Month: January 2025

Authored by Ana Paula Pereira via CoinTelegraph.com,

The year 2024 will be remembered as a landmark chapter in crypto history. From surging mainstream demand for Bitcoin-regulated financial products to an expected crypto-friendly White House, the Web3 industry has made significant strides despite facing notable challenges along the way.

With its resilience finally paying off, the industry is now setting its sights on another promising year as hopes for regulatory clarity converge with years of innovation and development.

Experts are closely watching emerging trends poised to not only redefine the crypto landscape but also affect the world as a whole. To explore what lies ahead, Cointelegraph has compiled a list of key crypto trends expected to take center stage in the months to come.

RWAs: The use case to watch in 2025

If you have never heard about it, make a note of this word: tokenization. It refers to the art of turning traditional assets into tokens, making them tradable, even in small fractions. 

Developers, investors and companies from a range of industries were enraptured by the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs) fever in 2024, as it unlocks liquidity for traditionally nonliquid assets, such as real estate, and allows people around the world to access investments not always accessible to small investors. 

“RWAs are the use case to watch in 2025. The value of tokenized assets will double in the year,” predicts Sergey Gorbunov, CEO of Interop Labs and co-founder of Axelar Network. 

Gorbunov’s view is followed by venture capital firm a16z. In its annual report on trends in the crypto and blockchain industry, the VC said that “tokenizing unconventional assets could redefine income generation in the digital age.”

According to data from RWA.xyz, the total value of tokenized assets now stands at nearly $13.9 billion, a 67% jump from $8.3 billion in January.

Real-world assets onchain are now worth over $13.8 billion. Source: RWA.xyz

Financial institutions are now looking at risk frameworks for tokenized assets. In other words, they want to ensure compliance with legal requirements, security risks and market volatility issues are addressed. According to Gurbunov:

“Multiple major financial institutions will develop the risk frameworks needed to issue RWAs that can move across interconnected, public blockchains.”

ID checks by AI agents

Several protocols have been working on ways to provide ID verification onchain over the past few years. 

One of the advancements in this field is undoubtedly the emergence of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, a technology that allows a human to prove themselves without revealing any personal information. Startups developing this technology include Worldcoin, ONCHAINID and RisedID, to name a few. 

Moving forward, onchain biometric verification is expected to be increasingly powered by artificial intelligence. In other words, you will be checked for your identity autonomously onchain by an AI. This may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s just an example of AI and blockchain coming together.

“We expect to see automated biometrics and/or government ID checks become the norm, not the exception,” said Civic CEO Chris Hart. He continued: 

“As AI agents increasingly act on behalf of users, robust identity verification and authorization frameworks will be crucial for controlling what these agents can do and for how long — especially in financial transactions.”

DePINs to take off

Community-driven energy services, online storage and internet connectivity are already a reality through decentralized physical infrastructure networks, or DePINs. 

DePINs allow users to become stakeholders in the network, meaning they can own a piece of the infrastructure they use, thus creating new opportunities for financial inclusion.

Borderless Capital, a venture firm pouring millions of dollars into DePIN protocols, claims the sector holds “the most compelling opportunity” in Web3.

“It is the only Web3 vertical generating revenue and fundamentals with zero correlation to the crypto market, delivering real-world value,” Álvaro Gracia, partner at Borderless, told Cointelegraph.

According to data aggregated by DePIN.Ninja, the market capitalization of DePIN protocols has exceeded $50 billion.

More yields from Bitcoin

Finally, it is impossible to discuss 2025 without mentioning Bitcoin. Once a discredited asset, Bitcoin has made significant strides over the past decade, earning adoption within Wall Street and solidifying its position in the financial landscape.

While developers still struggle with possible upgrades to a network that now has more stakeholders than ever before, startups are exploring alternative ways to unlock yield generation for holders.

“This is the natural need for holders, including the retail and institution. This is the native demand for holders,” said Kevin He of Bitlayer, a Bitcoin layer-2 protocol backed by asset manager firm Franklin Templeton.

According to He, not only investors but also large holders of BTC, such as MicroStrategy, are looking for additional sources of revenue through the fusion of Bitcoin and decentralized finance. 

According to He, Bitcoiners could soon generate annual returns of up to 40% on their holdings.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced Wednesday the suspension of Al-Jazeera’s operations in the Palestinian West Bank, citing alleged violations of Palestinian laws and ‘interference’. 

The major Qatar-based outlet is accused of “manipulation, interference in internal affairs, and dissemination of misleading and incendiary reports,” according to a statement in the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The broadcaster has been further blamed for “reports that were deceiving and stirring strife” in the context of the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) effort to crackdown on unauthorized armed groups.

For the past more than two weeks the PA has laid police siege to the Jenin refugee camp in an effort to root out the Jenin Brigade and associated factions. The PA has called the groups “outlaws” and “Iranian gangs” which are operating in the camp.

