At Least 90 Dead In Israeli Strike On Gaza Tent Camp Targeting Hamas Oct.7 Mastermind
Another mass casualty strike has been reported on a refugee camp in southern Gaza, where the local health ministry says at least 90 have been killed, and 300 injured, after Israeli missiles slammed into Al-Mawasi camp, allegedly hitting tents where displaced persons were staying.
Israel has said that most of the victims were likely Hamas, and that it was going after the leader of the group’s Qassam Brigades, Muhammad Deif, a mastermind behind the Oct.7 attacks. Throughout the day Saturday the military said it was still investigating whether Deif was killed, of which there’s as yet been no confirmation.
Hamas responded by saying Israel’s “allegations about targeting leaders are false” and by design are “merely to cover up the scale of the horrific massacre.”
The Israeli officials said the strikes had also targeted Rafah Salameh, the top Hamas commander in Khan Younis, who was with Mr. Deif at the time of the attack.
The Gazan authorities said that a second, smaller strike hit the center of Khan Younis, a nearby city to the east of Mawasi.
A senior American official said that Israel had told Washington that it targeted Mr. Deif, but the official said that neither Israel nor the United States could yet confirm his status.
Saudi Arabia has been among the earliest countries to weigh in, condemning the Israeli attack on the refugee camp.
“The Foreign Ministry condemns in strongest terms the continuation of genocidal massacres against the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli war machine, the latest of which was the targeting displaced people’s camps in Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip,” the Saudi statement said.
Hardliners in Netanyahu’s coalition government have praised the strike, saying it demonstrates the need to keep intensifying operations inside Gaza. “Congratulations to the prime minister, defense minister, the IDF, and Shin Bet. Now is not the time to take the foot off Sinwar’s neck,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X.
Despite the Biden White House claiming that there’s been tentative agreement on a new ceasefire deal mediated by Qatar and Egypt, the warring sides are still publicly blaming the other for lack of a finalized hostage deal.
Meanwhile, Hamas is urging Palestinians in the West Bank to rise up against the Israeli occupiers en masse. Senior Hamas official Abdel Hakim Henini in a statement called on Palestinians to “take action against the onslaught on their compatriots in the besieged Strip, and to stand up to Israeli settlers wreaking havoc across the West Bank.”
Initial graphic scenes of the camp strike aftermath via Palestinian media…
The initial moments of the horrific Israeli massacre in al-Mawasi this morning pic.twitter.com/Wgg547p0Q5
“We reiterate how important it is for Palestinian youth to stand up to the occupying forces,” Henini said. “A global war is being waged against the Palestinian people, their rights and their resistance forces. The US administration is a true partner in all the massacres being perpetrated against our people.”
Simultaneously Hezbollah continues to bog down Israeli forces in the north, and it appears Hamas is hoping that a multi-front war more fully opens up. Hezbollah leadership has said that if Hamas agrees to a ceasefire deal, it too will halt its attacks from Lebanon.
A U.S. Army base training presentation described two pro-life organizations as “terrorist groups,” according to a watchdog report confirmed by the military.
The training material was part of an “anti-terrorism brief” at Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, independent journalist Sam Shoemate reported on X. The report does not indicate when the presentation happened.
According to the photo, a slide shown to soldiers described two pro-life organizations, National Right to Life and Operation Rescue, as “terrorist groups.”
It also “falsely attribute[d] the bombing of abortion clinics to National Right to Life,” the report states.
An anti-terrorism brief was held on Fort Liberty (Bragg) today where they listed several Pro-Life organizations as “terrorist organizations.”
The slide you see here followed right after a slide about ISIS, a terror group in the Middle East.
The slide also showed an image of specialty pro-life license plates, which are available in many states. The proceeds fund pregnancy support services for families in need, according to Choose Life America, the organization that promotes them.
However, the slide suggested the specialty plates are something soldiers should watch for as a potential sign of a terrorist, according to Shoemate’s report.
Soldiers who attended the presentation said the slide was shown right after another one about ISIS, and the presentation never mentioned the group Antifa, the report states.
Fort Liberty confirmed the veracity of the slide in a statement on social media late Thursday. It stated the slide will not be used anymore.
A “local garrison employee” created the presentation “to train Soldiers manning access control points at Fort Liberty,” according to the statement.
“After conducting a commander’s inquiry, we determined that the slides presented on social media were not vetted by the appropriate approval authorities, and do not reflect the views of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Liberty, the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense,” the military base stated. “… all future training products will be reviewed to ensure they align with the current DoD anti-terrorism guidance.”
National Right to Life described the slide as “lazy scholarship” that promoted “outright lies” in a statement online. It noted the presentation misspelled the name of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 abortion decision Roe v. Wade.
