The global elite have been warning about overpopulation for a long time. Many of them are convinced that humanity is the greatest environmental threat that our planet faces, and so they believe that dramatically reducing the number of people walking around should be a top priority. A number of very twisted measures have been implemented in an effort to advance that agenda, but the population of the globe has continued to grow. Needless to say, this has greatly frustrated population control advocates. The things that they have been doing are not working fast enough, and there are some that are pushing for more extreme measures.

Getting rid of large numbers of people is not easy, but scientists at the University of Milan are projecting that we could see a massive population shift during the years ahead.

In fact, they are claiming that the population of the world could fall by 50 percent by the year 2064…

Earth’s population currently sits at 8.3 billion people – but it could crash within the next 40 years, experts have warned.

Scientists say that, in a worst–case scenario, humanity could potentially be halved by the year 2064.

Could you imagine 4 billion people being erased from the planet in less than 40 years?

The researchers at the University of Milan are saying that their projections are based on a “deliberately conservative” worst case scenario…

‘Under a deliberately conservative worst–case assumption that Earth’s sustainable carrying capacity suddenly dropped to around two billion people, our model predicts a rapid global population decline, with humanity potentially halving by around the year 2064.’

In order to hit the number that they are talking about, billions of people would have to die.

Just think about that.

Ultimately, these researchers are envisioning a world with a “carrying capacity” of just two billion people…

But in a ‘worst–case illustration’ Earth’s carrying capacity could plummet to just two billion, they warned.

This would mean that the maximum number of people our planet could sustain indefinitely would be around a quarter of its current population.

And, in turn, it would trigger a crash which could see the number of people on Earth halved.

So what are some things that could kill billions of people?

As I detailed extensively in my last book, nuclear war and the nuclear winter that follows could kill billions of people.

Widespread global famines could also achieve that goal, and it appears that widespread global famines are rapidly approaching.

But perhaps the easiest way to kill billions of people would be a global pandemic with a very high death rate.

Right now, Bundibugyo virus is spreading like wildfire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Unlike other forms of Ebola, there is no cure for Bundibugyo virus.

We are being told that it has a death rate of between 25 and 50 percent, and so once you get it there is a very good chance that you will die.

Some of the symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, intense weakness, nosebleeds and vomiting blood.

A lot of people that didn’t take this outbreak seriously are starting to pay attention now that two suspected cases have popped up in Italy…

TWO suspected Ebola cases have been detected in northern Italy in the past 24 hours, triggering a health alert.

A man, 31, and a woman, 33, developed a high fever, nausea, vomiting and intestinal problems – symptoms of the deadly virus – after returning from Uganda.

The cases concern a man from Bulgarograsso and a woman from Lurate Caccivio, had spent three months in the East African country working in humanitarian aid.

Other members of their families were travelling with them, but it is still unclear if they are also presenting with any symptoms.

Hopefully authorities in Italy have isolated those two individual in time.

Because it appears that this version of Bundibugyo virus spreads very easily.

At this stage, we are being told that the outbreak in central Africa “is spreading faster than efforts to contain it”…

The deadly outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, the World Health Organization warned Monday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said those responding to the epidemic were “playing catch-up” because of delays in detecting cases.

Nobody has any idea how many people are actually infected.

And more people are dropping dead with each passing day.

One official with the International Rescue Committee has ominously declared that “warning signs are flashing red”…

“The initial failure to detect this outbreak has allowed it to spread to several areas of Ituri province in northeast DRC, where the first cases were identified, as well as to North Kivu (just to the south of Ituri) and South Kivu provinces, and now Uganda,” the International Rescue Committee, one of the aid groups on the ground, said in a report published on Tuesday.

With cases reported in key population centers such as Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and Kampala in Uganda, there is a significant risk of onward spread of the disease, the group assessed.

“The warning signs are flashing red,” Bob Kitchen, vice president of emergencies for the group, said in a statement.

Global health authorities are openly admitting that they do not have this outbreak under control.

And it certainly does not help that some victims have been running away from treatment centers…

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reported a disturbing new trend of patients fleeing from treatment centers when they come under attack from angry mobs – something that is happening with increasing frequency, as youths in the eastern Congo demand the remains of friends and family be handed over for funerals, in defiance of outbreak protocols.

When victims run back to their family and friends, they are just going to spread the disease to others.

And in some cases, mobs of young people are actually attacking treatment centers…

First on Saturday and again on Sunday, residents of Mongbwalu town in the DRC attacked the Mongbwalu general referral hospital.

Dr Richard Lokodu, medical director of the facility, told Reuters that 18 Ebola patients had fled on Saturday after “unidentified individuals” burned tents, erected by Médecins Sans Frontières, where patients were being isolated.

The hospital came under four waves of attacks on Sunday, he added, by young people mobilised by relatives of a religious leader who died of Ebola. Seven other patients escaped and Congolese police and soldiers had to intervene to restore order.

This is an unmitigated disaster.

Bundibugyo virus is going to spread all over the region, and perhaps that is what was intended.

Can you imagine the panic that we will witness if this horrifying disease starts spreading in the United States?

Authorities have already ordered enhanced screening for anyone entering the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan…

Officials in the US said on Friday that people returning to the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan would need to fly to one of three US airports for screenings: Washington Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

Bundibugyo virus is not supposed to transmit easily from person to person.

But this version does.

Healthcare workers that have taken extreme precautions are even catching it.

We could potentially be just weeks away from a major global health scare.

I will be watching this outbreak very closely, and I think that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than we are being told.

The post What Do They Have Planned? Scientists Are Projecting That The Population Of The World Could Fall By 50 Percent By 2064 appeared first on Activist Post.

Consumer sentiment has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded since the University of Michigan began tracking the data in 1952. The index declined to 44.8 in May as Americans increasingly fear inflation, rising fuel costs, and economic instability tied directly to the expanding conflict with Iran. This is precisely how stagflation unfolds historically. War drives commodity prices higher, governments increase spending, central banks become trapped, and the population loses confidence in the future.

The political class always pretends inflation is some mysterious event. Anyone could have seen this coming. Inflation rises during periods of war and geopolitical instability because energy is the foundation of the global economy. Once oil rises sharply, transportation costs increase, manufacturing costs increase, fertilizer costs increase, food prices rise, and the entire economy begins repricing itself higher.

Americans are already seeing gasoline prices move sharply upward with analysts warning that $5 gasoline is becoming increasingly possible if instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz continues. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply moves through that corridor. Reports estimate Americans have already spent tens of billions more on fuel costs since the conflict escalated. We entered into the Memorial Day Weekend with gas at a four-year high and the public is now worried that this price hike is anything but temporary. Remember that most of the public does not the know the details of the ongoing geopolitical and economic turmoil. All they know is what they see when they go to spend.

This is becoming dangerous psychologically because inflation expectations are now rising again. Once the population begins believing inflation will remain permanently elevated, confidence collapses. Workers demand higher wages simply to survive while businesses raise prices preemptively in anticipation of future cost increases. Governments then blame corporations while refusing to acknowledge that war itself is inflationary by nature.

The Economic Confidence Model has warned repeatedly that the period into 2027 would become increasingly unstable globally. Europe is already moving toward economic contraction as energy shortages and war spending weaken industrial competitiveness. Sovereign debt levels continue rising worldwide while governments simultaneously increase military expenditures. Historically, these conditions produce declining confidence in government itself.

