News headlines – 23 September, 2020
I am taking a step back for a while so am reintroducing the excellent news service from Rice Farmer who, along with Jenna Orkin, is remaining true to the legacy of Michael Ruppert.
News Links, September 23, 2020
## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
The Debt Crisis Is Mounting For Oil Economies
Hit from All Sides, European Bank Stocks Swoon to 1988 Low
Leaks about money laundering, a resurgent Pandemic, China risks, exposure to Turkey’s financial crisis, all in a negative-interest-rate environment that is toxic for banks.
New Lockdowns Could Lead Europe to Economic Depression
Global banks defy U.S. crackdowns by serving oligarchs, criminals and terrorists
Currency war to make gold the ultimate winner – Commerzbank
## Cut, baby, cut! ##
Bed Bath and Beyond to close 63 stores by year’s end
## Airline death spiral ##
American Airlines plans pilot training on Boeing 737 Max in November
Airbus announces concept designs for zero-emission, hydrogen-powered airplanes
Will Jet Fuel Demand Ever Recover?
Delta delays furlough decision on more than 1,700 pilots
## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
Taiwan’s Military Says It Has the Right to Counterattack Chinese Warplanes
House Stopgap Bill Includes $1.6 Billion For Columbia-Class Submarines
Amidst F-35 to UAE rumors, Esper pledges to support Israeli edge
## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Thai protesters vow to fight after ‘people’s plaque’ removed
USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll: A majority of Americans say cities under siege by protesters
## Energy/resources ##
Why Russia Is Pushing Unneeded Nuclear Power Plants On Egypt
## Environment/health ##
Humans Destroyed Intact Ecosystem Land the Size of Mexico in Just 13 Years
• Coronavirus
Study suggests dengue may provide some immunity against COVID-19
Mexico surpasses 700,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, actual toll unknown
Kidney damage caused by COVID-19 increases risk for death, study finds
## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Navalny demands Russia returns his clothes for Novichok investigation
But wait. As we saw recently, the Navalny people claim the water bottle from Navalny’s hotel room in Tomsk had novichok on it, but they took the bottle out of Russia. Which raises another question: At least one of Navalny’s people, or maybe a hotel staff member, would have touched the bottle, and should now be dead. What’s the real story? — RF
Navalny says Novichok found ‘in and on’ his body
And still he’s not dead? This incredibly deadly agent has failed yet again to kill its target! — RF
Canada police say six ricin-laced letters sent to U.S., including White House
Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 14
The War on Assange is a War on Truth (Ron Paul)
Yes, it’s apparent that Biden has a very low energy level. But I think Team Biden’s plan is to set up a system that’s something akin to a Dubya administration retread. In this scenario, Biden’s job would be to read the teleprompter, perform meet-and-greet events for foreign dignitaries, and sign what is put in front of him. The real governing would be done by Harris and Deep State apparatchiks. Maybe I’m totally wrong, and they actually expect Biden to somehow beat back the fog. Perhaps both sides will refuse to concede, and the election circus will be followed by a coup, or a duel in the Rose Garden. Exciting times ahead! — RF
## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
Inflation and “Socialism-Lite” Are Just What the Billionaires Want
After a bout of inflation and “socialism-light”, we could end up with even more extreme inequality when the whole rotten structure collapses.
UN chief deplores lack of multilateral solutions on 75th anniversary
## Japan ##
Japan ready to become permanent U.N. Security Council member: Motegi
## China ##
Ex-Goldman economist Jim O’Neill says China’s economy ‘well on the way’ to recover from coronavirus
Beijing unlikely to approve ByteDance’s TikTok deal with Oracle – Global Times
## UK ##
‘Work from home’: Johnson starts to shut down Britain again as COVID-19 spreads
Cash-strapped Britain eyes shrinking its order of new early-warning planes
## US ##
Trump Threatens an Executive Order to Prevent Biden from Becoming President
Bed Bath & Beyond to Close Stores As the Retail Apocalypse Threatens
Middle-aged Americans report more pain than seniors
Wow, Trump Didn’t Know That the Dollar Floats
The self-proclaimed international trade master not only does not know how most currencies work, he was dumb enough to let the world know.
200,000 dead: COVID-19 is creating ruinous economic damage that will take years to repair
Monday, September 21, 2020
News Links, September 22, 2020
*Posting will be light until the rice harvest is finished.
## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
UBS is ‘very bullish on gold,’ says prices could stay high longer
India’s Nobel laureate fears upsurge in child labour as pandemic shrivels economy
S&P Global warns of new European sovereign-bank “doom loop”
## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
China air force video appears to show simulated attack on U.S. air base on Guam
U.S. to slap sanctions on over two dozen targets tied to Iran arms
US Claims UN Sanctions on Iran Reinstated: The World Disagrees
Biden’s Foreign Policy Advisors Show Loyalty to Israel, Defense Contractors
US Space Force deploys to vast new frontier: Arabian Desert
NATO’s Stoltenberg: Alliance must expand influence to counter China
## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Thousands protest Netanyahu; many ignore Israeli virus rules
## Energy/resources ##
Jet Fuel Is Now So Cheap It’s Being Blended for Use by Ships
Shell May Cut Upstream Oil Operations By 40%
## Environment/health ##
World’s richest 1% cause double CO2 emissions of poorest 50%, says Oxfam
‘A crazy year up north’: Arctic sea ice shrinks to 2nd-lowest level on record
• Coronavirus
Indonesian gravediggers under strain as COVID-19 burials surge in Jakarta
CDC Spreads Confusion and Anger With a Stunning Covid Reversal
## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
ASSANGE HEARING DAY TEN—Fairbanks Testifies Trump Ordered Assange Arrest
Thirteen Former Presidents Urge United Kingdom Government to Immediately Free Julian Assange
As Julian Assange fights U.S. extradition at the Old Bailey in London, over one hundred eminent political figures, including 13 past and present heads of state, numerous ministers, members of parliament and diplomats, have today denounced the illegality of the proceedings and appealed for Assange’s immediate release.
Mainstream US reporters silent about being spied on by apparent CIA contractor that targeted Assange
Judge halts Trump administration order banning WeChat from Apple and Google app stores
Google again blocks access to YouTube account of Iran’s Press TV
## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
A Ukrainian/CIA Plot To Incite Belarus Against Russia Unraveled – The NYT Story Thereof Is Hiding The Failure
## Japan ##
Japan newlyweds can receive up to ¥600,000 to start new life
A vain attempt to raise the low birthrate. — RF
## China ##
China’s yuan is rallying sharply against the dollar — and analysts say there’s room to run
## UK ##
UK faces soaring COVID-19 death rate unless it moves fast, medics warn
Military-style Marshall Plan needed to combat climate change, says Prince Charles
Large parts of Wales to go into lockdown
Scotland’s Sturgeon says tougher COVID-19 restrictions on the way
## US ##
The Bill for America’s $50 Trillion Gluttony of Inequality Is Overdue
As Assange Faces Extradition, the State of US Prisons Grows Worse
The vast majority of the violence committed against prisoners in federal prisons goes unreported. And it’s a daily occurrence.
Nikola Hype Collapses, Shares Plunge Further, Founder/CEO Pushed Out. GM Swoons
This whole Nikola phenomenon was only possible in a market gone willfully blind and nuts.
Consumer Mood Darkens on Employment and Job Prospects
U.S. Industrial Demand For Natural Gas Drops As Economy Slows
Sunday, September 20, 2020
News Links, September 21, 2020
## Global Ponzi meltdown/House of Cards/global cooling/deflationary collapse ##
Worst Shipping Crisis in Decades Puts Lives and Trade at Risk
Beijing says firms on ‘unreliable entities list’ will be banned from trading with, investing in China
US billionaires’ wealth grew by $845 billion during the first six months of the pandemic
How much did your wealth grow? Will you be getting that new yacht soon? — RF
## War on cash/cashless society/cryptocurrencies ##
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Central Bank Digital Currencies or CBDCs
## Fault lines/flashpoints/powder kegs/military/war drums ##
US sends mechanized troops back into Syria
In bumpy U.N. dealings, Trump found backing on North Korea, isolation on Iran
US carrier enters Gulf amid sanctions threats toward Iran
A US aircraft carrier passed the Strait of Hormuz to enter the Gulf Friday amid Washington threats to enforce “UN” sanctions without the backing of Security Council partners, the Navy announced.
