One of the four deceased hostages handed over by Hamas on Thursday was the wrong body, according to an Israeli government forensics investigation. As part of phase one of the ceasefire deal several rounds of hostage releases have occurred successfully.

Hamas agreed to release the body of slain hostage Shiri Bibas and her two young deceased children. “Following the identification process at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, we received this morning the news we had dreaded — our Shiri was murdered in captivity and has now returned home to her sons, husband, sister, and all her family for rest,” the family said in an initial statement.

However, outrage in Israel has ensued after it was revealed that the casket marked with Shiri’s remains was actually an unidentified deceased person.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel would make Hamas pay for failing to return Shiri’s remains.

“We will act with determination to bring Shiri home along with all our hostages — both living and dead — and ensure Hamas pays the full price for this cruel and evil violation of the agreement,” he said in a video statement.

Israel says the body is likely that of an unidentified Palestinian woman, after the two young sons, Kfir and Ariel were handed over and identified.

Netanyahu blasted Hamas for acting “in an unspeakably cynical manner” by placing the body of a Gaza woman in the coffin instead of Shiri. Her husband Yarden had also been kidnapped from a kibbutz in southern Israel on Oct.7 – but was released in the first exchange of this current truce deal.

NBC details, “Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told media outlet Al Arabiya that Bibas’ remains had now been returned, and the International Red Cross said that it has received a set of human remains and transferred them to Israeli officials.”

According to a statement: 

In announcing that testing showed the first remains were not that of Shiri Bibas, the IDF said the remains also did not match any other hostage held by Hamas. “It is an anonymous body without identification,” it said.

Hamas has not commented on the charge, but did follow through with the agreed upon Saturday exchange, which saw the release of the last six living Israeli hostages in return for Israel freeing nearly 500 Palestinians from Israeli prisons.

The ceasefire will ender phase two, but it’s anything but certain whether the truce will hold, given the growing accusations. Hamas has said the Israel has killed some 100 Palestinians even while the ceasefire was on.

Pope Francis has spent more than eight days at a hospital in Rome, battling pneumonia in both lungs, and this Sunday he’s expected to miss leading the mass and prayers at St. Peter’s for the second weekend in a row.

Prior Friday statements suggested his condition ‘slightly improved’ – but by Saturday the situation has become more dire. Pope Francis “is more unwell than yesterday,” the Vatican said in a fresh statement, revealing he’s suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis.”

The new statement says the prognosis for him “remains guarded” – after the 88-year old Pontiff was hospitalized on Feb.14 for worsening bronchitis leading to pneumonia. He is being administered high-flow oxygen and remains in critical condition, and received a blood transfusion.

As of Thursday he was said to be awake, eating, and doing some work from his hospital bed, but pneumonia in the elderly can be devastating, and despite moments of strength, breathing problems can quickly take a downward turn. Sepsis has also reportedly remained a concern in Francis’ fragile state.

The severity of the episode has led to days speculation over possible resignation:

In a memoir, Life: My Story Through History, published last year, Francis wrote, “I think that the Petrine ministry is ‘ad vitam’ [‘for life’] and therefore I see no conditions for a resignation”, only to add in the next sentence, “things would change if a serious physical impediment were to arise”.

As the pontiff enters his eighth day in hospital on Friday, suffering from pneumonia in both lungs, Vatican watchers are wondering just how serious Francis, 88, thinks that physical impediment has to be.

On Thursday evening, the Vatican said that Francis’s condition was “slightly improving”, adding that his heart and circulation were in good shape and that he was free of fever and able to work.

However, in an interview on Italian radio, the senior Vatican cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi broached the topic on everyone’s mind and claimed: “I think he could [resign] because he is a person who, from this point of view, is quite decisive in his choices.”

This is the first time in his pontificate that the issue of resignation has been raised by a senior Cardinal. However, if he exits the hospital soon this is unlikely, as Pope’s traditionally serve till death. It is extremely rare for a Pope to step down, with his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI having been one of the exceptions to the historic rule.

Newsweek commented, “The possibility of resignation resurfaced when Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi noted that if Francis’ ability to engage directly with people was compromised, he might consider stepping down.”

Reports of a blood transfusion needed:

BREAKING: Pope Francis has had a blood transfusion and is “suffering more than yesterday”, the Vatican has said

Sky’s @LisaatSky has the latest. https://t.co/ph1hPpMTEc

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/wgca2TJfZk

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 22, 2025

Conservative and traditional Roman Catholics have been critics of Francis’ leadership, saying he represents a liberalizing trend in church life. For example, in 2023 he issued a document allowing for priests and bishops to conduct blessing ceremonies over same-sex couples. Amid fierce controversy and confusion among conservative Catholics, he later claimed the blessing is over the ‘individuals and not the union’ – in a bit of dubious Jesuitical casuistry. 

Liberals have tended to hail him as being open to the world and a voice of ‘progress’ – while some traditionalists might be looking forward to the day a new pope is elected, but it remains that an even more liberal pope could be the successor. 

Authored by Beige Luciano-Adams via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

LOS ANGELES—Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced he would direct the Federal Rail Administration (FRA) to conduct a compliance review of funding allocated to California’s long-embattled high-speed rail—and determine whether the project is worthy of continued federal investment.

“President [Donald] Trump has thought about this project,” Duffy said Feb. 20 during a press conference with elected officials at Los Angeles’s historic Union Station. “I think he was very kind when he said this project has been mismanaged. I would agree.”

