Zerohedge

Maine’s public schools are seeing their worst test scores in 30 years, with student performance in reading and math ranking among the lowest in the nation.

According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, only 33% of fourth graders are proficient in math, while just 26% meet reading standards. Older students fare even worse, with only 25% proficient in math and 26% in reading, placing Maine 38th nationwide.

The decline comes as schools prioritize the children of illegal migrants, a group welcomed by the state’s politicians and employers, according to Brietbart.

Maine spends approximately $15,000 per student—over $1,000 above the national average—yet its schools are struggling with an influx of non-English-speaking students.

The Democrat-led state has embraced sanctuary policies, contributing to a surge of mostly illegal migrants, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). Over the past decade, the number of students with limited English proficiency has skyrocketed.

In Portland, 70% of new enrollees require special language instruction before tackling other subjects. Schools are diverting funds to hire multilingual staff, with classrooms now accommodating speakers of 57 different languages.

The Brietbart article says that education budgets are soaring nationwide as schools absorb a surge of migrant children under the Biden administration.

Like Maine, states across the country are redirecting funds to accommodate these students. In Pennsylvania, the number of English Language Learner (ELL) students jumped 40% from 71,766 in 2020 to 99,889 in 2024.

Meanwhile, academic performance is declining. Data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CASPP) shows migrant students struggling, with only 24% meeting English standards, 15.8% proficient in math, and just 11.7% in science—figures that have remained largely stagnant.

By Michael Every of Rabobank

Love and Death

I look at the world this morning and wonder how to fit what is going on into two pages, for markets who prefer two bullet points of two words each. So, I turn to Woody Allen’s 1975 movie ‘Love and Death’, an homage to 19th century Russian literary genius, for help:

NATASHA: It’s a very complicated situation, Cousin Sonja. I’m in love with Alexei. He loves Alicia. Alicia’s having an affair with Lev. Lev loves Tatiana. Tatiana loves Simkin. Simkin loves me. I love Simkin, but in a different way than Alexei. Alexei loves Tatiana like a sister. Tatiana’s sister loves Trigorian like a brother. Trigorian’s brother is having an affair with my sister, who he likes physically, but not spiritually.

SONJA: Natasha, it’s getting a little late.

NATASHA: The firm of Mishkin and Mishkin is sleeping with the firm of Taskov and Taskov.

SONJA: Natasha, to love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer. Not to love is to suffer. To suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness… I hope you’re getting this down.

NATAHSA: I never want to marry. I just want to get divorced.

President Trump suggested 25% US tariffs on Mexico and Canada could be delayed to April, then aides said they begin as scheduled March 4; then Trump said the EU, “which was set up to screw us”, will get tariffed at 25% rate in April too. Those who want to see March becoming April, then May, etc., did, and MXN and CAD swung; others still see high US tariffs loom, and when they finally hit, it will be USD that rallies.

The Fed’s Bostic said the Fed Funds rate needs to stay where it is for now, and “We need to be in a restrictive posture.” The timing seems odd when DOGE is slashing and burning, and market fears about recession are rising again – but then again, so are consumer inflation expectations. With the US 10-year yield at 4.28% at the time of writing vs. a high of 4.79% on January 14, maybe the White House can live with that Fed stance… for now.

Ukraine says the minerals deal it’s to sign with the US depends on a security guarantee – which doesn’t seem guaranteed given it hasn’t been negotiated yet. 24-hours ago, the deal allowed Ukraine “to fight on”: does it? Uncomfortably for many analysts, the bottom layer of the Maslow –and current market– pyramid is not really AI, or love of profits, but fear of death.

EU Commission President Von der Leyen is pushing a pan-European defence mechanism for key platforms and loosening fiscal rules to allow defence spending. European leaders will meet in London on March 2 and Brussels on March 6 to discuss these joint plans.

VdL is also pushing a €100bn Clean Industrial Deal to go green, not khaki. However, EU bureaucratic acronyms take time to slot into place while steel and aluminium firms needed for the military face high energy costs and global competition, and defence doesn’t think about the environment or emissions in the green sense. As Politico puts it, ‘Europe’s impossible choice: Which industries should survive the green transition?’

Poland says if Germany doesn’t want US troops based there, it will take them instead, as Berlin says it wants independence from the US and moots an extra €200bn in defence spending. Fort Trump is calling.

