In late May, Idaho Department of Water Resources Director Mathew Weaver issued a curtailment order requiring 6,400 junior groundwater rights holders who pump off the Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer to shut off their spigots.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a statement following the order on May 30, “Water curtailment is never desired, but the director must follow Idaho law and the Constitution in issuing this order.” 

Brian Murdock, an East Idaho farmer, said the water curtailment affects 500,000 acres, which equates to roughly 781 square miles of farmland. 

“Well, as you said, the state of Idaho and the Idaho Department of Water Resources has issued this curtailment of 500,000 acres. And to help put that in perspective, that’s basically 781 square miles of farm ground that is being taken out of production,” Murdock told the hosts of Fox News. 

The grain and potato farmer continued, “And, of course, the worst problem is this is happening during a very plentiful water year. We have the reservoirs [that] are completely full, and when I mean full, they’re dang near breaking. The rivers are running as high as they possibly can. Just trying to keep those dams from breaking.” 

In eastern Idaho, groundwater users with junior water rights breached the 2016 agreement in 2021 and 2022. Currently, Gov. Little, the lieutenant governor, the Director of Water Resources, and representatives from groundwater and surface water user groups are discussing a new deal. The plan is to strike a new agreement before the curtailment dries up the farmland. 

Murdock told co-hosts Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy that his family’s century-old farm faces a $3 million loss due to the state-issued order. 

“This is the largest curtailment in the history of the United States as far as farm ground,” Murdock said in a video posted on X. 

Idaho Potato Farmer Breaks Down The Idaho Water Shutoff

“The State of Idaho and the Idaho Department of Water Resources is issued this curtailment of 500,000 acres. To help put that in perspective, that’s basically 781 square miles of farm ground being taken out of production”… pic.twitter.com/zEw3SCrokC

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 14, 2024

In a commentary piece in the local paper Idaho Capital Sun, farmer Adam Young had a lot of questions about the state’s move to inflict pain on farmers:

It’s hard to understand why the department chooses to be so openly hostile to groundwater irrigators or why they decided to inflict widespread, massive curtailment on the state in a year when water is abundantly plentiful. This is not what sound resource management looks like. It’s time for Idaho’s elected officials to step up and demonstrate true leadership on this crucial issue. This is not how Idaho water law, which relies on both “priority of time” and “the public policy of reasonable use of water,” was ever intended to work.

Some X users believe the water curtailment is happening around the time as the governor commissions a new cobalt mining operation in the state. 

The Idaho Farmland Water Shutoff Rabbit Hole

“Wanna come down a rabbit hole with me? If you haven’t heard, right now in Eastern Idaho, 500,000 acres of farmland is without the use of water. This happened on May 30th when the Department of Water Resources ordered 6,400… pic.twitter.com/nwRRGvtc00

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 15, 2024

WOW 🚨 Idaho Farmland Water Shutoff “Coincidence”

Hidden in the Ukraine Bill was funding for cobalt mining in America. Over 200 politicians invested in this company mining cobalt. The Department of Defense gave that company $15 million out of the Ukraine bill to mine in IDAHO… pic.twitter.com/wLGWJATd44

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 14, 2024

Why is the DWR in Idaho curtailing water rights from the farmers for an Australian mining company mining cobalt? pic.twitter.com/nRGvkComzm

— JustMeJust (@JusMeGFY) June 15, 2024

We must question whether a much larger, more insidious agenda is at play here. Is this part of the war on the food supply?

Authored by Jeff Louderback via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an outspoken critic of U.S. involvement in “forever wars,” reiterated his view that the nation should scale back its military presence abroad and shift its focus to domestic programs, during an address at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum on June 12.

Mr. Kennedy did not mention the Russia–Ukraine or the Israel–Hamas war, but he said that the United States should “vastly scale back the military budget” and proposed a 50 percent reduction in military spending if he is elected president.

