Authored by Joseph Lord via The Epoch Times,

The House of Representatives on Sept. 17 rejected a bid to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) for comments she made about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk following his assassination.

The censure motion, brought by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), would have also stripped Omar of her assignments on the Education and the Workforce Committee and the Budget Committee.

It was tabled in a 214–213 vote. Four Republicans joined all Democrats in voting to drop consideration of the measure.

The motion regarded the remarks Omar made about Kirk during an interview on Zeteo.

During the interview, Omar criticized those she said were “people who are out there talking about him just wanting to have a civil debate.”

“There is nothing more [expletive] to completely pretend his words and actions have not been recorded and in existence for the last decade or so,” the lawmaker said.

Mace’s resolution also cited Omar’s repost of a video on X that described Kirk as a “reprehensible human being.”

Mace condemned Republicans who voted to table the measure.

“Democrats and these 4 ‘Republicans’ chose Ilhan Omar over decency, over justice, and over Charlie Kirk’s family,” Mace wrote in a post on X after the vote.

“They showed us exactly who they are. Never forget it.”

Omar, meanwhile, thanked her House colleagues “for having my back and not furthering lies on the House floor.

“Appreciate them safeguarding first amendment protections and the usage of the censure,” she said in a post on X after the vote.

One of the four Republicans who voted to table the measure, Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), defended his vote in a post on X.

“The 7 Articles and 27 Amendments of our Constitution are not only to be followed when it serves your purpose,” Mills wrote.

“This is a [First Amendment] issue. We may not like or agree with what someone says, but that does not mean we should deny their [First Amendment] Right.”

Reps. Mike Flood (R-Neb.), Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) also voted to table the measure.

After Mace unveiled her resolution to censure Omar, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) responded with a countermeasure to censure Mills over allegations involving his personal and professional conduct.

Earlier this month, lawmakers in the lower chamber also rejected an effort to censure Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) and strip her of her committee assignments after she was indicted on federal assault charges following a clash with federal officers at an immigrant detention center in Newark, New Jersey.

Initial jobless claims tumbled back into their four year range after spiking the prior week. From 264k prior, 231k Americans filed for jobless benefits for the first time last week

Source: Bloomberg

The drop in initial claims reflects a reversion of the mystery spike in Texas (apparently driven by hiring/firing of state educators)…

Source: Bloomberg

Texas swung from the biggest increase to the largest decrease in claims…

Continuing Claims trended lower but remains above the Maginot Line of 1.9 million Americans…

Source: Bloomberg

Will this lead Powell and The Fed to now cut back on their easing bias? Baffle ’em with bullshit (data) is back…

China has concluded its antitrust investigation into Google’s Android empire in the world’s largest handset market, a move that should be viewed as a tactical concession in U.S.-China trade talks and TikTok negotiations.

President Trump and President Xi are set to discuss trade on Friday, with negotiations for TikTok still underway. At the same time, Beijing has tightened pressure on Nvidia, banning major Chinese tech firms from buying certain AI chips earlier this week. 

The Financial Times reports that the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has terminated its competition investigation into Google, which was formally opened in February and focused on the Android operating system and its impact on domestic brands, including Oppo and Xiaomi.

“Drop one case but seize the other,” said one person familiar with SAMR operations, adding, “China is trying to narrow its retaliatory targets to make them more potent.”

On Monday, SAMR, China’s top market regulator, ruled that Nvidia had violated anti-monopoly laws in its acquisition of Mellanox Technologies, an Israeli-American networking products supplier. The antitrust review began in 2019. 

By Wednesday, the Cyberspace Administration barred Alibaba, ByteDance, and other tech firms from purchasing Nvidia’s AI chips, including the RTX Pro 6000D, which was custom-built for the Chinese market. Domestic chips, mostly, achieved the same performance as Nvidia’s model. 

“Google barely has any meaningful business in China — this is purely a symbolic gesture of goodwill,” Vey-Sern Ling, a managing director at Union Bancaire Privee, told Bloomberg. “Every favor is counted, even those that don’t cost anything.”

China’s regulatory recalibration to focus on Nvidia comes as Beijing and Washington ramp up negotiations over TikTok, with Trump scheduled to speak with Xi tomorrow.

