Our 101 Trillion Dollar Problem: This Is The Number One Tool The Elite Use To Enslave Us

Right now, a tremendous awakening is happening as people all over the world become educated about the tools that the elite use to enslave us to their system.  The number one tool that they use to enslave us is debt.  The financial powers of the world use it to enslave individuals, corporations and governments.  For thousands of years humanity has been taught the proverb that “the borrower is the servant of the lender”, and yet today billions of people around the globe have willingly made themselves servants of the money powers.  You see, when you borrow money from a financial institution, you not only have to pay that money back, but you also have to pay a significant amount of interest.  In fact, often the interest ends up being much more than the principal of the loan.  Thus the borrower ends up devoting a great deal of his or her labor to earning money for the lender.  Yes, there are times when it is necessary to borrow money.  But what we have been doing over the last 30 years goes far beyond “necessary” borrowing.  The fact that the U.S. government is now 36 trillion dollars in debt gets a lot of attention, but the truth is that state and local governments, corporations, and U.S. households have piled up enormous mountains of debt as well.

I want to show you a chart from the Federal Reserve that is hard to believe.

In the mid-90s, the total amount of debt in the system was about 20 trillion dollars, but now we have reached the 101 trillion dollar mark…

The word “insanity” does not even begin to describe what we have been doing to ourselves.

It takes a lot of really hard work to add 80 trillion dollars of debt in just 30 years.

Every time we pile up more debt, there is a winner and there is a loser.

Debt strips you of your freedom and slowly drains you of your wealth.  It puts the fruits of your labor into the pockets of others.

That is true for individuals, and it is true for a nation as a whole.

Getting others enslaved by debt is how the most powerful financial institutions in the world became so dominant.  It is one of the most profitable ways of making money ever invented.

What many people don’t realize is just how much interest they end up paying on some of their debts.

For example, if you go to mortgagecalculator.org, you can calculate the amount of interest that you will pay over the life of your home mortgage.  According to that calculator, someone with a $400,000 mortgage at an interest rate of 6.98% over 30 years will end up paying $556,102.18 in interest before the mortgage is finally paid off.

When those 30 years are over, you will have bought a house for yourself and you will also have bought a house for the bankers.

So what should we do?

We need to stop feeding the monster.

They are getting insanely wealthy by financially enslaving all the rest of us.

Unfortunately, many Americans find themselves deep in debt because the cost of living has been rising faster than our paychecks have.

One of the great joys that men in free societies have long enjoyed is the ability to earn an honest wage for an honest day of work.  In particular, the amazing capitalist engine that powered the U.S. economy for decade after decade greatly rewarded the incredible hard work and industriousness of the American people.  America was known as the land of opportunity, and we built the largest middle class in the history of the world by working incredibly hard.

Unfortunately, things have changed.

Thanks to globalization and extremely rapid advances in technology, the labor of U.S. workers is rapidly losing value.  Automation, robotics and AI have made many jobs obsolete.  In addition, American workers now must compete against workers from all over the world.  Global corporations often find themselves having to choose whether to build a factory in the United States or in the third world.  But in the third world workers often earn less than 10 percent of what American workers earn, corporations are often not required to provide any benefits to those workers, and there are often very few oppressive government regulations to contend with.

How can American workers compete against that?

The truth is that labor is now a global commodity.  It is exceedingly difficult for a worker in the United States to effectively compete with a desperate, half-starving worker in the third world that will work like mad for two dollars an hour.

But this is what we get for letting our politicians push “free trade” down our throats.

Most American workers had no idea that free trade would mean that they would suddenly be competing for jobs against workers in the Philippines and Malaysia.

But this is the cold, hard reality of globalism.

Of course the top executives at the big global corporations are certainly enjoying this new environment, because their salaries have soared.

In 1950, the ratio of the average executive’s paycheck to the average worker’s paycheck was about 30 to 1.

Now it is 268 to 1.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.

That is what globalism is all about.

The elite make out like bandits as they exploit third world labor pools, while the American middle class finds itself slowly being crushed out of existence.

Our system has been designed to funnel nearly all of the rewards to the very top.  Meanwhile, the vast majority of Americans are left wondering why things just don’t ever seem to work out for them.

If you talk to many Americans, they just can’t seem to figure out why they can’t make things work out even though they are working as hard as they can.  Millions of Americans have found themselves taking on second or even third jobs in a desperate attempt to provide for their families.

Sadly, things just keep getting worse with each passing year.

As I have discussed in previous articles, demand at food banks is at an all-time high, homelessness in the U.S. is at an all-time high, and homelessness in the U.S. is growing at the fastest pace ever recorded.

But there are elitists out there that are still attempting to claim that the U.S. economy is in great shape.

Of course most of us aren’t buying the propaganda anymore, and that is one of the primary reasons why the election turned out the way that it did.

We need to return to an economy where good workers are valued and where hard work is rewarded.

We need to return to an economy where having a large middle class is an important national goal.

We need to return to an economy where we build American businesses, where we hire American workers, and where we buy American products.

But unless the American people wake up, American workers are going to continue to be devalued.

And if you think that things are bad now, just wait until AI starts taking millions of our jobs.

Are we just going to sit back and let American living standards decline to third world standards, or are we going to do something about it?

Perhaps the greatest victims of the economic nightmare that is unfolding right in front of our eyes are our children.

The overall economic numbers are really bad, but when you examine the impact that this economy is having on children things get really horrifying.  Today, 16 percent of U.S. children live in poverty and 14 million U.S. children are on food stamps.

It has been estimated that approximately 50 percent of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point before they reach the age of 18.

We were once the most prosperous nation on the entire planet.

How could we let this happen?

Meanwhile, the rich have gotten even richer.

In 2009, there were 8 million millionaires in the United States.

Now there are 22 million.

If everyone was becoming wealthier, that would be great.  Unfortunately, the poor have been left with an increasingly smaller slice of the pie to divide among themselves.

At this point, the bottom 50 percent of Americans control just 2.5 percent of the wealth.

I have been ranting about all of this for over a decade, and yet conditions have just continued to deteriorate year after year.