This would lead to a “stronger, smarter, better targeted national defense,” he said, and would benefit the U.S. economy by reallocating that money to reducing the $34 trillion national debt and addressing domestic issues such as education, small-business development, and infrastructure.

“If we use those savings to rebuild our country in every way, we will reverse spending that is a constant drain on our nation’s vitality,” he said.

Mr. Kennedy appeared at the venue as part of the Richard Nixon Foundation’s Presidential Policy Perspective series, which has featured former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Democratic National Committee spokesperson Matt Corridoni condemned Mr. Kennedy’s plan to cut defense spending.

“With Russia, North Korea, and the Chinese Communist Party all watching, RFK Jr. is more than eager to peddle Kremlin talking point. Just like Donald Trump, he can’t be trusted to stand up for allies and against totalitarianism,” Mr. Corridoni said in a statement released after the address.

Mr. Kennedy chastised U.S. foreign policy, stating that he believes it’s “stuck in a world that doesn’t exist” because the country believes “we’re still the world’s only superpower and can bend any nation to its will.”

“The foundation of a nation’s strength is the sound of its infrastructure, the integrity of its government, economic strength, and respect of choices abroad. We have to accept the emergence of other great powers in the world,” he said.

During his speech, Mr. Kennedy said, “We don’t need 800 bases abroad.” The United States spends more on its military budget than “the next 10 nations combined,” he noted.

Since the early stages of his presidential campaign, Mr. Kennedy has urged President Biden to negotiate a peaceful end to the Russia–Ukraine war, which started when Russia invaded the neighboring nation in February 2022.

“Russia is not going to lose this war. Russia can’t afford it,” he told The Epoch Times in September. “It would be like us losing a war to Mexico.”

Mr. Kennedy has said he’s sympathetic to the Ukrainian cause and that Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded the country illegally, but he has criticized the United States for its role, saying there had been multiple missed opportunities to peacefully settle the conflict and that “we have turned it into a proxy war between Russia and the United States.”

He believes the Russia–Ukraine war is one of the root causes of the United States’ current economic problems and that the U.S. government has an “addiction to war.”

“We’ve spent $8 trillion on wars since 9/11. If we kept that money home, we would’ve had child care for every American. We would have free college education for every American. We’d be able to pay for our Social Security system,” he told The Epoch Times.

Turmoil in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden intensified this week as Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched a series of attacks on commercial vessels traversing the critical maritime chokepoint. In a bold new move, the rebels deployed a suicide drone boat that slammed into the stern of a bulk carrier, paralyzing the vessel and forcing the crew to abandon the ship. 

The drone boat attack on commodity-hauling bulk carrier “Tutor” was first reported on Wednesday. By Friday, the crew of the vessel was “evacuated by military authorities,” according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. 

UKMTO said, “The vessel has been abandoned and is drifting in the vicinity of the last reported position 14°20’00” N 041°56’00” E.” 

Filipino-based media outlet ABS-CBN News spoke with Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac, who said 21 of the 22 Filipino seafarers aboard the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned, and operated bulk carrier were rescued. He did not specify which military rescued the crew. However, Bloomberg reports that a US Navy ship conducted an extraction operation at the end of the week.

“The ship was adrift in the southern Red Sea,” Cacdac told reporters, adding one missing crew member is likely dead in the engine room. This is the area where the drone boat struck the bulk carrier. 

Bloomberg said the ship is taking on water, and a salvage company has dispatched two tugboats to rescue it. 

ABS-CBN News posted a video onboard the vessel before the extraction. 

PANOORIN: Sitwasyon sa MV Tutor na binomba kamakailan ng Houthi rebels umano sa Red Sea.

Patuloy na nananawagan sa pamahalaan ng tulong ang mga Pinoy na tripulante na stranded sa naturang barko.

