Anticipating what tactics Beijing might use against U.S. President Donald Trump amid trade negotiations, several media outlets here, in Europe, and elsewhere have begun to speculate that China will threaten to distance its economy and its trade from the dollar—de-dollarize in the popular parlance—and perhaps sell off its extensive holdings of U.S. Treasury debt.
Neither act, however, is at all likely, certainly not as an immediate bargaining chip.
It is easy to see why commentators would seize on notions like de-dollarization. Beijing for years has sought to raise the yuan’s international profile, often at the expense of the U.S. dollar. In its wide-ranging Belt and Road Initiative, for instance, it often insists that arrangements and contracts are denominated in yuan and not dollars, as is customary elsewhere.
Beijing has promoted the idea of moving away from the dollar among the so-called BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa). China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank denominates loans and grants in yuan, not dollars. Beijing has contracted for large oil purchases in yuan, not dollars. Its extensive dealings with Russia dispense with the use of dollars. And the People’s Bank of China has aided the effort by promoting a digital yuan.
But Beijing is also well aware that China, as an export-dependent economy, must hold dollars to back its trading activities with most nations.
For all Beijing’s efforts to supplant the dollar with the yuan, the dollar nonetheless acts as a basis for 80 percent of the world’s import-export activity, even when Americans are not involved. The dollar has a presence in 90 percent of all currency transactions, compared with only 4 percent for the yuan.
China could shed the dollar and still have access to global trading and currency arrangements, but it would have to accept much less effective and efficient arrangements to do so.
In other words, de-dollarization would hurt China much more than it would hurt the United States, and both Beijing and Washington know this.
Nor is China likely to threaten the sale of its holdings of U.S. Treasury debt.
There is no denying that China’s holdings are huge. Some estimates put the figure at just under $1 trillion, second only to Japan’s holdings of about $1.13 trillion. This would seem to give Beijing leverage, but all involved know that the sale of these holdings would deny China a liquid market in which to invest its necessary holdings of U.S. dollars.
Moreover, an extensive sale would depress the price of U.S. Treasury bonds, imposing losses on Beijing’s balance sheet at a time when China’s domestic economic troubles make such a loss especially hard to bear. To be sure, such a sell-off would hurt Washington, but it would hurt Beijing even more, and both sides know it.
Beijing also knows that China’s interests would suffer from the tendency for any of these steps to weaken the dollar’s foreign exchange value and strengthen the yuan. In these circumstances, China’s central authorities would do better to weaken the yuan’s foreign exchange value, especially against the dollar. Such an action would make Chinese goods cheaper to dollar-based buyers and accordingly offset some of the adverse pricing impact of existing and threatened U.S. tariffs.
Instead, the yuan has recently gained value against the dollar. Beijing could reverse this trend if it were to talk down the currency actively by publicly eschewing de-dollarization and any talk of selling off holdings of U.S. Treasury debt.
It hardly warrants saying that matters today remain highly uncertain.
Trump’s next move is impossible to guess, as is Beijing’s.
For all the uncertainty, however, it is still possible to set aside all the talk of de-dollarization and asset sell-offs, for the very practical reasons outlined here and also because Beijing, in these ongoing negotiations, has zero interest in antagonizing Washington.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.
Bank Connected To Left Wing Billionaire Giving Loans To Illegal Immigrants To Fight “Systemic Racism”
A bank connected to leftwing billionaire Tom Steyer is giving loans to illegal immigrants using a financial loophole—claiming it’s a way to fight “systemic racism”, according to the Daily Wire.
Beneficial State Bank, based in Oakland, California, offers loans to immigrants without legal status by using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) instead of Social Security numbers.
The bank says this is part of its mission to promote fairness. “Beneficial State Bank is committed to addressing financial inequalities that disproportionately affect communities of color, a result of centuries of systemic racism,” the bank said in its 2022 impact report.
“A key initiative is lending to immigrant customers who may not have Social Security numbers but possess Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers.” In 2022, it issued $25 million in auto loans to 707 ITIN borrowers
The Daily Wire writes that in 2023, the bank continued to push this strategy. “Because many financial institutions require social security numbers, people without them, such as recent immigrants to the United States, can face barriers to qualifying for the loan they need to purchase a car,” the report reads.
