Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Iranian-backed Houthi terror group, declared in a televised speech to supporters at a Friday rally in Al-Sabeen Square, Sana, that they intend to target Israel-linked ships in the eastern Mediterranean. The risk of conflict spilling over from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remains high. 

“We will target any ship heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean, in any area we are able to reach,” Saree said. 

Given that the eastern Mediterranean is 1,900 kilometers (1,180 miles) from Yemen, this may indicate that the conflict area is broadening, triggering a new escalation of the multi-month war. 

Fernando Ferreira, energy analyst at Rapidan Energy Group, noted:

“The Houthi nuisance continues, but they are at the limit of their ability to cause disruptions. The real risk of escalation comes from Israeli retaliation on IRGC officers/assets helping the Houthis.”

This comes as Houthis have attacked dozens of Western and Israel-linked commercial vessels and military ships across the southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, and even the Strait of Hormuz since last November. The group claims these maritime attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. 

Saree warned if the Israel Defense Forces launched an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the seven-month-long war. They would’ve no other choice but to impose sanctions on all ships of the companies that are supplying Israel and entering Israeli ports. 

What’s clear—and the West won’t like it—is that the Houthis appear to be expanding their attack coverage as numerous maritime chokepoints in the region are under constant threat. 

We pointed out Thursday that Operation Prosperity Guardian, the US-led maritime coalition launched by the Biden administration earlier this year, has been largely a failure. 

Maritime traffic data from Bloomberg shows not one single LNG vessel with destinations to Europe and the US was transiting the Red Sea for fear of being attacked by Houthi drones and missiles. 

Conflict spillover risks are mounting in the Middle East. Yet the war risk premium in Brent crude has been subsiding in recent weeks. 

By Jeffrey Jones at Gallup

For the third year in a row, the percentage of Americans naming inflation or the high cost of living as the most important financial problem facing their family has reached a new high.

The 41% naming the issue this year is up slightly from 35% a year ago and 32% in 2022. Before 2022, the highest percentage mentioning inflation was 18% in 2008. Inflation has been named by less than 10% in most other readings since the question was first asked in 2005.

The latest results are from Gallup’s annual Economy and Personal Finance poll, conducted April 1-22.

Gallup has asked Americans at least annually since 2005 to name, without prompting, the top financial problem facing their family. Inflation has topped the list for the past three years. The cost of owning or renting a home ranks second this year at 14%, a new high for that issue.

Other significant problems Americans identify include having too much debt (8%), healthcare costs (7%), lack of money or low wages (7%), and energy costs or gas prices (6%).

Over the past 19 years, healthcare costs and lack of money or low wages have frequently ranked near the top of the list, while the cost of energy or gas has done so at times of elevated gas prices, as in 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Inflation Named Most Often by All Subgroups

Inflation is named the most important financial problem by all key societal subgroups but garners higher mentions from certain age, income and political groups.

46% of older Americans (those aged 50 and older) mention inflation, in contrast with 36% of younger Americans (those under 50).
Inflation is a more top-of-mind concern for middle-income (46%) and upper-income Americans (41% of those with an annual household income of $100,000 or more) than for lower-income Americans (31% of those with a household income of less than $40,000).
56% of Republicans, compared with 39% of independents and 26% of Democrats, name the issue as the most important financial problem facing their family.

Younger and lower-income Americans may be less likely to name inflation than their counterparts because other immediate financial concerns are more pressing for them. For example, 21% of adults under age 50 say housing or rental costs are their top concern, compared with 8% of those aged 50 and older.

Lower-income Americans are more inclined than upper-income and middle-income Americans to say personal debt, healthcare costs, lack of money and job loss are the top concerns facing their family.

Retirement, Medical Emergencies Also Worrisome

A separate question in the survey asks Americans to say how much they worry about each of eight specific personal financial matters. Inflation is not one of those issues, but its influence is apparent in the heightened percentage who worry about not being able to maintain their standard of living. Fifty-five percent are very or moderately worried about maintaining their living standards, the third straight year a majority has done so after being below that level from 2017 through 2021.

Since the question was first asked in 2001, an average of 47% of U.S. adults, including a high of 58% in 2011, have worried about being able to maintain their standard of living.

