I remember watching the World War Z movie and enjoying it. I’ve had the book on my phone for years. But the movie came out in 2013, and while it was good, it seemed to come and go. There’s been a video game adaptation before, but again, felt like it came and went. But now, […] The post I Didn’t Know ‘World War Z’ Was Still a Thing. But There’s a VR Title on the Way, and It Looks Pretty Solid appeared first on VICE.
Sometimes, a game just speaks to you before you even pick it up. A combination of twin stick shooting, pinball physics, and a feline-esque protagonist? Sign me right up. Go Mecha Ball is one of those games that immediately sings the second you boot it up. Feeling like a sugar rush mixed with an EDM […] The post ‘Go Mecha Ball’ Is a Criminally Underrated Twin Stick Roguelike Shooter That Uses Momentum in Amazing Ways appeared first on VICE.
Celebrated program is still targeted by Trump Administration
Bungie has revealed that certain Destiny 2 The Edge of Fate characters will need to have their voice lines re-recorded. According to the developer, a handful of actors were unable to record their dialogue initially. However, their voices will be patched in through a future update. ‘Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate’ Will Have Temporary […] The post ‘Destiny 2’ The Edge of Fate Will Have to Patch In Re-Recorded Voice Lines At A Later Date appeared first on VICE.
One of my favorite things Nintendo has done in recent years has been their “Ask the Developers” series. It’s always a great read to get some insight into the making of their games. I make sure to stop everything I’m doing to check them out whenever they drop. And of course, we get one for […] The post The ‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ “Ask the Developers” Series is Here. I’ve Been Waiting for This appeared first on VICE.
Cal State Prof Arrested, Accused Of Assaulting ICE Agents During Cannabis Farm Raid Authored by Emily Sturge via Campus Reform, A California State University Channel Islands (CSUCI) professor was arrested July 10 after allegedly assaulting law enforcement agents during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting illegal labor at marijuana farms. Jonathan Anthony Caravello, a math and philosophy lecturer, is among four U.S. citizens “being criminally processed for assaulting or resisting officers” during coordinated ICE raids at Glass House Farms cannabis grow sites in Camarillo and Carpinteria, California, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Caravello is accused of throwing a tear gas canister at ICE agents during the protest, which occurred near the CSUCI campus. Protesters reportedly “attempted to intercept” officers by “throwing rocks” at federal vehicles, “shattering windows and windshields,” CBS News reports. One protester allegedly fired a pistol at officers. The California Faculty Association (CFA), an “anti-racism, social justice” labor union comprised of 29,000 California State University faculty members, is defending Caravello, claiming he was peacefully protesting and accusing federal agents of kidnapping him. ⚠️ MISSING PERSON ⚠️ Jonathan Anthony Caravello Kidnapped by unidentified ICE agents at 2:33pm, Thursday July 10th at Las Posas Rd/Laguna Rd community ICE defense protest. July 12, 2025 The CFA doubled down in a press release, calling Caravello’s arrest an “abduction.” “We strongly condemn the abduction of California Faculty Association professor, member and activist Jonathan A. Caravello, Ph.D. and other community members terrorized and arrested by federal immigration authorities while exercising their constitutional rights to protest peacefully,” the CFA wrote. U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli debunked the “kidnapped” allegation and said Caravello will appear in court on Monday. Professor Jonathan Caravello was not “kidnapped” by federal agents. He was arrested for throwing a tear gas canister at law enforcement. He is charged with a violation of 18 USC 111 and will have a court appearance tomorrow. https://t.co/QrIivjrthd July 13, 2025 Federal law states that a violation of 18 USC 111 means “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees,” according to Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute. CSUCI defended Caravello in a written statement: “At this time, it is our understanding that Professor Caravello was peacefully participating in a protest – an act protected under the First Amendment and a right guaranteed to all Americans,” the statement reads. “If confirmed, we stand with elected officials and community leaders calling for his immediate release,” it continues. An important notification from CSUCI: Statement about Professor Jonathan Caravello being taken into federal custody during a protest. https://t.co/7knmXShvwH pic.twitter.com/aHlRGmYS26 July 12, 2025 Meanwhile, the California Faculty Association is urging supporters to contribute monetary donations for bail and legal fees for Caravello. The association is also asking individuals to write “Character Reference” letters that will “go before the judge when setting bail” and encouraging individuals to “sign up for a jail support shift so John has someone waiting when he is released.” Screenshots of social media posts shared by @cfa_united on Instagram. Members of the CFA held a candlelight vigil Sunday night for the individuals “abducted in the Camarillo farm raids.” During the cannabis farm raids, law enforcement reportedly arrested at least 361 illegal aliens from both sites and rescued at least 14 children from potential exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking, DHS confirmed in a press release. The group advertised the vigil on Instagram with the hashtag “#FreeJohnCaravello.” Screenshots of social media posts shared by @cfa_crew on Instagram. Campus Reform reviewed Caravello’s student evaluations on the website RateMyProfessors.com. One anonymous student warned: “If you want a professor that tries to bring his political commentary or agenda into absolutely every possible situation, then this professor is for you. Don’t bother trying to debate politics with him because any retort you bring up will immediately be shut down.” Screenshot obtained from RateMyProfessors.com. Campus Reform is monitoring updates to this story and has contacted Jonathan Anthony Caravello, California State University Channel Islands, and the California Faculty Association for further updates and comment. This article will be updated accordingly. As of July 14, spokespeople from the California State University Channel Islands and California Faculty Association told Campus Reform there are no updates or additional information to share at this time. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 14:40
These Are The 10 Least Livable Cities In The World While some cities are celebrated for their high quality of life, others are plagued by deep-rooted challenges that make daily life difficult and dangerous in many cases. From ongoing wars and political instability to inadequate infrastructure, this map, via Visual Capitalist's Kayla Zhu, shows the 10 least livable cities in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2025. The index ranks cities on over 30 factors across five categories to determine their overall livability. Factors include: Stability: Prevalence of crime, terror, military conflict, civil unrest/conflict Healthcare: Availability and quality of private and public healthcare, general healthcare indicators Culture and environment: Humidity/temperature rating, cultural and sporting availability, social or religious restrictions Education: Availability and quality of private education, public education indicators Infrastructure: Quality of road network, public transport, international links, availability of good housing What is the Least Livable City in the World? Below, we show the 10 least livable cities in the world according to The Economist, and their livability scores. Damascus, the capital of Syria, remains the world’s least livable city in 2025. Despite a dramatic regime change in Syria in late 2024, the effects of over a decade of civil war have left the capital with shattered infrastructure, limited access to health care and low levels of public safety. The overall score for Damascus is nearly 10 points lower than that of the next-worst city, Tripoli, Libya. Tripoli, Libya’s capital, continues to struggle with political instability, factional fighting, and collapsed public services. Like Damascus, it showed no improvement over previous years. Kyiv continues to rank near the bottom amid Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, which has severely impacted its infrastructure and safety. Overall, the bottom of The Economist’s livability rankings is largely filled by cities from the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. The average score for livability in 2025 was 76.1 out of 100, the same as 2024. However, scores in the stability category have continue to decline amid widespread geopolitical tension and civil unrest around the world. To see which cities ranked as the most livable cities of 2025, check out this graphic on Voronoi. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 14:20
