newswars--2020-08-17--A Mass Exodus Away From Big Cities On Both Coasts

In all of U.S. history , we have never seen anything like “ the mass exodus of 2020 ” .
Hundreds of thousands of people are leaving the major cities on both coasts in search of a better life .
Homelessness , crime and drug use were already on the rise in many of our large cities prior to 2020 , but many big city residents were willing to put up with a certain amount of chaos in order to maintain their lifestyles .
However , the COVID-19 pandemic and months of civil unrest have finally pushed a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on both coasts are doing a booming business as wealthy and middle class families flee at a blistering pace , and most of those families do not plan to ever return .
Los Angeles is a perfect example of what I am talking about .
Once upon a time it attracted wealthy and famous people from all over the globe , but in 2020 it is “ a city on the brink “ … Patriots protest by not following the illegal orders of their would be leftist jailers while the left burns down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the entire homeless population of the entire country now lives in the state of California , and a large proportion of them are addicted to drugs .
Needless to say , this has created a nightmarish environment… Could you imagine trying to raise a family in such a community ?
And the worse economic conditions become , the worse the problem gets .
Crime is skyrocketing in L.A. , and some residents have been shocked to discover strangers actually “ defecating in their front gardens ” … Of course Los Angeles is definitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such issues .
On a per capita basis , drug use is even worse in San Francisco , and it is being reported that there is “ a mass exodus of people looking to get out of San Francisco real estate ” … In the end , a lot of people may have to take losses on their homes , but it will be worth it simply to get out of California .
And the state legislature has apparently decided that the mass exodus is not happening fast enough , because a bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new “ wealth tax ” on the very wealthy… In the old days , a lot of Californians would just head north to Portland or Seattle , but those two cities are not exactly desirable options at this point .
The civil unrest in Seattle never seems to end , and Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf recently said that there had been “ twelve official riots ” in the first ten days after federal law enforcement officials left Portland .
Sadly , the east coast has experienced plenty of chaos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of New York City has been particularly dramatic .
In a previous article , I discussed the fact that the the New York Times had reported that 420,000 New Yorkers had moved out of the city between March 1st and May 1st .
But the exodus certainly didn ’ t end there .
According to the local Fox affiliate , between May and July there was “ a 95 percent year over year increase in interest in moving out of Manhattan ” … And it isn ’ t just residents that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , and that includes some of the most iconic retailers in the city… Earlier today , I watched a video that someone had taken of all the boarded up shops along 5th Avenue .
If you have not seen that video yet , you can watch it right here .
I couldn ’ t believe what I was seeing .
At one time 5th Avenue was a playground for the elite of the world , but now it essentially looks “ like a demilitarized zone ” … In about six months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City has made since the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s has completely disappeared .
Homelessness and poverty are both exploding , and crime rates are shooting into the stratosphere .
If you can believe it , the number of shootings in July was 177 percent higher than for the same month last year .
If the deplorable conditions in our major cities were just going to be temporary , I don ’ t believe that we would be seeing such a mass exodus .
But at this point it should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t going to turn around any time soon , and many people are convinced that things are just going to continue to get even worse .
Our major cities are degenerating right in front of our eyes , and there doesn ’ t seem to be any hope of reversing this process now that it has started .
In life , the decisions that we make always have consequences , and the consequences for the decisions that we have made as a nation as a whole will be very bitter indeed @

In all of U.S. history, we have never seen anything like “the mass exodus of 2020”.
Hundreds of thousands of people are leaving the major cities on both coasts in search of a better life.
Homelessness, crime and drug use were already on the rise in many of our large cities prior to 2020, but many big city residents were willing to put up with a certain amount of chaos in order to maintain their lifestyles.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic and months of civil unrest have finally pushed a lot of people over the edge.
Moving companies on both coasts are doing a booming business as wealthy and middle class families flee at a blistering pace, and most of those families do not plan to ever return.
Los Angeles is a perfect example of what I am talking about. Once upon a time it attracted wealthy and famous people from all over the globe, but in 2020 it is “a city on the brink“…
Today, Los Angeles is a city on the brink. ‘For Sale’ signs are seemingly dotted on every suburban street as the middle classes, particularly those with families, flee for the safer suburbs, with many choosing to leave LA altogether. British-born Danny O’Brien runs Watford Moving & Storage. ‘There is a mass exodus from Hollywood,’ he says.
Patriots protest by not following the illegal orders of their would be leftist jailers while the left burns down cities and shoots police
Almost half of the entire homeless population of the entire country now lives in the state of California, and a large proportion of them are addicted to drugs. Needless to say, this has created a nightmarish environment…
Junkies and the homeless, many of whom are clearly mentally ill, walk the palm-lined streets like zombies – all just three blocks from multi-million-dollar homes overlooking the Pacific. Stolen bicycles are piled high on pavements littered with broken syringes.
Could you imagine trying to raise a family in such a community?
I certainly couldn’t.
And the worse economic conditions become, the worse the problem gets. Crime is skyrocketing in L.A., and some residents have been shocked to discover strangers actually “defecating in their front gardens”…
TV bulletins are filled with horror stories from across the city; of women being attacked during their morning jog or residents returning home to find strangers defecating in their front gardens.
Of course Los Angeles is definitely not the only major city dealing with such issues.
On a per capita basis, drug use is even worse in San Francisco, and it is being reported that there is “a mass exodus of people looking to get out of San Francisco real estate”…
According to online real estate company Zillow, there is a mass exodus of people looking to get out of San Francisco real estate – as the housing market is on fire in the Bay Area suburbs, all the way to Lake Tahoe. According to the company’s “2020 Urban-Suburban Market Report,” home prices in the city have fallen 4.9% year-over-year, while inventory has jumped 96% during the same period, as a flood of new listings hit the market.
In the end, a lot of people may have to take losses on their homes, but it will be worth it simply to get out of California.
And the state legislature has apparently decided that the mass exodus is not happening fast enough, because a bill is being introduced that would impose a new “wealth tax” on the very wealthy…
Fast forward to today when the ultra-liberal state of California is now ready to take this “socialist” idea from concept to the implementation phase, with the SF Chronicle reporting that a group of CA state lawmakers on Thursday proposed a first-in-the-nation state wealth tax that would hit about 30,400 California residents and raise an estimated $7.5 billion for the general fund. The proposed tax rate would be 0.4% of net worth (most likely ended up far higher), excluding directly held real estate, that exceeds $30 million for single and joint filers and $15 million for married filing separately.
In the old days, a lot of Californians would just head north to Portland or Seattle, but those two cities are not exactly desirable options at this point.
The civil unrest in Seattle never seems to end, and Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf recently said that there had been “twelve official riots” in the first ten days after federal law enforcement officials left Portland.
Sadly, the east coast has experienced plenty of chaos as well, and the mass exodus out of New York City has been particularly dramatic.
In a previous article, I discussed the fact that the the New York Times had reported that 420,000 New Yorkers had moved out of the city between March 1st and May 1st.
But the exodus certainly didn’t end there.
According to the local Fox affiliate, between May and July there was “a 95 percent year over year increase in interest in moving out of Manhattan”…
According to the most recent data from United Van Lines, between May and July, there was a 95 percent year over year increase in interest in moving out of Manhattan. That compares with a 19 percent increase in moving interest in the U.S., overall. The top destinations for people who moved out of New York City between March and August were Florida and California – which together comprised 28 percent of relocations. Texas and North Carolina made up 16 percent of moves.
And it isn’t just residents that are leaving.
Business after business is shutting down, and that includes some of the most iconic retailers in the city…
J.C. Penney and Neiman Marcus, the anchor tenants at two of the largest malls in Manhattan, recently filed for bankruptcy and announced that they would shutter those locations. The Subway restaurant chain has already closed dozens of locations in New York City in recent months, Le Pain Quotidien has permanently closed several of its 27 stores in the city and plans to leave others closed until more people return to the streets, an executive at the chain’s parent, Aurify Brands, told the Times.
Earlier today, I watched a video that someone had taken of all the boarded up shops along 5th Avenue.
If you have not seen that video yet, you can watch it right here.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. At one time 5th Avenue was a playground for the elite of the world, but now it essentially looks “like a demilitarized zone”…
De Blasio’s New York has finally hit an all-time low: the once bustling city is now on the verge of looking like a demilitarized zone. Between the pandemic and the riots in the city, iconic 5th Avenue now looks more like a dystopian nightmare in a recently shot video posted to Twitter. The video follows a car driving down a deserted 5th Avenue, with almost all of the area’s high end stores boarded up and shut down. There are few people seen on what is usually a busy street. “Look at everything. Everything’s boarded up. Even the hotel. Boarded up,” the video’s narrator, who is obviously fed up with how the city looks, says.
In about six months, most of the progress that New York City has made since the dark days of the 1970s and 1980s has completely disappeared.
Homelessness and poverty are both exploding, and crime rates are shooting into the stratosphere.
If you can believe it, the number of shootings in July was 177 percent higher than for the same month last year.
If the deplorable conditions in our major cities were just going to be temporary, I don’t believe that we would be seeing such a mass exodus.
But at this point it should be clear to all of us that things aren’t going to turn around any time soon, and many people are convinced that things are just going to continue to get even worse.
Our major cities are degenerating right in front of our eyes, and there doesn’t seem to be any hope of reversing this process now that it has started.
In life, the decisions that we make always have consequences, and the consequences for the decisions that we have made as a nation as a whole will be very bitter indeed.


