Threatening The Russians With An Ultimatum Will Backfire Severely And Will Set The Stage For Nuclear War

So is this how it all ends?  I don’t even know how to describe the emotions that I am feeling right now.  There was so much hope a few months ago that there would be peace, but both sides appear completely uninterested in making substantial compromises at this point.  Instead, both sides are poised to dramatically escalate the war.  If we continue going down this path, it isn’t going to end well.  For decades, our leaders have been conducting war game scenarios in which a conflict in Ukraine leads to a nuclear war.  Now a conflict in Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war for real.  I feel like I am watching a slow-motion train wreck happen without any way to stop it.  It really is quite a sickening feeling.

We have a very limited window of opportunity to make peace with the Russians, and we are totally blowing it.

In February, I specifically warned that President Trump must not resort to threatening the Russians over the war in Ukraine because it would backfire severely.

When I woke up today, I learned that is exactly what Trump has decided to do.

Trump has issued a very ominous ultimatum.  If Russia does not end the war in Ukraine within 50 days, the U.S. will impose “very severe tariffs” on all nations that do business with Russia.  In addition, Trump has approved a massive new weapons package for Ukraine…

Trump announced July 14 that the United States is sending weapons to NATO, which plans to transfer the equipment to Ukraine, and also threatened steep tariffs aimed at impacting Russia’s ability to finance the war.

Trump said that the United States would put secondary tariffs on countries that do business with Russia if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days.

“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Trump said.

The deadline that Trump has set falls in September, which I found to be very interesting.

If Russia does not end the war in Ukraine by the deadline, and that is very unlikely to happen, Trump says that all countries that do business with Russia will be hit with 100 percent tariffs

“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a deal within 50 days. It’s very simple,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office, alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “And they’ll be at 100%.”

“We are very unhappy, I am, with Russia,” the president explained.

China does a tremendous amount of business with Russia.

Are we going to hit the Chinese with 100 percent tariffs?

That would not be good for our economy at all.

Much more importantly, the enormous new weapons package that Trump is sending to Ukraine will significantly escalate the conflict.

It is being reported that the U.S. will sell approximately 10 billion dollars in weapons to European countries, and those European countries will turn around and distribute those weapons to Ukraine.

According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, nations all over Europe are very eager to participate in the “first wave” of this program…

Rutte, who said the decision was built on the “tremendous success” of last month’s NATO summit when nearly every nation in the alliance agreed to increase their defense spending to reach 5% of their nation’s GDP, called the move “logical.”

“This is again European nations standing up,” Rutte added. “I’ve been in contact with many countries, I can tell you at this moment Germany, massively, but also Finland and Denmark and Sweden and Norway, we have the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Canada – they all want to be part of this.

“And this is only the first wave. There will be more,” Rutte confirmed. “So what we will do is work through the NATO systems to make sure that we know what Ukrainians need.”

This isn’t going to end the war.

It is just going to make it even worse.

Apparently this new aid for Ukraine will likely include long-range missiles that will be capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory

Now, two sources tell Axios that it’s likely a new weapons package will include long-range missiles capable of attacking deep inside Russia to include Moscow. They noted that a final decision hadn’t been made. “Trump is really pissed at Putin. His announcement tomorrow is going to be very aggressive,” warmongering South Carolina Sen. Lindsey told Axios.

At the end of 2024, the Biden administration brought us right to the brink of nuclear war by allowing the Ukrainians to fire long-range missiles provided by the United States deep into Russian territory.

Now we are going to do it again?

Are we mad?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy certainly sounds like he can’t wait to get his hands on the long-range missiles that are coming…

Ukrainian forces will continue targeting Russian troops and doing everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory, including preparing new long-range strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

“Our units will continue to destroy the enemy and do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory. We are preparing our new long-range strikes,” Zelenskyy said.

According to a decorated British Army commander named Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the plan is for Ukraine to receive long-range missiles that “can strike Moscow”

Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: “These weapons can strike Moscow – over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others.

“So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects.

“People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted.

“And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system.”

Let me ask you a question.

If another country launched long-range missiles at Washington D.C. and New York City, what would we do?

The answer to that question is obvious.

If long-range missiles provided by the United States start falling in Moscow, the Russians will respond very forcefully.

In fact, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon has openly admitted that the Russians have already been strongly considering the use of nuclear weapons…

In a Telegraph op-ed, the former Colonel and expert on weapons of mass destruction stated: “The fact that Putin and his gangsters have threatened nuclear attack continuously since the wider war in Ukraine began suggests they are thinking about it in detail.”

The former Colonel expressed concern over the prolonged conflict in Ukraine, stating: “As three days have become three years plus, they may think they can finish off Ukraine quickly with tactical nukes and we would not react.”

We are playing with fire.

Meanwhile, the government of the Philippines is quietly coordinating with Taiwan in anticipation of a coming war with China…

Faced with intensifying Chinese encroachment at sea, the Philippines increasingly sees its national security as intertwined with that of Taiwan and is quietly ramping up both formal and informal engagement with the self-governing island, including on security, according to government officials, defense analysts and diplomats here.

This marks a significant departure from Manila’s conservative approach toward Taiwan and could pave the way for the Philippines, a U.S. treaty ally, to play a bigger role if China makes good on its threats to invade Taiwan.

“Any force projection of China within our area is a matter of extreme concern,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said in an interview Thursday.

And we are being told that Israel is preparing for the next time that it will strike Iran…

-In a recent meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, while preferring a diplomatic solution, did not object to Israel’s readiness to launch further strikes.

-This stance comes as Israeli intelligence believes Iran could still recover a significant amount of near-bomb-grade uranium from the damaged Isfahan site.