Far-right Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu, whose first-round victory saw the election cancelled, has been detained on suspicion of false statements regarding campaign finance, illegal possession of weapons, and initiating or establishing an organization “with a fascist, racist or xenophobic” character. Will there be more US-EU tensions over this?

The US told Chevron to pull out of Venezuela, suggesting a hardline Monroe Doctrine, as whispers are that any loss of oil output on that front can be compensated for by the Middle East.

We got a bizarre video of golden Trump statues and bearded belly dancers in “Trump Gaza” posted on the US President’s social media account. Yet the ludicrousness of the imagery perhaps sent a serious message too: why has the region constantly defaulted to the equally ludicrous status quo ante? That’s as The Wall Street Journal reports, ‘A Decimated Hamas Prepares for a New Fight With Israel’.

Iran may now have enough processed uranium for six nuclear bombs, though we’ve heard similar for years: then again, previously Iran and Israel hadn’t already directly attacked each other, and Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syria were in-between the two. Another source says autumn 2025 is the Israeli deadline for a strike on those sites if no deal can be agreed. Israel also insists on the demilitarisation of southern Syria, protecting Druze there and, at a stretch, potentially opening a corridor to the Kurds in the north. That’s as rumors are the Kurdish PKK may end their 40-year civil war vs Turkey, opening new possibilities for a post-civil war Syria.

Trump played his cards close to his chest over Taiwan in response to being asked if he would defend it, distancing himself from President Biden in that regard. However, if one looks at US actions and statements from Secretary of State Rubio, US grand macro strategy is now about looking to China. Almost everything we are seeing around us is still a reflection of that, from Ukraine to NATO to reaching out to Russia, to the new Monroe Doctrine, to tariffs to DOGE. The US will not just be singing ‘YMCA’ soon, but ‘In the Navy’, and songs from ‘South Pacific.’

Indeed, there’s lots more love-and-death geopolitics today:

• Financial Times editor Martin Wolf says the US is now “the enemy of the West”, as Jeff Bezos says the Washington Post is now for “personal liberties” and “free markets”, which seems quite Western to some – though context obviously matters.
• US and Russian representatives are in Istanbul to talk Ukraine without Ukraine or Europe. Martin Wolf adds Europe must rise to the current occasion or “disintegrate” and “be picked apart by world powers.” Indeed, markets are getting ahead of themselves on the Eastern front, failing to account for the risk that we get a frozen conflict in which the EU and Russia rearm for round two, rather than Russia selling Europe cheap gas and all watching Dr. Zhivago together.
• UK PM Starmer visits President Trump hoping for US support on Ukraine – not the “Can we have a free-trade deal, please?” mission he was originally hoping for.
• VdL visits India looking to make large friends, fast. Recall the US is now backing the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), which works against China’s interests, and will offer huge gains to both ends, while requiring stability in the middle – including Iran, Syria, and Gaza.

Like I said, it’s all a lot to take in and too much one still has to leave out. But I leave you on the latter part of ‘Love and Death’:

BORIS: “How I got into this predicament I’ll never know. Absolutely incredible. To be executed for a crime I never committed. Of course, isn’t all mankind in the same boat? Isn’t all mankind ultimately executed for a crime it never committed? The difference is that all men go eventually, but I go six o’clock tomorrow morning. I was supposed to go at five o’clock, but I have a smart lawyer.”

The 401(k) millionaire club has surged in size, fueled by American exceptionalism and the meteoric rise of MAG7 stocks, which have skyrocketed over recent years amid the era of “The Next AI” theme.

Bloomberg cited new Fidelity Investments data showing that the number of 401(k) accounts with balances of $1 million or more jumped 27% to 537,000 in 2024.

The data showed that while 60% of Americans have access to 401(k)-type plans, most accounts hold less than $1 million—averaging around $131,000 at Fidelity—with steady contribution rates.

The growing size of the 401(k) millionaire club has been primarily because of the hockey-sticking Mag7 chart below—everyone loaded up on the same big tech stocks as US tech outshined China, Europe, and the rest of the world. 

However, newly minted 401(k) millionaires must remain vigilant of the “DeepSeek China moment“—a possible inflection point for the market that has shown US exceptionalism fading in recent weeks. 

