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300% Increase In American Investors Defrauded By ‘Pump’n’Dump’ Stock Fraud: FBI

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300% Increase In American Investors Defrauded By ‘Pump’n’Dump’ Stock Fraud: FBI

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times,

There has been a surge of criminals targeting stock investors in the United States in a “ramp-and-dump” stock manipulation scheme via messaging apps and social media platforms, the FBI said in a July 3 alert.

In the scheme, “investment clubs” are promoted among potential targets. These clubs are often bots or fake accounts, and the promotional messaging directs victims to secure messaging apps where the group operates. Scammers impersonate legitimate brokerage firms or well-known stock analysts to appear credible.

“They secretly control a large volume of a low-priced stock and coordinate efforts to inflate its price (‘ramp up’) by encouraging investment club members to purchase shares over a period of several weeks or months,” said the alert.

“Once the price is artificially elevated, the criminals sell off (‘dump’) their shares at a profit, leaving unsuspecting investors with significant losses as the stock value collapses.”

According to the FBI, there has been at least a 300 percent annual jump in victims complaining about ramp-and-dump stock fraud so far this year.

The agency asked investors who suspect they’ve been duped in investment fraud to report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) website.

The FBI’s Chicago Division released a statement earlier this year seeking victim information on a ramp-and-dump investment scheme.

In January, some individuals allegedly impersonated U.S. investment advisors, making “false representations and instructed investors to purchase shares of CLEU stock, promising significant returns on their investment.” CLEU refers to China Liberal Education Holdings Limited.

“However, when the value of CLEU stock dropped dramatically on January 30, many investors lost nearly all of the funds invested in these shares,” the FBI statement said.

Warning Signs of Fraud

In the FBI alert, the agency detailed some of the red flags to watch out for to identify whether an investment proposal is part of a ramp-and-dump scheme.

For instance, people targeted by scammers could receive unsolicited investment tips via “accidental” messages with links to online investment clubs.

The scammers may push to buy low-priced stocks in emerging or new companies, promising high returns, and even vowing to cover losses incurred from investing in these entities, said the alert.

They can pressure people to quickly buy stocks, citing a major market-moving event such as government approval or a company breakthrough, it added.

“If anyone requests your personal information, access to your financial account(s), or offers a financial benefit in exchange for sharing your information or opening an account, consider this a red flag; your information could be used to open an account through which another party can engage in manipulative activity,” said the FBI.

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a self-regulatory organization of broker-dealers, one of the hallmarks of a ramp-and-dump scheme it has observed is “significant, unusual price increases” on small-cap stocks on the day, or shortly after, their IPOs.

Most of these involve companies having operations outside the United States, said the organization, adding that U.S. regulators believe ramp-and-dump schemes were involved in manipulating some of these IPOs.

FINRA cited stocks having small market capitalization and limited public float—the shares of a company available for trade to the public—as a red flag of ramp-and-dump fraud.

“These schemes have been more commonly found in relation to IPOs raising less than $25 million and issuing fewer than 20 million shares, with issuer valuations under $100 million,” FINRA said.

“Limited public float means that only a small portion of overall shares is available to the public. When a company has limited public float, its shares can be more volatile and harder for investors to sell.”

Tyler Durden
Sun, 07/06/2025 – 18:40

Watch: Mexico City Protest Against American Ex-Pat ‘Invasion’ Turns Violent

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Watch: Mexico City Protest Against American Ex-Pat ‘Invasion’ Turns Violent

In a role reversal that underscores a universal resentment of economic and social impacts caused by a major influx of foreigners, demonstrators marched in Mexico City on Friday to protest against the city’s status as a hot new residential destination for American ex-pats and remote workers. Though it started peacefully, many demonstrators turned violent, with some of them accosting Americans and smashing the restaurants, banks and other businesses that cater to them.