Maintaining one’s standard of living ranks as one of the three economic matters Americans worry most about, along with not having enough for retirement and being unable to pay medical bills in the event of a serious illness or accident. The latter two issues have consistently ranked first or second each year in Gallup polling dating back to 2001.

Less than half of U.S. adults worry about the five other financial matters, including normal medical costs, normal monthly bills, housing costs, paying for their children’s college and making minimum payments on credit cards.

Compared with last year, there have been slight declines in the percentages worried about medical costs for a serious illness or accident (from 60% to 56%) and not having enough money for retirement (from 66% to 59%). Both issues are now closer to their historical averages after being slightly above them last year. For the other six financial matters, the percentages worried about them are essentially unchanged from a year ago.

As would be expected, those with a lower household income worry more than those with greater resources about nearly all of these financial matters. The one exception is affording college for a child, which shows no meaningful differences by income. Across the eight financial matters, an average of 60% of lower-income Americans express worry, compared with 47% of middle-income and 31% of upper-income Americans.

Majorities of lower-income adults worry about six of the eight financial matters, compared with three issues for middle-income adults and only one for those in upper-income households.

The greatest disparity in worry on any single issue between income groups is being able to pay one’s normal monthly bills, which concerns 67% of lower-income adults but only 21% of upper-income adults.

Ratings of Personal Finances Remain Subdued

Forty-six percent of Americans rate their personal finances as excellent or good, similar to what Gallup has measured the past two years but a worse evaluation than in 2017 through 2021. Meanwhile, 36% describe their finances as “only fair,” while 17% rate them as “poor.”

Americans’ ratings of their personal financial situation were worse than now between 2009 and 2012, as the U.S. was coming out of the Great Recession and unemployment was high. During those years, an average of 42% of Americans rated their personal finances positively.

All income groups remain less positive about their financial situation now compared with 2021. Currently, 72% of upper-income, 42% of middle-income and 25% of lower-income Americans rate their situation as excellent or good.

Another question in the survey finds 62% of Americans saying they have enough money to live comfortably, similar to the 64% recorded last year but down from 2022 (67%) and 2021 (72%). Gallup has only had one lower reading on this question since 2002 — 60% in 2012. The high point was 75% in 2002, the first year the question was asked.

Eighty-three percent of upper-income, 62% of middle-income and 37% of lower-income adults say they have enough to live comfortably, with similar declines in each group since 2021.

Americans Slightly More Optimistic Their Financial Situation Is Improving

There has been a slight increase in the percentage of Americans who say their financial situation is getting better — 43% say this, up from 37% in both 2022 and 2023. The current figure is still significantly below the 52% measured in 2021.

At the same time, 47% say their financial situation is getting worse, up by 17 percentage points since 2021.

A slim majority of upper-income Americans, 52%, believe their financial situation is improving, as do 43% of middle-income and 34% of lower-income Americans.

Bottom Line

Inflation continues to be an issue for Americans and is likely why less than half are positive about their financial situation. In addition to being named the most important financial problem facing their family, inflation also ranks as one of the domestic problems Americans worry most about. The issue trails only immigration, the government and the economy in general when Americans are asked to name the most important problem facing the country.

The U.S. inflation rate has declined significantly since its peak in 2022, but that has done little to alter Americans’ perceptions of their finances. This could reflect the cumulative effect of higher prices for the past few years and the fact that inflation has remained above the lower rates in the U.S. between 2012 and 2020. The latest government reports suggest inflation may be increasing again. That news persuaded the Federal Reserve to delay interest rate cuts it was expected to make this year.

The issue also stands to be a key election issue, and renewed inflation would hamper President Joe Biden’s chances of reelection.