At least nine Palestinians have been killed as a result of the assault, including reportedly children. The PA had already banned Al Jazeera from reporting from inside Jenin amid the crisis.

Al Jazeera issued a Thursday statement saying it was “shocked by this decision” and is urging an immediate reversal of the temporary ban, for which there hasn’t been a timetable. It has confirmed its coverage has moved to Jordan.

The outlet has charged the PA with “an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps.”

Months ago Israeli commandoes raided Al Jazeera’s West Bank offices and seized equipment and ordered the bureau closed.

As early as October 2023, soon after the Oct.7 Hamas terror attacks, Israel moved to ban Al Jazeera from having offices in Tel Aviv or operating anywhere in Israel.

WATCH| The moment Palestinian Authority security forces raided Al Jazeera’s bureau in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, forcing it to stop broadcasting. pic.twitter.com/UoerXDc0sl

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 1, 2025

This came on the heels of Israeli government approving “emergency regulations” giving it the power to shut down foreign news agencies which are deemed to be acting against the “security of the state”. 

On Thursday a United Nations spokesperson urged the Palestinian Authority to reverse its decision to ban Al-Jazeera, in a rare moment.

Authored by Mike Fredenburg via The Epoch Times,

The  Marines, and now the Air Force and Navy, have cleared their Osprey fleets to fly after all U.S.-operated Ospreys were grounded earlier this month. Clearing the Ospreys involves implementing “risk mitigation controls,” part of which includes a more rigorous inspection regime and careful monitoring of hours flown.

However, while the Ospreys are once again flying, the airplane’s root problem driving these groundings has not been addressed. And the most recent groundings have once again thrust the Osprey’s long history of problems and crashes into the spotlight, with the most recent crash killing eight marines occurring in November of 2023.

As was the case with earlier groundings, the most recent grounding appears to be related to key parts of its complex tiltrotor transmissions not being able to stand up the stresses placed on them and growing weaker at a much faster rate than expected. As this issue affects all Ospreys, the Pentagon grounded all the planes on Dec. 9.

That the Osprey is so problem-plagued 43 years after Bell and Boeing began joint development of it begs several questions. The first is, with well over $10 billion expended on research, development, and testing, and the first test flight taking place way back in 1989, why does the Osprey continue to be so beset with issues, incidents, groundings, and crashes? And the second is, why taxpayers paid tens of billions to acquire V-22s that are unreliable, unsafe, and have arguably delivered less capability than the helicopters and airplanes they are supposedly replacing? The final question is whether it’s time to consider the V-22’s future from a sunk cost basis, and move away from using V-22s and back towards using more capable helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Perhaps a tiltrotor could be designed that is reliable and safe, but after decades of accidents and mechanical failures it should be obvious that the V-22 design is critically flawed and unreliable. Consequently, perhaps, just perhaps, it is time to consider that their adoption has resulted in a net loss of capability, and look at limiting their use only to the small subset of missions and tasks that truly can only be performed by them.

Elaborating, the attraction of the Osprey is that it can perform the duties of both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. This mindset creates the temptation to look for opportunities to replace helicopters with Ospreys in the belief that not only do you get the benefits of a helicopter,  but you get the range and speed of an airplane. Likewise, by replacing fixed-wing aircraft with Ospreys, you not only get an airplane, but you get the capabilities of a helicopter.

This certainly sounds like a big win. But even if the Osprey was safe and reliable, and did not cost so much to operate, the fact is that a tiltrotor aircraft is a lousy helicopter, and is at best a mediocre airplane.

Why Does the Osprey Make Such a Poor Helicopter?

Firstly, while the Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that can ascend and descend vertically, the fact that the vicious downwash  generated by its proprotors is much more concentrated and intense than the downwash generated by a helicopter’s rotor(s) makes it inferior to a helicopter when it comes to executing a wide variety of tasks and missions.

Perhaps the biggest weakness relative to a helicopter is that an Osprey’s intense proprotor wash and hot exhaust strikes the ground with much greater force, throwing up rocks, sand, soil, and in some cases even helipads. This is not only a danger to anyone nearby, but the thrown-up ground materials can potentially be ingested by the engine, damaging it and causing it to fail. The obscuring cloud created by an Osprey can be so intense that the pilot cannot safely land due to lack of visibility.

The intense downwash also means that missions that require hovering, such as air-sea rescues and fast insertions involving troops repelling to the ground, and moving cargo by slings or nets, must be executed from a higher hover height. This, combined with the intensity of the proprotor downwash, makes  Ospreys inferior to helicopters for such missions.

Additionally, hover time for Ospreys enveloped in the obscuring cloud is limited to 60 seconds or less. And due to heat issues, its hover time in general is far less than that of a helicopter.

Further, the Osprey’s intense propwash and engine exhaust damages ship decks perfectly suited to handle helicopters. Consequently, costly deck modifications have had to be made and/or will have to be made to our amphibious warships, which were designed to support helicopters. This is just another example of a helicopter’s vastly superior landing zone flexibility.