We can’t have an economy that works for the top 10 percent but that sucks the life out of the bottom 90 percent.

Our debt-based financial system needs to be fundamentally reformed, and it is time for us to demand action.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The Insurance Industry Is Going To Be Absolutely Devastated By The Los Angeles Fires

Will the insurance industry be able to survive tens of billions of dollars in losses from the Los Angeles fires?  There have been catastrophic fires in California before, but never anything quite like this.  So what is going to happen to homeowners if their insurance companies go bankrupt and cannot pay?  Even the ones that do not go bankrupt are really going to struggle.  I have a feeling that some of them will delay payouts for an extended period of time and will deny as many claims as they possibly can in a desperate attempt to survive.  In the end, it is likely that vast numbers of homeowners that were counting on their insurance companies to bail them out will be left holding the bag.

It is being projected that total economic losses from these fires could reach 150 billion dollars, and the insurance industry will be hit with approximately 20 to 25 billion dollars of those losses…

Analysts at Evercore ISI have estimated that insurance industry losses from the Los Angeles wildfires will be in the $20 billion to $25 billion range, and also expect the fires to be treated as one event which could help primary carriers reach their reinsurance coverage.

That is going to be a really tough pill to swallow.

One expert is warning that we are literally “on the edge of a major financial crisis for the insurance industry”…

“I think we’re on the edge of a major financial crisis for the insurance industry,” says Daniel Aldrich, a Northeastern professor, director of the university’s Resilience Studies Program and co-director at the Global Resilience Institute.

I agree with him.

I don’t see how the industry is going to avoid a historic crisis in the aftermath of these fires.

In particular, Politico is telling us that this “could be the final straw that breaks California’s insurance market”…

Wednesday’s firestorm in a wealthy area of Los Angeles could be the final straw that breaks California’s insurance market.

The state’s insurance market has been teetering on the edge of insolvency for years thanks to catastrophic wildfires that have driven many insurers to stop writing new policies and drop existing ones.

Insurance companies are generally well capitalized, but there is only so much they can take.

I think that it is probably inevitable that some insurers will not make it, and that would be extremely bad news for homeowners that are holding policies from those companies…

‘My concern is that the insurance companies won’t be able to handle all the claims and file for bankruptcy and that’s that. It’s scary,’ Los Angeles construction worker Ivan De La Torre, 32, whose uncle and sister both lost their houses in a fire that consumed half of Altadena, a suburb of some 40,000 people north of Los Angeles.

As hundreds of Los Angeles residents return to find homes reduced to ashes due to a devastating wave of wildfires, many are fearful that their insurance policies may not cover the rebuild cost and that future premiums will be astronomical.

Rebuilding costs are going to be insane.

Just think about how much it would cost to rebuild the home that you are living in right now.

If you are a homeowner, could you rebuild your home for what you originally paid for it?

In the vast majority of cases, the answer would be no.

In recent years, home building costs have gone into the stratosphere

The situation is further complicated by elevated construction costs. Both material prices and labor costs have remained high since the pandemic, which could amplify the final insurance payouts.

Insurers will also face additional living expense claims, typically capped at 30% of a dwelling’s value, and business interruption losses for commercial properties.

Of course many homeowners in the Los Angeles area did not have any insurance at all, and so now they have lost everything.  Here is just one example

The family of Chad Comey, a local musician and community organizer who’s been taking care of his disabled parents for the past several years, lost their home in Pacific Palisades to the fire.

“Chad is one of the best people I know,” wrote friend Tom Rhalter in the fundraiser he organized through GoFundMe for Comey. “Chad’s mom is paralyzed by Neuromyelitis Optica, a rare autoimmune disease, and his dad is blind.

“Chad is the best boss I’ve ever worked for and one of the kindest people I know. The fire took everything: clothes, possessions, and memories,” Rhalter continued. “His parents didn’t have insurance on the home. Chad and his family need immediate financial assistance to help recover from the fire.”

Can you imagine being in that situation?

How would you feel?

State Farm is taking a lot of heat for removing coverage from tens of thousands of homeowners last year…

State Farm said in 2023 that it would stop accepting new homeowners-insurance applications in California and then added last year that it would stop covering 72,000 homes across the state due to the growing frequency and severity of wildfires.

Comedic actor Rob Schneider ranted against State Farm last week, saying they were ‘a pile of crap for cancelling insurance policies’.

Actor James Woods, whose Pacific Palisades home was engulfed by flames and destroyed, also confirmed in a post that ‘one of the major insurance companies canceled all the policies in our neighborhood about four months ago’, an apparent reference to State Farm.

Sadly, approximately 1,600 homeowners in Pacific Palisades had their policies canceled by State Farm about six months ago

About 1,600 policies in Pacific Palisades were dropped by State Farm in July, California Department of Insurance spokesman Michael Soller said in an Thursday email to CBS MoneyWatch. An analysis of insurance data by CBS San Francisco last year found that State Farm also dropped more than 2,000 policies in two other Los Angeles ZIP codes, which include the Brentwood, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Monte Nido neighborhoods.

State Farm has very entertaining commercials, but this is going to be a blow to their reputation that will be very difficult to recover from.

Unfortunately, this crisis is far from over.

High winds have returned to the region, and that is going to make things very challenging for those that are fighting these fires…

Ominous winds were expected to regain strength Monday, howling through fire-blackened trees, picking up plumes of ash and smoke and further tangling efforts to tamp down the explosion of fires across Los Angeles County that have killed at least 24 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

From a big picture point of view, this disaster is yet another devastating blow in a long series of devastating blows to the U.S. economy.

How many blows can we possibly take?

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that it won’t be too long before we find out.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

What Is The Economic Value Of Greenland And Why Does Trump Want It So Badly?

All of a sudden, everyone is talking about Greenland.  Normally, Greenland is a place that is largely ignored by the rest of the world, but apparently Donald Trump is very serious about acquiring it.  But what would that look like?  If Greenland is made the 51st state, it would have as many U.S. Senators as the state of California.  That could have very serious implications for the balance of power in Congress.  And how would Greenland vote in U.S. presidential elections?  Has anyone even considered that?  Of course Greenland could become just another U.S. territory, but why would the citizens of Greenland want to become the next Puerto Rico?  That certainly doesn’t sound very appealing.  And why is Trump making such a big deal out of this anyway?  Approximately 56,000 people live in Greenland, and 80 percent of it is covered in ice.  So why does Trump want it so badly?

