Watch: Powerful Blast Rocks Luxury Residential Tower In Shenzhen
Dramatic footage has been posted on X, capturing the moment a powerful blast rocked a luxury residential tower in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.
Number 1 trend on Weibo now: the terrible explosion that occurred in a residential building in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District today just after 14.30 after which 16 fire trucks and 80 fire rescue workers rushed to the scene. pic.twitter.com/6l3RJlFeN3
The Shenzhen fire brigade said it had dispatched 16 fire trucks and 80 rescue personnel after receiving a report of the emergency at the compound.
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According to state media The Beijing News, a preliminary investigation showed that a gas explosion on the 28th floor of the building caused the fire, while the exact cause of the explosion was still being investigated.
According to the Shanghai Morning Post, local officials have not confirmed casualty numbers, which remain unknown. At least one resident of the high-end condo building had fallen off after losing consciousness.
Footage of the aftermath was posted on X, including a shocking image of a person at the edge of their floor, attempting to escape the flames…
An explosion occurred in an apartment at Phase II of Shenzhen Bay Yuefu in Nanshan District earlier this afternoon, Shenzhen Media Group reported.
The cause of the explosion and any potential injuries remain unclear. Authorities are conducting an emergency investigation into… pic.twitter.com/22FORvcJZG
Website Finder.com cited data from the National Christmas Tree Association showing that 43% of American households are expected to purchase a real tree this holiday season, with the average tree costing around $79.31—around $4 more than in 2023.
2020 marked a critical point in which artificial tree sales surpassed real tree sales for the first time.
Separately, data from point-of-sale company Square shows that Christmas tree prices typically peak and are most expensive immediately after Black Friday and during the first half of December. Square noted that 50% deals occur in the days leading up to Christmas.
Square Research Lead Ara Kharazian wrote in a note: “The cheapest time to buy a Christmas tree is right before Christmas. The best time is whichever day maximizes joy in your household.”
Over the past decade, Christmas tree supplies have been squeezed by a supplier bust originating back to the Global Financial Crisis, compounded by continued adverse weather conditions in the country’s top tree-growing regions.
“The root of the tight supply issue goes back to 2008 when an oversupply led growers to scale back planting,” Jill Sidebottom, a National Christmas Tree Association spokesperson, told CBS MoneyWatch.
Sidebottom added that adverse weather conditions, including the 2021 heat dome that destroyed trees across the Pacific Northwest, have exacerbated supply constraints in recent years.
Meanwhile, PNC Bank’s annual Christmas Price Index, which calculates the cost of “True Love’s” gifts from the classic holiday carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, rose by 5.4% compared to last year.
Data from Bankrate shows persistent inflation and high interest rates are expected to weigh on low/mid-tier consumers this holiday season. According to the financial services company, about one-third of holiday shoppers plan to spend less this year than last year.
Here’s How Manhattan DA Plans To Keep Trump Case Alive
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg – who had a Biden DOJ plant in his legal case against former President Donald Trump – is trying to ensure his hush money case doesn’t vanish into thin air as Trump prepares for his return to the White House.
According to court filings revealed Tuesday, Bragg’s office is fiercely opposed to dismissing the case outright but is open to pausing proceedings while Trump serves his second term as president.
The 82-page legal brief, prosecutors’ most detailed argument yet, stops short of recommending an explicit course of action but outlines several ways to keep the case alive. Among them: delaying sentencing until after Trump leaves office in 2029 or freezing the case while leaving the jury’s guilty verdict intact, The Hill reports.
“The extreme remedy of dismissing the indictment and vacating the jury verdict is not warranted in light of multiple alternative accommodations that would fully address the concerns raised by presidential immunity,” wrote Assistant District Attorney Christopher Conroy.
The filing comes as Trump, now president-elect, wages a legal battle to quash the 34 felony charges stemming from hush money payments to an adult film star. Trump’s lawyers claim his status as president-elect grants him immunity and demands immediate dismissal.
Prosecutors, however, aren’t buying it. They argue that immunity doesn’t apply until Trump is inaugurated, meaning the case could theoretically proceed to sentencing before January 20, 2025 — a prospect Trump has vowed to fight tooth and nail.
Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over Trump’s trial, will now decide the case’s fate, with a ruling expected any day.
A Legal Tightrope
The DA’s office acknowledged the complications of prosecuting a sitting president but stopped short of saying the case should be completely shelved.
Trump was convicted by a Manhattan Jury ‘of his peers’ on 34 counts of falsifying business records, however his reelection to the highest office in the land has put a damper on prosecutors’ plans.