Money market funds added $23.6BN in assets last week, pushing the total funds under management back above $6 Trillion – still well off the highs (as some tax-related withdrawals remain lost)…

Source: Bloomberg

Both retail and institutional funds saw inflows last week…

Source: Bloomberg

Amid all the talk of tapering, The Fed’s balance sheet plunged $40BN last week to its lowest since Jan 2021 (with QT continuing at around $35BN)…

Source: Bloomberg

The Fed’s now-expired Bank Bailout fund (BTFP) saw a small decrease of just $1.375BN – inching closer to erasing all the arb-driven surge in demand for the facility, but leaving a whopping $12BN left out there filling holes in bank balance sheets…

Source: Bloomberg

And after last week’s almost unprecedented outflows, total bank deposits (seasonally-adjusted) rose by a huge $129BN to $17.58TN – that was the biggest rise in deposits since March 2021…

Source: Bloomberg

But, by the magical power of Federal Reserve ‘science’, on a non-seasonally-adjusted basis, total bank deposits dropped $24BN…

Source: Bloomberg

Excluding foreign deposits, the picture was just as farcical with seasonally-adjusted domestic deposits rising $126BN (Large banks +$111BN – biggest since April 2020, Small banks +$15BN), while non-seasonally-adjusted domestic deposits tumbled $36.7BN (Large banks -$7.2BN, Small banks -$29.5BN)…

Source: Bloomberg

Don’t try to make sense of the fact that the so-called seasonally-adjusted levels are more noisy than the unadjusted… … it’s PhD-based ‘science’ stuff, you’d never understand!

For the third week in a row, total loan volumes rose (by $5.8BN) with large bank volumes rising $4.2BN and small bank volumes rising $1.6BN

Source: Bloomberg

Finally, bank reserves at The Fed continues to contract, while US equity market cap remains dramatically decoupled…

Source: Bloomberg

Is Powell’s acquiescence to a bigger, sooner ‘QT taper’ (in the face of not-under-control inflation) to soften the blow when this crocodile mouth snaps shut.

Authored by James Howard Kunstler via Kunstler.com,

Nostalgia For The Mind

“Resentful childless harpies unconsciously longing for domination. Why else worship at the altar of Hamas? Why else would it be so overwhelmingly female?”

– Dr. Jordan Peterson

Wasn’t it cute how the youngsters who “occupied” Columbia U’s Hamilton Hall – and were busy smashing things up inside – demanded restaurant-grade meals sent in to avert “starvation and dehydration” amongst their dauntless ranks? You could imagine a colossal mommy breast with three hundred nipples descending from the sky over upper Manhattan to nourish them back to action. “Feed me. . . !”

It turns out, actually, that at least half the troops inside were not students at all, but rather semi-pro activists paid up to $7,000 each by George Soros’s Open Society Institute and other overtly insurrection-themed orgs, so you’d think that the troops could afford to load-up their ever-ready backpacks with Cliff bars and bottles of Smart Water. The order-in food and beverage gambit suggests we should understand that this is not so much politics as the acting out of a game — which is exactly what you might expect of people who spend more time on video screens than in the real world — in which something like a half-time intermission for refreshments is de rigueur.

Alas, they were not obliged with Doordash servings of Alitcha (“Ensemble of potatoes, carrots, collard greens, and cabbage baked in turmeric,” $22.30) from the nearby Massawa Ethiopian bistro, or Firecracker Chicken from Junzi Kitchen over on Broadway and 113th Street. And then, when the cops came to roust them out into the big buses now used as paddy-wagons for such events, the occupiers were heard to whine, “I have finals and I need to go home!” You’ve got to wonder how they’ll make out when “Joe Biden” drafts their ass to go fight the Russians out on the Ukrainian buzzard flats, about which the White House is just now sending out early signals.

It has been observed that a clear majority of the pro-Hamas activists are young women — which makes sense considering that they are the largest demographic evincing mental illness on America’s social landscape these days. Thus, they are marching in support of a sect that specializes in the rape, mutilation, and murder of young women like themselves, or at least treats them as chattels, hidden under black bag-like garments. The group psychology on display has more occult angles than any movie by the Wachowski sisters.

Among the marching Columbia students who are not paid outside activists, a few are apparently Jewish, such as spokesperson Johanna King-Slutzky (actual name, hat-tip Alex Berenson, who ID’d her), the winsome creature who complained about the lack of order-in meals at Hamilton Hall. Another observer on “X” who styles himself @J9_ATX identified the syndrome in play as “oppression envy,” among women seeking compensatory validation for occupying such a privileged niche on Planet Earth as a cushy Ivy League college — featuring international cuisine stations in the dining halls — while their third world sisters trudge through the burning sands of Al-Kufra carrying water-jugs on their heads as they dodge the odious “wind scorpions” of the region.