Mounting Chinese pressure on Nvidia comes as the chart below shows that upside price action has stalled since mid-August. The $180 level is the current resistance.

Crypto czar David Sacks lists major China news in the AI race: 

There was major news from China in the AI race this week:
1. Huawei introduced a new AI chip to compete with Nvidia.
2. The Chinese government instructed Chinese companies to stop buying certain Nvidia AI chips.

Taken together, the message is clear: China is not desperate for… pic.twitter.com/KcrrI7WJCs

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) September 18, 2025

. . . 

British magnate Lynn Forester de Rothschild is considering the sale of a long held family stake in The Economist magazine.  Rothschild has hired advisers at Lazard to explore selling a 20% stake for as much as £400m, according to Bloomberg. 

Any sale would represent the most dramatic change in ownership for the 182-year-old weekly since 2015, when British education publisher Pearson sold the majority of its 50% stake alongside its sale of The Financial Times.  The magazine was founded in 1843 and has enjoyed Rothschild investment ever since. 

However, overall readership has been in decline for at least a decade, which is the likely reason for the sale of shares by longtime benefactors.  In 2015 The Economist maintained an audience of 1.6 million; that has fallen to 1.2 million in 2025, similar to reader numbers the outlet held in the early 2000s. 

The Economist has grown increasingly and openly left-leaning in that time period, with a distinct hostility towards the Trump Administration.  Headlines such as “Donald Trump Is Unpopular. Why Is It So Hard To Stand Up To Him?”, “The Sinister Brilliance Of Donald Trump’s Security Theatre” and “Donald Trump’s Awful Trade Policy Will Outlast Him” have become a common theme for the publication.  

It should come as no surprise, but The Economist is also aggressively globalist in its ideological bent with numerous articles warning of potential doom should the current order be disrupted by populism, international trade restrictions or a focus on domestic production over outsourcing.  They also continue to defend mass immigration to the west from third world nations, exploiting the common fallacies used by woke progressives, including the claim that western economies cannot survive without population growth sourced from migration.  

These arguments commonly use GDP expansion data as “proof” that mass immigration improves western economies.  In reality, GDP in the west is calculated to include a large percentage of government spending.  As migrants enter the US or Europe, around 60% (or more) immediately tap into government subsidies and welfare programs.  This increases government spending, and thus, increases GDP (directly and indirectly). 

Federal and state government spending in the US accounts for at least 30% of total national GDP.  This is why states like California, with their open borders and sanctuary status, seem to enjoy superior GDP numbers – They spend more taxpayer dollars on illegal immigrants, thereby driving up their GDP.   

It’s not legitimate economic improvement, it’s wealth redistribution on a global scale. It’s a scam.  This is just one of the many false narratives promoted buy The Economist over the years.

The Economist is also well known for its creepy predictive annual covers, which some people believe are rife with symbolism and secret messages.  Others suggest the magazine is a platform for globalists like the Rothschilds to test the waters on Orwellian policies.  Take a look at this cover from 1988 stating “Get ready for a world currency” (2018 just happened to coincide with the global proliferation of digital currencies and crypto):

As readership in corporate media dwindles and more people turn to alternative sources on the web, legacy publications like The Economist will face numerous obstacles to growth in the next five years.  The Rothschilds are well known for their “uncanny” ability to jump ship on bad investments before a greater plunge.  It would appear that The Economist’s long relationship with the family is no longer enough to keep them interested.  

Authored by Mary West via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Last year, the U.S. fertility rate reached an all-time low, according to World Bank data. For those concerned about infertility, it may be a good idea to consider interventions that improve health, as they can boost the chance of becoming pregnant.

Optimal fertility is really just an expression of optimal health, Jessica Sharratt, doctor of acupuncture and oriental medicine at Heal Los Angeles, told The Epoch Times.

“When your metabolism, hormones, immune system, and mitochondria are thriving, your reproductive health benefits, too.”

In some cases, lifestyle changes alone can make a significant difference, as they not only boost fertility but also lay the foundation for a healthier pregnancy, said Drs. Abby Eblen, Carrie Bedient, and Susan Hudson, reproductive endocrinologists and co-hosts of the Fertility Docs Uncensored podcast.

