Food Shortages In 2027? The ICC Warns That Global Food Prices Could Rise By Close To 70% – I Asked AI What Would Happen Next

All over social media, people want to know if there will be food shortages in 2027. Coming into this year, the UN was warning that global hunger had reached an unprecedented level. Now we are facing a global fertilizer crisis, a global energy crisis, widespread droughts, a Super El Niño and World War III all at the same time. Of course global hunger is going to get even worse in the months ahead. Nobody can deny that. Wealthy nations such as the United States will theoretically be in the best shape, but even here in the U.S. approximately 1 out of every 7 people already live in food insecure households. Rapidly rising food prices will definitely be very painful for us, but for millions of people that live in deeply impoverished countries much higher food prices could suddenly make it impossible for them to buy enough food to properly feed their families.

How would you feel if members of your family were extremely hungry but you didn’t have anything to give them?

For many of us, that would be unimaginable.

Unfortunately, such a scenario could soon become a reality in needy households all over the planet.

For months, I have been warning that the global energy crisis and the global fertilizer crisis were going to have an enormous impact on food production.

Now harvest season is here, and the consequences are starting to become apparent. The following comes from a Wall Street Journal article entitled “Hormuz Gridlock Risks Global Food Crisis, International Chamber of Commerce Chief Says”…

Disruptions to a vital shipping route in the Middle East have created an energy shock. Now, a global food security crisis is brewing, warns the secretary-general of the International Chamber of Commerce.

The secretary general of the International Chamber of Commerce is a man named John Denton.

He is a legal expert on international trade and investment, and he is projecting that global grain prices could potentially increase by up to 80 percent…

The monthslong conflict between Iran and the US has curbed the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway many countries rely on for imports of critical inputs like fertilizers and natural gas.

According to Denton, if the strait is not reopened, grain prices could rise by up to 80%, which would be particularly hard on the economies of import-dependent countries. He added that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has caused a shortage of about 2.7 million tons of fertilizer on the world market.

Less fertilizer means less food.

That is the bottom line.

If we do see such a spike in global grain prices (and they have already been rising), an ICC-commissioned model determined that global food prices overall could increase by close to 70 percent…

A prolonged disruption to fertiliser and energy markets linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could push global cereal prices sharply higher, with potentially severe consequences for food security and public health, according to new modelling commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

In the study’s most severe scenario, global cereal prices rise by as much as 81% above 2020 levels. The shock also feeds through sharply to households, with consumer food prices in East Asia, the Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa rising close to 70% above a 2020 baseline.

In recent years, the world has not even come close to producing enough food for everyone.

Now global food supplies are going to get substantially tighter.

As a result, there will be a mad scramble for whatever is available, and this will really drive up prices.

In the end, a lot more people will be malnourished and a lot more people will die from starvation…

Conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, the University of Aberdeen and Scotland’s Rural College, the modelling shows how the shock would work its way through the global food system. Higher fertiliser and energy costs reduce nitrogen fertiliser use by approximately 37% and cereal productivity by up to 10%, tightening supply and raising prices for consumers.

For poorer households, these price increases translate into lower calorie consumption, less diverse diets and higher rates of underweight. Under the same severe and sustained scenario, the modelling suggests that the shock could contribute to approximately one million additional dietary health-related deaths in 2030 and leave 67 million more people underweight.

The burden would fall overwhelmingly on lower-income regions. South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia and the Pacific would account for around 80% of the additional mortality and more than 90% of the additional underweight burden. Modelled health outcomes would change little in higher-income regions.

The poorest nations will get hit the hardest.

But we will all be affected.

I asked Google AI to tell me what would happen if the type of scenario that the ICC is envisioning actually plays out. This is what I was told…

• Massive Food Inflation: Retail prices for bread, cereal, and packaged goods would skyrocket globally.
• Surging Meat Prices: Livestock feed costs would soar, forcing ranchers to cull herds and driving up the cost of beef, pork, and poultry.
• Severe Humanitarian Crisis: Lower-income nations that rely heavily on grain imports would face immediate, widespread food insecurity and potential famine.
• Geopolitical Instability: Historically, drastic food price spikes trigger civil unrest, protests, and political revolutions (similar to the 2011 Arab Spring).
• Protectionist Trade Policies: Major grain-exporting countries would likely ban or restrict exports to safeguard their domestic food supplies, worsening the global shortage.

That sounds about right.

There are some people out there that are touting the fact that they warned about this months in advance.

Of course there are others that were warning about all of this years in advance.

As long as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains restricted, the global fertilizer crisis and the global energy crisis will both just continue to intensify.

Unfortunately, the Iranians are telling us that they will keep attacking commercial vessels that are traveling through the Strait of Hormuz until the United States agrees to their entire list of demands…

The Strait of Hormuz is going to remain closed until the United States accepts Tehran’s seven-day plan to reopen the waterway, Iran’s top negotiator and parliament speaker has said.

Iranian state-linked news agency Nournews, quoting ⁠Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, reported on Sunday that Washington made “some proposals through a mediator” days after the US replied ⁠to Iran’s diplomatic proposal.

The US should know “that the era of wasting time and dictating unilateral demands is over”, Ghalibaf said, adding Iran’s position remains “clear and definite”.

There is no way that the Trump administration will ever agree to all of Iran’s demands.

So on and on we go.

I realize that food prices are absurdly high now, but they are going to go even higher.

But as long as you have enough to eat, you should be very thankful, because there are many on the other side of the planet that are desperately hungry right now.

Yes, there will be food shortages in 2027.

At this stage, the debate is about how intense they will become.

Hunger is on the rise all over the planet, and the higher food prices go the worse it will get.

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Next Stop 6 Percent – The Treasury Bond Crisis Is Officially Out Of Control, And It Is Starting To Look A Lot Like 2008 All Over Again

A historic Treasury bond crisis has erupted and hardly anyone that doesn’t work in the financial world has any idea what is actually going on. We are literally witnessing the most dramatic financial crisis since 2008, and it isn’t even on the radar of most people in the general population. But it soon will be, because it is going to have tremendous implications for all of us. Economic conditions were very painful for several years after the financial chaos of the fall of 2008, and it appears that we are headed for a similar scenario now.

When average people on the street hear that bond yields are going up, most of them think that must be a good thing.

But bond yields and bond prices move inversely to one another, and so when bond yields are spiking that means that bond prices are crashing.

And when bond prices crash, that is not good at all.

Investors were waiting to see whether or not the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasury bonds would smash through the 5 percent barrier, and that is precisely what happened.

Subsequently, investors have been closely watching the 5.25 percent barrier, because historically that is when market conditions really begin to go haywire…

When the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond rises well above 5.25%, the market landscape undergoes a marked shift. Subsequently, bond‑market volatility—and by extension, equity volatility and credit spreads—tend to increase substantially.

That means bonds are no longer a hedge against equities. The transmission chain unfolds in a tightly linked sequence: as U.S. Treasuries lose their appeal as portfolio‑hedging instruments, marginal buyers become more price‑sensitive, and the market’s responsiveness to capital flows intensifies; investors then turn to options to hedge U.S. Treasuries, driving up implied volatility—leading Treasury yields to rise first, which was precisely the official rationale the U.S. Treasury cited last month when it announced an expansion of its repurchase program (to safeguard Treasury liquidity).

Next, equity‑index volatility cannot remain unaffected: the mutual amplification of gains and losses between stocks and bonds will further destabilize rebalancing flows and push the VIX higher; rising demand for stock‑option hedging will also support implied volatility. The third channel is particularly critical today—bond‑market volatility has heightened uncertainty around discount rates for cash flows, while historically low cross‑stock correlations suggest that the market has scarcely priced in “long‑term interest rates,” the single most dominant source of factor risk.

I realize that all of that sounds quite complicated.

The bottom line is that when the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries climbs above 5.25 percent, stocks and bonds often start dropping together.

In other words, that level acts as a “line in the sand” beyond which everyone tends to panic.

Well, on Monday the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries hit 5.25 percent for the very first time since 2007…

Of course it isn’t just 10 year U.S. Treasuries that are the problem.

At this stage, yields on all long-term U.S. Treasuries are spiking…

Bond charts are never supposed to look like that.

U.S. Treasuries are supposed to be among the most stable financial instruments in the entire world.

As I discussed above, when the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries reaches 5.25 percent, stocks and bonds often start dropping simultaneously.

At one point on Monday, U.S. stocks had lost a whopping $720,000,000,000 in value…

Thankfully, the markets have settled down a bit in the last couple of hours.

That is probably because there is some intervention going on behind the scenes.

But without a doubt, things are moving in a very troubling direction, and the consequences could be extremely severe during the weeks ahead.

Right now, our banks are holding vast amounts of U.S. Treasuries.

So when bond yields spike, the value of the U.S. Treasuries that they are carrying plummets.

There are a lot of banks that now have balance sheets that resemble a horror show, and that means that more bank failures are on the way.

In 2025, only two U.S. banks failed.

On Friday, we witnessed the sixth bank failure of 2026 so far…

ANOTHER BANK JUST FAILED…

California’s Nano Banc just failed. Shut down Friday. FDIC appointed receiver.

That makes SIX U.S. bank failures this year, versus two in all of 2025.

California cited years of mismanagement at Nano. Beyond this bank, I’m watching lenders heavily exposed to commercial property.

The FDIC itself has flagged high interest costs and vacant buildings making property debt harder to refinance and repay.

If borrowers can’t pay, losses eat through bank capital. That’s how more failures could follow, one balance sheet at a time.

They like to quietly announce these bank failures on Fridays so that they get as little attention as possible.

Unfortunately, if bond yields continue to soar they won’t be able to contain the panic for long as one bank after another comes apart like a 20 dollar suit.

In addition, rising bond yields could potentially set the stage for a nightmarish derivatives crisis.

Interest rate derivatives are the biggest segment of the derivatives marketplace by a a very wide margin, and if interest rates move up fast enough it could cause a cascading wave of defaults.

Let me put it another way.

If interest rates rise with sufficient velocity, rapid mark-to-market shifts can outpace liquidity buffers, threatening a systemic chain reaction of counterparty failures.

And that would be a massive disaster.

Rising interest rates will also have an enormous impact on U.S. consumers.

The national average for a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage has already jumped above 7 percent.

That is considered to be an extremely important psychological level.

Very few potential homeowners want to pay 7 percent, and home sales are likely to be depressed even more than they have been.

Meanwhile, credit card rates are going to go up, and auto loans are going to become a lot more expensive.

Collectively, all of this is going to slow down economic activity.

Economic activity was already starting to slow down thanks to the global energy crisis, and rising rates will just intensify that slowdown.

This is going to be such a catastrophe.

We are potentially facing a financial crisis and a major economic slowdown at the same time.

If that sounds a lot like 2008, that is because it is a lot like 2008.

Meanwhile, we are forced to deal with a global energy crisis, a global fertilizer crisis and a Super El Niño.

On top of everything else, World War III is raging on the other side of the planet.

Decades of bad decisions have brought us to this point, and now we all get to pay the price.

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The Steady Erosion Of The Middle Class In America Resembles A Very Twisted Game Of Musical Chairs

Have you lost your spot in the middle class yet? Most Americans do not aspire to become rich and they certainly do not want to be poor.  Most of the U.S. population just wants to live a comfortable middle class lifestyle just like their parents did. Unfortunately, there is a huge problem. Since the beginning of this decade, virtually everything has been getting a lot more expensive. So even if your income has been going up, if it hasn’t been going up as fast as the cost of living has you are still falling behind. Chasing “the American Dream” has essentially become like playing a really twisted game of musical chairs. Every single month most Americans are just barely scraping by, and every single month more chairs are being removed from the game. If you still have your seat, you should be very thankful, but I wouldn’t get too comfortable because another major economic downturn is rapidly approaching.

If you are going to live a middle class lifestyle, you have got to have a home.

But homes are now more unaffordable than they have ever been before.

According to  the U.S. Census Bureau, the average sales price for a new home in the U.S. was $502,700 as of the second quarter of 2026.

And the national average for a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage is now way over 7 percent.

Who can afford that?

The top 10 percent of all income earners can still afford that, but that is about it.

If you purchased a home prior to the beginning of this current decade, you are in good shape.

But if you are a young adult that is just starting out, you are out of luck.

That is one of the reasons why more than 25 million U.S. adults under the age of 35 are still living with their parents…

A record number of adult children under 35 in the U.S. are moving back in with their parents, either because they can’t afford homes of their own or because they want to save money amid the rising cost of living, according to a recent study.

In 2025, 25.2 million adults under 35 lived at home, according to Realtor.com, which found that the share of adults living with their moms and dads was higher than it was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of these adults moving back in with their parents are employed, but their wages aren’t keeping up with inflation. Among the 25- to 34-year-olds living at home, roughly 7 in 10 have jobs, the online real estate firm found.

A lot of those young adults have no hope of buying a home for the foreseeable future.

This is life in America in 2026.

As our standard of living has eroded, more Americans than ever are living in an RV.

In fact, the number of Americans that are living in an RV has more than doubled since 2021…

About 486,000 people live full time in an RV, which appears to be more than twice as many as in 2021, according to survey data from the RV Industry Association. About a third have children, and a vast majority earn less than $75,000 a year.

Of course a lot of Americans can’t even afford an RV.

I asked Google to give me the total number of Americans that are sleeping in their vehicles, and this is what I was told…

An estimated 1 million to 3 million Americans regularly sleep in a car, van, or RV due to housing affordability and the ongoing housing crisis.

The truth is that it is quite difficult to get a really accurate number because a lot of people that are sleeping in their vehicles don’t like to be counted.

But we can all see that the numbers have been growing.

In fact, some major cities now have vast parking lots where people that sleep in their vehicles can rest safely at night.

We never had such a thing when I was growing up.

Overall, the number of homeless in this country has reached a truly frightening level.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a total of 1,456,923 Americans “were either homeless or living in taxpayer subsidized/funded housing for the homeless” as of the beginning of last year…

• 745,652 individuals were homeless on a single night in January 2025
• 266,320 individuals were living unsheltered on a single night in January 2025
• 1,456,923 individuals were either homeless or living in taxpayer subsidized/funded housing for the homeless

I am sure that when the final numbers for 2026 are released they will be even higher.

Meanwhile, food just continues to become even more expensive and the number of Americans that are going hungry just continues to grow.

According to the Alliance to End Hunger, 47.9 million Americans live in food insecure households…

• 47.9 million people lived in food insecure households.
• This number reflects that 14.4 % of the population, or roughly 1 in 7 people in the U.S. lived in food insecure households.
• 14.1 million children lived in food insecure households.

Those numbers are a bit old, and so I am sure that they are even higher today.

Every time I go to the grocery store, it seems like more prices have been changed.

I know that all of you are noticing the same thing.

Our ability to feed our families is being eviscerated right in front of our eyes.

One recent study found that it now takes a single person in New York City $158,954 a year just to “afford the basics”…

For example, the median household income across New York City in 2025 was $86,900. However, a SmartAsset study found that single New Yorkers needed to make at least $158,954 that year to afford the basics (such as housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation) and cover the costs of a couple of hobbies.

This is one of the reasons why our young adults are so hesitant to get married and have children.

It just costs so much money.

And now the economy is moving in the wrong direction again.

This month, the Conference Board’s index of consumer confidence “fell sharply”…

Consumer sentiment fell sharply in September as an inflation-weary public took a dimmer view on the labor market and the impact higher prices would have on their finances, the Conference Board reported Tuesday.

The board’s Consumer Confidence Index tumbled to 81.9, a decline of 6.7 points and a reading well below the Dow Jones consensus forecast for 89.

Of course this reading is perfectly consistent with other surveys.

Earlier this month, the University of Michigan’s index of consumer confidence fell to the second lowest level ever recorded…

The Conference Board’s reading is in keeping with similar surveys. The University of Michigan’s consumer survey showed sentiment fell 7% in September to its second-lowest reading on record.

The American people hate what is happening to the economy.

Why is that so difficult for “the experts” to comprehend?

Sadly, dissatisfaction with the economy has pushed some Americans toward socialism.

In fact, a recent Gallup poll found that the percentage of Americans that have a positive view of socialism has reached an all-time high…

Forty-three percent of Americans now have a positive view of socialism, marking the first time this figure has exceeded 39% in Gallup’s trend since 2010. Socialism still trails capitalism and free enterprise in public favorability but now ranks ahead of big business. Small business remains the clear leader among the five economic concepts tested, with 95% viewing it positively.

Needless to say, socialism is not the answer to anything.

But most Americans perceive that our current system is deeply broken, and that is because it is deeply broken.

We need to return to the basics.

We need to return to the economic values that were embraced by our founders.

Will that ever happen?

We better hope so, because right now the middle class in this country is steadily shrinking.

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This Is What A “Perfect Storm” Looks Like: A Global Fertilizer Crisis, A Global Fuel Crisis, A Super El Niño And World War 3 All At The Same Time

If you think that things are bad now, just wait until food shortages really start to kick in next year. Even the UN is admitting that there isn’t going to be enough food for everyone in 2027. As you will see below, they are preparing for a huge spike in global hunger in 2027. The war in the Middle East has caused a global fertilizer crisis which will produce “thinner harvests” both this fall and next year. At the same time, the soaring price of diesel is putting extreme financial pressure on farmers all over the world. Needless to say, soaring fuel costs will get passed on to the rest of us. On top of everything else, the Super El Niño that I have been writing so much about is causing chaotic weather that is literally wiping out crops in Central America and other parts of the planet. The food that is being harvested now is what is supposed to feed us in 2027, and there simply is not going to be enough of it.

What a disaster 2026 has been.

Coming into this year, there was no war with Iran.

Coming into this year, the Strait of Hormuz was still open.

Coming into this year, there was no Super El Niño.

Coming into this year, the price of diesel was actually quite low.

And coming into this year, we didn’t have a global fertilizer crisis which appears to be having a “catastrophic impact” on global food production…

Six months after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the global fertiliser supply chain has collapsed in key regions, creating a dual crisis of physical shortages and soaring costs. Since March, commodity intelligence platform CropGPT has directly surveyed thousands of farmers every month, across eight countries to measure the impacts of the crisis. The data shows a potentially catastrophic impact on global food and beverage – coffee included – supplies and prices in 2027.

CropGPT’s findings reveal that only 43% of farmers surveyed got everything they needed, with farmers in India – which feeds more people than any other country in the world – reporting they have been short of fertiliser for six months. In the Ivory Coast only 6% of coffee farmers were fully supplied in August, while 40% could not get any fertiliser at all. El Nino is forecast to peak just as the effects of fertiliser shortages and thinner harvests come in, multiplying the threat to global agriculture.

CropGPT’s data also unveils a stark economic divide. Where crop prices are strong, such as coffee, farmers have paid more and carried on. Where they are weak, farmers have cut back or stopped buying fertiliser. Farmers who cannot obtain fertiliser face yield loses of up to 50%.

Most people out there have absolutely no idea that this is happening.

They can see that food prices are rising, but they simply do not understand what is ahead of us.

The founder and CEO of CropGPT is ominously warning that the world “cannot absorb a shock of this magnitude without supermarket prices exploding and people starving”…

Commenting on the findings, Rob Weston, founder and CEO of CropGPT, said, “The market is fundamentally mispricing the sheer scale of this crisis. Traders are understandably watching the forecasts to understand the impact of El Niño, but the real catastrophe is already happening on the ground.” He explained that when 57% of farmers across key agricultural regions are reporting they cannot access or afford the fertiliser they need, “we are not just looking at thinner margins, we are facing a global food crisis. Global food systems cannot absorb a shock of this magnitude without supermarket prices exploding and people starving.”

The skeptics can stick their heads in the sand if they wish, but this isn’t going to go away.

Meanwhile, the Super El Niño is expected to reach peak intensity later this year.

The UN’s World Food Program is gearing up for a worst case scenario, because they believe that the Super El Niño will “significantly worsen food insecurity in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries into 2027″…

Analysis from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) shows that the strengthening El Niño weather pattern is set to significantly worsen food insecurity in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries into 2027. The agency is ramping up its preparedness and response efforts as impacts from El Niño are already hitting the most vulnerable on the frontlines of hunger.

“El Niño is a massive threat to the food security of millions who are already vulnerable,” said Carl Skau, WFP’s Acting Executive Director. “The sooner we help families to prepare for these climate shocks, the greater our ability to save lives and protect livelihoods. Severe floods and droughts can quickly push communities from coping to crisis. WFP is already ramping-up early response efforts in eight countries, and we stand ready to do even more.”

El Niño is expected to peak between September and December 2026, but in many locations the effects will be felt throughout 2027, due to impacts on future harvest cycles. Drought, flooding and extreme temperatures are already putting communities at risk.

Unless you are really a news hound, you probably aren’t even aware of the nightmare that is currently unfolding in Central America.

Extreme drought has caused “widespread crop failures” in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras…

Further north, drought is already taking a heavy toll on Central America’s dry corridor, which stretches across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Around 10 million people live in the region, many of them dependent on subsistence farming.

An assessment by Oxfam and humanitarian organisation Action Against Hunger found widespread crop failures across Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, with tens of thousands of farming families affected.

Of 73,000 farms that planted maize for the first growing cycle of 2026, around 70,000 reported devastating harvests. Bean crops have also been badly hit and more than 23,000 households reported reduced access to water.

“We are seeing widespread crop losses caused by the drought triggered by El Nino,” said Oxfam’s humanitarian manager for Central America, Ivan Aguilar.

Millions of people in Central America are potentially facing extreme food shortages during the months ahead.

Russian and Ukrainian farmers are facing a different sort of a crisis.

They have been able to produce enough wheat, but it has been exceedingly difficult to get it out of the Black Sea since July.

As a result, Egypt has not “received any Black Sea grain in about a month”…

Connecting Europe and Asia, the Black Sea is a critical conduit for global crop shipments to some of the world’s most populous nations. Russia and Ukraine make up more than a quarter of the global wheat trade, a share similar to the seaborne oil trade passing through Hormuz in the Gulf.

Supplies have been choked off since July when the countries stepped up attacks on each other’s ports, pummeling grain terminals, silos and vessels. The escalation also hit Russia’s energy infrastructure, sending diesel prices to records. A key input into farming, the cost of the fuel is another inflationary risk for food.

Egypt, the world’s biggest wheat buyer, hasn’t received any Black Sea grain in about a month. Russia’s exports are throttled by Ukrainian drones, while Ukraine, with its ports blocked, is struggling to get its grain out by land or river. As harvests pile up, the country is also struggling to find enough storage.

Egypt imports approximately 50 percent of the wheat that it consumes.

Other nations in the Middle East are similarly dependent on wheat from Russia and Ukraine.

If something doesn’t change, there will soon be an enormous number of very hungry people.

In wealthy western countries, crippling summer droughts have resulted in “shriveling harvests”…

Droughts across the US and Europe have been shriveling harvests, and weather forecasts for a “super” El Niño this year means “there are some alarming signals” about the impact of weather on wheat crops, said Joao Lampreia, a market strategist at the Lisbon-based Freedom24.

What we are witnessing is far more serious than most people realize.

Here in the U.S., the latest wheat production numbers are downright gloomy…

The smallest U.S. wheat crop in decades continues to shrink.

The USDA now has combined production at 1.531 billion bushels, 5 million less than July, due to cuts in winter wheat acreage and non-durum spring wheat yield projections. Winter and spring wheat production numbers were both down from a month ago, at 989.89 million and 474.3 million bushels, respectively. If realized, this would be the smallest combined U.S. winter wheat crop since 1963. Combined production for all types of wheat in 2025 was 1.985 billion bushels.

We aren’t producing enough wheat.

We aren’t producing enough rice either.

In fact, Zero Hedge is reporting that “America’s rice harvest is forecast to fall to its lowest level in 33 years”…

America’s rice harvest is forecast to fall to its lowest level in 33 years. CBOT rough rice futures, the benchmark for US long-grain rice before milling, are surging higher at the end of summer after rising 69% so far this year.

USDA forecasts total production at 158.2 million hundredweight, roughly 23% below last year’s 206.7 million. Harvested acreage is projected at just 2.057 million acres, the lowest since the 1972/73 season.

“While beginning stocks are raised 4.6 million cwt to a 40-year high of 58.4 million cwt, production is reduced 0.2 million cwt to 158.2 million, a 33-year low, as a reduced forecast for harvested area more than offsets a higher yield,” USDA wrote in a report.

Oh, by the way the size of the U.S. cattle herd has fallen to its smallest size in 75 years.

Everywhere you look, there is more bad news, and now the price of diesel is skyrocketing.

CBS News recently interviewed 52-year-old North Carolina farmer Matt Bell, and he explained how the rising price of diesel is financially crushing his farm…

Prices have been so volatile that Bell said the price he’s quoted from his distributor in the morning is only valid until the afternoon — when it rises again. He can’t avoid the expense — his farm equipment runs on diesel. Bell showed CBS News his combine, which he says now requires about $600 worth of diesel fuel per day. That’s more than twice what he paid last year.

Bell said he blew through his yearly fuel budget of $35,000 in August. Now, he expects his total for the year to be closer to $50,000 to $60,000.

“Every piece of equipment on this farm runs on diesel,” he said. Without it, his farm wouldn’t be able to function.

Without our farmers, we do not eat.

And without diesel, our farmers cannot operate.

At this stage, Bell admits that he is more stressed out than he has ever been before…

“I’ve done this 34 years. I have never worried and stressed like I have the last year,” Bell told CBS News in an interview on Wednesday at his farm in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

Bell has been forced to make significant changes to his operation as a result of the high costs. He’s shifting some of his acreage, trying to stretch out the lifespan of his equipment and producing his own fertilizer. His children have also opened up a storefront where visitors can pick pumpkins and take hayrides in the fall. But Bell is still feeling the pinch.

“We’ve cut everything we can cut,” he said. “The last several years in agriculture have been terrible, and we have, you know, just cut the fat anywhere we could. But we’re just getting to the point now there’s nothing left to cut. You cannot run without fuel. You cannot run without fertilizer. You have to have that.”

Sadly, if World War 3 continues to intensify it is likely that diesel prices will go a lot higher.

What will we do then?

In the Midwest, fuel surcharges are already going through the roof…

The fuel shock is especially significant across the Midwest, where corn and soybean harvest generates intense demand for combines, tractors, grain trucks and commercial transportation. Midwest diesel averaged $6.250 per gallon on September 14, up from $5.946 just one week earlier, while the national average increased 31.8 cents over the same period. Compared with a year earlier, U.S. diesel was $2.546 per gallon more expensive. That increase affects far more than the fuel line in a farm budget: it raises the cost of operating equipment and moving fertilizer, seed and other inputs while increasing the expense of transporting harvested grain.

Rail freight shows how rapidly those higher energy costs are moving through the agricultural supply chain. Union Pacific’s standard mileage-based fuel surcharge stood at 28 cents per mile in July 2025 but reached 71 cents in July 2026. For October, the railroad has set the surcharge at 68 cents per mile, compared with 33 cents in October 2025 – an increase of roughly 106% year over year. The October charge is based on an August 2026 highway diesel average of $5.462 per gallon. For grain shippers, elevators and co-ops that depend heavily on rail, the surcharge becomes another expense that must ultimately be absorbed somewhere between the farm gate and the final customer.

Diesel prices are also having an enormous impact on the trucking industry.

Earlier today, I was stunned to learn that 16 trucking companies have filed for bankruptcy in less than a month…

A new round of trucking bankruptcies has swept across the U.S. in recent weeks, with carriers ranging from small owner-operators to fleets operating dozens of trucks seeking Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 protection.

At least 16 trucking, delivery and transportation companies entered bankruptcy proceedings between late August and Sept. 21, according to federal court filings and carrier records reviewed by FreightWaves.

The filings include Chapter 11 cases involving Globemaster Incorporated, Xoco Transport, Jett Transport & Materials, CLJ Transporting, Mill Creek Logistics-Illinois, RP Hay Hauling, Truckload LLC and Pacer Transport. Several smaller carriers filed Chapter 7 cases, which typically involve liquidation rather than reorganization.

This is what a “perfect storm” looks like, and we are still only in the early stages.

There will be food shortages in impoverished countries all over the globe in 2027.

In wealthy countries, food prices are already ridiculously high, but they will soon go even higher.

We have got an unprecedented global food crisis on our hands, and there is no relief in sight for the foreseeable future.

The post This Is What A “Perfect Storm” Looks Like: A Global Fertilizer Crisis, A Global Fuel Crisis, A Super El Niño And World War 3 All At The Same Time appeared first on Activist Post.

Another Huge Burst Of Inflation Is Ahead, And That Is Really Bad News For An Economy That Is Already Coming Apart At The Seams

Those at the top of the economic food chain just don’t get it. They are mystified by surveys that show that most Americans are deeply upset about the state of the U.S. economy. Since their stock portfolios are doing really well and the official numbers that the government has been giving us look fine they just assume that the general public’s perception of the economy must not be accurate. But the truth is that it is their perception of the economy that is not accurate.

They should try to live the way that the rest of us have been living.

Homes are more unaffordable than ever.

Our insurance bills have become extremely bloated.

Millions of Americans avoid going to the hospital because a single visit could financially ruin them.

Power bills have soared to absurd heights in many parts of the country.

Purchasing a new automobile is way out of reach for most of us.

Many of the items that I commonly purchase at the grocery store have doubled or even tripled in price since the beginning of this decade.

When I get up to the checkout counter, I feel like asking the clerk which organ I should donate in order to pay for my groceries.

We want it to stop.

What part of that is so difficult for the elite to understand?

Pew Research has discovered that American voters are more concerned about prices and affordability than anything else by “a wide margin”…

By a wide margin, voters most want candidates running for Congress to talk about economic issues – with many specifically mentioning prices and affordability.

One of the primary reasons why Republicans did so well in 2024 is because voters were sick and tired of inflation.

But now the 2026 election is coming up, and the shoe is on the other foot.

This month, consumer confidence fell once again…

Consumer sentiment falls in September for two consecutive months. The preliminary September reading for the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index came in at 47.8. This marks a 7.5% (3.9 points) decrease from August. Consumer sentiment sits 13.2% below where it was a year ago and is currently below the 1st percentile in the series’ history.

How low does it have to go before the talking heads on television start taking this seriously?

At this point, it is already at the second lowest level ever recorded…

Consumer confidence fell to its second-lowest level on record in September, and Goldman Sachs says the economy is only part of the reason. Americans, the bank told its clients, have grown unhappier with the state of the world in general.

No, it isn’t because we are unhappy “with the state of the world in general”.

Consumer confidence is so low because stuff costs too much money.

If that isn’t simple enough for the analysts at Goldman Sachs to understand, I can put it in even baser terms.

Unfortunately, more inflation is on the way.

Mortgage rates are rising, and this is going to make homes even more unaffordable than they are now…

The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage jumped 15 basis points to 7.12% in the week ended September 18, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Wednesday. It was last higher in May 2024.

Mortgage rates have risen more than a full percentage point since joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran began pushing up the global price of oil in late February, putting the squeeze on prospective homebuyers and a chill into the US housing market.

Mortgage rates track US Treasury yields, which are sensitive to oil prices and the threat they pose to inflation, which has been running above the Fed’s 2% goal for 5-1/2 years.

Meanwhile, gasoline and diesel have become much more expensive this month…

The average retail price of on-highway diesel spiked by 24 cents in the latest week, and by 88 cents in four weeks, to a record $6.529 a gallon at gas stations on Monday, and that’s for the US overall, according to the EIA this morning. Year-over-year, the price of diesel has spiked by 74%.

California diesel prices spiked to $8.246 a gallon. While driving by gas stations, we’ve seen over $8 a gallon for weeks.

These are sobering sights, setting off the inflation alarm bells.

Higher fuel prices will mean that it will cost a lot more to transport stuff to the stores.

So you better brace yourself for significantly higher prices.

Ominously, Bank of America is warning that the price of oil could hit $150 a barrel if the war in the Middle East continues to drag on…

Oil prices could reach upward of $150 a barrel if inventories continue to deplete as the war in Iran rages on, according to Bank of America, and the bank has raised its year-end forecast for Brent crude from $83 a barrel to a new target of $95 a barrel.

“Although alternative routes and escorted Hormuz shipments have mitigated some of the shortfall, damaged infrastructure and rising geopolitical tensions make rapid normalization unlikely,” strategists led by Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities, equity derivatives and cross-asset quantitative investment strategies, wrote in a note released to the media on Tuesday.

If the price of oil does reach $150 a barrel and it stays there for an extended period of time, I believe that we will see rioting in the streets.

I really do.

It seems like just about everyone is raising prices these days.

And in some cases where prices aren’t actually being raised, package sizes are getting smaller.

For example, it appears that packages of Sam’s Club toilet paper don’t contain as much toilet paper as they once did…

When comparing the old package to the new package they look almost identical, but when you put them up against a wall you can see the size of the rolls seem to be visibly smaller

The package is labeled the same as the old package, same weight and ply. However when you line them up there is very clearly a large difference in size

This is very strange. Maybe it’s just a manufacturing thing where the rolls are being rolled more tightly. Or maybe we’re being shorted

This needs to be investigated. Costco did the exact same thing back in May, they shrunk the size of their toilet paper rolls

I really detest shrinkflation.

Companies that engage in that practice should be shamed.

Needless to say, everything becomes unaffordable if you don’t have any income coming in at all.

All over the nation, we are witnessing layoffs.

For instance, it is being reported that CSX could soon be laying off as many as 1,100 railroad workers…

Hundreds of railroad workers could be losing their jobs in the coming weeks across West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky as 1,100 workers – mostly engineers who deal with safety inspections, maintenance and construction – could lose their jobs across the U.S., a union representing those workers said.

Transportation giant CSX called the The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division on Sept. 14 and told them they’d be furloughing the 1,100 workers by mid-November, according to general chairman Brian Thompson. Those positions range from $80,000 jobs to management positions in duties that involve safety inspections, rail maintenance and construction.

The direction of the transportation industry is often an early indicator of where the U.S. economy is heading as a whole.

So this is a very troubling sign.

Thanks to rapidly rising beef prices, a company that operates “314 Wendy’s locations across 15 states” has been forced to file for bankruptcy…

Meritage Hospitality Group, one of the largest Wendy’s franchisees in the U.S., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection following a high-stakes dispute with the fast-food chain’s corporate parent.

The bankruptcy filing comes amid severe financial pressures at the franchisee, which has struggled with soaring beef costs and weak customer traffic, while Meritage has also blamed aggressive promotional discounting for squeezing margins.

The Michigan-based operator runs 314 Wendy’s locations across 15 states. The company filed its voluntary petition Thursday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Michigan, according to court documents.

Many years ago, I used to eat at Wendy’s a lot when I worked in the D.C. area.

But who can afford to eat at Wendy’s on a regular basis now?

It turns out that even CNN is bracing for mass layoffs.

One executive is claiming that it will be a “bloodbath”…

“Bloodbath coming, including at CNN,” a TV exec said. “That’s the next big step — slashing and burning.”

Paramount has said it sees at least $6 billion in cost savings, which would translate to several thousand jobs lost in the months ahead.

Inside CNN, staffers have been more or less kept in the dark by top brass, who are themselves unsure who will be running the network once Ellison takes over.

For years, I pleaded with our politicians not to spend trillions upon trillions of dollars that we did not have.

But they didn’t listen.

And I warned that the trillions of dollars that the Federal Reserve was pumping into the system would cause tremendous inflation.

Now we have tremendous inflation.

The government continues to feed us numbers that show that the rate of inflation is in the low single digits, but we all know that is not true.

If it was true, many of our recurring expenses would not have doubled or tripled since the beginning of this decade.

Let’s get real.

The American people are telling us loud and clear that they care far more about the cost of living than they do about anything else.

But those at the top of the economic food chain insist on pretending that everything is just fine, and that is extremely unfortunate.

The post Another Huge Burst Of Inflation Is Ahead, And That Is Really Bad News For An Economy That Is Already Coming Apart At The Seams appeared first on Activist Post.

The Alert Level For The Iranian Military Has Been Raised To The Highest Possible Level As A Massive Escalation Appears To Be Imminent

The Great Middle East War is poised to escalate to an entirely new level, and that could have huge implications for the entire planet. Diesel prices are already spiraling out of control, and strict energy rationing measures are already being implemented in impoverished nations such as Pakistan. Unfortunately, it appears that another round of fighting could be about to erupt in the Middle East. Within the past 24 hours, there have been a lot of rumors that the alert level for the Iranian military has been raised to the highest level possible. According to a major Iranian news agency, these rumors are accurate…

An Iranian official said Iran has raised its military readiness to the highest level, with response plans prepared at air, ground and naval levels to deliver a heavy, wide and surprising response to U.S. and Israeli forces and interests.

Russia al-Youm network, citing an unnamed Iranian official, reported that Iranian forces have raised their operational alert to the highest level to be ready for any possible military development or adventure.

The official said response plans have been prepared at the air, ground and naval levels, enabling a heavy, wide and surprising response to U.S. and Israeli military forces and interests.

Why is this happening now?

Well, things have gotten quite crazy in the region over the past several days.

On Saturday, the Houthis crossed a very clear red line by firing missiles at the capital city of Saudi Arabia…

Saudi Arabia confirmed Saturday that the Yemen-based Houthi rebel group attempted to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, The Associated Press reported.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said the group attacked with a “large number of ballistic and cruise missiles” and drones to target the kingdom’s capital city, Riyadh, and the facilities of Saudi oil company Aramco in Yanbu.

The Saudis are absolutely furious, and they are asking the U.S. to intervene.

On Sunday, both President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth unexpectedly made sudden returns to Washington…

US President Donald Trump cut short his stay at Camp David on Sunday and returned to the White House. Simultaneously, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth departed a sports event in Texas to make a swift return to the capital, as the US prepared for potential wide-ranging military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Hegseth left a college football game at Texas A&M University, while an official delegation in Copenhagen was recalled directly to the capital. According to a report on CNN by Alex Plitsas, the US was weighing extensive operations against Ansar Allah (the Houthis), in retaliation for rebel strikes inside Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has struggled to counter the Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels, to the point that it has approached Israel to enhance its defensive capabilites.

CNN National Security Analyst Alex Plitsas confirmed on X that the presidential session focused on reviewing strike options following a missile assault directed at Riyadh. “As I said last night, was told that the POTUS meeting at Camp David was to deliberate and review Yemen strike options. Today, U.S. embassies in Middle Eastern countries that are likely to be targets of retaliatory strikes issued warnings. Now POTUS head to the White House early,” he wrote on X.

Also on Sunday, U.S. embassies all over the Middle East simultaneously released new security alerts warning of “unforeseen escalation” in the region…

U.S. embassies across the Middle East early Sunday morning local time issued security alerts for American citizens in the region.