Sentencing was initially scheduled for last month, only to be postponed indefinitely by Judge Merchan, making it increasingly unlikely Trump will face punishment anytime soon.
That would leave open the possibility that Trump could still proceed to sentencing in 2029, after he leaves office.
Alternatively, state prosecutors said the judge could terminate the case without tossing Trump’s conviction, noting a jury verdict removed the presumption of innocence, he was never sentenced and his conviction was “neither affirmed nor reversed” on appeal because of presidential immunity. -The Hill
Trump’s legal team is crying foul, claiming the prosecution disrupts his transition efforts and his ability to govern effectively. “Wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts and his preparations to wield the full Article II executive power authorized by the Constitution pursuant to the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024,” Trump’s attorneys fumed in a recent filing.
Prosecutors hit back, accusing Trump of using delay tactics to muddy the waters. “Having filed those motions to dismiss and then sought repeated adjournments of sentencing to permit their determination by this Court, it is particularly brazen for defendant to argue that the Supremacy Clause bars the Court from taking any action on the motions defendant himself filed,” Conroy wrote.
UK, Germany, Austria & Others Halt Asylum Bids For Syrians After Assad’s Fall
After many years of a massive refugee influx into Europe from Middle East wars, especially going to back to the height of the 2015 migrant crisis, several European countries have ordered a halt to processing asylum applications from Syrians. This comes after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria.
The UK, German, and Austria have confirmed they are freezing their applications. Germany alone has taken in some one million Syrians. Other countries halting their process includes Italy, Norway, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Finland.
Austria has gone the furthest, with country’s interior minister, Gerhard Karner, saying, “I have instructed the ministry to prepare a program of orderly repatriation and deportation to Syria.”
Source: Shutterstock
London’s Home Office also confirmed it has “temporarily paused decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation.”
“We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues,” a spokesperson said.
German officials have also begun signaling that Syrians should make arrangements to return home. Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser, said on Monday that “Many refugees who have found protection in Germany now finally have hope of returning to their Syrian homeland and rebuilding their country.”
However, many Syrians would have greater fear of the new jihadist groups which took over Damascus, and might seek asylum given an al-Qaeda offshoot (HTS) now controls the country. This is especially true of Syrian Christians, Alawites, and Druze.
There’s no assurance that the situation will get any better in Syria under HTS rule, after the basically overnight collapse of an entire state system and its services. One NGO is speaking sense in terms of the realities on the ground:
“Chaos and violence continue to reign in Syria. Armed groups control large parts of the country and there is neither a stable government nor functioning state structures,” its spokesperson Tareq Alaows said in an email. “Much of the infrastructure has been destroyed and millions of people inside Syria are still displaced. Many cities are considered unsafe and there is no sign of a normalization of living conditions.”
Still, the presence of such large numbers of Syrian and other Middle East refugees has long unleashed a political firestorm in European politics. This is whey European officials are relieved that these massive changes in Syria provide an opportunity to send people back to their homeland.
The epic collapse of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) over the past ten days and Assad’s cowardly flight from Damascus early Sunday morning herald the dawn of a new Syria.
The most immediate risk is that the entire country collapses just like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya before it.
That could create a black hole of instability from which innumerable global terrorist threats could emerge. Here’s what has to happen to prevent post-Assad Syria from experiencing that dark future:
1. The Army & The Security Services Must Remain Intact
The three preceding cases of state collapse were characterized by the army and the security services dissolving shortly after their foreign-backed regime change plots succeeded. In Syria’s case, the SAA still exists as an institution even though it’s on the retreat to who knows where, perhaps to the Alawite-majority coast. It’s therefore imperative that it doesn’t fall apart and cooperates with the non-terrorist anti-government opposition (NTAGO) to ensure that everything doesn’t spiral out of control.
2. Political Reform Must Begin Without Delay
Lavrov repeatedly emphasized during his interview at Saturday’s Doha Forum that that the Syrian government and the NTAGO must immediately implement UNSC Resolution 2254 from late 2015, which calls for drastic political reforms such as a new constitution and UN-supervised elections. It was Assad’s refusal to compromise with the NTAGO that ultimately led to this disaster. Prime Minister Jalali will reportedly serve as caretaker leader during the political transition, however, which is a positive sign.
3. The Russian-Written Draft Constitution Must Be Revived
It was assessed late last month that one of “The Five Reasons Why Syria Was Caught By Surprise” is because Assad rejected the Russian-written draft constitution from January 2017’s first Astana Summit, which was constructively critiqued in detail here at the time. With him out of the way, the multiple concessions that this document called for Damascus to make might finally become a reality, and they might even be taken further than its authors initially envisaged given the new circumstances.