Gold Revaluation: Trump's Red Button Option? Authored by Matthew Piepenburg via VonGreyerz.gold, Could a gold revaluation be on Trump’s mind? Below, we consider the options facing a debt-sick America. A Bug Racing for a Windshield As we’ve been warning for years, the US and USD are a bug rapidly seeking a debt-hard windshield. The trend and speed of this collision (and debt trap) are becoming increasingly more obvious with each passing day and headline. In simplest terms, as US debt levels soar moon-bound, trust and interest in its IOUs (and the currency/dollar backing those IOUs) are sinking toward the ocean floor. The evidence of such otherwise “dramatic” statements is literally everywhere. Hard Questions For example, although not at war, the US is running World War 2 debt-to-GDP ratios at the 120% level. How did this happen? What’s the “emergency” behind this grotesque ratio? And more importantly, how can Uncle Sam save himself? Simple Answer Answering the first question is fairly simple. We arrived at this appalling turning point because the US has been getting debt drunk for decades. Ever since Nixon took away the gold chaperone from the USD, politicians have been buying temporary prosperity, debt-based “growth” and duped voters by taking US public debt levels from $248B in 1971 to $37T (and counting) today. This number alone is staggering. Trillions Matter The difference between “billions” and “trillions” is not merely alphabetical, it’s brutal. 1 BILLION seconds ago, for example, places us in 1997. Bit 1 TRILLION seconds ago places us at 30,000 BC. Let that sink in for a moment. If this shocks or bothers you, well… you’re not alone. The World Has Called the USA’s Bluff The rest of the world is shocked too, which explains why its central banks have been quietly net-dumping USTs and net-stacking physical gold since 2014. This further explains why freezing the FX reserves of Russia in 2022 only accelerated the distrust of a now weaponized (and once neutral) world reserve currency. De-Dollarization… What followed was a well-telegraphed and carefully forewarned trend of de-dollarization from the BRICS+ coalition. Tier-1 Status… This trend took off around the very same time that the BIS, the mother of all central banks, officially classified gold as a Tier-1 reserve asset, making an open mockery of its “sister Tier-1 asset,” the UST. Central Bank Gold Stacking… Gold stacking by central banks, of course, continued to skyrocket at the same time: COMEX Panic… If such signs of US dollar and debt woes/distrust were not obvious enough, the COMEX and LBMA exchanges out of New York and London then began scurrying like headless chickens. Why? Because they were trying to find enough physical gold to meet delivery demands to get the gold off of these exchanges, which, since 1974, were once just derivative schemes used to manipulate rather than deliver gold. But the hidden facts (and implications) were far simpler. Counterparties to this legalized price-fixing scam now wanted their actual gold more than their paper contracts. Why? Because they saw physical gold’s growing, inevitable and superior role in a future monetary system moving away from the debt-discredited USD and UST. Petrodollar Signposts… To add insult to the USD’s injury, a growing and simultaneous trend away from the petrodollar during the same period was as obvious as it was media-ignored. But the message was clear: Faith in a USD-driven future was openly in decline. The Denial Stage? Defenders of the USD, of course, were quick and right to remind the world that no other nation or currency could beat or replace the mighty Dollar. After all, it is the world’s reserve currency. It still holds the majority position in global FX reserves and, let’s be honest, neither China, Russia, nor any other nation has the reputation or bond market to replace the dollar, right? Right. Reality Check: Gold’s Future in a Fiat Swamp But, here’s the kicker. Nations like China or Russia aren’t trying to replace the USD with their Ruble or Yuan. They, like the rest of the world, are slowly going to replace the USD with gold. This doesn’t mean a gold-backed world reserve currency, just a gold-based world settlement system. China Playing Chess Take China as an obvious example. They have no problem de-valuing their fiat currency when measured against gold, an asset they’ve been quietly stacking and misreporting for decades in a chess game of common sense as the USA plays checkers with QE. Nor does China have much love for USTs… As I type this, China continues to pair gold to the oil it imports from Russia and Iran (conveniently dubbed “evil” by the weaponized US media). In just over a decade, China’s gold-to-oil ratio was 8 barrels of oil to one ounce of gold. Today, that same ounce of gold buys China 50 barrels of oil. Meanwhile, China has no problem seeing its Yuan price of gold rise from 7000/ounce in 2014 to 24,000/ounce today. In short, the Yuan has collapsed against gold but not against the USD. But China can live with this for the simple reason that it sees a gold-based new world order, and it has been stacking that gold for years. Why? Because the BIS, the IMF, and, of course, the BRICS+ nations see a world in which gold is superior to the debt-discredited USD as a strategic reserve asset. Gold: Far More than an “Allocation” Gold is no longer an allocation, hedge or subject of debate—it is the future of global trade and currency settlements. Period. My colleague, Egon von Greyerz, saw this decades ago. Of even date, for example, gold is now 20 % of global FX reserves. The USD percentage is falling dramatically to a 46% position, and the Euro holds a 16% slot. But if central backs and BRICS+ nations continue to stack gold at current levels, gold may not be an official “world reserve currency” in substance or title, but it will be the new leading FX reserve asset in both title and power. In sum, each of the foregoing themes, of which we have detailed and warned in numerous prior articles, explains the debt “emergency” facing the USD. The Real Question: What Can the USA Do Now? But what about the corollary question? That is: What options do the US have left to solve its debt (and hence currency) crisis? This, too, has been on our minds for years. More Fantasy Money? Ultimately, there are no easy solutions or good scenarios left. The MMT fantasy, for example, of solving a debt crisis with more debt that is paid for with mouse-clicked money has been tried in earnest since the QE guns took the Fed from a pre-08 balance sheet of $800B to a 2022 high of nearly $9T. As reminded above, that difference between a Billion and Trillion is just plain madness. The US, faced with solving its debt crisis (and bond market) at the expense of its paper dollar, is running out of time, options and global patience. So, again—what can the US do today? More War? For Hemingway, at least, the most obvious next step is further currency debasement and war, which the past, current and even future headlines seem to confirm, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe: But with distrust in US politics and foreign policies rising in alternative media platforms highlighting left and right scandals on everything from Russia-Gate laptops to Epstein cover-ups and AIPAC-guided uh-ohs, trust in the left and right stirrups of the DC saddle is tanking at a rapid rate. Re-sets, DOGE Cuts & Tariff Walls? Meanwhile, the IMF has been telegraphing a great reset since COVID, and the current Trump administration has been trying to use DOGE cuts and tariff wars to bring debt and spending levels down. But regardless of one’s political bias, let’s be mathematical: None of these policies is enough, and none of them, as of today, are even working – as the Elon/Trump social media war intensifies in a backdrop of rising rather than falling deficit levels. More Financial Repression? I also expect, and have warned of, more financial repression and capital controls around the corner. But again, not much of a solution given current and future debt levels, debased dollars (worst DXY Q3 in 40 years) and a middle class already on its knees. The Red Button Option: Gold Revaluation? But DC has another option, which even the Fed’s recent May 2025 Manual openly hints toward. I call it the “red-button option” of a radical gold revaluation to effectively use a precious metal (rather than a Fed mouse-click) to achieve QE-like monetization without having to issue more unloved USTs. One can read the Fed’s lengthy May report on their own, but the Fed-speak boils down to this: The Fed can add gold certificates to its balance sheet, which can then become assets of the Treasury Department’s TGA account to pay down a sliver of its $37-TRILLION-dollar public debt. But the trillion-dollar question remains: How will these $42.00 gold certificates be re-valued? Doing the Math In a February Forbes article, for example, there was talk of marking these certificates to market. If that were the case, the 8131 tons of US gold (roughly 260 million ounces) at the current spot price would give Uncle Sam about $850B in instant new money to pay off some debts. This is nice, but hardly a solution to getting the aforementioned 120% debt-to-GDP figure down to pre-08 levels at a ratio compelling enough to restore trust in—and demand for—Uncle Sam’s unwanted IOUs. But what if the US government put in a bid for $20,000 gold? This would create a new price floor for the precious metal while simultaneously placing newly revalued gold certificates ahead of UST’s and mortgage-backed-securities on the Fed’s balance sheet? Sound crazy? If you read the May Fed Report, they hint at such a balance sheet “example” but shy away from naming a new price valuation on the gold certificates. This means we can only guess at what comes next. Desperate Times, Desperate Measures? But desperate times require desperate measures, and there is nothing more desperate than the USA (and balance sheet) in its current form. An emergency gold re-valuation of $20,000, by way of just one example (perhaps lower, perhaps higher?), would create instant trillions in liquidity to address Uncle Sam’s otherwise mathematically unsustainable bar tab. Such a measure would buy time for US IOUs and votes for a beleaguered White House. Such considerations, once thought extreme, must now be considered with desperate seriousness in a backdrop of only desperate options. Nixon made a radical change in 1971. Can a red-button gold revaluation in 2025 or 2026 be equally ignored? Let’s wait and see. Be Careful of What You Wish For And regardless of whether the inflationary red button is pushed or not, gold wins either way, as the dollar’s purchasing power in such a debt landscape has no absolute direction left to it other than downward. Gold, as the ultimate, most stable, stacked and historically most trusted anti-fiat asset, has no direction left than upward. Let’s also not forget that if gold is so re-valued, then the nation with the most gold will have the most leverage in this new system. But as I’ve suggested elsewhere, that nation is more likely to be China than the USA. It has a lot more gold than the World Gold Council reports… If so, like all empires whose average hegemonic age hovers around 250 years, the era of the American empire is coming to an obvious turning point, no matter how you stack it. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 14:00
Flash floods are occurring across the U.S., from Texas to New Jersey. Here is why flash flood risk is escalating, and how to protect yourself.
