Shortages Inflation & Water Wars

AT&T outage? Thousands report issues with cellular service https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/at-t-outage-thousands-report-issues-with-cellular-service/ar-AA1sNJpv AT&T customers across the country experienced widespread service issues Wednesday morning, with many reporting difficulties making outbound calls. AT&T's support team responded to numerous complaints on X, encouraging affected customers to reach out directly. As of this writing, AT&T has not yet issued a public statement on what caused the issues customers were reporting.

The largest investment company in the world, the American BlackRock, has started preparations for the purchase of land in the north of Moldova. https://news.by/eng/news/v_mire/blackrock-starts-preparations-for-purchase-of-land-in-northern-moldova

U.S. home sales fall 1% in September, lowest level since October 2010 https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/us-home-sales-fell-1-in-september-lowest-level-since-october-2010/ar-AA1sNG7Z Sales of previously owned homes slipped 1% in September compared to the month before while the median average for an existing home sold jumped 3% to $404,500,... The seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.8 million units in September was the slowest pace for home sales since October 2010,... Over the past 12 months, home sales were 3.5% lower in September as home buying fell in every region of the country except for the West. The year-over-year median home sold price of $404,500 marked the 15th straight month that number has increased,...

Denny's abruptly announces closure of 150 restaurants - and shock change to its opening hours https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/article-13990659/Dennys-announce-closure-Applebees-Chilis.html?ico=related-replace Denny's has abruptly announced the closure of 150 locations in an effort to counteract poor sales. The chain announced 50 store closures are set to take place this year and the remaining 100 locations will be shut in 2025. The news comes after 15 of the chains locations closed this summer alone and 70 in total have closed in the last two years. Previously, inflation was blamed as a significant factor for the recent closures. On Tuesday, Denny's reported its fifth straight quarter of declines in sales at locations that were open at least a year. Since the pandemic, the 24-hr restaurant has also not returned to usual around-the-clock hours in around a quarter of locations. The chain has also cut their menu options in half, from 97 to 46, after also noting that adults who were looking for cheaper options began ordering from the kids menu.

US confirms North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia for training and possible Ukraine combat https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/us-confirms-north-korea-has-sent-3-000-troops-to-russia-for-training-at-multiple-sites/ar-AA1sMIfh The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be “fair game” if they go into combat in Ukraine. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called it a “next step” after the North has provided Russia with arms, and said Pyongyang could face consequences for aiding Russia directly. “If they’re co-belligerents, their intention is to participate in this war on Russia’s behalf, that is a very, very serious issue, and it will have impacts not only in Europe, it will also impact things in the Indo-Pacific.” Russia and North Korea have sharply boosted their cooperation in the past two years, and in June they signed a major defense deal requiring both countries to use all available means to provide immediate military assistance if either is attacked. Reports that the North is sending troops to Russia stoked security jitters in South Korea.

It is not difficult to see that the BRICS+ is a Great Reset of the world’s economy. The West is being intentionally left behind. When one giant mega-empire wants to expand, it can only do so if the other giant mega-empire retracts. There is only so much global pie to go around. The West is going to have to get used to a thinner slice. Everyone in the West is only too keenly aware of the escalating cost of living, rising housing costs, insane cost of food, gas, heating and rent. The epidemic homelessness is the collateral damage of the transfer of wealth from the West to the East. While our Western politicians are engaged in a monstrous mud slinging contest—blaming each other, blaming immigration, blaming climate change, blaming communism/fascism/racism, blaming your mom and your dog—the real culprit is the monopoly capitalists who are the architects of this Great Reset. To the non-black pilled analysts: If the BRICS+ is NOT the Great Reset, then what is? Is there some other massive restructuring of our entire planetary political/economic system happening on the World Stage? Insert answer here: _____ [hint: no] Okay, that’s a wrap. Just heading for the medicine cabinet for some more black pills … over and out. https://www.worldnotenough.com/p/the-great-multipolar-brics-reset

Xi Jinping Calls For War Preparedness As China Conducts Taiwan Blockade Drills https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/xi-jinping-calls-for-war-preparedness-as-china-conducts-taiwan-blockade-drills/ar-AA1sB0MR Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on troops to intensify their preparations for war, just days after China staged large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. Xi's comments, made during a visit to a People's Liberation Army Rocket Force brigade, emphasized the need for the military to "comprehensively strengthen training and preparation for war" and ensure "solid combat capabilities." This latest escalation in tensions highlights the ongoing challenges in the Taiwan Strait and the potential for conflict between China and Taiwan. The international community is closely watching developments, with concerns about the implications for regional stability and the global balance of power.

