WEED-BACKED CRYPTOCURRENCY POTCOIN FUNDED DENNIS RODMAN’S NORTH KOREA TRIP (Source Salon)
Former NBA player  Dennis Rodman has made yet another trip to North Korea this week. Though time a fully unofficial ambassador of the United States, he arrives in the republic as the official ambassador of PotCoin, a digital currency marketed to the marijuana industry.  PotCoin’s website, the currency “was designed to empower, secure and facilitate the legal cannabis community’s transactions by creating a unique crypto currency for this thriving industry.” PotCoin’s interest in North Korea, an isolated country, was not immediately known and none was provided in a press release from the company announcing Rodman’s trip. Indeed, the exact nature of marijuana laws and marijuana cultivation in the state are marijuana-legal-in-north-korea-nebulous due to a lack of credible literature on the subject. For years, there have been rumors that North Korea was a cannabis paradise with legal, open use ubiquitous. More often than not, though, those reports are spurious and perhaps inspired by another substance the locals smoke. There are further reports that the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — in which non-smokable cannabis is grown on an industrial scale for industrial use — is itself involved in the illicit drug trade. That said, unsanctioned drug smuggling remains a capital offense in the country.
“Dennis Rodman is in the very rare position to be able to claim long-time friendships with both the Supreme Leader of North Korea, as well as with the current President of the United States,” PotCoin’s  potcoin-sends-dennis-rodman-back-north-korea statement read. The press release also contained a quote from Rodman’s long-time agent Darren Prince, “Anyone who knows Dennis knows he’s trying to use his relationship to open the line of communication and send a message of peace and understanding.”

RUSSIA WARNS THE US TO NOT LAUNCH ANOTHER MILITARY STRIKE ON SYRIAN FORCES (Source ANTI MEDIA)
us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia-usa According to Reuters, Russia has warned the U.S. not to attack Syrian-aligned troops again in the war-torn country. Reuters reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov relayed the message to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a phone call on Saturday  — a phone call the U.S. reportedly initiated. “Lavrov expressed his categorical disagreement with the U.S. strikes on pro-government forces and called on him to take concrete measures to prevent similar incidents in future,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said, as reported by Reuters.The U.S. has struck pro-Syrian troops illegal-war-with-syria numerous times in recent weeks and just recently shot  “http://theantimedia.org/us-warplane-shoots-pro-syrian-government-dronea Syrian drone — blatant acts of war against a sovereign nation. A Russian general also  theantimedia.org/russian-general-us-isis-syrian-govt/” \t “_blank” claimed that the U.S. may even be colluding with ISIS, allowing them safe passage to leave Raqqa as the U.S. military besieges the Syrian city. The predicament puts the U.S. in an increasingly precarious and contradictory position. As “russia-us-declared-de-confliction-zone-in-syria-illegitimate noted by Antiwar, Russia has explicitly stated it does not recognize America’s self-proclaimed deconfliction zones (zones where the U.S. believes only their military carries-out-another-airstrike-in-syria should be able to operate), especially as the Western power does not have the approval of the Syrian government. Antiwar also the antimedia.org/pentagon-russia-very-helpful-syria noted that the U.S. originally did not want to recognize Russia’s proposal for safe zones. Despite russia-u-s-aircraft-barred-from-syria-safe-zones- opposing the idea initially, the U.S. has used it as an excuse to strike Syrian government troops operating within their own country.

Trump Plans First Meeting as President With Putin in July, Official Says (Source Bloomberg)
Donald Trump will hold his first meeting as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July at the annual Group of 20 summit of leaders of major economies in Germany, an administration official said. The meeting will come amid widening attention to an investigation into whether Trump associates colluded with Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The administration official told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One on Friday that Trump expects to meet with Putin during the July trip, which will include a stop in Warsaw.

Merkel’s Chief of Staff Says EU to Join China, India on Climate (Source Bloomberg) German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, said Europe will move forward with countries such as China and India after the U.S. pulled out of the Paris climate treaty. “The U.S. exit from the climate accord is a major setback,” Altmaier wrote in a guest op-ed in Bild am Sonntag newspaper published on Sunday. “Even in the U.S., people are sad and angry, because they recognize that their country’s exit is the costliest option and will be a setback of decades.” Echoing Merkel’s words that President Donald Trump’s decision was merkel-says-climate-fight-is-irreversible-despite-u-s-pullout” “Merkel Says Climate Fight Is ‘Irreversible’ Despite U.S. Pullout extremely regrettable” and that the course plotted by the global agreement was irreversible, Altmaier signaled the EU and the world’s other major economies would move on with a climate agenda without the U.S. Merkel joined theaders of France and Italy to reject Trump’s suggestion of re-negotiating the accord. The German leader, frustrated by the inability of leaders at a Group of Seven summit last month to persuade Trump to stay in the Paris treaty, indicated last week that transatlantic ties binding the U.S. and Europe since World War II  merkel-signals-new-era-for-europe-as-trump-smashes-consensus” \o “Merkel Signals New Era for Europe as Trump Smashes Consensus (2)” \t “_blank” may now be loosening.

