Month: August 2024

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

Ukrainian officials have urged locals in and around the town of Pokrovsk to evacuate within the next two weeks as Russian forces rapidly approach this pivotal military logistics hub.

The head of neighboring Mirnograd’s military administration bluntly said:

“Don’t wait. It will not get better, it will only get worse. Leave”, and then admitted that “The enemy is advancing faster than expected.”

The Associated Press cited local commanders who blamed Russia’s swift gains on their side’s poorly trained conscripts.

One of them claimed that “Some people don’t want to shoot. They see the enemy in the firing position in trenches but don’t open fire. … That is why our men are dying…They don’t receive even the lowest standard of training required for our (combat) actions.” An unnamed soldier also lamented that “The main problem is the survival instinct of newcomers. Before, people could stand until the last moment to hold the position. Now, even when there is light shelling of firing positions, they are retreating.”

The poor quality of Ukraine’s recruits casts doubt on whether the whopping 120,000 troops that Belarusian President Lukashenko claimed had been deployed along his border could make much of a difference if some of them are sent to Donbass out of desperation to halt Russia’s advance. They’d more than likely participate in “meat waves” like those before them did in Artyomovsk/Bakhmut and Avdeevka, and just like their predecessors, they’re also destined to sacrifice themselves in vain.

Russia’s capture of Pokrovsk, however long it might take, could reshape the conflict’s dynamics due to this town’s strategic significance for Ukraine’s military logistics. Beyond it are just a few lightly defended towns and then vast expanses of grassland that could become the scene of maneuver warfare. Ukraine’s US-backed invasion of Kursk reminded observers that maneuver warfare isn’t dead like some had earlier claimed, and it might soon make a major comeback in the fields past Pokrovsk.

Ukraine’s successes in Kharkov, Kherson, and most recently Kursk over the past two and a half years were the result of missteps on Russia’s part, not examples of Ukrainian “military genius” like its supporters in the media misportrayed them as. It either exploited overstretched and undermanned supply chains in the first two cases or took advantage of a poorly defended border in the second. None of these three precedents suggests that Ukraine is capable of beating Russia head-to-head at maneuver warfare.

It’s therefore possible that Russia could quickly capture broad swaths of Donbass once maneuver warfare begins to be fought along that front upon its capture of Pokrovsk, which could then improve its position for assaulting the heavily defended Kramatorsk-Slavyansk agglomeration in northern Donbass. In that event, Russia might also take advantage of its post-Pokrovsk maneuver warfare successes (assuming that they’re achieved as expected) to branch out in other directions.

Capturing Pokrovsk would enable Russia to move north into southern Kharkov, west into eastern Dnipro (neither of which it has any territorial claims to), and southwest into Zaporozhye (all of which it claims). Opening up a third front in Kharkov to complement the northern and eastern ones from Belgorod and Lugansk could be seen as revenge for Kursk as could opening one in Dnipro. The Kharkov vector could also help cut off supply lines to Kramatorsk-Slavyansk and thus facilitate the full capture of Donbass.

Moving into southeastern Dnipro could be a shortcut for launching operations in northern Zaporozhye so it also can’t be discounted due to the possibility that this could lead to a siege of the latter’s namesake administrative center. Observers can only speculate which vector(s) Russia would move into after Pokrovsk and when that might be, but the point is that maneuver warfare might play a large role in its forthcoming operations after that tow is captured.

Ukraine’s poorly trained conscripts and its lightly defended towns beyond Pokrovsk increase the odds of a partial Russian military breakthrough up to the next heavily defended localities further afield, and this could result in serious changes to the way in which Ukraine fights this conflict. It could either stay the course by doubling down on Kursk (and potentially opening new fronts in Belarus and/or Russia’s other border regions) at the expense of Donbass or decisively shift back to the latter at the former’s expense.

Either way, it’ll be forced into a dilemma, especially if Russia opens up new fronts in Kharkov and/or Dnipro in parallel with putting maximum pressure upon Donbass’ Kramatorsk-Slovyansk. Ukraine thus stands to lose more ground, or it could explore whether Russia would be willing to swap whatever Kiev controls in Kursk for whatever Moscow controls in Kharkov (and possibly also Dnipro by then). The possibility also exists that Ukraine could become hellbent on crossing Russia’s non-negotiable red lines.

