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Fri, 07 Aug 2026 03:25:00 +0000 Are You Ready For The "Rogue AI" Psy-Op?
Are You Ready For The "Rogue AI" Psy-Op?
Are You Ready For The "Rogue AI" Psy-Op?
Authored by Kit Knightly via Off-Guardian.org,
The AIs are breaking free, that’s the story.
It started two weeks ago, when OpenAI reported one of their “agents” had escaped its testing area and got loose on the internet to launch an “unprecedented cyber attack” .
This was clearly meant to be scarier than the public response indicated, because a few days later OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was on the Invest like the Best podcast , asking why it didn’t cause more panic:
“I’ve been a little surprised that more people don’t feel it so viscerally”
In one of the most hilariously obvious propaganda manoeuvres of the year, just the day after Altman said that, CNN headlined:
The OpenAI lab leak was more extensive than we thought
“That thing you weren’t scared of? Well it was even SCARIER than we said it was! Are you scared now?”
We weren’t.
But the lack of public panic didn’t stop another AI going rogue a few days later, Anthropic’s Claude model this time.
And then OpenAI reporting two further incidents themselves .
UPDATE: Just a couple of hours after publication, META joined the party. Apparently their AI “went rogue” too , and hacked another firm.
Never in the history of human endeavour have companies been so keen to report their products going wrong. It seems a rogue AI is the latest must-have accessory in Silicon Valley.
The reasoning behind this is not hard to follow. When your product is artificial intelligence, melodramatically realising your system is even smarter than you thought it was is a simple marketing ploy.
And when one of your rivals goes rogue, you have to go rogue too or you are as good as admitting your model is not as smart as theirs.
“AI company admits their model is smarter than they realised!”
It’s like Ford “admitting” their cars are even more fuel efficient than they planned. Or McDonalds realising their cooks have “gone rogue” and are producing food that is both cheaper AND more delicious than they ever anticipated.
But there’s more to this than just techno-hype and viral marketing strategy. We’re being steered down the avenue of “AI as scary threat”.
See, for example, the dozens of stories talking up rogue AIs from the Guardian to the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal .
“Rogue” is clearly the word of the day. Notice they don’t say it “malfunctioned” or there was an “error”, because that implies mistakes or poor design.
No, the AI “went rogue”, which is cool and sexy and scary at the same time. A word chosen by a focus group of perma-teen marketing executives who have watched too much sci-fi.
Speaking of perma-teens who watch too much sci-fi, here’s Sam Altman (again) declaring we’ve already reached the singularity
He is talking rubbish, of course, but the story is the story here. Why would he say this? Why now?
Obviously concerned that this tidal wave of propaganda was being too subtle, in came NBC to really hammer the point home:
The breaches signal that AI’s expanding capabilities are already fueling the security threat experts long feared.
Everybody got that?
It goes on and on.
Just today we’re getting reports from the UK’s brand new AI Security Institute that rogue (there’s that word again) AI agents had tried to trick people by creating false identities.
And I think that’s beginning to circle around to at least part of the wider agenda here.
After all, if AI is so good at pretending to be human, and is out there creating fake identities to steal data, well…how can we tell who is really human?
Perhaps everyone should be issued a digital ID to assist in “proving humanity” .
That’s not me saying it, it’s think tanks like OneID or “experts” testifying in front of congress .
But the ever present push of Digital ID is just one of the more obvious of a raft of potential issues raised by the scary AI narrative.
For now we’re still in the generating fear phase. Getting pumped full of scare hormones by articles like this…
Misleading AI-generated doctors pose ‘huge danger to public safety’
- The Guardian
While they tease vague solutions in headlines like this …
That’s a nice one, because it garnishes the AI main course with a soupçon of lab-leak flavour (something else that is doing the fear-porn rounds this week).
There are hints of legislation to come, the EU’s “AI transparency” rules just came into force this week, and the US demanding “kill switches” in AI models, but they are vague for now.
My soft prediction is that, before the end of the year, there will be a “rogue AI” false flag, which allegedly causes either loss of life or some massive financial losses.
I think financial would be the way to go, because they’re always looking for a reason to start a recession or banking crisis, and one they can blame on a third party is too good an opportunity to miss.
Whatever happens, there will be loud calls to “regulate AI”, but what that might mean in real terms I couldn’t say at this point.
To be clear though, if and/or when the official solutions to made-up problem #4987 are finally rolled out, they will have nothing at all do with controlling AI, and everything to do with controlling you.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 23:25 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:35:00 +0000 The Vanishing Art Of Presence
The Vanishing Art Of Presence
The Vanishing Art Of Presence
Authored by Joseph Varon via Brownstone Institute ,
Medicine is always changing . In my career, I have seen intensive care units go from simple rooms with oxygen, monitors, and clinical intuition to places where artificial intelligence can predict problems before we notice them, bedside ultrasound helps us avoid guessing, and robotic systems help surgeons work with great precision. Telemedicine now lets specialists care for patients who are far away. These advances have saved lives, made care more accessible, improved efficiency, and helped doctors reach patients who might not have seen a specialist otherwise.
Many studies show how valuable telemedicine is, especially in underserved areas and critical care settings where specialists are scarce (1). I welcome these innovations and use many of them daily. I am convinced that artificial intelligence (AI) will become one of the most important tools doctors have ever had. Recent reviews also suggest that AI will help doctors make decisions, not replace them (2). Still, no matter how advanced our tools get, they should help us do our jobs better, not change what our jobs are about .
