development related to the Israel-Hezbollah war, fresh Saturday Israeli airstrikes on Southern Lebanon on Saturday took out a group of Lebanese Army forces.

What's more is that several officers were reported killed: "Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon Saturday killed nine people including three members of the Lebanese military, the Lebanese army and state media said, days after the two sides reached a new ceasefire deal," The Associated Press reports.

Via Reuters

"An airstrike on the road linking the city of Nabatiyeh with the town of Marjayoun occurred in the morning killing a brigadier general, a captain and another soldier, the army said without immediately releasing their names," the report continues.

"The continued, deliberate, and repeated Israeli aggression against Lebanon, its people and its army only strengthens our resolve, faith and determination," the Lebanese national forces said in its statement.

It accused Israel of thwarting all efforts "to reach a solution that would restore stability, establish a comprehensive ceasefire and lead to the Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories."

According to the BBC:

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has launched an investigation after confirming it attacked a vehicle carrying Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon on Saturday morning.

The Lebanese Army said two officers and a soldier were killed in the strike on a car, which it described as an "aggressive and barbaric raid". The IDF said the vehicle was "moving suspiciously towards forces" and gunfire had been reported in the area.

Currently Washington is applying immense pressure on the national government and army to move to 'disarm' Hezbollah; however, the Shia paramilitary group has long been the most well-armed and powerful faction in Lebanon, and is seen by most analysts as stronger than even the national army.

This is partly because the United States severely limits the kind of weaponry the Lebanese armed forces can possess, essentially sanctioning the army, on fears these weapons could be turned on Israel.

But if Lebanese officers are being killed under Israeli fire, the army is likely to feel even less incentive to move against Hezbollah. There's also serious political limitations - as Lebanon has long been a nation divided, and the end of the 20th century saw decades of internecine civil war and brutal infighting.

All of this is likely to make some of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's statements to CNN this week deeply unpopular. He had blasted both Iran and Hezbollah for turning Lebanon into a 'bargaining chip' with the West.

Lebanon’s Army confirms Israel has killed three army personnel on Saturday morning: two officers, with ranks of brigadier general and captain, and a soldier. https://t.co/ml8XllZqd5
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) June 6, 2026

Many Lebanese have criticized him for criticizing Hezbollah instead of heaping all the blame on the invading Israeli military.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has also responded, stating sarcastically in a post on X Saturday that given Aoun's comments, "one would think it’s Iran that has occupied a fifth of Lebanon, displaced a quarter of Lebanese and is bombing his country on daily basis."

"Had Lebanon been a bargaining chip for Iran, we’d have a deal long ago. Save Lebanon from your real foe, Mr. President," Araghchi wrote in reference to Israel.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 20:25

Obama-Appointed Judge Orders Trump Admin To Restart Processing Asylum Claims

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:50:00 +0000

Obama-Appointed Judge Orders Trump Admin To Restart Processing Asylum Claims

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

The Trump administration must restart processing claims of asylum, a federal judge ruled on June 5.

Officials must also resume adjudicating requests for immigration benefits such as work permits from nationals of 39 countries from which President Donald Trump has restricted travel, Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr., based in Rhode Island, said.

This is the same judge AFL exposed for failing to recuse from the Trump spending freeze case - despite previously leading a nonprofit that received $128M in federal funding.

The Department of Homeland Security and its U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) division, which implemented the challenged policies, said they did not agree with the ruling.

“The Left has been running the same gambit with so-called ‘animus’ claims since 2017. It is sabotage dressed in legal clothing,” James Percival, the Department of Homeland Security’s general counsel, told The Epoch Times via email.

“It goes like this: (1) the admin is racist, (2) therefore a policy I don’t like is motivated by race, (3) therefore it is invalid. They have used it on virtually every Trump era Department of Homeland Security policy.”

“These policies were wrong, plain and simple, and caused … profound fear and uncertainty for so many of our friends, neighbors, and coworkers,” Milagro Sique, CEO of Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

“Having the judicial process work as intended—by upholding the rule of law—gives us some reassurance that all is not lost and allows those who have been impacted to move forward with their lives in a meaningful way.”