About that, this could take the form of a nuclear provocation (such as that which could be caused by a crippling attack against its nuclear power plants or spent nuclear fuel storage sites there), a high-level assassination, or a terrorist attack even worse than the recent Crocus one. The purpose would be to provoke Russia into using nuclear weapons just like Lukashenko warned last week that Kiev wants to do, which could then serve as the tripwire for a conventional NATO intervention in Ukraine’s support.

All told, Russia’s capture of Pokrovsk might still take a while since Kiev could decide to turn this town into the next Artyomovsk, but the conflict’s dynamics will likely be reshaped once that happens if Russia can employ maneuver warfare against the lightly defended towns in the fields beyond. Any subsequent breakthrough would force Ukraine into the dilemma of prioritizing some fronts and the expense of others, but it might try to cut the Gordian knot through a series of swaps or escalations instead.

It’s anyone’s guess what it would do in that scenario, but those are the three most likely options: sacrifice one front to save another; swap land with Russia; or try crossing Russia’s non-negotiable red lines as part of a dangerous gamble to “escalate to de-escalate” up to the brink of provoking World War III. In any case, all eyes will be on Pokrovsk as Russia inches towards this pivotal military logistics hub and inevitably begins battling for control of it, so everyone will eventually see what Kiev ultimately does.

Authored by Jeff M. Smith via RealClearWorld,

When the Heritage Foundation released its comprehensive report on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, headlines tended to focus on the cost to the U.S. That’s not surprising: At an eye-popping $18 trillion, it’s almost 10 times the projected 2024 budget deficit.

Arguably, however, the Commission’s most infuriating conclusion was this: The global pandemic was “totally preventable,” in the words of Commissioner Dr. Robert Redfield, an experienced virologist who headed the CDC during the outbreak.

Had the Chinese government been more transparent and cooperative at the outset of the pandemic, millions of lives and trillions of dollars could have been spared. The pandemic’s “proximal origin,” the Commission found, was the Chinese government’s “aggressive opposition to honesty, transparency, and accountability” along with its “systemic cover up.”

The Cover-Up

The Commission—a blue-ribbon team of experts led by former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and supported by data scientists, economists, and lawyers—concluded that the SARS-CoV-2 virus began circulating months before Beijing warned the world, likely in August-September 2019. The Chinese government then not only withheld key details, it engaged in an elaborate and deadly coverup.

Dr. Jamie Metzl—one of the Commission’s Democrats who served at the National Security Council, U.S. Senate, and State Department—condemned Beijing for having “destroyed samples, hidden records, imprisoned Chinese citizen journalists, gagged Chinese scientists, blocked any meaningful international investigations, and cynically sandbagged the World Health Organization.”

Ratcliffe described China’s behavior during this period as “frankly inexcusable.”

Added Metzl: “There can be, in our view, little doubt that China’s government is primarily responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. But for the unique pathologies of the Chinese state, there very likely would have been no pandemic at all.”

The Cost

Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic is considered one of the seven deadliest plagues in human history, with excess deaths topping 28 million, according to some estimates. The World Bank has characterized the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic as “the largest global economic crisis in more than a century,” with low-income countries hit the hardest.

The Commission’s assessment that the pandemic cost the U.S. alone $18 trillion includes $8.6 trillion in “excess deaths,” $1.8 trillion in income lost, $6 trillion in chronic conditions like “long COVID,” $1.1 trillion in mental health costs, and $400 million in education losses.

The Origin

While the origin of the pandemic wasn’t the focus of the Commission, notably all nine Commissioners concluded, without dissent, that the pandemic “very likely stemmed from a research-related incident in Wuhan.”

Indeed, evidence continues to emerge further strengthening the “lab leak” theory and casting greater doubt on the “natural spillover” theory. The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was at the time conducting dangerous gain of function experiments to make coronaviruses more transmissible to humans, and it was doing so in alarmingly unsafe conditions.

The WIV experienced an unspecified “incident” in 2019, when several lab workers fell sick, the Chinese military abruptly assumed control of the lab, the lab mysteriously deleted its online database of over 10,000 bat virus samples at 2:00am, and ordered an expensive new air incinerator. A Chinese military scientist then produced a vaccine with logic-defying speed before suddenly going missing and being scrubbed from government records.

