Zerohedge

Nuclear Buildout Accelerates With Goldman Now Including SMRs Into Forecast Goldman's latest edition of "Nuclear Nuggets: Global Reactor Tracker" reinforces that the buildout of the cleanest and most reliable form of so-called "green" energy, nuclear power, continues to gain momentum. The theme we first laid out in December 2020 continues to broaden, with buildouts accelerating across both large-scale and small modular reactors, even as the growing risk of a massive uranium supply deficit emerges. Focusing on the latest North American reactor progress and announcements: 4/16/2026 - Canada - Bruce Power has signed an MoU with SaskPower to share its experience in large-scale nuclear reactors, including project development and long-term operations, as Saskatchewan evaluates large reactor technologies alongside its SMR program. The agreement formalizes information-sharing and aligns provincial and federal nuclear strategies. 4/24/2026 - United States - Duke Energy’s Robinson nuclear power plant has been cleared for extended operation to 80 years, after the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission completed its fastest-ever subsequent license renewal review. The approval allows the 759 MW Robinson Unit 2 in South Carolina to operate until 2050 under new accelerated federal timelines. 4/29/2026 - United States - The U.S. NRC has approved subsequent license renewals for St. Lucie Units 1 and 2, clearing the Florida Power & Light plant to operate for up to 80 years, with Unit 1 licensed to 2056 and Unit 2 to 2063. The decision follows aging-management reviews for the extended operating period and secures the long-term operation of the two pressurized water reactors. 5/5/2026 - United States - Brookfield and The Nuclear Company have formed a JV to manage the potential completion of the two VC Summer AP1000 units in South Carolina, supporting due diligence and execution if the project proceeds, subject to approvals and a final investment decision. One of the biggest shifts in the note penned by analyst Brian Lee is the addition of small modular reactors to Goldman's uranium supply-and-demand model, which forecasts cumulative SMR deployments of nearly 46 GW by 2045. In turn, this would lift its 2045 nuclear generation forecast by about 6% and create an additional 62 million pounds of uranium demand, or a 17% upside to its prior long-term demand estimate. Global reactor construction tracker, by country: Years under construction, by country: Chinese reactors, years under construction: Lee said uranium spot prices stabilized in the mid-to-high $80s per pound after rebounding in April, supported by buying activity in the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust. Term pricing held near $90 per pound, signaling that utilities continue to accept higher long-term pricing deals. As new reactors come online, Lee warns of a cumulative uranium supply deficit of 2.3 billion pounds between 2025 and 2045. Uranium prices will be up and to the right for quite some time... Latest uranium coverage: February 2026 Big Tech Turns To Uranium As Data Center Power Demand Soars (Feb 18) – Discusses tech companies exploring uranium mining/supply deals for reliable data center power. No Substitute: Uranium At The Center Of The AI Power Shock (Feb 19) – Covers uranium's role in AI-driven power demand, supply reliability issues, and reactor buildouts. March 2026 Oklo And Centrus Signal Progress On America's Nuclear Fuel-Chain Bottleneck (Mar 9) – Joint venture on HALEU deconversion services and fuel-cycle advancements. Nano Nuclear Progresses HALEU Transport Package (Mar 16) – Progress on high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) transportation for advanced reactors. How To Transport Next-Gen Nuclear Fuel Safely? NANO Nuclear Hits Key Milestone (Mar 20) – HALEU transport package development for multiple fuel types. U.S. Must Boost Domestic Uranium Enrichment To Counter Proliferation Risks (Mar 31) – Need for U.S. enrichment capacity expansion amid import bans and market bottlenecks. April 2026 Goldman Highlights Global Nuclear Progress Across SMRs And Fuel Chain (Apr 15) – Updates on uranium spot/term pricing, supply-demand models, and fuel chain developments. Nuclear Fuel Consortium To Provide Update On Approved Plans Of Action (Apr 23) – Progress on addressing shortages across the full nuclear fuel supply chain (mining to fabrication). Uranium Supply Crunch Worsens Amid Kazakhstan's Plan For Strategic Reserve (Apr 30) – Kazakhstan's strategic reserve plans and ongoing global uranium supply-demand mismatch (~$86/lb spot). May 2026 DOE's NNSA Removes Enriched Uranium From Venezuela And Japan (~May 9) – HALEU fuel transfers supporting U.S. domestic nuclear supply chain. ASP Isotopes Subsidiary Signs MOU With European Nuclear Technology Company For Fuel Supply (~May 11) – Long-term HALEU supply partnership for advanced reactors. Uranium – Cameco Guidance Hanging by a Thread, Implications for Market Purchases (May 11) – Cameco production guidance and direct impacts on uranium market/spot purchases. Up To $170 Billion Needed To Secure Full Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain (~May 13–14) – Massive investment requirements for U.S. uranium mining, milling, conversion, enrichment, etc. Professional subscribers can read the full nuclear note here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 22:10

Midsize City Population Growth Remaining Steady: Census Bureau Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Population growth in medium-sized cities largely remained steady even as the national population barely grew, Census Bureau officials said on May 14. An aerial view of the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, August 4, 2025. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Midsize cities grew by an average of 0.7 percent from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2025, compared with 1 percent the year prior, according to the newly released analysis. In comparison, the average growth for the largest cities and large cities was just 0.3 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, down from 0.9 percent and 1 percent. Small cities had an average population growth rate of 0.1 percent, down from 0.3 percent. “Big-city growth slowed significantly between 2024 and 2025, with some major hubs even seeing small declines,” Matt Erickson, a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Population Division, said in a statement. “In contrast, midsized cities found a ‘Goldilocks zone’ where domestic and international migration, paired with new housing, helped prevent the sluggish growth seen in small towns and larger metropolitan centers.” The new data came several months after the Census Bureau estimated that immigration to the United States plummeted from mid-2024 to mid-2025, amid a Trump administration crackdown on illegal immigration. A general view of the skyline of Manhattan from the One World Trade Center Tower in New York City on June 15, 2021. Mike Segar/Reuters The bureau estimated at the time that the country added 1.8 million people, for a growth rate of 0.5 percent. The bureau classifies cities as: largest cities (at least 250,000 residents), large cities (50,000 to 249,999 residents), medium-sized cities (5,000 to 49,999 residents), and small cities (fewer than 5,000 residents). Some of the fastest-growing cities are in the medium-sized group, including Princeton in Texas, which grew by 18 percent to 43,524 residents. Other large population jumps were recorded in the medium-sized cities of Melissa, Anna, and Forney in Texas; Haines City in Florida; Waukee in Iowa; Kuna in Idaho; and Foley in Alabama. Even when larger cities saw strong population growth, they were often eclipsed by nearby suburbs. Charlotte, North Carolina, for instance, grew by 20,731 residents between 2024 and 2025, numerically more than any city in the country. The population in nearby Fort Mill, South Carolina, though, jumped by a larger percentage, increasing by 6.8 percent to 38,673. Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Celina in Texas, and Seattle, Washington, increased the most numerically behind Charlotte. New York City, easily the most populous city in the country with some 8.5 million people, logged a population decline of 12,196 during the time period in question. An undated file photograph shows a general view of Sixth Street in Austin, Texas. Rich Fury/Invision/AP Most growth across cities of all sizes took place in the South, which includes Texas. Austin crossed the 1 million threshold between 2024 and 2025, marking the 12th U.S. city to reach seven digits in population. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 20:55

'Killshot' Is Coming For Earth Warned CIA Remote Viewer Before Recent Death Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, A retired US Army major and former CIA-linked remote viewer issued stark final warnings of a devastating solar “Killshot” before his death in March, claiming the current period of heightened solar activity could trigger infrastructure collapse on a global scale. Retired Major Ed Dames, who participated in the US government’s classified remote-viewing programs during the Cold War, described the event as enormous solar blasts that would knock out power grids, communications and essential services, potentially leading to millions of immediate deaths and widespread societal breakdown. Dames died at age 76. In his last recorded interviews he tied the timing directly to Solar Cycle 25 and the recent passage of comet C/2023 A3. Read more 🔗 https://t.co/YoGr2cu9nG ⬇️ — Daily Mail US (@Daily_MailUS) May 13, 2026 Dames was linked to Project Stargate, a declassified US intelligence initiative that ran from the 1970s until 1995. It explored whether psychic phenomena, particularly remote viewing—the claimed ability to perceive distant or hidden targets mentally—could be used for espionage. The program originated amid Cold War concerns that the Soviet Union was investigating similar psychic capabilities.  Dames, who had served in Airborne Infantry and later as a tactical electronic warfare officer, transferred into the remote-viewing unit after studying biophysics and Mandarin at UC Berkeley.  He maintained that remote viewers sometimes supplied intelligence unavailable through conventional means. The Stargate Project was, at least officially, shut down in 1995 after official reviews claimed it had not delivered reliable operational value. In one of his last interviews, recently released, Dames stated: “Right now we’re at the beginning of the solar cycle. 25 Solar Max. Solar Max should last for about two years, and the sun’s doing unprecedented stuff. There are more solar spots than there have been in the last 20-something years.” He continued: “I predict that this Solar Max will be the beginning of the kill shot sequence. But more, more interestingly, intriguingly, the comet C/2023 A3 that’s in the sky.” “The timing of that appearance and the orbit exactly matches this passing space body with this huge event called the kill shot looming ahead,” Dames further suggested. “This comet, we described as a passing space body. We didn’t know what it was, a planetoid or a comet, either one that is concomitant with the initiation of the kill shot sequence, and this comet, the trajectory and the timing is a perfect match,” he urged. Dames warned of the practical consequences of such an event, “You wake up and there’s no power and there’s no water and there’s no gasoline, it’s going to be a bad nightmare scenario. That’s what you’re going to be confronted with. The government is not going to help you.” He had previously written: “The true devastation of today’s Killshot will be unlike anything we have previously seen in history with solar radiation actually hitting ground level; resulting in the initial deaths of millions with implications resulting in economic collapse, war…” “More than 30 years ago, we were looking for nuclear war and finding out that our star was going on a rampage.” Dames first encountered the Killshot concept, he said, while remote viewing during his time in the classified programs. He later built a career teaching survival techniques and selling materials focused on preparing for the predicted event. Dames’ warnings have drawn renewed scrutiny in light of separate reporting on extensive doomsday preparations by the ultra-wealthy.  Billionaires are transforming locations into exclusive enclaves and constructing fortified bunkers in anticipation of what they term “the event.” Local historian Paul George told the outlet: “Only the very wealthy, the billionaires can afford to live in Indian Creek now. Hundreds of millions aren’t gonna cut it anymore.” These ultra wealthy elites are purchasing private islands in Hawaii, Fiji and New Zealand while building underground shelters. Examples include Mark Zuckerberg’s reported 5,000-square-foot doomsday bunker at his Koolau Ranch property in Hawaii. Some observers have noted the thematic overlap between Dames’ long-standing “Killshot” scenario and the vague but urgent “event” referenced in these elite preparedness efforts, though no direct connection has been publicly confirmed by the individuals involved. NASA and NOAA continue to monitor Solar Cycle 25, which has produced significant flares and geomagnetic storms. Severe solar activity is known to threaten satellites, power grids and communications infrastructure. Astronomers confirm that comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passed through the inner solar system on its predicted trajectory, again there is no established scientific link to apocalyptic solar events. Sceptics have pointed out that several of Dames’ earlier timelines for the Killshot did not materialize. Remote viewing itself remains unproven under rigorous scientific scrutiny, and the Stargate Project was ultimately deemed non-operational by its reviewers. Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 20:05

