Many of the Loop’s editors are news junkies–and we can’t cover it all for ourselves! We collect here interesting articles which received light coverage in mainstream USA media.
December 2024
Fastest drive through? https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/which-fastest-us-fast-food-chain-drive-thru-time WA Deficit Looms https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2024/11/14/with-10b-deficit-looming-wa-governor-calls-on-state-agencies-to-make-cuts/ Inslee denies the Idaho retirement rumor https://nypost.com/2024/07/11/us-news/pure-rumor-gov-jay-inslee-denies-alleged-idaho-property-purchase/ Porn and kompromat https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/tucker-carlson-longtime-source-says-porn-sites-controlled-by-intelligence-agencies-for-blackmail/ DEA ordered to stop random searches & cash seizures https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/11/21/justice-department-orders-all-consensual-searches-stopped-airports-after-anf-report/ Coding "boot camp" no longer automatically leads to jobs https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/11/24/2159232/coding-boot-gamp-graduates-find-tough-prospects-in-an-ai-powered-world The oldest operating satellite, and its two mysteries https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/25/amsat_oscar_7_anniversary/ Bright headlights out of control? https://insideevs.com/news/742893/porsche-macan-electric-ev-recall-headlights/ "Let crime rip" as public policy is out of fashion https://westseattleblog.com/2024/12/west-seattle-crime-watch-9-arrested-at-westwood-village/
November 2024
Financialization is now eating... the trades? https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/private-equity-firms-are-now-acquiring-skilled-trade-small-businesses Norway, mostly cashless, pivots back towards cash https://www.zerohedge.com/political/norway-one-worlds-most-cashless-economies-just-made-it-lot-easier-pay-cash Saudi Prince busted physical gold WA State Traffic Fatalities Up 51% https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/washington-state-traffic-fatalities-51-2019 DHS delays Real ID... again https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2024/09/16/tsa-punts-the-real-id-deadline-to-2027/ And now it's silver climbing in price https://headlineusa.com/indian-silver-demand-drives-record-prices/ Why nobody believes the official inflation number https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/heres-why-cpi-doesnt-fully-reflect-economic-pain Comedy site makes California back down https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/babylon-bee-forces-california-to-back-off-enforcement-of-new-censorship-law/ Taliban bans women talking to each other in public https://www.christianpost.com/news/taliban-bans-women-from-hearing-voices-of-other-women-report.html Voyager 1 phones home with transmitter unused since 1981 https://www.space.com/space-exploration/missions/voyager-1-spacecraft-phones-home-with-transmitter-that-hasnt-been-used-since-1981 Dentists and adverse incentives https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2024/11/dentists-are-pulling-healthy-and-treatable-teeth-to-profit-from-implants-experts-warn.html
October 2024
Tupperware goes bankrupt; so does Kmart https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/tupperware-brands-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy-2024-09-18/ https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/23/business/kmart-closing-last-store-us/index.html DNA test solves a kidnapping from 1951 https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/bay-area-boy-kidnapped-park-found-alive-19784249.php Further surveys on college degree perception https://headlineusa.com/more-americans-think-college-degree-is-useless/ Why the USA can't build icebreaker ships https://www.construction-physics.com/p/why-the-us-cant-build-icebreaking Pump iron, cardio, or dance? https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0301236 DNA test solves a kidnapping from 1951 https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/bay-area-boy-kidnapped-park-found-alive-19784249.php Further surveys on college degree perception https://headlineusa.com/more-americans-think-college-degree-is-useless/
September 2024