Finally, when an Osprey loses power, unlike a helicopter it cannot safely autorotate and its gliding ability is much inferior to that of a fixed-wing airplane. So in general, when loss of power occurs, its passengers and crew are less likely to survive, which is why the Osprey has earned the name “widow maker.”

Why the Osprey Is a Mediocre Airplane

The main reason that the Osprey will always at best be a mediocre airplane is that along with being more complex and less reliable, its proprotors are much less efficient than standard propellers. This lack of efficiency translates into burning more fuel and a lower top speed compared to comparably sized turboprops with standard-sized propellers.

All of the above does not negate that there are some missions for which a reliable and safe tiltrotor  aircraft would be the best option. But given the V-22’s  history and its $80,000 cost per flying hour,  the services using V-22s need to take a hard look at their decision to replace reliable, more cost-effective, and arguably more capable helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft with the Ospreys

Given the V-22’s ongoing unresolved problems and their high operational costs, the Pentagon should consider the V-22 a sunk cost and only use Ospreys for the very limited sets of  tasks and missions that can truly only be executed by the V-22. All other tasks and missions should be migrated over time to the helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft best suited to fulfill them.

Finally, a very hard look should be taken of the Army’s plans to move away from helicopters to a brand-new unproven tiltrotor, the V-280 Valor.

*  *  *

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.

Update (1640ET): Johnson says he thinks he will win the speakership on the first ballot.

“I think it’s going to be okay… We’ll have maybe one no vote. I think we get it done on the first round. Certainly hopeful for that.”

*  *  *

Two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump raged at Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) for [checks notes] demanding a fiscally conservative debt ceiling increase, Trump and Roy are meeting ahead of Friday’s vote to reelect Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as Speaker of the House.

Johnson is of course an establishment darling who folds like a wet napkin when it comes to playing chicken with Democrats, however Trump has thrown his support behind him because there’s no other viable candidate who could secure enough votes without sparking a grand-mal meltdown in the House.

Total pussies.

In any event, Johnson’s opponents on the right, members of the Freedom Caucus, are very ‘undecided’ with the exception of Thomas Massie (R-KY), who says MJ is “not fit for the job.” Many in the caucus have been seen walking into Johnson’s office to negotiate…

Freedom Caucus members including Reps Andrew Clyde, Ralph Norman, Michael Cloud, Victoria Spartz, Andy Ogles and Andy Harris just walked into Speaker Mike Johnson’s office per @sarahnferris

Norman on way in says he’s still undecided

CNN latest holdout list: pic.twitter.com/MggXbDr8iv

— haleytalbotcnn (@haleytalbotcnn) January 2, 2025

…While Roy met with Trump this afternoon.

NEW — TRUMP has spoken with CHIP ROY ahead of the speaker vote

me, @bresreports @MZanona

First on @PunchbowlNews text alert

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 2, 2025

 Johnson has received public support from several Senate Republicans, meanwhile.

“My friend [Johnson] has done an incredible job in the House, and I’m glad he’s at the helm there as Congress looks forward to growing our economy and safeguarding our communities in the new year,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) on X.

My friend @SpeakerJohnson has done an incredible job in the House, and I’m glad he’s at the helm there as Congress looks forward to growing our economy and safeguarding our communities in the new year.

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) December 30, 2024

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote on X, “I agree with President Trump that [Johnson] is the right man to lead. He’s a committed conservative and a man of integrity.”

We expect the Freedom Caucus to walk out with a few promises and Johnson’s election to go smoothly, but, as always, we shall see…

Authored by Jeff Thomas via InternationalMan.com,

Periodically, I’ll encounter someone who has read one of my essays and has decided not to pursue them further, stating, “You’re one of those ‘End of the world’ guys. I can’t be bothered reading the writings of someone who thinks we’re all doomed. I have a more positive outlook than that.”

In actual fact, I agree entirely with his latter two comments. I can’t be bothered reading the thoughts of a writer who says we’re all doomed, either. I, too, have a more positive outlook than that.

My one discrepancy with such comments is that I don’t by any means think that the present state of events will lead to the end of the world, as he assumes.

But then, neither am I naïve enough to think that if I just hope for the best, the powers that be will cease to be parasitical and predatory out of sympathy for me. They will not.

For any serious student of history, one of the great realisations that occurs at some point is that governments are inherently controlling by nature. The more control they have, the more they desire and the more they pursue. After all, governments actually produce nothing. They exist solely upon what they can extract from the people they rule over. Therefore, their personal success is not measured by how well they serve their people, it’s measured by how much they can extract from the people.

And so, it’s a given that all governments will pursue ever-greater levels of power over their minions up to and including the point of total dominance.

It should be said that, on rare occasions, a people will rise up and create a governmental system in which the rights of the individual are paramount. This was true in the creation of the Athenian Republic and the American Constitution, and even the British Magna Carta.

