Meeting Minutes: JSG WRU Meeting Date: 10th May 2023 Attendees:

• Nigel Walker (WRU)
• Ieuan Evans (WRU)
• Malcolm Wall (WRU)
• Barrie Jones (Crys16)
• Keith Collins (OSC)
• Grant Berni (OSC)
• Lynn Glaister (CF10)
• Simon Harrington (CBSC)
• Dan Hallett (DOSC)

Agenda Item 1: PRA Deal and Payment Strategy
Nigel Walker provided an update on the PRA deal, stating that it is currently subject to banking consent.
NatWest has granted the required permission, but the process with the Welsh Government is ongoing.
Some advanced payments have been made to the regions to support them during this delay. The lending arrangements and due diligence have caused the process to take longer than anticipated.
The completion is expected within the next couple of weeks, and the WRU is in daily contact with the Welsh government to meet their requirements.
Lynn Glaister raised a question about whether the WRU proceeded with the agreement without making the necessary arrangements with the Welsh Government. Nigel Walker assured that this was not the case.
Malcolm Wall emphasized the importance of the deal's long-term planning opportunities and highlighted the need to develop academies, improve player pathways, and enhance commercial efforts to attract more funding for the game.
The WRU and the regions are working together to create a plan to raise additional funds during the six-year framework.
Barrie Jones inquired about the expected completion date of the deal. Nigel Walker acknowledged the time sensitivity and stated that every month that passes the more difficult it has been for the regions but everything possible was being done to assist, the regions.
The WRU is working closely with the Welsh Government to expedite the due diligence process and aims to complete it within the next couple of weeks.
Agenda Item 2: Professional Rugby Strategy
Lynn Glaister expressed concerns about the number of players being released from clubs. Nigel Walker explained that player releases at this time of the year are common, and the regions have retained the majority of their players. Cardiff is an exception, where some players have been released due to specific circumstances.
Nigel Walker confirmed that a strategy day is planned next month, where the WRU and regions will collaborate to develop a comprehensive strategy for professional rugby in Wales.
Lynn Glaister emphasized the importance of having a comprehensive strategy that provides hope for the future of Welsh rugby. She also inquired about the duties of Mick Hogan, who has been brought in as a consultant to the PRB (Professional Rugby Board). Malcolm Wall clarified that Mick Hogan's role is solely focused on improving the commercial performance of the regions.
Barrie Jones sought assurances that the WRU would not adopt the Scottish or Italian models of reducing the number of professional teams. Nigel Walker assured that the PRB has discussed and voted to stick with the four-region model, and there have been no changes in this regard.
Ieuan Evans highlighted the significance of improved commercial performances to sustain the four regions and stated that it's the size of the cake, not the size of the slice, that matters.
Dan Hallett inquired about the progress on the independent ownership of the Dragons. Nigel Walker stated that the conclusion of the independent ownership is on track within the specified time limit, without disclosing the specific timeframe.
Agenda Item 3: Squad Sizes
Nigel Walker mentioned that squad sizes in the regions have traditionally been around 48-50 players. However, going forward, he anticipates squad sizes to be reduced to 40-42 players. This reduction presents a challenge but also an opportunity to give younger players a chance. He clarified that this does not mean having a team primarily composed of 18-20 year-olds. The intention is to review the inclusion of 21-23 year-old players who traditionally wouldn't have had such opportunities. The adjustment has been made for financial reasons, and the squad sizes will be kept under review.
Lynn Glaister sought clarification regarding the squad size target of 40-42 players, citing information that Cardiff is likely to have only 39 players next season.
Nigel Walker acknowledged the slight deviation but mentioned that initial discussions with the regions indicated a target of around 42 players. He acknowledged the challenge this presents but assured that it would be monitored closely.
Dan Hallett raised concerns about player safety in case of a run of injuries in specific positions, such as props. Nigel Walker emphasized that player safety is of utmost importance, and they would not field a player between 17-19 years old who is not capable of competing at that level. He mentioned the consideration of loan systems if a region is unable to field a complete team due to injuries.
Regarding the impact of call-ups to the national squad and Six Nations on squad sizes, Dan Hallett highlighted the possibility of some teams being significantly reduced, with Ospreys potentially losing a full team. Nigel Walker stated that the URC season starts later this year, allowing time for players to join their teams after national duties. He also mentioned ongoing discussions with Ospreys about the challenges they may face during certain stages of the season. The situation will be monitored closely.