Higher Ed in the USA was already chugging down the suicide track before this spring’s eruption of pro-Hamas fury. The college loan racket (government-backed) had the perverse effect of pumping up tuition costs beyond what even many pretty well-off families could afford, while loading up young people with life-wrecking obligations (debt which “Joe Biden is now shifting onto the creditors, US tax-payers). Decades of DEI have filled the faculties with incompetents and assorted malcontents teaching fantasy curricula with no real-life value, and burdened the schools with cadres of overpaid diversity busybodies and thought-police. Diversity college presidents are very publicly failing to cope. The whole rotten train is going off the rails.

I’m not at all sanguine that the society we are becoming will need this vast infrastructure for babysitting young adults who could otherwise make themselves useful and productive on-the-ground in lines of work that actually keep civilized life going. This is too self-evident now to belabor, though there is an awful lot of confusion about what kind of society we might become.

I doubt that it is to be the utopia of robots, A-I, and non-stop sexual titillation that the techno-narcissists dream of. Rather, it will be a society struggling to keep too much complex stuff running with insufficient energy resources and capital — that is, a society falling apart, losing knowledge, technical know-how, comfort, and convenience while having a hard time feeding itself.

The campus Hamas zealots ironically (and tragically) represent exactly the sort of rough medievalism that the citizens of Western Civ countries would be chary of sliding into. You’d have to sadly conclude that many young people really can’t take much more Modernity, and are now pretty avid to opt out of it, even as they gaze into the magic, glowing pixels of their iPhone screens.

*  *  *

Support his blog by visiting Jim’s Patreon Page or Substack

The markets took on a Dickensian dimension this week as while “it was the worst of times (for economic data), it was the best of times (for stocks)”…

The US Macro Surprise Index continued its serial disappointment plunge into the red – the weakest since Feb 2023 (not helped at all by today’s payrolls miss)…

Source: Bloomberg

With growth data plunging while inflation data soared…

Source: Bloomberg

Bad news was good news though as the market only had eyes for Powell’s big taper and the buyback bonanza (from AAPL and the rest), and today’s NFP Goldilocks results (175k vs. 240k expected) as wage softness helps to ease inflation fears.

Small Caps leading the bunch amid a big short-squeeze and S&P lagging (but all green on the week)…

All the majors rallied up to their 50DMAs but were unable to breakout…

Nasdaq performed well with MAG7 stocks wildly choppy, but overall pushing back up towards record highs…

Source: Bloomberg

‘Most Shorted’ stocks suffered the biggest squeeze in two months (and biggest two-week squeeze since Jan 2023)…

Source: Bloomberg

Of particular note was Utes outperforming (while energy lagged) as the ‘Next AI Trade’ goes mainstream. Financials were also red on the week…

Source: Bloomberg

Bonds were also bid all week with yields down 12-20bps as the short-end outperformed…

Source: Bloomberg

And 2Y yields at 5.00% were thoroughly rejected as yields plunged today back below pre-CPI spike levels..

Source: Bloomberg

The dollar dropped this week, erasing almost all of the post-CPI gains…

Source: Bloomberg

Gold prices were lower on the week (second week in a row), despite the weak dollar and ‘easing’ by The Fed…

Source: Bloomberg

Despite a decent bounce back today, bitcoin was down on the week, testing back up to $62,000…

Source: Bloomberg

…after an ugly week of aggregate net outflows from BTC ETFs…

Source: Bloomberg

Oil prices plunged this week – down all five days for the worst in three months – back to near two-month lows…

Source: Bloomberg

And finally, rate-cut expectations have surged this week with 2024 now pricing in two full cuts and 2025 three more cuts…

Source: Bloomberg

Is this what Powell wanted? To ease financial conditions again!?

US diplomats and the Pentagon have been in retreat from the West African nation of Niger, while also scrambling to maintain some influence there, following the junta seizing power in a coup in July 2023. Niger’s military toppled the US-friendly government of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was taken hostage.