4. The Alawite & Kurdish Minorities Must Be Protected
The Alawite coast remains outside the control of Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorists for now as does the US-backed Kurdish-controlled northeast, both minorities of which must be protected from the jihadists. To that end, the aforesaid document could lay the basis for broad Bosnian-like federalized autonomy that could result in the coast falling under Russia’s “sphere of influence”, as could the northeast if Trump withdraws US forces from there like RFJ Jr. claimed that he plans to do.
5. The Interim Government Must Maintain Russia’s Bases
And finally, Russia can help the interim Syrian government fight against terrorists just like it helped Assad do from 2015 onward, so they must allow it to maintain its bases for that purpose. Their withdrawal would leave the Syrian state defenseless and the Alawite-majority coast at HTS’ mercy. In fact, since Russia’s intervention in Syria was driven by anti-terrorist motives, it might refuse to withdraw on national security pretexts and possibly midwife an independent coastal state to legitimize its continued presence.
Post-Assad Syria is on the brink of all-out collapse that could turn it into the world’s largest hotbed of terrorism if this process isn’t soon averted.
The most effective way to prevent this from happening is following the five pieces of advice from this analysis.
Anything less would greatly raise the chances of the worst-case scenario transpiring, but even in that event, Russia could still mitigate some of the damage if it continues bombing terrorists in Syria and supports the creation of an independent coastal state.
Mobile Dominates America’s Favorite Gaming Platforms
People engage in gaming through a variety of formats, from consoles to mobile devices, driven by factors like convenience, cost, and immersive experiences.
This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Kayla Zhu, visualizes the share of U.S. consumers that reported gaming on a specific device within the past month, using data from a Circana online survey of 5,100 active U.S. gamers conducted in May through June 2024.
The categories of gaming devices are as follows:
Mobile: iPhone, Android smartphone, iPad, and other smartphone or tablet devices
Computer: Desktop, laptop, Steam Deck, or other portable PC devices
Console: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Wii
Below, we show the share of U.S. consumers ages two and up that played on a qualifying device within the previous month of Circana’s survey.
About 71% of U.S. consumers played some form of video game in the month prior to Circana’s survey, with mobile gaming being the largest platform with 65% of U.S. consumers gaming on a mobile device in 2024.
Over half of gamers’ weekly playtime takes place on their phones, according to Circana. The main draw is convenience, as players already have their devices with them, along with the low cost and easy accessibility of mobile games.
PC and console gaming are almost evenly tied, with 36% and 35% of respondents gaming on these platforms respectively.
When looking these formats’ market shares, console gaming held a slight lead over PC gaming with 57% of the 2023 market share, or $53.1 billion revenue compared to PC’s $40.4 billion.
The “Other” gaming category grew by 2% since 2022 due to increased adoption of virtual reality (VR) gaming. VR usage and ownership among U.S. teens is on the rise, with weekly VR use increasing from 10% to 13% and headset ownership growing from 31% to 33% over the past six months, according to a survey by Piper.
Gaming preferences are also dependent on generation. Younger generations like Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and Millennials tend to play on PCs or console more often than older generations, according to Newzoo.
In terms of gaming genres, older generations like Gen X and Boomers tend to gravitate towards puzzle games, usually played on mobile devices.
To learn more about the video game industry, check out this graphic that visualizes console launch prices, adjusted for inflation.
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson Arrested By FBI For Wire Fraud And Theft
Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested on Friday by the FBI on public corruption charges, according to Fox News.
She is facing five wire fraud charges and one theft charge related to federal program funds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.
Prosecutors allege that in late 2022, she hired a relative and arranged for them to receive inflated pay, most of which they were instructed to kick back to her.
The Fox News report said that federal authorities arrested Fernandes Anderson at her Dorchester home, prompting Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to call for her resignation. Wu said: “Like any member of the community, Councilor Fernandes Anderson has the right to a fair legal process.”
“But the serious nature of these charges undermines the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city. I urge Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign,” she added.
A filing of the charges read: “From in or about early to mid-2023, Fernandes Anderson was facing personal financial difficulty, which included missing monthly rent and car payments, an impending $5,000 civil penalty from the Ethics Commission, and incurring bank overdraft fees, which resulted in Fernandes Anderson maintaining low daily bank balances.”
