CMR is the leading provider of funding and management support for small to medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs 

Submitted by Julianne Geiger of OilPrice.com

Germany is hunting for solutions to reroute crude oil supplies to the PCK Schwedt refinery after Russia said it would halt Kazakh oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline starting May 1, with roughly 43,000 barrels per day (bpd) now at risk.

Berlin is now in talks with Poland over moving replacement barrels through the port of Gdansk, with potential deliveries flowing onward to Schwedt, the refinery that supplies much of eastern Germany, including Berlin, with fuels. The plant has become a recurring pressure point since Germany moved away from Russian crude, and this latest disruption exposes how little slack remains in the system.

Kazakhstan shipped 2.146 million metric tons to Germany through Druzhba last year, up 44% from 2024, with another 730,000 tons delivered in the first quarter.

Poland says it has the technical capacity to handle additional flows, but port access, shipping schedules, crude availability and refinery configurations all matter, too. Replacing pipeline crude with seaborne barrels is rarely a one-for-one swap.

The episode also revives an old vulnerability in European oil security in that the infrastructure can be diversified on paper and still remain concentrated in practice, with Druzbha still running through Russia.

Alternatives do exist for Schwedt, but they are costlier and more complicated. The refinery has increasingly leaned on crude arriving through Baltic routes and Germany’s Rostock port, but those channels are limited.

There is a bigger signal here for the oil market. What looks like a regional supply disruption adds to a broader premium around logistics security, not just crude supply. In Europe, barrels are one question. Moving them is another.

And that distinction matters increasingly for pricing, refinery margins, and the value of secure non-Russian supply routes.

Submitted by Charles Kennedy of OilPrice.com

The world’s top crude exporter, Saudi Arabia, is expected to slash its official selling prices (OSPs) for crude loading for Asia in June from the record-highs for May as the premiums of the Middle Eastern benchmarks eased this month.

Saudi oil giant Aramco is widely expected to announce in early May a reduction of the OSP of the flagship Arab Light crude by between $5 and $12 per barrel compared to the Oman/Dubai average, off which Middle Eastern producers price their crude going to Asia, a Reuters survey of industry sources showed on Tuesday.

The Arab Light grade could see its OSP falling to a premium of $7.50-$14.50 over the average of the Oman and Dubai benchmarks for June, compared to a record-high premium of $19.50 for loadings for Asia in May.

In early April, Saudi Arabia hiked the price of Arab Light loading for Asia in May to a record-high premium over the Middle Eastern benchmarks as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz upended oil flows and roiled markets and prices.

The premium for May was the highest ever in Saudi pricing, although it was below the $40 per barrel premium over Oman/Dubai that some refiners and traders had expected.

Saudi Arabia typically announces around the fifth of each month its crude pricing for the following month and doesn’t comment on price changes.

The pricing announcement follows the monthly OPEC+ gatherings at which the producers, led by Saudi Arabia, decide how to maintain market stability.

For the June pricing, the Reuters survey participants expect all other grades to also see price reductions of between $5 and $12 per barrel in the premium to Oman/Dubai.

The wide gap of $7 per barrel, in the expectations of the market suggests that traders and refiners in Asia aren’t sure how Saudi Arabia would approach the June pricing, as the Strait of Hormuz is still closed and only the Yanbu port on the Red Sea is regularly shipping out Saudi light crude to international markets.

Authored by Mrigakshi Dixit via Interesting Engineering,

In a move toward fully autonomous warfare, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry plans to procure 25,000 unmanned ground vehicles by mid-2026. This initiative aims to replace human soldiers with robotic systems for all frontline logistics and double the 2025 deployment rate.

Reportedly, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the ultimate goal is to have 100 percent of frontline logistics handled by robotic systems.

The strategy is already yielding results. In March alone, Ukrainian forces logged over 9,000 missions using ground robots for everything from delivering ammunition to evacuating the wounded.

A key development in this tech surge is the formal codification of the Bizon-L logistics robot. 