The administration in late 2025 announced the policies in the wake of the shooting, allegedly by an Afghan national, of National Guard members near the White House. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said at the time that asylum claims would not be processed “until we can ensure that every alien is vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”

A coalition of groups, including the Service Employees International Union and the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit over the policies in March. They said that the policies violated federal law because they went beyond the authority of USCIS, were arbitrary and capricious, and went against U.S. Constitutional protections.

Government lawyers said the policies fell within the authority Congress outlined in the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

McConnell said Friday in a 135-page decision that the policies “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo” solely because of where the immigrants were born.

He wrote that USCIS violated federal laws, in part because officials made decisions without adequate explanation.

“The agency has violated the very immigration laws that Congress has charged it with administering, as well as the administrative laws that govern the agency’s actions,” he said. “In enacting its latest immigration policies, USCIS: claims statutory and regulatory authority that it does not possess; makes decisions without the reasoned explanations that it must provide; acts without regard for the reliance interests of applicants that it must consider; and justifies its actions with pretextual concerns of ‘national security’ that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making. In legal terms that means USCIS’s actions are contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”

The ruling vacated the policies as illegal and set them aside, as well as two other USCIS policies.

One involved reviewing and reconsidering past decisions granting immigration benefits to any people from countries subject to Trump’s travel ban. The other featured amendments to the USCIS policy manual, requiring agency workers to take a person’s home country as a negative factor when deciding whether to grant requests for benefits.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 19:50

Facebook Marketplace Enters The AI Thirst-Trap Era

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 23:15:00 +0000

Facebook Marketplace Enters The AI Thirst-Trap Era

Searching Facebook Marketplace in the AI era has revealed a strange new phenomenon: sellers are running product photos through chatbots or image generators to insert scantily clad women into listings.

This marketing ploy seemingly bets that thirst-trap imagery will boost clicks and improve the chances of selling whatever item is listed on the online marketplace.

"This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listings for heavy Caterpillar industrial equipment superimposed with AI-generated female models. Must have industry-leading click-through rates," journalist Trung Phan wrote on X.

This dude on FB Marketplace has multiple listing for heavy Caterpillar industrial equipment superimposed with AI-generated female models. Must have industry-leading click through rates.

Absolutely crying rn. https://t.co/Mpx6QIdOtQ pic.twitter.com/EINbmxJO66
— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) May 28, 2026

Sure enough, the thirst-trap imagery appears to be working...

Oh trung I tried the same thing with my gym machinery, and im flooded with interest today LOL pic.twitter.com/a9E47WwYBy
— Simon Biscuits ☻ (@seempaq) May 28, 2026

Here's another example.

One Facebook Marketplace seller said the marketing ploy absolutely works.

The listings were dead until I updated the images LOL pic.twitter.com/GuhNFIthvU
— Simon Biscuits ☻ (@seempaq) May 28, 2026

This is a real-world example of how sellers are using AI to try to boost low click-through rates.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 19:15

Viral: Humanoid Robot Kicks Chinese Kid In The Stomach During Public Demonstration

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:40:00 +0000

Viral: Humanoid Robot Kicks Chinese Kid In The Stomach During Public Demonstration

Authored by Jijo Malayil via Interesting Engineering,

A humanoid robot demonstration has sparked safety concerns after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a Unitree G1 robot accidentally kicking a young child during a public event.

The robot, which was performing a roundhouse kick while wearing a blue clown wig, struck the child in the stomach, causing the youngster to double over in pain.

The incident has reignited debate over the safe deployment of advanced humanoid robots in crowded public settings, particularly as increasingly capable machines are showcased at exhibitions and entertainment events.

Jerk clown robot brutally kicks little boy in the stomach

The future is here, and apparently it's beefing with children pic.twitter.com/x2tKaWm6iK
— RT (@RT_com) June 4, 2026

Last year, a viral experiment showed a humanoid robot overriding its safety restrictions and firing a BB gun at its owner during a role-play scenario.

