FDA's "Profound Revelation": COVID Shots Killed At Least 10 Children, Stronger Vax Rules Coming

The Food and Drug Administration's top overseer of vaccine policy on Friday told employees that at least 10 American children died "after and because of receiving" a Covid-19 vaccine. In a 3,000-word memorandum first reported by PBS, Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA's vaccine division, also committed to implementing changes to the FDA's evaluation of vaccine efficacy and safety, and encouraged dissenting employees to find a new job. 

“This is a profound revelation,” Prasad wrote. “For the first time, the US FDA will acknowledge that COVID-19 vaccines have killed American children.” Prasad said the conclusion about children dying from Covid-19 vaccines was reached after he and other FDA staffers undertook a multi-month, "detailed analysis of deaths voluntarily reported to the [Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System] system (VAERS)."

That effort focused on 96 deaths that occurred between 2021 and 2024, and said "no fewer" than 10 of them were caused by the vaccines. "If anything, this represents conservative coding, where vaccines are exculpated rather than indicted in cases of ambiguity. The real number is higher." He added,

"It is horrifying to consider that the US vaccine regulation, including our actions, may have harmed more children than we saved. This requires humility and introspection." 

A hematologist-oncologist and former Cal-San Francisco professor, Vinay Prasad is the nation's top vaccine regulator (Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OHSU)

Prasad slammed the coercive nature of policies that insisted on Covid shots for children: 

"Healthy young children who faced tremendously low risk of death were coerced, at the behest of the Biden administration, via school and work mandates, to receive a vaccine that could result in death. In many cases, such mandates were harmful. It is difficult to read cases where kids aged 7 to 16 may be dead as a result of covid vaccines ...

FDA has never requested the manufacturers demonstrate in randomized fashion that vaccinating children improves...outcomes. The available randomized data in children is deeply limited, and broadly negative for symptomatic infection, as discussed in prior ad-coms. Furthermore, COVID-19 was never highly lethal for children, and now MIS-c [Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children] has decreased drastically, and the harms, to kids, are comparable to many respiratory viruses for which we do not provide annual immunization." 

Prasad -- a hematologist-oncologist -- was among several outspoken critics of the Covid-19 regime that moved into key public health posts after Trump took office in January. Others include Robert F. Kennedy, Jr as Health and Human Services secretary, Dr. Marty Makary as FDA commissioner and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as Director of the National Institutes of Health. 

“Vaccine deaths are a very small minority”
That’s what News Nation’s Elizabeth Vargas just told FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary…

His response left the studio silent.

Direct quotes from the interview:

- “Hundreds of thousands of Americans describe vaccine injury”

- “25%… pic.twitter.com/lPyQc7gqeS

— Camus (@newstart_2024) November 28, 2025

Friday's memorandum emphasizes that VAERS likely understates vaccine-triggered mortality: 

"When it comes to vaccine deaths, VAERS is passively reported. It requires a motivated person, often a doctor, to submit the information. The submission process is tedious and most people who start the form give up along the way. Many more deaths may be unreported." 

To minimize future vaccine-driven deaths, Prasad said the FDA "will take swift action regarding this new safety concern" and "will demand pre-market randomized trials assessing clinical endpoints for most new products." Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Prasad repeatedly sounded alarms about public health interventions that were imposed without rigorous efforts to seek evidence of their risks and rewards. This has been a central theme in his body of work; he also authored a book, "Malignant: How Bad Policy and Bad Evidence Harm People with Cancer." 

Prasad said the FDA will also "revise the annual flu vaccine framework," which he called "an evidence-based catastrophe of low quality evidence." He also acknowledged that "[FDA has] not been focused on understanding the benefits and harms of giving multiple vaccines at the same time." He ended the memo by urging staffers who aren't comfortable with the new approach to resign:

"I remain open to vigorous discussions and debate on these topics, as I have always been. I am open minded to modifications or alterations...Some staff may not agree with these core principles and operating principles. Please submit your resignation letters to your supervisor and CC my deputy Katherine Szarama...for those who choose to remain...I look forward to working with you." 

Prasad's pointed statement about vaccine-caused deaths comes ahead of this week's meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine committee. The draft agenda for the meetings on Dec 4 and 5 includes FDA policy on giving hepatitis B vaccines to newborn babies, and the entire children's immunization schedule. The meetings are open to the public via live webcasts.  

It's noteworthy that major media outlets that obtained a copy of Prasad's memorandum have only provided short quotations from it, seemingly seeking to undercut Prasad's assault on the Covid regime those same outlets unquestioningly supported. You can read the entire 3,000-word memo at The Brownstone Institute, a site originally launched to scrutinize Covid policies. 

Dr. Robert Malone, a Covid vaccine critic with credentials in mRNA technology, hailed Prasad's memorandum as a historic milestone. "I am stunned, gobsmacked by his letter," he wrote at Malone News. "The significance and importance of this letter in the context of US and global vaccine policy cannot be overestimated. This is a revolution, the likes of which I never expected to see in my lifetime. The Washington Post called me a liar for stating what is now official FDA policy and truth." 

Of course, vaccines were just one of many public health policies of the Covid era that may have done far more harm than good. With a Pandora's box of policy side-effects that include impaired child development, learning loss, a surge in mental breakdowns, soaring juvenile suicide attempts, increased drug and alcohol abuse, increased domestic violence and higher drug overdoses, it's increasingly clear that, in its coercive, ham-handed approach to Covid-19, public health didn't err on the side of caution, but rather erred on the side of catastrophe. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 11/30/2025 - 18:05
https://ift.tt/VNA9v63
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/VNA9v63
via IFTTT

FDA's "Profound Revelation": COVID Shots Killed At Least 10 Children, Stronger Vax Rules Coming

Trump Pushes To Reopen California Coast To Offshore Drilling

Authored by Felicity Bradstock via OilPrice.com,

• A draft federal plan proposes six offshore lease sales along the California coast, reversing decades of restrictions introduced after the 1969 Santa Barbara spill.

• California Governor Gavin Newsom, coastal states, and environmental groups vow legal and political resistance, calling the plan dangerous and “dead on arrival.”

• The proposal also includes new leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, likely sparking pushback from Florida Republicans and adding to nationwide opposition.

New oil and gas drilling could commence in California if President Donald Trump gets his way, as the U.S. federal government continues to support a “Drill, baby, drill” approach to fossil fuel production. 

In November, the Trump administration plans to allow new oil and gas drilling off the California coast, according to a draft plan shared with the Washington Post. This would be the first time in several decades that new exploration operations were permitted. The document outlines a plan for six offshore lease sales along the California coastline, as well as the expansion of drilling into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, between 2027 and 2030.