Of course the truth is that it all comes down to natural resources.

In particular, Greenland has lots and lots of oil.

According to Wikipedia, Greenland “has some of the world’s largest remaining oil resources”

Some geologists believe Greenland has some of the world’s largest remaining oil resources:[30] in 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey found that the waters off north-eastern Greenland (north and south of the Arctic Circle) could contain up to 110 billion barrels (17×109 m3) of oil,[31] and in 2010 the British petrochemical company Cairns Oil reported “the first firm indications” of commercially viable oil deposits.[32]

The U.S. consumes an average of approximately 20 million barrels of petroleum per day.

So 110 billion barrels is a serious amount of oil.

And it also turns out that the Chinese are very interested in the rare-earth elements that are buried under the dirt in Greenland.  In fact, one particular area of Greenland is “home to one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of rare-earth elements outside of China”…

Kvanefjeld is home to one of the world’s largest undeveloped deposits of rare-earth elements outside of China. Seventeen elements, including scandium and yttrium, are buried deep underground there. They are used in everything from cell phones and wind turbines to electric cars. Mining advocates say tapping into them would be a major financial boon for Greenland.

Greenland Minerals Limited (GML), the Australian company developing the mine, said that the country would receive $240 million (€201 million) in taxes and royalties annually over the mine’s planned 37-year lifespan. GML’s biggest stakeholder is Shenghe Resources Holding, a Chinese rare-earths processing company.

It has been estimated that there are more than 38 million tons of rare earth deposits in Greenland.

So who will end up benefitting from those deposits?

Will it be the U.S. or will it be China?

On top of everything else, an extremely important U.S. military base is already located in Greenland

Thule Air Base, already a vital U.S. military installation, provides early warning radar and monitors potential missile threats. Housing approximately 600 personnel, it plays a critical role in the U.S. missile defense network, covering threats across the northern hemisphere. Its strategic location enables unparalleled monitoring capabilities, reinforcing America’s defensive posture in the Arctic. Expanding this presence would fortify America’s Arctic strategy against rivals such as Russia and China, ensuring unparalleled leverage in the rapidly evolving Arctic theater.

If we lost that base, it would be an enormous strategic blow to the United States.

After considering all of the variables, Trump has decided that it is time for us to control Greenland.

In fact, he is threatening Denmark with very painful tariffs if they try to stand in the way…

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened “very-high” tariffs on Denmark if it resists his effort to take control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.

And on Tuesday, Trump actually refused to rule out the use of military force to take control of Greenland…

President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday wouldn’t rule out exercising military or economic coercion to further his goal of bringing both Greenland and the Panama Canal under U.S. control, as his son, Donald Trump Jr., is in Greenland amid Trump’s push to acquire the autonomous territory of Denmark.

“I can’t assure you, you’re talking about Panama and Greenland,” Trump told reporters during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But I can say this — we need them for economic security.”

Obviously, a military invasion of Greenland is something that should be completely off the table.

The rest of the world would be absolutely horrified if we invaded Greenland and made it part of the United States by force.

If Greenland is going to come under U.S. control, it must be done by diplomatic means.  Perhaps Donald Trump Jr.’s visit to the island is the beginning of that process…

Donald Trump Jr., son of President-elect Donald Trump, arrived in Greenland Tuesday with conservative activist Charlie Kirk amid a push to purchase the Danish territory.

“Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland,” the president-elect posted on Truth Social.

“The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE!

“This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

In the end, it will be up to the people of Greenland to decide their future.

It is a land that has been dominated by Denmark for a very long time, but now it could soon be holding a referendum on independence

Greenland, the world’s largest island, was a Danish colony until 1953, when it became an integral part of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1979, it achieved home rule, and in 2009, self-governance, granting it control over domestic affairs while Copenhagen retained authority over defence and foreign policy. Crucially, the 2009 agreement provides Greenland with the right to declare independence through a referendum.

If Greenland votes for independence, it seems unlikely that they would be interested in giving that up just to become another U.S. territory.

Greenland Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede insists that his country “will never be for sale”

“Greenland is ours,” Egede also said. “We are not for sale and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom.”

Egede was indeed responding to an assertion from Trump that the United States must acquire Greenland “for purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World.”

So I think that this is a deal that would be exceedingly difficult for Trump to make.

Of course this isn’t the first time that the United States has been interested in acquiring Greenland…

This is not the first time the US has shown interest in acquiring the island. Under President Andrew Johnson in 1867, the US State Department noted Greenland’s resources and location as ideal for acquisition but made no formal efforts.

Nearly a century later, President Harry S Truman offered Denmark $100 million for Greenland in 1946 after recognising its strategic value post-World War II. Truman also considered trading parts of Alaska for Greenland, though the deal never materialised.

Without a doubt, I think that Greenland would like to have very strong ties to the United States.

But I wouldn’t count on Greenland becoming part of the U.S. any time soon.

Needless to say, Trump will have so many other issues to focus on once he becomes president that the status of Greenland will probably quickly become an afterthought.

2025 is going to be such an important year for our nation and for the entire world, and the decisions that Trump makes during the months ahead will have enormous implications for all of us.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

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Thanks To Years Of Inflation, The Price Of Breakfast In America Is Now Obscene

They have officially ruined breakfast.  Once upon a time, breakfast was the least expensive meal of the day, but now everything has changed.  Eggs, butter and coffee have all become extremely expensive, and there is no relief in sight in 2025.  When I went to the grocery store on Friday, I spent about 45 dollars for just nine tubs of butter.  I could hardly believe my eyes, but after doing some digging I discovered that five dollars for a pound of butter is very close to the national average at this stage.

