Tag Archives: 15 minute cities

Jan 9 2025

Biden Bans Natural Gas Water Heaters


Posted originally on Jan 9, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Evil of CO2

Joe Biden is passing additional climate change “protections” before leaving office. Before placing a ban on offshore drilling, Biden and/or his handlers turned his attention to American households. His latest policy will prohibit Americans from purchasing natural gas water heaters.

The ban will officially begin in 2029 and natural gas-fired water heaters will no longer be available to the public. Per usual, the ban is intended to prevent carbon dioxide emissions from ending the world. Some estimate that the tanks alone will cost consumers $450 more on the initial purchase, yet you can look at the prices on any home improvement store’s website to see that the cost is far more. The true cost of operating these tanks exceeds than what the government is estimating.

There was an existing electric water tank in my home when I first purchased it. The tank was constantly heating water even when not in use. I switched out my tank for natural gas and my electric bill fell by 1/3. My current tank only heats the water when needed and should be considered more energy efficient based on my bill.

Logic has no place in the climate change agenda. Around 40% of existing water heaters on the market will be banned under this new guideline. There will be no point in manufacturing natural gas heaters as they will be irrelevant. The Department of Energy claim that tankless water heaters must rely on 13% less energy than the newest, most efficient fossil fuel model.

“Forcing low-income and senior customers to pay far more upfront is particularly concerning. DOE’s decision to go ahead with a flawed final rule is deeply disappointing,” Matthew Agen, the American Gas Association’s chief counsel for energy, told the outlet. In addition to reducing options and raising costs for consumers, the ruling is punishing an industry. Currently, Rinnai America is the only major American manufacturer of tankless water heaters.

Yet, Rinnai America is against the ban, too. “Our point has always been—I think that the incoming administration will understand this—why would you eliminate a higher efficiency product category? It makes no sense. It makes no sense at all,” Frank Windsor, the president of water heater manufacturer Rinnai America, told the Free Beacon in an interview. “If you really want to impact the water heating ruling, you really need to deal with the tank models.”

Still, the climate change zealots are cheering the claim that the ban will reduce 32 million metric tons of emissions. The Department of Energy has claimed that Americans can enjoy saving $112 over a 20 year span.

“One of the things we see is an antipathy towards natural gas versions of appliances because natural gas is a fossil fuel and they want to electrify everything. When you see bad regulations from the Biden administration, usually it has something to do with climate change,” Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

The American Gas Association believes the “irresponsible” prohibition is illegal. “The final rule is a violation of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), which prohibits DOE from promulgating a standard that renders a product with a distinct performance characteristic unavailable. To make matters worse, DOE’s own analysis claims that the average life-cycle cost savings would amount to barely $112 over the entire 20-year average product life. DOE’s final rule is unjustifiable on legal and practical grounds.” AGA is suing the DOE over a similar issue.

Build Back Better leaders, who are not leaders but puppets of the globalist NWO, have not hesitated to abandon their people and country in the name of climate change. It is of no surprise that Biden is pushing through these unpopular proposals at the eleventh hour. Donald Trump will likely spend the beginning of his term fighting to undo all the damage the Biden-Harris regime has done in the name of climate change.

Jan 8 2025

Germany Lets Economy Plunge to Meet Climate Change Goals


Posted originally on Jan 8, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Germany Map 3D

Germany is on track to meet its climate change initiatives at the expense of its economy. To look at the overall health of the European Union, we may look directly at Germany – the leading European economy.  A climate think tank Agora noted that Germany lowered its emissions by 3% in 2024 on an annual basis due to its declining economy.

Germany shed 656 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year, a 48% reduction since 1990. The nation is seeking to reduce emissions by 65% in time for Agenda 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Agora director Simon Mueller admitted that Duetchland’s economic downturn is responsible for the lowered emissions, yet that is STILL not sufficient to meet the cap stipulated under the Climate Protection Act. “If Germany does not take action in these sectors, there is a risk of fines being imposed by Brussels,” Mueller said.

Fined by Brussels. There you have it, folks. The globalists running the EU are comfortable decimating the economy of Europe to achieve their true objectives. Wind and solar energy production in Germany accounted for 55% of consumption in 2024. Brussels and Agora seem to believe this shows that the climate policy is working at intended.