Ralph Baric And UNC's Biodefense Contract Racket Exposed Authored by Paul D. Thacker via The DisInformation Chronicle, “DLA Piper wants to get you,” I was told, from a source in DC over the weekend. “Well, what can they do to me?” I asked. “They can’t really do anything,” she said. “But they are pissed off.” Well, they should be. DLA Piper is one of the largest law firms on the planet, with over 90 offices scattered across more than 40 countries. A week back, I took a shot at one of DLA Piper’s top lobbyists, former Republican North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, and one of DLA Piper’s major clients, the University of North Carolina (UNC). As I reported last month for RealClearInvestigations, The National Institutes of Health removed UNC virologist, Ralph Baric, from all his NIH grants. And UNC put Baric on administrative leave. This all took place last year, but remained hidden until I exposed it all in a sprawling investigation that delved into Baric’s career, his past lobbying efforts of the federal government to keep taxpayer money pouring into his UNC lab, and Baric’s manipulations of public opinion to shut down speculation that the pandemic started because of the dangerous virus research that he pioneered in collaboration with Shi Zhengli at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That’s right. Baric’s main collaborators to create experimental pandemic viruses were virologists working in the same city where the COVID pandemic started in 2019. Neither Baric nor UNC would respond to my repeated inquiries. However, when a reporter sent them questions about my article, UNC said that they couldn’t discuss Baric “citing the university’s policy on personnel matters.” Another reporter who sent UNC questions, received this reply: “Thanks for reaching out. Under the North Carolina State Human Resources Act, the University of North Carolina does not comment on personnel matters.” But the pressure became overwhelming and the dam finally burst on Tuesday, when UNC administrators sent out an email saying that Baric was retiring. (That email was then leaked to a local North Carolina paper.) Baric also collaborated with Science Magazine’s Jon Cohen, providing him all the details about my prior reporting that NIH removed Baric from grants last year and UNC placed him on leave. Cohen’s editor, John Travis, then tried to sell this repeat of my reporting from last month as an “exclusive backstory” to readers of Science. Journalism can be a sleazy business. Since the pandemic’s beginning, Jon Cohen has distinguished himself as a soft touch for Tony Fauci-financed virologists who downplayed evidence that the pandemic began at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, earning himself the moniker: “Crooked Cohen”. UNC’s Biodefense Lobby Hustle Baric got away with shenanigans for years because, while he was in an elected official and purportedly serving voters, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr helped to protect Baric and sponsored legislation that poured tens of billions of taxpayer cash into biodefense research that paid Baric’s UNC lab, as well as a North Carolina company Baric founded. And let’s not forget all the biopharmaceutical companies that work with Baric and other virologists to suck down taxpayer-financed federal contracts to stockpile government warehouses with biomedical products. One of Baric’s major sponsors was Tony Fauci, who ran the biodefense program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Trump officials now tell me that Baric’s cutting-edge biodefense studies led to virus experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that caused the COVID pandemic. “Baric designed the gun,” I was told by a senior health official. “But the Chinese built it, and then they pulled the trigger.” A senior Trump official at one of the intelligence agencies refers to this multi-billion dollar biodefense complex as a “contract racket.” Here’s how he said it works: NIH and other taxpayer-funded federal agencies give grants and contracts to university virologists to find viruses hidden throughout the world, and bring them back to labs for experiments, including dangerous gain-of-function studies that make viruses more deadly; Academic virologists then partner with Big Pharma and biotech companies to create profitable therapeutics and vaccines to these experimental viruses, with universities getting a cut of the deal; Biotech executives, academics, and universities make a windfall after these therapeutics and vaccines get sold back to the very taxpayers who paid for all this research in the first place. I wrote about some of this back in 2023, the year in which President Biden began drowning the academic/biodefense industry in an historic amount of cash: $88.2 billion. That same year, Senator Burr left federal office to catch some of that deluge in dollars as a biodefense lobbyist. However, in 2023 this was all so new, and far too complicated to understand. But today it’s no longer hard to follow once you take a look at Burr’s 18 lobbying clients: Academic Research Centers: University of North Carolina, Duke University, Duke University Health System, Wake Forest University, Association of American Universities. Pharma/Biotech in BioDefense Sector: Biogen, Biotechnology Innovation Organization Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America PhRMA, Novartis AG, REGENEX BIO, AdvaMed, Avalyn Pharma, Lazarus AI, Defence Security and Resilience Bank Development Group. It’s quite something. Burr laid the foundation for his lobbying career by sponsoring most of the major pieces of legislation that fund and regulate the biomedical and biodefense industry during his three decades in office. And he’s not shy about trumpeting these accomplishments, because he advertises them to potential clients in academia and corporate America on his bio at DLA Piper. Burr helped pass the 1997 FDA Modernization Act which regulates pandemic products, and he was a primary architect of the 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) which provided new authorities for companies to develop medical countermeasures which the government then buys from them. The PAHPA also created BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority). BARDA spends billions every year to subsidize pandemic research, with a big portion of that money buying vaccines and other pandemic products that fill up government warehouses, in case a crazy virus (maybe leaked from a lab!) starts sweeping across the planet, killing people. But there’s more money. So much money. In his final year as a United States Senator, Burr introduced a bill to create ARPA-H inside the NIH, providing billions more in taxpayer spending for biodefense companies. As the Republican leader of the Senate Committee on Health Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), he then published a report on COVID origins that placed sole blame for the pandemic on Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, while ignoring extensive published evidence of the research ties between UNC’s Ralph Baric and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. “With COVID-19 still in our midst, it is critical that we continue international efforts to uncover additional information regarding the origins of this deadly virus,” Burr wrote in the report’s forward. “I hope this report will guide the World Health Organization and other international institutions and researchers as they proceed with planned