Of course in some areas it is even more expensive.  During an exchange on MSNBC’s Morning Joe program, Joe Scarborough was astounded to learn that the price of butter has reached 7 dollars in some stores in his area…

“It’s $7… I’m just saying it’s 7,” Brzezinski interrupted.

“Butter is $7… What, is it framed in gold?” Scarborough replied incredulously, with a look of shock on his face.

“It’s seven bucks…. it depends where you go,” Brzezinski stated somberly.

Europe is facing a similar crisis.

In fact, the price of butter in Europe jumped by an average of 19 percent during the 12 month period ending in October…

Across the 27-member states of the European Union, the price of butter rose 19% on average from October 2023 to October 2024.

That included a rise of 49% in Slovakia, and 40% in Germany and the Czech Republic, according to EU figures with reports indicating the cost has continued to rise.

But they keep telling us that inflation is under control.

Yeah, right.

Egg prices have been rising even more rapidly.

In some areas of California, a carton of 12 eggs will now cost you 9 dollars

Egg prices in California have reached unprecedented levels, with some areas reporting costs as high as $9 per dozen. This surge is largely attributed to the ongoing impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, which has significantly disrupted egg supply across the United States.

The price escalation in California is particularly notable. While the national average for a dozen Grade A large eggs hovers around $3.20, in California, the average price for a carton of white cage-free eggs has hit $5.11. However, in certain regions, consumers are seeing prices nearly double that amount.

I vividly remember when you could buy a carton of 12 eggs for less than a dollar.

Sadly, those days are long gone and they aren’t coming back.

It is being reported that egg prices have risen 160 percent since 2019, and they are expected to go substantially higher in 2025 because of the bird flu.

If you love coffee, you should be aware that coffee prices are also being projected to continue to rise at an exponential rate in 2025.

Can you imagine paying 8 dollars for a single cup of coffee?  Well, those that live in Australia could be doing exactly that by the end of this calendar year

Coffee lovers could soon not be able to justify buying their caffeine fix daily with experts warning single cup could cost from $8-$12 by the end of 2025.

A confluence of factors has pushed Arabica bean prices into the stratosphere.

If you can believe it, the price of a pound of Arabica beans jumped more than 80 percent in 2024…

The warning comes as the price of Arabica beans, the world’s most popular variety, continues to rise.

Buying a pound of the bean variety topped US $3.44 on December 10, having risen more than 80 per cent in 2024.

Chocolate prices are entering unprecedented territory as well.

In 2024, cocoa futures actually tripled in price

Prices for chocolate’s main ingredient have almost tripled since the start of 2024 as faltering production in West Africa — the world’s biggest growing region — led to massive supply shortages, the publication wrote, citing exchange data.

In early January, cocoa futures traded at around $4,000 per tonne. In mid-December they peaked at $12,700 per tonne, according to data from Trading Economics.

As this price shift starts filtering down to the consumer level, a lot of us won’t be able to afford to eat as much chocolate as we once did.

In fact, we have already reached a point where chocolate is being referred to as a “luxury” item.

If you love beef, I have more bad news for you.

According to Zero Hedge, cattle futures just hit another new all-time record high…

Cattle futures in Chicago surged to fresh record highs on Friday, driven by severe winter weather forecasts for the Central Plains and Midwest, two key regions home to the nation’s cattle belt. Analysts warn that the harsh conditions could reduce herd sizes and impact carcass weights, further tightening the nation’s cattle supply.

“While cattle can tolerate cold weather, extreme cold forces them to expend more energy, directly impacting feed conversion rates and ultimately reducing carcass weights,” Daily Livestock Report wrote in a note on Friday, warning that cattle weights fell 3% during last year’s cold blast across the Lower 48.

Demand for beef remains very robust, but the size of the U.S. national cattle herd just keeps shrinking.

At this point, it is the smallest that it has been since 1961.

So beef prices will just keep escalating in 2025.

You could try switching to chicken or turkey, but they are both becoming more expensive thanks to the bird flu.

The bottom line is that we are transitioning into an entirely new environment.

We were quite accustomed to living in a society that produced enormous quantities of extremely inexpensive food.

But now global food supplies are steadily getting tighter, and global food prices are steadily marching upwards.

Hunger is on the rise all over the world, and demand at food banks in the United States is higher than ever before.

Years in advance, I explained to my readers in excruciating detail where global food production trends would be taking us.

Sadly, it will not be possible for our leaders to reverse those trends.

Horrifying global food shortages are in our future, and I would suggest that you prepare accordingly.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

The Jase Case is more than an emergency medication supply. The right meds the moment you need them: https://shorturl.at/gMpOj

Protect your home and vehicle with EMP Shield: https://shorturl.at/Hh2oz

Ready Hour Emergency Food: https://shorturl.at/RB6ul

My Patriot Supply: https://shorturl.at/GhppY

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Operation Blackout: https://eflow.americablackout.com/2964TZB/7XDN2/

Exodus Effect: https://trk.exodusrevealed.com/2964TZB/225JFQ/

Final Famine: https://trk.finaleagainstfamine.com/2964TZB/BP658/

Genesis Code: https://trk.discovergenesiscode.com/2964TZB/M2GJW/

Final Blackout: https://trk.borderdatareport.com/2964TZB/2N721M/

Last Blackout: https://trk.last-blackout.com/2964TZB/2J2CRS/

Worst Homelessness Crisis Ever! Those On The Low End Of The Economic Spectrum Are Being Absolutely Pulverized By This Economy

All over America, our core urban areas are teeming with tent cities, hordes of homeless drug addicts, and vast throngs of newly arrived migrants that don’t have anywhere to go.  When I wrote about this topic one year ago, homelessness in the U.S. was at an all-time record high, and it was increasing at the fastest pace ever recorded.  It was going to be hard to top that, but somehow we did.  Fast forward to today, and homelessness in the U.S. has reached another all-time record high, and it is increasing at an even faster pace.  We are literally in the midst of the worst homelessness crisis that our federal government has ever measured, and there is no end in sight.

When the rest of us discuss the economic pain that we are experiencing, many on the high end of the economic spectrum wonder what all the fuss is about because things still seem pretty good to them.