Silicon Valley is betting on a nuclear energy renaissance. But history shows that the state plays an essential role in regulating this tech.
If you happened to be cruising through Victorville, California, this past Sunday, you may have noticed a whole lot of cops gathered around a teddy bear that looked like it crawled out of a horror movie. Don’t worry, it wasn’t actually as horrifying a find as it first seemed. It was just some oddly placed […] The post ‘Human Skin’ Teddy Bear Caused a Panic at a California Gas Station appeared first on VICE.
Sometimes, when I’m scrolling through the halls of social media, I come across a game that I know my wife is going to lose her mind about. She’s not the biggest gamer in the world by any means. But any time there’s a cute game about decorating and making her own shops or houses? She’s […] The post My Wife Is Going To Lose Her Marbles When She Sees ‘Tiny Shop: Make It Cozy’. It Looks Brilliantly Beautiful. appeared first on VICE.
Marvel Rivals revealed a new lineup of skins coming to the Summer Special Event. However, players immediately went wild over the game’s new outfit for the Thing, which has the Fantastic Four hero wearing a skimpy speedo. ‘Marvel Rivals’ Announces The Thing “Thong” Skin for Summer Special Event Marvel Rivals is officially hitting the beach, […] The post ‘Marvel Rivals’ Releases “Thong” Skin for The Thing and Players Are Losing It appeared first on VICE.
It seems like Ozempic and its GLP-1 brethren Wegovy and Mounjaro are prescription Swiss Army knives that can do a little bit of everything, from melting pounds to keeping type II diabetes under control, along with several other benefits (and, to be fair, some downsides that extend beyond nausea, like blindness). It looks like we […] The post Add Testosterone Booster to the List of Uses for Ozempic appeared first on VICE.
If you've never heard Chester Bennington's scream in the 2008 Linkin Park song "Given Up," then you're only doing yourself an injustice. The post 4 Legendary Screams: Iconic Vocal Moments in Heavy Music appeared first on VICE.
Phoenix Taco Shop Owner Busted For Hiring Illegals - Time To Crack Down On Employers Knowingly hiring illegal aliens is a major crime, and under President Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan, the federal government is cracking down on employers who exploit cheap migrant labor. In some cases, employers have even been caught hiring illegal alien children (or maybe even trafficked by labor mules), as exposed during last week's ICE raids on marijuana farms in Governor Newsom's far-left progressive utopia of California. Hiring scrutiny on employers continues nationwide, with local media outlet 12 News in the Phoenix area reporting that Homeland Security Investigations arrested Blademir Angulo, 42, after a four-month-long investigation found he had hired at least a dozen illegal aliens at his restaurant, El Taco Loko. Here's more from the local media outlet: According to court documents, Angulo not only hired the workers but also allegedly paid them in cash and allowed them to live in recreational vehicles and trailers on property he owns in Laveen, near 63rd Avenue and Baseline Road. Agents also surveilled a second property near 16th Avenue and Southern Avenue as part of the investigation. An 18-page federal complaint filed on July 11 charges Angulo with four federal crimes: Alien in Possession of a Firearm, Harboring Illegal Aliens, Improper Entry by an Alien, and a Pattern and Practice of Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens. In an interview, Angulo admitted that he knew what he was doing was illegal, but denied ever paying money to anyone to bring his employees across the southern border. One employee had a differing account, reportedly telling investigators he owed Angulo $12,000 for smuggling him into the United States. "A West Phoenix taco shop owner is in federal custody tonight, accused of knowingly hiring a dozen illegal immigrants at his business." "The owner of the shop is accused of smuggling and hiring people who are not American citizens." pic.twitter.com/glzY5BBKSu July 15, 2025 The case in Phoenix should serve as a major wake-up call to employers nationwide who have hired illegals and displaced American labor with cheap, unauthorized labor. Trump's immigration officials are ramping up enforcement against such business owners, and as the administration moves to end temporary legal protections for migrants, major corporations (view here) that employed them are also going to come under increased scrutiny. Enforcing immigration policies has already sparked a labor renaissance for native workers. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 13:40
New York Man Charged With Stealing Half A Million Dollars Worth Of Gold Bars Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, A New York man was charged for allegedly being involved in the theft of more than $500,000 worth of gold bars from an elderly resident in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the Ephrata Police Department said. Zhong Ren, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged on July 10 with multiple offenses, including theft by unlawful taking, criminal conspiracy of theft by deception, and impersonating a public servant. He was arrested after an elderly resident of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, filed a police report in April about the theft of gold bars valued at $555,892, according to the police department. Police suspected that Ren was one of the individuals who deceived the victim into using her lifetime investment savings to buy physical gold bars to protect her money from a purported theft threat, which was a fabrication by the scammers. The scammers allegedly gained access to the victim’s computer in March and told her that someone was trying to withdraw funds from her investment accounts, the police department