A recent lawsuit about the death of a very sick young man has sparked a lot of talk in the medical community (3). Reports say that one question is whether the doctor in charge ever actually examined the patient in person. The courts will figure out what really happened, so I won't guess or assign blame. What worries me is not the lawsuit itself, but the bigger question it raises. Are we starting to think that because technology lets us care for patients from a distance, being there in person is no longer necessary?
When I started practicing medicine, this question would have seemed impossible. We took blood pressure by hand, read chest X-rays on lighted boxes, and depended on physical exams because we had no other choice. We were always close to our patients. We shook hands, sat with families during hard times, and listened not just to heartbeats and breaths, but also to the pauses, the worry in a spouse's voice, the fear behind hopeful words, and the small signs that told us more than any lab test. Sometimes I think those moments taught us as much as any textbook.
Today, we have abilities my mentors never dreamed of. We can look at scans from across the world in seconds. A neurologist can check on a stroke patient from far away. An intensive care doctor can watch over several ICUs at once from a central location. Algorithms constantly review patient data and spot patterns we might miss. These advances are real progress, and many people are alive today because doctors were willing to try new technology. Ignoring these innovations would not just be unwise - it would be wrong.
Presence Begins before the First Word
One of the first lessons I learned as a young physician was never formally taught during medical school. It did not appear in anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, or any board examination I ever took. Yet it has influenced my practice. One of the first things I learned as a young doctor was never taught in medical school. It wasn't in any class or exam, but it has shaped how I practice more than any lecture or textbook.
Before we say anything, look at lab results, or make a diagnosis, our patients are already deciding if they trust us. Turning our attention to the computer screen. None of these actions appears in clinical guidelines. None contributes directly to a hospital quality score. Yet they often determine whether patients truly hear what we are trying to tell them. Information delivered without trust rarely changes behavior. Information delivered by someone who has earned trust often changes lives.
With all our excitement about efficiency, connection, and new technology, I worry that we are forgetting one of the oldest and most important parts of medicine: simply being there with another person. Presence is hard to measure. It doesn't show up on dashboards, billing codes, or reports. Artificial intelligence can't chart it, and it's hard for anyone to put a price on it.
Nevertheless, every experienced physician understands its extraordinary importance. Presence reassures before a single medication is administered. Presence builds trust before difficult decisions must be made. Presence allows physicians to observe details that no monitor can. Still, every experienced doctor knows how important presence is. Just being there can comfort someone before any medicine is given. It builds trust before tough choices. It lets us notice things no machine can pick up.
Most of all, it reminds patients and families they are not facing illness by themselves. Conversations influence decisions, strengthen therapeutic alliances, and frequently reveal information that would otherwise remain hidden. A frightened patient often tells us something entirely different after five quiet minutes than during the first hurried 60 seconds. Families ask different questions when they believe their physician is genuinely listening. These moments cannot be programmed into an algorithm because they are not transactions of information. They are exchanges of humanity.
The Physical Examination Is More Than Diagnosis
Medical students often see the physical exam as just a way to gather information for a diagnosis. But with experience, doctors learn it means much more. The physical exam is often the first way we help our patients.
When I place a stethoscope on a patient's chest, I am certainly listening for murmurs, crackles, wheezing, or diminished breath sounds. But I am also communicating something much deeper. I am telling that patient, when I use my stethoscope to listen to a patient's chest, I'm checking for things like murmurs, crackles, or wheezing. But I'm also sending a deeper message. Without words, I'm telling the patient, "You have my attention. You matter. I am here." The coolness of an extremity. The slight tremor that no monitor records. The fear hidden behind forced optimism. Every experienced clinician has stories in which these seemingly insignificant observations altered diagnosis, redirected therapy, or changed an entire conversation with a family.
Artificial intelligence will likely become the best tool ever made for spotting patterns. I truly believe that. But people can do something just as important - we notice when someone is suffering .
Those are not the same thing.
Telemedicine Is One of Medicine's Greatest Success Stories
Let me be clear. I am not arguing against telemedicine. In fact, I fully support it.
Telemedicine has transformed healthcare. It has brought stroke neurologists into rural emergency departments within minutes. It has allowed intensivists to support community hospitals lacking around-the-clock critical care expertise. It has connected specialists with patients separated by oceans, mountains, and deserts. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it allowed physicians to continue caring for patients while limiting unnecessary exposure. Countless lives have been improved, and undoubtedly many have been saved because physicians embraced this remarkable technology rather than resisted it.
I have participated in telemedicine consultations myself. Its future is extraordinarily bright. It represents one of the finest examples of technology extending the reach of experienced physicians to places where those physicians cannot physically be.
But extending our reach and replacing our presence are not the same thing.
Technology was made to help us reach across distances, not to take away our presence when we can still be there. If we mix up these ideas, we might start thinking convenience is more important than what truly helps our patients.
Artificial Intelligence Should Make Us Better Physicians
Artificial intelligence will change medicine more than anything else I've seen in my career. It will quickly summarize records, spot medication problems, help with diagnoses, find small changes in images, predict problems before we see signs, and cut down on mistakes. These are exciting changes, and doctors should welcome them, not fear them.
