Visualizing Global Gold Production By Region Visualizing Global Gold Production By Region Gold remains one of the world’s most valuable natural resources, central to everything from central bank reserves to jewelry and electronics. During 2025, the yellow metal set multiple https://www.mining.com/gold-price-scores-new-high-ahead-of-key-us-data/ , driven by a soft dollar, strong central bank buying and heightened global uncertainty. This visualization, breaks down global gold production by region in 2024, spotlighting the top-producing countries and their contributions to the region supply landscape. image The data for this visualization comes from the  . Africa Leads Global Output Africa is the world’s top gold-producing region, generating 1,010 tonnes in 2023. Ghana leads the continent with 141 tonnes, followed by Mali (100 tonnes) and South Africa (99 tonnes). image This dominance reflects the continent’s vast mineral resources, though political and operational challenges continue to affect output in some areas. China, Russia, and Australia Dominate Nationally China remains the top national producer with 380 tonnes, followed by Russia at 330 tonnes. These two countries alone account for almost 20% of global output. Australia follows with 284 tonnes, making it the leading Western gold producer and a cornerstone of Oceania’s 346-tonne total. The Americas Remain Strong Contributors North America produced 500 tonnes in 2023, driven by Canada (202 tonnes), the United States (158 tonnes), and Mexico (140 tonnes). Central and South America added 519 tonnes, led by Peru (137 tonnes), Brazil (84 tonnes), and Colombia (66 tonnes). Combined, the Americas contribute more than one-fifth of global supply. If you enjoyed today’s post, check out   on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist. Sat, 09/13/2025 - 16:55
Retarded Or Evil? Leftist Arguments Justifying The Murder Of Charlie Kirk Retarded Or Evil? Leftist Arguments Justifying The Murder Of Charlie Kirk If you’re like me and have been watching the news feeds and social media for developments on the Charlie Kirk assassination, you have probably also come across a disturbing army of leftists online cheering for the conservative speaker’s death. Some posts, featuring people laughing and celebrating, have tens-of-thousands of upvotes. It’s not just the comments, it’s the mob of crazies supporting the comments. What I see in this mountain of degenerate psychopathy is confirmation. I and many other analysts have been warning for years that the fight for what remains of the western world will happen on two fronts: The globalists at the top, and the leftist hordes on the bottom. While it’s true that globalists often fund woke groups through NGOs and corporations, they are simply giving aid to people that already have the will and the intent to destroy the US. That is to say, the idea of the “false left/right paradigm” no longer applies. At the bottom of the pyramid there are millions of insane people with violent intentions that want to see you dead because you disagree with them. They won’t go away simply because the globalists go away. They represent a parallel threat. Anyone who thinks otherwise is truly delusional and I have no patience for such stupidity any longer. Look at it this way – The woke movement is a death cult. In every cult there are certainly people who are useful idiots who do bad things because they are told to, but there are also many people who are consciously evil. And if you want to see pure evil, take a gander at the endless array of grotesque reactions from activists to Kirk’s death. Endless social media posts cheering for Kirk’s murder. Leftist leaders like Ilhan Omar essentially blaming Kirk for his own assassination. Democrats trying to stop a silent moment of prayer for Kirk in Congress. that leftist protesters at the Utah cheered right after Kirk was shot.  The list of horrors is mind boggling. If you have any doubts about the nature of the progressive cult just watch how they revel in the blood and maybe then you will understand. These people are not human beings, they are monsters, and now they feel very emboldened because they think they can get away with political killings. A prime example is in the numerous arguments they present to justify Kirk’s assassination. Social media is rife with them, thousands of posts supported by hundreds of thousands of people. What I would like to do is break some of the most common arguments down and identify if the ideas are retarded, or evil (or both). Let’s get started… Leftist Claim: “Charlie Kirk’s words were offensive and caused harm, therefore he deserved to die.” Diagnosis: Retarded And Evil The political left has long treated words as being equal to violence. For them there is no distinction. This is the foundation of the “wrong think” ideology. Charlie Kirk never harmed a living soul and under the law he had every right to express his views regardless of whether or not people get offended. He never led a mob to burn down a city block. He never organized a terror cell. He never advocated for violence. He never even punched a commie. The