In recent months, new details have emerged about a 2018 grant proposal that sought funding to manipulate coronaviruses at the WIV in very specific ways—ways that exactly match the highly unusual features of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that have never been seen in nature.

At the event unveiling the Heritage report, Dr. Redfield contended SARS-CoV-2 shows “clear signs of engineering” and its origin “had nothing to do with” a natural spillover event at a Wuhan animal market. The full Commission report concludes that despite four years of extensive hypothesis testing, today “there is no evidentiary basis” for the theory of natural spillover. The handful of early pandemic academic papers advancing the natural spillover theory have since been hollowed out by fatal challenges to their underlying methods and conclusions.

Rather than a viral leap from animal to humans, Dr. Redfield contended that the pandemic was “a direct consequence of scientific arrogance, with the scientists that were intentionally teaching this virus how to infect humans never recognizing something would ever go wrong. And, in fact, unfortunately this virus did escape.”

Preventing Another Pandemic

To avoid a future pandemic and hold the Chinese government accountable, the Commission report concluded with several practical recommendations for the U.S. government:

• Establish a bipartisan national COVID commission to conduct “a review of China’s negligence and cover-up as well as an evaluation of domestic policies that were implemented” in response to the pandemic;

• Create a bipartisan reparations or compensation task force to cover claims against the Chinese government;

• Facilitate the filing of civil claims against China to allow civilians harmed by COVID to receive compensation by amending the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act;

• Decouple U.S. government and commercial supply chains from Chinese state-backed companies;

• Audit all U.S. government funding for biomedical research and related research activities in China;

• Impose economic sanctions on Chinese officials and entities who were complicit in or supported the “distortion and concealment” of information related to the COVID pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic was almost certainly the deadliest and costliest event of the 21st century. Beijing’s ability to escape virtually any accountability—and the global media’s relative disinterest in the pandemic’s origins, cost, and China’s culpability—are equal parts confounding and infuriating.

“China’s response to SARS1 20 years ago was abysmal,” Dr. Metzl argued at the Heritage event. “China’s response to SARS2, 20 years later despite all these international processes, was even worse. And the reason…is there was no accountability for all the obfuscation in the first case. With 28 million people dead as a result of COVID-19 and tens of trillions of dollars in damages it simply unacceptable, and frankly unimaginable, that every stone should not be overturned examining what went wrong.”

Central banks hold gold reserves due to their safety, liquidity, and return characteristics.

They are significant owners of gold, accounting for approximately a fifth of all the gold mined throughout history.

The country with the most gold is the United States, with 8,133 tonnes, which has a value of $579 billion.

The top ten countries in total gold reserves (tonnes) as of May 2024.

These figures come from the World Gold Council.

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, increased sanctions, and discussions around de-dollarization, interest in gold purchases is rising.

But which countries are leading the charge in increasing their gold reserves?

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, ranks the top 10 countries by the change in gold reserves over the past decade (2013-2023).

The figures, measured in tonnes, were compiled by the World Gold Council.

Russia and China Lead in Gold Purchases

Central banks, particularly those of Russia and China, have bought gold at the fastest pace as countries seek to diversify their reserves away from the dollar.

Russia’s reserves jumped from 1,035 tonnes in 2013 to 2,333 in 2023. China’s reserves rose from 1,054 tonnes to 2,235 in 2023.

In third place in our ranking of central bank gold additions, Türkiye increased its reserves from 116 tonnes in 2013 to 540 tonnes in 2023.

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Exposing children to high levels of fluoride is “consistently associated” with lower IQ, and potentially other neurodevelopmental issues, according to a report by the National Toxicology Program (NTP).

In 2016, NTP started a systematic review of scientific literature to ascertain links between fluoride and cognition. On Aug. 21, it published a report detailing its findings. A total of 72 studies reviewed in the report examined how fluoride exposure affected children’s IQ. Sixty-four of these studies found an “inverse association between estimated fluoride exposure and IQ in children,” meaning higher exposure was linked to lower IQ and vice versa.