work to continue investigating the origins of this virus.” To give this report’s distorted conclusions some added media juice with liberals, Burr co-opted reporter Katherine Eban to promote his misdirection from Baric’s lab in North Carolina to focus on the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Wittingly or not, that’s exactly what Eban did with an “exclusive” she co-published with ProPublica and Vanity Fair. Eban’s involvement was my first clue that this Burr’s report was a misdirection. As Politico reported in 2012, Eban has a habit of allowing her journalism to serve as “demonstrably false” propaganda for sources who dump documents in her lap. [SEE BELOW: “Katherine Eban Tells You What Power Tells Her”] Spotlight on Ralph Baric My investigation for RealClearInvestigations runs for several thousand words and the details of Senator Burr, his 2022 report, and Katherine Eban is only one section. But none of it has been told before. And my reporting created waves in DC that washed down into North Carolina. The day before the investigation went live, I sent Richard Burr details about my reporting via his email at DLA Piper. I wrote to Burr that I was a former Senate investigator, telegraphing to him that I understood how Committees put together reports. I then detailed all the problems I found in the 2022 report he released before leaving the Senate to become a biodefense lobbyist. In my email to Burr, I included a set of facts that we were reporting at RealClearInvestigations and asked him to comment, correct, or clarify. 1) In your final year as Ranking on HELP, you released a 2022 report on the pandemic’s origin. That report pointed the finger solely at China as the purported origin of the virus. 2) That report made no mention of gain-of-function research funded by the NIH, nor any mention of gain-of-function research conducted in the United States. 3) The most notable researcher in the world for generating gain-of-function coronaviruses is Ralph Baric, professor at UNC, who is funded by the NIH. 4) Sources who Committee staff interviewed for your report said that Bob Kadlec removed any mention of gain-of-function research in the United States. Others said you made this decision. 4) After you left office, you joined DLA Piper as a lobbyist on pandemic preparedness, taking with you staff from the HELP Committee. 5) You then joined the board of the company Baric set up for pandemic preparedness, which had also received NIH money. A few hours later, I got a text message from Douglas Heye, a former speechwriter for the Republican National Committee, and former Republican Hill staffer. According to one bio, Heye is from Burr’s home state of North Carolina and runs a PR firm called “Douglas Media.” Heye wanted to talk to me about Senator Burr, but I wasn’t interested. He then called me, but I didn’t pick up. I then texted Heye back that Senator Burr could call me himself or email me to answer my questions. Burr later emailed me that he couldn’t discuss the matter as DLA Piper represents UNC. What he didn’t tell me is that he, Richard Burr, is the person at DLA Piper who lobbies for UNC. I now know that Burr is deeply embedded within the academic biomedical and biodefense industry that he helped to create with all the legislation he passed during three decades in Congress. Again, just look at his DLA Piper bio explaining all this, and check out Burr’s list of clients in academia and biodefense. Between two laws he sponsored—BARDA and ARPA-H—taxpayers shovel several billions of dollars down the gaping maw of academic research centers and private companies in grants and contracts every year. Most of BARDA money has gone to big pharma companies such as Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), AstraZeneca, and Sanofi/GSK. That’s apparently why Burr put out a report in his final months as a United State Senator that pointed the finger at the Wuhan Institute of Virology as the sole problem in dangerous virus research. He couldn’t shine a spotlight on UNC and other American universities, as well as their corporate partners in biomedical and biodefense and then expect these same people to hire him as their man in DC. Katherine Eban Tells You What Power Tells Her When Katherine Eban partnered with Senator Burr and his staff in 2022, she understood that, in exchange for access to inside information, her role in this alliance was to promote the Senator’s report, not question the conclusions. Renowned investigative reporter Dean Starkman laid out the problems inherent in Eban’s type of journalism many years ago in a critique of “access” versus “accountability” reporting—the latter being my preference. Access reporting tells you what the powerful said, Starkman explained, while accountability reporting tells you what they did. And Eban has long snuggled up to the powerful for access, which inescapably hides what they did. It’s a fatal flaw in the scribblings of all stenographers to power. In 2011, Special Agent John Dodson with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) blew the whistle on the Fast and Furious gun walking scandal. This federal operation allowed over 2,000 firearms to be illegally purchased and then trafficked to Mexican drug cartels in order to track those weapons back to drug smugglers. The tactic was known as “gunwalking.” However, agents lost track of most weapons, which were later used in crimes, including the killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent. This inept operation drew a target on the back of Agent Dodson’s superiors and U.S. Attorneys who supervised the Fast and Furious Operation. And they retaliated against him by leaking sensitive internal government documents to reporters in a smear campaign. One of those reporters who got inside access to government documents and then smeared agent Dodson was Katherine Eban. In a June 2012 “exclusive” for Fortune, Katherine Eban made a series of false allegations against Dodson, claiming that his whistleblowing was just a “grudge” against his superiors. Dodson hired an attorney and sued Eban’s publisher Time Inc. for defamation, noting that Eban’s reporting was “dubious” and filled with falsehoods. A spokesperson for the Senate Committee investigating the Fast and Furious scandal told Politico, “This kind of misleading and highly opinionated narrative masquerading as objective mainstream journalism is an example of why many Americans distrust what they’re told by the media.” Eban tried to defend hersefl, but Time Inc. later settled with Dodson. The Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General later released a report that found a United States Attorney leaked internal government documents “motivated by a desire to undermine Special Agent Dodson’s public criticisms of Operation Fast and Furious.” The ACLU then protested the ATF’s attempt to censor Agent’s Dodson’s 2013 memoir on this gun trafficking scandal, “The Unarmed Truth: My Fight to Blow the Whistle and Expose Fast and Furious.” That same year, ATF cleared Agent Dodsons of all false allegations made against him by his superiors. When Fast and Furious first blew up, I had left my job as a Senate investigator