$330 million invested

Following a meeting with domestic manufacturers, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced a strategic shift to stabilize the industry by signing UGV contracts through 2027. 

This move supports Ukraine’s ambitious goal to transition 100% of frontline logistics to robotic systems, a transition already well underway.

These unmanned systems are proving vital for high-risk logistics and medical evacuations, insulating soldiers from the most dangerous aspects of frontline operations.

To streamline its defense supply chain, Ukraine has invested roughly $330 million (14 billion hryvnia) since January to deliver over 181,000 systems, including drones and electronic warfare units, via a direct digital procurement platform.

Central to this surge is the Bizon-L, a logistics robot that was recently codified under NATO standards.

The Bizon-L is a heavy-lifter designed for the mud and snow of the Donbas.

This high-capacity UGV can transport 300 kilograms (661 pounds) over a 50-kilometer range and is now cleared for use by both Ukrainian forces and international allies.

Utilizing a combination of Starlink satellite data and radio links protected by thermal shielding, the Bizon-L is stepping in to perform last-mile deliveries — tasks previously handled by soldiers who were frequently targeted by Russian FPV drones. 

Central to this surge is the Bizon-L, a logistics robot that was recently codified under NATO standards.

The Bizon-L is a heavy-lifter designed for the mud and snow of the Donbas.

This high-capacity UGV can transport 300 kilograms (661 pounds) over a 50-kilometer range and is now cleared for use by both Ukrainian forces and international allies.

Utilizing a combination of Starlink satellite data and radio links protected by thermal shielding, the Bizon-L is stepping in to perform last-mile deliveries — tasks previously handled by soldiers who were frequently targeted by Russian FPV drones. 

Read the rest here...

Authored by Michael Snyder via End Of The American Dream,

I have got some really crazy stuff to share with you in this article. For more than a decade and a half, I have been writing about the decline of our society. Sadly, over that period of time there has been an inexorable deterioration of our culture. We no longer agree on a generally accepted set of moral values, all of our major institutions are crumbling, and chaos reigns in the streets. Every single day I see more indications that conditions are getting even worse. I always hoped that by exposing what was really going on out there that it would inspire people to push for change. But instead, conditions just keep degenerating year after year.

If we love our society, what is happening to it should deeply sadden all of us. If our leaders had made much different decisions, we could have gotten much different results.

But now things are totally out of control and the clock is ticking. The following are 12 signs that the relentless decline of our society is accelerating…

#1 So far in 2026, there have been 116 mass shootings in the United States. Unfortunately, we are 36 percent ahead of last year’s blistering pace. And it appears that there are potentially a lot more mass shooters out there, because one recent survey discovered that 19.3 million Americans have seriously thought about shooting someone else…

About 19.3 million American adults, roughly the combined populations of New York City and Los Angeles, have at some point seriously thought about shooting another person. That’s the stunning extrapolation from a new national survey published in JAMA Network Open, an effort to put a number on this poorly understood group and frame it as a focus for gun violence prevention.

#2 If it seems like there are crazy people everywhere around you, that is because there really are crazy people everywhere around you. These days, you never know what is going to set someone off, and the results can be absolutely tragic. For example, just a few days ago a crazed man in Louisiana shot and killed eight children. Seven of them were his own kids…

A man killed eight children — seven of his own kids and one of their cousins — early Sunday in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, officials said. The shooter is also dead after police pursued him, and they exchanged fire. It was the nation’s deadliest shooting in more than two years.

The children were killed in what police described as an “execution-style” shooting. They included five girls and three boys, ranging in age from 3 to 11, the coroner’s office confirmed. According to the office, their mothers identified the children as: Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.

#3 Things are so bad that even disabled Americans are gunning people down. In fact, a quadruple amputee has been charged with murder after he shot a front-seat passenger while he was driving a vehicle in Maryland…

Dayton Webber once said he believed God put him on this planet to inspire others to believe they could achieve anything they wanted to.

Now, the first quadruple amputee in American Cornhole League history faces murder charges after being accused of fatally shooting a man while driving in Maryland.