“This review finds, with moderate confidence, that higher estimated fluoride exposures … are consistently associated with lower IQ in children,” the report stated. NTP is a unit of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NTP defined high exposure as drinking water with fluoride concentrations that exceed the 1.5 mg/L limit set by the World Health Organization.

The allowable limits in the United States are different. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a threshold of 0.7 mg/L for fluoride presence in drinking water (including naturally occurring and added fluoride, or fluoridation), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a limit of 2 mg/L.

As of April 2020, community water systems in the United States supplied water containing 1.5 mg/L or more of naturally occurring fluoride to 0.59 percent of the country’s population, which comes to approximately 1.9 million people, NTP stated. Around 1 million people were supplied water with 2 mg/L or more of naturally occurring fluoride.

“There is also some evidence that fluoride exposure is associated with other neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects in children; although, because of the heterogeneity of the outcomes, there is low confidence in the literature for these other effects,” the report stated.

The studies on children’s IQ reviewed in the report were conducted in 10 countries, including Canada and Mexico. No studies from the United States were included in the review.

Fluoride is a mineral that prevents and repairs damage to the teeth caused by bacteria. In 1945, the United States introduced a community water fluoridation program, which has been considered a successful public health measure.

However, there were concerns that children and pregnant women may ingest fluoride in excess amounts due to exposure to the mineral from a variety of sources, including water, beverages, toothpaste, and teas, the NTP said. This led the program to conduct the current study.

Fluoride Debate

The NTP report follows a study published in May that looked at mother-child pairs from Los Angeles and concluded that prenatal fluoride exposure was associated with “neurobehavioral problems” among children.

Lead investigator of the study Ashley Malin said the results suggest fluoride may negatively affect fetal brain development. She pointed out that there is “no known benefit” of fluoride consumption for fetuses.

“We found that each 0.68 milligram per liter increase in fluoride levels in the pregnant women’s urine was associated with nearly double the odds of children scoring in the clinical or borderline clinical range for neurobehavioral problems at age 3, based on their mother’s reporting,” she said.

In a May 22 statement, the American Dental Association (ADA) said the study was not “nationally representative” and that it did not measure the “actual consumption of fluoridated water.”

“The JAMA study should be considered exploratory. To date, the ADA has seen no peer-reviewed research that would change its long-standing recommendation to the public to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and drink optimally fluoridated water,” the group said.

“Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children. There are decades of research and practical experience indicating community water fluoridation is safe and effective in reducing cavities by 25 percent in both children and adults.”

It endorsed community water fluoridation as a “safe, beneficial, and cost-effective” way to prevent dental cavities.

Another study from January found that many parents were exposing children to high amounts of fluoride. When parents used toothpaste for their children aged under 24 months, the fluoride dose was 5.9 to 7.2 times higher than what was recommended, the study found.

Russian authorities have confirmed that on Friday there was a major, violent uprising at a maximum security prison in the country’s south. It appears unrelated to the ongoing Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s southern border regions, and reportedly involved Islamist prisoners affiliated with ISIS.

Several officers at the penal colony in the town of Surovikino were killed, and several staff were taken hostage by the rebelling inmates, before it was put down by an elite Russian commando team. The location has been identified as IK-19 Surovikino facility in the southwestern Volgograd region.

The National Guard of Russia, also known as the Rosgvardia, announced in a Telegram statement: “Snipers from the special forces of the Russian National Guard in the Volgograd Region neutralized four prisoners who had taken prisoner employees hostage with four precise shots; the hostages were freed.”

Videos from the scene which emerged on social media and showed the hostage-takers waiving ISIS flags. State media sources say that at least eight prison officers had been taken hostage during the ordeal. Other sources say a dozen total people were held hostage, which included some inmates who weren’t among the attackers.

Russia’s RT reports the following details:

According to the WarGonzo Telegram channel, one of the hostage-takers was wearing a purported suicide belt which failed to detonate.

The identities of the attackers have been confirmed, according to media reports citing court records. One of the four was a convicted murderer while the other three were serving time for drug trafficking charges. All were reportedly natives of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Another regional outlet reported the following:

Photos shared by the pro-Kremlin Telegram news outlet Mash showed prison inmates with knives standing above bloodied guards. In unverified videos shared on Telegram, the alleged attackers said they were affiliated with the Islamic State militant group and taking revenge for the Crocus City Hall terror attack in March.