RobertHabeck

Economy Minister Robert Habeck, a Davos man, has championed these climate change objectives as well. He admitted in an interview with Spiegel that “since 2018 there has been no real growth in Germany. ” Habeck’s official title is Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection. One must question why economics and climate protection are paired in such a forced manner when one counteracts the other.

“Nationalism is on the rise and this is a dangerous trend,” said Habeck in March of last year, adding that the energy transition will only succeed “if we stick together.” We do not need to read between the lines to see what the establishment wants out of the EU. Habeck clearly stated that combating climate change “means a free world order.”

“Economic growth won’t be possible if we don’t act,” Habeck said, insisting that Germany’s climate virtues will attract business. He blamed economic woes on reliance on “cheap Russian gas and the Chinese market,” clearly stating globalization is the ideal for economic growth. He does not want “economic independence” for Germany, instead opting to support Brussels. “The old world is gone, a new world is rising,” Habeck declared. “This is a new world where the economic question alone can’t be the political leading question.”

A new world order where economic independence no longer exists. These people fail to understand what once made Germany a great economic superpower. As I have also warned many times, Germany has clung to the old mercantile economic model, keeping taxes high to prevent inflation and manufacturing products to sell to everyone else to bring home the profits. Now, the establishment is ruining the auto industry, which contributed to 17% of GDP in 2023, all in the name of climate change. They permitted energy costs to soar 300% by demonizing Russian energy. This lethal combination means that Germany’s entire economic model is under assault from every direction.

With cheap Russian gas no longer viable and exports to China declining, the war policies of the EU coupled with the economic crisis created by climate change and the cost of funding unproductive migrants, the prospects for the economy of Europe are pointing toward somewhat hard times into 2026. This will most likely contribute to tensions and pointing fingers at Russia to justify war being pushed by NATO.

Jan 8 2025

Washington State Democrats Leak Tax Plan


Posted originally on Jan 7, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Tax Robbery

Washington state Democrats accidentally leaked a document entitled “2025 Revenue Options” describing how they plan to hunt down citizens for additional taxes. An email containing the document and an accompanying PowerPoint presentation was sent to everyone in the Senate and entail exactly how they will wordsmith their way into extorting the people. “Do say: ‘Pay what they owe’ — but Don’t say: “Tax the rich” or “pay their fair share” because “taxes aren’t a punishment,” the graph read.

The proposal includes an 11% tax on firearms and ammunition. Storage units would be reclassified as RENTALS and seen as retail transactions. Amid the cost of living crisis exacerbated by shelter costs, these politicians believe that citizens should pay more in property taxes.

“Avoid centering the tax or talking in vague terms about ‘the economy’ or ‘education,’” the document states, instead opting to use positive connotations such as “providing,” “ensuring,” and “funding.” These lawmakers note that they must “identify the villain” who is preventing “progress.” That villain is the government, but the government needs to pin your woes on another source to create division. “We can ensure that extremely wealthy Washingtonians are taxed on their assets just like middle-class families are already taxed on theirs,” the slide reads.

The leaked document assures that this common rhetoric is intended to blind the masses into believing that tax hikes will not affect them but the dreaded “rich” who do not pay their “fair share.” In truth, no amount of taxation could ever be enough for the government as it spends perpetually with no plan to “pay their fair share” of debt.

Smart money has been fleeing blue states for this precise reason. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos notably fled Washington state for Florida, reportedly saving $1 billion on taxes alone. He moved his parents out of the state as well to avoid the death tax, which is among the highest in the nation at 20%. Governor Jay Inslee is wrapping up his term by insisting on a “wealth tax.”

The state is expected to face a $16 billion revenue deficit over the next four years and believes a 1% levy on the wealthiest residents could generate $3.4 billion over that time period. Businesses generating over $1 million annually would be in a new tax category called “service and other activities” and would be required to pay a 20% surcharge from October 2025 to December 2026. Come January 2027, successful businesses would be punished with a 10% tax. Why would anyone choose to conduct business in a state that punishes success? Innovators are not going to begin their businesses under these conditions and established companies will simply leave.