“Due to tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation,” the State Department said in its alerts.

The alerts did not state a specific threat, but called for Americans to “exercise heightened vigilance and be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions.”

On top of everything else, we have learned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming trip to the U.S. will be “significantly shortened”…

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has significantly shortened his already brief visit to the United States.

He will now fly directly to New York on the day of his address to the United Nations General Assembly and depart immediately after delivering the speech, i24NEWS learns.

Netanyahu had originally been expected to begin his diplomatic visit in Texas before traveling to New York for his address on Thursday.

I think that far more is going on behind the scenes than we are being told.

Just a little while ago, President Trump may have given us some hints about what is going on when he told Fox News that “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future”…

Mr Trump, who left the presidential retreat at Camp David earlier than expected on Saturday to return to the White House, told Fox News on Sunday he was in a “deciding mode” and that “very big things are going to be happening in the not-so-distant future”.

His options were “wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal”, he said, adding: “My question is if and when do I blow the entire nation up?”

That sounds rather ominous.

What would blowing up the entire nation of Iran look like?

On the other side, the Iranians are reportedly considering a new law that would withdraw their nation from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty…

An Iranian lawmaker said a bill proposing Iran’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been submitted to parliament’s presiding board and is awaiting the speaker’s approval to be put to an open session.

Hossein Ali Haji Deligani raised the issue during Sunday’s parliamentary session, saying the triple-urgency bill has been ready for some time.

He said that given the country’s current circumstances and recent attacks against it, remaining in the NPT offers Iran nothing but harm.

Once they have withdrawn from that treaty, they would be free to start testing nuclear weapons.

At this stage, there is no end in sight for the crisis in the Middle East.

Instead, it appears likely that it will just continue to intensify.

What this means is that the global energy crisis is about to get really painful.

As I discussed on Friday, the Saudis have already told Europe that they won’t be getting any shipments of oil until November at the earliest.

Needless to say, European leaders are scrambling to come up with an alternate plan.

Here in the United States, the average price of diesel set another record high on Sunday…

A year ago, the average price of a gallon of diesel in the United States was just $3.70.

Now it is $6.50.

We have never seen anything like this before.

And some gas station signs are showing a price of $9.99 as a way to indicate that they are entirely out of diesel…

Amid reports of gas stations in California showing maxing out at $9.99 for diesel, Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, told the news outlet Straight Arrow that this was also due to the displays’ three-digit limit.

“I had a few moments and made contact with a couple stations,” said De Haan. “The stations did say their sign said $9.99, but they had done that because they had run out of diesel.”

Unfortunately, it isn’t just supplies of diesel that are running low.

According to Newsweek, one gas station in Ohio temporarily ran out of gasoline last week…

A social media post showing gas being sold for $9.99 per gallon in Ohio was in fact due to the station running low on fuel, Newsweek has learned, rather than the Buckeye State suffering particularly acute effects of the Iran war.

If the war in the Middle East escalates even more, things could get a lot worse.

Most Americans assume that our homeland will never be touched by any of the wars that are raging on the other side of the planet, but that is not a safe assumption at all.

In fact, the FBI is claiming that the Iranians actually “aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” on targets in California…

The FBI warned police departments in California in recent days that Iran could retaliate for American attacks by launching drones at the West Coast, according to an alert reviewed by ABC News.

“We recently acquired unverified information that as of early February 2026, Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,” according to the alert distributed at the end of February. “We have no additional information on the timing, method, target, or perpetrators of this alleged attack.”

In my opinion, the Iranians still have a lot of surprises up their sleeves.

So do the Israelis.

We are literally watching World War 3 play out right in front of our eyes, but most people still do not seem to understand this.

Once the first weapons of mass destruction are used in the Middle East, perhaps that will be enough to get people to wake up.

The post The Alert Level For The Iranian Military Has Been Raised To The Highest Possible Level As A Massive Escalation Appears To Be Imminent appeared first on Activist Post.

Even The Mainstream Media Is Admitting That “The Great Fuel Crisis” Is Here

For months, we were told that this moment was approaching. At first a lot of people didn’t want to believe it, and those that were sounding the alarm were mocked. But now even the mainstream media is being forced to admit the truth. When the war with Iran began, the world was sitting on vast stockpiles of oil that we could chew through to keep the global economy operating normally. Unfortunately, those stockpiles have rapidly dissipated and the conflicts on the other side of the planet are intensifying. As a result, we now find ourselves in unprecedented territory.

The world is using a lot more oil than it is currently producing.

So something has got to give.

For over six months we have been running through our reserves, and at this stage the mainstream media is openly telling us that a tipping point has arrived. The following comes from a Wall Street Journal article entitled “Oil executives say the great fuel crisis is here”…

American oil executives warned for months that the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz was bound to cause a fuel crisis. Now, they say it is here.

Commercial fuel stocks around the world have been depleting for more than six months, and strategic crude reserves can’t be tapped much further. Attacks last week shut down a crucial crude pipeline in Saudi Arabia that bypassed the Strait, stranding at least 2.5 million barrels a day from an already tight global oil market, analysts estimate.

“All these mechanisms helped to mitigate the price and supply risk,” Chevron Chief Executive Mike Wirth said Friday at an energy conference in Austin, Texas. “Those have largely now played out, and we don’t have nearly the buffers in the system that we did when it began.”

Those oil executives are right.

It is here.

Thanks to recent developments, energy industry insiders now fear that the conflict in the Middle East “risks spinning out of control”…

Veteran energy advisers say that with no resolution to the Iran war in sight, the situation risks spinning out of control. Diesel prices have soared to a record $6.23 a gallon and gasoline prices, which slipped below $4 a gallon this summer, have rebounded to $4.32. Some energy analysts say they have been fielding investor questions about when consumers pinched by the high prices will start pulling back on new purchases.

For months, we were told that a deal to end the war with Iran was imminent.

That kept markets stable for a long time.

But now reality is catching up with us in a major way.

On Tuesday, average prices for both gas and diesel in the United States increased yet again…

Just look at those numbers.

A year ago, the average price for a gallon of diesel in the United States was just $3.68.

Last month, it was sitting at $5.43.

Now it is up to $6.26.

Of course we should consider ourselves to be fortunate, because Europeans are paying between 9 and 11 dollars per gallon…

Unfortunately, this is just the beginning, because global oil supplies are about to get even tighter.

It is becoming apparent that the damage to Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline is more extensive than we were originally told…

Saudi Arabia’s oil problem just multiplied.

What looked like a single Houthi hit on the East-West pipeline is now looking like a coordinated hammering of the whole system.

Fresh satellite imagery shows Pump Station 9 badly damaged, with Pump Station 8 possibly hit too, both feeding the same artery that carries crude clear across the country to the Red Sea.

Take out one pump station and you have a headache. Take out two on the same line and you have a pipeline that could sit largely dead for 3-5 weeks, maybe longer.

Yes, the Saudis could feverishly work to repair the damage that has been done.

But then the Houthis could just strike the exact same locations again.

On Tuesday, the Houthis hit the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company, and for now all activity at the Yanbu export terminal has been suspended…

Oil loadings seemed to have stopped at Saudi Arabia’s main Red Sea port Tuesday as a major refinery there reportedly burned after an attack.

Shipping industry sources told Reuters on Tuesday that loadings at the Yanbu export terminal had been suspended, four days after a drone attack shut the East-West Pipeline that feeds it, the outlet reported. Earlier Tuesday, an attack struck the Yanbu Aramco Sinopec Refining Company, known as YASREF, according to a post from the Hormuz Letter account on X. The post cited footage it said showed a fire at the site and NASA satellite heat detections inside the refinery.

This is a major economic disaster for Saudi Arabia.

And it is going to turn into a major economic disaster for Europe too, because the Saudis have reportedly told refiners in Europe that they will not be receiving the shipments that they were expecting…

Europe’s energy supply outlook is deteriorating after Reuters reported Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had notified some European refiners that their September-loading crude cargoes would be canceled following the shutdown of its critical East-West pipeline after a drone attack.

Beyond a diesel shortage in the West, Europeans are also dealing with low natural gas stockpiles heading into the Northern Hemisphere winter, with prices reaching their highest level since December 2022.

What will Europe do?

One source is claiming that there will be no more Saudi oil for Europe until at least November…

Saudi Aramco has cancelled all of its September European crude oil allocations and is scrapping every cargo slated for late-September loading onward, with a European lifter saying no Saudi oil cargoes at all until November, per initial reports citing oil trading firm Onyx and market sources.

That takes the world’s largest exporter out of the European market for the rest of September and all of October, a de facto force majeure on Saudi crude to Europe from the 3rd largest energy producer in the world.

If you live in Europe, I would go fill up your vehicles immediately, because nothing quite like this has happened to Europe before.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainians just hit another Russian refinery after President Trump specifically asked them not to do so…

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that Ukrainian forces struck the Syzran refinery in Russia’s Samara region, about 75 miles west of Samara and 466 miles southeast of Moscow. The strike comes days after President Trump urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian refineries, as average US retail diesel prices jumped above $6 a gallon and alarming disruptions to global refining capacity threaten fuel supplies ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter.

Needless to say, all of this bad news has pushed oil prices even higher…

Crude oil prices rose Tuesday as traders awaited updates on how long Saudi Arabia’s critical East-West pipeline will be closed.

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark, were up 2.6% to $108.48 per barrel by 11:06 a.m. ET. U.S. West Texas Intermediate traded 3.2% higher to $104.65. Prices have surged around 20% this month as fighting has sharply escalated in the Persian Gulf.

The good news is that we still have oil left in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

The bad news is that the SPR has now fallen to the lowest level that we have seen since 1982…

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve held 285.4 million barrels after inventories fell by about 1.2 million barrels in the latest week, according to Department of Energy data. The stockpile reached its lowest level since November 1982 as the government continued a planned release of crude oil from the emergency reserve.

If we drain the salt caverns where that oil is stored too low, we risk causing permanent damage.

There are some experts that are arguing that we have already crossed that threshold.

And federal law places restrictions on non-emergency drawdowns once we get down to 252.4 million barrels.

In other nations, there is simply no buffer left.

The global economy really is facing a nightmare scenario, and investors are starting to get really nervous.

On Tuesday, the yield on 10 year U.S. Treasuries hit the highest level in 19 years…

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed to its highest levels in 19 years on Tuesday as oil prices surge from the Iran conflict and expectations grow that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates on Wednesday. The rate milestone could ripple through the economy as the 10-year yield is a benchmark for consumers loans and corporate funding.

The 10-year yield was last up more than 3 basis points to 4.996%. Earlier in the session, it scaled to 5.041%, the highest since July 2007. One basis point equals 0.01 percentage point, and yields and prices move in opposite directions.

To me, it appears that extensive efforts are being made to defend the 5 percent level.

If we ultimately reach 5.25 percent, that could be really bad news, because historically we have witnessed tremendous market disruptions once we cross that mark…

Treasury yields are closing in on an inflection point where, historically, stocks and bonds have reinforced losses in one another. That points to a regime shift of higher bond and stock volatility and wider credit spreads.

Lines in the sand are often a little too neat for reality, but when it comes to Treasuries there has been a stark change in regime when 10-year yields go much above 5.25%. After that point, the risks to bond volatility and hence stock vol and credit spreads markedly increase.

With 10-year yields rising above 5% this week the first question is: will they keep going? Yields may look stretched, rising to levels not seen since 2007 just today, but Treasuries are not yet oversold. Incorporating returns on capital and looking at prices, they are only back to their long-term mean on an annual growth basis.

We are dangerously close to the edge, and it won’t take much to set off a major financial meltdown.

All over social media, people are talking about this now.

They may not understand all of the specifics, but they can feel that something is coming.

We live in such perilous times, and I have a feeling that a tremendous amount of insanity is just around the corner.

The post Even The Mainstream Media Is Admitting That “The Great Fuel Crisis” Is Here appeared first on Activist Post.

40 Trillion Reasons for Economic Collapse – Part 1, by Single Farmer

We finally did it. We crossed 40 trillion dollars ($40,000,000,000,000) in national public debt on August 18, 2026. Congratulations to all the people who said we could get there if our politicians were just a little more irresponsible, foolish, short-sighted, careless, feckless, and every other way to describe our national march toward the cliff. We did it at even a faster pace than anticipated. Now, we can get to 80 trillion even faster. Forward, March over the Cliff into the Economic Collapse, Fellow Americans!

As you are reading this, the United States has already crossed a critical milestone: The United States national debt exceeds 40 trillion dollars. (To see the debt accumulate in real time, visit https://usdebtclock.org. There is a screen capture taken at 7 AM on September 1, 02026 at teh top of this article.)  I started writing this series in mid-August as I was writing a separate article on the future of the economy and how individuals can survive one of the most common causes of personal economic collapse: unemployment. As I was writing that article series, I quickly realized that the national debt surpassing 40 trillion dollars deserves its own article. To do otherwise would be to minimize a very important signpost on the road to our country’s economic collapse.

The most common cause of national economic collapse is debt and overspending, and this will likely collapse our country. You can always have something exotic and exogenous destroy the country like a nuclear strike or an errant asteroid, but the debt collapse scenario is so likely to happen that it has reached the state of a foregone conclusion. As I was finishing up this first half of the article, we crossed the 40 trillion dollar milestone. It happened even faster than even I could anticipate.

Picnics and Potato Salad

You may wonder what picnics and potato salad have to do with the national debt and economic collapse thinking that you will receive a food recipe instead of what could be the perfect analogy for a potential future economic collapse of the United States.

Freshly made potato salad is not dangerous on its own and commercially prepared mayonnaise contrary to much popular belief is actually an inhibitor instead of catalyst of bacterial multiplication because of how it is manufactured. It is usually the time and temperature of the other ingredients which can cause problems. There is a critical danger zone with foods where if they are held between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours. (With commercial food storage preparations, the danger zone is between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit) with special attention above 90 degrees where one hour is sufficient to have sufficient bacterial multiplication to cause food poisoning. The temperature of around 100 degrees is said to be a peak environment for a certain type of bacteria to have an ideal zone in which to multiply.

A good way to think about this analogy is the doubling effect. Owing someone a dollar is relatively easy to pay back, but if you owed a million dollars it would likely be much more difficult to pay back. If a dollar is doubled every day, by the eleventh day it reaches over a thousand dollars which is still an attainable sum for many people, but by the 21st day it reaches over a million dollars. A few stray bacteria are not usually dangerous to most non-immunocompromised individuals, but when doubled repeatedly with each doubling often taking minutes it becomes dangerous as large colonies of bacteria multiply that can easily overwhelm your immune system.

You are not a buzzard eating carrion who has a stomach acidity of close to zero on the pH scale which can dissolve small bits of metal along with the bacterial and viral soup usually found in roadkill. Cows can develop “hardware disease” by swallowing metal, but buzzards often treat small bits of metal as just a little dietary variety. Government debt, when doubled sufficiently, becomes completely deadly to its hosting country. It depends on the level like a bacterial buffet of once cold salads leaving their safe zone entering the critical danger zone. Currently, at 40 trillion dollars in debt and doubled will be 80 trillion then 160 trillion then 320 trillion. Crossing each one of these barriers is a realistic possibility in the years and decades ahead.

sovereign debt in historical context

It is unknown if any of these barriers or an even earlier one will be a trigger to a sovereign debt crisis and default. No empire has lasted forever and no fiat currency has survived a century on its own. We are a little over a half century into our fiat experience and almost everything except most electronics has increased dramatically from cars to housing to food to medical care. I know there are some who will write what about the Pound Sterling. The Pound has not been a true pound sterling for centuries. A Pound used to be a literal pound of sterling silver hence the name.

For about 780 years until the later stages of Henry VIII’s reign, a British pound was equivalent to 240 silver pennies. As often happens when governments needed revenue, they debase their currencies stretching it by adding more base metals and reducing their precious metals. In England, the British completely debased their common coinage removing the silver in 1947 as the United States did in 1965 first for quarters and dimes and then for half-dollars by 1971. There was debasement along the way in Britain such as in 1920 when the silver was reduced from sterling (92.5 percent) to 50 percent. Many economic historians would say that the collapse of Bretton-Woods system in 1971 which involving pegging a country’s currency to a quasi-gold standard would be the start of the fiat system, so no state currency is currently backed by gold. The Swiss France was the last major currency to leave the a quasi-gold standard which it did in the year 2000.

A government borrowing money for needed projects and financing them over the long term could be a positive and productive idea much like potato salad stored at proper temperatures. Individual debt is almost always not recommended, but governmental debt to a limited degree could be productive especially in the early stages of forming a government. Overall debt for governments tend to get out of control as founding generations depart this mortal coil and generations who had nothing do to with the initial sacrifice start voting themselves financial resources from the “government” which in reality is taking from a productive person’s pocket often to line the pocket of someone else with a small portion going to a project. Private competent individuals are almost always more effective than a government building something.

One of the ways the United States became a creditor nation was because it did not repudiate its debts. It became a trusted source to lend money to as it paid its bills and lived within its means. The United States government for the first time and only time achieved a National Debt of 0 Dollars paying it off until the stewardship of President Andrew Jackson in 1835. Within a year, the United States borrowed more with multiple large additions during wars declared and undeclared with about 85 percent of all the debt added within the last 25 years! Most readers have been around for almost all of the debt that now threatens to sink us being added within just the past generation. It is startling to think of the sheer fiscal insanity of the last 25 years.

Most nations after they have a revolution the debts incurred are usually wiped away in the aftermath of the revolution. The infant United States did the opposite and assumed these state and pre-federal liabilities as supported by Alexander Hamilton in his “First Report on Public Credit.” During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress printed a currency called the “Continental.” This currency was eventually hyperinflated away falling to a low of 1 cent per dollar officially, but in reality it often traded for a 1000 continentals to 1 dollar in gold or silver. Some people used the Continentals for wall paper, but eventually this currency was actually bought back during a demonetization with some people benefiting greatly. The average person who held continentals during the Revolutionary period lost upwards of 99 percent, but a few speculators made fortunes along with purchasing bonds or currency at deflated prices that eventually were redeemed into United States treasury bonds at often much higher values than they purchased them.

There are a few takeaways for individuals that are often applicable:

1. Paper currency is usually inflated away through ongoing inflation or hyperinflation.

2. Most governments traditionally repudiate their debt at some point, but occasionally there is a exception.

3. Individuals who owned gold or silver during this period were generally protected from the ravages of hyperinflation. The Continental generally fell to about 40 paper dollars per silver dollar or around a 97.5 percent loss before generally not being used in transactions. The silver dollars did not “gain” any value, but the paper dollars lost value. Holding the continental was a dangerous game unless you bought it very cheap and redeemed at a higher price. This was speculation and was never guaranteed. Silver and gold during this period were stable not generally subject to large fluctuations.

The problem is when borrowing gets to be too much. We are at the point of over 40 trillion dollars of borrowed money. President Reagan sounded an alarm of the idea of the United States crossing over into 1 trillion into national debt back in 1981. We are at a level of 40 times high. President Reagan was known as the master communicator and the analogy that he used was very apt to describe the sinking situation the country currently finds itself where he warned us “if we as a nation needed a warning, let that be it.” President Reagan in his 1981 speech said, “A stack of $1,000 bills in your hand only 4 inches high would make you a millionaire. A trillion dollars would be a stack of $1,000 bills 67 miles high.”

The analogy is actually more vivid with the stack reaching 670 miles high if using 100 dollars bills as you would need ten times as many instead of $1,000 dollar bills (Back then, the $1,000 dollar bill there were in somewhat common “mental” circulation as $1,000 bills would have been known to former movie stars like President Reagan.) The larger denomination bills such as 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 dollar bills were removed from circulation in 1969. You can still often find them at coin stores and shows, but expect to pay much more than the printed denomination on their face even in well circulated, folded and crinkled condition.

The purchasing power of a 100 dollar bill has never been lower. A 100 dollar bill is currently the highest denomination now printed in the United States and this inflation reduced small denomination makes it even more difficult for people to easily perform legal business transactions. Think of how much easier it was back in the 1950s to buy a farm or equipment with 500 dollar or 1000 dollar bills. Now, carrying around large amounts of cash is difficult because even a standard banded package of 100 dollar bills is 10,000 dollars and that buys relatively little at a farm auction. Another common concern nowadays with carrying large amounts of cash is the possibility of “asset forfeiture” where you have to “prove” that the currency was obtained legitimately in order to reclaim your currency from the seizure.

How bad is it?

The sad truth is that you often don’t know how bad it is until it is too late. Every warning sign is there for an economic collapse at some point. It would be wonderful if I could positively give you an exact date or even month and year that it will happen in October of X year because it would help me too. The only alternative we have is to stay vigilant through preparedness, closely monitoring the situation, discussing it with other informed people, and to follow Marcus Aurelius the Great Roman philosopher and the last of the “five good Roman emperors” during the Pax Romana (Roman Golden Age) timeless advice: “The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.”

Currently, our Government spending is out of control. People first think of “our” representatives in Congress which has an approval rating at about the same level as the lobbyists who also walk the halls of Congress (whose profession is involved in literally lobbying for taxpayer money and/or political favors and carve-outs for the people who employ them). Used car dealers poll similarly for comparison. If the public opinion companies would take polls of the opinions of toothaches at the start of a three day weekend, intestinal parasites, and ants at a picnic those would likely poll lower, but that is not saying much.

If this were a household budget with obligations all over the place far higher than income, many people would consider bankruptcy as an acceptable course to discharge the debt. Whenever previous countries have bankrupted themselves, usually the previous currency is inflated out of existence as the country is in its final rabid death throes foaming at the mouth (thickened saliva or even large denomination printing on lower denomination bills in the case of countries) and delirious from fever with hallucinations (believing everything will work out as more and more is spent while receiving less).

Everyone and no one around today is actually responsible for it. Much of the problems were created in the 1930s and 1960s and the people who created these now serious issues were born in the late 1800s to early 1900s and have been dead for years. Mandatory spending and interest is about 75 percent of the Federal budget with mandatory spending about 60 percent of the budget. Social Security created in 1935 and Medicare/Medicaid created in 1965 currently consume about 50 percent of the budget while only bringing in usually under 35 percent. This situation is only getting worse each year that goes by as more people retire becoming eligible for benefits and are not backfilled with even more people contributing. Since this is entirely a “thought experiment” consider how all of these federal programs share many similarities with a Ponzi scheme except they are legal just as putting little green pictures of political figures on pieces of cotton paper becomes real because they say so which is the root of the word “fiat” meaning force by government as a decree “let it be done.”

Medicaid costs between both federal and state about another trillion dollars without any offsetting tax revenue meaning that all of its money comes out of pocket or borrowed. Between Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare spending they cost over 1.5 Trillion Dollars more per year than they bring in with Medicare having no revenue. All of these programs have only become more imbalanced as far with more costs versus revenue and will only likely increase even more over time. This can be compared to bacteria in the potato salad sitting in the sun on a hot summer day. The cost for anything medical far exceeds the official inflation rate. Social Security at one time had so much revenue because there were many more workers than recipients. This ratio has narrowed dramatically over the years where now Social Security pays out more than it takes in. In a few years, there is expected to be a roughly possible 22 to 24 percent cut likely sometime in the next six years. As this would be politically unpopular, they could just go a little more in debt or raise taxes rather than try to live within their means.

Some Questions to Consider

Before next week’s conclusion to this thought experiment is presented, are you seriously considering the topic of how to survive a potential economic collapse? Surviving a hyperinflationary future is going to be really difficult, but first people need to be awakened that there is a problem. We have reached and breached a milestone on the road of national economic ruin and persist in our journey. Think of our nation driving a car and reaching a sign that says “BRIDGE OUT.” Instead of paying attention and stopping the vehicle, we are driving at breakneck speed to get to the bridge still believing that it is there and that the signs were all false. The question is when we reach the bridge and the depth of our descent. Remember all of my articles are Gedankenexperiments (thought experiments), not advice for your personal economic decisions.

One area which I will cover next week is of survival. How are you planning on surviving a potential collapse? In my family, we have a well thought out plan which most likely will result in very little disruption to our lives as I already live on a farm in a food producing area which is full of people who have been growing food for generations both commercially like our family and on a homesteading scale, have large amounts of food and supplies, and lots of technical expertise in survival as a third generation prepper. The only area where we are lacking in my family is finding me a spouse who is interested being a wife and mother.

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About The Author: Single Farmer is a third generation prepper living on his family’s farm in Kansas.

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Editor’s Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is from a very quality family. For those who are interested, he is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details and a way to contact “Single Farmer,” see this link to his article posted on July 13th, 2025: My Quest for a Wife: I’m Willing to Move  and in his February 24, 2026 article on rural migration starting at the bold section on “Continuing My Quest For a Wife”.  He can be contacted at his family’s email of smartsimplepeopleATprotonmail.com (put the @ sign to replace AT).

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(To be concluded in Part 2, on September 22, 2026.)

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Why Are There So Many People Living In Third World Conditions In The United States?

There are tens of millions of Americans that are currently living in third world conditions, and poverty, hunger and homelessness are growing all around us. Many of our most important urban areas have become rotting, decaying, drug-infested hellholes. Meanwhile, there are vast stretches of rural America that look like they have been totally left behind by the rest of our society. But if you live in the version of America that is still shiny and beautiful and clean, you may be wondering what all of the fuss is about because life still seems pretty good to you. For those at or near the top of the economic pyramid, it feels like the party will never end. Of course those that are impoverished can’t afford to live anywhere near those that are thriving. Today, 35.9 million Americans (including 10.4 million children) live below the official poverty line. Tens of millions of others make enough to be above the poverty line but are deeply suffering too.

We are a nation of contrasts.

We are the wealthiest nation on the entire planet, and yet we have also piled up the most debt in the history of the world.

We have more billionaires than anyone else, and yet poverty is rampant.

We have luxuries and electronic gadgets that previous generations could not have even imagined, and yet much of the population is living in almost unbelievable squalor and filth.

Let me give you an example.

Not too long ago, authorities in Ohio discovered sixteen children that were “found living in conditions that even livestock don’t live in”…

Sixteen kids, ranging from 1 year old to 18, were found living in conditions that even livestock don’t live in, described Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain.

The sheriff, along with Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer and Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, held a press conference Wednesday to discuss the arrests of four family members: Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders.

We should be so thankful that those children were rescued.

Apparently most of them had been isolated in a 12 foot by 12 foot area for the last four years…

Most of the kids were kept in a 12×12 area of the home for the past four years, Sheriff Cain said.

He called the area “disgusting,” adding that “our livestock were kept in better conditions than these children.”

AG Wilson said it looked like a “third-world” country inside the home. “It’s not the type of thing we’re used to seeing in America,” he said.

This isn’t how Americans are supposed to be living.

Once upon a time, even impoverished people in this country tried to keep their homes clean and dressed nicely when they went out.

But those days are long gone.

Just take a stroll through your local Walmart and observe how people are dressed.

And as far as keeping our homes clean, the truth is that in 2026 millions upon millions of Americans live in communities that are drowning in squalor and filth…

Thanks to mass migration, conditions in our inner cities are particularly bad.

Earlier today, I came across an article about street food vendors in Los Angeles that made my stomach turn…

The proliferation of rogue street food vendors — largely run by illegal migrants — is not only hitting Los Angeles with third-world-like blight, Democratic leaders have decided to do nothing despite being aware of horrifying health hazards, their own previously unreleased records reveal.

“A dog eating meat out of a street vendor’s bag before it was served to customers. Cockroaches crawling out of a food truck. Mice scurrying beside open salsa. Raw meat baking unrefrigerated in the heat. People urinating around cooking equipment.”

Those are just some of shocking allegations listed in a staggering 662-page dossier of 9,746 public health complaints about street food vendors filed across Los Angeles County from 2023 until early 2026, according to the California Post, which obtained the list only after it made a public records request.

Los Angeles was once such a beautiful city.

But now there are rats wherever you go.

According to Orkin, Los Angeles is now the “rattiest city in America”…

Historically, Chicago has occupied the No.1 spot every year that Orkin has released its annual rankings, which it has been reporting for over a decade. But this year, there is a new city being crowned the “rattiest” — Los Angeles.

Orkin cites that growing warm climates can help a rat’s survivability rate, so hotter cities are seeing themselves fly up the rankings, giving Los Angeles the slight edge over Chicago this year.

Chicago falls to No. 2 in the rankings, followed by New York and San Francisco.

I really detest rats.

I also really detest dirty food.

Unfortunately, we have reached a stage where it is really difficult to know what is safe to eat and what is not safe to eat.

I want to share a story with you that I shared with my core supporters on Friday. All over the country, millions of Americans won’t eat lettuce right now because of the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak…

The massive cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce and thousands of illnesses has expanded to three new states, federal health regulators announced Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the outbreak, which has been linked to hundreds of hospitalizations and two deaths since illnesses were first reported in July, has now been detected in Georgia, Tennessee and Texas.

There have now been 11,458 illnesses reported across 20 states, according to the FDA.

I wish that I could tell you that this is an isolated incident.

But I can’t.

Almost every day, a new food recall is in the news.

And there is a reason for that.

If you actually went inside many of the facilities where our food is made, it would make you sick.

We shouldn’t have to live like this.

Our schools are in deplorable condition as well.

In Richmond, Virginia an elementary school that was named after Barack Obama has been forced to shut down because mold is out of control and rodents are running all over the place…

Like its namesake, Barack Obama Elementary has something rotten under the surface.

The school of 285 students is now shut down for an undisclosed period after it was discovered that the buildings were testing positive for mold. The facility also had reports of rodents (mice or rats) in several rooms, alongside the more prominent mold health issue. The mold and rodent problems were noticed by staff as they prepared for the start of the new school year.

Officials say they hope to reopen the building in a week, though this has proven to be an overly optimistic goal after earlier “clear” air-quality tests were quickly contradicted by new visible mold discoveries (behind bulletin boards, on computers, in the art room, etc.), forcing repeated delays. A more realistic time frame is one month or more.

How did this happen?

We are supposed to be the wealthiest nation on Earth, but we can’t even keep our military installations in livable shape…

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report finds that the maintenance backlog for military installations has ballooned to more than $285 billion — leaving many facilities in disrepair, while risking readiness and service members’ quality of life.

This figure is a jump up from 2022, when the maintenance backlog was about $137 billion. But the backlog continues to grow, because the services only request about 80% of the funds they need for installation repairs and maintenance.

We spend about a trillion dollars a year on our military, and so this is inexcusable.

In many cases, mold issues and water damage go unaddressed for years…

Indeed, service members face a range of issues at the facilities where they work and live. Barracks at Naval Station Norfolk, for example, have had suspected mold since 2023. But the installation office declined requests to test the growth observed there “due to the cost of testing and potential remediation.”

Another highly used facility at that Naval station had evidence of asbestos and significant water damage, GAO found. While all the station’s piers require renovation, the Navy was “actively improving” only one — leaving the rest to operate in a “degraded condition.”

If conditions are this bad now, what will they be like once the economy really starts tanking?

Thanks to our seemingly endless cost of living crisis, our standard of living has been steadily declining throughout this entire decade.

Millions of Americans now live in their vehicles because they simply cannot afford homes any longer.

According to the Federal Reserve, approximately one out of every ten Americans is now missing meals because they can’t afford to buy enough food.

When I was growing up, many would mock the “third world conditions” in other countries, but the truth is that “third world conditions” can now be found all over the United States.

This is what societal collapse looks like, and if we do not take dramatic action our society will just continue to deteriorate.

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The Stage Is Set, The Fuse Is Lit, And 3 Global Conflicts Are On The Brink Of Detonation

We are facing one of the most dangerous chapters in human history. For years, I have been warning about 3 global conflicts which would collectively make up World War III. Unfortunately, the stage has now been set for a polycrisis of epic proportions. The war with Iran threatens to greatly escalate, the continuous bombardment of Kyiv has NATO on high alert, and China has decided to literally surround Taiwan with large numbers of ships. Tensions are running sky high, and events in Europe, the Middle East and Asia could all spiral out of control at any moment.

Last night, fighting in the Middle East erupted once again.

The U.S. conducted airstrikes on Iranian military targets on Larak Island, and in response the Iranians fired off at least 8 ballistic missiles…

On Sunday, the United States struck Iran’s Larak Island after the U.S. observed military personnel preparing to deploy rockets loaded with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media said the attack killed and wounded several Iranian soldiers and civilians, and the country vowed to answer.

In response, Iran fired at least eight ballistic missiles toward U.S. forces in Jordan, according to Jordan’s armed forces. Trump told Fox News that U.S. forces intercepted all missiles but one, as it wasn’t going to hit anything.

It appears that the Iranian response really angered President Trump.

On Truth Social, he posted a message in which is declared Iran to be “DEAD” and “a Failed Nation”…

Later on Monday, we learned that Trump had told Trey Yingst of Fox News that the U.S. will “hit them hard” in response to the Iranian ballistic missile attack…

US President Donald Trump said the United States would respond to an Iranian missile attack on US forces overnight, according to Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump told Fox News. “There will be a response.”

That would seem to indicate that a large wave of airstrikes is coming tonight.

We shall wait and see what happens.

On the other side, the Iranians are warning that their response to any new U.S. airstrikes will be “dozens of times greater”…

Iran fired back with bold rhetoric Monday, vowing to respond to every U.S. attack with force “dozens of times greater,” according to a senior Iranian source who spoke with Reuters.

The source pointed to Iran’s retaliation following U.S. strikes on launchers on Larak Island, claiming it demonstrated that “no target in the region is beyond Tehran’s reach.”

Tehran also warned that conditions in the Strait of Hormuz would worsen for vessels that violate what it called Iranian rules, raising new concern for shipping through the vital energy chokepoint.

As long as Iran doesn’t hit Israel, the situation can probably be contained.

But if Iran launches ballistic missiles at the Israelis, things will escalate very quickly.

In any event, it appears that there is no end in sight for this conflict.

In fact, Fox News is reporting that the deployment of troops from the 82nd airborne division has been extended to a full year…

The deployment of the 82nd airborne in the Middle East has been extended to a full year, two U.S. Army officials tell Fox News.

About 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd airborne first deployed to the region in March. The extended deployment was announced Sunday by division Commander Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier.

The extension is due to “operational requirements,” according to a letter to military families obtained by Fox.

At the same time, the war in Europe is poised to escalate to a new level that we haven’t seen before.

Just hours ago, the Russians ominously warned that they are preparing for “massive strikes against facilities in Ukraine’s energy sector”…

Russia’s defence ministry says it is gearing up for large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in a tit-for-tat response to strikes by Kyiv. “Russian forces have begun preparations for massive strikes against facilities in Ukraine’s energy sector in response to the ongoing attacks by the Kyiv regime on civilian infrastructure and on Russia’s oil and energy complex,” it said on Telegram on Sunday. Last winter, Moscow repeatedly hit Ukrainian power plants, devastating the country’s energy sector and plunging millions of people into cold and darkness in sub-zero temperatures.

The Russians have totally lost patience with Ukraine.

They are sick and tired of being hit by long-range drones and long-range missiles night after night.

Last night, the Ukrainians did it again.

So the Russians have decided to continuously bombard Kyiv until it stops. The following is an account from someone that actually lives in Kyiv…

The Russians are using tactics of continuous bombardment to paralyse life in Kyiv. The metro stops, traffic across the bridges is blocked, and administrative buildings and shopping complexes close.

I walk through the streets while drones are being shot down directly overhead. When I look up at the sky, I see only a threat. Yet it is impossible to put your daily affairs, and your very life, on hold. Paralysis is a forerunner of death. And we have chosen to live.

I know that many people abroad have grown accustomed to Russia’s constant strikes against the people of Ukraine. Yet the ability to “not think about it” is a privilege that reflects your position within the structure of reality.

Can you imagine trying to live your life normally in the midst of constant air raid alerts and constant explosions in the distance?

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the number of munitions used by the Russians over the past week is absolutely staggering…

“In total, this week alone, the Russians have launched nearly 2,000 strike drones, more than 1,600 aerial bombs, and 31 missiles of various types,” Zelenskyy added.

There is no way that the Russians will ever back down.

As I explained late last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin feels compelled to escalate matters.

He is absolutely determined to be victorious, because he is reportedly concerned that he could be hanged if he does not win this war…

According to The Economist, discontent is even greater among Russia’s elites, with one insider claiming they are increasingly frustrated by the length of the conflict.

Mr Putin reportedly believes he could be at risk if he ends the war without achieving at least his minimum goal of capturing the entire Donbas region.

‘They will hang me,’ he reportedly said at one point during the war, according to an insider cited by The Economist.

While the U.S. is tied up in the Middle East and NATO is focused on the conflict in Ukraine, this could be a perfect time for China to make a move on Taiwan.

And the Chinese are starting to put on the squeeze a little bit.

Last month, the number of Chinese ships detected around Taiwan surged to an all-time record high…

China deployed a record number of coast guard, scientific research and other ships near Taiwan’s waters last month, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said, as Beijing dials up pressure on Taipei.

The coast guard warned of an increasingly severe situation, as analysts say the increased activity is part of China’s bid to map the region for submarine warfare.

The number of Chinese ships detected around Taiwan proper soared to a record 244 last month — an average of nearly eight every day, official data showed.

Approximately 60 percent of those ships belong to the Chinese coast guard.

That means that they are armed.

In addition, the Chinese warships that are constantly hovering near Taiwan are not even included in the figure given above…

About 60 percent were coast guard ships, with research vessels and other government boats making up the rest.

The figures do not include Chinese warships, which China’s military deploys around Taiwan on a near-daily basis.

When China ultimately decides to take Taiwan, a naval blockade will probably be the first step.

And once a naval blockade of Taiwan is established, we will be at a state of war with China.

Of course we may not be able to do much to intervene because a lot of our naval assets have been deployed to the Middle East and we have run through large portions of our munitions stockpiles.

So we are in a very tenuous position at the moment, and our relations with China just continue to deteriorate.

For so long, I have been writing about Russia, China and the Middle East.

Now all three theaters threaten to erupt all at once.

If you wanted to live at one of the most “interesting” periods in all of human history, you have certainly gotten your wish.

The post The Stage Is Set, The Fuse Is Lit, And 3 Global Conflicts Are On The Brink Of Detonation appeared first on Activist Post.

The Earth Is Being Hit By One Catastrophic Disaster After Another, And This Is Only Just The Beginning

The absolutely devastating floods and mudslides that we just witnessed along the border between Nepal and Tibet look like something out of a science fiction movie. It is a tragedy of epic proportions, and it has made us forget all of the other catastrophic disasters that have been hitting our planet recently. Unfortunately, the victims in Nepal and Tibet will also soon be forgotten because more catastrophic disasters are on the way. We live at a time when global weather patterns have gone absolutely nuts, giant earthquakes are occurring with alarming regularity, the northern hemisphere is experiencing the worst wildfire season in history, and our overheating oceans threaten to kill billions of fish.