“However, lifestyle changes and medical treatments often work best in conjunction with each other,” they told The Epoch Times.

Sharratt suggests lifestyle changes 3–6 months before trying to conceive, to give time for healthier eggs to develop.

1. Pursue an Optimal Weight

A review published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences suggested that modest weight loss is important for fostering fertility. Outcomes in women include improvements in reproductive hormone profiles, menstrual cycle regularity, ovulation, conception, and pregnancy. Outcomes in men include improvements in reproductive hormone profiles, sexual function, and sperm form and movement.

Dr. David Ghozland, board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology in Orange County, California, said in an email to The Epoch Times that he often sees the benefits of weight loss on fertility in his practice. One of his patients, a 28-year-old, had been trying to conceive for 18 months. Last month, after losing only 22 pounds over the course of four months, she became pregnant.

He said that the metabolic link is much more profound than most physicians realize. The mechanism is that visceral adipose tissue produces inflammatory chemicals that act directly to disrupt follicular development, which precedes egg formation. Reducing inflammation through weight loss creates conditions in which conception may again become possible naturally.

“In my clinic, [in vitro fertilization] IVF patients who enhance their metabolic health before using fertility medications experience success rates that are 65 percent higher during their initial IVF cycle,” said Ghozland.

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

Nutrition plays a big role in reproductive health, Amy Chow, a registered dietitian at BC Dietitians, said in an email to The Epoch Times.

The food we eat can influence hormone balance, egg and sperm quality, and the body’s ability to conceive. Aside from providing energy, nutrients play bioactive roles that support reproductive function, reduce inflammation, and help regulate key processes such as ovulation.

A review published in Biology found that the Mediterranean diet protects against infertility, while the Western diet increases risk.

Fatty acids are an example of a nutrient with bioactive properties, said Chow. In the Mediterranean diet, sources such as olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds, and fatty fish provide healthy fats that reduce inflammation and support fertility. In contrast, the Western diet’s trans fats—common in processed and fast foods—promote insulin resistance and inflammation, which can impair ovulation and lower fertility, according to cohort studies.

The type and quality of proteins eaten also affect fertility, she said.

Plant-based proteins, such as those in beans, tend to support fertility, while excessive intakes of animal proteins may be linked to a higher risk of infertility. Research suggests that animal protein is linked to a high risk of anovulation—the failure to ovulate—while replacing some animal protein with plant protein reduces the risk of anovulation infertility.

Concerning carbohydrates, Chow recommends focusing on whole, fiber-rich, and low-glycemic index options, which can help stabilize blood sugar and support the body’s natural hormonal regulation. Examples include brown rice, old-fashioned oats, and 100 percent whole-grain bread. In contrast, high-glycemic foods include cookies, crackers, cakes, white bread, and sugary beverages.

“People with or without hormone-related conditions, like [polycystic ovary syndrome] PCOS or endometriosis, can benefit from dietary improvements,” Chow said.

Endometriosis causes infertility through multiple factors, including disrupted ovary function and a reduced capacity to support the implantation of a fertilized egg due to scarring.

Chow added that while fertility supplements are widely marketed, dietitians always advise a “food-first” approach. Most people can meet their nutritional needs through a balanced diet.

“An important practice that impairs fertility is undereating, which includes excessive weight loss, stress, and exercise,” Shira Sussi, a prenatal dietitian, said in an email to The Epoch Times.

When the body doesn’t get enough food for energy, this deficit can lead to low levels of estrogen, sometimes accompanied by high cortisol (stress hormone), as well as low thyroid and insulin levels, she said.

Sussi noted that severe undereating can disrupt hormones and lead to functional hypothalamic amenorrhea, a condition that stops ovulation. “I would even argue against practicing intermittent fasting when trying to conceive, given this link between undereating, ovulatory dysfunction, and hormone imbalance,” she said.

3. Manage Stress

Laurie Binder, a doctor of acupuncture with Santa Monica Acupuncture and Wellness, said that in both sexes, managing stress is vital. High cortisol levels can disrupt the delicate balance of reproductive hormones. Acupuncture does this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging the body to shift from a “fight-or-flight” state into a “rest-and-reproduce” state.