Among the first orders of the junta was to tell US troops in the country to pack up their stuff and get out. The US is commonly estimated to have had 1,100 troops in the country. At the same time the junta is displaying its warmer relations with Russia and its forces, declaring an alliance with ‘anti-imperialist’ nations. French troops have already exited the country.

On Friday there are widespread reports that Russian troops have actually entered American military bases, with US troops in the process exiting, but some still present. This is said to already be happening at Air Base 101 in Niamey, the capital city.

Illustrative military file image, Getty Images.

Amazingly, there’s some degree of logistical overlap as the Russians pour in and Pentagon personnel are being pressured out: 

A senior U.S. defense official told Reuters that the Russian forces are not mingling with the American troops at the base, but were instead using a separate hangar.

The official described the situation as being “not great” but “manageable” in the short-term. Sources similarly told CNN that the Russians and Americans are not operating in the same part of the base, but one said “it is not that big of an area.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has sought to downplay the bizarre situation in statements issued from Hawaii.

“The Russians are in a separate compound and don’t have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment,” Austin said. “I’m always focused on the safety and protection of our troops… But right now, I don’t see a significant issue here in terms of our force protection.”

Perhaps the rival troops will become drinking buddies and seek to heal the ‘new Cold War 2.0’?… 

Amid the pressure from the ruling Junta, and failed efforts to reverse course, the Pentagon has now committed to leaving Niger, but has not issued a timeline on a full withdrawal.

The Russians and heavy equipment, which included at least one air defense battery, began arriving in Niger in greater numbers starting last month, state media reported at the time. There’s a likelihood that private military firm Wagner is also present in the country.

Starting last year Washington has moved to restrict what military aid it can give to the country. In short, Washington is on the way out and Moscow is moving in. There are fears this could be happening in other parts of Africa as well, impacting US AFRICOM’s operations.

🇷🇺🇳🇪🇲🇱🇧🇫 In the capital of Niger the flags of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Russia are flying.

This was done to celebrate the ties of friendship and cooperation that bind Niger with its closest allies.

Two Majors pic.twitter.com/A55vxMWHWE

— dana (@dana916) May 3, 2024

Since the ouster of President Bazoum by military generals, the Biden administration has been scrambling to find influence also as junta has cemented with two neighboring countries also ‘unfriendly’ to the West: Mali and Burkina Faso, also led by juntas. Among the first major acts that Niger’s post-coup government did was to expel France’s some 1,500 troops – all of which finally left in December.

American officials have been especially worried about the major drone base only recently built at a cost of $110 million called Air Base 201, which was crucial for Pentagon drone surveillance operations over the region. Likely it will now have to be shuttered, but without doubt US diplomats are busy begging Niger’s post-coup military to allow it to remain.

Authored by Mike Shedlock via mishtalk.com,

Jared Bernstein was asked about Modern Monetary Theory (MMT)…

MMT says government is different. It owes the money to itself and the debt can be canceled at will. In MMT theory, a benevolent government would spend the money wisely, cancel all the debt or pay interest to itself, and everyone will essentially live happily ever after.

The notion is really amusing. But it was more amusing watching Bernstein try to address a question on it.

CLIP: We hear a lot about the national debt.
But do currency-issuing governments really ‘borrow’ their own currencies?
The answer might surprise you.

Watch FINDING THE MONEY documentary, In Theaters and On Demand TOMORROW May 3https://t.co/H1e5fEuV7t pic.twitter.com/MA3AGIcCXi

— FINDING THE MONEY Film (@FindingMoneyDoc) May 2, 2024

*  *  *

For those shocked by how “clueless” Bernstein is, this is just half the story, in a 2014 NYT oped titled “Dethrone ‘King Dollar’” Bernstein stated: “the government needs to drop its commitment to maintaining the dollar’s reserve-currency status.”

He is not clueless, he knows… https://t.co/kBfHKtvDeS

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 3, 2024

Finally the movie “Finding the Money” is not some appeal to fiscal conservatism: it is just the opposite: praise for Stephanie Kelton, the lead prophet of MMT, which is institutionalized socialism and money printing. She was socialist Bernie Sander’s “economic advisor” for pete’s… https://t.co/MRnUhZ4RFr

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 3, 2024

Shed hunting season has opened up for Wyoming residents this week, as well as non-residents who must purchase a conservation stamp before collecting shed antlers on designated lands. 

