Maine Public Schools Are Collapsing As Children Of Illegal Migrants Pour Into The State
Maine’s public schools are seeing their worst test scores in 30 years, with student performance in reading and math ranking among the lowest in the nation.
According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, only 33% of fourth graders are proficient in math, while just 26% meet reading standards. Older students fare even worse, with only 25% proficient in math and 26% in reading, placing Maine 38th nationwide.
The decline comes as schools prioritize the children of illegal migrants, a group welcomed by the state’s politicians and employers, according to Brietbart.
Maine spends approximately $15,000 per student—over $1,000 above the national average—yet its schools are struggling with an influx of non-English-speaking students.
The Democrat-led state has embraced sanctuary policies, contributing to a surge of mostly illegal migrants, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Over the past decade, the number of students with limited English proficiency has skyrocketed.
In Portland, 70% of new enrollees require special language instruction before tackling other subjects. Schools are diverting funds to hire multilingual staff, with classrooms now accommodating speakers of 57 different languages.
The Brietbart article says that education budgets are soaring nationwide as schools absorb a surge of migrant children under the Biden administration.
Like Maine, states across the country are redirecting funds to accommodate these students. In Pennsylvania, the number of English Language Learner (ELL) students jumped 40% from 71,766 in 2020 to 99,889 in 2024.
Meanwhile, academic performance is declining. Data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) shows migrant students struggling, with only 24% meeting English standards, 15.8% proficient in math, and just 11.7% in science—figures that have remained largely stagnant.
It’s Impossible To Summarize Everything That Is Happening
By Michael Every of Rabobank
Love and Death
I look at the world this morning and wonder how to fit what is going on into two pages, for markets who prefer two bullet points of two words each. So, I turn to Woody Allen’s 1975 movie ‘Love and Death’, an homage to 19th century Russian literary genius, for help:
NATASHA: It’s a very complicated situation, Cousin Sonja. I’m in love with Alexei. He loves Alicia. Alicia’s having an affair with Lev. Lev loves Tatiana. Tatiana loves Simkin. Simkin loves me. I love Simkin, but in a different way than Alexei. Alexei loves Tatiana like a sister. Tatiana’s sister loves Trigorian like a brother. Trigorian’s brother is having an affair with my sister, who he likes physically, but not spiritually.
SONJA: Natasha, it’s getting a little late.
NATASHA: The firm of Mishkin and Mishkin is sleeping with the firm of Taskov and Taskov.
SONJA: Natasha, to love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer. Not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness… I hope you’re getting this down.
NATAHSA: I never want to marry. I just want to get divorced.
President Trump suggested 25% US tariffs on Mexico and Canada could be delayed to April, then aides said they begin as scheduled March 4; then Trump said the EU, “which was set up to screw us”, will get tariffed at 25% rate in Apriltoo. Those who want to see March becoming April, then May, etc., did, and MXN and CAD swung; others still see high US tariffs loom, and when they finally hit, it will be USD that rallies.
The Fed’s Bostic said the Fed Funds rate needs to stay where it is for now, and “We need to be in a restrictive posture.” The timing seems odd when DOGE is slashing and burning, and market fears about recession are rising again – but then again, so are consumer inflation expectations. With the US 10-year yield at 4.28% at the time of writing vs. a high of 4.79% on January 14, maybe the White House can live with that Fed stance… for now.
Ukraine says the minerals deal it’s to sign with the US depends on a security guarantee – which doesn’t seem guaranteed given it hasn’t been negotiated yet. 24-hours ago, the deal allowed Ukraine “to fight on”: does it? Uncomfortably for many analysts, the bottom layer of the Maslow –and current market– pyramid is not really AI, or love of profits, but fear of death.
VdL is also pushing a €100bn Clean Industrial Deal to go green, not khaki. However, EU bureaucratic acronyms take time to slot into place while steel and aluminium firms needed for the military face high energy costs and global competition, and defence doesn’t think about the environment or emissions in the green sense. As Politico puts it, ‘Europe’s impossible choice: Which industries should survive the green transition?’
Poland says if Germany doesn’t want US troops based there, it will take them instead, as Berlin says it wants independence from the US and moots an extra €200bn in defence spending. Fort Trump is calling.
Far-right Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu, whose first-round victory saw the election cancelled, has been detained on suspicion of false statements regarding campaign finance, illegal possession of weapons, and initiating or establishing an organization “with a fascist, racist or xenophobic” character. Will there be more US-EU tensions over this?