most he did was advocate for the right to self defense. If opinions are violence, then anyone can be killed for their opinions. Thinking you are immune because you have the “right opinions” is perhaps the most ignorant assumption a person can make, but leftists are generally low IQ individuals. On the other hand, there is also the underlying agenda among elitist groups to make “hate speech” a subject of government enforcement. We have seen this in full swing in the UK the past year and it’s getting ugly. ANYTHING can be designated hate speech, from posting jokes online to flying your national flag. Strangely, only conservatives seem to get arrested for speech violations. It’s almost as if only conservative ideas are being outlawed. Hate speech laws are the doorway to mass censorship, and if progressives and their globalist partners can’t put those laws in place, then they have decided to enforce color of law through political violence so that conservatives are afraid to speak. Leftist Claim: “It’s Ironic That Charlie Kirk Was Pro-Gun And Then He Was Killed By A Gun…” Diagnosis: Retarded It’s actually not ironic at all. Kirk often pointed out that the majority of gun violence is committed by leftists – In leftist controlled cities and in minority neighborhoods which vote predominantly Democrat. If leftists were removed from the equation, gun crimes (and crime overall) in the US would plummet. Charlie was most likely murdered by a leftist (the evidence released so far indicates this). We’ll find out soon enough. If so, then the assassination only supports his argument that the political left is the danger. Not gun rights. Leftist Claim: “Where Was The Good Guy With A Gun To Protect Charlie…?” Diagnosis: Retarded Good guys with guns stop at least 1.8 million crimes per year according to surveys on DGU (Defensive Gun Use) data. But Kirk never argued that the presence of good guys with guns makes him bulletproof. Good guys with guns die all the time, especially if they are targeted for political assassination. The gun is to give someone a fighting chance if they see the threat coming. It doesn’t make them invincible. Leftist Claim: “If only Charlie hadn’t defended gun rights, maybe he would be alive today…” Diagnosis: Evil When leftists make this argument what they are really saying is: “If you don’t give up your gun rights, we have the right to shoot you.” Leftist Claim:  “Kirk would have been saved by the increased gun control he opposed…” Diagnosis:  Retarded The murder weapon was a basic .30 Cal hunting rifle, probably holding a maximum of four rounds.  It’s not the type of firearm on any ban wish list that the Democrats have put forward.   If leftists are going to make this argument then they will have to admit that their true intention is to ban ALL guns, not just scary “black rifles”.   Leftist Claim: “Charlie Kirk Lived By The Sword And Died By The Sword…” Diagnosis: Retarded As noted earlier, Kirk never attacked anyone, never harmed anyone, and only fought for the right to speak his views without being censored or threatened. If debate is a threat to the political left then their ideas must not hold up to public scrutiny. In other words, they killed Charlie Kirk because he exposed their ideas as faulty. That’s not “living by the sword”, that’s being nice. Leftists don’t want to see us truly take up the sword, which is why the media is currently scrambling to call for peace. Leftist Claim: “Kirk Was A Radical And Now Is A Time To Abandon Radicalism And Make Peace…” Diagnosis: Evil Lets be clear, the vast majority of the violence is only coming from one side, and that’s the progressive Marxist/globalist side.  It’s rather convenient that progressives suddenly want peace after years of violent rhetoric and actions. Why are they doing this? Because they know that retribution on a large scale is so near. When an opponent has waged aggressive war for years and then suddenly wants a ceasefire, it’s usually because he’s about to get hurt and he wants to regroup. image Woke activists have been begging for an ass kicking for at least the past decade and now they are starting to realize they just might get it.  They desperately want our anger over Kirk’s death to fizzle out over time. Kirk was not a radical in the slightest. He only spoke the facts to the best of his ability, Facts cannot be radical. The truth is never extreme. However, now that he has been killed, I suspect leftists are going to see a lot of actual “radicals” in the near future. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge. Fri, 09/12/2025 - 23:25
