Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

An acclaimed comedy writer in the UK was arrested and thrown in a jail cell over three tweets that were critical of gender ideology, causing him to become extremely stressed and require hospitalisation.

In a recent Substack post, Graham Linehan recounts his arrest at Heathrow Airport upon returning from the US, a development he attributes to complaints from trans activists over three tweets.

Author JK Rowling shared the news via her X account.

What the fuck has the UK become? This is totalitarianism. Utterly deplorable. https://t.co/CRl2n9rorh

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 2, 2025

The ordeal began even before Linehan boarded his flight in Arizona. “When I handed over my passport at the gate, the official told me I didn’t have a seat and had to be re-ticketed,” he writes, initially dismissing it as a typical travel mishap. In hindsight, however, he believes it was a sign he’d been “flagged” by authorities, speculating that “Someone, somewhere, probably wearing unconvincing make-up and his sister/wife’s/mum’s underwear, had made a phone call.”

Upon landing at Heathrow, Linehan says he was met by “five armed police officers” who escorted him to a private area and informed him he was under arrest for the tweets. He emphasizes the absurdity of the situation, noting “In a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had mobilised five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer for this tweet (and no, I promise you, I am not making this up.”

The tweets in question included one showing a man in women’s clothing with the caption implying a call to challenge such individuals, and a follow-up referencing a “punch in the bollocks” as a metaphorical point about height differences and self-defense, not literal violence.

Linehan’s initial reaction was one of disbelief and humor: “When I first saw the cops, I actually laughed. I couldn’t help myself. ‘Don’t tell me! You’ve been sent by trans activists,’” he writes.

At the Heathrow police station, Linehan recounts how his belongings were confiscated, including his belt, bag, and devices. He was placed in a “small green-tiled cell with a bunk, a silver toilet in the corner and a message from Crimestoppers on the ceiling next to a concave mirror that was presumably there to make you reflect on your life choices.”

During the police interview, Linehan remarks that the tone became more intense. An officer questioned him about each tweet “with the sort of earnest intensity usually reserved for discussing something serious like… oh, I dunno—crime?”

Linehan defended his posts, explaining that the ‘punch’ tweet was “a serious point made with a joke,” explaining that “Men who enter women’s spaces ARE abusers and they need to be challenged every time.”

The conversation touched on terminology when the officer used “trans people,” prompting Linehan to challenge: “I asked him what he meant by the phrase. ‘People who feel their gender is different than what was assigned at birth.’ I said ‘Assigned at birth? Our sex isn’t assigned.’” He dismissed the officer’s response as “semantics” and accused him of using “activist language,” lamenting that “The damage Stonewall has done to the UK police force will take years to mend.”

Linehan recounts that the stress of the situation took a huge physical toll on him, and when a nurse checked on him, it was discovered that his blood pressure was “over 200—stroke territory,” and he was rushed to A&E for observation.

Linehan attributes this to “The stress of being arrested for jokes,” combined with travel fatigue, and his ongoing eight-year battle against “trans activists working in tandem with police in a dedicated, persistent harassment campaign because I refuse to believe that lesbians have cocks.”

Linehan’s account paints a picture of a surreal clash between free speech, activism, and law enforcement, highlighting his frustration with a system that now prioritises ideological complaints over real crimes.

Is it a coincidence that Linehan was on the world’s most popular podcast just three weeks ago talking about how much of a police state Britain has become?

Linehan has been targeted for cancellation and much worse for years now, since making his views on the gender issue clear:

Comedian Graham Linehan’s Edinburgh show was cancelled by the venue because of his views on trans issues.

“Essentially a group of highly ideological cultists have taken over institutions across society.” @JuliaHB1 | @Glinner pic.twitter.com/e3THmCKCdv

— Talk (@TalkTV) August 16, 2023

The Free Speech Union in the UK has announced that it will back Linehan, posting on X:

We do not believe Graham’s arrest or the bail conditions imposed were lawful. We will be backing him all the way in his fight against these preposterous allegations and the disproportionate response from the police.

When @Glinner landed at Heathrow, he was met by five armed police officers, and immediately arrested.

His ‘crime’? Three gender-critical tweets.

As Graham says in his Substack:

“In a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had mobilised five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer.”

Graham’s single bail condition is that he does not go on X.

When @Glinner landed at Heathrow, he was met by five armed police officers, and immediately arrested.