“Let’s be clear: there is a deficit ahead, but it’s caused by overspending, not by a recession or a drop in revenue,” Gildon said in a statement. “When the cost of doing business goes up, consumers feel it too. His budget would make living in Washington even less affordable.”

The state failed to manage its finances properly, and that burden now falls on the people. We see the same problem emerge at the local and federal levels. Governments feel entitled to YOUR money. Rather than correcting the root issue of spending and misallocated funds, governments believe the people they govern will foot the bill. The rhetoric is always the same as they insist they are “progressing” society by punishing the greedy and vilified rich. In truth, everyone suffers as a result of government mismanagement.

Jan 8 2025

Congestion Tax in Place in NYC – A Reason to Celebrate?


Posted originally on Jan 8, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

NYC Tax

Foreign concept but there are people who enjoy big government and welcome additional taxation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held a celebration to kickoff New York City’s new congestion toll fees. That’s right – people gathered around a sign announcing the “Congestion Relief Zone” at 60th Street and held a countdown as if it were New Year’s Eve.

Motorists entering Manhattan at 60th Street or below will be charged $9 if in a car or SUV, $14.40 for non-commuter buses, $21.60 for big rigs, and $4.50 for motorcycles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to cover a $33 billion budget deficit, and per usual, the people are on the hook for the bill. The MTA is seeking to generate $68 billion over the next five years, and this congestion tax is one of many new fees coming to NYC area as the new toll tax is expected to generate a mere $15 billion.

Governor Kathy Hochul is utterly clueless. She plans to bribe families with an “inflation refund” by shelling out $500 checks to households in a move that will cost the state $3 billion. We saw this fail during the pandemic when citizens earning beneath a certain threshold were bribed to stay complacent. Hochul said she would not raise the income tax in 2025, but nothing is ever off the table.

“Your tolls pay for: better transit, cleaner air, safer streets, a livable NYC. Thanks!” one resident shared on a sign that they brought to the opening ceremony. Seriously, these people have no idea what they are celebrating. Commuters who cannot afford the tax will be forced to take the trains which are notoriously unsafe. In fact, there was a stabbing on the Metro-North on the very day that the congestion relief zone was implemented.

Rideshare programs have been lobbying for this tax for years. Uber paid $2 million from 2015 to 2019 to encourage congestion taxes. Lyft personally donated $18,500 to Kathy Hochul’s campaign to champion congestion taxes. Both companies plan to raise fees to cover the cost of the tax. “We spent millions of dollars funding message testing, research, lobbyists and grassroots organizing to help those that have been fighting for congestion pricing for decades,” Uber admits in a statement on its website, later stating, “We do this because we are a for-profit company and good, robust, public transportation is good for business, reducing the need for car ownership and increasing use cases for Uber.”

“Congestion relief” is political rhetoric. It’s NEW YORK CITY — one of the busiest cities in the world! Goods and people must still enter the city, and these fees quickly add up. The people are on the hook for the budget deficit and the people are also on the hook to cover the fees that will ultimately be passed down to consumers. It is absolutely astounding that there are people who cheer higher fees as a result of government mismanagement.

Jan 8 2025

Nigel Responds to Musk


Posted originally on Jan 7, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Jan 8 2025

EU Not at All Happy with Elon Musk Tinkering with Long Standing Control of The Proles


JPosted originally on the CTH on anuary 7, 2025 | Sundance 

Having spent some time drawing out the agenda within the Tech Bros as it pertains to that pesky ¹American liberty thing. We now return to our regularly scheduled anti-globalist programming where the Tech Bro alignment with MAGA is swimmingly synergistic.

Elon Musk is poking and prodding against the EU control apparatus, bringing an alternative perspective to our brothers behind enemy lines.  In his role as the snarky Toyko Rose of the modern social media interface, free speaking Americans -together with our comrades in Russia- can well enjoy Musk’s EU provocations.

The EU powerhouses of Germany, the U.K and France, are going bananas because Elon Musk is closely connected to President Donald Trump while simultaneously provoking them over their control of electoral outcomes.  Musk providing alternative, dare we say nationalist voices, is somewhat antithetical to the long-developed control system of the Brussels collective.

