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On TikTok, this zeitgeist is called the "Silent Depression," comparing the current times to the era of the Great Depression. In the height of depression in the 1930s average income was $3,900 and today it is $56,000. The cost of a home was $3900 (3x income) in 1930 today average home costs $426,000 (8x income). The cost of a car was $600 (45% of income) today an average car costs 48,000 (85% of income). In 130 rent was $216 per year (16% of income) today average rent is $24,000 per year (42% of income).

I was sent this video regarding banks freezing the accounts of ECOWAS to force them to take military action against Niger. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as CEDEAO in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Considered one of the pillar regional blocs of the continent-wide African Economic Community (AEC), the stated goal of ECOWAS is to achieve "collective self-sufficiency" for its member states by creating a single large trade bloc by building a full economic and trading union. ECOWAS also serves as a peacekeeping...

Background The US Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact & Diversity is soliciting a third-party organization to lead an external evaluation of DOE’s implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. With the signing of Executive Order 14008, ‘Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home,’ on January 27th, 2021, the White House established the Justice40 Initiative. The executive order aims to address environmental and economic inequalities through the goal of directing 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments – including investments in clean energy and energy efficiency; clean transit; affordable and sustainable housing; training and workforce development; the remediation and reduction...

REPLAY: Glenn TV - One-on-One with Tucker Carlson | The Blaze | The Summit | 07-14-2023

When it comes to the legal affairs of one Donald Trump, the most pressing issues, at the moment, are (1) the 34 class E felonies he was charged with in April in New York and (2) a potential federal indictment over his handling of classified documents, which appears more and more likely by the day. But, of course, those cases do not represent the entirety of the legal peril the former guy is in and, in fact, they don’t even represent all of the legal peril he is in when it comes to special counsel Jack Smith. As a reminder,...

Governor Ron DeSantis signs legislation to ban a federally adopted central bank digital currency. DeSantis was joined by Commissioner Wilton Simpson and President Kathleen Passidomo at Southwest Florida Public Service Academy at Fort Myers Technical College. Governor Ron DeSantis announced comprehensive legislation to protect Floridians from the Biden administration’s weaponization of the financial sector through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The legislative proposal protects consumers and businesses from a federally controlled CBDC by: Expressly prohibiting the use of a federally adopted Central Bank Digital Currency as money within Florida’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). Instituting protections against a central global...

Western Alliance Bank denied reports that it’s exploring a sale or has hired an advisor to explore strategic options. Shares of the regional bank tumbled 36% Thursday, slightly paring back its losses after plunging over 50% at one point on reports that the company is the regional bank latest to explore a potential sale. It also dragged down the broader stock market: The Dow fell 400 points, or 1.2%, and the S&P 500 sank 0.9%. The Financial Times, citing two anonymous sources, reported Thursday that the Arizona-based bank is exploring strategic options.

First Horizon Corp. and TD Bank Group have mutually agreed to end their merger agreement, which was valued at $13.4 billion when it was first announced more than a year ago, the companies announced Thursday morning. First Horizon shares were plummeting 45% in premarket trading after the announcement. Prior to the announcement, First Horizon stock had been trading well below the $25-per-share deal price, a sign that investors were skeptical that the deal would go through.

"Regulators seized control of First Republic Bank early Monday, making it the third financial institution taken under government control this year, then promptly accepted a bid from JPMorgan Chase for virtually all of the lender's assets. The state's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) said it had taken over San Francisco-based First Republic and appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. The DFPI also said the FDIC has "accepted a bid from JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Columbus, Ohio, to assume all deposits, including all uninsured deposits, and substantially all assets of First Republic Bank. **** First...

Lawrence Jones, who made history as the youngest black solo host of a program in cable news, is stepping in to fill ousted Tucker Carlson’s slot on Fox News next week. Jones, 30, who anchors “Lawrence Jones Cross Country” on Fox News on Saturday nights, will host in Carlson’s former 8 p.m. slot from Monday as the network continues with a rotating line-up of anchors. **** Jones, who worked in the Obama campaign when he was 15, reported live from Uvalde, Texas, after the mass shooting that killed 19 children and two adults, and has also covered the death of...