However, these events are quite rare in history and, worse, as soon as they take place, those who gain power do their best to diminish the newly-gained freedoms.

Such freedoms can almost never be destroyed quickly, but, over time and “by slow operations,” as Thomas Jefferson was fond of saying, governments can be counted on to eventually destroy all freedoms.

We’re passing through a period in history in which the process of removing freedoms is nearing completion in many of the world’s foremost jurisdictions. The EU and US, in particular, are leading the way in this effort.

Consequently, it shouldn’t be surprising that some predict “the end of the world.” But, they couldn’t be more incorrect.

Surely, in 1789, the more productive people of France may have felt that the developing French Revolution would culminate in Armageddon. Similarly, in 1917, those who created prosperity in Russia may well have wanted to throw up their hands as the Bolsheviks seized power from the Romanovs.

Whenever a deterioration in rule is underway, as it is once again now, the observer has three choices:

Declare the End of the World

There are many people, worldwide, but particularly in the centres of the present deterioration – the EU and US – who feel that, since the situation in their home country is nearing collapse, the entire world must also be falling apart. This is not only a very myopic viewpoint, it’s also quite inaccurate. At any point in civilization in the past 2000 years or more, there have always been empires that were collapsing due to intolerable governmental dominance and there have always concurrently been alternative jurisdictions where the level of freedom was greater. In ancient Rome, when Diocletian devalued the currency, raised taxes, increased warfare and set price controls, those people who actually created the economy on a daily basis found themselves in the same boat as Europeans and Americans are finding themselves in, in the 21st century.

It may have seemed like the end of the world, but it was not. Enough producers left Rome and started over again in other locations. Those other locations eventually thrived as a result of the influx of productive people, while Rome atrophied.

Turn a Blind Eye

This is less dreary than the above approach, but it is nevertheless just as fruitless. It is, in fact, the most common of reactions – to just “hope for the best.”

It’s tempting to imagine that maybe the government will realise that they’re the only ones benefitting from the destruction of freedom and prosperity and they’ll feel bad and reverse the process. But this clearly will not happen.

It’s also tempting to imagine that maybe it won’t get a whole lot worse and that life, although not all that good at present, might remain tolerable. Again, this is wishful thinking and the odds of it playing out in a positive way are slim indeed.

Accept the Truth, But Do Something About It

This, of course, is the hard one. Begin by recognising the truth. If that truth is not palatable, study the situation carefully and, when a reasonably clear understanding has been reached, create an alternative.

When governments enter the final decline stage, an alternative is not always easy to accept. It’s a bit like having a tooth pulled. You want to put it off, but the pain will only get worse if you delay. And so, you trundle off to the dentist unhappily, but, a few weeks after the extraction, you find yourself asking, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

To be sure, those who investigate and analyze the present socio-economic-political deterioration do indeed espouse a great deal of gloom, but this should not be confused with doom.

In actual fact, the whole point of shining a light into the gloom is to avoid having it end in doom.

It should be said here that remaining in a country that is tumbling downhill socially, economically and politically is also not the end of the world. It is, however, true that the end result will not exactly be a happy one. If history repeats once again, it’s likely to be quite a miserable one.

Those who undertake the study of the present deterioration must, admittedly, address some pretty depressing eventualities and it would be far easier to just curl up on the sofa with a six-pack and watch the game, but the fact remains: unless the coming problems are investigated and an alternative found, those who sit on the sofa will become the victims of their own lethargy.

Sadly, we live in a period in history in which some of the nations that once held the greatest promise for the world are well on their way to becoming the most tyrannical. If by recognizing that fact, we can pursue better alternatives elsewhere on the globe, as people have done in previous eras. We may actually find that the field of daisies in the image above is still very much in existence, it’s just a bit further afield than it was in years gone by.

And it is absolutely worthy of pursuit.

*  *  *

Unfortunately most people have no idea what really happens when a government goes out of control, let alone how to prepare… The coming economic and political crisis is going to be much worse, much longer, and very different than what we’ve seen in the past. That’s exactly why New York Times best-selling author Doug Casey and his team just released an urgent video. Click here to watch it now.

While we are slowly getting some answers from law enforcement today, there are still a number of bigger picture questions that need to be addressed.

As Michael Snyder highlights, via The Economic Collapse blog, our “new” golden era of “peace and safety” has been very rudely interrupted by the “old” problem of Islamic terror.

 Of course the truth is that it is a problem that never went away.  

There were dozens of major terror attacks in 2024, but most of the population is not going to pay attention unless something happens within our own borders.  Sadly, everyone is paying attention now.

Very early on New Year’s Day, a 42-year-old nut named Shamsud-Din Jabbar rammed a truck into a large crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  We are being told that 15 people are dead and dozens more are injured…

A man intentionally drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens of others, officials said.

A black ISIS flag was flying from the truck’s rear bumper, and the attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

The man driving the vehicle has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, a U.S. citizen from Texas, the FBI said.