(Stress management solution)

When the body is in a fight-or-flight state—sympathetic nervous system dominance—stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline rise. These hormones can interfere with ovulation and reduce blood flow to the reproductive organs. Essentially, the body prioritizes survival over reproduction, she said.

Substances that strain the body—whether recreational, prescription, or excessive caffeine, tobacco and alcohol—can also quietly undermine fertility. A review published in Reproduction and Fertility advises the following:

• Refrain from using recreational drugs, which increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and infections that lead to infertility.
• Avoid taking unnecessary prescription drugs, as many of them affect reproductive processes.
• Limit excessive caffeine intake, which can worsen fertility problems.

Additionally, regular exercise is a powerful tool for reducing stress, offering particular benefits for women coping with infertility.

Read the rest here…

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The global race to dominate the melting Arctic is heating up, and Canada is finally building the heavy icebreakers it hasn’t had in half a century. At Helsinki Shipyard last month, workers cut the first steel for Canada’s new C$3.3 billion ($2.4 billion) heavy icebreaker, the CCGS Arpatuuq.

Due in 2030, it will be the first such vessel built partly in Canada in over 50 years, according to Bloomberg. A second, the Imnaryuaq, is under construction in Vancouver. Together, they’re part of Ottawa’s plan to more than double its aging fleet as Arctic sovereignty and security take center stage.

The urgency rose after Donald Trump threatened tariffs and suggested Canada should become the 51st US state. Prime Minister Mark Carney responded with C$9 billion in extra defense spending, stressing that patrolling the Arctic is crucial.

Trump has his own ambitions: adding 48 icebreakers to America’s tiny fleet of three. A new tax law earmarked $8.6 billion, enough to start building 17. 

Bloomberg writes that globally, the competition is fierce. Russia leads with 47 heavy or medium icebreakers in service and at least 15 more in the pipeline. “Nobody has such a powerful fleet as us,” Vladimir Putin boasted in August, noting that eight of Russia’s ships are nuclear-powered. China, Finland, and others are also expanding. “I have never seen a demand signal like this in shipbuilding for icebreakers,” said James Davies, CEO of Quebec-based Chantier Davie.

Climate change makes the vessels more vital: thinner ice means new shipping lanes, year-round access to oil and gas, and more military activity. “Entrapment in a vehicle is particularly concerning in emergency situations,” one US official noted, highlighting safety concerns that echo beyond the Arctic.

Canada’s new icebreakers will support research, mapping the seabed, and monitoring traffic in contested waters such as the Northwest Passage. “We cannot see airplanes. We cannot see under water. Whether or not those are capabilities that the government of Canada might want for us to have in the future … is still something that will need to be determined,” said Neil O’Rourke of the Canadian Coast Guard.

Finland is a key partner: it builds 60% of the world’s icebreakers and designed Canada’s new ships. Its president, Alexander Stubb, put it bluntly: “We can churn them out in somewhere between two and three years. And we need to move fast.”

Authored by ‘eugyppius’ via ‘A Plague Chronicle’,

This woman is Dunja Hayali.

She is known to millions of Germans as the anchor for the ZDF public news programme heute (“today”).

The day after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Hayali glossed the story by conceding that “there is no justification for those groups celebrating [Kirk’s] death,” before deploring without any specific reference or citation “his often abhorrent, racist, sexist and misanthropic statements.” She proceeded to call Kirk a “radical religious conspiracy theorist” who nevertheless “struck a chord with many people,” given his large following and his “well-attended” events.

Later, Hayali appeared on a state media podcast, where she again with no evidence attacked Kirk as “too radical, too racist, misanthropic and misogynistic” and “simply inhumane.” She said that while “violence cannot be a solution,” “you don’t have to feel sympathy or pity” in connection to his violent death. Instead of offering condolences or regret for his murder, she advised that it would be better to “just shut up for a moment and perhaps not say anything at all.”

Following a massive public outcry, Hayali has declared herself the victim of a right-wing hate mob and said she will take a few days off.

This man is Elmar Theveßen.

He is the Washington D.C. correspondent also for the state media broadcaster ZDF, and he is routinely presented to the German public as an expert on all things American.