newswars--2020-08-17--Sheriff Praises Second Amendment, Armed Homeowner Who Defended Family

A sheriff in Alabama praised a quick-thinking homeowner for taking care of a burglar situation while police were on their way .
A Facebook post from the Cullman County sheriff described the Monday morning incident in Garden City , in which four burglars attempted to rob the wrong house .
“ In the early morning hours of August 17th 2020 , homeowners were awoken to four suspects breaking into their home in Garden City , ” reads the Cullman County sheriff ’ s office Facebook post .
“ The suspects were met by armed homeowners and then the suspects exited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Shortly there was an exchange of gunfire with one suspect being shot and now being treated in a regional hospital.
” “ Cullman County Sheriff ’ s Office ( CCSO ) deputies arrived on scene shortly thereafter with the assistance of Hanceville Police Department ( HPD ) Three suspects have been detained , counting the suspect in the hospital , and one suspect fled the area in their vehicle.
” In a follow-up praising the homeowner and announcing the arrest of a fourth suspect , Sheriff Matt Gentry said he was grateful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself and his family .
“ This is a great example of citizens utilizing their second amendment rights and protecting themselves and their family , ” the sheriff stated .
“ I have often stated that law enforcement can be minutes away when you only have seconds to defend yourself and your family .
That ’ s why we at the sheriff ’ s office are proponents of not only having a weapon for self defense but also being proficient in how to use it , ” said Sheriff Matt Gentry .

A sheriff in Alabama praised a quick-thinking homeowner for taking care of a burglar situation while police were on their way.
A Facebook post from the Cullman County sheriff described the Monday morning incident in Garden City, in which four burglars attempted to rob the wrong house.
“In the early morning hours of August 17th 2020, homeowners were awoken to four suspects breaking into their home in Garden City,” reads the Cullman County sheriff’s office Facebook post.
“The suspects were met by armed homeowners and then the suspects exited the home followed by the homeowner.”
“Shortly there was an exchange of gunfire with one suspect being shot and now being treated in a regional hospital.”
“Cullman County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies arrived on scene shortly thereafter with the assistance of Hanceville Police Department (HPD) Three suspects have been detained, counting the suspect in the hospital, and one suspect fled the area in their vehicle.”
In a follow-up praising the homeowner and announcing the arrest of a fourth suspect, Sheriff Matt Gentry said he was grateful the citizen had the means to defend himself and his family.
“This is a great example of citizens utilizing their second amendment rights and protecting themselves and their family,” the sheriff stated.
“I have often stated that law enforcement can be minutes away when you only have seconds to defend yourself and your family. That’s why we at the sheriff’s office are proponents of not only having a weapon for self defense but also being proficient in how to use it,” said Sheriff Matt Gentry.


newswars--2020-08-17--Black Female Republican Candidate Exposes Dem Destruction in Baltimore

A pro-Trump Republican Congressional Nominee in MD-District 7 named Kimberly Klacik has dropped one of 2020 ’ s best political advertisements .
Klacik begins her video by proving the current leaders of Baltimore don ’ t actually care about black lives .
“ Walk with me .
They don ’ t want you to see this , ” she says while strolling down a dilapidated city street .
“ This is the reality for black people every single day .
Crumbling infrastructure , abandoned homes , poverty and crime , ” Kimberly explains while giving a tour of the crumbling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that after 53 years of Democrat rule in Baltimore , the once-great metropolis has become a nationwide leader in categories such as crime , homicides , poverty , drug deaths and more .
Next , Klacik asks citizens on the streets if they want to “ defund the police , ” and every person answers , “ No.
” Kim continues to note that Democrats are afraid of people exposing their failed leadership in cities across the nation , saying , “ That ’ s why I ’ m running for Congress .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matters .
And black people don ’ t have to vote Democrat !
”

A pro-Trump Republican Congressional Nominee in MD-District 7 named Kimberly Klacik has dropped one of 2020’s best political advertisements.
Klacik begins her video by proving the current leaders of Baltimore don’t actually care about black lives.
“Walk with me. They don’t want you to see this,” she says while strolling down a dilapidated city street.
“This is the reality for black people every single day. Crumbling infrastructure, abandoned homes, poverty and crime,” Kimberly explains while giving a tour of the crumbling neighborhood.
She goes on to say that after 53 years of Democrat rule in Baltimore, the once-great metropolis has become a nationwide leader in categories such as crime, homicides, poverty, drug deaths and more.
Next, Klacik asks citizens on the streets if they want to “defund the police,” and every person answers, “No.”
Kim continues to note that Democrats are afraid of people exposing their failed leadership in cities across the nation, saying, “That’s why I’m running for Congress. Because all black lives matter. Baltimore matters. And black people don’t have to vote Democrat!”


newswars--2020-08-17--Black Lives Matter Rioters in Portland Target Passersby in Violent Sunday Night

Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters in Portland targeted , beat , or robbed multiple passersby , including a trans @ @ @ @ @ according to multiple videos posted to social media .
A young white woman was chased @ @ @ @ @ Portland , crying out , “ We didn ’ t do anything !
… .
@ @ @ @ @ the street and they just started attacking us !
” After a man on a @ @ @ @ @ started running , according to video tweeted by journalist Andy Ngo .
BLM and Antifa @ @ @ @ @ white woman , who was leaning against a truck and trying to protect herself .

Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters in Portland targeted, beat, or robbed multiple passersby, including a trans woman on Sunday evening, according to multiple videos posted to social media.
A young white woman was chased down the street in downtown Portland, crying out, “We didn’t do anything! … . We were just walking down the street and they just started attacking us!” After a man on a scooter showed up, she started running, according to video tweeted by journalist Andy Ngo.
“We’re just walking down the street. Leave us alone!” Footage from tonight in Portland showing people from the BLM protest walking around downtown appearing to assault more random white people. #PortlandRiots #BlackLivesMatter Video by @livesmattershow pic.twitter.com/Pmm7jfawDP — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2020
BLM and Antifa rioters also attacked an older white woman, who was leaning against a truck and trying to protect herself.
Read More


newswars--2020-08-17--Sales of Body Armor Surging in NYC

Sales of Body Armor Surging in NYC

Sales of body armor and guns are soaring in New York City amid an explosion of shootings and violent crime , according to reports .
Bulletproof vests are flying off the shelves at 221B Tactical in Manhattan , with owner Brad Pedell telling the New York Post sales of body armor at his store are up 80 percent from 2019 .
“ You wouldn ’ t believe the people who call up and say , ‘ I ’ m scared , ' ” Pedell said He said many customers see their neighborhoods are “ getting dangerous , ” while others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong place at the wrong time.
” Pedell said the majority of his buyers are from Brooklyn or the Bronx , where shootings are rising at historic rates .
“ Guns are flying off the shelves and now bullet-resistant vests .
Bring back cast iron tubs .
That ’ s where mothers used to put their kids to sleep to deflect the bullets.
” During a 72-hour span over the past weekend , 49 people were shot in 38 separate incidents , according to the NYPD .
“ All told , there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year through August 15th , compared to 577 victims and 488 incidents last year , ” Gothamist reports .
“ Homicides were up to 263 through Saturday , compared to 196 this time last year , police said Sunday.
” Suburban Americans are showing up to beat down the Antifa myth .