Barrie Jones emphasized that the World Cup period will be challenging for all professional sides. Nigel Walker acknowledged the difficulty and affirmed the need to find solutions.
Keith Collins raised concerns about the potential for increased injuries if more players are away with the national team. Nigel Walker discussed a conversation with an Ospreys colleague, who mentioned that the team had a relatively good year in terms of injuries. However, if the attrition rate increases, it will pose a challenge.
Player welfare and fixture fulfilment are paramount, and measures such as loan systems will be considered to ensure safe participation if a team cannot field a complete squad.
Keith Collins expressed his appreciation for the response and the consideration of player welfare.
Agenda Item 4: WRU Cost Savings
Lynn Glaister inquired about cost reductions within the WRU and whether all parties are sharing the burden. Nigel Walker confirmed that the WRU has been actively seeking cost-saving measures over the past three months. Initially, there was a significant gap between available funds and planned expenditure, but this gap has been closed through cost-cutting and savings across various areas.
Dan Hallett raised the topic of the finance director leaving, which leaves a vacancy at the top of the organization. Nigel Walker explained that the deputy finance director will assume the role temporarily, and the position will be advertised in the Autumn.
Lynn Glaister mentioned that fans would like more details about the cost savings made. Malcolm Wall clarified that the funding provided by the WRU to the professional clubs has not been reduced; rather, the focus has been on ensuring that clubs manage their spending within their income.
He emphasized that investments in development have not been cut as they are vital for the long-term future. While there have been cost cuts within the WRU, Malcolm Wall expressed concerns about the perception that funding had been reduced
Agenda Item 5: WRU Enquiry
Barrie Jones requested an update on the WRU enquiry.
Nigel Walker informed the attendees that an independent review, chaired by Dame Rafferty, has been ongoing for approximately 10-11 weeks. Two reports have been received so far, and interviews have taken place with more scheduled in the coming weeks. The report is expected to be delivered within the next three to four months.
Lynn Glaister acknowledged the importance of independent reviews and expressed the need to move forward.
Nigel Walker stated that the organization is committed to implementing the review recommendations in full.
He highlighted the progress made by the organization over the past 18 months, recognizing the continuous need for improvement. The report is eagerly awaited to understand the existing gaps and receive recommendations for further improvement.
The organization strives to become more inclusive and enhance its contribution to Welsh rugby. Ieuan Evans emphasized the importance of not being stagnant during the independent panel review and expressed the determination to continue evolving across the entire organization.
Lynn Glaister inquired about potential conflicts between the major reforms being implemented, such as executive changes and November elections, and the review recommendations.
Nigel Walker expressed confidence that the announced governance changes, including the introduction of independent non-executive directors and the goal of having at least five women on the board, align with best practices. The organization has designated Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) champions on the main board and executive board, established a whistle-blowing hotline, and formed an ED&I steering group. He assured that these initiatives will not contradict the review recommendations.
Ieuan Evans emphasized the need for continuous review, assessment, and measurement in governance, emphasizing that it is crucial for all organizations.
Lynn Glaister asked if the WRU would be involved in promoting wider diversity of governance within the regions.
Nigel Walker explained that discussions regarding diversity of governance have been taking place over the past few months. It is the responsibility of all organizations involved in Welsh rugby. During the district visits to discuss governance changes, several clubs requested assistance, and the WRU has committed to providing support. The organization aims to understand the current gap and learn from the ongoing review to share knowledge and work collaboratively with clubs and regions.
Agenda Item 6: Any Other Business (AOB)
Lynn Glaister informed the attendees that the URC has reached out to the Joint Supporters Group (JSG) to seek opinions regarding their PR and communications. A meeting has been scheduled with the URC in the near future.
Ieuan Evans expressed his satisfaction with the URC's initiative.
Malcolm Wall confirmed the awareness of the URC's request and stated that the received report will be incorporated into the strategy days mentioned by Nigel Walker. The organization is collecting input from various stakeholders, including themselves. Barrie Jones asked if there was anything the organization would like to see from JSG.
Malcolm Wall expressed the need for increased support at games to drive progress and achieve bigger and better outcomes. He thanked everyone for their support and emphasized the importance of its continuation.
Barrie Jones provided an example of the successful marketing of the European Challenge Cup quarter-final by the Scarlets, resulting in a significant turnout of local attendees. He expressed the hope that these attendees would continue to engage with the organization.