-The situation has created a high-stakes standoff, with Washington leveraging the threat of future attacks to push Tehran toward a deal, while an unconvinced Israel prepares to act alone if necessary.

In my new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next”, I specifically warn about war with Russia, war with China, and war in the Middle East.

And I have warned about these wars over and over again in my articles.

But sometimes I feel like I am banging my head into a brick wall because most people don’t seem to get it.

This isn’t a game.

Decisions that are being made right now will greatly alter the course of human history, and hundreds of millions of lives are hanging in the balance.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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 Facts Clearly Tell Us That The Middle Class In America Is Dying

Everybody agrees that the rich have been getting even richer in recent years.  But what about all the rest of us?  Unfortunately, it turns out that flooding the system with money was really good for the wealthy, but it has made things much worse for almost everyone else.  Poverty is rapidly growing all around us and the middle class is being systematically eviscerated.  If you doubt this, can you explain why the number of Americans dealing with food insecurity has almost doubled over the past four years?  And can you explain why store closings in the U.S. are on pace to set a new all-time record?  The middle class simply does not have the same level of discretionary income that it once did.  Today, we live in a country where 70 percent of the population feels very financially stressed.  If you are in the segment of the population that is doing really well right now, good for you. But you need to understand that most of the country is really hurting.

Once upon a time, the U.S. had the largest and most prosperous middle class in the history of the world.  But according to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of Americans that are considered to be “middle class” is a lot smaller than it once was

Pew Research Center defines the middle class as a household with income that is at least two-thirds of the U.S. median income to double the median income. This would imply a range of incomes from $56,600 to $169,800, based on government data for 2022.

As of 2023, 51% of American households fit into this category.

But, most Americans might not be aware that this cohort of middle-income earners is getting squeezed. Roughly 61% of households across the country were part of this group in 1971 — a full 10 percentage points higher than the recent 51% rate.

Even if you still have a place in the middle class, there is a very good chance that you are not doing as well as you once did.

If you find yourself in that situation, I want you to know that you definitely are not alone.

Today, so many Americans are just barely scraping by from month to month.  In fact, one recent survey found that 48 percent of Americans are “constantly treading water financially”

A recent survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) found that 53% of U.S. adults feel like they can’t make financial progress and 48% say they are “constantly treading water financially.”

Our seemingly endless cost of living crisis is responsible for the pain that we are currently enduring.

Even if you have a full-time job, it is often not enough.

So Americans are increasingly turning to side hustles to make ends meet.

In fact, a recent survey discovered that 40 percent of U.S. adults now have at least one side hustle…

A March LendingTree survey showed that 40% of Americans have a side hustle as the cost of living increases. Most of them, about 61% of those who have one, say their life would be unaffordable without it.

“The sad truth is that life is crazy-expensive in 2025, and for many people, their 9-to-5 job just isn’t enough for them to live comfortably,” LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schultz told FOX Business.

Approximately a third of side hustlers say they have one due to cost-of-living expenses, while 29% say they need the money for bills and 28% say it’s used for discretionary income. When asked what the driver was for starting their side hustle, almost half of them said the current economy.

Thanks to the reckless policies of our leaders, Americans have to keep working harder and harder just to pay the bills.

Sadly, the employment marketplace is really starting to dry up and large employers have started to conduct mass layoffs all over the nation.  In recent weeks I have provided numerous examples of this, and today I have some more to share with you.

We just learned that Coca-Cola has decided to permanently shut down five production and distribution facilities

Coca-Cola is closing five production and distribution sites across the U.S., a move that will leave nearly 900 workers without jobs and mark one of the company’s largest waves of domestic layoffs in recent memory.

If the economy was doing well, this wouldn’t be happening.

But it is happening, and hundreds of hard working men and women will soon be looking for new employment…

In American Canyon, California, 135 jobs vanished when a massive 350,000-square-foot facility shut down at the end of June. A similar story is playing out in Salinas, where 81 more will be out of work by August. Florida already saw its Dunedin plant go dark in May—200 employees affected there. And earlier this year, Modesto lost a bottling center, along with 101 jobs. The biggest hit may still be coming: in Northampton, Massachusetts, 319 positions hang in limbo as the plant there inches closer to a long-delayed closure.

Intel is another large corporation that is suddenly shedding workers

Intel this month officially began to cut down its workforce in the U.S. and other countries, thus revealing actual numbers of positions to be cut. The Oregonian reports that the company will cut as many as 2,392 positions in Oregon and around 4,000 positions across its American operations, including Arizona, California, and Texas.

To put the 2,392 number into context, Intel is the largest employer in Oregon with around 20,000 of workers there.

I wish that I could tell you that this is just temporary.

But everyone knows that lots of jobs will be lost to AI in the months and years ahead.

In fact, Goldman Sachs has projected that the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs could be lost to AI…

Goldman Sachs predicts AI could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs. But Nathan Pettyjohn, who uses AI to run four companies in just two days per week, says the real story isn’t about replacement — it’s about evolution.

“Andrew Ng said AI is the new electricity,” notes Pettyjohn, CEO of The Applied AI Association and author of AI Wants Your Job. “But unlike electricity, which simply powered existing processes, AI fundamentally redesigns them. The winners will be those who redesign first.”

What are we going to do if that projection is even close to accurate?

We could just start funneling millions of workers into government jobs, but the truth is that we can’t afford to do that.

The federal government has already been spending so much money that the national debt is on pace to reach 54 trillion dollars a decade from now…

The latest findings from the Congressional Budget Office indicate that the national debt will grow to an astonishing $54 trillion in the next decade, the result of an aging population and rising federal healthcare costs. Higher interest rates are also compounding the pain of higher debt.

Of course we will never actually see the national debt hit 54 trillion dollars.

