Personal Income and Outlays . . . “Personal Income and Outlays, May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,” BEA Personal income decreased $109.6 billion (0.4 percent at a monthly rate) in May, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI)—personal income less personal current taxes—decreased $125.0 billion […]

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Eggs Strengthen Muscles And Help Prevent Sarcopenia - How Many Should You Eat?

Authored by Zena le Roux via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

“Eating too many eggs will raise your cholesterol.”

For many years, we were warned to limit eggs in our diet. However, in 2015, the United States Department of Agriculture removed any upper limit on dietary cholesterol from its Dietary Guidelines, marking a big shift in how we view foods like eggs.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

Once considered villains of heart health, eggs are being re-evaluated as harmless when it comes to our hearts and as a nutrient-dense food that strengthens our muscles.

Eggs stand out as one of the most complete and bioavailable protein sources, making them an excellent choice for supporting muscle growth and maintenance, Jodi Duval, a naturopathic physician and owner of Revital Health, told The Epoch Times.

“They’re a staple in my clinical recommendations for anyone working on muscle mass, strength, or recovery,” she added.

Eggs Support Muscle

Egg protein is an excellent source of all the essential amino acids your body needs and is easy to digest. Thus, eggs are effective for building muscle and preventing loss, especially as we age.

In fact, eggs are likely the most digestible protein source—measured at 97 percent, compared with many plant proteins, which are digested at 45 to 80 percent.

Eggs are also very high in leucine, an amino acid considered to be the strongest stimulator of muscle growth and repair. For optimal muscle benefits, you need 700 to 3,000 milligrams of leucine daily. One egg contains about 500 milligrams, packed in just 72 calories, thus making it a great choice for muscle health.  

Eggs also contain other nutrients important for muscles, according to Duval. These include:

• Choline, which helps with muscle coordination
• Vitamin D, important for muscle strength
• Vitamins B12 and B2 support energy use in muscles
• Selenium, an antioxidant that helps with recovery
• Healthy fats, especially found in pasture-raised eggs, which contain omega-3s that reduce muscle inflammation

Omega-3 fats improve how muscles use amino acids and help reduce inflammation, which is important because inflammation can cause muscle loss.

Eggs are effective in helping to prevent muscle loss, or sarcopenia. Starting as early as age 30, adults begin to lose around 8 percent of their muscle mass each decade, a rate that accelerates after age 70.

The type and quality of protein in a meal are especially important as we age. Animal proteins, including eggs, are very effective at stimulating muscle maintenance in older adults. However, getting enough high-quality protein can be challenging for many seniors due to reduced appetite, difficulty chewing or swallowing, limited mobility, or tight budgets.

“Eggs really shine when it comes to preventing muscle loss in older adults,” Duval said.

They are affordable, easy to prepare, and rich in nutrients. Their high-quality protein, especially in the yolk, can improve the body’s ability to use protein effectively with age. Regularly including eggs in meals, particularly breakfast, can support muscle maintenance and improve strength and function in older adults, Duval explained.

Egg Whites Versus Yolks

Many people zero in on egg whites, assuming they’re the healthiest option. However, when it comes to muscle building, tossing the yolk means missing out on some of the egg’s most powerful benefits.

While the egg white provides a high-quality source of protein, the yolk contributes approximately 40 percent of the egg’s total protein content. More importantly, the yolk is rich in nutrients such as lipids, vitamins, minerals, and phosphatidic acid, a type of fat molecule that stimulates muscle growth.

Studies have shown that whole eggs offer greater muscle-building benefits than egg whites alone. In one study, healthy young men ate either whole eggs after a resistance training session, with 18 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat, or an equivalent amount of protein from egg whites, with 18 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat. The study found that whole eggs led to greater muscle building and repair, suggesting that the combination of nutrients in the yolk enhances the body’s ability to build muscle, even when total protein intake is the same.

How Many Eggs?

Around 20 grams of egg protein is enough to stimulate muscle growth after resistance training. Since one egg contains roughly 6 grams of protein, three eggs will get you close to the target.

How much you need also depends on your goals.

For athletes or those aiming to build muscle, Duval often recommends two to four eggs after a workout, along with a carbohydrate source to help replenish glycogen and support recovery.

For older adults, she suggests one to two eggs earlier in the day, like at breakfast, when protein timing is especially important to reduce muscle breakdown, regardless of activity level.

“For both athletes and older adults, consistency and spreading protein intake across the day are more important than loading it all at once,” she added.

Duval also emphasized the importance of egg quality. She always recommends pasture-raised, organic eggs when possible.

“They contain more omega-3s, antioxidants, and offer a better overall nutrient profile,” she said.