stated. The victim was instructed to convert her lifetime investment money into physical gold bars and hand them over to federal employees, who would then store the gold bars in the Federal Reserve vault in Philadelphia while a supposed fraud investigation was underway. In April, individuals posing as federal employees came to the victim’s house in Ephrata on two separate occasions to collect the gold bars, the police department said. Police said that law enforcement authorities believe that Ren is a member of an “international criminal organization” that orchestrates such fraudulent schemes. Ren was arraigned, and his bail was set at $550,000. He is currently being held at Lancaster County Prison. It is unclear whether Ren has been assigned legal representation at the time of writing. The El Cerrito Police Department in California has previously issued warnings to the public about gold bar scams, saying the schemes have become increasingly prevalent nationwide. In a June 12 Facebook post, the police department urged the public to be wary of contacts from unknown numbers or individuals claiming to represent legitimate organizations. It stated that gold bar schemes often involve scammers impersonating government officials or tech support representatives. The perpetrators will try to convince the victims to convert their money into gold bars by claiming that their financial accounts have been compromised or are vulnerable to hacking. “Scammers often create a sense of urgency and fear to pressure victims into acting quickly,” it stated. “No legitimate organization will ask you to convert your savings into gold and hand them over to a courier.” The public is advised not to provide any information to the caller, to verify the legitimacy of the contact by directly reaching out to the organization the caller claims to represent, and to report the scam to the police. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 13:20
Bessent Says "Formal Process" To Find Successor To Jerome Powell Has Begun U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on Tuesday that a "formal process" is underway to find a potential successor to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. In an interview with Bloomberg Surveillance, Bessent remarked, "There are a lot of great candidates, and we’ll see how rapidly it progresses." He also noted that it would be confusing for Powell to stay on at the Federal Reserve after his term as chair concludes. Since last month President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, repeatedly accusing him of mismanaging monetary policy and calling for aggressive interest rate cuts. Trump has argued that Powell is acting too slowly to respond to economic conditions and said, “Maybe I should go to the Fed… Am I allowed to appoint myself at the Fed? I'd do a much better job than these people.” He has labeled Powell with a series of insults, calling him “stupid,” “too late,” “a numbskull,” and demanding the Fed slash rates by a full percentage point to stimulate the economy. Trump’s attacks continued into July, growing even sharper. On July 8, he declared that Powell “should resign immediately.” A few days later, he criticized Powell over cost overruns tied to a $2.5 billion renovation project at the Federal Reserve, referring to him as a “knucklehead” and “stupid guy.” Last week, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought also criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for a renovation project he called “too lavish,” referring to it as “Versailles on the National Mall.” On CNBC, Vought cited “fundamental mismanagement” at the Fed. Meanwhile, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, a potential successor to Powell, added, “If there is cause to fire Powell, Trump has the authority to do so.” The criticism appeared coordinated, with other figures like Fed candidate Kevin Warsh and Vice President J.D. Vance joining in. Trump also reiterated his demand for rates to be cut to around 1%. Members of his team suggested they might review the renovation project as a possible justification to remove Powell “for cause.” Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 13:00
Hegseth Confirms Pentagon Will No Longer Participate In 'Globalist' Forum Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has confirmed that the Pentagon will no longer play any role in the Aspen Security Forum, a think tank described as a “mountain retreat for the liberal elite.” Hegseth posted simply “correct” with a link to a Just The News article about the Pentagon pulling all its scheduled speakers at the “globalist” talking shop. Correct. pic.twitter.com/tbi8vvTWBu July 14, 2025 The report states: The Defense Department cited the left-wing nature of the Aspen Institute and the participation of such critics of President Trump as Biden administration National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The annual forum put on by the Aspen Institute – which has been dubbed “the mountain retreat for the liberal elite” – describes the event as “the premier national security and foreign policy conference in the United States.” Roughly a dozen top Defense Department officials – including the secretary of the Navy and the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command – are still listed as speakers on the Aspen Security Forum agenda this week, but a source told Just the News over the weekend that that will no longer happen. “The Department of Defense has no interest in legitimizing an organization that has invited former officials who have been the architects of chaos abroad and failure at home,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told Just the News. NEW: Roughly a dozen top U.S. military officials — including Secretary of Navy & commander of Indo-Pacom — were slated to speak at the Aspen Security Forum this week. No longer. Hegseth DoD just pulled them all from