But for many of those on the low end of the economic spectrum, it feels like a full-blown economic collapse has already begun.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development revealed that the homeless population in the U.S. jumped 18 percent in just one year…

Homelessness in the United States soared to the highest level on record, according to government data released Friday.

More than 770,000 people experienced homelessness in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development reported. It was the largest annual increase since HUD began collecting the data in 2007 (excluding the jump from 2021 to 2022, when the agency didn’t conduct a full count due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

If homelessness is at the highest level ever and it is rising at the fastest rate ever, your economy is not okay.

Let’s just be real for a moment.

I am so sick and tired of the Biden administration and the mainstream media telling us that everything is just fine.

More than three-quarters of a million Americans are homeless, and that is just the ones that they are able to find and count.

The true number is certainly far higher.

We are being told that the spike in homelessness is happening because we don’t have enough affordable housing and because we are not able to absorb all of the migrants that have been pouring over our borders.

In fact, in 13 communities that have been heavily impacted by migration, “family homelessness more than doubled”

Migration had a particularly notable impact on family homelessness, which rose 39% from 2023 to 2024, according to the report. In the 13 communities that reported being affected by migration, family homelessness more than doubled.

When we think of the homeless, we tend to think of older men with addiction problems.

But the truth is that approximately 150,000 children are living in the streets at this point…

Massively concerning is that 150,000 children experienced homelessness, a 33% jump in 2024 when compared to the prior year.

What is wrong with us?

Why can’t we get this crisis under control?

Our politicians like to give speeches about affordable housing, but housing just continues to become more unaffordable

Rents have continued climbing since briefly dipping lower during the pandemic, as well. As of 2023, nearly half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, qualifying them as cost-burdened, according to the US Census Bureau.

Every day, more precious people on the low end of the economic spectrum are being evicted from their homes.

Every day, the homeless population in this country just gets even bigger.

And now we have entered a time when finding a decent job is going to be quite a bit more difficult

US private sector full-time jobs have DROPPED by nearly 2 MILLION over the past year.

Such a drop has never happened outside of recessions.

The only gain in full-time jobs has been in the government sector.

We aren’t buying the propaganda any longer.

They keep trying to convince us that everything is just fine, but that clearly isn’t the truth.

When Don Lemon tried to convince a random man that he was interviewing that the economy “is actually better under Biden”, the man responded with a “hearty laugh”

“Four years ago it was a lot better. I made a lot more money than I do now,” the man said.

Incredibly, rather than try to understand the man’s perspective, Lemon argued with him.

“I know you feel that way, but that’s not actually what the record shows,” Lemon said. “The economy is actually better under Biden.”

That prompted a hearty laugh from the interviewee.

We can see the tent cities that are popping up like mushrooms all over our major cities.

We can see the hordes of people that are sleeping in their vehicles in retail parking lots at night.

And we can see that prices at the grocery store are far, far higher than they used to be.

According to a national survey that was just released, approximately 70 percent of U.S. adults believe that the U.S. economy is in poor condition right now…

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults rate the country’s economic state as very or somewhat poor, up slightly from about 6 in 10 in October. Self-identified Democrats are primarily driving the recent negativity. About 6 in 10 Democrats described the U.S. economy as “good” in October. With Republicans on the verge of controlling the executive and legislative branches, only about half of Democrats say that now.

That same survey also discovered that about a third of all U.S. adults are either “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to “afford groceries over the next few months”

The new AP-NORC poll shows about one-third of Americans say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about their ability to afford groceries over the next few months. About 3 in 10 are highly worried about being able to afford holiday gifts, gas or electricity.

There are tens of millions of Americans that are barely holding on from month to month.

Next month, more of them will lose their grip.

We really are in the midst of a slow-motion economic collapse, and poverty and hunger really are growing all around us.

But for now, those on the high end of the economic spectrum are still living the high life, but it is just a matter of time before they experience severe economic pain too.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

The Jase Case is more than an emergency medication supply. The right meds the moment you need them: https://shorturl.at/gMpOj

Protect your home and vehicle with EMP Shield: https://shorturl.at/Hh2oz

Ready Hour Emergency Food: https://shorturl.at/RB6ul

My Patriot Supply: https://shorturl.at/GhppY

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Operation Blackout: https://eflow.americablackout.com/2964TZB/7XDN2/

Exodus Effect: https://trk.exodusrevealed.com/2964TZB/225JFQ/

Final Famine: https://trk.finaleagainstfamine.com/2964TZB/BP658/

Genesis Code: https://trk.discovergenesiscode.com/2964TZB/M2GJW/

Final Blackout: https://trk.borderdatareport.com/2964TZB/2N721M/

Last Blackout: https://trk.last-blackout.com/2964TZB/2J2CRS/

21 Quotes About Central Banking That Show Why The Federal Reserve Must Be Shut Down

We have come to accept that we are permanently trapped in an endless cycle of debt and money creation.  But the only reason why debt and money grow at an exponential rate is because that is what our system was designed to do.  The Federal Reserve and other central banks around the globe were created with a purpose.  The goal was to get humanity into as much debt as possible, and those holding that debt just keep getting wealthier and wealthier.  Unfortunately, we have been trained to not even question this deeply insidious arrangement.

Over the past several decades, our money supply has been growing at a pace that we have never seen before.

And once the pandemic hit, the growth of the money supply went into overdrive.

This is why the cost of living is so oppressive today.

There is simply way too much money floating around.

Over the past several decades, our national debt has also been growing at an exponential rate.

The system is designed to produce debt faster than it produces money.

That is why it will never be possible for us to pay off the national debt.

Sadly, most Americans don’t even understand what the Federal Reserve is.

One thing that the Federal Reserve is NOT is a government agency.  In fact, it is about as “federal” as Federal Express.  It is a private central bank designed to make money for the people who created it.  In fact, the Federal Reserve was the culmination of an effort by the international banking elite to force a permanent private central bank on the American people that began all the way back during the days of our Founding Fathers.

But don’t just take my word for it. The following are 21 quotes about central banking from past presidents, congressmen and other notable historical figures…

#1 John Adams, the second president of the United States: “All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.”