“The bank lends to customers with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers, providing critical access to credit and expanding financial inclusion.” About 10% of its 16,000 auto loans are made this way.
The bank started by offering loans to undocumented immigrants through furniture stores, according to the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. It also lends to people with California AB 60 driver’s licenses, which are available to those who “are unable to provide proof of legal residence in the United States.”
Beneficial State Bank did not respond to questions about this. But it’s not the only bank making ITIN loans. Prysma Lending has issued over a billion dollars in these loans and hosted talks to help immigrants avoid deportation by using a “credible fear” interview.
This ITIN loan tactic also supports developments like Colony Ridge in Texas, which has been linked to illegal immigrants, including criminals.
Leaked emails from a Texas land developer show there’s a whole lending industry targeting illegal immigrants. One developer admitted, “we will not be able to sell our developments if each of our buyers have to have [social security numbers].”
STONINGTON, Maine—For veteran lobsterman Travis Dammier, it was the end of another trip at sea on a solo voyage to earn a living.
He was approaching home, feeling less than excited as he navigated his fishing boat, My Kassandra, through the calm waters back to the commercial port of Stonington, Maine.
With little fanfare, the 36-foot vessel powered effortlessly toward the Greenhead Lobster Co. dock, stopping on its starboard side.
Dammier moved quickly as he secured the vessel with thick ropes.
Two dockworkers greeted him, and together they began transferring the live lobsters into large plastic containers for sale in the local market.
Dammier was pleased to return safely with his moving cargo, ready to sell in bulk, even though this landing was light at 140 pounds.
After factoring in expenses for fuel and bait, he estimated his profit at around $100 for three hours of hard labor.
He knew he needed to check more traps and make additional trips to ensure his time and effort would be worthwhile.
Dammier fondly recalled the glorious days of lobster fishing closer to shore, when daily catches could exceed 1,000 pounds and yield substantial profits.
Those years of abundance seemed they’d never end, but they eventually did.
Now, Dammier is compelled by circumstance to venture further out to sea and spend extended periods away from Stonington, about halfway up the Maine coastline.
“This time of year is brutal,” Dammier said. May is typically considered a lean month for the lobster harvest season.
New Challenges
Making a living from lobster fishing has become increasingly difficult for experienced independent lobstermen such as Dammier.
The rising costs of doing business, along with uncertain profits and declining landing volumes since the exceptional peaks of the 1990s and 2000s, all contribute to the challenges faced in this industry.
Dammier’s profound love for lobster fishing is the only constant, a passion inherited from his grandfather.
At 41, he is tall and easygoing. He wears a baseball cap and a gray hooded sweatshirt with rolled sleeves, layered underneath bright orange and yellow waterproof coveralls.
His trimmed beard gives him the appearance of a seasoned sailor; his expression is steady as he gazes out over the tranquil water.
Working alone on a lobster boat presents its unique challenges, Dammier told The Epoch Times.
“I’ve been fishing on my own for eight years now. I’m hauling my regular hauls by myself,” he said.
He still has a scar on his right forearm from an injury he sustained when he fell overboard.
The boat ran over him, slicing his arm. He managed to pull himself back on board and survived to fish another day.
Even if he had the funds to hire an additional deckhand in these belt-tightening times, Dammier said it is difficult to find qualified workers.
“I think it’s because it is hard work,“ he said. ”These new generations just don’t have the ethic.”
He said many experienced lobstermen are leaving the business due to rising operating costs and state regulations.
He added that some of Stonington’s independent operators were “bigger dogs” in their day, but time, as well as physical wear and tear, also took a toll on them.
“I know a lot of guys who sold out over the past couple of years with all these regulations—all the doom and gloom” surrounding the future of the lobster fishing industry, Dammier said.
During the peak years of lobster fishing in Stonington, when daily catches averaged 500 to 600 pounds or more, Dammier fished closer to shore, which made his job less expensive.
“I used to fish right up in there, inside that island—right there,” he said, pointing.