TGI Fridays is preparing for possible bankruptcy https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/tgi-fridays-preparing-bankruptcy-reports-say TGI Fridays is making preparations for a bankruptcy filing, according to two reports. The casual-dining chain was talking with advisers late last week about next steps, including bankruptcy, after the company was terminated as the manager of its whole business securitization last month,... Bloomberg reported that the chain was huddling with lenders about financing to help fund the company through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy process... Dallas-based TGI Fridays has struggled for years to generate sales growth. The recent inflationary environment seems to have exacerbated those issues,... If TGI Fridays does file for bankruptcy, it would become the third casual-dining chain to do so this year,...

Empty Tables and Rising Costs Push More Restaurants Into Bankruptcy https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/empty-tables-and-rising-costs-push-more-restaurants-into-bankruptcy/ar-AA1sDxO1 Americans love fish tacos, but not enough to keep Rubio’s Coastal Grill from joining one of 2024’s biggest food trends: the bankrupt restaurant chain. Restaurant chains and operators this year are on track to declare the most bankruptcies in decades outside of 2020, when the global pandemic upended the industry’s operations,... Same-store sales traffic at U.S. restaurants was down by 3.3% this year through Oct. 6 versus the same period in 2023,... “There’s going to be pain for a while,” said McClure, who said he looked at nearly 100 restaurant companies this year and passed on most of them.

Disgruntled Cubans bang pots and pans as power outage crisis continues https://www.yahoo.com/news/disgruntled-cubans-bang-pots-pans-045733551.html Cuban residents in Santo Suárez, part of a populous neighborhood in southwestern Havana, have had enough and began banging pots and pans to protest the power outage Sunday night. Some Cubans in Havana say they see food spoiling in refrigerators and no respite from the heat that keeps them awake at night without air conditioning or even a fan. Cuba's electrical grid collapsed again on Sunday, leaving millions of people without electricity. It marked the fourth such failure in 48 hours. The Communist-run government canceled school through Wednesday - a near unprecedented move for Cuba.

Big banks are bracing for losses as Americans struggle to pay off debt https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/big-banks-are-bracing-for-losses-as-americans-struggle-to-pay-off-debt/ar-AA1sEbnn US banks are having a harder time collecting debts,... According to Federal Reserve data, the past-due debt share for credit cards, autos, and commercial real estate has recently risen to above pre-pandemic levels. The share of debt banks have written off as a loss because they couldn't collect it has also ticked up, with the charge-off rate for two of these three loan types the highest they've been in more than a decade. Consumers' struggles to repay credit card and auto debt suggest that inflation and interest rates, while moderating in recent months, are still taking a toll on their finances. Additionally, businesses' struggles to pack back commercial real estate debt show that factors like elevated interest rates and the remote work revolution are still having lingering effects. "What we are seeing is that people are struggling to repay debt while continuing to use up what is left of their available credit — forcing more people to start falling behind on their payments and into the hands of debt collectors,"... A growing number of Americans owe more than their cars are worth, according to a report published on October 15... Another problem for banks is that some businesses with commercial real estate loans are struggling to repay them. A financial storm is coming

Global uncertainties propel gold to record high, silver soars https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/global-uncertainties-propel-gold-to-record-high-silver-soars/ar-AA1sDZXA Gold rallied for a fifth straight day on Monday, hitting a record high on uncertainties around the U.S. election, ongoing Middle East tensions, and expectations of central banks' interest rate cuts, while silver hit a near 12-year peak. Spot gold gained 0.6% to $2,735.38 per ounce,... Spot silver rose 1.1% to $34.02 per ounce, its highest since late-2012.

Specifically this message is geared towards men. The system set to control us has worked tirelessly to demean masculinity. Have you ever contemplated why? A serious thought exercise If you are a God fearing man, you will understand THE WHY. MAN OR ADAM, IS THE TETHER THAT CONNNECTS US TO THE ALMIGHTY. The entities that hate us are real, regardless of the poof you use to lubricate your understanding and seek comfort. There is a spiritual war. Deny this, and you have already lost. It's not politics or social acceptance. It's a war. Stay comfy... Or engage. Choose incorrectly, and a lot, including your humanity, will be lost. Put on the armor of your Creator and begin to act accordingly. Fight, fight, fight... For the things that REALLY MATTER.