Ieuan Evans emphasized the positive influence and impact of scenes and support like those witnessed at the quarter final. He highlighted the value of parochial support in fostering the game of rugby union.
Keith Collins mentioned the remarkable support of over 2000 Ospreys fans during an away game against Saracens. He shared the players' awe at the overwhelming turnout. He also stressed the importance of shedding the perception that it is the Welsh Rugby Union versus the four regions, and instead promoting unity.
Nigel Walker emphasized that it is Welsh rugby as a whole that needs to succeed, not just the regions or Wales. He highlighted the interdependency between the success of the regions and the senior men's team. Sustainable success requires successful regions.
Keith Collins expressed frustration over having to play URC games with a depleted squad and welcomed the Union's willingness to collaborate rather than work against the regions.
Lynn Glaister shared positive feedback regarding the Women's 6 Nations, noting that friends who attended the games and had not previously watched rugby were now considering attending pro games at the Arms Park due to the enjoyable atmosphere. She thanked Nigel for the improvement in the women's game and highlighted the potential for traction in the women's rugby market.
Nigel Walker acknowledged the efforts of Ioan Cunningham's coaches, support staff, and players, highlighting their hard work and deserving rewards.
Lynn Glaister inquired about the timeline for appointing the new chief executive and chair.
Ieuan Evans confirmed that they are currently in the process of shortlisting candidates for the independent chair, and subsequent appointments will follow. It is anticipated that all positions will be filled before the end of the year, with the independent chair being the first appointment.
Lynn Glaister asked if the commitment to having either the Chair or Chief Exec be a woman still stands.
Nigel Walker affirmed the aspiration to have five women on the board and either the chair or chief executive position. However, the organization recognizes that the best candidates for the roles need to be selected, and achieving the aspiration might require multiple stages rather than a single step.
Ieuan Evans reassured attendees that they are pleased with the number and quality of candidates. Barrie Jones concluded the meeting by expressing gratitude to all attendees. He noted that the minutes would be agreed upon by all parties before being issued to the members.
The next meeting is scheduled for August 9th.

I am helping a parent with their 401k. Parent is late 70s and has a T Rowe Price workplace plan with aggressive allocations that is doing quite well. Much of it is in Vanguard Target Date funds but with dates several decades away. I have been asked to help rebalance it and am planning on recommending 2025, 2030, and 2035. Goal is steady income and more modest growth than currently. I am concerned about the cuurent state of the bond market or if there are any other things that should be considered when making such a major change. Should we expect any additonal fees doing this inside of the existing 401k? My parent can make the change in the portal, and it looks like all of the Vanguard target dates are options. Thank you very much for your feedback.

HOPEWELL – If the city wants to keep its fiscal structure from burning down, then City Council needs to light a fire under whoever is deemed necessary to prevent further stress.
That was the message state Finance Secretary Stephen Cummings left with Hopewell lawmakers at a special meeting Tuesday night. Cummings and the accounting firm the state hired to plot strategy for Hopewell’s apparent lack of money-management controls came back to town about three weeks after delivering 27 recommendations to get the city’s books caught up.
Cummings “This is a five-alarm fire that’s been burning in my mind at a five-alarm level for a long time,” Cummings told councilors. “And it’s kind of become the reality of this environment. People, I don’t think, really feel like it’s a house on fire. This cannot continue.”
Hopewell was called on the carpet by the state Auditor of Public Accounts for not submitting required audits in a timely manner since 2015, including unsent audits dating back to 2018. Fingers have been pointed by some on council at previous city administrations for not stressing the importance of getting those records in on time, and it is because of that perceived laissez-faire attitude that Hopewell now finds itself unable to issue bonds for necessary capital improvements.
“We no longer have a bond rating. That means we have no money for capital expenditures,” Ward 1 Councilor Rita Joyner said. “You look around this city, and we have needs. We have desperate needs, and we cannot fund them at this time.”
Vice Mayor Jasmine Gore said that laissez-faire approach was also shared by some on previous councils, herself excluded. Gore said she helped push for greater attention to be placed on the need for timely audit submission but was stonewalled by some of her now-former colleagues.
“History matters, right? Especially now when people are paying attention to this now because as you said, this is an eight-year-old issue,” Gore told Cummings. “The fact of the matter is, some of us have been begging for help for a long time. That’s why I keep stressing that. I don’t want citizens to think we’ve been sitting on our hands.”