There is so much grassroots excitement about AI, in iOS 18.3 Apple is forcefully including everyone into its AI product since nobody will do so on their own.

But yeah, $300BN in capex. pic.twitter.com/sjdDiXexMi

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 29, 2025

What could derail the MAG7 party and put those newly minted millionaires back into the poor house is if TD Cowen’s report on Microsoft data center order cancellations is accurate. MSFT fired back at Cowen, denouncing the claim… 

Microsoft “Strongly Refutes” Cowen Report It Is Canceling Data Center Orders… But Questions Linger https://t.co/2dBqZZ8TyQ

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 24, 2025

Even with the rising tide in equity markets, the inflation storm unleashed by the Biden-Harris administration has financially crushed low/mid-tier consumers, resulting in wealthy Americans trading down for Walmart in recent quarters. 

More from the Bloomberg report…

… something that has happened only 10 times since 1871 — survey after survey shows most Americans remain anxious about being able to afford a comfortable retirement.

“People have concerns about the economy, the rising cost of living, rising inflation — so the thinking is that they’re likely making some sort of change somewhere in their personal financial lives,” said Michael Shamrell, vice president of thought leadership at Fidelity. “But it looks like they’re not pulling back on their retirement savings.”

… 

For those behind on savings, members of Gen X have been making strides as they approach retirement age. About 14% made catch-up contributions and the cohort had a total savings rate of 15.2%, in line with what many financial advisers recommend. Additionally, those who have saved in 401(k)s for 15 years, with the same employer, saw average balances jump 18% to $589,400 last year.

Meanwhile, Gen Z savers, the oldest of whom are now 28, were no savings slouches, either. Members of that generation who have contributed to their 401(k) for five years saw average balances rise 66% to reach $52,900. Such a huge jump is likely due to having a high proportion of their savings in equities.

Overall, almost 40% of retirement savers bumped up their contribution rate last year, for an average increase of 2.9%. A chunk of that likely came from the use of auto-escalation plans, which automatically raise an employee’s contribution rate by 1% a year. About 90% of savers got a contribution from their employer, Fidelity said.

For those newly minted 401(k) millionaires, just hope the US exceptionalism theme does not continue fading…

… or otherwise, you’ll be back in the poor house. 

Update (1401ET): The ‘Epstein Files’ have been released – to a select group of journalists and influencers, so we don’t quite know what’s in them yet…

According to the NY Post, however, it’s a nothingburger (but stay tuned, as we’ll drop whatever’s good – if anything)…

A source who has reviewed the files said the release spans more than 100 pages, including a list of contacts without further context.

The person said the unveiling was likely to be a “disappointment” to sleuths eager for bombshell new evidence about the billionaire pedophile’s connection to prominent political and business leaders.

Former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew and President Trump are among the high-profile people who associated with Epstein — though Trump reportedly banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 over an incident with a club member’s daughter.

A client list is not included in the initial release, which was compiled into binders describing the disclosure as “phase one” of the Epstein files, according to the source.

Earlier in the day the DOJ passed out binder copies of the “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to various people.

“This is just the start. AG Bondi confirmed there are thousands more Epstein File documents being secretly held in the SDNY and they will be delivered to the DOJ in DC by February 28,” wrote @DC_Draino who received a binder.

🚨Today I met with President Trump, VP JD Vance, AG Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office

They handed me a binder copy of the Epstein Files

This is the most transparent administration in American history

The best part? This is just the start. AG Bondi… pic.twitter.com/A4MRVuPeVh

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) February 27, 2025

Just got an Epstein binder

— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 27, 2025

Needless to say, the way this release been handled is not going over well…

“Hey everyone, I have a list of all the members of an ultra-powerful international pedophile ring. Make sure you hit that like and subscribe button.”

— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) February 27, 2025

*  *  *

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*  *  *

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday evening that she’s going to release DOJ files on dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“You said last week that you had the Epstein files on your desk. When can we see them?” asked Fox News‘ Jesse Watters.

“Jesse, there are well over – this will make you sick, 200 victims. Well over… over 250 actually. So we have to make sure that their identity is protected, and their personal information. But other than that, I think tomorrow Jesse – breaking news right now, you’re going to see some Epstein information being released by my office.“

“What kind? Are we going to see who was on the flights? Are we going to see any evidence from what he recorded – because he had all of his homes wired with recording devices,” Watters asked.