According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Department, Webber, of La Plata, Maryland, is alleged to have shot and killed a front-seat passenger during an argument on the evening of March 22, 2026.

#4 Authorities keep insisting that crime is under control, but we continue to see spectacular crimes being committed all over the nation. Earlier this week, two men in Philadelphia pulled off an armored truck heist that could have been pulled directly out of a CBS crime drama…

Two masked men armed with rifles carried out a brazen daylight robbery of a Brinks armored truck in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia, escaping with what authorities say could be as much as $1.8 million in cash.

Philadelphia Police Department officials told ABC 6 that the robbery occurred around 9:45 a.m on April 21 on the 7200 block of Torresdale Avenue, as the Brinks truck was servicing a Budget Financial Center.

Brinks is a national security and cash logistics company that transports money for banks and retailers.

According to law enforcement officials, a blue Acura SUV pulled into the lot, with two suspects dressed in black jumping out, brandishing rifles and confronting the driver before seizing bags of cash.

#5 Why would someone purposely crash a vehicle into a police station? Either this is one of the dumbest criminals that I have ever read about, or something else is going on here…

A man deliberately drove his SUV into the Philadelphia Police Department’s 2nd District headquarters Tuesday afternoon, according to Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, narrowly missing several people who were standing inside.

Police identified the suspect on Wednesday as 26-year-old Dieufort Joly of the 2100 block of Glendale Avenue.

Joly is charged with six counts of Aggravated Assault, six counts of Simple Assault, six counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, one count of Causing/Risking Catastrophe, one count of Institutional Vandalism, and one count of Possession of an Instrument of Crime.

#6 All over America, wild packs of young people are conducting “street takeovers” late at night. Unfortunately, this is even happening in some of our wealthiest neighborhoods…

Madness descended on an upscale Washington DC neighborhood again after a large mob of unhinged teens took over.

On Saturday night, a rowdy group of teenagers spilled into Navy Yard, a ritzy and trendy neighborhood in the US Capital, while people dined out and tried to enjoy their evening.

A massive crowd was seen running through the middle of a busy intersection, with some on foot and others riding bikes, in a video posted to X by investigator Elissa De Souza.

#7 Over the past several decades, millions of Muslims have immigrated to the United States, and their young people are also engaging in the “street takeover” trend…

Thugs waving Palestinian flags blocked traffic, took over the street, lit a fire, and performed car stunts in the family-oriented neighborhood of Middle Village, Queens, NY, last night.

This is Mamdani’s NYC.

Queens, NY has one of the highest concentrations of Muslims in New York City.

#8 I don’t have to tell you that sexual promiscuity is absolutely rampant in our society, because it is obvious to everyone. In Minneapolis, officials intend to legalize public sex in bathhouses because the gay Somali community has been clamoring for them to do it…

Minneapolis city leaders are barreling ahead with plans to legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues where consenting adults can engage in sexual activity, scrapping a 38-year ban enacted during the AIDS epidemic.

The push, driven by activists, comes as the gay Somali community in Minneapolis has been clamoring to legalize bathhouses. City leaders are considering the proposal that would allow patrons to engage in sexual intercourse in the venues, the New York Post reports.

#9 Children are considered to be a burden in our society now, and the U.S. birth rate fell to yet another record low last year…

The U.S. fertility rate fell slightly in 2025, to another record low, extending two decades of declines, according to federal data released on Thursday.

The fertility rate — the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age — dropped to 53.1, from 53.8 in 2024, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

The number of births dropped too, falling by 1 percent from the previous year, to 3,606,400.

#10 Elderly people are considered to be a burden too, and New York has just joined the growing list of states that have officially legalized assisted suicide…

This month, New York joined the growing number of states that have legalized doctor-assisted suicide. Supporters say giving patients the choice to end their lives with the help of a physician provides compassion for the dying. Opponents warn it creates larger ethical problems.