Too many unaccompanied minors at the border are disappearing https://justthenews.com/accountability/watchdogs/ice-lost-over-32000-unaccompanied-minors-dhs-watchdog https://headlineusa.com/dhs-cant-account-for-untold-thousands-of-unaccompanied-migrant-children-ig-finds/ New science says your're innocent, the DA agrees--but you're still in jail https://www.propublica.org/article/nashville-conviction-review-russell-maze-shaken-baby-syndrome "British Bill Gates" dies in truly strange yacht incident https://www.wired.com/story/mike-lynch-dies-superyacht-accident/ Missing Scissors Cause Flight Cancellations https://slashdot.org/story/24/08/21/011258/missing-scissors-cause-36-flight-cancellations-in-japan Wind turbine blade disposal https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/08/21/why-old-wind-turbine-blades-arent-being-buried-in-landfills-anymore/ More and more German trains are not allowed to enter Switzerland https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/switzerland/more-and-more-german-trains-are-not-allowed-to-enter-switzerland-2304207.html Asteroid mining in our future? https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/08/against-all-odds-an-asteroid-mining-company-appears-to-be-making-headway/ WWII bombs are still being found and rendered safe https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/05/ww2-hidden-bombs-clearing-disposal-pacific-marshall-islands-unexploded-ordnance-uxo Crows are even smarter than we thought https://nautil.us/crows-are-even-smarter-than-we-thought-820066/ The growing concern regarding health and food quality https://brownstone.org/articles/glimpse-into-the-future-of-food/ The world's biggest beer drinkers... by far https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/czechs-are-worlds-biggest-beer-drinkers-far Oakland police towing away Teslas to get camera footage from its Sentry Mode https://www.carscoops.com/2024/09/california-police-might-use-your-teslas-sentry-video-to-solve-nearby-crimes/ Nvidia stock is a roller coaster. Here's one when it was down--but it's bounced back up since https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/nvidia-stock-volatility-why-ai-payoff-explainer-rcna169600 French energy giant EDF missed a debt payment due to the Niger disruption https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20240729-french-nuclear-giant-slips-into-the-red-following-niger-french-breakup Dept. of Defense will help Secret Service with security https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2024-09-01/pentagon-secret-service-presidential-campaigns-15041523.html Pay raise for tellers at Bank of America https://www.npr.org/2024/09/10/nx-s1-5106884/bank-of-america-raises-hourly-pay-tellers-flee-banking
August 2024
Another 85,000 unaccompanied minors go missing https://headlineusa.com/85000-unaccompanied-minors-went-missing-after-biden-admin-left-them-w-sponsors/ https://www.christianpost.com/news/whistleblowers-raise-alarm-on-trafficking-of-child-migrants.html Bad Guys are jamming Wifi based security https://www.pcworld.com/article/2405434/burglars-are-jamming-wi-fi-security-cameras.html Maryland EV schoolbus failure https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/millions-wasted-electric-school-busses-maryland-pivots-back-diesel German economy slips further https://rmx.news/article/german-economic-output-plummets-debt-hits-record-high/ The odd story of RFK jr. and a dead bear cub https://thenationalpulse.com/2024/08/05/rfk-jr-confesses-to-planting-dead-bear-cub-in-central-park/ Bangladesh PM resigns and scampers https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/bangladesh-prime-minister-sheikh-hasina-resigns
July 2024
More details emerge concerning OceanGate https://www.wired.com/story/titan-submersible-disaster-inside-story-oceangate-files/ The Toxic Consequences of Attending a High Achieving School https://petergray.substack.com/p/43-the-toxic-consequences-of-attending The last USA Tupperware factory is closing https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/tupperware-mexico-south-carolina/2024/06/14/id/1168843 FBI raids corporate landlord over price hikes https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/monopoly-round-up-fbi-raids-big-corporate Do we need a Secret Service Service to guard the Secret Service? https://headlineusa.com/secret-service-agent-robbed-la/ Sweden--one of the most aggressively cashless nations--has a crime problem https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/06/21/2155253/why-going-cashless-has-turned-sweden-into-a-high-crime-nation Vax Correlation with Alzheimers Research https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/dr-mccullough-apparent-link-between-covid-jabs-and-alzheimers-must-be-further-researched/ Switzerland mandates open source for government https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/new-open-source-law-switzerland Appliances really are breaking down more quickly https://www.washingtonpost.com/home/2024/07/02/why-refrigerator-oven-dishwasher-break/ Thieves in Seattle stealing parts from EV charging stations https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/seattle-thieves-targeting-ev-charging-stations-has-reached-epidemic-proportions Ammo vending machines https://www.zerohedge.com/political/ammo-vending-machines-arrive-grocery-stores-red-states Skepticism in College Growing https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/higher-education-confidence/2024/07/08/id/1171593 A website which lets in onlhy one user at a time https://imherefor.me/