Sales of body armor and guns are soaring in New York City amid an explosion of shootings and violent crime, according to reports.
Bulletproof vests are flying off the shelves at 221B Tactical in Manhattan, with owner Brad Pedell telling the New York Post sales of body armor at his store are up 80 percent from 2019.
“You wouldn’t believe the people who call up and say, ‘I’m scared,'” Pedell said
He said many customers see their neighborhoods are “getting dangerous,” while others worry about finding themselves in “the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Pedell said the majority of his buyers are from Brooklyn or the Bronx, where shootings are rising at historic rates.
“People are scared,” retired NYPD sergeant Joseph Giacalone told the Post.
“Guns are flying off the shelves and now bullet-resistant vests. Bring back cast iron tubs. That’s where mothers used to put their kids to sleep to deflect the bullets.”
During a 72-hour span over the past weekend, 49 people were shot in 38 separate incidents, according to the NYPD.
“All told, there have been 1,087 shooting victims across 888 incidents this year through August 15th, compared to 577 victims and 488 incidents last year,” Gothamist reports. “Homicides were up to 263 through Saturday, compared to 196 this time last year, police said Sunday.”
Suburban Americans are showing up to beat down the Antifa myth.
Dan Lyman: Follow @CitizenAnalyst


newswars--2020-08-17--Former CIA Officer Charged With Spying for China

An ex-US Central Intelligence Agency ( CIA ) officer has been arrested and is now facing life imprisonment after he and a relative allegedly conspired with multiple People ’ s Republic of China ( PRC ) officials to relay classified national defense information for more than a decade .
Former CIA Officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was arrested by federal authorities on Friday , August 14 , and charged with “ conspiracy to communicate national defense information to aid a foreign government , ” according to a Monday release from the US Department of Justice .
The news release detailed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was also a former CIA officer – allegedly began divulging their knowledge of classified US defense information to PRC intelligence officials in 2001 .
Authorities say the two relatives met with Chinese officials over the course of three days in 2001 and provided them with information on CIA “ personnel , operations , and methods of concealing communications.
” The release alleges that one engagement was recorded , showing Ma accepting and counting $ 50,000 in cash .
Ma , who was born in Hong Kong and became a naturalized US citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign intelligence service in 1982 and maintained a “ Top Secret ” clearance until he left the service in 1989 .
He was also hired in 2004 as a linguist on contract for The Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) Honolulu Field Office .
Citing court documents filed in the US District Court for the District of Hawaii , the release claimed Ma routinely photographed , copied and also lifted documents that were explicitly labeled with various classification markings .
“ Ma took some of the stolen documents and images with him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the intent to provide them to his handlers .
Ma often returned from China with thousands of dollars in cash and expensive gifts , such as a new set of golf clubs , ” the news release alleged .
Authorities claim Ma revealed his crimes to an undercover FBI employee posing as a PRC intelligence service representative .
Court documents note the two individuals met twice in spring 2019 and Ma pocketed $ 2,000 as a “ small token ” of appreciation for his aiding of China .
“ The trail of Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strewn with former American intelligence officers who betrayed their colleagues , their country and its liberal democratic values to support an authoritarian communist regime , ” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers asserted in a statement published within the release .
“ This betrayal is never worth it .
Whether immediately , or many years after they thought they got away with it , we will find these traitors and we will bring them to justice .
To the Chinese intelligence services , these individuals are expendable .
To us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the need to stay vigilant .
Ma , who is scheduled to make his first appearance before a federal judge on Tuesday , faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty of “ conspiracy to communicate national defense information to aid a foreign government.
” The mayor of Austin , Texas , has decided to close public nature trails because of COVID-19 .
So Action 7 visits Barton Springs to open the park back up .

An ex-US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer has been arrested and is now facing life imprisonment after he and a relative allegedly conspired with multiple People’s Republic of China (PRC) officials to relay classified national defense information for more than a decade.
Former CIA Officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma was arrested by federal authorities on Friday, August 14, and charged with “conspiracy to communicate national defense information to aid a foreign government,” according to a Monday release from the US Department of Justice.
The news release detailed that the 67-year-old and his relative – who was also a former CIA officer – allegedly began divulging their knowledge of classified US defense information to PRC intelligence officials in 2001.
Authorities say the two relatives met with Chinese officials over the course of three days in 2001 and provided them with information on CIA “personnel, operations, and methods of concealing communications.” The release alleges that one engagement was recorded, showing Ma accepting and counting $50,000 in cash.
Ma, who was born in Hong Kong and became a naturalized US citizen, began his career with the civilian foreign intelligence service in 1982 and maintained a “Top Secret” clearance until he left the service in 1989.
He was also hired in 2004 as a linguist on contract for The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Honolulu Field Office. Citing court documents filed in the US District Court for the District of Hawaii, the release claimed Ma routinely photographed, copied and also lifted documents that were explicitly labeled with various classification markings.
“Ma took some of the stolen documents and images with him on his frequent trips to China with the intent to provide them to his handlers. Ma often returned from China with thousands of dollars in cash and expensive gifts, such as a new set of golf clubs,” the news release alleged.
Authorities claim Ma revealed his crimes to an undercover FBI employee posing as a PRC intelligence service representative. Court documents note the two individuals met twice in spring 2019 and Ma pocketed $2,000 as a “small token” of appreciation for his aiding of China.
“The trail of Chinese espionage is long and, sadly, strewn with former American intelligence officers who betrayed their colleagues, their country and its liberal democratic values to support an authoritarian communist regime,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers asserted in a statement published within the release.
“This betrayal is never worth it. Whether immediately, or many years after they thought they got away with it, we will find these traitors and we will bring them to justice. To the Chinese intelligence services, these individuals are expendable. To us, they are sad but urgent reminders of the need to stay vigilant.
Ma, who is scheduled to make his first appearance before a federal judge on Tuesday, faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if found guilty of “conspiracy to communicate national defense information to aid a foreign government.”
The mayor of Austin, Texas, has decided to close public nature trails because of COVID-19. So Action 7 visits Barton Springs to open the park back up.


newswars--2020-08-17--Watch: BLM/Antifa Fail To Disrupt Ca Trump Rally

When hundreds of Trump-supporting Californians held a rally in support of the president and America on Saturday , a group @ @ @ @ @ to disrupt the event .
The march , held in Beverly Hills , was attended @ @ @ @ @ supporters .
As usual , the demonstrators were flipped off , cursed at , and @ @ @ @ @ walking by the event .
A group of counterprotesters showed up chanting , “ Black @ @ @ @ @ the atmosphere of the event quickly became tense .
Despite the Antifa crowd trying to @ @ @ @ @ crowd , violence was avoided and some people from opposing sides even appeared to engage @ @ @ @ @ .
If Trump supporters in liberal California can achieve victories like this , what ’ @ @ @ @ @ country from taking America back from the far-left terrorists destroying our cities ?

When hundreds of Trump-supporting Californians held a rally in support of the president and America on Saturday, a group of far-left activists unsuccessfully tried to disrupt the event.
The march, held in Beverly Hills, was attended by a couple hundred Trump supporters.
As usual, the demonstrators were flipped off, cursed at, and assaulted by people driving and walking by the event.
A group of counterprotesters showed up chanting, “Black lives matter,” and the atmosphere of the event quickly became tense.
Despite the Antifa crowd trying to start fights with the pro-Trump crowd, violence was avoided and some people from opposing sides even appeared to engage in dialogue with one another.
If Trump supporters in liberal California can achieve victories like this, what’s stopping patriots around the country from taking America back from the far-left terrorists destroying our cities?