Doctors who don't learn about AI will eventually be left behind. Every generation has had to adapt to big changes. My mentors learned to use ventilators, CT scans, and bedside ultrasounds. My generation got used to electronic records and advanced monitors. The next generation will become experts in artificial intelligence.
The mistake won't be using AI. The mistake will be thinking that just because AI can think, it can also care.
Medicine has always been about both science and relationships. Science gives us many answers, but relationships help us with questions that science can't solve.
The Illusion of Efficiency
Modern healthcare is very focused on efficiency. We track things like how long patients stay, how often they come back, paperwork, patient flow, and many other numbers. These measures are important, and using resources wisely does matter.
But we can't let our focus on efficiency make us forget about the human side of medicine.
Technology has definitely saved doctor's time. But, ironically, most of that time hasn't gone back to patients. Instead, it's been taken up by paperwork, admin tasks, rules, and emails. The same tools that were supposed to free us often end up keeping us stuck at our computers.
Perhaps the greatest irony of modern medicine is that technology has made it easier than ever to communicate. Maybe the biggest irony in medicine today is that technology makes it easier to communicate, but real human connection is becoming rarer. A physician sitting quietly with a frightened family may prevent misunderstandings that would otherwise require days to repair. Sometimes the fastest way to solve a medical problem is to slow down long enough to understand the person who is experiencing it.
Teaching the Next Generation
I have spent much of my career teaching. Whether I'm in Houston, Jakarta, Bali, Mexico City, or anywhere else, I am always impressed by today's trainees. They have instant access to medical knowledge that older generations couldn't imagine. They pick up technology quickly, and many already use artificial intelligence in smart and careful ways.
I hope that we teach them something technology can never replace. Let's teach them to sit down before delivering devastating news. Let's teach them that silence sometimes communicates more than another explanation. I hope we teach them that touching a patient's shoulder may provide reassurance that no medication can duplicate. Medicine has become afraid of touch. Yet a hand on the shoulder. Holding a patient's hand. Touching a forehead. Helping someone sit up. Those things matter. AI can never reproduce that.
Most of all, I want to show them that every monitor, algorithm, scan, lab result, and AI tool is there for one reason; to help us care better for another person. If technology ever becomes more important than the patient in medicine, we will have lost sight of what medicine is really about.
Looking Forward without Looking Away
Sir William Osler told doctors long ago that it's more important to know what kind of person has a disease than what kind of disease a person has (5). Even after a hundred years, this is still true. Diseases follow science, but patients have families, cultures, fears, hopes, values, and beliefs. If we forget that, medicine might be technically great but emotionally empty.
That may be why I continue traveling. Maybe that's why I still travel the world to teach, even after all these years. Whether I'm in North America, Latin America, Europe, or Asia, I keep seeing the same thing. Doctors may speak different languages, work in different systems, and deal with different challenges, but they all know the same moment: when a doctor walks into a patient's room, and everything changes just because someone is truly there. That moment can't be turned into data, outsourced, or given to artificial intelligence.
Choosing between technology and humanity has always been a false choice. We should enthusiastically embrace artificial intelligence, telemedicine, predictive analytics, robotic surgery, and every innovation capable of improving patient care. We should invest in them, teach them, refine them, and continue pushing the boundaries of what medicine can accomplish. But we must never confuse assistance with replacement. Technology should expand the reach of compassionate physicians, not provide an excuse for compassionate physicians to disappear.
The lawsuit that made me think about all this will go through the courts, and the facts will come out in time. No matter what happens, though, the questions it raises are important for every doctor to consider. As we build the hospitals of the future, what kind of medicine do we want to see? Should it be all about connection, efficiency, and computing power? Or should technology be a powerful tool that supports something deeply and unchangeably human? I hope the answer is obvious.
One day artificial intelligence may analyze every laboratory value before I even open a patient's chart. It may recognize physiologic deterioration hours before I do. Telemedicine may connect every specialist on Earth with every patient who needs them. Those achievements will represent extraordinary victories for medicine, and I will enthusiastically celebrate every one of them. But, I hope we never reach a point where a scared patient thinks a screen is the same as a doctor, an algorithm is the same as judgment, or data is the same as compassion. Medicine has always been a science, but at its best, it is also a deeply human relationship.
Technology can extend our reach. It must never replace our presence. When historians look back at this era of medicine, they will undoubtedly marvel at artificial intelligence, genomic medicine, robotics, and technologies we can scarcely imagine today. I hope they will also be able to say that physicians had the wisdom to preserve the one innovation that never needed improving: the simple act of one human being caring for another .
References
Totten AM, Hansen RN, Wagner J, et al. Telehealth for Acute and Chronic Care Consultations
Topol EJ. Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again
Fierce Healthcare. Yale New Haven Health hospitals' tele-ICU model highlighted in wrongful death lawsuit . 2026.
Peabody FW. The care of the patient . JAMA. 1927;88:877-882.
Osler W. Aequanimitas: With Other Addresses to Medical Students, Nurses and Practitioners of Medicine
Joseph Varon, MD, is a critical care physician, professor, and President of the Independent Medical Alliance. He has authored over 980 peer-reviewed publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Independent Medicine.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 22:35 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 02:10:00 +0000 Trump Signs Orders To Curb Birthright Citizenship, Target Birth Tourism
Trump Signs Orders To Curb Birthright Citizenship, Target Birth Tourism
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Thursday that will restrict automatic citizenship to ?children born in the United States because of c
Read more.....