The US told Chevron to pull out of Venezuela, suggesting a hardline Monroe Doctrine, as whispers are that any loss of oil output on that front can be compensated for by the Middle East.
We got a bizarre video of golden Trump statues and bearded belly dancers in “Trump Gaza” posted on the US President’s social media account. Yet the ludicrousness of the imagery perhaps sent a serious message too: why has the region constantly defaulted to the equally ludicrous status quo ante? That’s as The Wall Street Journal reports, ‘A Decimated Hamas Prepares for a New Fight With Israel’.
Iran may now have enough processed uranium for six nuclear bombs, though we’ve heard similar for years: then again, previously Iran and Israel hadn’t already directly attacked each other, and Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria were in-between the two. Another source says autumn 2025 is the Israeli deadline for a strike on those sites if no deal can be agreed. Israel also insists on the demilitarisation of southern Syria, protecting Druze there and, at a stretch, potentially opening a corridor to the Kurds in the north. That’s as rumors are the Kurdish PKK may end their 40-year civil war vs Turkey, opening new possibilities for a post-civil war Syria.
Trump played his cards close to his chest over Taiwan in response to being asked if he would defend it, distancing himself from President Biden in that regard. However, if one looks at US actions and statements from Secretary of State Rubio, US grand macro strategy is now about looking to China. Almost everything we are seeing around us is still a reflection of that, from Ukraine to NATO to reaching out to Russia, to the new Monroe Doctrine, to tariffs to DOGE. The US will not just be singing ‘YMCA’ soon, but ‘In the Navy’, and songs from ‘South Pacific.’
Indeed, there’s lots more love-and-death geopolitics today:
Financial Times editor Martin Wolf says the US is now “the enemy of the West”, as Jeff Bezos says the Washington Post is now for “personal liberties” and “free markets”, which seems quite Western to some – though context obviously matters.
US and Russian representatives are in Istanbul to talk Ukraine without Ukraine or Europe. Martin Wolf adds Europe must rise to the current occasion or “disintegrate” and “be picked apart by world powers.” Indeed, markets are getting ahead of themselves on the Eastern front, failing to account for the risk that we get a frozen conflict in which the EU and Russia rearm for round two, rather than Russia selling Europe cheap gas and all watching Dr. Zhivago together.
UK PM Starmer visits President Trump hoping for US support on Ukraine – not the “Can we have a free-trade deal, please?” mission he was originally hoping for.
VdL visits India looking to make large friends, fast. Recall the US is now backing the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), which works against China’s interests, and will offer huge gains to both ends, while requiring stability in the middle – including Iran, Syria, and Gaza.
Like I said, it’s all a lot to take in and too much one still has to leave out. But I leave you on the latter part of ‘Love and Death’:
BORIS: “How I got into this predicament I’ll never know. Absolutely incredible. To be executed for a crime I never committed. Of course, isn’t all mankind in the same boat? Isn’t all mankind ultimately executed for a crime it never committed? The difference is that all men go eventually, but I go six o’clock tomorrow morning. I was supposed to go at five o’clock, but I have a smart lawyer.”
Roaring 20s: Fidelity’s 401(k) Millionaire Club Soars On MAG7 Exceptionalism
The 401(k) millionaire club has surged in size, fueled by American exceptionalism and the meteoric rise of MAG7 stocks, which have skyrocketed over recent years amid the era of “The Next AI” theme.
Bloomberg cited new Fidelity Investments data showing that the number of 401(k) accounts with balances of $1 million or more jumped 27% to 537,000 in 2024.
The data showed that while 60% of Americans have access to 401(k)-type plans, most accounts hold less than $1 million—averaging around $131,000 at Fidelity—with steady contribution rates.
The growing size of the 401(k) millionaire club has been primarily because of the hockey-sticking Mag7 chart below—everyone loaded up on the same big tech stocks as US tech outshined China, Europe, and the rest of the world.
However, newly minted 401(k) millionaires must remain vigilant of the “DeepSeek China moment“—a possible inflection point for the market that has shown US exceptionalism fading in recent weeks.
There is so much grassroots excitement about AI, in iOS 18.3 Apple is forcefully including everyone into its AI product since nobody will do so on their own.