It has been four years since he placed a lobster trap in those narrow shoals and put down bait north of Fog Island, northeast of Bar Harbor, about 60 miles from Stonington.
Dammier said the lobsters are no longer as abundant in these locations as they once were. He now has to travel farther and for longer, increasing costs, trips, and the risk of injury.
“You have to go into deeper water—go out further or first,” he said.
Along Maine’s rugged 228-mile coastline, filled with forested islands and stony inlets, lobster catches have declined for the third consecutive year, dropping from 111 million pounds in 2021, to about 87 million pounds in 2024.
Maine produces between 80 and 90 percent of the nation’s lobster supply, and Stonington is recognized as one of the leading lobster ports in the country.
With a population of 1,056, Stonington became a separate town in 1897, having previously been part of Deer Isle. It has continued to be a crucial hub of the lobster fishing industry and a tourist destination.
In 2021, the town produced 13.6 million pounds of lobster, valued at $74 million. By 2024, the amount had decreased to 11.9 million pounds, valued at $54.25 million, while lobster landings across the state totaled 86.2 million pounds, worth $528.4 million.
In 2024, the Division of Marine Resources issued 7,463 licenses for commercial and non-commercial lobster fishing in Maine’s seven coastal management zones. In addition, there were 2.5 million lobster traps in use.
What Has Changed?
Over the past century, yearly lobster catches in the state have varied greatly, falling to an all-time low of 5.3 million pounds in 1934.
Maine’s annual lobster catch hit a record high in 2016, totaling 132.6 million pounds, with a market value of $540.6 million.
Patrice McCarron, president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, said that a common misconception is that lobsters are moving to the colder northern waters of Canada, which contributes to the depletion of Maine’s lobster stock.
“I would say the lobsters aren’t moving anywhere. It’s more that the center of abundance where they’re most available has shifted to deeper waters,” she told The Epoch Times.
The Gulf of Maine Research Institute, observed that ocean warming from 1984 to 2014 has caused the optimal summer temperatures for lobsters to shift northeastward.
As a result, the lobster population in southern New England fell by 78 percent, while the population in the Gulf of Maine increased by 515 percent.
The organization credited the substantial increase to successful conservation efforts.
Adult lobsters thrive in water temperatures around 50 degrees. However, temperatures above 65 degrees can stress them, negatively affecting their eight-year breeding cycle.
While there has been some warming in the Gulf of Maine, McCarron said that its ecosystem differs from southern New England’s.
“We get a lot of the Arctic melt coming into the Gulf of Maine as well. Sometimes that water sinks to the ocean bottom,” she said.
“We’ve had years of warmth, but nothing that’s outside of what a lobster would stop tolerating.”
McCarron said that a decline in lobster landings typically follows each boom, yet fishing companies become accustomed to the profitable yields.
“I think the peak was much more than we had ever really expected the resource would provide us,“ she said. “There was an expectation in the industry that at some point, the landings were going to trail off.”
Ron Trundy, the manager of the Stonington Lobster Co-Op, has also observed lobster catches decline from their peak highs and level out.
“Some years, it would be a little less, some more,” he said.
Trundy said that lobster fishing remains profitable, despite rising costs causing frustration among many in the industry.
He said that prices for fishing gear have increased markedly, sometimes doubling, but the fluctuating cost of lobsters does not reflect these increases.
“The investment is way higher now than even 10 years ago,” Trundy told The Epoch Times. “The expenses are very high now. The business is changing.”
Twenty years ago, the cost to build a lobster boat was around $150,000. Now, it costs between $500,000 and $600,000, Trundy said.
Before the pandemic, a wire lobster trap cost around $60. Now, lobster boat operators expect to pay as much as $150.
The “vast majority” of new homes in England will soon be fitted with solar panels as standard, UK energy secretary Ed Miliband has confirmed.
Developers warned of added costs and bureaucratic hurdles.
The announcement, part of the forthcoming Future Homes Standard set for release this autumn, aimed to slash household energy bills and nudge the UK closer to its net-zero ambitions.