Angered by soaring rents they rationally blame on foreigners, hundreds of protesters marched through Condesa and Roma — two neighborhoods that are particularly popular with Americans living in or visiting Mexico City —  and proceeded to the US embassy and to a metro station. Their signs expressed a variety of sentiments: 

  • Gringo: Stop Stealing Our Home
  • Mexico For Mexicans
  • Pay Taxes, Speak Spanish, Use Pesos Or Get Out Of Here
  • Death To The Neo-Colonizer
  • Expat = Gentrifier
  • Your New Home Is An Invasion
  • Gentrification = Neo-Colonization
  • To Gentrify Isn’t Progress, It’s Dispossession 
  • We Shouldn’t Feel Like Foreigners In Our Own Land

Some of the demonstrators started attacking businesses in Condesa and Roma, smashing windows, spray-painting graffiti, tearing down awnings, vandalizing cars, completely destroying a restaurant patio, and looting. A Starbucks outlet was among the most-damaged properties:

As rocks were hurled against the windows by the mob outside, Starbucks customers went prone on the floor: 

Video captured protesters screaming at American-looking tourists as they sat at a sidewalk eatery, and a man spray-painting KILL A GRINGO on a the wall of a building.

Following the mayhem, Mexico City Governor Carla Brugada issued a lengthy statement, carefully walking a line that combined a condemnation of the violence with her own opposition to gentrification, and a defense of her administration’s efforts to promote affordable housing:

“Mexico City does not agree with gentrification…We know that gentrification can exclude those who have lived their entire lives in their neighborhoods, which is why we allocate unprecedented resources to create conditions that allow them to continue developing their life projects in their own communities.

However, we in no way endorse violence to address this issue. We reject violence as a method to resolve conflicts. This city stands for rights and freedoms. We respect demonstrations and social expressions in response to any situation, but not aggression.”

The city’s popularity with ex-pats soared in the Covid era, as so-called “digital nomads” — remote workers who live months at a time in exotic locales — came to Mexico City to escape Amerian lockdown regimes, take advantage of the lower cost of living, and enjoy the mild climate.

With the influx of Americans, rents in the popular zones soared, squeezing out the locals. Neighborhoods were transformed, not only demographically but architecturally. One protester, 19-year-old college student Michelle Castro, told Associated Press that she’s watched the transformation of apartment complexes from residences for locals to rentals for tourists: 

“There are a lot of foreigners, namely Americans, coming to live here. Many say it’s xenophobia, but it’s not. It’s just that so many foreigners come here, rents are skyrocketing because of Airbnb. Rents are so high that some people can’t even pay anymore.”

Mexico grants residency permits that start out on a one-year term, with the freedom to leave and re-enter as much as you like over that span. The permit can be renewed up to a cumulative four consecutive years, followed by options to apply for permanent residency or to start the temporary residency process over again… 

    …which brings us to an important point. While many of the angry sentiments directed against Americans in Mexico City mirror those that might be voiced against illegal Mexican immigrants in the United States, there’s one enormous distinction that can’t be ignored: The Americans in Mexico City entered the country legally.  

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 18:05

    America’s “Healthcare” System Is Now A Structured Financial Skim/Scam

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    America’s “Healthcare” System Is Now A Structured Financial Skim/Scam

    Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog,

    “Healthcare” grift, graft, fraud and financialized skims / scams will bankrupt the nation.

    I’ve been writing about America’s healthcare system for 18 years, emphasizing two enduring themes: 1) our lifestyle is unhealthy, with predictable consequences and 2) healthcare as it is currently configured will bankrupt the nation all by itself.

    This recent article on how having a baby without complications now costs over $44,000 adds a third theme: the tragi-comic insanity and absurdity of the “healthcare” system that has been normalized, as if this is the only possible way to organize healthcare:

    “And They Wonder Why The Birth Rate Is Declining”: A Mother Went Viral For Revealing The Costs Of Being Pregnant In America:

    Lastly, Kayla reveals that her baby received a bill, too, which added up to $12,761.30 without insurance. For their family of five now, the cost of insurance per month is $2,500 — a nearly $400 increase from when they were just a family of four. “We’re still waiting for him to process on our insurance,” she explains, “so, for now, this is the cost without it.”

    One user said, “America’s healthcare system is a joke… how does the newborn have a $12k bill?”

    It’s more than a joke–it’s travesty of a mockery of a sham of a system that actually improves health. There’s an even darker side of the picture–the takeover of the system by financiers and fraudsters–which truth be told is a redundancy.