The day after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Theveßen appeared on Markus Lanz’s eponymous political talkshow before a nationwide audience to peddle a series of lies about the recently deceased:

Theveßen: [Kirk] has very, very strong right-wing convictions. Let me give you a few examples. For example, he said that homosexuals should be stoned to death (…). He said that black people are taking jobs away from white people because of the policies of the Democrats in recent years. He said that if you’re sitting in an aeroplane with a black pilot, you should be afraid.

Lanz: Have I understood you correctly, he said homosexuals should be stoned?

Theveßen: Yes, of course he’s referring to the Bible, when he says that Christianity should be taken literally. He’s not applied this to modern times, which is actually, um, largely, well of course. But you can say these are racist statements, these are anti-minority statements, and it’s also true, clearly, he belongs to the right-wing radicals in the USA…

Theveßen repeated the notorious falsehood that Kirk advocated stoning homosexuals to death in two other podcast appearances on 11 September. This was not an isolated slip-up. As everyone now knows, of course, Kirk had merely insisted Old Testament exhortations to love one’s neighbour do not imply any biblical endorsement of homosexuality because they stand alongside much harsher provisions, like that at Leviticus 20:13. Theveßen’s other statements are also crude mischaracterisations of Kirk’s opposition to minority hiring preferences and his criticism of the Federal Aviation Administration’s efforts to relax merit-based hiring standards for Air Traffic Control in favour of a (more minority-friendly) “Biographical Questionnaire.”

Were Charlie Kirk still alive, he could request that charges be brought against Theveßen for slander, and his widow could probably still file a complaint under section 189 of the German criminal code, which prohibits “Defiling the memory of the dead.” Of course, nobody thinks this will happen, which is why Theveßen has decided to trifle with the truth in this case.

In response to inquiries from BILD, Theveßen said that he “regrets not having been more detailed,” but naturally he stopped short of apologising. After I and others brought Theveßen’s remarks to the attention of the U.S. State Department (along with another podcast appearance in which Theveßen implied that Stephen Miller was a neo-Nazi), Richard Grenell called for authorities to revoke his work visa …

… and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau replied with this ominous image:

Mysteriously, the ordinarily voluble Theveßen has gone silent.

This woman is Caren Miosga; she hosts a popular Sunday evening political talkshow for ARD, another German state media broadcaster. This past Sunday, Miosga interviewed the leading Left Party politician (and TikTok star) Heidi Reichinnek:

Among other things, the two women discussed Charlie Kirk’s assassination, at which point this exchange occurred:

Miosga: Let’s also talk about what happened this week. In the US, ultra-right activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk was shot dead this week. Afterwards, your personal assistant posted a so-called meme, a photo with the caption. Let’s take a look …

Miosga: He then deleted this post, saying that right-wing extremists had put it in the wrong context. Did he tell you what the proper context was?

Reichinnek: On the very same day, there was another school massacre.1 And that was a very cynical way – but unfortunately also a very fitting way – to say, with this school massacre, you just move past it.

But I thought it was really good that you also described [Kirk] as ultra-right-wing, because others call him a “right-wing conservative” and that’s simply not true. He was a white supremacist, he was against the right to [sex/gender] self-determination. He said he would force his ten-year-old daughter to give birth were she to be raped. He is a racist.

So these statements he makes are really extreme. And I think you should never rejoice over anyone’s death. But you also don’t have to feel pity or respect for a person like this … Kirk, who was shot, said that some casualties are simply something we have to endure for the freedom to bear arms.

And [my aide] used this meme satirically, to point out that this focus [on political violence] is completely absent when it comes to other areas. For example, it was absent in the case of the murdered Democrats. … And I’m always very surprised that it is precisely this ultra-right-wing nationalist who is now being mourned so widely. I’m rather annoyed that the Junge Union [the youth wing of the CDU], for example, posted their condolences, when you consider what kind of person Kirk was. They didn’t do that for the murdered Democrats a while ago. So that’s also a question that needs to be asked.

Miosga: But he was murdered.

Reichinnek: Yes, by another Republican. And that’s problematic.

Miosga: And you’re surprised that people want to mourn someone who was murdered?

Reichinnek: I don’t know if this is the kind of person you would say was such a good person and just a right-wing conservative. No, he was very problematic. And as I said, you have to be aware of whom you’re platforming.