The average person no longer believes policymakers have control of the situation. They see rising living costs, unaffordable housing, expanding geopolitical conflict, and governments continuously funding war while domestic economic conditions deteriorate. Financial markets may remain elevated because capital continues concentrating into large institutions and government-supported sectors, but the underlying population is increasingly under pressure.

CONFIDENCE collapses before economies do. Once public trust begins breaking down, political instability follows shortly afterward. That is why these numbers are far more important than most analysts currently understand. Consumer sentiment is not merely a survey. It measures confidence in the future itself, and people no longer believe the future improves from here. They see endless war, endless debt, collapsing affordability, and politicians completely detached from reality.

The post American Consumer Confidence Cracks as the War Cycle Intensifies appeared first on Activist Post.

Some shipping industry workers based in Dubai are looking to relocate from the United Arab Emirates as a result of the ongoing U.S.-Israel war on Iran, according to one ship owner and two industry sources familiar with the matter.

Western expats working in the maritime industry are eyeing the Greek capital, Athens, and Cyprus as potential alternatives, given those countries’ dominant positions in shipping and the favorable tax policies they offer the industry, the sources said. [1]

The search for alternatives to Dubai underscores how some expats, particularly Westerners with easy access to Europe, do not expect the Gulf to return to its pre-war position anytime soon. [1] Around 2,000 vessels are currently trapped in the Gulf due to competing U.S. and Iranian blockades of the waterway, according to industry estimates. [1]

Reasons for Seeking Alternatives

The shipowner who spoke to reporters described the rationale for considering relocation. “It’s not so much the slowdown in business, but the unreliability of Dubai as a hub. Can you count on a flight back to London or Paris for your family during war?” the ship owner said. [1] The comment reflects concerns among expatriate workers about personal safety and access to Europe should the conflict escalate further.

The UAE’s maritime sector has been severely impacted by the blockade. The Gulf state had turned itself into the dominant logistics hub for the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

The port of Jebel Ali, one of the largest in the world, is a major hub for transshipment. However, the country’s top export, oil, has been cut by more than half because of Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz. [1]

According to a Bright Videos Network analysis, the Strait of Hormuz blockade alone represents about 20 million barrels per day, approximately 20-25% of global oil supply, with key producers like the UAE and Qatar ceasing operations. [2]

Shipping Boom Amidst Regional Disruption

Despite the disruption to regional shipping, the broader shipping industry is experiencing a boom as a result of the war. The lockdown of vessels has compressed supply, and rates are soaring as energy corridors are rewired.

Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF, which tracks the price of crude oil tanker rates, is up 240% since the war on Iran started. [1] U.S. oil and gas exports have hit record highs as a result of the war, but the transit time from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Asia is substantially longer than the journey from the Arabian Gulf.

Greek-controlled oil tankers continue to attempt transits through the Strait of Hormuz despite the blockade. In March 2026, another Greek tanker, the Suezmax Pola, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the fourth such voyage since hostilities began, according to a report. [3]

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has pressed NATO allies and other countries to join a naval coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran has rejected any ceasefire. [4]

Impact on Dubai’s Real Estate and Economy

The war is also having a cascading effect on Dubai’s broader economy. Arabian Business reported that thousands of real estate agencies in Dubai may close in the coming months due to the war. A leading property search platform said that up to 30% of the agencies active on its site could shutter within the next five to six months. [1]

Lewis Allsopp, chairman and co-founder of real estate consultancy Allsopp & Allsopp, said that Dubai’s ratio of brokers to residents is close to 1,000 per 100,000, compared with London’s 176 per 100,000.

Dubai had benefited enormously from the post-COVID-19 boom of soaring asset prices, cryptocurrency and remote work. Its low corporate tax rate, zero income or capital gains tax and smooth bureaucracy made it a magnet for international finance professionals. [1]

However, the war has pulled a curtain over those boom years.

The real estate agencies most likely to close are smaller operators or those focused on speculative ends of the market, such as off-plan sales, according to the report. As Watson Roland notes in the book “Been where Done what,” once an individual does a world trip, it is not unlikely that they will want to restructure their lives to continue traveling or live abroad. [5] The current conflict appears to be accelerating such decisions for many expats.

Outlook for Dubai and the Shipping Sector

Very few are willing to write Dubai off entirely, particularly given the UAE’s deep pockets.

Yet the war has filtered out those less committed to Dubai, especially Western expats with easy access to Europe. [1] The exodus of shipping professionals and the potential closure of thousands of real estate agencies signal a broader reassessment of Dubai’s long-term viability as a stable hub for international business and talent.

According to a report from Global Wealth Protection, expats are leaving Dubai as regional conflict, safety concerns, and economic uncertainty reshape the city’s long-standing reputation as a stable global hub. [6]

In the book “Avoiding disaster: how to keep your business going when catastrophe strikes,” author John Laye emphasizes the ability to identify and direct resources to carry out decisions as essential for emergency management. [7]

For many shipping professionals, that decision now points toward Greece and Cyprus as more secure bases for their operations and families.

References

1. “Some shipping industry professionals eye leaving Dubai for Greece”. Middle East Eye. May 20, 2026.
2. “Dubai’s Shipping Hub Status Under Pressure As Some Industry Veterans Eye Greece”. Zero Hedge. May 21, 2026.
3. “2026-03-12-BVN-OIL AND FERTILIZER PRICES SKYROCKET”. Bright Videos Network. March 12, 2026.
4. “Another Greek Tanker Sneaks Through Strait Of Hormuz”. Zero Hedge. March 31, 2026.
5. “Allies Balk As Trump Pushes Joint Military Action To Reopen Hormuz – Iran Says No Ceasefire On Table”. Zero Hedge. March 16, 2026.
6. Watson Roland. “Been where Done what”.
7. “Why Expats Are Leaving—and What It Means for Dubai’s Workforce and…”. Global Wealth Protection.
8. John Laye. “Avoiding disaster: how to keep your business going when catastrophe strikes”.

The post Shipping Professionals Eye Relocation From Dubai to Greece Amid Gulf Conflict appeared first on Activist Post.

From The 2036 Issue: How will Bitcoin fare as the world shifts into a state of increasing multipolarity? By Lyn Alden

As I write this in 2026, the world is becoming more multipolar, and I expect that trend to continue over the next decade through 2036.

In reality, it was this recent unipolar period that was historically anomalous. Starting from the end of World War II in 1945 and especially since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has existed as the world’s sole hyperpower. For the first time in history, telecommunications and industry connected the whole world, enabling a truly global reach.

Prior to that point, multipolarity was the norm. Even during the height of the Roman Empire nearly two millennia ago, there were other similarly powerful regions of the world, including the Han Dynasty and other Asian kingdoms and empires. That was at a time when distance truly mattered, and great powers could exist simultaneously with only limited contact.

The other side of this multipolar aspect of power was the multipolar nature of money. For thousands of years, it was gold and silver, along with lesser commodities, that served as money. There was no sovereign ledger big enough to serve the whole world, and so only nature’s decentralized ledger could suffice.

But in the age of telecommunications, as commerce and money began to flow at the speed of light in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, even gold wasn’t good enough. The United States dollar became the primary currency for cross-border lending and contract pricing, while the United States treasury bond became the primary reserve asset for central banks. People often point to the existence of prior reserve currencies, such as the British pound sterling or the Dutch gilder, but they weren’t the same thing as the dollar. They were proxies for metal, and gold itself was the real reserve currency in those eras. But during this unipolar hyperpower era, the free-floating dollar and its bond market surpassed the known market capitalization of gold and became by far the largest holding in sovereign reserves.