Trump Warns His Patience With Putin Is "Running Out Fast" Trump Warns His Patience With Putin Is "Running Out Fast" U.S. President Donald Trump has said that he is losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin and could issue new tariffs and sanctions to compel the Russian leader to enter cease-fire negotiations with Ukraine. Trump said that his patience with Putin’s refusal to participate in peace talks with Ukraine was “running out and running out fast,” during an interview with Fox News’ “Fox and Friends” on Sep. 12. Trump ist genau wie Putin - ein Blender.... Trump hat erneut erklärt, dass seine Geduld gegenüber Putin zur Neige geht. Er droht mit gewissen Sanktionen. „Meine Geduld scheint schon fast erschöpft zu sein, und das schnell – aber es braucht ja zwei zum Tango tanzen... Als Putin es… — Konstanze Hoffmann (@KonstanzeHoffm1) the president added that “it does take two to tango,” saying that Putin’s recalcitrance on committing to peace talks was in part due to the Russian leader’s mutual animosity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “There’s tremendous hatred between him and Zelenskyy,” Trump said. Trump has made ending the and other international conflicts a key part of his presidential agenda, but has struggled at times to convince Putin and Zelenskyy to meaningfully negotiate on ending the conflict. The comments follow a high-profile summit between Trump and Putin in Alaska in August, which aimed to bring Russia back to the negotiating table but ultimately did not result in the resumption of cease-fire talks. “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump at the time. That meeting itself was the result of a threat by Trump to impose on the Russian oil sector, including secondary tariffs on nations such as India and China that purchase oil from Russian entities. Trump renewed those threats during Friday’s interview, saying the United States would have to “come down very, very strong” on Russia if Putin did not commit to peace talks with Ukraine. image When asked what coming down on Russia would look like, Trump said that it would involve “hitting [Russia] very hard with sanctions to banks and having to do with oil and tariffs also.” Trump also to U.S. allies in Europe earlier this week in the hopes of building international support for secondary tariffs of up to 100 percent on China and India. The move demonstrates how much Trump and his administration have in handling the war in Ukraine since first coming to office, moving from pausing all support of Ukraine early in the year to renewing weapon sales to Kyiv and threatening sanctions against Moscow. The difficulty lies in getting either Kyiv or Moscow to relent on any of several key war aims, with Zelenskyy refusing to consider the giving up of any territory to Russia and Putin demanding that it be given territory it has failed to conquer. For now, Moscow appears undeterred. This week alone, Russia launched its largest into NATO member Poland’s airspace. NATO leadership has whether the drones entered Polish airspace deliberately or as part of an operation in Ukraine that went wrong. Trump said during Friday’s interview that Russian assets “shouldn’t be close to Poland.” Fri, 09/12/2025 - 18:50
Where Are All The Hurricanes? Where Are All The Hurricanes? Where are all the hurricanes? And where are the climate alarmists, leftist corporate media outlets, and Greta Thunberg with their predictions of imminent doom for planet Earth?  image In Greta's case, perhaps the funding for climate change propaganda dried up, and she has since shifted her . As the saying goes, "follow the money".  image Back to the Atlantic hurricane season: it's been eerily quiet, with no signs of activity this week - even though this is typically the peak of the season. This is the period when tropical cyclones and hurricanes are expected to be churning in the Atlantic Basin, often threatening or making landfall in the U.S., while leftist corporate media unleashes propaganda blaming the working class and their gas stoves, diesel trucks, and meat consumption for fueling the crisis. Yet many of these climate alarmists present more taxes and banning cow farts as the solution to save the planet, yet never mention that they fly around in private jets and sail diesel-powered mega yachts.  Socialist AoC & Bernie Sanders Caught Using Private Jets On "Fighting Oligarchy" Tour — zerohedge (@zerohedge) "Peak hurricane season. No activity this week. Just sayin," former Trump 2016 transition team member and JunkScience publisher Steve Milloy wrote on X.  Peak hurricane season. No activity this week. Just sayin'. — Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) Weather Trader meteorologist Ryan Maue told USA Today in an email that peak hurricane season can be described as a "ghost town," adding that "the Atlantic tropics have gone DORMANT again." Seasonality-wise, this week is supposed to be the busy one... image Hurricane specialist Michael Lowry wrote on X, "Only two hurricane seasons in the modern record – 1992 and 1968 – went the two weeks leading up to the traditional hurricane season peak without an active named storm. Now we'll add 2025 to the list. My thoughts on the unusually quiet start to September."  Only two hurricane seasons in the modern record – 1992 and 1968 – went the two weeks leading up to the traditional hurricane season peak without an active named storm. Now we'll add 2025 to the list. My thoughts on the unusually quiet start to September ⬇️ — Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) The result of climate propaganda by leftist corporate media outlets has been a mental health crisis among some youngsters, causing them to develop climate anxiety. image Someone needs to tell the youngsters that Al Gore has been wrong for decades.  Tue, 09/09/2025 - 21:20
