US Politics
A coalition of organizations, funded by billionaire donors including more than $72 million from George Soros’s Open Society Foundations and over $79 million from networks like Arabella Advisors, has organized nationwide protests under the “No Kings” banner, according to a Government Accountability Institute report. The report describes the network as receiving more than $294 million from sources including the Ford Foundation and Tides Foundation, with the protests targeting opposition to President Trump and figures like Elon Musk. Events were scheduled for this weekend and involved tactics associated with coordinated demonstrations, with sponsors connected to various advocacy groups. Supporters, including Senator Chuck Schumer, have described the protests as a peaceful grassroots effort against authoritarianism, while some media outlets portray them as a genuine public movement without emphasizing the financial backing.
In Chicago’s Grant Park, Mayor Brandon Johnson addressed a crowd of approximately 300,000 at the city’s “No Kings” event, calling for a general strike to combat what he described as Trump administration tyranny, corporate greed, and fascism, while rejecting federal actions dubbed “Operation Midway Blitz.” Referencing historical labor actions by enslaved ancestors, Johnson urged diverse communities to demand fair taxation from the ultra-rich. The rally drew praise from local activists for its historical significance but faced criticism from conservative commentators and opponents who argued the rhetoric was inflammatory, divisive, and could disrupt the local economy.
Speaking of enslaved ancestors, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, the state’s first permanent agency dedicated to reparative initiatives. The bureau will manage descendancy verification, public education, outreach, and coordination of programs, based on recommendations from a 2023 reparations task force that examined historical injustices, despite slavery’s prohibition in the state since 1850. The agency will collect genealogical and genetic data from eligible residents but is not authorized to issue direct reparations payments.
A private contractor has allegedly claimed responsibility for drone sightings that caused widespread concern in New Jersey in late 2023, according to sources who spoke to the New York Post. The company attributed the incidents—which drew national attention for weeks—to its operations, addressing speculation about unidentified aerial phenomena. However, the allegation has not been verified.
Economy
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has forecasted gold prices reaching $10,000 per ounce. This projection comes as the bank shifts toward long positions in gold, amid reported challenges from its extensive short positions in silver futures. Physical silver demand has increased, along with borrowing costs for related ETFs. The strategy reportedly aims to offset potential losses from a silver short squeeze, which could involve unwinding shorts and buying during price surges. This occurs against a backdrop of U.S. debt exceeding $38 trillion and discussions of gold-backed assets in a potential monetary reset. The forecast has faced skepticism from analysts who argue that current economic conditions make such a price level unlikely.
Delinquencies on U.S. auto loans among low-tier consumers have risen 50 percent since 2010, according to VantageScore data. This increase occurs amid average vehicle prices of $50,000 and monthly payments of $767, with 20 percent of borrowers facing payments exceeding $1,000. Interest rates exceed 9 percent, and average loan balances have increased 57 percent, leaving many borrowers owing more than their vehicle’s value. Prime and near-prime borrowers are defaulting at a faster rate than subprime ones, reportedly due to tightened lending standards. Recent developments include bankruptcies at subprime lender Tricolor and auto-parts supplier First Brands, involving billions in allegedly vanished debt, as well as fraud disclosures at regional banks Zions and Western Alliance related to loans for distressed commercial real estate funds. Credit risk indicators have deteriorated, with spreads on investment-grade indices widening. Nevertheless, some financial analysts assert that the broader U.S. credit market continues to demonstrate overall stability.
A recent report highlights how Russia’s Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina introduced measures following Western sanctions after the 2022 military operation in Ukraine. The actions included raising the key interest rate to 20 percent, requiring companies to sell 80 percent of foreign currency earnings for rubles, and linking energy payments to rubles. These steps reportedly contributed to the ruble’s recovery from a 21 percent drop and increased reserves to $640 billion. The measures addressed U.S. efforts led by Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, which froze assets and restricted transactions, building on 2014 sanctions that resulted in inflation exceeding 12 percent. Russia’s economy has shown growth and ranks fourth globally by purchasing power parity. Despite this reported resilience, some analyses highlight ongoing challenges, including declining living standards and reduced access to global markets.