Our entire system will completely collapse before we get to that point.

We have been slowly committing national suicide for a long time.

Now the consequences are really starting to catch up with us, and a whole lot more pain is ahead.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.

Was The Epstein Investigation Shut Down To Protect Several Of America’s Most Powerful Billionaires?

Why did some of America’s most prominent billionaires regularly meet with Jeffrey Epstein even after he became a registered sex offender in 2008?  In this article, I am going to discuss reporting that the Wall Street Journal has done over the years that proves that these meetings took place.  Of course just because billionaires were meeting with Jeffrey Epstein does not mean that they were involved in anything illegal.  Perhaps all of them are completely innocent.  But if the Epstein investigation had moved forward, these billionaires would have been forced to answer some very hard questions.  Could it be possible that the Epstein investigation was shut down to protect them?

For years, young female “assistants” were a permanent feature of Jeffrey Epstein’s life.  Beautiful young women accompanied him wherever he went, and according to the Wall Street Journal they literally “opened the door at his New York townhouse when billionaires came calling”…

In the years after he registered as a sex offender, Epstein was rarely alone. He was often accompanied by attractive young women in their late teens or 20s. They opened the door at his New York townhouse when billionaires came calling. They sat beside him at meetings with bankers and celebrities. They traveled with him on his private jet to visit scientists, political leaders and tech-company founders. Photos of some of them with Epstein appeared in tabloid newspapers.

Epstein was not shy about flaunting his lifestyle.

But billionaires just kept coming to meet with him anyway.

On one particular day in 2014, Epstein held meetings with four of America’s most famous billionaires…

On Monday, Sept. 8, 2014, Jeffrey Epstein had a full calendar. He was scheduled to meet that day with Bill Gates, Thomas Pritzker, Leon Black and Mortimer Zuckerman, four of the richest men in the country, according to schedules and emails reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

Each of these men met with Epstein multiple times over the years.

In fact, Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black reportedly met with Epstein more than 100 times

The billionaire co-founder of private-equity giant Apollo Global Management had more than 100 meetings scheduled with Epstein from 2013 to 2017. They typically were scheduled to meet at Epstein’s townhouse and occasionally at Black’s office, the documents show.

The billionaire stepped down as Apollo’s CEO in March 2021. An Apollo review found he paid Epstein $158 million for estate planning and tax work. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is now investigating Black’s taxes and those payments to Epstein. Black said he paid all his taxes.

If you meet with someone more than 100 times and pay that individual 158 million dollars, that would be characterized as a very close relationship.

Of course Epstein also had a very close relationship with billionaire Bill Gates

Epstein scheduled several meetings at his townhouse with the Microsoft mogul and visited Gates at his office in Seattle. Gates was photographed with multiple models introduced to him by Epstein. Gates was scheduled to spend more than six hours accompanying Epstein to meetings on one day, Sept. 8, 2014, according to the documents.

“Epstein tried, unsuccessfully, to connect himself to Mr. Gates by any means possible, including spontaneously bringing in people for photos with Bill, whom Bill did not know or interact with further,” said a Gates spokeswoman. “Mr. Gates only ever met with Epstein for philanthropic purposes, which he regrets.”

And it also appears that Epstein attempted to use knowledge of an affair that Gates was having as a form of leverage

In 2013, Epstein met a Russian woman Gates was having a consensual affair with and later paid for her to attend software-coding school, according to people familiar with the matter.

After Epstein had failed to persuade Gates to participate in a multibillion-dollar charitable fund that Epstein tried to establish with JPMorgan, Epstein asked Gates to reimburse him for the cost of the woman’s course, according to the people familiar with the matter.

The implication behind the message, according to people who have viewed it, was that Epstein could reveal the affair if Gates didn’t keep up an association between the two men. The spokeswoman for Gates said he didn’t make a payment.

Personally, it is my opinion that there are a lot of difficult questions that Bill Gates needs to answer.

But he will probably never face those questions now.

Mortimer Zuckerman is another billionaire that repeatedly met with Epstein

The real-estate investor and media owner was scheduled to meet Epstein more than a dozen times over the years, the documents show. On some occasions, the two men planned to meet at Zuckerman’s office or home, which was near Epstein’s townhouse, the documents show.

One night in January 2014, Epstein waited past 11 p.m. to meet with Zuckerman, who was scheduled to visit his townhouse at 10:30 p.m., the documents show.

And the chairman of Hyatt Hotels, Thomas Pritzker, was also a frequent visitor to Epstein’s townhouse…

Epstein scheduled several events at his townhouse with Pritzker, the chairman of Hyatt Hotels and member of a wealthy and politically connected Chicago family, according to the documents.

Pritzker and Hyatt representatives didn’t respond to requests for comment about the scheduled meetings.

At a minimum, these billionaires showed an appalling lack of judgment by repeatedly visiting the home of a convicted sex offender that was constantly surrounding himself with hot young girls.

Another billionaire that has made a lot of headlines lately “had several scheduled meetings with Epstein from 2014 to 2016”

A Silicon Valley investor and co-founder of PayPal, Thiel had several scheduled meetings with Epstein from 2014 to 2016, the documents show.

Thiel first met Epstein in 2014, after an introduction from Reid Hoffman, and said Epstein subsequently lured him to meetings with the promises of more introductions.

In addition to being a co-founder of PayPal, Thiel is also a co-founder of Palantir.

Needless to say, a very big government project involving Palantir was just announced.

Last but certainly not least, it turns out that the Rothschild banking family also had close ties with Epstein

A member of the famous banking family had more than a dozen meetings with Epstein. He sought her advice with staffing and furnishings as well as discussed business deals with her, according to the documents.