Putin Deploys Missile Defense System in Siberia that has no match among Western militaries’ amid rising concerns of war breaking out in North Korea (Source dailymail.co.uk) The Buk-M3 can counter cruise missiles, theatre ballistic missiles, aircrafts and helicopters, which were all seen in its first deployment in eastern Siberia The defense system comes amid concerns over war breaking out in North Korea Defense Secretary Jim Mattis this week that Kim Jong Un is a threat to the world The Buk-M3 has no match among Western armaments, according to Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin is deploying his new state-of-the-art Buk-M3 missile defense system in eastern Siberia in response to concerns over war breaking out in North Korea. The move follows a warning by US defense secretary Jim Mattis this week that Kim Jong Un’s regime is the world’s ‘most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security’. The Buk-M3 has no match among Western armaments, according to Moscow, which has expressed ‘profound concern’ over recent North Korean missile launches which ‘serve to heighten tensions’, with US warships already on patrol in the region.

WALMART AND AMAZON KNOW THE TERRIBLE TRUTH: THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS IS DYING (Source blacklistednews.com)
A lot of people were probably thrilled today about Amazon’s latest announcement. The online retail giant has revealed that they are going to reduce the cost of Prime membership, which provides free shipping for more orders and unlimited streaming for many shows and movies. But it’s not just for anyone. The reduced rate   technology/amazon-prime-discount-low-income-shoppers/index.html?category=technology”  will be reserved for low income households. It sounds like good news, but it’s really not. Not when you look at the bigger picture. Consider the fact that Amazon Prime memberships were originally targeted at high income earners. In fact,  HYPERLINK “http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-penetration-by-household-income-2016-4” 70% of households that earn more than $112,000 per year have Amazon Prime memberships, compared to just over 40% of lower middle class households. It’s less than 25% among households that take in less than $25,000 a year. If you haven’t guessed what I’m getting at, consider what Walmart is doing. The retail giant and chief rival of Amazon, has long been considered the shopping outlet of choice for low income families. But recently, Walmart purchased another Amazon rival known as Jet.com, which markets to high income earners. So, whatever happened to the middle class? Why aren’t these massive companies focusing on attracting middle income earners? Isn’t the middle class the perfect demographic for retail outlets? Though they aren’t rich, they still have a decent amount of disposable income, and there are so many people in the middle class that surely their collective disposable income outweighs both the rich and the poor right? Unfortunately that’s not the case. That’s why the recent moves made by Amazon and Walmart aren’t in fact, good news. It’s a sign that  “http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-and-walmart-confirm-the-death-of-the-middle-class-2017-6” \t “_blank” the middle class just isn’t what it used to be. It’s been hollowed out by decades of economic malaise. The two retailers’ strategies of aiming at the furthest ends of the income spectrum highlight the widening gap between wealthy and poor Americans and the disappearance of what was once the most sought-after class of income-earners in the country. “This is absolutely symptomatic of a deteriorating middle class, or at least what we used to consider to be the middle class in America,” Stephens told Business Insider.
When Walmart was founded in 1962, the middle class in America was thriving. “From postwar to about the late 1970s, you wanted to be in the mid-tier of retail. That is where everybody was making a fortune, including Walmart,” Stephens said. “Then from 1980 onward, you wanted to pick a side, because it started to become clear that the middle class was evaporating.” Walmart and Amazon know the terrible truth about our economy and our standard of living. The middle class is dying. It makes more sense for big companies to cater to the rich and the poor, because there aren’t as many people in the middle class as there used to be. It’s more profitable to make a few bucks off each poor person, because their are millions of poor people, and it’s more profitable to make millions of dollars off of a handful of rich people.
But people in the middle? Sure, they have some disposable income, but they’re a dying breed.

NASA RELEASING ARTIFICIAL CLOUDS OVER MARYLAND COAST (Source blacklistednews.com) Press is reporting that  HYPERLINK “http://www.naturalblaze.com/2017/05/stratospheric-cockpit-photos.html NASA is to release luminescent, artificial clouds above the mid-atlantic coast. The clouds will be accompanied by a sounding rocket launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s eastern shore between 4:25 a.m. and 4:42 a.m. NASA’s stated purpose of the release is to test a new system to support studies of the ionosphere. NASA is to launch a sounding rocket and deploy the 10 canisters into the air about 6-12 miles from the rocket. The canisters will “deploy blue-green and red vapor forming artificial clouds, which will allow scientists on the ground to track particle motions,” AP reports. The report came out on Tuesday, May 30 and stated that the test would take place on Tuesday – so it is unclear to this writer whether the clouds have already been released or if they are for the following Tuesday. That’s all we know for now. As we’ve said with the release of south-carolina-prepares-round-2-bee-killing-zika-spraying Zika spraying hysteria – isn’t it nice when we get told what is going to happen instead of being petitioned what experiments our public funds are used for? Now that you know about the test, one can at least track the results of NASA’s ionosphere tests, hopefully in the near future.