Miliband, speaking to the BBC on June 6, called the plan “just common sense,” claiming solar panels could save homeowners around £530 (€629) annually, based on current energy price caps
The British Government’s proposal mandated solar panels on almost all new builds, with “rare exceptions” for homes shaded by trees or otherwise impractical for solar generation.
Unlike the previous Conservative Party government plan, which required panels to cover 40 per cent of a building’s ground area or none at all, the ruling Labour Party’s approach insisted on at least some solar coverage, even if the 40 per cent target was not met.
Miliband insisted this flexibility would ensure near-universal adoption without letting developers off the hook.
We’re kickstarting a solar rooftop revolution.
All new-build houses will come with solar panels as standard.
Delivering lower bills, energy security, and tackling the climate crisis.https://t.co/wXHwZolpiO
According to the Home Builders Federation, which indicated support for solar integration, “burdensome” paperwork could slow down the government’s ambitious target of 1.5 million new homes by 2029.
Neil Jefferson, head of the Home Builders Federation, told the BBC that an estimated two in five new homes had solar panels and that the industry was “getting increasingly used to incorporating solar panels within the building of new homes”.
“The government just needs to take care to make sure that it does not prescribe and mandate to much on rooftops.
“If every single home needs to be applied for on an exemption basis that will slow up the delivery of desperately-needed new homes, that administration will be burdensome,” he said.
Solar Energy UK’s CEO Chris Hewett said there was a need for more trained installers to meet demand, a point echoed by industry voices calling for investment in skills to sustain this “rooftop revolution”.
Meanwhile, the government’s own figures suggested solar power, while growing from 42 per cent since 2024 and 160 per cent over the past decade, remained a minor player, trailing gas, wind and nuclear in the UK’s energy mix.
Developers estimated solar installations could add £3,000 (€3,560) to £4,000 (€4,750) to construction costs per building.
Miliband dismissed concerns that these would be passed onto buyers, claiming house prices would not rise.
The policy dovetailed with Labour’s broader green agenda, including relaxed planning rules for heat pumps and a £13.2 billion (€15.68 billion) insulation scheme.
The Climate Change Committee insisted near-total decarbonisation of housing was essential for the 2050 net-zero target, a goal Labour inherited from the Conservatives who appeared to have turned against it.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “impossible” without tanking living standards, while Reform UK wanted it scrapped entirely, citing higher energy bills.
Supporters, including Liberal Democrat MP Max Wilkinson, hailed the move as a win for both wallets and the planet.
Industry figures including Octopus Energy’s Nigel Banks claimed smart tech and storage could slash energy costs by up to 90 per cent for some households.
Drug abuse has long been a serious issue in the United States, with the so-called “War on Drugs” dating back to 1971 under President Nixon.
Despite decades of efforts to fight addiction, the problem remains widespread and deadly. More than 80,670 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months ending November 2024. As new threats like fentanyl spread—enough was seized last year for 380 million lethal doses—it’s more urgent than ever for policymakers to act.
But where is the crisis worst? A new report from WalletHub ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia across key metrics like drug use, overdoses, and access to treatment.
Chip Lupo, an analyst at WalletHub, explains: “Drug problems can start from multiple sources, like taking illegal substances with friends or getting hooked on a prescription that was originally given for a legitimate medical issue. As states fight drug addiction, they need to consider all angles and make sure they are not just addressing things from a law enforcement perspective but also providing the resources necessary to help people with addictions get clean.”
WalletHub’s analysts compared states using 20 metrics organized into three main categories: drug use and addiction, law enforcement, and drug health issues and rehab. These metrics included measures like the percentage of adults and teens who reported using illicit drugs, overdose death rates, opioid prescriptions, and availability of treatment facilities.
New Mexico tops the list with the biggest drug problem in America. The state has the highest percentage of teens using drugs, the most teens reporting marijuana use before age 13, and the third-highest rate of adult illicit drug use. New Mexico also struggles with high overdose deaths and ranks near the bottom in offering help to those with addiction.
West Virginia ranks second, with the highest overdose death rate in the country and one of the top college campus drug arrest rates. A lack of addiction treatment resources means many residents have nowhere to turn for help.
Nevada comes in third. Nearly 30% of students there report being offered or sold drugs at school. Nevada also ranks high for teens trying marijuana early and has too few treatment facilities to meet the need.