I have never seen anything quite like the disaster that just occurred along the border between Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday.

The footage that one camera captured is particularly horrifying…

Those people didn’t have a chance.

One moment they were normally living their lives, and the next moment they were gone.

Many that were swept away by the rushing waters didn’t even live in the region. In fact, we are being told that “hundreds of tourists” are missing…

Devastating flash floods and mudslides have wiped out buildings and bridges along the Nepal–Tibet border – with hundreds of tourists still missing.

In Nepal, houses and roads were swept away by rushing water and mudslides.

Meanwhile, officials in China–controlled Tibet said they feared ‘major casualties’.

We have seen flooding in Nepal and Tibet before, but this was different.

As the wall of water and mud rushed forward, it came slamming into homes and bridges…

Harrowing footage from the scene showed fast-flowing floodwater ripping through the streets and destroying everything – including homes and bridges – in its path.

River banks burst as walls of water came rushing through the densely populated areas, sweeping people underwater as others sought safety on higher ground.

Aerial footage showed floodwater completely consuming land near the Nepal-Tibet border, sending people running for their lives as buildings collapsed in seconds.

In the end, the final death toll will probably be in the thousands.

Originally, experts were telling us that a magnitude 4.4 earthquake triggered a gigantic ice avalanche which caused the sudden flooding…

But later reports claimed that a landslide that occurred at 8:37 local time triggered the avalanche that created the flooding.

Apparently the huge earthquake that was detected was actually caused by the landslide…

Though the horrifying disaster is still unfolding, initial reports suggested the floods could be the result of an avalanche triggered by an earthquake, Nepal’s foreign minister Shisir Khanal told the country’s parliament Wednesday.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported recording a 4.4 magnitude quake around the time the security footage was taken at the border.

However, USGS hours later clarified that the trembling detected was not an earthquake, but caused by the landslide itself, registering as the equivalent of a 5.2 magnitude quake.

But no matter how it started, nobody can deny that this was truly a historic disaster.

Meanwhile, we just witnessed a series of 13 eruptions at Mount Anak Krakatau…

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) recorded 13 eruptions from Mount Anak Krakatau in South Lampung Regency, Lampung Province.

The height of the eruptions varied from 50 to 300 meters from the summit of Mount Anak Krakatau, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Jakarta time.

Suwarno, Head of the Mount Anak Krakatau Monitoring Post in Hargopancuran, Rajabasa District, stated on Wednesday that the volcano remains volatile, so further eruptions are still possible.

This should deeply concern all of us, because one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history occurred there in 1883…

Between 19 May and 21 October 1883, the volcanic island of Krakatoa (located in the Sunda Strait, then part of the Dutch East Indies—modern-day Indonesia) began erupting, lasting more than five months. On 27 August, the island had its most significant eruption, which destroyed over 70% of the island and its surrounding archipelago, the island collapsing into a caldera. The eruption of 27 August had an estimated volcanic explosivity index of 6, and is one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history; the third explosion of that day, that occurred at 10:02 a.m., remains the loudest-known sound in history.

The explosion was heard 3,110 kilometres (1,930 mi) away in Perth, Western Australia, and Rodrigues near Mauritius, 4,800 kilometres (3,000 mi) away.[3] The acoustic pressure wave circled the globe more than three times.[4]: 63  At least 36,417 deaths are attributed to the eruption and the tsunamis it created. Significant additional effects were felt worldwide in the days and weeks after the volcano’s eruption. Additional seismic activity was reported until February 1884, but any reports after October 1883 were dismissed by Rogier Verbeek’s subsequent investigation into the eruption.

That gigantic eruption caused a volcanic winter that lasted for about a year.

Our oceans could actually use a cooling trend right now, because they are hotter than ever.

In fact, average global ocean temperatures just hit the highest level ever recorded…

As a record-breaking El Niño builds in the Pacific and large swaths of the globe’s oceans are affected by marine heat waves, a significant record has fallen.

According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, average global sea surface temperatures have reached a new high, rising to nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit late last week — potentially for the first time in millennia.

This mark surpassed the previous record set in March 2024.

This is crazy.

On August 22nd, we broke the record that had been established in March 2024…

The daily average sea surface temperature across the extra-polar global ocean, between 60°S and 60°N, reached 21.1°C (70°F) on August 22, 2026, the highest value in the Copernicus Climate Pulse record beginning in 1979. The reading exceeded the previous daily record of 21.09°C (69.96°F), set in March 2024, and came in August, although temperatures across the domain normally reach their annual maximum in March and April.

If global ocean temperatures are going to set an all-time record, it is supposed to happen in either March of April.

For it to happen so late in the year is extremely strange.

Many want to blame humans for what is occurring, but scientists have discovered that the warming of our oceans actually gets worse the deeper than you go.

That suggests that whatever is warming our oceans is coming from underneath.

Currently, 42 percent of the Earth’s oceans are experiencing unusual marine heat waves…

According to NOAA data, 42 percent of the planet’s oceans are currently experiencing marine heat waves.

In the Pacific Ocean alone, marine heat waves cover an area that’s equivalent to nine times the size of the contiguous United States — greatly contributing to the new global sea surface temperature record.

So why is this important?

When the oceans get warmer, we tend to experience hotter temperatures, intense droughts, enormous storms and massive wildfires…

Hotter oceans exacerbate the sea level rise and extreme storms that threaten billions of people, as well as driving marine heatwaves that decimate sea life and undermine coastal livelihoods, scientists warned.

The northern hemisphere summer has already been hit by record-breaking heatwaves, drought and wildfires in Europe and North America, and intense rain and typhoons in Asia.

The ocean heat spike is being intensified by a fast developing El Niño event, which is set to be the hottest in at least a century. El Niño events are natural climate variations that raise global temperature and change weather patterns, with serious impacts around the world. The new El Niño has already delivered low monsoon rain in India, major wildfires in Indonesia and heightened fire concerns in Australia.

More importantly, when ocean temperatures rise to unusual levels, fish start dying in very large numbers.

One expert has warned that “the faster the ocean floor warms, the faster we lose fish”…

Chronic ocean heating is fuelling a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade.

Researchers examined the year-to-year change of 33,000 populations in the northern hemisphere between 1993 and 2021, and isolated the effect of the decadal rate of seabed warming from short shifts such as marine heatwaves. They found the drop in biomass from chronic heating to be as high as 19.8% in a single year.

“To put it simply, the faster the ocean floor warms, the faster we lose fish,” said Shahar Chaikin, a marine ecologist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Spain and the study’s lead author.

As our oceans warm, we could lose billions upon billions of fish.

That is really bad news, because the world is already facing very serious food shortages in the months ahead.

In 2026, global food production is being hammered from so many different directions.

We really are facing a “perfect storm”, and for those of us that live in the western world that means that food prices will soon go up even higher.

But for many of those that live in impoverished nations around the globe, a dramatic drop in global food production could be the difference between life and death.

The post The Earth Is Being Hit By One Catastrophic Disaster After Another, And This Is Only Just The Beginning appeared first on Activist Post.

Americans Hate Flock Cameras! So Why Is The Left So Silent About How They Are Being Used To Violate Our Constitutional Rights?

There is a growing national outcry to ban Flock cameras. We do not give up our constitutional rights when we get into our vehicles, and we do not want authoritarian control freaks watching us, monitoring us and tracking us everywhere that we go. This is an issue that is uniting people all over the country, and so you would think that politicians from both parties would be getting on board. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all. Many top Republicans are coming out against Flock cameras very strongly, but the silence from the left has been deafening. Yes, there are a few voices on the far left that appear to be concerned about our civil liberties, but most prominent Democrats have been eerily silent about Flock cameras. Why is that?

If you want cameras to watch you everywhere that you go, move to China.

Seriously.

We don’t want to live in a surveillance state, and our Constitution is supposed to protect us from that.

To me, it is exceedingly clear that these cameras are violating our constitutional rights, and there are some politicians that are taking action.

In fact, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley just initiated a major investigation…

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), the chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, has launched an investigation into Flock Safety’s national surveillance network and is demanding to know who has access to the personal data of Americans captured on Flock cameras.

Hawley wrote in a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley that the company has “assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network” of more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states that conducts 20 billion vehicle scans every month.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans captured in those records did nothing wrong. Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search,” he wrote.

Good for him.

This is the sort of thing that our elected officials are supposed to do.

Flock cameras are being abused by law enforcement officers over and over again.

For example, a deputy in Richmond County, Virginia used the Flock system to track a woman that he was romantically involved with 1,639 times…

In one especially shocking incident, Former Deputy Jaquarius Yarbrough of Richmond County, Virginia, allegedly used the license plate tracking system to stalk a woman he was having an affair with 1,639 times over several months.

“What we’re talking about are cameras that are documenting everywhere your car goes,” Maass said. “There are databases where police can type in your license plate and see everywhere you’ve gone… The government shouldn’t be creating databases of movement.”

Sadly, that is not an isolated incident.

A police officer in Kentucky was recently arrested for using the system to track his ex-girlfriend more than 2,000 times…

A Kentucky police officer was arrested after authorities said he used the Flock Safety license plate reader camera system to track his ex-girlfriend over 2,000 times, marking the latest in a string of recent law enforcement officer resignations or arrests for alleged abuses of the controversial technology.

Things got so bad that the ex-girlfriend was eventually forced to file for an order of protection…

Investigators found Zahir had conducted 2,048 Flock searches from January into May to track two vehicles registered to the victim, his child’s mother, in Kentucky and Indiana, court records show.

During the period he conducted those searches, Zahir harassed the victim and made threatening comments, prompting her to file an order of protection against him, according to the court records.

This just keeps happening again and again.

According to CNN, throughout the country there have been “at least 47 instances of officers being disciplined in some way for alleged abuse of the Flock system for stalking romantic interests”…

The Institute for Justice, a nonprofit public interest law firm that has filed lawsuits against Flock on Fourth Amendment grounds, has tracked at least 47 instances of officers being disciplined in some way for alleged abuse of the Flock system for stalking romantic interests.

Of even greater concern is the fact that Flock cameras often create false positives that flag citizens that are completely innocent.

One police department in California actually discovered that a whopping 71 percent of its Flock alerts were errors…

Hawley said the surveillance notifications have also resulted in mistaken arrests, such as that of a Florida woman who spent 13 days in jail and faced multiple felony counts after investigators mistakenly arrested her based on a search of Flock’s network.

“Errors and false positives add insult to injury,” Hawley wrote.

He cited one California police department that found that 71 percent of its Flock alerts “were wrong” and noted the Los Angeles Police Department ended its Flock contract after an audit showed its officers had stopped 161 vehicles incorrectly flagged as stolen.

Do you want police officers coming to your door because some stupid Flock camera mistakenly flagged you?

But even if Flock cameras worked perfectly, they would still be violating our constitutional rights.

This is a point that Senator Hawley just made very aptly…

“Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church,” Hawley wrote. “The Supreme Court has recognized that a comprehensive, retrospective record of a person’s movements is different in kind from ordinary observation in public.”

He is right on target.

We don’t give up our constitutional rights when we leave our homes.

But the CEO of Flock is telling us that Americans must “compromise” on their constitutional rights in order to feel more secure…

No way.

Even if Flock cameras could make us 100 percent safe, there is no way that I would ever be willing to give up my constitutional rights.

Many respected Republican leaders are choosing to take a stand, but there has been silence from many prominent Democrats.

What is wrong with them?

Why won’t they stand up for the constitutional rights of the American people?

The good news is that we are winning.

In communities all over America, Flock cameras are being turned off.

One of the cities that just pulled the trigger on such a move is Tempe, Arizona…

Of course Tempe is far from alone.

This month, a bunch of other municipalities have also said goodbye to Flock cameras…

Cave Creek, also in Arizona; Bellingham, Massachusetts; and several Texas counties are among the other municipalities that said this month they’re ending their use of Flock cameras.

Bellingham Police Chief Kenneth Fitzgerald said in a statement that during a recent criminal investigation, officials learned that a Flock feature called Free Form, an artificial intelligence-powered tool that can search video information using plain language, was available through the cameras.

“Those features go beyond what most people would think of as a traditional license plate reader,” he said. “That concerned me because I had previously told the public, based on our understanding of the system, that our Flock technology was a license plate reader only.”

I love to see this.

Overall, more than 100 cities and counties have officially deactivated, canceled, or rejected contracts with Flock Safety.

I think that an official in Hood County, Texas said it very well when he stated that “permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society”…

John Shirley, constable of a precinct in Hood County, Texas, said that after county commissioners voted to remove the cameras, he would be covering them until they could be removed.

“These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day. That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society,” Shirley said in an Aug. 15 post on Facebook. “By unplugging and covering them, we’re making it clear: privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here.”

Yes, if we get rid of all the Flock cameras it may be a little bit more difficult to catch criminals.

But freedom always comes with a cost.

I would much rather live in a free society than a surveillance society like China where virtually everything that people do is watched, monitored and tracked by the government.

I am for an immediate nationwide ban on all Flock cameras and any other devices that perform similar functions.

What about you?

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

The post Americans Hate Flock Cameras! So Why Is The Left So Silent About How They Are Being Used To Violate Our Constitutional Rights? appeared first on Activist Post.

Iran Gets Another “Last Chance” – How Many Are We Up To Now?

When will the charade finally end? Over the past several months, Iran has been given opportunity after opportunity to make a reasonable deal. Every single time, negotiations have broken down and fighting has resumed. The Iranians are simply not going to compromise on the Strait of Hormuz, and they are simply not going to make the nuclear concessions that President Trump has been requesting. But Trump seems to think that if he just keeps making extremely over the top threats, the Iranians will eventually give in.

On Monday, Trump told the world that Iran is being given “a last chance” to sign an agreement. If they do not sign an agreement, they will face “decapitation”…

President Donald Trump warned he’s giving Iran one final opportunity to agree to a peace deal or risk “decapitation” as the two sides disagreed publicly about whether new talks were underway.

“This is a last chance,” Trump said on Aug. 3. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”

Trump, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, later added that he wants to give Iran “every last chance before decapitation.”

How many times has Iran been given a “last chance” now?

Seriously, if someone out there has the number please let me know because I have lost count.

Of course the Iranians are not blinking.

They have no intention of agreeing to a deal that will be acceptable to Trump, and they are denying that any talks are taking place…

Iran said Monday that there weren’t any talks under way with the U.S. nor were any meetings planned, after President Trump said he had called off a major strike on the country to provide more time for negotiations on freeing up traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

This is all just so bizarre.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei couldn’t have been any clearer when he stated that “we are not negotiating with the United States at this time”…

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a press conference Monday that Tehran had no plans to hold direct talks with Washington, after Mr. Trump’s claim that a “deal is imminent.”

“To avoid any misunderstanding, it is important to clarify what the current negotiations are about and who they are with. We are not negotiating with the United States at this time,” Baghein said.

“Our negotiations are with Oman and are focused on reaching an understanding on a route that will ensure the safe passage of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Over and over again, the Trump administration and the Iranians have not even been able to agree on whether they are negotiating with one another or not.

I have never seen anything like this in my entire life.

In response to Iran’s claims, Trump insisted that his administration really is talking to the Iranians whether they want to admit it or not…

Many of us would like to believe that is true.

But then CBS News just reported that U.S. officials are admitting that no “new” negotiations are planned…

There is only one “deal” that Iran will accept.

According to the New York Times, the Iranians would be willing to return to “the Memorandum of Understanding” that Trump previously signed…

“They are ready for the war, and they won’t back down,” said Amir al-Mousawi, a former Iranian diplomat, who said he had met over the weekend with the team surrounding Iran’s head negotiator and speaker of Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Mr. al-Mousawi described an exchange of messages between U.S. and Iranian officials sent over the weekend through Pakistani and Qatari officials, in which he said Mr. Trump vowed a severe attack on civilian infrastructure like power plants if the Iranians did not restart negotiations.

The Iranians refused, he said, unless Washington returned to the previously agreed “memorandum of understanding,” which many experts say was in Iran’s favor.

“‘We have no problem with war at all, and we are ready for the big confrontation,’” Mr. al-Mousawi said the Iranians told the Americans. “Trump told the Iranians: ‘I will hit the power in Iran.’ So, the Iranians said: ‘If you strike, we strike.’”

The Iranians are calling Trump’s bluff.

They know that he doesn’t want more war, and so they are sticking to their guns.

The Memorandum of Understanding hands control of the Strait of Hormuz to the Iranians, and it does not require them to make any nuclear concessions at all.

It was the most lopsided international deal that any U.S. president has ever signed, and it certainly would not end the war in the Middle East.

But since they got Trump to actually sign it, the Iranians will not accept anything less at this point.

Now we have a real conundrum on our hands.

The Iranians will not accept a deal that is acceptable to us, and we will not accept a deal that is acceptable to them.

So where do we go from here?

Apparently the Pentagon is asking members of the military for “creative and unconventional” ideas for dealing with Iran…

This tells me that our military leaders are very unsure about how to proceed.

Bombing Iran from the air is not going to open the Strait of Hormuz, and it is certainly not going to get the Iranians to give up their nuclear program.

But President Trump does not want to conduct a ground invasion of Iran, and recent surveys have made it abundantly clear what the U.S. public would think of such a move.

And the Iranians know that the Democrats are probably going to take control of the House and the Senate after the midterm elections.

So the Iranians feel like time is on their side.

The wild card in all of this is Israel.

If Trump gives Israel the green light, the IDF is fully prepared to start hitting Iran like never before.

If that happens, the Iranians have warned that they will launch ballistic missiles at critical infrastructure all over Israel.

Once we get to that stage, the danger that unconventional weapons could get used will be very real.

And once someone uses unconventional weapons, there will be nothing that Trump or anyone else will be able to do to stop what happens next.

The post Iran Gets Another “Last Chance” – How Many Are We Up To Now? appeared first on Activist Post.

Global Food Prices Will Soar And Acute Hunger Will Spike Thanks To A Shocking Confluence Of Disastrous Events

Experts are warning that a historic global food crisis has begun. Food prices have already been rising for years, and now they are about to go significantly higher. The number of impoverished people in the world suffering from acute hunger was already at an all-time record high coming into this year, and it is being projected that 49 million more impoverished people will be added to that total in 2026. We are facing a Super El Niño, a painful global fertilizer shortage and a very alarming cyclosporiasis outbreak all at the same time. We really are in unprecedented territory, and the months ahead are certainly going to be quite chaotic.

If you doubt this, just consider the chaos that we just witnessed in Ceuta.

Approximately 60,000 migrants from Morocco suddenly came storming in, and most people have no idea why it happened.

The primary reason why those migrants are so desperate is because they are hungry.

A nightmarish drought that never seems to end in Morocco “nearly halved its cereal harvests and erased 720,000 agricultural jobs”…

And this week, the pressure reached Europe’s own border. In two days, close to 60,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, more than 50 people dying in the attempt, and within hours France had tightened its border with Spain and Italy had suspended Schengen. No single cause explains a border crisis, and this one has geopolitics stacked through it. But the ground it grew from is well documented: seven years of drought, Morocco’s worst in four decades, nearly halved its cereal harvests and erased 720,000 agricultural jobs, pushing rural families toward the cities, the coast, and beyond, an out-migration the World Bank’s climate report on Morocco predicted in almost exactly these terms. Climate pressure does not stay in the elsewhere column. This week it swam around a border fence.

The global food crisis that I have been relentlessly warning my readers about is not coming.

It is already here.

In Europe, the “hottest June ever recorded” did an immense amount of crop damage…

June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in western Europe, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. France logged its hottest nationally averaged day on record; Germany, Denmark and the Czech Republic set all-time highs. It was the third major heatwave since late May, arriving while crops were most vulnerable.

The damage forced an almost unheard-of response from the grain trade itself. COCERAL, the association of Europe’s cereal traders, published an extraordinary, out-of-cycle forecast, cutting expected EU and UK grain production to 286.6 million tonnes, roughly 9 million below its own June estimate. The total is also 23.4 million tonnes below last year, though that larger year-on-year gap cannot all be blamed on the June heat.

Those numbers are really bad, but in my opinion they are way too optimistic.

The situation is particularly dire in the UK.

Wales and England just experienced their “driest July in at least 190 years”, and as a result harvest season is going to be a total disaster…

It comes as Wales and England reel from their driest July in at least 190 years, forcing all the former and half the latter into drought.

Total output for barley, oats, and oilseed rape – key ingredients used in bread, beer, breakfast cereals, and livestock feed – is projected to drop to just 19.5 million tonnes this year.

That would undercut the previous low of 19.8m tonnes in 2020, making it the poorest yield since detailed record-keeping began in 1984.

This is what a Super El Niño looks like.

While barley crops in the UK are withering, here in the United States it is being projected that we will have “the smallest wheat crop in more than half a century”…

In the United States, the USDA forecasts the smallest wheat crop in more than half a century, with planted area the lowest since records began in 1919 and hard red winter wheat, the bread wheat of the Great Plains, the smallest since 1957 after severe drought.

We are being told that the Super El Niño could cause trillions of dollars in economic damage, and the global fertilizer shortage could have a similar long-term impact.

Let that sink in for a moment.

This is not just a small bump in the road.

This is a major historical event.

My regular readers know how I feel about the World Economic Forum.

Normally, I don’t agree with the World Economic Forum about anything.

But even the World Economic Forum has been forced to admit that the global fertilizer shortage will cause “cascading shocks that reduce future food production”…

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical chokepoints. Before the conflict, roughly 35% of global crude oil exports, 20% of liquefied natural gas exports, and up to 30% of fertilizer exports transited through this narrow strip of water – along with sulfur, essential for phosphate fertilizer production. The blockade has severely disrupted global fertilizer supply chains just as planting seasons advance across both hemispheres.

As farmers face urea fertilizer price increases of 20% to 60%, on top of rising fuel, transport, and irrigation costs, the greatest risk is not immediate food shortages but rather cascading shocks that reduce future food production. It begins with energy-price spikes and logistics disruptions, followed by fertilizer shortages, then lower yields, with delayed transmission effects eventually leading to higher food prices and market volatility months later.

When the World Economic Forum starts putting out material that sounds like it could have come out of one of my articles, it is a sign that things have gotten really bad.

NPR is sounding the alarm too.

One expert that was recently interviewed by NPR admitted that the upcoming harvest will be a big problem…

So today, we have enough food available, and we have enough stocks. The problem is for the next harvest. For the next harvest, as we move towards the middle of the year and the end of the year, we will have less supply, less stocks, and as a result, higher prices. And this will exacerbate more next year if this situation doesn’t stop. If the situation improves tomorrow, if you open the Strait of Hormuz tomorrow, we will still have higher prices because of less supply, because farmers already made a decision, but we could avoid a significant crisis by the end of the year or 2027.

Harvest season is rapidly approaching in the northern hemisphere, and we aren’t ready for what is about to happen.

Meanwhile, some farmers in California are actually “trashing their lettuce crop and throwing the vegetables back into the soil” because so many people are now avoiding lettuce completely due to the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak…

A nationwide explosive diarrhea crisis that has left thousands clinging to their toilets and hospitalized others also seems to have another victim: lettuce growers in California.

Some like Larry Cox, who runs Coastline Family Farms in Salinas Valley, are trashing their lettuce crop and throwing the vegetables back into the soil as demand for the crop dries up, the Wall Street Journal reported. This week, Cox dumped 300,000 pounds of his romaine hearts.

I will admit that I am avoiding all store-bought lettuce right now.

I certainly don’t want to be the next victim.

Of course most lettuce is perfectly safe, but there is no way for ordinary consumers to tell what is good to eat and what is not good to eat.

Unfortunately, I believe that food safety will continue to be a very big story for quite some time.

According to the chief economist of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, we are facing a confluence of factors that has created a “perfect storm” which will really drive up global food prices in the months ahead…

The world is on the verge of another bout of food inflation as wars in Iran and Ukraine along with El Nino create a perfect storm of higher costs and lower crop yields, the chief economist of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said.

I know that food prices are already absurd.

But I would recommend stocking up now before food prices go even higher.

In impoverished nations around the world, rising food prices will push tens of millions more people into acute hunger…

A powerful El Niño weather event could push an additional nearly 49 million people into acute food insecurity across some of the world’s most vulnerable regions by the end of next year, the World Food Programme said on Wednesday.

Despite all of our advanced technology, and despite the billions of dollars that are given to international aid organizations, global hunger is worse than ever and starving people are literally dropping dead right now in Eastern Africa and other impoverished areas of the globe.

I am one of the few prominent voices that has been writing about this crisis over and over again.

Now I am telling my readers that this crisis is about to get substantially worse.

The world is not even going to come close to producing enough food to feed everyone this year, and the chaotic scenes that we just witnessed in Ceuta will soon be repeated all over the planet.

The post Global Food Prices Will Soar And Acute Hunger Will Spike Thanks To A Shocking Confluence Of Disastrous Events appeared first on Activist Post.

Those That Were Considered To Be “Dirt Poor” In 1987 Would Be Considered To Be Very Wealthy In 2026

Americans are facing the longest and most painful affordability crisis in our entire history, and young people are being hit the hardest. For many Americans under the age of 40, homeownership is just a dream that will probably never come true. At this point, only workers that make at least six figures can afford to buy a decent home. If you can believe it, the home that Homer Simpson lived in would cost approximately 450,000 dollars today, and the home that was featured on Married With Children would cost approximately 700,000 dollars today. Those families were considered to be poor by the standards of the 1980s, but in 2026 they would be considered to be very wealthy. Of course just about everything else has become less affordable as well. Purchasing a new vehicle is totally out of reach for most of us, health insurance rates have become utterly absurd, and many of the items that I commonly purchase at the grocery store have doubled or tripled in price since the beginning of this decade. The cost of living has become the number one political issue in the United States, and it didn’t happen by accident.

Some time around the beginning of the decade, something in our system suddenly snapped.

Home prices started going through the roof, and now they are sitting at absolutely ridiculous levels.

Married With Children was a very popular television show that first aired in 1987. The star of the show was a shoe salesman named Al Bundy that made very little money, and he was constantly complaining about how poor he was.

But in 2026 the home that Al Bundy and his family lived in is valued at approximately 700,000 dollars…

I was quite stunned when I came across that post by Sean Davis.

It just shows how far our economy has fallen.

Another user on X pointed out that even the house that Homer Simpson and his family lived in would now be valued at approximately 450,000 dollars…

In 2026, you would have to be doing really well to be able to afford a house like that.

So much has changed over the past 40 years.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the median price of existing homes in the United States is now $440,660…

The median price of existing homes in June was $440,660, up 1.8% from $432,700 a year ago, according to new data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Home prices have risen for 36 straight months.

“Housing affordability remains low under slowing wage growth and stronger home price growth,” Ershang Liang, an economist with PNC Economics Research, said in a report.

In order to be able to afford such a home, you need to be earning nearly $110,000 a year…

Americans still need to earn nearly $110,000 a year to comfortably afford the typical home for sale in the United States, even as housing affordability has shown modest signs of improvement over the past year.

A new Redfin report found that a household would need an annual income of $109,796 to purchase the median-priced U.S. home in June 2026 while spending no more than 30% of said income on housing costs.

If you don’t earn six figures, or if you don’t already own your own home, you are just out of luck in this economy.

Homelessness has been exploding all around us, millions of Americans are now living in their vehicles, and people are creating elaborate homes out of cardboard boxes on the side of the road…

When I was growing up, I don’t remember ever seeing someone sleeping in a vehicle because they didn’t have a home.

But now major cities have created vast parking lots where those that live in their vehicles can park safely at night.

Of course owning a vehicle is certainly not cheap either.

In fact, the average new vehicle in the U.S. now costs almost $50,000…

If you’ve seen the headlines this week, you might think buying a new car just got a lot more expensive. According to the latest data from Kelley Blue Book, the average new vehicle transaction price hit $49,353 in February, a 3.4% jump since last year, and one of the bigger annual gains in recent memory.

I was curious, and so I asked Google what the average new vehicle cost in 1987.

This is what I was told…

• Domestic Cars: Averaged about $12,906.

• Import Cars: Averaged about $14,459.

• Entry-Level/Subcompacts: Budget options like the Chevrolet Sprint or Toyota Tercel started under $7,000 to $8,000.

But just purchasing a vehicle is not the end of it.

You have also got to pay for insurance, repairs and maintenance.

According to Zero Hedge, the typical household in Louisiana now spends 23.2 percent of its income on vehicle expenses each year…

Louisiana is the nation’s least affordable state for car ownership, with the typical household spending 23.2% of its income, or $14,894 annually, on vehicle expenses.

This is what life in America is like in 2026.

And I haven’t even gotten to one of my big pet peeves yet.

I am shocked by how expensive groceries have become, and a new report that was just released indicates that grocery prices are a major concern for 90 percent of the country…

Affordability is the “defining challenge” when it comes to economic mobility, according to a new report by the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

The survey of 30,000 Americans across income levels found that 90% of those polled cited groceries and food prices as a top cost concern, even over other key expenses, such as housing and healthcare.

“We face a common challenge, and that is the rising cost of living,” said John-Paul Julien, a partner at McKinsey & Co. and co-founder of the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility. “Although people are experiencing the economy differently, there is this shared feeling that rising costs are making it difficult to get ahead.”

Of course this is just the beginning.

As I discussed earlier this week, food prices are about to go significantly higher.

But when I was in school in the late 1980s, the cost of groceries wasn’t even an issue.

Food was extremely inexpensive, and we ate like kings.

Sometimes we forget how good we once had it.

In the late 1980s, you could have had a three bedroom home, two vehicles in the driveway and all the food that you wanted and still be considered “poor”.

Today, if you actually have all of those things you are considered to be “wealthy”.

Our standard of living has been going down for a long time, and more Americans are falling out of the middle class with each passing day.

The post Those That Were Considered To Be “Dirt Poor” In 1987 Would Be Considered To Be Very Wealthy In 2026 appeared first on Activist Post.

The Great Middle East War Escalates: Trump Has Told Us Exactly What He Plans To Do Next, And It Is Going To Change Everything

President Trump’s profanity-laced tirade about Iran has shocked people all over the globe, and it appears that things are about to get really crazy in the Middle East. At the end of last week, all of the signs were pointing in the direction of a major escalation of the Great Middle East War, but then President Trump suddenly decided to stop shooting because he wanted to give diplomacy with Iran another chance. But instead of negotiating, the Iranians launched a surprise attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan instead…

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on July 28 announced that Iran launched a series of ballistic missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan, in what the federal agency called a “surprise attack” that day.

The attack took place at 5:45 p.m. ET, when CENTCOM said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched “multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces” in the Middle East.

For a long time, Iran has been responding to attacks from the United States.

But now they have taken the initiative, and we are being told that they “see themselves as having the upper hand”…

Iran’s surprise missile attack on U.S. forces in Jordan shows Tehran’s military leaders would rather risk ramping up the war than play defense or accept a peace deal that would expose them to greater domestic political pressures.

Iran fired ballistic missiles on U.S. troops early Wednesday local time, demonstrating a willingness by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which exerts more power than ever in Tehran, to escalate during a relative lull in the conflict and attempt to seize the initiative after weeks in which Iran has mostly reacted to U.S. and Israeli attacks.

“They see themselves as having the upper hand,” said Hamidreza Azizi, a visiting fellow specializing in Iran at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “It was a signal of a sort of calibrated escalation.”

Shortly after Iran’s surprise attack, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia conducted a series of joint airstrikes against Iranian-backed militia groups in Iraq…

Saudi Arabia entered the Iran war directly Wednesday, joining the United States in airstrikes against Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq.

The operation marked the first time Riyadh publicly acknowledged taking part in combat alongside U.S. forces during the conflict.

U.S. and Saudi officials said the strikes were retaliation for drone attacks launched from Iraq against Saudi oil facilities.

So now Saudi Arabia has officially joined the war.

That definitely takes things to another level.

It is being reported that the joint airstrikes hit 8 different areas inside Iraq…

This was a very big operation.

In addition to the others that died as a result of these airstrikes, we are being told that “several Iranian military advisers were among those killed”…

Sabreen News, a media outlet linked to Iran-backed Shiite militias in Iraq that were targeted by joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on Tuesday, said Wednesday that several Iranian military advisers were among those killed in the attacks.

The news outlet released a photo showing coffins wrapped in Iranian flags with a caption reading: “The martyred Iranian advisers who were killed by the fire of the Saudi Wahhabi-American enemy in Iraq at dawn today.”

Every time more of their people die, the Iranian thirst for revenge only grows stronger.

Images such as the one below certainly stir up a lot of emotion…

U.S. forces spent so many years fighting in Iraq, but today Iranian-backed groups control large sections of that country.

The Iraqis did not give us permission to attack those groups, and Iraq’s president has strongly condemned the joint airstrikes…

Iraq’s president has condemned a joint U.S.-Saudi attack on Iran-backed paramilitary forces in the country, which the militias said had killed at least 20 people and drew yet another country into the five-month Middle East war launched by Israel and the U.S. on Feb. 28.

In a statement, the Iraqi presidency said Wednesday that the strikes, which were the first offensive operations Saudi Arabia has acknowledged taking part in during the current conflict, were “an unacceptable attack and a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”

The statement condemned “targeting of its official security institutions in a manner that contravenes the rules of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”

Iraq’s central government is very weak, and it simply cannot stop Iranian-backed groups from firing missiles and drones at targets throughout the region.

And now one of those groups is promising that the United States and Saudi Arabia will pay “a heavy price” for last night’s attacks…

Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia, warned Wednesday that U.S. and Saudi forces would face retaliation following joint strikes on armed groups in Iraq.

The group said it would not allow the two countries to “desecrate Iraqi soil without paying a heavy price.”

The warning came after Washington and Riyadh attacked Iran-backed militias accused of launching strikes against Saudi Arabia, further escalating tensions across the region.

Other Iranian-backed organizations in Iraq have issued similar threats.

So now we are at war with just about every crazy Shiite militia group in Iraq too.

More than 100,000 fighters belong to Shiite militia groups in Iraq, and those fighters operate primarily under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned Popular Mobilization Forces.

Tonight, Iran will be the focus of U.S. airstrikes.

On Wednesday morning here in the United States, President Trump used some very strong profanities to describe what he is about to do to Iran…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning issued a profanity-laced threat against Iran after the Islamic regime launched a surprise missile strike on U.S. forces in Jordan overnight.

“We’re going to beat the f—ing s— out of them,” Trump told Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

“We’ll be hitting them hard,” the president said of Iran. “They’re going to get a beating.”

We have never seen a president of the United States talk like this.

And it appears that Trump is not bluffing.

A senior Israeli security official just told an Israeli reporter that the U.S. is “preparing for something bigger than anything we’ve seen so far”…

It is likely that Iran will get hit really hard tonight.

But will the Iranians soon be getting help in fighting off U.S. airstrikes from China?

Reuters is reporting that Iran has paid somewhere between 60 and 70 million dollars for hundreds of Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense systems…

Iran is poised to receive its first shipment of shoulder-fired missile launchers from China amid the escalating war with the US — which is now in its sixth month.

The $60-70 million deal, first reported by Reuters, is one of the regime’s most high-profile efforts to boost its short-range air defenses since war broke out in February, laying bare its inability to defend military sites and strategic infrastructure against aerial bombardments by the US and Israel.

The contract will see between 300 and 400 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS), complete with Chinese-made QW-12 and FN-16 missiles, delivered to Tehran in the coming weeks, sources told the outlet.

These Chinese systems are designed to be able to shoot down our most advanced fighter jets.

Needless to say, this is going to make Trump very angry, and it pushes us even closer to our coming war with China.

Events in the Middle East are starting to spiral out of control, and oil prices spiked once again on Wednesday…

Global oil prices surged on Wednesday after an Iranian attack elicited a vow of reprisal from President Donald Trump, ending a brief calm that had renewed hope among investors of a negotiated resolution.

A benchmark index for worldwide crude prices climbed more than 7% on Wednesday, crossing above $90 a barrel.

I have been writing a lot of articles about the historic energy crisis that we are facing, and now we have learned that commercial oil inventories unexpectedly fell at a very rapid pace this week…

There is no way that this is going to end well.

A lot of people out there seem to think that we are nearing the top of the escalation ladder.

The truth is that we aren’t even close.

We have witnessed some pretty shocking escalations so far, but I have a feeling that they won’t even be worth comparing to the shocking escalations that are eventually coming.

The post The Great Middle East War Escalates: Trump Has Told Us Exactly What He Plans To Do Next, And It Is Going To Change Everything appeared first on Activist Post.

The Huge Earthquake In Japan Is Another Example That Shows The Pacific Ring Of Fire Is Roaring To Life – Is California Next?

The Pacific Ring of Fire has been extremely active this year, and that should deeply alarm all of us. Approximately 90 percent of all global earthquakes occur along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and we have just gotten another reminder that danger is potentially lurking every single moment of every single day. Those that were killed by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that just hit Japan were just living their lives like normal when disaster suddenly struck. Unfortunately, the entire west coast of the United States also sits directly along the Pacific Ring of Fire, and scientists openly acknowledge that the clock is ticking.

As far as I know, nobody was forecasting that a magnitude 7.1 earthquake would hit Japan on Tuesday.

But that is precisely what happened…

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, rupturing roads and leaving some trapped and others presumed dead inside a partially collapsed shopping mall.

Speaking to reporters from her office in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage in the area, which was devastated by a deadly quake a decade ago.

“We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings,” Takaichi said.

One moment, local residents were casually strolling through a shopping mall.

But then everything started shaking and the shopping mall collapsed right on top of them…

Footage on social media shows members of the public running for cover and crouching down on the floor as the ground shook at the shopping centre.

An unknown number of people are believed to have become trapped in the rubble of the mall, with rescue operations being carried out, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

There have also been several reports of injuries and damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire.

Videos on social media showed clouds of smoke billowing into the air as flames engulfed a building, while firefighters scrambled to tackle the blaze.

This is a great tragedy, and it shows how quickly something like this can occur.

But it shouldn’t be a surprise to any of us.

Throughout 2026, Japan has been hammered by sizable earthquakes over and over again.

Back on April 20th, northern Japan was hit by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake…

On April 20 this year, a tremor measuring 7.7 hit the country’s north, injuring at least 10 people and shaking large buildings in Tokyo.

This prompted authorities to issue a special advisory warning of an increased risk of earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or stronger.

That one made headlines all over the planet.

About a month ago, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook northern Japan on June 25th…

At least 10 people were injured after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit northern Japan on Thursday morning, registering a rare upper 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in the town of Hashikami, Aomori Prefecture. No tsunami warning has been issued.