participating at the “globalist” forum.https://t.co/QxRcU4FC3v July 14, 2025 The move underscores Hegseth’s commitment to prioritizing America’s interests over globalist agendas. The Aspen Institute, which hosts the forum, has been slammed for ties to leftist donors and its history of promoting narratives that clash with the values of the Trump administration, such as a focus on countering “misinformation” and its association with anti-Trump activists. By pulling senior military officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, from this event, Hegseth sent a clear message that the Department of Defense will not lend credibility to organizations perceived as undermining the America First ethos. This action aligns with the administration’s broader goal of rejecting globalist frameworks that prioritize international consensus over national sovereignty, ensuring that U.S. military leadership remains focused on domestic priorities and security. It’s yet another example of Hegseth’s dedication to implementing Trump’s America First agenda within the Pentagon. Since taking office, Hegseth has consistently pushed for policies that strengthen the U.S. military’s focus on readiness, lethality, and national interests, such as rolling back diversity initiatives, reinstating troops dismissed over vaccine mandates, and fast-tracking drone production to outpace global competitors like China and Russia. His decision to distance the Pentagon from the Aspen Security Forum reflects a deliberate rejection of forums that have historically platformed establishment figures responsible for foreign policy failures. I voted for this. July 14, 2025 Good. Anyone whining about it should also be fired. July 14, 2025 Important reminder. It was the Aspen Institute that did the Biden laptop “tabletop exercise” in advance of its appearance. Scumbags all.https://t.co/Zu5u6N03Fn July 14, 2025 Based Pete Hegseth. Best upgrade ever! pic.twitter.com/j2on8I9DcL July 14, 2025 Grateful for @PeteHegseth . pic.twitter.com/KGbrREPdQa July 14, 2025 * * * Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 12:40
Trump's "Major Statement" On Russia Is A Clumsy Attempt To Thread The Needle Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack, His threatened secondary sanctions could majorly backfire by harming the US’ own interests. The “major statement” on Russia that Trump earlier hyped up turned out to be a clumsy attempt to thread the needle between radically escalating US involvement in the Ukrainian Conflict and walking away from it. His new three-pronged approach includes: 1) the rapid dispatch of up to 17 Patriot missile systems to Ukraine; 2) more arms sales to NATO countries who’ll in turn transfer them to Ukraine; and 3) up to 100% secondary sanctions on Russia’s trading partners if a peace deal isn’t reached in 50 days. In the order that they were mentioned, each corresponding move is aimed at: 1) bolstering Ukraine’s air defenses in order to decelerate the pace of Russia’s continual on-the-ground gains; 2) helping Ukraine reconquer some of its lost land; and 3) coercing China and India into pressuring Russia into a ceasefire. The first two goals are self-explanatory, with the second being unrealistic given the failure of Ukraine’s much more heavily armed counteroffensive in summer 2023, while the third requires some elaboration. China and India’s large-scale imports of discounted Russian oil have served as crucial valves from Western sanctions pressure by helping to stabilize the ruble and thus Russia’s economy in general. Even though these imports also help their own economies, Trump is wagering that they’ll at the very least curtail them in order to avoid his threatened 100% secondary sanctions. He might make an exception for the Europeans and Turks, who also purchase Russian resources, on the pretext of them arming Ukraine. By focusing on Russia’s two largest energy importers, Trump is trying to greatly reduce the budgetary revenue that the Kremlin receives from these sales while sowing further divisions within the RIC core of BRICS and the SCO, expecting as he is that at least China or India will partially comply at minimum. Prior to his deadline, he envisages that their leaders – who are years-long close friends with Putin – will try to pressure him into the ceasefire that the West wants, though it’s unknown whether they’d succeed. In any case, Trump is poised to place himself in a dilemma entirely of his own making if one of them doesn’t comply with his demand to stop trading with Russia, or if one or both only do so in part. He’d either have to delay the imposition of his threatened 100% secondary sanctions on all their imports, lower the level, or reduce the scale to only apply to their companies that still trade with Russia otherwise there could be serious blowback, especially if China is the one that doesn’t fully comply. His preliminary trade agreement with China, which he described in early May as a “total reset” in their ties, could collapse and thus raise prices across the board for Americans. As regards India, their ongoing trade talks could collapse too, which could create an opening for advancing the nascent Sino-Indo rapprochement whose existence was cautiously confirmed by its top diplomat on Monday. Each case of blowback, let alone both of them at the same time, could be very detrimental to American interests. Trump’s attempt to thread the needle therefore isn’t just clumsy, but it could also majorly backfire, thus raising the question of why he agreed to do so. It looks like he was misled into thinking that Putin would agree to a ceasefire that doesn’t resolve the root security-related causes of the conflict in exchange for a resource-centric strategic partnership. When Putin declined, Trump took it personally and imagined that Putin was playing him, which led to Trump’s advisors manipulating him into this escalation as vengeance. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 12:00