So was this the end, or is this just the beginning?

The following are 10 questions that we should all be asking about the chaotic New Year’s Day terror attacks…

#1 Why did an FBI special agent initially tell us that the attack in New Orleans “was not a terrorist event”?  Something about all this does not smell right…

Multiple sources are reporting that the attacker in the deadly New Orleans attack that killed 10 people and injured dozens more was carrying an ISIS flag at the time of the attack, leading many to question how and why an FBI special agent confidently declared that the attack was “not a terrorist event” early on in the investigation.

Witnesses indicated that the attacker was flying a “large black flag” from his truck at the time of the attack, which would be consistent with a description of the ISIS flag. The FBI has since confirmed that the flag was, indeed, an ISIS flag, leading many to harshly criticize the FBI’s initial response to the attack, which flatly denied any connection to terrorism.

#2 What happened to the other “potential IEDs” that law enforcement found in the French Quarter?  The following is an excerpt from an official statement by the FBI…

Weapons and a potential IED were located in the subject’s vehicle. Other potential IEDs were also located in the French Quarter. The FBI’s special agent bomb technicians are working with our law enforcement partners to determine if any of these devices are viable, and they will work to render those devices safe.

#3 Shamsud-Din Jabbar had threatened to kill his own family before joining ISIS with the intention of committing terrorism on U.S. soil.  Did law enforcement know about any of this beforehand?  If so, why was nothing done?…

In a series of videos, the suspect in the deadly New Year’s attack in New Orleans discussed planning to kill his family and having dreams that helped inspire him to join ISIS, according to multiple officials briefed on the investigation.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the 42-year-old man who police suspect drove a pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, made the chilling recordings while driving from his home in Texas to Louisiana, authorities believe.

Jabbar, a US citizen and Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, made reference in the videos to his divorce and how he had at first planned to gather his family for a “celebration” with the intention of killing them, two officials who had been briefed on the recordings said. But Jabbar said in the videos that he changed his plans and joined ISIS, and referenced several dreams that he had about why he should be joining the terrorist group, according to the officials.

#4 Did Shamsud-Din Jabbar act alone?  From the evidence that we have at this hour, it appears that he probably was not…

From the first news of the attack, Islamic State websites have been echoing with sick celebrations of the attack. This alone suggests that it was not the work of a lone wolf claiming to be an agent of IS, but was in fact organised from abroad by its underground HQ in the Middle East.

The fact that investigators found guns and concealed pipe bombs wired for remote detonation – as well as a corresponding remote control device inside the truck – was enough for the FBI to declare it does not believe the driver was acting alone.

#5 A Tesla Cybertruck exploded in front of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning.  Was this attack linked to the attack in New Orleans?…

A Tesla Cybertruck burst into flames Wednesday morning just outside the entrance of Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, killing one person and injuring several other people, local officials said.

The explosion is now being investigated as a possible terrorist attack, three senior members of law enforcement briefed on the matter told NBC News. A motive has yet to be established.

#6 Who made the “makeshift explosives” that caused the Tesla Cybertruck to explode?…

Police have released a series of photographs from inside the Cybertruck which blew up outside Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, revealing an arsenal of makeshift explosives.

The driver of the Elon Musk-owned Tesla Cybertruck, who has not yet been formally identified, died in the explosion and seven members of the public were injured.

Charred fireworks, gas cannisters and camping fuel were found in the bed of the truck when authorities were finally able to put out the fire.

#7 The Ford truck used in the New Orleans attack and the Cybertruck used in the Las Vegas attack were both rented from Turo.  Is this an important clue?…

Musk claimed the Cybertruck and the Ford used in the New Orleans attack had both been rented by the same company.

He posted on his X platform: “Appears likely to be an act of terrorism.

“Both this Cybertruck and the F-150 suicide bomb in New Orleans were rented from Turo. Perhaps they are linked in some way.”

#8 Why are vehicles being used in so many Islamic terror attacks now?  According to USA Today, vehicle attacks have been “killing and injuring thousands of people internationally”…

Cheap and simple vehicle-based attacks have rapidly become one of the deadliest forms of terror assaults worldwide, killing and injuring thousands of people internationally since they began becoming more frequent after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts say a combination of factors have increased the number of vehicle attacks in recent years, notably the increased focus on outdoor events after the pandemic, ease of access to trucks or cars, and the uncomplicated nature of the approach itself.

#9 What policies will the incoming Trump administration enact in response to these attacks?  On Truth Social, Trump sounded very angry following the attack in New Orleans…

When I said that the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country, that statement was constantly refuted by Democrats and the Fake News Media, but it turned out to be true. The crime rate in our country is at a level that nobody has ever seen before. Our hearts are with all of the innocent victims and their loved ones, including the brave officers of the New Orleans Police Department. The Trump Administration will fully support the City of New Orleans as they investigate and recover from this act of pure evil!

