Hamburg Official Tells Residents Prepare For Hot Water Rationing Amid Energy Crisis

they are deliberately taking down ALL of the countries of the West

Hamburg Official Tells Residents Prepare For Hot Water Rationing Amid Energy Crisis

TUESDAY, JUL 05, 2022 - 05:45 AM

The second-largest city in Germany is mulling over the potential rationing of hot water as the energy crisis worsens.

"In an acute gas shortage, warm water could only be made available at certain times of the day in an emergency," Hamburg's environment senator Jens Kerstan told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag on Saturday.

Kerstan also spoke with the German daily newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt and warned, "We are in a much worse crisis than most people realize."

He asked Hamburg residents to reduce shower times, install energy-saving shower heads, and modernize thermostats for maximum power savings.

"The more we save now, the better the situation will be in winter because the storage tanks fill up," he added, referring to the need to save power so more NatGas injections can be made into storage ahead of the winter season.

Kerstan's possible hot water restrictions follow German Vice-Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck's interview with Der Spiegel magazine last month that called for German citizens to shower less to overcome the worst energy crisis in a generation.

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The German government's increasing talk about reducing shower time and conserving hot water comes as Russia reduced Nordstream NatGas flows by 60%. Germany is heavily reliant on cheap Russian Natgas, and fears mount that Europe's largest economy could face even more NatGas cuts later this summer.
Weeks ago, Germany triggered the "alarm stage" of its NatGas-emergency plan to address shortages. Yasmin Fahimi, the head of the German Federation of Trade Unions, warned over the weekend, "Because of the NatGas bottlenecks, entire industries are in danger of permanently collapsing: aluminum, glass, the chemical industry."
Fahimi warned: "Such a collapse would have massive consequences for the entire economy and jobs in Germany."
Germany's worsening energy crisis shows no signs of abating, and it seems probable that Hamburg residents could be showering in cold water.

Hamburg Official Tells Residents Prepare For Hot Water Rationing Amid Energy Crisis | ZeroHedge

Dirt Broke Countries were robbed blind by corrupt Politicians

UK Fuel Price Protests Cripple Motorways With "Go-Slow" Convoys


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British authorities warned drivers of "serious disruption" on Monday as protestors seeking relief from high fuel costs used "go-slow" convoys to cause traffic jams on major UK motorways over a wide swath of territory. Organized via social media under the banner of "Fuel Price Stand Against Tax," rolling, slow-moving roadblocks of cars, trucks and tractors started their protests around 7am. According to The Guardian:

Motorways in the Bristol area, Devon, Cornwall, south Wales, Essex, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were among those affected. Two tractors caused long tailbacks into Aberdeen by driving slowly side by side along the A92 northbound.

Police escorted some of the blockades, only to block them at their turnaround points and make arrests. The PA News Agency reports a dozen motorists were detained after blocking traffic across the Prince of Wales Bridge between South Wales and Somerset. The Telegraph reported the bridge was hardest hit in the protest, with traffic closed for more than an hour.
“The right to protest under UK law must be balanced with the rights of the wider community who may be affected," said Gwent police chief superintendent Tom Harding. UK authorities say the protests threaten to impede the response of emergency services.
The founder of the FairFuelUK, Howard Cox, told the Scottish Sun that protestors were targeting three-lane freeways, with the intent to slow traffic in two lanes while leaving the "fast lane" free.

https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-pu...?itok=YkJZ4aJtPolice used spike strips to prevent a protest convoy from entering a freeway (Cameron Smith/Getty Images via Guardian)The price of petrol in the UK has surged to to a record 191.53 pence per liter, which equates to $8.78 a gallon.—the highest among the five largest European economies.
The protestors are bent on achieving a cut in fuel taxes. None of their quoted rhetoric connects the dots between the price at the pump and Western sanctions against Russia. In March, the UK declared it will phase out Russian oil imports by December, as will the European Union.
Cox told The Independent the effort is largely driven by small business owners:

“People are at the end of their tether. This is hard-working, decent people who are fed up to their back teeth with the high cost of pump prices. Across Europe, diesel is on average 25p cheaper and petrol 20p cheaper than in the UK. Germany cut fuel tax by 26p, Spain by 20p and Ireland by 17p. Why can’t the Government do the same? They did 5p in the Spring Statement and it didn’t even touch the sides.”