Duffy said California’s high-speed rail has so far consumed nearly $16 billion in 16 years, with almost nothing to show for it, while timelines and budgets have mushroomed, more than tripling since the project was introduced in 2008. The state rail authority reports it has spent $13 billion from July 2006 through June 2024, while recent estimates for completion run as high as $130 billion.

The rail authority’s inspector general in a Feb. 3 report anticipated further delays and a $6.5-billon funding gap in the 171-mile stretch currently under construction from Bakersfield to Merced in the state’s Central Valley region—an interior segment of the envisioned 400-mile track from Los Angeles to San Francisco.

Duffy said he would direct the FRA to focus on the $4 billion promised by the Biden administration to fund two construction projects planned for this segment.

The investigation, which will review how federal money has been spent and whether the state is in compliance with federal agreements, will help determine whether billions in taxpayer dollars should remain committed, Duffy said.

“We want to make sure the California taxpayer understands that even though they might be excited about this project, [it’s] not going to happen,” Duffy said. “There is no timeline in which you’re going to have a high-speed rail that goes from L.A. to San Francisco.”

If California wants to continue to fund the rail, Duffy said, it can do so. “But we in the Trump administration are going to take a look at whether this project is worthy of continual investment.”

Elected leaders were interrupted by a small but boisterous chorus of protesters.

“The California High-Speed Rail is a long-term project that should not be obstructed by oligarchs who only care about profits in the short term,” Jeff Zhang, 24, told The Epoch Times, suggesting delays are just “part of the cost” of the trial and error involved in building what will be the first major bullet train project in the country.

“This is nothing more than a sham investigation,” Eli Lipmann, executive director of transit advocacy organization Move LA, told The Epoch Times. “Yes, the project is behind,” but, he said, the project has created jobs and will play an integral role in future infrastructure.

Pausing funding for high-speed rail, he suggested, will also put other infrastructure projects in jeopardy.

“L.A. County has almost $1.2 billion in grants—signed, sealed, and delivered—that we need to ensure are coming, everything from better bus connections to less traffic on roads to rail projects like the Purple Line, which I took here today.”

Pointing to a recent Emmerson poll showing 55 percent of Californians still support the project, Lipmann said the federal government should be accelerating, rather than pausing, building high-quality transportation.

“What are they going to do during the investigation? They’re not going to give California money, they’re going to put a pause on it. And then they’re going to say this project is over budget,” Lipmann said.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) had a different view. The rail’s runaway costs, he suggested during the press conference, would be better spent on agriculture, water infrastructure, and other “things people need.”

LaMalfa said “dribs and drabs” of $4 billion from the feds would never add up to the $110 billion needed to make it to the finish line.

“It was a nice thought,” he said. “It’s failed.”

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) said the project symbolizes the “decline of modern California” under current leadership.

Kiley told The Epoch Times his primary focus is to preclude the possibility that a future administration will pick up the mantle. “Once we cut off the federal funding, we can kill the project and focus on things that will actually improve people’s lives.”

Republican leaders are also taking aim at the state budget, including with efforts to redirect the $1 billion California spends each year on the rail project to wildfire prevention and water storage.

Former state lawmaker and current Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) had introduced such a bill, which is now being carried by California Assemblywoman Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare).

“There have been eight business plans, and the inspector general has outlined all the structural mismanagement,” Fong told The Epoch Times. “So we have all the data we need. It’s just, does the governor and his state legislator—the ruling party—do they have the political will to stop this project and put it into other things?”

While announcing the review, Duffy also suggested potential fraud and waste was California’s problem, and an audit should be led by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“I can’t make decisions for the great state of California, but we do have to be responsible for the tax dollars that are spent from the federal government,” he said.

The bullet train was among a flurry of targets Trump took aim at when he assumed office last month, promising on social media that an investigation would be forthcoming.

Duffy pointed to high-speed rail projects with “great timelines” and “great budgets” currently being proposed to the Federal Rail Administration that he said have a realistic shot at completion—such as the privately funded Brightline West, which will connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas and currently and is due to finish in a few years.

“That seems like a project that is worthy of investment,” he said.

Several protesters said California has fallen behind other developed nations in public transportation and infrastructure.

“That’s a problem,” said one, of the delays and bleeding costs. “And I also think it needs to get done. We’ve invested so much already. … It’s not just for California, it’s for the whole country.”

Former Rep. Michelle Steel dismissed any parallels to countries such as Spain, France, China, and Japan, where bullet train projects have succeeded.

“I was raised in Japan. It works in Japan because you can get off from the highway public transportation and you can hop on, you can go to the city. For this one costing $128 or $140 billion, going nowhere to nowhere, we don’t need this kind of wasting taxpayers’ money.”

Marc Joffe, a visiting fellow at the California Policy Center and a longtime critic of California’s high-speed rail, in a conversation with The Epoch Times pointed to the state’s uniquely challenging business climate.

“Lots of high-speed rails in other countries were built a long time ago. China built an enormous amount recently, but they don’t have the private property protections and labor rules like we have here.

“And I don’t think anyone wants to use Chinese standards for property acquisition, or labor.”

State Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), meanwhile, suggested the project has benefited from plenty of preferential treatment and fast-tracking, noting its exemption from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review.

“It’s proven that the Central Valley is sinking, and they’re building this monstrosity on top of the sinking valley with all that weight of concrete and rail structure,” she told The Epoch Times.

Referring to one part of the project’s Central Valley segment, Grove said:

“You can walk across this thing in 10 minutes, and they spent $13 billion on it. It’s ridiculous.”

In response to the press conference, the rail authority said on social media platform X on Thursday, “We welcome this investigation & look forward to working with federal partners.”