“On or about June 9, 2023, at approximately 4:11 p.m., Staff Member A texted Fernandes Anderson, “Bathroom” to let Fernandes Anderson know that Staff Member A was waiting in the bathroom to hand the $7,000 cash to Fernandes Anderson,” it continues.
“Within seconds, Fernandes Anderson texted Staff Member A, “Ready” to confirm that Fernandes Anderson was ready to accept the $7,000 cash kickback from Staff Member A.”
“Shortly following these texts, Staff Member A handed Fernandes Anderson approximately $7,000 in cash at a bathroom in City Hall,” the filing reads.
Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen commented: “Her behavior, as alleged in today’s indictment, is a slap in the face to the hardworking taxpayers in the city of Boston who have every right to expect that the city’s funds are in good and honest hands.”
“This case illustrates how the FBI, and our partners, are working hard every day to battle public corruption and the corrosive damage it does to people’s faith in government,” she continued.
In 2022, Fernandes Anderson hired two immediate family members to her staff, violating city rules, and was fined $5,000 by the Ethics Commission after firing them. Last month, the state’s Campaign Finance Office flagged her campaign for exceeding contribution limits and delayed deposit filings, according to WCVB.
Until recently, a serious geopolitical working hypothesis was that West Asia and Ukraine were two vectors of the standard Hegemon modus operandi, which is to incite and unleash Forever Wars. Now both wars are united in an Omni-War.
A coalition of Straussian neo-cons in the US, hardcore revisionist Zionists in Tel Aviv and Ukrainian neo-nazi shades of grey is now betting on a Final Confrontation – with several overtones ranging from expanding lebensraum to provoking the Apocalypse.
What stands in their way is essentially two of the top BRICS: Russia and Iran.
China, self-protected by their collective lofty dream of “community of a shared future for mankind”, warily watches on the sidelines, as they know that at the end of the road, the true “existential” war by the Hegemon will be against them.
Meanwhile, Russia and Iran need to mobilize for Totalen Krieg. Because that’s what the enemy is launching.
Undermining BRICS and the INSTC
The total destabilisation of Syria, with heavy CIA-MI6 input, now proceeding in real time, is a carefully engineered gambit to undermine BRICS and beyond.
It proceeds in parallel to Pashinyan removing Armenia from the CSTO – based on a US promise to support Yerevan in a possible new clash with Baku; India being encouraged to ramp up a weapons race with Pakistan; and across-the-board intimidation of Iran.
As it stands, the INSTC is totally geopolitical risk-free. As a top BRICS corridor-in-the-making, it carries the potential to become even more effective than several of China’s cross-Heartland corridors of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The INSTC would be a key lifeline for a great deal of the global economy in case of a direct confrontation between the US/Israel combo and Iran – with the possible shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz leading to the collapse of a multi-quadrillion pile of financial derivatives, economically imploding the collective West.
Turkiye under Erdogan, as usual, is playing a double game. Rhetorically, Ankara stands by a genocide-free and sovereign Palestine. In practice, the Turkiye supports and funds a motley crew of Greater Idlibistan jihadis – trained by Ukrainian Neo-nazis in drone warfare and with weapons financed by Qatar – who have just marched on and conquered Aleppo, Hama, and possibly beyond.
If this army of mercenaries were real followers of Islam, they would be marching in defense of Palestine.
At the same time, the real picture inside the corridors of power in Tehran is extremely murky. There are factions favoring getting closer to the West, which clearly would have ramifications for the Axis of Resistance’s ability to fight Tel Aviv.
On Lebanon, Syria never wavered. History explains why: from the point of view of Damascus, Lebanon historically remains a governorate, so Damascus is responsible for the security of Beirut.
And that’s one of Tel Aviv’s key motives to propel the current Salafi-jihadi offensive on Syria – after smashing virtually every communication corridor between Syria and Lebanon. What Tel Aviv could not accomplish on the ground – a victory over Hezbollah in southern Lebanon – has been replaced by isolating Hezbollah from the Axis of Resistance.
When in Doubt, Re-Read Xenophon
Wars in West Asia are a complex mix of national, sectarian, tribal and religious vectors. In a sense, they are endless wars; controllable to an extent, but then back again.
The Russian strategy in Syria seemed to be very precise. As it was impossible to normalize a completely fragmented nation, Moscow opted to free the Syria that really matters – the capital, the most important cities, and the Eastern Mediterranean coast – from the Salafi-jihadi mobs.
The problem is that freezing the war in 2020, with direct implication by Russia, Iran and (reluctantly) Turkiye, did not solve the “moderate rebel” problem. Now they’re back – in full force, supported by a vast Rent-a-Jihadi mob, with NATOstan Intel behind them.