“The Biden Administration promotes the deaths of preborn babies and advocates for unlimited abortion, but peaceful pro-life Americans are labeled ‘terrorists,’” it stated.
The national pro-life organization stated it “always, constantly, and unequivocally” condemns violence “against anyone.”
Meanwhile, a University of Maryland center also listed two members of Students for Life of America in its terrorism database earlier this year, The College Fixreported. The university later removed them.
Military academies also have been accused of going woke by embracing “diversity, equity,” and “inclusion” efforts and teaching cadets critical race theory.
In 2022, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point began removing references to Confederate leaders, including General Robert E. Lee, a former superintendent of the school, The Fixreported at the time.
Researchers have identified a new hormone, CCN3, that significantly strengthens bones. This discovery, made while studying how breastfeeding women maintain bone density, could transform the treatment of osteoporosis and bone fractures.
Published in Nature, the new study reveals that CCN3 promotes bone formation and repair in both male and female mice, offering new hope for millions suffering from bone-related conditions.
About the Study
Researchers at University of California (UC) San Francisco (UCSF) and UC Davis collaborated to solve a long-standing medical mystery: how breastfeeding women maintain strong bones despite the significant loss of calcium needed for milk production.
In lactating mothers, the high demand for calcium needed for milk production can lead to significant bone loss. Normally, estrogen is protective for women, helping to counteract bone loss by promoting bone formation. However, its levels drop sharply during breastfeeding. Despite this drop, breastfeeding women seldom experience osteoporosis or bone fractures, suggesting another factor is at work to protect their bones.
Previous research published in Nature found that blocking a specific estrogen receptor in certain brain neurons of female mice led to significant increases in bone mass. Suspecting a hormone in the blood was responsible, the study researchers conducted an exhaustive search and identified a hormone called Cellular Communication Network Factor 3, or CCN3, as the bone-building factor in these mutant females.
Dubbed the “lactation-induced brain hormone,” CCN3 is found in the brains of lactating mice and plays a crucial role in maintaining bone strength during lactation.
“One of the remarkable things about these findings is that if we hadn’t been studying female mice, which unfortunately is the norm in biomedical research, then we could have completely missed out on this finding,” Holly Ingraham, senior author of the new study and professor of cellular molecular pharmacology at UCSF, said in a press release.
The researchers discovered that increased CCN3 levels in mice showed significant bone mass and strength improvements, even in older mice and those lacking estrogen. Tests demonstrated that mice with higher CCN3 levels had much stronger bones, as the CCN3 hormone stimulated skeletal stem cell activity. Without CCN3, these mice rapidly lost bone density, and their offspring also suffered.
Dr. Sundeep Khosla, a Mayo Clinic physician who runs the Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Laboratory, explained the significance of CCN3, known as the “maternal brain hormone” to The Epoch Times. “Anytime you identify a completely new pathway to regulate bone from the brain, that’s scientifically very interesting.”
Dr. Khosla noted that CCN3 prevents the skeleton from dissolving during lactation while stimulating bone formation for new calcium deposition. “It adds another piece to our understanding of what happens with lactation.”
Impact on Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakened bones and an increased risk of fractures, is a significant global health issue. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, with women comprising 80 percent of those affected. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 44 million people have low bone mass, putting them at increased risk for osteoporosis.
Globally, osteoporosis affects around 200 million people, leading to millions of fractures annually, primarily in the hip, spine, and wrist. These fractures can cause severe pain, disability, and increased mortality, underscoring the urgent need for effective treatments such as those potentially offered by CCN3.
The financial burden of osteoporosis, estimated to cost $25 billion annually in the United States, could be significantly alleviated by treatments derived from CCN3.
Dr. Khosla highlighted the potential of CCN3 in addressing osteoporosis, emphasizing its scientific promise and economic implications. While current drugs are effective when used correctly, they are often underutilized due to fears of side effects, he said. He stressed the need for better education for both physicians and patients to optimize the use of these cost-effective treatments.
“New drugs that may result from CCN3 could be particularly beneficial for those with osteoporosis” he stated. Depending on the cost of the drug, it could potentially reduce the substantial financial burden of osteoporosis.
Potential Benefits and Future Applications
The discovery of CCN3’s role in bone health extends beyond understanding lactation. This hormone could have significant implications for accelerating fracture repair and treating osteoporosis.
In a conversation with The Epoch Times, lead author Dr. Muriel Babey explained that researchers developed a hydrogel patch that slowly releases CCN3 at bone fracture sites, leading to faster and stronger healing in elderly mice. The treated fractures healed much quicker and were stronger than those without the hormone treatment.