(Courtesy: Emerson Loria)

BUONG ULAT: https://t.co/4ZvsrKnkxT pic.twitter.com/KwSN25c6pp

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) June 14, 2024

Like security firm Ambrey, we have told readers this was the first time Houthis used remote-controlled, water-borne explosives.

One commodity research firm with a high focus on oil/gas flows in the Middle East told us this won’t be the last time the Houthis use kamikaze drone boats against commercial vessels.

In a separate report, Bloomberg cites US officials who believe Houthis are expanding “international partnerships with other militant groups as part of their campaign to disrupt global shipping and protest the Israel-Hamas war.” 

Houthi’s aim in disrupting maritime chokepoints is to create a supply shock for the global economy.

Containerized freight shipping rates are already soaring, and logjams are being reported at some of the world’s top ports. 

The Houthis have only been emboldened by a weak Biden administration whose disastrous foreign policy decisions have unleashed fires across the world. 

Submitted by QTR’s Fringe Finance

Everybody knows it but nobody is giving it any serious consideration: the entire market is being driven by Nvidia, Apple and even GameStop. And when one, if not all three of these names starts to experience some selling, they are likely taking the whole market with it.

I have been making note of the fact that Apple and Nvidia could be the market’s black swans for the better part of a year now. And forget about cash on the sidelines eventually drying up as a result of savings running out, the market is also not taking into account multiple looming red flags for these names.

Zero Hedge has been all over the story of “bad” market breadth that no one on Wall Street seems to want to notice or talk about out loud. They wrote on X today:

Forget about the Mag 7: it’s all about the Top 3 where it is now daily race who can buyback the most stock pic.twitter.com/VW03jEAs99

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) June 14, 2024

For Apple, the company remains in the crosshairs of a massive antitrust investigation, the likes of which threw a cold blanket on Microsoft for the better part of a decade in the early 2000s. This is a very real risk that looms under the surface of the company’s buybacks, which are likely a large portion of the bid now. The company’s most recent ‘innovation’, the Vision Pro has also all but disappeared from public discourse after receiving tepid reviews.

Also, Apple and Nvidia share something in common: their valuations, at 33x and 77x ttm earnings, respectively, are extremely aggressive. There is a far better case for an air pocket under these valuations than there is over them. So on top of 5.5% rates, bone dry consumer savings, record high credit card debt, unmarked commercial real estate books and continued debilitating inflation, there’s valuation risk. 

🔥 80% OFF: Since it’s officially summer, I’m going to offer up my largest discount of the year for Fringe Finance: Get 80% off forever

And GameStop…well, what better weathervane could their be for the unsophisticated money in the market? As it swings wildly, so swing the last few desperate dollars of retail traders, many of whom are trying for one last “YOLO” in the market with whatever little cash they have left. In the meantime, the company remains a loss-making nightmare with nearly zero fundamental case as its foundation, but for the hoarde of cash it now has and may use to acquire bolt-on acquisitions of companies who aren’t one step from death’s door. 

And yesterday Zero Hedge noted that an equal weighted S&P – in other words, what the index would do if all components had the same weight and were being driven by Nvidia and Apple, which make up nearly 10% of the index – would be flat since February. 

If these two names were to fall in tandem, it could be the fuse that finally winds up killing this current bull market.

Goldman noted after Thursday’s session this week that the NASDAQ finished the day +0.57% despite an astounding 70% of the names in the index trading lower on the session. 

And the Nvidia cycle of driving the market looks ponzi-ish, one response on X pointed out earlier this week: 

“40% of S&P 500 gains are due to just $NVDA. As weighting goes up, more capital must flow in (b/c of benchmarking), further driving price up. US government is entirely reliant on equity market going up (capital gains tax) revenue. US government is already essentially insolvent (massive debasement is required, just to service debt), and so requires an even larger amount of cap gains tax revenue, just to service existing debt load. US government can pass laws to funnel unlimited amounts of money ($52B CHIPS Act) to the very company responsible for the majority of its revenue (via cap gains on the appreciation it’s caused, which is exacerbated as the weighting increases and forces benchmarking funds to further drive up the price).”