The accounting firm of Alvarez & Marsal was hired by the Youngkin administration to devise strategy for Hopewell to dig out of the piled-up audits. In addition to the lack of an established money-management plan, the firm also found that the city lacked both the staffing and the staff understanding of how to go about tackling the audits.
Those issues were evident in the fact that in going over the city’s records for the past decade, the firm was only given roughly 60% of the documents it requested because the others either could not be found or were never completed. In addition, the firm said Hopewell did not appear to have a control in place where the ledgers were balanced and closed monthly.
Some councilors claimed the reason so many of the audits went unfinished was because the city was relying on agencies outside the realm of direct city governance – the city treasurer and the school system chief among them – for providing the reconciliation info needed to finish the audits. That was not throwing shade on the present treasurer or school leaders, the councilors claimed, but rather those who preceded them.
Cummings said the easiest way to calm the current condition and curb future problems was, simply, commuication among all the parties involved.
Nancy Zielke, the managing director of Alvarez & Marsal, suggested the city set up two teams to address the audit issue. One team should focus solely on preparing the audits and the other on handling all the account reconciliations. When asked how long it could take to square up the audits, Zielke said the city currently had one person dedicated to the audits, and it was taking that person about four months to complete one audit year, so a team could probably do it much quicker.
The firm also recommended the city hire at least three more employees for the financial department. Zielke noted that Hopewell was relying on an outside auditor to prepare financial statements and typically “that is done by city staff.”
She boiled her company’s report down to four key points.
“Get caught up on your audits, address internal controls, put in place better planning [and] better oversight on reconciliation processes,” Zielke said.
Hopewell is in the waning stages of adopting a city budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year, and Cummings said something should be included in that budget proposal to immediately address the shortcomings found by the accounting firm. When it was recommended that the city dedicate some of its remaining federal American Rescue Plan Act funds toward paying for the additional employees, Cummings cautioned that unspent ARPA dollars could be affected by the debt-ceiling agreement being hammered out by the White House and congressional Republicans.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

Chapter One
Chapter Fourteen
CONTENT WARNING: This one contains some implied torture. Nothing explicit, but be aware.
United Launch Alliance main facility. Decatur, Alabama. Ten minutes before the DC attack.
Chao never thought she’d think this, but here she was, sitting at a table in a conference room which looked out into a giant assembly room holding multiple huge rockets in various stages of construction. She also was sitting next to an alien, one who was fast becoming a good friend, while talking in-depth about technical things. And yet she was bored out of her skull. It was now the sixth day of trying to somehow figure out how to best repair the Rithro. During the first day, the four engineers assigned by different companies to this task group were tripping over themselves getting to talk to an actual alien, while Grakosh had in turn quizzed them endlessly about how the rockets worked and even gotten a tour…shadowed by multiple Secret Service agents, of course. By now things had settled down to the task at hand.
Fortunately, the distant crippled ship contained a veritable army of drones capable of quite complex tasks, so manpower…or alien-power…was not the problem. The problem was more a matter of having the proper raw materials available, especially for the damaged hydrogen tanks. The latter used a specialized lightweight but low-permeability alloy; in order to have any patches hold, whatever metal the humans provided needed to be close enough to its properties to properly bond or weld to it. Chao was not a metallurgist, but she was getting a crash course in it thanks to the endless discussions between Grakosh and the four engineers.
Then there was the matter of hauling it up to the L5 point. Trying to carry the needed tonnage in the ship’s landing boats would be like trying to drink a lake dry using a straw. But humans, right now, didn’t have any single rocket capable of carrying such a payload into orbit.
She, Grakosh, and the four engineers were spread out around a small table set before a whiteboard; the latter was not quite yet full. Next to the doors into the conference room stood a pair of Secret Service agents; Chao felt a bit sorry for them having to stand on their feet for so long.
“So Falcon Heavy can do about 26 tons to geostationary,” said one of the engineers, a gray-haired balding man named Blake. He was a metallurgist from SpaceX. “That’s fully expendable, of course. We did look a while back at how much it could take in a trans-lunar injection, I think it was somewhere around 18 tons, but we’d need to go back and redo that math.” He turned to Chao. “Will TLI be close to the delta-vee needed to get to L5?”
Chao perked up, now grateful she had something to contribute. After a bit of tapping on her laptop, she nodded. “It’s not exactly the same, but for initial planning purposes using TLI figures can work.”