June 2024
Another "Google lost my homework", except this time a $135 billion business with 647,000 customers https://tech.slashdot.org/story/24/05/18/1842259/how-an-unprecedented-google-cloud-event-wiped-out-a-major-customers-account Duct tape treatment of warts--a scientific study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12361440/ Too much copper is needed to convert entirely to EV's https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2024/05/27/study-the-amount-of-copper-needed-for-evs-is-impossible-to-produce/ WA Attorney General drops suit after harm demonstrated https://justthenews.com/nation/states/washington-ag-drops-investigation-pro-life-pregnancy-centers Ship personnel abandoned and stuck on their ships for years https://apnews.com/article/abandoned-seafarers-labor-unpaid-wages-oceans-83ad0a42debbaf67c18373393fcea753 Big moves in gold continue https://headlineusa.com/india-brings-100-tons-of-gold-home-for-safe-keeping/ How private equity "rolled" Red Lobster restaurant chain https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/private-equity-rolled-red-lobster-rcna153397 Art theft... from Taco Bell https://brobible.com/culture/article/why-thieves-stealing-art-from-taco-bell/ The never ending Amanda Knox story https://justthenews.com/world/europe/amanda-knox-convicted-slander-italy-wrongly-accusing-innocent-man-under-police The continuing crisis in scientific integrity https://www.science.org/content/article/researchers-plan-retract-landmark-alzheimers-paper-containing-doctored-images WA Parental Rights bill goes into effect https://catholicvote.org/washington-parental-rights-law-goes-into-effect-despite-blocking-attempts/
May 2024
Losing the signal to the noise in academic research https://www.benlandautaylor.com/p/the-ddos-attack-of-academic-bullshit AI taking job https://www.postalley.org/2024/03/27/__trashed-19/ AirBNB (and the industry in general) is thinking about summer travel interruptions https://www.timeout.com/usa/news/airbnb-updates-its-policy-for-summer-rentals-and-beyondwhat-to-know-041024 Farmer's protest throughout the EU https://apnews.com/article/europe-democracy-farmers-protest-green-deal-elections-a0278919b2fe47c7476c0c56ccf4850b Fake job interviews leave access to the job hunter's computer https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fake-job-interviews-target-developers-with-new-python-backdoor/ Yet another Boeing whistleblower dies: https://www.rt.com/news/596861-second-boeing-whistleblower-dies-two-months/ If you really, really care about hard drive reliability, this organization (with about 1/4 million drives in operation) will tell you what they've found: https://www.backblaze.com/blog/backblaze-drive-stats-for-q1-2024/ Gold beans are the hot new "money" in China https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/gold-beans-all-the-rage-with-china-s-gen-z-as-deflation-bites The long tail of solar... who will maintain the system? https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ive-been-totally-ghosted-after-install-solar-panels-become-maintenance-nightmare
April 2024
We're not going to tabulate this many articles, but we thought you'd appreciate a summary of Boeing's recent issues:
737max crashes
Plug blow-out
Missing bolts
Missing footage of maintenance work
Wheel fell off
Capt. seat eject activated / downward dive
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/15/business/latam-airlines-flight-cause/index.html
Whistle blower apparently "suicides" after day 2 of 3-day testimony
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boeing-whistleblowers-case-go-posthumously-attorney-says-rcna143001
Maintenance panel blow out
And not a part of their current problems, but a fun blast from the past:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enumclaw_horse_sex_case
USA debt above $34 trillion, going up another trillion every 100 days
https://chroniclesmagazine.org/recent-features/the-most-foreseeable-disaster-in-u-s-history/
No, wait, it jumped to a trillion every _90_ days?
https://headlineusa.com/fiscal-collapse-accelerates/
Drugged fish in the wild
https://keysweekly.com/42/drugged-fish-study-finds-pharmaceuticals-in-redfish/
Am I flying on Boeing?