Some things never change.
2012. Jake Sullivan, then an aide to Hillary Clinton: “AQ [al-Qaeda*] is on our side in Syria.”
2021. James Jeffrey, special envoy to Syria under Trump (2018-2020): “HTS [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham*] is an asset to the US’s strategy in Idlib.”
There could not be better timing for the revival of the HTS “asset”. HTS if filling an enormous void; beware when that happens in West Asia. Russia is fully concentrated on Ukraine. Hezbollah suffered heavily from Tel Aviv’s bombings and serial killing. Tehran is fully concentrated on how to deal with Trump 2.0.
History always teaches us. Syria is now a West Asian Anabasis. Xenophon – a soldier and writer – tell us how, in the 4th century B.C., an “expedition” (“anabasis”, in Ancient Greek) of 10,000 Greek mercenaries were engaged by Cyrus the Younger against his brother Artaxerxes II, King of Persia, from Armenia to the Black Sea. The expedition miserably failed – and the painful return journey was endless.
2,400 years later, we see governments, armies and mercenaries still plunging into the endless West Asia wars – and extracting themselves now is even more insoluble.
Syria now is tired, attritted, with the SAA becoming complacent with the long freeze of the war since 2020. All that coupled with the vicious starvation siege unleashed by the US Caesar Act, and the impossibility to start rebuilding the nation with the help of at least 8 million citizens who fled the endless war.
Over these past 4 years, problems piled up. There were endless breaches of the Astana process and Israel bombed Syria almost daily with impunity.
China was basically immobile. Beijing simply did not invest in the rebuilding of Syria.
Perspective is sobering. Even Russia – which is a de facto Resistance icon in itself, even if not formally part of the West Asian Axis of Resistance – has taken nearly three years of hard slog in its fight with Ukraine.
Only a cohesive, consolidated Axis of Resistance – after getting rid of countless 5thcolumnists working inside – would have a chance against being picked off one by one by the same consolidated enemy, over and over again.
Sometimes it feels like the BRICS – particularly China – haven’t learned anything from Bandung in 1955, and how the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) was neutralized.
You can’t beat a pitiless hegemonic hydra with flower power.
Lowers Mortality Risk: 11 Key Health Benefits From Drinking Coffee The Right Way
Coffee, one of the world’s most beloved beverages, offers more than just a comforting warmth and an energizing caffeine kick.
Increasingly, scientific research has begun to uncover the health benefits associated with coffee consumption, particularly due to its rich content of polyphenols like chlorogenic acid (CGA), which reduce inflammation and help prevent cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
As The Epoch Times’ Amber Young reports, Dr. Chang Chin-Chien, a renowned Taiwanese breast cancer specialist and author of “A Cup of Coffee Fights All Diseases,” outlined the health benefits of coffee and shared the best ways to drink it.
Coffee improves or fights the following 11 conditions.
1. Type 2 Diabetes
Research has found a strong correlation between habitual coffee consumption and a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. Researchers explain that regularly drinking coffee can help protect liver and beta-cell function during the chronic metabolic stress phase that occurs before the onset of overt diabetes, thereby lowering the risk of developing it.
2. High Blood Pressure
Dr. Chang noted that initially, drinking coffee may lead to higher blood pressure. However, with habitual consumption, it can actually lower it.
A meta-analysis published in 2023 involving 25 studies with 463,973 participants found a negative association between coffee consumption and the risk of high blood pressure. One of the studies indicated that nonsmoking men and women who drank three to four cups of coffee per day had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, while no significant association was found among smokers.
3. Cardiovascular Diseases
Coffee is beneficial for cardiovascular health. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology conducted a 12 1/2-year follow-up on 449,563 participants with a median age of 58. The results showed that compared to noncoffee drinkers, individuals who consumed ground, instant, or decaffeinated coffee had a reduced risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, with the greatest effects seen in those who drank two to three cups of coffee per day. Additionally, the researchers found that both ground coffee and instant coffee were associated with a reduced risk of arrhythmias, while decaffeinated coffee showed no such association.
4. Periodontal Disease
Chronic inflammation of the periodontal tissues can lead to gum recession, alveolar bone loss and, eventually, tooth loss. A systematic review highlighted that daily coffee consumption may help prevent alveolar bone loss. Coffee contains various components with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, including caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid. Furthermore, chlorogenic acid acts as an antimicrobial agent, which plays a role in combating periodontal disease. However, some studies have indicated a negative correlation between coffee consumption and periodontal health.