“CA High-Speed Rail has been audited over 100 [times], every dollar is accounted for & progress is real—50 structures built, 14,600 jobs created & 171 miles under construction.”

One of the longest running traditions in modern finance is that every year, one Saturday morning in late February, the world’s financial class – from refined professionals to rancid amateurs – sit down as they have for the past 66 or so years – for an hour and read the latest Berkshire annual letter written by Warren Buffett in which the man seen by many as the world’s greatest investor writes down his reflections, observations, aphorisms and other thoughts for the past year, which are closely parsed and analyzed for insight into what he may do next, what he thinks of the current economy and market climate, or simply for insights into how to become a better investor. And with Buffett’s long-time investing partner, Charlie Munger, having one year ago passed away just shy of his 100th birthday and Buffett himself now 94, every such letter may well be the last, which is why – even though their informational content and signal-to-noise ratio has been severely diluted over the year – they are read just as obsessively as they were when Buffett was in his prime.

Which brings us to the latest Berkshire annual report and accompanying letter, which – at 13 pages clocks in three pages less than last year’s edition and one of the shortest ever – was somewhat of a downer as the Omaha billionaire said that even though Berkshire did “better than I expected”, a majority, or 53% of Berkshire’s 189 operating businesses, reported a decline in earnings. The offset? The company’s staggering cash pile (more on that in a second) which is invested in T-Bills and which generates about a 4.5% in interest income: “We were aided by a predictable large gain in investment income as Treasury Bill yields improved and we substantially increased our holdings of these highly-liquid short-term securities.”

Buffett also said that Berkshire’s insurance business also delivered a major increase in earnings, led by the performance of GEICO, whose “2024 improvement was spectacular”, while property-casualty insurance pricing strengthened during 2024, “reflecting a major increase in damage from convective storms.” GEICO was also the main contributor to Berkshire’s insurance results, with its pretax underwriting earnings more than doubling to $7.8 billion in 2024. The auto insurer successfully added new clients in the second half, reversing a years-long trend that previously weighed on its performance.

Buffett also exposed his liberal roots (readers may forget that the folksy Omaha billionaire was one of the loudest and most virtue-signaling Hillary Clinton donors) saying that “climate change may have been announcing its arrival”, yet even Buffett admits that “no ‘monster’ event occurred during 2024.” That said, “someday, any day, a truly staggering insurance loss will occur – and there is no guarantee that there will be only one per annum.” Additionally, Berkshire’s railroad and utility operations, the conglomerate’s largest businesses outside of insurance, also improved their aggregate earnings. 

All told, Berkshire recorded operating earnings of $14.5 billion in Q4, up 71% from $8.5 billion a year ago, as higher interest rates lifted the conglomerate’s investment income and, while Berkshire’s insurance business scored a 48% jump in insurance investment income, to $4.1 billion, amid higher interest rates. Earnings also got a significant boost from a strong recovery in the firm’s insurance underwriting business, with operating earnings quadrupling over the period to $3.4 billion.

All told, in 2024 Berkshire earned $47.4 billion in operating earnings, the third straight record operating profit (Buffett will never tire of emphasizing this measure “rather than GAAP-mandated earnings”.) Here’s a breakdown of the 2023-24 earnings as Berkshire reported them. 

That said, Berkshire said it expects pretax losses of approximately $1.3 billion from the wildfires that ravaged entire parts of Los Angeles last month. Net income for the full year totaled $89 billion, including gains from Berkshire’s common stock investments such as Apple and American Express; for Q4, Berkshire reported that net income more than doubled to $37.574 billion, or $26,043 per Class A share, from $18.8 billion, or $12,355 per share, a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the otherwise acquisitive Berkshire refused to pursue any M&A for yet another quarter, and Buffett’s cash hoard grew for the 10th quarter in a row, to a record $334.2 billion at the end of 2024, as the billionaire continued to refrain from major stock transactions in the fourth quarter.

Still, Buffett said his company will continue to prefer owning equities, primarily U.S. stocks, over cash, adding Berkshire is “not finished.”

Going back to Q4, the firm was a net seller of $6.7 billion worth of shares; this marked the 9th consecutive quarter in which Berkshire has been selling stock (Berkshire has not made a major purchase of an entire company since 2016), the longest stretch by far in the company’s history…

… and even though Berkshire did not sell any Apple this quarter (having previously slashed his holdings in the smartphone giant by more than half), in Q4 Berkshire did continue to aggressively sell down its financial holdings such as BofA, Citi and Capital One, as discussed in our breakdown of the company’s 13F last week.

“Often, nothing looks compelling; very infrequently we find ourselves knee-deep in opportunities,” Buffett wrote.

And, for the second straight quarter, Buffett also did not find Berkshire stock itself to be attractive, buying back zero shares in Q4, the same amount as in Q3. Berkshire’s market capitalization has been hovering above $1 trillion since late last month, and according to Buffett it is perfectly fairly valued here. 

The company’s stock price has risen 15% in the last year, while the S&P 500 rose 18%. Over the last decade, Berkshire’s stock price has risen 225%, while the index rose 241% including dividends and 185% excluding dividends, Reuters data show.

“They will have lots of buying opportunities but Berkshire will never be the large double-digit compounder it had been,” said Bill Smead, chief investment office at Smead Capital Management in Phoenix. “Berkshire will be a solid way of participating in owning major companies, and avoiding trouble.”

The lack of any attractive mergers is a problem that Buffett has been staring down for almost a decade as the growth of Berkshire’s operations and cash levels have compounded. In his annual letter to shareholders, Buffett addressed concerns that Berkshire is hoarding cash and reminded investors that the great majority of the firm’s money remains invested in equities, both public and private, and that this won’t change.