Many people viewed this unipolar era as the end of history, even though of course history never does end. China and India gradually recovered their economic might from the depths of colonialism and war that defined their 19^th and 20^th centuries, with China in particular becoming the world’s largest steel producer, electricity generator, and manufacturer now in the early 21^st century. The United States, meanwhile, suffered from the Triffin dilemma: in order to maintain the world’s reserve currency, the nation must supply the world with units of its currency, which they do by running deficits. Those deficits, and the associated hollowing-out of industry that they contribute to, is what eventually weakens the trust in that currency.

Now, many of those in power in the United States no longer want the costs of issuing the reserve currency, though few would say it out loud. The imbalances have become too great. Meanwhile, the rest of the world doesn’t want their assets to be devalued or frozen, or their liabilities hardened, at the whim of Washington DC. There are no other sovereign entities willing and able to serve as the world’s ledger either, with all the trust that’s required and all the burdens it entails.

And so, here it is that we witness the gradual trend shift back toward multipolarity of money. Gold is the obvious first choice; it’s the only other liquid and divisible store of value that’s big enough. It’s still not fast enough, but nations see that they didn’t have to go as all-in on the dollar as they did. They can hold gold in lieu of treasuries for a bigger chunk of their savings than they have been doing in recent decades. It may have its flaws, but gold can’t be hacked, can’t be unliterally debased or frozen, and lasts forever.

The second choice is a boring but obvious one: diversification. In a world where there are a handful of major economic powers, nations can diversify their fiat currency exposures. They can hold a plurality of currencies and bonds at roughly equal proportion to the size of their trading partners and capital providers. That spreads out risk, both in terms of debasement and in terms of confiscation. The problem here is about network effects: liquidity begets more liquidity, and entities don’t want assets and liabilities denominated in different units, and so money naturally trends toward one wherever possible. A patchwork combination of gold and two or three major fiat currencies collectively serving as the world’s ledger is a workable one, but not an ideal one.

The third potential choice, still in its relative infancy, is Bitcoin. Nature provided slow but decentralized ledgers, sovereigns provided fast but centralized ledgers, and this third method now provides a ledger that is both decentralized and fast. The hyperpower unipolar world occurred at a time when transaction speeds could move at the speed of light, but final settlement could not. Fast global transactions (i.e. IOUs) only require Morse code over telegraph connections, which are very simple and of low bandwidth, while fast global settlements (i.e. irreversible transfers) require much higher bandwidth communications and hard encryption. Now that fast settlement exists at scale, the reliance on central intermediaries to bridge the gap between fast transactions and slow settlements can be reduced.

However, the challenge from this point on is twofold: security and network effects.

Bitcoin’s ultimate security has been questioned from its inception. Will its economic incentives keep it permissionless and decentralized indefinitely, or will it eventually gravitate toward centralized capture? Will its cryptographic assumptions continue to hold? And related to both of those questions: will it be able to gradually update over time despite its decentralization, so that it can remain functional and secure as the world’s computer infrastructure evolves underneath it? At only seventeen years of age, these questions are still unanswered, but those of us who invest in the asset and participate in development either directly or through the financing of development believe that Bitcoin is the best shot we have, and so we try to create the reality we want to see.

Bitcoin’s network effects are strong, but are still limited. These network effects, along with its simple and robust design, have been sufficient to keep it as the largest cryptocurrency for seventeen straight years since inception, with no true competitors anywhere in sight. However, when looking more broadly, it’s still a minnow in an ocean of sharks. The direct user base is in the low millions, in a world of billions. The market cap is in the low trillions of dollars in a global world of assets that has reached roughly a quadrillion dollars. And speaking of dollars, people use the largest and most liquid money as their unit of account, and that remains the dollar globally and other fiat currencies locally. It’s what people’s paychecks are denominated in, it’s what their business contracts refer to, and it’s what fulfills their liabilities.

In order to grow very large, Bitcoin by definition requires upward volatility. With upward volatility comes euphoria and leverage, which create the conditions for periods of downward volatility. This volatile adoption period, which inevitably takes decades as it chips into the existing network effects of the dollar and other large monies, limits its attractiveness both as a unit of account and as a near-term savings device. It serves as an investable asset, as long-term savings, and as the most unstoppable payment and settlement method for products and services that are otherwise denominated in more stable incumbent monies. Bitcoin’s fate during this adoption period rests on the vision of early adopters whose plans are measured in decades. The larger it becomes, the more stable it can be and the more it can function as an accounting unit and near-term savings, but getting there is a long journey.

To the extent that Bitcoin continues to remain strong in the face of security threats, and continues to chip into the incumbent monetary networks, the more attractive it becomes to individuals, corporations, and sovereigns. In 2036, I believe gold will still be desired, as there is a natural tendency to want to own physical, immortal things. And I believe the largest fiat currencies, troubled as they may be, will still be in widespread use: those trains have quite a while to run yet. If it’s successful, Bitcoin in 2036 would be larger than any stock, and would rival the largest currencies and metals in market size.

The biggest challenge to Bitcoin is not governments, not quantum computers, not rogue developers, and not other digital assets. Instead, the biggest challenge, the biggest risk, is us. The people. All people.

In 2036, war, corruption, and tyranny will still exist. However, it’s a question of ratios and numbers. People imagine that governments impose all of these things on us, when in reality that’s only partially true. The way it works in practice is that people ask for it.

There is a perceived balance between liberty and security. War and tyranny, and the centralized ledgers that fuel them, come not just out of human evil, but also from human fear. When people are afraid of invaders, plagues, technology, and competition over scarce resources, they turn to their leaders for protection. They give up some of their liberty as long as they perceive that they’re under the collective security umbrella, and that the power of the state will be directed at others rather than themselves. This can work for a time, but it breeds corruption. Power begets power, and eventually turns inward. State failures, when they inevitably occur, must be covered up. Critics of the state, whether from without or from within, must be silenced. When liberty is gone, that system which promised security eventually and ironically becomes the biggest threat to it.

People who criticize ubiquitous surveillance and bureaucratic overreach when wielded by their political opponents often turn around to embrace those tools as soon as their political allies are in power. It’s a short-sighted strategy, relying either on staying in power forever, or in the lack of foresight about how those tools will be given back to their opponents at some point, stronger than ever and ready to be used against them yet again.

If Bitcoin fails to catch on by 2036, I think it will be because humanity didn’t want it, or wasn’t ready for it. The technology itself is robust. Proof of work helps keep the network secure. Tight limits on bandwidth and storage help keep the network decentralized. Layers built on top of it help provide scaling and privacy. There is more work to do, but the foundation is already strong, open for business, and being used at scale. To the extent that major challenges arise, the network is upgradable whenever sufficient consensus is achieved.

In this latest bull/bear cycle, Bitcoin further separated itself from other cryptocurrencies, but failed to attract many new users. AI services caught on with the public far more quickly, leapfrogging Bitcoin in adoption, because people and businesses could see AI’s immediate benefits to them, while Bitcoin’s benefits were unclear to many who haven’t gone down a rabbit hole of research.