Easy and Creative Ways to Enjoy Eggs

Eggs are anything but boring, especially when you get a little creative in the kitchen.

Here are some of Duval’s favorite go-to recipes:

• Shakshuka: Eggs poached in a spiced tomato and capsicum sauce with cumin, paprika, and fresh herbs.
• Frittatas: A great way to use up greens, leftover vegetables, and flavor boosters like goat cheese or fresh herbs.
• Soft-boiled eggs with dukkah: A mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices, dukkah pairs well with eggs.
• Scrambled eggs with turmeric and black pepper: Serve with kimchi for a gut-friendly, anti-inflammatory meal.
• Avocado and egg toast: Top with microgreens and chili flakes for a quick, protein-rich breakfast or lunch.

Duval also recommends prepping ahead: “Egg muffins, boiled eggs for snacks, or nourishing bowls topped with poached eggs are all great make-ahead options.”

Lena Beal, cardiovascular dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, shared a few more fresh ideas with The Epoch Times:

• Stirred into oatmeal for a surprisingly tasty protein boost
• Japanese-style tamago or soy-marinated soft-boiled eggs
• Egg curry flavored with Indian spices

For those who don’t or can’t eat eggs, some egg substitutes—like tofu scramble or chickpea flour omelets—can offer some benefits when combined with other protein-rich foods, though they lack certain nutrients unique to eggs, such as vitamin B12 and choline.

Remember, eggs offer more than protein.

“They are one of the most complete, whole-food tools we have for strength and longevity at every life stage,” Duval said.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:40

Trump Urges Swift Action Oon Tax Bill As Republicans Reach Tentative SALT Deal

President Donald Trump intensified his push Friday for Congress to pass his sweeping tax and spending package before the July 4 holiday, as Senate Republicans announced a tentative deal on one of the legislation’s most contentious issues: the state and local tax deduction.

“The House of Representatives must be ready to send it to my desk before July 4th — We can get it done,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social, setting a firmer deadline after earlier signaling that slipping past Independence Day “wouldn’t be the end-all.”

The agreement on the so-called SALT cap would raise the current $10,000 deduction limit to $40,000 annually for five years, Senator John Hoeven told reporters Friday afternoon. The development marked a potential breakthrough in negotiations that have divided Republican lawmakers, particularly those from high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

The Senate plans to begin voting on the bill as early as midday Saturday. Still, it remained uncertain whether the compromise would be enough to win over a bloc of House Republicans who had threatened to oppose the package unless the SALT deduction was expanded for a full decade.

This latest revision on includes a phaseout of the enhanced deduction for taxpayers earning $500,000 or more, according to a person familiar with the discussions who requested anonymity to describe private talks. In a further concession, negotiators also agreed to abandon a proposal that would have placed new restrictions on the ability of pass-through businesses - like partnerships and LLCs - to deduct state and local taxes.

That proposal had targeted workaround structures approved by legislatures in states like New York, Connecticut and California, which allowed business owners to sidestep the $10,000 cap that applies to most individual taxpayers. The House version of Mr. Trump’s plan had sought to curtail those arrangements.

Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said negotiators were “very, very close” to finalizing the SALT provision. He declined to offer details but emphasized the importance of meeting the president’s July 4 deadline, calling it a source of “certainty.”

The SALT issue is just one of several obstacles that have slowed the bill’s progress in the Senate. Republican leaders are also working to reconcile divisions over proposed cuts to social programs and the elimination of clean energy tax credits—priorities for conservative members that have raised concerns among moderates.

Senator John Thune, the Republican leader, faces the challenge of uniting the party behind a bill that represents the cornerstone of Mr. Trump’s second-term economic agenda. The legislation would make permanent the individual and corporate tax cuts enacted in 2017, while introducing temporary tax breaks for hourly workers, seniors, and new car buyers.

In addition to its tax provisions, the bill authorizes hundreds of billions in new spending for defense, border enforcement, and immigration operations. To offset some of the projected revenue loss, the measure scales back funding for Medicaid, food assistance programs, and federal college aid.

Crucially, the package also includes a $5 trillion increase in the debt ceiling, a move intended to prevent a federal default projected as early as August.

As Republican lawmakers prepare for a weekend of high-stakes votes, the fate of the bill—and its sweeping economic implications—now rests on whether internal party divisions can be resolved in time.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:20

Pentagon Creates New 250-Mile Military Buffer Zone At Texas–Mexico Border

Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Defense is establishing a new military buffer zone—known as a national defense area—along the southwestern border to curb illegal immigration.