Germany: US Nuclear Weapons Shamed in Nationwide Debate
Britain, France, and Germany Spurn US Plan for Iran Sanctions
Iran’s Zarif says world should oppose U.S. sanctions or expect same
Time ticking down on US nuclear presence in Turkey
Withdrawal of US forces and nuclear weapons from Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base seems increasingly likely
## Migrants/refugees ##
The climate refugees are here. They’re Americans.
About 9,000 migrants on Greece’s Lesbos move into tent camp after fire
## Global unrest/mob rule/angry people/torches and pitchforks ##
Thai protesters kick off weekend of rallies
Thai protesters challenge monarchy as huge protests escalate
Protesters return to Portland streets after pausing due to smoke
In 2020, unprecedented protests have swept through Louisville and the US. Why now?
Police clash with protesters at anti-lockdown demonstration in London
Virus measures targeted by protesters despite case spikes
## Energy/resources ##
How much oil left in America? Not much
Investors Are Pulling The Plug On Argentina’s Prized Shale Play
Saudi Prince Warns Short Sellers Not To Bet Against Oil
U.S. Wants Bankrupt Offshore Drillers To Pick Up The Tab For Abandoned Wells
## Got food? ##
Food, fertilizer, fuel: Why the worldwide demand for seaweed is growing
## Environment/health ##
Bolsonaro’s Indigenous land mining policy a billion-dollar backfire
Arctic sea ice is being increasingly melted from below by warming Atlantic water
Monarch butterflies’ spectacular migration is at risk – an ambitious new plan aims to help save it
American Exceptionalism is Another Casualty of Our Climate Disasters
Underwater and on fire: US climate change magnifies extremes
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Likely Contaminate More Than 700 Military Sites
Germany’s Crypto-Neo-Nazi AfD Party calls for end to all climate action efforts
• Coronavirus
NYT First Reinforces, Then Silently Debunks Its False Claims About Russia’s Covid-19 Vaccine
Singapore rolls out Covid tracing tokens
## Intelligence/security/internet/cyberwar ##
Your Man in the Public Gallery: Assange Hearing Day 13
The Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu Alliance: Simply Bad News
Yes, The United States Did Draw Up A Plan To Drop 80 Nuclear Weapons On North Korea
South Africa’s Government Debunks Politico Fakenews Of Threats Against A U.S. Ambassador
Trump supports deal to allow TikTok to continue to operate in U.S
Empire’s Mask Slips at Julian Assange Trial
Glenn Greenwald Shocks With Explanation On Why Mainstream Media Is Ignoring Assange Trial
## Propaganda/censorship/fake news/alternative facts ##
Media Blame Gender Reveal Parties, Not Climate Change, for West Coast Fires
## Systemic breakdown/collapse/unsustainability ##
Collapse Is A Process, Not An Event
How does one ‘get ahead’ during hard times?
## Japan ##
Olympics cancellation likely to sock populace with nasty tax surprise
Complaints overwhelm Japan red-tape hotline hours after launch
Plan for Japan’s tallest building unveiled
Japan receives 8,700 visitors in Aug., down 99.7% from year ago
## China ##
China launches sanctions regime after US moves on TikTok, WeChat
China on Saturday launched a mechanism that would allow it to sanction foreign companies, upping the ante in a tech war with the United States a day after Washington moved to curb popular Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat.
Trending in China – Can Universities Stop Students Wasting Food And Keep Them Happy?
US Coast Guard report criticises China for illegal fishing and aggressive tactics
Ai Weiwei’s Covid-19 lockdown film traces China’s ruthless efficiency
Beijing hoses down its own vaccine propaganda
Chinese authorities fear a crisis of expectations as vaccine production capacity and timing fail to live up to earlier state hype
## UK ##
UK risks new lockdown as COVID cases hit highest since May
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says UK ‘now seeing a second wave coming in’
Rolls-Royce plans to raise up to 2.5 billion stg as COVID-19 bites
Migrants found on Essex beach deported to France and Germany
More than half of London office workers considering leaving city, study says
UK universities predict record student dropout rate
## US ##
A $700 Million CMBS Portfolio Is On the Brink as Malls Collapse
The pandemic is driving millions of America’s ‘working poor’ to the edge
Corporate debt frenzy rolls on as worries loom over markets
Market Update: DC/Wall Street Insider Predicts Coming Shock
Six months of carnage and counting: Travel industry struggles to rebound from COVID-19