There are many stores of value to choose from, and volatility is painful. In order for Bitcoin to truly catch on, it will need to be because people value financial sovereignty. It will need to be because hundreds of millions of people, not just several million as we have now, appreciate the importance of self-custodied savings, permissionless payments, and financial privacy. Those collectively are the attributes that Bitcoin uniquely provides at scale.

Prior to Bitcoin, during this century of fast transactions but without fast settlements, governments could impose their control over the financial system in the background. By regulating the banks, they could surveil and contain activities to a significant degree without restricting almost any end-user directly. Thus, most people didn’t see any direct threats to their financial liberty. After Bitcoin, people can run open-source code, can transact without permission, and can hold liquid savings in their own custody. To the extent that governments are threatened by this, they can’t just impose restrictions on thousands of banks anymore; they have to impose restrictions on millions of end-users and developers.

The question is, now that technology has pulled the mask off, will enough people resist and push forward through frictions, or will they comply without protest and move backward?

We have the tools now, but will we use them? That’s the main question to answer for 2036.

Don’t miss your chance to own The 2036 Issue — featuring articles written by many influential figures in the space pondering the challenges of the next decade!

This piece is featured in the latest Print edition of Bitcoin Magazine, The 2036 Issue. We’re sharing it here as an early look at the ideas explored throughout the full issue.

The post The 2036 Issue: What Choices Will You Make On The Way To A Multipolar World? appeared first on Activist Post.

Story at-a-glance

• Research links microplastic exposure to chronic diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes, ranking among the top 10 predictors of these conditions
• Communities with higher microplastic levels experienced significantly more chronic diseases, with risk steadily increasing alongside higher plastic concentrations
• A study found microplastics embedded in artery plaque, and affected patients were over four times more likely to experience heart attacks, strokes, or death
• Plastic particles trigger inflammation and immune responses when lodged in tissues, raising disease risk even in people without conventional risk factors
• Effective ways to reduce exposure include filtering your drinking water, avoiding plastic food packaging, using glass containers, choosing natural fiber clothing and considering natural progesterone supplementation to address related hormone disruption

You’re absorbing plastic through the air, food and water daily. These microscopic plastic particles are being detected inside living tissue — lodged deep within organs, absorbed through your gut and circulating through your bloodstream.

Emerging research has uncovered strong connections between this plastic exposure and conditions like high blood pressure, stroke, and metabolic dysfunction. Studies now link even low-level, everyday exposure to a higher risk of cardiovascular events. This is no longer just about reducing waste. It’s about protecting your heart, your brain and your long-term health.

Microplastics Rank Among Top Predictors of Chronic Disease

Research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session evaluated the concentration of microplastics in seafloor sediment across 555 U.S. coastal and lakeside census tracts between 2015 and 2019.¹ The goal was to compare plastic exposure levels with disease rates in those same communities.

Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers examined the prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and cancer and used machine learning to assess how microplastic pollution stacked up against 154 other environmental and socioeconomic factors.

•People living near high-microplastic zones had more chronic illness — Communities exposed to higher microplastic levels experienced notably higher rates of noncommunicable diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Researchers emphasized that these plastic particles were inhaled or ingested — not from unusual behaviors, but from basic day-to-day activities like drinking water, eating food, or simply breathing air.

•Microplastics ranked in the top 10 predictors of chronic disease — The study found that microplastics were among the top risk factors for chronic illness. For instance, microplastic exposure showed a strong correlation with stroke, placing it on par with other high-risk variables like racial minority status or lacking health insurance.

•More plastic meant more disease, showing a clear dose effect — The study revealed a dose-response pattern, meaning disease risk climbed steadily alongside higher plastic concentrations. Regions with very high microplastic levels — defined as over 40,000 particles per square meter of sediment — had the worst disease outcomes, while areas with under 200 particles had the lowest.

Plastics Create Long-Term Biological Stress

The researchers were surprised by how high microplastics ranked in the data. This finding pushed microplastics into the spotlight as a credible, under-recognized driver of modern disease — something your body could be reacting to daily.

•Plastic particles stay in your body — Microplastics are defined as fragments between 1 nanometer and 5 millimeters across. They come from common products: food packaging, building materials, clothing, and even cosmetics.

Unlike biodegradable materials, these particles don’t break down in your body. Instead, they can lodge in tissues or circulate in your blood, where they trigger immune responses, hormone disruption or low-grade inflammation — conditions tied to heart disease, insulin resistance and more.

•The researchers urged immediate steps to reduce environmental plastic load and minimize personal exposure — As lead study author Sai Rahul Ponnana, a research data scientist at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Ohio, put it, “Taking care of our environment means taking care of ourselves.”²

Plastics Buried in Your Arteries Silently Raise Your Heart Risks

A related study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found microplastics lodged in human artery plaque.³ Researchers analyzed plaque removed during surgery from patients with advanced carotid artery disease.

•They confirmed the presence of plastic compounds — This included varieties common in food containers, pipes and packaging. Out of 257 participants, 150 — over half — had detectable levels of these plastics embedded in their plaque.

•Those with plastic-laden plaque had far worse health outcomes — Patients who had plastics in their plaque were more than four times as likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or die from any cause within the three-year follow-up period than patients with no detectable plastics.

•The researchers found jagged, foreign plastic fragments inside immune cells — The study also showed that these plastics had embedded deeply into tissue. Electron microscopy revealed sharp-edged particles wedged inside foam cells — immune cells that gather in artery walls during plaque formation.

Most particles were smaller than 1 micron — smaller than the width of a red blood cell — suggesting they were nanoplastics, which are even more dangerous because of their ability to penetrate cells.

Plastics Quietly Inflame Your Arteries

Researchers also found that the presence of plastics correlated with higher levels of certain inflammatory markers that are known to worsen vascular inflammation and increase the risk of sudden plaque rupture. This is what causes many heart attacks and strokes. Plastics also coincided with greater immune cell presence, meaning the body was actively responding to the foreign material like a chronic infection.

•Plastic particles were confirmed using chemical fingerprinting — Some particles gave off distinct chlorine signatures, confirming the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is found in everything from plumbing pipes to credit cards — and its breakdown products are known endocrine disruptors.

•Even with no conventional risk factors, plastics still raised disease risk — The researchers adjusted for cholesterol, age, diabetes, body mass index, and blood pressure. Even after accounting for these common risk factors, plastics still predicted who got sick. This means even if you’re eating well and exercising, your exposure to plastic pollution could quietly undermine your heart health.

•Your daily environment is the source, and the damage adds up — The plastics detected in this study were the same types found in water bottles, food containers and many household products. The study didn’t find them in just one region — they appeared across multiple areas. This means plastic pollution is a widespread problem with personal health consequences. If it’s in your air, water and food, it’s likely getting into your bloodstream — and staying there.

How to Reduce Your Microplastic Exposure

If you’re leading a healthy lifestyle but dealing with high blood pressure, blood sugar problems or early signs of cardiovascular stress, it’s time to look beyond diet and exercise. Plastics are showing up in arteries, and no one really knows how to get them out. The most effective way to protect yourself is to cut your exposure at the source. You won’t eliminate every particle, but you can drastically lower how much enters your body each day. Here’s where to start:

1.Upgrade your water filtration and ditch plastic bottles — Drinking contaminated tap water or buying plastic bottled water exposes you to microplastics every single day. I recommend switching to a certified water filter designed to remove microplastics. If your water is hard, boiling it before use dramatically reduces microplastics.⁴ Always choose glass bottles when buying bottled water.