DoJ, CFTC End Biden-Era Probe Into Polymarket Nine months after what Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan called a “last-ditch effort” to go after companies deemed to be associated with President Biden’s political opponents, the Trump administration's Department of Justice has shut down two investigations into the crypto-betting platform. Polymarket CEO, Shayne Coplan Bloomberg reports, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, that the predictions exchange received formal notice earlier this month from the US Justice Department and Commodity Futures Trading Commission that the probes had ended. Polymarket’s popularity surged during last year’s election campaigns as users flocked to the platform to place cryptocurrency wagers on the outcome. But that also drew investigators, examining whether the site was accepting trades from US-based users in violation of a previous settlement with federal regulators. Bloomberg reports that The CFTC had its own investigation into the platform. The derivatives regulator, which oversees prediction platforms because their contracts are considered akin to swaps, had entered into a settlement with Polymarket in January 2022 over allegations it failed to register with the agency. As part of the deal, Polymarket vowed to wall off US traders from its exchange. Both the CFTC and Justice Department lawyers in Manhattan were investigating whether the New York-based platform continued accepting wagers from people in the US using virtual private networks or other means to bypass the company’s controls. The prediction market notched about $2.6 billion in trading volume in November. The situation escalated dramatically a week after the November elections, when FBI agents carried out a pre-dawn raid at the Soho penthouse of CEO Shayne Coplan. The decisions are the latest example of US authorities reversing course on Biden-era actions involving digital-asset firms, and comes as some in Washington are celebrating what’s being billed as “Crypto Week” with plans to usher in industry-backed rules that have sent the price of Bitcoin to a record. Polymarket has been building a war chest with new investment rounds led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. It also recently announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s X and xAI to offer event forecasts on the social media platform. The resolution of the two investigations may even pave the way for Polymarket to officially re-enter the US market. That could include registering with the CFTC as a futures exchange or potentially acquiring another entity with a CFTC license. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:45
The fallout could reverberate into next year’s midterm election
南方周末中国企业社会责任研究中心 责任编辑：侯明辉 2025年7月第1周，179家上市公司曝光风险事件242起，风险指数250.70，其中治理风险占33.4%，环境风险占22.8%，社会风险占43.9%。在本期曝光的事件中，有56起因信息披露违法违规而被处罚或警示的事件，涉及53家上市公司。 具体来看，在56起信披违规事件中，财务造假相关事件达46起，业绩披露不准确事件6起，未披露重大关键信息的相关事件有4起。其中，江苏吴中（600200）连续四年财务造假触及强制退市情形、观典防务（688287）未披露重大事件被罚950万元等重大风险事件值得关注。 经证监会调查，2020年至2023年期间，江苏吴中子公司通过与多家关联公司开展无商业实质的贸易业务，虚增营业收入超17亿元。与此同时，江苏吴中还存在未如实披露实控人、未披露关联方非经营性资金占用重大信息等信披违法违规行为。据此，7月13日，证监会对江苏吴中及相关责任人合计处罚3050万元，并实施强制退市风险警示。7月14日，江苏吴中开盘一字跌停。观典防务因未及时披露多笔对外担保事项，被处以950万元的罚款，董事长、董事会秘书、财务总监等责任人合计被罚1940万元。 信息披露是上市公司的强制性义务，上市公司披露的信息应当真实、准确、完整，不得有虚假记载、误导性陈述或者重大遗漏。然而，信披造假、信披违规却成为上市公司ESG风险暴露的“重灾区”。一些企业信披合规意识淡漠，甚至蓄意造假以欺瞒利益相关方，损害了市场竞争环境和投资者合法权益。据不完全统计，2025年上半年近40家上市公司因信披违规被立案。 2025年7月1日起，新修订的上市公司信息披露管理办法正式实施，其中强化了风险揭示要求。按照要求，上市公司应当充分披露可能对公司核心竞争力、经营活动和未来发展产生重大不利影响的风险因素。 校对：赵立宇 欢迎分享、点赞与留言。本作品的版权为南方周末或相关著作权人所有，任何第三方未经授权，不得转载，否则即为侵权。
现有各地法案对稳定币的监管相当严格。但各地监管法案最大的隐患和漏洞在于对稳定币发行公司缺乏最后贷款人的支持。在极端情况下，当资产端丧失流动性时，稳定币发行公司的就无法应对挤兑压力。 南方周末研究员 谢艳霞 责任编辑：张文景 稳定币无疑是2025年最火热的话题之一。 全球各地加速立法，将稳定币纳入严监管框架。2025年7月14日至18日，美国众议院将审议包括《指导和建立美国稳定币国家创新法案》（又称《GENIUS法案》）。此前的5月21日，香港特区立法会通过《稳定币条例草案》，并定于8月1日起正式生效。市场预期，最早年底之前，香港合规稳定币发行商名单将揭盅亮相。欧盟则更早于2023年6月通过《加密资产市场监管法案》。日本、韩国和新加坡等亦在研究和加速立法。 尤为市场关注的是，在6月18日举行的上海陆家嘴论坛上，中国人民银行行长潘功胜首次在公开场合提及稳定币，表达对其高度关注。上海国资官微消息更称，7月10日，上海市国资委党委召开中心组学习会，围绕加密货币与稳定币的发展趋势及应对策略开展学习。 与此同时，稳定币概念股暴涨或大幅波动。有“稳定币第一股”之称的Circle Internet Group上市后，持续暴涨然后大幅回落；国泰君安国际获虚拟资产交易牌照后亦大涨不止。 稳定币的交易量更令人惊叹。据知名资产管理公司ARK Invest统计，2024年稳定币交易额高达15.6万亿美元，超过两大国际信用卡组织Visa和Master。其中美元稳定币占比高达99%。凭借隐密、支付即结算、超低转账成本和7×24小时等优势，美元稳定币是否将称霸全球，进而成为超级隐形美元？中国是否应考虑加速试点人民币稳定币并应对全球监管挑战？投资者如何参与其中？风险何在？ 南方周末新金融研究中心围绕上述问题约访多位对此领域有深度研究的专家，他们分别是浙商银行首席经济学家、国家金融与发展实验室副主任殷剑峰、中国社科院金融研究所支付清算研究中心主任、研究员杨涛和复旦大学国际金融研究中心主任杨长江。 浙商银行首席经济学家、国家金融与发展实验室副主任殷剑峰（受访者供图） 中国社科院金融研究所支付清算研究中心主任、研究员杨涛（受访者供图） 复旦大学国际金融研究中心主任杨长江（受访者供图） 较之金融机构，监管更严 南方周末：美国的《GENIUS法案》和中国香港的《稳定币条例草案》及欧盟的《加密资产市场监管法案》在发行方要求、储备管理等方面均有细则规定。对比三方监管规定，主要异同之处是什么？ 殷剑峰：主要在战略导向上有所差异：中国香港侧重开放与兼容，《稳定币条例草案》除了支持港元稳定币，也支持离岸人民币稳定币。其主要目的在于平衡金融稳定与创新，巩固国际金融中心地位；美国强化美元主导地位，推动支付型稳定币成为链上美元的延伸，服务于美国财政融资；欧盟则建立统一监管框架以保护消费者和市场完整性，维护欧元区金融稳定，防止加密资产风险传导。 三地监管相同点则是：积极把法币稳定币纳入监管，以保护消费者，维护货币金融稳定；要求稳定币有相应的资产储备来保证其价值稳定，且需对储备资产进行管理和披露，以增强市场信心和保障投资者权益；要求发行主体具备一定资质并符合相关合规标准；强调发行主体需满足反洗钱（AML）等合规要求，以防止稳定币被用于非法金融活动。 南方周末：较之对商业金融机构的严监管和强监管，对稳定币的监管更严？ 殷剑峰：与对商业金融机构的严监管和强监管相比，美国《GENIUS 法案》、中国香港《稳定币条例草案》及欧盟《加密资产市场监管法案》对稳定币的监管同样严格。 三者均在发行方资质、资本与储备要求、合规与风险管理、信息披露等方面有严格规定，与对商业金融机构的监管要求相当，部分方面甚至更严。但在业务限制等方面，因稳定币特性和各地市场情况不同，与商业金融机构监管存在差异。 杨涛：自2024年欧盟《加密资产市场监管法案》（MiCA）开始，全球监管者把法币抵押型稳定币作为重心，并且呈现多重共性目标和特征：一是延续了非银支付机构的核心监管思路。现有各国或地区的法案中，如准入标准、反洗钱（AML）和了解你的客户（KYC）、储备金及披露、资产隔离与赎回等，都是非银支付机构监管的必备要素。二是加强金融消费者保护，提升金融市场基础设施合规性。三是努力在Web3.0世界中拓展货币主权。毋庸置疑的是，稳定币可以使主流法币的影响力在数字化空间中得以释放，并可进一步拓展主权国家在Web3.0世界中的“长臂管辖”权力。这也成为未来国际货币金融博弈的新赛道。四是展示加密货币友好型政策姿态，吸引资金或资本集聚。虽然现有法案给稳定币等部分创新戴上“紧箍”，但对于长期游走在监管边缘与罚单恐慌下的加密货币行业来说，更多被解读为积极信号。 南方周末：从目前的运营情况和更长远视角考虑，这些法案还有哪些隐患和漏洞？ 殷剑峰：除了消费者保护尚需加强之外，法案最大的隐患和漏洞在于对稳定币发行公司缺乏最后贷款人的支持。从机理上看，稳定币发行公司与货币市场基金非常类似，都以短期安全储备资产为支撑，发行相应的负债（稳定币和基金单位）。但在遭遇挤兑压力时，货币市场基金可以通过同业拆借市场获得流动性支持，合格的货币市场基金还可以获得央行最后贷款人的流动性支持——这被称作是融资流动性。 相比之下，稳定币发行公司在遭遇挤兑压力时，只能通过售卖资产来应对。因此，资产的流动性就具有决定性作用——这被称作市场流动性。可以想象一下，在极端情况下，当稳定币公司的资产端丧失流动性的时候，就无法应对挤兑压力。总之，融资流动性是根本，市场流动性具有天生的脆弱性。 