Other high-ranking states include Alaska, the District of Columbia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Colorado. Each faces unique challenges, from high rates of opioid prescriptions to limited treatment options.
The report also highlights troubling data on teen drug use. New Mexico, Arizona, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Alaska have the highest percentages of teenagers who admit using drugs in the past month. Meanwhile, states like Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas report much lower teen drug use.
Students being offered drugs at school is a big concern, too. California, Nevada, Georgia, New Jersey, and Hawaii top the list for that category, while states like Connecticut and South Dakota report much lower numbers.
The crisis shows no sign of ending on its own. Experts recommend a mix of strategies to combat addiction, including making rehab more accessible and expanding education on the risks of drug use. The federal government and states alike must prioritize treatment alongside law enforcement to help communities recover.
In an energy conversation dominated by buzzwords and breakthroughs, it’s easy to overlook the quiet, proven solutions that are already delivering results. Exhibit A: wood pellets.
These compact cylinders aren’t flashy or trend on social media. For the uninitiated, they are carriers of renewable carbon and energy, sourced from responsibly managed forests; a real, scalable, domestic resource that delivers energy security, climate value, and rural jobs while sustaining and growing forests. Wood pellets are emerging as one of the smartest plays in America’s energy and climate portfolio.
The Math Works
Let’s be clear: climate solutions need to scale. We need terawatts of clean power, gigatons of carbon removal, and a replacement for fossil carbon in sectors where options are limited. Think steel mills, cargo ships, aviation fuel, and cement plants — industries that can’t rely on solar panels and wind turbines.
Enter forest biomass. Every year, America’s 360 million acres of privately-owned forests grow more wood than we harvest. Driven by strong markets for wood products, these forests are powerful carbon sinks that have been growing since the 1950s when regenerative forestry practices became the norm.
Responsible forest management, the kind that thins out fuel for wildfires, not only keeps forests healthy but also supplies feedstock for wood pellets. These pellets burn clean, emit fewer particulates than coal, are carbon-neutral, and have the potential to be carbon-negative when sourced sustainably. In other words, we’re turning forest byproducts into a strategic asset instead of a forest fire risk and ensuring more investment into our nation’s forests.
Valued at $1.75 billion, the U.S. led the world last year in wood pellet exports — heating homes and decarbonizing power grids from Cambridge to Copenhagen. That’s not just a climate win. It’s a geopolitical and economic one. Furthermore, there are ample opportunities to increase use domestically.
The Digital Surge: Data Centers Meet Biomass
Data centers are growing at breakneck pace. From streaming to AI, every click and query demands energy. These facilities already consume nearly 3% of global electricity, and that figure is climbing fast. In the U.S. alone, data center energy demand is expected to double by 2030.
While tech companies make pledges to run on “100% renewable,” achieving this goal is challenging. Intermittent renewables like wind and solar can’t always deliver the 24/7 baseload power data centers require. Wind and power are not the silver bullet many had hoped, because expensive batteries must be manufactured and installed to account for their lack of reliability. Meanwhile, wood pellets offer a firm, dispatchable, renewable fuel that can complement the grid and provide the consistent power backbone data infrastructure needs, without the carbon price tag of fossil fuels.
Speed is also a challenge. AI infrastructure is being developed on start-up timelines, but the grids meant to supply power are often hampered by multi-year planning cycles and limited capacity. Utilizing the existing biomass fleet or retrofitting coal-fired power stations to run on sustainable biomass bypasses these time-intensive and costly barriers. These sites are already grid-connected, often already have relevant permits, and crucially a coal-to-biomass conversion can be completed in under two years.
A Carbon-Negative Future? Biomass is the Feedstock
There’s another dimension to this story. Biomass isn’t just an energy source; it’s a carbon solution. Engineered carbon removal technologies like Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) require a steady, sustainable feedstock to function at scale. That feedstock needs to be renewable, reliable, and available today. Wood pellets fit that bill.
When wood pellets are used in BECCS systems, they generate power and remove CO₂ from the atmosphere at the same time, locking it away underground or turning it into usable materials like concrete, fuels, or even long-lived bioplastics. That’s negative emissions. Not net zero. Below zero.