Trump Signs Orders To Curb Birthright Citizenship, Target Birth Tourism
President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Thursday that will restrict automatic citizenship to ?children born in the United States because of commercial birth tourism and several other factors.
One of the measures bans birth tourism , the practice of traveling to the United States on a tourist visa with the intention to have a child that is given automatic U.S. citizenship.
Trump called it “a big deal” and said during the signing ceremony that birthright citizenship has been made into a joke.
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 struck down Trump’s executive order excluding children of illegal immigrants and legal temporary visitors from automatic birthright citizenship.
Trump called the Supreme Court decision “very unfortunate” and said his administration was making adjustments.
“We had a very unfortunate decision in the Supreme Court concerning birthright,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“It was close, but a very, very unfortunate decision. So we’re making adjustments because it’s very unfair.”
As Tom Gantert reports for The Epoch Times , Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller said the 14th Amendment was passed right after the Civil War to ensure the children of slaves would be citizens.
“It had no other meaning and purpose other than that,” Miller said during the press conference.
Miller said one executive order will expand the definition of people who are ineligible for birthright citizenship.
“That includes, for instance, alien enemies of the United States, members of foreign terrorist organizations, and large categories of people who lobby and act on behalf of foreign governments,” he said.
Miller said the second action Trump took would ban birth tourism.
“The idea that people come here, pretend to be a tourist, pretend to be a visitor, say they want to go to Disney Land … but the real reason they are here is to have a child, make that child an automatic citizen, leave our country, and then have a U.S. citizen child—it gives them access, under this broken system, to welfare benefits, ultimately the voting booth … that practice of birth tourism, is as of the signing of this order, hereby banned.”
Trump said that wealthy people were building businesses around birthright citizenship.
“That’s not the way it was suppose to work. It’s a disgrace,” Trump said. “They are buying their way in. We are not going to let it happen.”
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 22:10 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 01:45:00 +0000 Judge Says Updated National Firearms Act Violates Constitution
Judge Says Updated National Firearms Act Violates Constitution
Judge Says Updated National Firearms Act Violates Constitution
Authored by Michael Clements via The Epoch Times,
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the registration and approval requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns in the National Firearms Act (NFA) are unconstitutional.
In the case of Silencer Shop Foundation v. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. District Court Judge James Wesley Hendrix found that the requirements exceeded Congress’s constitutional authority once the NFA’s taxes on making or transferring those arms were eliminated. The taxes were reduced to zero last year.
The court found that the NFA, as enacted in 1934, passed constitutional muster as an act of Congress’s taxing power because the regulatory requirements—including registration, applications, ATF approval, fingerprinting, and related criminal penalties—aided the collection of NFA taxes.
This is in line with the 1937 U.S. Supreme Court case, Sonzinsky v. United States, in which the high court ruled the NFA is a legal exercise of Congress’s taxing authority. In that decision, the court found that the government could gather information on the owners of certain firearms and their accessories that were subject to the NFA’s $200 excise as part of the tax collection process.
Wednesday’s ruling in response to two consolidated cases—Jensen v. ATF, with Silencer Shop Foundation v. ATF—in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, held that once Congress eliminated the taxes for suppressors, the constitutional foundation for registration was eliminated as well.
“In sum, the Court concludes that the challenged NFA provisions exceed Congress’s Article I enumerated powers and are therefore unconstitutional,”
On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” reduced the NFA’s excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and a category labeled “any other weapon” from $200 to $0. However, the items were still required to be registered under the NFA.
Machine guns and destructive devices are still subject to the $200 tax and its requirements. Under Hendrix’s ruling, the category “any other weapons” is still subject to the requirements even though it is not taxed.
The court has issued a permanent injunction against enforcement of the requirements for suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, but leaves them in place for the “any other weapons” category.
Hendrix stayed his decision for seven days to allow the government to appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The government argued that the provisions were justified under the Commerce Clause or the Necessary and Proper Clause.
In its court filings, the government pointed out that NFA-regulated businesses are subject to other federal taxes. Therefore, the registration requirements are part of the overall taxing process. The defendants said this has been recognized in prior Supreme Court cases.
“It’s long been settled that the NFA’s requirements aid in the assessment, collection, and enforcement of the Act’s taxes and are thus justified under Congress’s taxing power. Shortly after the NFA’s enactment, in United States v. Sonzinsky, the Supreme Court rejected a constitutional challenge to the NFA’s special occupational tax on firearm dealers, holding that Congress had the power to impose the tax even if it was intended to “restrict or suppress the thing taxed,” the government’s response reads.
Second Amendment advocates hailed Wednesday’s decision.
“We are delighted with the ruling from Judge Hendrix,” Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Chairman Alan Gottlieb wrote in a statement. “With the tax no longer in existence, there was no logical reason for the ATF’s registration requirement to continue. With this victory setting a precedent, we anticipate success in the other cases involving our sister organization, Second Amendment Foundation.”
National Rifle Association leaders, one of the plaintiffs in Jensen v. ATF, also praised the ruling, and vowed to continue pushing for the end of the NFA.