More than a dozen states and Washington, D.C., allow the practice of doctor-assisted suicide. New York became the latest when the governor legalized the Medical Aid in Dying bill this month—a move many critics say puts the country on an even more slippery slope when it comes to the issue of life and death.

Matt Sharp with Alliance Defending Freedom said, “Under this law, the floodgates are now open wide.”

#11 I keep hearing about a resurgence of religion in this country, but a Gallup survey has found that the percentage of Americans with no religion at all has reached a new record high…

Americans with no formal religious identity, popularly known as the “nones,” reached a record share of the population in 2025, according to Gallup data that shows fewer than 50% of adults also report that religion is “very important” in their lives.

The findings, based on interviews with more than 13,000 U.S. adults across Gallup’s monthly 2025 surveys, show that the share of Americans identifying as “nones” reached a new high of 24%, up from 21% to 22% over the previous four years. The share of Americans identifying as “nones” has grown steadily from 2% in 1948 to its current record.

#12 George Barna is one of my all-time favorite pollsters, and he recently conducted a survey that discovered that only 1 percent of Generation Z has a biblical worldview…

A recent survey of American adults found that despite a surge of interest in Christianity and church attendance in the months since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the number of people who adhere to a biblical worldview remains critically low, including just 1% of Gen Z.

Conducted in January by Arizona Christian University’s Cultural Research Center under the guidance of researcher George Barna, the latest installment of the American Worldview Inventory asked 2,000 American adults a series of 53 questions to discern if they live consistently with a biblical worldview.

The young adults of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.

So what would our society look like with them in charge?

All throughout human history, great societies have risen and great societies have fallen.

The future of our own society will be written by us.

Unfortunately, at this moment our society is in a serious state of decline, and it would literally take a major miracle to turn things around at this stage.

Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A federal committee remade by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on April 28 published proposals to revamp diagnosing and treating people with autism spectrum disorder.

The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee said in one proposal that a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should make clear that doctors should be prepared to recognize and treat new issues that occur in autistic people, such as seizures and difficulty sleeping.

The committee said that despite evidence showing new symptoms require treatment, “clinical care remains inconsistent and fragmented across settings.” The symptoms “can be overlooked, deferred, treated as secondary to behavior, or not systematically elicited at all,” it said.

Among the specific recommended changes is treating observations from caregivers of autistic people who are unable to speak, or speak well, as medically relevant information, rather than anecdotal context.

The Health Resources and Services Administration should develop training for doctors to identify and address gastrointestinal changes and sleep disturbances, among other problems, in autistic people, the committee said.

Another proposal suggested that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, another CMS component, clarify that when screening, diagnosing, and treating children with autism, doctors should seriously evaluate conditions such as developmental regression and allergic disease.

“When such triggers are present, further evaluation should be pursued or arranged as clinically indicated,” the proposal said, adding that the evaluation “should not permit these signals to be dismissed solely on the basis of an autism diagnosis.”

The committee said that there is much clinical evidence describing medical conditions that occur among autistic people, but “this evidence is not consistently integrated into clinical assessment, resulting in gaps in recognition, evaluation, and follow-through, especially when these conditions present atypically.”

It added later: “The result has been delayed identification, fragmented care, and preventable morbidity—reflecting a translational gap rather than an absence of evidence.”

The proposals were published as the committee met in Washington to discuss them. It was the first meeting since Kennedy removed existing committee members and selected new ones in January, including some who said vaccines cause autism.

The committee could end up changing the proposals during the meeting.

Dr. Sylvia Fogel, a psychiatry instructor at Harvard Medical School and the committee’s chair, said at the opening of the meeting that focusing on treating autistic individuals is imperative because many of the individuals suffer from undiagnosed psychiatric and pain-causing conditions.

“It is unacceptable,” said Fogel, who said her son has what she described as profound autism.

A third proposal would recommend that officials adopt the term profound autism as a reference for autistic people “with the highest and most persistent support needs.”

Fogel said the proposals aim to “address clear and correctable gaps in safety and policy.”