The researchers concluded that because of coffee’s complex composition, regularly drinking an appropriate amount may benefit periodontal health. However, excessive consumption may have a negative impact. The study suggested a daily coffee intake of two to five cups is considered safe.
5. Gout
Coffee can help alleviate gout caused by excessive uric acid. A systematic review found that coffee significantly reduces serum uric acid levels. Specifically, men must drink one to three cups of coffee daily, while women require four to six cups daily to achieve this reduction. The review suggests that moderate coffee consumption could serve as a primary prevention strategy for hyperuricemia and gout in both men and women.
6. Metabolic Diseases
The caffeine in coffee can stimulate metabolism. One study showed that caffeine can counteract the detrimental effects of inflammation and oxidative stress, potentially lowering the risk of various metabolic diseases. Additionally, caffeine intake through coffee benefits metabolism, cognitive function, physical performance, and hormone regulation.
7. Obesity
A study in Nutrients indicates that the bioactive compounds in coffee, such as caffeine, chlorogenic acid, trigonelline, and magnesium, exhibit anti-obesity effects. The researchers noted that drinking coffee can help reduce obesity, particularly for men. However, while coffee can help with weight management, it isn’t as crucial as a balanced diet and physical activity. Given coffee’s protective effects against chronic diseases, the researchers recommend including it as part of a healthy lifestyle to promote overall well-being.
8. Skin Conditions
While some people believe that coffee acts as a diuretic and excessive consumption may lead to drier skin, Dr. Chang suggests that the antioxidants in coffee promote microcirculation in the skin, benefiting skin health.
A study published in May analyzed the potential causal relationship between beverage consumption and facial skin aging. The results showed that higher coffee intake can reduce the risk of this type of aging. Another study showed that caffeine protects the skin from aging induced by oxidative stress by activating autophagy (cell turnover), demonstrating the potential of caffeine in preventing skin diseases.
9. Hair Loss
A review of studies found that caffeine can stimulate hair growth in male pattern baldness, potentially aiding in hair loss treatment. It may also help prevent the risks of rosacea and both nonmelanoma and melanoma skin cancers.
10. Neurological Disorders
Dr. Chang noted that while coffee provides some benefits for neurological conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, he remains cautious about its efficacy in treating depression. However, he highlighted that some analyses suggest coffee consumption can enhance beneficial gut bacteria, which may affect the brain through the gut-brain axis, alleviating anxiety and depression.
According to a study involving more than 145,000 participants, those who consumed two to three cups of ground coffee, milk-coffee, or unsweetened coffee per day had the lowest risk of developing mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
11. Cancer
Dr. Chang also highlighted the benefits of coffee consumption for specific cancer conditions, including liver, colorectal, oral, and certain types of breast cancers, as well as adult leukemia.
A meta-analysis published in the BMJ showed that high coffee consumption was associated with an 18 percent reduction in cancer risk compared to low coffee consumption. Additionally, drinking coffee was linked to a lower risk of several specific cancers, as well as neurological, metabolic, and liver diseases. The researchers concluded that drinking three to four cups of coffee daily can maximize the reduction of various health risks and that the health benefits likely outweigh the harm.
Optimal Ways to Drink Coffee
People have long advocated drinking black coffee. However, a 2023 study found that when caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid in coffee form adducts with cysteine, an amino acid found in milk, their anti-inflammatory activity is greatly enhanced. This suggests that combining coffee with milk can significantly boost its anti-inflammatory effects.
The proprietary “Smart Roasting Technology” preserves healthy polyphenols and boosts Chlorogenic Acid (CGA) levels, offering unparalleled health benefits in every cup.
Dr. Chang stated that adding milk to coffee not only supplements calcium but also enhances its anti-inflammatory effects. The polyphenols in coffee form complexes with the milk, making compounds more effective at reducing inflammation than black coffee alone.
Regardless, Dr. Chang still recommends black coffee as the preferred option, but he believes it is worthwhile to experiment with adding cinnamon, lemon, oats, or other ingredients to enhance both the flavor and enjoyment of coffee.
As for the best time to drink coffee? Dr. Chang recommends having it at 10 a.m. and during afternoon tea. Consuming coffee immediately after waking up for an energy boost is unnecessary. Instead, drinking coffee around 10 a.m. after working for some time and feeling drowsy can help enhance alertness. For those with a faster metabolism, drinking coffee at 3 or 4 p.m. is fine, as it shouldn’t affect nighttime sleep.