And round and round we go. The only thing they failed to mention in that cycle is Nancy Pelosi’s purchases of Nvidia call options, which both add to the gamma squeeze and help her pocket cash based on having knowledge of the government’s actions in the world of subsidizing their favorite industries/companies.

Zero Hedge joked on Friday:

Lets see if the S&P can close green with 460 members red

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) June 14, 2024

But it really didn’t seem like much of a joke. While the indexes mostly held up, social media users were pointing out enormous numbers of stocks down more than 3% on the session:

800 STOCKS ARE DOWN MORE THAN 3% TODAY

— The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 14, 2024

It was about a week ago that I wrote about Nvidia and why I thought it had become a disproportionately large risk to the overall market. The stock now represents 6.5% of the S&P 500, an astronomical amount for one name to make up a 500-name index, and appears to be hitting peak levels of hysteria, as evidenced by CEO Jensen Huang signing autographs on the breasts of women at computer shows.

This data shows that things aren’t nearly as safe and sound as the indices may be making it seem. There is very real concentration risk in the market right now and, other than Zero Hedge, no one on financial news or mainstream media is talking about it. 

To the extent the seven stocks plus GameStop can remain “magnificent”, the market will continue to hold up. But make no mistake about it: so goeth Apple, Nvidia and GameStop, so goeth the market. 

QTR’s Disclaimer: Please read my full legal disclaimer on my About page here. This post represents my opinions only. In addition, please understand I am an idiot and often get things wrong and lose money. I may own or transact in any names mentioned in this piece at any time without warning. Contributor posts and aggregated posts have been hand selected by me, have not been fact checked and are the opinions of their authors. They are either submitted to QTR by their author, reprinted under a Creative Commons license with my best effort to uphold what the license asks, or with the permission of the author. This is not a recommendation to buy or sell any stocks or securities, just my opinions. I often lose money on positions I trade/invest in. I may add any name mentioned in this article and sell any name mentioned in this piece at any time, without further warning. None of this is a solicitation to buy or sell securities. These positions can change immediately as soon as I publish this, with or without notice. You are on your own. Do not make decisions based on my blog. I exist on the fringe. The publisher does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided in this page. These are not the opinions of any of my employers, partners, or associates. I did my best to be honest about my disclosures but can’t guarantee I am right; I write these posts after a couple beers sometimes. I edit after my posts are published because I’m impatient and lazy, so if you see a typo, check back in a half hour. Also, I just straight up get shit wrong a lot. I mention it twice because it’s that important.

By Julianne Geiger of OilPrice.com

In a significant move, the Swedish government has rejected the proposed 700 MW Hansa PowerBridge subsea power connection between Sweden and Germany.

Energy Minister Ebba Busch cited inefficiencies in the German electricity market as the primary reason for the decision, emphasizing that connecting southern Sweden—already facing an electricity production deficit—with Germany could lead to higher prices and increased market instability.

The Hansa PowerBridge project, a collaboration between grid operators Svenska Kraftnät and Germany’s 50Hertz, aimed to facilitate the transfer of renewable energy from the Nordics to Germany. However, the Swedish government raised concerns about the current state of the German power grid. Unlike Sweden, which is divided into four power price zones to manage grid bottlenecks, Germany operates as a single power market zone. This structure has led to significant congestion, particularly in moving power from the wind-rich north to the energy-consuming south, prompting calls for a market split—a move Germany resists due to potential price hikes and industrial impact in its southern regions.

A spokesperson from 50Hertz expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to strengthen Europe’s internal electricity market but maintained that the Swedish decision would not affect the future security of supply and system stability within the 50Hertz network area.