Texas National Guard soldiers uncoil concertina wire near the U.S.–Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas. John Moore/Getty Images

On June 25, the U.S. Air Force announced that a 250-mile stretch of the border along the Rio Grande in Texas’s Cameron and Hidalgo counties will be designated an extension of Joint Base San Antonio.

The land was previously managed by the International Boundary and Water Commission, an agency overseeing water-sharing between the United States and Mexico.

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to allocate military resources for border enforcement. In an April presidential memo, Trump outlined plans to establish national defense areas, calling it a military mission “for sealing the southern border of the United States and repelling invaders.”

While the U.S. military generally does not perform civilian law enforcement, the national defense area designation grants limited legal authority for specific actions. Within these zones, servicemembers may help with setting up barriers and signs, conduct patrols—much like on any military base—and temporarily detain trespassers until they are transferred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

The first national defense area was designated in April, a 170-mile zone in New Mexico, attached to Fort Huachuca in neighboring Arizona. The following month, a 63-mile section was set up in West Texas under Fort Bliss.

Combined with the new Texas stretch, the total area under national defense area designation now exceeds 480 miles. The Texas–Mexico border extends 1,254 miles.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Departments of Defense and the U.S. Navy for confirmation regarding any other national defense areas in the works.

In May, a federal judge dismissed trespassing charges against 98 illegal immigrants who had been arrested inside the New Mexico national defense area.

In his ruling, U.S. magistrate judge Gregory Wormuth said the federal government had failed to prove that the accused individuals knew they were entering a restricted military zone, despite posted signs in both English and Spanish warning that unauthorized entry was prohibited.

“As the United States concedes, the NMNDA [New Mexico National Defense Area] spans over 180 miles of ‘often difficult and mountainous terrain,’” the judge said. “The mere fact that some ’signs’ were posted in the NMNDA provides no basis on which to conclude that the defendant could have seen, let alone did see, the signs.”

The judge’s decision dismissed two misdemeanor charges faced by the 98 migrants arrested: violating a security regulation and entering military property for an unlawful purpose. A third misdemeanor charge of illegal border crossing still stands.

According to the Department of Justice, as of mid-May, at least 60 individuals have pleaded guilty to illegally entering a national defense area in a separate case related to West Texas.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 17:00

According to Tech Viral: “Tesla has abruptly stopped Cybertruck and Model Y production, triggering a nearly 3% stock drop to $348.29, as shown in the finance card above. “The pause, Tesla’s third Cybertruck halt this year at its Austin Gigafactory, compounds delays in Robotaxi plans and Elon Musk’s controversies. “As EV competition intensifies, Tesla’s frequent […]

The post Tesla update appeared first on Angry Bear.

Israel Pummels South Lebanon In Biggest Airstrikes Since November Hezbollah Ceasefire

In an dangerous sign that hostilities involving Iran and Israel could quickly ratchet again, Israel on Friday is pounding southern Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah is entrenched, in the biggest escalation there since a November ceasefire was agreed to.

Massive plumes of smoke have been observed over the region, with Lebanon’s official National News Agency reporting that a residential building in Nabatieh was directly struck, resulting in the death of at least one person and the wounding of 21 more.

Israeli airstrikes on the Nabatieh area in south Lebanon on Friday, via X

Local media further says there over twenty strikes in only under 15-minutes, making it the most intense attack in well over six months.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed what it said were airstrikes targeting a "significant underground project" used by Hezbollah. The statement touted that the site was "completely taken out of use" following the strikes,

But questions remain as the IDF said that it targeted a Hezbollah site identified as Beaufort Ridge, which actually lies some five miles from Nabatieh.

"In recent days, the IDF identified attempts by the Hezbollah terror organization to restore the site, and therefore the terror infrastructure in the area was struck," the Israeli military said.

Huge blast images circulating on social media, via X

The IDF further claimed the "presence of this site and the attempts to reestablish it constitute a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

This statement suggests the Israel-Hezbollah truce could be on the brink of failure.

This could also be the result of Israeli frustration at President Trump having enforced an Iran ceasefire - given that Israeli leaders were telling the public to expect 'weeks' more of air attacks on the Islamic Republic.

As for current allegations of attacks on Lebanese residential buildings, Israel's military claims "The IDF did not target any civilian building," according to the IDF's Arabic-language spokesman.

BREAKING | An Israeli drone bombs a house in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, southern Lebanon.

The warplanes also bombed between the southern Lebanese villages of Zrarieh and Ansar. pic.twitter.com/4lBrScKORU

— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) June 27, 2025

"According to the information we have, the building was hit by a rocket projectile that was stored at the site, and was launched and exploded as a result of the airstrike," he said.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 16:40

"Great Cities Fall To The Sound Of Cheering Crowds..."