His ‘crime’? Three gender-critical tweets.

As Graham says in his Substack:

“In a country where paedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women… pic.twitter.com/1YDOhtwRRm

— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) September 2, 2025

All of this comes in the wake of Prime Minister Kier Starmer repeatedly claiming that the UK is proud of free speech.

When armed police are standing waiting for you because you’ve voiced your opinions – and, as part of bail, you’re not allowed to voice your opinions…

It’s quite hard to argue you’re a nation that has free speech.

— 🅂🄷🄴🄼🄸🄽🄰🅁🅈 (@sheminary) September 2, 2025

No one is safe in Starmer’s Britain writers and authors are not under threat from imprisonment and cancellation.

— Benonwine (@benonwine) September 2, 2025

Parody is DEAD.

He’s only in the Yookay for his trial this week on separate “transphobic harassment” charges.

He nearly had a stroke and had to be rushed to A&E.

— Fergal Byrne #не стрелять #DontShoot (@fergbyrne) September 2, 2025

So in today’s UK, five armed officers can’t be spared for knife crime on the streets, but they’ve got time to storm Heathrow over three tweets?

Orwell must be rolling in his grave.

How does a nation justify unleashing counter-terror style policing on a comedy writer while…

— mdtlion (@mdtlion) September 2, 2025

I’ve now read multiple accounts confirming he was strip-searched, which triggered the panic attack and nearly gave the man a stroke. I can’t express how angry I am — they’re an absolute disgrace, and at this point, they’re dangerous. 🤬🤬🤬

— TheCynicalBrit 🇬🇧🦕 (@CynicalBrit2023) September 2, 2025

I can’t wait to hear how Starmer justifies this next time a US political figure questions him on Free Speech in the UK.. pic.twitter.com/LuBuEETafF

— Cherub Rock 💜 (@Cherub_Rock_23) September 2, 2025

*  *  *

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

After tumbling in July, expectations for August’s US Manufacturing surveys were optimistic (with both ISM and S&P Global both expected to tick higher, though the former expected to remain in contraction).

• S&P Global’s US Manufacturing PMI rose dramatically from 49.8 in July to 53.0 in August (down very marginally from its preliminary print of 53.3) – the strongest in over three years

• ISM’s US Manufacturing PMI rose from 48.0 in July to 48.7 in August (below the 49.0 expected)

And both of these increases in ‘soft’ survey data come as hard data has disappointed…

Source: Bloomberg

Under the hood of the ISM data, we see prices falling significantly, nmew orders jumping, but employment remaining significantly weaker (as we suggested will happen)…

Source: Bloomberg

“Purchasing managers reported that the US manufacturing was running hot over the summer,” according to Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.

“The past three months have seen the strongest expansion of production since the first half of 2022, with the upturn gathering pace in August amid rising sales. Hiring also picked up again in August as factories took on more staff to meet an influx of new orders and an accumulation of uncompleted work for waiting customers.”

“The manufacturing sector is therefore on course to provide a boost to the US economy in the third quarter.

But inflationary fears loom…

“The upturn is in part being fueled by inventory building, with factories reporting a further jump in warehouse holdings in August due to concerns over future price rises and potential supply constraints. These concerns are being stoked by uncertainty over the impact of tariffs, fears which were underpinned by a further jump in prices paid for inputs by factories, linked overwhelmingly by purchasing managers to these tariffs.

“Cost increases are being passed on to customers via widespread hikes to factory gate prices. The big question is the degree to which these price rises will then feed through to higher consumer price inflation in the coming months.”

So S&P Global sees prices higher and hiring improving while ISM sees prices falling and employment still badly lagging… take your pick!!

By Benjamin Picton, senior market strategist at Rabobank

Flying Blind

News broke yesterday that a jet carrying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had to land using paper charts after its GPS navigation systems were apparently jammed by Russia. Traveling to Plovdiv in Bulgaria, VDL’s jet apparently circled for an hour before the pilot took the decision to do things the old-fashioned way and consult the map.

Such an incident targeting a head of not-quite-a-state is shocking to say the least, but serves as a neat metaphor for relations between Russia and Europe in recent years (decades?): European liberal internationalists assume old norms apply -> Russia disagrees and demonstrates that it views violence as a legitimate tool of national policy -> Europeans left stunned.