    We can now add a fourth theme: stripped of purposeful opacity, America’s “healthcare” system is nothing more than a structured financial skim/scam. Before we dig into that, here are a few of the dozens of posts I’ve written on “healthcare” since 2008:

    U.S. Lifestyle + “Healthcare” = Bankruptcy (June 19, 2008)

    The “Impossible” Healthcare Solution: Go Back to Cash (July 29, 2009)

    Why “Healthcare Reform” Is Not Reform, Part II (December 29, 2009)

    Sickcare Will Bankrupt the Nation–And Soon (March 21, 2011)

    How Healthcare Became Sickcare (March 18, 2022)

    Let’s start with what childbirth cost back when healthcare was paid in cash. Here are the costs of childbirth in 1952 at one of the finest hospitals on the West Coast, The Santa Monica Hospital: $30:

    According to the BLS Inflation Calculator, $1 in 1952 is $12.13 today, so adjusted for inflation, the $30 fee to deliver a baby would be $363 today. Here are maternity rates from 1952:

    A private room was $19, or $230 in today’s currency. OK, so we have fancier equipment now, more staff, etc., but really–does that explain what once cost less than $1,000 in today’s money–paid in cash, no insurance–now costs $44,000? No. Here’s why: structured financial skims/scams.

    Dutch Rojas (@DutchRojas) is a go-to source for explaining the opaque way “healthcare” skims / scams siphon off hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. Consider these X posts:

    Why is healthcare expensive?

    You go to your doctor.

    Same building, same service.

    But now it’s 3x the price, because they sold to a health system.

    The secret?

    A “facility fee” was added.

    Medicare and commercial payers just hand it over.

    It’s not for better care.

    It’s for ownership.

    Every consolidation deal is a bet against the patient and you’re footing the bill.

    And the politicians love every bit of it…

    Provider Taxes: The Most Elegant Grift in American Healthcare

    It’s not a tax.

    It’s a laundering operation.

    Here’s how it works:

    North Carolina’s ‘nonprofit’ health systems are running a $40+ billion hedge fund operation disguised as healthcare.

    They’re extracting hundreds of millions in tax exemptions while paying CEOs tens of millions.

    This is the largest wealth transfer scheme in the American healthcare system.

    This doesn’t even include outright Medicare/Medicaid fraud, overbilling, unnecessary tests, medications and procedures, and a nearly endless menu of other enrichment schemes passed off as “care.” These billions go to the “owners,” not the frontline healthcare providers / workers.

    Lastly, let’s consider a few charts. Here is my 2008 diagram of the building blocks of an unhealthy lifestyle:

    The cost of insurance continues rising, becoming ever more burdensome and ever more unaffordable:

    Yes, the number of retirees is expanding, but this parabolic rise in Medicare costs far exceeds the rise in the number of retirees.

    The same can be said of Medicaid.

    “Healthcare” grift, graft, fraud and financialized skims / scams will bankrupt the nation. Thanks to the purposeful opacity of the complex funding streams, we can’t even figure out what is actually “care” and what’s just another skim / scam.

    Our starting point should always be: this is not the only way we could organize “healthcare.” We could have a rational, transparent, competitive and affordable system. But to get that, we first have to completely dismantle the current system, and everyone skimming billions will fight with all their billions in campaign contributions to stop that from ever happening. As a result, the nation will be bankrupted by greed.

    *  *  *

    Check out my new book Ultra-Processed Life and my new fiction/novels page.

    Become a $3/month patron of my work via patreon.com.

    Subscribe to my Substack for free

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 17:30

    ‘Fact Checkers’ Claim NY Mayoral Candidate’s “Seize The Means Of Production” Remark Isn’t Communist

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    ‘Fact Checkers’ Claim NY Mayoral Candidate’s “Seize The Means Of Production” Remark Isn’t Communist

    Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

    An open Communist is on the verge of becoming the Mayor of New York, yet the self appointed Ministry of Truth wants Americans to believe that it’s totally not Communist ideology to advocate for “seizing the means of production.”

    Zohran Mamdani used the phrase openly in 2021, just one of many examples of his extreme left wing outlook.

    Yet, Politifact, an extreme leftist organisation that has declared itself the arbiter of truth says there’s a lack of context to the statement. 

    The post states:

    A White House spokesperson highlighted Mamdani’s use of the phrase in an email to PolitiFact July 1, days after we published our June 26 fact-check of President Donald Trump who called Mamdani ‘communist’ in a Truth Social post. The White House didn’t send us evidence to support Trump’s statement before our fact-check was posted; multiple political scientists and communism experts told us Mamdani’s mayoral race positions did not amount to communism. We rated Trump’s statement False.