With private markets pouring billions into carbon removal innovation, the need for biogenic carbon is accelerating. Whether it’s carbon-negative electricity, sustainable aviation fuel or green hydrogen, they all have one thing in common: they start with a reliable renewable carbon stream. Wood pellets and woody biomass are poised to play a major role in supporting these emerging technologies.
Missing the Forest for the Trees
Despite all this, woody biomass, like all energy, eventually finds itself in the crosshairs. Critics claim it’s just “burning trees,” a false narrative that ignores both the science and the forests. Sustainable biomass doesn’t chop down protected, old-growth forests. It’s sourced from working forests, the type that are deliberately selected and sustainably managed to produce our dimensional lumber and furniture. Except biomass utilizes the lowest-value fiber that comes off these tracts.
As America’s pulp and paper industry has declined, shuttering dozens of mills and shedding thousands of jobs over the last decade, wood pellets have offered a new market for low-value wood. This fiber has little economic value and without a buyer will often rot, burn, or get landfilled. Using this wood isn’t deforestation, it’s responsible forest stewardship. In fact, without reliable markets like biomass, private landowners will sell and convert their forests for more lucrative returns like agriculture, golf courses, and residential developments.
Investing in Rural America
The benefits of the wood pellet industry go beyond carbon math. This is a sector that brings real jobs to rural America. It supports forest owners, loggers, truckers, and working forests. This is climate action with a hard hat, not a hashtag.
If we’re going to win the climate war, we have to include the states in America’s wood basket where trees grow, people work the land, and decarbonization isn’t an abstract ideal.
Wood pellets are real, scalable, renewable and a true American resource.
In a world increasingly distracted by hype, maybe it’s time we doubled down on solutions that deliver quietly, reliably, and sustainably. One of the smartest is hiding in plain sight — in our forests.
Trump To Deploy National Guard In Los Angeles As Anti-ICE Demonstrations Turn Violent
The Trump administration will deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles following several violent confrontations between Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and protesters, after ICE agents carried out multiple immigration sweeps throughout the county.
Border czar Tom Homan revealed the plans Saturday night in an interview on Fox News.
BREAKING – Border Czar Tom Homan has just confirmed that the National Guard will be deployed to Los Angeles tonight to reestablish order after Democrats seized control during violent anti-ICE riots. pic.twitter.com/fa2llnUPsP
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) June 7, 2025
Earlier, the Deartment of Homeland Security accused Democratic leaders in California – including Governor Gavin Newsom (D) and Mayor Karen Bass (D) of contributing to the violence.
“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom must call for it to end,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
BREAKING: Protesters in Paramount, California have vandalized a U.S. Marshals Service bus during fiery demonstrations against immigration raids. pic.twitter.com/cK02O3CYIR
— AmericanPapaBear (@AmericaPapaBear) June 7, 2025
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also chimed in, posting on X that protesters who use violence against officers will be prosecuted.
“You will not stop us or slow us down,” she posted on X.
President Trump also blamed ‘Newscum’ and Bass – saying in a Saturday night ‘Truth’ that if they can’t do their jobs, “then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem.”
White House spox Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s comments, saying in a post on X: “President Trump will uphold law and order and continue to remove all dangerous illegal alien invaders from our country,” adding “The mob violence will be quelled, the criminals responsible will be brought to justice, and operations to arrest illegal aliens will continue unabated.“
Left-wing radicals waving foreign flags are viciously attacking ICE and Border Patrol agents and obstructing official law enforcement activities in Los Angeles.
Democrats refuse to condemn this despicable behavior but this will NOT be tolerated by the Trump Administration.… pic.twitter.com/JFzrVhOfjk
In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California. These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States. In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester. The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. These criminals will be arrested and swiftly brought to justice. The Commander-in-Chief will ensure the laws of the United States are executed fully and completely.
Newsom responded – saying in a post on X: “The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,” adding “This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.
LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close…
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) June 8, 2025
The Oregon House of Representatives rejected a bill on June 5 that would have required Oregon schools to designate school sports teams by biological sex.
