Category: Economy

Posted on

Target To Shutter Nine Stores In Major Cities After Being Targeted By Violence, Theft – ZeroHedge 9/26/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Retail giant Target on Tuesday announced the closure of nine stores in major cities across the US, citing violence, theft and organized retail crime. The news comes on the heels of a warning from the company that lost or stolen inventory has created a $500 million dent in profitability this year.

“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” the company said in a press statement. “We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.”

According to CNBC, the company will close one store in Harlem, two stores in Seattle, three stores in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, and three more in Portland, Oregon….

Read More…

Posted on

Some Companies Pull Advertising From Rumble For Its Neutral Stance on Russell Brand – Cindy Harper 9/23/23

Source: ReclaimTheNet.org

The online free speech war has found a new battlefield with the video platform Rumble at its center, following recent accusations leveled against comedian Russell Brand. Numerous companies, including Burger King, Asos, the Barbican, and meal delivery service HelloFresh have withdrawn their ads from the increasingly popular platform.

A group called The News Movement, who say they “help people fight misinformation,” contacted companies, pointing out that their adverts were being shown on Russell Brand’s channel.

The group said they also contacted other brands including “Ralph Lauren, eBay and Hilton hotels” who didn’t respond to their “request for comment.”…

Read More…

Posted on

Germany Passes Controversial Green Heating Law Estimated to Cost Economy €1 Trillion – Junge Freiheit 9/11/23

Source: RMX.news

After six months of fierce debate, Germany’s left-wing government has passed the country’s controversial green heating law, the Building Energy Act (GEG), with high estimates indicating the law will cost Germany’s economy over €1 trillion over the next 20 years.

While politicians belonging to Germany’s three-way politician applauded the heating law coming into force on Friday last week, the political fallout has likely yet to be fully realized.

Continue reading “Germany Passes Controversial Green Heating Law Estimated to Cost Economy €1 Trillion – Junge Freiheit 9/11/23”

Posted on

Hedging the End of Fiat – Alasdair Macleod 8/24/23

Source: SchiffGold.com

It is slowly coming clear that the fiat dollar’s hegemony is drawing to a close. That’s what the BRICS summit in Johannesburg is all about — rats, if you like, deserting the dollar’s ship. With the dollar’s backing being no more than a precarious faith in it, it is bound to be sold down by foreign holders. Being only fiat, it could even become valueless, threatening to take down the other western alliance fiat currencies as well.

How do you protect your paper wealth from this outcome? Some swear by bitcoin and others by gold.

This article looks at what is likely to emerge as a replacement currency system, and concludes that from practical and legal aspects, bitcoin and the entire cryptocurrency industry will fail with fiat, while mankind will return to gold, as it has always done in the past when state control over currency fails

Continue reading “Hedging the End of Fiat – Alasdair Macleod 8/24/23”

Posted on

How a CBDC Created Chaos and Poverty in Nigeria – Jan M. Fijor 9/1/23

Source: Mises.org

It is no coincidence that Nigeria, with a population of over two hundred million, became the first serious global testing ground for central bank digital currencies (CBDC) implementation. Not only is it the wealthiest country on the continent where the globalists are making plans, but Nigeria also possesses significant hydrocarbon and metals reserves and talented citizens. For these reasons, it can serve as a relatively good example for the rest of the poorest continents.

Continue reading “How a CBDC Created Chaos and Poverty in Nigeria – Jan M. Fijor 9/1/23”

Posted on

RFK Jr. Goes After ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ at BlackRock and Vanguard – Tom Olohan 8/29/23

Source: NewsBusters.org

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid into three massive corporations for pushing a key element of the American Dream out of reach for many American families.

During an August 27 interview with Newsmax host Eric Bolling, presidential candidate RFK Jr. went after the ESG-friendly giants for making it more difficult and expensive for Americans and families to own a home. “These three giant companies, BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard, they own 88% of the S&P 500, there’s something wrong with that,” he said.  “And they’ve now targeted single-family homes, so the reason you’re seeing these homes go off the charts in price.”