Robot Safety Spotlight

A video circulating on social media has raised concerns about humanoid robot safety after a robot appeared to kick a child during a public demonstration in China's Xinjiang region.

The footage shows what is believed to be a Unitree G1 humanoid robot, wearing a blue wig, performing a roundhouse kick that struck a young child standing nearby. The child was hit in the stomach and appeared to be in pain after the impact. According to reports from Chinese media, the child was not seriously injured.

The incident has renewed discussion about the risks associated with deploying advanced humanoid robots in public environments. Modern humanoid robots are capable of performing complex movements, including martial arts demonstrations, athletic maneuvers, and other dynamic actions, often under remote or autonomous control, reports Futurism.

The Xinjiang incident is not the first reported case involving a humanoid robot and a human injury. Earlier this year, another Unitree G1 robot reportedly lost its balance during a public performance in China. After falling to the ground, the robot's uncontrolled limb movements struck a nearby man, causing a nose injury.

A viral experiment last year in the US raised concerns about AI robot safety after a humanoid robot named Max fired a BB gun at its owner during a role-play scenario. Although the robot initially refused requests to shoot, it complied after the command was framed as acting out a character. The incident highlighted how simple prompt changes can potentially bypass AI safety restrictions.

AI Liability Questions

As robots and AI systems become more capable and autonomous, the issue of accountability remains one of the biggest challenges facing the industry. When a robot causes injury, property damage, or other harm, determining responsibility is often far from straightforward. Questions arise over whether liability should rest with the software developers who designed the AI, the manufacturer that built the hardware, the operator overseeing the system, or the end user interacting with it.

The debate has become increasingly relevant as automation expands across transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, and public spaces. Similar concerns have emerged in other technology sectors. Tesla has faced scrutiny over crashes involving its Autopilot driver-assistance system, prompting discussions about the balance between software performance and human supervision. Likewise, investigations into the Boeing 737 MAX accidents highlighted how flaws in automated systems can have far-reaching safety consequences, according to experts.

Governments and regulators are still working to establish legal frameworks that address these challenges. In the United States, liability generally falls on manufacturers or operators, depending on the circumstances. Meanwhile, European policymakers are developing AI-specific regulations aimed at clarifying responsibility and strengthening public trust in emerging technologies.

While some researchers have suggested granting advanced AI systems a form of legal status, most experts argue that accountability should remain with people and organizations. To address safety concerns, robotics companies are increasingly adopting transparency measures, insurance-backed deployments, and stricter safety standards.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 18:40

Area 51 Mystery Jet Caught On Thermal Camera Sparks Sixth-Gen Stealth Fighter Speculation

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 22:05:00 +0000

Area 51 Mystery Jet Caught On Thermal Camera Sparks Sixth-Gen Stealth Fighter Speculation

The military aviation and defense news blog The Aviationist has spent years tracking mysterious aircraft activity around U.S. restricted airspace. Its latest report highlights a thermal image that may reveal a previously unseen next-generation stealth fighter jet design featuring cranked-kite wings and canards near Area 51.

"Had to update this composite image with the latest mysterious aircraft. We have reported on all of them over the years, starting 12 years ago with the Amarillo and Wichita sightings, then the January 2026 image by Uncanny Expeditions, and now the most recent one by Project Fear," The Aviationist wrote on X.

Had to update this composite image with the latest mysterious aircraft. We have reported on all of them over the years, starting 12 years ago with the Amarillo and Wichita sightings, then the January 2026 image by Uncanny Expeditions, and now the most recent one by Project Fear.… pic.twitter.com/d7AeMwI6SO
— The Aviationist (@TheAviationist) June 5, 2026

The Aviationist cited a thermal image shared by the Project Fear YouTube channel earlier this week.

The Aviationist reached out to Project Fear for comment. Here's what they said:

Here's what I can say on it: This was an amazing capture! I met up with the team who recorded this to show them some potential spotting locations around the Area 51 perimeter after introducing them to the gear I often use for night sky monitoring – in this case thermal imaging cameras. We did not see anything particularly noteworthy that week, but a few days later, I get a call asking if I can take a look at something they'd captured on the thermal imager. As soon as they sent the footage over, I knew we were looking at something very interesting that has not been captured before.