“Berkshire will never prefer ownership of cash-equivalent assets over the ownership of good businesses, whether controlled or only partially owned,” Buffett said in the letter.

Buffett also said the value of the Berkshire’s private equity holdings increased and remained “far greater than the value of the marketable portfolio” last year. Over the same period, Berkshire’s ownership of public equities declined 23%, to $272 billion. 

The billionaire said Berkshire could increase “over time” its long-time holdings in Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsui, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo, Japan’s five largest trading houses. While Berkshire initially intended to keep its stake below the 10% threshold, the five companies have agreed to “moderately relax the ceiling” as the conglomerate approaches it.

The 94-year-old Buffett also acknowledged his advanced age in the letter, telling shareholders he now uses a cane and will spend less time fielding their questions at Berkshire’s annual meeting in May. He nonetheless assured shareholders they would be in good hands after he turns over the conglomerate’s reins to Vice Chairman Greg Abel, saying the 62-year-old Abel has “vividly shown his ability” to deploy capital.

Among other topics discussed in his letter, Buffett he sent a cautionary message to Washington, lamenting how capitalism “has its faults and abuses–in certain respects more egregious now than ever,” with malfeasance by “scoundrels and promoters” in full force.

“But even with such malfeasance – which remains in full force today – and also much deployment of capital that eventually  floundered because of brutal competition or disruptive innovation” Buffett said that “the savings of Americans has delivered a quantity and quality of output beyond the dreams of any colonist.”

The billionaire also urged lawmakers to help preserve a stable U.S. dollar, saying “paper money can see its value evaporate if fiscal folly prevails,” and that the United States has in its history “come close to the edge.  Fixed-coupon bonds provide no protection against runaway currency.”

The warning comes at a time of ever louder rumblings about a Mar-A-Lago accord, in which the Trump admin will stealthily devalue the dollar against all other currencies in a bid to kickstart US manufacturing, but will only succeed in sending gold and crypto to new all time highs. 

Buffett said long-term success of Berkshire and the American economy, which he called the “American miracle,” has depended on people’s ability to participate. That, he said, is something Uncle Sam can encourage, or take away.

“Take care of the many who, for no fault of their own, get the short straws in life,” Buffett wrote, addressing the government. “They deserve better. And never forget that we need you to maintain a stable currency and that result requires both wisdom and vigilance on your part.”

To be sure, this was more than just some folksy aphorism. According to Cathy Seifert, a CFRA analyst who rates Berkshire “hold”, “talking about the business of America being messy was his way of addressing the political landscape and its impact on the macroeconomic environment. He is warning Washington: Be careful where you tread.”

At the annual meeting, which tens of thousands of people attend, Buffett will spend less time on the stage where he, Abel and Berkshire Vice Chairman Ajit Jain answer shareholder questions. Buffett told Fortune magazine last month that he was still having fun and able to do a few things reasonably well, while other activities had been “eliminated or greatly minimized.”

The meeting will also not feature the traditional movie created by Buffett’s daughter Susie.

In discussing his age, Buffett said he talks regularly on Sundays with his 91-year-old sister Bertie, using an old-fashioned phone.

“We cover the joys of old age and discuss such exciting topics as the relative merits of our canes,” he said. “In my case, the utility is limited to the avoidance of falling flat on my face.”

Beside the company’s record cash hoard, there was another notable record revealed in this year’s letter: Buffett said the company has paid the US government more than $101 billion in taxes since he took the helm 60 years ago, more than any other company in history.

Buffett’s comments come as President Donald Trump has vowed to cut corporate taxes further after slashing them to 21% during his first term in 2017. Trump wants to reduce the corporate tax rate to 15%.

Berkshire paid $26.8 billion in taxes in 2024 alone. Buffett said that “record-shattering” figure amounts to roughly 5% of the total taxes paid by US companies last year, and excludes state taxes and taxes paid to foreign governments. 

“If Berkshire had sent the Treasury a $1 million check every 20 minutes throughout all of 2024 – visualize 366 days and nights because 2024 was a leap year – we still would have owed the federal government a significant sum at yearend,” Buffett wrote, and what is remarkable, is that he is actually proud of enabling the unprecedented grift, corruption and inefficiency that DOGE – and so many others – have unearthed over the years. 

Berkshire’s 2024 tax bill exceeded that of the previous five years combined, owing in part to his significant sales last year of two of its biggest holdings, Apple and Bank of America, according to Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan. In the letter, Buffett said that when he took control of Berkshire Hathaway company in 1965, it was a struggling textile operation that paid zero in income taxes that year, and hadn’t for much of the previous decade.

“That sort of economic behavior may be understandable for glamorous startups, but it’s a blinking yellow light when it happens at a venerable pillar of American industry,” Buffett wrote. “Berkshire was headed for the ash can.”