The Wall Street Journal describes the mania in the hills around the Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Jackson, Wyoming, as the “World Cup of shed hunting.”

People across the state and from across the country are scouring the hills for freshly dropped antlers that haven’t yet been sun-bleached and are called “brown” or “brown gold” by some antler hunters. 

“It’s the adrenaline rush that you get, plus you’re outside, you’re away from people,” said antler hunter John Bishop, adding, “There’s really no worldly obligations anymore at that point. It’s just you and whatever else is out there.”

Earlier this week, Bishop and his group of friends, along with hundreds of other hunters, eagerly awaited the lifting of restrictions on antler hunting in the National Forest.

Scott Turner, another antler hunter, described the opening season in J-Hole as “the Super Bowl” or ” the World Cup of shed hunting.”

“It’s like the ultimate Easter egg hunt meets Spartan race,” Turner said, who has been collecting antlers for nearly three decades. 

WSJ pointed out that the popularity of shed hunting has surged in recent years. And perhaps the reason is simple:

“Right now, most people are paying between $15 and $16 a pound for brown elk,” antler buyer Jeremy Barry said. He called freshly dropped antlers that haven’t yet been sun-bleached are called “brown” or “brown gold.”

In addition to fancy antler chandeliers in mountain or lake homes, demand for antlers also comes from those who practice traditional Chinese medicine to treat a variety of diseases, including mammary hyperplasia, mastitis, uterine fibroids, malignant sores, and children’s mumps. 

Authored by Jonathan Turley,

In recent years, there has been much discussion of the claims of “trauma” by students caused by court rulings and other events. These developments are often cited as a basis for the cancellation of exam or classes. Conservative speakers, case decisions, and protests have all been cited in the past for such demands as well as the creation of therapy tents and trauma counseling. Now, editors of the Columbia Law Review (and editors of other journals) have called for the outright cancellation of exams due to the trauma of watching recent protests on campus.  This is indeed a learning moment. Law students need to be able to face such moments without shutting down due to the stress. Our profession is filled with stress and trauma. It is the environment in which we operate. In those moments, we do not have the option of being a no-show. We make our appearance and speak for others.

Such claims have been commonplace. Black Harvard and Georgetown law students demanded exam cancellation after the death of Michael Brown in 2014. Administrators and faculty foster these claims by calling free speech “harmful” and “triggering” for students.

Students have also complained of the trauma of taking classes by faculty who do not recognize “white privilege” or classes that touch on certain crimes. After Trump was elected in 2016, universities set up “safe areas” and trauma tents for students.

The editors of the Columbia Law Review are virtually guaranteed their picks of top jobs after graduation. Yet, they told the law school that the clearing of the unauthorized encampment constituted traumatic “violence” that left them “irrevocably shaken” and “unable to focus.” They were joined by editors of five other law journals, including the Columbia Human Rights Law Review & A Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual.

They portrayed the trauma as the appearance of counter protesters and police on campus, accusing a  “white supremacist, neo-fascist hate group” of “storming” campus.

The Columbia students told the university that “many are unwell at this time and cannot study or concentrate while their peers are being hauled to jail.”

The law school has postponed exams due to the protests but has not cancelled the exams.

The students offered an alternative but not preferred option of allowing them to take exams pass/fail. However, they emphasized that “instituting an optional Pass/Fail policy is not really optional when employers will see that some students have grades and others do not… [T]his leaves room for the introduction of extreme bias into the hiring process.”

It is true that law firms are likely to look for students who can handle high-stress situations. This letter suggests the opposite of students at the very top of the Columbia law class.

More importantly, the question is how such law students are emotionally prepared for the pressures of practice when such protests shut them down and leave them “unable to focus.” However, they have been educated in systems that have fostered the sense of victimization or trauma from opposing views.

While often called the “trophy generation,” it sometimes seems like this is becoming the trauma generation. I do not blame these students. Teachers and administrators have reinforced this view. That was evident in the controversial cancelling of a federal judge at Stanford Law School last year.