“We’ve never been able to achieve this kind of mineralization and healing outcome with any other strategy,” said Dr. Thomas Ambrosi, a co-author of the study from UC Davis in the press release.
While the current study focuses on mice, the implications for human health are promising. The next steps include clinical trials to test CCN3’s effectiveness in humans and further exploration of its potential applications in bone health treatments.
Dr. Khosla highlighted the limitations of current osteoporosis treatments. While drugs like bisphosphonates can prevent bone loss, the ability to reverse osteoporosis is still limited.
“We need new approaches to build bone back up,” Dr. Khosla stated, noting that existing drugs often stop working over time. He expressed hope that CCN3 could offer more sustained and robust effects in stimulating bone formation, possibly in combination with other treatments.
Dr. Babey explained that bone loss affects not only post-menopausal women but also breast cancer survivors taking hormone blockers, younger elite female athletes, and older men, who have a lower survival rate after hip fractures compared to women. If CCN3 could increase bone mass in all these groups, it would be a significant breakthrough.
With clinical trials on the horizon, CCN3 holds promise for revolutionizing bone health treatment and improving the quality of life for millions worldwide.
If Tulsi Gabbard is the running mate whom presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is expected to unveil next week during the Republican National Convention, she had yet to be notified as of Friday night.
Asked in an exclusive interview with Headline USA whether she was going to be traveling to the GOP convention in Milwaukee, she replied, “I don’t plan to at this time. We’ll see what happens.”
Of this much, one can be certain: Gabbard was being her usual forthright self.
“She will look you in the eye and she will tell you the truth,” said former Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., shortly thereafter, during the introduction of his former congressional colleague at a book-signing event and political fundraiser in Greensboro, N.C., which also featured state-level candidates including lieutenant gubernatorial nominee Hal Weatherman.
In an era where gaslighting is the norm, Walker’s characterization of Gabbard would be a powerful testament to anyone. Although it may seem simple, underpinning those 14 words is a reputation that is very difficult to earn—and even more difficult to retain.
More remarkable yet, however, is that Walker was making it of a one-time nemesis of sorts, none other than the former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.
If ever the Trump administration were taking a risk on letting a mole into its ranks, on paper at least, Gabbard, the red-pilled ex-representative from Hawaii, would be a likely candidate.
Yet, time and again Gabbard has proven herself to be an anomaly who flouts expectations while following her own moral compass, most notably in her disavowal of the Democratic Party in October 2022.
“Today’s Democratic Party is led by this elitist cabal of warmongers, and in my book, For Love of Country, I go into detail in my own personal experiences and the reasons why I could no longer call myself a Democrat,” she told Headline USA—a statement that closely tracked with her original blog post outlining those reasons.
However, Gabbard is far from unique in that regard. In fact, she noted that she encountered ex-Democrats on an almost daily basis reaching out to her in solidarity.
Much like Ronald Reagan famously quipped in 1962, they often feel that the party left them.
“The Democratic Party of today is wholly unrecognizable to the party that I joined over 20 years ago,” Gabbard said.
“And I hear from or meet Democrats from across the country, almost every day—whether people send me a DM on Instagram or send me an e-mail, or I run into them in the airport—who express the same thing,” she continued. “People who may have been lifelong Democrats or people who were raised in a Democrat family, just saying that they don’t recognize today’s Democrat party and they have no connection to the insane, woke, warmongering policies of today’s Democratic Party.”
In a question-and-answer session with Walker, Gabbard offered a similar reflection, recalling how she was once berated by the Obama administration for daring to question its foreign policy.
And she recalled her frustration with the Democratic mantra “vote blue, no matter who.”
Gabbard told the packed house on Friday—many of whom paid $100 for entry to the event, which included a copy of the book to be signed by Gabbard, as well as catered refreshments from host venue the Painted Plate—that American freedoms currently faced what seemed to be an unparalleled threat in the nation’s history.
“Growing up, I never would have imagined that we would be debating free speech in America and whether or not it should exist,” she said, referencing the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Murthy v. Missouri, which said the government did nothing wrong in colluding with social-media companies like Facebook and Twitter to suppress vital information about the COVID-19 pandemic, Hunter Biden laptop, 2020 election and more.
As Walker noted in his introduction to Gabbard, she has done more than simply cultivate a sterling reputation as a truth-teller—she’s turned it into a veritable brand.
Because of her candor, honesty, integrity and valor (serving as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and currently as an active military reservist), she has become the very antithesis of the modern leftist in the Biden era.
Thus, it comes as no surprise that Gabbard has been called upon frequently to comment on the recent implosion of the Biden campaign following President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate with Trump last month.
Although she has every reason to feel vindicated by it, given her own tumultuous history with the Democrats, Gabbard said it was no cause for joy, even seeming to take pity on Biden—whom she said she has “known … for a long time”—despite his extensive track-record of corruption during his more lucid moments.