It is thought that the Interior Department could announce a formal proposal as early as this week. Any new drilling is expected to be centred around the Santa Barbara County region, where limited drilling is already taking place. 

A major oil spill off the coast of Santa Barbara in 1969 prompted the government to bring an end to new leasing off the Pacific Coast, as well as limit existing drilling operations. Previous governments have continued to restrict drilling in the Californian waters, which extend three miles from the shoreline, due to concerns over beach pollution and the potential negative impact on tourism.

Pete Stauffer, the ocean protection manager of the Surfrider Foundation, stated, “Offshore drilling is highly unpopular across the country and will increase the likelihood of yet another destructive oil spill off our coasts. Surfrider Foundation’s chapter network will fight this proposal vigorously to protect all US coastlines from the unnecessary risks involved with new offshore drilling.”

The plan would also require Trump to approve new oil and gas leasing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, a body of water that the President renamed the Gulf of America in January. This would likely lead to pushback from Republicans in Florida who have been opposed to new drilling since the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster of 2010. 

Meanwhile, in June, South Carolina governor Henry McMaster wrote a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in which he stated that South Carolina’s coastline was “one of the most pristine in the country, and offshore drilling is simply not in its best interest.”

Despite efforts by the Trump administration to open nearly all U.S. coastal waters to drilling earlier this year, the Interior Department ultimately decided to introduce a moratorium on drilling off Florida, Georgia and South Carolina through 2032 following pressure from Republicans in the southeast of the country.

The position of oil and gas companies on conducting drilling in California waters is not yet clear, although developing new projects in the state would require a significant investment in supporting infrastructure, compared to other already developed regions of the United States. Analysts do not expect oil and gas companies to have much interest in the area due to the lack of infrastructure, as well as the widespread regional opposition to new drilling.

During this month’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil, California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, told reporters that any plan to carry out new drilling in the region would be “dead on arrival” in California. Newsom also said that the state would “absolutely” challenge the plan in court once it was finalised. This reflects his historic stance on new drilling. In June, Newsom addressed the Interior Department in a letter stressing California’s “continued opposition” to additional fossil fuel development.

Newsom, a long-time supporter of the U.S. green transition, attended the climate summit in Trump’s absence, after the Trump administration said that no high-level U.S. representatives would go to UN climate talks. During a ministerial meeting, Newsom said, "I’m very mindful that the Trump administration has abandoned any sense of duty, responsibility, or leadership as it relates to the issues that bring us all here together… It’s an abomination. It’s a disgrace."

In response to news of the anticipated drilling proposal, Newsom said that it was “remarkable” that Trump did not call for drilling near his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago.

“He didn’t promote it off the coast of Florida,” stated Newsom. “That says everything about Donald Trump.”

In California, Texas-based oil company Sable Offshore has shown interest in reactivating three drilling rigs in federal waters off Santa Barbara that have sat unused since an oil spill in 2015. In May, Sable began producing oil at one of the rigs under an existing lease. However, following the move, California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, sued Sable Offshore, accusing the firm of illegally discharging waste into local waterways.

Although there has been no formal proposal for drilling in California, reports of plans for new exploration have prompted widespread pushback from state officials. The state governments of California, Florida and South Carolina have all shown opposition to new offshore oil exploration, meaning the federal government can expect a fight to get any new projects off the ground in those regions. 

Tyler Durden Sun, 11/30/2025 - 16:20
https://ift.tt/LEqu4xj
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/LEqu4xj
via IFTTT

Trump Pushes To Reopen California Coast To Offshore Drilling

'Self Deport' Or Else: DHS Guts Biden's Haitian Invasion Pipeline

After a no-nonsense review that apparently didn't involve the usual DEI smoke and mirrors, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem declared Haiti's endless cocktail of chaos no longer qualifies for America's taxpayer-funded hotel voucher program.

“Based on the Department’s review, the Secretary has determined that while the current situation in Haiti is concerning, the United States must prioritize its national interests and permitting Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to the U.S. national interest,” the DHS said in the termination notice.

Translation: Enough with the virtue-signaling; America's sovereignty isn't a globalist buffet.

DHS pegs the current Haitian headcount at a whopping 352,959 - give or take a few who slipped in through the southern sieve - with only around 18,000 living as "lawful permanent residents."

Homeland Security officials said that the TPS program has become a draw for illegal immigrants in recent years.

“Using TPS to grant temporary status to successive waves of new arrivals from a designated country may generate a significant pull factor for illegal immigration and act in tension with the congressional design,” the agency said.

DHS officials did not mince their words, advising Haitians to use the CBP Home app to self-deport and receive a $1,000 exit bonus.

If you are an alien who is currently a beneficiary of TPS for Haiti, you should prepare to depart if you have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.

You can use the CBP Home mobile application to report your departure from the United States.

This secure and convenient self-deportation process includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration to the United States.

Of course, the deep-state legal vultures have been circling. Efforts to torch TPS have sparked courtroom cage matches, but the Supreme Court just handed Trump a W last October, greenlighting the exodus of Venezuelan freeloaders.

“Limited access to critical information and significant processing delays hinder the ability of federal officials to reliably assess the criminal histories or national security threats posed by aliens attempting to enter the U.S. illegally,” DHS said Nov. 28.

“As a result, public safety and national security risks are significantly heightened in such conditions.”

As a reminder, Haitian hordes became 2024's election piñata, with VP JD Vance and President Trump zeroing in on the Springfield, Ohio pet-eating fiasco - a microcosm of how these "protected" imports turn heartland towns into no-go zones overnight.

And just to twist the knife, Uncle Sam slapped visa sanctions this week on some shadowy Haitian bigwig accused of bankrolling the island's gangbanger terror cells, stonewalling the "fight" against what D.C. delicately dubs "terrorist organizations."

Because nothing screams "allies" like funding narco-thugs while your citizens flood our streets.

Tyler Durden Sat, 11/29/2025 - 16:55
https://ift.tt/JaY9T3C
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/JaY9T3C
via IFTTT

'Self Deport' Or Else: DHS Guts Biden's Haitian Invasion Pipeline

The 'K-Shaped' Economy In One Graph

Tuesday’s weak Consumer Confidence report was a good reminder of why some economists are calling our economy the K shaped economy.

As RealInvestmentAdvice.com reports, The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index fell 6.8 points to 88.7 in November, below expectations of 93.

Moreover, it sits at levels similar to those of early 2020, when the pandemic shuttered the economy. Similarly, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey is slightly above 70-year lows.