“What you’re going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information… it’s pretty sick what that man did,” Bondi continued.

Watch:

BREAKING NEWS: US Attorney General @PamBondi says we can expect brand new Jeffrey Epstein details TOMORROW. Expect flight logs and names… pic.twitter.com/dMn4nkKefV

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) February 27, 2025

Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender was found dead in a New York jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While his death was rules a suicide, he was also good friends with the Clintons and several other high-profile figures such as Bill Gates, Britain’s Prince Andrew, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Barclays CEO and ‘Disney princess‘ aficionado Jes Staley, Larry Summers, Harvey Weinstein, and former Victoria’s Secret boss Les Wexner.

Here are the flight logs which have already been released.

Media Room?

Watters’ question about recordings stems from earlier reporting that the deceased sex trafficker’s homes were wired with recording devices.

In late 2019, Jeffrey Epstein victim Maria Farmer alleged that the deceased pedophile had a “media room” on the first floor where high-profile johns were allegedly recorded having sex with women and children.

“So if you’re facing the house, there’s a window on the right that’s barred – that’s the room, the ‘media room’ is what he called it,” Farmer said. “And so there was a door that looked like an invisible door with all this limestone and everything and you push it and you go in and I saw all the cameras.”

Maria said: “What it was – was like old televisions basically, like stacked.“

“They were monitors inside this cabinet and there were men sitting here and I looked on the cameras and I saw toilet, toilet, bed, bed, toilet, bed.

“And I was like I’m never going to use the restroom here and I am never going to sleep here.” –The Sun

The claim was supported in a 2024 lawsuit by two women – Danielle Bensky and Jane Doe 3, who said Epstein employed a sophisticated system involving constant CCTV surveillance within his New York mansion.

Bondi’s appearance came hours after the DOJ appeared to give Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) the brush-off, telling her in a Wednesday letter that they are “reviewing your requests and look forward to engaging further to accommodate your oversight and legislative needs.”

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump suggested that he would be open to releasing the Epstein list, while Bondi said in November that anyone named in the documents who are “still fighting to keep their names private, Sean, they have no legal basis to do so unless they’re a child, a victim or a cooperating defendant.”

My office just received a formal response from the DOJ on the Jeffrey Epstein, JFK, MLK, & RFK files.

Read below👇 pic.twitter.com/gooBBQRlAq

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 26, 2025

Last week Bondi told Fox News that she had the Epstein files “sitting on my desk right now to review.”

*  *  *

Last week’s top selling items from ZH Store:

• ZeroHedge Multitool
• ZeroHedge Dark Roast Coffee
• ZeroHedge Shirt
• IQ Biologix Astaxanthin
• ZeroHedge Hat
• IQ Biologix Colostrum

Use coupon code THANKYOU10 for 10% off

*  *  *

 

Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics,

The State Department is disputing reports that President Trump’s foreign aid freeze has halted a United Nations program in Mexico designed to prevent imported fentanyl chemicals and other narcotics precursors from reaching the country’s drug cartels.

Far from trying to end it, the State Department is working to extend and expand the initiative, a State Department official told RealClearPolitics Monday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed a review of all foreign assistance programs, which has placed the training portion in a temporary limbo. While that review is taking place, Mexican officials who have already been trained are presumably using that expertise to continue to screen containers, according to the State Department official.

The program in question provided Mexico’s navy with training and equipment to improve the anti-narcotics screening of cargo entering and leaving the Port of Manzanillo, which is located on the Pacific Ocean and is one of the country’s busiest ports, responsible for handling cargo for the Mexico City area. The port also has served as an entry point for smugglers bringing in Chinese chemical precursors for fentanyl, methamphetamine, and synthetic opioids so the drugs can made in Mexican labs.

The project, known as the Container Control Programme, is a joint initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the World Customs Organization. The U.S. provided nearly $1 million to launch the project at the Port of Manzanillo in 2023. The initiative had already provided equipment and specialized training and was just two months from completion when the Trump freeze on foreign aid took effect Jan. 20, according to a State Department official.