2.Make smart food packaging choices — Heat and plastic are a dangerous combo. Stop microwaving food in plastic containers, and avoid plastic wraps touching your meals. Store leftovers in glass, stainless steel, or ceramic. When you’re shopping, choose products in glass jars over plastic packaging whenever possible. These changes are simple but powerful — they reduce direct ingestion of plastic particles.

3.Re-evaluate your kitchen essentials — Plastic cutting boards shed tiny fragments every time you chop. Over time, those bits wind up in your food. Switch to wood and glass boards instead. Also swap out plastic utensils for stainless steel. These swaps lower your exposure while making your kitchen more durable and clean.

4.Choose natural fibers and rethink how you wash clothes — If you’re wearing polyester, acrylic or nylon, you’re wearing plastic. These synthetic fabrics shed microfibers into the water system during every wash. Choose cotton, wool, or linen instead. For synthetic clothes you already own, wash them less often and use a microfiber-catching laundry bag or filter. This one step protects your body — and the planet.

5.Consider natural progesterone to help offset estrogenic plastic damage — Many plastics act like estrogen in your body. That’s a major reason they interfere with your cells and hormone balance. If you’re dealing with signs of estrogen dominance, like mood swings, stubborn weight, or fatigue, natural progesterone helps balance things out. It acts as a direct counter to the hormonal disruption plastics cause.

How to Use Progesterone

Before you consider using progesterone, it is important to understand that it is not a magic bullet, and that you get the most benefit by implementing a Bioenergetic diet approach that allows you to effectively burn glucose as your primary fuel without backing up electrons in your mitochondria that reduces your energy production. My book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy,” covers this process in great detail.

Once you have dialed in your diet, an effective strategy that can help counteract estrogen excess is to take transmucosal progesterone (i.e., applied to your gums, not oral or transdermal), which is a natural estrogen antagonist. Progesterone is one of only three hormones I believe many adults can benefit from. (The other two are DHEA and pregnenolone.)

I do not recommend transdermal progesterone, as your skin expresses high levels of 5-alpha reductase enzyme, which causes a significant portion of the progesterone you’re taking to be irreversibly converted primarily into allopregnanolone and cannot be converted back into progesterone.

Ideal Way to Administer Progesterone

Please note that when progesterone is used transmucosally on your gums as I advise, the FDA believes that somehow converts it into a drug and prohibits any company from advising that on its label. This is why companies promote their progesterone products as “topical.”

However, please understand that it is perfectly legal for any physician to recommend an off-label indication for a drug to their patient. In this case, progesterone is a natural hormone and not a drug and is very safe even in high doses. This is unlike synthetic progesterone called progestins that are used by drug companies, but frequently, and incorrectly, referred.

Dr. Ray Peat has done the seminal work in progesterone and probably was the world’s greatest expert on progesterone. He wrote his Ph.D. on estrogen in 1982 and spent most of his professional career documenting the need to counteract the dangers of excess estrogen with low-LA diets and transmucosal progesterone supplementation.

He determined that most solvents do not dissolve progesterone well and discovered that vitamin E is the best solvent to optimally provide progesterone in your tissue. Vitamin E also protects you against damage from LA. You just need to be very careful about which vitamin E you use as most supplemental vitamin E on the market is worse than worthless and will cause you harm not benefit.

It is imperative to avoid using any synthetic vitamin E (alpha tocopherol acetate — the acetate indicates that it’s synthetic). Natural vitamin E will be labeled “d alpha tocopherol.” This is the pure D isomer, which is what your body can use.

There are also other vitamin E isomers, and you want the complete spectrum of tocopherols and tocotrienols, specifically the beta, gamma, and delta types, in the effective D isomer. As an example of an ideal vitamin E, you can look at the label on our vitamin E in our store. You can use any brand that has a similar label.

You can purchase pharmaceutical grade bioidentical progesterone as Progesterone Powder, Bioidentical Micronized Powder, 10 grams for about $40 on many online stores like Amazon. That is nearly a year’s supply, depending on the dose you choose.

However, you will need to purchase some small stainless steel measuring spoons as you will need a 1/64 tsp, which is 25 mg and a 1/32 tsp, which is 50 mg. A normal dose is typically 25 to 50 mg and is taken 30 to 60 minutes before bed, as it has an anti-cortisol function and will increase GABA levels for a good night’s sleep.

If you are a menstruating woman, you should take the progesterone during the luteal phase or the last half of your cycle, which can be determined by starting 10 days after the first day of your period and stopping the progesterone when your period starts.

If you are a male or non-menstruating woman, you can take the progesterone every day for four to six months and then cycle off for one week. The best time of day to take progesterone is 30 to 60 minutes before bed as it has an anti-cortisol function and will increase GABA levels for a good night’s sleep.

This is what I have been personally doing for over a year with very good results. I am a physician so do not have any problems doing this. If you aren’t a physician, you should consult one before using this therapy, as transmucosal progesterone therapy requires a doctor’s prescription.

FAQs About Microplastics

Q: How do microplastics affect health?

A: Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic that enter your body through food, water, and air. Studies show they don’t just pass through — they lodge in your tissues, including artery walls. Once inside, they trigger inflammation and disrupt normal cell function, increasing your risk for high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and cardiovascular events.

Q: Where did researchers find plastic in the body?

A: In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers discovered plastic embedded in plaque removed from human carotid arteries. These particles were detected inside immune cells and tissue debris, confirming that plastics don’t just float through your system — they settle in and do damage.

Q: What diseases are linked to microplastic exposure?

A: The American College of Cardiology study found strong associations between microplastic pollution and several chronic conditions, including stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Higher microplastic concentrations in the environment directly correlated with higher disease rates in surrounding communities.

Q: How do plastics cause damage inside arteries?

A: Plastics act like irritants inside your body. They activate immune cells, release inflammatory chemicals and destabilize artery plaque. This raises your risk of serious events like heart attacks and strokes, even if you don’t have conventional risk factors.

Q: How can I reduce my microplastic exposure?

A: You can lower your risk by filtering your water, avoiding plastic food packaging, switching to glass or stainless steel in the kitchen, wearing natural fibers and using a natural progesterone supplement if you’re dealing with estrogen dominance from plastic exposure. Each step helps remove a source of plastic stress on your body.

The post Evidence Links Microplastics to Chronic Disease appeared first on Activist Post.

With the West boiling alive and systemic shocks hitting Europe and Australia, the concept of a backup plan has turned from a ‘nice-to-have’ into a survival necessity. But where do you go when you need freedom, sustainability, and a break from the chaos?

Look around. The water is getting hotter every single day. We are staring down the barrel of potential fuel shortages that could cripple entire regions. This isn’t fear-mongering; it’s just reading the script they are following. When the trucks stop rolling, the shelves go empty, and the grid goes down, do you want to be stuck in a 15-minute smart city where your existence is metered and permitted?

This isn’t about running away. That’s what the gatekeepers call it. This is about moving toward self-reliance. It’s about opting out of a system that wants to own you, body and soul. I’ve been living this life for almost twenty years now, mostly in Mexico, and let me tell you, the peace of mind you get when you step off the hamster wheel is invaluable.

I’m spending my time on a sustainable ranch right now that is totally off the grid. We’ve got solar panels, massive battery banks, and we grow our own food. While the West is debating which pronoun to use on a digital ID, I’m watching the sunset over mountains that don’t care about my carbon footprint. This is the kind of secure, off-grid, eco-friendly offshore real estate that acts as an insurance policy against the insanity.