Some will remember the images of German diplomats guffawing at the United Nations in 2018 as Donald Trump admonished Germany for placing itself at the mercy of Russia for its energy supplies. Fast-forward to 2022 and suddenly Trump’s speech wasn’t so funny, and anyone who cares to bring up a chart of German industrial production can see the fruits of the lack of imagination of Germany’s leaders. Germany’s factories are now struggling to replace lost production for civilian applications with new production for military applications. But how to do this without cheap energy?

So, yes, violence is back as a tool of national policy. Russia is unapologetic about this. So is Israel. So is the United States if you consider the decisiveness of using B-21 bombers to drop bunker busters on Iranian nuclear facilities. Hamas and the Houthis are certainly unapologetic and China has also been stepping up the frequency and scale of ‘rehearsals’ for the invasion of Taiwan while the Chinese navy and coast guard have had semi-regular clashes with the Philippines over territories that China claims as its own through the ten-dash line. Those Chinese territorial claims are not supported by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, but that is really part of the point.

Despite being permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia have never really fully subscribed to the legitimacy of the post-war global architecture. Many Western leaders continue genuflect to the ‘rules-based international order’ as if it was chiselled in stone and handed down from Mount Sinai. In reality, that rules-based order has always been a US-led order, upheld by US force of arms, and has always been viewed by China and Russia as such. Russia has demonstrated that the it is quite willing to flout the ‘rules’ when its national interest demands it. This does not mean that war is inevitable, but it does mean that it is a policy option that other countries need to dissuade revisionist powers from using. As Bismarck reputedly said “do I want war? Of course not! I want victory.”

Both the United States and China are now interested in re-writing the rules of the road to suit their own interests. The US now sees the liberal economic order as a threat to its position as global hegemon while China seeks to push the US out and establish itself as an Asian hegemon. In the view of the United States, a persistently overvalued dollar and unequal trade terms has offshored production from the US into China (and elsewhere) while the US got hooked on the drug of artificially high living standards courtesy of the strong dollar and the subsidized production of consumer goods in China.

As Scott Bessent explained to Fox News last week, the United States got a major wakeup call during Covid when it became apparent that many of the things that the United States needed (pharmaceuticals, personal protective equipment etc) were not made in the USA and could not be easily imported while global shipping was snarled up and the countries who DID produce the goods and own the ships were focusing on supplying themselves. Consequently, the US now cares about controlling supply chains for strategic goods, is using state-intervention to guide production and is increasingly autarchic. This is seen as a national security priority in the context of geopolitical competition with China. Everything must be understood through this prism.

A logical corollary of the MAGA program seeking to re-orient the US economy from being characterised by consumption to being characterised more by production (as it was at the end of WWII) is that there will have to be less consuming going on. The question then becomes which segments of society are going to see their consumption power curtailed? Trump and Bessent say the people at the top have had it too good for too long and will have to pay, while the losers from 40 years of globalization (those at the bottom of the income distribution) will see their living standards safeguarded.

China, as the main power of the emerging BRICS bloc, is seeking partners in a new multilateralism aimed at replacing the US-led order with something that better suits the interests and ambitions of China and its partners. The events of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit over the weekend demonstrate that Russia, Iran and Belarus are on board. India and Brazil (not an SCO member) seemingly are too, but there are problems.

Firstly, many of these countries have had territorial skirmishes in the recent past (e.g. the Sino-Soviet war in the 1960s and China-India border skirmishes more recently). Secondly, it is not immediately apparent how these powers could be incorporated into a new economic and financial architecture. The trade flows need to net and somebody needs to play the role of deficit runner if they are going to provide a replacement for the US Dollar as reserve currency. Nobody wants to do this because everybody wants to produce and export.

Additionally, the Chinese conception of world order historically posits the Chinese emperor as the intermediary between earth and heaven. That is to say, China has the ‘mandate of heaven’ that legitimises Chinese hegemony, and delegitimises the claims of anyone else to be on equal footing with China. How does India’s ambition for a multipolar Asia fit into this conception of world order? How does Iran’s conception of itself as a central Asian hegemon fit this view? How does Russia’s view of itself as a top-tier Eurasian power fit? The answer is: they don’t.