#2 James Madison: “History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it’s issuance.”

#3 Thomas Jefferson: “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs.”

#4 Abraham Lincoln: “The money powers prey upon the nation in times of peace and conspire against it in times of adversity. It is more despotic than a monarchy, more insolent than autocracy, and more selfish than bureaucracy. It denounces as public enemies all who question its methods or throw light upon its crimes. I have two great enemies, the Southern Army in front of me and the bankers in the rear. Of the two, the one at my rear is my greatest foe.”

#5 James A. Garfield: “Whoever controls the volume of money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce.”

#6 Woodrow Wilson: “A great industrial nation is controlled by it’s system of credit. Our system of credit is concentrated in the hands of a few men. We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely controlled and dominated governments in the world–no longer a government of free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of small groups of dominant men.”

#7 Mayer Amschel Bauer Rothschild: “Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws”

#8 Horace Greeley: “While boasting of our noble deeds were careful to conceal the ugly fact that by an iniquitous money system we have nationalized a system of oppression which, though more refined, is not less cruel than the old system of chattel slavery.”

#9 Sir Josiah Stamp, the former President of the Bank of England: “Bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money and control credit, and with a flick of a pen they will create enough to buy it back.”

#10 Rothschild Brothers of London, 1863: “The few who understand the system, will either be so interested from it’s profits or so dependent on it’s favors, that there will be no opposition from that class.”

#11 Charles A. Lindbergh Sr. in 1913: “This [Federal Reserve Act] establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President [Wilson} signs this bill, the invisible government of the monetary power will be legalized….the worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency bill.”

#12 Charles A. Lindbergh Sr. in 1923: “The financial system has been turned over to the Federal Reserve Board. That Board administers the finance system by authority of a purely profiteering group. The system is Private, conducted for the sole purpose of obtaining the greatest possible profits from the use of other people’s money”

#13 Congressman Louis T. McFadden: “The Federal Reserve banks are one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever seen. There is not a man within the sound of my voice who does not know that this nation is run by the International bankers.”

#14 Congressman Louis T. McFadden in 1932 just before FDR began his first term: “We have, in this country, one of the most corrupt institutions the world has ever known. I refer to the Federal Reserve Board. This evil institution has impoverished the people of the United States and has practically bankrupted our government. It has done this through the corrupt practices of the moneyed vultures who control it.”

#15 Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government of the U.S. since the days of Andrew Jackson.”

#16 Eustace Mullins: “As soon as Mr. Roosevelt took office, the Federal Reserve began to buy government securities at the rate of ten million dollars a week for 10 weeks, and created one hundred million dollars in new [checkbook] currency, which alleviated the critical famine of money and credit, and the factories started hiring people again.”

#17 Congressman Wright Patman, Congressional Record, Sept 30, 1941: “The Federal Reserve bank buys government bonds without one penny…”

#18 Senator Barry Goldwater: “Most Americans have no real understanding of the operation of the international money lenders. The accounts of the Federal Reserve System have never been audited. It operates outside the control of Congress and manipulates the credit of the United States.”

#19 Henry Ford: It is well that the people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.”

#20 Lewis vs. United States, 680 F. 2d 1239 9th Circuit 1982: “The regional Federal Reserve banks are not government agencies. …but are independent, privately owned and locally controlled corporations.”

#21 Boston Federal Reserve Bank: “When you or I write a check there must be sufficient funds in our account to cover the check, but when the Federal Reserve writes a check there is no bank deposit on which that check is drawn. When the Federal Reserve writes a check, it is creating money.”

Why isn’t this one of the biggest political issues in the country today?

The Federal Reserve is at the center of a controversy over central banking that has been around since the very beginning of the United States.  Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve system is so incredibly complex and the American people have been so “dumbed down” that the vast majority of the population literally has no idea how our system really works.

If we do nothing, things will continue to get even worse for ordinary Americans.

In 2001, 17 million people were on food stamps.

Today, more than 42 million people are on food stamps…

Food stamp enrollment has increased significantly in recent decades.

In fiscal year 2023, 42.1 million Americans received food stamps. This is 2.4 times the 17.3 million who were enrolled in FY 2001.

As the number of people receiving food stamp benefits has increased, the percentage of the U.S. population enrolled has also increased.

In fiscal year 2023, 12.6 percent of the total U.S. population received food stamp benefits. This is more than double the 6.1 percent in FY 2001.

One out of every four children in America now gets assistance from food stamps each month.  In fact, it is projected that half of all U.S. kids will be on food stamps at some point in their lives.

Our entire system is designed to funnel wealth to those at the very top of the pyramid at the expense of everyone else.

I have been writing about the evils of the Federal Reserve system for more than a decade, but sometimes it feels like I am banging my head into a wall.

What will it take for the American people to finally wake up?

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

The Jase Case is more than an emergency medication supply. The right meds the moment you need them: https://shorturl.at/gMpOj

Protect your home and vehicle with EMP Shield: https://shorturl.at/Hh2oz

Ready Hour Emergency Food: https://shorturl.at/RB6ul

My Patriot Supply: https://shorturl.at/GhppY

InstaFire: https://shorturl.at/brRN1

AlexaPure: https://shorturl.at/CH23z

Operation Blackout: https://eflow.americablackout.com/2964TZB/7XDN2/

Exodus Effect: https://trk.exodusrevealed.com/2964TZB/225JFQ/

Final Famine: https://trk.finaleagainstfamine.com/2964TZB/BP658/

Genesis Code: https://trk.discovergenesiscode.com/2964TZB/M2GJW/

Final Blackout: https://trk.borderdatareport.com/2964TZB/2N721M/

Last Blackout: https://trk.last-blackout.com/2964TZB/2J2CRS/

11 Signs That The Slow-Motion Collapse Of The U.S. Economy Is Far More Advanced Than Most People Think

The fact that economic conditions are getting worse is certainly not good news, but it is better to know in advance what is coming.  After four years under Joe Biden, the U.S. economy is a giant mess.  We have been witnessing a slow-motion collapse right in front of our eyes, and those at the bottom levels of the economic food chain have been experiencing more pain than anyone else.  Of course this is one of the biggest reasons why Donald Trump won the election.  Large numbers of poor and working class Americans are desperate for change.  Unfortunately, economic conditions have continued to deteriorate since early November.  The following are 11 signs that the slow-motion collapse of the U.S. economy is far more advanced than most people think…

#1 When the economy is in good shape, holiday spending increases each year.  In 2024, only 16 percent of Americans say that they are going to spend more than last year and 35 percent of Americans say that they are going to spend less…

Americans this holiday season say they are seeing a ghost of Christmas past: inflation.

The CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds inflation is still haunting the buying public, leading to what’s shaping up to be just an average season for retailers. Just 16% of respondents say they will spend more, down two points compared to last year. Forty-eight percent said that they’ll lay out the same amount for holiday gifts, up five points. At the same time, 35% say they’ll spend less, down two points as well.

#2 The number of job openings in the U.S. is now the lowest it has been since January 2021, but unlike January 2021 we don’t have a pandemic to blame our poor performance on…

US job openings tumbled last month to their lowest level since January 2021, a sign that the labor market is losing some momentum. Still, posted vacancies remain well above pre-pandemic levels.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that the number of job openings dropped to 7.4 million in September from 7.9 million in August.

Economists had expected the level of openings to be virtually unchanged. Job openings fell in particular at healthcare companies and at government agencies at the federal, state and local levels.

#3 The manufacturing numbers that we are getting are extremely dismal.  For example, the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Manufacturing Index just experienced an extremely sharp decline

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Manufacturing Index, a critical gauge of the general business conditions in Philadelphia, has reported a significant drop. The actual figure stands at -16.4, a sharp decline that suggests worsening conditions for manufacturers in the region.

This figure starkly contrasts with the forecasted number of 2.9, highlighting a more severe downturn than initially predicted. Analysts had anticipated a positive shift, indicating improving conditions, but the actual data presents a different, more concerning situation.

Moreover, when compared to the previous index value of -5.5, the current reading of -16.4 further emphasizes the severity of the decline. This continuous drop indicates a concerning trend for manufacturers within the Philadelphia Federal Reserve district.

#4 Thanks to rapidly rising mortgage rates, the average U.S. homebuyer just lost $33,250 in purchasing power in just six weeks…

Mortgage rates hit 7% on October 28, the highest level since the start of summer and up nearly one percentage point from the 18-month low they dropped to in mid-September.

A homebuyer on a $3,000 monthly budget can afford a $442,500 home with a 7% mortgage rate, the daily average 30-year fixed rate on October 28. That buyer has lost $33,250 in purchasing power over the last six weeks; they could have purchased a $475,750 home with the 6.11% average rate on September 17. That was the lowest level since February 2023.

#5 Our cost of living crisis is officially out of control.  According to Bank of America, almost a third of all households “spend more than 95% of their disposable income on necessities such as housing costs, groceries and utility bills”…

Many Americans are still in a tough spot: Nearly 30% of all US households this year said they spend more than 95% of their disposable income on necessities such as housing costs, groceries and utility bills, according to a Bank of America Institute report, up from 2019 levels.

#6 A recent Lending Tree survey discovered that nearly a quarter of all households couldn’t pay their entire power bill at some point within the past year…

LendingTree’s findings about electricity bill costs comes as it reported 23.4% of Americans experienced an inability to cover their entire energy bill or portions of it in the last year, based on Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data.

#7 The same Lending Tree survey found that about a third of all households had to reduce spending “on necessary things” within the past year in order to pay utility costs…

Needing to cover utility bills prompted 34.3% of Americans to curb their spending on necessary things – or eliminate some altogether – in at least one instance in the prior year, LendingTree said.

#8 As I discussed last week, demand is at record levels at food banks all over the nation…

Why is demand at food banks all over the country higher than it has ever been before?  The media keeps insisting that economic conditions are just fine, but it has become quite obvious to everyone that this is not true.  In particular, the rising cost of living has been absolutely crushing households from coast to coast.  In the old days, most of the people that would show up at food banks were unemployed.  But now food banks are serving large numbers of people that actually do have jobs but that don’t make enough to pay for all of the basics.  The ranks of the “working poor” are growing very rapidly, and this is creating an unprecedented crisis all over America.

#9 During normal times, troubled retailers would at least wait until after the holiday season to throw in the towel.  But we haven’t even reached Christmas and Party City has already announced that it will be closing all stores…

Party City is closing down all of its stores, ending nearly 40 years in business, CNN has learned.

CEO Barry Litwin told corporate employees Friday in a meeting viewed by CNN that Party City is “winding down” operations immediately and that today will be their last day of employment. Staff were told they will not receive severance pay, and they were told their benefits would end as the company goes out of business.

#10 Not to be outdone, Big Lots has announced that all 936 of their remaining stores will be shutting down on a permanent basis…

Big Lots is beginning ‘going out of business’ sales at all its stores across the US, as it prepares to close its remaining locations.

The discount retail chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September, and has already shut hundreds of stores nationwide.

In a press release Thursday, the company said it would begin the sales at its 963 remaining locations, after a sale to a private equity firm fell through.

#11 As of the end of November, more than 7,000 store closings had been announced in the United States.  That is a 69 percent increase from last year…

According to a report from CoreSight Research, U.S. retailers had announced more than 7,100 store closures through the end of November 2024, which represents a 69% increase compared to the same time in 2023. These closures are spread across numerous different sectors of retail from auto parts to restaurants to pharmacies, leaving many consumers wondering which companies will survive. This brings us to GameStop, the beloved retail gaming store, which has not only been closing hundreds of retail store locations since 2020, but also appears to be on track to close hundreds more of its locations in the very near future.

This is what a failing economy looks like.

Last week, a prominent mall in downtown San Francisco was empty of shoppers in the middle of the afternoon

Look at all of these beautiful Christmas decorations at the Crocker Galleria mall in San Francisco. It’s 4:47 PM and everybody should be shopping and buying Christmas presents for their family, but nobody is in this mall.