https://www.amiflyingonaboeing.com/
WA Studying EV Fires
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/inslee-signs-washington-bill-directing-study-ev-fires
Free Blockbuster, rather like a neighborhood library
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/24/03/24/2245210/tired-of-streaming-home-grown-free-blockbuster-libraries-are-trying-to-offer-alternatives
March 2024
Heavier EVs may be a problem for safety rails and such https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/electric-vehicle-weight-poses-threat-to-current-road-infrastructure-safety-experts-warn/ https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-r1t-destroys-guardrail-ev-safety-crash-test-video Catholic college focuses on education in "the trades" https://catholicvote.org/interview-st-joseph-worker-college-founder-discusses-trades/ Human trafficking & schools https://catholicvote.org/oakland-diocese-shuts-down-catholic-schools-crime-human-trafficking/ Bumps in the road ahead for freelancers and contractors https://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewmottola/2021/03/22/what-the-pro-act-means-for-freelancers-and-the-future-of-work/ Tucker Carlson interviews Vladimir Putin https://rumble.com/v4c9a1i-exclusive-tucker-carlson-interviews-vladimir-putin.html Decades ago, legendary investor Peter Thiel started offering $100k to college age students to start a business instead. It's still going strong. https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/peter-thiel-fellowship/ https://www.1517fund.com/ https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/02/24/2311221/what-happened-after-peter-thiel-paid-271-students-to-drop-out-of-college Russia historic military district stood up anew as balance to NATO expansion https://www.rt.com/russia/593220-putin-armed-forces-structure/ College degrees all too often command high school jobs https://news.slashdot.org/story/24/02/26/2210217/half-of-college-graduates-are-working-high-school-level-jobs Exporting your criminals? https://headlineusa.com/critics-attribute-venezuelas-22-year-low-murder-rate-to-bidens-open-border/ Feeling pinched on all sides? https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/how-economy-changed-theres-no-bargains-left-anywhere Countries pulling precious metal assets from USA https://headlineusa.com/fed-chair-tight-lipped-on-foreign-nations-evacuation-of-gold-from-u-s/ But wireless security devices sure are easy to install! https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/komando/2024/02/29/thieves-using-wifi-jammer/72758559007/ German man lives on the train for $10,000 a year https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/03/spend-8-500-a-year-live-a-train-20388001/ UK second least happy in the world https://www.rt.com/news/594026-uk-second-least-happy/
February 2024
Private Equity-run hospitals hurt the patients https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/01/hospitals-slash-staff-services-quality-of-care-when-private-equity-takes-over/ Was your EV's MPG is to good to be true? https://www.zerohedge.com/political/biden-caught-huge-rigging-ev-carbon-credits-taxpayer-expense EV tires have a surprisingly short life https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/01/25/ev-owners-not-charged-about-buying-new-tires-every-10-000-miles/ Musk Points at Boeing's DEI Priorities https://nypost.com/2024/01/11/business/elon-musk-rips-boeing-they-prioritized-dei-over-safety/ Elevated risk of cancer in under-50 cohort https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/14/health/early-onset-cancer-increase/index.html Hungary rejecting immigrations https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59748173 Severe Civil Disruptions in Ecuador https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/what-is-happening-ecuador-2024-01-10/ Net savings went negative https://www.webull.com/news/10083700729897984 Yale $100M lawsuit--destroying exculpatory evidence? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0T2Yz0KU8I Covid heart ailments https://catholicvote.org/study-finds-shocking-rates-of-covid-shot-induced-heart-ailments/ Massachusetts Cuts College Degree Requirements For 90% Of State Jobs https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/ma-cuts-college-degree-requirements-90-state-jobs WA Covid 19 funds went to immigrants--$340 million https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/wa-redirected-covid/2024/02/06/id/1152569 McDonald's price hikes hitting a backlash https://nypost.com/2024/02/05/business/mcdonalds-ceo-promises-return-to-affordability-amid-backlash-over-18-big-mac-combos-6-hash-browns/ 200' Radio Broadcast Tower Stolen https://nypost.com/2024/02/07/news/radio-station-baffled-after-200-foot-radio-tower-disappears/
January 2024