Over 400 Genocide Scholars Say That Hamas, Not Israel, Committed Genocide Over 400 Genocide Scholars Say That Hamas, Not Israel, Committed Genocide Four hundred and twenty genocide scholars, survivors, and experts signed a statement affirming that Hamas, not Israel, is guilty of the crime of genocide. The experts also criticized their fellow scholars who falsely accused Israel of genocide in Gaza. image Scholars for Truth About Genocide (STAG) condemned the inaccurate accusations of the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) against Israel. While IAGS asserted Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, STAG explained why this is false. “Genocide is the gravest offense known to humankind; to dilute its legal standards for ideological ends is a form of moral violence,” STAG declared. “It dishonors the memory of past victims, misleads the public about present atrocities, and obstructs efforts to avert future ones.” Israel will even https://jihadwatch.org/2024/06/israels-extraordinary-efforts-to-avoid-civilian-casualties-endanger-its-own-soldiers  them. The statement’s title is “Legal, antisemitism, history, Holocaust, and genocide scholars, former prosecutors, and other authorities, including descendants of survivors, call on International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) to retract resolution accusing Israel of genocide amid clear misapplication of law and history.” Here is the key passage from the STAG experts’  : On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel and acted with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, Jews and Israelis, as a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, as such. Further, Hamas and their allied organizations took innocent people hostage and continue to hold hostages. Thus, Hamas committed the crime of genocide and remains the only party to legally meet the requirements of the elements of the crime of genocide. Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of a Hamas co-founder, previously   this sentiment. STAG pointed out that one of the reasons more “civilians” in Gaza have died than Israel intended is because Hamas always uses human shields, hiding terrorists, weapons, and bases in or under civilian structures such as schools, hospitals, and mosques. Furthermore, Hamas prevented civilians from leaving Gaza City. IAGS didn’t take any of this into account, especially when complaining that Israel has sometimes attacked “civilian infrastructure.” STAG also addressed the fact that casualty numbers coming from Gaza are often unreliable or manipulated, partly because Hamas usually issues them, and also because “a significant portion of combatant casualties [are included] without differentiation between civilians and combatants.” IAGS also misrepresented the decision of the International Court of Justice, which just so happens to be biased against Israel anyway. In Gaza, there are numerous other plausible explanations for the intent of military operations in Gaza. From Hamas’ weaponization of civilian and humanitarian infrastructure, their documented  , to the continued holding of hostages. Another critical failure of the IAGS resolution is that it not only fails to establish the elements of genocide, it does not set the legal standard for which genocide must be proven. And IAGS also ignored the steps Israel takes to minimize harm to Gazan civilians, while not even mentioning that Hamas has long had the power to end the war by releasing the hostages. The only attempted genocide was the one Hamas committed on Oct. 7, which they vowed to commit  . Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge. Tue, 09/09/2025 - 20:05
Hegseth Makes Dramatic Visit To US Carrier Off Venezuela, Tells Marines It's 'Not Training Exercise' Hegseth Makes Dramatic Visit To US Carrier Off Venezuela, Tells Marines It's 'Not Training Exercise' Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and senior Pentagon officials made an unannounced visit to US Marines stationed in the Caribbean as well as to Puerto Rico on Monday. The military build-up to to target Venezuelan cartels allegedly threatening America's borders by moving their product. Upon a first somewhat dramatic stop and arrival by Osprey aircraft to the USS Iwo Jima warship, Hegseth told US Marines in waters off Puerto Rico that their deployment was "not training" - which is a clear sign the Trump White House intends to keep up its escalatory force posture aimed at Maduro's Venezuela. 🚨 BREAKING: Secretary of WAR Pete Hegseth has just arrived in Puerto Rico, where President Trump has deployed fighter jets to take on Venezuelan cartels This was an unannounced trip. Cartels are about to learn why our defense budget is closing in on $1 trillion 🤣 — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) "What you’re doing right now is not training; this is a real-world exercise on behalf of the vital national interests of the United States of America to end the poisoning of the American people," Trump's defense chief said. The Pentagon is reportedly mulling using Puerto Rico as its central hub to wage war against Latin American cartels, at a moment the US has put a on President Maduro's head - signaling the pursuit of regime change.  