“Our successful effort to eliminate the $200 NFA tax created the opening for our world-class attorneys to secure this historic federal court ruling that the NFA is unconstitutional. The fight to fully repeal this archaic gun-control measure is not over, but today’s decision is a major step in the right direction,” John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislation Action, stated in an email to The Epoch Times.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act originally repealed the NFA’s excise tax. That language was removed, and the tax was instead reduced to zero, after Congressional Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined a repeal did not comport with the tax purposes of the bill.
Gun Owners of America has contended that the ATF and other federal agencies have used the information gathered to build a de facto gun registry. The group has declared that part of its mission is to have the government destroy information it has that could be used to build a registry.
The ATF has strongly denied that such a registry exists.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 21:45 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 01:20:00 +0000 These Are America's Fastest-Aging States
These Are America's Fastest-Aging States
America’s population is getting older, but some states are aging much faster than others.
Using U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Read more.....
These Are America's Fastest-Aging States
America’s population is getting older, but some states are aging much faster than others.
Using U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by USAFacts , this ranking, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, shows how much each state’s population aged 65 and older grew between 2014 and 2024.
Growth in 65-and-Older Populations (2014-2024)
The table below ranks every state by the percentage growth in its population aged 65 and older between 2014 and 2024.
State
Change in 65+ Population (2014–2024)
Total Growth
Alaska
56%
39,425
Idaho
51%
120,188
Delaware
48%
74,383
Utah
48%
140,632
Wyoming
46%
36,760
New Hampshire
45%
93,596
Colorado
44%
300,169
Nevada
44%
175,038
Montana
42%
71,509
South Carolina
42%
319,192
Georgia
41%
513,532
Texas
41%
1,265,419
Vermont
39%
41,969
Arizona
39%
420,852
Washington
38%
382,832
Maine
36%
87,850
Hawaii
36%
82,756
South Dakota
36%
46,219
North Carolina
36%
518,927
Minnesota
35%
275,897
Virginia
35%
401,357
New Mexico
35%
110,140
Florida
34%
1,294,733
Oregon
34%
214,979
Wisconsin
34%
295,892
North Dakota
34%
35,289
Maryland
33%
275,008
Rhode Island
32%
53,451
Massachusetts
31%
317,385
California
30%
1,519,339
Michigan
30%
461,738
New Jersey
30%
392,753
Louisiana
30%
187,508
New York
29%
854,478
Indiana
29%
275,051
Tennessee
29%
285,027
Connecticut
29%
159,449
Nebraska
28%
77,116
Alabama
28%
208,362
Kansas
28%
115,595
Illinois
27%
484,181
Kentucky
26%
172,658
Ohio
26%
474,302
Missouri
25%
235,408
Pennsylvania
25%
530,510
Iowa
25%
121,677
Mississippi
24%
103,194
Oklahoma
23%
129,764
District of Columbia
22%
16,219
Arkansas
21%
96,987
West Virginia
17%
57,493
???? U.S. total
34%
14,964,188
Every state added residents aged 65 and older over the decade, but the increase ranged from 17% in West Virginia to 56% in Alaska. Nationwide, the senior population grew 34%.
Many of the fastest-growing senior populations were in the West and Sun Belt, including Idaho (+51%), Utah (+48%), and Texas (+41%). Several of these states began the period with relatively young populations and had experienced rapid population growth through domestic migration. As those residents aged, the number of people 65 and older rose quickly.
Why Alaska Leads
Alaska recorded the nation’s fastest-growing senior population despite not being a traditional retirement destination.
Much of the increase reflects longtime residents aging in place. Many people who moved to Alaska during the oil boom of the 1970s and 1980s are now entering retirement, helping drive the rapid increase in residents aged 65 and older.
Why Growth Was Slower Elsewhere
West Virginia, Arkansas, and the District of Columbia recorded the slowest growth in their senior populations.
A slower growth rate does not necessarily indicate a younger population. States such as West Virginia already had among the nation’s oldest populations in 2014, leaving less room for large percentage gains over the following decade.
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the best countries to retire in.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 21:20 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:55:00 +0000 Mexico Bans Fracking In Key Shale Basin
Mexico Bans Fracking In Key Shale Basin
Mexico Bans Fracking In Key Shale Basin
By Julianne Geiger of OilPrice.com
Mexico has ruled out fracking in a key shale basin, drawing a line through a resource-rich area even as the country looks for ways to cut its dependence on U.S. natural gas.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said hydraulic fracturing will not be allowed in the Tampico-Misantla basin beneath Veracruz and Tamaulipas . The government cited the basin’s dense population, indigenous communities and freshwater reserves.
Sheinbaum ordered a panel to examine whether unconventional gas could help reduce imports from the United States. Mexico buys more than 6.5 billion cubic feet per day of pipeline gas from its northern neighbor, covering roughly 75% of domestic demand.
The commission recommended boosting conventional gas production first. Even with the proposed measures, Mexico’s reliance on U.S. supply would fall only to about 50%, according to Sheinbaum.
Mexico would need unconventional gas to push that figure lower. The panel said future fracking should be limited to basins containing salt water rather than freshwater, leaving northern shale formations in play.
Sheinbaum campaigned as a critic of fracking and its environmental costs. Energy math has since become less cooperative. Natural gas fuels much of Mexico’s power sector and industry, while domestic production has failed to keep pace.