Both surveys indicate that a large majority of consumers are struggling.

Within the surveys, the outlook on current jobs and job availability is low.

Inflation, tariffs, politics, and the government shutdown are also weighing on the consumer and limiting big-ticket spending plans.

A K shaped economy describes a post-crisis recovery where different parts of the economy and society are performing at sharply diverging rates, forming the two arms of the letter “K.”:

• The upper arm (going up): Sectors, companies, assets, and people that benefit from the recovery and, in many cases, are wealthier than before the pandemic. This includes investors in technology stocks, big tech companies, the luxury sectors, high-income professionals, and asset owners.

• The lower arm (going down): Sectors, small businesses, and people that continue to decline or stagnate even as the overall economy appears to improve. Examples include: the hospitality and travel industries, many lower-priced retail outlets, low-wage service workers, small businesses, and many middle-class and lower-income households.

The graph below showing the stark divergence between the S&P 500 and the University of Michigan consumer survey best depicts the K shaped economy.

You can make similar K shaped plots comparing stock markets, GDP, and megacap corporate profits versus small business closures, wage growth for low-income workers, and economic activity in the manufacturing sector.

The question is - how do the jaws of that widening alligator's mouth snap shut? Sentiment surge or equity purge?

Tyler Durden Sat, 11/29/2025 - 15:45
https://ift.tt/A9NIoKP
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/A9NIoKP
via IFTTT

The 'K-Shaped' Economy In One Graph

Israeli Troops Suffer Rare Casualties In Brazen Ground Raid On Syrian Town

Israel on Friday launched another unprovoked major attack on Syria, which has killed at least 13 people, including children - and additionally some 25 have been reported injured.

In this instance, the assault on the southern Syrian town Beit Jinn was a rare ground raid by Israeli forces, likely accompanied by air and artillery support.

IDF/TOI: Troops of the 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade detain a suspect in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn, early November 28, 2025. 

"The Israeli military said six soldiers were wounded, three of them severely, by militant fire during the raid in the village of Beit Jinn," Reuters reports based on official sources. It's unclear whether the IDF forces incurred fatalities, but if so the Israeli government is likely to keep it under wraps.

The Israeli dawn raid and strikes forced dozens of families to flee from the town in search of safer areas. The Syrian Foreign Ministry swiftly condemned "the criminal attack carried out by an Israeli occupation army patrol in Beit Jinn."

The statement added, "The occupation forces’ targeting of the town of Beit Jinn with brutal and deliberate shelling, following their failed incursion, constitutes a full-fledged war crime."

There are reports the Israeli assault also included artillery shelling - which may have been why there were so many civilian casualties:

The remains of at least five Syrians, including two children, were taken to the Golan National Hospital in the city of al-Salam in Quneitra, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Israeli drones have also been active over the area. In post-Assad Syria, the IDF has encroached more and more on Syrian territory, expanding significantly beyond its Golan Heights occupation.

The Israeli military has described that the high-risk operation was launched to detain suspects belonging to Jama'a Islamiya - a Lebanese Sunni Islamist group which is alleged to have fired rockets at Israel from Lebanon during the Gaza war. The statement further charged the group "terrorist plots".

This development constitutes a very rare instance of the IDF suffering so many casualties while operating in Syria, per Reuters:

In a statement posted on X, the Israeli military said six of its soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously in an exchange of fire.

The Israeli military added that while the operation has been “completed” and all suspects were either arrested or “eliminated”, its forces are still being deployed in the area “and will continue to operate against any threat” to Israel.

🚨 IDF releases footage of counterterror raid in southern Syria that ended in arrests and a fierce firefight

The IDF has published video showing the arrest of two members of the al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya terror organization in the village of Beit Jinn overnight, along with a clash… pic.twitter.com/eoh20Xsn41

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 28, 2025

There's a certain irony surrounding Israel's sudden interesting in tracking down and rooting out Sunni Islamists near its border - given that for years during the regime change war against Assad Israel openly tolerated, and in some cases even supported, some of these very same jihadists.

Tyler Durden Fri, 11/28/2025 - 17:00
https://ift.tt/8NOeFxm
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/8NOeFxm
via IFTTT

Israeli Troops Suffer Rare Casualties In Brazen Ground Raid On Syrian Town

From Oil War To 'Major Non-NATO Ally': Trump's Extraordinary Saudi Pivot

Authored by Simon Watkins via OilPrice.com,

• Trump designates Saudi Arabia a “major non-NATO ally,” marking a dramatic turnaround from years of strained relations marked by an oil price war and diplomatic freezes.

• In return, Washington expects Saudi Arabia to align more closely with U.S. interests.

• The U.S. expects Riyadh to help keep prices within a “Trump Oil Price Range” of roughly $40–80 per barrel.

From the beginning of Donald Trump’s first term in office in 2017 to the start of his second term earlier this year, the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia shifted between tense and downright hostile.

Those years included an Oil Price War, the de facto Saudi leader labelled a murderer, and all lines of communication between the two sides grinding to a complete halt.

However, as Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) sat next to each other at a black-tie dinner at the White House last week – with the former designating the latter’s country as “a major non-NATO ally” -- all this must have seemed a distant past, and as L.P. Hartley put it: “They do things differently there”.

So, how does the future for the world’s top superpower and one of its top hydrocarbons powers look from here?

It is apposite to note here that this is not a meaningless designation from the U.S. for Saudi Arabia. Only 19 other countries -- Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand, and Tunisia – have such a standing in Washington’s eyes. Taiwan also has the same de facto designation, but does not officially enjoy the label, given the U.S.’s complicated ‘One China’ policy. Saudi Arabia’s new-found status also brings with it a host of economic and military advantages in its dealings with the U.S. and its allies, according to the State Department. These include eligibility for ‘loans of material, supplies, or equipment for cooperative research, development, testing, or evaluation purposes’, as well as for being a location for the placing of U.S.-owned War Reserve Stockpiles.

Saudi Arabia will also now be able to enter into agreements with the U.S. for its security forces’ training on a bilateral or multilateral basis, will be eligible for the priority delivery of ‘excess defence articles’ (including C-130 Hercules aircraft or frigates, at low or zero cost), and for the purchase of depleted uranium ammunition.

It will also be entitled to enter into agreements with the U.S. Department of Defense for research and development projects on defence equipment and munitions, and to procure explosives detection devices and other counter-terrorism research and development projects, among many other advantages. In short, Saudi Arabia is officially now regarded by the U.S. and its allies – including NATO members – as ‘one of ours’.