    The spokesperson sent us a June 30 New York Post article highlighting Mamdani’s 2021 remarks as a newly elected state assemblyman and a 2020 Mamdani tweet praising a young leader. (We won’t dwell on the latter post because Mamdani’s point isn’t clear.) Fox News, Mediaite and CNN pundits flagged his resurfaced remarks.

    After reviewing the tape and re-interviewing experts, we decided not to change our False rating. Mamdani’s views in the mayoral race do not reflect communism, and experts found his 2021 remark too brief to reach detailed conclusions.

    The phrase is literally in the Communist Manifesto.

    What more context is needed?

    GTFO.

    They’re telling people not to believe what they’re seeing and hearing.

    Meanwhile, Mamdani faces a fresh scandal after being accused of lying about his ethnicity on his application to Columbia University.

    The 33-year-old Muslim immigrant reportedly identified himself as both “black” and “Asian” on his application to the elite Ivy League school, when he was a high school senior in 2009, the New York Times reported. 

    Mamdani’s application was ultimately denied despite the fact that his father, Mahmood, was working at Columbia as the director of the Institute of African Studies at the time.

    A new one for Politifact to check into then.

    Mamdani, who emigrated to the U.S. from Uganda, told the Times that he doesn’t identify as either race but only as “an American who was born in Africa.”

    “Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” he said, further claiming that he specified “Ugandan” in a separate section of the application.

    *  *  *

    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.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 16:20

    NATO’s Rutte Warns Of Chinese-Russian Red Dawn As Medvedev Suggests He’s “On Magic Mushrooms”

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    NATO’s Rutte Warns Of Chinese-Russian Red Dawn As Medvedev Suggests He’s “On Magic Mushrooms”

    NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has gone full ‘Red Dawn’ – warning that China and Russia might orchestrate simultaneous invasions of Taiwan and Europe to destabilize the Western alliance.

    “If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory,’” Rutte claimed in a recent interview with The New York Times. “That is most likely the way this will progress, and to deter them, we need to do two things.”

    To counter this perceived threat, Rutte advocated a comprehensive dual approach aimed at fortifying NATO’s resilience and expanding its strategic partnerships.

    “One is that NATO, collectively, being so strong that the Russians will never do this,” he explained, emphasizing the need for a robust collective defense posture to dissuade any Russian adventurism. “And second, working together with the Indo-Pacific—something President [Donald] Trump is very much promoting, because we have this close interconnectedness, working together on defense industry, innovation between NATO and the Indo-Pacific.”

    Rutte further heightened concerns by highlighting Russia’s rapid military rearmament, which he described as a pressing geopolitical challenge. “We have an enormous geopolitical challenge on our hands,” he told the Times. “And that is first of all Russia, which is reconstituting itself at a pace and a speed which is unparalleled in recent history.” The NATO chief claimed that Russia is “now producing three times as much ammunition in three months as the whole of NATO is doing in a year,” a statistic he attributed to Moscow’s deepening partnerships with North Korea, China, and Iran in sustaining its war against Ukraine.

    Dmitry Medvedev, a senior Russian official, took to X to mock the NATO leader, writing, “Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe.” Medvedev added, “But he’s right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp.” The caustic response reflects Moscow’s broader strategy of deflecting Western criticism with ridicule, though it offers little clarity on Russia’s actual strategic calculations.

    Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Trump has pressed NATO allies to significantly increase defense spending, successfully pushing for a new target of 5% of GDP, a sharp increase from the previous 2% benchmark. This demand, coupled with heightened concerns over European security, has driven countries like Britain and Germany to bolster their military budgets.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 15:45

    What Prevents Trump From Implementing The “Chainsaw” Approach Like Milei?

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    What Prevents Trump From Implementing The “Chainsaw” Approach Like Milei?

    Authored by Daniel Lacalle,

    In recent months, many libertarians have criticised Donald Trump’s economic policies, arguing that he is not implementing drastic public spending cuts like Javier Milei has done in Argentina.

    However, this comparison ignores key structural and contextual differences between the two countries and their governments. Below is a detailed explanation of why the situation in the United States under Trump is different from that of Argentina under Milei and why criticisms of Trump’s strategy are unfounded.