The European Food Safety Authority stated that a daily intake of 400 milligrams of caffeine does not pose a safety concern for healthy adults, excluding pregnant women. Similarly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted that consuming 400 milligrams of caffeine per day (equivalent to four to five cups of coffee) generally does not cause dangerous adverse effects in healthy adults. However, it is essential to note that people may vary greatly in their sensitivity to caffeine and how quickly they metabolize it.
“On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero…”
…so don’t waste your time drinking mediocre coffee!
Dr. Chang recommends drinking three 3.38-fluid-ounce cups (a little less than half a cup) of coffee daily, each containing about 60 to 200 milligrams of caffeine.
He stated that professor Hsiu-Hsi Chen’s research team from the College of Public Health at National Taiwan University conducted a follow-up study involving more than 150,000 adults. The results revealed that those who drank coffee lived approximately 2.1 years longer than those who didn’t. Additionally, the coffee-drinking group had lower incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and colorectal cancer.
In conclusion, coffee’s health benefits, especially through its polyphenols like CGA, are substantial, supporting heart health, metabolic regulation, and antioxidant defense.
Daily moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer-related mortality, combats depression and anxiety, and aids the body in resisting COVID-19 infection, studies have found.
However, these benefits can vary based on the coffee type, preparation method, and individual health conditions.
All the jolt… and none of the jitters.
Enjoying coffee in moderation can thus be seen as part of a healthy lifestyle, offering more than just a moment of enjoyment but also a cup of health benefits.
With Thanksgiving weekend still fresh in our memory, my gratitude centers not on the usual holiday platitudes, but on something that has become increasingly precious in our artificial age: authentic relationships – both family and lifelong friends – that deepen rather than fracture under pressure. What binds these relationships, I’ve come to realize, isn’t shared opinions or circumstances, but a shared code – an unwavering commitment to principles that transcends the shifting sands of politics and social pressure. I’m particularly grateful for my inner circle – friends I’ve known since elementary school and family members whose bonds have only strengthened through the crucible of recent years.
Like many others who spoke out against Covid tyranny, I watched what I thought were solid relationships dissolve in real time. As the owner of a local brewery and coach of my kids’ sports teams, I had been deeply embedded in my community – a “man about town” whose friendship and counsel others actively sought. Yet suddenly, the same people who had eagerly engaged with me would scurry when they saw me coming down the street. Professional networks and neighborhood connections evaporated at the mere questioning of prevailing narratives. They reacted this way because I broke orthodoxy, choosing to stand for liberal values – the very principles they claimed to champion – by rejecting arbitrary mandates and restrictions.
In this moment of testing, the difference between those who lived by a consistent code and those who simply followed social currents became starkly clear. Yet in retrospect, this winnowing feels more like clarification than loss. As surface-level relationships fell away, my core relationships – decades-long friendships and family bonds – not only endured but deepened. These trials revealed which bonds were authentic and which were merely situational.
The friendships that remained, anchored in genuine principles rather than social convenience, proved themselves infinitely more valuable than the broader network of fair-weather friends I lost.
What strikes me most about these enduring friendships is how they’ve defied the typical narrative of relationships destroyed by political divisions. As Marcus Aurelius observed, “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Despite taking opposite sides of the dialectic on political and cultural issues over the decades, we found ourselves united in opposition to the constitutional transgressions and rising tyranny of the past few years – the lockdowns, mandates, and systematic erosion of basic rights. This unity emerged not from political alignment but from a shared code: a commitment to first principles that transcends partisan divisions.
In these contemplative moments, I’ve found myself returning to Aurelius’s Meditations – a book I hadn’t opened since college until Joe Rogan and Marc Andreessen’s excellent conversation inspired me to revisit it. Aurelius understood that a personal code – a set of unwavering principles – was essential for navigating a world of chaos and uncertainty. The connection feels particularly apt – like my own friend group, Rogan’s platform exemplifies a code of authentic discourse in our age.
Critics, particularly on the political left, often talk about needing their “own Joe Rogan,” missing entirely what makes his show work: its genuine authenticity. Despite being historically left-leaning himself, Rogan’s willingness to engage in real-time thinking with guests across the ideological spectrum and across a broad variety of topics, his commitment to open inquiry and truth-seeking, has paradoxically led to his estrangement from traditional liberal circles – much like many of us who’ve found ourselves branded as apostates for maintaining consistent principles.