Authored by James Howard Kunstler,

Chaos Creeps In On Little Cat's Feet

"Great cities fall to the sound of cheering crowds."

- Ami Kozak on "X"

The Democratic Party put another bullet in its head this week with the election of the charming, affable jihadi communist Zohran Mamdani. Is “communist” too harsh a label? (He styles himself, softly, a “socialist.”) Yet his campaign platform looks like a template from the venerable Soviet Council of Ministers circa 1957: Free Everything: housing, buses and subways, college, child-care, government food stores. . . with a cherry-on-top of replacing police with social workers in high crime areas — because rapists and car-jackers would quit their rowdy ways if only they could talk about their feelings.

If you believe the news reports emanating from Woke Central, Zohran received major support from the folks who predominate the Upper West Side, where he was raised-up by his Columbia prof Dad and film-maker Mom. That is, voted in by the same high-income demographic that flocks to Zabar’s Deli on Sunday mornings for smoked sturgeon and babka — a curious alliance. I guess this solves the old riddle of why Europe’s Jews walked so placidly into Auschwitz.

“Life imitates art,” old Oscar Wilde liked to say, and with so many self-administered bullets in its head now, the Democratic Party looks more and more like The Walking Dead, a necromantic tribute to its erstwhile mascot, “Joe Biden,” the Phantom of the White House. Fortunately, the Latinx bombshell, AOC, America’s answer to Eva Peron, has stepped up to the leadership role, flanked by the foxy Jasmine Crockett, with their mentor, Bernie Sanders close at hand (on a leash, really) barking validation for the Party’s death trip.

It’s a wonder of our time (and its playful zeitgeist) that New Yorkers might choose a mayor even worse than the brain-dead colossus, Bill de Blasio, but there it is, in plain sight for all to behold. The Big Apple and its various services will now go from their currently merely broke-ass condition, to the complete collapse of infrastructure, transit, housing, revenue, business, and public safety, in other words, to true Third World authenticity! Serious people, who run viable businesses, support families, and pay whopping taxes, are in a panic, all a’chatter about moving elsewhere.

That chatter is not idle, especially among the class that owns major real estate, of which New York City has a frightening and increasingly obsolete inventory — hundreds of office skyscrapers running at fifty percent (or less) occupancy, which cannot cover their mortgages, maintenance, or taxes. What will become of them? I’ll tell you: some will be foreclosed-on, sold for dimes on the dollar (and fail again under new ownership,) and quite few will stand empty waiting for acanthus tree seeds to sprout on their empty windowsills.

Or, they will turn into “squats,” like the towers in the abandoned city center of Johannesburg that I saw visiting there ten years ago. Those giant office buildings were not converted into “residential,” you understand; folks were simply camping-out there, even with the electricity and water turned off. This is exactly what happens when you run the prosperous people, whom you hate, out of town, which is what happened in that sad-sack nation.

How many demonstration projects like that are needed to prove that communism with a racist frosting on top is a mug’s game.

Of course, we’re not there yet. Zohran hasn’t been sworn in, though the victory celebration just now looks like it’s fait accompli. You can only imagine the frantic conversation running between the old party poohbahs out in the cold: Chuck Schumer, Hakim, Nadler, Obama, even the loser, Cuomo, plus the non-elected party apparatchiks: Axelrod, Podesta, Carville, Plouffe, Emmanuel. . . . They’re not saying, but I bet many are silently wondering: Is there some way we can just disappear the guy? Make him go away? X him out? Cancel his ass? (Someone, for Godsake, find a couple of girls who will say he groped them in an elevator!)

Or maybe some electoral work-around? Maybe put what remains of the party’s dwindling financial mojo back behind Eric Adams — yes, he’s still Mayor — who supposedly quit the party (after they tried and failed to stuff him in prison) and is running for mayor now as an independent. . . but who will surely welcome whatever support and moolah they can bring to his cause. Adams’s two great virtues as a political figure: he’s not Bill de Blasio and he’s not Zohran Mamdani.

New York might go down the drain anyway. At least for a while. That broken business model for skyscrapers is not going away anytime soon, and neither is the greatly augmented Third World population funneled across the open border into New York City by “Joe Biden’s” shadowy minders. Will New York turn into that fairytale town whose economy subsisted on people simply taking in each other’s laundry?