杨涛：尚有系列问题待解。例如，无法有效应对加密货币（资产）市场波动性与可能的流动性冲击，并且现实世界中法币及其资产的脆弱性，同样也可能传导到加密世界中，反而增加了其非稳定性；所谓的稳定币推动构建“链上布雷顿森林体系”，仍存在内在不可持续性。在“新特里芬难题”之下，如美元稳定币以作为安全资产和信心存疑的美元资产作为支撑，增强自身的稳定性与可信性，反过来又试图反哺美元资产的稳定性，其逻辑难以自洽。 牌照类型不同，价值悬殊 南方周末：在各国和地区加速监管合围之际，稳定币概念股被热捧，但股价亦有较大波动。7月3日，有“稳定币第一股”之称的Circle股价较上市首日上涨2倍多，较发行价上涨近8倍，但在7月11日，此股较最高点大幅回落近40%；国泰君安国际亦曾因获得虚拟资产交易牌照而大受追捧，一反此前走势。金涌投资更因一纸拟尝试离岸人民币稳定币公告而在盘中一度狂飙6倍。它们确实值得如此受追捧？ 殷剑峰：稳定币概念股近期受追捧，本质是市场对监管落地后行业规范化发展的短期乐观预期，但需从价值逻辑和风险本质两方面理性看待，其“追捧程度”是否合理需辩证分析。短期看有一定合理性：美国、欧盟、中国香港等地监管框架的加速落地，明确了稳定币发行和运营的合规路径。对于Circle这类头部发行方，以及国泰君安国际持牌机构，监管落地意味着其先发优势和合规壁垒被强化，能抢占规范化后的市场份额，短期业绩预期改善推动股价上涨有一定支撑。 但长期看需警惕泡沫风险：稳定币业务的盈利模式相对单一（主要依赖储备资产利息），且受监管合规成本（资本要求、审计、技术投入）高企的制约，长期利润率可能低于市场预期。此外，监管政策仍在动态调整，若未来进一步收紧，可能压缩行业空间。 南方周末：Circle和国泰君安国际的牌照不同。它们代表两类完全不同价值的牌照？ 殷剑峰：稳定币相关牌照的类型差异直接导致价值悬殊。核心差异体现在监管层级、业务范围、地域效力和合规要求上。系统性重要牌照门槛高、覆盖全球高价值场景，支撑核心业务壁垒；而普通交易牌照多局限于单一环节或区域，盈利空间相对有限。 南方周末：有人认为，因市场小而竞争者众，国泰君安国际在相当长时间内无法在这个领域有较大真实收益。所以纯属概念炒作。认同该观点吗？ 殷剑峰：认为国泰君安国际此领域难有较大真实收益、属概念炒作的观点，其依据在于：虚拟资产交易牌照聚焦中介服务，市场规模尚有限，且竞争者涵盖传统机构与加密平台，短期盈利空间受限，股价波动或与情绪关联更深。 不过也存在不同视角：其背靠传统金融资源，若能将虚拟资产业务与跨境资金、财富管理等现有板块融合，或可探索差异化路径，长期存在突破竞争格局的可能性。 跨境支付增长更迅猛 南方周末：与法币相比，稳定币凭借匿名性、支付即结算、无需中介和手续费超低等特点而普及较快。据知名投资管理公司ARK Invest统计，2024年稳定币交易额已达15.6万亿美元，超过两大国际信用卡组织Visa和Master，主要用于跨境支付。哪些区域、什么样的企业和个人更青睐用稳定币支付？ 殷剑峰：区域层面：金融基础设施较为薄弱的新兴市场（如东南亚、非洲部分国家），以及存在资本管制、汇率波动剧烈的地区（如拉美国家），稳定币可规避本地货币贬值风险，且绕过传统的低效跨境通道。 企业层面：主要包括从事跨境贸易的中小企业跨境电商平台，主要需求点在于减少跨境支付费用。 个人层面：有跨境汇款需求的海外工作群体（减少汇款手续费损耗）、对金融隐私敏感的用户（利用稳定币的匿名性特征）、参与加密货币投资的个人（作为资产兑换媒介）。 杨长江：稳定币方式更适用于传统银行服务不发达的国家，或者是通货膨胀严重、本币币值稳定不受信任的国家，以及像美国这样明确禁止央行数字货币的国家，同时也对受到地缘政治等因素而面临SWIFT制裁的国家具有吸引力。 南方周末：香港金管局预计，2025年，稳定币交易规模将占全球跨境支付的15%。随着持牌机构增加、市场对稳定币的认识加深和信任，增长趋势是否更迅猛？ 殷剑峰：这种增长趋势可能更迅猛。持牌机构增加会带来更多资源，促进服务优化。市场认知和信任提升也会吸引更多使用者。但稳定币也面临全球监管政策差异、技术风险等挑战，央行数字货币的发展也可能形成竞争，所以其增长趋势虽有加速可能，但也存在不确定性。 南方周末：在未来跨境支付体系中，它可能扮演什么角色？有多大可能在跨境交易中占据主导地位？ 殷剑峰：未来在跨境支付体系中，全球稳定币可能扮演重要的支付工具角色。它可凭借快速结算、低成本等优势，成为跨境贸易结算、供应链金融等领域的常用支付手段。同时，稳定币还可能作为连接不同金融市场与资产的桥梁，促进跨境资金流动与金融交易，助力代币化证券等业务发展，有望从加密资产“连接器”升级为全球支付基建的一部分。 杨长江：在所有的传统金融业务中，与时代发展最为脱节的就是跨境支付。漫长的银行代理链条与前互联网时代的报文系统，使得其成为缓慢而昂贵的活化石。 数字时代对传统跨境支付体系的革命现在有两条路径：其一是以央行数字货币为基础，通过央行之间的“货币桥”等试点方案来进行，使用了某些区块链技术，但本质上依然是“中心化”的银行账户体系；其二则是以稳定币为基础，通过区块链方式进行。 上述两种方式各有其优劣，前者具有更高的安全性，也与现行金融体系更为一致，但在某些国家出于个人隐私疑虑而被拒绝，后者因高效便捷而具有更好的用户体验感，但也容易滋生洗钱等非法活动，且安全性建立在私人提供的基础设施之上。 南方周末：如果稳定币未来在跨境支付中占据重要地位，将带来哪些监管挑战？ 殷剑峰：一是监管管辖权冲突。稳定币发行方可能在A国注册、储备资产存于B国、用户分布在C国，导致各国对“谁来监管”“监管责任如何划分”存在争议。 二是风险跨境传导加速。稳定币的即时跨境转账特性可能使单一地区的风险快速扩散至全球。若某发行方的储备资产在一国出现流动性危机，可能引发全球范围内的挤兑。 三是监管标准差异或导致“监管套利”。不同国家对稳定币的发行资质、储备资产类型、披露要求等存在差异，部分发行方可能选择在监管宽松地区注册，却向监管严格地区的用户提供服务，通过“监管洼地”降低合规成本，削弱各国监管效果。 美元霸权或延伸到虚拟世界 南方周末：除了对监管构成挑战，稳定币将冲击法币支付体系？ 殷剑峰：若稳定币在跨境支付中占据重要位置，可能对法币支付体系形成局部冲击。从冲击角度看，稳定币可能分流法币在跨境小额高频支付、新兴市场汇款等场景的份额。其低成本、即时性优势，会削弱传统银行电汇、SWIFT（环球银行金融电信协会）系统的竞争力，尤其在金融基础设施薄弱地区，可能出现稳定币替代法币跨境流通的现象。 南方周末：全球稳定币市值约2500多亿美元，其中美元稳定币占比高达99%。美元稳定币是否成为另一种“隐形超级美元”，进而统治跨境支付体系？ 殷剑峰：稳定币已成为虚拟资产与现实资产连接的交易媒介，全球范围内很多投资者在将加密货币与加密资产套现时，常选择转换为美元稳定币。同时，在去中心化金融（DeFi）平台中，绝大多数交易也以美元稳定币作为计价尺度，其在虚拟交易中的作用类似美元在现实世界交易中的地位。 总之，美元在现实世界中是最关键的储备货币，尽管其地位有所削弱，但尚没有其他挑战者。相比之下，美元在虚拟世界的地位远远超过在现实世界的地位。如果未来人类的经济社会活动将会形成虚拟与现实相互融合扩张的新形态的话，美元的地位将会得到进一步的加强，美元霸权将会从现实世界延伸到虚拟世界。 杨长江：货币支付方面具有“赢者通吃”的网络外部性，而数字空间又是一个天生具有全球性和垄断性特征的地方。因此，在数字货币市场，强者垄断将会更加突出，使得美元成为数字货币市场的中心货币，从而完全控制未来的链上全球性金融市场，是美国的战略性计划，对于美元霸权地位至关重要。 杨涛：法币抵押型稳定币本质上成为依托多种区块链标准创立、在不同主流区块链公链网络运行的、受到严格法律约束的法币“影子代币”。 南方周末：如果某个区域或国家没有发行稳定币，是否在全球跨境交易中不可避免地处于劣势？ 殷剑峰：稳定币是人类经济社会生活从单纯现实物理世界走向现实与虚拟数字世界相互交融发展的必然产物。如果认识不到这一点，只是将稳定币看做是一种新的支付工具，就忽视了经济社会发展的大趋势。随着Web3.0时代的到来，没有稳定币的区域和国家一定会在包括跨境交易等在内的整个金融发展中处于劣势地位，其货币国际化更是难以实现。 杨长江：稳定币是金融走向数字时代的新型货币形态，拒绝稳定币不仅意味着在跨境贸易、推动本国货币国际化等方面处于不利地位，更重要的是这与未来的金融时代脱节。 南方周末：部分头部稳定币发行方将大量资金投入美国短期国债。随着发行量增加，它是否会对美债构成一种新的支撑？ 殷剑峰：随着稳定币规模及全球实际应用的扩张，大量美元挂钩稳定币在全球流通，推动美元成为加密货币领域的“计价单位”和核心结算工具。第一，美元的应用场景从加密资产交易延伸至实体交易与跨境贸易支付领域，这一拓展不仅扩大了美元的全球使用范围，更强化了其国际影响力。第二，稳定币发行方持有的大规模美国国债，为美债市场注入增量资金，助力美国维持金融市场的稳定性与吸引力。归根到底，美元稳定币将美元的使用场景延伸到虚拟数字世界，从而形成虚拟世界和现实世界对美债的双重支撑。 杨长江：通过稳定币增加美债需求，只是战术性目标。对于稳定币为美债“续命”的观点，可以用鲁迅的名言来澄清：“捣鬼有术、有效，然而有限”。 美国国债问题的实质，不是流动性问题，而是信心问题。稳定币只是一种刺激市场需求的技术手段，不能也不会改变美债的根本趋势。 港沪都应试点人民币稳定币 南方周末：现在离岸人民币稳定币非常少。香港《稳定币条例草案》规定，未来符合条件的金融机构等可在香港发行离岸人民币稳定币。香港作为全球最大的离岸人民币中心，随着《条例》8月1日落地，人民币稳定币是否将成为一种新的支付工具在国际稳定币市场中打开新的局面？这具有怎样的战略意义？ 殷剑峰：《稳定币条例草案》落地后，离岸人民币稳定币有望打开国际市场新局面。其依托合规框架和跨境支付效率优势，可与数字人民币协同，补充现有支付体系。 发行人民币稳定币的根本意义在于，把握Web3.0时代虚拟世界与现实世界交汇融合发展的大趋势，推动人民币的运用场景从现实物理世界延伸到虚拟数字世界，从而实现人民币成为强大货币、中国成为金融强国的战略目标。此外，人民币稳定币的发行也将在很大程度上巩固香港的国际金融中心地位，推动金融科技创新，并通过先行先试完善跨境监管模式，为人民币稳定币的在岸市场发展奠定基础。 杨长江：要不要发人民币稳定币，首先是一个战略问题，即是要在新的数字金融时代“上桌”，还是作为看客听任别人制定好相关规则分好蛋糕。其次，也是一个有利于推进人民币国际化的战术问题。现有人民币国际化路径面临明显障碍：通过CIPS（人民币跨境支付体系）的传统结算体系，依然不能绕过SWIFT与美元结算体系；试图以央行数字人民币来打造新的支付体系，面临着域外国家在接受央行数字人民币存在较大疑虑问题。人民币稳定币则是绕过现行SWIFT体系的一个可能路径。 当然，发行人民币稳定币要谨慎设计，要对相关风险进行充分考虑与防范，但是这个基本态度要坚定不移。 当前，不仅要在香港尽快进行人民币稳定币试点，同时也要考虑尽快在上海试点离岸人民币稳定币。香港和上海具有不同的应用场景，前者以人民币离岸金融市场为主体，重点是进行以稳定币为基础的链上金融生态构建，特别是DEFI（去中心化金融）以及真实资产代币化（RWA）的产品开发，重心在于“金融“；后者则是以国际贸易便利化为主要目的，考虑采取合理途径发挥稳定币在跨境支付等方面的优势，可以建立离岸人民币与稳定币之间的转换机制，与本国金融市场暂相隔离，重心在于“贸易与投资”，以“为实体经济服务”为主要目标。 南方周末：它与数字人民币有何异同？ 殷剑峰：数字人民币是官方发行的数字法定货币，稳定币本质上是一种代币。两者在法律地位、发行主体、监管框架方面均有不同。 南方周末：随着《稳定币条例草案》即将正式实施，中国可能还会在稳定币监管与应用方面做出哪些探索，以更好地维护金融主权与推进人民币国际化？ 殷剑峰：《稳定币条例草案》是极具价值的探索。通过设立发牌制度，规定发行人资质、储备金管理等，严格监管稳定币发行与交易，筑牢金融安全防线。凭借全球最大离岸人民币中心地位，推动离岸人民币稳定币发展，拓展人民币跨境支付场景，增强其国际影响力，为维护金融主权安全与推进人民币国际化提供有力支撑。 杨涛：面对全球稳定币市场及监管趋势，我国首先应该尽快推动稳定币相关立法，中长期也可研究探索加密货币监管的整体立法，分层次、分阶段构建我国Web3.0金融“长臂管辖原则”。其次，短期内，我国稳定币探索应聚焦于人民币稳定币，尽快在全球法币抵押型稳定币市场中占据一席之地，其储备管理可对应人民币现金、债券或数字人民币等高流动性、低风险资产。再次，对于面向境内主体发行和持有人民币稳定币，以及美元、欧元等海外法币抵押型稳定币在国内的定位，还有基于各类稳定币的链上金融产品，都可暂时持审慎态度。同时，结合金融开放与资本项目改革进程，在坚持金融安全、稳定和金融消费者保护的前提下，借鉴海外监管经验与教训，持续进行研究和观察，为将来的立法与监管做好准备。 • （南方周末研究员廖浩伦对此文亦有贡献。） 校对：星歌 稳定币 《GENIUS法案》
It was a quick break but a break, nonetheless. Two-Game Tuesday is back. This week I have a couple of indie games. One is way different than what I would have expected to see. And the other is a long-awaited title with an update. So, let’s get into it. A Solitaire Mystery- An indie card […] The post Two-Game Tuesday: We’re Back with More Indies appeared first on VICE.