News you probably didn't miss! Our ferries are coming back... someday? https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/washington-state-ferries-new-vessels-2028/281-1a9d380f-23f2-4eb9-a4bc-4d50b216fb40 Inslee knew where gas prices were going https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/think-tank-gov-inslee-knew-cap-and-trade-could-hike-gas-prices-decade https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/inslee-vows-defend-climate-commitment-act-after-gas-price-controversy World's Largest Beaver Dam https://e360.yale.edu/features/worlds-largest-beaver-dam Scotland faked wind generator output using fossil fuels https://expose-news.com/2023/12/12/scotlands-wind-turbines-secretly-use-fossil-fuels/ Cell Phones and Tinnitus https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26602000/ Who Wants a Used EV? https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/ev-graveyard-reckoning-hardly-anyone-wants-buy-used-one Hershey sued for not selling without decoration https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/hershey-sued-for-selling-reeses-without-cute-looking-pumpkin-faces-shown-on-packaging/5000488/ NFL retroactively changed outcome of game (90 seconds after end) https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news/dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-made-phone-call-and-rigged-accuses-former-detroit-lions-star-golden-tate-refs China's New Rare Earth Policy Shakes Global Tech Industry https://oilprice.com/Metals/Commodities/Chinas-New-Rare-Earth-Policy-Shakes-Global-Tech-Industry.html And China's dominance in battery manufacturing is worrying, too https://archive.is/zQG3Y 'Nothing' Left In UK's Military Stockpiles After Arming Ukraine https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/nothing-left-uks-military-stockpiles-after-arming-ukraine-times-london The incredible geopolitical importance of the Strait of Hormuz https://internationalman.com/articles/one-step-away-from-the-biggest-oil-shock-in-history/ A Monk on a Pillar https://thenationalpulse.com/analysis-post/january-4th-an-american-saint-and-a-monk-on-a-pillar/ Bend, Oregon provides safe parking for those living out of their cars https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/05/safe-overnight-parking-lot-sleep-in-car-rv-homelessness-housing-shelter Hybrid ferry didn't work out https://dailysceptic.org/2024/01/07/nicola-sturgeons-flagship-hybrid-ferry-now-only-runs-on-diesel-as-battery-too-expensive-to-fix/
December 2023
Orcas attacking sailboats off of Spain https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1842796/orcas-attacking-yachts-spain Apostrophe Protection Society has been rebooted https://www.apostrophe.org.uk/ How Army Ants Build Bridges https://www.npr.org/2023/11/21/1214246291/army-ants-architecture-science-robots-research Sports Illustrated and questions concerning AI-generated content https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/sports-illustrated-freaks-out-deletes-evidence-ai-generated-journalists-articles Restaurants gaming dating apps to drum up business https://www.dailydot.com/news/restaurants-use-tinder/ Washington's high gas prices predicted by its own economist https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/former-state-economist-alleges-pressure-lie-about-carbon-auction-effect Bomb used for years as garden ornament https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67602627 super rich more likely to be heirs https://www.linkedin.com/news/story/super-rich-more-likely-to-be-heirs-5579161/ Scaffolding rises to rebuild Notre Dame's spire https://aleteia.org/2023/12/07/scaffolding-rises-over-notre-dame-for-reconstruction-of-spire/ Pope asks auditors to be "merciful" https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/treat-vatican-corruption-with-merciful
November 2023
Japan Airlines needs extra plane for Sumo wrestlers https://www.rt.com/news/585153-japan-sumo-wrestlers-flight/ US Justice Dept recommends police hire former criminals https://www.rt.com/news/585449-justice-department-police-hire-criminals/ U.S. payments on debt spike to $659 billion, nearly doubling in two years https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/10/20/interest-debt-payment-treasury/ Follow-on: we've now broken $1 trillion https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-debt-bill-rockets-past-065031377.html Suspicion surrounds ex-Iran envoy Rob Malley after Israel attack: 'Worst State Department scandal' https://nypost.com/2023/10/09/suspended-iran-special-envoy-rob-malley-under-scrutiny-for-hamas-remarks-following-israel-terror-attack/ North Korea supplying shells to Russia https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/south-korean-intelligence-says-kim-jong-un-supplied-russia-one-million-artillery Homeschooling is trending https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/homeschooling-growth-data-by-district/ NYC Mayor, in DC to address migrant crisis, suddenly heads home as FBI raids his campaign advisor https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/02/fbi-raid-eric-adams-fund-raising-suggs-new-york-mayor Trucking industry warns of "fatal flaws" in Washington's electric vehicle plans https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/trucking-industry-warns-fatal-flaws-washingtons-electric-vehicle-plans
October 2023