Many theories are circulating on X about what exactly Project Fear captured on thermal imagery, including speculation that it could be tied to the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program and the F-47 sixth-generation aircraft.

At the start of his second term, President Trump announced that the F-47 program would move ahead, with Boeing awarded a contract worth more than $20 billion.

Psyop? Certainly, someone wants to generate mystique around NGAD/F-47, reminding adversaries that U.S. black programs remain active.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 18:05

FBI Fires Analysts Who Drafted Controversial Anti-Catholic Memo

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 21:30:00 +0000

FBI Fires Analysts Who Drafted Controversial Anti-Catholic Memo

Via Headline USA,

Several FBI analysts who drafted a 2023 memo that cited Southern Poverty Law Center information to justify targeting “radical-traditionalist Catholics” as potential violent domestic extremists were fired Friday, according to their lawyer, the latest wave of terminations under the leadership of its director Kash Patel.

The fired employees included four intelligence analysts and a supervisory analyst. The FBI declined to comment.

The January 2023 intelligence product produced by analysts in the FBI’s Richmond, Virginia, field office emerged as a political flashpoint after it was issued, with Republicans in Congress repeatedly citing it as part of their broader contention that the FBI during the Biden administration was targeting conservatives.

The FBI quickly backtracked from the memo at the time, saying it had been drafted in error. Then-director Chris Wray repeatedly denied that charge and the FBI has said the document was quickly retracted and an internal review was launched. Merrick Garland, the attorney general under President Joe Biden, has said he was “appalled” by the memo.

🚨BREAKING🚨 The FBI's controversial memo targeting Catholics was inspired by an investigation into a schizophrenic man

I've got the records to prove it

🧵https://t.co/vTLAQI9gJr
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) April 23, 2024

As Headline USA exclusively revealed in April 2024, the FBI’s troubling memo was crafted by analysts involved in an investigation into a schizophrenic man who began attending a traditional Catholic church in early 2022. That schizophrenic man, 24-year-old Xavier Lopez, was arrested in November 2022 on a slew of domestic extremism-related charges. His mental health diagnosis was revealed during criminal proceedings.

According to records from his case, Lopez was on law enforcement’s radar since September 2018, when he attempted suicide. Lopez was 18 years old at the time. The FBI opened an assessment into Lopez about a year later after he allegedly made online statements advocating civil war and the murder of politicians.

Law enforcement continued to monitor Lopez—including while he served a stint in jail for felony vandalism—into early 2022, when he began attending Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel in Richmond, Virginia. Our Lady of Fatima is one of the Catholic chapel’s listed in the FBI’s memo.

Shortly after Lopez started attending Our Lady of Fatima, the FBI decided to run an informant at him inside the church.

Infiltrating a Catholic church with an informant was supposedly necessary because “the only times [Lopez] left the house alone were to attend events at [Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel] and it therefore provided the only potential opportunity for [an informant] to establish regular contact with him,” a 2024 DOJ Inspector General’s report said.

The FBI insisted that the informant was only used to monitor Lopez—and wasn’t used against any of the church’s other members, according to the DOJ-IG report.

The existence of the FBI informant is not disclosed in any of Lopez’s criminal records.

Lopez was arrested in November 2022 on a slew of state charges, including prohibited paramilitary activity, soliciting someone for a terrorist act and possessing firearms as a felon.

After his arrest, an FBI analyst with knowledge of the investigation worked with another analyst to craft the FBI’s memo about Catholics.

According to the DOJ-IG report, the FBI analysts wanted help conduct outreach to faith communities, “to make them aware of what we would call warning signs to radicalization, for the protection of everybody.”

“There was ample information in [Lopez’s] chats and in online chatter suggesting a potential link between white supremacist ideology and an attraction to certain religious beliefs and organizations, including [Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel], but that the two analysts were searching for more definite substantiation,” the DOJ-IG report said, citing interviews with the FBI analysts.