Finally, for all those who are bored to death by the above, here is an AI chatbot summary of all you need to know:

• Summary of Berkshire Hathaway’s 2024 Annual ReportChairman’s Letter Highlights
  • Performance & Strategy: Berkshire Hathaway delivered stronger-than-expected results in 2024, despite 53% of its 189 operating businesses reporting earnings declines.
  • Insurance Business: The insurance segment, led by GEICO and property-casualty underwriting, saw a significant earnings boost. The company anticipates increased insurance risk due to climate-related disasters.
  • Investment Income: Rising Treasury yields contributed to a major gain in investment income.
  • Major Acquisitions: Increased ownership of Berkshire Hathaway Energy from 92% to 100% for $3.9 billion.
  • Mistakes & Learning: Warren Buffett candidly discusses past investment misjudgments and the importance of correcting errors swiftly.
  • Succession Planning: Greg Abel is set to take over as CEO, emphasizing a commitment to transparency and shareholder value.
  • Berkshire’s Tax Impact: The company paid a record-breaking $26.8 billion in U.S. corporate taxes in 2024.
• Financial Performance
  • Operating Earnings: Increased to $47.4 billion in 2024 from $37.35 billion in 2023.
  • Investment Portfolio: Berkshire’s partial ownership in leading companies like Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola was valued at $272 billion.
  • Cash Reserves: While holding a significant cash position, Buffett reinforced the company’s long-term commitment to equities, primarily in the U.S.
• Japanese Investments
  • Expanded stakes in five Japanese trading companies: ITOCHU, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo.
  • Current investment worth $23.5 billion, up from a $13.8 billion cost basis.
  • Plans to continue long-term investment strategy in Japan.
• Property-Casualty Insurance & Risk
  • Berkshire’s P/C insurance sector remains its core business, benefitting from strong underwriting and investment income.
  • The company takes on large-scale risks that competitors often avoid but remains disciplined in pricing.
• Future Outlook
  • Buffett maintains optimism about capitalism and America’s long-term growth potential.
  • The company will continue prioritizing equity investments and disciplined capital allocation.
  • Plans to deploy capital in large, high-return opportunities as they arise.
• Shareholder Events
  • The 2025 annual shareholder meeting will take place on May 3 in Omaha, featuring a Q&A session with Buffett and Greg Abel.
  • This report reflects Buffett’s characteristic mix of financial insight, candid reflections, and long-term optimism for Berkshire Hathaway’s future.

More in the full Berkshire shareholder letter available here.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion Thursday indicating it wants to drop a lawsuit accusing SpaceX of hiring discrimination against refugees.

The lawsuit filed by the DOJ in August 2023 alleged that SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by refusing to hire people with asylum or refugee status.

The aerospace company countersued the DOJ later that year on constitutional grounds. 

Last month, a federal judge in Texas granted the DOJ’s request to stay the lawsuit for 45 days, saying that the department lacks the authority to pursue its claims against SpaceX.

Aldgra Fredly reports for The Epoch Times that, in a court filing on Thursday, the DOJ requested that the court lift the stay on the lawsuit so it could proceed with filing a notice of dismissal. It did not provide a reason for the possible dismissal.

Both the DOJ and SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

In its 2023 lawsuit, the DOJ alleged that between 2018 and 2022, SpaceX discouraged asylees and refugees from applying for jobs and failed to fairly consider their applications due to their citizenship status. The DOJ accused SpaceX of falsely asserting in job postings and public statements that export control laws hindered the company from hiring people without U.S. citizenship.

“Under these laws, companies like SpaceX can hire asylees and refugees for the same positions they would hire U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents,” it stated. 

“And once hired, asylees and refugees can access export-controlled information and materials without additional government approval, just like U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.”

The DOJ also stated that the Immigration and Nationality Act barred companies from discriminating against refugees and people granted asylum unless legally mandated to do so.

SpaceX, in its countersuit, denied any wrongdoing, saying that the company has always strived to “hire the very best candidates for every job regardless of their citizenship status.”

The company argued that due to the sensitive nature of its work—such as manufacturing technologies with military applications—it is subject to legal mandates under export control laws, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which limit whom it can employ.

“These export control laws and regulations are critical to our national security. Moreover, violating them can have severe consequences for a company like SpaceX,” it stated, noting that failing to comply with the regulations could result in hefty fines and criminal penalties.

On Aug. 25, 2023, Musk stated on the social media platform X that his company had been told that hiring anyone who is not a permanent U.S. resident would violate ITAR.

“We couldn’t even hire Canadian citizens, despite Canada being part of NORAD! This is yet another case of weaponization of the DOJ for political purposes,” he stated.

Musk was appointed by President Donald Trump earlier this year to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked with reviewing federal agencies for potential downsizing and cost reductions.

Trump had previously said that Musk would not be able to take any action without approval from the White House, and the government “won’t let him go near it” if there is a conflict of interest.

DOGE’s work is expected to be completed by July 4, 2026, according to Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order.

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

For weeks, politicians and pundits have engaged in a ghoulish effort to blame every plane accident on the Trump Administration, even accidents that occurred within the first weeks of the Trump Administration. 

Hillary Clinton led the effort by bizarrely suggesting that the collision of the airliner and the helicopter over the Potomac was due to the changes in Trump’s policies. 

The spin showed utter contempt for the intelligence of the public since there was no evidence that the Trump Administration policies had any impact on the accidents.

Nevertheless, the press and pundits fueled the false narrative by citing various accidents in January. That narrative then collapsed after CNN and other media outlets acknowledged that there were actually fewer accidents in January than average and that the Biden Administration saw more accidents during the same period.

The attempt to use these tragedies for raw political advantage is appalling. However, it also shows the complete disregard for the intelligence of voters in suggesting the nexus between the change of Administration and airplane accidents shortly after the inauguration.

It does not matter that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was not confirmed until January 28, 2025, less than 24 hours before the accident over the Potomac.

Nevertheless, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others immediately weaponized that and later tragedies.

Schumer was joined by media figures like former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, who later was compelled to delete a tweet on Sunday, Feb. 16 in which he wrote “Make American Plane Crash Again.” 

Like others, Hasan was connecting a small plane crash in Georgia to the start of the Trump Administration.