Putin at annual Valdai conference, lays out vision of multipolar world, "civilizational states" https://www.europereloaded.com/putin-nails-the-western-elite-system-in-valdai-2023-speech/ https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-mrk5b-1b3223a9 Feds spend $3.3 billion for office furniture--as employees continue to wor from home https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12591619/Federal-officials-spend-billions-furniture.html Continuing stress on the US dollar https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bonds/treasury-bond-yields-market-selloff-market-crashes-dot-com-bubble-2023-10 California raises minimum wage for fast food workers, adds other protections https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/09/28/california-increases-minimum-wage-protections-for-fast-food-workers/ Automation pushes further into the labor market https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/10/03/chipotle-tests-automation-for-burrito-bowls-and-salads-.html Wall for southern border? Maybe yes, maybe no. https://www.infowars.com/posts/mayorkas-furiously-backpedals-after-claiming-acute-immediate-need-for-border-wall/ How much does your job relate to your overdose risk? https://news.yahoo.com/finance/troubling-relationship-between-job-odds-154008671.html
September 2023
Exploding watermelons blamed on climate change https://www.today.com/food/news/watermelons-exploding-foaming-rcna100186 Health impacts of microplastics https://www.sustainableplastics.com/news/microplastics-found-pass-blood-brain-barrier-even-though-ingested-drinking-water Pirates are back! In Oakland, California https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/boats-docked-at-oakland-marina-being-targeted-by-pirates/ Federal deficit balloons again https://www.axios.com/2023/09/04/federal-deficit-double-despite-economic-growth San Francisco so bad, federal workers told to stay away https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/drugs-crime-nancy-pelosi-federal-building-18292237.php Proposed: King County minimum wage of $19/hour https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/king-county-looks-at-19-minimum-wage-in-unincorporated-areas/
August 2023
Notre Dame's golden dome is coming back https://www.nd.edu/stories/golden-hour/ Solid tumor cancer treatment breakthrough AOH1966 patent granted, Phase 1 trial starts https://www.cityofhope.org/city-hope-scientists-develop-targeted-chemotherapy-able-kill-all-solid-tumors-preclinical-research Has The Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor Been Replicated? (With history as a guide, assume this is a material with exotic properties while not actually being a superconductor at room temperatures.) https://thedeepdive.ca/has-the-room-temperature-ambient-pressure-superconductor-been-replicated/ Facial recognition and false arrests https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/technology/facial-recognition-false-arrest.html AI Banned from Future Dungeons and Dragons books https://games.slashdot.org/story/23/08/06/197228/ai-generated-art-banned-from-future-dungeons-dragons-books-after-fan-uproar Leprosy in Florda? Yes, but... https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/hansens-psyop-saturday-august-5-2023 A deep dive into antioxidants, and why cows and pigs are immune to SARS-CoV-2 https://jessicar.substack.com/p/the-spike-protein-ace-2-cysteine
July 2023
CDC in 2020, based on evidence of CO2 buildup, recommended workers wear N95 respirators for no longer than 1 hour https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2020/06/10/ppe-burden/ Total aid to Ukraine so far https://minre.gov.ua/en/2023/06/29/170-billion-in-international-aid-to-ukraine/ The largest Lego fan convention in the Pacific NW comes to Bellevue https://www.brickcon.org They are watching and listening--via "your" Device https://www.azernews.az/region/212009.html Worked with US Special Forces in Afghanistan, even survived taking the last flight out. Loses his life to DC criminals. https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/07/08/afghan-interpreter-given-special-visa-after-bidens-withdrawal-shot-dead-by-d-c-thugs/ BRICS trade bloc looking at gold-backed currency https://bigleaguepolitics.com/brics-plans-to-introduce-gold-backed-currency-to-challenge-globalist-financial-system/ Bees are still not doing well at all https://survival.news/2023-06-29-us-beekeepers-lost-48-honey-bee-colonies-last-year.html Nevada license plate telling Californians to "go back" is pulled https://apnews.com/article/nevada-license-plate-recall-california-da72e2eb8a01b883c90e2dadc2d4766f Maine woman punches bear to protect her dog https://apnews.com/article/black-bear-woman-bitten-maine-1ad636d74a117e5db7297e44866a9499
June 2023
Are annual physicals a good idea? https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/9/26/13029358/annual-physical-tv-doctors-america WA's first Director of Equity fired https://www.king5.com/article/news/politics/investigation-inappropriate-workplace-behavior-former-equity-director/281-dc85cb3b-768e-4322-aec1-556e068d1290 Contamination in mRNA production https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/bio-shocks-monday-june-5-2023-c-and A popular sweetener is harmful? https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/researchers-discover-toxic-sweetener-damages-dna_5307637.html It's getting harder and harder to buy home insurance in California https://www.cbsnews.com/news/allstate-insurance-state-farm-california/ (Note that getting a home loan requires getting insurance. This could become a problem.)