De Rothschild, CEO of the Swiss private bank Edmond de Rothschild Group, negotiated a $25 million contract with Epstein in 2015 for one of Epstein’s companies to provide risk analysis and other services to the bank, the documents show.

In 2019, after Epstein was arrested, the bank denied that de Rothschild met with Epstein and said it had no business links with him.

The bank acknowledged to the Journal that its earlier statement wasn’t accurate.

Nobody seems to know where Epstein’s vast wealth originated.

And it is amazing how he was able to get into the inner circle of so many of our most powerful billionaires.

There are so many questions about this case that are still unanswered.

But we are not going to get any answers now, and that should deeply anger all of us.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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 Number Of Americans Dealing With Food Insecurity Has Almost Doubled Since 2021, And U.S. Store Closings Are On Pace For A New Record

Why has hunger in America absolutely exploded during the past 4 years?  And why are store closings in the United States on pace to set a brand new record high this year?  A lot of people out there don’t want to admit that the U.S. economy has been crumbling for a long time.  One recent survey discovered that 70 percent of Americans are the most financially stressed that they have ever been in their entire lives.  That figure alone tells us that we have a major economic crisis on our hands.  The cost of living has been rising much faster than paychecks have been, and most of the country is just barely scraping by from month to month.  Anyone that attempts to deny this is simply not living in reality.

According to Axios, 15.6 percent of Americans are now dealing with food insecurity.  Sadly, that figure has nearly doubled since 2021…

In May, 15.6% of adults were food insecure, almost double the rate in 2021. At that time Congress had beefed up SNAP benefits and expanded the Child Tax Credit driving down poverty rates, and giving people more money for food.

This is where we are at guys.

Millions upon millions of Americans are going hungry on a regular basis, and demand at food banks all over the nation has skyrocketed.

For example, demand at a food bank network in Philadelphia is up 120 percent over the past three years…

In Philadelphia, the Share Food Program, a major food bank network, has reported a 120% increase in demand over the past three years. “As soon as the government support pulled back in 2022, we started to see the numbers go up,” the outlet quoted Executive Director George Matysik as saying.

And the Atlanta Community Food Bank is reporting that demand is up 60 percent over the past three years…

New data shows food insecurity is worsening across Georgia, with the Atlanta Community Food Bank reporting a 60% increase in demand for meals over the past three years.

According to a study by Feeding America, one in five children and one in ten seniors in Georgia are facing hunger. The issue is particularly severe in the South, where nearly 90% of counties with high food insecurity rates are located.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of Georgians – over 57% — don’t meet the criteria for federal assistance like SNAP.

Those that are trying to convince us that everything is okay just need to stop.

Everything is most definitely not okay.

If things were okay, U.S. store closings would not be on pace to set a brand new all-time record high this year

Store closures across the U.S. continue to rise, and remain on track to far significantly surpass both new openings and the figures seen in 2024.

According to a new report from research and advisory firm Coresight Research, cited by CoStar News, 5,822 store closures were recorded as of June 27, compared to 3,496 closures announced during the same period of 2024.

There is no way that you can spin those numbers.

Stores are either closing or they are not.

Meanwhile, large employers throughout the nation continue to conduct mass layoffs.

Today, we learned that Intel is giving the axe to hundreds of workers in Oregon

Intel plans to lay off 529 Oregon employees by July 15, according to a notice newly filed with state workforce officials. These are the first of sweeping job cuts that will ultimately eliminate several thousand positions across the company.

The chipmaker will cut jobs at all its major Oregon campuses and across various business units. Engineers comprise nearly 300 of the Oregon workers losing their jobs in this round of layoffs, according to Intel’s filing.

And Levi Strauss has decided to eliminate hundreds of jobs in Kentucky

Levi Strauss & Co. is axing hundreds of jobs by closing a distribution center in Hebron, Kentucky.

The company, known worldwide for its iconic denim, is axing 346 jobs as a result of the closure.

The layoffs are expected to begin on August 18 or during a 14-day period beginning on that date.

This reminds me so much of 2008 and 2009.

And just like 2008 and 2009, home sales have fallen to extremely depressing levels.

At this stage, condo sales are dropping particularly rapidly

Sales are sliding just as fast. Markets like Dallas, Palm Bay, Port St. Lucie, and Orlando saw condo sales drop over 30 percent year-over-year, with Florida again dominating the list of hardest-hit areas. Condo prices are falling for a number of reasons. One major factor is that the market is flooded. There are 80 percent more condo sellers than buyers.

The condo bubble has officially burst, and prices are now absolutely plunging in markets that were once considered to be very hot…

The biggest condo price drops are hitting Florida and Texas. In May, Deltona, Florida saw prices fall over 32 percent year-over-year — the steepest decline nationwide. Crestview, Florida (down 32 percent), Houston, Texas (down 23 percent), Tampa, Florida (down 19 percent), and Oakland, California (down 20 percent) also faced sharp drops. Seven of the top ten metros with the largest price declines were in Florida, two in Texas. Sellers in parts of Florida have had to drop prices below $10,000.

Can anyone out there dispute the facts that I have just presented?

Of course not.

Economic conditions really have gotten worse than they once were.

The primary reason why the Democrats lost the last election is because the economy deteriorated substantially while Joe Biden was in the White House.

Today, most Americans can remember a time when they were doing much better than they are at this moment.

Unfortunately, decades of incredibly bad decisions really have brought us to the precipice of an economic catastrophe.

So let us hope that our leaders make much better decisions from this point forward.

And let us do what we can to support those that are working with the poor and hungry, because there are so many of our fellow Americans that are deeply suffering right now.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.