newswars--2020-08-17--California Set to Pass Nation’s First Wealth Tax

It was about about nine years ago when consulting company BCG first suggested that in a time of out of control spending and soaring debt loads , the only fiscally sustainable “ solution ” was to implement a wealth tax ( see “ There May Be Only Painful Ways Out Of The Crisis “ ) .
While the idea was well ahead of its time in 2011 , and was quickly shut down in the court of public opinion , several years later none other than the IMF resurrected the idea of a wealth tax , which has only gained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread grassroots pushback , the concept of a “ wealth tax ” has moved front and center and most recently the chairman of Capital Economics , Roger Bootle , said that the world ’ s wealthiest could be subjected to higher tax rates as governments scramble to fund spending and repair their economies amid the coronavirus crisis .
Fast forward to today when the ultra-liberal state of California is now ready to take this “ socialist ” idea from concept to the implementation phase , with the SF Chronicle reporting that a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a first-in-the-nation state wealth tax that would hit about 30,400 California residents and raise an estimated $ 7.5 billion for the general fund .
The proposed tax rate would be 0.4 % of net worth ( most likely ended up far higher ) , excluding directly held real estate , that exceeds $ 30 million for single and joint filers and $ 15 million for married filing separately .
Oakland Democrat Rob Bonta , who is the lead author of the wealth tax proposal AB2008 , justified the wealth expropriation by saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the health and economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus , and “ we can ’ t simply rely on austerity measures , ” to close it .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear why austerity doesn ’ t work considering that California has never actually tried it , but in any case the Democrat ’ s proposal was clear : “ We must consider revenue generation.
” And in doing that , California will trigger an exodus of billionaires who will be the first to realize which way the wind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state far more than helping it as hundreds of ultra wealthy taxpayers leave for places like Florida or – for that matter – any other place in the world .
Bonta said that the union-sponsored bill will not be heard before the Legislature adjourns Aug. 31 , but “ it can be reintroduced on day one of the next session.
” Now what most normal Americans ( i.e .
those not living in California ) may not know , is that this would be the second wealth tax set to pass in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see a wealth tax passed in addition to the “ millionaires tax ” proposed in a bill introduced in late July .
AB1253 would add surcharges of 1 % to incomes ( joint or single ) between roughly $ 1 million and $ 2 million , 3 % on income between $ 2 million and $ 5 million , and 3.5 % on income greater than $ 5 million , bringing the top rate to 16.8 % .
California ’ s top rate today , at 13.3 % , is already the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s only going higher .
The millionaires ( and soon to be hundred thousandaires , then ten-thousandaires and so on ) subject to the wealth tax would report it to the Franchise Tax Board along with their income taxes .
They would have to report all assets including stock in publicly and privately traded corporations ; interests in partnerships , private equity or hedge funds ; cash , bonds and savings accounts ; mutual funds , futures and options ; art and collectibles ; offshore financial assets , pension funds , non-mortgage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Which of course is idiotic because some of that wealth is extremely illiquid and evaluating it will not only take material time and effort , but also result in drastic costs .
Furthermore , just how will the government confirm that whatever wealth is reported represents reality .
But such is life in a half-baked socialist utopia where every idea is for lack of a better word , idiotic .
There was some good news : “ Directly held real property , and mortgages and other liabilities secured by directly held real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but would not be considered in calculating the taxpayer ’ s worldwide net worth , the bill said .
How wonderful… oh wait , someone realized that this would simply be double taxing the same assets : “ Real estate would be exempt from the wealth tax because it ’ s already subject to property tax , at a higher rate ” , Bonta said .
Among those handful of rational voices who call out this sheer idiocy for what it is was Jared Walczak , a vice president with the Tax Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ it is far easier to call for a state-level wealth tax than it is to actually design an enforceable one.
” Maybe that ’ s why no state has imposed one .
However now that California is on the verge of passing a wealth tax , every other insolvent state will follow suit , staring with New York .
“ Some New York legislators are floating the idea , but Governor Cuomo has poured cold water on the notion , rightly concerned that it would lead to an exodus of high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Walczak said via email .
Somehow California believes it is exempt from such an exodus .
Spoiler alert : it isn ’ t , and the state ’ s wealthiest residents won ’ t think twice to up root and move their tax residence to a state which treats their wealth with respect .
There is of course the possibility that this idiotic idea will somehow die before it is enacted .
Walczak said that implementing a wealth tax at the state level “ would be extremely complex , with questions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents ’ out-of-state wealth — including their investment holdings — can be taxed.
” He added that “ any tax that is actually effective at taxing wealth , however , would be equally effective at driving wealth out of state.
” Emmanuel Saez , a UC Berkeley economics professor , i.e.
, a socialist , said income tax is not an effective way to tax the ultra-wealthy , because they can avoid the income tax as long as they don ’ t cash in their investments .
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t sell his Facebook stock , and if he moved to Florida before realizing his gains , he may never owe tax to California , Saez said during a call announcing the bill .
Saez , like any other socialist who has a terminal inability of grasping who the world really works and that every idiotic action by the state will have an appropriate reaction by the population , said the bill would not deter startups because it would let entrepreneurs defer the wealth tax for a period of time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests in hard-to-value assets and business entities , such as startup businesses , shall be able to elect for an unliquidated and deferred tax liability to be attached to these assets instead of the net value of these assets being assessed at the end of a tax year.
” The taxpayer would have to sign a contract with the state specifying when the tax would be paid .
Well , Emmanuel , instead of signing a “ contract ” with the state when the tax will be paid , all those entrepreneurs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And guess what happens to the already dismal tax collections then .
None of this matters to the Berkeley socialist , and instead he pointed to a paper he co-authored , saying that California has 12 % of the U.S. population but 17 % of all U.S. millionaires and 25 % of its billionaires .
In 2011 , California had only 15.5 % of the nation ’ s millionaires and 21 % of billionaires .
The wealth tax , he said , would hit about 0.15 % of California tax filers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ paper ’ s second edition published in 2025 when the “ professor ” finds that California has none of the US ’ billionaires .
Until then , the rare voices of reason such as that of Robert Gutierres , president of the California Taxpayers Association , will become increasingly rare : “ The state approved $ 9.2 billion in business tax increases in the new budget , but Sacramento politicians and special interests continue to seek income tax increases , property tax increases , a ‘ headcount tax ’ on in-state employees , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was left over after all the other taxes were paid , ” Gutierrez said , adding that “ a very small number of Californians pay the vast majority of state income taxes .
When the constant drumbeat for outrageous tax hikes drives them away , who will pick up the tab ?
” Why , the Fed of course .
The mayor of Austin , Texas , has decided to close public nature trails because of COVID-19 .
So Action 7 visits Barton Springs to open the park back up .