This commitment to a code of authentic discourse explains why organizations like Brownstone Institute – despite being routinely smeared as “far right” – have become a crucial platform for independent scholars, policy experts, and truth-seekers. I witnessed this firsthand at a recent Brownstone event, where, unlike most institutions that enforce ideological conformity, diverse thinkers engaged in genuine exploration of ideas without fear of orthodoxy enforcement. When attendees were asked if they considered themselves political liberals ten years ago, nearly 80% raised their hands.
These are individuals who, like my friends and me, still embrace core liberal values – free speech, open inquiry, rational debate – yet find themselves branded as right-wing or conspiracy theorists merely for questioning prevailing narratives.
What unites this diverse community is their shared recognition that the reality being presented to us is largely manufactured, as explored in “The Information Factory,” and their commitment to maintaining authentic discourse in an age of enforced consensus.
In The Wire, Omar Little, a complex character who lived by his own moral code while operating outside conventional society, famously declared, “A man got to have a code.” Though a stick-up man targeting drug dealers, Omar’s rigid adherence to his principles – never harming civilians, never lying, never breaking his word – made him more honorable than many supposedly “legitimate” characters. His unwavering dedication to these principles – even as a gangster operating outside society’s laws – resonates deeply with my experience.
Like Rogan’s commitment to open dialogue, like Brownstone’s dedication to free inquiry, like RFK Jr.’s determination to expose how pharmaceutical and agricultural interests have corrupted our public institutions: these exemplars of authentic truth-seeking mirror what I’ve found in my own circle. My friends and I may have different political views, but we share a code: a commitment to truth over comfort, to principle over party, to authentic discourse over social approval. This shared foundation has proven more valuable than any superficial agreement could be.
In these times of manufactured consensus and social control, the importance of this authentic foundation becomes even clearer. The 2012 Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, which made it legal to propagandize American citizens, merely formalized what many had long suspected. It represented the ultimate betrayal of the government’s code with its citizens – the explicit permission to manipulate rather than inform. As anyone not under the spell has come to realize – we’ve all been thoroughly “Smith-Mundt’ed.” This legal framework helps explain much of what we’ve witnessed in recent years, particularly during the pandemic – when those who proclaimed themselves champions of social justice supported policies that created new forms of segregation and devastated the very communities they claimed to protect.
This disconnect becomes even more apparent in the realm of charitable giving and social causes, where “virtue laundering” has become endemic. The absence of a genuine moral code is nowhere more evident than in our largest charitable institutions. While many charitable organizations do crucial work at the local level, there’s an unmistakable trend among large NGOs toward what a friend aptly calls the “philanthropath class.”
This pattern reveals a deeper truth about the professional charitable class – many of these institutions have become purely extractive, profiting from and even amplifying the very issues they purport to solve. At the top, a professional philanthropic class collects fancy titles in their bios and flashes photos from charity galas while avoiding any genuine engagement with the problems they claim to address. Social media has democratized this performance, allowing everyone to participate in virtue theater – from black squares and Ukrainian flag avatars to awareness ribbons and cause-supporting emojis – creating an illusion of activism without the substance of real action or understanding. It’s a system entirely devoid of the moral code that once guided charitable work – the direct connection between benefactor and beneficiary, the genuine commitment to positive change rather than personal aggrandizement.
The power of a genuine code becomes most evident in contrast with these hollow institutions. While organizations and social networks fracture under pressure, I’m fortunate that my closest friendships and family bonds have only grown stronger. We’ve had fierce debates over the years, but our shared commitment to fundamental principles – to having a code – has allowed us to navigate even the most turbulent waters together. When the pandemic response threatened basic constitutional rights, when social pressure demanded conformity over conscience, these relationships proved their worth not despite our differences, but because of them.
As we navigate these complex times, the path forward emerges with striking clarity. From Marcus Aurelius to Omar Little, the lesson remains the same: a man gotta have a code. The crisis of authenticity in our discourse, the chasm between proclaimed and lived values, and the failure of global virtue-signaling all point to the same solution: a return to genuine relationships and local engagement. Our strongest bonds – those real relationships that have weathered recent storms – remind us that true virtue manifests in daily choices and personal costs, not in digital badges or distant donations.
This Thanksgiving, I found myself grateful not for the easy comforts of conformity but for those in my life who demonstrate real virtue – the kind that comes with personal cost and requires genuine conviction. The answer lies not in grand gestures or viral posts, but in the quiet dignity of living according to our principles, engaging with our immediate communities, and maintaining the courage to think independently. As both the emperor-philosopher and the fictional street warrior understood, what matters isn’t the grandeur of our station but the integrity of our code.
Returning one final time to Meditations, I’m reminded of Aurelius’s timeless challenge: “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”