Considering that the program had been going on for almost two years, Mexican officials who were already trained should have acquired the skills as to how to continue to inspect the containers even amid the pause on U.S. foreign assistance, the State Department pointed out.  

“We expect Mexican officials in Manzanillo to continue employing the expertise and equipment the U.S. government has provided to stop the flow of deadly drugs and precursor chemicals used in their production in Mexico,” the State Department official told RCP. “As neighbors, we must work together to address our most pressing challenges, including securing our borders and confronting the drug trafficking, alien smuggling, and arms trafficking that harm our communities.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Customs Organization, and the Mexican Foreign Ministry did not respond to RCP’s inquiries.

A Monday Reuters report, headlined “Trump aid freeze disrupts anti-narcotics program at Mexican ports,” claimed that the foreign aid freeze had stalled the Container Control Programme and paused a roll-out planned for two additional Mexican seaports – Lazaro Cardenas and Veracruz, which were to be added in February.

Over the last year, the program had already notched two major interdictions. Mexican authorities made several large seizures of chemicals used in the production of methamphetamine destined for the United States. The Mexican authorities intercepted 88 tons of precursor chemicals in July 2024 and another 25 tons in December 2024.

Funding for the container inspection training program was suspended Jan. 20 as part of Trump’s executive order reevaluating foreign assistance to programs that are “efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy” under Trump’s American First agenda, the State Department official noted.

The State Department has made exceptions for several of anti-narcotics programs, including $7.8 million in waivers for projects in Mexico funded by its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, or INL, to counter production and trafficking of fentanyl and to dismantle terrorist criminal organizations. The State Department, whose INL has an approximately $50 million total budget for Mexico, said additional waivers are under review, though it did not indicate which programs might get exceptions.

Trump has made stopping the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States a top priority, threatening 25% tariffs on Mexican and most Canadian imports to pressure the two countries to do more to curb illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Last week, the State Department announced the designation of several Mexican entities, including the Sinaloa and the Jalisco New Generation cartels, as foreign terrorist organizations.

Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics’ national political correspondent.

This year, the long-running US exceptionalism trade has shown signs of fatigue as concerns over a potential economic slowdown mount. Top market strategists, including Goldman Sachs’ William Hosbein and Nomura’s Charlie McElligott, have voiced concerns that a growth scare scenario could unfold.

On Thursday, Goldman’s Diana Asatryan provided clients with an updated take on the “Growth scare and tariffs” narrative that continues to flash alarm bells:

A sequence of disappointing prints—UMich, PMIs, consumer confidence, Walmart earnings—brought growth fears back to the forefront, right next to the ongoing tariff uncertainties:

• Consumer health: Weaker consumer data and less optimistic earnings commentary from major retailers has lead to a major unwind in consumer names year-to-date, sparking renewed debates around the health of the consumer. Some of this pullback however can be attributed to weather and market seasonality, leading our consumer sector specialist to believe that the rapid negative shift in the narrative may be overblown. Watching March numbers, and clarity around tariffs/immigration reforms here.

• Left tail: The Fed has made it clear that further monetary policy adjustment will be careful and deliberate. There is broad consensus, however, that the Fed can jump into action if there are signs of sustained economic weakness. Given the latest growth jitters, our rates desk already notes client interest in buying the left side tail, adding that there is likely room for the market to price deeper cuts.

• Tariffs and DOGE: Policy continues to be the biggest driver of volatility this year. Specifically, the new administration’s emphasis on growth-negative actions (tariffs, immigration restrictions), while growth-positive actions (tax cuts, deregulation) are taking longer, is weighing on market sentiment. Our Chief US Political Economist Alec Phillips provided a thorough rundown on everything from tariffs, to DOGE, to regulation, to tax cuts, and more in the latest episode of The Breaks of the Game—a must-listen.

• China sentiment: As outlined last week, Chinese equities are having their AI moment. But the trajectory of monetary policy, growth, and (again) tariffs, would be key to the sustainability of this rally. Join our APAC thought leaders this Friday for a discussion on China macro and policy outlook (replay to follow), and complete our latest client sentiment survey—you will receive the results as soon as you participate.

Asatryan provided clients with a chart pack focused on the trade policy and AI basket returns to offer a clearer view of the shifting economic landscape.