Brace Yourself! More Than 400 Earthquakes Just Shook Mt. Rainier In Washington State And More Than 1,300 Earthquakes Just Rattled Japan

Is there a possibility that a cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Rainier could occur in the not too distant future?  On Tuesday morning, Mt. Rainier was shaken by over 400 earthquakes.  It was the largest earthquake swarm that we have seen at Mt. Rainier since 2009.  Those that have been following my work for a long time already know why this earthquake swarm immediately got my attention.  One of these days, Mt. Rainier will suddenly erupt, and a lot of people living in the vicinity of the volcano will die.  Authorities have always known about the threat that Mt. Rainier poses, but they just kept building more homes in the shadow of the volcano.  The stage is set for a tragedy of unimaginable proportions, and the clock is ticking.

Mt. Rainier had been pretty quiet for a while, but that period of relative stability was shattered very early on Tuesday morning

A swarm of small earthquakes was detected at Mount Rainier Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).

The activity began on July 8, 2025, at 1:29 a.m. PDT, with hundreds of earthquakes recorded at depths ranging from 1.2 to 3.7 miles below the summit. The largest earthquake so far has been a magnitude 1.7.

This is really big news.

By the time the earthquake swarm was over, the U.S. Geological Survey had recorded over 400 earthquakes

A swarm of small earthquakes began early Tuesday morning beneath Mount Rainier, with more than 400 minor tremors recorded as of midday, according to scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Washington.

The activity began at 1:29 a.m. on July 8 and was detected by the Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN).

I didn’t think that I was going to be writing about Mt. Rainier today.

But then this happened.

According to the USGS, this was the biggest earthquake swarm that we have seen at Mt. Rainier since 2009.

So why is this such a big deal?

The reason why it is such a big deal is because Mt. Rainier is located so close to major population centers that it is considered to be a “Very Hight Threat” volcano

Mount Rainier, located about 45 miles southeast of Tacoma, is an active stratovolcano and the tallest peak in the Cascade Range. It is considered a “Very High Threat” volcano due to its potential hazards, including volcanic mudflows known as lahars, ash fall, and pyroclastic flows.

In the past, I have discussed the fact that Mt. Rainier is known as the most dangerous volcano in the United States.

Throughout history, there have been times when it has produced tsunamis of super-heated mud known as “lahars” that are hundreds of feet high.

In fact, lots of homes in the region have literally been built right on top of ancient lahar deposits.

Needless to say, that was an extremely foolish thing to do.  The next time there is a major eruption of Mt. Rainier, entire communities will be instantly wiped out. The following is an excerpt from my new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next”

Many Americans remember the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, but Mt. Rainier is about twice the size of Mount St. Helens, and millions of local residents live within easy viewing distance of the volcano.

When it finally blows, vast numbers of people will suddenly find themselves in imminent danger.

Seismologists tell us that Mt. Rainier is capable of producing colossal tsunamis of super-heated mud known as lahars. These lahars can be hundreds of feet high and they can travel at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Thankfully, Mt. Rainier has not produced any lahars since the United States became a nation, but scientists assure us that it is just a matter of time before it happens again.

Unfortunately, this long period of inactivity has lulled us into a false sense of security, and large numbers of people now live in communities that have been constructed on top of the danger zone.

If a lahar were to hit your home, everyone and everything inside would be instantly cooked and permanently buried in blazing hot mud.

According to the USGS, approximately 150,000 people currently live on top of old lahar deposits from Mt. Rainier.

Just think about that for a moment.

Needless to say, that was not very smart planning at all.

Experts tell us that Mt. Rainier is capable of producing a gigantic lahar that would completely destroy Enumclaw, Buckley, Orting, Kent, Auburn, Puyallup, Sumner and Renton. Tacoma would be in great danger as well, and there is a possibility that a lahar from Mt. Rainier could even reach portions of downtown Seattle.

The death and destruction that such an event would cause would be unlike anything that we have ever seen before in the entire history of our country.

If you are currently living in a home that is located directly on top of an ancient lahar deposit, you might want to think about relocating while you still can.

For a moment, I would like for you to imagine what it would be like to have a giant wall of super-heated mud that is hundreds of feet high rushing at you at 50 miles per hour.

For those that are located in the direct path, there will be little hope of escape.

Mt. Rainier is going to erupt at some point.

It is just a matter of time.

Meanwhile, unusual earthquake activity is occurring on the other side of the globe as well.

Over the past two weeks, more than 1,300 earthquakes have shaken one area of Japan…

More than 1,300 earthquakes have hit Japan’s Tokara Islands in two weeks, prompting evacuations of dozens of residents from the remote archipelago on the country’s southern tip.

Although no major damage has been reported and no tsunami warnings have been issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency has cautioned that tremors as strong as a “lower 6” on Japan’s seven-stage seismic intensity scale — such as one that occurred Thursday — may continue.

Lower 6 indicates an intensity that may make it difficult for people to stand without holding on to stable support.

As I discussed earlier this month, local residents are literally afraid to go to sleep because the shaking never stops.

Can you imagine being crushed to death while you sleep because an earthquake just caused your home to collapse on top of you?

This is the reality of life in that part of Japan in 2025.

Unfortunately, we are going to see a lot more shaking all over the world in the months and years ahead.

Yes, that includes the United States too.

Earlier today, I came across an article that warned that scientists are concerned that the New Madrid Seismic Zone “is approaching a critical threshold”

Since 1974, thousands of small to moderate earthquakes have been detected by seismometers across the New Madrid Seismic Zone, painting a picture of relentless geological activity. The U.S.

Geological Survey and Time Magazine have documented this steady drumbeat of seismic events, showing that the fault system never truly sleeps. These aren’t random occurrences—they represent the constant grinding and shifting of massive rock formations deep underground.