Continue reading “RFK Jr. Goes After ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ at BlackRock and Vanguard – Tom Olohan 8/29/23”

Posted on

The Questions Crying Out for Answers – Jeffrey A. Tucker 8/22/23

Source: Brownstone.org

The conspiracy of silence is obvious. Both political parties like it. The media likes it too because it was a main participant. Academia is compromised as much as the social media companies. Government bureaucrats want the entire fiasco to be a thing of the past, except to the extent it can serve as a template for the future. That leaves only independent voices to raise ever louder questions of the entire establishment.
Continue reading “The Questions Crying Out for Answers – Jeffrey A. Tucker 8/22/23”

Posted on

Iran and Saudi Arabia are Among 6 Nations Set to Join China and Russia in the BRICS Economic Bloc – AP 8/24/23

Source: APNews.com

Iran and Saudi Arabia were among six countries invited Thursday to join the BRICS bloc of developing economies in a move that showed signs of strengthening a China-Russia coalition as tensions with the West spiral higher.

The United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia were also set to enter BRICS from Jan. 1, 2024, joining current members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to make an 11-nation bloc….

Read More…

Posted on

As Cuba Takes Leap Towards ‘Cashless’ Economy, Entrepreneurs Brace for Impact – Reuters 8/21/23

Source: Reuters

When Cuba in early August announced it was taking a major step towards electronic banking and a “cashless” society, the offices of fledgling small businesses across the communist-run country were left scrambling to figure out how to respond.

Most alarming to many budding entrepreneurs was a new 5,000 peso ($20) daily cap on cash withdrawals for businesses, one of several measures the government said were aimed at forcing Cubans to do their transactions electronically, via transfer, online payment and bank cards.

Continue reading “As Cuba Takes Leap Towards ‘Cashless’ Economy, Entrepreneurs Brace for Impact – Reuters 8/21/23”

Posted on

NAB, Comm Bank and ANZ Introduce New Transfer Restrictions that Give Them More Control of Your Money; as the Move to ‘Cashless’ Branches Rolls On – Daily Mail 8/6/23

Source: DailyMail.co.uk

Australia’s crypto community is up in arms as the Big Four banks move to stop transfers to digital currency sites in the name of ‘protecting customers’ from scams.

Daily Mail Australia reported on Sunday that the Commonwealth Bank has set a strict $10,000 monthly limit on the amount a customer can transfer to crypto exchanges and related sites.

It can now be revealed that this follows similar moves by NAB, Westpac and ANZ.

Continue reading “NAB, Comm Bank and ANZ Introduce New Transfer Restrictions that Give Them More Control of Your Money; as the Move to ‘Cashless’ Branches Rolls On – Daily Mail 8/6/23”

Posted on

Poland Continues to Aggressively Buy Gold – Grzegorz Adamczyk 8/9/23

Source: RMX.news

The National Bank of Poland (NBP) increased its gold reserves for the fourth consecutive month in July as the country continues to aggressively stockpile the precious metal.

According to calculations by the DGP newspaper, 720,000 ounces of gold were bought last month, valued at about $1.4 billion. This is more than in any of the previous three months. The paper estimated that the total gold reserves held by the Polish central bank have increased to 9.6 million ounces, or nearly 300 tons.

Continue reading “Poland Continues to Aggressively Buy Gold – Grzegorz Adamczyk 8/9/23”

Posted on

China Buys 23 Tons Of Gold In 9th Straight Month Of Purchases, Total Rises To Record 2,137 Tons – ZeroHedge 8/9/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Not only is China ravenously buying up all the physical gold it can get its hands on – something it has been doing pretty much non stop since 2009, for the most part covertly with occasional periods of public disclosure meant to achieve specific political goals – more importantly, it is letting the world know it is buying up all the physical gold it can get its hands on.

Continue reading “China Buys 23 Tons Of Gold In 9th Straight Month Of Purchases, Total Rises To Record 2,137 Tons – ZeroHedge 8/9/23”

Posted on

World Bank Group Goes Woke – Moon Of Alabama 8/9/23

Source: MoonOfAlabama org

The World Bank Group is a global institution controlled by the U.S. government. It is supposed to lend low interest money to developing countries in need.

Last year the position of its president became controversial. David Malpass, a former Treasury official, was perceived as being ambiguous about the cause of climate change. In February he threw the towel:

The president of the World Bank will step down from his post in June, leaving the organisation almost a year before his term was due to end.