A mild quake was also felt in Tokyo.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the epicenter was 44 kilometers deep off the coast of Iwate Prefecture.

One day later, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled Yamanashi Prefecture’s Fuji Five Lakes area…

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.6 hit Yamanashi Prefecture’s Fuji Five Lakes area at 10:28 p.m. on Friday, registering a lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Fuji-Kawaguchiko, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The JMA estimates that the earthquake originated at a depth of 20 kilometers. The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami.

Two days after that, residents of Iwate Prefecture were awakened by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake…

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Iwate Prefecture early Sunday, the latest in a spate of temblors to shake the area.
The quake, which occurred at 5:21 a.m., registered a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture. No tsunami warning was issued.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was at a depth of approximately 40 kilometers.

I could provide many more examples, but I think that most of you get the point by now.

Japan is being shaken over and over again, and there is no end in sight.

Here in the United States, we have been very fortunate.

There have been a lot of sizable earthquakes along the west coast this year, but no really big ones.

That is the good news.

The bad news is that the amount of accumulated tectonic stress in Southern California is “higher today than at any point over the last 1,000 years”…

And the time is ripe. According to a new paper, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, accumulative stresses in the Earth’s crust in California are higher today than at any point over the last 1,000 years, raising concerns over the potential for a massive rupture in the Los Angeles region.

The research could help scientists better understand the specific conditions that come ahead of massive earthquakes, giving us a clearer picture of what range of potentially devastating scenarios we should be ready for. Predicting when these events will occur, however, remains next to impossible, despite scientists’ best efforts.

The densely populated LA region is home to the Cajon Pass, a “critical fault junction,” meaning that a major earthquake could cross from one fault line to the other. The international team led by University of Bern Earth sciences researcher Liliane Burkhard modeled 1,000 years of earthquake history along these fault systems. They found that tectonic stresses, measured in force per unit area, have been building up since the last 7.9 magnitude quake that shook the LA region in 1857, reaching and even exceeding the highest levels over the last millennium.

Yes, a “massive rupture” is most certainly coming.

This is something that I have been warning about for many years.

So what would such a disaster look like?

One expert is warning that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Southern California would cause more than a trillion dollars in damage…

When the next “Big One” hits, it could carry a massive price tag, according to a California earthquake expert.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault, rupturing from Imperial County to Los Angeles County, could result in an estimated $1 trillion in damage across Southern California.

That’s according to a state earthquake expert who calculated the costs based on previous disasters, including the recent Los Angeles wildfires. The estimate has also been adjusted for inflation.

In my opinion, when the “Big One” finally arrives it will do far more damage than that.

Much of Southern California is just barely above sea level.

When the “Big One” strikes, the ground on one side of the San Andreas fault could end up sitting much higher than ground on the other side of the San Andreas fault.

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the Philippines earlier this year raised the seabed in some areas by about 6 feet.

So don’t think that it can’t happen.

What we have witnessed so far is just a preview.

Much larger earthquakes are on the way, and the vast majority of those living along the Pacific Ring of Fire are completely and utterly unprepared.

The post The Huge Earthquake In Japan Is Another Example That Shows The Pacific Ring Of Fire Is Roaring To Life – Is California Next? appeared first on Activist Post.

43 Days And Counting: Apathetic Americans Are About To Be Blindsided By A Major League Wake Up Call

I really don’t understand the tremendous apathy that I am witnessing right now. Everyone can see that commercial oil inventories are rapidly being depleted. As I discussed yesterday, the global oil market had about 400 million barrels of excess inventory before the war, and now we have “close to nothing”. But at least we still have the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, right? Yes, that is true, but that is being rapidly depleted as well. In fact, when you add the dwindling commercial oil inventors in the U.S. to the oil that is left in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, we only have 43 days of supply remaining…

This doesn’t meant that 43 days from now we will be totally out of oil.

What it does mean is that our buffer is almost entirely gone.

Once it is entirely gone, as a society we will be forced to use less oil than we normally do.

Gasoline prices will likely rise until we see enough “demand destruction” to bring overall demand into balance with existing supply levels.

And that will likely start happening some time around the beginning of September.

Of course it is entirely possible that this could occur even sooner than 43 days from now.

Thanks to the negligence of the Biden administration, one of the four major underground storage sites for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is apparently “inoperable” at this point…

The extreme incompetence that we have been witnessing in recent years absolutely horrifies me.

Let us hope that there is enough oil that we can actually access in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to get us through this crisis.

But I don’t think that there will be.

The war in the Middle East just continues to intensify, and now the Houthis have announced that they will be blocking Saudi vessels from traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait…

Houthi militants in Yemen on Monday declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia effective immediately, threatening to exacerbate the oil supply disruption triggered by Iran’s attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait during the U.S.-Iran war. The strait is a choke point for commercial ship traffic that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and global markets.

This is a major bombshell.

Much of the oil that the Saudis used to send through the Strait of Hormuz had been going through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait instead…

The Saudis have diverted million of barrels of oil per day through a pipeline to an export terminal on the Red Sea. Those exports have acted as a crucial relief valve for global oil markets during the U.S.-Iran war.

A closure of Bab el-Mandeb would block in those barrels, exacerbating the disruption triggered by Iran’s attacks on tankers in Hormuz.

So what is Saudi Arabia going to do now?

We have never seen the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait closed simultaneously, and this could send the price of oil into the stratosphere…

Virtually nothing has been moving through the Strait of Hormuz since late last week, and now the Iranians are really cracking down.

Just a little while ago, the Iranians attacked a Saudi vessel that was attempting to sneak through the Strait…

Prior to that, two Greek-owned tankers were “hit by projectiles” that came from Iran…

One of two Greek-owned tankers hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz has been abandoned by its crew after fire was reported on the vessel.

The crew was rescued by a tugboat after abandoning the Maltese-flagged Kavomaleas owned by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers.

The only way to stop Iran from attacking commercial ships with missiles and drones would be to send in ground troops.

And that is not going to happen any time soon.

So the global oil crisis is only going to get worse.

Already, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States is back above four dollars…

With the resumption of the war with Iran, gas has returned to a national average of $4 a gallon this week. Gas prices had started coming down after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a peace deal, which brought stability to the market. Then, as everyone with an IQ over 70 expected, that all fell apart as Iran continued to violate the agreement. Nevertheless, we did have a few weeks of gas prices coming down.

“The price is a national average, meaning drivers in some states have been paying well over $4 a gallon for a while now, while others pay less. Prices vary between states due to factors ranging from nearby supply to differing tax rates,” reports the far-left Associated Press. “People around the world are also dealing with high gas prices as a result of the war.”

Of course this is just the beginning.

Gasoline prices will go much higher than this.

Meanwhile, electricity rates have risen 18 percent in just 18 months…

From Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 to April 2026, the most recent month for which government data are available, residential electricity rates have risen by an eye-watering 18 percent.

Sadly, it appears that electricity prices are poised to accelerate even more…

Nationally, utilities in the second quarter of 2026 “asked state regulators to approve $9.2 billion in rate hikes, up 26% from the $7.3 billion in rate increase proposals filed in the same period last year,” reports Utility Dive.

Virtually every form of economic activity requires energy.

So when energy becomes more expensive, the cost of living goes up for everyone.

Our entire way of life depends on cheap energy.

That era is over.

In the short-term, rising prices will put an enormous amount of stress on American families.

And the outlook beyond the short-term is extremely bleak.

We really have reached a major turning point in human history.

The apocalyptic war that is unfolding in the Middle East is going to radically change all of our lives.

Most Americans are still very apathetic for the moment, but a major league wake up call is coming, and it is going to be very painful.

The post 43 Days And Counting: Apathetic Americans Are About To Be Blindsided By A Major League Wake Up Call appeared first on Activist Post.

Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter, by Thomas Christianson

“As the twilight drew on, [the dog’s] eager yearning for the fire mastered it, and with a great lifting and shifting of forefeet, it whined softly, then flattened its ears down in anticipation of being chidden by the man. But the man remained silent. . . . [The dog] caught the scent of death.” (Jack London, “To Build a Fire”).

Fire is important. It is so important that I recommend carrying at least three different tools for starting a fire while in the field. I recommend that one of these tools be a ferrocerium (ferro) rod.

The Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter elevates the basic ferro rod concept to a new level. The Austrian-made ferro rod provides a heavier shower of sparks than the typical Chinese-made rod. The ferro rod component of the Trekker is three inches long and 0.38 inches thick. The ferro rod is integrated with a magnesium rod in order to provide tinder if necessary. The magnesium rod component is three inches long and 0.5 inches thick.

The padauk wood handle provides still another potential source of tinder. It will ignite even after being immersed in water. The handle component is 3.38 inches long and between 1 and 1.25 inches thick.

I found the Trekker to be an extremely effective fire starter in my testing. I highly recommend it.

Warning: Even the best equipment may not be able to overcome poor fire-starting technique. It is important to practice with the Trekker under a wide variety of conditions so that you are proficient in its use when you need it.

Full Disclosure: Siege Stoves and Siege Belts is an advertiser on SurvivalBlog.com.

At the time of this writing, the Trekker cost $38.95 at SiegeStoves.com. Full Disclosure: Siege Stoves and Siege Belts is an advertiser on SurvivalBlog.com.

The medium-sized Kamper cost $33.95 . The compact FireFly cost $28.95. I recommend that you just go ahead and get the Trekker, since it is the best value for the money.

Background

Fire is warmth and light and a hot meal. It is a wonderful servant and a terrible adversary. As mentioned above, while in the field it is wise to carry at least three different tools for starting a fire. These tools may include matches (waterproof, strike anywhere, strike on box), lighters (butane, Zippo, plasma, permanent metal match), flares, Fresnel lens, battery and steel wool, flint and steel, bow drill, fire piston, etc. I recommend that at least one of these tools be a ferro rod. Ferro rods are weather resistant, have a great shelf life, are durable, and are reliable.

One potential drawback of ferro rods is that they produce sparks rather than open flame. They require a source of reliable tinder in order to convert sparks into flame. Unless one is in an area rich in natural tinder like birchbark, it is advisable to carry a supply of water-resistant tinder in addition to the ferro rod.

The magnesium rod and padauk handle of the Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter provide a supply of water-resistant tinder. By doing so, they greatly enhance the effectiveness of the ferro rod component of the Trekker.

In the past I have found both Siege Stoves and Siege Belts to be effective pieces of gear. So when I found out that Siege Stoves and Siege Belts was sending me a Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter to review, I eagerly looked forward to its arrival. Before long a 9.5 x 5.5 inch black plastic envelope arrived in my mailbox via USPS Ground Advantage from Siege Belts, 1922 Tire Valley Blvd., Unit 2021, Walnut Creek, CA 94595-5002.

First Impressions

Inside some protective paperboard padding, the envelope contained two items: a SiegeBelts.com/Siegestoves.com decal and a resealable plastic bag containing the Trekker.

The plastic bag with the Trekker also contained a paperboard backer with some helpful information printed on it:
–The Trekker is made in the USA.
–There is a QR code to demo videos on Fire-Fast’s YouTube page.

The paperboard backer also contains a set of instructions:

1. To light tinder: Place the striker at the top of the flint at a 45-degree angle (downward). Put pressure on the striker and grind it down the length of the flint. Angle the shower of sparks directly into the material you are going to ignite.
2. Shavings from the magnesium rod can be used as tinder. For emergency use, the handle can be scraped for dry tinder.

Goldenrod Heads

I had previously discovered that dried goldenrod heads provide an outstanding source of tinder in the autumn. The fluff catches the spark and produces the initial flame. The dried stalks then catch and provide an excellent intermediate tinder between the fluff the fine kindling provided by small dry twigs.

I was now wondering if goldenrod heads that had stood through the snows of winter and the rains of spring would be equally effective. So I collected a half dozen or so wizened goldenrod heads from the marshland that abuts the edges of our driveway. I brought the material into the pole barn for testing.

I wore a bug jacket because the mosquito season was in full bloom. A persistent buzz provided the background music for my experimentation.

I placed a couple of ceramic tiles on my work bench and then covered them with an old cookie sheet.

I then took a couple of goldenrod heads, rolled them into a ball, and placed them in the middle of the cookie sheet. I then put the end of the Trekker near the ball of material and scraped the ferro rod component with the striker. A generous shower of sparks erupted from the ferro rod onto the goldenrod ball, causing it to ignite. The goldenrod ball then burned steadily for several minutes.

I was more than satisfied with dried goldenrod heads as tinder. It is now ranks up near birchbark in my estimation as a favored source of natural tinder.

Dandelion Fluff and Dried Grass

I collected a dozen or so fluffy dandelion heads from the lawn. I also collected some dry grass to provide an intermediate tinder between the dandelion fluff and small dry twigs. Grass that has dried on the root is reputed to burn effectively, while grass that has dried after cutting is reputed to not burn effectively. I collected grass that had dried on the root.

I took the dandelion heads and dried grass to the pole barn, made them into a ball, and placed them in the center of the cookie sheet. I was unable to ignite the combination in spite of the excellent shower of sparks provided by the ferro rod. I added some magnesium shavings. The magnesium shavings caught, but not the dandelion fluff or the dried grass. I added more magnesium shavings and tried again. I failed once again. I decided that I was not impressed with dandelion fluff and dried grass as tinder.

Damp Wild Cherry Shavings and Twigs

I grabbed a small wild cherry stick. It was damp from heavy rains earlier in the day.

I carved some shavings from the stick with my EDC knife. Sparks from the ferro rod were not sufficient to ignite the shavings.

I added some magnesium shavings. It almost worked, but not quite. I tried again. Strike two. I gave it one more try. Strike three.

I added some shavings from the padauk-wood handle. This was more promising, but it just could not sustain a flame in the damp cherry wood. I cut more shavings from the handle with my EDC knife. I split larger cherry twigs with my EDC knife to expose the less damp interior. I used a ball of goldenrod, which burned well. But there was just not enough heat to cause the damp cherry twigs to catch.

I then pulled out one of my home-made, water-resistant fire starters. It was easy to ignite that with the ferro rod of the Trekker. It burned long enough and hot enough to get the damp twigs burning. Soon I had a cheery little fire going.

I concluded that even good gear cannot always compensate for poor technique.

Dry Pine

Next I tried a block of dry pine. I cut shavings from the edges, and then split some pieces off with my EDC knife. Sparks from the ferro rod alone were not sufficient to ignite the shavings, but they caught easily with the help of some shavings from the magnesium rod. Soon I had a dandy fire going.

Camping

I want on a camping trip with my wife, “Kari”, our daughters “Ella” and “Rivka”, Ella’s husband “Samwise Gamgee”, and their children “Cicero”, “Earnest”, and “Ginger.”

During the trip I kindled campfires to cook our supper on several occasions. I also kindled fires to make s’mores and to warm us up on a cold morning. Ella and Sam used coals from one of the fires to bake a birthday cake for Rivka in a Dutch oven. I kindled all of the fires using the Trekker. It worked great, providing a powerful shower of sparks every time.

Conclusions

The Trekker is an excellent tool, but wood selection is also vitally important. Pine catches more easily than most hardwood, and dry wood is infinitely easier to ignite than damp wood. Even an outstanding fire starter cannot overcome poor technique.

If I ever find myself cold and hungry in a hardwood forest in a rainstorm without much natural tinder, I am probably in trouble. But my odds are much better with a Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter than with a standard ferro rod. My odds are even better if I also have some home-made, water-resistant tinder on hand for just such an emergency.

Disclaimer

Siege Stoves and Siege Belts provided me with a sample of the Fire-Fast Trekker Fire Starter for testing and evaluation. They had previously provided me with sample of a Siege Stove and several Siege Belts for earlier reviews. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with the objectivity of this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.

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The Third Iran War Is Going To Be Crazy: The Fighting Just Won’t Stop As U.S. Officials Prepare For A Prolonged Period Of Conflict

We knew that this wasn’t over. The ill-fated “Memorandum of Understanding” may have delayed the inevitable, but now the ceasefire is dead and fighting is raging throughout the Middle East all over again. Sadly, we shall soon see just how far both sides are willing to escalate matters. In my opinion, we are going to witness some absolutely shocking escalations in the months ahead. None of the parties involved in this war have any intention of backing down, and I am convinced that some very shocking “surprises” are ahead.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, U.S. forces pounded dozens of important Iranian military targets…

US strikes on Iran over the last 48 hours have targeted Iran’s military assets near the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway responsible for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Various Iranian air defense systems, drones, regime speed boats, and missile storage sites have been destroyed, according to US Central Command. US officials claim that the strikes are designed to stop Iran from attacking commercial shipping vessels crossing the strait.

U.S. Central Command is telling us that a total of 170 targets were hit.

These airstrikes were far more extensive than what we witnessed near the end of last month, and the Iranian response has been much larger as well.

In fact, in recent hours the Iranians have launched missiles and drones at bases in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan…

Just as the US nighttime strikes were significantly bigger than prior rounds in June, so has Iran’s ‘retaliation’ been bigger – chiefly on Gulf states and American bases there.

In the overnight and Thursday daytime hours, Iranian ballistic missiles and drones have targeted Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and even faraway Jordan. The country is reporting that it has intercepted several missiles, which targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base – jointly operated by US and Jordanian forces. Oil prices have persisted above prewar levels on Thursday.

If Iran was ready to stop shooting, it appears that the U.S. was willing to stop shooting as well…

Unfortunately, the Iranians didn’t stop shooting.

Instead, they seem quite eager to fight.

In fact, on Thursday the Iranians have just kept on striking more targets…

Iran has launched fresh strikes on US targets today, following a second night of strikes between the two countries last night.

The fragile ceasefire between the two countries was ruptured earlier this week when the US accused Iran of targeting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Apparently the “ports of some Arab countries” are being targeted in this latest round of attacks…

I really wish that the Iranians would show some restraint.

But that isn’t likely to happen at this stage.

Meanwhile, there have been rumors of more U.S. airstrikes in Iran…

The U.S. is denying that it conducted those strikes.

So if it wasn’t the U.S., who was it?

There are reports that Kuwait and Bahrain actually decided to conduct “a joint strike operation”…

This would be a major development if it is true.

If other Gulf nations have decided that now is the time to directly fight Iran, that could greatly expand the scope of the conflict.

It is being reported that the renewed fighting has interrupted the final stage of the funeral procession for Ayatollah Khamenei…

The chaos from the latest US-Iran strikes has delayed the final stage of the funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the New York Times.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners in recent days have taken to the streets of Tehran to mourn the death of the country’s notorious dictator.

Khamenei was set to be buried in his hometown, the holy city of Mashhad, on Thursday, but the burial was delayed as strikes rang out nearby.

This multi-day funeral procession has whipped the Iranians into a frenzy, and it would be difficult to overstate how angry they are at this moment.

I don’t think that there is any turning back now.

President Trump has been trying to do everything that he can think of to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, but so far nothing has worked…

President Trump has used every tactic in the book to wind down his war with Iran. Threats (he threatened the end of their civilization). Cajoling (he offered them hundreds of billions of dollars). Loosely worded interim deals (there have been at least two, the April ceasefire and then the June memorandum of understanding).

But none of it has worked. Iran has continued attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This week, Trump took away Iran’s ability to sell oil. He’s bombing dozens of sites in the country. Iran is launching attacks at Bahrain and Kuwait, where there are U.S. bases. The stock market is falling. And oil prices are spiking.

Is it a full-blown war again? Hard to tell. But it’s sliding toward ugly.

So where do we go from here?

Trump was supposed to get an important intelligence briefing at 1 PM eastern time…

It appears that the U.S. is willing to fight to break Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz.

As a result, now the Iranians have some key decisions to make…

So, the immediate choice to go up or down the escalation ladder lies with Iran. If Tehran deescalates, they cede control of Hormuz. If they escalate, their options are to hit Hormuz more – triggering more US counter strikes; or GCC energy – triggering a larger war; to use (battered) proxies like Hezbollah – triggering wider war; or perhaps to rush for a nuclear weapon – which would mean far worse war. The New York Times reports Iran’s president and foreign minister were physically attacked this week by supporters of a hard-line faction that vehemently opposes any deal with the US: it remains to be seen if the streets, IRGC, clerics, or politicians will decide what happens next – but both the politicians and the IRGC benefit from talks going on and oil flowing.

The US would also have to decide if it can afford to cede Hormuz or will fight to keep it open when the SPR is seen near a tank bottom– was this discussed at the NATO summit, perhaps?

I don’t think that there is any way that the Iranians will back down.

So there will be a lot more fighting, and Israel is apparently ready to join in if needed…

Israel is willing to join future US attacks on Iran should Washington seek help after President Trump declared the cease-fire with Tehran “over,” sources in Jerusalem told The Post.

“We’ve proved that we stand with the US,” one source said. “I’m not sure it will be the interest of them — of the US that Israel will join on this — but, you know, we realize that we need to stretch our muscles.”

“We’re willing to do it again, if needed,” the person added.

I have no doubt that this is true.

In fact, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz just confirmed that the IDF is ready to hit Iran “with even greater force” this time around…

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday said his country was prepared to resume its military campaign against Iran if needed, vowing to do so “with even greater force.”

The latest remarks came as new fighting erupted between the United States and Iran, raising fears of a return to full-scale war after an April ceasefire and a U.S.-Iran agreement in June to end hostilities.

“The army is ready and on alert for a resumption of fighting, in order to regain air superiority and strike again … in Iran, to eliminate threats, including a third time if necessary,” Katz said at a military ceremony.

“If we have to go back, we will go back, with even greater force,” he added.

Israel is not going to be on the sidelines for long.

What all of this means is that the Strait of Hormuz is going to be closed for the foreseeable future.

The Iranians have not officially shut it completely down yet, but even now barely any commercial vessels are getting through…

Barely any oil tankers have been passing through the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Iran renewed their fighting in earnest earlier this week.

This morning, July 9, only two tankers had made it through, according to Reuters. One of them loaded in Iran and is subject to US sanctions. The other carries a flag for the Marshall Islands. On July 8, at least four oil and gas tankers turned around instead of risking being attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.

The next chapter of the global energy crisis has begun, and it is going to be even more intense than the last chapter.

And the fighting in the Middle East will ultimately escalate to a level that will shock the entire planet.

We have been waiting for Iran War 3, and now it is here.

Even as I wrap up this article, missiles and drones are flying all over the Middle East.

We are falling through the air with no parachute, and this story is going to have an absolutely crazy ending.

The post The Third Iran War Is Going To Be Crazy: The Fighting Just Won’t Stop As U.S. Officials Prepare For A Prolonged Period Of Conflict appeared first on Activist Post.

The Mainstream Media Freaks Out As This “Super El Niño” Causes Unprecedented Heat, Monster Storms And Catastrophic Damage All Over The Globe

Global weather patterns have begun to resemble a Hollywood disaster movie, and the mainstream media is starting to admit what many of us have known all along. Thanks to the “Super El Niño” that is now upon us, the second half of this year is going to be really crazy. Europe was just hit by the worst heatwave that it has ever experienced. Throughout all of last week, I was writing about the “mega heat dome” that brought unprecedented temperatures to many areas of the east coast. As I write this article, an absolutely colossal storm is causing apocalyptic damage in the Pacific Ocean, and a severe lack of rainfall threatens to cause a horrifying shortage of rice in India. It is often the case that the mainstream media needlessly freaks out about things, but in this case they are right on target.

I wish that I was exaggerating about the power of this Super El Niño, but I am not.

Every El Niño brings higher temperatures, but this one is really baking us…

We’re officially in an El Niño year, and as predicted, it’s a scorcher.

Record temperatures are already being recorded around the world, from the streets of New York to the icy shelves of the Antarctic. Even the surface waters of the world’s waterways are under unprecedented stress from the heat, with the average global ocean temperature breaking the all-time record high for the month of June.

We are less than a month into this El Niño.

How bad will conditions be once we get a few months down the road?

Even CNN is calling it “a Super El Niño”, and they are openly warning that “computer models are predicting this El Niño could be stronger than any other event”…

El Niño is poised to rapidly strengthen in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the next few months and is forecast to reach the upper echelon of intensity by the time it peaks in late fall to early winter, forecasters warn.

It’s already being referred to colloquially as a Super El Niño. Only a handful of events have reached that level of intensity in the last few decades, with the most recent one occurring in 2015 to 2016.

But now some computer models are predicting this El Niño could be stronger than any other event, back to at least 1950. “I think it’s fair to say that, depending on [the] model, the forecasts are close to unprecedented,” said Michael Tippett, an atmospheric scientist at Columbia University, in an email.

CNN is not supposed to run articles like this.

But they just did.

One expert that CNN interviewed explained that the projections for the intensity of this El Niño have been getting higher each month…

“The consensus is definitely shifting towards an even stronger event,” said Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist who is closely following El Niño model projections.

“The model runs have been consistently showing higher probabilities for a very strong event compared to a few months ago, and every month sees higher estimates,” he said. “Currently, the odds of seeing a record-strong El Niño event this year are quite large.”

It has become clear that this El Niño is going to dwarf any El Niño that has come before.

It is even going to surpass the Super El Niño of 1877-1878 that resulted in 50 million people starving to death.

India always receives less rain during an El Niño, and rainfall in many key rice producing areas is already way below normal…

The warning comes during India’s kharif planting season, when crops such as rice and maize depend heavily on the southwest monsoon. El Niño can weaken the summer monsoon across much of India, putting rainfed crops under stress during a critical growing period, the FAO said.

Between June 1 and 22, half of India had received deficient rainfall (-20% to -59% below the expected normal), while nearly a quarter had recorded large deficient rainfall (-60% to -99% less than the expected normal), according to the categories used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The FAO analysis, based on 41 years of satellite data from its Agricultural Stress Index System, identifies a broad belt of elevated drought risk across Asia — from Pakistan and India through Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, and further east to the Philippines, Indonesia and Timor-Leste.

The world is not going to grow enough rice this year.

In fact, the amount of rice grown won’t even be close to enough to feed everyone.

That is very troubling news, because more than half of the population of the world is heavily dependent on rice…

Over half the world’s population relies on rice. India and China grow more than half of the world’s supply, and rice supplies more than half of all daily calories in countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Poorer households spend the largest share of income on food, so price spikes hit them first and hardest. In 2007-08, rice prices roughly tripled, food riots broke out in dozens of countries, and in Haiti, the unrest helped bring down the prime minister. Securing rice is about more than food – it underpins public order.

During this “Super El Niño”, some parts of the planet will experience drought, while others will get hammered by absolutely gigantic storms.

Just hours ago, a monstrous “super typhoon” with frighteningly high winds absolutely pummeled the island of Rota…

A “super typhoon” with equivalent force to a category-5 hurricane made landfall on the U.S. island of Rota in the Pacific on Monday, the National Weather Service said, warning of “catastrophic damage and (a) life threatening situation.”

“The western eyewall of Super Typhoon Bavi is currently moving over the island of Rota. The latest forecast intensity is at 180 mph (290 kph) as it passes over Rota,” the NWS said. “Catastrophic winds exceeding 150 mph will continue across Rota during eyewall passage.”

The weather system also brought extremely strong winds and lashing rain to other parts of the Northern Marianas and the nearby separate U.S. territory of Guam, collectively home to around 210,000 people.

Nearly every structure on Rota has been flattened.

According to the National Weather service, the island will be “uninhabitable for weeks”…

Before the NWS had said that a direct hit on Rota would make most of the island “uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer. Many non-concrete, non-reinforced homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse.”

“Nearly all trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months,” it said.

How would you like to be without power for months?

Now Super Typhoon Bavi is headed for Taiwan and China…

Bavi is expected to produce destructive wind gusts around Taiwan and across eastern China from Friday into Monday. Wind gusts up to 160 mph (260 km/h), with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 200 mph (320 km/h), are anticipated and will result in power outages, structural damage and logistical delays.

The super typhoon is expected to maintain its intensity or strengthen slightly as it tracks west-northwest through at least Thursday, July 9, local time. Bavi is expected to impact Taiwan and eastern China from Friday into Monday.

More giant storms are coming as 2026 rolls along.

You can count on that.

Meanwhile, the weather has been so hot and so dry in Europe, and this has produced ideal conditions for huge wildfires to erupt…

Thousands of people were evacuated in southern France on Monday as ‘catastrophic’ wildfires ravaged the region, while poisonous clouds swept through Greece and Costa Brava in Spain was put on alert.

It comes as temperatures across Europe are on the rise again, predicted to reach 40C in parts still suffering the aftermath of a recent record-breaking heatwave.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling blazes that have devastated more than 19,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land – an area more than twice the size of Manhattan – across Portugal, Spain, France and Greece.

This is no ordinary heatwave.

Week after week, Europe is getting absolutely cooked, and a lot of people are dying. For example, just check out what has been happening in the Netherlands…

More than 3,500 people died in the Netherlands during last week’s extreme heat, according to provisional mortality figures from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The number is about 16 percent higher than what was expected, based on seasonal trends.

RIVM said there were around 480 excess deaths compared with expected levels, with most fatalities among people aged 80 and older. Proportionally, the highest impact was seen in the east and south of the Netherlands, where temperatures were highest during the heat period.

The RIVM noted that the figures are not yet complete, as it can take several weeks for deaths to be officially registered.

Of course people have been dying from the heat in the U.S. as well.

At this point, we are being told that at least 25 residents of New Jersey have died as a result of heat exposure just since Thursday…

At least 25 people died in New Jersey since Thursday amid a sweltering heat wave.

Temperatures soared into the triple digits over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in New Jersey, New York, DC and other East Coast states.

Power outages in New Jersey and New York reportedly affected 1 million customers.

According to officials, many of the deceased were found in their homes with no air conditioning.

After experiencing an extremely hot weekend, now the east coast is facing the threat of severe flash flooding…

A life-threatening flash flood threat is increasing for nearly 60 million people across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, with more rounds of heavy rain expected to soak the region through Monday night.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms from this weekend saturated the soil across the region, creating prime conditions for flash flooding Monday, particularly in the New York City metro area.

All over the world, this “Super El Niño” is going to produce monster storms, extreme heat and severe drought in 2026.

We were already experiencing a worldwide food crisis before this “Super El Niño” came along, and so there is no way that we are going to avoid very serious global food shortages.

In fact, the number of people on our planet that are experiencing acute hunger was already at an all-time record high before the war with Iran started.

What we are facing is not a theoretical disaster that may or may not happen someday.

It is happening right now.

We are in far more trouble than most people realize, and we are going to witness so much chaos in the months ahead.

The post The Mainstream Media Freaks Out As This “Super El Niño” Causes Unprecedented Heat, Monster Storms And Catastrophic Damage All Over The Globe appeared first on Activist Post.

111 Million U.S. Adults Do Not Have A Job And America Spends More Than A Trillion Dollars Per Year On A Social Safety Net For Them

Did you know that the number of Americans that are out of work right now is far higher than it was at any point during the Great Recession? I know that sounds crazy, but I will prove it to you in this article. A whopping 111 million Americans do not have a job, and we are spending more than a trillion dollars a year on the social safety net that supports them. Of course we cannot afford to do this, because the national debt has already reached 39 trillion dollars and it is growing at an astounding rate. If we do not fix our economy, disaster is inevitable.

The bureaucrats in Washington keep telling us that the unemployment rate is low even though there are vast numbers of adults all around us that are not working.

The way that they are able to do this is by dumping almost everyone that is not working into a category known as “not in labor force”.

This allows them to keep the official rate of unemployment suppressed even as the labor force participation rate hits an insanely low level…

On the surface, a June drop in the unemployment rate helped provide some upside to what was an otherwise downbeat jobs report — but it was for all the wrong reasons.

That’s because the decline in the jobless level to 4.2%, the lowest in a year, came largely from an exodus of workers from the labor force, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data Thursday.

In fact, the measure of the working-age population either employed or looking for a job slid to 61.5%, the lowest since March 2021. Excluding the Covid-era jobs market, it was the lowest labor force participation rate in exactly 50 years.

Today, there are just over 7 million Americans that are officially unemployed.

That doesn’t sound bad at all.

But they rarely mention those that are considered to be not in the labor force. This is how the Federal Reserve defines that category…

Persons who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force. This category includes retired persons, students, those taking care of children or other family members, and others who are neither working nor seeking work.

As you can see from the chart below, the number of people that they have been dumping into that category has grown dramatically since 1990.

Right now, there are 104 million Americans that do not have a job that are considered to be not in the labor force…

When you add the 7 million Americans that are officially unemployed to the 104 million Americans that are considered to be not in the labor force, you get a grand total of 111 million Americans that do not have a job right now.

At no point during the Great Recession did that combined figure ever reach 100 million.

That is how bad things are in the U.S. at this moment.

Of course the 111 million Americans that are not working need to be supported somehow.

Some of them are supported by other family members that have incomes coming in.

But most of them are either partially or totally supported by our social safety net.

According to the House Ways and Means Committee, we spend more than a trillion dollars a year on more than 80 different social safety net programs…

Buying Americans out of poverty is undermining incentives to work, with families living in poverty relying more on taxpayer-funded welfare checks than income from work, according to a newly released report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Costing well over $1 trillion, America’s social safety net encompasses more than 80 federal programs, and is discouraging beneficiaries from seeking income from work.

The report, which was requested by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08), shows low-income families are becoming increasingly dependent on government transfers. In 1979, families living below the poverty line earned about 60 percent of their income from work. In 2021, that number dropped to an all-time low of around 25 percent. The report also shows how the dramatic increase in dependency on government transfers for low-income families was accelerated by COVID-era benefits.

Read that first paragraph again.

I had no idea that it was this bad.

For over a decade I have been writing about America’s ongoing economic collapse, and now we have reached a very advanced stage.

If the federal government was not supporting them, tens of millions more Americans would be living in poverty right now.

So what would our society look like if we stopped borrowing gigantic mountains of money to fuel this system?

And each day, even more Americans are losing their places in the middle class because they are getting laid off.

In fact, it is being reported that Microsoft is preparing for yet another round of massive layoffs…

Microsoft is reportedly planning another round of layoffs, expected to be announced as early as next week.

The cuts will impact thousands of roles across sales, consulting, and the Xbox gaming division. Total layoffs will amount to less than 2.5%% of the company’s workforce.

Microsoft employs roughly 220,000 people across the globe. The company eliminated approximately 15,000 positions just last year — 6,000 layoffs in May 2025 and another 9,000 layoffs in July 2025.

But if we just throw the entire country into the “not in labor force” category, we can pretend that the unemployment rate is at 0.0 percent and that everything is just fine, right?

What a joke.

Of course most Americans that are actually working are really struggling these days.

Home prices in the U.S. have risen by about 60 percent since the beginning of the last pandemic, and at this stage housing in the U.S. is more unaffordable than it has ever been before…

Home prices have grown by roughly 60 percent since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to JP Morgan data. Mortgage rates are historically high, and have been so since 2022. And the U.S. homeownership rate hit its lowest level since 2019 last year, at 65 percent, according to Census data.

“I think right now the housing market is pretty unprecedented,” Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, told Newsweek. “We have the highest home prices that have ever been on record, along with pretty high mortgage rates. The mortgage rates aren’t the highest we’ve seen on record—they exceeded 18 percent in 1981—but they are higher than they have been for the last 10 years or so.

“And so housing affordability has gotten really bad, especially for young people who don’t already own homes. Breaking into the housing market is incredibly tough.”

How are young adults supposed to purchase homes in this environment?

Home prices have risen far faster than incomes have, and this has “put homeownership out of reach for millions of millennial and Gen Z Americans”…

Back in 1975, a typical home cost about 2.4 times as much as the average under-40 household earned in a year, a standard measure of housing affordability, according to a new report from Pew Research Center.

By 2019, that price-to-income ratio had risen to 2.9. In 2024, it reached 3.5.

Over the past decade, home prices have risen much faster than wages. The rising ratio of price to income, coupled with elevated interest rates, has put homeownership out of reach for millions of millennial and Gen Z Americans.

This is one of the biggest reasons why young adults are so angry.

They simply can’t afford to live normal lives.

Last year, the percentage of first-time homebuyers dropped to the lowest level ever recorded…

First-time buyers represented only 21% of all home purchasers in 2025, a record low, according to the National Association of Realtors. The typical age of a first-time buyer climbed to 40, an all-time high.

Meanwhile, virtually everything else is becoming more expensive too.

For example, the price of ground beef is up 13 percent over the past year, and that price of steak is up 16 percent over the past year…

The average price of ground beef was $6.75 per pound in May, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, up nearly 13% from a year ago and just below April’s record high of $6.90. Beef steak prices averaged $12.80 per pound, up 16% from a year earlier and the second-highest level on record.

Tens of millions of Americans are deeply hurting right now, and what we have experienced so far is just the beginning.

This is why I rant about the economy so much.

I hear from so many people out there that are in very real pain.

Decades of very foolish decisions have resulted in decades of economic decline, and now we really have reached a breaking point.

The post 111 Million U.S. Adults Do Not Have A Job And America Spends More Than A Trillion Dollars Per Year On A Social Safety Net For Them appeared first on Activist Post.

Traffic Through The Strait Of Hormuz Is Way Below Pre-War Levels As Trump Is Briefed On Options For “All-Out War”

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is not even close to being resolved, and global oil supplies continue to get tighter and tighter. The world has been running an “oil deficit” for months, and we have been able to do that by running down commercial oil inventories and strategic national reserves. There was hope that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would return to pre-war levels before things got really hairy, but that isn’t happening. In fact, in recent days only about 30 to 40 commercial vessels have been traveling through the Strait each day. Before the war, the average was about 120 to 130 commercial vessels per day. The vast majority of the commercial vessels that have been getting through the Strait have been heading away from the Persian Gulf. Very few are headed into the Persian Gulf for understandable reasons. So once the backlog of commercial vessels that have been trapped in the Persian Gulf is finally eliminated, the level of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will likely drop to depressingly low levels.

So we should be thankful that the price of oil has dropped a bit lower for now, but it won’t stay that way.

And that will especially be true if war with Iran fully erupts again.

We have seen fighting flare up multiple times in recent weeks, and it certainly wouldn’t take much to push things over the edge.

On Wednesday, it was being reported that President Trump has been briefed on options for “a return to all-out war with Iran”…

President Trump has weighed a return to all-out war with Iran, holding multiple conversations in recent days with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine on more strikes, but has decided to stick with diplomatic talks for now, according to U.S. officials familiar with the discussion.

The conversations have centered on whether the U.S. should abandon negotiations and resume full-scale attacks on Iran, the officials said, a move some of them describe as “finishing the job.” While not making a final decision, Trump has told aides he believes another round of full-scale attacks could derail diplomacy and hurt Washington’s chances of ultimately dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

I was quite surprised when I read that.