That said, this unofficial designation – and the official ‘major non-NATO ally’ counterpart – comes with its own obligations for Saudi Arabia. Beginning from a broad perspective, the Kingdom will be expected to tilt more towards the interests of the U.S. and its allies than those of the China-Russia bloc, regardless of the issue, and regardless of what has gone before. The years of cosying up with China after the devastating financial impact of the 2014-2016 Oil Price War of OPEC members, led by Saudi Arabia, on the U.S. and its allies -- analysed in full in my latest book on the new global oil market order – are expected to count for nothing going forward. Nor is the adjunct relationship normalisation deal brokered by China between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as the same highly-placed Washington-based legal source exclusively told OilPrice.com last week. “In any direct conflicts of interest like this, we [the U.S.] expect Saudi to be on our side from now on,” he underlined. A firmer line from Saudi Arabia is expected by the U.S. to be drawn on the issue of the Kingdom’s earlier drift towards the formal economic, political, and security cooperation structures with China and Russia at their centres. This particularly applies to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) which Saudi Arabia joined as a ‘dialogue partner’ in March 2023.

And Saudi Arabia’s continued support for the ongoing expansion of China’s multi-generational power-grab project, ‘The Belt and Road Initiative’ is also expected by Washington to be toned down.

This equally carries through into Saudi Aramco’s dealings with China, which had been characterised by chief executive officer Amin Nasser in the comment: “Ensuring the continuing security of China’s energy needs remains our highest priority – not just for the next five years but for the next 50 and beyond,” as also fully detailed in my latest book.

Instead of its formerly Sino-centric posture, Saudi Arabia is now expected by Washington to adopt an actively positive stance in the rollout of Trump’s broader vision for the Middle East. Just as in his first presidential term, this involves building out ‘relationship normalisation’ deals between key Arab states and the U.S.’s longstanding core ally in the region – Israel. This ‘Abraham Accords’ initiative had seen some success in that first term in office, with notable signatories being the UAE and Bahrain, before Trump’s tenure was cut short by his loss to Joe Biden in November 2020. However, there had been signs from MBS even then that he might look favourably on the Kingdom signing such a deal, albeit at a point after King Salman’s death. Given Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic and mediatory stance during the recent Israeli attacks on Hamas and Iran – themselves a response to the murder, torture and rape of hundreds of Israeli citizens by Hamas on 7 October 2023 – Washington is quietly confident that an ‘Abraham Accord’ by whatever name will be reached between Saudi Arabia and Israel in the near future. Indeed, Saudi Arabia (alongside Qatar – another ‘major non-NATO ally’, and Oman) reportedly relayed messages between Tehran and mediators from the U.S.-Israeli side, helping to shape ceasefire conditions.

The final part of Saudi Arabia’s obligations from the U.S. side will be full cooperation on the oil price.

Specifically, Washington expects active assistance in the oil markets to keep oil prices within the ‘Trump Oil Price Range’, as fully analysed in my latest book on the new global oil market order.

Suffice it to say here, this sits roughly between a Brent price floor of US$40–45 per barrel (pb, the breakeven price plus a bit of profit for the bulk of U.S. shale oil producers) and a ceiling of US$75–80 pb (which ties into historical data showing that a gasoline price of under US$2 per gallon has been most advantageous for U.S. economic growth) – and the range is critical to Trump from an economic and political perspective.

On the former, historical data highlights that every US$10 pb or so change in the price of crude oil results in around a 25-30 cent change in the price of a gallon of gasoline, and for every 1 cent that the average price per gallon of gasoline rises, more than US$1 billion or so per year in consumer spending is lost. On the latter, since 1896, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election 11 times out of 11 if the economy was not in recession within two years of an upcoming election.

However, sitting U.S. presidents who went into a re-election campaign with the economy in recession won only once out of seven occasions.

The same pattern broadly applies to the re-election chances of candidates of any sitting president’s party in U.S. mid-term elections as well. Trump may find a way to run again for President, but even if he does not, his Republican Party will want to optimise their chances for another of their members to be in the top job.

Tyler Durden Fri, 11/28/2025 - 16:30
https://ift.tt/b8JhoDL
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/b8JhoDL
via IFTTT

From Oil War To 'Major Non-NATO Ally': Trump's Extraordinary Saudi Pivot

OpenAI Admits Data-Breach After Analytics Partner Hit By Phishing Attack

Authored by John Dunn via InfoWorld.com,

OpenAI has suffered a significant data breach after hackers broke into the systems of its analytics partner Mixpanel and successfully stole customer profile information for its API portal, the companies have said in coordinated statements.

According to a post by Mixpanel CEO Jen Taylor, the incident took place on November 8 when the company “detected a smishing campaign and promptly executed our incident response processes.”

Smishing is a form of phishing-by-SMS against targeted employees, popular with hackers because text messages bypass normal enterprise controls. This gave the attackers access to Mixpanel’s system, allowing them to steal a range of metadata relating to platform.openai.com account profiles:

• Name provided to OpenAI on the API account 

• Email address associated with the API account

• Approximate location based on API user browser (city, state, country)

• Operating system and browser used to access the API account

• Referring websites

• Organization or User IDs associated with the API account

“We proactively communicated with all impacted customers. If you have not heard from us directly, you were not impacted,” said Taylor.

According to a separate OpenAI post, Mixpanel shared the affected customer dataset with it on November 25. After review, OpenAI had terminated its use of Mixpanel, it said, implying that this might be permanent.

The incident affects some customers with platform.openai.com accounts, but not users of ChatGPT or other OpenAI products, OpenAI said.

“We are in the process of notifying impacted organizations, admins, and users directly. While we have found no evidence of any effect on systems or data outside Mixpanel’s environment, we continue to monitor closely for any signs of misuse,” OpenAI said.

“This was not a breach of OpenAI’s systems. No chat, API requests, API usage data, passwords, credentials, API keys, payment details, or government IDs were compromised or exposed.”

How should customers react?

There are three levels of concern here: which OpenAI API customers are affected, how attackers might use stolen data if they are, and the possibility, however hypothetical, that more valuable data such as API keys or account credentials could be at risk.

On the first issue, as noted above, both companies have said they have contacted customers caught up in the breach without specifying how many users are affected. OpenAI has set up an email address customers can use if they have further questions: mixpanelincident@openai.com. Mixpanel has set up an equivalent contact address: support@mixpanel.com⁠.

Nevertheless, if decades of data breaches have taught the world anything it’s that companies don’t always know the full extent of a data breach even when they say they do. For that reason, it would be wise for OpenAI customers who have not been contacted to conduct the same security review as those that have.