This development comes against the backdrop of Germany’s broader energy strategy. Recently, EU competition regulators gave informal approval to Germany’s plan to subsidize 10 GW of new natural gas-fired power capacity. This initiative is part of Germany’s effort to stabilize its grid amid a substantial increase in wind and solar power installations. The new gas plants, which are designed to be hydrogen-convertible, are seen as a transitional measure to ensure a stable electricity supply as the country aims for 80% renewable energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045.

The rejection of the Hansa PowerBridge underscores the complexities and challenges of integrating European energy markets, especially as nations balance renewable energy ambitions with grid stability and market efficiency.

In the aggregate, consumers appear to be stable, with the Biden administration touting a solid economy ahead of the November presidential elections. However, as Goldman re-acknowledged earlier this week, under the surface, low-income consumers are struggling in the era of failed Bidenomics. Given this, a separate Goldman note has pinpointed the best grocery deals among major retailers, revealing that Walmart offers the lowest prices. This new data saves folks time instead of guessing where the best deals are.

On June 6, Goldman analysts led by Leah Jordan analyzed the prices of 38 SKUs in the dairy, frozen goods, dry grocery, HPC, and produce categories. The retailers surveyed included Walmart, Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods, and Dollar General. 

“In this note, we discuss takeaways from our June grocery pricing survey. Overall, prices were relatively stable m/m. WMT continued to have the lowest prices, while price gaps widened,” Jordan said. 

Jordan and the other analysts find that Walmart offered consumers the lowest prices for grocery items: “WMT had the lowest prices at -15.1% vs. the group average (widened from -12.0% last month), followed by KR at -3.5% (vs -3.5% last month). WFM had the highest prices in the group at +15.4%, followed by SFM at +11.2%. KR had the highest SKU availability for the products surveyed at 38, followed by WMT at 36.”

Walmart had the lowest prices in dairy products (-18.3%), frozen foods (-15.7%), dry grocery (-13.5%), and produce (-17.3%), while Dollar General had the lowest prices in HPC (-13.9%). On the other hand, Sprouts Farmers had the highest prices in dairy products (+19.3%), frozen foods (15.0%), and HPC (+31.8%). Whole Foods had the highest prices in dry grocery (+10.0%) and produce (+20.4%).

Amidst an economy full of inflation landmines, one thing is sure for working-poor consumers: Walmart offers the best grocery deals, while Whole Foods does not. 

But as we found in Walmart’s latest earnings call, higher-income consumers are trading down to the mega-retailer to find the deals. 

Food inflation is sticky. It will linger for years. Sigh…

The war between Chinese EVs and the European Union is taking its next step, with new tariffs on China-made vehicles set to go into effect in July.

And while they may quell EV sales in Europe, they won’t stop them, according to new reporting from Nikkei Asia, who says that manufacturers like BYD will remain competitive against local producers despite the tariffs. 

SAIC is being hit with a 38.1% tariff and BYD is being hit with a 17.4% tariff, the report says. Geely Auto will face a 20% tariff and all tariffs are on top of the EU’s existing 10% tariff. 

Eugene Hsiao, head of China autos at Macquarie Capital, told Nikkei: “BYD’s cost advantage is high enough that they can profitably export even at a 35% tariff.”

He continued: “BYD has shown a strong willingness to work with local European partners, including establishing relationships with local dealers, selling batteries to Tesla in Germany, planning production in Hungary, establishing shipping dedicated to the EU and possibly even further partnership in other EU countries like Italy.”

Hsiao suggested that BYD’s lower rate might be due to its private ownership and backing by Berkshire Hathaway. He noted that BYD aims to gradually establish its brand in the EU and is more cooperative with local regulators.

SAIC, despite not cooperating with the EU’s anti-subsidy probe, received 11.74 billion yuan ($1.65 billion) in Chinese government subsidies over three years, per a Nikkei Asia analysis. BYD got slightly over half that amount but still ranked in the top 10 for government subsidies.