That 5 pence tax cut came in March and is slated to last until March 2023. At the time, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak touted it as "the biggest cut to all fuel duty rates ever." The 8.6% cut left the tax at 53 pence per liter.


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UK: Protesters created a blockage against the rising cost of fuel.

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10:23 AM · Jul 4, 2022

Protestor Vicky Stamper told The Guardian she and her partner quit their jobs because they couldn't afford the commute. “It was costing us £380 [$460] a week just to get to and from work. I then lost a job two weeks ago because the company couldn’t afford to put fuel in that many lorries so last in, first out,” she said.
Protestors warned their next action might come in the form of a blockade on oil refineries. When previously employed in 2000 by farmers and truck drivers fighting taxes so high they represented 80% of the cost of gas, just one week of the tactic caused havoc, from huge lines at gas pumps to mail stoppages and grocery-rationing.
The Royal Automobile Club (RAC), akin to the American Automobile Club, told Bloomberg the rising price at the pump is inconsistent with a five-week drop in wholesale prices. “We would love to hear their reasoning for keeping their prices so high in this instance,” said RAC spokesman Simon Williams.
Some drivers on the M4 stepped out of their idle vehicles and took the opportunity to hone their soccer skills—or, football skills, if you like:

https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-pu...?itok=QBKlFUVmIdled drivers on the M4 pass the time with a "kickabout" (screenshot from Guardian video)

​UK Fuel Price Protests Cripple Motorways With "Go-Slow" Convoys | ZeroHedge

aaaaand here we go

US index futures slip into negative territory ahead of US participants' return - Newsquawk US Early Morning


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SNAPSHOT: US equity futures have tilted lower, having been flat around the European open: ES -0.5%, YM -0.3%, NQ -0.5%, RTY -0.5%. Overnight APAC trade was mostly constructive; stocks were generally higher amid a pick-up from the holiday lull, though Chinese markets faltered due to the PBoC draining liquidity and lingering COVID fears, and despite the solid Caixin PMI data for June and some signs of easing Sino-US tensions. The RBA lifted rates by 50bps, though refrained from springing any hawkish surprises. European equities opened on the front foot, continuing the positive start to H2, but tilted into the red amid broad risk aversion, with some newswire reports citing continued growth fears. Treasury yields gapped higher after the re-open, though yields have been narrowing over the course of the European morning. The Dollar Index has been picking up, rising towards fresh YTD peaks; the EUR is lower, while other activity FX and EMs are also lower. Crude futures are trading higher, with WTI 'outperforming', although there was not a WTI settlement price for Monday on account of the US holiday. It is a quiet slate in the US, with no major data or Fedspeak due. The focus this week is on the FOMC minutes and US jobs report. Full Day Ahead here.
Wall Street Bounces, After Selloff Fed Boosts Liquidity

INTO H2: Following the S&P 500’s worst H1 since 1970, US equity futures have begun H2 trade on the front foot. Focus will shift onto Q2 corporate earnings, which gets underway next week when major banks start reporting their numbers. Goldman Sachs noted that “the current bear market has been entirely valuation-driven rather than the result of reduced earnings estimates. However, we expect consensus profit margin forecasts to fall which will lead to downward EPS revisions whether or not the economy falls into recession.” Going into the second half of the year, GS recommends stocks with stable earnings growth, noting that slowing economic growth and tightening financial conditions historically support quality styles. Additionally, stocks with a combination of high dividend yield and growth are attractive, even in a recession scenario, with the bank noting that S&P 500 dividends declined by just 1% around the median recession since 1945, but dividend futures imply 3% and 4% declines in 2023 and 2024. In terms of specific sectors, GS recommends health care, which it says has attributes that should drive outperformance in the medium term–margins have seen minimal declines during past recessions, EPS has grown in the last six recessions, while valuations are slightly below long-term averages–as well as in the event of an economic downturn.