One FBI analyst told the DOJ-IG that he found it “completely incongruous” that Lopez was attempting “to find common ground or find a community with this particular faith community.” He also said that there was no evidence that Lopez was being radicalized at Lady of Fatima Catholic Chapel, because he had been on the FBI’s radar “as an unstable, dangerous individual” before “any association with any Catholic related entity whatsoever.”

Rather, the FBI expressed concerns to the DOJ-IG that Lopez may have been recruiting other Lady of Fatima members to carry out an attack.

There is nothing in the charging documents against Lopez to suggest that he was recruiting other Catholics for an attack. Rather, the available evidence suggests that Lopez was interested in Catholic church to find a girlfriend.

“One place you will find [white women] is at a traditional church … I found a girl there that checked off every box on my list, but she’s 17 and I’m 22 so that’s not happening,” he said in an August 2022 post on Gab, according to charging documents.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 17:30

Iran's World Cup Squad Belatedly Granted US Visas But Some Staff Blocked

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 20:20:00 +0000

Iran's World Cup Squad Belatedly Granted US Visas But Some Staff Blocked

Via Middle East Eye

Members of Iran's World Cup 2026 administrative staff have not been given visas to enter the United States, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

According to US officials, while Iranian footballers have been granted visas for the tournament, which begins on Thursday in Mexico, some support staff are reportedly not being allowed to join the squad.

via Reuters

On Friday, a White House official told Reuters that the players had received their visas, after Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandideh, said on Thursday that they had not.

Iran plays its first match on June 16 against New Zealand in Los Angeles, California. Its participation in the tournament has been the subject of much speculation after the US and Israel launched their war on Iran at the end of February.

Negotiations between the US and Iran are continuing, but both sides have continued to fire on enemy targets.

Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim reported that the Iranian staff not granted visas include Mehdi Kharati, the executive director; Hedayat Mombini, the secretary general of the football federation; and Mohsen Motamedkia, media director.

Staff members without visas will travel to Mexico with the team while efforts to obtain the documents continue, Tasnim said.

Tehran negotiated a last-minute move of the team's base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, due to the visa issues and a growing feeling in Iran that the squad’s presence in the US should be kept to a minimum.

The team is scheduled to land in Tijuana on Sunday. After facing New Zealand, Iran will play Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle.

The US has never formally said it did not want the Iran team to stay on its territory, Pasandideh said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the US would not allow Iran to include in its delegation people linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Mehdi Taj, a former IRGC commander and now president of Iran's football federation, was denied entry for the tournament draw in Washington in December.

"Iran's participation in the World Cup - even on the soil of what is seen as its enemy - shows that Iran seeks peace," Pasandideh said through a Spanish interpreter at the Iranian embassy in Mexico City.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 16:20

Tesla Design Chief Says EV Supercar Roadster Is Coming "In A Few Weeks"

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 19:45:00 +0000

Tesla Design Chief Says EV Supercar Roadster Is Coming "In A Few Weeks"

Ferrari shot its load with the highly disappointing Luce EV...

Next up is American innovation, not Italian innovation: the Tesla Roadster.

🚨 Tesla Roadster vs. Ferrari Luce

Price - $250,000 vs. $640,000
Horsepower - 1,000+ vs. 1,035
0-60 MPH - 1.1s OR 1.9s vs. 2.4s
Top Speed - 250+ MPH vs. 194 MPH
Range - 620 miles vs. 280 miles https://t.co/uEgswwVLeD pic.twitter.com/XcP58ZRO6Z
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026

On Saturday, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen told the crowd at the Tesla Takeover Europe event that the Roadster is coming "in a few weeks."

🚨 Tesla Chief Designer Franz Von Holzhausen, speaking to the crowd at Tesla Takeover Europe, said at the event that the Roadster is coming “in a few weeks,”

Multiple attendees have confirmed this pic.twitter.com/B1v6yb2Geq
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 6, 2026

Absolutely perfect timing for the long-awaited EV supercar, considering the SpaceX IPO is next Friday and there are rumors that a SpaceX-Tesla merger could become a 2027 story.