Then there was Rep. Eric Swalwell. We have previously discussed the bottomless pit of Swalwellian logic, such as shutting down the government to prevent government shutdowns.

The logic tree was felled again by Swalwell in blaming the Trump Administration for the crash in Georgia: “Trump is President. President Trump is in charge of air safety. All crashes are Trump’s fault.”

The only problem, as pointed out by CNN, is that air travel overall was better in January than prior such periods:

“In fact, if the preliminary numbers hold, January 2025 will surpass the previous record for the lowest number of total accidents, with eight fewer than the prior record low of 70 from January 2012.”

Does that mean that all aircraft safety like aircraft accidents are attributed to Trump? Of course not. Not only have no changes been made that have impacted the air traffic controllers in these cases, but none of the proposals would reduce those controllers.

The most bizarre was the effort to blame Trump for an accident where a plane flipped over in Canada.

On NBC, Tom Costello observed “as you know there has been talk about maybe staff cuts at the FAA as a part of President Trump’s effort to trim down the federal workforce.”

This is becoming a policy version of Six Degrees from Kevin Bacon. Every airport accident can be traced within six degrees of DOGE or Duffy.

It is very easy. Just take any airline mishap anywhere in the world and then trace it back to the United States and Sean Duffy. For example, there was also a water main break at the airport at Fort McMurray International Airport in Alberta. Ready? Go…

If you are struggling, just watch Schumer who is the most nimble at this game.

“I’m thankful that everyone in the flight incident in Toronto that took off from Minneapolis is safe, but we keep seeing these incidents day after day. Meanwhile, Trump’s doing massive layoffs at the FAA – including safety specialists – and making our skies less and less safe…Democrats are fighting to protect the flying public…To those asking whether it matters that the plane’s destination was in Canada: The flight took off from Minneapolis. The FAA was still responsible for inspecting the aviation equipment, and Trump just let go of FAA safety specialists.”

Done. Six degrees to Duffy.

In the wake of President Trump’s designation of several Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday warned the White House against military action inside her country. 

“This cannot be an opportunity for the U.S. to invade our sovereignty,” she told reporters. “With Mexico, it is collaboration and coordination, never subordination or interventionism, and even less invasion.”

Her remarks followed Wednesday’s US State Department announcement that it had designated eight Latin American drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. In addition to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua that has been raising hell inside the United States, the list included Mexico’s two principal drug traffickers: the Jalisco Nueva Generacion and Sinaloa cartels. 

The move fulfilled a promise Trump made during his 2024 election campaign. While the most likely initial actions will center on the legal and financial fronts, the terrorist designation opens the door for military action against the cartels. In the wake of the announcement, Trump advisor Elon Musk tweeted, “That means they’re eligible for drone strikes.”

Sheinbaum, however, warned against unilateral US military action:

“The Mexican people will under no circumstances accept interventions, intrusions or any other action from abroad that is detrimental to the integrity, independence or sovereignty of the nation… [including] violations of Mexican territory, whether by land, sea or air.”

Earlier, Sheinbaum said she had approved US surveillance drone flights over Mexico. That claim came after CNN reported that the administration tapped the CIA to use unarmed MQ-9 drones to monitor the cartels. The secret missions were communicated to members of Congress, with the description of the undertaking making no mention of a partnership with the Mexican government.

There have also been indications of US Air Force RC-135V aircraft performing signal intelligence (SIGINT) missions inside Mexican airspace. Meanwhile, the Mexican Senate Commission has given the green light for US Special Forces deployment inside Mexico for “training missions.” 

Sheinbaum has said she opposes a terrorist designation out of concern that US government actions under such a designation may violate Mexican sovereignty, arguing that the two countries should work in mutual consultation and collaboration. Last week, Sheinbaum threatened to retaliate for a terrorist-designation by expanding Mexico’s lawsuit against several American gun manufacturers, including Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Colt and Sturm, Ruger & Co: 

“If they were to decree organized crime groups as terrorists, we would have to expand the lawsuit in the United States because — as the Department of Justice itself has already acknowledged that 74% of the arms of criminal groups come from the United States — then how are the arms manufacturers and distributors affected by the decree? The lawyers are looking at it, but they could be accomplices.”

The move toward the US terror designation began with a Day One executive order from Trump tasking the State Department with evaluating that avenue. “The cartels have engaged in a campaign of violence and terror throughout the Western Hemisphere that has not only destabilized countries with significant importance for our national interests but also flooded the United States with deadly drugs, violent criminals, and vicious gangs,” Trump wrote. 

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

Approximately one-fourth of people in the United States age 65 and older are in only fair or poor health. While we can’t change our chronological age, various lifestyle practices can slow biological aging and delay the onset of chronic disease and frailty.

Biological age refers to the health of the cells and tissues, which is dependent upon an array of genetic and environmental factors.

A new clinical trial found that omega-3 fatty acid supplements have a small slowing effect on biological aging. Additional slowing occurs when these supplements are combined with vitamin D supplements and home exercise.

An influential member of the natural health community, Dr. Joseph Mercola, a board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, agrees that lifestyle factors can slow aging, yet he takes issue with some of the trial’s findings.

Findings

The clinical trial, called the DO-HEALTH trial and published in Nature Aging, involved a prior phase and a current phase. The prior phase found three interventions linked to better health in aging, and the current phase found that the interventions also linked to better biological aging.

Interventions Link to Improved Health

Lead author Dr. Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, a clinical researcher and specialist in geriatric medicine at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, discussed the findings in an email with The Epoch Times.