The assailants stabbed the employees, including some who tried to resist. At least three were killed, and there were conflicting reports from officials over the fate of a fourth prison guard.

The uprising involved crude weapons, and the deceased guards reportedly died due to stab wounds. Two of the attackers later succumbed of their wounds at a hospital after being shot by sniper teams.

CNN comments on some of the disturbing images as follows: “Graphic footage circulating on social media showed three uniformed prison staff members lying motionless in pools of blood, one with his throat slashed. A fourth staff member is seen on his knees in a doorway.”

Authored by Zrinka Peters via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Curcumin is well known for its widespread health benefits, particularly for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A polyphenol (a chemical compound in plants that offers specific health benefits) found in turmeric, curcumin is primarily responsible for its vibrant yellow color and is widely used in Indian and Asian cuisines.

Despite the many claims of curcumin’s ability to help alleviate health concerns, including a variety of skin conditions, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, depression, and more, obtaining its full benefits can be a challenge. Curcumin has poor bioavailability and solubility and is rapidly eliminated from the body.

Curcumin’s potential health benefits, along with advances in research exploring ways to increase the bioavailability of curcumin, inspired Thai researchers to study the effect of curcumin on atherosclerosis in patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries as a result of plaque build-up, and complications resulting from atherosclerosis (e.g., heart attacks and strokes) are the leading cause of death worldwide.

The Study

The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, published in Nutrients last month divided 227 participants into two groups of roughly equal size. One group took six capsules of curcumin per day (two 250 milligram (mg) capsules after meals, three times per day, for a daily total of 1500 mg), while the other took a placebo.

The participants were tested at zero, three, six, nine, and 12 months for indicators of anti-atherogenic activity, including pulse-wave velocity (PWV), as well as several cardiometabolic risk factors including total cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid. Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were recorded, as well as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (to evaluate systemic inflammation).

The results showed significant improvements for the curcumin-supplementing participants in each of the areas in which data was collected. Pulse wave velocity, which measures arterial stiffness and is considered to be a predictor for adverse cardiovascular events, was significantly lower in the curcumin-treated group at three, six, nine, and 12 months than in the placebo control group.

Levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and uric acid were likewise all significantly lower in the curcumin-treated group at three, six, nine, and 12 months.

Measurements of waist circumference, total body fat, and visceral fat were significantly lower in the curcumin group than in the placebo group at the six-, nine-, and 12-month visits. Insulin resistance was also significantly lowered in the curcumin-treated group.

The study authors concluded, “[C]urcumin significantly reduced the PWV, substantiating its role in mitigating arterial stiffness and potential cardiovascular disease risk.” They also recorded a reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, “a marker associated with inflammation and cardiovascular risk,” after three months. The positive results across multiple risk factors highlight curcumin’s potential role in cardiometabolic health.

The researchers went on to say, “These multi-target effects and historical usage underscore the importance of natural products in creating effective, holistic treatments for metabolic diseases.” No serious adverse effects were noted among the curcumin-treated group.

Finding the Right Measure

As a natural, easily accessible, and inexpensive supplement with a strong safety profile, curcumin offers possible support in maintaining or improving cardiometabolic health. Though the dosage used in this study was 1500 mg per day, other studies have demonstrated that dosages as high as 8000 mg per day have been well-tolerated. However, some people need to exercise caution when considering whether curcumin supplements may be helpful for them.

Cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Bhaskar Semitha told the Epoch Times, “It’s crucial to discuss curcumin supplementation with your doctor before starting, especially if you have CVD [cardiovascular disease] and take medications. While curcumin generally has a good safety profile, there are some considerations for patients with CVD taking medications.”

“Curcumin can interact with certain medications, including blood thinners (e.g., Warfarin) and anti-platelet medications (e.g., Clopidogrel). This could increase bleeding risk. Curcumin might [also] interfere with the absorption of some CV medications, potentially reducing their effectiveness,” Semitha said. “If your doctor approves curcumin, it’s advisable to begin with a low dose and monitor for any side effects.”

While Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin struggles to get its rocket off the ground, Elon Musk’s SpaceX continues to dominate the space race with the most rocket launches and satellite deployments to low-Earth orbit worldwide. Meanwhile, Musk has become a target for Democrats, with even the White House weaponizing federal agencies against the billionaire, given his support for free speech through the X platform and support for former President Trump. 

Next Monday, Musk’s SpaceX will usher in a new era of commercial space exploration when a Falcon 9 rocket ferries four astronauts to space via Dragon capsule under the Polaris Program to test and develop new spaceflight technology. 

The @PolarisProgram’s Polaris Dawn mission will be the first crew to perform a spacewalk from Dragon, fly higher in Earth’s orbit than anyone since the Apollo program, test laser-based @Starlink communications, and conduct research to help provide insight on human health during… pic.twitter.com/RW387QWShY

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 22, 2024

“This milestone mission will include testing a next-generation spacesuit during the first commercial spacewalk; endeavoring to achieve the highest altitude of any human spaceflight mission since the Apollo program; and testing a new communication system using Starlink,” the Polaris Program wrote in a release. 

This will be the first spacewalk by a commercial company and the furthest from Earth anyone has traveled in over half a century! https://t.co/eYQnMo1nrK

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 22, 2024

It added, “The four crewmembers will also use their approximately five days on-orbit to conduct nearly 40 critical health research experiments, all while raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.” 

Shortly thereafter, Dragon arrived at our hangar at pad 39A ahead of Falcon 9’s launch of Polaris Dawn pic.twitter.com/HdNYlXCPnQ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 21, 2024

Here are the four major milestones the Polaris Dawn’s four-person crew will attempt to achieve next week: 

1. Flying higher than any previous Dragon mission to date and reaching the highest Earth orbit ever flown while moving through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt at an orbital altitude of 190 x 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Earth’s surface – or more than three times higher than the International Space Station. This will be the highest altitude of any human spaceflight mission in more than a half-century since the Apollo program;

2. Attempting the first-ever commercial spacewalk. This will take place at an elliptical orbit of 190 x 700 kilometers (435 miles) above Earth in newly developed SpaceX EVA spacesuits. During the spacewalk, the crew will conduct a series of tests that will provide necessary data that will allow SpaceX teams to produce and scale for future long-duration missions. The crew worked with SpaceX engineers throughout suit development, testing various iterations for mobility and performance (along with mobility aids and systems procedures), and conducted operations inside vacuum chambers to validate pre-breathe protocols and the readiness of the EVA suit;

3. Testing laser-based satellite communication using optical links between the Dragon spacecraft and Starlink satellites, revolutionizing the speed and quality of space communications;

4. Conducting nearly 40 experiments for critical scientific research designed to advance our knowledge of human health both on Earth and during future long-duration space flights

Separately, NASA is set to announce the planned return of two stranded Boeing Starliner astronauts aboard the ISS on early Saturday afternoon. Reports have already suggested that the space agency has discussed the possibility of ferrying the astronauts on a SpaceX Dragon. 

If NASA selects Musk’s SpaceX to rescue the stranded astronauts on the ISS, it could trigger rage among Democrats, as Trump’s most outspoken supporter would dominate the news cycle on the rescue mission while leftist MSM artificially propping up Kamala Harris fades into darkness.

Authored by  Jason Hayes & Timothy G. Nash via RealClearEnergy,

Abundant and affordable energy drives America’s powerful and productive economy. That’s been true throughout our nation’s history, and America’s recent achievement of energy independence provides the most concrete illustration of that fact.

But to keep our nation firing on all eight cylinders, we need government policies that prioritize providing adequate, reliable and secure domestic energy supplies.

Our recently published report, “Grading the Grid,” reviewed a variety of potential energy sources. Two — natural gas and nuclear — stood out as the most sensible energy options for the future.

No other energy source fits the abundant, affordable and secure prescription as well as American natural gas. Despite increased use, new drilling technologies, such as fracking, produced a 79% increase in annual natural gas production in the U.S. from 2007 to 2021.

As we produce more of it, prices are dropping. American families saved $147 billion over the last decade because of more affordable natural gas. American Gas Association testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability indicated that households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and other appliances save an average of $1,068 per year compared to homes using electricity for such appliances. Natural gas powered 36% of America’s total energy needs in 2023 and 43% of U.S. electricity generation. 