so I did not deal with Agent Dodson and the smear campaign orchestrated against him. However, I was friends with the Senate staffer who ran the Dodson investigation alongside a Secret Service Agent who was on detail to the Committee that I had left. I was appalled at the Eban’s shoddy reporting and defamation of Agent Dodson, and I have never trusted her since. Eban viciously attacked an American hero, who risked his career and reputation to protect the United States and federal law officers. When I spoke to Agent Dodson a couple years ago about what happened to him, he said he couldn’t discuss the details of his settlement with Eban’s publisher. He did tell me that ATF punished him by never giving him a promotion after he went public about the scandal. Eban did not return repeated requests to explain her defamation of Agent Dodson, and why she has never apologized publicly. Lionsgate studio picked up the rights to Dodson’s book in 2015 and chose “World War Z” writer Matthew Carnahan to adapt the memoir into a movie. However, plans for a movie on Agent Dodson appear to have been shelved. Eban reprised her role as unquestioning sidekick to the powerful when she rode shotgun with Senate Burr to promote his 2022 report in co-published stories that ran in ProPublica and Vanity Fair. The articles provided intimate details of the Committee staffers she had grown close to, including colorful highlights of one with “very blue-collar” roots in Greenville, South Carolina. Just like North Carolina’s Senator Burr, Eban ignored mountains of evidence, available at the time, that NIH-funded scientists like Ralph Baric of North Carolina were partnering with scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. And just like Senator Burr, Eban focused solely on China as the problem with dangerous virus experiments. In fact, this laser-like focus on Wuhan, China, is right there in the title of Eban’s ProPublica article. Propublica later published an editor’s note to Eban’s regurgitation of Senator Burr’s report, adding context and corrections that stretches on for over 2,500 words. I’m not joking. The editor’s note is longer than this article that you are reading now. Eban pulled a second stunt like this in 2023, shielding Ralph Baric and other corrupt virologlists from scrutiny, when she appeared at a University of Pennsylvania event discussing the origins of the COVID pandemic alongside virologist Susan Weiss. “There is no field where there is more need for clear communication than on the subject of the COVID origins debate,” said the event organizer, professor Claire Finkelstein. “We decided to get five of the smartest, most interesting, and level headed people that we could find together, to rise above the fray to have a serious intelligent discussion.” Surprise: Event organizer Claire Finkelstein is Katherine Eban’s sister! Years prior to her sister hosting a university event for Eban to rub shoulders with Weiss, emails spilled out showing that Weiss had allowed Ralph Baric to ghostwrite a 2020 essay she co-authored downplaying the possibility of a lab accident. Weiss’s 2020 commentary was titled “No credible evidence supporting claims of the laboratory engineering of SARS-CoV-2” and appeared in the journal Emerging Microbes & Infections. Taylor and Francis later congratulated Weiss and her co-authors as their commentary became one of the most widely read pieces published in 2020. Media outlets such as The Week, Buzzfeed, and Baric’s local newspaper, the Raleigh News & Observer, cited the article in passages that dismissed a possible lab accident. Emails show that both Baric and Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology provided secret edits to Weiss’s manuscript. After one of the Weiss’s co-authors sent Baric a draft, asking for his input, Baric responded, “Sure, but don’t want to be cited in as having commented prior to submission.” After then submitting alterations to the text in track changes, Baric added, “I think the community needs to write these editorials and I thank you for your efforts.” But sitting on the stage next to Weiss, Eban didn’t ask a single question about this unethical incident. Even though the story and supporting emails had been made public years prior. Now why is that? Here’s what I reported for RealClearInvestigations about this tawdry research episode involving Ralph Baric and Susan Weiss: Although failing to disclose authors on a paper is considered a form of research misconduct, the journal failed to take action. Five years after publication, the journal added a disclosure in January 2025 that acknowledged Ralph Baric’s contribution to the commentary. This is partly why we’re still trying to figure out today what happened during COVID coverup. Much of the dirt kicked up with these media deceptions is still floating in the air. But let’s keep blowing that dust away. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 19:15

Billionaire Democrat Donor Who Bankrolled Swalwell Breaks Silence After Surprise Arrest Billionaire and Democrat donor Stephen Cloobeck was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles on suspicion of felony charges of attempting to prevent or dissuade a victim or witness from testifying after a warrant was issued for his arrest.  Cloobeck, founder of Diamond Resorts - who until recently was a major financial supporter of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s (D) failed campaign for California governor, was booked into custody in West Hollywood, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records. He was later released on $300,000 bail. In a terse statement to the California Post, a press representative for Cloobeck said of the arrest: “These charges are false and we look forward to our day in court.” Cloobeck cut ties with Swalwell following multiple allegations of sexual assault - but not before the now-former congressman recorded a bizarre apology video from inside his swanky mansion. “I was with my counsel and we had a chat with him, I just told him, ‘You busted the trust,’” Cloobeck said of Swalwell at the time the allegations broke. “I’m shocked, I’m disturbed and get the fuck out of here.’ Then I walked away and that was it.” “I was blown away!” the billionaire claimed. “Like blown away. Like, there’s no way I would have endorsed him. It’s such a shock.” The billionaire, who briefly ran for governor himself last year before dropping out to support Swalwell, has since rebranded himself a Republican. “I am no longer supporting Eric. Fucking tell everyone I’m a libertarian. Fuck you, Democrat Party,” he told the California Post. Cloobeck has also recently made headlines thanks to his 28-year-old fiancée, Penthouse Pet Adva Lavie, who faces six felony charges for allegedly preying on older men through dating apps. However, his lover’s legal troubles haven’t impacted the impending nuptials, according to the billionaire. His 28-year-old bride-to-be, Penthouse Pet Adva Lavie, is facing six felony charges for allegedly preying on old men through dating apps “The marriage is still on, the date is now a secret,” he said. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 18:00