Seven combined-cycle power plants are coming online, with five more planned, adding to the demand for gas. Pemex expects to lift domestic production to just over 4 billion cubic feet per day by 2030, still nowhere near enough to eliminate imports.
The state oil company is also under pressure to reverse falling output while carrying a mountain of debt. Mexico holds an estimated 141.5 trillion cubic feet of unconventional gas resources, mostly in northern basins.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 20:55 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:30:00 +0000 "The Gift That Keeps Giving": Five Ways Republicans Benefit From Democratic Socialist Victories
"The Gift That Keeps Giving": Five Ways Republicans Benefit From Democratic Socialist Victories
Radical leftists and Islamist activists are increasingly converging inside the Democratic Party as Democratic Socialist
Read more.....
"The Gift That Keeps Giving": Five Ways Republicans Benefit From Democratic Socialist Victories
Radical leftists and Islamist activists are increasingly converging inside the Democratic Party as Democratic Socialists of America, forming what can only be described as a "red-green alliance ."
United by their hatred of America and capitalism , this unholy alliance of far-left radicals is drawing support from migrant voting blocs and purple-haired white liberals holding worthless woke college degrees who work three jobs. Perhaps it was not capitalism that failed those with worthless woke degrees, but the Marxists who run the educational-industrial complex known as college.
This week alone, DSA candidates expanded their influence inside the Democratic Party , intensifying far-left, anti-American rhetoric that could ultimately benefit Republicans , conservative commentator J.T. Young argues in a new opinion piece published by The Hill .
"Democratic socialists are taking over the Democratic Party. Republicans benefit from Democrats' escalating civil war in five ways ," Young wrote.
Those five advantages include :
First , regardless of outcomes, socialists confronting other Democrats in primaries splits the party. Prior to having their own candidates, Democratic Socialists of America were hostages within the party. The left-wing fringe had to support moderate Democrats, because these were the furthest left electable option. Democrats automatically got their votes without having to contend for them.
But now given different options, socialists do not have to support other Democrats in primaries. If they win primaries, more traditional Democrats may not support democratic socialists in the general election, and vice versa. In both cases, real battles are being waged across real ideological divides. Feelings are not necessarily healed after elections are over. Instead, they likely will only grow rawer.
Second , even if the two sides manage to come back together, money has been burned. The cost of these intraparty fights can be substantial — over $80 million in the Democrats' Michigan Senate primary — and the money for both sides comes out of the Democrats' limited fundraising base. The cash being burned fighting each other cannot be later used against Republicans in general elections or for close races where Democrats need an extra boost to win.
Third , if democratic socialists are nominated, they have a higher chance of losing general elections than establishment Democrats. This isn't just conjecture. While socialism polls well among Democrats, with 66 percent viewing it positively according to Gallup, it doesn't with independents at 38 percent and does terribly with Republicans at 14 percent. Democratic socialist nominees risk losing significant votes for the Democratic Party in general elections.
This doesn't mean that there aren't districts so deeply blue that Democrats still won't win; two recent victories in the New York primaries are an example. It just means that if democratic socialists are nominated, they have a greater likelihood of losing. It also means that in comparison to a conventional Democrat, the party will likely need to expend more resources to bring them to victory; this means fewer resources for other races.
Fourth , if democratic socialists win nominations, they will pull the overall Democratic delegation further left once in office. This has already happened since the Squad's entrance to Congress and the growing influence of Democrats' large Progressive Caucus. The positions these members take, and force the entire Democratic caucus to vote on, can politically endanger party regulars.
Fifth , if democratic socialists win general elections, they force establishment media to cover their extremism. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is a case in point. She has been called out for extremism so publicly visible that the party had no choice but to push James Talarico for Texas's Senate seat. Now, Talarico is every bit as extreme as Crockett; he just isn't as well-known for it. Once they're elected, Democrats can't hide their crazy, and the media must cover it.
The repercussions from democratic socialists' increasing incursions into the Democratic Party are not mutually exclusive. More than one scenario can apply in each democratic socialist's run. And in virtually every instance, at least one of these negative scenarios applies.
Democratic socialists' collateral damage to the Democratic Party is as real as it is mounting. Their assault on the party cannot end soon enough for moderate Democrats or last long enough for Republicans. For Democratic leadership, it is a recurring nightmare; for Republicans, it is the gift that keeps on giving.
The nightmare is playing out as multiple insiders close to the Clinton family - establishment Dems - have voiced their concern that DSA is absolutely batshit insane:
Mapping the five factions within the Democratic Party, the picture becomes clearer than ever that DSA is far left, reformist socialist .
Even more insane:
That's why, in their own words, they want to burn the American system and capitalism to the ground:
Much of the Marxist revolution is hiding in plain sight within the nonprofit world:
The DSA and its fellow Marxists have latched onto "affordability" because it is one of the most popular issues to campaign on. Marxists are parasitic and latch onto popular trends, but their goal is never to resolve the underlying problem, whether it involves affordability or stopping data centers from being built. Rather, their stated goal is to destroy the West, end imperialism, and crash capitalism.
Let's not forget DSA's unofficial spokesperson Hasan Piker has called on his followers to "kill capitalists" .. .
Piker again...