    1. The Committed Budget: Biden’s Legacy

    It is hard to understand why European libertarians fail to grasp such a basic concept as the “fiscal year”. The U.S. fiscal year begins on October 1, and the Biden administration took advantage of this to ramp up spending.

    When Trump took office in January 2025, 97% of the federal budget for that year was already committed or spent. This was due to the Biden administration’s approval of several “Full Year Continuing Resolutions”, which left most funds and expenditures locked in for fiscal year 2025. Thus, Trump had no room to make immediate and drastic cuts, as most of the budget was untouchable until the next fiscal cycle.

    Despite this, in 2025, discretionary spending reductions equivalent to $541 billion were carried out, and the accumulated deficit between April and May 2025 was 97% lower than in the same period of 2024.

    2. Mandatory and Discretionary Spending

    Mandatory spending (which includes programs like Social Security and Medicare) had already been increased by the Biden administration, and this increase took effect between February and December 2025. The U.S. fiscal year starts in October, and Biden implemented most of these increases through Continuing Resolutions (CRs) and the extension of existing programs, consolidating and, in many cases, increasing federal spending in key areas.

    These resolutions included over $100 billion in funds for federal disaster assistance programmes, $29 billion for FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and $10 billion in economic assistance for agricultural producers.

    At the end of 2024, Biden approved a $54 billion (8%) increase in major mandatory spending programmes such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well as the extension of Obamacare, all applicable to 2025.

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) budget grew by $21 billion (700%), and the Trump administration was only able to act on $14 billion that was discretionary.

    It is essential to remember that Biden did all this without a new budget law, simply by maintaining and extending existing allocations.

    Biden’s proposed 2025 budget included additional increases, but these were blocked because they did not receive congressional approval.

    Trump needs congressional approval to reverse these increases and reduce spending. That is what the “Big Beautiful Bill” includes. On the other hand, discretionary spending, especially in defence, was also committed, further limiting the new government’s immediate room for action.

    The Big Beautiful Bill includes the first reduction in mandatory spending in the last sixty years—$1.6 trillion—and $2.4 trillion in discretionary spending.

    3. Initial Fiscal Results

    Despite these restrictions, the Trump administration achieved certain advances: in April, the second-largest fiscal surplus in history was recorded, and although a deficit reappeared in May, the deficit between March and May has been slashed compared to 2024. This indicates that measures were already being taken to improve the fiscal situation, mainly through higher revenues from trade agreements and private sector growth.

    4. The “Big Beautiful Bill” and Deficit Reduction

    It is astonishing that some libertarians and Austrians criticise the Big Beautiful Bill by buying into the Keynesian narrative that there will be no improvement in revenues, growth, employment, or investment from deregulation, trade agreements, and tax cuts.

    That some libertarians deny the Laffer curve and the boost from deregulation surprises me. The Big Beautiful Bill incorporates $7 trillion in committed investments from trade negotiations, which also attract $4 trillion in tax revenues over the legislative period and a stimulus effect on the economy that results in an increase in tax revenues in the baseline scenario of $1.2 trillion.

    Contrary to what some critics claim, the “Big Beautiful Bill” will not increase the deficit but will significantly reduce it.

    A reduction of $1.6 trillion in mandatory spending and $2.4 trillion in discretionary spending is expected between 2026 and 2027. Additionally, an increase in tax revenues is anticipated thanks to deregulation, tax cuts, and new trade agreements, which will strengthen economic growth and employment.

    We liberals, libertarians, and Austrians should be less critical of the greatest effort in reducing the State, liberalisation, deregulation, spending cuts, and tax reduction since 1990, but above all, some should not buy into the narrative that denies the positive effect on revenues and growth from deregulation, tax cuts, and trade negotiations.

    5. Comparison with Milei: Similarities and Differences

    Milei was able to implement immediate cuts because he inherited an open budget and extremely high inflation, which allowed him to reduce public spending in real terms by not adjusting it for inflation. Argentina’s budget does not include the provisions that the Biden administration incorporated, so President Milei was able to carry out a 30% reduction in public spending immediately and with unquestionable success, especially by eliminating subsidies, public works, and non-automatic transfers.

