Millions of Americans Take on Debt and Drain Savings to Afford Food
July 13th, 2026Via: CBS News:
Millions of Americans are borrowing money or draining their savings to buy groceries, highlighting the financial strain many households face as the cost of living rises, new research has found.
More than a quarter of working-age adults who relied on credit cards to buy groceries were either unable to pay their balance in full or missed their minimum payment, according to the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. About one in 10 adults relied on so-called “buy now, pay later” loans to cover their groceries — of those, about a third missed a payment last year, the analysis found.
About 20% of working-age adults said they had tapped long-term savings that weren’t intended for everyday expenses, such as an emergency fund, at least once in the last 12 months to pay for groceries, the researchers said.
U.S. Debt Exceeds 100% of GDP for the First Time Since World War II
July 13th, 2026Via: Lew Rockwell:
The United States has crossed a milestone that Washington has spent decades pretending would never arrive. Federal debt held by the public has now exceeded 100% of GDP for the first time since the aftermath of the Second World War. According to the latest government data, debt held by the public reached approximately $31.27 trillion while the nation’s annual economic output totaled roughly $31.22 trillion, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 100.2%. The Congressional Budget Office now projects debt held by the public will average 101% of GDP this year and continue climbing to 120% by 2036 if current law remains unchanged.
Kamikaze Drone Boats Used By U.S. In Combat For The First Time
July 13th, 2026Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran. Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea… pic.twitter.com/bOM2kmgRxz
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026
Via: The War Zone:
For the first time in U.S. military history, uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) were used as a strike weapon in combat. The use of Saronic Corsair USVs took place July 12 during a series of attacks against “dozens” of Iranian targets, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). It came as the U.S. and Iran have continued to trade strikes primarily related to control over the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump proclaiming he wants to take over the strategic chokepoint and reinstate the naval blockade on Iranian ports. Meanwhile, Iran has also been launching attacks against several Arab nations in the most recent flare-up of hostilities as a shaky ceasefire continues to disintegrate.
“Yesterday, using multiple one-way attack surface drones, CENTCOM forces successfully struck a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran,” the command stated on X Monday morning. “Three Corsair unmanned surface vessels hit the port at Bandar Abbas Naval Base, marking the first time American forces have employed sea drones in combat operations. Last night’s strikes degraded Iran’s ability to continue attacking commercial shipping.”
Psilocybin and Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease
July 13th, 2026A new study found a SINGLE 5g psilocybin dose RESTORED speech, memory, AND bladder control in an advanced Alzheimer’s patient.
After 1 month, the patient was STILL functionally improved and bladder control remained RESTORED.
No Alzheimer’s drug has EVER done anything close. pic.twitter.com/DhmbwMQQom
— Nicolas Hulscher, MPH (@NicHulscher) July 12, 2026
Via: Frontiers in Neuroscience:
We report the case of an octogenarian Japanese-American woman with a 10-year history of Alzheimer’s disease, including 5?years of marked hypofunction and predominantly monosyllabic speech. Baseline features included chronic urinary incontinence, executive dysfunction, dysphagia, dependent mobility, flat affect, and severe reduction in spontaneous communication. The patient received 5 g of orally administered psilocybin-containing mushrooms (Enigma strain). The acute phase was marked by autonomic activation, clinically suspected hyperthermia, profuse sweating, and a prolonged deep sleep-like state. Approximately 19?h post-administration, spontaneous autobiographical speech emerged. Over subsequent days and weeks, functional improvements included restoration of urinary continence, improved ambulation, autonomous dressing, increased emotional responsiveness, sustained social interaction, contextual memory retrieval, preserved working memory for social context, and spontaneous conversational engagement.
Freedom not Fealty
July 11th, 2026Via: Fact Mission:
This took me a year. It’s long, it’s dense. But the stakes could not be higher.
The first hour takes you behind closed doors, using documented WHO Symposium Proceedings to expose a 1989 10-year follow-up to a gold-standard CDC vaccine trial. The results were devastating: half… pic.twitter.com/nC3kjNMEuF
— factmission.org (@FactMissionOrg) July 7, 2026
New York: Adult Day Care Fraud
July 11th, 2026Via: Nick Shirley:
Chinese Microwave Weapon Could Attack Satellites
July 10th, 2026Via: Interesting Engineering:
China has released information about a new generation of high-power microwave (HPM) weapons capable of delivering up to 100 gigawatts of power. This disclosure gives a rare and detailed look at technology that could change electronic warfare and anti-satellite operations.
The details were published this month in the journal High Power Laser and Particle Beams by researchers from the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), who described several advanced pulsed-power systems developed for China’s military.
This publication marks a rare instance of the Chinese military revealing technical information about its high-power microwave capabilities. According to the researchers, the country’s work has now moved from laboratory prototype to real military use.
…
The study says microwave pulses reaching 1 GW can cause severe interference or even damage electronic hardware aboard low Earth orbit satellites. A weapon capable of producing far greater output could pose a significant threat to satellite constellations, including networks such as Starlink, if they are used for military purposes.
According to the researchers, Chinese institutions have already developed several gigawatt-class microwave weapons, with some systems reportedly delivered to users.
China Recovers Rocket in Net-Like Structure
July 10th, 2026Via: Space:
China just notched a huge spaceflight milestone.
The nation has recovered a rocket during an orbital launch for the first time ever, pulling off the feat during the Long March 10B’s maiden liftoff on Friday (July 10). And that recovery was unique: The rocket’s first stage nestled softly into a net-like structure carried by a ship at sea.
Merck Settles Gardasil Vaccine Injury Lawsuit for $50 Million
July 9th, 2026Via: The Vaccine Reaction:
Merck & Co has agreed to pay $50 million to settle more than 200 lawsuits brought against the drug giant by patients suffering from autoimmune disorders after receiving the Gardasil vaccine. According Merck, this settlement resolves all but one of the pending lawsuits filed against its HPV vaccine.
Spider Venom Kills Varroa Mites Without Harming Honeybees
July 9th, 2026Via: connectsci:
Peptides isolated from the venom of the Tasmanian cave spider and giant Japanese funnel-web spider are promising candidates for potential new treatments to protect honeybee hives from a deadly parasite.
Researchers tested spider and scorpion venoms for their ability to kill the Varroa destructor mite and published their findings in the journal npj Drug Discovery.
Study lead author Volker Herzig from the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Centre for Bioinnovation says the discovery is the first step in finding a new, environmentally friendly way to combat varroa mites which are destroying honeybee colonies across the globe.
The European honeybee (Apis mellifera) pollinates every continent except Antarctica. It is crucial for global food security, ecosystem stability and biodiversity.
V. destructor is found throughout Asia, much of Africa, Europe, the Americas, New Zealand and Australia. It feeds on honeybee larvae and pupae and carries viruses which affect the bees.
A varroa infestation will kill a honeybee colony if left untreated.