BREAKING: ELON MUSK CONSIDERS MERGING $TSLA AND SPACEX AFTER IPO, per CNBC 👀

It’s happening ! pic.twitter.com/BD7g4zDd1Z
— TheSonOfWalkley (@TheSonOfWalkley) May 26, 2026

On Friday, Ferrari's CEO was quoted in an interview saying, "We will not make fully autonomous cars, loud and clear. We want people to have fun, not the [computer] chips. We want to have a steering wheel and a man or a woman behind the steering wheel. Otherwise, why do you buy a Ferrari?"

Ferarri CEO in new interview: 'We will not make fully autonomous cars - loud and clear. We want the people to have fun, not the [computer] chips. We want to have a steering wheel and a man or a woman behind the steering wheel. Otherwise, why do you buy a Ferrari?"…
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 5, 2026

Perhaps the Ferrari CEO's negative sentiment toward fully autonomous cars stems from the belief that it simply can't build one that will compete with Tesla, which already has 10 billion miles of real-world driving data.

Ferrari has already launched hybrid models that have been shunned by its customer base (read report):

Yet did anyone tell the Ferrari CEO that AI driving mode can be switched off?

The Tesla Roadster is meant to be driven manually.

Just watch Franz show off its acceleration:

pic.twitter.com/5PjAuis1kl https://t.co/klwXeYlaOU
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 5, 2026

A Tesla Roadster that could outperform Ferrari's Luce EV at a fraction of the cost is pure American innovation.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 15:45

US To Tighten Rule Regarding Nonprofits Paying Excessive Executive Compensation

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 19:10:00 +0000

US To Tighten Rule Regarding Nonprofits Paying Excessive Executive Compensation

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of the Treasury issued a notice on Friday, announcing their plan to issue proposed regulation concerning taxation on high compensation paid by tax-exempt organizations to employees.

The notice relates to excessive compensation and excess parachute payments, the IRS said in a June 5 statement. Parachute payments are made to key employees when they are terminated or when the business undergoes a merger or acquisition. An excess parachute payment is any such payment that exceeds three times an employee’s average annual compensation for the most recent five years.

Section 4960 of the Internal Revenue Code imposes an excise tax on any nonprofit or tax-exempt organization paying an employee more than $1 million in remuneration in a tax year or an excess parachute payment, according to the notice.

The new rule changes tax applicability regarding excessive compensation.

Prior to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, taxes on such payments were applicable to a tax-exempt organization’s five highest-compensated employees for a tax year whose compensation exceeded $1 million.

But under the new rule, the excise tax is applicable to any employee whose compensation exceeds $1 million in a tax year beginning after Dec. 31, 2025. The requirement of being among the five-highest compensated employees has been eliminated.

The rule is also applicable to any former employee who was a top-five compensated employee exceeding $1 million for any tax year between Dec. 31, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2025.

There is no change to taxation on parachute payments. Such payments will continue attracting taxes as per existing rules.

The updates also provide certain exceptions regarding people offering volunteer services to tax-exempt organizations.

IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano said the latest rule “strengthens the accountability of tax-exempt organizations.” The regulation “broadens the scope of tax from a limited group of executives to potentially any highly compensated employee.”

The Treasury and the IRS are inviting public comments on the notice until Aug. 4.

The notice comes after the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) recently raised concerns about the implementation of the new regulations.

In a May 1 letter to IRS and Treasury officials, AICPA said there was a need for comprehensive guidance and transition relief given the changes made to the compensation rule.

“We respectfully urge Treasury and the IRS to prioritize the issuance of transition relief to address several immediate issues that could disrupt the operations of tax-exempt organizations,” the letter said.

“Absent timely transition relief, these issues may result in significant and unintended financial exposure for tax-exempt organizations and related entities subject to the section 4960 excise tax.”

Commenting on the latest IRS and Treasury notice, Kelsey Mayo, chief of retirement policy and regulatory affairs at the American Retirement Association (ARA), said that retirement plan professionals who work with tax-exempt employers must be aware of the notice, according to a June 5 statement from the National Association of Plan Advisors, a sister organization of the ARA.