    In contrast, Trump inherited a budget that was already committed and much lower inflation (less than 2.5%), limiting the impact of not adjusting spending for inflation.

    If we compare both administrations, a very similar effort has been made. Trump has reduced public spending by 5% in the first quarter, and savings exceed $540 billion. By the end of his term, President Trump will have carried out a reduction in public spending equivalent to Milei’s.

    Both leaders have promoted policies of tax reduction, deregulation, and the promotion of investment and employment. However, Trump’s tools and room for manoeuvre have been conditioned by the U.S. institutional structure and the decisions of the previous administration.

    6. Conclusion

    The policies of Trump and Milei share the goal of reducing public spending, fostering growth, and improving employment, but the starting circumstances are radically different. Criticising Trump for not applying an immediate “chainsaw” ignores the budgetary and legal constraints he faces in the United States. What matters is recognising that, within his constraints, Trump is implementing historic cuts and pro-growth policies that will positively impact the U.S. economy in the medium term.

    My messages to those who attack the Trump administration for not being liberal enough are as follows:

    • Name a single U.S. administration that has successfully implemented a comparable approach to deregulation, tax cuts, and spending reduction while also passing a significant reduction in mandatory spending through both Congress and the Senate.

    • Buying into the Keynesian estimates of fiscal impact is curious. Denying the positive impact of reducing imports, increasing exports, and collecting more from trade agreements is surprising. Denying the economic and fiscal boost from deregulation and tax cuts is unforgivable.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 15:10

    Merchant Ship Attacked With RPGs In Southern Red Sea Chokepoint

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    Merchant Ship Attacked With RPGs In Southern Red Sea Chokepoint

    On Saturday evening, air raid sirens sounded across the Dead Sea region and parts of the West Bank following the launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward Israel. The launch, attributed to Iran-backed Houthi forces, marks an alarming expansion of their missile capabilities beyond the Red Sea maritime chokepoint. 

    Hours later, on Sunday morning, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report that a merchant vessel transiting 51 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, came under attack by multiple boats armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. The vessel’s onboard security team returned fire. The incident remains ongoing.

    UKTMO wrote:

    UKMTO has received a report of an incident 51NM southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen. The vessel has been engaged by multiple small vessels who have opened fire with small arms and self-propelled grenades. Armed Security Team have returned fire and situation is ongoing. Authorities are investigating. Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.

    The missile launch and maritime attack appear to be coordinated escalatory actions by the Iranian proxy group across multiple domains—air and maritime.

    An update on Iran-Israel-U.S. tensions: The situation has calmed since the U.S. stealth bomber airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities. However, President Trump stated on Friday that Tehran has yet to agree to nuclear inspections or cease uranium enrichment. 

    Trump told reporters on board Air Force One that he believed Tehran’s nuclear program had been “set back permanently,” although he warned Iran could restart at a different location. 

    Looking ahead, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House on Monday, where a potential ceasefire deal could materialize to end the 21-month war in Gaza. Trump has previously announced a “final proposal” for a 60-day ceasefire. 

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 14:35

    Turkey Arrests Three More Opposition Mayors, After Istanbul’s Imamoglu Detained

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    Turkey Arrests Three More Opposition Mayors, After Istanbul’s Imamoglu Detained

    Via Middle East Eye

    Three opposition mayors have been arrested in Turkey in what the Republican People’s Party (CHP) have a branded a “political operation”. Adana Mayor Zeydan Karalar, Antalya Mayor Muhittin Bocek and Adiyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere were all arrested on Saturday as part of an investigation into corruption allegations that have already seen the imprisonment of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.

    It follows the arrest of more than 120 people earlier this week as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in the opposition stronghold of Izmir, the country’s third-largest city.

    The CHP, the largest opposition party in Turkey, has accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of targeting them after widespread success in the 2024 local elections and polling suggesting Imamoglu could unseat the president in a future election.

    Mansur Yavas, CHP mayor of the capital Ankara, criticised the arrests on X, saying his party would not bow to “unlawfulness”.

    “In a system where the law is bent and twisted according to politics, where justice is applied for one segment and ignored for another, no one should expect us to trust the rule of law or believe in justice,” he wrote. 

    According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, the mayors of Adana and Adiyaman were linked to a case involving alleged tender-rigging and corruption.