What could derail the MAG7 party and put those newly minted millionaires back into the poor house is if TD Cowen’s report on Microsoft data center order cancellations is accurate. MSFT fired back at Cowen, denouncing the claim…
Microsoft “Strongly Refutes” Cowen Report It Is Canceling Data Center Orders… But Questions Linger https://t.co/2dBqZZ8TyQ
Even with the rising tide in equity markets, the inflation storm unleashed by the Biden-Harris administration has financially crushed low/mid-tier consumers, resulting in wealthy Americans trading down for Walmart in recent quarters.
More from the Bloomberg report…
… something that has happened only 10 times since 1871 — survey after survey shows most Americans remain anxious about being able to afford a comfortable retirement.
“People have concerns about the economy, the rising cost of living, rising inflation — so the thinking is that they’re likely making some sort of change somewhere in their personal financial lives,” said Michael Shamrell, vice president of thought leadership at Fidelity. “But it looks like they’re not pulling back on their retirement savings.”
…
For those behind on savings, members of Gen X have been making strides as they approach retirement age. About 14% made catch-up contributions and the cohort had a total savings rate of 15.2%, in line with what many financial advisers recommend. Additionally, those who have saved in 401(k)s for 15 years, with the same employer, saw average balances jump 18% to $589,400 last year.
Meanwhile, Gen Z savers, the oldest of whom are now 28, were no savings slouches, either. Members of that generation who have contributed to their 401(k) for five years saw average balances rise 66% to reach $52,900. Such a huge jump is likely due to having a high proportion of their savings in equities.
Overall, almost 40% of retirement savers bumped up their contribution rate last year, for an average increase of 2.9%. A chunk of that likely came from the use of auto-escalation plans, which automatically raise an employee’s contribution rate by 1% a year. About 90% of savers got a contribution from their employer, Fidelity said.
For those newly minted 401(k) millionaires, just hope the US exceptionalism theme does not continue fading…
First Batch Of Epstein Files Released: Here’s What We Know
Update (1401ET): The ‘Epstein Files’ have been released – to a select group of journalists and influencers, so we don’t quite know what’s in them yet…
According to the NY Post, however, it’s a nothingburger (but stay tuned, as we’ll drop whatever’s good – if anything)…
A source who has reviewed the files said the release spans more than 100 pages, including a list of contacts without further context.
The person said the unveiling was likely to be a “disappointment” to sleuths eager for bombshell new evidence about the billionaire pedophile’s connection to prominent political and business leaders.
Former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew and President Trump are among the high-profile people who associated with Epstein — though Trump reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 over an incident with a club member’s daughter.
A client list is not included in the initial release, which was compiled into binders describing the disclosure as “phase one” of the Epstein files, according to the source.
Earlier in the day the DOJ passed out binder copies of the “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to various people.
“This is just the start. AG Bondi confirmed there are thousands more Epstein File documents being secretly held in the SDNY and they will be delivered to the DOJ in DC by February 28,” wrote @DC_Draino who received a binder.
🚨Today I met with President Trump, VP JD Vance, AG Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office
They handed me a binder copy of the Epstein Files
This is the most transparent administration in American history
Needless to say, the way this release been handled is not going over well…
I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday evening that she’s going to release DOJ files on dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
“You said last week that you had the Epstein files on your desk. When can we see them?” asked Fox News‘ Jesse Watters.
“Jesse, there are well over – this will make you sick, 200 victims. Well over… over 250 actually. So we have to make sure that their identity is protected, and their personal information. But other than that, I think tomorrow Jesse – breaking news right now, you’re going to see some Epstein information being released by my office.“
“What kind? Are we going to see who was on the flights? Are we going to see any evidence from what he recorded – because he had all of his homes wired with recording devices,” Watters asked.
“What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information… it’s pretty sick what that man did,” Bondi continued.
Watch:
BREAKING NEWS: US Attorney General @PamBondi says we can expect brand new Jeffrey Epstein details TOMORROW. Expect flight logs and names… pic.twitter.com/dMn4nkKefV
Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender was found dead in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While his death was rules a suicide, he was also good friends with the Clintons and several other high-profile figures such as Bill Gates, Britain’s Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Barclays CEO and ‘Disney princess‘ aficionado Jes Staley, Larry Summers, Harvey Weinstein, and former Victoria’s Secret boss Les Wexner.
Here are the flight logs which have already been released.
Media Room?
Watters’ question about recordings stems from earlier reporting that the deceased sex trafficker’s homes were wired with recording devices.