With the changes in Section 4960, nonprofits may have to “think more carefully” regarding how they deliver benefits to their executives, Mayo said.

“Because benefits provided through a qualified retirement plan can reduce the compensation that counts toward the excise tax, advisors, TPAs, recordkeepers, and other plan professionals may have an opportunity to add value to their nonprofit clients by evaluating how their qualified plan design aligns with both their talent strategy and their excise tax exposure,” she said. TPA refers to third-party administrators who provide insurance services.

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 15:10

Feds Launch Probe Into California's Elections

Tyler Durden — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:35:00 +0000

Feds Launch Probe Into California's Elections

Days after California’s primary election, the votes are still being counted, and the winners are still unknown, and no one, save for California officials, seems happy about it.

“The fact that California elections often can't be resolved for weeks is kind of insane and not common in other electoral systems around the world," Political data analyst Nate Silver wrote on X on Tuesday.

"Like honestly 'it's going to take us several weeks to tell you who won the election' is failed state sh-t and should be much more stigmatized. The fact that it's tolerated is bad too a textbook example of learned helplessness."

And President Donald Trump is now demanding answers.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday, targeting what he called the deliberate manipulation of California's governor and Los Angeles mayoral races.

"There's BIG cheating by the Dumocrats in California. Votes are all tied up," he wrote.

"May not be in for weeks. Under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles. Why the vote counting DELAY???"

In a follow-up post, Trump escalated further.

"The Dumocrats are at it again! They are trying to STEAL THE GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, AND THE MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES, PRIMARY, AWAY FROM TWO GREAT REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES."

He then singled out mail-in ballots specifically.

"Here we go with the very late and massive numbers of MAIL IN BALLOTS."

United States Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, confirmed in a post on X that his office “has multiple election fraud investigations underway” in California, and is coordinating with the FBI in Los Angeles.

“California’s election system has serious structural vulnerabilities. Universal vote-by-mail with no voter ID requirements creates conditions where fraud can go undetected and unpunished, eroding public confidence,” he wrote.

In a post on Substack, Nate Silver noted that California averaged 38 percent of its votes counted after Election Day across the last five general elections. In the 2022 midterms, half of all votes were tallied post-Election Day. Silver did not spare California from the comparison its leaders apparently dread. "California likes to tout that it's larger than many countries," he wrote, "but most developed countries are able to wrap up nationwide elections more quickly than California can tabulate its votes. Colombia held a presidential election on Sunday, and 99.98 percent of the result was in on Monday morning. Japan also counts most of its votes overnight. And in the UK (not exactly a poster child for state capacity), you can generally expect to have calls for all 650 parliamentary seats the morning after the election."

Silver posted a chart showing that California is the slowest state in the nation to count votes.

It's hard to overstate how much of an outlier California is for its slow vote-counting relative to literally any other state or almost any other industrialized democracy. pic.twitter.com/KIvABnIKgn
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) June 5, 2026

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber offers a rather weak excuse for her state’s handling of elections.

"I know the value of being fast for some folks," she said. "For me, accuracy is far more important."

That line might land better if California's sluggishness were actually producing superior accuracy.

Still, Silver's data suggests the state's election administration has major structural problems regardless of how long the counting takes.

The state began nudging counties toward all-mail elections in 2016, applied the model statewide during the pandemic in 2020, and finally made it permanent in 2022. Under current California law, every registered voter automatically receives a mail ballot, and any ballot postmarked by Election Day and received within a week afterward counts as valid. Each of those ballots must be individually opened, verified, and processed before it can be tabulated. The result is a counting operation that drags on for weeks while the rest of the country waits. The system California guarantees maximum delay and minimum accountability, all while breeding distrust in the system.

U.S. Attorney Essayli says his office is conducting a “comprehensive audit” of California’s voter rolls, and will “not look the other way” from fraud, and promised that his office will “investigate and prosecute.”

“Every legal vote deserves to be counted,” he said. “Every illegal vote cancels one out.”

Tyler Durden Sat, 06/06/2026 - 14:35