    Police also arrested Ahmet Sahin, deputy mayor of Istanbul’s Buyukcekmece district. The mayor of Antalya was detained in a separate investigation into corruption allegations, while police also arrested his son.

    The left-wing Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) also condemned the arrests on social media.

    “This persecution of elected officials must stop,” wrote Tulay Hatimogullari, co-chair of the party, on X.

    “Failure to recognise the will of the people is causing deep divisions within society –  these operations are not a solution, but rather block the path to a democratic Turkiye.”

    Typically the interior ministry only has the power to replace elected mayors if they are suspected of terrorism offences.

    Under the municipal law, if a mayor is suspended over corruption investigations a deputy mayor is selected by the city council and since the CHP holds a majority in the councils of all three cities they will not lose control.

    On Monday, an Ankara court began examining a case involving allegations of vote-buying in the party’s 2023 primaries.

    The move could lead to the annulment of the election of its leader Ozgur Ozel, who has become well-known for organising protests against the imprisonment of Imamoglu.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 14:00

    Zelensky’s Latest Call With Trump Was ‘Most Productive’ He’s Ever Had

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    Zelensky’s Latest Call With Trump Was ‘Most Productive’ He’s Ever Had

    The White House rhetoric on Ukraine could be slowly shifting, after President Trump said he was “very unhappy” with a Thursday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    After a single night’s record drone attack of some 500 UAVs sent on Ukraine, Trump said “It just seems like he wants to go all the way and just keep killing people. It’s not good. I wasn’t happy with it” – in reference to Putin.

    Via Sky News

    But it should be remembered that the White House just days prior halted some shipments of defense aid, which speaks louder than words. European allies are predictably upset and Kiev is now dealing very carefully with Washington, and handling Trump with kid gloves, given it is in a precarious situation on the battlefield.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced Saturday that his latest conversation with Trump this week was the best and “most productive” he has ever had.

    “Regarding the conversation with the president of the United States, which took place a day earlier, it was probably the best conversation we have had during this whole time, the most productive,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

    “We discussed air defense issues and I’m grateful for the willingness to help. The Patriot system is precisely the key to protection against ballistic threats,” he added.

    Zelensky has also been asking Washington to slap more sanctions on Moscow, something Trump has so far resisted in order to give better space for peace negotiations to take off.

    Asked by reporters over whether Zelensky’s request for more Patriot missiles would be honored, Trump replied, “They’re going to need them for defense… They’re going to need something because they’re being hit pretty hard.”

    Trump had further said of the Zelensky call, which happened Friday, “We talked about different things… I think it was a very, very strategic call.”

    This suggests that some new decision-making could be afoot regarding supplying Ukraine. There have been recent reports, however, that Trump is prioritizing defense of Israel, even diverting arms and ammo away from eastern Europe for that purpose. Trump has been expressing deep frustration at lack of momentum in US-backed peace efforts, for which he’s criticized both warring sides.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 13:25

    Tropical Storm Chantal Makes Landfall – All Eyes On Possible NYC Path

    survivalnomics
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    Tropical Storm Chantal Makes Landfall – All Eyes On Possible NYC Path

    With deadly Texas flooding dominating headlines this weekend, we now shift focus to Tropical Storm Chantal, which made landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, early Sunday. This marks the first tropical storm to make landfall in the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season—and the earliest to do so since 2022.

    Chantal is the third tropical storm of this year’s hurricane season, following Andrea and Barry, both of which formed in June. The new storm appeared on our radar Friday, with spaghetti models showing a potential path up the U.S. East Coast, through parts of the Mid-Atlantic, and possibly over southern New Jersey and New York City.

    Updated spaghetti models posted by meteorologist Ben Noll on X show a strong level of confidence in Chantal’s track into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where severe weather could be seen next from D.C. to New York and Boston.

    “In addition to being the first of this season, Chantal’s landfall was the earliest in the season since 2022 in the United States,” Knoll noted in a weather post featured in the Washignton Post.

    Additional forecast models show a high level of confidence that Chantal will track up the East Coast before spinning out into the Atlantic. Models are subject to change. 

    The months of August and September tend to be the most active for hurricane activity. 

    If you have travel plans along the East Coast this week, keep a close eye on Chantal.

    Tyler Durden
    Sun, 07/06/2025 – 12:15

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