Continue reading “World Bank Group Goes Woke – Moon Of Alabama 8/9/23”

Posted on

Biden Energy Secretary Secretly Consulted Top Chinese Energy Official Before SPR Release, Sales To Hunter Biden-Linked Chinese Energy Giant – ZeroHedge 8/7/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, whose catastrophic handling of US energy policy will be one of the most memorable and dire consequences of the Biden era, engaged in multiple conversations with the Chinese government’s top energy official just days before the Biden administration announced it would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat high gas prices in 2021, the same China whose Hunter Biden-linked energy giant Unipec, which we previously learned had bought millions of barrels from the SPR release.

Continue reading “Biden Energy Secretary Secretly Consulted Top Chinese Energy Official Before SPR Release, Sales To Hunter Biden-Linked Chinese Energy Giant – ZeroHedge 8/7/23”

Posted on

Is the Multipolar Alliance ‘Controlled Opposition’? The Case of Two Green Paradigms – Matthew Ehret 7/29/23

Source: matthewehret.substack.com

On February 4, 2022, Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin unveiled a 5000 word ‘Joint Declaration on the International Relations Entering a New Era and the Global Sustainable Development.’

The words “sustainable development” tied to “international relations” have obviously caused more than a few concerned citizens of western nations to gasp in fear that these two Eurasian powers who are apparently in a conflict with the unipolar death cultists managing the NATO cage, are in reality, simply controlled opposition.

Continue reading “Is the Multipolar Alliance ‘Controlled Opposition’? The Case of Two Green Paradigms – Matthew Ehret 7/29/23”

Posted on

Biden Gaslights Americans With Fake “Manufacturing Boom” As US Production Plunges – ZeroHedge 7/31/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Joe Biden and the Democrats have been engaged in a coordinated propaganda campaign for the past few months, claiming that Biden has pulled off a miracle by boosting the US economy and defeating inflation.  Yet, around 60% of Americans in polls continue to say that Biden is doing a terrible job when it come to the economic situation, and over 70% of Americans say they are now financially stressed, due in large part to inflation in the cost of living.  Around 72% of Americans continue to believe that the country is on the wrong track.

Continue reading “Biden Gaslights Americans With Fake “Manufacturing Boom” As US Production Plunges – ZeroHedge 7/31/23″

Posted on

Fitch Cuts USA’s AAA-Rating, Cites “Fiscal Deterioration, Erosion Of Governance” – ZeroHedge 8/1/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

In the middle of the debt-ceiling ‘crisis’ in May, with Fitch, Moodys and DBRS all threatening to do what S&P boldly did in 2011 and downgrade the US should the debt ceiling crisis lead to a technical default, China’s leading rating agency, China Chengxin International Credit Rating decided not to wait, downgrading the USA’s rating by one notch, to AA+ from AAA, citing high inflation and the widely watched debt-ceiling stand-off.

Today, Fitch decided to get off the pot and join S&P and Chengxin, downgrading USA’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘AA+’ from ‘AAA’.

Continue reading “Fitch Cuts USA’s AAA-Rating, Cites “Fiscal Deterioration, Erosion Of Governance” – ZeroHedge 8/1/23″

Posted on

“Decoupling”: Washington’s Plan to Kneecap China’s Economy – Mike Whitney 7/26/23

Source: Unz.com

The United States has settled on a multi-pronged strategy to thwart China’s development and preserve America’s premier position in the global order. The economic part of the plan is called “decoupling”, which refers to the selective blocking of China’s access to critical technology (particularly advanced semiconductors). The strategy has garnered nearly-universal support among America’s foreign policy elites who believe that steps must be taken immediately to curtail China’s explosive technological development. There are, however, considerable downside risks to implementing a plan that essentially erects a “Digital Iron Curtain” between China and the rest of the world. Should China respond tit-for-tat to Washington’s aggression, then supply-lines would be severely disrupted increasing the probability of another global recession.

Continue reading ““Decoupling”: Washington’s Plan to Kneecap China’s Economy – Mike Whitney 7/26/23″

Posted on

Putin Signed Digital Ruble Law Making a CBDC Possible in Russia – CoinDesk 7/24/23

Source: CoinDesk.com

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin signed the digital ruble bill into law today, allowing the country’s central bank to issue its own digital currency.