Each small quake is like a pressure valve releasing just enough steam to prevent an immediate explosion, but the underlying forces keep building. Scientists have been tracking this activity for half a century now, and the data reveals disturbing patterns that suggest the region is approaching a critical threshold.

A time is coming when the middle of the country will be absolutely devastated by an apocalyptic earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

I am one of a handful of prominent voices that has been relentlessly warning about this.

Our planet is becoming more unstable, our weather is becoming more unstable, and very strange things have been happening in the heavens.

It is time for everyone to wake up.

So many of the things that we have been warned about are starting to happen, and the pace of events is only going to accelerate from here.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.

12 Important Questions That All Americans Should Be Asking About The Shameful Attempt To Cover Up The Truth About Jeffrey Epstein

I literally feel sick right now.  After waiting for years for the truth about Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation to come out, and after months of being promised that stunning new information would be released soon, now we are being told to forget the entire thing.  The people that were brought in to run the Justice Department and the FBI were supposed to restore faith in the system, but instead they are destroying it.  Nobody that can think rationally is buying the lies that we are being fed.  Apparently we are supposed to believe that Jeffrey Epstein didn’t have a client list, he never blackmailed anyone, and he was solely responsible for his own death…

A Justice Department and FBI review of the investigation related to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein found that there was no “client list” or evidence that he blackmailed prominent figures, according to a memo detailing the findings.

The review also concluded that Epstein died by suicide while in custody at a Manhattan correctional facility in August 2019. Epstein was facing federal sex trafficking charges, and his death was subsequently investigated by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog and the FBI.

The Justice Department and FBI said in their memo that video footage reviewed by bureau investigators — and made available to the public — confirmed that Epstein was locked in his cell and nobody entered tiers of the unit where he was housed at the time of his death.

The Justice Department and the FBI are now facing an unprecedented credibility problem, because millions of us simply do not believe them.

After everything that has happened, the American people deserve some answers.  The following are 12 important questions that all Americans should be asking about the shameful attempt to cover up the truth about Jeffrey Epstein.

#1 Why were Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell arrested and charged with operating an enormous sex trafficking ring that supposedly involved thousands of clients if no such clients ever existed?  As Robby Starbuck has pointed out, apparently we are supposed to believe that all of the powerful men that visited Epstein’s island were “just there to catch some waves and relax”…

#2 Why did U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi tell Fox News in February that Epstein’s client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review” if no such client list ever existed?…

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday said the Jeffrey Epstein client list is “sitting on my desk right now” and she is reviewing the JFK and MLK files as well after President Donald Trump’s earlier directives.

“It’s sitting on my desk right now to review,” Bondi told ‘America Reports’ host John Roberts on Friday. “That’s been a directive by President Trump.”

#3 What was in the “thousands of documents” related to the Epstein case that were suddenly discovered in February?…

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been made aware of “thousands of documents” related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein that were previously not disclosed to her office, she said in a letter on Thursday.

#4 When Bondi claimed that the Epstein flight logs would “make you sick” in March, what did she mean by that?…

Attorney general Pam Bondi released hundreds of pages of information connected to Epstein in March, promising it would disclose “a lot of names” and flight logs that would “make you sick”.

#5 In May, Bondi confessed that there were “tens of thousands of videos” related to the Epstein investigation.  What was in those videos?…

She said in May that the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein “with children or child porn.” Bondi’s comments and the delay in releasing the next batch of documents have tapped into suspicions that damaging details about Epstein or other prominent figures remain hidden.

#6 Other than Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, why hasn’t anyone else that was involved in the sex trafficking operation ever been arrested?…

#7 The memo that was released on Sunday night says that there will be “no further disclosure” in this case.  Does this mean that the Trump administration’s search for the truth ends here?…

In a memo published by Axios Sunday night, the DOJ and FBI jointly stated that the Epstein files did not include a client list, or evidence of additional perpetrators — and that there will be “no further disclosure” of information on the case.

“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” The memo said. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

#8 The memo also states that there is no “evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties”.  Does this mean that none of the men that were having sex with underage girls will ever be brought to justice?…

Investigators found “no incriminating ‘client list’ ” of Epstein’s, “no credible evidence … that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals,” and no “evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo adds.

#9 On the night that Epstein died, why were there so many strange “coincidences”?

The jail had been told Epstein should have a cellmate, and that a guard must check on him every 30 minutes.

But on the night he died, his cellmate was transferred and not replaced and he was not checked on as often as required.

Two guards fell asleep at their desks – and later falsified their records.

Meanwhile, two cameras in front of Epstein’s cell malfunctioned that night – while another’s footage was “unusable”.

#10 Hours of video footage from outside Epstein’s cell on the night that he died has been released.  Did they think that we wouldn’t notice that a full minute has been cut out of that video footage?…

But now we can confirm that an entire minute was cut from the DOJ video that was released last night. Why? What are they hiding?

If you follow the full video you can see for yourself that the video is cut off at 11:59:00.

The video feed then restarts exactly at 12:00:00.

Where is the missing video?

#11 During the time that Elon Musk had unprecedented access to the government’s computer systems, did he learn some startling truths about the Epstein investigation?  If so, will he reveal what he knows now that he has started his own political party?

#12 Why was this memo about the Epstein case released to the public late on Sunday night on the 4th of July weekend?  Were they hoping that it would make as little news as possible?

I am so upset.

The victims of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation are never going to get any justice.

And all of the very sick men that committed unspeakable crimes are never going to be held accountable.

A line has been crossed that will never be able to be uncrossed.

How are we supposed to have faith in our federal law enforcement agencies after this?

They are lying to our faces and they are convinced that they are totally getting away with it.

There are some moments in history that are so horrifying that they will never be forgotten.

This is one of those moments.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.