#10 Are more terror attacks coming?  Thanks to years of very foolish policies, we now have vast numbers of people living in the U.S. that are supportive of terror organizations.  For example, just 12 hours after the attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas, a “massive crowd of Hamas supporters” conducted a very large protest in Manhattan…

A massive crowd of Hamas supporters has taken over downtown Manhattan, NYC calling for a global intifada.

12 hours from the tragedy in New Orleans and Las Vegas and these people are doing this.

Do they have no shame?

As I alluded to in my headline, we were warned that this was coming.

Now it is here.

I am entirely convinced that a lot more chaos and a lot more violence are on the way.

We are far more vulnerable than most people realize, and the next time you find yourself in a crowded place I would recommend being in a constant state of high alert.

*  *  *

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Videos circulating on X show a foreign-made AI robot, available on Amazon and designed for children, allegedly spreading misinformation and disinformation favoring the Democratic Party. The most alarming part is the potential for foreign propaganda operations targeting American youth through seemingly cute and lovely AI robots. This raises serious national security concerns that may warrant an investigation on Capitol Hill during Trump 2.0.

“An AI-powered robot toy called “Miko” that a father bought for his 2-year-old says Kamala will be the 47th President and praises Kamala and Biden. But when asked about Trump, it says nothing positive,” Libs of TikTok wrote on X. 

Libs of TikTok asked: “Why are kid’s toys being used as propaganda tools?”

An AI-powered robot toy called “Miko” that a father bought for his 2-year-old says Kamala will be the 47th President and praises Kamala and Biden. But when asked about Trump, it says nothing positive.

Why are kid’s toys being used as propaganda tools? pic.twitter.com/RkypFtIVIw

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 31, 2024

Other X users posted similar responses from Miko the robot. 

“It’s not a fluke. I tried it tonight with the Miko Robot that we got for my 8-year-old for Christmas. It immediately went in the trash,” another X user said. 

It’s not a fluke. I tried it tonight with the Miko Robot that we got my 8 year old for Christmas. It immediately went in the trash. pic.twitter.com/RyAD6fTWq0

— Chris (@chris_opfer) January 1, 2025

Thousands of Miko robots have been sold to unsuspecting parents nationwide via Amazon and major retailers.

According to public records analysis, Miko was developed by Mumbai-based company RN Chidakashi Technologies Private Limited. 

The flow of robot shipments appears to have moved from suppliers across Asia to India-based RN Chidakashi Technologies Private Limited. Then, merchant wholesaler Taiwan-based Pacific Industries Ltd. sends the finished product to US-based RN Chidakashi Technologies IINC., who then, in turn, sells Miko on Amazon and in brick-and-mortar retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Kohl’s.

Miko’s Asian suppliers. 

And the shipment pathway of how the finished robot ends up at warehouses and or store shelves in the US.

AI toys manufactured in foreign countries raise the potential for propaganda weapons against American youth. It’s time for an investigation.

Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com,

Catherine Austin Fitts (CAF), Publisher of The Solari Report, says the real work for the Trump Administration is happening now.  CAF is a financial expert and former Assistant Secretary of Housing (Bush 41 Admin.) who managed hundreds of billions of dollars in her career. 

CAF says this is a fight within the Trump Administration that is summed up by those who will fight for freedom and sovereignty and those who want America under Deep State control.  CAF explains,

“You had a lot of people who voted for Trump that wanted to see him protect freedoms.  You also have a lot of people voting and donating for Trump because they think he can get them the control grid.  The centralization and decentralization are both hoping Trump will give them what they want. . . . Trump has to do something that works economically.  The first day, Trump will be asked to fill the top 10 or 20 positions.  Ultimately, after you fill the cabinet and the other top positions, then there are another 10,000 positions to be filled.  The President does 1,000 positions, and those thousand do the rest of about 10,000 positions. 

The guys who want the control grid are trying to get their people in place.  The guys who want freedom are trying to get their people in place. . . . After you get the people in place, it’s going to have to be battled out one policy at a time. . . .

So, this is trench warfare, and it’s not going to be decided by the election.  It’s going to be decided by the staffing and the policy debate that happens day after day.

The corruption that has to be cleaned up is huge. 

Take the recent announcement of royalties being paid to a government health agency — the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  CAF says,

“The NIH is receiving $1.1 billion from Pfizer–BioNTech for the Covid vaccine shots.”

Ed Dowd says we just added a fresh 800,000 disabled people to the 4 million disabled since the CV19 shots were introduced.  The total amount of disabled people in the US from the CV19 vax now stands at 4.8 million.

CAF points out Dr. Mark Skidmore (Michigan State) just published a study that says if we could go back to the disability numbers of 2010 and before, the US could reduce the federal deficit by $500 billion a year!! 

CAF says,

“If you connect the dots with Ed Dowd, Dr. Skidmore’s study and the announcement of Pfizer paying royalties to NIH, we are paying NIH a billion dollars to poison the American people and bankrupting the country.”