“What we are seeing is the lies coming from the Democrat elite have been exposed,” Gabbard told Headline USA.
“We are seeing how, in broad daylight, it is not actually Joe Biden making the decisions and calling the shots—whether it be related to economic or foreign policy—it’s the Tony Blinkens and the Jake Sullivans and the Hillary Clintons and Lloyd Austins who are making these decisions, which should be troubling to every American because we didn’t vote for any of those people,” she added.
On one hand, Gabbard seemed alarmed at the idea of having an empty vessel at the Resolution Desk, noting it was “a huge problem for us as Americans to have someone in that position who is incapable of fulfilling that responsibility.”
She said she was particularly troubled that the commander in chief could not even recall during the debate the 13 service members whose lives were lost in Afghanistan and the three whose lives were lost in Jordan—among the known U.S. military casualties to occur on Biden’s watch, although others are likely to have fallen in America’s shadow war in Ukraine.
“He couldn’t even remember a single one of their families,” Gabbard said.
“He should not be in that position, but we also shouldn’t be under any kind of illusion that, should he be forced out or choose to leave, that anything will be different with a President Kamala Harris or anyone else that they choose to fill that position,” she continued. “The Deep State—the military industrial complex—they will continue calling the shots. They only care about power. They don’t care whose face—whose picture is hanging on the wall.”
As for the prospects of her own service in the Trump administration, Gabbard didn’t rule out the possibility that she might yet have an outside shot at the running-mate offer, even though Trump’s campaign has floated several other names as finalists.
“I think that is a question for one man and one man alone,” she said.
“It’s not something I’m thinking about,” she added. “My goal—this is the most important election of of our lifetimes because it is our freedom, and our safety and security, that’s on the line.”
Gabbard said that one position she would love to be offered was the role of secretary of State, citing her eight years of service in Congress on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees—as well as her more than two decades in uniform, including as a current battalion commander.
“I could directly wrestle control away from the military–industrial complex and the neocons of Washington and actually be in a position to help effect the kind of policies President Trump talks about: to actually bring about peace, to walk us back from the brink of nuclear war—an issue he talks about quite strongly and with great concern—and to get our country back on track,” she said.
In her interview with Walker, Gabbard said that wherever the years ahead may take her, and whatever may happen in the most important election of our lifetimes, she will continue to serve to the best of her ability.
“Whatever role, whatever opportunity, whatever title or position I have, my goal is to try to be of the best service I can to our country,” she said.
Trump Bleeding, Rushed Off Stage After Assassination Attempt At Pennsylvania Rally
Donald Trump appears to have been shot during a Pennsylvania rally. The former President could be seen grabbing his neck and then falling to the ground as the sound of shots rang out.
“I saw blood on his ear,” one rallygoer, Ron Moose, told the NYT.
Other saw the military chase someone on the left hand side of the bleachers. The Times is also reporting that secret service is kicking out the press and has declared the venue a crime scene.
Kwik Kopy’s CEO Sonia Shwabsky says the ubiquity of the online world, powered by Google and Facebook, is compelling business owners and marketing managers to rethink how they connect with customers.
Instead, a renewed yearning for face-to-face interaction in the post-COVID years is galvanising the fortunes of one of Australia’s longest-running franchise brands.
Unlike other businesses struggling or closing due to the cost of living crisis—and amid high inflation pushing up business costs—the printing company is looking at expanding.
“I don’t think there’s a move away from [Google and Facebook’s online advertising]. I think people are just evaluating it more diligently than before,” she told The Epoch Times.
“One of the things we’ve been seeing is digital advertising is costing a lot more. It’s having less effect than what it used to. I think the effectiveness of emails, and all of these electronic data-driven advertising or communication tools, I think they’ve kind of had their heyday,” Ms. Shwabsky said.
The two tech giants are estimated to absorb 58 cents (US$0.39) of every dollar of digital advertising spent in Australia, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Their popularity has also driven up the unit price of advertising over the years.
“I came over from being a [chief operating officer] in the U.S. at a digital marketing agency, and at the time, I was there drinking the Google Kool-Aid,” Ms. Shwabsky said.
“Google and Facebook have really put a lot into this narrative, and I think other areas of marketing have just got to stand up and say, ‘Hang on.’”
The CEO said there was a lot at play in the digital space, particularly with the advent of artificial intelligence, which could compel people to use the internet in different ways.
Kwik Kopy currently has 91 stores across Australia and is planning another 30. Its overall goal is to have 120 stores with 11 in regional areas, and 32 in suburban spots.
Kwik Kopy provides design and printing for business cards, signage, and brochures.