It was about about nine years ago when consulting company BCG first suggested that in a time of out of control spending and soaring debt loads, the only fiscally sustainable “solution” was to implement a wealth tax (see “There May Be Only Painful Ways Out Of The Crisis“).
While the idea was well ahead of its time in 2011, and was quickly shut down in the court of public opinion, several years later none other than the IMF resurrected the idea of a wealth tax, which has only gained momentum in recent months, and despite widespread grassroots pushback, the concept of a “wealth tax” has moved front and center and most recently the chairman of Capital Economics, Roger Bootle, said that the world’s wealthiest could be subjected to higher tax rates as governments scramble to fund spending and repair their economies amid the coronavirus crisis.
Fast forward to today when the ultra-liberal state of California is now ready to take this “socialist” idea from concept to the implementation phase, with the SF Chronicle reporting that a group of CA state lawmakers on Thursday proposed a first-in-the-nation state wealth tax that would hit about 30,400 California residents and raise an estimated $7.5 billion for the general fund.
The proposed tax rate would be 0.4% of net worth (most likely ended up far higher), excluding directly held real estate, that exceeds $30 million for single and joint filers and $15 million for married filing separately.
Oakland Democrat Rob Bonta, who is the lead author of the wealth tax proposal AB2008, justified the wealth expropriation by saying that California is facing a big budget deficit because of the health and economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus, and “we can’t simply rely on austerity measures,” to close it. It wasn’t immediately clear why austerity doesn’t work considering that California has never actually tried it, but in any case the Democrat’s proposal was clear: “We must consider revenue generation.”
And in doing that, California will trigger an exodus of billionaires who will be the first to realize which way the wind is blowing, and end up hurting the state far more than helping it as hundreds of ultra wealthy taxpayers leave for places like Florida or – for that matter – any other place in the world.
Bonta said that the union-sponsored bill will not be heard before the Legislature adjourns Aug. 31, but “it can be reintroduced on day one of the next session.”
Now what most normal Americans (i.e. those not living in California) may not know, is that this would be the second wealth tax set to pass in California. Bonta said he would like to see a wealth tax passed in addition to the “millionaires tax” proposed in a bill introduced in late July. AB1253 would add surcharges of 1% to incomes (joint or single) between roughly $1 million and $2 million, 3% on income between $2 million and $5 million, and 3.5% on income greater than $5 million, bringing the top rate to 16.8%.
California’s top rate today, at 13.3%, is already the highest in the nation, and it’s only going higher.
The millionaires (and soon to be hundred thousandaires, then ten-thousandaires and so on) subject to the wealth tax would report it to the Franchise Tax Board along with their income taxes. They would have to report all assets including stock in publicly and privately traded corporations; interests in partnerships, private equity or hedge funds; cash, bonds and savings accounts; mutual funds, futures and options; art and collectibles; offshore financial assets, pension funds, non-mortgage debt, real property and mortgage debt. Which of course is idiotic because some of that wealth is extremely illiquid and evaluating it will not only take material time and effort, but also result in drastic costs. Furthermore, just how will the government confirm that whatever wealth is reported represents reality. But such is life in a half-baked socialist utopia where every idea is for lack of a better word, idiotic.
There was some good news: “Directly held real property, and mortgages and other liabilities secured by directly held real property,” must be reported, but would not be considered in calculating the taxpayer’s worldwide net worth, the bill said. How wonderful… oh wait, someone realized that this would simply be double taxing the same assets: “Real estate would be exempt from the wealth tax because it’s already subject to property tax, at a higher rate”, Bonta said.
Among those handful of rational voices who call out this sheer idiocy for what it is was Jared Walczak, a vice president with the Tax Foundation, a think tank, who said that “it is far easier to call for a state-level wealth tax than it is to actually design an enforceable one.” Maybe that’s why no state has imposed one.
However now that California is on the verge of passing a wealth tax, every other insolvent state will follow suit, staring with New York.
“Some New York legislators are floating the idea, but Governor Cuomo has poured cold water on the notion, rightly concerned that it would lead to an exodus of high net worth individuals from the state,” Walczak said via email. Somehow California believes it is exempt from such an exodus. Spoiler alert: it isn’t, and the state’s wealthiest residents won’t think twice to up root and move their tax residence to a state which treats their wealth with respect.
There is of course the possibility that this idiotic idea will somehow die before it is enacted. Walczak said that implementing a wealth tax at the state level “would be extremely complex, with questions of how to value illiquid assets and whether residents’ out-of-state wealth — including their investment holdings — can be taxed.” He added that “any tax that is actually effective at taxing wealth, however, would be equally effective at driving wealth out of state.”
Emmanuel Saez, a UC Berkeley economics professor, i.e., a socialist, said income tax is not an effective way to tax the ultra-wealthy, because they can avoid the income tax as long as they don’t cash in their investments. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg could avoid the income tax as long as he doesn’t sell his Facebook stock, and if he moved to Florida before realizing his gains, he may never owe tax to California, Saez said during a call announcing the bill.
Saez, like any other socialist who has a terminal inability of grasping who the world really works and that every idiotic action by the state will have an appropriate reaction by the population, said the bill would not deter startups because it would let entrepreneurs defer the wealth tax for a period of time. Brilliant.
“Liquidity-constrained taxpayers with ownership interests in hard-to-value assets and business entities, such as startup businesses, shall be able to elect for an unliquidated and deferred tax liability to be attached to these assets instead of the net value of these assets being assessed at the end of a tax year.” The taxpayer would have to sign a contract with the state specifying when the tax would be paid.
Well, Emmanuel, instead of signing a “contract” with the state when the tax will be paid, all those entrepreneurs that keep the state afloat will simply… leave. And guess what happens to the already dismal tax collections then.
None of this matters to the Berkeley socialist, and instead he pointed to a paper he co-authored, saying that California has 12% of the U.S. population but 17% of all U.S. millionaires and 25% of its billionaires. In 2011, California had only 15.5% of the nation’s millionaires and 21% of billionaires. The wealth tax, he said, would hit about 0.15% of California tax filers.
We can’t wait for the paper’s second edition published in 2025 when the “professor” finds that California has none of the US’ billionaires.
Until then, the rare voices of reason such as that of Robert Gutierres, president of the California Taxpayers Association, will become increasingly rare:
“The state approved $9.2 billion in business tax increases in the new budget, but Sacramento politicians and special interests continue to seek income tax increases, property tax increases, a ‘headcount tax’ on in-state employees, and this new annual tax on money that was left over after all the other taxes were paid,” Gutierrez said, adding that “a very small number of Californians pay the vast majority of state income taxes. When the constant drumbeat for outrageous tax hikes drives them away, who will pick up the tab?”
Why, the Fed of course.
The mayor of Austin, Texas, has decided to close public nature trails because of COVID-19. So Action 7 visits Barton Springs to open the park back up.


newswars--2020-08-17--Strange gamma-ray heartbeat puzzles scientists

The inconspicuous cloud in the constellation Aquila is beating with the rhythm of a neighboring precessing black hole , indicating a connection between the two objects , as the team led by DESY Humboldt Fellow Jian Li and ICREA Professor Diego F. Torres from the Institute of Space Sciences ( IEEC-CSIC ) reports in the journal Nature Astronomy .
Just how the black hole powers the cloud ’ s gamma-ray heartbeat over a distance of about 100 light-years remains enigmatic .
The research team , comprising scientists from Germany , Spain , China and the U.S. , rigorously analyzed more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US space administration NASA ’ s Fermi gamma-ray space telescope , looking at a so-called micro quasar .
The system cataloged as SS 433 is located some 15 000 lightyears away in the Milky Way and consists of a giant star with about 30 times the mass of our sun and a black hole with about 10 to 20 solar masses .
The two objects are orbiting each other with a period of 13 days , while the black hole sucks matter from the giant star .
“ This material accumulates in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hole , like water in the whirl above the drain of a bath tub , ” explains Li .
“ However , a part of that matter does not fall down the drain but shoots out at high speed in two narrow jets in opposite directions above and below the rotating accretion disk.
” This setting is known from active galaxies called quasars with monstrous black holes with millions of solar masses at their centers that shoot jets tens of thousands of lightyears into the cosmos .
As SS 433 looks like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been dubbed a micro quasar .
The high-speed particles and the ultra-strong magnetic fields in the jet produce X-rays and gamma rays .
“ The accretion disc does not lie exactly in the plane of the orbit of the two objects .
It precesses , or sways , like a spinning top that has been set up slanted on a table , ” says Torres .
“ As a consequence , the two jets spiral into the surrounding space , rather than just forming a straight line.
” The precession of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period of about 162 days .
Meticulous analysis revealed a gamma-ray signal with the same period from a position located relatively far from the micro quasar ’ s jets , which has been labeled as Fermi J1913+0515 by the scientists .
It is located at the position of an unremarkable gas enhancement .
The consistent periods indicate the gas cloud ’ s emission is powered by the micro quasar .
“ Finding such an unambiguous connection via timing , about 100 light-years away from the micro quasar , not even along the direction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amazing , ” says Li .
“ But how the black hole can power the gas cloud ’ s heartbeat is unclear to us.
” Direct periodic illumination by the jet seems unlikely .
An alternative that the team explored is based on the impact of fast protons ( the nuclei of hydrogen atoms ) produced at the ends of the jets or near the black hole , and injected into the cloud , where these subatomic particles hit the gas and produce gamma rays .
Protons could also be part of an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the accretion disc .
Whenever this outflow strikes the gas cloud , it lights up in gamma rays , which would explain its strange heartbeat .
“ Energetically , the outflow from the disc could be as powerful as that of the jets and is believed to precess in solidarity with the rest of the system , ” explains Torres .
Further observations as well as theoretical work are required to fully explain the strange gamma-ray heartbeat of this unique system beyond this initial discovery .
“ SS 433 continues to amaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” emphasizes Li .
“ And it is certain to provide a testbed for our ideas on cosmic-ray production and propagation near micro quasars for years to come .
”