After Democrats blocked the bill, Oregon House Republicans sent an urgent letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, urging swift federal intervention and offering full cooperation with an ongoing Title IX investigation into Oregon’s education system.
House Bill 2037 would have allowed only females to participate in women’s school sports and enter women’s intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms.
The bill failed along party lines despite hearing stories of more than a dozen young female athletes who were present for the vote, including high-jumpers Reese Eckard of Sherwood High School and Alexa Anderson of Tigard High School.
The action marks yet another flashpoint in the battle over transgender participation in athletics.
The legislative showdown followed a weekend in which male athletes identifying as transgender competed in the girls’ division at high school track meets in California, Washington, Maine, and Oregon, “displacing female competitors and confirming the systemic nature of the problem,” according to the Republican letter to Dhillon.
At the Oregon State Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene on May 31, Eckard and Anderson, who had finished third and fourth in the high jump event, stepped down from the medal podium and turned their backs in protest of fifth-place finisher Liaa Rose.
Just two years earlier, Rose, who is a senior at Portland-based Ida B. Wells High School, finished in 11th place in the boys JV division.
“What happened last weekend at Hayward Field was heartbreaking,” wrote Oregon Republican Rep. Darin Harbick in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.
“A male athlete took a lane from a girl who trained all year for that moment. This isn’t just unfair—it’s wrong, and it’s exactly why we need federal oversight.”
By rejecting HB 2037, Republican Rep. Ed Diehl said, the Democrat majority chose ideology over fairness, common sense, and compliance with federal law.
“This bill was straightforward: protect female athletes and ensure a level playing field in school sports. Instead, the majority prioritized political agendas over equal opportunity for Oregon’s young athletes.”
Democrat Rep. Rob Nosse said during June 5’s legislative session that transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in youth sports and warned that such legislation could alienate trans athletes who would be denied the opportunity to use bathrooms that align with their gender identities.
“Mostly what I heard this morning was … just mean,” Nosse said.
Rep. Jules Walters, a Democrat, echoed her colleague, pointing out that many transgender people are on staff at the Capitol.
“When politicians speak callously on matters relating to identity, they’re speaking to their colleagues, their colleagues’ staff and their colleagues’ families,” Walters said.
“This chamber is not a vacuum.”
DOJ Zooming in on Oregon
The DOJ was already focused on Oregon.
Dhillon announced in a May 23 letter that the DOJ would launch a federal investigation into allegations of sex-based discrimination by the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), the governing body for Oregon high school sports.
“When males are allowed to compete with girls in female-only sport or events, the protections afforded to female athletes by Title IX are lost, and, quite simply, the law is broken,” Dhillon wrote in her letter to counsel at America First Policy Institute (AFPI).
The institute is a public policy organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, that has filed a Title IX discrimination complaint against OSAA and ODE.
Included with the Republican correspondence to Dhillon was an April 2024 letter from OSAA Executive Director Peter Weber acknowledging that the association’s “gender identity” policies were developed with ODE.
“ODE is set to receive about $1.5 billion in federal funds this biennium,” wrote Republican Rep. Boomer Wright in a statement shared with The Epoch Times.
“Those dollars must not support policies that violate civil rights law.”
The letter urged the DOJ to “carefully review how those funds intersect with policies that may be in violation of federal civil rights law.”
Also enclosed was a Feb. 11, 2025, letter from Oregon House Republicans to Weber requesting that OSAA immediately align its athletic policies with President Donald Trump’s executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”—a request that remains unanswered.
The executive order suggests that educational institutions that permit transgender athletes to compete in female sports could lose funding.
Although the DOJ letter does not draw any conclusions about the Oregon cases, it signals the beginning of a formal review that could have broader implications for school districts and athletic associations across the country.
If violations are found, the department could mandate changes to policy and enforcement or pursue legal action to ensure compliance.
Conservative Colombian Presidential Candidate Uribe Shot In The Head In Bogota Event
Conservative Colombian senator Miguel Uribe Turbay was shot in the head on Saturday in an apparent assassination attempt. There was no immediate confirmation from the authorities on the status of his condition.