The prior phase of the same trial had more than 2,100 generally healthy adult participants aged 70 and older. “We found omega-3 fatty acid supplements lowered the rate of falls by 10 percent and reduced the rate of infections by up to 13 percent,“ she said. ”Also, the combination of omega-3, vitamin D, and exercise lowered the risk of pre-frailty by 39 percent and invasive cancer by 61 percent.”

*  *  *

Combo Deal: Purchase IQ Ultimate Omega-3 fish oil and receive a FREE bottle of Vitamin K2/D3. (5:1 DHA-EPA ratio supports cognitive function, fortified with Lutein & Zeaxanthin for eye health). Free shipping.

*  *  *

Pre-frailty refers to early negative health effects that develop before the onset of functional decline, which is the point when performing everyday tasks becomes difficult.

Interventions Slow Biological Aging

Because of the health benefits found in the prior phase, the research team undertook the current phase to explore whether the interventions could slow biological aging. To determine this, they studied the most reliable molecular markers of biological age: epigenetic clocks.

Epigenetics refers not only to the genes with which we are born but also to the expression of those genes and how this expression changes over time due to environmental factors. 

Coauthor of the clinical trial, Steve Horvath, inventor of epigenetic clocks and principal investigator at Altos Labs, explained the concept of epigenetic clocks to The Epoch Times in an email.

“Epigenetic clocks depict aging at the molecular level,” he said. “They allow researchers to estimate a person’s age and mortality risk based on chemical modifications in DNA. These changes don’t alter the DNA sequence, but they can affect genetic expression, which governs how genes function. This is like a dimmer switch controlling the brightness of a light.”

The current phase of the DO-HEALTH trial involved 777 participants over age 70 and spanned a three-year period. The researchers tested eight treatments consisting of various combinations of the following, in addition to a placebo group:

• Taking a supplement of 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids from marine algae per day
• Taking a supplement of 2,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day
• Engaging in 30 minutes of strength training at home three times per week

“Our findings from epigenetic clocks provide a strong signal that omega-3 supplementation slows biological aging in humans,” said Bischoff-Ferrari. “Additionally, the combination of omega-3s with vitamin D and exercise may make this effect even stronger. Biological age was slowed by 3–4 months in 3 years.”

She added that while the effects seem small if sustained, they may have relevant implications for population health.

Omega-3 Fat: Supplements or Diet?

A 2020 review published in Nutrients supports the DO-HEALTH trial finding that linked omega-3 fatty acid supplements to better aging. It indicated that the supplements might reduce inflammation associated with certain chronic medical conditions, which develop more often as people age. An example is the loss of muscle mass and strength linked to frailty. However, the quality of evidence regarding the use of these supplements is sometimes considered low, so further research is necessary, the authors concluded.

Mercola disagrees with the part of the DO-HEALTH trial that suggested omega-3 fatty acid supplements may slow aging. Instead, he advocates eating food sources of the nutrient.

“The anti-aging effects of omega-3 fatty acids are questionable at best,” he told The Epoch Times in an email. “While some studies suggest benefits, including the recent DO-HEALTH trial, your body can only utilize so much, and excessive intake—especially in supplement form—can backfire by raising your risk of a serious heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation.”

A 2022 study published in Circulation documents this risk. It found that omega-3 fatty acids make the membrane of heart muscle cells thinner and more pliable, which changes its properties. This can affect the electrical activity of the heart needed for normal contractions.

Mercola added that most of the early human benefits of omega-3 fatty acids were observed in populations consuming whole foods rich in the nutrients, such as wild-caught fish, rather than from isolated supplements.

“Getting moderate amounts through the diet is enough to support overall health without the risks that comes with high-dose supplementation,” he said.

Read the rest here…

Alef Aeronautics, a San Mateo, California-based startup backed by SpaceX and specializing in flying cars, published a series of videos this week showcasing the “ultralight version” of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle flying in an urban environment.

“Alef released the video of the test, making it a first-ever video in history of a car driving and vertically taking off,” the startup wrote in a press release, adding, “While previous videos exist of cars driving and using a runway to take off, videos of tethered flights, and eVTOL flying taxis taking off, this is the first publicly released video of a car driving and taking off vertically.” 

About a year ago, Alef received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for its Model A, which allowed the startup to fly the eVTOL in limited locations for exhibition, research, and development, such as the latest demonstration… 

NEW: Alef Aeronautics releases footage of their electric car “jumping” over another car on a road in California.

The company claims this is the “first test in history of a car drive and vertical takeoff in a city.”

The company hopes to solve traffic by developing a car that can… pic.twitter.com/fjrFDIBlbK

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 21, 2025

Alef’s flight and countless Joby Aviation flights bring us to the eVTOL and drone conversation, where Chinese companies like XPeng, EHang, and others appear to be many years ahead in development and commercialization compared with US startups. 

The reason for America’s laggard position in the global drone race was recently explained by Marc Andreessen, the billionaire investor and co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. He told Peter Robinson, host of Uncommon Knowledge and a former Reagan speechwriter, that “Biden FAA has been trying to kill us this entire time, trying to do all kinds of things to make sure that American drone companies can’t succeed as part of their war on tech.” 

🚨 NEW: Marc Andreessen on China’s manufacturing dominance

“There’s three industries that follow phones that the Chinese own the global market at:

1) Drones
Something over 90% of all the consumer drones are made in China. Which is what the US Military also uses. It’s the whole… pic.twitter.com/e94C927MMU

— Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) January 15, 2025

We suspect that under the Trump era, eVTOLs will be fast-tracked into commercialization after four years of being suppressed by the Biden-Harris regime as Chinese companies advance. It’s very suspicious why the Biden-Harris team would subdue America’s eVTOL and drone industry – or perhaps it’s not. You’ll understand here: Was Biden China’s Manchurian Candidate The Entire Time?

Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com,

Most Americans don’t know that for much of U.S. history there was no federal income tax and there was no central bank.  But now everyone assumes that we must have a federal income tax and a central bank in order to have a functioning society.  Today, there are just a handful of nations that do not have an income tax, and more than 99 percent of the entire population of the globe lives in a country that has a central bank.  Of course the two work hand in hand.  A central bank creates a spiral of borrowing that is meant to be unbreakable, and an income tax is necessary to service payments on that debt spiral.  

It is not a coincidence that a federal income tax and the Federal Reserve were both established in 1913.  Since that time, we have piled up the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world, and that is precisely the outcome that the system was designed to produce.

So what is the solution to this colossal mess?

The answer to 1913 is 2025.

This year, we are seeing things get proposed in Washington D.C. that once would have been unthinkable.

For example, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just told Fox News that President Trump wants to “abolish the Internal Revenue Service”…

More details have emerged from the Trump administration about alleged plans to get rid of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and utilize tariffs so the “whole economy explodes.”

“His goal is to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and let all the outsiders pay,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

“As the president said, reciprocal tariffs, either you bring yours down or we’re going to bring ours up. If we go to their level, it will earn us $700 billion a year to be equal to everybody else,” he expanded Thursday on “America’s Newsroom.”

And it appears that the Trump administration is already taking concrete steps toward that goal.

In fact, it is being reported that “approximately 7,000 probationary workers” at the IRS are about to be hitting the bricks…

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is planning to slash approximately 7,000 probationary workers in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. starting Thursday, according to reports.

The layoffs will affect probationary workers who have been employed for one year or less and have not been able to secure full civil service protection, The Associated Press reported, citing a person familiar with the plans.

Wow.

Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is also being targeted by the new administration.

In fact, Elon Musk has suggested that the Federal Reserve could soon get visited by the Department of Government Efficiency…

Musk wrote on X in response to a user’s post about the billionaire’s support for an audit of the Fed that the central bank isn’t above scrutiny from DOGE.

“All aspects of the government must be fully transparent and accountable to the people. No exceptions, including, if not especially, the Federal Reserve,” Musk wrote.

Musk is a longtime critic of the central bank and has called out its decisions on monetary policy as well as claiming the Fed’s workforce is bloated.

This is wonderful news.

Because what we have been doing for decades is clearly not working.

The Federal Reserve system is designed to create debt, and the income tax is designed to service that debt.

We find ourselves on an endless hamster wheel that becomes more painful with each passing year.

The charts that I am about to share with you tell a very clear story.

The primary reason why we have had an almost unbelievably high standard of living over the past three decades is because we have piled up the biggest mountain of debt in the history of the world.  Once upon a time the United States was the wealthiest country on the entire planet, but all of that prosperity was not good enough for us.  So we started borrowing and borrowing and borrowing and we have now been living beyond our means for so long that we consider it to be completely normal.

When President Woodrow Wilson entered the White House in 1913, the U.S. was less than 3 billion dollars in debt.

Now we are 36 trillion dollars in debt…

This is what a central bank is designed to do.

Most people simply do not understand this.

We have been robbing future generations blind for so long that it doesn’t even seem to bother most people anymore.

It is time for a change.

Sadly, Americans have also accumulated the largest mountain of household debt in the history of the world.  The following chart which comes directly from the Federal Reserve shows the growth of household and non-profit organization debt over the years…

Of that amount, more than 18 trillion dollars of it is household debt…

Americans’ household debt levels, including credit card debt, rose to new all-time highs in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

The report showed that overall household debt increased by $93 billion to $18.04 trillion at the end of 2024, an all-time high. Credit card balances rose by $45 billion from the prior quarter to reach $1.21 trillion at the end of December, which is also a record high.

We have become accustomed to living in debt.  We go into massive amounts of debt to get an education, we go into massive amounts of debt to buy a home, we go into massive amounts of debt to purchase our vehicles, and we even pile up debt to buy holiday gifts and to purchase groceries.

The American people want to hear that better times are ahead.

But under the current system the only way to give the American people “better times” is to crank up the debt spiral to an even higher level.

That is the approach that our leaders have been taking for a long time, and it is madness.

When you add up all forms of debt in our society, it comes to a grand total of more than 100 trillion dollars…

We are literally committing national suicide.

I wish that I could get more people to understand this.

30 years ago, the total amount of debt in the system was less than 20 trillion dollars.

Now we have surpassed the 100 trillion dollar mark.

We are talking about a financial bubble that is unlike anything that the world has ever seen before.

If we continue down this road, our children and our grandchildren would have no future.

When people hear words like “billion” or “trillion” they tend to tune out.

But that is a mistake.

There is an enormous difference between a billion dollars and a trillion dollars.

Just how big is one trillion dollars?

To answer that question, I would like to use an illustration that I have used in my books.  If right this moment you went out and started spending one dollar every single second, it would take you more than 31,000 years to spend one trillion dollars.

Yet somehow we have piled up more than 100 trillion dollars of debt, and our financial status just keeps getting worse month after month after month.

If we want to get free from all this debt, we have to abandon the system that created all of this debt in the first place.

We need to abolish the Federal Reserve, the IRS and the income tax.

We have been living far, far beyond our means for decades, and it has been the greatest party in the history of the world.

But it is time to turn out the lights because the party is over.

The good news is that change is in the air.

The answer to 1913 is 2025, and those that are attempting to dismantle the current system should be applauded.

*  *  *

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.