EQUITY NEWS:


Recapping major equity stories from the weekend and Monday.


ENERGY:

• Crude prices - Citi said that in a recession, crude oil prices could drop to USD 65/bbl by the end of this year, absent OPEC+ intervention and a decline in short-cycle oil investment, and to USD 45/bbl by the end of 2023.
• Equinor (EQNR) – Strike action is impacting their operated fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, initiated safe-closure of the Gudrin, Oseberg Sor and Oseberg Ost fields following the Lederne union strike. Further escalation of the strike has been announced from July 9th, consequences of this escalation have not been clarified.
• Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) - Projected a sequential increase of about USD 7.4bln in operating profits vs Q1, Reuters reported, as skyrocketing margins from fuel and crude sales could generate a record quarterly profit as energy prices shot up this year. Said that the estimated impact of exiting Russia would cut oil and gas profits by about USD 150mln vs Q1.
• Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY), Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B) - Berkshire bought another 9.9mln shares of Occidental Petroleum Corp, raising its stake to 17.4%, according to a filing. Berkshire paid around USD 582mln for the 9.9mln shares.
• TransCanada Corporation (TRP) - TC Energy agreed with Mexico to build a USD 5bln gas pipeline in the Mexican Gulf Coast state of Veracruz, Reuters reported. The pipeline will connect the ports of Tuxpan and Coatzacoalcos, a source said.

UTILITIES:

• Uniper (UNPPY) - Germany’s Uniper is said to be in talks with the German government for a bailout of up to EUR 9bln, according to Bloomberg sources.

TECH:

• Chip Names Intel Corporation (INTC) - US and Asian chipmakers warn that they will delay or scale back investment in the US due to Washington's continued failure to fund the USD 52bln CHIPS Act aimed at boosting the domestic semiconductor industry, Nikkei reported. Intel blamed the act's delay for its decision to indefinitely postpone breaking ground on a USD 20bln fab in Ohio, which had originally been scheduled for late July.
• Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) - Reuters reported that Google will delete location data showing when users visit an abortion clinic in the US, after concern that a digital trail could inform law enforcement if an individual terminates a pregnancy illegally.

COMMUNICATIONS:

• Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY), KKR & Co. L.P. (KKR) - A KKR-backed consortium is said to be the front-runner for a stake in Deutsche Telekom's tower unit, which could be valued at around USD 20bln, according to Bloomberg sources.
• Activision Blizzard, Inc. (ATVI), Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) - Activision received a positive mention in Barron’s, which said the stock is a bet on Microsoft’s takeover amid regulatory uncertainty, but was one that was worth making.

HEALTH CARE:

• AmerisourceBergen Corporation (ABC), Cardinal Health, Inc. (CAH), McKesson Corporation (MCK) - A West Virginia judge ruled that the three drug distributors were not responsible for fueling an opioid epidemic, NPR reported, rejecting the plaintiffs demands for more than USD 2.5bln that would have gone toward abatement efforts.
• AstraZeneca (AZN) - AstraZeneca is to acquire TeneoTwo and its clinical-stage T-cell engager, strengthening haematological cancer pipeline. AstraZeneca will acquire all outstanding equity of TeneoTwo in exchange for an upfront payment of USD 100mln on deal closing.