The UK Telegraph today claims ‘China unveils plan for new world order’. However, while team BRICS appears united in grievance against the US order, it is not yet clear that they are offering a coherent alternative. Xi Jinping made his pitch to the global south by encouraging them to embrace “free trade” and announcing that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation would establish a new development bank to build influence in Eurasia by providing infrastructure loans for green industry. Establishing development banks extending loans in (presumably) Renminbi has the added benefit of de-risking the emerging bloc of the extraterritorial power of the US Dollar. Xi also said he would open up China’s BeiDou satellite system to SCO members as an alternative to the US GPS system (perhaps Ursula von der Leyen will be tempted?).

While the BRICS bloc coalesces towards a new conception of world order and seeks an economic and financial architecture to support it, Western powers seem unsure about the direction of their own political economy. Europe wants to be green but it also wants to re-arm, and the two are not compatible. Far right parties now hold polling leads in Germany, France and the UK as popular discontent at ‘the way things are going’ continues to rise.

European style anti-immigration protests recently broke out in Australia where a Canada style net inward migration rate of ~1.7% at a time where the country can’t house its own young is testing the social fabric. Recent comments by an Indian Minister suggesting that he was “in deep negotiations with my counterpart in Australia to create 1 million homes” using Indian labour trained in Australia and funding from the UAE is sure to add fuel to the fire. The supposed plan has not been corroborated by Canberra, but could be the most sensational economic chicanery since the Khemlani loans affair if it turned out to be true.

Whether fact or fiction, the plan does highlight an important point: for economies like Australia that have labor markets at ‘full-employment’, there is simply no surplus labour to do important stuff that needs doing. Labor is a factor of production subject to scarcity, and when scarcity strikes governments take on responsibility for directing the factors of production into their most useful employment. The United States is now doing this through ‘state capitalism’ and cherry-picking high value-add industries for its own economy.

This dynamic poses a question. Is Australia best served by having 55% of school leavers attend university to add to the oversupply of law graduates carrying unserviceable student loan debts? Or would it make more sense to direct the youth into trades training to address the undersupply of builders, tilers, plasterers, welders, farm workers etc etc? These are the trade-offs of economic policymaking under real constraints, but the Australian trade minister recently implied that a more active approach to organising production would not be taken when he said that Australia could be an example to the world by abolishing 500 “nuisance” tariffs.

So, the US is taking a more active role in directing economic activity, the BRICS are seeking to reshape the world order in their own image and Europe is searching for a new model of political economy that simultaneously delivers growth, security and social cohesion. Australia, meanwhile, wants to be an example to the rest of the world by evangelising an economic model that others are rejecting as failed. In this fractious new global environment leaving decisions of what gets produced, where, and by who completely in the hands of Mr Market really would be flying blind.

Authored by Matt Margolis via PJMedia.com,

Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films, has declared that a reunion of the original cast is “never going to happen,” blaming J.K. Rowling’s controversial views on transgender issues. Columbus described the situation as “so complicated with all the political stuff,” noting that actors like Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have publicly rejected Rowling’s stance, making any reunion impossible.

Rowling fired back on X with a lengthy post, framing her response as a direct challenge to her critics and pushing back against what she described as a persistent mischaracterization of her beliefs.

“As another man who once worked with me declares himself saddened by my beliefs on gender and sex, I thought it might be useful to compile a list for handy reference,” Rowling wrote. She then laid out a series of questions, asking which of her positions could possibly make actors and directors so upset.

She asked whether it was her belief “that women and girls should have their own public changing rooms and bathrooms,” or that “women should retain female-only rape crisis centres,” and “that men don’t belong in women’s sport.” Rowling also highlighted her stance on incarcerated women, asserting that “female prisoners shouldn’t be incarcerated with violent men and male sex offenders,” and her view that “women should remain a protected class in law, because they have sex-specific needs and issues.”

Rowling continued by emphasizing the importance of language reflecting reality, noting “that language should reflect reality rather than ideological jargon, especially in a medical context,” and defended women against harassment or persecution, writing that “women shouldn’t be harassed, persecuted or fired for refusing to pretend humans can change sex” and “women should not be threatened with violence and rape when they assert their rights.”

She also stressed the broader societal principle of free expression, declaring that “freedom of speech and belief are essential to a pluralistic democratic society.” Rowling then turned to the treatment of minors, particularly those who are “gay, autistic and trauma-experienced,” insisting they “should be given mental health support instead of irreversible surgeries and drug treatments on non-existent evidence of benefit.”