Communist Mamdani's Latest Redistribution Scheme: Tax On All New York Homes Over $1 Million Bought With Cash Two days ago crestfallen commie mayor Zohran Mamdani abandoned his desperate plan to aggressively hike property taxes (even more) on New Yorkers following unprecedented pushback (but not before earning the former capitalist mecca a credit rating downgrade warning from most rating agencies). However, since communists who are not redistributing wealth (eventually under the barrel of a gun) are useless communists, it only took Mamdani administration 48 hours before pitching his latest idea how to take: according to Bloomberg, New York lawmakers are planning a new tax on New York City homes purchased in cash for at least $1 million.  The lawmakers are also considering expanding the tax to all-cash purchases over $1 million in New York, including those in the suburbs and upstate. The New York City levy alone is expected to raise $160 million to help fill the city’s budget hole. The proposed tax would be levied at 1% of the purchase price and would be paid by the buyer, according to the people.  A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said she “announced a general agreement with the State Legislature on many of the major elements of the FY 2027 Budget. The final budget bills will provide additional details.” All-cash transactions have risen in New York as soaring mortgage costs have deterred financing, and instead buyers opt to be hit with capital gains taxes and liquidated other securities to fund real estate purchases. They are also an attractive option for sellers in New York City’s ultra-competitive real estate market as it’s faster than dealing with the lengthy mortgage approval process, and less likely to fall through. Such purchases made up more than 60% of the nearly 18,000 transactions in New York City in the first six months of 2025, according to data compiled by the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. The report found that in Manhattan, nine out of 10 purchases over $3 million were done in all-cash transactions between January and June of 2025. New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the tax would be included in the final budget as “part of the plan to help close the city’s deficit.” State Senator James Skoufis, who sits on the chamber’s finance committee, also said in an interview the new levy was discussed. Mamdani unveiled his $124.7 billion budget plan for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 that includes more assistance from Albany. He is also counting on funds from a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million that state and city lawmakers are still figuring out how to implement. Hochul said the state will send $4 billion in new aid to the city to help close the budget hole. “New Yorkers are already the most heavily taxed residents in the country, and the city’s budget issues will not be solved by more taxes,” said James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. He said that the new proposal would further burden home buyers and sellers in the city and threaten existing revenue.  There are other problems with the proposal: New Yorkers already pay a 1% mansion tax, rising to 3.9%, on homes over $1 million whether paying with cash or financing.  On top of that, even the wealthiest cash buyers aren't usually just wiring cash from their bank accounts to buy homes. They sell assets (i.e. stocks) to generate the cash. This liquidation is subject to heavy capital gains taxes already that go to both the federal government and also the state of NY. This tax is usually far ins excess of any 1% "cash" tax this idiotic Mamdani administration is proposing.  As some social media commentators were quick to point out correctly, "There are bad policy ideas, and then there are those that make absolutely zero sense. This is the latter." Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 17:20

Bad Signs: Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" Looks Like A Woke Disaster The signs are not looking good.  Christopher Nolan's version of Homer's classic Greek epic "The Odyssey" was, at first, greatly anticipated.  The director's filmography is largely celebrated with blockbusters like Interstellar, The Dark Night, Dunkirk and Inception.  However, woke ideology is like a virus infecting everything in Hollywood, and rumors were spreading from very early in the production that wokeness has invaded the brain of Christopher Nolan.  Even though the vast majority of "woke coded" films fail miserably at the box office, the Tinsel Town cult continues to lose billions of dollars every year pumping out one disastrous production after another.  If we apply the universal definition of insanity (making the same mistakes over and over and expecting different results), then Hollywood is truly a lunatic asylum. Well, it appears that the rumors of the new Odyssey adaptation being a leftist propaganda vehicle are true.  The long running blackout on casting decisions now makes perfect sense, because it's a DEI circus. It is now confirmed that Nolan's film features a race-swapped Helen of Troy.  The "most beautiful woman in the world" will be played by Lupita Nyong’o, a Kenyan-Mexican actress.  Truly a downgrade from previous iterations of the story on film.  Not to mention, Helen of Troy was a Greek - A Spartan Princess.        But the sideshow doesn't end there.  Nolan has also been forced to defend his decision to cast rapper Travis Scott in “The Odyssey” after receiving harsh backlash.  The filmmaker addressed the controversy surrounding Scott’s appearance:   “I cast him because I wanted to nod towards the idea that this story has been handed down as oral poetry, which is analogous to rap..." Perhaps one of the most contrived and idiotic explanations ever spoken.  Unless you're making "Mel Brooks' The Odyssey", there is no reason for this decision.   Keep in mind, this is an Ancient Greek epic, a story depicting some mythological elements, yes, but also historically important to the pillars of western civilization.  And, by modern standards and genetic standards, Ancient Greeks would be considered largely "white" today.  Sub-Saharan Africans, though mentioned as "Aitheopes" in Greek literature, were an exceedingly rare minority and are never mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as prominent characters.  In fact, only one fleeting character is mentioned as black; a figure named  *{pointer-events:auto;} .r-12vffkv{pointer-events:none!important;} .r-12ym1je{width:18px;} .r-135wba7{line-height:24px;} .r-13qz1uu{width:100%;} .r-13tjlyg{transition-duration:0.1s;} .r-13wfysu{-webkit-text-decoration-line:none;text-decoration-line:none;} .r-146iojx{max-width:300px;} .r-1472mwg{height:24px;} 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Page) is confirmed as a cast member in the film.  It is not known which role she will play, but leaked info suggest that she is set to play Achilles, known as the greatest of all the Greek warriors.  This might be the most ridiculous casting choice of all time, given that Page is a hundred pound skeleton, and also a woman. It is a common woke propaganda trope to race-swap and gender swap figures from western classics and European history.  