Here’s part of that chart pack:

Where is the Trade Policy Uncertainty Index for the United States?

Where are the normalized earnings of AI Baskets?

GS Sector / Basket Performance:

Our addition to the chart pack:

US Economic Surprise Indices are rolling over towards “misses” on average versus expectations…

AI Software: After a blazing start to the year, the AI software basket (GSTMTAIS) has suffered its worst five-day move in two years (-13%). 

China outperforming the US…

The takeaway is that US exceptionalism is now on pause.

Will this be enough for TSY yields to slide, considering the Trump admin is laser-focused on bringing down borrowing costs?

Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,

South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson has put forward an intriguing legislative proposal to create a new $250 bill adorned with an image of President Trump.

Wilson argues that the move would address “Bidenflation,” the economic strain felt by American families due to rising costs during the previous regime. He further suggests that this inflationary pressure has forced people to carry more cash, making the introduction of a higher-denomination bill timely and necessary.

In a statement shared on X, Wilson expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, stating that he is drafting legislation to instruct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design the bill.

Grateful to announce that I am drafting legislation to direct the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to design a $250 bill featuring Donald J. Trump. Bidenflation has destroyed the economy forcing American families to carry more cash. Most valuable bill for most valuable President! pic.twitter.com/v4glGOB2z3

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) February 25, 2025

He dubbed it the “most valuable bill for the most valuable President,” also linking the $250 denomination to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, adding a layer of historical significance to the proposal.

The idea has sparked varied reactions. Supporters see it as a fitting tribute to Trump, while critics are questioning its practicality, noting that U.S. law traditionally prohibits featuring living individuals on currency.

If passed, this would mark a historic shift, making Trump the first living current or former president to appear on U.S. money.

The proposal comes amid ongoing economic debates, with inflation having peaked at 9.1% in mid-2022 under Biden and eased to 3% in 2025, though Trump’s recent tariff announcements could influence future price trends.

Would you like to pack a Trump in your wallet, or is this just a distraction from more important issues?

It looks, great, way more useful than a 100 for bigger exchanges. Let’s gooo.

— Matt (@tslanerd) February 26, 2025

Hope this comes through.

— Jennifer Vranes (@jennifervranes1) February 27, 2025

Really? I voted for Trump, but isn’t there more pressing issues at hand?

— Kelly McCarty (formerly NONBidenary) (@KellyLMcCarty) February 25, 2025

Wait till everyone gets their taxes back and try again 🫣😂

— Mandy (@MarindaVannoy1) February 26, 2025

Don’t spend money paying staff to draft this. It’s a waste of time & resources.

— Diane T 🦩 (@Always_DianeT) February 25, 2025

How does this fix any of America’s problems? Now get to work on actual important stuff Joe!

— THE PARZIVAL (@The1Parzival) February 26, 2025

It MUST be limited production! When you insert higher currency, that is a sign of a weakening currency.

— ViErFrie (@firstchristmas9) February 26, 2025

*  *  *

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.

Pursuing President Trump’s vision of a fighting force focused on readiness to wage war, the Pentagon is about to initiate a fast-paced program to ferret out transgender military members and discharge them from the military, according to a memorandum filed in federal court on Wednesday. 

“Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service,” the memo says. The campaign will be carried out in two phases. First, the Pentagon will have 30 days to create a process for identifying and cataloguing every transgender service member. Discharges must commence within the next 30 days. Discharges will be “honorable” unless the individual’s record makes a lesser classification appropriate. 

“The Department only recognizes two sexes: male and female,” the memo adds. “An individual’s sex is immutable, unchanging during a person’s life. All service members will only serve in accordance with their sex.” Out of some 1.3 million active duty service members, trans advocates say there upwards of 15,000 who think they’re transgender, but officials counter that the actual tally is in the low thousands, Reuters reports. 

The memo indicates that exceptions may be made if there is a “compelling government interest … that directly supports warfighting capabilities” and –this is a big one — the individual is willing to comply with standards “associated with the applicant’s sex.” Taken with other elements of the Pentagon’s pronouncements, that latter criterion seems to indicate that the individual would essentially have to renounce their transgender identity and behaviors — perhaps even when they’re off-duty. Combined with the “compelling government interest” qualifier, it seems few if any exceptions will be made.  