I didn’t think that Trump and his team had an appetite for more conflict right now.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi just used some very strong language in an extremely inflammatory social media post…

The terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see.

POTUS has committed the U.S. to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them.

Any threat against our People and Leadership will receive Immediate Powerful Response.

This is a threat to attack Israel.

The Iranians are demanding that the Israelis must withdraw from Lebanon, but the Israelis continue to tell us that this will simply not happen…

Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that forces would remain “indefinitely” in so-called security zones established in Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

“The IDF will not withdraw and will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza – indefinitely – to protect our residents and communities from jihadist elements,” Israel Katz said.

“We are fighting to change reality and bring security to the residents of the north,” he added, referring to communities along Israel’s border with Lebanon from which thousands of people have been evacuated due to the threat posed by Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

The Israelis are absolutely determined to stop the bombardment of their northern communities.

Since early March, Hezbollah has fired “more than 7,000 rockets, missiles and drones” into Israeli territory…

Israeli officials say Hezbollah has launched more than 7,000 rockets, missiles and drones into Israel since early March while embedding military infrastructure inside civilian areas and Christian villages in southern Lebanon.

The claims were made by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar during MUNI EXPO in Tel Aviv as Israel, Lebanon and the United States continue negotiations aimed at securing Hezbollah’s disarmament and a lasting peace agreement.

“Since March alone, Hezbollah has launched more than 7,000 rockets, missiles and drones from Lebanese territory into Israel,” Sa’ar said. “What country can accept this and not act to restore security to its citizens?”

It is inevitable that Hezbollah will fire more rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel.

In response, Israel will bomb southern Beirut again.

The Iranians have already told us that if Israel does that again they will fire ballistic missiles at Israel.

And once that occurs, the IDF will strike back extremely hard.

I don’t know what those that are convinced that there will be peace in the Middle East are smoking, but it must be really strong.

When more fighting erupts in the Middle East, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will drop lower than it is now.

And that is very bad news, because even though the “Memorandum of Understanding” was signed a couple of weeks ago, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continues to remain at very low levels…

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz began to rebound Monday following weekend tit-for-tat strikes between the U.S. and Iran.

Reports from the maritime tracking firm Kpler said 40 vessels passed through the critical waterway on Monday, while 24 ships transited the strait on Sunday in addition to 39 ships on Saturday.

Almost all of the commercial vessels that are passing through the Strait are headed out.

Very few are headed in.

And many of the ships that are actually headed in are Iranian.

For now, most shipping companies continue to treat the Strait of Hormuz “as a war zone”…

Unions and shipping employers said in a statement Wednesday they will continue to designate the Strait of Hormuz as a war zone until at least July 9, maintaining double pay for seafarers in the area despite a fragile truce between the U.S. and Iran.

The status only covers ships whose companies are signatories of the International Bargaining Forum’s labor agreements — around 15,000 vessels worldwide, according to the IBF.

Seafarers covered by the agreement working on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters get paid double, and have the right to refuse to sail into the area and request repatriation at the company’s expense, increasing costs for shipping companies.

This is really bad news for the global economy.

On top of everything else, Ukraine’s endless bombardment of Russian oil facilities has caused gasoline shortages all over Russia…

Fuel shortages across Russia have triggered a new political challenge for President Vladimir Putin, as a relentless Ukrainian drone campaign aimed at the country’s oil refineries has brought the war home for most ordinary Russians.

While Ukraine has targeted Russian energy facilities for years, the quantity and firepower of Ukrainian drones and missiles have risen. This has allowed Kyiv to hit refineries as far as Tyumen, 1,200 miles away in Siberia, and permitted the spectacular raid that broke through thick layers of air defenses and destroyed Moscow’s main refinery on June 18, the turning point of the current crisis.

Some 28% of Russia’s refining capacity was offline as of June 20, estimated Sergey Vakulenko, former head of strategy at Gazprom Neft, a large Russian oil company, and now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin.

Russia is one of the largest oil producers on the entire planet.

But now the Russians are being forced to actually import fuel thanks to Ukraine.

Everything that I have shared in this article means that global supplies of oil are going to continue to become tighter and tighter in the weeks and months ahead.

In other words, the stage is being set for a severe global energy crisis and a mammoth global economic meltdown.

For the moment, many investors are still feeling very optimistic about things, but it won’t be too long before they are brutally blindsided by reality.

The post Traffic Through The Strait Of Hormuz Is Way Below Pre-War Levels As Trump Is Briefed On Options For “All-Out War” appeared first on Activist Post.

Traffic Through The Strait Of Hormuz Is Not Going To Return To Normal, And That Has Enormous Implications For The Whole World

The Iranians have never wavered from their position that they intend to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz permanently. They just underscored this point by launching an attack on a cargo vessel near the coast of Oman. During the 60 day negotiation window with the United States, Iran is not charging commercial vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but they are insisting that coordination with the Iranian military is mandatory. Any travel that does not go through “designated corridors” is strictly prohibited…

The IRGC Navy said that only the shipping routes designated by Iran are permitted for passage, and that coordination with Iranian forces via the designated communication channel is mandatory, according to Iranian local media.

“Navigation outside these routes is highly dangerous and prohibited, and we warn all vessels to strictly avoid any movement outside the designated corridors,” the IRGC Navy said, according to the report.

The warning came after a key naval information group had proposed alternative shipping corridors on Saturday, asking shipowners to consider transiting the strait along the southern route with their transponder signals on. “The southern transit route, along Omani [territorial waters], has been confirmed clear of mines and is the recommended route,” the notice said.

It is true that there are certain areas of the Strait of Hormuz that are highly unsafe because they still have mines in them.

But the routes that have been designated by Iran are not the only safe routes.

Some ships have been getting through the Strait of Hormuz by sailing close to the coast of Oman, and one such vessel was just attacked…

A cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an “unknown projectile” on Thursday evening near the Oman coast, according to the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations.

The vessel suffered damage to its bridge, but said no one was injured, according to the UKMTO, which receives reports of suspicious activity from all vessels in the Gulf region.

The strike took place at 5:40 p.m. local time (10:10 a.m. ET).

There is no use in pretending.

Everyone knows that it was the Iranians that did this.

They are making it clear that they intend to control all traffic through the Strait of Hormuz from this point forward.

And once the 60 day negotiating window with the United States is over, they intend to impose “hefty fees” on all vessels that pass through the Strait…

Despite Rubio’s warning while meeting with GCC allies in Bahrain, Iran is planning to move forward on charging hefty fees for vessels wishing to transit the Strait of Hormuz under its protocol, which is to be enforced by the IRGC. What’s more is that it’s seeking Beijing’s approval and help.

Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, asserted during a prior visit to Oman this week: “Everyone needs to know that management of the strait will never return to the way it was before.”

When the Iranians say “never”, they actually mean never.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranians plan to make about 40 billion dollars a year by holding the global economy hostage…

Iran is pushing to make billions of dollars from the Strait of Hormuz as the regime positions itself to manage the global oil artery it severed at the start of the war.

The Islamic Republic estimates that charging for security, safety and environmental services in the strait would bring in $40 billion a year in revenue for states involved, according to officials familiar with the matter. The idea, if implemented, would give Tehran cash flow and control that it didn’t command before the war.

Those that pay up will be able to go through.

Those that do not pay up will not.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is insisting that what the Iranians intend to do cannot ever be allowed…

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Thursday that allowing Iranian tolls on ships passing the Strait of Hormuz would create a precedent to other waterways, risking “total chaos.”

“International waterways do not belong to any nation state. This is a foundational principle in the world today, without which the world would be in total chaos,” he told a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Bahrain.

“If in fact we accepted that you can charge money to use an international waterway because it happens to be near your territorial space, well then this will spread throughout the world like a contagion.”

He is right.

But it would take war to stop the Iranians from imposing tolls.

And if war erupts again, it would completely close the Strait of Hormuz until the war was finally resolved one way or the other.

Of course it is inevitable that more fighting will erupt between Israel and Iran.

It is just a matter of time.

Meanwhile, global supplies of oil just keep getting tighter and tighter…

Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off around 13 million barrels of oil per day, roughly a fifth of the world’s supply. All told, the global economy will lose 1.6 billion barrels of oil supply between February and August, according to JPMorgan.

The good news is that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has increased this week, but it is still way below pre-war levels…

70 ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, a 105% increase of traffic day on day, according to maritime business intelligence firm Kpler.

In a social media statement, the firm said ships were increasingly using a southern route through the strait that hugs Oman’s coastline, as opposed to one that brings them close to Iran’s coast in the north of the waterway.

Even if Iran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz permanently with no restrictions and no tolls, the amount of oil and natural gas coming through the Strait of Hormuz would not return to normal for a very long time because it is going to take years to fully repair and rebuild all of the oil and natural gas infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during the war.

And that is a major problem, because oil stockpiles all over the planet continue to drop even lower.

In Cushing, Oklahoma, the storage tanks are now “dangerously close to empty”…

The amount of crude oil inventory at the Cushing Hub in Oklahoma fell to a 12-year low in the past week, according to the latest report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and in the opinion of some experts, puts the hub at nearly empty. Dangerously close to empty.

The inventories at the northern Oklahoma storage site, known as the “Pipeline Crossroads of the World,” fell by 6 million barrels. Considered the delivery hub for West Texas Intermediate futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Cushing’s new total as of this week was just 19 million barrels. Cushing is where dozens of pipelines intersect, carrying oil from the Permian, Bakken, SCOOP/STACK, Rockies and Western Canada.

The new level means the Cushing Hub is dangerously close to “empty” according to some experts. The 19 million barrels reflects about 25% of the 76-million barrel working capacity at the hub. It also results in an operational stress level which is the point where tanks struggle to supply customers with usable oil due to pipeline residue and structural minimums.

Those that are convinced that the global energy crisis is behind us need to explain where we are going to get enough oil and natural gas to keep inventories from continuing to decline throughout the world.

Even in a best case scenario, things are going to be very tough for many months to come.

Of course if a worst case scenario materializes and all-out war between Israel and Iran erupts, we really will have a major energy disaster on our hands.

The global economy cannot operate normally without sufficient quantities of oil and natural gas from the Middle East.

The Strait of Hormuz must be reopened permanently without any restrictions or tolls, but the Iranians are absolutely refusing to compromise.

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The AI Jobs Apocalypse Has Begun: We Are Witnessing An Unprecedented Wave Of AI-Related Layoffs In 2026

We all knew that this would be coming. In 2026, the rate of AI-related layoffs has greatly accelerated, and that means that large numbers of good paying jobs are suddenly disappearing from the economy. This is occurring when we are already facing one major crisis after another, and so the timing could not be worse. Many young people specifically chose a major in college that would prepare them for positions in the tech industry because those were supposed to be the jobs of the future. Unfortunately, the AI jobs apocalypse is wiping out those jobs the fastest.

Let me give you some cold, hard numbers that will clearly demonstrate what I am talking about.

According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the number of announced job cuts in the United States last month was the highest that we have seen during the month of May since the peak of the last pandemic…

U.S.-based employers announced 97,006 job cuts in May, up 16% from the 83,387 job cuts recorded in April, and up 3% from the 93,816 announced in the same month last year, according to a report released Thursday from global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

May’s total is the highest for the month since 2020, when 397,016 job cuts were recorded in May at the height of the pandemic. It also marks the third straight month that cuts have risen, climbing from 48,307 in February to 97,006 in May.

There is no way to spin those numbers to make them look good.

And for the third month in a row, artificial intelligence accounted for more layoffs than any other reason…

In May, Artificial Intelligence (AI) led all reasons for job cuts for the third month in a row, with 38,579 announced cuts. It is the highest monthly total ever recorded for the reason since Challenger began tracking it in 2023, and it accounted for 40% of all cuts announced in May — up from just 7% in January, 25% in March, and 26% in April. For the year, AI has been cited in 87,714 cuts, or 22% of all 2026 layoffs, already far surpassing the 54,836 attributed to the reason in all of 2025.

Read that last sentence again.

The number of AI-related layoffs in 2026 has already surpassed the grand total of AI-related layoffs for the entire year of 2025.

That is how fast things are now moving.

Needless to say, the tech industry is being hit the hardest.

At this point, tech layoffs are running 44 percent faster than last year…

So far this year, there have been an estimated 363 layoffs at tech companies this year, affecting nearly 150,000 people — a pace of about 974 people per day, 44% faster than last year — according to TrueUp, a tech job board and recruiting platform that also runs one of the most widely cited tech layoff trackers.

The trend appears to be accelerating. Tech layoffs hit their highest single month in two years last month, with nearly 40,000 cuts, and AI was the most-cited reason for layoffs across every industry for the third month running, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

There is no long-term loyalty in the tech industry anymore.

The moment that AI can do your work more efficiently than you can, you are in danger of being let go.

Some of you out there have personally experienced this.

During the past six months, we have seen some of the biggest names in tech radically transform their workforces…

Several major tech companies have announced significant workforce reductions this year while simultaneously ramping up investments in artificial intelligence.

Oracle disclosed recently that it has reduced its workforce by roughly 21,000 employees (4) over the past year. Meanwhile, Google has continued trimming staff (5) through performance reviews, buyout programs and reorganizations, with outside estimates suggesting between 1,500 and 3,000 engineering roles have been eliminated in 2026.

Meta also laid off roughly 8,000 employees earlier this year while shifting about 7,000 workers into AI-focused roles, highlighting how some companies are cutting jobs in certain areas while continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence.

This is just the beginning.

And it is going to spread to every industry.

If you can believe it, a major tobacco company just announced that it is planning to “cut about 20% of its workforce as it pursues an AI-driven ‌overhaul”…

British American Tobacco (BATS.L), opens new tab plans to cut about 20% of its workforce as it pursues an AI-driven ‌overhaul to lower costs and lift profits amid regulatory challenges and delayed launches.

The maker of Lucky Strike and Dunhill cigarettes said on Monday it would cut around 5,500 jobs and move roughly 3,500 roles to third-party firms, including Accenture . The restructuring would affect around 9,000 employees in total, but excludes the U.S., the company’s biggest ​market.

BitGo is another firm that is ruthlessly firing employees for AI-related reasons…

BitGo has joined the growing ranks of crypto firms slashing staff numbers as part of a pivot to AI.

The crypto custody and infrastructure company is cutting nearly 15% of its workforce, co-founder and CEO Mike Belshe said Thursday in a tweet that BitGo also filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

A lot of the workers that are hitting the bricks are relatively young.

In the past, it was fairly easy to find another tech industry job, but now that has completely changed.

In fact, it has become so difficult to find a tech job these days that many job seekers have resorted to “spraying and praying”…

To survive this nightmarish job market, candidates are now “spraying and praying,” as one career coach described it — or paying resume services to blast out thousands of CVs per day to game the system and land a gig. However, according to experts in the tech industry who spoke with SFGATE, this is only creating a vicious cycle of inefficiency that hurts both workers and companies.

According to a recent survey conducted by Robert Half, a Bay Area talent and business solutions firm, over 50% of hiring managers said that AI-generated resumes are “flooding the market,” making it difficult to weed out candidates who are actually qualified for roles. To combat this torrent of resumes, 33% of hiring managers are now using AI-detection tools and spending more time training employees on how to spot ones that feel authentic.

“Many hiring managers tell us it’s becoming harder to distinguish between applicants because AI-generated resumes often use similar language, formatting and keywords,” Terah Brossart Daniels, a technology jobs expert with Robert Half, said. “Another issue is authenticity. A resume may look impressive on paper, but employers are spending more time validating whether a candidate’s experience, accomplishments and technical skills hold up throughout the interview process.”

If conditions are this bad now, what will the employment market look like once things really start falling apart in this country?

We were promised that AI would unleash a new golden age of peace and prosperity for our society.

Obviously that is not what is actually happening.

AI technology will continue to advance at an exponential rate, and soon millions more human workers will become obsolete.

This story is not going to end well, but most of you have already figured that out.

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California Just Got Another Major Warning That “The Big One” Is Coming

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that just shook portions of three different states should be a huge wake up call for everyone that lives in California. The San Andreas Fault system is locked and loaded, and it is just a matter of time before an absolutely cataclysmic earthquake permanently alters the geography of the state. A day is coming when large portions of Southern California will no longer be above water. I have written about this over and over again, and I have warned about this more times than I can possibly count. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the people that live in the region do not believe that such a disaster will ever happen.

Just hours ago, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake violently rattled the Bay Area…

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled northern California the morning of Wednesday, June 24, triggering alerts across the Bay Area, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake was recorded just over 6 miles from Redwood Valley at 8:10 a.m. PT and felt by people across the region, the USGS said.

This was no ordinary earthquake.

In fact, it was so powerful that it was felt in parts of Oregon, parts of Nevada and all over Northern California…

While the strongest shaking was reported right at the quake’s epicenter near Redwood Valley, the tremors traveled more than 600 miles up and down the West Coast, reaching Coos Bay, Oregon in the north and Salinas, California in the south.

That range includes the entire San Francisco Bay Area, home to more than seven million people, and affecting multiple cities including San Jose, Sacramento, Concord, Oakland, Stockton and Modesto.

A lot of people were really freaked out by how strong this quake was.

One woman that lives in Mendocino County is claiming that it was “the biggest earthquake I have felt in my life”…

Moneca Vargas at Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Ukiah told KTVU: ‘That was the biggest earthquake I have felt in my life, and I’ve lived in Ukiah for most of my 54 years. My whole house shook.’

Other residents close to the source in Northern California compared the shockwaves to a ‘freight train’ rolling through their homes, causing items to fall from shelves and officials to sound the official earthquake alert system for quakes stronger than magnitude 4.5.

The epicenter of this event was located very close to the Maacama Fault zone.

And it turns out that the Maacama Fault zone “is part of the larger San Andreas Fault system”…

The epicenter of Wednesday’s earthquake was recorded within seven miles of the Maacama Fault zone.

The Maacama is an major active strike-slip fault capable of causing strong shaking and damage in areas like Mendocino and Sonoma counties, where it runs through rural communities and wine country.

Making the fault even more of a concern to locals is the fact that it is part of the larger San Andreas Fault system, the infamous 800-mile-long fault running through much of California.

Shaking along one portion of the San Andreas Fault system can affect other portions of the San Andreas Fault system.

A number of years ago, this was vividly portrayed in a film entitled “San Andreas” that received a lot of attention at the time.

Unfortunately, the San Andreas Fault system is perfectly primed for a major event.

Last Friday, I shared an article with my core supporters that warned that the San Andreas and San Jacinto fault systems “have reached the highest stress levels seen in the past 1,000 years”.

Scientists have told us that someday the San Andreas Fault system could potentially rip wide open all at once.

In my most recent book, I described what that could look like…

If the San Andreas fault does rupture all at once, scientists have warned us that it could produce an earthquake that would be powerful enough to cause the ground on the western side of the San Andreas fault to suddenly drop several feet. Since most of southern California is just barely above sea level, that would allow water from the Pacific Ocean to come pouring in.

Can you imagine the kind of death and destruction that such a disaster would cause?

It would look like much of the southern California coast had just gone into the Pacific Ocean, but actually the Pacific Ocean would suddenly be covering vast stretches of the coast that have now dropped several feet lower than they were previously.

Researchers tell us that similar catastrophes have actually happened along the west coast in the past, and it is just a matter of time before it happens again.

If you live in southern California, it critical for you to understand that it is just a matter of time before “the Big One” strikes.

I have been attempting to sound the alarm about what is going to happen for years, but of course most of those living in the region are not interested in such warnings.

Of course I am not the only one that has been issuing such ominous warnings. Scientists have repeatedly told us that the San Andreas fault appears to be “locked and loaded” and that it could potentially “unzip all at once”.

Cal State Fullerton professor Matt Kirby was the lead author on a study that discovered that land on the western side of the San Andreas fault can instantly sink by up to 3 feet when a major earthquake strikes. He says that it has happened before and that it will happen again.

According to Kirby, a seismic event of this nature is something “that would happen relatively instantaneously”, and he has said that if such a disaster occurred today “you would see seawater rushing in”.

Coastal areas such as Santa Monica are barely above sea level.

A large enough seismic event could leave those areas completely covered by water.

But most people that live in Southern California will not take the warnings seriously until disaster finally strikes.

Meanwhile, there has been more unusual activity at the Yellowstone Supervolcano.

Earlier this month, an unexpected hydrothermal explosion suddenly created a new pool of super-heated water…

Another hydrothermal explosion has occurred at Yellowstone National Park, highlighting the unstable nature of the reserve’s extensive volcanic network, the U.S. Geological Survey says.

On June 13, a small hydrothermal explosion occurred at Yellowstone’s Biscuit Basin — a popular thermal area located less than 2 miles northwest of Old Faithful, according to the USGS.

The explosion occurred at 5:09 a.m. local time and did not cause any injuries, according to the USGS. A new pool formed as a result of activity.

We have been witnessing so much unusual activity all over the globe in recent months.

But I am convinced that what we have experienced so far is nothing compared to what is coming.

The giant space rock that we all exist on as we hurtle through space is exhibiting increasing signs of instability.

One of these days time will run out for those that are living along the San Andreas Fault, and for many of them there will be no escape.

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U.S. Oil Stockpiles Fall To Critically Low Levels As Iran Continues To Mess With The Strait Of Hormuz

Those that believe that the global energy crisis is going to be magically solved by a “memorandum of understanding” that is already being violated by both sides are going to be in for a very rude awakening. As you will see below, the Iranians have continued to launch drones at commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. How are shipowners and insurance companies supposed to feel comfortable while this is going on? In the “memorandum of understanding”, Iran agreed to allow commercial vessels to travel through the Strait at no charge for a period of 60 days. Hopefully that will actually happen. After the 60 day period is done, the Iranians have already announced that they are going to go back to charging ships to pass. Any ships that do not pay up will be subject to attack. Meanwhile, global oil supplies will just continue to get tighter and tighter.

Over the past couple of months, the U.S. has been the supplier of last resort for the entire world.

This has kept oil prices at reasonable levels.

But once our stockpiles are gone, we won’t be able to do that any longer.

Unfortunately, our stockpiles are rapidly disappearing. It is being reported that total U.S. oil inventories have now fallen for 10 weeks in a row…

U.S. crude oil inventories fell for a 10th straight week last week as demand surged, pushing total stockpiles to their lowest level in over 40 years as the Iran war continues ​to upend global energy markets, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Total crude inventories, including ‌commercial stocks and those in the Strategic Petroleum, plunged by 17.2 million to 758.5 million barrels last week, its lowest since March 1985, the EIA said.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is in better shape than commercial oil inventories, but even it has fallen to the lowest level since 1983…

The U.S. supply of emergency oil has hit its lowest level since 1983, according to newly released federal data.

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is down to 340.3 million barrels, according to the data released on Monday.

The last time that levels were this low was 1983, when the Reagan administration was filling up the reserve for the first time. The U.S. established the emergency oil reserve in 1975 after an oil producer embargo against the country triggered an energy crisis.

We should have never allowed ourselves to reach such a dangerously low level.

But I am far more concerned about what is happening to our commercial oil inventories.

The tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma are about to hit critical operating levels, and even CNN is writing about this…

Today, neighboring Cushing is the hub of America’s energy market. It literally provides the oil plumbing for the United States. It’s where America’s benchmark West Texas Intermediate oil is priced and warehoused. From there, it’s piped to refineries around the country.

In normal times, Cushing stores around 40 million barrels of oil with capacity of up to 75 million.

These are not normal times.

Right now, there are approximately 21.6 million barrels of oil at Cushing.

That sounds like a lot.

But as CNN has correctly noted, once the tanks at Cushing drop below 20 million barrels of oil “they effectively hit empty”…

Cushing’s current inventory is 21.6 million barrels, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

That’s dangerously close to operational stress levels, the tipping point at which Cushing struggles to supply all of its customers with the oil they demand.

When Cushing’s reserves get below 20 million, they effectively hit empty, scraping the bottom of the barrel of what is largely unusable sludge.

And when Cushing runs empty, strange things happen to the oil market.

To say that “strange things” will occur is a major understatement.

Once we hit the 20 million barrel mark at Cushing, there will be widespread panic.

We cannot drop below that level, because the storage tanks need a certain amount in them in order to be able to keep operating…

In oil storage tanks, “tank bottoms” refer to the unusable layer of sludge, sediment, water, paraffin, and other residues that settle at the base. These cannot be easily pumped or processed without operational issues.

At the Cushing hub level, the operational stress threshold is around 20 million barrels. Below this, pipelines lose pressure, blending and transfers between tanks become difficult or impossible, and outbound flows to refineries or export terminals can be curtailed or delayed.

Experts note that much of the remaining volume at current levels (potentially only 1–1.6 million barrels truly usable) consists of this sludgy material.

There is no way that we can keep supplying the rest of the world.

In fact, in very short order we won’t have enough oil to supply everyone in this country.

On Wednesday, President Trump openly told the press that the U.S. is on pace to “run out of reserves in about four weeks”…

President Trump’s comment at the tail end of the G7 press conference about rapidly depleting crude reserves may have been the clearest admission yet of what is really driving the urgent push for an MoU with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“We run out of reserves in about four weeks,” Trump told reporters.

This is one of the reasons why Trump was so desperate to make a deal with Iran.

But the deal is already failing.

According to NBC News, the Iranians “launched multiple drones toward commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz” after the memorandum of understanding was signed…

Iran has launched multiple drones toward commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday, according to a US official, NBC News reported on Tuesday.

The official said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been carrying out repeated drone launches targeting shipping lanes in the strategic waterway. US forces have intercepted the drones before they could threaten commercial or military vessels, the report said.

According to NBC News, the official added that the IRGC has launched multiple drones each night since the agreement was signed, and that the US military continues to coordinate with commercial shipping operators to support safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranians were supposed to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Of course we were told the exact same thing when the first ceasefire agreement was signed, and that never materialized either.

But let’s assume that the Iranians stop attacking vessels in the Strait and decide to keep their word.

According to the text of the memorandum of understanding, the Iranians will have the right to control traffic through the Strait of Hormuz once a 60 day period of free passage is over…

Upon the signing of this MOU, Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days only from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start, and considering the need for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran will be instated within 30 days. The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialog with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf or littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.

As I have discussed previously, the Iranians have repeatedly stated that they intend to charge ships to pass through the Strait once the 60 day period has been completed.

And even if everything goes perfectly, it would still take many months for traffic through the Strait to return to close to pre-war levels.

Meanwhile, the world will continue to run an oil deficit.

Stockpiles will continue to be depleted, and there will be shortages.

Hopefully the shortages will be isolated.

But I wouldn’t count on that, because I am convinced that the war in the Middle East is far from over.

If all-out war erupts again, that will make the crisis that we are facing so much worse.

So let us hope for the best, but let us also get prepared for the worst.

The post U.S. Oil Stockpiles Fall To Critically Low Levels As Iran Continues To Mess With The Strait Of Hormuz appeared first on Activist Post.

Is It Just A Coincidence That So Many Disasters Are Suddenly Hitting The United States The Same Week The Memorandum Of Understanding Was Signed?

Why isn’t anyone else writing about this? On Wednesday, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the presidents of the United States and Iran. Meanwhile, major disasters were breaking out all over America. Is this just some sort of really bizarre coincidence, or is something else going on here? Read the evidence that I have compiled below and decide for yourself.

On Wednesday, the very first named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Arthur, suddenly formed and slammed into the Texas coastline…

Tropical Storm Arthur made landfall along the coast of Texas on Wednesday, and as the first storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, it is bringing significant flooding and severe weather to the Gulf Coast.

Arthur formed on Wednesday after a sprawling area of showers and thunderstorms over Texas tracked over the warm waters of the Gulf, which helped it organize and strengthen. Hours later, the center of the storm moved inland over the Texas coast.

In 2025, only one named storm hit the U.S. the entire year.

And it is very rare for a named storm to make landfall this early.

As this storm travels east, it is expected to bring “extreme” flooding to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle…

As many as 40 million people across eight states are in the deadly path of Tropical Storm Arthur after the first named storm of hurricane season made landfall Wednesday night.

Arthur, which has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone on Thursday, slammed into the Texas Coast last night, and is now projected to barrel across the South, bringing severe flooding from Louisiana to the Carolinas.

Meteorologists with AccuWeather warned that Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle will see ‘extreme’ levels of flooding along the coast and in urban areas throughout Thursday, with as much as 12 to 18 inches of rain falling.

Then on Friday, it is being projected that this storm will bring “life-threatening flooding” to Georgia and the Carolinas…

Georgia and the Carolinas are expected to be impacted on Friday, as forecasters say Arthur will continue to bring ‘life-threatening flooding, property damage and disruptions to commerce and travel.’

AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Duffus warned in a statement: ‘Heavy rainfall will be fueled by tropical moisture, delivering rainfall rates of 2-4 inches per hour across portions of the Gulf Coast.’

However, flooding is not the only concern tied to Arthur, as the National Weather Service has also issued a widespread tornado watch across coastal areas in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Tropical Storm Arthur formed and made landfall on the exact same day that the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the presidents of the United States and Iran.

This storm is going to cause a massive amount of damage all the way from Texas to the Carolinas.

Is this just a coincidence?

I don’t think so.

Also on Wednesday, a series of extremely violent tornadoes suddenly broke out in the Midwest and the Southeast…

At least seven tornadoes broke out Wednesday night across the Midwest and Southeast, as severe weather descended on a large swath of the country.

According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.

Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.

The town of Charleston, Illinois was hit particularly hard.

At one point, a trailer was actually picked up and torn away from its foundation…

Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage to homes and buildings in Charleston, where a mess of downed trees and power lines covered the streets. Emergency responders in the city could also be heard in dispatch audio describing some of the treacherous scenarios they encountered, including multiple overturned semitrucks and a trailer that had been torn from its foundation, possibly with someone inside.

Hail measuring between 2.75 and 3 inches was also reported in Charleston and surrounding parts of Illinois, where powerful winds at times climbed as high as 78 mph, according to the weather service.

Is it just another coincidence that this also occurred on Wednesday?

As you can see, the “coincidences” are starting to pile up.

Let me give you another one.

An enormous wildfire in eastern Washington state that is being driven by very high winds caused all sorts of chaos on Wednesday…

High winds drove a wildfire into an eastern Washington neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of about 1,500 people and destroying at least 15 homes, officials said Wednesday.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that its forensic unit found what appeared to be human remains inside a home destroyed in the fire. A family member had requested a wellness check because one of the residents had refused to evacuate and could not be reached, officials said in a news release.

Of course the skeptics will insist that this is yet another coincidence.

Meanwhile, the screwworm plague that just broke out in the Southwest just continues to pop up in even more Texas counties…

Screwworm cases are rising in the US as the outbreak spreads beyond the initial contamination zones.

Twelve animal cases have been confirmed so far, a significant increase from the first case detected in a calf in south Texas on 3 June. The growing number of infections has alarmed agricultural experts, who warn that a wider outbreak could have serious consequences for the Texas beef industry.

Of the 12 reported cases, 11 remain active and one is inactive, according to an update issued last Thursday by the US Department of Agriculture’s animal and plant health inspection service. The most recent case was reported on 12 June in Sutton countyin west Texas, where a sheep was discovered with the infection. Other cases have been identified in the Texas counties of Edwards, Tom Green, Gillespie, La Salle and Zavala, as well as in Lea county, New Mexico.

And just within the last 24 hours, we have officially hit “tank bottoms” in Cushing, Oklahoma…

As I discussed yesterday, once we get below 20 million barrels of oil at Cushing, there won’t be enough pressure in the pipelines to keep operating.

So this is it.

At the same time, fish are literally being cooked to death in lakes and rivers all over the country…

Down south in Arizona, state wildlife officials closed public access to San Carlos Lake indefinitely after drought conditions and a nearby dam release “resulted in a major fish kill affecting approximately 100 percent of the fish population.” Across the country in Massachusetts, the Charles River was the site of a massive die-off of carp after a pre-summer heat wave baked fish exhausted from spawning.

A team of contractors spent their weekend hauling thousands of dead fish carcasses from the waters of Minnesota’s Como Lake, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Tuesday. Located in a suburban park in St. Paul, the lake is now down about 1,000 bluegill and crappies, which died en masse as a result of low oxygen — a side effect of a rapid influx of heat.

This is happening even though summer has not even officially begun yet.

That is certainly not a good sign.

And now a “Super El Niño” has begun…

The forecasted El Niño—a mysterious but well-documented climate phenomenon—has officially begun, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced on June 11. Meteorologists expect it to evolve into one of the most powerful ones on record, and the event will likely bring about extreme weather worldwide and consequently affect the economy.

If you believe that it is just a “coincidence” that all of the things that I have shared in this article are happening simultaneously, that is okay.

We will just have to agree to disagree.

Personally, I am convinced that what we are currently experiencing is yet more evidence that history is taking us in a very particular direction.

So many prominent voices are crying out “peace and safety”, but the truth is that apocalyptic times are upon us.

Global events have been spinning out of control for quite some time now, but what we have been through so far is not even worth comparing to what is eventually coming.

The post Is It Just A Coincidence That So Many Disasters Are Suddenly Hitting The United States The Same Week The Memorandum Of Understanding Was Signed? appeared first on Activist Post.

The “Godzilla El Niño” That Has Now Begun Could Do Trillions Of Dollars Of Damage To The Global Economy

A very intense El Niño has formed in the equatorial waters of the Pacific Ocean much earlier than originally anticipated, and we are being warned that it could cause trillions of dollars of damage to the global economy. Considering everything else that is going on in our world right now, that is really bad news. It is being projected that the El Niño that has developed in the southern Pacific is likely to rapidly transform into a “Super El Niño” of frightening strength. At the same time, a “9,000-mile marine heatwave” has developed in the northern Pacific. Many believe that these two marine heatwaves will combine to form a “Godzilla El Niño” which will be unlike anything we have ever experienced before.

Last week, we received official confirmation that an El Niño “has officially formed in the Pacific Ocean”…

A powerful El Nino has officially formed in the Pacific Ocean, with meteorologists warning Thursday that it is poised to reach historic strength and intensify extreme weather events across the globe.

The natural warming cycle is expected to exacerbate global temperatures, already elevated by fossil fuel emissions, and could supercharge severe weather patterns worldwide. The phenomenon is predicted to rival or even surpass the record-setting El Nino of 1997, which caused billions in damages through heatwaves, floods, droughts, tornadoes, and wildfires.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formally confirmed the existence of the El Nino, a warming of the Pacific near the equator that profoundly affects global weather patterns.

This wasn’t supposed to happen yet.

Normally, El Niños start once the summer is over, but this one “is developing much earlier and faster than expected”…

“Most El Niños begin in the fall, so this is developing much earlier and faster than expected,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Chad Merrill said. “The weather patterns here early in the summer are also lining up to what is expected with an El Niño.”

Needless to say, this isn’t a good sign.

It appears that this El Niño is going to be a whopper, and that should deeply trouble all of us because a couple of other very strong El Niños in the past literally cost the global economy trillions of dollars…

For example, the 1982-83 El Niño led to $4.1 trillion in global income losses, while the 1997-98 El Niño cost about $5.7 trillion, a 2023 study suggested.

“The current forecasts imply this could be the costliest El Niño on record,” said Justin Mankin, a Dartmouth geography associate professor who studies El Niño’s economic impacts.

If the El Niño that just formed becomes the strongest of all time, it could potentially cause more than 10 trillion dollars of damage to the global economy.

In the months ahead, global food production could drop precipitously, supply chains could be severely disrupted, and we could witness an endless series of extremely destructive weather disasters…

El Niño tends to slow down global economic growth and cause trillions in losses, primarily due to the fact that it triggers disruptive weather patterns that impact agriculture, infrastructure, and supply chains.

In the years it forms, El Niño triggers wide-ranging changes in weather and climate patterns that result in a potpourri of global disasters, including devastating floods, crop-killing droughts, plummeting fish populations and an uptick in tropical diseases worldwide, experts say.

The strongest El Niño on record was the “Super El Niño” of 1877 and 1878.

That “Super El Niño” was one of the primary reasons why approximately 50 million people starved to death during the Great Famine of 1876 to 1878…

Climate officials added that this El Nino will likely be one of the strongest since 1950, and there is a fear it could match an event from 1877, which triggered severe droughts and crop failures around the world, contributing to more than 50 million deaths globally.

Many climate historians think the 1877 event reshaped world history, and some consider it one of the first ‘truly global climate disasters.’

In 2026, farmers all over the world are already dealing with seemingly endless drought, much higher diesel prices and an unprecedented fertilizer crisis.

Now we are being told that the El Niño that has just formed “could have a multiplier effect on wheat, rice, and corn, which are already at risk due to reduced fertilizer availability”…

“A Super El Niño, combined with the current Middle East conflict and resulting fertilizer shortages, could have a multiplier effect on wheat, rice, and corn, which are already at risk due to reduced fertilizer availability during the planting season,” said Saskia van Gendt, chief sustainability officer with Blue Yonder, a supply chain management company, in an e-mail to USA TODAY. “This will result in near-term shortages and price increases, along with a prolonged impact, since these crops are used as animal feed and in processed foods.”

Yes, there will be shortages and price increases.

The experts keep telling us this, but it just isn’t sinking in for the general population yet.

Some of the tropical areas of the globe that we import a lot of key commodities from will be hit particularly hard by this El Niño…

David Warrick, senior vice president of strategy at Overhaul, a supply chain risk management company, and former head of Microsoft’s Global Supply Chain, told Newsweek that of the imported products that could be impacted, “rice is the most immediate concern,” pointing to Thailand, Vietnam and India as key exporters that are all vulnerable to drought conditions caused by an El Niño.

“After rice, I’d flag coffee, cocoa, palm oil, and sugar—all tropical commodities highly sensitive to El Niño-driven heat and drought,” he added. “For American consumers, that translates to pressure on everyday grocery staples like cooking oils, chocolate, packaged foods, coffee.”

Warrick warned that when major exporters are hit at the same time, “import-dependent countries scramble, and prices spike fast.”

For years, I have been warning that global food supplies were getting tighter and that shortages would be coming.

Now we are here.

In wealthy countries such as the United States, high food prices will go even higher.

In poor countries all over the planet, many of those that are currently hungry will soon be starving, and many of those that are currently starving will soon die.

The number of people in the world that were experiencing acute hunger was already at a record high before the war with Iran even started.

The war took our troubles to a new level, and now a “Godzilla El Niño” threatens to change everything.

The post The “Godzilla El Niño” That Has Now Begun Could Do Trillions Of Dollars Of Damage To The Global Economy appeared first on Activist Post.