Scientists have detected a mysterious gamma-ray heartbeat coming from a cosmic gas cloud.
The inconspicuous cloud in the constellation Aquila is beating with the rhythm of a neighboring precessing black hole, indicating a connection between the two objects, as the team led by DESY Humboldt Fellow Jian Li and ICREA Professor Diego F. Torres from the Institute of Space Sciences (IEEC-CSIC) reports in the journal Nature Astronomy. Just how the black hole powers the cloud’s gamma-ray heartbeat over a distance of about 100 light-years remains enigmatic.
The research team, comprising scientists from Germany, Spain, China and the U.S., rigorously analyzed more than 10 years of data from the US space administration NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, looking at a so-called micro quasar. The system cataloged as SS 433 is located some 15 000 lightyears away in the Milky Way and consists of a giant star with about 30 times the mass of our sun and a black hole with about 10 to 20 solar masses. The two objects are orbiting each other with a period of 13 days, while the black hole sucks matter from the giant star.
“This material accumulates in an accretion disc before falling into the black hole, like water in the whirl above the drain of a bath tub,” explains Li. “However, a part of that matter does not fall down the drain but shoots out at high speed in two narrow jets in opposite directions above and below the rotating accretion disk.” This setting is known from active galaxies called quasars with monstrous black holes with millions of solar masses at their centers that shoot jets tens of thousands of lightyears into the cosmos. As SS 433 looks like a scaled-down version of these quasars, it has been dubbed a micro quasar.
The high-speed particles and the ultra-strong magnetic fields in the jet produce X-rays and gamma rays. “The accretion disc does not lie exactly in the plane of the orbit of the two objects. It precesses, or sways, like a spinning top that has been set up slanted on a table,” says Torres. “As a consequence, the two jets spiral into the surrounding space, rather than just forming a straight line.”
The precession of the black hole’s jets has a period of about 162 days. Meticulous analysis revealed a gamma-ray signal with the same period from a position located relatively far from the micro quasar’s jets, which has been labeled as Fermi J1913+0515 by the scientists. It is located at the position of an unremarkable gas enhancement. The consistent periods indicate the gas cloud’s emission is powered by the micro quasar.
“Finding such an unambiguous connection via timing, about 100 light-years away from the micro quasar, not even along the direction of the jets is as unexpected as amazing,” says Li. “But how the black hole can power the gas cloud’s heartbeat is unclear to us.” Direct periodic illumination by the jet seems unlikely. An alternative that the team explored is based on the impact of fast protons (the nuclei of hydrogen atoms) produced at the ends of the jets or near the black hole, and injected into the cloud, where these subatomic particles hit the gas and produce gamma rays. Protons could also be part of an outflow of fast particles from the edge of the accretion disc. Whenever this outflow strikes the gas cloud, it lights up in gamma rays, which would explain its strange heartbeat. “Energetically, the outflow from the disc could be as powerful as that of the jets and is believed to precess in solidarity with the rest of the system,” explains Torres.
Further observations as well as theoretical work are required to fully explain the strange gamma-ray heartbeat of this unique system beyond this initial discovery. “SS 433 continues to amaze observers at all frequencies and theoreticians alike,” emphasizes
Li. “And it is certain to provide a testbed for our ideas on cosmic-ray production and propagation near micro quasars for years to come.”


newswars--2020-08-17--Scientists determine ‘Oumuamua isn’t made from molecular hydrogen ice after all

The debate over the origins and molecular structure of ‘ Oumuamua continued today with an announcement in The Astrophysical Journal Letters that despite earlier promising claims , the interstellar object is not made of molecular hydrogen ice after all .
The earlier study , published by Seligman & Laughlin in 2020—after observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope set tight limits on the outgassing of carbon-based molecules—suggested that if ‘ Oumuamua were a hydrogen iceberg , then the pure hydrogen gas that gives it its rocket-like push would have escaped detection .
But scientists at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute ( KASI ) were curious whether a hydrogen-based object could actually have made the journey from interstellar space to our solar system .
“ The proposal by Seligman and Laughlin appeared promising because it might explain the extreme elongated shape of ‘ Oumuamua as well as the non-gravitational acceleration .
However , their theory is based on an assumption that H2 ice could form in dense molecular clouds .
If this is true , H2 ice objects could be abundant in the universe , and thus would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also proposed to explain dark matter , a mystery of modern astrophysics , ” said Dr. Thiem Hoang , senior researcher in the theoretical astrophysics group at KASI and lead author on the paper .
“ We wanted to not only test the assumptions in the theory but also the dark matter proposition.
” Dr. Avi Loeb , Frank B. Baird Professor of Science at Harvard and co-author on the paper , added , “ We were suspicious that hydrogen icebergs could not survive the journey—which is likely to take hundreds of millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and as to whether they could form in molecular clouds.
” Traveling at a blistering speed of 196,000mph in 2017 , ‘ Oumuamua was first classified as an asteroid , and when it later sped up , was found to have properties more akin to comets .
But the 0.2km radius interstellar object didn ’ t fit that category , either , and its point of origin has remained a mystery .
Researchers focused on the giant molecular cloud ( GMC ) W51—one of the closest GMCs to Earth at just 17,000 light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for ‘ Oumuamua , but hypothesize that it simply could not have made the journey intact .
“ The most likely place to make hydrogen icebergs is in the densest environments of the interstellar medium .
These are giant molecular clouds , ” said Loeb , confirming that these environments are both too far away and are not conducive to the development of hydrogen icebergs .
An accepted astrophysical origin for solid objects is growth by sticky collisions of dust , but in the case of a hydrogen iceberg , this theory could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ route to form a km-sized object is first to form grains of micron-size , then such grains grow by sticky collisions , ” said Hoang .
“ However , in regions with high gas density , collisional heating by gas collisions can rapidly sublimate the hydrogen mantle on the grains , preventing them from growing further.
” Although the study explored destruction of H2 ice by multiple mechanisms including interstellar radiation , cosmic rays , and interstellar gas , sublimation due to heating by starlight has the most destructive effect , and according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collisional heating in GMCs could destroy molecular hydrogen icebergs of ‘ Oumuamua-size before their escape into the interstellar medium.
” This conclusion precludes the theory that ‘ Oumuamua journeyed to our solar system from a GMC , and further precludes the proposition of primordial snowballs as dark matter .
Evaporative cooling in these situations does not reduce the role of thermal sublimation by starlight in the destruction of H2 ice objects .
‘ Oumuamua first gained notoriety in 2017 when it was discovered screaming through space by observers at Haleakalā Observatory , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ studies .
“ This object is mysterious and difficult to understand because it exhibits peculiar properties we have never seen from comets and asteroids in our solar system , ” said Hoang .
While the nature of the interstellar traveler is currently an unsolved mystery , Loeb suggests it won ’ t remain so for much longer , especially if it ’ s not alone .
“ If ‘ Oumuamua is a member of a population of similar objects on random trajectories , then the Vera C. Rubin Observatory ( VRO ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light next year , should detect roughly one ‘ Oumuamua-like object per month .
We will all wait with anticipation to see what it will find .
”

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

The debate over the origins and molecular structure of ‘Oumuamua continued today with an announcement in The Astrophysical Journal Letters that despite earlier promising claims, the interstellar object is not made of molecular hydrogen ice after all.
The earlier study, published by Seligman & Laughlin in 2020—after observations by the Spitzer Space Telescope set tight limits on the outgassing of carbon-based molecules—suggested that if ‘Oumuamua were a hydrogen iceberg, then the pure hydrogen gas that gives it its rocket-like push would have escaped detection. But scientists at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) were curious whether a hydrogen-based object could actually have made the journey from interstellar space to our solar system.
“The proposal by Seligman and Laughlin appeared promising because it might explain the extreme elongated shape of ‘Oumuamua as well as the non-gravitational acceleration. However, their theory is based on an assumption that H2 ice could form in dense molecular clouds. If this is true, H2 ice objects could be abundant in the universe, and thus would have far-reaching implications. H2 ice was also proposed to explain dark matter, a mystery of modern astrophysics,” said Dr. Thiem Hoang, senior researcher in the theoretical astrophysics group at KASI and lead author on the paper. “We wanted to not only test the assumptions in the theory but also the dark matter proposition.” Dr. Avi Loeb, Frank B. Baird Professor of Science at Harvard and co-author on the paper, added, “We were suspicious that hydrogen icebergs could not survive the journey—which is likely to take hundreds of millions of years—because they evaporate too quickly, and as to whether they could form in molecular clouds.”
Traveling at a blistering speed of 196,000mph in 2017, ‘Oumuamua was first classified as an asteroid, and when it later sped up, was found to have properties more akin to comets. But the 0.2km radius interstellar object didn’t fit that category, either, and its point of origin has remained a mystery. Researchers focused on the giant molecular cloud (GMC) W51—one of the closest GMCs to Earth at just 17,000 light years away—as a potential point of origin for ‘Oumuamua, but hypothesize that it simply could not have made the journey intact. “The most likely place to make hydrogen icebergs is in the densest environments of the interstellar medium. These are giant molecular clouds,” said Loeb, confirming that these environments are both too far away and are not conducive to the development of hydrogen icebergs.
An accepted astrophysical origin for solid objects is growth by sticky collisions of dust, but in the case of a hydrogen iceberg, this theory could not hold together. “An accepted route to form a km-sized object is first to form grains of micron-size, then such grains grow by sticky collisions,” said Hoang. “However, in regions with high gas density, collisional heating by gas collisions can rapidly sublimate the hydrogen mantle on the grains, preventing them from growing further.”
Although the study explored destruction of H2 ice by multiple mechanisms including interstellar radiation, cosmic rays, and interstellar gas, sublimation due to heating by starlight has the most destructive effect, and according to Loeb, “Thermal sublimation by collisional heating in GMCs could destroy molecular hydrogen icebergs of ‘Oumuamua-size before their escape into the interstellar medium.” This conclusion precludes the theory that ‘Oumuamua journeyed to our solar system from a GMC, and further precludes the proposition of primordial snowballs as dark matter. Evaporative cooling in these situations does not reduce the role of thermal sublimation by starlight in the destruction of H2 ice objects.
‘Oumuamua first gained notoriety in 2017 when it was discovered screaming through space by observers at Haleakalā Observatory, and has since been the subject of ongoing studies. “This object is mysterious and difficult to understand because it exhibits peculiar properties we have never seen from comets and asteroids in our solar system,” said Hoang.
While the nature of the interstellar traveler is currently an unsolved mystery, Loeb suggests it won’t remain so for much longer, especially if it’s not alone. “If ‘Oumuamua is a member of a population of similar objects on random trajectories, then the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (VRO), which is scheduled to have its first light next year, should detect roughly one ‘Oumuamua-like object per month. We will all wait with anticipation to see what it will find.”