EUROPE – Elon Musk’s decision to host German far-right leader Alice Weidel in a livestream on X is sparking fury from European Union leaders and lawmakers, who on Monday urged Brussels to deploy its full legal might to rein in the billionaire tech magnate.

In response, the European Commission said the SpaceX founder and senior member of the incoming Trump administration could indeed land in legal hot water under the terms of the EU’s new digital rulebook, depending on the extent to which the Thursday livestream is deemed to boost Weidel unfairly over rivals ahead of Germany’s Feb. 23 election.

Across Europe, teaming up with Weidel is seen as an inflammatory step as members of her populist and anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have for years been accused of whitewashing and trivializing Nazi crimes. The AfD is currently polling second.

French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to accuse Musk of having gone too far in his vocal support for the AfD. “Ten years ago, who could have imagined it if we had been told that the owner of one of the largest social networks in the world would support a new international reactionary movement and intervene directly in elections, including in Germany,” he said in a speech at the Elysée Palace.

The pressure is now on the European Commission to respond, given that it is in charge of enforcing Europe’s Digital Services Act, which polices social media platforms including X, and threatens eye-watering fines of up to 6 percent of global turnover, or even temporary blocks, in case of a breach.

[…] Pursuing legal action against a major tech tycoon would be tricky enough, but the EU’s headaches are exacerbated by the fact that in 13 days’ time, Musk will become part of the United States administration as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

“Musk must be seen as representing the U.S. president when he bets against the leadership of key European nations, allies until now,” former member of the European Parliament and Stanford University fellow Marietje Schaake wrote in an email. (read more)

[¹] Please remember, I’m not anti-Musk.  I am anti the agenda of the American Tech group who willfully create the tools for American Surveillance. On this surveillance issue, I will never agree with the Muskovites; however, on the issue of meddling in the foreign control systems – have at it, we cool.

Jan 8 2025

Horrific Pacific Palisades Wildfire Destroys Hundreds of Homes, Fire Jumps PCH Toward Malibu – State of Emergency Declared


Posted originally on the CTH on January 8, 2025 | Sundance

A massive California wildfire is consuming some of the most valuable property around Los Angeles.  The Pacific Palisades fire is expanding rapidly due to high winds and dry conditions.  Making matters worse, firefighters are having a problem with water shortages to fight the fire due to California environmental standards.

An ariel shot shows the extent of the fire last night, and the situation is rapidly worsening.  Firefighters are now focused on rescue efforts.

CALIFORNIA – A state of emergency has been declared in Los Angeles after a huge wildfire swept through hillsides dotted with celebrity homes.

The fire forced the evacuation of 30,000 people, some of whom abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety.

Nearly 3,000 acres of the Pacific Palisades area between the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu had burned by the Palisades Fire, officials said.  Fire officials said that several people were injured, some with burns to faces and hands.

A second blaze dubbed the Eaton Fire broke out some 30 miles inland near Pasadena and doubled in size to 400 acres in a few hours, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in Southern California to attend the naming of a national monument by US President Joe Biden, made a detour to the area to see “first hand the impact of these swirling winds and the embers”.

[…] Witnesses reported a number of homes on fire with flames nearly scorching their cars when people fled the hills of Topanga Canyon, as the fire spread from there down to the Pacific Ocean.

Firefighters in aircraft scooped water from the sea to drop it on the nearby flames. Flames engulfed homes and bulldozers cleared abandoned vehicles from roads so emergency vehicles could pass.

The fire burned some trees on the grounds of the Getty Villa, a museum loaded with priceless works of art, but the collection remained safe, the museum said.

Before the fire started, the National Weather Service had issued its highest alert for extreme fire conditions for much of Los Angeles County from Tuesday through Thursday, predicting wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph.

[…] Actor Steve Guttenberg told a local television station that friends of his were impeded from evacuating because others had abandoned their cars in the road.