JUST IN: Gold reaches new all-time high of $2,736 per ounce. @WatcherGuru

Alrighty then Algorithm Ghetto...the biometric version of the Mexican CURP, effectively a type of Digital ID, will apparently become mandatory for everyone next year: "The establishment of a biometric CURP has been criticized by social organizations such as the Network in Defense of Digital Rights (R3D). According to the argument of that body, this could be a mechanism for the Mexican State to make - massive surveillance and EXCLUSION of access to public services." https://www.radioformula.com.mx/estilo-de-vida/2024/10/18/curp-biometrico-requisitos-para-tramitarlo-ya-que-sera-obligatorio-en-mexico-837548.html

First National Bank of Lindsay, Lindsay, OK Has Been Taken Over By The FDIC https://www.fdic.gov/bank-failures/failed-bank-list/first-national-bank-lindsay On Friday, October 18, 2024, The First National Bank of Lindsay was closed by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. (FDIC) was named Receiver. No advance notice is given to the public when a financial institution is closed. All insured deposits have been transferred to First Bank & Trust Co., Duncan, OK Another one bites the dust.

Cuba shuts down schools and workplaces after a mass blackout hits the island https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/cuba-shuts-down-schools-and-workplaces-after-a-mass-blackout-hits-the-island/ar-AA1swu3Q A massive outage left millions of Cubans without power and prompted the government Friday to implement emergency measures to slash demand, including suspending classes, shutting down some state-owned workplaces and canceling non-essential services. Cuban officials said that the blackout, which started late Thursday, saw 1.64 gigawatts go offline during peak hours in the early evening, about half the total demand at the time. “We must be fully transparent ... we have been halting economic activities to ensure energy for the population.” The outage stemmed from increased demand from small- and medium-sized companies and residences’ air conditioners, as well as breakdowns in old thermoelectric plants that haven’t been properly maintained and the lack of fuel to operate some facilities. Even in a country accustomed to frequent outages amid a deepening economic crisis, the size of Thursday night’s blackout left millions of Cubans on edge.

Holidays will disappoint as inflation-battered shoppers ‘running out of money’ https://nypost.com/2024/10/18/business/ex-target-exec-says-holidays-to-disappoint-shoppers-running-out-of-money/ Former Target vice chairman Gerald Storch on Thursday warned that holiday spending will likely disappoint this year as inflation-battered consumers run low on savings and scrimp on spending due to geopolitical uncertainties. “They’re increasingly stressed by inflation and the exhaustion of their pandemic-era savings.” “When you take a look over the last several years, what you see month after month, everyone talks about, the consumer’s still spending,” he said. “They might be, but they’re spending less than the growth of inflation.” So consumers are “spending more and getting less” as prices rise quicker than sales,... “Prices remain high for basic items such as grocery, fuel and clothing. Sticker shock does not bode well for discretionary purchases specifically around the holidays,”... “If the consumer has to choose between paying for Thanksgiving dinner or participating in Black Friday shopping, the consumer will allocate their budget towards food versus gifts,”... Consumers are likely to grow more cost-conscious as geopolitical tensions brew in the US and around the world.

Global uncertainties drive gold above unprecedented $2,700/oz milestone https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/safe-haven-gold-breaks-2700oz-level-uncertainty-looms-2024-10-18/ Gold surged above the historic threshold of $2,700-per-ounce on Friday, powered by escalating tensions in the Middle East, uncertainties around the U.S. elections and relaxed monetary policy expectations that pushed the metal into unchartered territory. Prices hit a record high of $2,719.93 earlier in the session, setting bullion on track for a rise of about 2% this week. "With the conflict intensifying – particularly following Hezbollah's announcement to escalate the war with Israel – investors are flocking to gold, a traditional safe-haven asset,"... Global head of commodities research at Citi, sees gold prices reaching $3,000/oz over the next 6-12 months,... Silver is expected to perform strongly to $35/oz over the next three months,...

Russia tells Israel to not even consider attacking Iranian nuclear facilities https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-tells-israel-to-not-even-consider-attacking-iranian-nuclear-facilities-tass-says/ar-AA1srknyp Russia is warning Israel to not even consider striking Iranian nuclear facilities, state news agency TASS quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Thursday. "We have repeatedly warned and continue to warn, to caution (Israel) against even hypothetically considering the possibility of a strike on (Iranian) nuclear facilities and nuclear infrastructure,"... "This would be a catastrophic development and a complete negation of all existing principles in the area of ensuring nuclear safety." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel would listen to the United States, which has also cautioned against striking nuclear facilities in Iran,... Russia has strengthened ties with the Islamic Republic since the start of its war in Ukraine and is preparing to sign a major partnership agreement with Tehran.