Governor of Puerto Rico Jennifer Gonzalez welcomed Hegseth's presence, showing a willingness to host American troops amid the Venezuela operations, while denouncing Maduro as a "narco-dictator". "We thank [President Donald] Trump and his Administration for recognizing the strategic value Puerto Rico has to the national security of the United States and the fight against drug cartels in our hemisphere, perpetuated by narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro," she wrote on social media. The Iwo Jima is currently stationed about 30 miles south of Puerto Rico... image Along with the carrier deployment, the US has at least three guided missile destroyers in the Caribbean, ten F-35s, and thousands of US Marines. There are also reports of a US attack submarine operating at locations unknown off Venezuela. Tensions are soaring after last week the US attacked an alleged drug-smuggling boat, killing all eleven on board - and reportedly with no warning or attempt to intercept it. Maduro has put his own forces on alert, particularly on the coast and in border areas, and has sent F-16s to buzz US warships, though Trump has threatened to shoot them down. Tue, 09/09/2025 - 14:05
White House Deputy Chief Of Staff: 'Massive Scandal' Uncovered In D.C. Crime Stats White House Deputy Chief Of Staff: 'Massive Scandal' Uncovered In D.C. Crime Stats White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is warning that an   into whether Washington D.C. officials manipulated crime statistics is in the process of uncovering a “massive scandal.” image At an Oval Office press conference, Miller told reporters that when the results of the investigation are finally that, “It will stun you,” adding, “Even though D.C. had the worst crime in America–honestly measured–it dramatically understated how bad it was.” 🚨 BREAKING: In a shocking revelation, Stephen Miller uncovered a massive scandal in Washington, D.C. The Democratic-led police department has been systematically concealing crime statistics, even classifying homicides as accidents rather than murders. — TRUMP ARMY (@TRUMP_ARMY_) Miller said that DOJ investigators have uncovered evidence that crime data was manipulated to the point that some murders and homicides were falsely reported as accidents. The White House Deputy Chief of Staff also assured reporters that the full extent of the manipulation “will be uncovered and it will all be brought to light.” Miller told reporters that he’s had the opportunity to visit with police officers in the city who tell him that members of the public are going up to them and thanking them for finally being able to enjoy their parks and “walk freely at night without having to worry about being robbed or mugged.” Stephen Miller: DC officials were covering up crime stats and even classifying m*rders as accidents. How many other Democrat-led cities have falsified crime data to this gross extent? — War Correspondent (@warDaniel47) Last month, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY)  , in a letter, that his committee is “investigating disturbing allegations that DC crime data is inaccurate and intentionally manipulated.” Comer told Smith that a whistleblower “with direct knowledge of internal MPD operations and crime data discussions” told his committee that “crime statistics were allegedly manipulated on a widespread basis and at the direction of senior MPD officials.” In his letter to Smith, Comer notes, “The whistleblower stated this manipulation is accomplished by supervisors — with only a cursory understanding of the facts and circumstances of the crime — ignoring the judgement of patrol officers who actually interviewed witnesses and collected evidence by recommending reduced charges.” MPD District 3 Commander Michael Pulliam,   to have been under investigation for allegedly manipulating crime statistics for his district, although Comer told Smith in his letter that, “Unfortunately, this practice does not appear to be isolated, nor is it a recent development.” MPD data had shown violent crime decreases across all seven police districts, although D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said MPD leadership only found anomalies in data reporting in one district. Mon, 09/08/2025 - 09:20