OpenAI said that customers should be on their guard for phishing attacks targeting breached email addresses and to check that messages that appear to be sent from OpenAI’s domain are genuine. They should also turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA).

If phishing sounds generic, in the context of an API connection the dangers are more specific and include more nuanced fake alerts for things like billing, quota messages, and suspicious logins.

According to OpenAI, there is no need for customers to rotate or reset account credentials or API keys, which attackers could use to steal data or consume services. Despite this, cautious developers are likely to ignore this and rotate and reset credentials because this removes the risk. 

Several organizations involved in API and AI security have offered more detailed breakdowns of recommendations in the light of the OpenAI-Mixpanel incident, including Ox Security, and Dev Community.

Downstream attack surface

OpenAI uses external analytics platforms such as Mixpanel to track how customers interact with models through the API. This includes which models a customer selects plus basic metadata such as location and email ID listed above. It does not track the user ‘payload’, that is chatbot queries and responses being sent to the model from a browser, which are encrypted.  

The latest incident underlines that the security of the primary platform is only one part of the risk: secondary platforms and partners are a backdoor that can expose even careful organizations, as some Salesforce customers have seen with data breaches at its partner Salesloft.

The attack surface exposed by AI platforms is bigger than it looks, a security and governance challenge enterprises should assess before jumping in with both feet.

Tyler Durden Thu, 11/27/2025 - 17:00
https://ift.tt/BjEFfun
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/BjEFfun
via IFTTT

OpenAI Admits Data-Breach After Analytics Partner Hit By Phishing Attack

Small Retailers Enter Holiday Season Optimistic

Authored by Mary Prenon via The Epoch Times,

With Amazon and Walmart gearing up for the coming holiday season, competing on delivery speed and massive deals, small store owners may be fighting an uphill battle. Yet many of them are confident this stretch could make—not break—them.

A Nov. 11 report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) shows that its small business optimism index dipped to 98.2 in October, down by 0.6 points from September, while remaining above its long-term average. The organization’s chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, attributed the slight decline in optimism to lower sales, reduced profits, and ongoing labor shortages.

Although the index remains above its 52-year average of 98—which Holly Wade, NFIB’s executive director of research, described in a podcast as “an OK space” for small businesses to be in—she said declining profits are a challenge worth watching.

Meanwhile, online marketing platform Constant Contact’s survey of nearly 2,000 small business owners shows that 77 percent of owners remain confident they’ll reach their revenue targets, despite challenges from inflation, tariffs, the government shutdown, and competition from larger retailers and online commerce.

Small business owners said that 10 percent to 50 percent of their annual sales stem from holiday purchases, according to the report.

An Uphill Battle

On the big retailer side, Amazon and Walmart are ramping up for the holiday season. Each held an early-season sales event—Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2025 and Walmart Deals Event 2025—in October to attract early-bird gift shoppers.

Both companies also announced schedules for their big holiday sales, with Amazon’s spanning from Nov. 20 through Dec. 1—covering Black Friday week and Cyber Monday with deep discounts across categories—and Walmart’s having already kicked off on Nov. 14 and extending through Dec. 1 in two major waves.

With online sales hitting a record 22.7 percent of total U.S. retail sales in 2024—and the share growing every year except one since the Commerce Department began tracking the metric in 2000, according to a Digital Commerce 360 analysis—fast delivery has become a key battleground for major retailers, particularly Amazon and Walmart.

Walmart executives said during the company’s April 9 investment community meeting that the company is leveraging its far-reaching store network, along with its digital capabilities, to accelerate fast delivery.

CEO Doug McMillon, who is set to retire in early 2026, stated that the company’s same-day delivery program currently reaches 93 percent of U.S. households. John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S., meanwhile, said the company will “soon be able to” deliver to 95 percent of U.S. households in less than three hours.

Amazon said in February that its same-day delivery program covered 140 U.S. metro areas. In June, the company announced plans to extend the service to 4,000 smaller cities, towns, and rural communities by year’s end.

Meghan Cruz, vice president of advocacy and engagement at the National Retail Federation, told The Epoch Times that the holiday shopping season is one of the most crucial times of the year for small businesses.

“These retailers operate on very thin margins, and this holiday season may make or break it for some small businesses that have been dealing with rising costs due to trade uncertainty,” Cruz said.

Mark Mathews, NRF’s chief economist and executive director of research, said in the report that although tariffs have put pressure on consumer prices, “retailers have tried to hold the line on prices given the uncertainty about trade policies.” He added that the economy has shown “surprising resilience.”

For some small retailers, still-elevated inflation could be a challenge as they try to keep customers happy while supporting their bottom line.

“Profit margins for smaller retailers might have to be lower, and if tariffs increase, they have a choice whether or not to pass that along to the customer,” Van Carlson, founder and CEO at Idaho-based risk assessment firm SRA 831(b) Admin, told The Epoch Times. “However, competition still exists, and they might not have the option to increase prices.

“I think this year they’ll be cautious and less likely to make big money decisions,” Carlson said.

Michael Cramer, Andy LaPointe, and Roberta Perry, small retail store owners in three different states, acknowledged their disadvantage against the two retail giants but expressed confidence in their sales this holiday season.

Offer What Amazon Can’t

For the past 26 years, Cramer has owned Adagio Teas, offering both loose and bagged teas in an assortment of flavors and varieties, as well as iced tea, teaware, tea cookies, scented candles, and gift sets. Based in Illinois, he also operates two brick-and-mortar stores located in Naperville and Skokie, and sells products online.

“I know I can’t compete with Amazon on prices, so the question centers on what I can offer that Amazon can’t,” he told The Epoch Times. “We narrow down the best selections out there, and we rely on personalization. We understand what our customers are looking for and we’re able to meet those needs.”

As a small retailer with roots in the local community, Cramer said people always know where to find him—unlike faceless online-only retailers.

“People tend to be more stressed out during the holidays and often wonder if their packages will arrive on time and in good shape,” he noted.

He relies on emails and social media to get the word out about holiday sales and special promotions. Some of Adagio Tea’s bestselling gifts include pre-boxed sampler sets offering a selection of four different teas. Prices range from $14 to $19.

“These are very affordable, but the way they’re packaged makes them look much more expensive,” he said.

The main thing for small retailers, Cramer noted, is to focus on showing customers how they’re different and what they can offer to personalize the shopper’s experience.

Andy LaPointe, owner of Travis Bay Farms in Michigan. Courtesy of Travis Bay Farms

LaPointe owns two retail locations for Traverse Bay Farms in Michigan, offering locally produced fruit juices, fruit-based dietary supplements, fruit salsa, dried fruit, barbecue sauces, preserves, and even cookbooks.