Natural gas also helps improve air quality. Americans are enjoying 78% cleaner air since 1970. The transition from older coal-fueled technologies to more efficient natural gas turbines for electricity generation is the primary reason that the U.S. is a world leader in lowering carbon emissions. Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have decreased by more than 18% since 2007, while electricity generation from natural gas increased over 88%. Natural gas, with its distinctive blue flame, has cleanly powered American homes and industry for many decades.

Natural gas should be the standard by which other hydrocarbon energy sources are measured, such as fuel oil, kerosene, petroleum and coal. Pipeline-quality natural gas — gas that has been processed to remove contaminants and to meet specific quality standards — sets a high but reasonable bar for clean energy. Policymakers in Washington D.C. and state capitals should craft legislation that targets these standards of affordability, reliability and cleanliness that natural gas achieves.

Using natural gas as the standard could encourage the development of technologies, like catalysts or formate, that allow us to continue using hydrocarbons, like fuel oil, kerosene, diesel, or coal, to produce energy and then use captured greenhouse gas emissions associated with their combustion to generate useable fuels.

These are engineering challenges that are both economically feasible and technologically sound. They are also exactly the kind of ground-breaking idea that the U.S., the most innovative society on earth, is known for. There is no reason to take affordable and reliable energy sources off the table when we can rely on American ingenuity to produce clean electricity from what has traditionally been allowed to escape into the air as a waste product

Nuclear power is the second most promising energy source. It is also affordable like natural gas, but even cleaner and more reliable. American nuclear plants produce effectively emission-free electricity and can do so 24-7-365 for many decades.

Nuclear power has supplied about 20% of the electricity needed in the U.S. since the 1990s. However, a combination of misinformation and government overregulation of nuclear power limits its expansion. It can, and should, be America’s largest source of baseload grid-scale electricity generation.

America’s increasing population will need more electricity in the future. As data centers and artificial intelligence become more prevalent, nuclear and natural gas become even more important. Former U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz highlighted how the expansion of artificial intelligence and data centers are rapidly growing electricity demand.

If America is to maintain and grow its economic prosperity, Moniz explained at the 2024 CERAWeek meeting in Houston, it needs a far more reliable electricity supply — what nuclear and natural gas provide. “[U]tilities will have to lean more heavily on natural gas, coal and nuclear plants, and perhaps support the construction of new gas plants to help meet spikes in demand,” he said. “We’re not going to build 100 gigawatts of new renewables in a few years.”

Energy affordability and independence are the new keys to American prosperity. Nearly 60 million Americans consider energy affordability a factor when they decide who they will support in an election. Hardworking Americans deserve a sensible energy strategy that maximizes the use of our existing nuclear plants and our abundant supplies of natural gas. Energy policy must also encourage private investments in innovation that can help other energy sources meet the pricing, reliability and cleanliness standards of American natural gas.

Jason Hayes is director of energy and environmental policy at the Mackinac Center. 

Dr. Timothy G. Nash is director of the McNair Center at Northwood University.

The Middle East has been on edge all week as the world awaits a retaliatory Iranian attack on Israel that could spark a regional conflict. As of Friday, Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah rebels have been exchanging fire, and an oil tanker earlier this week in the southern Red Sea was hit by a missile attack, likely from Iran-backed Houthi forces.  

With all eyes on the Middle East, our attention shifts to a “hot pit event” on Wednesday with a Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and US Air Force Airmen assigned to the 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron at the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, according to the USAF. 

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit is hot pit refueled during a Bomber Task Force mission at Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, Aug. 21.

Hot pitting is an act of having an aircraft land, refuel and take off without shutting its engines down.https://t.co/zq7ELjlXet pic.twitter.com/xi5YWmdOpd

— Ryan Chan 陳家翹 (@ryankakiuchan) August 23, 2024

The US military uses Diego Garcia as a strategic point for launching operations in the Indo-Pacific. The hot pit event allowed the B-2 to land and refuel without shutting its engines down. 

“If we lose a tanker or don’t get a tanker for aerial refueling, a hot pit enables us to move our jet from location to location, refuel and complete the mission,” said the 110th EBS deputy commander and B-2 pilot.