Health
A study in JAMA Network Open, based on data from 301,026 U.S. adults in the All of Us database, found that 68.6 percent meet a new obesity definition that incorporates body mass index alongside anthropometric measures such as waist circumference and ratios, compared to 42.9 percent under traditional BMI criteria alone. The updated guidelines from The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology classify obesity if BMI exceeds 40, or if elevated BMI combines with at least one high anthropometric measure, or if two elevated measures are present regardless of BMI, or if excess body fat is indicated. Among reclassified individuals, 25.9 percent previously fell outside obesity thresholds, and 36.1 percent overall showed clinical obesity involving organ dysfunction or physical limitations. Prevalence increases with age, and the criteria identify higher risks for diabetes, cardiovascular events, and mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that obesity affects two in five U.S. adults and one in five children, associated with factors including inadequate vegetable intake and physical activity. Some experts have cautioned that the expanded criteria could result in over-diagnosis and heightened stigma without sufficient evidence of benefits.
A new study has linked use of the Depo-Provera contraceptive injection to an increased risk of meningioma, a slow-growing brain tumor, leading to lawsuits against manufacturer Pfizer from thousands of women. The research indicates that women using the progestin shot for more than a year face up to five times the risk, with one in four U.S. women using it, including higher rates among Black women. Plaintiffs, many of whom required surgery or radiation, allege that Pfizer ignored safety data and failed to study long-term effects despite awareness since at least 2023. The European Union added a meningioma warning in 2024, and Canada has had one since 2006, but the U.S. FDA rejected Pfizer’s 2023 proposal for similar labeling, citing insufficient evidence from observational studies. Pfizer maintains that the product is safe and effective. Critics of the study, including some medical experts, have questioned its methodology and emphasized the need for further research to establish causality.
Sources
Billionaire-Funded “No Kings” Mobilizes for Anti-Trump Color Revolution
OBVIOUSLY “No Kings 2.0” isn’t grassroots. This level of coordination requires serious funds. The protestors should just own it! Instead they hold up anti-billionaire signs funded by…billionaires. Are they being dishonest or ignorant?
Source | Submitted by bcoop
Elvira Nabiullina: Russia’s Economic Savior Who Defeated US Sanctions
all thanks to the decisive actions of one genius woman who for the second time managed to defeat the United States in economic wars.
Source | Submitted by Karl Klein
U.S. Auto Loan Delinquencies Spike 50% as Credit Market Cracks Widen
delinquencies among the low-tier consumers have surged 50% since 2010.
Source | Submitted by Shplad
JP Morgan’s Masterful Press: Dimon’s $10,000 Gold Gambit Rescues Silver Short Debacle
That’s exactly how JP Morgan Chase is playing the metals market today. The bank has been hammered on its sprawling silver short—dozens of holes down, figuratively speaking. But instead of folding, it’s hit the most audacious “press” in modern finance: going long gold.
Source | Submitted by Citizen37
New Obesity Definition Labels Nearly 70% of U.S. Adults as Obese, Study Shows
Almost 70 percent of American adults are considered obese under a revamped definition of obesity, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the JAMA Network Open and conducted by researchers affiliated with the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital.
California’s Slave Descendants Bureau: Virtue-Signaling Without the Payout
The Bureau won’t be issuing any sort of reparations.
Mayor Johnson Rallies Chicago Against Fascism: “No Kings!”
No Kings!
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
New Study Ties Depo-Provera to Higher Brain Tumor Risk as Pfizer Faces Lawsuits
“Women who use Depo-Provera face a higher risk of developing a slow-growing brain tumor, according to a new study that comes as the contraceptive’s maker, Pfizer, faces hundreds of lawsuits claiming that it was aware of the potential risks.”
Source | Submitted by Chris Martenson
Thousands of Women Sue Pfizer Over Depo-Provera Shot Linked to Brain Tumors
THOUSANDS of Women are Suing Pfizer over their Popular Birth Control Shot, Depo-Provera, linked to BRAIN TUMORS
Private Contractor Claims Responsibility for New Jersey’s 2023 Drone Mystery
NEW: Private contractor takes credit for last year’s New Jersey drone pandemonium that captured the country’s attention for weeks on end.
Chicago Mayor Calls for General Strike Against Trump Tyranny and Corporate Greed
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for a general strike against the “tyranny” of Trump and the greed of the ultra-rich.
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: Government Accountability Institute report, Senator Chuck Schumer, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Fox News, The Root, The Grio, The Critical Thinker, New York Post, The Jersey Journal, RT, Bloomberg, The Financial Times, Zero Hedge, Harvard Gazette, The Skeptical Scientist, and HealthFactChecker blog.
by permiegirl 