There is no wonder why Big Pharma and the NIH are very nervous of Bobby Kennedy Jr. 

Keep in mind, this is just one broken piece of corrupt government.

CAF says look who DOGE is auditing first.  It’s the IRS.  CAF says,

“If you knew the government was missing $21 trillion (and it is), you would go to the Fed and audit them. . . . We are going to go over to the New York Fed and the Treasury and look at the bank accounts and find out where that money went and get it back—right?  Why would they audit the IRS?  Because Janet Yellen (Treasury Secretary) says the American people owe $7 trillion in unpaid taxes.  There is only one reason you audit the IRS, and that’s because you want to collect the $7 trillion.  So, you are not trying to find the $21 trillion that has disappeared out the back door? You are trying to find the people who Janet Yellen says owe the US Treasury.

CAF says look out for the push for a digital ID.  It equals slavery.  It’s being pushed by the Deep State control team.  CAF says the freedom team will push to keep cash alive.  Everyone can do that by using cash more.  CAF says,

“The big danger in 2025 is going to be rising inflation. . . .The real inflation rate is around 10%.” 

CAF also says there is a big market correction coming because the stock market is in a bubble. 

CAF says there will be gruesome news coming out of Syria in 2025 because her sources say, “The genocide and slaughter are off the charts in Syria.”

In closing, CAF says there are many ways the Deep State control team wants to separate you from your wealth, and the freedom team will be proposing ways to stop that along with protecting freedom of speech. 

2025 will be trench warfare between the Deep State control team and the freedom and sovereignty team.

There is much more in the 1-hour & 28-minute interview.

Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog.com as he goes One-on-One with the Publisher of The Solari Report, Catherine Austin Fitts, as she looks ahead for what’s coming in 2025 for 1.1.25.

*  *  *

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There is a lot of free information on Solari.com.

Authored by Jon Decker via RealClearMarkets.com,

Imagine receiving an email from a stranger offering you one hundred thousand dollars in a week if you send them ten thousand dollars today. Most of us would immediately recognize this as a scam and avoid it. However, what if you were guaranteed to get your initial ten thousand dollars back, even if it turned out to be a fraud? It seems obvious that removing such risk would encourage people to make reckless financial decisions – to everyone except President Biden’s Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB.) This is evidenced by their recent lawsuit against the fintech payment service Zelle.

The CFPB is suing Zelle arguing that it should be forced to reimburse anyone who unwittingly transfers their own money to a scammer. Its actions seem all the more disingenuous given that no federal law endorsed or approved by Congress saddles fintech payment processors with such liability — but progressives have long been trying to create one.

Now with a new administration incoming, CFPB Chair Rohit Chopra and his army of bureaucrats are making a final push to circumvent Congress and enact laws themselves to burnish their resumés before Trump cleans house. If Chopra’s policies are so beneficial or popular, why can’t they receive a vote in Congress? 

What the CFPB is asking Zelle to do is akin to forcing us to reimburse others for their online gambling losses. It presents a unique moral hazard by effectively making Zelle provide ‘scam insurance’ on its peer-to-peer platform where users directly self-authorize transactions. How could such platforms possibly ensure that any and every time its customers send money to another (at their behest) it’s not a scam? The notion that people should be able to irresponsibly send money – despite receiving warnings from the app, already in place – to an unvetted dubious recipient without consequences is one of the more wrongheaded ideas to have ever been floated when it comes to regulating our banks.

If the lawsuit succeeds, the results would be cruel to Zelle users. They would inevitably be asked to either foot the bill for the mistakes of others or even face de-banking where Zelle — or similar services like Venmo — are no longer available. Accounts deemed more at-risk would bear the brunt of this. There is reason to suggest ‘de-banking’ is actually the desired goal, given Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s support for “postal banking, ” which would give the government more lending power at the expense of the productive private sector.

The Zelle lawsuit follows a worrisome pattern from Biden’s CFPB. Chairman Chopra also recently announced his new rule to cap overdraft fees, which would both reduce the availability of overdraft services and, more concerningly, increase the incentives for people to overdraft in the first place – a practice that prudent minds have long understood should be avoided. Taken together, the Biden administration is destabilizing parts of our financial sector in its final days, unfortunately adding to the Trump administration’s laundry list of policies that need to be cleaned up.

For Zelle’s customers, let’s hope they do so expeditiously. 

Lithium is best known as a medication for treating bipolar disorder, where it’s used in higher doses to stabilize mood and reduce the risk of suicide. But now, researchers are uncovering evidence that this humble mineral may offer benefits far beyond mental health – at doses much smaller than those used in traditional therapies. A 2023 study from Brock University explored these possibilities in depth.

Before we continue – yes, we sell low-dose lithium in a product called Mood from IQ Biologix. We take it. It works – really well. Whether or not you give it a try, please read on as the findings from the above study are legit, and this naturally occurring mineral can be a great alternative to prescription drugs for a variety of needs. If you’re into studies, we encourage you to read it.