SOROS: THE EUROPEAN UNION IS NOW IN AN “EXISTENTIAL CRISIS” AND TRUMP’S AMERICA IS A “HOSTILE POWER” (Source blacklistedmews.com) Commenting on the current state of the European experiment, George Soros warned the European Union has plunged it into an existential crisis as a result of “dysfunctional” institutions and austerity mandates, and will require the bloc to reinvent itself to survive. Speaking at the Brussels Economic Forum, the billionaire investor said the EU had “lost its momentum” as he urged policymakers to abandon hopes of “ever closer union” driven by a top-down approach from Brussels, a statement which will likely displease Germany. “The European Union is now in an existential crisis,” Soros told a Brussels audience. “Most Europeans of my generation were supporters of further integration. Subsequent generations came to regard the EU as an enemy that deprives them of a secure and promising future.” Just a day after Brussels published a paper mapping out its vision of eurozone integration, Mr Soros warned that the single currency area had become “the exact opposite of what was originally intended” according to  HYPERLINK “http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/06/01/dysfunctional-eu-has-plunged-existential-crisis-george-soros/” the Telegraph. Quoted by  HYPERLINK “http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/01/soros-says-the-european-union-is-now-in-an-existential-crisis-surrounded-by-hostile-powers.html” CNBC, Soros said Europe’s “reinvention would have to revive the support that the European Union used to enjoy.” The reinvention would have to review past mistakes and explain what went wrong, and make proposals to make things right.

‘I don’t think anyone would survive’: Putin tells Oliver Stone that a ‘hot’ war between the US and Russia would result in nuclear holocaust (Source dailymail.co.uk)
War between the United States and Russia would result in a nuclear holocaust in which nobody would survive, Russian President  ” Vladimir Putin told director Oliver Stone in an interview set to air on Showtime next week. The Putin Interviews between the Russian leader and the Oscar-winning director, which will be screened on Showtime, were shot between summer 2015 and February this year and give an extraordinary insight into one of the most powerful men in the world.
When Stone asked Putin if there’s ‘any hope of change’ in relations between Washington and Moscow, the president replied: ‘There is always hope. Until they are ready to bring us to the cemetery and bury us.’ In two separate teasers, Putin delves into Russia’s age-old suspicions of NATO. The Russian leader says that countries who join NATO inevitably become ‘vassals’ of the Americans. ‘Once a country becomes a NATO member, it is hard to resist the pressures of the US. And all of a sudden any weapons system can be placed in this country. An anti-ballistic missile system, new military bases and if need be, new offensive systems,’ Putin said. The president said that Russia’s actions are merely a response to what it sees as a more menacing threat from a NATO that is expanding toward its border.
‘We have to aim our missile systems at facilities that are threatening us. The situation becomes more tense,’ Putin said.

Is This China’s Next Step To Destroy The Dollar? (Source Zero Hedge)
China is currently modifying the terms of its oil trade with Saudi Arabia. Specifically, China is working on a deal to pay for Saudi oil using Chinese yuan. This effort poses a direct threat to the security of the dollar. If this China-Saudi deal happens — yuan for oil — it’s another step closer to the grave for the petrodollar, which has dominated global finance since 1974. You can revisit  Rickards ” Assault on the Dollar, here.
To recap, the petrodollar is weakening because the dollar is losing power as the world’s reserve currency. This is similar to the way pounds sterling gradually fell out of favor during the decline of the British Empire. The decline may take a long time, but what we’re seeing today is another step in the death march of the dollar.
Since 1974, Saudi has accepted payment for almost all of its oil exports — to all countries — in dollars. This is due to an agreement between Saudi and the U.S., dating back to the days of President Nixon. Beginning about 15 years ago, China ceased being self-sufficient in oil, and began buying Saudi oil. As per all Saudi customers, China had to pay in dollars. Even today, China still pays for Saudi oil in U.S. dollars and not yuan, which perturbs China’s leaders. Since 2010, China’s total oil imports have nearly doubled. According to Bloomberg News, China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest oil importing nation. Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia will find itself more and more locked-out of the Chinese oil market if it won’t sell oil for yuan. But to do this, the Saudis must move away from U.S. dollars— and from petrodollars — if Saudi wants to maintain and increase access to China’s oil market. If Saudi begins accepting yuan for oil, all bets are off on the petrodollar. Yuan-for-oil will entirely change the monetary dynamics of global energy flows. I expect the U.S. dollar to weaken severely when that news breaks.