The report says that SAIC, the top auto exporter from China for eight years, sold over 250,000 vehicles in Europe in 2023. It claims its sales stem from technology innovation, not government subsidies.

SAIC commented: “We are deeply disappointed with the decision of the European Commission. The relevant measures not only violate the principles of a market economy and international trade rules but may also have a significant adverse impact on the stability of the global automotive industry and China-EU economic and trade cooperation.” 

China exported 482,000 pure EVs to the EU last year, making up 45% of its total EV shipments, according to customs data. Exports to the U.S. were minimal.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy predicted that a 20% tariff would cut Chinese EV imports to the EU by 25%, equating to 125,000 units worth $3.8 billion.

Vicent Sun, an equity analyst at Morningstar concluded: “We think Chinese producers are still competitive compared with their rivals. The commission estimates that prices of Chinese EVs are typically 20% lower than prices of EU-made equivalent models. With additional tariffs, Chinese cars are at similar prices, but with more attractive designs and vehicle technology.”

In December, BYD announced plans to build a factory in Hungary, while other Chinese EV companies are partnering with European brands. In April, Chery Automobile and Spain’s Ebro-EV Motors agreed to develop EVs together in Barcelona. Last month, Stellantis announced a joint venture with Chinese startup Leap Motor to sell EVs in nine European countries this year.

Following the EU’s announcement, Beijing vowed to “take all necessary measures” to defend its rights. Analysts believe Beijing will retaliate but may exercise some restraint. Andy Mok from the Center for China and Globalization noted that Europeans, especially Germans, fear Chinese retaliation. He added that China considers the broader relationship with Europe and the geopolitical environment, not just EVs.

Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via modernity.news,

Right-wing Austrian political party FPÖ wants to appoint a ‘Remigration Commissioner’ who will oversee the deportation of illegal immigrants.

The Freedom Party of Austria won the EU elections after obtaining 25.4 per cent of the vote and gaining 3 seats, marking the first time that the FPÖ has emerged as the strongest political party in the country.

When asked why they were voting for FPÖ, 62% of FPO supporters stated that they “wanted to make a statement on domestic policy.”

That includes addressing Austria’s problem with illegal immigration, which authorities have taken a tougher stance on over the last year.

Now the Freedom Party is demanding the right to appoint MP Dr. Susanne Fürst to take the role of ‘remigration commissioner’ in order to accelerate the deportation of criminal migrants.

BREAKING: 🇦🇹🇪🇺 Austria’s right-wing election winners want to appoint a new EU “Remigration Commissioner” for the FIRST TIME in history.

The FPÖ are putting forward their MP, Dr. Susanne Fürst, to serve in this role.

As the no. 1 party in Austria, the FPÖ is doubling down on… pic.twitter.com/KwN7thm69x

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 13, 2024

“As the no. 1 party in Austria, the FPÖ is doubling down on remigrating potentially millions of migrants across the EU,” reports Remix News.

According to a report by Vindobona, any attempt to appoint Fürst as ‘Remigration Commissioner “will certainly lead to heated discussions.”

“The decision on the successor to Johannes Hahn as Austrian EU Commissioner lies with the federal government and must be confirmed by the main committee of the National Council. However, there is disagreement within the turquoise-green coalition. The Greens refused to stick to the original agreement with the ÖVP, which gave the People’s Party the right to propose the Austrian EU Commissioner,” reports the news outlet.

Back in April, Freedom Party MEP Harald Vilimsky warned that Europe risks becoming “a second Arabia or Africa” and that governments are importing migrants who create security problems then offering ‘solutions’ that only punish native populations.

“We do not want the name Mohammed to become the most popular name for male newborns in our great countries, as is the case in Brussels, where the EU parliament is located,” said Vilimsky.

Like every other western European country, Austria has a legacy of horror stories linked to mass migration, including an outrage we highlighted earlier this year when a 14-year-old schoolgirl’s dead body was found in the apartment of an Afghan migrant who entered Austria during 2015 refugee.