From black female viking warriors, to black Roman Emperors, to Black Cleopatra (she was Greek and white) to black royals in the British court and female knights defending the realm; no historical setting is safe from Marxist rewrites that defy the record of events.  The message being sent is clear:  We control history now, and the European west has been targeted for erasure.  Christopher Nolan's decisions come off as incomprehensible, until we look into his inspirational sources.  The director's source material for his adaptation is the very first "interpretation" by a female scholar, published in 2017.  Emily Wilson, a far-left activist, essentially rewrote The Odyssey as a feminist exploration on the "evils of masculinity".  She is noted for describing most women as "slaves", instead of servants or maids, and highlighting the "evils of ancient forms of patriarchy".      “We should be shocked that the English-speaking world hasn’t had a translation by a woman,” Wilson said during a visit to Harvard. “Slightly more women than men get Ph.Ds. in the classics in the U.S., and yet the vast majority of translations that readers read in English for classics are by men. This is an issue, and we should talk about it.”   Her work is a perfect example of why it's best to keep modern women away from interpreting the classics.  The British-born professor, in a lecture titled “Translating ‘The Odyssey’: Why and How”, stated: “It’s very visible to me how misogynistic some of these translations are, and not because they were consciously imposing misogyny, but they had some unconsidered biases...Men are never asked about their gender, and this omission is seriously distorting. It’s very clear gender has an impact on men’s work.” Wilson also injected modern vernacular into her interpretation, which is allegedly applied in the Nolan version of the story.  In the highly insulated and inbred world of academia, this kind of rhetoric is considered a revelation.  However, to everyone else, it sounds like a blend of pretentious conceit and woke zealotry. It is also a fact that, in order to be considered for an Oscar, a film is now required to have at least one non-white/non-straight lead or significant role. At least 30% minor roles non-white/non-straight people.  And, at least two Departments headed by non-white/non-straight people.  But not all of Nolan's choices can be explained away by his bid for an Oscar.      In other words, The Odyssey is most likely going to be a theatrical flop.  Nolan was smart to hide his casting choices until now (the movie trailers also try to hide the casting), but the film's July release gives the public plenty of time to discover the truth before they waste their money.  It could have been the movie that saved Hollywood, but instead, it is escalating into yet another epic woke bomb.  Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 16:40

India Panics, Further Tightens Gold Flows As Rupee Collapses Well, that escalated quickly... With the Rupee accelerating its declines to ever lower record lows against the dollar, Indian authorities have stepped up capital controls, focusing on curbing demand in the gold 'exit' route. 4 days ago, there were no signs of import duty hikes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi  issued a rare weekend appeal urging citizens to forgo gold purchases as well as unnecessary foreign travel in order to help hold up the currency.. 2 days ago, tariffs were more than doubled on gold and silver imports to 15% and 6% respectively. And today, they are doing even more with India now tightening the advance authorisation route, effectively capping how much gold individual exporters can bring in through that channel.  A government notification stated that imports of bullion exceeding 100 kilograms would be subject to prior authorization, adding that any subsequent imports would only be granted after exports equivalent to 50% had been carried out. The notification also introduced stricter checks for first-time applicants seeking permission to import gold under the scheme. The government has also linked future import approvals to export performance. India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, has been hit hard by the inflationary shock caused by energy disruptions in the Persian Gulf.  Higher import bills have driven sharp foreign-exchange outflows, pushing the rupee down to a record low and prompting the Reserve Bank of India to step in and sell dollars. And the fact that gold is the country’s largest import item after crude oil does not help, which is why India is doing everything in its power to limit capital outflows.  As UBS explains, the new curbs don't directly restrict the importing banks, but it does limit how much metal each participant can access, reducing the ability to build larger positions and tightening flows through the system. The broader backdrop is that India is no longer purely a jewellery-led market. Demand has become more investment‑driven, with a growing share of imports moving into financial holdings, including ETFs. A significant part of last year’s import surge appears to have gone into investment rather than fabrication, which changes how the market behaves. During the initial phase of the recent Middle East escalation, Indian ETFs were among the first to react, selling roughly ~20 tonnes in the opening week of the move. More immediately, demand has already been soft in recent weeks, as reflected in recent import data. Monthly India Gold Imports below in tonnes, source: UBS Near‑term uncertainty around fertiliser (urea) supplies also poses a risk to this year’s crop cycle, with the key monsoon period running into August, which could weigh on rural incomes and, by extension, gold buying. The recent moves underscore policy concerns around curbing import-led dollar outflows from high foreign exchange-draining sectors, Madhavi Arora, economist at Emkay Global Financial Services said. “We expect gold imports to fall by around 20-25% this year due to these steps.” New Delhi is weighing several further emergency steps to shore up foreign-exchange reserves and limit the damage from the war in the Middle East. If demand does recover, however, as seen in previous tightening cycles, attempts by the government to limit capital outflows via precious metals will only encourage activity to re‑route via unofficial channels (with smuggling picking up when the onshore market is constrained), to preserve purchasing power, and it is only a matter of time before India joins the rest of the financially suppressed developing world in actively pursuing such non-fiat alternatives as tether and bitcoin if the traditional gold and silver pathways are limited.  Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 15:40