45-year-old Brad McMichael bought two water buffaloes at auction. Those newly acquired water buffaloes fatally attacked him on his property just a day after he’d brought them home. The incident happened in Jones, Oklahoma, about 20 miles from Oklahoma City. On Friday evening, first responders were called to the scene, but they couldn’t immediately reach […] The post Farmer Bought 2 Water Buffalo at Auction. They Killed Him the Next Day. appeared first on VICE.
Silicon Valley is your kid’s new best friend. That is, if your kid is abnormally lonely and using an AI chatbot to fill the emotional void left by not having actual, real-life friends. A new report from UK nonprofit Internet Matters reveals that children and teens are turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Snapchat’s MyAI, […] The post Lonely Kids Are Giving Up on Real Friends for AI Chatbots appeared first on VICE.
VTuber Watch Hours is a weekly news column discussing the most watched VTubers on Twitch. Every week includes data on the top 15 VTubers in terms of time viewed, utilizing data from Streams Charts’ 7-day Twitch VTuber report. New columns are shared every week on Tuesdays. Welcome back to the second VTuber Watch Hours column. […] The post VTuber Watch Hours: The Top 15 Most Watched VTubers on Twitch (July 8th to July 14th) appeared first on VICE.
It’s no shock that many people are struggling to find lasting love and strong relationships today. With the dating apps and social media altering our brain chemistry, as well as inflated egos taking over, it can feel impossible to form genuine, mutual romantic connections. I turned to Reddit to explore the common issues we face […] The post 5 Reasons Why Modern Dating Sucks appeared first on VICE.
We all strive to do good things in our lives, don’t we? Becoming a Saint is the highest honor bestowed among many of the greatest in our lifetimes, but you can’t always get there by being nice. Sometimes, you need to make your legacy, “converting” through force and being a silly little gal while you’re […] The post ‘Becoming Saint’ Is a Humor-Filled Real Time Strategy Roguelike That Asks You To Get Holy or Die Trying appeared first on VICE.
If you think your family has drama, a 55-year-old man in India just raised the bar by marrying his teenage son’s fiancée and taking the family’s jewelry and savings as a parting gift. Beat that. Shakeel, a father of six and grandfather of three from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, had spent months planning his 17-year-old son’s […] The post Man Elopes With His Son’s Fiancée After Stealing the Family Jewels appeared first on VICE.
In a prison system already bursting at the seams, one inmate in Lyon, France, managed to slip out the front gate by literally zipping himself into someone else’s luggage. The inmate, identified as 20-year-old Elyazid A., escaped the maximum-security Lyon-Corbas prison on July 11 by hiding inside a large canvas bag typically used by prisoners […] The post Man Escapes Prison by Hiding in Released Cellmate’s Laundry Bag appeared first on VICE.
From Taylor Dearden's egregious exclusion to Jeff Hiller's delightful surprise nod
A new AI coding study yields a result that few expected.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, the photographer Sean Maung has been documenting life in the City of Angels for more than a decade. As the son of an Irish-American mother and a Burmese father, he’s plugged into the rich immigrant history that makes the city tick. His work delves beneath the pristine artifice of […] The post LA Is a Paradise appeared first on VICE.
Becky Hill is furious and “disgusted” after finding out that convicted serial rapist Craig France once attended one of her concerts. NME reports that the footage of France at Hill’s show aired during an episode of 24 Hours In Police Custody, a true crime series from the UK’s Channel 4 television network. Hill saw this […] The post Becky Hill ‘Disgusted’ To Find Out That Convicted Serial Rapist Attended One of Her Concerts appeared first on VICE.
CD Projekt Red has announced they are ready to reveal details about the much-anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.3. Following a delay in June, fans have been desperate for new information about the update. Thankfully, they won’t have to wait much longer! ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Patch 2.3 Update livestream Announced In a July 15 update, CD Projekt […] The post CD Projekt Red Gives ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Patch 2.3 Update After Delay appeared first on VICE.
Ron Paul: Mistrusting Government About Epstein And More... Authored by Ron Paul via The Ron Paul Institute, Last week the Department of Justice announced that Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a “client list” of prominent individuals who may have broken the law at Epstein’s private island. These individuals could be blackmailed by Epstein and whatever intelligence agencies were working with him. In February, in response to a question about when Epstein’s client list would be made public, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had it on her desk and would soon release it. She now says she meant she had a file related to Epstein, not the Epstein client list. The Justice Department also claimed it did a full investigation of the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death and can definitively say that Epstein committed suicide even though an autopsy paid for by Epstein’s brother concluded that Epstein was likely murdered. The Justice Department’s announcement last week was met with outrage, much of it coming from some of President’s Trump’s most prominent allies, such as popular media figures Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Benny Johnson. The willingness of so many Trump allies to openly criticize the Epstein announcement and other actions like the bombing of Iran is a positive development. Advancing liberty requires that more people refuse to automatically trust government officials, whether concerning Epstein, wars, the economy, or other important matters. Widespread questioning of government presents an opportunity for the liberty movement. Those who understand the philosophy, history, and economics of liberty can explain that it is not just that some government officials lie. Instead, all governments lie, and the more important the issue the bigger the lie. In fact, the modern state is built on a series of lies, including: that the moral prohibitions against murder and theft do not apply to the government, that government regulations protect consumers, workers, and small businesses from greedy corporations, that the best way to help the poor is through government bureaucracies, not private charities, that government bureaucrats know a child’s educational needs better than do the child’s parents, that the US government is justified in intervening in countries around the world because the US is an exceptional force for justice and liberty and its crusade for global democracy is worth the ending of many innocent lives, that the government has the moral authority to override personal health and lifestyle choices — such as whether to drink raw milk — for our own good, that foreign aid takes money from wealthy Americans to give to poor people in other countries, that a government-created central bank can print the way to prosperity while enabling a welfare-warfare state without causing a boom-bust business cycle and continuously reducing the average American’s standard of living through eroding the dollar’s purchasing power, that gun control, mass surveillance, and airport harassment keep us safe, and that government is the source of our rights so government can restrict or “modify” our rights at will. Exposing such lies is key for restoring liberty. The good news is that the more mistrust of government grows the easier it will be to find people receptive to our message. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:25
Charting The U.S. Pharma Supply Chain As Trump Threatens 200% Tariffs President Trump's proposed 200% tariff on the pharmaceutical industry would not take effect immediately, instead allowing for a 1 to 1.5-year grace period. Over time, the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain could undergo a massive shift, becoming less reliant on foreign-made drugs and medical supplies. The Trump administration currently views this dependency as a national security threat. One week ago, the president warned that long-awaited industry-wide tariffs would be announced "very soon" after a 232 investigation was launched in April. Even with a grace period, the delay will force a complete reconfiguration of overseas supply chains for domestic ones, which could have a significant impact on profit margins for 'Big Pharma' and even affect drug prices. "A 200% tariff would inflate production costs, compress profit margins, and risk supply chain disruptions, leading to drug shortages and higher prices for U.S. consumers," Barclays analysts wrote last week. UBS analysts warned that the Trump administration's 12- to 18-month tariff grace period is "insufficient," arguing that reshoring efforts would require a lot more time. "We would usually think of 4 to 5 years as the timeline to move commercial-scale manufacturing to a new site," the analysts wrote. According to the industry trade group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, even a 25% tariff on pharmaceutical imports could drive up U.S. drug prices by $51 billion annually, raising prices by as much as 12.9% if costs are passed on. The group slammed Trump's proposal as "counterproductive" to health outcomes. Yet, as we've come to understand, these tariffs are merely economic tools to secure better trade deals or, in this case, to force corporations to reshore production. To visualize the U.S.' heavily dependent medical supply chain on overseas trading partners, research firm BryceTech released an in-depth graphic on Tuesday, highlighting the industry's deep overseas dependencies. The graphic suggests that significant domestic investment will be required—echoing UBS's view that a 12- to 18-month grace period is insufficient to reshore production at scale. The illustration reinforces UBS's warning that a 12- to 18-month grace period is far too short to reshore production at scale, signaling the need for increased time. A larger takeaway is that these supply chains need to be reshored as the world fractures into a bipolar state, and definitely before the 2030s. Tyler Durden Tue, 07/15/2025 - 11:05