The digital ruble, which the Bank of Russia has long been mulling over, will be used for payments along with other methods, according to the new amendments to Russia’s Civil Code. The digital ruble accounts will be managed by the central bank, the law says. The bill passed its third, final hearing on July 11 and had been waiting for the president to be signed.

Continue reading “Putin Signed Digital Ruble Law Making a CBDC Possible in Russia – CoinDesk 7/24/23”

Posted on

Lessons from The Great Depression – Charles Hugh Smith 7/19/23

Source: charleshughsmith.blogspot.com

The risks of gambling in speculative frenzies and depending on serial asset bubbles continuing forever are easily observable, yet few act to reduce these risks.

Longtime correspondent Ishabaka recently shared key takeaways from a classic on-the-ground account of The Great Depression in the U.S.:, The Great Depression, a Diary.

Continue reading “Lessons from The Great Depression – Charles Hugh Smith 7/19/23”

Posted on

Biden Admin Targets Air Conditioning Refrigerants Over Climate Concerns – Tom Ozimek 7/14/23

Source: TheEpochTimes.com

The Biden administration has announced stringent new rules to reduce the use of coolants used in most air conditioning units and other appliances in the name of fighting climate change, with experts warning it will likely mean Americans will have to pay more to stay cool.

Continue reading “Biden Admin Targets Air Conditioning Refrigerants Over Climate Concerns – Tom Ozimek 7/14/23”

Posted on

Brazil’s CBDC Allows Government To Freeze Funds, Developer Discovers – Christina Maas 7/17/23

Source: ReclaimTheNet.org

In a disquieting discovery, the Brazilian Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) is reportedly designed with a feature enabling the government to freeze user funds and adjust balances. The revelation emerged after Pedro Magalhaes, a prominent blockchain developer and founder of Iora Labs, managed to decode the underlying technical details of the CBDC.

Continue reading “Brazil’s CBDC Allows Government To Freeze Funds, Developer Discovers – Christina Maas 7/17/23”

Posted on

Arming Taiwan is an Insane Provocation – John V. Walsh 7/12/23

Source: Antiwar.com

The Island of Taiwan has been turned into a “powder keg” by the infusion of U.S. weaponry, pushing the Taiwanese people into the “abyss of disaster.”  These are the words of the Chinese Defense Ministry in reaction to the recent $440 million sale of U.S. arms to the island. And now the U.S. is also giving, not selling, arms to Taiwan, courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer.

Continue reading “Arming Taiwan is an Insane Provocation – John V. Walsh 7/12/23”

Posted on

Col. Douglas Macgregor Warns the US ‘May not Make it’ to the 2024 Presidential Election – LifeSite News 7/7/23

Source: LifeSiteNews.com

In an appearance which presents a startling appraisal of the instability of the United States, retired Colonel Douglas Macgregor spoke of his belief that “we may not make it to 2024.”

Before moving on to his analysis, in which he argues that due to political and economic conditions that the next presidential election may not take place, the brief video opens with a recently released recording of President Donald Trump.

Continue reading “Col. Douglas Macgregor Warns the US ‘May not Make it’ to the 2024 Presidential Election – LifeSite News 7/7/23”

Posted on

Republican Attorneys General Warn Target Over ‘Obscene’ Pride and Satanic Merchandise – Catherine Yang 7/8/23

Source: TheEpochTimes.com

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita sent a letter to Target on Wednesday warning the corporation that its recent “Pride” campaign merchandise and donation efforts ran the risk of violating state child-protection laws. It also cited concerns about parental rights and neglect of fiduciary duties.

Continue reading “Republican Attorneys General Warn Target Over ‘Obscene’ Pride and Satanic Merchandise – Catherine Yang 7/8/23”

Posted on

As America’s Influence Wanes, China’s Grows – Ted Snider 7/6/23

Source: Antiwar.com

Individually, each step is a small step barely picked up by the news. But in recent weeks, the world has been vibrating with multipolarity.

Iran is a regional power that pursues a foreign policy that defies US hegemony and refuses to get in line with the unipolar world. Punishing that defiance is key to the US strategy to maintaining hegemony in the region. Key to that strategy is a coalition of states who oppose Iran. And the key to that coalition is Saudi Arabia.