INDUSTRIALS:

• Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) - Reported 254,695 deliveries in Q2 (exp. 295,078, prev. 310,048 in Q1), -17.9% Q/Q as China’s COVID policies disrupted production. Q2 production was 258,580 vehicles; Tesla said June 2022 was the highest vehicle production month in Tesla’s history. Separately, Tesla is to shut down production at Gigafactory Berlin to upgrade the factory and add a shift, according to Electrek.
• General Motors Company (GM), Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) - GM outsold Toyota in Q2 car sales, Reuters reported. GM, which lost its crown as the US sales leader last year for the first time since 1931 to Toyota, said it sold 582,401 vehicles in the quarter, -15% Y/Y.
• Stellantis (STLA) - FIM CISL union said a global chip crunch could cost the carmaker up to 220k in lost production.
• Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) - Lockheed was awarded a USD 192.4mln Navy contract.
• Northrop Grumman Corporation (NOC) - Northrop was awarded a USD 337.9mln Navy contract.
• SAS (SASDY) - SAS has filed Chapter 11 in the US. Operations and flight schedules are unaffected. SAS expects to meet go-forward business obligations in the near term. Purpose of filing is to accelerate its transformation by implementing key elements of the forward plan. On-going strike action is a significant challenge to the transformation, and if prolonged, the negative financial impact could become material, SAS said. The board has concluded legal tools are required to make progress in negotiations with key stakeholders.

CONSUMER CYCLICALS:

• AutoZone, Inc. (AZO), O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY) - Auto parts retailers receive positive mention in Barron’s, which said the stocks have a reputation as defensives, but there are reasons to think these stocks can keep outperforming the index.
• Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) - The ‘Too Faced’ makeup brand that Estee acquired for USD 1.5bln in 2016 is shutting down its Tmall Global flagship by August, prompting speculation on Chinese social media that the brand is exiting the market, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
• Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) - LVS received a positive mention in Barron’s, which said China’s decision to ease its entry requirements for international travellers could also signals an eventual reopening of its Macau casinos, where LVS gets a little over two-thirds of its business from Macau.

CONSUMER STAPLES:

• Kellogg Company (K) - Kellogg loses UK legal challenge over new government sugar rules, FT reported, failing to halt regulations that will curb promotion of high-sugar food.
• Walmart Inc. (WMT) - Walmart CEO said the company was weighing how to respond to a US Supreme Court decision that ended the federal right to an abortion, CNBC reported.

FINANCIALS:

• Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD), Cowen Inc. (COWN) - Toronto-Dominion Bank is weighing a deal for Cowen, Bloomberg reported citing sources. A transaction could extend TD Securities’ reach deeper into equity and debt offerings as well as research. No final decision has been made.
• EU Names - The EU is looking to ease IPO rules and will explore how start-ups can provide stock to new workers, according to Bloomberg.
• Bank OZK (OZK) - Raises quarterly dividend by 0.01 to 0.32/shr.

4,2001NEVER MIS

Yep

The Woke Inquisitors Have Come For The Freethinking Heretics

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Authored by J.B.Shurk via The Gatestone Institute,
Attacks on free speech are on the rise.
A British college recently expelled a student for expressing support for the government's official policy of deporting illegal immigrants. A Wisconsin school district charged three middle-schoolers with sexual harassment last month for refusing to use the plural pronoun "they" when referring to a single classmate. US President Joe Biden's National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy recently encouraged social media companies to censor from their online platforms any opinions that contradict Biden's climate change narrative.