News of the pending mass-discharge program follows an earlier Pentagon announcement that it would stop accepting transgender people as new recruits, and would no longer perform or facilitate gender transition procedures.   

The memorandum was filed as part of the adjudication of a legal challenge to Trump’s Jan. 26 executive order aimed at “prioritizing military excellence and readiness.” The order declared gender dysphoria to be wholly incompatible with military service. Its pointed language was applauded by conservatives, while enraging cultural Marxists: 

Consistent with the military mission and longstanding DoD policy, expressing a false “gender identity” divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.

Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life. A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member. 

That blunt language is also factoring into the legal challenge filed by several trans service members, with US District Judge Ana Reyes saying the order is “arguably rampant with animus.”  Reyes is holding judgement until she can examine the Pentagon’s detailed implementation plan. The next hearing is scheduled for late March. 

There’s more to the Pentagon’s war on woke ideology. On Jan. 31, the Defense Department issued a memo titled “Identity Months Dead at DoD.” 

“Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.”  

The ghosts of D-Day’s dead are smiling approvingly. 

Authored by Austin Alonzo via The Epoch Times,

The U.S. response to a highly pathogenic avian influenza is driving egg prices to record highs. Still, chicken meat prices remain relatively stable because of a significant difference in how the birds are raised and marketed.

Since 2022, the U.S. poultry industry has been heavily affected by its response to an ongoing outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). In the 30 days up to Feb. 26, more than 19 million birds had been affected by HPAI outbreaks, according to the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The United States’ top egg-producing states—Iowa, Ohio, and Indiana—have lost more than 62 million birds because of culling since the beginning of the outbreak.

The latest Department of Agriculture Egg Markets Overview report, published on Feb. 21, placed the national average wholesale price of eggs at $8.07 per dozen. In some regions of the country, the average was nearly $10 per dozen.

The price of eggs has driven the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to step up its action in response to the crisis. On Feb. 26, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that the agency would spend as much as $1 billion to boost biosecurity on farms and compensate farmers who lost birds to HPAI. The USDA is also weighing the possibility of using vaccines to control the spread of the disease and taking steps to override state animal welfare laws.

Meanwhile, the average retail price of boneless, skinless, conventionally raised, frozen chicken breast meat, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s weekly report for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21, was $2.99 per pound. Fresh, boneless, skinless breast meat was slightly more expensive, at $3.09 per pound. Boneless, skinless breast meat is the most popular cut in the U.S. market.

According to Consumer Price Index data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of eggs rose by 53 percent between January 2024 and January 2025. During the same period, the average price of “fresh and frozen chicken parts” rose by just 0.8 percent.

The significant difference in price changes is due to multiple factors, including industry size, disease susceptibility, and market economics.

Agricultural economists who spoke with The Epoch Times earlier in February said the main reason egg prices are so high currently is the sheer number of birds being killed, because the virus was discovered in a flock. Additionally, egg farmers are hard-pressed to replace the lost birds because an egg-laying hen—known as a layer—takes several months to grow from a hatchling to a productive bird.

Layers of all ages are dying or being depopulated, leading to a long wait for farms to get back online.

Layers Versus Broilers

David Anderson, professor and extension specialist focused on livestock and food product marketing at Texas A&M University, told The Epoch Times that a number of farms raising birds to be slaughtered for meat—known as broiler birds—did suffer from HPAI outbreaks. Nevertheless, because of the way broilers are raised and processed, a much smaller number of birds were lost in those outbreaks.

A woman shops for eggs in Burlington, N.J., on Feb. 16, 2025. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

Furthermore, Anderson said, the sheer scale of U.S. broiler production protects it from being decimated by HPAI mitigation. He said there were about 291 million layers in the United States as of Feb. 1. By comparison, Anderson said, about 796 million broilers were slaughtered for food in January.

Additionally, a broiler farm typically has about 200,000 birds on site when a flock is raised to market weight. By comparison, an egg farm can have millions of layer hens in a single complex. Recent data from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service show that about 3 million birds were affected in a single outbreak in Darke County, Ohio, on Feb. 21.

“So the scale of production is really different,” Anderson said in an email. “So if we lose 300,000 broilers to bird flu, it’s not nearly as big a deal as the loss of an egg farm.”