The author also addressed LGBTQ issues, saying that “gay people shouldn’t be pressured to include the opposite sex in their dating pools, nor should they be smeared as ‘genital fetishists’ when they don’t,” and criticized certain male cross-dressers exploiting gender ideology: “cross-dressing heterosexual male fetishists aren’t actually oppressed, but having the time of their lives piggybacking off gender identity ideology.”

Finally, Rowling struck at the broader political consequences of these ideas, asserting that “said ideology, and the privileged, blinkered fools pushing it because they suffer zero consequences themselves, have done more damage to the political left’s credibility than Trump and Farage could have achieved in a century.” 

She’s right. Chris Columbus and the parade of Hollywood elites rushing to condemn Rowling reveal less about her supposedly “controversial views” and more about their own cowardice. They aren’t guided by principle—they’re driven by fear: fear of social media mobs, fear of losing roles, fear of being canceled. Columbus, Radcliffe, Watson, and the rest have chosen the path of convenience over courage, prioritizing their reputations over common sense, fairness, and even basic reality. 

Rowling’s positions—protecting women’s spaces, defending free speech, supporting vulnerable minors, and calling out ideological exploitation—are neither radical nor hateful. Yet, in an era where ideological conformity is more important than truth, she is vilified simply for speaking the truth. The real scandal isn’t Rowling’s beliefs; it’s the craven complicity of those too timid to defend reason, morality, and decency.

The fake outrage over J.K. Rowling exposes the media’s true agenda: silencing dissent and forcing ideological conformity. 

Nestlé shares are lower in Switzerland after the company abruptly terminated its CEO, Laurent Freixe, for an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate.

“The departure of Laurent Freixe follows an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate which breached Nestlé’s Code of Business Conduct,” Nestlé wrote in a press release. 

Philipp Navratil, head of Nespresso, was named as Freixe’s replacement. Leadership turmoil at the world’s largest food company has been particularly volatile: Freixe joined the team about a year ago, following the ouster of Mark Schneider.

Nestlé Chairman Paul Bulcke wrote in a statement: “This was a necessary decision. Nestlé’s values and governance are strong foundations of our company. I thank Laurent for his years of service at Nestlé.”

Bulcke continued: “I am pleased to announce Philipp Navratil as CEO. Philipp is recognized for his impressive track record of achieving results in challenging environments.” 

The undisclosed romantic relationship surfaced through the company’s internal “speak up” system, prompting an internal investigation by Chairman Bulcke and lead director Pablo Isla, with the support of outside counsel. Freixe will not receive an exit package. 

One has to wonder whether Freixe’s ouster, pitched to the public as a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate that violated company guidelines, was in fact more about Nestlé’s weak performance, with shares in Switzerland failing to rebound this year and hovering near five-year lows.

. . . 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told the Washington Examiner on Labor Day that the Trump administration may declare a national housing emergency in the coming months to address the affordability crisis. Bessent’s comments come just ahead of an expected interest-rate cut cycle, underscoring the administration’s urgent effort to address the affordability crisis, which is set to be one of the key topics ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Bessent joined the Washington Examiner for breakfast on Labor Day at McLean Family Restaurant on Monday. He told the outlet that President Trump plans to make “affordability” a critical pillar of America First’s 2026 midterm election platform. 

📍 First stop: McLean Family Restaurant in Virginia. For over 40 years, the Kapetanakis family has lived the American Dream, serving their community with heart and tradition.

Their famous omelets are amazing, and thanks to @POTUS, eggs are more than 50% cheaper today than last… pic.twitter.com/X6p0QiHc6T

— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) September 1, 2025

“We may declare a national housing emergency in the fall,” Bessent told the Washington Examiner. 

A toxic combination of elevated mortgage rates and record-high home prices has sparked one of the worst housing affordability crises in a generation, sidelining many working-class folks from homeownership. 

“We’re trying to figure out what we can do, and we don’t want to step into the business of states, counties, and municipal governments,” Bessent noted, adding, “I think everything is on the table.”

The treasury secretary did not elaborate on specific actions Trump could take, but he did mention officials within the administration are analyzing ways to standardize local building and zoning codes and decrease closing costs. He added that the possibility of considering some tariff exemptions for housing materials will be considered.

“I think we’re going to see a big economic pickup in 2026,” Bessent continued. “This very, very, very nice young lady here, who’s had this restaurant for 32 years, she’s going to get a large tax refund of the ‘No Tax on Tips.’ So 2026 is going to be a good year.”