Meet The Heroes That Gave Their Own Lives To Save Others During The Texas Flood

Why does the U.S. just continue to get pummeled by historic storm after historic storm?  We keep being told that what we are witnessing is “normal”, but there is definitely nothing “normal” about any of this.  A couple of decades ago, it was extremely rare for the U.S. to be hit by a “billion dollar disaster”, but over the past couple of years we have been averaging a “billion dollar disaster” about every two weeks.  The American people deserve the truth, because people are dying.

Most of the people that just died in Texas were caught totally by surprise by the floods.

The National Weather Service had warned that rain was coming, but a top Texas official is admitting that the actual amount of rain that ultimately fell “was never in any of those forecasts”

“The original forecast that we received Wednesday from the National Weather Service predicted 3-6 inches of rain in the Concho Valley and 4-8 inches in the Hill Country,” said Texas Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd at a press conference Friday. “The amount of rain that fell at this specific location was never in any of those forecasts.”

Sudden thunderstorms dumped more than 10 inches of rain on the area, causing heavy flooding from the Guadalupe River.

Dalton Rice, the city manager for Kerrville, Texas—who also spoke at the press conference—said that the catastrophic flash flooding happened because the skies “dumped more rain than what was forecasted” on two of the river’s forks.

At one point, 7 inches of rain fell in a three hour period.

As USA Today has noted, 7 inches of rain is “nearly 122 million gallons of water per square mile”…

On July 4, rain was falling at 3-4 inches per hour, with some locations recording a deluge of up to 7 inches of rain in just three hours, the National Weather Service said. Seven inches of rain is nearly 122 million gallons of water per square mile. Over 7 square miles that’s enough water to fill the AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.

I have a hard time even imagining that much water.

As water relentlessly poured from the sky, the Guadalupe River “rose from about one foot to more than 36 feet” in just 3 hours…

Reports from the U.S. Geological Survey show the waters of the Guadalupe rose from about one foot to more than 36 feet between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Friday morning. The wall of water sharply increased at 5:15 a.m. when it spiked from 1.82 feet to 36 feet an hour and a half later.

In my entire lifetime, I have never seen anything like this.

In the middle of the night, rushing waters suddenly arrived without any warning, and many victims never even had a chance.

According to the Daily Mail, the final death toll is expected to be above 100…

Texas’s Division of Emergency Management predicted the number of dead as a result of catastrophic flooding in Kerrville on July 4 would top 100, Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.

In an email sent out Saturday, the state disaster office told partners the number of dead would surpass 100, two different sources confirmed to Daily Mail.

The estimate of the dead is vastly different than the message state officials are projecting publicly, insisting that they are still searching for people who are alive, and refusing to say rescue efforts have shifted to recovery of remains.

In the midst of this great tragedy, there were heroes that were willing to give everything in order to save others.

27-year-old Julian Ryan and his family were sleeping when the floodwaters hit their trailer.

As the waters rose to waist height, Ryan’s two young children were put on a mattress that was floating, but the waters just continued to rise.

That was when Julian decided that the only way that he could save his family would be to break the window

With no escape route, Julian looked to the only option: the window.

He punched through the glass, but the broken edges almost cut his arm clean off, Christinia told KHOU, and severed an artery.

As blood poured from Julian’s limb, the other two adults tried calling 911 – but nobody came.

Julian knew that he wasn’t going to make it, and with his dying words he expressed his love for his family.

Thankfully, Julian’s sacrifice was not in vain because his family was able to miraculously escape

Julian was losing consciousness from blood loss and the water had risen up to their chins.

With his dying words, Julian told his family: “I’m sorry, I’m not going to make it. I love y’all.”

Christinia said the trailer was eventually broken in half by the force of the currents – allowing the rest of the family to escape.

70-year-old Richard Eastland is another hero that gave his life during this great tragedy.

His family has been running Camp Mystic since 1974, and he did all that he could to save campers from the floodwaters

The director of Camp Mystic was killed while trying to save girls from the horrific flooding that swept through the Texas summer camp.

Richard ‘Dick’ Eastland, 70, died while trying to rescue campers from the biblical rushing waters that struck the state on July 4.

At least 11 girls and one counselor are missing from Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, and five of their fellow campers have died after the rushing waters destroyed the all-girls private Christian summer camp.

Richard Eastland will be remembered as a hero.

According to one former camper, it wasn’t a surprise “that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers”…

The Eastlands have owned and operated Camp Mystic since 1974, and many viewed him as a father figure at the camp.

‘It doesn’t surprise me at all that his last act of kindness and sacrifice was working to save the lives of campers,’ The Kerrville Daily Times guest columnist Paige Sumner said in a tribute to Eastland.

‘Dick was the father figure to all of us while we were away from home at Camp Mystic for six weeks.

‘He was the father of four amazing boys, but he had hundreds of girls each term who looked up to him like a dad. I would never have taken a fishing class if it wasn’t taught by my new friend Dick.’

There is no greater love than laying down your life for others.

But could this great tragedy have been avoided in the first place?

Many on social media are pointing out that “rain enhancement projects” have recently been conducted in Texas.  Needless to say, we need answers from those that were involved in those projects.

Humanity should never mess with the weather.

Hopefully some new laws will get passed as a result of everything that we just witnessed.

Unfortunately, the disasters aren’t going to stop any time soon.

In fact, a tropical storm could soon bring “severe weather” to Washington D.C., New York City and Boston…

With deadly Texas flooding dominating headlines this weekend, we now shift focus to Tropical Storm Chantal, which made landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, early Sunday. This marks the first tropical storm to make landfall in the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season—and the earliest to do so since 2022.