"The U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp has asked banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co and PNC Financial Services Group to submit final bids for First Republic Bank by Sunday after gauging their initial interest earlier in the week, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday."

"Are African leaders now ignoring Washington DC and its endless wars? Are they now sensing a new world of opportunities based on development and cooperation? Or are they sheep being led to the slaughterhouse? Putin is also scoring big on global diplomacy. Meetings with Africa, followed by Xi Jinping’s 3-day visit!"

Without last week’s Beijing-brokered deal, China would have had to rely on maritime routes under the control of the powerful US Navy to facilitate the forthcoming explosion in bilateral real-sector trade, but now everything can be conducted much more securely via the Iranian-transiting CCAWAEC. Looking forward, there’s also a theoretical possibility of Chinese energy investments in Iran connecting the Gulf to Central Asia and thenceforth to the People’s Republic, thus fully securing its strategic interests. That’s still a far way’s off, if it even happens at all that is, but it nevertheless can’t be ruled out. Saudi Arabia’s desire to...

Norway's sovereign wealth fund had investments in SVB Financial Group and Signature Bank that were valued last week at a combined 2.8 billion Norwegian kroner ($263.3 million), it said Monday.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman says the US government should consider a "highly dilutive" bailout of Silicon Valley Bank amid jitters about its financial position. The bank's failure "could destroy an important long-term driver of the economy as VC-backed companies rely on SVB for loans and holding their operating cash," Ackman said in a series of tweets on Thursday. "If private capital can't provide a solution, a highly dilutive gov't preferred bailout should be considered," he said.

"Trader Joe's will continue to hire on-site staff as the company believes its employees are more important than the glitz and the glamour of self-checkout. “The bottom line here is that our people remain our most valued resource," Tara Miller, Trader Joe's vice president of marketing, said on the Inside Trader Joe's podcast. “While other retailers were cutting staff and adding things like self-checkout, curbside pickup, and outsourcing delivery options, we were hiring more crew, and we continue to do that.” She added: "Our crew will be in our stores to help you find your next favorite product, just as...

"Billionaire private equity financier Thomas H. Lee was found dead in his Fifth Avenue Manhattan office on Thursday, an apparent suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. *** After Hillary flamed out in the 2008 primary against Barack Obama, she and Bill went to stay at Lee’s East Hampton estate. He was a political donor and bundler for Hillary Clinton including during her 2016 run." I wrote earlier in the week about the unusual news from the police report on former special advisor to Bill Clinton Mark Middleton who was found to have committed suicide last year. The report showed that...

DHS awarded a sole source contract to Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, 801 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004 for expert and consultant legal services. Debevoise & Plimpton (Debevoise) is the only law firm that has the necessary experience to provide the legal services to DHS for advice and representation relating to potential impeachment proceedings. The effort was awarded on a Time and Material (T&M) basis.The total value of the contract (including options) is as shown below: Period Total Base Year 12 mo. $1,500,000 Option Period 1 3 mo. $375,000 Option Period 2 3 mo. $375,000 Option Period 3 3 mo....

The U.S. housing market cooled off pretty dramatically last year, after mortgage rates more than doubled from historic lows. Home prices, however, have been stickier. Prices began falling last June, but are still higher than they were a year ago. Now, as demand appears to be coming back into the market, due to a slight drop in mortgage rates, prices are pushing back. **** Hepp notes that some of the exurban areas that became popular during the first years of the pandemic and saw prices rise sharply are now seeing larger corrections. But she doesn’t expect that will last long....

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to speak to Congress and President Joe Biden on Wednesday and claim the $45 billion worth of aid designated for Ukraine in the $1.7 trillion omnibus bill is not enough support.