Reichinnek’s lies are partly of her own making, and partly elaborated from the media mythology that the German press have created around Kirk’s shooting. This mythology includes the dishonest speculation that Tyler Robinson, the shooter, had some connection to “far-right” groups and the American right-wing activist Nick Fuentes, “who has criticised Charlie Kirk in the past for his allegedly moderate stance.” In fact everything we know about the shooter, who was in a relationship with a trans woman, suggests he was a simply a leftist who despised Kirk’s politics. Various social media accounts connected to the transgender community appear to have had foreknowledge of Kirk’s assassination.

Neither Miosga nor Reichinnek have issued any clarifications or corrections, nor have they apologised.

I originally planned a much broader piece on the reaction to Kirk’s assassination, but the loathsome celebrations of social media activists are now well-trodden territory, so I have confined myself here only to the most mainstream, accepted, and establishment-friendly press personalities and media outlets in Germany.

We have before us here a systematic campaign, too coordinated and consistent to be an accident. The aim of this campaign is twofold. On the hand, our press hopes to portray Kirk as an unhinged and dangerous fascist, but to stop just short of blaming him for his own death – the sin for which MSNBC fired their “analyst” Matthew Dowd. On the other hand, they want to cast his assassination as very far from regrettable, while leaving any open celebration to the foul activist circles in their milieu.

Before 10 September, most Germans had never heard of Charlie Kirk, and so there was no reason for our press to denounce his politics and lie about him in this way. They could’ve reported this story much differently – perhaps as yet another crazy campus shooting in the gun-crazed United States (a favourite if tiresome trope of German media elites, however inapplicable in this case), or simply as the regrettable murder of a prominent American activist with connections to the MAGA movement.

Instead they have chosen the path of deceit and slander, because they are hysterical and desperate lunatics who have cultivated a political discourse that is so deranged as to be nearly beyond comprehension. If this were a German story about the murder of a prominent AfD activist, our journalists would report on it as sparingly as possible and condemn the AfD for playing the victim, while activists would stage a new round of demonstrations “against the right.” But this is an American story, and because the headlines from the United States have made Kirk’s assassination unavoidable, they have instead chosen this shameful path. They think they can get away with it, because German journalism is a highly insular and incestuous world, and language barriers ordinarily prevent lies of this nature from traveling very far beyond our own borders.

UPDATE: A twitter friend has just brought a further case to my notice, even more egregious than the others here. Today, the WDR political satirist Florian Schroeder had the following to say in his godforsaken podcast:

Some media outlets described Charlie Kirk as a conservative. Unfortunately, that’s pretty stupid. Many true conservatives still haven’t realised that they would be the first victims of extremists like Kirk. These world-weary conservatives come across as people who probably would’ve cried if Stauffenberg’s assassination plot had succeeded. Their argument is that the victim was someone who inspired young people; and besides, Kirk at least discussed things with his opponents, so he can’t have been a right-wing extremist. But that’s exactly why he is. Because extremists discuss things too. By pretending to talk to those they disagree with and spouting the same old tired arguments, they can then present themselves as champions of freedom of expression.

So, Kirk is Hitler, his assassin is a successful Claus von Stauffenberg, who has saved these tiresome “conservatives” from being Kirk’s “first victims.” All this nonsense just openly propagated by a German state media broadcasting operation.

Authored by Kurt Cobb via Resource Insights,

A recent piece in New Scientist has reminded me that it is a myth that humans, if they are wise and clever enough, can learn to “manage” the biosphere.

The piece is about the unfortunate trade-off between pollution reduction and global warming. It has been known for some time that successful efforts to reduce air pollution have resulted in fewer particles in the atmosphere, particles that reflect sunlight back into space. This reduction has actually accelerated global warming even as it has improved air quality and reduced illness and death.

The warning in the New Scientist piece comes from imagining a scenario in which world governments somehow agree on global action to curb warming climate by “spraying reflective particles into the stratosphere that dim the sun. The strategy works: temperatures at ground level stabilise, and life goes on as normal despite escalating carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere.”

But then in 2050:

[S]omething goes wrong. The spray guns break down, the money runs out, a pandemic hits or a global war disrupts operations. Whatever the case, the planet starts to heat up, fast, as years of pent-up emissions kick into effect. Ecosystems can’t cope, wildlife perishes en masse, societal chaos ensues.