Published in the peer-reviewed Current Neuropharmacology, the findings suggest lithium may play a huge role in some of the biggest health challenges of aging, including Alzheimer’s disease, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes.

Brain Health: Lithium’s Hidden Gift

Lithium’s connection to mental health is well established. It stabilizes mood by helping balance chemicals in the brain, like serotonin and dopamine, that influence how we feel and respond to stress. But according to the study, even tiny doses of lithium could protect the brain in other ways. One of the most promising applications is cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“Li is well-known to have multiple neuroprotective effects that can be used against Alzheimer’s Disease pathology. In fact, numerous studies in patients receiving Li for bipolar disorder have reported lower rates of dementias, including AD.” –Beyond Its Psychiatric Use: The Benefits of Low-Dose Lithium Supplementation, 2023

The researchers found that lithium inhibits glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), an enzyme linked to the buildup of harmful plaques and tangles in the brain. By reducing these toxic accumulations and boosting levels of a brain-supportive protein called BDNF, lithium may help preserve memory and cognitive function well into old age. The study also referenced ecological research showing that areas with higher levels of lithium in drinking water had lower death rates from Alzheimer’s disease [1, 2, 3]. While the exact reasons are still unclear, these findings point to lithium’s potential for maintaining brain health over time. 

What about that famously fabricated research on the Amyloid Plaque hypothesis? That focused on a narrow subpopulation of amyloid beta oligomers – while the original hypothesis itself is alive and well. Current research suggests Alzheimer’s is a combination of amyloid plaque accumulation, misfolded proteins, neuroinflammation of Microglia cells (the brain’s primary immune cells), genetic factors, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, synaptic loss, and cerebrovascular issues.

A Stronger Heart and Healthier Arteries

Lithium’s benefits don’t stop with the brain—it may also help keep your heart healthy. At low doses, the researchers found that lithium supports the heart’s ability to adapt to stress, helping it pump blood more effectively. It also protects blood vessels by reducing inflammation and preventing harmful plaque buildup, which can block circulation. However, the study highlighted an important consideration: while lithium’s short-term effects on the heart are positive, long-term use might carry risks under certain conditions. Prolonged GSK3 inhibition, for instance, could contribute to excessive heart muscle growth in specific scenarios, such as chronic stress on the heart. More research is needed to fully understand these potential effects.

Building Strong Bones and Maintaining Muscle

Aging often brings declines in bone strength and muscle mass, increasing the risk of fractures and mobility issues. The study found that lithium may counteract these changes by directly supporting bone and muscle health. In bones, the researchers showed that lithium activates pathways encouraging bone-forming cells, called osteoblasts, to work more effectively. This process increased bone density and improved fracture healing in animal models. In some cases, lithium even restored bone strength in fragile skeletons to levels seen in healthy controls.

For muscles, lithium was shown to enhance repair by promoting the fusion of muscle cells during regeneration. It also encouraged a shift toward fatigue-resistant muscle fibers, which could help preserve strength and mobility as we age, reducing the risk of falls and fractures.

Tackling Inflammation and Cellular Damage

As we get older, our bodies tend to experience more inflammation and damage from unstable molecules called free radicals. These issues, collectively referred to as oxidative stress, can lead to chronic diseases and accelerate aging. According to the study, lithium helps combat these issues in several ways. It reduces inflammation and supports a cellular “clean-up” process called autophagy, which clears out damaged proteins and debris. By enhancing these processes, lithium may help cells maintain their function and resilience over time.

Metabolism Support: Fighting Fat and Sugar Issues

Another surprising benefit of low-dose lithium is its potential role in preventing obesity and type 2 diabetes. While high doses of lithium can sometimes cause weight gain, the study found that smaller amounts may have the opposite effect. The researchers demonstrated that lithium helped convert white fat (which primarily stores energy) into beige fat, a more metabolically active type that burns calories. It also improved blood sugar control in animal studies, mimicking some of the effects of exercise. These findings suggest lithium may be a valuable tool in managing metabolic health.

“Of interest, we have recently shown, at the population level, trace levels of Li found in publicly available drinking water to be negatively associated with the prevalence of obesity and diabetes across the state of Texas.”

A New Chapter for Lithium

While the potential benefits of low-dose lithium are exciting, this is still an emerging field. Scientists, including Hamstra and her team, are working to determine the best ways to use lithium safely over the long term. What’s clear is that lithium—once seen only as a psychiatric medication—is revealing itself as a versatile and powerful mineral for overall health. From protecting the brain to strengthening the heart, bones, and muscles, this overlooked element may hold the key to staying healthier, longer. As researchers continue to explore lithium’s potential, it offers a glimpse of what the future of aging well could look like. For now, this tiny but mighty mineral is quietly making its case as a surprising ally in the quest for a healthier life.

Snag some low-dose lithium here…