May 2023
Military recruiting woes https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/05/02/we-are-going-fall-short-army-will-miss-its-recruiting-goal-year.html Bed Bath & Beyond declares bankruptcy https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/23/business/bed-bath-beyond-bankruptcy/index.html UK trying losing companies from its stock market exchange https://www.fca.org.uk/news/press-releases/fca-proposes-simplify-rules-help-encourage-companies-list-uk New York City mayor breaks ranks on border crisis https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/29/eric-adams-new-york-immigration-00094491 Inslee leaving, Ferguson steps up https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/05/02/inslee-replacement-wahington-governor https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-attorney-general-bob-ferguson-announces-campaign-for-governor/ Rivian R1T fender bender--$42k in repair costs https://www.thedrive.com/news/rivian-r1t-fender-bender-turns-into-42000-repair-bill
April 2023
USA cancels hypersonic missile program https://www.defensenews.com/air/2023/03/30/us-air-force-drops-lockheed-hypersonic-missile-after-failed-tests/ A trend to watch: "de-dollarization" https://www.aier.org/article/de-dollarization-has-begun/ https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/why-regime-needs-dollar-be-global-reserve-currency Germany slows EV transition https://www.sae.org/news/2023/03/european-ice-ban WHO accuses China of hiding data relevant to Covid origins https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/health/covid-origins-who.html RESTRICT act is a lot more than a TikTok ban https://reason.com/2023/03/31/the-restrict-act-would-restrict-a-lot-more-than-tiktok/ Actor with major roles in John Wick, Bosch TV series, The Wire, Lost, Oz dies suddenly https://news.yahoo.com/lance-reddick-cause-death-disclosed-182407141.html
March 2023
The kids are not alright: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/13-numbers-show-how-dramatically-we-have-failed-americas-children Petition calling on DoJ to cease prosecution of Julian Assange https://cpj.org/2022/12/cpj-partners-send-letter-calling-for-us-to-drop-charges-against-julian-assange/ Taylor Swift has a surprising fan https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/attorney-general-merrick-garland-swiftie-1235279303/ California loses both people and tax base https://calmatters.org/newsletters/whatmatters/2023/02/california-population-exodus-housing/ Religion popping up in surprising places https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/02/asbury-kentucky-university-christian-revival/673176/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/education/eric-adams-bemoans-prayers-out-schools-guns-came Viet Nam as a lens for Ukraine https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/does-it-take-a-war Hidden passage in Great Pyramid of Giza https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/most-important-discovery-21st-century-archeologists-find-hidden-corridor-great-pyramid-giza
February 2023
Ichtyiosaur maternity ward? https://apnews.com/article/science-nevada-5d178d49678731ddbee9e0b323c19d8b Critical to solar power and EVs are the many mined materials from Africa. The impact of such mining was the focus of recent meeting https://thegrayzone.com/2023/01/23/us-africa-summit-profits-mining/ UnitedHealthcare and the question of how cost affects their decisions https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-healthcare-insurance-denial-ulcerative-colitis CNET starts using AI to write their articles, faces a backlash, and "pauses" it https://www.theepochtimes.com/cnets-use-of-ai-to-write-articles-sparks-concern_4992346.html https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/01/20/230209/cnet-pauses-publishing-ai-written-stories-after-disclosure-controversy Big Tech layoffs, and the NSA swoops in https://www.theepochtimes.com/us-layoffs-reach-two-year-high-as-big-tech-cut-thousands-of-jobs-in-january_5029736.html https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/feb/3/nsa-wooing-thousands-laid-big-tech-workers-spy-age/ The UK military is precariously depleted https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2023/02/04/uk-military-would-run-out-of-ammo-in-just-one-day-of-fighting-russia-warns-general/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/british-army-no-longer-able-to-defend-uk-and-its-allies-us-general-warns/ar-AA16WSFW
January 2023