Urgente 🇨🇴
Aquí está el momento del atentado al Dr Miguel Uribe
— Luis Aníbal Rincón Arguello. ® 🇨🇴 (@Rincon001A) June 7, 2025
The 39-year-old senator is a member of the opposition conservative Democratic Center party, founded by former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. The two men are not related.
According to a party statement condemning the attack, the senator was hosting a campaign event in a public park in the Fontibon neighborhood in the capital on Saturday when “armed subjects shot him in the back.”
The party described the attack as serious, but did not disclose further details on his health.
Los zurdos HIJOS DE PUTA atentaron contra Miguel Uribe en Colombia, precandidato presidencial de derechas.
Los zurdos no son adversarios, son enemigos. Hasta que no entendamos eso, seguiremos viendo cómo atentan contra nuestra vida, cómo roban nuestra propiedad y cómo someten… pic.twitter.com/QsaKvI7JeG
Colombia’s presidency issued a statement saying the government “categorically and forcefully” rejected the violent attack, and called for a thorough investigation into the events that took place.
Uribe’s mother, the journalist Diana Turbay, was killed in 1991 during a rescue operation after she was kidnapped by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel.
U.S. Auto Sales Mostly Steady In May As Incentive Spending Drops: Deutsche Bank
In a new report out last week Deutsche Bank analysts led by Edison Yu provided an update on the U.S. auto sector, noting that sales in May reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of 15.7 million units.
This figure came in slightly below their estimate of approximately 15.9 million, a result they attributed to a natural moderation following the particularly strong auto buying seen in April. They also pointed out that there may have been some seasonal distortions at play, as the absolute number of vehicles sold in May—1.475 million—still came in higher than the 1.449 million reported in May 2024.
The analysts observed that Ford benefited from stronger-than-expected sales, driven by the continued success of its employee pricing strategy, which helped the company gain 160 basis points in market share. Toyota also performed well, picking up 130 basis points in market share.
Mid-month data suggested that average transaction prices (ATPs) for the industry would decline month-over-month to approximately $46,000, although prices remain up 1.8 percent compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, incentive spending was down 11.5 percent month-over-month, a signal that vehicle demand remains robust even as some price moderation occurs.
As for inventory levels, the Deutsche Bank team reported that they remained stable at 46 days’ supply exiting the month. This is unchanged from April and represents a modest two-day improvement compared to the previous year. Most of the Detroit 3 (D3) and Japanese 3 (J3) automakers saw relatively flat inventories on a month-over-month basis, suggesting that the overall supply environment remains balanced.
Recall, back in April, Deutsche Bank’s note painted a more cautionary picture, centered on the significant uncertainty facing automakers due to the imposition of tariffs.
Just a month and a half ago, the analysts highlighted that automakers were scrambling to adjust their pricing, incentives, and production strategies to cope with a 25% tariff on imported vehicles and parts—effective May 3. The bank warned that despite the possibility of a short-term suspension, investors should assume all imported vehicles were subject to the tariff regime.
The April commentary also described a patchwork of automaker responses: Tesla paused Model X and S sales to China, GM halted operations at its CAMI plant, while Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru took varying measures like absorbing some price increases or stopping U.S. inventory shipments. Ford’s broad employee pricing discounts—cited again in the June note as driving its strong sales—were already seen as part of its tariff-mitigation strategy in April. The bank estimated Ford and GM could each see gross costs rise by over $10 billion, with EBIT hits in the range of $4–7 billion annually, highlighting the potential severity of the tariffs’ impact.
In both notes, Deutsche Bank remained cautious about the broader auto sector. In April, they expected that front-loaded consumer buying (ahead of price hikes) would bolster sales early in the year but that the second half would suffer as tariffs took effect, projecting 2025 U.S. sales at 15.4 million units—down from 16 million in 2024. Interestingly, the June update’s 15.7 million SAAR for May suggests a somewhat stronger-than-feared demand environment—at least in the near term—though the underlying uncertainties around trade policy likely remain.
In other words, the dust appears to be settling and the U.S. auto industry appears to have ridden out the storm and is normalizing somewhat…for now…