His Bellaire store opened in 2001, and his Elk Rapids outlet opened in 2011. Over the years, the business has won close to 40 national food awards.

“Our stores are unique—you can’t get this on Amazon or in ‘big box’ stores,” LaPointe told The Epoch Times. “We use as many local ingredients as we can for our products, and I think that’s something our customers really appreciate.”

Set on the banks of Lake Michigan, both locations are year-round tourist destinations. Nearby Traverse City is also known as the “Cherry Capital of the World.” The area is the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States and home to the National Cherry Festival as well as other cherry-themed events.

‘Experience Beats Convenience’

LaPointe often features salsa and jam tastings, as well as other product samplings, at both stores. While he does sell online, LaPointe noted that he has a loyal in-store customer following.

Part of his holiday sales strategy is transforming his stores into “mini holiday destinations,” complete with a train display, music, and product samples.  “Experience beats convenience,” he said. “When shoppers feel the connection, they don’t just buy, they belong.”

LaPointe’s “secret weapon” is the company’s “two-bowl strategy.”  Each store has two bowls by the checkout counters, with one offering an instant in-store discount and the other a coupon for a future date. The coupons can be used both in-house and online, and give customers a reason to return. “This simple experience bridges the offline-to-online gap and creates what I call holiday loyalty momentum,” he said.

Roberta Perry, owner of ScrubzBody Skin Care at her Long Island, New York store. Courtesy of ScrubzBody Skin Care

Perry, who has owned ScrubzBody Skin Care in Farmingdale, New York, for almost 20 years, also emphasizes experience.

The Long Island shop carries homemade scrubs, along with body lotions, oils, eye creams, shampoos, conditioners, and other related products. While Perry also sells products online, her core customers look forward to shopping in the store, especially during the holiday season.

“We’ve done the same thing for years—our ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ sale on the Friday before Thanksgiving,” she told The Epoch Times. “Our customers go wild, and it starts our holiday season off with a bang.”

Many of her customers order online and pick up at the store, while others choose to visit in person for the experience.

Occasionally, the store will feature special events and themed parties. “People work hard for their money, and we want to give them the experience, not just the products,” Perry said.

Perry is reluctant to compete with every other retailer on Black Friday, so this year, Nov. 21 will be the firm’s big sale day. Because it’s the week before Thanksgiving, Perry said people are less stressed, and there is no competition with Black Friday.

On Cyber Monday, the company offers free shipping, and by early December, most of Perry’s regular customers have already finished their holiday shopping.

“It’s just mind-blowing what this sale has turned into over the years,” Perry said. “We make enough money to cover us for months like January, when sales are really slow.”

Local Relationship Key

Tami Cannizzaro, chief marketing officer at Thryv, a small business software firm, deals with more than 100,000 small business owners throughout the country. The company’s main focus is to help small retailers get found online and turn leads into customers.

“It’s really important for small retailers to leverage that local relationship with their customers,” she told The Epoch Times. “National retailers cannot compete with that, especially when there’s an element of personal service.”

Cannizzaro suggests incorporating events such as small business shopping days along with other local retailers or “residents only” shopping days.

“This will make hyper-local people feel special and will also create an experience for them,” she said. Many of her clients have adopted special events such as “Wine Around Wednesdays,” where shops will offer wine and cheese while customers browse.

For the holidays, Cannizzaro recommends involving the local high school by inviting student singing groups that will bring in parents and friends. Inviting local artists or musicians is another way of creating an experience that customers won’t find online or in larger retail outlets.

“While the objective is to bring people into the store, retailers can’t ignore their online presence,” Cannizzaro said. “They need to make sure their website is optimized so that they can be found easily, and also ensure that all of their information is up-to-date.”

Best Deals Often Found in Stores

According to a recent survey involving more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, only 22 percent responded that they plan to shop exclusively in-store this holiday season, while more than 65 percent intend to shop both online and in-store.

“These hybrid trends could give smaller retailers an advantage, especially if they offer a flexible shopping experience,” Michael Podolsky, CEO and founder, told The Epoch Times.

Despite the high number of proposed online shoppers, the survey also discovered that more than 44 percent of shoppers admitted they have often found the best holiday shopping deals in stores.

“This is good news for brick-and-mortar retailers,” Podolsky added. “They can attract value-conscious customers through unique promotions, loyalty programs, and targeted discounts.”

Tyler Durden Thu, 11/27/2025 - 15:30
https://ift.tt/Wxvqg5V
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/Wxvqg5V
via IFTTT

Small Retailers Enter Holiday Season Optimistic

'Seditious Six' Democrats Freak Out Over FBI Investigation

Democrats are losing it after the Trump administration opened an investigation into six Democratic lawmakers following the posting of a Nov. 18 social-media video in which they advised U.S. service members that they are obligated to follow lawful, not illegal, orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The video - featuring lawmakers with national security backgrounds - reflected a familiar line of Democratic criticism of President Donald Trump during his term: questioning the president’s adherence to constitutional constraints and norms of military authority.

We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.

The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.

Don’t give up the ship. pic.twitter.com/N8lW0EpQ7r

— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) November 18, 2025

On Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he may take disciplinary action against Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), who participated in the video and served as a U.S. Navy captain and astronaut before entering public office. Hegseth directed Navy Secretary John Phelan to review Kelly’s remarks and provide guidance by Dec. 10.

The video made by the “Seditious Six” was despicable, reckless, and false. Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of “good order and discipline.” Their foolish screed sows doubt and confusion — which only puts our warriors in danger.

Five of the six individuals in that video do not fall under @DeptofWar jurisdiction (one is CIA and four are former military but not “retired”, so they are no longer subject to UCMJ). However, Mark Kelly (retired Navy Commander) is still subject to UCMJ—and he knows that. -Pete Hegseth

The following day, all six lawmakers said the FBI had asked to interview them. In addition to Kelly, the Democrats are: Reps. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army officer; Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, a former Air Force captain; Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, a former Navy lieutenant who served in Iraq; Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, a Navy reserve veteran; and Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who previously worked at the CIA. Slotkin said the outreach came from the FBI’s counterterrorism division, Punchbowl News reports.

“No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution,” the four House members said in a joint statement. The FBI declined to comment on the agency’s inquiry.

While Kelly remains subject to court-martial as a retired naval officer, pursuing charges against a sitting senator for public remarks would have little historical precedent. The matter could ultimately require judicial interpretation.