The management team also hopes to ramp up revenue by 10 percent from its pre-COVID performance. The brand currently pulls in $77 million per year.
The business praises the performance of its franchise network, particularly local owners who are grounded in the social fabric of their regions, notably stores such as Penrith, North Sydney, and Perth.
Interest in Physical Engagement
CEO Ms. Shwabsky says on another front, her company is riding a wave of renewed interest in face-to-face events and customised physical products.
“If you think about all the online businesses now, like e-commerce, the only physical touchpoint your brand has with a consumer is through that unboxing experience and what they receive in the mail,” said Ms. Shwabsky.
She says the demand for personalisation has increased noticeably in the last five years and has driven Kwik Kopy’s short run packaging (small volume order) business.
“Personalisation, as well as an increase in quality, while also making sure the experience is of the quality to represent your brand [has become important]—because it’s the only other touch point besides the computer.”
Kwik Kopy’s boss also said that in the post-pandemic era, the downsizing of commercial offices—as companies reorganise to facilitate working from home—has also been a boon.
“What do you need to do when you move offices or change your office environment? You need more signage in your office, you need to make your office feel more welcoming to get people to return,” Ms. Shwabsky said.
“The other area coming out of COVID that’s been reignited—and we’ve done a lot of studies with marketing buyers and where they’re spending their money—is they are investing at a greater rate in face-to-face events,” she added.
The CEO said demand for events-related collateral means more sales of pull-up banners, paper handouts, or branded merchandise.
“While there may be downturns and staff cuts, businesses still need to think about their marketing dollars,” she said. “You’ve just got to be more careful about what’s really going to have impact for your business.”
Her comments come as a string of major brands in Australia cut back or downsize their operations amid a range of challenges engulfing the business sector.
Business Environment Beset on All Sides
Centre-right Liberal Party MP Casey Aaron Violi last month blamed the Fair Work Commission’s decision to raise the minimum wage on Labor government policy contributing to high inflation.
“It is the equivalent of burning someone’s house down, taking them a casserole for dinner and saying: ‘Sorry I burnt your house down, here’s a casserole, please be thankful, please be grateful,’” he said in a criticism of the government.
Higher wage bills are only one area the business sector is contending with, another is soaring electricity costs, worker shortages, and the ever-expanding regulatory burden.
In early June, the Florida-based Carnival Corporation made the surprise decision to shelve 90-year-old Australian cruise brand, P&O Cruises, citing significant red tape eating into the company’s margins.
“Given the strategic reality of the South Pacific’s small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we’re adjusting our approach to give us the efficiencies we need to continue delivering an incredible cruise experience year-round to our guests in the region,” Carnival CEO Josh Weinstein said.
At the same time, a major Australian fruit processor, SPC, announced it would cut back its order of local peaches and pears by 40 percent, a move likely to ripple through the wider growing industry.
The Victorian-based global exporter said sales had dropped because customers were shifting to cheaper Chinese and South African imports due to cost of living pressures.
The company hopes the situation can normalise by 2026.
Across the wider business sector, the picture is not optimistic either, with CreditorWatch finding insolvencies up 38 percent over the year to May 2024, and 41 percent above the pre-COVID period, according to ASIC data.
Among the industries, utility businesses involved in electricity, gas, water, and waste were the hardest hit recording an 89 percent increase in insolvencies on the previous year.
This was followed by education (87 percent), mining (72 percent), construction (46 percent), and retail trade (46 percent).
“We have known for some time now that consumers have pulled back on spending quite dramatically as high interest rates and inflation smashed household budgets,” said CreditorWatch chief economist Anneke Thompson, in a statement.
“This trend took some time to flow through to businesses but is now showing up in the data in the form of increasing late payment rates and rising court actions, as well as increased business failures and insolvencies.”
Biden’s HHS Forces Foster Parents To Facilitate Sex Changes For Minors, Barring Christian Adoption
Christians have long been the driving force behind adoption in America,continuing to run 65 percent of the 200,000 foster homes in the U.S. today. One particularly moving example inspired a new film from the makers of mega-hit film “Sound of Freedom”.
“Sound of Hope” tells the story of Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife Donna Martin who inspired their entire congregation in East Texas to adopt every child in the county’s foster care system during the late ‘90s. The film is currently in theaters.
Such uplifting stories may soon be scarce as basic Christian views are coming under fire from Biden admin health regulators.
To wit, Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a new rule in April that — by the end of 2026 — required states forbid a percentage of their foster homes from adopting to parents who do not agree to affirm a trans child’s gender identity or refuse to assist the child’s sex change. The percentage is unspecified.