Shortages And Rationing Loom As Global Oil Reserves Fall At The Fastest Rate In History

No matter what happens now, the world is facing a very painful energy crisis. Let’s be as wildly optimistic as we possibly can and assume that Iran agrees to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz with absolutely no tolls or restrictions starting tomorrow. Before normal traffic through the Strait could resume, Iran would first have to remove all of the mines that they have laid in the Strait, and that could take months. Once all of the mines have been removed, it will take the tankers that are currently trapped in the Persian Gulf weeks to arrive at their destinations. Moving forward, Persian Gulf countries will be exporting much less oil and natural gas for the foreseeable future because of all the oil and natural gas infrastructure that was damaged or destroyed during the war. It will take years before all of that infrastructure is fully repaired and rebuilt. Meanwhile, global supplies of oil and natural gas will be very tight for an extended period of time.

What I have just laid out for you is the best case scenario.

Ultimately, what we end up facing could be so much worse.

Over the past couple of months, global oil reserves have been falling at the fastest rate ever recorded…

Record inventory draw: Global oil stocks have fallen by 246 million barrels in March-April, with draws in May hitting a record 8.7 million barrels per day.

Hormuz closure impact: The Strait of Hormuz shutdown has cut off 25% of the world’s seaborne oil, compounding already low reserves and boosting prices.

US price outlook: Analysts expect U.S. gasoline prices could reach $5 this summer unless flows resume, with relief unlikely before autumn.

Needless to say, this is not sustainable.

Here in the United States, the strategic petroleum reserve has been dropping at a record-breaking pace…

The SPR’s most recent drawdown, covering the week ended May 22, shows a drop of 9.1 million barrels, leaving the reserves at 365 million barrels. The previous weekly drawdown, covering the week of May 15, was its steepest on record — the U.S. withdrew 9.92 million barrels from the SPR then.

Before that record-breaking decline, the largest weekly drop in the SPR’s history occurred in the week ended Oct. 7, 2022, when the reserves dropped by 7.41 million barrels, and was connected to the war in Ukraine.

Commercial oil inventories are being rapidly depleted as well.

At some point the tanks are going to hit minimum operating levels and we are going to have an enormous crisis on our hands.

The chief economist at Capital Economics is projecting that commercial oil inventories “could reach critically low levels by the end of June”…

“At the current pace of drawdown, commercial oil stocks could reach critically low levels by the end of June,” Neil Shearing, chief economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a research note on May 18.

If supply conditions don’t improve soon, “prices could rise sharply,” Shearing warned.

Jeff Currie is warning that Asia is already very close to minimum operating levels, and he is projecting that the U.S. could potentially be dealing with shortages in July…

Oil markets are nearing minimum operating levels in Asia, with Europe likely next and the U.S. potentially facing shortages by July, said veteran market strategist Jeff Currie on Monday, underscoring the global energy shock due to the Iran war.

Headline global inventory figures can be misleading as much of the oil stored worldwide cannot be used immediately, said Currie, Carlyle’s chief strategy officer of energy pathways and co-chairman of Abaxx Markets.

A large portion of that oil is needed to keep pipelines and storage systems running safely, leaving only a smaller share available for the market. Asia is already close to these so-called “minimum operating levels,” Currie told CNBC on the sidelines of the UBS Wealth Conference in Singapore.

This is really happening.

The Australian government is so concerned about what is ahead that they have already prepared a plan to limit the amount of fuel each vehicle can purchase per day when that becomes necessary…

Contained in documents obtained by Guardian Australian under freedom of information, one option the government had at its disposal to arrest a local fuel supply shortage would be to impose a “maximum transaction value per vehicle per day” – a rationing rule which would limit how much fuel a single vehicle can buy at a service station over a 24-hour period.

If the Strait of Hormuz does not get reopened, we could eventually see similar measures get implemented all over the world.

Of course rationing of motor oil has already started…

Nissan is rationing 5W-30 and 0W-20 Nissan Genuine Motor Oils. Starting this week, Nissan’s stock of these oils has dropped by 30% year-on-year. With only 70% left in the tank, the brand is already taking precautions, sending memos to dealers to manage its stock during the shortage.

The brand will prioritize certain owners, such as those claiming “warranty, extended warranty, recall repairs, goodwill, and prepaid maintenance,” according to Kim Less, the vice president of aftersales at Nissan Americas, in the bulletin addressed to Nissan dealers.

“Given these constraints, it is critical to prioritize the use of Nissan Genuine 0W-20 (and 5W-30, where applicable) for warranty, extended warranty, recall repairs, goodwill, and prepaid maintenance,” Kim Less, vice president of aftersales, Nissan Americas, said in the May 15 bulletin to Nissan dealers.

I would encourage my readers to stock up on motor oil while they still can.

Supplies are only going to get tighter from this point forward.

The pharmaceutical industry is also very dependent on raw materials from the Middle East, and one pharmacist is claiming that the current drug shortage is the “worst I’ve ever known”…

Some people living with heart conditions, stroke risks, eye infections and bipolar disorder are among those unable to get the medications they rely on, a pharmacist has said.

Graham Jones, who owns Shrivenham Pharmacy in Oxfordshire, said vital medication like aspirin was harder to obtain because of surging global prices and government funding which was not keeping up with costs.

Jones said the current medication shortage was the “worst I’ve ever known”.

Personally, I am even more concerned about the global fertilizer shortage.

The UN is telling us that we could be facing a worldwide food crisis that could last for “years”…

The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz risks a global food crisis that could extend for years, the UN warned.

Global fertilizer companies have slashed production over shortfalls of sulphur, required to make many farming inputs; about half of the global supply passed through the strait before the Iran war.

As a result, farmers are likely to produce lower yields in coming harvests. Richer economies like those in Europe are mulling building fertilizer stockpiles, reducing duties on imports, and onshoring production, but poorer ones have limited room to adapt.

I want to be very clear about what lies in front of us.

No matter what happens now, there will be shortages and rationing.

It is just a matter of how intense they will be and how long they will last.

Needless to say, the outlook for the global economy in the months ahead is not promising at all.

We really do have a major crisis on our hands, and it will become a historic nightmare if the Strait of Hormuz does not get reopened soon.

The post Shortages And Rationing Loom As Global Oil Reserves Fall At The Fastest Rate In History appeared first on Activist Post.

Water in Disasters: A Rain Catchment and Treatment System, by Suburban Prepper

Water is essential to all life. The human body can go three weeks without food but only three days without water before completely shutting down. Yet most of us find it much easier to store a year’s worth of food than a month’s worth of water. I live in the suburbs and while I have my beans, bullets and band aids pretty squared away, water has always been an area of concern for me. There is no way to store enough water for a long term outage, and I haven’t found many good options. Recently I have spent more time thinking about this and testing possible options. This article is the result of that.

Water Needs

People need around 1 gallon per person per day just for drinking. For a family of 5, that is 5 gallons per day or 150 gallons per month. At 8 pounds per gallon, that is 1200 pounds of water for the bare minimum for just one month. A year’s supply would be nearly 2000 gallons and 7 tons of water. And that is just the minimum for drinking. Water is also important for sanitation, cooking, flushing toilets, watering gardens, fire fighting and many other things. In our modern world, with water available at the turn of a tap, the average American uses from 60-80 gallons per person per day. In a SHTF situation, we would need to be careful with our water use and try to limit the waste but the true need is likely many times the 1 gallon per day commonly quoted. Realistically, 5-10 gallons per person per day is probably closer to what you need. At 5 gallons per day for a family of 5, that is 9,125 gallons per year or 73,000 pounds. From a storage perspective, this is 1,220 cubic feet of water. That is a cube 12 ft by 12 ft and 8 ft high. That would completely fill a medium sized room from floor to ceiling. Obviously, this is more than the average suburban homeowner can store.

Modern water systems

In my suburb on the outskirts of Minneapolis, our water is pulled from a well over 400 feet deep. Pumps driven by electricity pull water from the ground up to surface level. From there it is chemically treated and filtered to remove pathogens and other contaminants. Then it it pumped into water towers placed around the community and from there, gravity takes it into our homes. In normal times, this means that every time I turn on the tap, step into the shower or flush the toilet, a large, modern system brings clean water right into my house. But if that system fails, we need another way to procure this life-giving resource.

Immediate Actions

If you are home when the balloon goes up and fully understand what is happening, there are several steps you can take to buy time. Start by filling all the bathtubs in your house. Most bathtub drains are not completely watertight so putting some Saran Wrap over the stopper or better yet, using a bathtub bladder in the tub will hold the water longer. The average bathtub holds 50-60 gallons of water. If you have 2 bathtubs, this can give you enough water to flush your toilet 40 times in each bathroom at roughly 1.5 gallons per flush. Next, fill every container you have available with water. I have about a dozen 5 gallon buckets that could be quickly filled with water. I also have a number of 15 gallon totes that I use to store my prepping gear. If a SHTF event happens, I can dump the contents on my basement floor and fill these totes with water. I have several dozen of these and could easily collect several hundred gallons IF I have some awareness of a SHTF event. Any water collected in this time helps extend the time before other solutions are needed.

Long Term

Until recently, other than a case or two of bottled water, this was the extent of my water preps. I assumed (hoped) I would have some awareness of the start of an event and could quickly fill every container available to collect several month’s worth of water for my family as mentioned above. But even if I was able to fill every container in my house, I would eventually run out of water and would need other means to provide for my family. I began to look around my neighborhood for other options to gather water.

Springs: Freshwater springs pour out of the ground. Artesian springs burst out of the ground. We have a large sping about two miles from our house that runs year round and is a local favorite for good clean water. The city actually monitors it and tests for parasites and other contaminants. Driving by, there is usually a line of people waiting to fill jugs at this spring. In a crisis, this may be an option for us to collect fresh water. It is about a two-mile hike and includes a good size hill. If we have a working vehicle, it would be manageable until the fuel ran out. We could also use bikes or a wagon to haul containers of water but it would be a lot of work. The spring would also be a good target for some group to take control of and use access to the water as a means of leverage so this is not something I can count on. You may have a spring near you that you are unaware of. This website can help you locate one: Find A Spring – Locate A Spring

Ponds, Lakes and rivers: I live in a well manicured suburb with numerous drainage and decorative ponds nearby. Unfortunately, none of these is directly adjacent to my property and most are completely bordered by private homes. Additionally, most would be contaminated with all sorts of chemicals from lawn treatments common in our area. Though a filter system could be developed to purify this, I decided it was not my best option and would only be used as a last resort. This water, if easy to obtain, could however be used to flush toilets which would take pressure off other sources of water.

Building interior water: We all know that our water heater holds roughly 40 gallons of water that could be usable in a grid down situation, but many other buildings have a large amount of water in their pipes that can be accessed. Many buildings have spigots on the outside but lack a handle to prevent people from just taking water. Sillcock keys (pictured at tight) are universal keys to these faucets and may give you access to the water held in the building’s pipes. I live in a suburban area and am far from any large buildings so this is not a good option for us.

Rainwater: Depending on your location and time of year, you may be able to harvest rainwater. According to local weather outlets, our area of Minnesota receives an average of 31 inches of precipitation per year. 25 of these inches fall from April through October when it will mostly be rain. The remaining 6 inches fall from November through March when it will more than likely be snow. An inch of rain is roughly equivalent to a foot of snow so that remaining 6 inches of precipitation will fall as 6 feet of snow over the winter months.

(Converting snow to water requires a significant amount of heat energy so winter collection needs to account for this as well). A little math on the amount of water that could be collected. Our house is roughly 40’ by 40’ so an inch of water falling on our house would be approximately 133 cubic feet of water. At about 7.5 gallons per cubic feet, that 1 inch of rain would yield nearly 1000 gallons. Even a small rainstorm could easily produce several hundred gallons of water and we get at least some rain most weeks of the summer. I decided that this would be the main pillar of my water plan. Collecting even 10% of the rainfall that hits my roof each year would be more than enough for my family’s annual need.

Our emergency rain catchment system

I set out to develop a large capacity rain catchment system, that would not be obvious to my neighbors but would supply me with enough water. I didn’t want large rain barrels that neighbors might remember when the SHTF. We have a gutter system on our roof and our downspouts have flip up ends to allow for mowing. These ends will conveniently allow me to place totes or 5 gallons buckets at the end of each downspout to collect the run off. I also have a large tarp (20×30 foot) that I can attach to our deck railing and spread out over the yard to capture rainfall there. With a little creativity, I can set this to funnel water directly into a container, significantly increasing the surface area for collection. An inch of rain, falling on this tarp would yield another 375 gallons (probably slightly less as I would need to angle it down and funnel the middle into a catchment, reducing the total surface area).

This system will allow me to capture a significant amount of water with every rainfall we get. But that water is not safe to drink. Rain water contains micro contaminants including bacteria, pollution particles, micro plastics and other things that are not safe to consume. Additionally, runoff from a shingle roof will pick up contaminants from the asphalt shingles and any other things on the roof (ie bird droppings). The water collected needs to be treated in order to use.

A note about water types: We are used to all our water being safe to drink (potable) and use it interchangeably for drinking, bathing, cooking, washing a car, firefighting etc but the reality is that we don’t need the same level of ‘clean’ for all these use, You can flush a toilet or put out a fire with the dirtiest pond water but you wouldn’t want to drink it. You might be ok to bathe or wash clothes in rainwater as long as you don’t ingest it. I have traveled in many countries around the world and have been in places where they warn you not to drink the tap water, though you can use it for bathing, washing your hands and even brushing your teeth as long as you spit the water out. The point is that we don’t need to treat all water to the same standard. It would be good to think of at least 3 levels of water:

Completely untreated and only safe for flushing, fire suppression and little else – this should still be filtered through cloth or screen to remove debris but is otherwise left as collected. This category includes water collected from dirty ponds, lakes and streams.

Somewhat treated – this is water that is made as clean as possible without chemical or mechanical filter. It should be screened for debris and then possibly allowed to settle, and the cleanest water taken from the top. This can be used for washing clothes, bathing and some cleanup work. This could also be used for any level 1 activities.

Potable water – this receives a full filtering process to make it safe for drinking, cooking and anything else. Of course this water could also be used for anything the level 1 or 2 water could, but it would be a waste of resources to treat all water to that level.

We have different storage containers for the different water levels. Rainwater is collected in 15 gallon black totes. These will be our level 2 water. It will also serve level 1 water needs unless we are in a prolonged drought and need to pull water from local ponds.

To create our level 3 (potable) water, some of the collected rainwater will be placed in 5 gallon buckets and allowed to settle for several days. A spigot has been attached about a third of the way from the bottom of the bucket to draw the water from the top, and leave the settlement in the bottom. Once any contaminants have settled, the water from the top will be drawn off into a new bucket. The remaining third of the bucket will be poured back into the level 2 totes and eventually reprocessed. This water should now be relatively free from any debris but could still have viruses, bacteria and other contaminants and will need to be further treated.

I have purchased and used several types of water filter for camping trips to remote areas where water needed to be filtered. My favorite is the Sawyer 2 L water treatment system. This is a gravity fed filter and the manufacturer says this can treat 1 million gallons of water. I don’t think this exact model is still available but there are many other similar gravity flow filters on the market by other makers such as Katadyn and Life Straw. The Sawyer system uses 2 large bladders with a filter in between. The gray bladder is for the raw water and is hung up high where a line feeds through the filter which then feeds into a blue bladder (for clean water). This allows you to set it up and then let it run on its own to filter the water – no pumping required, gravity does all the work. This can filter roughly 1 liter of water per minute. This would require refilling the gray water bladder every 2 minutes when trying to purify a large quantity of water which adds a lot of manual work.

I wanted a larger system so I avoided the bladders and have a two bucket system to work with this. One bucket has a spigot on the bottom to which I attached the tubing that leads to the filter and then the other (lower) end feeds into another bucket which has a lid with a hole cut just large enough to receive the tubing.

The buckets are labeled “Gray Water” and “Clean Water”. We have a second story deck which is perfect for this set up, though a kitchen counter or a table would also work. I put the Gray Water bucket on top of the deck, run the tubing from the spigot to the filter and then from the filter into the Clean Water bucket on the ground. This allows me to filter 5 gallons of water at a time. At the same 1 liter per minute, I would only need to change buckets every 20 minutes or so and would get 5 gallons of drinkable water. Cleaning several days worth of water could be done in a few hours, while also working on other things.

While this setup is my main plan for water treatment, I also have several other options available.  (“Two is one and one is none.”)

MSR HyperFlow Filter: This is a hand pumped filter that works by dropping tubing at one end into the dirty water and operating a hand pump that forces water through a ceramic filter and out the other end. This device can filter 2.5 liters per minute but I found it difficult to maintain this pace for very long. It takes considerable time and effort but produces water faster than the Sawyer gravity fed system so if you need a limited amount of water in a hurry, this is good to have.

Portable Filters:
We also have a few individual sized filters- more than one of each type for all members of the family.

Sawyer Mini: this is a small filter that screws into a small pouch. The pouch is filled with gray water and you use it like a water bottle and squeeze clean water directly into your mouth.

Life Straw: this is a portable filter that works like a straw. It is a one inch diameter tube with a filter inside. It works by putting one end in the dirty water and sucking the water through the filter like a straw.

These are great to have in a bugout bag or to use if you are traveling somewhere as you can use it to drink from anywhere but it doesn’t allow you to easily clean a large amount of water so it is better for a temporary solution for a single person. I have these in each of our bug out bags but wouldn’t want to depend on them as a main source of water.

Chemical treatment: There are several forms of chemical treatment available, such as “Aqua tabs” or “Portable Aqua”. These are small tabs you drop into a bottle of water and it will kill off harmful bacteria in less than an hour. These are another great item to carry when traveling to treat water found along the way. I have several containers of these as a back up to my backup system.

Boiling: Bringing water to a rolling boil will kill most harmful bacteria, viruses and protozoa. This can be an effective method for treating water that is otherwise free from chemicals. The main drawback of this type of method is the fuel required to do so. In a SHTF situation, having a fire to purify water will sue up scarce wood or propane that is better left for cooking and heating.

Distillation: This is likely the most effective way to purify water as it can also remove many harmful chemicals. This is a system where water is brought to a boil and the steam funneled into a coil where it is allowed to cool and drip into a second container. The resulting water will be free of nearly all contaminants. While this can produce the cleanest water, it is a complicated system to build and would require a lot more fuel than just boiling the water. I would only recommend this for either a situation where the water was heavily contaminated with chemicals or where fuel was incredibly abundant.

JWR Adds: Distilled water should not be used for drinking for more than just a few days. It lacks some trace elements that you body needs to stay healthy.

Closing thoughts

Until recently, water was a big gap in my preps. With this rain catchment and treatment system, I feel I at least have a fighting chance to provide enough water for my family in most foreseeable grid down scenarios. I hope you found it interesting.

Disclaimer: All of the products mentioned here are ones I purchased myself. I did not receive any financial or other incentive to mention any product.

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99 Percent Of CEOs Are Planning AI Job Cuts, And The Gap Between The Rich And The Poor Just Continues To Explode

Our economy is being transformed at a faster pace than we have ever experienced before. Thanks to giant leaps in the field of artificial intelligence, human labor is not as valuable as it once was. All over the world, millions of human workers are being replaced and that trend is only going to accelerate. For those that have already retired or are on the verge of retirement, this isn’t that big of a deal. But for younger workers, this is absolutely terrifying. There is no loyalty in corporate America today. The moment that AI can do your job more efficiently than you can, you could be out the door. This is already happening at some of the biggest companies in the entire country. Good paying jobs are evaporating all around us, and as a result the gap between the wealthy and the rest of us is absolutely exploding.

I knew that the employment marketplace was changing really fast, but the results of a brand new survey that was just released still completely shocked me.

According to that survey, 99 percent of corporate executives are planning AI-related job cuts within the next 2 years…

A new study from consulting firm Mercer finds that virtually every employer is planning to cut jobs due to the technology (2). The 2026 Global Talent Trends report spoke with 825 C-suite leaders, along with 1,650 HR leaders, and a jaw-dropping 99% of the executives surveyed said they expect AI to lead to at least some headcount reduction in the next two years.

Nearly as many (98%) said they are also planning organization design changes in that same time period.

Meanwhile, just 32% of the CEOs surveyed said they believed the workforce can combine both human and machine worker capabilities in an optimal manner, despite just under two-thirds saying they felt that redesigning work to incorporate automation will drive the greatest return on investment.

If your job does not require much thinking or creativity, your job is potentially in danger.

Just look at what is happening at Meta. 1,400 highly paid workers in Washington state are about to get the axe…

Meta’s artificial intelligence overhaul is now hitting one of the country’s largest tech corridors, with the Facebook parent company preparing to cut nearly 1,400 workers across Washington state.

New filings submitted to Washington state officials show Meta will begin terminating employees in Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond and remote positions starting July 22 as the company restructures operations around AI initiatives.

The filings provide one of the clearest looks yet at how Meta’s broader workforce overhaul is affecting employees on the ground after the company announced plans last week to eliminate roughly 10% of its workforce while shifting thousands of workers into AI-focused roles.

Sadly, it isn’t just workers in Washington state that will be affected by the “artificial intelligence overhaul” that they have planned.

Overall, Meta is letting approximately 8,000 workers go in this latest round of layoffs…

Welcome to another day of corporate America hemorrhaging engineers and other white-collar workers with insurmountable student debt as AI adoption accelerates. This era will likely be remembered in history as the great “white-collar purge,” and the response will be continued hatred of data centers.

We’ve been covering for weeks that today is D-Day for Meta Platforms employees, who have finally learned their employment fate at the company that owns Facebook and Instagram.

Bloomberg reports that the new round of layoffs affects roughly 8,000 roles globally, with engineering and product teams expected to be at the center of the cuts as CEO Mark Zuckerberg reduces labor in favor of GPUs.

In this environment, it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how much you have sacrificed for the company.

If those at the top think that they can make more money by squeezing you out, you will be gone.

PayPal is making plenty of money, but they are apparently looking at cutting one-fifth of their entire workforce…

PayPal is reportedly weighing cuts of up to 20% of its workforce as the payments giant ramps up cost-cutting efforts under new leadership.

The potential layoffs come as PayPal faces mounting pressure on profitability despite continued revenue growth.

Who is going to step up to replace the six figure jobs that are being lost?

Needless to say, the truth is that most of the good jobs that are disappearing are never going to be replaced, and that is just going to make the gap between the rich and the poor even worse.

Today we are living in a K-shaped economy, and even the Federal Reserve is admitting that this has resulted in “a remarkable increase in food insecurity”…

The so-called K-shaped economy is now linked to “a remarkable increase in food insecurity,” according to a new blog post by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Large segments of the population are facing high levels of financial strain, according to a post published on Wednesday, based on data from the Survey of Consumer Expectations.

Among this group, lower- and middle-income households have been hardest hit by prolonged inflation. A greater share of their spending is allocated to goods that have seen prices soar since the pandemic, such as housing, food and utilities, causing them to cut back on groceries, the researchers found.

In this environment, tens of millions of Americans are skipping meals on a regular basis because they simply do not have enough money for groceries.

So if you always have plenty of food to eat, you should count your blessings.

In general, those over the age of 45 are doing fairly well.

But those that are age 45 or younger control just 11 percent of the nation’s wealth…

To paraphrase the late jazzman Mose Allison, young Americans ain’t got nothing in the world these days.

Americans ages 45 and under control only 11% of the nation’s wealth, according to household data from the Federal Reserve.

In other words, nine-tenths of America’s assets belong to the older half of America. People ages 45 and over make up about 42% of the nation’s population, and about 54% of the adults.

I was stunned when I saw those numbers.

There is a reason why Americans have never felt as bad about the U.S. economy as they do right now.

Mass layoffs are being conducted all over the country and the cost of virtually everything just keeps going up.

Thanks to the crisis in the Middle East, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States has now reached $4.46…

Now, gasoline prices are also dragging down the lower prong of the K. The national average gasoline price reached $4.46 a gallon as of Wednesday, up about 40% from a year ago, according to AAA.

If the crisis in the Middle East is not resolved soon, things will get a lot worse.

And that is really bad news for people like 57-year-old Kris Massey that are barely scraping by each month…

Kris Massey stood at a jeweler’s counter last month, hoping to sell a couple of her grandmother’s gifted pieces to possibly cover some bills.

Even though Massey, a 57-year-old nurse practitioner, makes six figures a year, her financial situation has grown untenable. Years of fast-rising prices and a recent monthslong bout of unemployment had taken their toll.

She worked two jobs from 2012 to 2023, but a second job is not an option after an extensive back surgery. Her retirement was drained when she was out of work.

“I’m just trying to hang on,” she told CNN.

Can you imagine selling off your prize possessions just so that you can make it through another month?

This is the reality that we live in now.

For 51-year-old Bill Brantner, any extra spending at all has become a thing of the past…

For Brantner, there’s absolutely no wiggle room now.

There’s no discretionary spending – no movies, no restaurants, no driving around town, no new clothes, no new shoes; his coffee is whatever’s available in the breakroom; his bumper is strapped on with Gorilla Tape.

“If I sign a lease again, and they raise my rent again, I can’t do it; if they raise my insurance premiums again, I can’t do it,” Brantner said. “They have squeezed every drop of blood that there is to be squeezed out of this stone.”

Come next May, if his rent is hiked for a fifth consecutive year, he might have to resort to living in his car outside of Colorado Springs city limits, where sleeping in a vehicle isn’t illegal.

The U.S. economy has been in a state of decline for decades.

For a long time, our leaders tried to hide what was happening, but now the truth is becoming apparent to everyone.

Those at the very top of the economic pyramid are still thriving, but virtually everyone else is really struggling.

The middle class is being systematically dismantled and the ranks of the poor are rapidly growing.

I have been warning about all of this since the early days of the Obama administration, and now a time of reckoning is at hand.

The post 99 Percent Of CEOs Are Planning AI Job Cuts, And The Gap Between The Rich And The Poor Just Continues To Explode appeared first on Activist Post.

What Do They Have Planned? Scientists Are Projecting That The Population Of The World Could Fall By 50 Percent By 2064

The global elite have been warning about overpopulation for a long time. Many of them are convinced that humanity is the greatest environmental threat that our planet faces, and so they believe that dramatically reducing the number of people walking around should be a top priority. A number of very twisted measures have been implemented in an effort to advance that agenda, but the population of the globe has continued to grow. Needless to say, this has greatly frustrated population control advocates. The things that they have been doing are not working fast enough, and there are some that are pushing for more extreme measures.

Getting rid of large numbers of people is not easy, but scientists at the University of Milan are projecting that we could see a massive population shift during the years ahead.

In fact, they are claiming that the population of the world could fall by 50 percent by the year 2064…

Earth’s population currently sits at 8.3 billion people – but it could crash within the next 40 years, experts have warned.

Scientists say that, in a worst–case scenario, humanity could potentially be halved by the year 2064.

Could you imagine 4 billion people being erased from the planet in less than 40 years?

The researchers at the University of Milan are saying that their projections are based on a “deliberately conservative” worst case scenario…

‘Under a deliberately conservative worst–case assumption that Earth’s sustainable carrying capacity suddenly dropped to around two billion people, our model predicts a rapid global population decline, with humanity potentially halving by around the year 2064.’

In order to hit the number that they are talking about, billions of people would have to die.

Just think about that.

Ultimately, these researchers are envisioning a world with a “carrying capacity” of just two billion people…

But in a ‘worst–case illustration’ Earth’s carrying capacity could plummet to just two billion, they warned.

This would mean that the maximum number of people our planet could sustain indefinitely would be around a quarter of its current population.

And, in turn, it would trigger a crash which could see the number of people on Earth halved.

So what are some things that could kill billions of people?

As I detailed extensively in my last book, nuclear war and the nuclear winter that follows could kill billions of people.

Widespread global famines could also achieve that goal, and it appears that widespread global famines are rapidly approaching.

But perhaps the easiest way to kill billions of people would be a global pandemic with a very high death rate.

Right now, Bundibugyo virus is spreading like wildfire in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Unlike other forms of Ebola, there is no cure for Bundibugyo virus.

We are being told that it has a death rate of between 25 and 50 percent, and so once you get it there is a very good chance that you will die.

Some of the symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, intense weakness, nosebleeds and vomiting blood.

A lot of people that didn’t take this outbreak seriously are starting to pay attention now that two suspected cases have popped up in Italy…

TWO suspected Ebola cases have been detected in northern Italy in the past 24 hours, triggering a health alert.

A man, 31, and a woman, 33, developed a high fever, nausea, vomiting and intestinal problems – symptoms of the deadly virus – after returning from Uganda.

The cases concern a man from Bulgarograsso and a woman from Lurate Caccivio, had spent three months in the East African country working in humanitarian aid.

Other members of their families were travelling with them, but it is still unclear if they are also presenting with any symptoms.

Hopefully authorities in Italy have isolated those two individual in time.

Because it appears that this version of Bundibugyo virus spreads very easily.

At this stage, we are being told that the outbreak in central Africa “is spreading faster than efforts to contain it”…

The deadly outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, the World Health Organization warned Monday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said those responding to the epidemic were “playing catch-up” because of delays in detecting cases.

Nobody has any idea how many people are actually infected.

And more people are dropping dead with each passing day.

One official with the International Rescue Committee has ominously declared that “warning signs are flashing red”…

“The initial failure to detect this outbreak has allowed it to spread to several areas of Ituri province in northeast DRC, where the first cases were identified, as well as to North Kivu (just to the south of Ituri) and South Kivu provinces, and now Uganda,” the International Rescue Committee, one of the aid groups on the ground, said in a report published on Tuesday.

With cases reported in key population centers such as Goma, the capital of North Kivu, and Kampala in Uganda, there is a significant risk of onward spread of the disease, the group assessed.

“The warning signs are flashing red,” Bob Kitchen, vice president of emergencies for the group, said in a statement.

Global health authorities are openly admitting that they do not have this outbreak under control.

And it certainly does not help that some victims have been running away from treatment centers…

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reported a disturbing new trend of patients fleeing from treatment centers when they come under attack from angry mobs – something that is happening with increasing frequency, as youths in the eastern Congo demand the remains of friends and family be handed over for funerals, in defiance of outbreak protocols.

When victims run back to their family and friends, they are just going to spread the disease to others.

And in some cases, mobs of young people are actually attacking treatment centers…

First on Saturday and again on Sunday, residents of Mongbwalu town in the DRC attacked the Mongbwalu general referral hospital.

Dr Richard Lokodu, medical director of the facility, told Reuters that 18 Ebola patients had fled on Saturday after “unidentified individuals” burned tents, erected by Médecins Sans Frontières, where patients were being isolated.

The hospital came under four waves of attacks on Sunday, he added, by young people mobilised by relatives of a religious leader who died of Ebola. Seven other patients escaped and Congolese police and soldiers had to intervene to restore order.

This is an unmitigated disaster.

Bundibugyo virus is going to spread all over the region, and perhaps that is what was intended.

Can you imagine the panic that we will witness if this horrifying disease starts spreading in the United States?

Authorities have already ordered enhanced screening for anyone entering the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan…

Officials in the US said on Friday that people returning to the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan would need to fly to one of three US airports for screenings: Washington Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.

Bundibugyo virus is not supposed to transmit easily from person to person.

But this version does.

Healthcare workers that have taken extreme precautions are even catching it.

We could potentially be just weeks away from a major global health scare.

I will be watching this outbreak very closely, and I think that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes than we are being told.

The post What Do They Have Planned? Scientists Are Projecting That The Population Of The World Could Fall By 50 Percent By 2064 appeared first on Activist Post.

Americans Have Never Felt This Bad About The U.S. Economy In The Entire History Of Our Country

For much of the nation, it feels like we are in a permanent economic crisis with no end in sight. I have been documenting our long-term economic decline for years, and now we have reached a point where Americans have literally never felt this bad about the state of the U.S. economy. Considering everything that we have been through over the last several decades, that is saying a lot. So how will the American people be feeling if economic conditions continue to deteriorate? We might want to be thinking about that, because all of the long-term trends are taking us in the wrong direction very rapidly.

The University of Michigan has been tracking consumer sentiment for more than 70 years.

On Friday, we learned that the University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded…

American attitudes just hit a milestone of sorts. On Friday, the University of Michigan reported that its index of consumer sentiment fell to the lowest level ever recorded in 70-odd years of surveys.

Sentiment was already low at the start of this year, but it fell sharply after the Iran war began at the end of February and sent gas prices sharply higher.

Until this year, the previous lowest level was in June 2022, when inflation was running at the highest level in decades. Friday’s sentiment reading was 10% below even that number.

“Prices remain extremely high, labor markets have unambiguously weakened in the last four years, and now we’re in the middle of a war,” said Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys for the University of Michigan. “I don’t think the fact that we’re lower than June 2022 should come as a surprise to anyone.”

At this stage, nobody can deny what is happening.

Those at the very top of the economic pyramid are still thriving, but just about everyone else is really hurting.

Since the 1970s, there have been many periods of great economic turmoil, but even during those times Americans felt better about the economy than they do right now…

Indeed, households are feeling worse about their personal finances and the broader state of the economy than they did during the Great Inflation of the 1970s, when the cost of groceries doubled and the government was forced to ration gasoline; the Volcker shock, from 1979 to 1982, when the average interest rate on 30-year mortgages hit 18.6 percent and the country went into devastating back-to-back recessions; the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, when 200,000 firms collapsed, the unemployment rate flirted with 15 percent, and essentials such as infant formula became impossible to find; and the Great Recession, when the stock market lost half its value, the banking system teetered on the brink of implosion, and lenders foreclosed on 6 million homes.

Read that paragraph again and let it really sink in.

Even during our darkest economic moments, Americans always had hope that things would eventually turn around.

Unfortunately, that is no longer true.

According to one financial expert, consumers are now “entrenched in financial stress”…

Americans “are entrenched in financial stress,” Bruce McClary, senior vice president of membership and media relations at NFCC says — the result of elevated prices on top of near-historic highs of consumer debt on credit cards and auto loans.

The nonprofit organization, which provides education and solutions for individuals struggling with their finances, especially debt management, reported a “significant surge” in consumers reaching out for credit counseling, which could be a warning sign for the broader economy, NFCC says. While it’s encouraging to see individuals seeking help before they have run out of options and can’t pay their bills at all, the widespread struggle could be evidence of the overall consumer economy’s health declining, the organization says.

Financial stress has become a permanent part of most of our lives.

Our seemingly endless cost of living crisis is getting even worse, and consumers are drowning in an ocean of debt.

As prices go up and up, our standard of living is steadily going down.

One recent survey asked Americans if they have reduced spending in certain areas or not, and the results were absolutely shocking…

• dining out: 54 percent say yes, while 44 percent say no;
• entertainment or leisure activities like going to movies, shows, or sporting events: 49 percent say yes, while 47 percent say no;
• vacation plans: 48 percent say yes, while 49 percent say no;
• grocery shopping: 43 percent say yes, while 56 percent say no;
• driving: 36 percent say yes, while 60 percent say no.

When close to half the country is reducing spending in multiple areas, that is really bad news for the economy.

In the past, when the economy has started to waver our politicians in Washington have intervened by borrowing and spending more money.

Borrowing and spending money that we do not have provides a short-term economic boost, but it also creates a long-term economic problem.

Now we are trapped in a nightmarish debt spiral, and so any short-term help that our politicians in Washington will be able to provide moving forward will be very limited…

The national debt held by the public, about $31 trillion, is now the size of the U.S. economy, up from 39 percent of the economy in 2008 and 79 percent in 2019. For most of the country’s history, the fact that the economy’s growth rate surpassed the interest rate on the debt enabled us to keep paying our bills.

But as my colleagues and I show in a policy brief for the Stanford Institute of Economic Policy Research, the fiscal outlook today is much more challenging. We concluded that the combination of higher deficits and climbing interest rates raises the risk that borrowing will become more expensive and will push government debt levels to climb relentlessly. This is a debt spiral.

The math is simple and unforgiving. Say both your annual income and your debt equal $100. Suppose you face a 2 percent interest rate but you get a 4 percent raise. You’ll have no problem paying your creditor their $2 in interest from your $4 in added income. But if you swap those rates around, every year puts you further in the hole.

It took decades of incredibly bad decisions to get us into this hole.

Sadly, there is no easy way out.

What this means is that a tremendous amount of pain is ahead.

If you think that economic conditions are bad now, just wait until you see what is coming.

We tried to defy the laws of economics for a long time, but now economic reality is catching up with us in a major way.

The post Americans Have Never Felt This Bad About The U.S. Economy In The Entire History Of Our Country appeared first on Activist Post.

We Are 6 Months From Global Food Shortages Because Farmers Are Facing A Quadruple Whammy Crisis

We have never faced anything quite like this. Diesel fuel and fertilizer have become far more expensive as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, and extreme weather is playing havoc with crops all over the planet. Here in the United States, we just experienced the driest first three months of a year in recorded history. No, that isn’t an exaggeration. Now a “Super El Niño” is coming, and that means that drought conditions are going to get even worse in many areas of the world. The “Super El Niño” of 1877-1878 resulted in widespread droughts that killed more than 50 million people, and now we are being warned that the upcoming “Super El Niño” could be even worse. Our farmers have never faced a “perfect storm” of this magnitude, and global food production is going to be way down in the months ahead.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is publicly warning that a severe global food crisis could strike about 6 months from now if something really dramatic does not happen…

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a severe global food price crisis within six to 12 months unless governments act quickly, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned Wednesday.

Decisions now by farmers and governments on fertilizer use, imports, financing and crop choices will determine whether food prices spike later this year or in early 2027, the agency said.

I don’t know what national governments around the world are supposed to do.

They can’t create fertilizer out of thin air.

Thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran, millions of farmers all over the northern hemisphere didn’t get the fertilizer that they needed for the spring planting season.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo is telling us that as a result “many places in the world will have problems of food shortage” once harvest season arrives…

Food shortages are expected to hit many parts of the world from September or October following a fertilizer production plunge, the U.N. Development Program’s head said on Monday.

“In September, (or) October, many places in the world will have problems of food shortage,” as agricultural production is expected to be much lower following the fertilizer production slump resulting from high oil prices amid Middle East conflicts, UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said in an interview in Tokyo.

Even if fertilizer is available, many farmers simply cannot afford it.

In fact, one recent survey discovered that 70 percent of U.S. farmers could not afford to buy all of the fertilizer that they needed for the spring planting season because it has become so expensive.

Meanwhile, diesel has become painfully expensive as well.

Virtually all farm equipment runs on diesel, and as I write this article the average price of a gallon of diesel in the U.S. is sitting at about five and a half dollars.

But in California, the average price of a gallon of diesel has reached nearly seven and a half dollars…

According to AAA, the average price for diesel fuel in California is about $7.43 per gallon, which is $2.36 higher compared to last year. In Fresno, prices are slightly higher.