USAF noted, “Conducting hot pit events in various locations around the globe enables aircrew and support Airmen to maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency.” 

Diego Garcia is located about 1,000 miles off the southern tip of India and is more than 3,000 miles from Iran. B2s have a range of about 6,000 nautical miles. 

A  United States Institute of Peace map shows Iran’s ballistic missiles range from 200 km to 3,000 km (123 miles to 1,864 miles). This puts Diego Garcia out of Iran’s threat range. 

A nervous calm has been cast over energy markets as Brent crude hovers below $80/bbl in late afternoon trading on Friday.

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

The amount of money required to be seen as rich has risen over the past years amid inflation, with younger people having a lower wealth benchmark, according to a recent survey by financial services company Charles Schwab.

“Americans now think it takes an average of $2.5 million to be considered wealthy—which is up slightly from 2023 and 2022 ($2.2 million),” reads an Aug. 21 statement by the company.

“By generation, Boomers have the highest threshold of what it takes to be considered wealthy, at $2.8 million, while the younger generations, Millennials and Gen Z, have lower thresholds of what is considered wealthy” at only $1.2 million, it adds.

California had the highest wealth expectations, with respondents from San Francisco saying it takes $4.4 million to be considered rich. Southern California was at the second spot with $3.4 million. Dallas, Phoenix, and Houston had the lowest thresholds at $2.2 million to $2.3 million.

The jump in the level of what is considered wealthy has happened amid a period of surging inflation, which has raised the overall cost of living. As living expenses rise, so does people’s estimate of how much money is required to live a wealthy life.

The survey’s $2.5 million wealth threshold is nearly 14 percent higher than the 2022 level.

During this period, the cost of living rose by more than 11 percent, according to data from the St. Louis Fed.

Despite facing the challenge of high inflation, more than one in five Americans said they were “on track to be wealthy,” with optimism highest among Generation Z and lowest among baby boomers, according to the statement.

Moreover, nearly a third of respondents said they were on track to be in control of their finances, with millennials and Gen Z more optimistic in this regard.

“Wealth means different things to different people, whether it’s financial freedom, enriching experiences with friends and family, or a certain dollar amount,” Rob Williams, managing director of financial planning at Charles Schwab, said in the statement.

“Our survey reinforces that people with a written financial plan are more confident about achieving their personal financial goals. Financial planning helps people understand where they are today and create a roadmap to get where they want to be.”

Inflation Eroding Wealth

The Schwab survey comes amid concerns about rising prices negatively affecting people’s lifestyles.

In May, the Federal Reserve published its report on the state of finances in U.S. households in 2023, finding that nearly two-thirds of Americans felt they were financially worse off than the previous year due to “changes in the prices they paid.” This included “19 percent who said price changes had made their financial situation much worse.”

The report points out that “inflation continued to be the top financial concern, despite the inflation rate falling over the prior year.”

Increasing costs not only affects the current financial situation but future planning as well. A May survey by asset management firm Schroders found that the possibility of rising prices lowering the value of savings was “weighing heavily on the minds of retirees.”

Less than half of Americans in retirement believed they had saved enough, with a significant share convinced they did not accumulate necessary savings. Almost 90 percent expressed worries about inflation reducing the value of their assets, according to the survey.

“Whether it’s a trip to the gas station, grocery store, or pharmacy, prices in the U.S. have increased noticeably in recent years, and that is particularly challenging for retirees living on fixed income sources,” Deb Boyden, head of U.S. defined contribution at Schroders, said in a statement.

However, higher inflation does not always translate into eroding asset values all the time. The effect on investments is largely dependent on the type of assets an individual owns, notes financial services firm Western & Southern Financial Group.

For instance, investments with a fixed return, such as certain bonds or certificates of deposits, usually are a bad choice. The fixed interest amount received annually would be worth less and less with each passing year as inflation erodes the value of cash.

When it comes to stocks, the effect can be mixed, depending on the nature of the business.

“Value stocks (companies that investors think are undervalued by the market) tend to perform better than growth stocks when inflation is high,” a post by U.S. Bank states.

Investments in commodities such as oil, precious metals, or agricultural goods do well during periods of high inflation, according to Western & Southern Financial Group.