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In its continued commitment to preserve the government's monopoly over COVID-19 information, Twitter actually suspended a medical doctor for merely sharing a scientific study that suggests the Pfizer vaccine affects male fertility. And the NFL's Washington Commanders fined defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $100,000 and forced him to apologize only weeks ago for having expressed his opinion that 2020's summer of riots across the United States after George Floyd's death was more destructive than the few hours of mayhem at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
In contrast, it has become newsworthy that entertainment powerhouse Paramount has chosen not to censor old movies and television shows containing content that today's "woke" scolds might find "offensive." In a "cancel culture" world where censorship and trigger warnings have become the norm, preserving the artistic integrity of a film is now considered outright daring. In fact, even publishers of old literary classics have begun rewriting content to conform with "politically correct" sensibilities.
Examples such as these, where personal speech is either censored or punished, are becoming much more frequent, and anybody who minimizes the threat this increased intolerance for free expression poses to a democratic society is either gullibly or willfully blind. As any defender of liberty knows, nothing more quickly transforms a free society into a totalitarian prison than crackdowns on speech. Of all the tools of coercion available to a government, preventing individuals from freely expressing their thoughts is most dangerous. Denying citizens that most basic societal release valve for pent-up anger and disagreement only heightens the risk for outright violence down the line. Either silenced citizens become so enraged that conflict becomes inevitable, or the iron fist of government force descends on the public more broadly to preemptively curtail that possibility. Either way, the result is a disaster for any free society.
For Americans who cherish free speech, this undeniable war on language and expression is jolting but not shocking. Whenever censorship slithers back into polite society, it is always draped in the mantle of "good intentions."
Fifteenth-century Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola's "bonfire of the vanities" destroyed anything that could be seen to invite or reflect sin.
The notorious 1933 Nazi book burning at the Bebelplatz in Berlin torched some 20,000 books deemed subversive or "un-German".
During Communist China's decade-long Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and '70s, the vast majority of China's traditional scrolls, literature and religious antiquities went up in smoke.
All three atrocities were celebrated as achievements for the "greater good" of society, and people inebriated with "good intentions" set their cultural achievements aflame with fervor and triumph. Much like today's new censors who claim to "fight hate" because "that's not who we are," the arsonists of the past saw themselves as moral paragons, too. They purged anything "obscene" or "traditional" or "old," so that theocracy, Nazism, or communism could take root and grow. And if Western institutions today are purging ideas once again, then it is past time for people to start asking just what those institutions plan to harvest next.
We in the West are running — not walking — toward another "bonfire of the vanities" in which normal people, egged on by their leaders, will eagerly destroy their own culture while claiming to save it. This time around the "vanities" will be condemned for their racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-science or climate-denying ways, but when they are thrown into the fire, it is dissent and free expression that will burn.
There will one day be much disagreement as to how the same Western Civilization that produced the Enlightenment and its hallowed regard for free expression could once again surrender itself to the petty tyranny of censorship.
Many will wonder how the West's much-vaunted "liberal" traditions could meekly fold to the specter of state-controlled speech.
The answer is that the West has fallen into the same trap that always catches unsuspecting citizens by surprise: the steady encroachment on free speech has been sold as a "virtue" that all good people should applaud.
First, certain thoughts became "aggravating factors" that turned traditional crimes into new "hate crimes" deserving of additional punishment.
Then the definition of what is "hateful" grew until politicians could comfortably decree anything at odds with their agendas to be examples of "hate."
Who would be for "hate," after all? Surely no-one of good sense or good manners.
Now "hate" has transformed into an elusive description for any speech that can be alleged to cause the slightest of harms.
From there, it was easy for the state to decree that "disinformation," or rather anything that can be seen to contradict the state's own official narratives, causes "harm," too.
Those who despise free speech told society, "If you do not punish hate, then you're a bigot." And today, if you oppose the government's COVID-19, climate change, immigration, or other contentious policies, your harmful "disinformation" must be punished, too.
It is a slippery slope, is it not? Once governments normalize censorship and the punishment of points of view, free expression is firmly stamped with an expiration date.
After the Nazis went down this poisonous path, repentant Germans built a public memorial to remember the book burning at the Bebelplatz and ensure its tragic lesson was never forgotten. On a plaque in the square is a commemorative engraving, paraphrasing the 19th century German writer Heinrich Heine:

"That was only a prelude; where they burn books, they will in the end also burn people."

That warning comes with no expiration date.

The Woke Inquisitors Have Come For The Freethinking Heretics | ZeroHedge