Under the new rule governing designated foster homes:
“First, the provider must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQI+ status or identity. Second, the provider must be trained with the appropriate knowledge and skills to provide for the needs of the child related to the child’s self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Third, the provider must facilitate the child’s access to age- or developmentally appropriate resources, services, and activities that support their health and well-being. HHS has concluded that these conditions are generally necessary to effectuate the statutory promise of a safe and appropriate placement for children who are LGBTQI+ because of the extensive evidence of the specific needs LGBTQI+ children have which require more specialized support,”
The initial proposal put forth by HHS last fall suggested that all foster care facilities country-wise adhere to the above criteria, but its implementation was slightly tempered after the department received more than 13,000 public comments and backlash from some members of Congress. Still, in its current form — and assuming the 15 percent compliance rate suggested by HHS — as many as 30,000 foster homes will soon be forced to facilitate sex changes in minors.
Roughly 78 percent of Americans do not support sex changes for minors, and are therefore unfit adopt children in the eyes of Biden’s HHS. The law will further alienate Christian foster parents — who are already being stonewalled in states with similar legislation already in place.
Last year in Oregon, a Christian mom of five was barred from adopting two additional children due to her refusal to assist one in receiving cross-hormone injections. Her refusal did not adhere to Oregon’s law that foster parents must “support” a child’s “sexual orientation, gender identity, [and] gender expression.”
Despite the overwhelming populist support against these initiatives, Hollywood remains in steadfast support of “gender affirming care” in minors. Singer Ariana Grande started a fund “advocating for the rights of trans youth” which has raised more than $3 million to date.
Following an X post by conservative Matt Walsh praising her new film, Sound of Hope actress Letitia Wright — also the star of Disney’s Black Panther — attempted to distance herself from the film’s producers due to their conservative views, saying she “[does] not condone using this beautiful film for divisive political purposes.”
Sound of Hope Pushing Back Against Hollywood
President of Angel Studios (creator of Sound of Hope) Jordan Harmon responded to Wright’s backpedaling in a statement to ZeroHedge.
“This powerful film takes a stand for vulnerable kids, and we’re pursuing partners who are passionate about this fight,” Harmon told ZeroHedge. “We encourage everyone concerned about the foster care and adoption crisis to get involved and see SOUND OF HOPE.”
Major Hollywood studios dominate the movie industry, accounting for roughly 75% of total box office revenue.
Tickets for Sound of Hope can be purchased via this link.It’s currently in theaters across the country.
Maryland consumes about 40% more electricity than it generates.
The extra supply of more than 200 Trillion Btu of electricity, annually, is delivered to the state over the PJM regional grid. And the amount imported is growing dramatically.
While the percentage of imported electricity varies from day to day (depending upon weather conditions, costs of fuel sources, energy public policy, etc.), this is not a new situation, dating back approximately 40 years, and will increase in coming years.
That in 2022 the two reactor 1970s era Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay accounted for about 39% of the state’s total in state electricity generation, is what saves the State’s broken publicly mandated utility system. Natural gas generation (.. which has more than tripled since 2015, as nearly 2,600 megawatts of new natural gas generating capacity came online) accounted for about 36% of in state electricity generation.
Coal fired generating plants had historically supplied more than half the state’s generation, but coal’s share has been below 50% since 2012 and was at about 12% in 2022.
However, of the 40% of electricity imported into Maryland for use in the state, in 2022 more than 22% was coal generated (which is a generic U.S. Energy Information Administration statistic, but PJM actual operational data shows that in that year more than 36% was coal generated). Also significant, PJM’s real time market (of locational marginal prices calculated on 5 minute intervals based on actual grip operations) shows that at its peak Maryland’s imported electricity is more than 70% coal generated.
Not surprisingly, the use of electricity is not static.
But neither is in state generation, including Maryland’s three remaining coal power plants (with a combined generating capacity of nearly 1,800 megawatts), the two largest power plants intend to shut down by 2025 and the smallest plant has given notice it will shut down later this year. Solar energy, wind, and biomass are increasing but will not at any reasonable time replace that capacity or energy density; so, the state will import more electricity. The largest renewable electricity source available on the grid (.. not including hydroelectric dams) is landfill gas, which is an inelastic supply. Since 2022 there is arguably more solar power generated, but nearly two thirds of Maryland’s solar generation came from small scale, customer sited solar, such as residential rooftop solar panels (.. and not contributing in any meaningful way to the grid).
While it is popular to talk about the fact that Maryland had about 102,530 registered electric vehicles and about 1,667 electric charging stations, with both of those numbers increasing the amount of electricity used (i.e., replacing petroleum), such only exacerbates the already existing total energy imbalance.