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

By Thomas Brooke, of Rmx.news

The main suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation in Germany has incriminated several local politicians from the mainstream parties in the town of Düren, accusing key players in the district administration of taking bribes to approve bogus residence permits for wealthy Chinese nationals.

Claus B., a lawyer suspected of leading a criminal enterprise that advertised its services to foreign nationals and registered fake companies in Germany to assist with work permits, says local politicians were complicit in the scheme and received incentives to look the other way.

Former CDU district administrator Werner Stump was accused of having knowledge of the racket and has maintained a long-running relationship with Claus B., hosting his law firm’s parties at a hotel he runs and meeting regularly with the suspect to discuss real estate deals. Stump has denied violating any laws relating to the granting of residence permits and insists he has done everything necessary to cooperate with the investigating authorities.

Another politician, Jens Bröker, a former SPD district administrator candidate who is now the department head for change and development in the Düren district, has been accused of being a major partner in the scheme, allegedly receiving up to €300,000 to use his influence and ensure the smooth approval of residence permit applications when landing on his desk.

Bröker is also in custody and has been dismissed from his posts. His defense attorney did not respond to requests for comment by German media.

Other politicians named in the scandal include former head of the immigration department and current treasurer Dirk Hürtgen (CDU) and his successor Sybille Haußmann (Greens) who allegedly facilitated the permit approvals, and District Administrator Wolfgang Spelthahn (CDU), president of the local football team FC Düren, which received substantial sponsorship and funding from companies owned by Claus B.

Spelthahn has denied that he “received any monetary payments or other benefits” and insists the sponsorship contracts with FC Düren were “documented transparently, properly taxed and processed and supported by the entire board,” according to news outlet Junge Freiheit.

Continue reading at rmx.news

Europe’s marked shift towards populism appears to be accelerating, as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party has surpassed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives in an opinion poll for the first time, signaling a potential shift in the British political landscape as the nation approaches the July 4 general election.

According to a YouGov survey conducted for The Times, Reform UK now holds 19% of voter support, up two percentage points, while the Conservatives remain static at 18%. The opposition Labour Party continues to lead with 37% support. The poll, involving 2,211 respondents, was conducted from June 12 to June 13, shortly after Sunak’s announcement of a 17 billion pound ($21.70 billion) tax cut in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto.

The rise of Reform UK coincides with Farage’s return to the political forefront, after he announced his intent to lead the party and seek election to Parliament. Farage, a pivotal figure in Britain’s Brexit movement, aims to reshape the political conversation around populist issues, including stringent immigration policies.

“This is the inflection point. The only wasted vote now is a Conservative vote, we are the challengers to Labour and we are on our way,” Farage declared in a campaign video.

Reform UK, initially founded as the Brexit Party in 2018, has embraced a platform that appeals to right-wing voters who feel alienated by the traditional Conservative agenda. This shift comes as Sunak faces criticism for his early departure from D-Day memorial events in France, an action that has cast a shadow over his campaign.

Despite the latest polls showing Reform UK ahead of the Conservatives in terms of voter preference, the party’s evenly spread support across the country poses a significant challenge in the first-past-the-post electoral system. This system favors geographically concentrated backing, thus making it unlikely for Reform UK to secure many, if any, of the 650 parliamentary seats, despite potentially amassing millions of votes nationwide.

A Conservative lawmaker, who asked to remain anonymous, commented on the shift – telling Reuters: “Yes. I think people are fed up with the Tories, but not with Conservatism. So they are moving to another Conservative party.”

While other polls have shown the Conservatives with a more substantial lead over Reform, the momentum appears to be with Farage as he re-enters the political arena with a clear message and strategy aimed at disrupting the current political order. As the election approaches, it remains to be seen how this shift will impact the Conservative Party’s strategy and whether Farage’s renewed influence will translate into electoral success.