There are only three stores left that are open here. The escalators hum on inside this beautiful but empty decorated mall.

Outside on Market Street the fentanyl addicts lay folded over while a street performer sings Last Christmas to an empty Street.

Of course the lack of shoppers at that particular mall is just the tip of the iceberg.

Unfortunately, the truth is that downtown areas all over California “are crumbling under the weight of homelessness and drug addiction”

California’s biggest downtown areas are crumbling under the weight of homelessness and drug addiction, causing a vital part of its economy to dry out.

Cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have made countless headlines since the pandemic about their drug-infested streets where businesses are quickly pulling out due to high crime rates and low consumer passage.

The number of drug addicts in America is at the highest level ever.

The number of homeless people in America is at the highest level ever.

They are victims of our slow-motion economic collapse, and the holidays will not be very happy for them.

So if you still have food on the table and a warm home to sleep in, you should consider yourself to be incredibly blessed.

Sadly, more Americans are being forced out into the streets with each passing day as the slow-motion collapse of our economy accelerates.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

The Jase Case is more than an emergency medication supply. The right meds the moment you need them: https://shorturl.at/gMpOj

Protect your home and vehicle with EMP Shield: https://shorturl.at/Hh2oz

Ready Hour Emergency Food: https://shorturl.at/RB6ul

My Patriot Supply: https://shorturl.at/GhppY

InstaFire: https://shorturl.at/brRN1

AlexaPure: https://shorturl.at/CH23z

Operation Blackout: https://eflow.americablackout.com/2964TZB/7XDN2/

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The American People Voted For DOGE, But They Are Getting PORK Instead…

The Swamp does not intend to go quietly into the night.  Just last month, the American people elected Donald Trump, and Trump received tremendous praise for appointing Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head up a “Department of Government Efficiency” which will attempt to greatly reduce government waste.  Even many on the left are excited to see what Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy can do once Trump takes office.  But for the moment, it is business as usual in Washington, and our Congress critters are poised to substantially increase government spending and government waste.  House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing a 1,547 page “continuing resolution” that is absolutely loaded with pork.  Johnson personally negotiated this deal with the Democrats, and ultimately he gave the Democrats almost everything that they wanted.  Needless to say, a lot of Republican members of Congress are very upset about this

Republicans are bristling at Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) over the 1,547-page spending deal released mere days ahead of the deadline, full of pork and disappointment.

The continuing resolution (CR) released Tuesday night — negotiated on the GOP side by Johnson — includes tens of billions of dollars in waste and includes funding for controversial items, including a pay raise for members of Congress as well as a one-year extension of the State Department’s Global Engagement Center (GEC), which funds organizations that censor conservative media including Breitbart News.

On a personal level, Mike Johnson seems like a very nice guy.

In fact, he is the kind of guy that you might want to have next door as a neighbor.

But he simply does not have what it takes to negotiate with Chuckie Schumer.

There have been a lot of really bad spending bills that have been pushed through Congress in recent years, but this is one of the worst.

After seeing this bill, Elon Musk warned that any member of Congress that votes for it could soon be voted out

Billionaire Musk, who is heading up Trump’s DOGE agency with Vivek Ramaswamy, is leading the charge to slap down the bill he calls a ‘piece of pork.’

He went so far as to threaten any Republican who votes for the measure, saying they’ll be fired from Congress next election.

‘Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!’

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the American people started holding members of Congress that endlessly waste our money accountable?

I would love to see that.

Musk was particular horrified that this bill would raise congressional salaries by about 40 percent

But Musk is taking issue with a provision to bump up members of Congress’ pay from $174,000 – a level set in 2009 – to $243,300 per year and other measures.

‘How can this be called a ‘continuing resolution’ if it includes a 40 percent pay increase for Congress?’ he questioned.

Considering how much the rest of the country is suffering right now, do our members of Congress really deserve a 40 percent pay hike?

Of course not.

If they want to be “public servants”, we should pay them like servants.

It is sickening that these fat cats will be paid $243,000 a year while hard working Americans are spending hours in line at food banks all over the nation.

Thankfully, there are some members of Congress that are standing up against this bill.  One of them is U.S. Representative Eric Burlison

“It’s a total dumpster fire. I think it’s garbage,” said Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. “This is what Washington, D.C., has done. This is why I ran for Congress, to try to stop this. And sadly, this is happening again.”

“We get this negotiated crap, and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich,” echoed Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), another Freedom Caucus member. “Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner. It’s the same dang thing every year. Legislate by crisis, legislate by calendar. Not legislate because it’s the right thing to do.”

Every year, our Congress critters love to push through legislation while most of the population is distracted by the holidays.

Why do we need this bill anyway?

Why can’t we just send the government on “vacation” for about a month until Trump is inaugurated?

Once Trump gets in, his people will hopefully be able to negotiate a much better spending deal.

It will be very interesting to see how the vote on this bill goes.  At this point, many Republicans are pledging to vote against it.

In particular, I really like how U.S. Representative Paul Gosar announced his opposition to the bill

‘Twas three days before the gov’t shutdown
And I’m at my desk
On page 54 of this 1,547 page mess.
The CR is garbage
Chocked full of carnage.
I’ll be a hard no
I won’t stoop that low.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

After what has just transpired, I don’t see how Mike Johnson can possibly keep his job.

But he insists that he is “not worried”

Johnson, though, said he is “not worried” about getting the support he needs to keep the gavel next year, adding he “certainly hope[s] and am working towards the majority of the majority” of the GOP conference supporting the CR.

“We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances,” Johnson said.

When Barack Obama entered the White House, the national debt had just crossed the 10 trillion dollar mark.

Now we are 36 trillion dollars in debt, and this fiscal year is off to record start as far as piling up new debt is concerned.

The madness has got to stop.

We are literally committing national suicide, and even though our politicians fully understand this, they just can’t help themselves because they are completely and utterly addicted to spending.

The American people voted for DOGE, but they are getting PORK instead.

Our federal government is deeply broken, and we continue to add more than 200 million dollars to the national debt every single hour of every single day.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”“End Times”“7 Year Apocalypse”“Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”“The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse BlogEnd Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

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