That is Maryland consumes about five times more energy than it produces (.. including but not limited to electricity). Around 90% of Maryland’s petroleum is consumed by the transportation sector, which accounts for 33% of the state’s total energy consumption, followed closely by the residential sector at 31% and the commercial sector at 29%. But the state public policy to increase electric vehicle use and electrify buildings (that are today using natural gas) will of course increase electricity use and that electricity will be imported with a significant portion of it generated from coal.
However, the real and dramatic increase in electricity use is elsewhere. Where businesses had in the recent past used electricity principally for lighting, heating and cooling, hot water, and office equipment including computers, ignoring for this discussion the power needs of data centers, many businesses will be utilizing computers with larger chip sets increasing electricity needs (.. think AI).
In the politicization of a consultant study commissioned by the State government to justify the implementation of the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which by its own admission only considers a subset of energy use that might be subject to that single state law, the spurious projection is that Maryland electric systems would see load growth rates in the range of 0.6 – 2.1% per year through 2031. The projection ignores the historical reality that Maryland’s total electricity load growth has been in excess of 4.9% per year. School buildings have been among the largest constants in increasing electricity use and are excluded from that law and State government spin. The study further underestimated growth by not including any of the public or private cogeneration plants in the plants which are growing all but exponentially in response to concerns about the future unreliability of Maryland’s electric grid.
The political spin around Maryland’s future electric load growth is silent on the gerrymandered parameters discussed by the Maryland Department of the Environment when it by design excludes the largest private sector electricity customer in the state, Johns Hopkins (which has and is constructing large cogeneration plants) and the largest public sector electric user in the state, Fort Meade (which having maxed out electricity capacity of the grid as BGE’s largest customer, now not only has its own fossil fuel generation on base but also has deployed a series of 1.6 megawatt of solid oxide fuel cells, apparently to reliably power NSA facilities, eliminating the need for electrical transmission from the grid and costly backup infrastructure). Despite those efforts, in response to future needs for increasing amounts of electricity, the U.S. Department of Defense has publicly discussed relocating equipment from the Maryland base to states with better electricity capacity.
From a conservation perspective, none of this makes much sense when Maryland ranks among the 10 states with both the lowest total per capita energy consumption and the lowest energy use to produce one dollar of GDP. MDE should take a win.
An interesting factoid, the Port of Baltimore is the second largest coal exporting port in the country, so the State’s economy benefits hugely from shipping the fossil fuel to India for electricity generation although exports were temporarily halted on March 26 with the main channel blocked by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
But MDE’s apocalyptic environmentalism, attempting to implement policies founded in the idea that unless humankind drastically reduces consumption the state’s population and appetite will overwhelm the ecosystems, were checked by the legislature this year when the Department’s plan to ration electricity (i.e., its proposed regulation of Energy Use Intensity in buildings) when the legislature cut off funding to implement EUI regulation.
The Maryland economy does not produce much of anything but rather relies heavily on government services and pendant professional services, those that support government and will be big users of energy demanding AI computing. Out of concern about the grid becoming less reliable, including the state government’s aim to ration electricity, the top question by many prospective commercial tenants in Maryland has become backup electricity sources.
Maryland, like many other similarly situated states, cannot import its way out of this predicament with ever increasing electricity demand, produced from coal or not. The State’s 20th century heavily government controlled utility model doesn’t encourage innovation, but the state needs to innovate in matters of energy. Maryland requires a techno optimism application of science and technology to resolve this dilemma of producing more electricity.
* * *
Maryland’s apocalyptic environmentalism pushed by progressives in Annapolis, who are quite honestly some of the worst managers this state has ever seen, have pushed disastrous green energy policies that prevent new fossil fuel power generators from being built. Hence, the state must increase power imports from surrounding states.
In return, utilities have to build massive transmission lines, seizing private property, to import power from other states. If the state actually allowed new fossil fuel plants, NatGas generators could be built down the street from new AI data centers.
Overall, the state is sliding into an energy crisis, with a critical need to boost in-state electricity generation as the ‘Next AI Trade’ theme gains momentum.
“Please Explain This”: White House Press Association Prez Busted In Huge Biden Lie?
The President of the White House Correspondents’ Association, NBC News‘ Kelly O’Donnell, has reignited controversy over whether President Biden receives press questions in advance.
“To those who make the false charge, the WH press corps does not provide questions in advance,” O’Donnell posted on X, suggesting that at most – “The president has a list of media who are credentialed in advance,” and that “His team knows who will be in the room and chose reporters from news wires, TV, print, and radio including a Polish journalist. We did not know who would be selected in advance.”