The White House has gotten the memo:
The State Department as well:
What comes next, ahead of the midterms, is the Trump administration ramping up anti-communist propaganda. A majority of Americans still favor capitalism. We suspect the Red Scare is back.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 20:30 Close Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:05:00 +0000 The Financial Consequences Of 'Gray' Divorce
The Financial Consequences Of 'Gray' Divorce
The Financial Consequences Of 'Gray' Divorce
Authored by Anne Johnson via The Epoch Times ,
Gray divorce refers to divorce among adults ages 50 and over . And although divorce among younger adults has been declining over the past 15 years, according to Pew Research, gray divorce is on the rise .
Gray divorce is becoming more common, and its financial impact can last well into retirement. New Africa/shutterstock Although any divorce can be financially difficult, gray divorce is especially hard on retirement because it halves accumulated savings. It can also double living expenses by creating two separate households. The danger of a gray divorce is that, unlike a divorce in your 30s where you have time to make up for the financial loss, there is little time left in your 50s or 60s to rebuild wealth .
Prevalence of Gray Divorce
According to a study published in The Journals of Gerontology by Susan L. Brown, the gray divorce rate was low and grew only modestly between 1970 and 1990 before doubling by 2010 .
The study found that, although the divorce rate has stagnated among middle-aged adults, it continues to climb among older adults.
In 2022, 36 percent of U.S. adults who divorced were aged 50 or older. The only group with an increasing divorce rate was found to be adults aged 65 and older.
According to Barnes Family Law, divorce among couples 65 and older has tripled since 1990 and is expected to grow by another one-third by 2030.
Financial Fallout From Gray Divorce
The longer the marriage, the more assets you share with your spouse. Finances are intermingled. And now, depending on your state's laws, retirement savings, homes, and other assets will need to be split . Both men and women experience roughly a 50 percent drop in wealth, according to a 2022 study published in Innovation in Aging titled "The Economic Consequences of Gray Divorce for Women and Men."
The study also found that women experienced a 45 percent decline in their standard of living, whereas men's standard of living dropped by 21 percent .
Beyond just splitting assets, the cost of divorce because of legal proceedings can affect your monthly budget or retirement plans.
According to The Law Offices of David M. Moore, the average divorce in the United States costs between $15,000 and $20,000. But this figure can actually run from a few hundred dollars for an amicable divorce to over $100,000 in a high-conflict high-asset divorce .
Dividing Assets Over 50
If you and your spouse can't agree on how to divide assets, a judge will decide following the law of the state.
Most judges use a system called equitable distribution, splitting all assets, earnings, debts, and property as they deem fair, according to Edelman Financial Engines. The length of marriage may also be a consideration. However, nine states follow community property laws. In these states, community property is typically divided 50-50, and each spouse keeps his or her separate property.
Retirement Accounts Divided Through QDRO
According to The Pension Rights Center, retirement plans like 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, and pension plans typically must be divided through a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) .
A QDRO is a legal instrument that grants a person the right to a portion of the retirement benefits that person's former spouse has earned through a private sector employer-sponsored retirement plan.
Without a QDRO to divide these benefits, people going through divorce may lose their rights to a share of those benefits and put themselves at risk for financial insecurity at retirement .
It's important to hire an attorney who understands that retirement assets are at stake and that a QDRO is needed.
The court must be notified to ensure the former spouse provides all the information the court needs.
According to the IRS, most plans require you to file a QDRO with the plan administrator before the plan can pay any portion of a participant's retirement benefits to an ex-spouse.
Life Insurance for Dependents and Alimony
Life insurance may also be subject to division in a divorce. This is especially true if there is a cash value since this may be considered a marital asset .
According to Edelman Financial Engines, many divorce settlements require holding life insurance to protect child support and alimony payments.
Regardless, ensure you update your beneficiary for all life insurance policies.
Post-Divorce Retirement Planning
It's important to prepare a financial plan and budget to help guide you through your divorce. You'll want to review monthly bank and financial statements and make copies for your attorney.
Taxes are often overlooked. Ensure you consult an accountant or tax attorney. If you are paying or receiving alimony, discuss this with an accountant. According to Intuit Turbotax, when you started collecting alimony determines any taxation .
According to the Social Security Administration, if you've been married more than 10 years and have divorced, you're generally entitled to half of your spouse's Social Security, provided the benefit is greater than what you qualify for. You must be 62 or older, and if you file before your full retirement age, you'll receive a reduced Social Security benefit .
Anne Johnson was a commercial property and casualty insurance agent for nine years. She was also licensed in health and life insurance. She went on to own an advertising agency, where she worked with businesses. She has been writing about personal finance for 10 years.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 20:05 Close Thu, 06 Aug 2026 23:40:00 +0000 These Are The States With The Most Empty Homes
These Are The States With The Most Empty Homes
America faces a housing shortage, yet about 14.5 million homes across the country are vacant. How can both be true?
Using the latest U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Read more.....
These Are The States With The Most Empty Homes
America faces a housing shortage, yet about 14.5 million homes across the country are vacant. How can both be true?
Using the latest U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by LendingTree , Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld created this map showing the share of vacant housing units in every state.
The figures include vacation homes, rentals awaiting tenants, homes for sale, and other unoccupied properties, not just abandoned buildings.
Which States Have the Highest Vacancy Rates?
About one in 10 U.S. housing units is vacant, but most are not permanently sitting unused.