The case raises constitutional questions, particularly under Article I, which affords lawmakers certain protections for statements made in the course of legislative - or in some interpretations, public - duties. Legal scholars note that this dynamic may force the courts to balance military conduct statutes with congressional speech protections.

GOP Reaction and Divisions

With Congress out of session for Thanksgiving, Republican lawmakers have been slow to offer comment, though two GOP senators voiced immediate concern about the inquiry.

Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) said he respects Kelly personally, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said that “to accuse him and other lawmakers of treason and sedition for rightfully pointing out that servicemembers can refuse illegal orders is reckless and flat-out wrong.”

On Truth Social, Mr. Trump reacted sharply to the video, accusing the Democratic lawmakers of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” He also amplified a user repost calling for their hanging.

The controversy emerges at a time when both Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel face heightened internal scrutiny. Hegseth’s authority has been unusually overshadowed by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a Yale Law acquaintance of Vice President JD Vance. Driscoll has been tasked with exploring diplomatic channels in Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities with Russia.

Patel, meanwhile, has drawn criticism for deploying local FBI tactical resources for personal security purposes involving his girlfriend. MSNOW reported that Patel’s tenure atop the FBI “may be numbered,” however the Trump administration pushed back, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posting on X: "This story is completely made up. In fact, when this Fake News published, I was in the Oval Office, where President Trump was meeting with his law enforcement team, including FBI Director Kash Patel."

Trump later said that Patel is "doing a great job." 

Politically, Hegseth’s posture may inadvertently bolster Kelly, who is considered by some Democrats as a potential 2028 presidential contender. But the public exposure has carried risk for the Democrats involved: several have reported an escalation in threats. Slotkin now receives security protection from Capitol Police.

Tyler Durden Wed, 11/26/2025 - 15:25
https://ift.tt/H3QXgcR
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/H3QXgcR
via IFTTT

'Seditious Six' Democrats Freak Out Over FBI Investigation

America's Largest Teachers Union Is Doubling Down On Radical Left Ideology

Recently obtained internal documents from the National Education Association, the largest teachers union in the US, focus on training educators to become far-left activists in support of spreading woke propaganda to their students.  

According to information gathered by a conservative non-profit called Defending Education, the NEA's upcoming training at an undisclosed location this December doesn’t focus on academics, but on attacking Republicans as “racist and transphobic,” pushing race-class-gender narratives, and promoting gender-transition guides for staff.

The training is targeted for union staff and teams as part of the NEA UniServ and Organizing Training Program 2025–2026.  

The goals of the session include, but are not limited to, “dismantling systems of privilege and oppression as it relates to LGBTQ+ educators and students” and “deepening skills and strategies to confront implicit bias, micro-aggressions and stereotypes.”  

Republicans are characterized as using an “arsenal of racist dog whistles,’ according to training materials. Participants are instructed how to evoke a “Race Class Gender Narrative” to push back.  

“Over the last ten years, Republicans in state legislatures have increasingly turned to anti-transgender rhetoric and legislation as a powerful complement to their arsenal of racist dog whistles used to whip up fear and consolidate power...they have paired these attacks with fear-mongering about Critical Race Theory, mobilizing their base with a potent mix of racist and transphobic tropes.”

The documents focus heavily on issues like "structural oppression" and transgender propaganda with an emphasis on defending the medical transitioning of children.  Teachers are encouraged to use gender fluid language (like neutral pronouns) with students while avoiding scrutiny from parents and administrators. 

Teacher's unions have consistently acted as a root source for woke indoctrination, feeding talking points and activist strategies to leftist teachers who then operate as grooming agents rather than academic educators.  As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis notes on X:

"The radical partisanship of these teacher unions has been a major contributor to education decline in the US.  They see the K-12 school system as as a political means for adults to further their agenda.  This is why the unions fought so hard to close schools during COVID; it was never about the kids."

“The NEA is the largest teachers’ union in the country, and they have decided to vilify half the country in an upcoming training,” said Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications for Defending Education.  “As far as they are concerned, the only reasons anyone could oppose their preferred ideologies are racism and transphobia and they name Republicans as villains, in writing!” 

Sanzi added:

“Their federal charter was granted because they promised to ‘elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States...Seeing as their leadership—and by extension, the organization itself—has morphed into a far-left insane asylum that is actively destroying the cause of education, that charter is no longer defensible..."

Leftist activism within the education system is perhaps one of the greatest existential crises in America's recent history.  Children are brainwashed by teachers to believe in deconstruction ideology; to hate western civilization, to embrace moral relativism, to ignore biological facts and adopt mentally unhinged sexual theories. 

Since progressives are increasingly refusing to have their own children and build their own families, the only way they can carry on their doctrine to the next generation is to poison the minds of other people's children.  Teachers unions have played an integral role in this agenda.   

Tyler Durden Tue, 11/25/2025 - 17:20
https://ift.tt/HklpugU
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/HklpugU
via IFTTT

America's Largest Teachers Union Is Doubling Down On Radical Left Ideology

Antifa Whistleblower: "They Call You Fascist So They Can Kill You"

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

A former Antifa foot soldier has ripped the mask off the far-left’s violent underbelly, revealing how the self-styled “anti-fascists” weaponise slurs not to fight tyranny, but to justify murder—labelling foes “fascists” as a license to “dehumanise” and assault them without remorse.

The interview from Steven Edginton’s documentary “‘They’re Getting Ready for War’: Ex-Antifa Reveals Inside the Far-Left,” lays bare Antifa’s radicalisation pipeline: a toxic brew of bullying, arming up, and ISIS-style self-justification that’s morphed from street theater to outright terror prep.

‘Andrew’, who ditched the extremist group after witnessing their descent into “self-radicalisation,” outlined the fascist slur’s lethal intent: “They don’t kill you because you’re a fascist, they call you a fascist so they can kill you.”

🚨 FORMER MEMBER OF ANTIFA: "They don’t kill you because you’re a fascist..."

"...they call you a fascist SO they can kill you." 💯

"How is this different than a group like ISIS?"

That's how it works. The Left is violent.

Antifa must be quashed.pic.twitter.com/bnNV4VfcgK

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 24, 2025

He further unpacked the psychology: “It is like calling a Nazi or a Fascist as a way to just dehumanise them, so you can do whatever to them. You could assault them. It’s funny to them. They laugh about it.”

“How is this different than a group like ISIS?” The ex-member pondered.

He also confirmed a shift in targets, noting “Originally they were trying to bully and threaten like what they would consider right wing extremists like Proud Boys or Christian Nationalists that show up to protest or events… That’s not the target anymore. Now, the target is anyone that doesn’t agree with them.”