“In Fresno, you’re paying about $6.06 for a gallon of regular gasoline, but you’re paying $7.48 for a gallon of diesel,” Johnson said.

You may not care about what is happening in California, but you should because California produces more fruit and more vegetables than any other state by a very wide margin.

Drought is another major problem that U.S. farmers are dealing with.

In West Texas, the cracks in the ground caused by endless drought are big enough to swallow an entire human hand…

Scott Irlbeck crouched in a field of stunted wheat plants in a parched stretch of West Texas and slipped his hand into a crack wide enough to swallow it.

Last autumn, Irlbeck planted a crop that barely grew because rain never came. ​He now hopes his insurance adjuster will declare it a total loss so he will not need to spend money on pricey fuel to harvest it next month.

Coming into this year, the southwestern portion of the nation was experiencing the worst multi-year drought in at least 1,200 years.

And then the first three months of this year were the driest first three months of a year for the entire country ever recorded.

As a result, it is being projected that the winter wheat harvest will be a disaster…

Crop estimates underscore just how bad the situation is. Growers will see their smallest wheat crop in terms of production since 1972, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 1.56 billion bushels this year, down 21% from 2025. That’s especially harmful to Kansas, one of the top overall producers of wheat in the U.S.

This year, only 22 million acres of winter wheat will be harvested, and the abandonment rate is above 32 percent…

Only 32.4 million acres (13.1 million hectares) of wheat were planted this year to begin with, and harvested acreage hit just 22 million, marking abandonment, which is when farmers stop tending to a crop before harvesting, at slightly above 32% of this year’s wheat crop, according to USDA estimates.

Just think about those numbers for a moment.

Our farmers simply gave up on nearly a third of this year’s winter wheat crop.

Wow.

Looking ahead, we are being told that the number of acres of wheat that U.S. farmers are planting in the spring will be the fewest “since record keeping began in 1919”…

U.S. growers were poised to plant the fewest acres of wheat since record keeping began in 1919, as high costs for fertilizer, seeds, and equipment have made it difficult to turn a profit.

In 1919, there were 104 million people living in the United States.

Today, there are more than 340 million people living in the United States.

It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out that we are headed for trouble.

And now a “Super El Niño” is looming…

A “Super El Niño” may be on its way and could impact weather in the United States and worldwide for the next several months.

El Niño is described by the National Weather Service (NWS) as “a state where the water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean near the equator become abnormally warm.” These warmer waters trigger significant weather pattern changes across the globe.

One expert is warning that there is approximately a 50 percent chance that this “Super El Niño” will be the most powerful ever recorded…

“I would suggest there is roughly a 50 per cent chance of the event becoming the strongest in the historical record right now,” Paul Roundy, a professor of atmospheric science at the University at Albany, in the US, told BBC Science Focus. “A few weeks ago, I was suggesting maybe 20 per cent.”

In a previous article, I discussed the fact that the “Super El Niño” of 1877-1878 caused widespread global famines that resulted in the deaths of 50 million people.

So how many will die during the “Super El Niño” that will begin later this year?

According to the UN, the number of people around the world there were experiencing acute hunger was already at an all-time record high even before the war with Iran started.

Now global hunger is spiking, and when people get really hungry they get really desperate.

For example, just check out what is going on in Afghanistan…

Khwaja Ahmad barely gets out a few words before he starts sobbing.

“We are starving. My older children died, so I need to work to feed my family. But I’m old, so no one wants to give me work,” he says.

When a local bakery near the square opens up, the owner distributes stale bread among the crowd. Within seconds, the loaves have been pulled apart, half a dozen men clutching onto precious pieces.

This should break your heart.

One extremely hungry man in Afghanistan says that he is willing to sell his own daughters just so that he will have enough money to buy food…

Abdul Rashid Azimi takes us into his home and brings out two of his children – seven-year-old twins Roqia and Rohila. He holds them close, eager to explain why he’s making unbearable choices.

“I’m willing to sell my daughters,” he weeps. “I’m poor, in debt and helpless.

“I come home from work with parched lips, hungry, thirsty, distressed and confused. My children come to me saying ‘Baba, give us some bread’. But what can I give? Where is the work?”

This is what is already happening.

Six months from now, the level of desperation around the world will be so much worse.

We need the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as soon as possible, but that simply is not going to happen.

The Iranians are never going to give President Trump what he wants, and they are preparing for the next phase of the war…

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed Wednesday that the U.S. is looking to “start a new war,” a report said.

“The enemy’s movements, both overt and clandestine, show that despite economic and political pressure, it has not abandoned its military objectives and is seeking to start a new war,” Ghalibaf said in a statement shared by Iranian media, according to The Times of Israel.

“Close monitoring of the situation in the United States reinforces the possibility that they still hope for the surrender of the Iranian nation,” he reportedly added.

The next chapter of this war is not going to look like the last chapter.

The IRGC is openly telling us that they are ready to attack “in places you cannot even imagine”…

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned on Wednesday that any new attack on the country would provoke them to spread the war beyond the Middle East, raising the stakes of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

In a statement reported by Iranian state media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a powerful military force that answers directly to the country’s supreme leader, said that if “aggression against Iran is repeated,” it would deliver blows “in places you cannot even imagine.”

The Iranians know that they cannot win the war by fighting symmetrically.

So they are going to use asymmetric tools to get the job done.

And some of those asymmetric tools will not be conventional.

When fighting erupts again, I expect things to get really crazy.

What this means is that the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain closed for a long time, and that is really bad news for farmers all over the globe.

The post We Are 6 Months From Global Food Shortages Because Farmers Are Facing A Quadruple Whammy Crisis appeared first on Activist Post.

Fact Or Fiction: Is There Going To Be A Motor Oil Shortage In The United States?

There have been persistent rumors that industry insiders are bracing for a widespread shortage of motor oil. Are these rumors accurate? I decided that I was going to investigate this and discover the truth. Unfortunately, I have very bad news. Multiple sources within the industry are confirming that we are facing much higher prices and physical shortages of certain products if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened soon.

I realize that what I have just shared is not welcome news, but it isn’t going to do any good to stick our heads in the sand.

According to Axios, supply chains for lighter-viscosity synthetic oils are particularly vulnerable, and one industry insider is warning that “actual shortages are starting to appear”…

• Industry groups and analysts say lighter-viscosity synthetic oils — including 0W-8, 0W-16 and certain 0W-20 grades commonly used in newer vehicles — are most vulnerable to disruption.
• “Actual shortages are starting to appear” for some synthetic oil products, Amanda Hay, global lead for base oils at ICIS, told Axios, adding that “security of supply is the chief concern for industry players.”

What we are experiencing now is the leading edge of this crisis.

An internal memo that was apparently meant for AutoZone stores in the Southeast region got leaked to the public, and it is causing a great deal of concern…

Over the past week, reports about looming motor oil shortages have started popping up from multiple directions. The most pointed of them surfaced today, when a person posted what looks like an internal memo to the Southeast region of AutoZone stores.

In the memo, the writer says, “Realistic, middle-of-the-road estimates are for our average available supply in this product category [lubricating fluids] to drop by 40%.” That figure continues to pop up, and it basically means one thing. Oil changes, transmission fluid changes, really anything that lubricates your car is about to get more expensive. We reached out to AutoZone for comment, but haven’t received a reply at the time of writing.

So far, AutoZone has not confirmed or denied that the memo is real or not.

But what local repair shop owners are hearing appears to confirm that big trouble is brewing…

Shops on the ground are already bracing for it. Speaking to a local repair store here in Little Rock, Arkansas, a general manager tells Carscoops that “They are being very secretive about all that. They say the price is for sure gonna go up, but they don’t know how the mainline volume will be affected yet.”

Another shop owner in DC said on Monday that Mobil and Shell informed Costco and Walmart that they’re out of product to ship. Later that same day, he posted what appears to be a bulletin focused on managing supply chain issues. Guidance included partially substituting 0W-8 oil with 0W-16 and then doing the same for 0W-16 with 0W-20. These are just the most recent and easily accessible examples of the current concern.

What I have shared so far is certainly alarming enough.

But now Toyota and Nissan are both openly warning their service departments that shortages are on the way…

Rising fuel prices are not the only petroleum-related problem facing drivers this summer. According to internal service bulletins reportedly tied to Toyota and Nissan, automakers are now preparing for potential shortages of certain motor oils as global supply chain pressure spreads beyond gasoline and diesel.

The issue primarily affects low-viscosity synthetic oils like 0W-8 and 0W-16, which are commonly used in newer hybrid and fuel-efficient engines. These lightweight oils have become increasingly important as automakers chase tighter emissions standards and better fuel economy numbers, especially in hybrid-heavy lineups like Toyota’s.

Toyota is instructing their dealers to temporarily substitute heavier oil grades if necessary…

According to the leaked Toyota bulletin, the company warned service departments that 0W-8 and 0W-16 oils could become difficult to source due to production and logistics constraints affecting the petrochemical industry.

To manage inventories, Toyota reportedly instructed dealers to occasionally substitute heavier oil grades for certain service intervals. The guidance specifically notes that these substitutions are intended only as temporary measures rather than permanent changes to maintenance schedules.

And it is being reported that Nissan is warning their dealers to “expect oil allocations limited to roughly 55% of prior-year supply levels”…

Nissan’s draft bulletin reportedly warned dealers to expect oil allocations limited to roughly 55% of prior-year supply levels. The company later confirmed the authenticity of the document, although it stated the memo itself had not yet been officially distributed across the dealer network.

The shortage concerns are not isolated to one automaker, either. Nissan’s customer communication draft specifically stated the supply issue is affecting the entire automotive industry rather than only Nissan-branded service departments.

Clearly, there is widespread expectation that at least certain types of motor oil will be in short supply throughout the rest of this year.

So I would encourage you to stock up while you still can.

Meanwhile, the largest budget airline in Europe is bracing for an “Armageddon situation” due to a looming shortage of jet fuel…

Europe’s biggest budget airline has warned weaker carriers could collapse under soaring jet fuel costs as the industry braces for what one executive described as a possible ‘Armageddon situation’.

Ryanair finance chief Neil Sorahan said the airline has contingency plans in place as fears grow over fuel shortages and surging oil prices linked to instability in the Middle East and disruption risks around the Strait of Hormuz.

‘Do we have plans for some kind of Armageddon situation? Of course we do,’ Sorahan told CNBC.

I don’t think that this will be a major problem in the United States yet.

Asia and Europe will be the first to experience a serious lack of jet fuel.

But one thing we are already experiencing in the United States is much higher gasoline prices…

US gas prices have gone up, and up, and up since the country bombed Iran in late February. In March, I reported that the average price of gas in the country had gone up from $2.89/gallon to $3.48/gallon. Now, the average price of gas in the US is $4.517/gallon. That’s a 56% increase in the price of gasoline since the US bombed Iran!

Read the last sentence of that quote again.

A 56 percent increase in just a matter of weeks is insane.

Sadly, things will only get worse if the fighting in the Middle East resumes.

Retired Army General Jack Keane has close ties to the Trump administration, and he just told Fox News that “we’re on the cusp of going back into military operations”…

“Where are we? The president has exhibited a huge amount of patience here since the ceasefire on April the 8th. And we’ve tried to work a deal with these guys, and it just doesn’t seem possible. And where we are, we’re on the cusp of going back into military operations. When we stopped. Bill and Dana, we had two weeks to go, a little less than 30% of the targets. Those targets remain, but we have better intelligence now, after these five, six weeks. So that target list is expanded. It’s considerably more comprehensive,” he continued. “It’ll be a combined operation with the United States and Israel going full throttle, all out, no half measures here whatsoever. And when those target lists are complete and they will consist of the rest of the weapons that are remaining, to indicate some of what you just mentioned, to include what remains of nuclear, and also all the organizations that sustain the regime. We have better intelligence on locations and other things associated with that, and certainly they’re going to be a comprehensive target list in of itself, and then a grouping of targets that really deal with all of Iran’s revenue sources to force an economic collapse of the regime. Obviously, Kharg Island blockade is having significant impact. But this attack will even further aggravate their ability to gain revenue source. Without revenue, it’s hard to see how this regime can survive. So we put it on a path.”

I believe that General Keane is correct.

I believe that we are right on the brink of more fighting.

On Sunday, President Trump reportedly met with his national security team in the White House Situation Room…

Axios’s Barak Ravid broke the news amid a flurry of new speculation that President Donald Trump will likely move toward resumed military operations against Iran this week if the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit hub, is not swiftly reopened.

“U.S. officials say President Trump wants a deal to end the war, but is considering resuming it due to Iran’s rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program,” Ravid reported, citing U.S. officials.

Trump warned on Sunday that “the clock is ticking” for Iran to make a deal and threatened “there won’t be anything left of them” if they don’t do so “FAST.” Axios also broke the news on Sunday that Trump will meet with his top national security officials in the White House Situation Room to discuss the next steps in possibly resuming the war. Ravid added in his report: “The senior U.S. official said that if Iran doesn’t shift its position, the U.S. will have to continue the negotiations ‘through bombs.’”

Also on Sunday, Trump posted the following map on his Truth Social account…

What are Iranian leaders thinking when they see something like that?

If there was any hope left for a peace agreement, Trump should not be posting an image that suggests that Iran is about to be attacked from all sides.

On Monday, Trump posted a message on his Truth Social account which openly admitted that he had been planning to order an attack on Iran on Tuesday…

Of course the truth is that there isn’t going to be a deal.

The Iranians are not even willing to talk about their nuclear program at this point, and they are insisting that the U.S. agree to five key demands before they will even sit back down at the table…

1. Ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon
2. Lifting all sanctions
3. Releasing frozen Iranian assets
4. Compensation for war damages and losses
5. Recognition of Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz

President Trump will never agree to these demands.

And the Iranians will never give President Trump what he wants.

So it appears to be inevitable that more military conflict is coming, and the Iranians are warning that they have new “surprises” in store for us…

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday that Tehran is continuing to “pursue diplomacy with seriousness,” but that the Islamic Republic “will not be subdued by contradictory behavior and threats from the opposing side.”

“We are fully prepared for every scenario,” he said, warning that, “in the event of any reckless action we will respond with full strength, and I assure you that our armed forces will definitely have new ‘surprises’ for the enemy.”

The bottom line is that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to be reopened any time soon.

So there will be rationing and there will be shortages.

And the entire global economy is entering a major downturn.

We really are facing a nightmare scenario, and most of the general population still has no clue.

The post Fact Or Fiction: Is There Going To Be A Motor Oil Shortage In The United States? appeared first on Activist Post.

If You Think Prices Are High Now, Just Wait Until The Shortages Really Start Kicking In

On Monday morning, the front page of the Drudge Report featured a very alarming two word headline in all capital letters: “INFLATION ACCELERATES”. Of course that headline was 100% accurate. Prices are rising and our seemingly endless cost of living crisis is beginning to accelerate once again. I have heard from many of you that are not happy with what economic conditions are like now, and you are really not going to be happy with what is going to happen during the months to come. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has already begun to create shortages all over the globe. As the months roll along, those shortages will steadily intensify. That is going to directly affect our cost of living, because the law of supply and demand tells us that when there is less stuff to buy prices go up. So the truth is that inflation will go to an entirely new level once the shortages caused by the crisis in the Middle East really start kicking in.

Needless to say, in many industries prices have already risen to absolutely absurd levels.

This week, I was stunned to learn that a large bucket of chicken at KFC now costs close to 50 bucks…

When I was growing up, KFC was a place where you could feed your family inexpensively.

But now only the wealthy can afford to go to KFC on a regular basis.

These days, many families just stay home and don’t go much of anywhere because the price of gasoline is so high…

Amid concerns over the economic fallout from the war, the average price of gasoline in the United States has climbed to more than $4.55 per gallon, up more than $1.50 since the war began.

Where I live, many people are spending over a hundred dollars just to fill up their vehicles a single time.

But in California things are much worse.

Some residents of Los Angeles are now paying more than 8 dollars for a gallon of gasoline, and the outlook for the months ahead is extremely bleak because politicians in California have been thumbing their noses at our domestic oil industry for years…

A supertanker docked in Long Beach just delivered California’s last incoming shipment of Middle Eastern oil, a grim milestone for drivers already paying the nation’s highest fuel prices.

After the New Corolla fully discharges its Iraqi oil at the berth, another tanker carrying Middle Eastern crude won’t dock in California until months after the Strait of Hormuz waterway reopens, according to market intelligence firms Vortexa and Kpler.

For California, the economic pain of the Iran war will last well beyond the arrival of the next tankers. U.S. drillers have fled the state and dozens of refineries have closed since the mid-1980s, forcing California to import 75% of the oil it consumes. Almost one-third of that comes from the Middle East, making California more reliant on crude-oil shipments from Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates than any other U.S. state.

When fuel shortages begin to pop up in the United States, it is likely that they will start in California.

But that won’t happen right away.

Asia and Europe will experience supply shocks before we do, and Eric Nuttall is warning that we could start to see oil rationing “within weeks”…

Energy expert and investor Eric Nuttall predicted in early May that the world was heading toward what may be the “largest energy crisis in modern history,” one that could spark oil rationing “within weeks” – and with the two-week mark now fast approaching, observers across the political spectrum began expressing alarm on Monday.

“We’re not talking months or quarters. In the next couple of weeks, you will have to rationalize demand by more than during COVID,” Nuttall told Bloomberg on May 1. “This is by far the biggest energy crisis that anybody alive is experiencing. There remains a lot of apathy in the market, because I just don’t think people can wrap their heads around it.”

I very much agree with that last sentence.

It truly is difficult for a lot of people out there to wrap their heads around what is about to happen.

But the truth is that the pain has already begun.

On Sunday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his country that it is time to start conserving fuel and fertilizer…

India on Sunday became the latest country to call for sacrifices, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking his country’s 1.4 billion residents to conserve fuel and fertilizer, two essential goods usually shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. He also told them to cut back on foreign travel.

Over the past couple of months, the world has been running an oil deficit.

We have been able to keep things going by running down our inventory levels and our strategic reserves, but now we are rapidly approaching a breaking point.

There simply is not going to be enough fuel for everyone, and supplies of jet fuel are particularly low…

Growing anxieties around the jet fuel shortage caused by the Iran war have rocked the travel industry.

Tony Fernandes, chief executive of Air Asia, said last week: “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid […] but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times — this is much worse.”

It comes after supplies for jet fuel have tumbled to their lowest level since records began, as the war blocks crucial shipping lanes for fuel.

Of course we will soon be facing very serious shortages of other vital commodities as well.

In fact, such shortages have already started to emerge…

Also in India, some restaurants have warned they’ll be forced to close due to a shortage of cooking gas, and factories in the country’s plentiful ceramics industry have halted production as natural gas shortages impact kiln operations.

Qatar, which accounts for about one-third of the world’s helium supply, stopped producing helium in March after Iranian strikes hit two liquid natural gas facilities, and the resulting shortage threatens the operation of MRI machines and the manufacturing of artificial intelligence chips, smartphones and electric vehicles.

Also needed for AI chip manufacturing is tungsten, a metal with extreme heat resistance and electrical conductivity that also makes it critical for armor-piercing munitions, which the U.S. and Israel are using quickly in the war, burning through American tungsten stocks.

The war is also heavily impacting the world’s supply of sulfur, much of which comes from Persian Gulf oil refineries, which is used across industries to grow food, make toothpaste, balance drink flavors and treat municipal water.

If the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened soon, we will be facing the greatest global supply chain shock that any of us have ever experienced.

I do not say that lightly.

The commodities that come out of the Middle East are absolutely essential to the functioning of the global economy.

Now thousands upon thousands of intricate supply chains are being disrupted, and conditions are going to continue to get worse every single day that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

The post If You Think Prices Are High Now, Just Wait Until The Shortages Really Start Kicking In appeared first on Activist Post.

More Than 80% Of Young Adults Believe That The Economy Is “Bad” Or “Terrible” And We Are Seeing The Consequences All Over America

Decades of economic decline have brought this country to a breaking point. The vast majority of the population is barely scraping by from month to month as prices continue to rise, thousands of stores and restaurants close, foreclosures spike to alarming levels and the middle class continues to shrink. Now the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz threatens to make things a whole lot worse, and a lot of people are justifiably concerned about what this will mean for their futures.

Our young adults are being hit particularly hard. If you purchased a home 20 or 30 years ago, you are insulated from what is really going on out there. Housing costs are more unaffordable than ever, and many young people have completely given up on the dream of homeownership. Meanwhile, the employment market has gotten very tight, and this is especially true for entry-level jobs.

Do you know anyone under the age of 40 that is doing really well in this economy?

Yes, there are some exceptions, but in general our young adults are really struggling.

As a result, homelessness is at record levels and hordes of drug addicts are roaming the streets of our major cities.

If you doubt this, just check out this video that shows what has happened to the once great city of Los Angeles.

It was once a playground for the rich and famous, but now it has been transformed into a rotting, decaying hellhole.

It is undeniable that most of our young adults hate this economy.

In fact, a new survey that was just released found that a whopping 84 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 believe that economic conditions in the U.S. are either “bad” or “terrible”…

A recent survey by Generation Lab found that more than 8 in 10 young adults rate economic conditions in the U.S. as either bad or terrible.

The survey, conducted April 26-29, found that 55 percent of 546 respondents ages 18-24 said they view the economy as bad, while 29 percent said it was terrible.

The same survey discovered that 81 percent of Americans between the ages of 25 and 29 believe that economic conditions in the U.S. are either “bad” or “terrible”…

As for those in the 25-29 age range, 52 percent of 266 such respondents said the economy was bad. About 3 in 10 respondents said it was terrible, for a combined percentage of 81 percent that view the economy negatively.

This is what a long-term economic collapse looks like.

Many people have had their heads in the sand for years, but meanwhile economic conditions have continued to deteriorate all around us.

A different survey that polled American adults of all ages found that 78 percent of us do not feel financially secure at this stage…

A new Intuit Credit Karma/Harris Poll study found that 78% of Americans don’t feel financially secure, even if they’ve been saving and playing by the rules.

Moreover, nearly 3 in 4 Americans (72%) shared that their current financial standing makes them feel like they will never have enough money to achieve the American dream.

Let’s get real.

These numbers didn’t suddenly appear in a vacuum.

The truth is that our standard of living has been declining for a very long time.

I am about to share something with you that is absolutely shocking.

One man recently shared his paystub that shows what he brings home every two weeks.

After taxes, healthcare and child support, his net pay after working 85 hours is just $163.02…

How is he supposed to live on that?

I am so frustrated with those that think that everything is going to be just fine.

The number of foreclosure filings in the U.S. skyrocketed in 2025, and in the first quarter of this year they were 26 percent above last year’s blistering pace…

The Wall Street Journal reported that data from Attom shows the number of U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing has trended up to nearly 119,000 in the first quarter, an increase of 26% from the same period last year.

That figure is the highest since the first quarter of 2020, when mortgage relief measures implemented to mitigate the economic impact of COVID shutdowns led to a steep decline in foreclosures.

Unfortunately, the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is making things even worse.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in California is now up to $6.114…

California gas prices have climbed to eye-watering levels, with one rural county emerging as one of the most expensive fuel markets in the United States.

Mono County, a remote area in eastern California just east of Yosemite National Park, is seeing average prices close to seven dollars per gallon, according to AAA data. That compares with a statewide average of $6.114 per gallon and a national average of $4.457.

As I discussed yesterday, some residents of Los Angeles are now paying more than 8 dollars a gallon.

Higher gasoline prices will mean that Americans have even less discretionary income to play around with.

Some restaurant chains are already feeling this…

Wingstop, a chicken-wing chain that touts its affordability, said that higher fuel prices contributed to an 8.7% decline in quarterly same-store sales.

The chain’s CEO, Michael Skipworth, said Wednesday on a call with investors that it was “extremely difficult for anyone to predict this macro environment,” adding that he expects shrinking sales over this year in part because of expectations that gas prices will remain high.

This is not something that may or may not happen someday.

This is happening right now, and we are witnessing the consequences all over America.

In Los Angeles, rampant social decay has become a way of life…

Reality star-turned-Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt shared a devastating must-see campaign advertisement on X, showing how dire the situation is in LA under Democrat leadership.

The somber video, titled “City of Angels, Fallen – Part 1,” uses a rapid montage of raw street footage, news clips, and on-screen text to show just how far Los Angeles has declined under Karen Bass and Democrats, noting, “business as usual is a death sentence.”

Included in the video are stark images of homeless camps, a person lying unconscious or asleep on a dirty sidewalk next to trash bags, a sandwich on a plate, scattered belongings, and individuals who appear to be in the throes of drug abuse.

How could we have allowed this to happen?

According to Pratt, there are 70,000 drug addicts that are roaming the streets…

Speaking on fire recovery, Pratt notes, “The city failed everyone. The insurance companies failed everyone.”

He continues, “Mothers who want to go to the park but don’t want to inhale fentanyl from the 70,000 drug addicts that the Mayor currently let’s live on our streets.”

Of course this isn’t just happening in Los Angeles.

In Seattle, street violence has become so common outside of one McDonald’s restaurant that it has become known as “McStabby’s”…

Two thugs were caught on video viciously beating an elderly man outside of ‘America’s scariest McDonald’s.’

The Seattle restaurant is so dangerous it is nicknamed ‘McStabby’s’, and bans customers from going inside due to constant mayhem.

In the latest chaotic scene, two men were seen standing on the street outside the eatery around 10pm on April 19 when a frail 77-year-old man walked towards them.

The two men then approached the victim before one struck him in the head.

Needless to say, it isn’t just old men that are being viciously attacked for no reason.

One very unfortunate 33-year-old man is on the verge of death after being hit in the head with a hammer more than a dozen times…

A 33-year-old Seattle man is fighting for his life after his mother says a stranger repeatedly hit him in the head with a hammer in an unprovoked assault.

Lisa Driscoll is calling for justice after her son, 33-year-old George Miller, was beaten repeatedly with a hammer just after midnight Monday outside the Renaissance Hotel. She says a stranger hit him in the head more than a dozen times.

“It was an evil, brutal, unprovoked, horrific attack,” Driscoll said. “Someone who was reported to appear to be hunting to attack someone crossed over, took a hammer out of their backpack and started beating him over the head repeatedly.”

Whether we like it or not, this is our country now.

We have raised an entire generation of young people that is simply not equipped to deal with very harsh economic conditions.

Sadly, economic conditions are only going to get harsher.

It is time to wake up, because a nightmare scenario really is upon us.

The post More Than 80% Of Young Adults Believe That The Economy Is “Bad” Or “Terrible” And We Are Seeing The Consequences All Over America appeared first on Activist Post.

A Flashing Red Warning Signal: In California, Gasoline Is 6 Now Dollars A Gallon And Diesel Is Now 7 Dollars A Gallon

You have probably noticed that gasoline is starting to become extremely expensive. That is really bad news for all of us, because our entire way of life depends on cheap energy. We can’t make stuff without energy. We can’t move stuff without energy. That is why the cost of energy directly affects the cost of everything else. In fact, energy is literally the foundation of our entire economy. If we have cheap energy we will have a high standard of living. If we do not have cheap energy we will not have a high standard of living. It really is that simple.

Prior to the war with Iran, energy prices were quite low, but now everything has changed.

Oil production in the Persian Gulf has dropped by 57 percent from pre-war levels, and hardly any oil and natural gas have been getting through the Strait of Hormuz over the past couple of months.

As a result, energy prices are soaring all over the world.

Here in the United States, the average price of a gallon of gasoline just hit $4.30…

Gasoline prices nationwide surged 27 cents over the past week as oil prices spiked. Drivers paid $4.30 per gallon on average across the U.S. Thursday, compared to $4.03 a week ago.

In late February, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States was less than 3 dollars a gallon.

At this point, U.S. consumers are paying $1.32 more per gallon than they did just prior to the war.

If the conflict with Iran is not resolved quickly, things will get a lot worse.

In order to get an idea of where things could be headed, just look at what is going on in California.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in California just reached $6.01…

California gasoline prices hit $6 per gallon on Thursday, a 30% increase since the U.S. and Israel launched the war against Iran in late February.

Drivers in California are paying the most in the nation at $6.01 per gallon on average, according to data from AAA.

A 30 percent increase in two months is crazy.

But this is the reality that we are living in now.

Before the war began, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in California was just $4.64.

This just shows how rapidly conditions can change.

Needless to say, the price of diesel has been going up even faster.

In California, it is up a whopping 47 percent since the beginning of the war…

Diesel, meanwhile, cost about $7.50 per gallon on average in California on Thursday, a 47% increasse since the war broke out on Feb. 28. Diesel is essential for the economy because the fuel is used by trucks and trains to deliver all the goods that consumers buy.

If prices for gasoline and diesel remain at these elevated levels, it will be very painful, but we can survive this.

But what will happen if oil prices continue to skyrocket?

On Thursday, the price of Brent crude actually hit $126 a barrel before falling back…

Oil prices surged to a wartime high Thursday, with Brent crude, the international benchmark, topping $126 a barrel as concerns grew that the Iran war will drag on, tightening global energy supplies.

We are being warned that the price of oil could easily reach 150 dollars a barrel if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened quickly.

Unfortunately, it does not appear that is going to happen any time soon.

So I am encouraging everyone to prepare for an extended crisis.

Literally just about everything is going to become more expensive.

And that is really bad news, because a survey that was conducted before the war ever began discovered that more than half of all Americans were struggling to pay their bills on time each month…

A separate survey of 5,000 Americans, conducted by Talker Research for Current in December 2025, adds context to how raw the financial picture looks. In that study, 87% of respondents said the country is in a crisis because of how unaffordable life has become. More than half (52%) said they struggle to pay their bills on time each month, and 50% said they’ve had difficulty affording groceries.

Please read that paragraph again.

That was where we were at prior to the war with Iran.

Needless to say, substantially elevated energy prices will make our affordability crisis a great deal worse.

Of course it isn’t just U.S. consumers that are being affected by this.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning that “the whole of humanity is paying the price” and that we are now facing the “specter of global recession”…

The head of the United Nations warned Thursday of the “specter of global recession” if the U.S.-Iran war doesn’t end soon, imploring both sides to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and “let the global economy breathe again.”

Speaking to journalists in New York, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that despite the “fragile ceasefire” between the U.S. and Iran, the consequences of their ongoing standoff in the Strait of Hormuz “grow dramatically worse with each passing hour.”

“As with every conflict, the whole of humanity is paying the price,” he said. “The pain will be felt for a long time to come.”

I normally do not agree with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about anything.

But in this case, he is right on target.

If the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen soon, there is no way that we are going to avoid a major global economic downturn.

Guterres is also claiming that 45 million people living on this planet could soon fall into “extreme hunger”…

If the constraint on shipping through the strait “drags on through midyear,” he said 32 million people would fall into poverty and 45 million “into extreme hunger,” he said.

According to the UN, the number of people experiencing acute hunger was already at an all-time record high even before the war with Iran started.

Now we are facing the worst fertilizer crisis in history. If you have not read the breakdown that I published about this earlier in the week, please go back and read it now.

There are so few prominent voices that are telling the truth about this.

The spring planting season in the northern hemisphere is going to be a disaster, and six to nine months from now global food shortages are going to hit us like a freight train.

Food prices will rise to shocking levels in wealthy nations, and there will be widespread famines in impoverished nations.

We desperately need the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened immediately, because we really are heading into an unprecedented nightmare.

The post A Flashing Red Warning Signal: In California, Gasoline Is 6 Now Dollars A Gallon And Diesel Is Now 7 Dollars A Gallon appeared first on Activist Post.

The Global Oil Crisis Just Escalated To A New Level And U.S. Farmers Are Planting The Fewest Acres Of Wheat Since Records Began In 1919

Every single day that the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the damage that is being done to the global economy is getting even worse. But the full consequences of the global oil crisis that we are facing will not be felt for a while because nations all over the globe are still running through their strategic oil reserves. And the full consequences of the global fertilizer crisis that we are facing will not be felt until harvest season. So don’t judge the severity of this emergency by what we are experiencing at this moment, because the truth is that what we are experiencing at this moment is just the very small tip of a very large iceberg.

This week, it appears that more people out there are starting to understand that the Strait of Hormuz is not going to be reopened any time soon.

On Wednesday, President Trump explained that he is not going to lift the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports until Iran agrees to give up their nuclear program…

US President Donald Trump told Axios that he would keep Iran under a naval blockade until Tehran agreed to a deal addressing US concerns over its nuclear program.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing,” Trump was quoted as saying. “They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can’t have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said Iran wanted a deal to lift the blockade, but added he did not want to do so unless Tehran was prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“They want to settle. They don’t want me to keep the blockade. I don’t want to [lift the blockade], because I don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

But Iran is not going to give up their nuclear program.

In fact, a member of Iran’s Supreme Council of Experts has stated that it is “forbidden to hold any negotiation on the right to enrich uranium”…

Ahmad Kaveibi, member of Iran’s Supreme Council of Experts:

“It is forbidden to hold any negotiation on the right to enrich uranium. This issue falls outside the negotiation’s framework. This contradicts the position of the Supreme Leader and is forbidden from a jurisprudential standpoint.”

Over and over again, Iran has steadfastly refused to even negotiate about their “right” to enrich uranium.

But Trump seems to be convinced that if he just puts enough pressure on the Iranians they will eventually change their minds.

We shall see.

The Iranians know that midterm elections are looming in the United States, and so the clock is ticking for Trump.

If the Democrats take control of both houses of Congress, they would likely force Trump to end the blockade and leave Iran alone.

So from an Iranian point of view, all they have to do is hold out until the end of the year and they win.

Meanwhile, the global economy just continues to suffer.

Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopened tomorrow, it would still take up to 6 months to fully clear all of the mines that have been laid…

It could take six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines deployed by the Iranian military, and any such operation is unlikely to be carried out until the U.S. war with Iran ends, the Pentagon has informed Congress — an assessment that means the conflict’s economic impact could extend late into this year or beyond.

A senior Defense Department official shared the estimate, which has not been previously reported, during a classified briefing Tuesday for members of the House Armed Services Committee, said three officials familiar with the discussion. The timeline — met with frustration by Democrats and Republicans alike, two of these people said — is perhaps the clearest sign that gasoline and oil prices could remain elevated long after any peace deal is reached.

And it isn’t just a matter of restoring the flow of traffic through the Strait.

Oil production in the Persian Gulf region is down 57 percent from pre-war levels.

Thanks to damage that has already been done during this war, it will literally take years for production to return to 100 percent.

The head of the International Energy Agency is warning that we are facing “the greatest energy security crisis in history”…

Fatih Birol, chief executive of the International Energy Agency, has called the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz “the greatest energy security crisis in history”, insisting it is “more serious” than the previous energy shocks in 1973 (when some Arab states imposed an oil embargo on the West), 1979 (caused by the Iranian revolution) and 2022 (Ukraine) “put together”.

In a book that I authored during the early part of 2025, I discussed the fact that a great conflict in the Middle East would cause oil prices to rise dramatically.

And that is precisely what has occurred.

On Wednesday, oil prices rose to the highest levels that we have seen during this war so far…

Oil prices jumped more than 6% on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump said he will maintain the U.S. naval blockade against Iran until they agreed to a nuclear deal.

International benchmark Brent crude futures rose more than 6% to $118.33 per barrel by 12:10 p.m. ET, U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures also advanced more than 6% to $106.37 per barrel.

If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, this will only be just the beginning.

A lot of people are freaking out because the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States is now well above 4 dollars a gallon…

U.S. gas prices have hit a fresh record since the start of the war with Iran, rising to an average nationwide of $4.23 per gallon Wednesday, according to the motor club AAA.

The grim milestone comes as oil prices have surged higher over the past week amid a dual blockade by the U.S. and Iran of the Strait of Hormuz, the key chokepoint in the region for transiting crude and petroleum-based products out of the Persian Gulf.

If people are freaking out now, what will they do when the price of gasoline goes much higher?

Meanwhile, we are also facing the worst global fertilizer crisis in history by a very wide margin…

More than half of the Middle East’s urea output may have been lost since the start of the Iran conflict, which is continuing to disrupt fertilizer flows from the region and threatening global food inflation.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked shipments of urea, a key component in nitrogen fertilizers, leaving large volumes stranded in the Gulf and tightening supplies for farmers around the world. At the same time, Iranian drone attacks on nations including Qatar and Bahrain have damaged energy and industrial infrastructure, hindering production of the chemical itself.

That has forced urea manufacturers in the region to curb operations, with 55% to 60% of output potentially halted, according to consultancy CRU Group.

Without sufficient supplies of nitrogen fertilizer, we can’t even come close to growing enough food to feed everyone on this planet.

In other words, we really are facing a scenario in which large numbers of people in impoverished nations could end up starving.

At the same time, U.S. wheat farmers are facing the worst drought in the heartland of America since the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s…

U.S. wheat futures rallied to the highest in nearly two years Tuesday, as drought in U.S. Plains wheat fields pressures yields while soaring fertilizer costs have caused farmers to trim planting of nutrient-intensive crops such as grains.

CBOT wheat futures surged after the latest Crop Progress report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said only 30% of the winter wheat crop is in good or excellent condition as of April 26.

The amount of winter wheat that gets harvested this year is going to be very disappointing.

Looking ahead, it is being projected that the number of acres of wheat that U.S. farmers are planting in the spring will be the fewest “since record keeping began in 1919”…

U.S. growers were poised to plant the fewest acres of wheat since record keeping began in 1919, as high costs for fertilizer, seeds, and equipment have made it difficult to turn a profit.

Yes, this is really happening.

If you think that the price of cookies is high now, you should brace yourself, because you haven’t seen anything yet.

In some areas of the country, conditions are so exceedingly dry that it just doesn’t make sense for farmers to try to grow anything.

Dane Wigington is warning that we are heading into a “summer from hell”…

What is going to happen when summer starts? Wigington says, “This is the summer from Hell that we are approaching right now. This will be like no other. The snow pack in the Colorado River watershed is almost nonexistent. The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada averages about 20%. In the Northern Sierra, it is about 5%. That’s 5% of normal. Why isn’t that headline everywhere? People have no idea what is coming. . .. What will happen in the Southwest? We are going to find out soon. Right now, they are frantically discussing desalination facilities in the Gulf of California. . .. That is idiocy and not going to save anything. It can’t be done in any time frame that matters.”

This isn’t a coincidence.

Most of my regular readers already understand this.

If you look at the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, it looks like a horror show.

There is no easy way out of this.

It will take some time for the full consequences of this nightmare to arrive, but when they do our society will experience immense pain.