The Stanford Federalist Society invited Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to speak on campus. It is a great opportunity to hear the views of one of the highest ranked judicial officers in the country.  However, liberal students decided that allowing a conservative judge to speak on campus is intolerable and set about to “deplatform” him by shouting him down. It was reminiscent of an equally disgraceful event at Yale Law School when another conservative speaker was similarly canceled — the law students then objected to the fact that campus police were present.

In this event, Duncan was planning to speak on the topic:  “The Fifth Circuit in Conversation with the Supreme Court: Covid, Guns, and Twitter.” A video shows that the students prevented Duncan from speaking and the judge asked for an administrator to be called in to allow the event to proceed.

Dean Tirien Steinback then took the stage and, instead of simply demanding that the students allow for the event to proceed, Steinback launched into a babbling attack on the judge for seeking to be heard despite such objections.

Steinbach explained “I had to write something down because I am so uncomfortable up here. And I don’t say that for sympathy, I just say that I am deeply, deeply uncomfortable.”

Steinbach declared “It’s uncomfortable to say that for many people here, you’re work has caused harm.” After a perfunctory nod to free speech, Steinbach proceeded to eviscerate it to the delight of the law students. She continued “again I still ask, is the juice worth the squeeze?” “Is it worth the pain that this causes, the division that this causes? Do you have something so incredibly important to say about Twitter and guns and Covid that that is worth this impact on the division of these people.”

These students have spent years with such faculty telling them that they are fragile, vulnerable victims. However, our clients are often victims with traumatic injuries that must be addressed. Securing an equally vulnerable and triggered lawyer is not going to help them much.

Outside of the Columbia Law Review offices is a thing called life. It is neither predictable nor comfortable. We enter the lives of our clients when they are often failing apart. We have to bring our skills and support at those moments without the assistance of a trauma tent or emotional coach.  We also cannot ask judges for postponements to allow us to process the stress of the moment.

This is not meant to be another “buck up buttercup” dismissal. I understand that the campus faced disruption and that many feel deeply about the underlying issues. That passion is needed. Young lawyers should be motivated to right wrongs in this world. I also understand that many of these law students likely had friends who were arrested or involved in the protests. However, our clients look to us for strength not fragility in such moments.

The response from Columbia Law School should be simple: see you at the exams.

French President Emmanuel Macron has once again brought the possibility of Western ‘boots on the ground’ in Ukraine back into international headlines, after first controversially floating that the idea can’t be ruled out months ago.

In a fresh interview with The Economist, Macron said the possibility of injecting NATO troops into the conflict would “legitimately” arise in the scenario the Russia broke through the front lines and if the Zelensky government specifically made such a request.

Macron explained to the magazine that “if Russia decided to go further, we will in any case all have to ask ourselves this question” of sending troops. He called his prior words before NATO-member defense ministers in Paris urging them to not rule out troops a “strategic wake-up call for my counterparts.”

Via AP

Days ago in a speech he dramatically declared that Europe is “mortal” and could “die” if Russia wins in Ukraine and continues on an expansionist, destructive path (an assumption that many knowledgeable analysts have rejected as a real aim of Putin’s). 

Speaking to the The Economist, Macron further called Russia “a power of regional destabilization” and “a threat to Europeans’ security”.

“I have a clear strategic objective: Russia cannot win in Ukraine,” Macron continued. “If Russia wins in Ukraine, there will be no security in Europe.”

“Who can pretend that Russia will stop there? What security will there be for the other neighboring countries: Moldova, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and the others?” he posed theoretically.

A key problem and danger for escalation posed by Macron’s words is that Russian forces are already breaking through front lines in some key areas in the east.

As expected, these fresh and provocative remarks drew swift condemnation from the Kremlin, with Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying “The statement is very important and very dangerous.”

Macron “continues to constantly talk about the possibility of direct involvement on the ground in the conflict around Ukraine. This is a very dangerous trend,” Peskov emphasized.

Macron is back at it:

“If Russians break through and a request comes from Ukraine, France will consider introducing ground forces” pic.twitter.com/vbDRGKGEzv

— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) May 2, 2024

Peskov also called out remarks by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who has also traveled to Kiev. He said the hawkish stance of France and the UK “potentially pose a danger to European security, to the entire European security architecture.”

“We see a dangerous tendency towards escalation in official statements. This is raising our concern,” he concluded.