Moreover, while layer birds can take months to reach productive maturity, a broiler flock typically reaches its market weight within six weeks.

Jada Thompson, associate professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness at the University of Arkansas, told The Epoch Times via email that the price of chicken has risen but that “it’s generally much more moderated” than the rapid increase in egg prices.

Additionally, the disease itself is showing signs of tending to spare broiler operations and punish layer operations.

Thompson said the strain of HPAI currently circulating in the United States is less likely to affect young birds, such as broilers, and more likely to affect older and longer-lived birds, such as layers and turkeys. The disease is also less likely to be transmitted in warmer climates. The U.S. broiler industry is heavily concentrated in the Southeast.

Elasticity

From a purely economic perspective, Jadrian Wooten, collegiate associate professor at Virginia Tech’s Department of Economics, said the relative stability of chicken meat prices during the HPAI crisis speaks to the elasticity of the U.S. chicken supply.

In this sense, Wooten told The Epoch Times, elasticity speaks to the industry’s ability to recover when losing a portion of its supply. If a broiler flock is lost, six weeks of production are lost, too. By comparison, if an egg flock goes, then four to six months of production go along with it.

Wooten said high prices usually command the market to make more products, which in turn drives the price down to an average level. Because of the U.S. egg supply’s inelasticity, this is not happening.

“[The broiler industry’s] ability to respond quickly means that when prices are going up, they’re not going to go up as fast,” Wooten said.

“But for hens laying eggs, because they’re not as responsive when prices go up … the price just keeps going up instead.”

Wooten said the rising price of eggs will test the elasticity of demand, too.

Typically, eggs are considered an inelastic product, meaning people will want and need to buy them no matter how high the price.

Wooten said he thinks eggs will prove their inelasticity because there are no good substitutes for them, especially for those who need them for recipes and other products. For now, Wooten said, the inelasticity of both egg demand and supply will keep driving prices upward.

North Korea is reportedly sending more troops to its Russian ally, after initial reports said some 10,000 DPRK troops were deployed there last year. Some international and Western reports have said the number is actually higher, at 12,000.

South Korean intelligence is making the claims, saying at least 1,000 more North Korean troops have sent, – with some regional media reports saying 3,000 – though the exact number is unknown. If so, it appears a strategy to keep Russia’s military momentum going in Kursk.

South Korean intelligence also said other North Korean troops have been re-deployed to frontlines in the western Kursk region. There were reports these forces had withdrawn front front line areas in January.

Additionally, The Washington Post cites the following related to the new deployment: “Earlier on Thursday, South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo had reported that 1,000 to 3,000 additional North Korean troops had been deployed,” the newspaper says. “The NIS press office did not answer its phone line for comment on Thursday afternoon.”

Last week Russia’s defense ministry said its forces have gained back control of 64% of Kursk territory previously seized by Ukraine. Kiev’s cross-border offensive started in early August and has managed to control dozens of towns and villages and hundreds of square kilometers of territory.

Ukraine still has at least two wounded South Korean POWs in its custody. “In an interview with South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo published last week, one of the captured North Koreans expressed interest in defecting to South Korea,” WaPo writes.

But it should be noted that these South Korean-sourced and Western allegations cannot be independently verified, and in the past Western and Ukrainian officials have used such reports to advance wartime propaganda.

There have been some indicators of disorganization and lack of communication and experience among the North Korean and Russian troops as they’ve struggle to coordinate on the battlefield. 

Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg recently said Russia, Iran and North Korea have treaties now, that’s why “North Koreans fight in Ukraine” and if something bad happens “Russians would fight against South Korea”…

🇷🇺🇮🇷🇰🇵 Kellogg says Russia, Iran and Norzh Korea have treaties now, that’s why “North Koreans fight in Ukraine” and if something bad happens “Russians would fight against South Korea” pic.twitter.com/OqLPTsD5kZ

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) February 17, 2025

Pyongyang also chiefly sent foot soldiers in, and not entire support units for example with armor or heavier weapons. This does indeed make these DPRK forces more vulnerable and entirely reliant on their Russian allies. This also leaves them more exposed to land mines and small drone attack.

But North Korea has indicated it’s sent its “best-trained special operations troops” to help Putin’s forces, and the additional reinforcements being reported this week have been expected.