The post The Global Oil Crisis Just Escalated To A New Level And U.S. Farmers Are Planting The Fewest Acres Of Wheat Since Records Began In 1919 appeared first on Activist Post.

Oil Production In The Persian Gulf Has Fallen 57 Percent From Pre-War Levels – Rationing And Shortages Are Coming

They aren’t telling you the truth about what is coming. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens tomorrow, and there is no way that is going to happen, oil production will not return to pre-war levels for years. In other words, we are facing an extended global energy crisis no matter what happens now. Of course if the fighting resumes and more oil and gas infrastructure is destroyed, the consequences that we will experience will be even worse. We are already witnessing rationing and shortages in some parts of Asia because they are more dependent on energy from the Middle East than anyone else. But as nations all over the world run through their strategic reserves, rationing and shortages will become a lot more widespread during the months that are ahead of us.

Most people living in the western world have no idea how much damage has already been done to oil and gas infrastructure in the Middle East.

According to Goldman Sachs, oil production in the Persian Gulf has declined by a whopping 57 percent from pre-war levels…

The war with Iran is having an enormous impact on the global oil market. According to an estimate by Goldman Sachs, oil production from the Persian Gulf region is down 57% from its pre-war level, or about 14.5 million barrels per day. The world is currently covering the shortfall by drawing oil from storage, including a record 400 million barrel release by members of the International Energy Agency (IEA).

If the war ends soon, some of that production will be quickly restored.

But there are many oil and gas facilities that have been completely destroyed, and it is being projected that it could take up to 50 billion dollars to rebuild that infrastructure…

Repair and restoration costs for energy-linked infrastructure as a result of war in the Middle East could hit $58 billion, Rystad Energy analysis shows, with the total for oil and gas facilities potentially up to $50 billion. Three weeks after we published an initial estimate of $25 billion in repair costs across Gulf energy infrastructure, the scope of damage has expanded materially. The continuation of military strikes drove up the number of impacted assets across the region before largely subsiding following an 8 April ceasefire between the US and Iran. This pushed the estimate for the average in potential total repair and restoration spending to $46 billion – representing the midway point in the range of $34 billion to $58 billion – across oil and gas infrastructure, inclusive of an average of $5 billion across industrial, power and desalination assets. The ceasefire, combined with stalled negotiations and renewed escalation risk, continues to shape the operating environment, alongside risks of disruption and potential blockades affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Even if reconstruction begins immediately, it would likely take until 2029 or 2030 before all of the oil and gas facilities in the region are fully restored.

So what is the rest of the world supposed to do while we wait for that to happen?

At this moment, everyone is running through their strategic reserves.

For some countries those reserves will last for months, but for other countries those reserves will only last for weeks.

Once the reserves are gone, shortages will start making a lot more headlines and prices will escalate significantly.

Of course the price of oil has already risen to very painful levels…

Oil prices climbed almost 3% Monday as hopes for a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran dimmed and energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remained extremely constrained.

The price of international benchmark Brent Crude was up about $3, or almost 3%, to $108.36 per barrel early Monday morning, its highest price point in three weeks. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was up 2.6% before U.S. markets opened, at $96.85.

This is going to affect virtually every man, woman and child on the entire planet, because our entire way of life is fueled by energy.

When energy prices go up, our standard of living goes down.

Unfortunately, energy prices have been going way up since the start of the war…

In the United States, the cost of a gallon of gas has increased by over a dollar since the strait closed, and the cost of diesel is up nearly 50 percent. Gas prices in Europe have increased by around 10 percent, and the region is facing a jet fuel shortage and concerns about the flow of liquid natural gas (LNG). Asia is being hit even harder. Roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and LNG passes through the strait. Over 80 percent of this fuel goes to Asia. Several Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea, are now facing a real energy crisis.

Some Americans are now spending more than $100 to fill up their vehicles, and the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the United States has now surpassed the four dollar mark…

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. rose 7 cents over the last week and currently stands at $4.04 per gallon, according to new data released by GasBuddy, an app that tracks gas prices across parts of North America and Australia. Within the U.S., that data comes from more than 12 million price reports at roughly 150,000 gas stations nationwide, according to the company.

What has shocked me is the apathy that I am seeing out there.

Most people just assume that everything is going to work out just fine somehow.

Our attention spans have become so short that most of us can no longer see what is coming just a few months down the road.

Thanks to the crisis in the Middle East, we are facing the worst fertilizer crisis in history.

If nitrogen fertilizer is not applied to annual crops such as wheat and barley each season, yields will be way down…

Nitrogen-based fertilisers such as urea must be applied each season for many crops and directly influence annual yields as well as quality parameters, including protein content in wheat.

Farmers can cut back on other core nutrients, such as phosphate and potash, without immediate yield losses.

Many farmers all over the world will not be applying nitrogen fertilizer this year.

As a result, those particular farmers will be growing a lot less food in 2026.

I don’t know why this is so hard for some people to understand.

Right now, harvest forecasts are being slashed all over the planet…

Agricultural bodies, including the International Grains Council, are already cutting their forecasts for the next harvests, ​however. And the United Nations, which is trying to ​negotiate shipping access for fertiliser through the Gulf, has sounded ⁠the alarm over food security in developing nations.

This is not a drill.

This is really happening.

What we desperately need is for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as soon as possible.

Sadly, we are farther away from an agreement between the U.S. and Iran than ever.

The Iranians feel like they have won the war and have all the leverage, and so at this stage they are not even willing to talk about their nuclear program with the United States at all…

Iran is no longer willing to negotiate over its nuclear program at all, per Tasnim. Discussions will only cover ending the war, sanctions relief, compensation, and lifting the blockade. Nuclear issues “could be addressed later in a separate agreement,” only after the war has ended.

Nuclear was the central issue in the first round of Islamabad talks, with Trump saying it was “the only point that really mattered.” Iran has now removed it from the table entirely.

Trump says the war won’t end without a nuclear deal. Iran says nuclear won’t be discussed until the war ends.

The Iranians expect the Trump administration to give in, and the Trump administration expects the Iranians to give in.

But neither side is going to give in, and it appears that it is just a matter of time before more fighting breaks out.

Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz continues to be closed, and it is likely to remain that way for an extended period of time.

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The Worst Fertilizer Crisis In The History Of The World Will Result In Widespread Famine In The Poorest Nations

Thanks to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, there isn’t going to be enough fertilizer for everyone in 2026. What is available is going to be gobbled up by the wealthy countries because they have the most money. Of course higher fertilizer costs will ultimately be passed along to consumers, and so we will all be paying much higher prices for food in the months ahead. But in the poorest nations on the entire planet, a lack of fertilizer could mean the difference between life and death. A dramatic reduction in the amount of fertilizer that farmers use will result in a dramatic reduction in the amount of food that is grown in those countries. Of course many of those countries were already dealing with very high levels of food insecurity, and the UN has admitted that acute hunger was already at the highest level ever recorded even before the war with Iran began. What the world is facing is unlike anything that any of us have ever seen before, and large numbers of people could literally end up starving to death.

I wish that I was exaggerating.

Without sufficient quantities of fertilizer, there is no way that we could possibly feed the 8 billion people that are living on this planet today.

Unfortunately for all of us, spring planting season is here and much of the world’s supply of fertilizer is trapped because the Strait of Hormuz is closed…

But the share of world supply of urea – the most popular commonly used fertiliser – that typically passed through the strait before the conflict was more than twice that, at 43%.

For sulphur – used to produce phosphate fertilisers – the figure is 44%.

For anhydrous ammonia – another nitrogen fertiliser – 27% of global supply on average passed through the strait between 2019 and 2023.

In addition, many nations normally use natural gas that is exported through the Strait of Hormuz to make their own fertilizer.

So this is why it is so important for the Strait of Hormuz to be opened as soon as possible.

If that does not happen, one UN official is warning that the consequences will be “very significant and severe, particularly for the poorest countries and for the poorest citizens”…

In response, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres established a task force to facilitate the safe passage of fertilizers and related raw materials for humanitarian purposes.

It is headed by Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which provides infrastructure, procurement and project management services across the world.

“We can’t wait until everything has been fixed,” he said in an exclusive interview with UN News.

“The planting season has already started…So if we don’t get some solution immediately the crisis will be very significant and severe, particularly for the poorest countries and for the poorest citizens.”

This is really happening.

I have many regular readers in Africa, and it is being reported that African farmers are facing a major fertilizer shortage this year…

Food security in Africa could face major disruptions due to continuing uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran is disrupting global fertiliser trade flows – and this stands to leave millions of African farmers without the ammonia, urea, phosphate, sulphur and other fertiliser inputs vital to growing more food in sub-Saharan Africa.

Even a small drop in fertilizer availability could be catastrophic.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization is telling us that just a 10 percent reduction in the fertilizer supply in Africa could mean that 25 percent less maize, rice and what is grown this year…

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, even a 10 percent reduction in fertiliser availability could result in up to 25 percent less maize, rice and wheat grown in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nitrogen fertilizer causes explosive crop development.

Without it, many farmers will grow far less food in 2026.

Even here in the U.S., there are farmers that have decided not to use any nitrogen fertilizer this year because it now costs way too much…

The drought compounds economic strains, including elevated fertilizer costs tied to global events. US Representative Frank Lucas, a Republican from Oklahoma, noted he skipped nitrogen applications on his western Oklahoma wheat fields.

“I didn’t have enough moisture — it wouldn’t have done any good,’’ Lucas said. “Number two, I’m not even sure what the cost would be.”

U.S. farmers are currently facing a double crisis.

In addition to skyrocketing fertilizer prices, conditions throughout much of the middle of the nation are bone dry.

On Friday, I explained to my core supporters that March 2026 was the third driest month ever recorded in the United States.

Only July 1934 and August 1934 were drier, and that was during the Dust Bowl days.

Because things are so dry, massive wildfires are erupting with alarming frequency. For instance, two extremely large wildfires have already burned more than 40,000 acres in Georgia…

Two massive wildfires in south Georgia have scorched more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 120 homes.

Extreme drought has turned the region into a tinderbox and allowed flames to spread. Overnight, new fires sparked in rural south Georgia. High winds have made efforts to contain the fires difficult, officials said in a news conference Saturday afternoon.

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason called the wildfires a “dynamic situation” in a Saturday morning video posted to social media and begged residents to “please evacuate” if they are ordered to do so. New evacuation orders were issued as the fire spread.

This is going to be such a challenging year.

Far less food will be produced in the U.S. than normal this year, and the same thing could be said about many other major food exporters.

In Australia, they are projecting that wheat production could be down by up to 25 percent.

If farmers do not grow our food, we do not eat.

What we really need is for the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened as quickly as possible, but that isn’t going to happen.

In fact, talks between the U.S. and Iran have totally broken down…

Hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran faded on Sunday, as efforts to revive talks stalled and ⁠both Tehran and Washington showed little sign of softening their positions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi flew back to the Middle East from mediation talks in Pakistan over the weekend, while U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped a planned visit to Islamabad by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The Trump administration is not going to compromise on their key demands, because they are afraid that Israel could be destroyed “within minutes” if Iran is able to produce nuclear weapons…

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that Israel would be destroyed “within minutes” if Iran obtained a nuclear weapon, warning the world would be in danger.

He added that previous US administrations should have acted earlier to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

On the other side, the Iranians have stated that they will not move from their key list of demands, and they are insisting that they are more than ready for fighting to resume…

Iran produces more than 1,000 types of weapons domestically, including missiles, drones and military systems, defence ministry spokesperson Reza Talaei-Nik said.

“Today, more than 1,000 types of weapons… are produced entirely domestically,” he said, adding the capability is the result of over 25 years of investment in the defence sector.

He said production is spread across the country so it can continue even if some facilities are damaged, and added that around 9,000 companies are involved in supporting the defence industry.

The Iranians can hit us much harder and in a lot more ways than most people realize.

Even the Trump administration is greatly underestimating Iran’s capabilities, and that could have tragic consequences for the entire globe.

Once fighting resumes, I am entirely convinced that we will witness some shocking escalations.

And it appears that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for the foreseeable future, and that probably means that widespread famine is inevitable now.

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18 Shocking Facts That Prove That The U.S. Economy Is In Far Worse Shape Than Most People Realize

The economy has been the number one issue for U.S. voters for several years in a row, and it isn’t because things are good. Consumer confidence is at an all-time low, inflation is starting to accelerate once again, mass layoffs are being conducted all over the nation, and delinquencies and foreclosures are soaring. Nobody can dispute any of the facts that I am about to share with you. We have an enormous economic mess on our hands, and now the crisis in the Middle East threatens to plunge the entire global economic system into chaos in the months ahead. In other words, conditions are not good now and the outlook for the future is not promising at all. The following are 18 shocking facts that prove that the U.S. economy is in far worse shape than most people realize…

#1 Consumer confidence in the United States has fallen to an all-time record low…

Consumer confidence plunged to a record low in April as fears mounted over rising energy prices and the broader impact of the Iran war, according to a University of Michigan survey Friday.

The university’s headline index of consumer sentiment tumbled to 47.6, down 10.7% from the March survey to its lowest on record. Current conditions and expectations indexes also saw double-digit monthly declines.

#2 Student loan delinquencies have exploded to a level that we have never seen before…

Student loan delinquency has climbed to roughly 25 percent of borrowers with payments due during the first year of the current Trump administration, according to new analysis.

Researchers from The Century Foundation and Protect Borrowers said the sharp rise in missed payments, nearly triple the pre-coronavirus pandemic rate, has pushed millions into default risk and lowered credit scores, warning of broader financial fallout for households and colleges facing higher nonpayment rates.

#3 The monthly cost of owning a home has risen to absurd heights…

All in, the median monthly housing payment for an owner — including mortgage principal and interest, taxes, homeowners insurance, and estimated maintenance expenses — has ballooned to more than $2,800, a staggering 72% jump from $1,635 six years earlier.

#4 Foreclosure filings were way up in 2025, and so far in 2026 we are 26 percent above last year’s pace…

A fresh wave of foreclosures is sweeping across the United States, with more than 118,000 homes caught up in the crisis in just the first three months of 2026.

It is a grim omen – with echoes of the run up to the 2008 Great Recession – that financial pressure is mounting for thousands of families.

New Attom data shows 118,727 properties were hit with a foreclosure filing in the first quarter – up 26 percent on the same period last year.

#5 The number of Americans that cannot pay their credit card bills in full each month has reached another record high…

More than 111 million people could not pay off their monthly credit-card bills in full at the end of last year, marking a new record, according to new estimates from consumer advocates. That’s roughly 2 million more people unable to pay in full compared to the end of 2024, they noted.

These card holders now owe banks more than $1 trillion — and most are inching closer to maxing out their credit lines, according to researchers at the Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and Protect Borrowers, a nonprofit group that advocates for borrowers.

#6 As the cost of living soars, people are pulling money out of their 401(k) plans at a record rate in a desperate attempt to make ends meet…

More Americans are digging into their retirement savings because of financial emergencies.

Last year, a record 6% of workers in 401(k) plans administered by Vanguard Group took a hardship withdrawal. That is up from 4.8% in 2024 and a prepandemic average of about 2%, according to Vanguard.

#7 Food prices continue to escalate, and the price of coffee has more than doubled since 2019…

A 16-item basket of groceries made up of staples like eggs, bread, and meat — no truffle cheese in our cart — rang in nearly 43% higher in March compared to the same month in 2019.

A few key categories are behind the rise: Coffee prices have more than doubled since the pandemic, while beef prices have soared more recently.

#8 For the first time ever, the price of a pound of ground beef is now higher than the federal minimum wage in many parts of the country…

The cost of a pound of ground beef has hit a major threshold. Depending on where you shop, the grocery staple likely costs more than the federal minimum wage.

Money analyzed ground beef prices at seven of the most popular grocery chains across the U.S., finding that 1 pound of the typical 20% fat ground beef costs between $6.49 and $8.96. Organic, grass-fed and leaner varieties tend to cost much more.

On the other hand, the federal minimum wage sits at $7.25 per hour.

#9 The Federal Reserve is telling us that 42.5 percent of recent college graduates were underemployed at the end of 2025…

Historically, college graduates have tended to find jobs faster and experience lower unemployment than workers without a degree. But recent data suggests it’s now harder to find a job that fits your skill set once you graduate.

According to the Federal Reserve of New York, 42.5% of recent college graduates (aged 22 to 27 with a bachelor’s degree or higher) are underemployed as of December 2025 — the highest rate since October 2020. Underemployment refers to working in a role that underutilizes your skills, usually at a lower wage or in a part-time position.

#10 We continue to see retailers close locations all over the nation at a staggering rate. For example, Grocery Outlet has announced that they will be permanently closing 36 stores…

Grocery Outlet – the California-based retailer famous for selling products at steep discounts – says it will close 36 stores nationwide as part of a sweeping restructuring plan designed to improve profitability.

The company revealed the move while reporting its latest financial results, saying it had conducted a ‘strategic, financial and operational analysis’ of its entire store network.

#11 Not to be outdone, Papa John’s has announced that they will be closing approximately 300 restaurants…

Pizza chain Papa John’s said it plans to close hundreds of underperforming restaurants in North America by the end of next year.

“We have identified approximately 300 underperforming restaurants across North America that are not meeting brand expectations or lack a clear path to sustainable financial improvement, as well as locations where we can effectively transfer sales to a nearby restaurant,” Papa John’s Chief Financial Officer Ravi Thanawala said last week during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call.

#12 One of our “too big to fail” banks has decided that now is the time to cut about 2,500 jobs…

Morgan Stanley is slashing about 3% of its global workforce — roughly 2,500 jobs — across its key divisions, as the Wall Street giant realigns priorities amid a banner year for profits, sources familiar with the matter have told The Post.

The cuts hit the Ted Pick-led lender’s investment banking, trading, and wealth management units, the people close to the situation said.

#13 EBay will be conducting yet another round of layoffs. This time around approximately 800 workers will get the axe…

EBay said Thursday it is cutting about 800 roles, or 6% of its workforce, in the latest round of layoffs at the e-commerce company.

“We are taking steps to reinvest across our business and align our structure with our strategic priorities, which will affect certain roles across our workforce,” an eBay spokesperson said in a statement. “We are grateful for the contributions of the employees impacted and are committed to supporting them with care and respect.”

#14 At one time Wendy’s was doing great, but in 2026 it will be permanently shuttering hundreds of locations…

Fast-food chain Wendy’s will shutter 5% to 6% of its stores nationwide in the first half of 2026 as part of an ongoing downsizing plan.

Interim CEO Ken Cook first told investors in a Nov. 7 quarterly earnings call that the company would be closing a “mid single-digit percentage” of its nearly 6,000 locations nationwide.

#15 Meta, the parent company of Facebook, apparently intends to let nearly 8,000 employees go in the very near future…

Meta is preparing to cut thousands of jobs as early as next month, with deeper layoffs expected later this year, according to a report.

The tech giant intends to slash roughly 10% of its global workforce — or nearly 8,000 employees — in an initial round of cuts on May 20, sources told Reuters.

The company is also planning additional layoffs in the second half of the year, though details including timing and scope remain unclear, the outlet reported.

#16 From coast to coast, thousands of supply chain workers have been told to hit the bricks in recent weeks…

A wave of layoffs across U.S. supply chains — from EV battery plants and auto parts factories to warehouses and rail terminals — has affected nearly 4,000 workers in recent weeks, according to company announcements and WARN filings across multiple states.

Recent WARN filings and company announcements show job cuts across at least a dozen companies in states including California, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Alabama.

The largest layoffs in the recent wave are coming from the automotive and industrial supply chain. SK Battery America said it laid off 958 workers — about 37% of its workforce — at its electric vehicle battery plant in Commerce, Georgia, citing shifting EV demand as automakers reassess production plans.

#17 According to Newsweek, the following list of companies have all announced layoffs during the month of April…

• Blue Shield of California
• Zenith Logistics
• Perdue Foods
• ERN Services
• Boston Electrometallurgical Corporation
• First Brands Group
• GEODIS
• MicroVision
• IPIC Theaters
• Goulet Trucking
• CJ Logistics
• L3Harris
• Supernal
• Heritage Bank of Commerce
• Angel City Brewery
• VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialists
• Monroe Operations
• Meteor Creative
• Viskon-Aire Corporation
• C3.ai
• Safari West
• Main Street Sports Group Cincinnati
• Raley’s
• Koppers
• Wells Fargo
• Lucid Group
• Hornblower Cruises and Events
• Charles River Laboratories
• Wescom Financial
• Bluum USA
• CHS Northwest
• Catalent
• Liberty Dental Plan
• GXO Logistics

#18 The total unfunded obligations of the U.S. government have now reached a staggering total of 130.12 trillion dollars…

On March 17, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury quietly released the federal government’s fiscal year 2025 financial report. Buried in its tables is a number that should dominate our national conversation – but doesn’t: Total federal obligations now stand at $130.12 trillion.

That figure is not a rounding error or a political talking point. It is derived from the government’s own accounting – combining the reported negative net position (driven largely by bonded debt) with the present value of projected shortfalls in major social insurance programs. Yet public debate continues to revolve almost exclusively around the much smaller figure of Treasury securities outstanding.

There is no way that anyone can spin the facts that I have just shared with you to make them look good.

So if conditions are already this bad, what will things be like six months from now if the Strait of Hormuz is still closed?

We really are in unprecedented territory, and the truth is the economic conditions could easily get a lot worse during the months ahead.

The post 18 Shocking Facts That Prove That The U.S. Economy Is In Far Worse Shape Than Most People Realize appeared first on Activist Post.

Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future

(Continued from Part 6. This concludes the article.)

Evaluating Families to Find Like-Minded People

Daily, I am reminded of how bad it is out there, based on the information that I am analyzing. People often ask me “How long do we have?” If you understand history, economics, threat analysis, and have three generations of preparedness expertise in your wheelhouse, then you know the lateness of the hour. As for my situation, I hope it is long enough to be able to get married and to get the supplies my future spouse and her family need. I have a lot of supplies set aside for my future spouse and her family. The future will be difficult no matter your level of preparation, but it will be even more difficult if you do not wisely choose who will be under your roof.

Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts on marriage are very relevant over 250 years later: “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, and half shut afterward.” Now, it is the time to evaluate people both if you wish to add people through marriage to your family or to your preparedness group.

A man reading this may someday encounter the father of a young woman. I have corresponded with many men from the nice to the not so nice. It is memorable to get a message with someone trying to rip me up, usually starting with “as the father of a precious daughter, I find your questions to be insulting.” People who can’t answer very basic questions about health or values many times do not have good answers if they finally got around to just answering basic questions. A man needs to ask lots of questions to get down to the core of who a woman is and what her family is about.

There are also so many problem young women and their families where men can get burned. A man really needs to take a hard look at a young woman and her family. So many families throw up smokescreens to disguise who they are instead of just admitting the truth and see if you can accept it. It is very important to determine if there are temporary issues like a moral issue where someone made a mistake and has repented or ongoing long-term issues.

If someday you want to be among those who live full-time on farms and retreats, this usually involves the principle of land ownership. If you are able to achieve a goal of land ownership and you are someday in a position to look for land, you may need to ask lots of probing and what some may term “insulting” questions. You need to learn how to read people. This takes a lot of experience usually either gained the hard way by making mistakes or the easy way by being mentored by strong men. One of the worst-case scenarios for a piece of land or a home is that you overpaid, it has problems and you need to dump it. It is similar with animals: if you are not a careful judge, you can get stuck with a problem animal. Unless the animal really does some damage, you can usually “ground beef” it without too much headache other than a loss of money which you can consider tuition. I advocate a Biblical pattern of marriage for life, so a spouse is something where one has to be extremely careful. It is great when people tell the truth because you can avoid those problems by carefully observing the “Danger” signs instead of “falling rocks” it is a variety of problems from health to mental that are usually found or revealed.

A man needs to be prepared to ask pointed questions of a woman and her family. As a man, you are in control of the direction of the conversation. This is the time to figure out by asking questions if the woman is being raised to be a Biblical helpmeet or someone who will put you through hell and be a hindrance to you. I have met a lot of men who got bamboozled by a pretty face and are now paying for it in alimony, child support, and having other men raise their kids. People usually tell you who they are almost immediately if you listen and observe closely. Some families try to hide who they are through a lot of flowery language and foolishness, but once you recognize by seeing it once or twice you can easily determine they are likely hiding some serious issues. Some people are just plain embarrassed, but it is better to own up to what they are about and then you can see if you can accept their issues. You will never likely find perfect, but “good” enough is often perfect for you as it would be for me.

For some reason, our current culture has this completely backwards with thinking that the man is in the weaker position, begging for a young woman. In reality, the man is in complete control because traditionally he will be the one providing for the new family. It can not be emphasized enough: You are in effect hiring a homemaker who will hopefully be the mother of your children, so you need to examine carefully as she could make or break your family tree.

Men need to learn how to correctly assert authority. Our culture has really knocked authority out of men. Men need to learn how to be comfortable with actually leading, questioning, and knowing how to correctly channel emotions. Your wife will not be your boss and your father-in-law will not likely be your boss either, but hopefully he is a wise older man. A wife will be a junior partner who after many years or in certain circumstances may need to act in your place, but you must carefully appraise a partner to determine if she is ready to begin the journey.

A young woman’s father needs to not be emotional and be able to answer questions about the young woman and how he leads or does not lead his family. A young woman is not likely something precious or rare. Remember from the earlier discussion when most people think they are “above-average” when that is statistically impossible. If you talk to enough people, you will find many patterns that emerge and rarely find a new classification place to your sorting boxes. A girl being born is very common occurrence in slightly less than half of all births. It is very unfortunate when I hear about men who are disappointed that they have a daughter in “gender reveal” parties. A girl can be a good or a bad addition to your family largely depending on how she is raised. A lot of her success in life depends on the father’s attitude. If the father has the right attitude, then the daughter usually has one. Usually, the father’s leadership or lack of it, leads to where the family is and will be going.

When you marry into a family, you marry the whole family. A man can come from humble surroundings, make his own way, and never look back. Many women are constantly looking back to the past and looking to other people for affirmation, especially other women. My mother is an exception because she was taught by her father, a combat veteran, to think for herself, but that is very rare. Most of these usual differences are imprinted deep in our historical DNA: At one time, men hunted in very small parties and women acted in larger cooperative ways trying to avoid being thrown out of their group. Men needed to be daring in order to bring back meat from large beasts that probably were very angry at being stuck by a flint spear and women were more successful at managing multiple friendships in their community.

One of the problems is how many families are raising boys especially how so many are told through the school system or through contemporary thought on how boys should act. Boys are not immature girls needing medication to be more girl-like or to start acting like girls. Boys are different than girls no matter how many woke pediatricians tell you that there are not differences between them. It is important to teach boys manners, but they are not little girls who will likely be happy sitting quiet and doing needlepoint or quilting. There is a time and a place for almost everything, but boys need lots of activities, some structure, and a lot of room to grow.

If you find an acceptable young woman, she and her family should be receptive to questions about her qualifications and skills. In colonial America to the 19th century, girls in America often made a visual sampler which often included a key Bible verse, saying, or a pictorial representation of things that were important to her conveyed through embroidery. I have seen many samplers in person, since one of my hobbies is to study of how people lived in the past. Today a man can ask for an explanation of a young woman’s hobbies and homemaking skills. It is unlikely you will find a young woman trained in being a homemaker, but you should at least look for someone who wants to learn some basic skills such as cooking and light housekeeping as this will be useful if you wish to have a stay-at-home spouse.

Think of this idea of examining a woman’s qualifications as if you were sorting through resumes of a potential partner in your successful business or practice. They will initially be brought on as a junior partner and not in control of everything except in your absence. In this world, you could potentially get called off to war very easily by being drafted. Over the past year, I have heard talk about a military draft. The “world” is always looking for a way to get rid of young men and the meat grinder of modern warfare is much more effective than convincing men (especially high testosterone men) to remove themselves from the reproductive pool through the castration theatre of transgenderism.

A Modern Problem

In the years to come as there are number of people who have “transitioned” so if you want to marry a biological female, you may need to start asking for proof of “girlhood” from birth certificates to pictures and videos to make sure that John did not become Jane. Deceit is nothing new: One of the precipitating causes of the Glorious Revolution of 1688 was a scandal where a stillborn was said to have been swapped with another boy heir in a warming pan although there is no evidence that this happened and 70 witnesses said it did not. From the Glorious Revolution to 1936, a senior member of Parliament such as the Home Secretary or another royal official would attend royal births to make sure that they were legitimate and an imposter was not inserted into the line of succession. For instance, Queen Elizabeth II was the last reigning monarch whose birth in 1926 was witnessed. By the time she gave birth to Charles, the current King, the tradition was abandoned.

For a traditional man, it will be a road full of frustration, but do not give up. Do not give into immorality of any sort. Avoid all forms of temptation. Submerge yourself in the Word. Some individuals reading this could be like me who can trace their ancestry back to past heroes including Crusader knights and princes. Instead of fighting infidels on a distant shore, you are fighting a different, but equally difficult battle.

Do not get frustrated with the amount of time it could take to find your bride. It could take years or even decades. It is just like preparedness except that you will most likely grow spiritually and mentally stronger and wealthier over time. A lot of preparedness-related items have a life expectancy, need to be rotated, or become obsolete to less effective as newer technologies emerge such as with flashlights such as the progression points from kerosene lamps to LED lamps. Time is very different to a man than a woman. A young woman likely has an extremely finite amount of time, but you likely have years. Think of the difference between women and men as ice sculptures versus wheels of waxed cheese. Ice melts in most climates and cheese often increases in value with age.

Consider the cases of two actors who were both fathers in their 60s and mid 70s. Tony Randall was at one time a widower with no children who was previously married for 54 years and he remarried at age 75 and had two children with a woman 50 years younger than him. Chuck Norris had more children in his 60s with his second wife who was 23 years younger and a former model. My family and I know and have known several more men who had children in their 60s, 70s, and beyond. One common thread of those men was resources. In today’s world, charm can be something, money is usually worth more, and in the world of the future, a hot meal and the security of a homestead might be enough.

I encourage men to think of themselves as miners both of the Word and of people. You must outfit yourself for this journey through spiritually armoring yourself and through physical preparedness. Miners in the Old West outfitted themselves a variety of provisions including picks and sorting mechanisms such as boxes. Instead of hitting rocks and panning for gold using a sluice box, a man today will most likely have to meet and sort through many people to determine if they are telling the truth. This is not an easy process. A man today will have many disappointments including false leads which are pyrite (fool’s gold) which fool some people. When a man has seen or held gold, he can often recognize it by sight. It is my firm belief that somewhere out there is a vein of gold in the form of marriageable young women who are healthy and seek to be mothers. The children born of these marriages will form the cornerstone in the renewal of our country.

Conclusion

I hope that this seven-part study in my thought experiment of “Preparing Future Generations for an Uncertain Future” has been valuable to you and that you have been able to pass it on to other interested families. My family remains positive that a possibility exists of turning our culture around if we can reach a critical mass of enough people in the form of future generations with the right values. As time goes by, it is getting increasingly difficult. What could have been accomplished with ease not that long ago is more difficult by the day. The changes and collapse of Western Civilization are impacting families, so that will most likely be the subject of my next article to focus in highlighting why and how the collapse is occurring through various institutions and practical steps families can take.

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Editor’s Closing Note: This young man is prayerfully seeking a wife. He is offering an after-marriage gift of up to $50,000 to whoever introduces him to his bride with $18,000 after their marriage and another $16,000 to the individual who provided the introduction after the first two births of healthy children born to him and his wife, for a total potential gift of $50,000. For further details, see this link to his article posted on July 13th, 2025: My Quest for a Wife: I’m Willing to Move, and in his February 24, 2026 article on rural migration starting at the bold section on “Continuing My Quest For a Wife”.

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This Is Going To Be A Complete And Utter Disaster For The Global Economy

Iran is still holding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz hostage, and the entire world is going to suffer. Before the war, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz flowed freely, and the global economy functioned normally. But even though there is a temporary ceasefire, Iran continues to maintain a stranglehold on the waterway, and they are insisting that this will continue to be the case when a permanent deal to end the war is reached. In other words, the Iranians are making it clear that this is how things are going to operate from now on, and they know that the U.S. and Europe are not eager to do what it would take militarily to reopen the Strait. Of course even if there is a military operation to reopen the Strait, it will take an extended period of time before it is safe for commercial traffic to pass through the waterway once again. Any way that you look at it, the truth is that this is going to be a complete and utter disaster for the global economy.

The Iranians were supposed to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of the ceasefire deal.

But that has not happened.

In fact, the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has ominously declared that “the Strait of Hormuz is not open”…

The Strait of Hormuz has not opened to ship traffic after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, said the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., or ADNOC, on Thursday.

“This moment requires clarity,” said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber in a social media post. “So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open. Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled.”

Iran has made clear that ships must obtain its permission to pass through the strait, Al Jaber said. “That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion,” the ADNOC chief said.

Only a handful of ships are getting through right now.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranians are only going to allow about a dozen ships to pass through the Strait each day…

Iran told mediators it will limit the number of ships crossing the strait to around a dozen a day, and the Iranian Navy warned ships anchored near the strait that they would need Tehran’s permission to cross.

Before the war, about 10 times as many vessels were traveling through the Strait of Hormuz on a daily basis.

The Iranians are telling us that any vessels that attempt to pass through without authorization “will be destroyed”…

On Wednesday, Iran warned that oil tankers will be destroyed if they try to travel along the strait without permission, as it seeks to retain control over the passage during the ceasefire.

A radio message was broadcast yesterday by the regime to all oil ships in the vital waterway, saying: ‘If any vessels try to transit without permission, [they] will be destroyed.’

This is going to starve the global economy of desperately needed oil, natural gas, petrochemicals and fertilizer, and Iran fully understands this.

Any ships that Iran authorizes to pass through the Strait must “sail through Iranian waters around Larak ​Island to avoid the risk of naval mines”…

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have told vessels to sail through Iranian waters around Larak ​Island to avoid the risk of naval mines in the usual lanes through the strait, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

Vessels are to enter the strait north of Larak Island and exit just south of it until further notice in coordination with the IRGC’s navy, Tasnim quoted the IRGC as saying.

Iran has essentially admitted that they have mined the Strait of Hormuz.

Even if the war ended immediately, it would take a long time to make sure that all the mines were gone.

The Iranians are forcing commercial ships to enter their own territorial waters so that they can charge a toll of up to 2 million dollars per vessel…

Iran is charging tolls of up to $2 million per ship to pass through the strait, a maneuver dubbed the “Tehran Toll Booth” in shipping circles.

When asked about what Iran is doing, the White House said that it is “completely unacceptable”…

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the alleged closure of the strait, based on reports from Iranian state media, is “completely unacceptable.”

And President Trump is pledging that once a permanent peace agreement is reached the Strait of Hormuz will be “OPEN & SAFE”…

There is just one huge problem.

The Iranians are insisting on control of the Strait of Hormuz as part of any peace deal.

So Trump is going to be faced with a decision.

Either he will give the Iranians what they want, or he will start the war back up again.

But let’s be wildly optimistic for a moment.

Let’s assume that the Iranians totally give in and allow commercial traffic to flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Even if that were to happen, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would not return to normal levels for a very long time to come.

We know that this is true, because traffic through the Red Sea has still not returned to normal even though there has been a ceasefire with the Houthis for quite some time…

Analysts told CNBC that the Houthis in Yemen disrupting the Red Sea last year provides a reference point to how quickly traffic could recover following a potential ceasefire.

“In the Red Sea with the Houthis, the ceasefire agreement was last January and traffic has not returned,” Nikos Petrakakos, managing director at maritime investment manager Tufton, told CNBC in an interview. “As long as there’s a threat of an attack, that’s enough. You don’t actually need the attack.”

The bottom line is that the crisis in the Middle East is going to continue to massively disrupt the global economy for an extended period no matter what happens next.

The last tankers that departed prior to the war are arriving at their destinations, and we are already starting to see rationing and shortages all over the globe.

In fact, Madagascar just declared a nationwide energy emergency…

Madagascar has declared a two‑week nationwide state of energy emergency amid severe fuel shortages caused by the US and Israel’s war in Iran.

The presidency said the decision was taken following Tuesday’s cabinet meeting over fears the situation could lead to public disorder.

The “severe fuel shortages” that they are now experiencing will not be alleviated any time soon.

In Myanmar, a “rationing system for private vehicles” has just been imposed…

Amid fuel shortages, Myanmar’s military government has implemented a rationing system for private vehicles. Under the singular scheme, vehicles with even-numbered licence plates are only allowed to drive on even dates while those with odd-numbered plates can only drive on odd dates.

This is just the beginning.

Supplies of oil and natural gas are starting to get really tight in Europe, and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde has warned that what the continent is facing is “probably beyond what we can imagine at the moment”…

For the European Union, the short-term consequences of Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — steeply rising gasoline and diesel prices, and a severe jet fuel shortage putting foreign travel at risk — could be dwarfed by the long-term implications of a prolonged closure. An industrial crash, higher manufacturing prices passed on to consumers in the form of damaging inflation, fertilizer shortages and resulting spikes in food prices, and higher household utility bills all have the potential to upend European politics.

What is already being called “the biggest global energy crisis in history” could have still more drastic consequences, and the EU is particularly exposed, with most of its major economies significantly more dependent on fossil fuel imports than the UK. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde last month described the long-term effects for Europe as “probably beyond what we can imagine at the moment”.

Little wonder, then, that the EU has convened the dreaded European “working group”. EU Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said on Friday that the bloc is exploring “all possibilities” to deal with a “long-lasting” shock, in which “energy prices will be higher for a very long time.” Jørgensen mentioned fuel rationing and releasing emergency oil reserves as potential steps to mitigate the crisis; fuel rationing has already been introduced in Slovenia, while fuel restrictions have been issued at four Italian airports.

And the International Monetary Fund is publicly admitting that there will be shortages of diesel and jet fuel “for some time”…

The world will experience diesel and jet fuel shortages “for some time” because of the war in Iran, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The halting of normal flows through the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz – the vital oil and gas shipping route – “will for some time continue to have ripple effects”, said the organisation’s managing director Kristalina Georgieva.

She specifically mentioned shortages in refined oil products, diesel and jet fuel.

This is really happening.

Even if Iran surrenders, fully opens the Strait of Hormuz immediately and starts feverishly removing the mines, the world will still experience enormous supply disruptions throughout the remainder of 2026.

Of course the truth is that Iran does not intend to give in on anything.

The Iranians believe that they have won, and they are going to stick to the list of 10 demands that they have been relentlessly sharing with the world on social media.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration plans to stick to the list of 15 demands that it is making.

There is no way that those two lists are compatible.

So it appears that more fighting is probably inevitable, and that will just make economic conditions even worse.

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