Congress passes bill forcing railroad compromise https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-signs-bill-block-us-railroad-strike-2022-12-02/ Government banning TikTok back in the news https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/29/tech/south-dakota-tiktok/index.html https://justthenews.com/government/security/sun-19-states-have-put-restrictions-or-banned-tiktok-due-national-security Russia launches a variety of new warships https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/missiles-deep-russia-just-launched-new-ballistic-missile-submarine-198661 https://www.thedefensepost.com/2022/12/29/russia-new-warships-submarines/ ...and orders more advanced anti-ship missiles https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2022/11/russia-orders-additional-tsirkon-hypersonic-missiles/ Unintended consequences of bad faith behind Minsk accords https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202212/1281708.shtml President of European Commission cites Ukraine KIA number, this part of her speech is subsequently trimmed from all media. https://news.yahoo.com/von-der-leyen-statement-death-163600213.html Twitter, now owned by Musk, provides new transparency into past decisions via "The Twitter Files" https://www.westernjournal.com/can-read-twitter-files-right/ Did the CIA kill John F. Kennedy? A generation-spanning question receives new life https://theintercept.com/2022/12/22/deconstructed-jfk-files-cia/ DEA announces record Fentanyl seizures in 2022 https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2022/12/20/drug-enforcement-administration-announces-seizure-over-379-million-deadly Mysterious cell tower-like devices popping up around Salt Lake City https://ksltv.com/516749/why-are-antennas-popping-up-all-over-the-foothills-salt-lake-city-seeks-to-solve-mystery/ Many guesses are that these are nodes in the decentralized Helium network. Progress with the Notre Dame reconstruction https://aleteia.org/2023/01/06/notre-dame-cathedral-on-track-for-2024-reopening-spire-to-rise-in-2023/
December 2022
Who’s buying all this gold? https://www.marketplace.org/2022/11/22/somebodys-been-on-a-gold-buying-bender-its-not-clear-who-or-why/amp/
The tripledemic may not be as dangerous as feared https://www.science.org/content/article/competition-between-respiratory-viruses-may-hold-tripledemic-winter
Stanford president under investigation for academic fraud https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/stanford-president-under-investigation-after-school-newspaper-report
GE buys out NY Times’ entire advertising for a day–print, digital, even a custom wrapper for the paper https://www.axios.com/2022/12/06/ge-new-york-times-advertising-entire-paper-edition
TSMC hedging against possible China action? https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/tsmc-to-up-arizona-investment-to-40-billion-with-second-semiconductor-chip-plant.html
November 2022
Stripe cutting 14% of its workforce in preparation for “leaner times”. https://slashdot.org/story/22/11/03/1342250/stripe-cutting-headcount-by-14-as-it-readies-for-leaner-times
Egypt is a choke point for Internet cables. https://tech.slashdot.org/story/22/11/03/1450215/why-egypt-became-one-of-the-biggest-chokepoints-for-internet-cables
Turkey experiencing hyperinflation. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkeys-inflation-hits-fresh-24-year-high-83-after-rate-cuts-2022-10-03/
USA fading influence over Saudi Arabia. https://news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-reiterates-commitment-china-000000903.html
October 2022
Notre Dame’s restoration is drawing on ancient and lost skills. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/20/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-rebuild-medieval-carpenters-guledon?CMP=share_btn_tw&fbclid=IwAR0NnTJ0QYZ5rswboMokhhkp3jmSJGBBFG0c3aEKRMMkKXoGdh_N1vaol2g
China is having their own mini-2008, and their citizens protest when they aren’t allowed to withdraw money from their own bank accounts. The government sends out police and… tanks? https://www.newsweek.com/video-chinese-tanks-protecting-banks-customers-prompts-rumors-1726696
Rural hospitals are doing so badly, some are almost being given away. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/08/some-rural-hospitals-are-in-such-bad-shape-local-governments-are-practically-giving-them-away.html
The UK approval document for Pfizer mRNA does not recommend it for the pregnant and nursing. (Scan down to the Toxicology section.) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approval-of-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-for-covid-19/summary-public-assessment-report-for-pfizerbiontech-covid-19-vaccine
Researchers are using “AI” to scan and integrate data sets of voter rolls, address changes, and property tax records to detect out of date voter registrations. This is an early article; the technology has evolved considerably. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/05/technology/unregistered-voter-rolls.html
Key Alzheimers origin of disease theory that has been the center of clinical research and funding for nearly 2 decades is probably a fraud. https://www.science.org/content/article/potential-fabrication-research-images-threatens-key-theory-alzheimers-disease?cookieSet=1