“It’s really important for everybody to band together and don’t worry about your personal property. Just get out,” Guttenberg said. “Get your loved ones and get out. (read more)

[DAILY MAIL – STORY HERE]

Jan 7 2025

Coded Values


Coded Values

Posted originally on the CTH on January 4, 2025 | Sundance

Elon Musk and his Twitter (X platform) engineers have an Artificial Intelligence (AI) user engagement and information system known as Grok. Essentially, you can ask AI Grok questions, and it provides responses based on the coded values of the engineers who built it.

Recently people have noticed a change on the Twitter (X) platform as Elon Musk announced the algorithm was being modified by his team.  So, people started to engage with Grok and ask questions about their user account, the status changes evident from the algorithmic modifications, and the AI learning that is coded by Musk’s engineers.  Essentially, asking the Grok AI: “How do you perceive me (through my content)?”

The responses from the xAI Grok system are starting to alarm everyone.

.…”These posts might be subject to reduced reach because they could be perceived as promoting skepticism, conspiracy, or negativity towards individuals, institutions, or the media. However, without direct insight into X’s algorithms or specific feedback from X, these are speculative based on general platform behavior towards negative content. Remember, platforms often aim to reduce the visibility of posts that could lead to misinformation, harassment, or a negative user experience.”….

When asked how to avoid the Twitter platform diminishing their user voice, a typical response from Grok:

“Don’t criticize your government, don’t criticize foreign governments, don’t talk about conspiracy theories, stop telling people to fuck off in the comments, and don’t accuse government officials or members of the media of malfeasance or dishonesty.”

These are the parameters built by Elon Musk and his Twitter engineers.

This is what controls the ‘reach of speech’ on the platform.  Now, it would be simply funny but there are serious layers that must be discussed here.

First, this is how Elon Musk, the demigod free speech advocate, is structuring the algorithm within his Twitter (X) platform. These are his coded values as displayed by the engineers he has hired.  Musks engineers transcribe his goals into code and implant it within the algorithm that controls the site content and restricts or enlarges the influence of the users.

Read this again.  …”Don’t criticize your government, don’t criticize foreign governments, don’t talk about conspiracy theories, … and don’t accuse government officials or members of the media of malfeasance or dishonesty.”  What does that sound like?

Many people will disregard this and simply shake it away saying, ‘it’s just some stupid social media platform, who cares.’  Let me tell you why it matters.

These same coded values are being created by the same tech engineers who are currently building out the surveillance state technological interface with government.  This same perspective, what Palantir CEO Alex Karp described as “coded values,” is being written into the code within Palantir facial recognition and targeting software.   The U.S. Government has already signed billions in contracts with Palantir (Peter Thiel) for these AI products.

Take your “REAL ID” as required by the United States Government (Passport or Driver’s License compatible), now overlay your identity as facially recognized by the tech system around your identity and connect it all to the metadata of your digital life that you leave as a fingerprint within every interaction with technology, and finally add in the coded values that will determine your “liberty status” or what might be called your social credit score (China version).   Now do you see the problem?

Larry Ellison: […] But this is only the start of our surveillance dystopia, according to Larry Ellison, the billionaire cofounder of Oracle. He said AI will usher in a new era of surveillance that he gleefully said will ensure “citizens will be on their best behavior.”

Ellison made the comments as he spoke to investors earlier this week during an Oracle financial analysts meeting, where he shared his thoughts on the future of AI-powered surveillance tools.

Ellison said AI would be used in the future to constantly watch and analyze vast surveillance systems, like security cameras, police body cameras, doorbell cameras, and vehicle dashboard cameras.

“We’re going to have supervision,” Ellison said. “Every police officer is going to be supervised at all times, and if there’s a problem, AI will report that problem and report it to the appropriate person. Citizens will be on their best behavior because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.” (more)

What we are witnessing evolve on Twitter, are the original imprints of how the Silicon Valley artificial intelligence products will engage in your life. This is the core “coded values” part of the AI assembly.   Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, David Sacks, Vivek Ramaswamy, JD Vance are all part of the technological network building this system for influence and affluence.

These same actors are about to take their AI enhancements into the largest database ever created and stored in human history, through DOGE.  The databases of the U.S Government and NSA hold an astronomical scale of American data.  Imagine the computer learning possible by allowing AI to analyze that level of data scale.