Zelenskyy's Former Right-Hand Man Yermak Arrested In $10.5 Million Money Laundering Scheme Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the pre-trial detention of Andriy Yermak, the powerful former head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Office and once the country’s second-most influential figure, on money-laundering charges tied to a high-profile corruption scheme. The ruling marks a dramatic fall for Yermak, who served as Zelenskyy’s closest aide from 2020 until his resignation in late 2025 amid earlier raids. He was taken into custody directly from the courtroom following the decision. Charges and Allegations Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) named Yermak a suspect on May 11 in a scheme involving the laundering of approximately 460 million hryvnias (about $10.5 million or €9-10 million). Prosecutors allege he participated in an organized criminal group that funneled illicit funds - originating from kickbacks at the state nuclear energy company Energoatom-through shell companies and fake contracts into the construction of a luxury residential complex (known as “Dynasty”) in the affluent village of Kozyn, south of Kyiv. The broader “Midas” investigation into Energoatom reportedly uncovered a pattern where contractors paid 10-15% kickbacks to officials to secure or maintain deals. Funds were allegedly laundered between 2021 and 2025 via elite real estate development. Yermak faces charges under Part 3 of Article 209 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (legalization of criminally obtained proceeds). A conviction could carry up to 12 years in prison. After multi-day hearings, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) imposed 60 days of pre-trial detention starting May 14, with an alternative of bail set at 140 million hryvnias (roughly $3.2 million). Prosecutors had requested a higher bail of 180 million hryvnias (about $4 million). Yermak was remanded in custody immediately, though he could secure release if the full bail is posted while the case proceeds. His legal team plans to appeal the ruling. Yermak’s Response Yermak has strongly denied all allegations, calling them “groundless” and “baseless.” He stated he owns only one apartment and one car, and has no involvement in the luxury development. After the hearing, he told reporters: “I don’t have that kind of money, and my lawyer will now work with friends and acquaintances [to raise the money for bail].” He added that he respects the court, has “nothing to hide,” and is proud of his service to Ukraine during the war. He mentioned visiting the front lines weekly and receiving international support, though he said he would not use it to influence the judiciary. His defense argues the case lacks merit and may carry political undertones. Background and Political Impact Yermak rose from a film producer and diplomat to become Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, wielding immense influence over policy, appointments, judiciary, and even early peace negotiations with Russia before the full-scale invasion. Critics accused him of consolidating power and sidelining longtime allies of the president. He resigned in November 2025 after NABU raids on his properties linked to the wider Energoatom probe. Zelenskyy has not been implicated, and anti-corruption officials have stressed the president is not a subject of the investigation. It is no wonder Democrats just love corrupt Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/wqKy6PjzWp — Marcus Notrealius (@TheLieKeeper) May 14, 2026 The case comes as Ukraine faces intense pressure to combat high-level graft to advance EU membership and sustain Western support amid the ongoing war with Russia. It has sent shockwaves through Kyiv’s political elite and fueled public frustration over wartime corruption. This remains a developing story. The investigation is ongoing, with potential for more suspects and revelations as the case moves forward. Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 15:00

With GOP Help, House Dems Force Vote To Give Another $1.3 Billion To Ukraine In a rebellion defying the priorities of Speaker Mike Johnson, House Democrats have teamed up with two Republicans and an independent in a parliamentary maneuver that will force a vote on a bill that would give another $1.3 billion in military aid and other assistance to Ukraine, as that country continues to lose territory in its war with Russia.   "We look forward to seeing the House pass this bill quickly and encourage the Senate to take it up without delay. The ​brave men and women of Ukraine ​are waiting," said NY Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the author of the bill.   A view, by Zelensky’s former press secretary whose interview went out on Tucker Carlson show last night. https://t.co/kkKP5HxnCQ — Leonid Ragozin (@leonidragozin) May 12, 2026 All 215 House Democrats signed a discharge petition, a means by which representatives can bypass House leadership's agenda-setting role and compel a vote on a bill. Seldom used over House history, discharge petitions are showing their potency in a House ruled by a narrow majority, as is the case today. Most famously, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna used the maneuver last year to compel a vote on forcing the release of the Epstein investigation files. For this Ukraine bill, the Democrats were joined by two Republicans -- Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick and Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon -- along with California independent Kevin Kiley, who earlier this year left the GOP.  Kiley's signature on the petition pushed to the required 218. "Recent Ukrainian gains have created an opportunity for peace, but the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed," he said in a statement. That will force Johnson to bring a vote to the floor on the Ukraine Support Act, which has three major thrusts:  Reaffirming US support for both Ukraine and NATO, and enacting measures for Ukraine's reconstruction $1.3 billion in aid and -- get this -- up to $8 billion more in direct loans that could prove to be LINOs -- loans in name only More sanctions and export controls on Russia, targeting officials, financial institutions, and the oil and mining sectors The yellow area shows the last part of the Donetsk oblast that Russia has yet to seize control of. The Luhansk oblast is to the northeast, while the next two oblasts moving southwest are Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, with Crimea at the southernmost end (via Russia Matters)  Though the House may pass the bill, the push to give more money to Ukraine will face an uphill climb in the Senate. The discharge-petition development comes as Ukraine and Russia moved on from a brief ceasefire and resumed blasting each other, though -- for now -- at a reduced tempo. Russia has continued to make gradual progress in taking control of both the Luhansk and Donetsk "oblasts" which together comprise the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine. Moscow is insisting that Ukraine's ceding of the last parts of the Donbas is a precondition to resumed peace talks.   Not accounting for another potential $1.3 billion thrown into the Ukraine war -- to say nothing of the money pit that is the US-Israeli war on Iran -- the US government was in February projected to post a fiscal-year 2026 deficit of $1.9 trillion. Not that anyone in Washington cares.  Tyler Durden Thu, 05/14/2026 - 14:20