newswars--2020-08-17--The Debt-Inflation Spiral Is Driving up the Demand for Gold

Measured in dollars , the current bull market for gold started in December 2015 , since which its price in dollars has almost doubled .
Other than the odd headline when gold exceeded its previous September 2011 high of $ 1,920 , only gold bugs seem to be excited .
But in our modern macroeconomic world of government-issued currencies , which has moved on from the days when gold operated as a monetary standard , it is viewed as an anachronism—a pet rock , as Jason Zweig of the Wall Street Journal called it in 2015 , only a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Despite gold almost doubling , Zweig ’ s view of it is still mainstream .
His comment follows the spirit of today ’ s macroeconomic hero John Maynard Keynes , who called the gold standard a barbaric relic in his 1924 Tract on Monetary Reform .
Keynes went on to invent macroeconomics on the back of his 1936 General Theory , and whether you profess to be Keynesian or not , as an investor you will almost certainly kowtow to macroeconomics .
It has been well nigh impossible to have a successful career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inflationist Keynesian theories .
You are required to substitute the economics of aggregates for those of the human action of individuals , upon which classical economics was based .
And with it you must unquestionably accept the state theory of money .
Well , we are now witnessing the cataclysmic ending of the Keynesian fallacy—the destruction of macroeconomics in a systemic failure centered on paper markets for gold and silver .
The Rescue Attempt Has Already Failed You may have missed the establishment ’ s last-ditch attempt earlier this year to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failure : Comex open interest peaked in January , when the gold contract was being overwhelmed by global demand .
Never before had open interest been this high : the previous all-time record had been in July 2016 , when it hit 658,000 contracts .
At that time , the market had recovered strongly from a deeply oversold condition , the price rallying from $ 1,049 to $ 1,380 , the December low in our headline chart .
That was successfully crushed with open interest taken down to 392,000 and the gold price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takedown which commenced in earnest in January this year did not succeed .
There is no question that it was a coordinated attempt by the bullion bank establishment to contain a developing crisis .
From its peak of 799,541 contracts on January 15 , open interest fell to 553,030 on March 23 .
Initially , the gold price continued rising , to $ 1680 on March 9 , but on March 18 it finally reacted , falling to $ 1471 in only nine trading sessions .
But while open interest went on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the price exploded higher , with unprecedented price premiums developing on Comex from March 23 onward .
The bullion banks ’ short exposure net of longs on Comex in a rising market had risen to $ 35 billion and the gross position was $ 53.5 billion before the attempt to drive the market lower .
Today , the respective figures are $ 38.3 and $ 53 billion .
The failure of this well-worn tactic precludes it from being used again .
The Financial System Depends Entirely on Inflationary Fiat In the investment industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your living , for the rise in the general level of prices of financial assets , measured by various indices , is little more than a reflection of the loss of purchasing power of your state ’ s currency .
The world has been enjoying this phenomenon particularly since the mid-1970s , four years after President Nixon removed the last vestiges of Keynes ’ s barbarous relic from the monetary scene .
A continual decline in the dollar ’ s purchasing power ensued .
Apart from the occasional hiccup , from 1982 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from 291.34 , to today ’ s 3,270 , the general public has appeared to make money .
It has not been an easy environment to convincingly challenge , being populated by groupthinkers who believe their stock and property gains have been the consequence of their individual financial acumen .
But one of those periodic hiccups is now upon us , threatening to be more disruptive than anything seen hitherto in our lifetimes , and which the macroeconomists in the central banks and governments tell us will require virtually unlimited inflationary finance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlimited fiat currency being issued by the state is important , because gold was always the money of the people , disliked by governments because its disciplines are limiting .
History has always seen the right to issue money taken away from kings , emperors , and governments by their failures and handed back to the people , so the empirical evidence suggests that it will happen again .
But macroeconomists argue that their science is an advance on former economic science , so what went before is irrelevant .
Therefore , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investment industry is not attuned to gold .
Physical gold is not even a regulated investment , which means that government regulators do not permit the funds they license to hold physical metal beyond a small exposure , if they permit it at all .
The uncontentious position , taken by nearly all compliance officers , is for investment managers not to hold any .
But besides mining stocks , today there are exchange-traded funds that do offer some investment exposure to gold for fund managers .
Assuming , that is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keynesian views of their colleagues .
In recent years , suggestions monetary authorities are planning a monetary reset centered on the dollar have been made by a number of observers .
Central bank research into blockchain solutions have added to this speculation , but a recent paper by the IMF shows there is no consensus in central banks as to how and for what purpose they would use digital currencies—the central banking version of cryptocurrencies .
In any event , it is likely to take too long for a central bank digital currency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which monetary events are now unfolding .
Empirical evidence suggests that once initiated , a fiat currency collapse happens in a matter of months .
Today , the Fed has tightly bonded the future of financial asset values to the dollar—one goes and they both go .
The credibility behind financial asset values is already stretched to the limit , and the inevitable collapse , taking fiat money with it , is likely to be sudden .
As a side note , the last time a collapse in financial assets took the currency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundred years ago—in 1720 , when John Law ’ s Mississippi bubble failed .
Interestingly , Richard Cantillon made his second fortune by shorting Law ’ s currency , the livre , and not his shares .
His first fortune was made as a banker , lending money to wealthy speculators and taking in Mississippi shares as collateral , which he then promptly sold , pocketing the proceeds .
An attempt at a currency reset , with or without blockchains , can only be contemplated after the public has begun to abandon existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events unfurl when fiat currencies die precludes advance planning of currency replacements .
Any attempt to produce a new fiat money after the existing one has failed will also fail—rapidly .
The idea that the state can take control of the valuation of a new currency in a fiat reset in order to make it durable is the ultimate conceit of macroeconomics , the denial of personal freedom to make choices in favor of the management of the aggregate .
One of the specious arguments that arises time and again is that inflation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is true for existing debt , but those who advocate it as a remedy for government indebtedness fail to understand that it also increases the cost of the government ’ s future debt .
And while it similarly reduces the burden on private sector debtors , by destroying savings inflation it leads to capital starvation and hampers any recovery .
It is possible , and desirable , that the ills of fiat currencies will be properly addressed .
But that will require an abandonment of inflationism , and a commitment to balanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their spending , reducing their role in the economies they oversee .
Statist interventions , both regulatory and mandated by law have to be axed , and full responsibility for their own actions handed back to the people .
And only then can sound money , preventing governments from reverting to their inflationary ways , be successfully introduced .
Assuming all this is possible , the only sound money is one with a track record and over which governments have no control as a medium of exchange .
In other words , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative to turning their currencies into substitutes fully convertible into gold , with silver in a subsidiary coinage role .
Coins in both metals must be freely available on demand from all banks at the fixed rate of exchange for gold , and for silver equating to its monetary value .
The circulation of gold and silver coins will ensure that the public fully understands their monetary role , thereby deterring future governments from inflationary policies .
Bank credit must also be backed by gold , and not expanded by banks out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mistaken belief in macroeconomics appears to be an unsurmountable impediment to an orderly change toward sound money .
Imposing their fervent denial of economic reality , macroeconomists are in charge of both economic and monetary policy in America , Europe , and Japan—and by extension that of almost all other nations .
It is not even certain that a currency collapse will dislodge them from their position of power , prolonging the chaos that will ensue .
Talk of a monetary reset only makes any sense if those doing the resetting understand what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will become immediately clear : the Americans , who stand to lose power over global affairs , will be the most reluctant of all nations to accept that the days of its hegemonic currency are numbered and that a return to a credible gold standard is the only solution .