In late 2019, Jeffrey Epstein victim Maria Farmer alleged that the deceased pedophile had a “media room” on the first floor where high-profile johns were allegedly recorded having sex with women and children.
“So if you’re facing the house, there’s a window on the right that’s barred – that’s the room, the ‘media room’ is what he called it,” Farmer said. “And so there was a door that looked like an invisible door with all this limestone and everything and you push it and you go in and I saw all the cameras.”
Maria said: “What it was – was like old televisions basically, like stacked.“
“They were monitors inside this cabinet and there were men sitting here and I looked on the cameras and I saw toilet, toilet, bed, bed, toilet, bed.
“And I was like I’m never going to use the restroom here and I am never going to sleep here.” –The Sun
The claim was supported in a 2024 lawsuit by two women – Danielle Bensky and Jane Doe 3, who said Epstein employed a sophisticated system involving constant CCTV surveillance within his New York mansion.
Bondi’s appearance came hours after the DOJ appeared to give Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) the brush-off, telling her in a Wednesday letter that they are “reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.”
On the campaign trail, Donald Trump suggested that he would be open to releasing the Epstein list, while Bondi said in November that anyone named in the documents who are “still fighting to keep their names private, Sean, they have no legal basis to do so unless they’re a child, a victim or a cooperating defendant.”
My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files.
The State Department is disputing reports that President Trump’s foreign aid freeze has halted a United Nations program in Mexico designed to prevent imported fentanyl chemicals and other narcotics precursors from reaching the country’s drug cartels.
Far from trying to end it, the State Department is working to extend and expand the initiative, a State Department official told RealClearPolitics Monday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed a review of all foreign assistance programs, which has placed the training portion in a temporary limbo. While that review is taking place, Mexican officials who have already been trained are presumably using that expertise to continue to screen containers, according to the State Department official.
The program in question provided Mexico’s navy with training and equipment to improve the anti-narcotics screening of cargo entering and leaving the Port of Manzanillo, which is located on the Pacific Ocean and is one of the country’s busiest ports, responsible for handling cargo for the Mexico City area. The port also has served as an entry point for smugglers bringing in Chinese chemical precursors for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and synthetic opioids so the drugs can made in Mexican labs.
The project, known as the Container Control Programme, is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization. The U.S. provided nearly $1 million to launch the project at the Port of Manzanillo in 2023. The initiative had already provided equipment and specialized training and was just two months from completion when the Trump freeze on foreign aid took effect Jan. 20, according to a State Department official.
Considering that the program had been going on for almost two years, Mexican officials who were already trained should have acquired the skills as to how to continue to inspect the containers even amid the pause on U.S. foreign assistance, the State Department pointed out.
“We expect Mexican officials in Manzanillo to continue employing the expertise and equipment the U.S. government has provided to stop the flow of deadly drugs and precursor chemicals used in their production in Mexico,” the State Department official told RCP. “As neighbors, we must work together to address our most pressing challenges, including securing our borders and confronting the drug trafficking, alien smuggling, and arms trafficking that harm our communities.”
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Customs Organization, and the Mexican Foreign Ministry did not respond to RCP’s inquiries.
A Monday Reuters report, headlined “Trump aid freeze disrupts anti-narcotics program at Mexican ports,” claimed that the foreign aid freeze had stalled the Container Control Programme and paused a roll-out planned for two additional Mexican seaports – Lazaro Cardenas and Veracruz, which were to be added in February.
Over the last year, the program had already notched two major interdictions. Mexican authorities made several large seizures of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine destined for the United States. The Mexican authorities intercepted 88 tons of precursor chemicals in July 2024 and another 25 tons in December 2024.
Funding for the container inspection training program was suspended Jan. 20 as part of Trump’s executive order reevaluating foreign assistance to programs that are “efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy” under Trump’s American First agenda, the State Department official noted.
The State Department has made exceptions for several of anti-narcotics programs, including $7.8 million in waivers for projects in Mexico funded by its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL, to counter production and trafficking of fentanyl and to dismantle terrorist criminal organizations. The State Department, whose INL has an approximately $50 million total budget for Mexico, said additional waivers are under review, though it did not indicate which programs might get exceptions.
Trump has made stopping the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States a top priority, threatening 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports to pressure the two countries to do more to curb illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Last week, the State Department announced the designation of several Mexican entities, including the Sinaloa and the Jalisco New Generation cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations.
Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics’ national political correspondent.
Homebuilder inventory of started and completed homes is soaring but sales are weak.
New Home Sales by Stage of Construction, chart by Mish
New Homes for Sale by Stage of Construction
Total: 495,000. The most since December 2007.
Started Plus Completed: 389,000. The most since May 2008.
Under Construction: 274,000
Completed: 115,000. The most since August 2009.
Not Started: 106,000
Not started means vacant land. Started, and especially completed, represent speculative building.
New Home Sales Annualized vs Homes for Sale Detail
New Home Sales vs Stage of Construction, chart by Mish
New home sales are seasonally adjusted and annualized totals. The stage of construction numbers are seasonally adjusted but not annualized.
New Homes for Sale as Percent of New Home Sales
New Home by Stage of Construction as percent of new home sales, chart by Mish
Elevated for Sale Numbers
Total: 75 Percent
Under Construction or Complete: 59 percent
Completed: 18 percent
The above is a new chart I added just today.
Amusingly, in the middle of the Great Recession, there were more homes for sale than the annualized number of new home sales. That number includes homes not started.
Not started homes represent a land commitment, whereas started and completed homes represent heightened speculation.
Unfortunately, this data series only dates to 1999, but the current numbers appear very elevated compared to the data we do have.
This rates to pressure prices unless demand picks up.
Note: The above charts and commentary pertain to new single-family homes. The following data represents all units under construction including multifamily.
Housing Units Under Construction
Housing Units Under Construction Detail
Housing units under construction, data from Census Department, chart by Mish
The number of units under construction is rapidly falling. It’s down from 1.71 million to 1.41 million, a decline of 17.7 percent.
In the Great Recession, the number of completed units topped at 1.42 million. So, this is a very elevated number.
However, most of this is multi-family in stark contrast to the Great Recession.
What’s Happening?
We are building apartments for immigrants who are here (legally or illegally) and others who aren’t going to get here because Trump effectively closed the border.
Completed units have not yet impacted the price of rent, at least renewals. How long can that last?
UK’s Starmer Spars With Trump Over Security Guarantees For Ukraine
President Donald Trump is meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on Thursday, to discuss an agenda including Ukraine, defense pending and probable US-proposed tariffs.
Trump has previewed he’ll likely be announcing a 25% tariff on goods from European Union countries, also amid ongoing US demands for NATO countries to rase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
The White House has been scene of a flurry of Ukraine-related diplomatic meetings this week. On Monday Trump hosted French President Emmanuel Macron, and things were deeply awkward.
Late last week Trump had declared that Starmer and Macron “haven’t done anything” to end the war in Ukraine, in Friday remarks responding to pushback out of Europe over his peace plan.
Starmer and Trump are set to clash on the question of security guarantees for Ukraine, after Washington has issued a clear ‘no’ when it comes to the possibility of NATO membership.
“I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that … Europe is their next-door neighbor,” Trump has stated.
As for the UK side and what the prime minister is expected to present in the Oval:
But on his plane, Starmer argued that a peace agreement would not be viable without such a US pledge. “I’m absolutely convinced that we need a lasting peace, not a ceasefire, and for that to happen we need security guarantees,” Starmer told reporters, according to Reuters.
Starmer is said to be looking for a US backstop:
Starmer also said he’d press the US president for another undertaking he’s so far been loath to give – a “backstop” for a “reassurance” force Britain and France have said they are ready to send to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement. Europe’s militaries lack the logistical, intelligence and anti-aircraft missile assets needed to secure such a force on their own, without the US.
Starmer said en route to the US that “my concern is if there is a ceasefire without a backstop, it will simply give him (Putin) the opportunity to wait and to come again because his ambition in relation to Ukraine is pretty obvious, I think, for all to see.”
European leaders and officials have been complaining that Trump is too much in ‘Putin’s corner’ – and mainstream media has amplified such bogus claims as well, as the White House pushes a final peace settlement – but without Europe or Ukrainian representation.
Starmer is expected to plead for Trump not to ‘abandon’ Ukraine, even though it’s become clear to all that Ukraine cannot win this war, and will have to make serious concessions.
Will Thursday’s Trump-Starmer presser be as awkward as the Macron meeting?
Trump’s face when Macron says the US should be compensated by Russia, not Ukraine, because they started the war. 😂 pic.twitter.com/QCWt3vqyVh
President Zelensky will then be hosted at the White House on Friday, amid reports of a finalized rare earth minerals deal. However it’s anything but clear whether details will be agreed to and inked on paper.
Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism in a Fox interview. “I think it’s a really a good sign that President Zelenskyy will be here tomorrow,” Witkoff said. “The president is eager to get this behind us and move on to get a peace deal done between Ukraine and Russia.”
Eating enough protein is essential for preserving muscle. Yet experts say the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein does not reflect the amount required for optimal muscle health. This has important implications for healthy weight loss.
To thrive—not just survive—you may need much more.
“The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is the minimum amount needed to prevent deficiency, not the optimal level for health,” Angel Planells, a registered dietitian, told The Epoch Times.
Dietary guidelines suggest that adults eat 0.8 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.
However, protein requirements in the United States have not been reassessed since 2005. Some studies suggest that protein recommendations should exceed the RDA for certain adults, including seniors, active people, and those with chronic conditions like obesity or Type 2 diabetes, Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told The Epoch Times.
Research shows that consuming protein beyond the RDA can optimize health outcomes, particularly for older adults, by helping prevent muscle loss (sarcopenia), supporting muscle maintenance and weight management, and enhancing feelings of fullness (satiety).
Benefits of Eating Enough Protein
Adequate protein intake is crucial for maintaining and building muscle and supporting physical strength and metabolic health. Over time, consistent protein consumption improves body composition by promoting fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass.
Skeletal muscle mass is also a key marker of metabolic health. Increasing evidence shows that greater muscle mass and strength are associated with better health, a longer lifespan, and reduced disease risk.
Muscle reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a family physician, muscle expert, and best-selling author, told The Epoch Times.
For those losing weight, protein intake is essential to prevent unintentional muscle loss. Ideally, weight loss should primarily come from fat stores since fat is a major contributor to metabolic disease. However, muscle mass—especially skeletal muscle—is often lost during weight loss. In fact, 20 percent to 40 percent of total body weight loss can come from muscle, which can negatively affect both short- and long-term health.
Besides maintaining muscle, protein also helps reduce appetite and supports weight loss. High-protein diets (HPD), consisting of 20 percent to 35 percent of calories from protein or 1.2 to 1.9 grams per kilogram of body weight per day—are effective in reducing appetite and preventing weight regain. A 100-kilogram (220-pound) man would need between 120 grams and 190 grams of protein a day. For reference, a single chicken breast contains about 50 grams of protein.
Protein increases hormones that promote feelings of fullness while lowering ghrelin, the hormone that triggers hunger. This leads to a greater feeling of fullness and reduced food intake. Additionally, protein has a higher thermic effect, meaning it requires more energy to digest and process compared to carbohydrates and fats—a key advantage for weight control.
How Much Do We Need?
A general guideline for protein intake is about 1 gram per pound of ideal body weight, or roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram. This amount is sufficient for most people, but individual needs vary depending on factors like age, activity level, health status, and specific goals, according to Lyon.
In addition to athletes and older adults, pregnant women, those recovering from illness, and people managing chronic conditions also have increased protein needs to meet their metabolic demands. This underscores the importance of personalized dietary strategies rather than relying on blanket recommendations, Lyon added.
Long-term protein consumption of 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day is safe for healthy adults. For highly active people, the tolerable upper limit increases to 3.5 grams per kilogram per day, Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist with a doctorate in environmental exercise physiology and sports nutrition, told The Epoch Times.
As people age—particularly when women reach menopause and men approach their 60s—the body becomes less responsive to the effects of both exercise and protein intake on building muscle. To counteract this resistance, people in these age groups should aim for protein intake at the upper end of the recommended range, Sims added.
Debunking Protein Myths
One common concern is that high-protein diets may harm the kidneys. However, this myth has been debunked. Studies on HPD in obese adults and data from the Nurses’ Health Study have found no decline in renal function.
While some hypothesize that HPD increases fracture risk due to a higher acid load, a meta-analysis of 74 randomized controlled trials found no significant difference in bone mineral density between HPDs (16 percent to 45 percent of daily energy from protein) and low-protein diets (5 percent to 23 percent). However, the study didn’t directly assess fracture risk.
Moreover, low protein intake is linked to osteoporosis in older adults. Research, including the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, suggests that higher protein intake may prevent bone loss in this group.