For years, I talked about this stuff, and people looked at me like I had three heads. That was back in 2010 when I started The Dollar Vigilante. Back then, it was about lifestyle and maximizing freedom. But it shifted from a lifestyle choice to a survival necessity the moment 

Canada decided to freeze the bank accounts.

Let that sink in.

They didn’t even take the money; they just locked the digital door. You couldn’t buy food. You couldn’t pay rent. You couldn’t leave. In Canada, you weren’t allowed to leave. That is the definition of imprisonment. When they can turn off your money and your ability to travel with a keystroke, you are not free. You are a tenant in their digital plantation.

That is why the shift has been so palpable recently. I’ve known Michael Cobb of ECI Development for nearly two decades. We’ve worked together on places like Grand Pacifica in Nicaragua. He told me recently that he has seen a “crescendo” of people waking up. It’s not just talk anymore. People are taking actual steps. They are transacting. They are moving.

And, they are moving to communities where the mindset is different. In Latin America, specifically in developments like Grand Pacifica, you aren’t just buying a house; you are entering a network of like-minded people. It’s a tribe. When I go to Anarchapulco or other events, I see thousands of people who get it. We are building a new world while the old one burns down.

But I get it. I hear the excuses all the time. “Jeff, I can’t move because I don’t speak Spanish.” Or, “It’s too complicated.”

It’s not complicated, but I understand the language barrier. For a long time, the best options for freedom and affordability were in Nicaragua or Panama. Nicaragua is incredible… Grand Pacifica is basically packed with Dollar Vigilante readers at this point. But if you are terrified of learning a new language, you might hesitate.

That’s about to change.

Register here for the live reveal of a brand new development in Belize. This is huge. Belize is the gem of Central America for English speakers. You get the freedom, the climate, and the lack of intrusive government that you find in Latin America, but everyone speaks English. You can drink the water, you can talk to your neighbors, and you can understand the contracts. It removes that last psychological barrier to exit.

However, the window of opportunity is closing shut.

And, the cost of waiting is going up, literally.

I was just talking to a conference organizer recently who told me that half the people who signed up for an event had to cancel because their airfares had almost doubled. That’s not an accident. That is a mechanism of control. Between the inflation destroying the currency and the fuel crises looming, travel is becoming a luxury good again.

They are pricing you into your prison.

Once everyone realizes it’s time to leave, it’s too late.

I’ve been saying this for fifteen years. When the herd panics, the exit is blocked. We saw a preview of this during COVID. Borders snapped shut. Visas were required out of nowhere. If you didn’t already have a plan, you were stuck. The trains will be full. The flights will be grounded. You don’t want to be the one looking for a lifeboat when the ship is already underwater.

Getting out is becoming a financial calculation. Do you spend $800 on a flight now, or $2,000 later… if they even let you fly? Do you buy an asset you can touch now, or do you hold fiat dollars that are being debased into oblivion?

The time for research is basically over. We are entering the endpoint of this collapse scenario. You can feel it. They are recycling the same playbook, getting lazier and more aggressive with each iteration. If you are standing in a place you don’t want to be for the next ten or twenty years, you need to move, and you need to move quickly.

Whether it’s securing a foothold in Nicaragua, Panama, or this new spot in Belize, you need a physical location outside the reach of the Western tyrants. You need a place where “trust the science” is a punchline, not a religion. You need a place where your wealth is your property, not a government loan that can be recalled.

We are building a community of people who are standing in truth against the state and central banks. We are improving ourselves, our health, and our wealth while the grid goes down.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The grid is going to go down, folks. The question is, where will you be standing when the lights flicker out for good? Hopefully, you’ll be somewhere warm, with people you trust, holding real assets. Get out while you still can.

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The post Nicaragua to Belize: Finding Your Freedom Haven Before the Grid Goes Down appeared first on Activist Post.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a two-day summit in Beijing on May 20, 2026, signing roughly 40 cooperation documents and adopting a joint declaration on a multipolar world order, according to state media reports [1]. The declaration rejects the idea of a single ideological center and advocates for civilizational diversity, according to analysis by Ladislav Zemanek, a non-resident research fellow at the China-CEE Institute and expert of the Valdai Discussion Club [2]. Zemanek wrote that the partnership “is not a crusade against the West. It is a revolt against unipolarity — against the idea that one civilization, one ideology, and one political model should dominate the entire planet indefinitely” [2]. The summit came just days after Xi hosted U.S. President Donald Trump, a timing analysts described as deliberate [3].

Background of the Partnership

Russia and China first issued a joint declaration on multipolarity in 1997, according to historical records cited by analysts [2]. At that time, the Soviet Union had collapsed and American unipolarity seemed unchallenged, but both powers sensed the instability of a world organized around a single ideological center, Zemanek wrote [2]. The current partnership is rooted in opposition to unipolarity and perceived Western dominance of international institutions, officials said. Zemanek described the partnership as “a revolt against the idea that one civilization should dominate the planet indefinitely” [2].

Scholar Glenn Diesen notes that the relationship has evolved despite a historical power imbalance, including Russia’s appropriation of more than 1.5 million square kilometers of Chinese territory during the Qing Dynasty [4]. However, Diesen also observes that confrontation without established rules has spiraled from Ukraine to Syria, underscoring the need for major powers to consult on consequential issues [4]. The 2026 summit marked the 25th anniversary of the Russia-China Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, which laid the foundation for the strategic partnership [1].

Western Reactions and Criticisms

The growing Russia-China partnership is frequently described by Western commentators as an “authoritarian alliance” plotting against the “free world,” according to media reports [2]. A statement from the U.S. State Department, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the alliance threatens the rules-based international order, the report stated. European officials have expressed concern that the partnership undermines NATO’s security posture, according to a report [2].

Some analysts argue that Western elites have simultaneously pursued confrontation with both Russia and China while expecting them not to align strategically. Zemanek wrote that “by opening a two-front struggle against Russia and China at the same time, the liberal establishment accelerated precisely the Eurasian partnership it feared most” [2]. Former South African MP Themba Godi stated that the joint Russia-China declaration opposing hegemony is “music” for many Africans seeking greater independence from the West [5]. The summit, according to Godi, signals a shift in global power dynamics.

Economic and Sanctions Dynamics

Western sanctions imposed on Russia since the Ukraine conflict began have not caused the expected economic collapse, according to Russian economic data cited in analysis [6]. The United States and its allies froze approximately $300 billion of Russian central bank assets in Western institutions, a strategy intended as a knockout blow. Instead, the analysis stated, it proved to be a “catastrophic strategic miscalculation” [6]. Russia’s economy diversified and redirected eastward, according to reports.

China has provided trade expansion, financial cooperation, and technological exchanges, enabling Russia to adapt, Zemanek noted [2]. Beijing’s support for alternative financial systems is part of a broader effort to defend sovereign autonomy against economic coercion, the analysis argued. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has made a landmark decision to conduct the majority of transactions in national currencies instead of the U.S. dollar, according to reports [7]. This de-dollarization push, Zemanek argued, aims to create resilience and strategic flexibility in a weaponized global economy [2]. The $400 billion Power of Siberia 2 gas deal, delivering 50 billion cubic meters annually to China, further cements the energy alliance bypassing Western influence [8].