Another way the Trump admin is seeking to boost housing supply is by removing illegal aliens from federal housing assistance programs. In addition, efforts to restore law and order in crime-ridden, Democrat-controlled cities could also free up housing stock.

We’ll leave readers with one chart that shows America’s “civilization crisis“…

I’ve heard the horror stories, Carol. https://t.co/EexiHD5zsf pic.twitter.com/35736Jw06P

— Nathan Halberstadt 🧊 (@NatHalberstadt) August 2, 2025

America First is about rebuilding the middle class after globalists spent decades chipping away at the working class that built this nation. Making homeownership, family, and country “Great Again” seems to be all the rage today – especially on the internet. 

Beijing is set to display a range of previously unseen advanced weaponry during a military parade in Tiananmen Square on September 3, signaling its growing military prowess amid heightened tensions with the U.S. over the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.

Satellite imagery circulating on social media indicates that the parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, will showcase several new anti-ship missiles, including the YJ-15, YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20, with “YJ” standing for “Ying Ji” or “Eagle Attack.” Some of these missiles are believed to be hypersonic, capable of traveling at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound, posing a potential challenge to naval defenses.

“China must bolster its anti-ship and anti-aircraft carrier capabilities to counter potential threats to national security from the United States,” said Song Zhongping, a former Chinese army instructor and military commentator, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Beyond missiles, China is expected to debut at least two unmanned underwater vehicles, designated “AJX002.” The parade may also feature the HQ-29, described by experts as a “satellite hunter” capable of intercepting missiles at altitudes up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) outside Earth’s atmosphere, according to AFP. Additionally, a post from the X account “Zhao DaShuai,” linked to the Chinese military, touted what it called “the world’s most powerful laser air defense system.”

The military display, which will involve more than 10,000 personnel, is slated to last only 70 minutes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will be joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin to observe the parade. Among the attendees is also North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, making a rare international appearance and his first visit to China since 2019. Myanmar’s military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in a 2021 coup, will also be present. Other heads of state include Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, as well as the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. From Europe, the only two leaders that will attend are Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Associated Press reports.

Via Remix News,

Four Alternative for Germany (AfD) candidates died “suddenly and unexpectedly” in Germany’s largest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, right before state elections.

Anger and theories are running rife on social media about the sudden deaths of the AfD candidates.

“According to WDR, four AfD candidates who were not excluded have died immediately before the NRW municipal election: Blomberg, Rheinberg, Schwerte, Bad Lippspringe. Statistically almost impossible,” wrote Stefan Homburg in a post that received 1 million views.

Laut @WDR sind vier @AfD-Kandidaten, die nicht ausgeschlossen wurden, unmittelbar vor der NRW-Kommunalwahl verstorben: Blomberg, Rheinberg, Schwerte, Bad Lippspringe. Statistisch fast unmöglich. https://t.co/zpGdUGAbo9

— Stefan Homburg (@SHomburg) August 29, 2025

In another post from Peter Borbe, he writes:

“4 AfD candidates died within 2 weeks during the NRW local elections: Wolfgang Seitz (Rheinberg), Ralph Lange (Blomberg), Stefan Berendes (Bad Lippspringe), Wolfgang Klinger (Schwerte), all 4 died suddenly and unexpectedly. An astonishing accumulation of deaths, isn’t it?”

4 tote AfD-Kandidaten innerhalb von 2 Wochen bei den NRW-Kommunalwahlen: Wolfgang Seitz (Rheinberg), Ralph Lange (Blomberg), Stefan Berendes (Bad Lippspringe), Wolfgang Klinger /Schwerte), alle 4 starben plötzlich und unerwartet.
Eine erstaunliche Häufung von Todesfällen, oder? pic.twitter.com/RoqbLf8tJ3

— Peter Borbe (@PeterBorbe) August 30, 2025

Despite concerns expressed on social media, not much is known about the circumstances of the deaths of the four candidates other than they died “unexpectedly,” which means none of them died from a long battle with cancer, for example.

As of yet, nobody has provided any evidence that the AfD candidates died from anything other than natural causes. In addition, there does not appear to have been any police investigations launched into the deaths of any four of the individuals.

However, in Germany’s polarized political environment, there is no surprise that AfD supporters are worried about the safety of their candidates.

The AfD party is, after all, the most attacked party in the country, including assaults and other forms of violence, according to official government statistics.