The phenomenon is called “termination shock.”

The piece explains that we’ve been experiencing something like a termination shock because efforts in the last two decades to reduce air pollution have been so successful.  The result has been temperature warming faster than anticipated, unexpected regional changes such as increases in tropical cyclones, and increased monsoons responsible for greater flooding.  One researcher said that effects of a termination shock caused by a sudden cessation of worldwide program that inserts large amounts of reflective particles in the atmosphere would be much worse than what we are seeing today.

Read the entire piece New Scientist for the complete list of horribles.

Having recently re-read James Lovelock’s Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth I was reminded of some key points he makes about attempts to manage the biosphere.

Before getting to those points, for those who are unfamiliar with Lovelock and his Gaia Theory, it goes something like this: The Earth can be seen as a single organism using its natural processes that involve both living and nonliving materials to maintain conditions favorable to life.  He calls this system Gaia after the Greek goddess of the Earth.

(I can recommend the book which is highly readable for the layperson.)

Lovelock’s key points for my purposes here are that humans are a part of this Gaian system just like all other Earthly beings and that we have our role to play in keeping conditions favorable to life. The idea that humans could manage such a complex system is almost laughable to Lovelock who notes:

There can be no prescription, no set of values, for living within Gaia. For each of our different actions there are only consequences.

Earlier in the book Lovelock states:

Each time we significantly alter part of some natural process of regulation or introduce some new source of energy or information, we are increasing the probability that one of these changes will weaken the stability of the entire system, by cutting down the variety of response.

Two possible negative outcomes he mentions are runaway positive feedback and sustained oscillation.

• Runaway positive feedback could over time move Earth’s climate permanently into one resembling that of Venus where surface temperatures can melt lead. 

• Sustained oscillation could cause the Earth to cycle quickly between an ice age climate and a tropical one.

Lovelock notes that modern peoples live mostly in cities and so focus on solving problems that arise between individual people and between people and the urban institutions they create, not the problems that arise between people and the natural world they inhabit.

This puts humans at an increasing disadvantage in attempting to determine how best to live within Gaia over the long term.

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

Via Remix News,

Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and Special Presidential Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg had a lot to say on Russia’s famed might and those recent drone incursions into NATO airspace. 

Claiming 19 incursions cannot be an accident, Trump’s envoy said Vladimir Putin “is acting purposefully, he’s sending a signal, and he wants to hear a response,” reports Ukrainska Pravda.

“Ukraine will not lose this war. Ukrainians have a moral superiority over Russia, that’s obvious,” Kellogg also noted, specifically praising Ukraine’s advanced drone production capabilities. 

As to Russia, he said during the interview at the YES Annual Meeting 2025, “They talk a big game,” adding that Putin often likes to tout that Russia is a nuclear power, but other Western powers have nuclear weapons too. 

On the topic of Russian superiority, “We’d kick their ass (…) They’re not as good as Putin says they are.” He also credits Ukraine with helping curb Moscow’s military might. 

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine also confirmed to U.S. President Trump that Russia is “not winning” the war, according to Kellog. 

“If he was winning, he’d be in Kyiv,” Kellog added, again giving credit to Ukraine for slashing Russia’s military power. 

Poting on X, Kellog said, “The vision of our country is to see a halt to the death and destruction and restore peace and stability in Europe. Promoting peace over endless wars and proxy conflicts abroad is a defining feature of the America First leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.”

Honored to speak at the Yalta European Security Conference this week in Kyiv alongside the European National Security Advisors to deliver an America First perspective on bringing this war to an end. The vision of our country is to see a halt to the death and destruction and… pic.twitter.com/GGEXxxmQrr

— Keith Kellogg (@generalkellogg) September 14, 2025

Kellogg also spoke about Russia’s total dependence on China. 

“Russia has now become China’s junior partner. At present, we can say that China has both an economic advantage over Russia and a military advantage, and even historically. I will say more – if China completely cut off its aid to Russia, – this war would end tomorrow,” Kellogg claims.

Urging more aggressive action, including further sanctions, against Putin, Trump’s envoy maintained that Russia does not have “the capacity that they had that they could march towards Berlin or anywhere else.”

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