The debate about “coded values” on Twitter is only the tip of the iceberg.

Jan 7 2025

Elon Musk Calls for Nigel Farage to be Removed from U.K Reform Party – Here’s the Interview That Angered Musk


Posted originally on the CTH on January 5, 2025 | Sundance 

Consider this Elon’s first test of his political power. If he succeeds, there are strong indications he will eventually call for MAGA to remove President Trump.

Elon Musk did not like the responses during an interview that Nigel Farage gave GB News.  Elon Musk is now calling for the U.K Reform Party that Nigel Farage created, to remove Farage from leadership.  Musk wants Farage kicked out of the movement Farage created….

[SOURCE]

… Why?  Because Farage doesn’t support Tommy Robinson with the same ferocity as Elon Musk.

I’ll put the interview below and you can listen to Farage explain his contacts with Elon Musk and his praise for the work Musk did to assist President Trump in the 2024 election.  However, due to domestic issues within Great Britain, Farage feels the Reform Party needs to keep Robinson out of the movement.

Expecting Nigel Farage to embrace Tommy Robinson in the Reform Party would be akin to expecting President Trump to embrace Alex Jones in the new Republican Party.  Elon Musk is currently testing the limits of his political demigod status.

I’m not joking when I say that eventually Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, David Sacks, Larry Ellison, and Peter Thiel will likely demand that their newly controlled MAGA movement, which will – by then- mostly consist of alligator emoji people, remove and ostracize President Trump.

Their long-term play will be to use JD Vance as the wedge to fracture the MAGA base and install Thiel’s groomed politician.  It’s the natural sequence to these events if you play them out looking only at the data visible.  That’s the USA part of the dynamic.

At that moment people will realize just how far this crew is taking things.

Here’s the interview with Nigel Farage that has triggered Elon Musk.  Watch it in full and see how reasonable Farage is in his position and intents for a Reform Party that is surging in the U.K specifically because Farage is expanding the tent.  Farage praises Elon Musk but will not go so far with the Tommy Robinson issue.  WATCH:

.

Before the interview, Elon Musk was full of praise for Nigel Farage, even considering spending a lot of money to help the U.K reform party to better organize in the U.K.  That praise is now seemingly lost forever as a result of this interview.

Jan 6 2025

Retail Closures in US Hit Pandemic Levels


Posted originally onJan 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

StoreClosuresRetail

Over 6,481 retailers have closed their doors since the beginning of the new year, according to data from Coresight Research in November, but that figure is expected to reach 7,327, marking a 57.8% increase in closures since 2023.

During the pandemic, closures exceeded openings by 180 stores in 2020, with the gap widening in 2021 to 6,000 retailers. There were 5,919 store openings in 2023, barely easing the burden. While online shopping has nulled the need for many brick and mortars, the types of retailers that experienced the steepest declines are telling.

Nothing at the dollar store costs a dollar. That changed years ago during the pandemic, thanks to tariffs and supply chain issues. Retailers had to mark up these cheap goods to make a meager profit. As a result, Family Dollar shut their door to 677 locations and 99 Cents Only stores shed 371. Big Lots, also known for selling discounted items, has been forced to close 580 locations, although the bankruptcy played a larger role.

Rite Aid also experienced bankruptcy in 2024, closing 408 locations. Pharmacies, in general, took a major hit this past year. Walgreens plans to close 1,200 locations over the next three years and lost 259 locations in 259. CVS closed 586 locations as well. The convenience of picking up items while at the pharmacy does not overshadow the need for a discount. People are not willing to pay more for essentials at the pharmacy when they can receive them for a discounted price elsewhere. The same goes for convenience stores like 7-Eleven which shed 492 locations in 2024 with plans to close another 400 worldwide.

Another major contributing factor is the workforce – people do not want to work low-wage jobs that do not support their cost of living. Enter any pharmacy or low-end store, and you will find a severe shortage of workers. One pharmacy by me that is part of a major chain is only open two days a week because they simply do not have the staff to keep it operating.

There is a reason that retail closures are at their highest level since the pandemic. Americans are spending more on less and their spending habits are shifting from convenience to practicality.