Censorship Concerns Surge As China Yanks Video Of Xi–Putin Organ Transplant Discussion Censorship Concerns Surge As China Yanks Video Of Xi–Putin Organ Transplant Discussion China’s state-owned broadcaster has rescinded international wire agency access to a hot mic video of Chinese and Russian leaders discussing longevity and organ transplants, an effort that shows the Chinese regime’s fear of attention on the topic, critics say. image The open mic between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping took place in Beijing on Sept. 3, as the two leaders walked together ahead of a military parade commemorating World War II. Xi at the parade told Putin that “these days at 70 you are still a child,” prompting Putin to remark that continued organ transplants could allow one to live younger and even reach immortality. Xi in response said that it is predicted that there’s a chance of humans living to 150 years old. The conversation became global news and sparked discussions about the Chinese regime’s state-sanctioned forced , a taboo topic in China. CCTV has since taken down the livestream video that captured the exchange and removed the moment from replays. CCTV also sent a letter through its lawyer to Reuters—which licensed the video through CCTV and edited it into a four-minute clip—requesting the news agency to remove the footage on the grounds that the clips Reuters published exceeded the agreed-upon scope. CCTV lawyer He Danning claimed Reuters’ “editorial treatment applied to this material has resulted in a clear misrepresentation of the facts and statements contained within the licensed feed.” Reuters withdrew the video and issued a “kill” notice to its clients on Sept. 5. The agency said it had earlier distributed the clip to more than 1,000 media clients around the world, including major international news broadcasters and TV stations. In a , Reuters said it was removing the content because it no longer has the legal permission to publish this copyrighted material. “We stand by the accuracy of what we published. We have carefully reviewed the published footage, and we have found no reason to believe Reuters longstanding commitment to accurate, unbiased journalism has been compromised,” Reuters stated. According to the London-based China Tribunal, forced organ harvesting has to the Falun Dafa Information Center. The International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), an Australian advocacy group comprising lawyers, medical professionals, researchers, and human rights advocates, said it was not surprised by CCTV’s demand, considering that organ transplants in China “are linked to crimes against humanity.” “The now-withdrawn ‘hot mic’ recording between Xi and Putin highlighted the possibility of using organ transplants to seek immortality, rather than to treat seriously ill patients,” ETAC said in a statement to The Epoch Times. “Such a conversation in China immediately raises the spectre of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.” The group said the incident should be “a reminder of the responsibility of media outlets to resist undue influence, the necessity for governments to respect press freedom, and the urgency of addressing credible allegations of forced organ harvesting and other human rights abuses in China.” “Efforts to suppress or dilute media coverage risk silencing victims and obstructing informed public debate. Independent journalism is critical in holding governments accountable, especially when issues involve systemic human rights violations.” Two pieces of U.S. legislation that a month ago to both the Senate and the House, seeks to expand sanctions of the existing law, the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, regarding the human rights abuses in the predominantly Muslim Uyghur Xinjiang region. “Each addresses forced organ harvesting in distinct ways, and swift passage is critical to avoid U.S. complicity in these crimes,” ETAC stated. “The international community cannot afford selective silence when fundamental human rights are at stake.” Sun, 09/07/2025 - 22:10
Sacks, Chamath Describe 'Surreal' White House Dinner With Trump And Tech Elite Sacks, Chamath Describe 'Surreal' White House Dinner With Trump And Tech Elite President Donald Trump a high-profile dinner at the White House, drawing a roster of Silicon Valley’s most influential leaders to discuss artificial intelligence and U.S. investment. The gathering included Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Apple's Tim Cook, Microsoft's Bill Gates, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, many of whom have publicly criticized Trump in the past. Elon Musk, once a close Trump ally, was notably absent, with scheduling conflicts and a public falling-out underscoring strains in their relationship. image AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, both attendees of the dinner, offered an insider account of the event on the “All-In” podcast. “It started with a group that Chamath organized in Silicon Valley. They were the core nucleus, and then more and more people wanted to join,” Sacks said. “Pretty soon, the president invited the top tech leaders, and it turned into the room you saw. It’s pretty amazing—President Trump’s ability to convene all these folks. I’d say maybe half the tech industry was there by market cap.” Palihapitiya agreed with Sacks, explaining how being in that room "felt surreal." "You’re seeing the leaders of the most important companies in the world, all sitting together, with this sense of alignment and cooperation. That was really cool,” Palihapitiya said. “These folks don’t have to show up anywhere, but the fact that the president could convene them says a lot about him and his