To those who make the false charge, the WH press corps does not provide questions in advance. The president has a list of media who are credentialed in advance. His team knows who will be in the room and chose reporters from news wires, TV, print, and radio including a Polish… https://t.co/CwtRRNUKUX
Anyone not in the leftist media echo chamber knew this was a lie. Journalist Stephen Miller seized and pounced on poor Kelly, pointing out that she’s a lying dog-faced pony soldier of the worst varietal, with a photo that went viral last year of a LA Times journalist’s questions in advance.
Edit: Of course, as ZH reader SDShack notes in the comments below
“When she says the ‘WH Press staff doesn’t provide questions in advance to POTATUS, that could very well be true. What she DID NOT say was ‘POTATUS staff gave us the questions they want us to ask, and by who, and if we don’t agree, that person does not get called on…so naturally we agree to their wishes’. See how the game is played?“
Kelly also seems to have missed a giant story from earlier this week – in which a Milwaukee radio host resigned after admitting that Biden aides gave her questions in advance of an interview. The same station admitted they edited Biden’s interview at the request of the Biden campaign.
“the WH press corps does not provide questions in advance”
Except they have, and you have never asked how or investigated how this happened. You just pretend this never happened while calling it a “false charge.” pic.twitter.com/YGScKyBxSb
One of the saddest moments of my life was the day I felt compelled to tell my father that he should give up his car and stop driving. He resisted, but only briefly. It was an example of the kind of man my father was.
And it is an example for us today when we consider the peril our republic faces with President Biden clinging to his reelection bid.
We all know the liberating feeling we had when we got our first driver’s license. The opposite feeling comes when it is time to turn it in. In my dad’s case, the problem was diminished eyesight. A resilient man, he had learned to live with many handicaps, including loss of a leg and use of an arm. He told me of a trick he successfully used at traffic intersections to compensate for his difficulty discerning red lights from green: He waited for other cars to move.
Okay, I said, how will you feel if you end up hurting someone? That was all it took. He sold his car.
Such a moment has come now to Joseph Biden. The chances of him winning in November are virtually non-existent. Yet, he continues to make statements that defy reason in order to keep the keys to the White House.
The president’s performance in his recent debate with Donald Trump was a shock to anyone with eyes and ears. His handlers have limited his unscripted interactions with journalists for precisely this reason. Yet he and his staff insist he is as intellectually vigorous as ever and trot out ludicrous excuses for why he stumbled. One of the excuses, jetlag from recent trips abroad, showed the opposite of what was intended – that is, that it takes the president 11 days to recover from travel.
They, argue that he is the best person to beat Donald Trump in November. After all, they say, he is the only one who has bested Trump at the ballot box. On close inspection, however, the statement is nearly meaningless. Trump has only been in two election races, and the one he won was fluky, to say the least. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, ran a poor campaign – and still won the popular vote. Several Democrats have a better chance than Biden of beating Trump this time round.
It is sad to hear Biden claim he is intellectually up to the job at the same time he says the polls are not all that bad. As the RealClearPolitics Poll Average shows, Trump is decidedly ahead of Biden. Moreover, Biden probably needs around 52% of the popular vote to win, given how the Electoral College functions.
It might be comforting to think that there is still time to turn things around. But anyone can see that Biden is losing voters, not gaining them. The best that can be said is that the battle lines have been fixed in Trump’s favor. Biden has been lagging for months and that shows no signs of changing.
It is understandable that the president seeks supportive advice from staff as well as his wife, Jill, and his son, Hunter Biden. We all want reassurance. But we also need to seek out those who will give us a point of view that we do not want to hear.
Contrary to what Biden is claiming, the elites are not out to get him. Taking on the mantle of victimhood only makes Biden seem unhinged – and more like Trump. Polls show that nearly three-quarters of Americans think Biden is not fit to serve, mainly as a result of the impacts of aging.
The issue is not Biden’s age, per se. Donald Trump, 78, is not much younger than the president. The issue is that in recent years Biden’s acuity and physical presence have shown noticeable decline. Whatever one wants to say about Trump, he is vigorous.
One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans, who have blindly followed a leader whose attachment to the truth is tenuous.
Party leaders now face a test of their credibility.
Some Democratic lawmakers have begun to speak out, urging the president to end his campaign. But more – many more – must step up. They must do what they have said the opposition has failed to do: speak truth to power. Otherwise, an important distinction between the parties disappears along with the possibility of winning the November election.
Like my father, Biden has faced personal hardship and prevailed. That courage is a sign of greatness. I stand with those who believe Biden has many accomplishments and should be proud of his presidency.
But this moment may be his greatest test. True greatness lies in facing facts, not in wishful thinking, and in thinking of the consequences for others, not oneself.
Biden needs to turn in the keys and let the party make a credible fight for the country. That’s what my father, a hardworking American who never pitied himself, would have done. I loved him for it.