Continue reading “As America’s Influence Wanes, China’s Grows – Ted Snider 7/6/23”

Posted on

As “Suburb Plan” Fails, France’s Social Divide Widens – ZeroHedge 7/4/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

The urban riots which broke out in France following the death of the 17-year-old Nahel M. during a police traffic check have revived the already long-standing debates on the problems of the French suburbs, which combine social, historical, town planning and security issues.

Statista’s Martin Armstrong notes that despite the “suburb plans” implemented for more than forty years, policies with regard to disadvantaged neighborhoods have not really succeeded in reducing inequalities and the social divide to the rest of the French population….

Read More…

Posted on

US Military Can’t Afford to Fool Around With Feel Good Green Initiatives – Mike Fredenburg 7/3/23

Source: TheEpochTimes.com

The U.S. military is in decline and now faces a peer competitor, China, that vastly outmatches the United States in terms of military–industrial capacity. And in research, China has a “stunning lead” over the United States in 37 out of 44 critical and emerging technologies, many of which are directly defense related.

Yet our military is spending an increasing percentage of its time, money, and mindshare on so-called green initiatives. One of the latest of these initiatives is the Army’s plan to run a series of field tests on a multi-ton, wheeled battery pack as part of its efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Continue reading “US Military Can’t Afford to Fool Around With Feel Good Green Initiatives – Mike Fredenburg 7/3/23”

Posted on

Wawa Shuttering Another Philadelphia Location, Marking Three Center City Closures In A Year – ZeroHedge 6/23/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

Yet another Philadelphia Wawa is packing it up and calling it quits from the city.

The most recent location is at Headhouse Square, located in the middle of Society Hill, an otherwise affluent neighborhood on extending north from the tourist-area of South Street.

Continue reading “Wawa Shuttering Another Philadelphia Location, Marking Three Center City Closures In A Year – ZeroHedge 6/23/23”

Posted on

Top US Companies Admit to Hiking Prices to Pad Their Profits: Analysis – Jake Johnson 6/13/23

Source: CommonDreams.org

An analysis released Tuesday shows that executives at some of the top publicly traded companies in the United States aren’t exactly being coy about using their pricing power to hike costs for consumers and boost revenues and profits — which are then dished out to wealthy shareholders.

The progressive watchdog group Accountable.US noted in its new report that “some of the largest general consumer S&P 500 companies have admitted to benefiting from increased prices as their net profits increased year-over-year and they rewarded shareholders with billions in handouts.”

Continue reading “Top US Companies Admit to Hiking Prices to Pad Their Profits: Analysis – Jake Johnson 6/13/23”

Posted on

Asian Central Banks To Adopt Iran’s SWIFT Alternative As De-Dollarization Accelerates – ZeroHedge 6/14/23

Source: ZeroHedge.com

In the latest shot fired in the growing rebellion against US dollar dominance, the nine-nation Asian Clearing Union (ACU) has agreed to use Iran’s financial messaging system as an alternative to the dollar-denominated SWIFT system that has long served as the globe’s financial nervous system.

Continue reading “Asian Central Banks To Adopt Iran’s SWIFT Alternative As De-Dollarization Accelerates – ZeroHedge 6/14/23”

Posted on

California Electricity Bills Will Soon Be Based on Income. Here’s How It Might Work – CNet 6/9/23

Source: CNet.com

In California, how much you pay for electricity will soon be tied to how much you earn: A state law passed last summer requires the California Public Utilities Commission, or CPUC, to approve a pricing structure that incorporates a flat fee with a sliding scale based on income.

Continue reading “California Electricity Bills Will Soon Be Based on Income. Here’s How It Might Work – CNet 6/9/23”

Posted on

Global News: BRICS Blasts the NWO – Robert W. Malone MD 6/11/23

Source: rwmalonemd.substack.com

What is BRICS?

BRICS is an acronym for five regional economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The first four were initially grouped as “BRIC” (or “the BRICs”) in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill, who coined the term to describe fast-growing economies that would collectively dominate the global economy by 2050; South Africa was added in 2010….

Read More…