agenda.” Palihapitiya said that attendees were “incredibly supportive” of Trump’s policies, which he contrasted with “the difficulties under Biden,” noting that, “Even hard-core liberals like Tim Cook and Bill Gates have now fully embraced President Trump." "That’s a testament to his agenda,” he said. Palihapitiya then offered a play-by-play account of Trump hosting the tech leaders inside the Roosevelt Room. “You’re seeing the most powerful people who’ve built these incredible businesses—about 30 folks, but the table only fits 15. So you’ve got Tim Cook, Sam Altman, and Satya Nadella sitting on a couch, Dylan Field and Alan Wag nearby, just chilling,” Palihapitiya recounted. “In their own worlds, they’re kings, but in the White House, they’re American citizens there to meet the president. Everyone’s egos were checked.” “Then they had us line up single file - Sundar, Satya, Bill Gates - like we’re backstage at a Zeppelin concert,” he added. The group’s visit to the Oval Office added a ceremonial touch. A visit to the Oval Office added ceremony, with attendees like Oracle’s Safra Catz and her husband mingling for photos at the Resolute Desk. An impromptu moment came when Catz’s husband asked for a pen, prompting Trump to hand out challenge coins and pens. Google’s Sergey Brin sparked a policy discussion that carried into dinner, while an attendee’s request for Trump’s playlist led to Fleetwood Mac playing in the Rose Garden, as captured by AMD’s Lisa Su. The camaraderie, however, couldn’t mask the underlying tension: these leaders, once vocal critics, now appeared to prioritize access and influence over their past principles, casting doubt on whether their earlier opposition was genuine or merely posturing for public favor. The event raised questions about the motives of tech leaders who once opposed Trump. Zuckerberg, who Trump to "hateful" demagogues. Oh... Mark Zuckerberg gets caught on a hot mic admitting he is totally making up Meta’s U.S. investment numbers based on whatever Trump wants to hear: — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) Sun, 09/07/2025 - 15:45
India Doubles Down On Russian Oil Purchases, As Trump Declares Both Are 'Lost' To 'Deepest, Darkest China' India Doubles Down On Russian Oil Purchases, As Trump Declares Both Are 'Lost' To 'Deepest, Darkest China' President Trump on Friday said India and Russia seem to have been "lost" to China following Modi and Putin having met with President Xi Jinping this week, amid the leaders hailing the forging ahead of a new multi-polar order which seeks to thwart a purely Washington-centric global system. "Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!" Trump wrote in a social media, with an accompanying a photo of the three leaders together at Xi's summit in China. image This has been followed on Friday with India confirming that it will double down on Russian oil purchases, in defiance of US tariffs and threats. "Where do we buy our oil from, especially since it’s a very expensive commodity, we pay a very high price for it and it’s the highest import, so we’ll have to decide what suits us best," Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in an interview. She then emphasized somewhat defiantly, "We will definitely buy it." On the same day, this development reported in Reuters will only serve to exacerbate https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/indian-oil-skips-us-crude-buys-nigerian-mideast-oil-via-tender-say-sources-2025-09-05/ :  Top Indian refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC.NS), opens new tab skipped the purchase of U.S. oil in its latest tender and instead bought 2 million barrels of West African and a million barrels of Middle Eastern grade, trade sources said on Friday. The state refiner also bought one million barrels each of Nigerian oil grades Agbami and Usan from French oil major TotalEnergy, and another million barrels of Abu Dhabi's Das crude from Shell, the people said. Nigerian oil has been bought on free-on-board basis and Das has been purchsed on a delivered basis for arrival at Indian ports in late October-early November. In its previous tender https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/india-boosts-us-oil-purchases-competitive-prices-narrows-trade-deficit-2025-08-29/ , IOC bought 5 million barrels of U.S. West Texas Intermediate. This comes amid Trump's escalating trade war with New Delhi, but he now seems resigned to simply admit India has been "lost" to China and Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier this week hailed that India, among the largest economies on the planet, has not given in to US demands to stop purchasing its oil and other products. A combined population of almost 3 billion... image "Such tariffs have already been introduced, for example, against India - our particularly privileged strategic partner, a major consumer of Russian goods, in particular, hydrocarbon raw materials," the top Russian diplomat . "We appreciate the fact that New Delhi did not bend under pressure and remains committed to the principles of free trade," Lavrov stated.  Fri, 09/05/2025 - 22:10