Local elections are set for Sept. 14, but the Welt newspaper reports that the latest death was from Ralph Lange, the AfD’s direct candidate for the Blomberg council, who “died unexpectedly,” according to WDR and the Lippische Landeszeitung, among other media outlets. A number of reports claim he was either 66 or 67 years old.

Other candidates were Wolfgang Seitz from Rheinberg, reportedly 59 years old, along with Wolfgang Klinger of Schwerte, reportedly 71 or 72 years old. Finally, Stefan Berendes of Bad Lippsringe passed away, at 59 years old.

🇩🇪🚨 AfD supporters in Germany should be attacked and people should “vomit in their faces.”

“Break down their doors and gates, slap them in the face. Vomit in their faces. I don’t give a sh*t,” said public figure Peter Fischer to RTL.

Despite calling for violence against a… pic.twitter.com/ersYM5AcSO

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 28, 2024

Authorities are under pressure to print new ballots, and with elections quickly approaching, there are serious time constraints. In some of the affected districts, new ballots have already been sent out.

Some voters had already sent in mail-in ballots. These ballots will no longer be valid and they must vote again.

Welt writes, citing WDR, that “an AfD candidate (Wolfgang Klinger) in Schwerte (North Rhine-Westphalia, Arnsberg administrative district) and the 59-year-old AfD candidate Wolfgang Seitz in Rheinberg (North Rhine-Westphalia, Wesel district) also died ‘suddenly and unexpectedly’ almost two weeks ago.”

BREAKING: 🇩🇪AfD politician Heinrich Koch STABBED in Mannheim. Here is the alleged video, showing Koch confronting an Antifa member tearing down AfD posters in the city.

The Antifa thug swings a knife multiple times, leaving multiple stab wounds on the 59-year-old Koch’s body.… pic.twitter.com/xtozfJoT57

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 5, 2024

Read more here…

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

ECB President Christine Lagarde has warned the U.S. Federal Reserve not to lose its independence to politics. A transparent maneuver, considering the ECB has long since merged with Brussels into a political entity.

In an interview with French radio station Classique, Lagarde cautioned that U.S. President Donald Trump is attempting to seize control over the Federal Reserve. She said:

“If US monetary policy were no longer independent and instead dependent on the dictates of this or that person, then I believe that the effect on the balance of the American economy could, as a result of the effects this would have around the world, be very worrying.”

Indeed, Trump (this or that person) is exerting massive pressure on the Fed. His attempt to exploit the internal scandal surrounding Fed Governor Lisa Cook to remove her via executive order and replace her with an ally is undisputed.

Cook is accused of providing false information in mortgage dealings, allegedly declaring an Atlanta condominium as her primary residence while previously claiming her Michigan home, raising the specter of mortgage fraud.

Good Cop, Bad Cop

Regardless of the outcome, this marks the latest peak in the battle between Trump and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump accuses of interest rate sabotage. Powell countered the massive inflation surge caused by liquidity injections during the COVID lockdowns with rapid rate hikes and has since kept U.S. rates well above other central banks. Trump, in contrast, calls for drastic rate cuts to free the frozen housing market and ease state interest burdens.

It remains unclear to what extent this public dispute between Trump and Powell follows a political script. Following a “good cop, bad cop” dynamic, both have successfully attracted investment into the U.S. through trade policy and high rates while simultaneously devaluing the dollar against other fiat currencies. Mission accomplished, for now: the deeply negative trade balance is slowly reversing, tariff revenues are rising, and U.S. industry is regaining ground.

Return to Private Money

Away from the Fed dispute, a small monetary revolution is unfolding in the U.S.: the partial return to a private banking money system. With the GENIUS Act and the rise of U.S. dollar stablecoins, the Trump administration has established the legal framework for private money creation.

Private banks will be able to issue their own stablecoins, each backed by collateral such as U.S. Treasury bonds, gold, or Bitcoin. The U.S. is moving toward a more stable, competitive monetary system that reduces leverage risk and strengthens the banking sector compared to its European counterpart.

Lagarde is not entirely wrong that Fed power may be constrained going forward. But unlike the state-centered Eurozone system, the U.S. banking sector stands to gain significant influence at the Fed’s expense.

Lagarde Has Humor

It is almost tragicomic that the ECB president warns of a loss of Fed autonomy. Since the sovereign debt crisis a decade and a half ago, the ECB has been fully merged with Brussels. Autonomy in Eurozone monetary policy is nonexistent.