Andrew’s wake-up call came amid casual chats turning apocalyptic, as he explained that “Socially when I’m not at a meeting, I’m just hanging out with people I know, more and more they talk about acts of violence. They talk about guns or going to gun ranges. And it scares me.”

“They feel as though their under threat. Well, we’re gonna be genocided or put in prison or Nazis have taken over America. So we have to act now to stop it,” he continued, urging that “They’re getting ready for war.”

GB News’ Edginton, in the full 30-minute special, traces Antifa’s arc from 2020’s Portland infernos—where Andrew admits “we were catching up”—to today’s “bunker” mindset. Edginton confronts the ideology’s core rot.

Antifa claims to be ‘anti-fascist’ but their ideology is anti-civilisation:

As we previously highlighted, many members of the far left death cult, also hold everyday jobs, including allegedly as teachers and lawyers.

President Trump announced on Sept. 17 the designation of the militant far-left network as a terrorist organisation, calling for investigations into its financial backers. 

Democrats continue to claim that Antifa doesn’t even exist:

Or that their riots are all staged by the Trump Administration to justify a crackdown:

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Tyler Durden Tue, 11/25/2025 - 16:20
https://ift.tt/pMOBIwe
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/pMOBIwe
via IFTTT

Antifa Whistleblower: "They Call You Fascist So They Can Kill You"

Sedition Before Tradition: American Needs A Break

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak."

 - Sun Tzu

You understand, don’t you, what the aim was of the “Seditious Six” politicians who made last week’s now-notorious video suggesting that US military personnel should refuse the president’s orders if they deemed them to be “illegal?”

This was the old Lefty game of provoking the authorities to react intemperately so they can be labeled “fascist.”

It’s like the old schoolyard game of the kid who goes I’m touching you. . . I’m touching you. . . until the touched kid explodes. . . so the toucher can then say, look, he’s hitting me!

And they certainly succeeded in pissing-off the president enough for Mr. Trump to suggest they could be hanged for their little prank — though he was probably incorrect about the legal niceties therein.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe in a pensive moment

That members of the out-party in Congress and the Senate must resort to this kind of skylarking japery tells you how desperate they are.

The organizer, Minnesota Senator Elissa Slotkin, is a former CIA officer. Is she in communication regularly with any of her former colleagues at the Agency? And did she coordinate any part of her prank with them? I bet DNI Tulsi Gabbard could find out and let CIA Director John Ratcliffe know so he can fire their ass.

The intel bureaucracy remains a hotbed of resistance to the swamp-draining project underway since 01/20/25. The swamp creatures like their swamp fecund and fetid as it has been, with the rich revenue stream it is used to feeding on, and Mr. Trump has done much to change that. Alas, the CIA remains the most implacably opaque major operation in government. It insists that its activities require secrecy, and the awful downside is that the Agency has run without real oversight since its inception after the Second World War. Gawd knows how many John Brennan clones are still lodged over in the Langley, VA, HQ.

Of all the celebrated new appointees in the agencies, Mr. Ratcliffe has been the least visible.

He went into the job with very promising credentials, having served as DNI in the last months of Trump 1.0. He must know where a whole lot of bodies are buried (some of them actual bodies) but the public has heard squat from him all year.

Surely Mr. Ratcliffe must also know by now who in the CIA was scheming along with John Brennan to perpetrate RussiaGate, and who was on the leak-line to the news media. He must know how Adam Schiff coordinated impeachment No. 1 with CIA agent Eric Ciaramella, then Intel Inspector-General Michael Atkinson, Col. Alexander Vindman, and Lawfare ninjas Norm Eisen, Mary McCord, and Andrew Weissmann. He must know who in “Joe Biden’s” White House was coordinating the 92 felony prosecutions against Mr. Trump with DA Alvin Bragg and AG Letitia James in New York and DA Fani Willis Fulton County, GA.

He must know how BLM and Antifa were allowed to burn down Minneapolis in 2020, and riot in scores of other places. He must know what agencies and what persons in them coordinated the Covid-19 operation and which foreign entities were involved. (Was it the US military, as many suspect, and how, if at all, did freelance players such as Bill Gates and George Soros’s myriad organizations fit in the picture?) And how is the machinery of the Democratic Party entangled in the workings of US intel? (Prime suspects: Sen. Mark Warner and his staff.)

You can say much the same thing about FBI Director Kash Patel and his Deputy Director, Dan Bongino. They were apparently horrified by the rot they encountered there on taking office earlier this year. What is so difficult about firing people, even a whole lot of people? And why wouldn’t you say you are doing it? Likewise, Pam Bondi, at her resistance-infected DOJ?

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go. . . .

Mr. Trump had a rough week working through his “divorce” from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Both of them behaved rather badly; he the usual name-calling; she playing up to the cluster-B ignoramouses on The View, and then resigning from Congress in a snit (walking away from Daddy). The Epstein Files legislation she was twanging on the president about got passed in a flash and signed, but it contained rules that can easily be used to keep key documents suppressed. The suspicion will linger that it’s all about protecting Israel, and thereby stir-up continued animus against the Jews.

Mr. Trump had a ju-jitsu session in the Oval Office with NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the avowed communist jihadi — putting the young insta-celebrity pol off-balance by acting all nice and accommodating. “I want him to do a great job. . . “ “We agree on a lot more than I would have thought. . .” “It was a great honor [to meet him]. . . .” the president declared on his Truth Social account. Stand by on what any of that means.

And now, as we plunge into Thanksgiving week, comes the Ukraine peace proposal. Everybody knows it is a recognition that Russia is grinding toward victory in any case, and carrying-on further slaughter and destruction on-the-ground is insane. But then, Ukraine’s ruler, Mr. Zelenskyy, is insane (probably high on drugs, too), and the EU leadership is insane seeking to start a war with Russia that it has zero ability to prosecute — and nevermind whatever the obdurate defenders of the UK’s sclerotic empire think they’re doing to keep the Ukraine War going. But, bottom line: there’s a good possibility that the war will be over before Christmas, and the world will be better off for that.

With all the above going on, America needs a break.

Enjoy a turkey, if you can afford to buy one, and count your blessings — for we are still a blessed people in a blessed land, and we should all show a little gratitude for the privilege of just being here on a planet so superbly suited to our needs.

Tyler Durden Mon, 11/24/2025 - 16:20
https://ift.tt/VrYRu6N
from ZeroHedge News https://ift.tt/VrYRu6N
via IFTTT

Sedition Before Tradition: American Needs A Break