Implications for the West

Zemanek argued that multipolarity could offer a path to Western restoration by allowing nations to reclaim sovereignty and tradition. He wrote that “multipolarity is not the West’s enemy. In reality, it may represent the only path toward Western renewal” [2]. He noted that liberal globalism has hollowed out Western foundations through deindustrialization, border weakening, and social fragmentation, and that ordinary Europeans and Americans increasingly reject that vision [2].

Critics say the decline of unipolarity weakens liberal democratic institutions and may embolden authoritarian actors, according to political analysts [9]. Some Western analysts argue that a multipolar world could lead to higher prices and greater instability [9]. The summit underscores an ongoing transition in global governance, though the pace and outcome remain uncertain, officials said. Zemanek concluded that a balanced world of sovereign civilizations “does not threaten Europe or America. It may offer the only viable path toward restoring their own civilizational confidence” [2].

References

1. “LIVE UPDATESPutin-Xi summit delivers 40 deals and sweeping joint declarations (VIDEOS)”. RT. May 20, 2026.
2. Ladislav Zemanek. “Here’s how Putin and Xi can save the West from itself”. RT. May 22, 2026.
3. NaturalNews.com. “Russia-China summit signals strategic realignment as Moscow deepens dependence on Beijing”. NaturalNews.com. May 21, 2026.
4. Glenn Diesen. “Russias geoeconomic strategy for a Greater Eurasia”.
5. “China-Russia declaration ‘music to our ears in Africa’ – politician”. RT. May 21, 2026.
6. NaturalNews.com. “Washingtons Sanctions Gamble Backfires Leaving a Golden Russia and a Broken Dollar”. NaturalNews.com. January 22, 2026.
7. NaturalNews.com. “END OF THE DOLLAR_ SCO nations to abandon USD shift to domestic currencies for financial transactions”. NaturalNews.com. July 07, 2023.
8. Ava Grace. “Russias new gas pipeline to China threatens to upend global energy markets and squeeze US suppliers”. NaturalNews.com. September 05, 2025.
9. Kit Knightly. “Fake Wars & Higher Prices: What A ‘Multipolar World Order’ Really Means”. ZeroHedge. May 22, 2026.

The post Russia-China Summit Advances Multipolar Vision, Analysts Say appeared first on Activist Post.

The legislation is being framed as a turning point for U.S. crypto policy, but there’s a major piece of the puzzle being overlooked, argues Singh.

Agrowing number of people see the Clarity Act, which intends to establish clear and enforceable guardrails for the U.S. crypto industry, as a sign that Washington has firmly closed the door on the “regulation-by-enforcement” approach seen under the Biden administration to a more structured framework for the crypto industry.

And look, on paper, it’s a major step forward. There is no doubt the Clarity Act offers clearer definitions and a more coherent regulatory perimeter for the industry.

But regulatory clarity does not automatically lead to adoption. Because even if Congress gets the market structure right, the U.S. crypto tax framework, in its current form, is still a bit messy and complicated.

Form 1099-DA is confusing for crypto investors

On paper, Form 1099-DA, which any business defined as a crypto broker must issue, is about transparency, standardized reporting and improved compliance.

The Form 1099-DA asks crypto users for the number of assets, acquisition date, sale and disposal date, as well as specific sections for aggregated transactions for stablecoins and NFTs.

However, it is becoming more counterproductive than intended. Crypto users are now receiving tax forms that often report proceeds without a reliable cost basis, fail to properly capture holding periods and excludes non-custodial activity entirely. The result is a fragmented and incomplete picture of a user’s actual tax position.

For retail investors, that means manually reconciling thousands of transactions across exchanges, wallets, bridges and DeFi protocols, often with conflicting data that does not align with what the IRS receives.

Even within the industry, the problem has become immense. When assets are moved between platforms, the cost basis often disappears. The receiving exchange has no reliable way to reconstruct historical purchase data. Yet, the system is designed as if crypto can be reported with the same precision as traditional securities held within a single brokerage account.

It cannot. So the burden falls back to the individual taxpayer. They are now expected to override, reconcile and reconstruct their entire transaction history, or risk audit exposure if they get it wrong.

The audit trail and record-keeping requirements in the Clarity Act represent a necessary trade-off for regulatory certainty under the CFTC, but the operational hurdles they impose can’t be ignored.

To the bill’s credit, the underlying intent of these strict mandates is a massive win for the industry. Forcing audit trails to definitively prove the absolute segregation of customer assets injects a level of trust and security that will protect retail users and prevent the catastrophic commingling of funds that defined early crypto collapses.

However, the technical challenges of implementing these systems remain daunting. While the bill wisely acknowledges that tailored, onchain tracking solutions are required rather than outdated legacy reporting stacks, the operational demands are steep. Because digital asset markets run 24/7, firms must build and maintain continuous audit trails capable of instantly matching real-time blockchain ledger data with off-chain communications.

Contradiction in U.S. policy becomes impossible to ignore

For small and mid-sized investors, especially, the compliance burden can exceed the economic benefit. And if the future of crypto depends on broad participation, that is a serious structural problem.

This is where the contradiction in U.S. policy becomes impossible to ignore.

On the one hand, the government is supporting innovation, market growth and domestic leadership in digital assets. On the other hand, it is implementing a tax reporting regime that treats decentralized networks as if they were traditional brokerage accounts with perfect data continuity.

Those two positions cannot both scale. We’ve already seen partial backtracking, particularly around how the regime applies to non-custodial or DeFi activity. That’s a start, but it only scratches the surface.

The deeper issue is yet to be solved. The IRS does not need to turn crypto exchanges into perfect, all-seeing record keepers to improve compliance. It needs a framework that acknowledges the reality of fragmented ownership and cross-platform asset movement.

Other jurisdictions are moving in that direction. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (commonly referred to as CARF), for example, leans toward standardized data collection across platforms without pretending that intermediaries can reconstruct a perfect cost basis history for every user.

Exchange reporting should not function as a definitive ledger. Its purpose should be to flag unreported activity, not to force millions of users into impossible reconciliation exercises based on incomplete institutional data.

Even within the U.S., there are early signs of recognition that the current approach is too blunt. Discussions around de minimis exemptions and targeted relief for small transactions suggest policymakers understand that friction matters.

While the act does provide a de minimis exemption to shield low-volume brokers and dealers from registering or maintaining these heavy systems, which will protect the smallest startups, it simultaneously creates a steep compliance cliff for the middle market.

While established industry giants can treat these real-time surveillance pipelines as an expensive upgrade, growing businesses caught just above the de minimis threshold face sheer engineering complexity and costs that could prove a massive barrier to entry.

Reform is still lagging behind rhetoric

But at the federal level, reform is still lagging behind rhetoric, and that gap is becoming harder to ignore.

Because if the U.S. continues to define “crypto-friendly” as regulatory clarity alone while ignoring the existing tax burden, adoption will not accelerate significantly.

It will stall at the edges. High-net-worth participants and sophisticated funds will continue operating. Builders will continue building. But mainstream retail participation, the layer that many argue is needed for true scale, will quietly opt out under the weight of compliance complexity.

The U.S. won’t need to ban crypto to slow its growth, but it may tax it into friction, while other jurisdictions design systems that make participation materially easier.

The post The Clarity Act won’t lead to adoption without crypto tax reform appeared first on Activist Post.