Another misconception is that plant-based proteins are nutritionally equivalent to animal-based proteins. While plant proteins can be a part of a healthy diet, they often lack one or more essential amino acids and require higher quantities to match the effectiveness of animal proteins in building muscle, Lyon said.
Meet Your Protein Needs
Lyon shared the following meal plan example that includes balanced protein intake for a woman with an ideal weight of 120 to 150 pounds:
Breakfast: 2 large eggs cooked with 3 ounces of lean ground turkey (33 grams of protein)
Lunch: 5 ounces of grilled chicken breast, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (40 grams of protein)
Snack: 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt topped with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and a handful of berries (22 grams of protein)
Dinner: 6 ounces of baked salmon with 1 cup of sautéed spinach and 1 medium baked sweet potato (40 grams of protein)
Lyon explained that many people underestimate their daily protein needs and fail to prioritize protein-rich foods in their meals. Additionally, modern dietary patterns tend to favor carbohydrates and fats over protein, partly due to convenience and food availability.
Trump’s Bold Plan: Boost Egg Imports To Reverse Biden’s Bird Flu Blunder That Tanked Nation’s Hen Population
The Trump administration is planning a significant increase in US egg imports to counter the Biden-Harris administration’s questionable handling of the avian flu crisis. The previous administration’s approach—mass culling of tens of millions of birds at commercial broilers with little consideration for the marketplace—has led to record-high egg prices. Ramping up egg imports temporarily should help alleviate sky-high prices.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump told top officials at a Cabinet meeting that “Eggs are a disaster,” adding, “We have to get the prices down, get the inflation down, the prices of eggs and various other things.”
To do this, the US Department of Agriculture will import between 70 million and 100 million eggs over the next two months in an effort to cap egg prices. This initiative is part of a five-part plan, backed by $1 billion in funding, aimed at addressing the bird flu crisis and fixing the Biden administration’s mass culling policies of these hens at commercial broilers that ignited prices at the supermarket.
One very questionable policy under the previous administration was the mass culling of egg-laying hens at commercial broilers without any countermeasure to offset plunging output. It almost seemed as if the administration intended for egg prices to skyrocket. Now, Trump is cleaning up the mess by boosting egg imports while implementing new domestic policies to contain the biosecurity threat.
Monday’s print of the Urner Barry Egg Index EBP shows wholesale prices jumped to $7.59, a new record high. Since late Decemeber, wholesale prices have jumped to new record highs by the week, with reports of egg shortages nationwide.
According to the USDA’s bird flu dashboard, 19 million birds across the Lower 48 have been infected by avian influenza over the last 30 days.
Dr. Robert Malone questioned Biden’s bird flu approach, noting earlier this week:
Culling Chickens To Stop Bird Flu Isn’t Working, Dr. Robert Malone Says https://t.co/puRhgDM7qD
The key question everyone must ask is: Why was the Biden-Harris administration laser-focused on culling and decimating the egg-laying hen population nationwide, with no countermeasures to prevent egg price inflation? A war on food? Most likely…
This is deeply concerning—another reason readers should take control of their own food supply chains rather than relying on globalist mega-corporations.
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Completing the triumvirate of turmoil in the US housing market, pending home sales joined new- and existing-home sales prints with a big decline in January.
Pending home sales tumbled 4.6% MoM in January (after dropping 4.2% MoM in December), dramatically worse than the 0.9% MoM decline expected and dragging YoY sales down 5.2%…
Source: Bloomberg
This drop pushed pending home sales index to its all-time lows…
Source: Bloomberg
Contract signings tumbled 9.2% in the South – the biggest home-selling region in the country – parts of which experienced historic snowfall. That marked the biggest drop since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Worse still, home prices continue to rise and squeeze would-be buyers.
National home prices rose 3.9% in December from a year earlier, up from the 3.7% annual gain seen a month earlier, according to data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller.
The median sale price of a previously owned home in the US was $396,900 last month, according to NAR data, up 49% from five years earlier.
Of course, there is always an excuse:
“It is unclear if the coldest January in 25 years contributed to fewer buyers in the market, and if so, expect greater sales activity in upcoming months,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said in a statement.
“However, it’s evident that elevated home prices and higher mortgage rates strained affordability.”
what!? No!? Cold weather in winter!!!! No one told the analysts who forecast just a small decline?
Finally, bear in mind that pending-homes sales tend to be a leading indicator for previously owned homes, as houses typically go under contract a month or two before they’re sold.