Chantal is the third tropical storm of this year’s hurricane season, following Andrea and Barry, both of which formed in June. The new storm appeared on our radar Friday, with spaghetti models showing a potential path up the U.S. East Coast, through parts of the Mid-Atlantic, and possibly over southern New Jersey and New York City.

Updated spaghetti models posted by meteorologist Ben Noll on X show a strong level of confidence in Chantal’s track into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where severe weather could be seen next from D.C. to New York and Boston.

We just keep getting hit by one major disaster after another.

You would think that most of the population would have figured out that something has gone terribly wrong after everything that we have been through over the past few years.

What we are experiencing is not even close to “normal”, and it is time to start demanding some answers.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.

As The Global Food Crisis Escalates, The Price Of Ground Beef In The U.S. Is Up 16.2% Over The Past 12 Months

Americans still love hamburgers and French fries, but they sure are a lot more expensive than they once were.  In fact, as you will see below, the price of ground beef in the U.S. has risen 16.2 percent during the last 12 months.  No matter how you look at that number, it is terrible.  Of course just about everything else at the grocery store has been getting more expensive too.  These days, a shopping cart full of food is a major expense for most American families.  Meanwhile, the global food crisis just continues to intensify.  According to a recent report from the UN’s World Food Program, global hunger is “skyrocketing”

Today, global hunger is skyrocketing as 343 million people face severe food insecurity, driven by an unrelenting wave of global crises including conflict, economic instability, and climate-related emergencies. In 2025, WFP’s operations are focused on supporting just over one-third of those in need – roughly 123 million of the world’s hungriest people – nearly half of whom (58 million) are at imminent risk of losing access to food assistance.

Last year, WFP teams helped feed more than 120 million people in 80 countries, delivering urgent food aid to hunger hot spots and frontline crises around the world.

In 2023, CNN told us that we were in the midst of “the worst food crisis in modern history”.

If global hunger has been “skyrocketing” since that time, what are we facing now?

For those of us that live in the United States, the good news is that there is still plenty of food in the stores.

But it sure does cost a lot more than it once did.

According to the New York Times, the price of ground beef in the U.S. has risen 16.2 percent over the past 12 months…

Ground beef was at its highest average price on record in May at $5.98 a pound, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That cost was 16.2 percent higher than 12 months earlier. Other cuts of beef, including sirloin steaks and chuck roast, also reached record highs in the first half of 2025.

The primary reason why the price of ground beef has been soaring is because the number of cattle has been steadily declining.

At this point, the number of cattle in the United States is “the lowest it has been since 1952”

Prices are up because the number of cattle available for beef is at its lowest level since the 1950s.

The number of beef cattle in the United States is down to 27.9 million, a 13 percent decline since 2019, and the overall cattle inventory is the lowest it has been since 1952, according to the Agriculture Department. Consumer demand has remained steady in recent years.

This is very serious.

In 1952, 157 million people were living in the United States.

Today, 340 million people are living in the United States.

So we have a major crisis on our hands.

Sadly, just about everything is going up in price at the grocery store at this stage.

When I go through my local grocery store, I see many things that have doubled in price and some things that have actually tripled in price.

The “experts” that continue to insist that inflation is “low” are totally gaslighting us.

Of course those that are ultra-wealthy don’t really care about rising food prices because they can easily afford them.  Earlier today, I came across an article that discussed the sky high food prices in the Hamptons this time of the year…

It wasn’t even 8:30 on a recent morning when a shopper emptied his basket of dinner ingredients onto the counter of the Farm & Forage Market in Southampton: two king crab legs, two bags of frozen dumplings, two packages of ramen noodles and a bag of dried sea kelp.

The cash register rang up an already eye-popping tally before the customer realized he had forgotten the caviar. He tossed a jar of it onto the counter. The grand total was $1,860.

“I’ll put that on your tab, right?” asked Jonathan Bernard, owner of the tiny, tidy store. The shopper, a private chef who works in a home nearby, nodded and noted he would be back later for truffles.

Are you kidding me?

It must be nice to be able to shell out that kind of cash.

But for the vast majority of Americans, life is a real struggle in this economic environment.

In fact, nearly two-thirds of the country is living paycheck to paycheck

The latest PYMNTS Intelligence reveals that 65% of consumers are living paycheck to paycheck, with 24% struggling to pay their bills. That’s nearly a quarter of Americans playing an exhausting game of financial whack-a-mole, deciding which bills to pay in full, which to pay partially and which to outright ignore until the next paycheck arrives.

This financial strain has led many to prioritize immediate survival over long-term financial planning, with a significant portion of American consumers adopting short-term, reactive strategies to manage their financial obligations.

It’s not just groceries and gas — essential bills are creeping up, too. The study shows that 78% of consumers have seen at least one essential bill increase in the past year. Electricity (56%), insurance (52%) and gas (51%) have all gotten pricier, leaving consumers with even less breathing room. Renters are especially feeling the squeeze, with nearly half (49%) reporting rent hikes.

The middle class is being absolutely eviscerated, and now mass layoffs are being conducted all over the nation.

Earlier today, we got yet another example.  We are being told that UPS has decided to eliminate approximately 20,000 jobs

UPS is offering voluntary buyouts to its full-time US drivers following its decision to slash 20,000 jobs and close 73 facilities.

The Atlanta-based company will be providing its laid off employees with various benefits, including pensions and healthcare.

The layoffs are part of UPS’s network configuration plan, which also confirms the upcoming closures of over 90 more facilities in the future.

If the economy is in good shape, why are so many large businesses laying off thousands upon thousands of workers right now?

It doesn’t take a genius to see what is happening.

The U.S. economy has been crumbling for years, and now it appears that our problems are poised to go to an entirely new level.

Michael’s new book entitled “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” 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 “10 Prophetic Events That Are Coming Next” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.  He has also written nine 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.