Noise emitted by data centers can be heard and felt hundreds of feet away, and noise levels can reach up to 96 decibels — for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Sound levels exceeding 85 decibels are considered dangerous and potentially damaging to human hearing, depending on the duration of the exposure.

Residents living near artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are reporting symptoms — including dizziness, nausea, vertigo, insomnia, headaches and anxiety — that they believe are directly related to the centers’ noise pollution.

According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the noise emitted by data centers can be heard and felt hundreds of feet away, and noise levels can reach up to 96 decibels — for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Sound levels exceeding 85 decibels are considered dangerous and potentially damaging to human hearing, depending on the duration of the exposure.

Data centers also emit infrasound, a low-frequency (below 20 Hertz) rumble that the human ear can’t hear, but the body feels as pressure or vibration.

Infrasound generated by data centers is “the new enemy,” Futurism reported earlier this month. The centers’ cooling systems, power generators and server racks are suspected infrasound culprits.

‘Infrasound’ may negatively affect heart functioning

Some data centers have been built as close as 50 feet from people’s homes.

Residents exposed to infrasound from data centers are reporting symptoms similar to EMR Syndrome, which is linked to the electromagnetic radiation (EMR) emitted by cell towers, cellphones and Wi-Fi networks.

This symptom overlap comes as no surprise to Paul Héroux, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and a medical scientist in the McGill University Health Center surgery department.

“Sound, electric and magnetic fields of the same frequency have some overlap in their biological effects because they are similarly disruptive energy injections,” Héroux said.

Héroux is also vice chair of the International Commission on the Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields, a “consortium of scientists, doctors and researchers” who study wireless radiation and make recommendations for wireless radiation exposure, “based on the best peer-reviewed research publications.”

According to Héroux, infrasound at high volumes can directly affect the human central nervous system, causing disorientation, anxiety, panic, bowel spasms, nausea, vomiting, eventual organ rupture and even death.

He pointed out that in 1957, French scientist Vladimir Gavreau began experimenting with low-frequency acoustics to create an audio weapon for the French military.

Just five years ago, German researchers published results from an in-vitro study showing that after just one hour of exposure, high levels of infrasound interfered with the heart muscle’s ability to contract properly.

Based on those findings, it’s possible that chronic exposure to infrasound from data centers could negatively affect heart function, Héroux said.

W. Scott McCollough, lead attorney for Children’s Health Defense (CHD) EMR & Wireless cases, also wasn’t surprised that exposure to infrasound emitted by data centers and radiofrequency (RF) radiation from cell towers and other devices can trigger similar symptoms. He said:

“Infrasound waves come from periodic pressure fluctuations, very akin to how modern radio systems modulate RF energy to carry information. The modulation leads to asymmetric bursts of energy with sharp peaks and valleys. Both lead to resonance and amplification, leading to stronger peaks in energy or sound pressure.”

‘Not in my backyard’: Most U.S. adults don’t want a data center near them

The average data center is roughly 100,000 square feet — large enough to fit nearly two football fields. Proponents of the gigantic infrastructures argue they are necessary for the U.S. to keep its competitive edge over China in the AI revolution.

But local residents — especially women — are sounding the alarm. Critics warn that the center will likely harm nearby residents, including children, and the surrounding environment.

Last month, Maine was poised to become the first state to enact a moratorium on new data centers. However, Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill. She wrote in a letter explaining her decision:

“A moratorium is appropriate given the impacts of massive data centers in other states on the environment and on electricity rates. But the final version of this bill fails to allow for a specific project in the Town of Jay that enjoys strong local support from its host community and region.”

Maine is one of at least 11 states that have proposed legislation to restrict or ban data center development since late 2025.

A Gallup poll conducted in March found that 7 in 10 U.S. adults oppose having a data center in their area. Only 7% said they were strongly in favor. Fifty-five percent of women said they strongly opposed data centers, compared to 43% of men.

‘These decisions must be made at the local level’

AI data centers have already drawn fierce, bipartisan criticism for their water and electricity consumption and environmental impact.

Miriam Eckenfels, director of CHD’s EMR & Wireless Program, said she sees similarities in the U.S. situation between data centers and new cell towers, which are also known to cause harm to human health and the environment.

In both cases, companies that stand to profit try to put up infrastructure close to where people live, learn and play. “People don’t want them, so they oppose them,” Eckenfels said.

Local communities should have the right to say no to such developments. “These decisions must be made at the local level and not in Washington D.C., where folks are far removed from the reality on the ground and the negative consequences.”

Related articles in The Defender

• Watch: AI Data Centers ‘Spreading Like an Aggressive Cancer’
• Will Maine Become First State to Block Data Centers?
• Wireless Radiation Sickness Gets a New Name: ‘EMR Syndrome’
• Critics Warn of ‘a Dragnet of Surveillance’ as U.S. Pushes Ahead With Plans for More ‘Smart’ Cities

The post ‘The New Enemy’: Noise Pollution From AI Data Centers Causing Nausea, Insomnia appeared first on Activist Post.

The pattern of media reports – based on White House leaks – that an agreement with Iran is almost completed has become predictable. Where once the markets fluctuated wildly (and some insiders made huge profits with the information), each time we hear that the deal is almost complete only to see it fall through, the markets barely move.

It is dangerous to have a US Administration that no one in the US or the rest of the world believes. When White House “sources” claim a deal is in sight only to have President Trump post another AI graphic of the US military – or himself – firing missiles at Iran, the futility of engaging with the United States becomes reinforced to the rest of the world.

This is not projecting strength. It is signaling moral and ethical bankruptcy. And it is dangerous. In a world where no other country sees value in negotiating to end disputes with the US government, the only solution is to prepare to use force against it.

A US government whose word is no good will soon find a world that refuses to speak with it.

That is what we have seen with the Iranian response to the US surprise attacks of last June and this February 28th. Two times the US used lies and deception that we were negotiating as an honest partner as cover for a pre-planned attack. How can any country negotiate in such circumstances?

There is a word for this: nihilism. It is the belief that there is no truth. Only the convenient lies and deceptions to force one’s will. Governmental nihilism leads to bankruptcies both financial and moral. Nearly $40 trillion in debt demonstrates the former bankruptcy, while our foreign policy of war and aggression demonstrates the latter.

A world that sees force as the only way to negotiate with the United States may not attack us immediately. But it will prepare to do so. That is what Iran has done for the past four decades. That is what our “rivals” China and Russia have done. Others are following suit.

The government and its neocon mouthpieces continue to propagandize the American people that we have the strongest military in the history of the world. And while it is true that we have a powerful military, more expensive than most others combined and capable of projecting force worldwide, it is also irrelevant.

Despite the relentless propaganda of “War Secretary” Hegseth, we are slowly learning the truth about the US war of aggression against Iran. Just a few weeks of fighting has nearly depleted our arsenal while barely denting that of Iran. Despite the US Administration’s initial claims that 90 percent or more of Iran’s military was destroyed, we now know that the opposite is the case: nearly 90 percent of Iran’s military remains intact.

What we should have learned from 20 years wasted in Afghanistan – that a nation fighting for its homeland has an immense advantage – has still not been learned.

Having the “most powerful military in the world” is irrelevant if the US continues to pursue a global military empire. There will never be a military strong enough for that. It is a lesson we have just learned in Iran.

If the American people are not willing to demand that their elected officials uphold the Constitution and restore our good name as honest brokers, I am afraid the future consequences of our current nihilism will be grave.

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