Nearly 4.7 million vacant units are seasonal or recreational homes, 2.6 million are available for rent, and fewer than 800,000 are actively listed for sale. This helps explain why states with large vacation-home markets, including Maine, Vermont, Florida, and Hawaii, record some of the nation’s highest vacancy rates.
Rank
State
Vacancy Rate 2024
Vacant Housing Units
1
Maine
20.6%
154,717
2
Vermont
19.4%
65,626
3
Alaska
17.6%
57,958
4
West Virginia
15.4%
132,670
5
Florida
14.7%
1,503,660
6
Mississippi
14.6%
195,683
7
Alabama
14.5%
340,018
8
Louisiana
14.4%
304,122
9
New Hampshire
14.3%
92,650
10
Arkansas
13.5%
188,686
11
Delaware
13.4%
62,165
12
Hawaii
13.3%
75,443
13
South Carolina
13.3%
325,050
14
Montana
13.2%
69,560
15
New Mexico
12.5%
119,550
16
North Carolina
12.5%
613,323
17
North Dakota
12.3%
46,218
18
Wyoming
12.2%
33,823
19
Oklahoma
12.0%
212,738
20
Michigan
11.8%
545,867
21
Missouri
11.2%
317,060
22
Wisconsin
10.8%
299,092
23
Arizona
10.5%
336,758
24
South Dakota
10.5%
43,040
25
Georgia
10.3%
467,469
26
Idaho
10.3%
82,009
27
Kentucky
10.3%
208,647
28
Tennessee
10.2%
319,393
29
District of Columbia
10.1%
36,523
30
New York
10.0%
862,595
31
Texas
9.4%
1,135,699
32
Minnesota
9.3%
237,075
33
Nevada
9.3%
123,878
34
Kansas
9.2%
119,575
35
Pennsylvania
9.2%
531,599
36
Rhode Island
9.1%
44,362
37
Indiana
8.8%
260,559
38
Virginia
8.7%
319,024
39
Iowa
8.5%
121,992
40
Colorado
8.3%
214,835
41
Massachusetts
8.1%
245,364
42
Ohio
8.1%
429,200
43
Utah
8.1%
98,646
44
Illinois
7.7%
421,003
45
Maryland
7.7%
197,856
46
Nebraska
7.6%
65,597
47
California
7.5%
1,096,644
48
New Jersey
7.5%
283,653
49
Oregon
7.5%
139,570
50
Washington
7.3%
241,800
51
Connecticut
7.0%
107,815
--
???? U.S. total
10.1%
14,547,859
Maine leads the country with a vacancy rate of 20.6%, followed by Vermont at 19.4% and Alaska at 17.6%. At the other end of the ranking, Washington and Connecticut have rates of around 7%, while California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts also sit near the bottom.
In these states, available housing is often absorbed quickly, leaving fewer homes unoccupied. A low vacancy rate can therefore reflect strong demand, not necessarily a healthier or more affordable housing market .
Why Empty Homes Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis
At first glance, millions of vacant homes may appear sufficient to ease America’s housing shortage . In practice, many are not available to year-round buyers or renters.
Some are second homes or seasonal properties concentrated in vacation destinations, while others are temporarily vacant between tenants or owners. High vacancy rates and housing shortages can therefore exist at the same time, particularly in expensive metropolitan areas where year-round housing remains scarce.
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the salary needed to afford rent across America.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 19:40 Close Thu, 06 Aug 2026 23:15:00 +0000 Voter Files In Arizona's Largest County Illegally Obtained In 2020, Records Show
Voter Files In Arizona's Largest County Illegally Obtained In 2020, Records Show
Voter Files In Arizona's Largest County Illegally Obtained In 2020, Records Show
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,
Voter files in Maricopa County, Arizona, were obtained illegally before the 2020 presidential election, according to records released on Aug. 6 by the White House.
Authorities discovered that 633,000 voter files had been exfiltrated from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office just before the election, according to logs from the U.S. intelligence community and other documents.
The voter files contained information such as people’s names, birth dates, and addresses.
About 930 of them included information on people such as domestic violence victims, judges, and law enforcement officers.
The files were illegally extracted from the office, the FBI said in a document opening an investigation.
The bureau identified a suspect, who admitted to the crime, according to a document summarizing an interview agents conducted with the man.
The man, who has not been publicly named, used to work for a city whose name was redacted in the FBI file.
He went on to work for himself, fixing computers and removing viruses from machines.
In 2020, he discovered a vulnerability on the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office website while registering to vote.
The man developed a program to obtain voter files from the website and ended up extracting between 1 million and 2 million files to his personal hard drives and an online account, he told investigators.
The man said he did not intend to sell the information.
After he “realized the gravity of the situation,” he “became scared” and knew he would be visited by law enforcement, according to the interview summary.
The man told officials that he destroyed the files shortly before the FBI raided his house in Fountain Hills in November 2020.
The man said he regretted what he did and knew he had to deal with consequences for his actions.
The FBI “spent significant resources solving this cybercrime,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement , but prosecutors in Arizona declined to prosecute the man. He has never been charged.
There’s no evidence that any votes were changed in association with the incident, John Solomon, chairman of the White House Government Transparency Task Force, told reporters on a call.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tyler Durden Thu, 08/06/2026 - 19:15 Close
Dotsquares