Well, the city will always have its geographical assets, like, the best goshdarn ocean harbor in the whole east coast. Something will be there. . . some human agglomeration. But what? And over all of that, like the uncanny eyes of Dr. TJ Eckleburg in Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, looming above the ash-heaps of Queens County on the road to West Egg, lately rises the stern visage of Donald J. Trump, New York real estate mogul superbus, and now President of this sore-beset nation, watching events roll out.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 16:20

DOJ Sues California County Over Non-Citizen Voting Records

Authored by Brad Jones via The Epoch Times,

The Trump administration has sued California’s Orange County Registrar of Voters Robert Page for allegedly withholding information that could reveal noncitizens were registered to vote.

The lawsuit, filed in federal district court, alleges that Orange County undermined voter confidence by “refusing transparency of its voter information in violation of federal voting laws” and  “concealing the unlawful registration of ineligible, noncitizen voters.”

“Voting by noncitizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the federal Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division.

“Removal of noncitizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the state’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable,” she said.

The lawsuit alleges that Page has refused to provide the DOJ with records pertaining to the removal of noncitizens from its voter registration list and has failed to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X on June 26 that Orange County refused “to hand over records showing noncitizens are registered to vote and received ballots in federal elections.”

Page did not respond directly to a media inquiry, but media liaison Enedina Chhim stated in an email to The Epoch Times that the county “does not comment on pending or ongoing litigation.”

The lawsuit stems from a complaint received by the Attorney General’s Office from the family member of a noncitizen in Orange County “indicating that the noncitizen received an unsolicited mail-in ballot” from the OC Registrar of Voters.

On June 2, 2025, the attorney general requested documents from Page from Jan. 1, 2020, “to present” showing the number of voter registration records in Orange County canceled because registrants didn’t meet citizenship requirements to vote, according to allegations in the complaint.

Page responded to the request but redacted information such a California driver’s licenses and identification card numbers, Social Security numbers, California secretary of State-assigned voter identification numbers, language preference, and images of registrants’ signatures, according to the complaint.

The legal complaint stated that Page cited state law as the reason for the redactions, and on June 17 the DOJ responded to him indicating the data redaction prohibits the Attorney General’s Office from making an accurate assessment of the whether the OC Registrar of Voters acted in compliance with HAVA and the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

The Attorney General’s Office holds that such records are not exempt from the NVRA’s public disclosure provision and is seeking declaratory and injunctive relief.

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 15:45

Fired Black Workers Sue Walmart Over Criminal Background Checks

A class action lawsuit was filed Thursday against Walmart for firing Black workers with criminal records.  The suit follows years of accusations by progressive organizations claiming that Walmart has "shown a pattern of firing qualified Black workers" because of past involvement with the legal system - a practice they say perpetuates "racial and economic inequality".

Former workers, attorneys and advocates gathered in Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago to announce the suit and argue their rationale:

"Having a record does not define you or your character," said Marcos Ceniceros, with Warehouse Workers for Justice. "It should not determine your worth, and it certainly shouldn't be used as an excuse to fire Black workers trying to build a better life."

The argument assumes, of course, that Walmart has limited its firings to only black workers with criminal records.  Plaintiffs would have to show evidence that the company does not fire white workers with similar records, or that they have a blanket ban on those with criminal histories (federal law does not allow for blanket bans on hiring convicted criminals).

The criminal background issue also comes down to supply and demand - In a tightening labor market companies are less likely to overlook an employee with a record because they have plenty of applicants with clean histories.  In a choice between a criminal and non-criminal, it's obvious who most employers would hire.  Ultimately, corporations have legal discretion to hire or not hire workers with detrimental backgrounds as long as they review all aspects of each application.

The race debate when it comes to practical business decisions is reminiscent of the ongoing conflict over "food deserts" in cities like Chicago in predominantly black neighborhoods.  Residents and city officials assert that mass retail closures in these neighborhoods constitute an attack on racial equality, but they continually ignore the key problem - High crime and high rates of theft in black areas.  

Actions have consequences, but race hustlers are trying to circumvent this reality.  Some people who have committed crimes and paid their debt to society might deserve a second chance.  Others might not.  Race has little to do with it, and it's not up to business owners to take the risk simply because a worker is a minority.  

By extension, if a certain demographic is far more statistically prone to commit crimes, then businesses must take this into account.  They might not be able to legally admit it, but they can't pretend the dynamic doesn't exist.  The loss of access to employment and to close retail options is in the hands of the community and its residents.  They determine if companies stay or leave.  They determine if they are hired or fired.  

Accountability cannot be avoided forever under the guise of "equity".    

Tyler Durden Fri, 06/27/2025 - 15:25

As passed by the House of Representatives

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 8, 2025

As passed by the House of Representatives

As passed by the House of Representatives

As passed by the House of Representatives

As passed by the House of Representatives

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 8, 2025

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 8, 2025

As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 8, 2025

As passed by the House of Representatives

As reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 24, 2025