During the debt crisis, the ECB intervened massively. Nominal interest rates dropped from over 4% in 2008 to as low as -0.5%, remaining in negative territory for years. Bond purchases and long-term refinancing operations ballooned to around €3 trillion – liquidity that partially displaced private credit. This is one reason the Eurozone economy has relied on credit-financed government demand to stay afloat.

With its anti-fragmentation tools, the ECB secured peripheral bonds regardless of fiscal discipline.

Crisis Never Resolved

The results of this market manipulation are evident: the Euro Club continually expanded national deficits. The disciplining effect of interest rate penalties vanished – the ECB became a state money-printing machine, political control supplanting market discipline.

The rescue operation peaked with Mario Draghi’s legendary “Whatever it takes,” signaling that the ECB would guarantee the solvency of heavily indebted member states.

Since then, the ECB has functioned as a backstop, a lender of last resort for all Eurozone countries, many of which have abandoned fiscal responsibility. Draghi’s decision stripped the bond market of its teeth, undermining its role as a control mechanism.

Nonsense “Made by ECB”

Brussels turned the ECB into a money pump for its ideological campaign against free markets and national sovereignty. From financing absurd climate projects to building a European war economy, the ECB monetizes growing debt, with the EU Commission contributing: the upcoming Brussels budget totals roughly €2 trillion, much to be financed through eurobond issuance, relying on the ECB to step in if the market hesitates.

The ECB is far from independent. Few central banks have subordinated themselves to politics as completely. The legacy of the conservative, stability-focused German Bundesbank is gone.

Smoke Screens and Media Spin

European monetary politicization has enabled Brussels’ socialist ecologism to entrench itself despite economic fallout. Manipulated interest rates and state guarantees have produced the largest zombie economy in the world, excepting China’s real estate sector. Scarce resources are diverted to unproductive projects, freezing the Eurozone in stagnation.

Lagarde’s Fed warnings are mere distractions. Europe faces rising sovereign debt pressures, with France on the brink of crisis. ECB tools must be ready, as no one knows when the market will issue the red card.

While the U.S. continues monetary reform, deregulates the economy, and lowers taxes, Europe remains in regulatory paralysis. The ECB perpetuates the socialist debt spiral with ever-new liquidity injections. We are witnessing a slow-motion crash as European policymakers fail to escape their self-imposed ideological trap.

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About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Novo Nordisk shares rose in Copenhagen trading on Monday after the pharmaceutical giant reported on Sunday that its weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death by 57% compared with tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The new findings come from a STEER real-world study, which collected evidence from patient experiences at the European Society of Cardiology in Madrid, Spain. The study investigated the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events with Wegovy compared with tirzepatide treatment in people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease. 

“Compared with tirzepatide, Wegovy showed a significant 57% greater risk reduction for heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related death or death from any cause, in people with overweight or obesity and CVD, who did not have any gaps in their treatment lasting more than 30 days,” Novo wrote in a press release. 

UBS analyst Tricia Wright commented on the results: 

While this was not a randomized controlled trial, Novo said the study adds to growing evidence suggesting that the heart-protective benefits seen with Wegovy are specific to its key ingredient semaglutide and therefore cannot be extended to other GLP-1 drugs, such as tirzepatide. These findings could give a lift to Novo, which has been losing US market share to Zepbound.

These findings could give a lift to Novo, which has been losing U.S. market share to Zepbound.

Novo bulls have been searching – especially Goldman analysts – for a positive news cycle for the pharma giant after shares have tumbled 70% since peaking in June 2024.

Compounding GLP-1 headwind has been a headache for the industry:

• Novo Shares Crash Most On Record After Forecast Slashed On Compounded GLP-1 Headwinds

However, Novo shares have rebounded 26% since bottoming in early August. There has been some positive news flow:

• Novo Shares Gain As Wegovy Wins FDA Approval For Liver Disease

As we’ve previously mentioned:

For Novo shares to rebound meaningfully, the company must address compounded GLP-1 knockoffs that have flooded the U.S. market, undermining demand and slowing Wegovy’s expansion. Novo noted in its earnings release earlier this month that it is “pursuing multiple strategies, including litigation, to protect patients from knockoff ‘semaglutide’ drugs.” Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for HIMS.

Novo’s decline must have been a rough ride for Goldman clients after listening to superbull analyst James Quigley.