Measured in dollars, the current bull market for gold started in December 2015, since which its price in dollars has almost doubled.
Other than the odd headline when gold exceeded its previous September 2011 high of $1,920, only gold bugs seem to be excited. But in our modern macroeconomic world of government-issued currencies, which has moved on from the days when gold operated as a monetary standard, it is viewed as an anachronism—a pet rock, as Jason Zweig of the Wall Street Journal called it in 2015, only a few months before this bull market commenced.
Despite gold almost doubling, Zweig’s view of it is still mainstream. His comment follows the spirit of today’s macroeconomic hero John Maynard Keynes, who called the gold standard a barbaric relic in his 1924 Tract on Monetary Reform. Keynes went on to invent macroeconomics on the back of his 1936 General Theory, and whether you profess to be Keynesian or not, as an investor you will almost certainly kowtow to macroeconomics. It has been well nigh impossible to have a successful career in the investment industry unless you subscribe to inflationist Keynesian theories. You are required to substitute the economics of aggregates for those of the human action of individuals, upon which classical economics was based. And with it you must unquestionably accept the state theory of money.
Well, we are now witnessing the cataclysmic ending of the Keynesian fallacy—the destruction of macroeconomics in a systemic failure centered on paper markets for gold and silver.
The Rescue Attempt Has Already Failed
You may have missed the establishment’s last-ditch attempt earlier this year to save itself. Figure 1 below shows its failure:
Comex open interest peaked in January, when the gold contract was being overwhelmed by global demand. Never before had open interest been this high: the previous all-time record had been in July 2016, when it hit 658,000 contracts. At that time, the market had recovered strongly from a deeply oversold condition, the price rallying from $1,049 to $1,380, the December low in our headline chart. That was successfully crushed with open interest taken down to 392,000 and the gold price to $1,120. However, the takedown which commenced in earnest in January this year did not succeed.
There is no question that it was a coordinated attempt by the bullion bank establishment to contain a developing crisis. From its peak of 799,541 contracts on January 15, open interest fell to 553,030 on March 23. Initially, the gold price continued rising, to $1680 on March 9, but on March 18 it finally reacted, falling to $1471 in only nine trading sessions. But while open interest went on to fall to 470,000 in early June, the price exploded higher, with unprecedented price premiums developing on Comex from March 23 onward. The bullion banks’ short exposure net of longs on Comex in a rising market had risen to $35 billion and the gross position was $53.5 billion before the attempt to drive the market lower. Today, the respective figures are $38.3 and $53 billion.
The failure of this well-worn tactic precludes it from being used again.
The Financial System Depends Entirely on Inflationary Fiat
In the investment industry it is monetary debasement that gives you your living, for the rise in the general level of prices of financial assets, measured by various indices, is little more than a reflection of the loss of purchasing power of your state’s currency. The world has been enjoying this phenomenon particularly since the mid-1970s, four years after President Nixon removed the last vestiges of Keynes’s barbarous relic from the monetary scene. A continual decline in the dollar’s purchasing power ensued. Apart from the occasional hiccup, from 1982, when the S&P500 Index rose from 291.34, to today’s 3,270, the general public has appeared to make money.
It has not been an easy environment to convincingly challenge, being populated by groupthinkers who believe their stock and property gains have been the consequence of their individual financial acumen. But one of those periodic hiccups is now upon us, threatening to be more disruptive than anything seen hitherto in our lifetimes, and which the macroeconomists in the central banks and governments tell us will require virtually unlimited inflationary finance to resolve.
The distinction between gold and unlimited fiat currency being issued by the state is important, because gold was always the money of the people, disliked by governments because its disciplines are limiting. History has always seen the right to issue money taken away from kings, emperors, and governments by their failures and handed back to the people, so the empirical evidence suggests that it will happen again. But macroeconomists argue that their science is an advance on former economic science, so what went before is irrelevant. Therefore, so is gold.
For these reasons, the investment industry is not attuned to gold. Physical gold is not even a regulated investment, which means that government regulators do not permit the funds they license to hold physical metal beyond a small exposure, if they permit it at all. The uncontentious position, taken by nearly all compliance officers, is for investment managers not to hold any. But besides mining stocks, today there are exchange-traded funds that do offer some investment exposure to gold for fund managers. Assuming, that is, that they are willing to contradict the Keynesian views of their colleagues.
Forget Currency Resets
In recent years, suggestions monetary authorities are planning a monetary reset centered on the dollar have been made by a number of observers. Central bank research into blockchain solutions have added to this speculation, but a recent paper by the IMF shows there is no consensus in central banks as to how and for what purpose they would use digital currencies—the central banking version of cryptocurrencies.
In any event, it is likely to take too long for a central bank digital currency to be implemented given the speed with which monetary events are now unfolding. Empirical evidence suggests that once initiated, a fiat currency collapse happens in a matter of months. Today, the Fed has tightly bonded the future of financial asset values to the dollar—one goes and they both go. The credibility behind financial asset values is already stretched to the limit, and the inevitable collapse, taking fiat money with it, is likely to be sudden.
As a side note, the last time a collapse in financial assets took the currency down in similar circumstances was exactly three hundred years ago—in 1720, when John Law’s Mississippi bubble failed. Interestingly, Richard Cantillon made his second fortune by shorting Law’s currency, the livre, and not his shares. His first fortune was made as a banker, lending money to wealthy speculators and taking in Mississippi shares as collateral, which he then promptly sold, pocketing the proceeds.
An attempt at a currency reset, with or without blockchains, can only be contemplated after the public has begun to abandon existing currencies. But the speed with which events unfurl when fiat currencies die precludes advance planning of currency replacements. Any attempt to produce a new fiat money after the existing one has failed will also fail—rapidly. The idea that the state can take control of the valuation of a new currency in a fiat reset in order to make it durable is the ultimate conceit of macroeconomics, the denial of personal freedom to make choices in favor of the management of the aggregate.
One of the specious arguments that arises time and again is that inflation reduces the true burden of debt. This is true for existing debt, but those who advocate it as a remedy for government indebtedness fail to understand that it also increases the cost of the government’s future debt. And while it similarly reduces the burden on private sector debtors, by destroying savings inflation it leads to capital starvation and hampers any recovery.
It is possible, and desirable, that the ills of fiat currencies will be properly addressed. But that will require an abandonment of inflationism, and a commitment to balanced budgets. It requires governments to rein in their spending, reducing their role in the economies they oversee. Statist interventions, both regulatory and mandated by law have to be axed, and full responsibility for their own actions handed back to the people. And only then can sound money, preventing governments from reverting to their inflationary ways, be successfully introduced.
Assuming all this is possible, the only sound money is one with a track record and over which governments have no control as a medium of exchange. In other words, metallic money. Governments will have no alternative to turning their currencies into substitutes fully convertible into gold, with silver in a subsidiary coinage role. Coins in both metals must be freely available on demand from all banks at the fixed rate of exchange for gold, and for silver equating to its monetary value. The circulation of gold and silver coins will ensure that the public fully understands their monetary role, thereby deterring future governments from inflationary policies. Bank credit must also be backed by gold, and not expanded by banks out of thin air.
But the pervasive and mistaken belief in macroeconomics appears to be an unsurmountable impediment to an orderly change toward sound money. Imposing their fervent denial of economic reality, macroeconomists are in charge of both economic and monetary policy in America, Europe, and Japan—and by extension that of almost all other nations. It is not even certain that a currency collapse will dislodge them from their position of power, prolonging the chaos that will ensue.
Talk of a monetary reset only makes any sense if those doing the resetting understand what they are doing. And one thing will become immediately clear: the Americans, who stand to lose power over global affairs, will be the most reluctant of all nations to accept that the days of its hegemonic currency are numbered and that a return to a credible gold standard is the only solution.