One of the ULA engineers, a young blonde woman named Clara, regarded the whiteboard with a thousand-yard stare. Chao knew that Clara was not really looking at it. “Vulcan can do…somewhere around five and a half tons to TLI, if you strap six solids to it. Less mass, but it does have a bigger fairing than the Heavy.” She grinned at Blake.
“So we’ll need multiple launches?” Grakosh, of course, did not have a laptop or chair, and instead sat coiled up next to Chao. “Hmmm. I’d like to have at least thirty tons of patch material, just to have a comfortable margin.”
“So two to three launches of Heavy, or five of Vulcan, or some mix.” Clara looked over at Ned, the other ULA engineer. “That’s a lot of rockets. Our pipeline isn’t set up to crank out that many, that quickly.”
Blake nodded in sympathy. “We’ve got similar issues with using Heavy. We can use side boosters that have been well-reused and are close to end-of-life, but the center core is another matter. We don’t have that many of them, just because we didn’t have that much demand. Now we’d have to spool up production on them. Not my area of expertise, but you’re talking many months.”
The man from Raytheon, a skinny guy named Dwight, tapped the table in absent thought. “We could try something else.”
“If you’re thinking of using SLS, forget it,” said Ned, the other ULA engineer. “It’s got a lot of throw, even out to lunar orbit, but way too slow of a manufacturing speed. Even if we do repurpose some of the Artemis launches, it’ll be at least a year or two.”
Dwight smiled beatifically. “Keep in mind, we’re not talking about sending up boutique billion-dollar satellites. It’s gonna be mostly metal plates, at least at first. We can afford to swing for the fences.” He leaned forward. “Sea Dragon.”
“Oh fuck no,” said Ned. “First off, the original design study is from the damned Sixties. The redesign and approval alone will take a year at best, unless you just want to slap something together and go for it and then have everything explode on you.”
“What is ‘Sea Dragon’?” asked Grakosh.
Dwight rose and walked to the whiteboard. He flipped it over to the as-yet unmarked side and began sketching. “A super heavy-lift vehicle proposed a while ago, back when we were still trying to get to the moon. It’s two stage, like Falcon and Vulcan, but a lot bigger. A LOT bigger.”
He sketched something that looked like a child’s first drawing of a rocket; a big stubby tube with a single huge engine bell at the bottom and a conical nose. Dwight then added a dimension along its height showing the scale of the thing: 150 meters.
Grakosh let out a little trill; Chao wasn’t quite sure what that vocalization meant. “Hmm, yes, that is quite large for a chemical-engined craft.”
Clara snorted. “Dwight, nobody has ever made a pressure-fed engine anywhere near that large. Damn thing’s a bomb, I mean, even more of a bomb than a normal fueled rocket.”
“Pressure-fed,” mused Grakosh. “Ah, you use high-pressure gas to push the fuel and oxidizer into the combustion chamber, instead of those ‘turbopumps’ you showed me earlier.”
Dwight nodded. “Exactly. The problem with pressure-fed engines is that the tanks need to be a lot thicker to take the pressure, which of course adds a lot of mass and reduces the available payload. But you make it big enough and it becomes more feasible. This thing was designed to be constructed at a shipyard out of steel, not out of any sort of aluminum or other fancy alloys. Then it would get floated out into the ocean and launched vertically from the water. Estimated total payload…five hundred and fifty tons into Low Earth Orbit.”
“Admit it, Dwight,” replied Blake with a smile. “Your inner nine-year old wants it built just to see the spectacle when they light the candle on that giant sonofabitch. Am I right?”
Dwight set the marker down with a chuckle. “You’re not wrong.” Then his smile faded. “But seriously, folks. Our industry is used to doing things onsey-twosey. Even our illustrious colleague from SpaceX will admit that. But now we need to get a lot of shit into orbit, and yesterday. We are so far behind the technological eight ball that it isn’t even funny. Now, yes, we hope that our new allies will help us out with gravitic drives and all sorts of other lovely tech…once the various countries stop yelling at each other about how exactly to do that. But Grakosh, let’s assume we snap our fingers and, poof, the Rithro is magically fixed. How long will it take for you to get back and bring support?”
“Well, we did leave relay drones at each system, so we’ll be able to report to them well before we get there physically, but to scramble a proper defense fleet…let’s say twelve to eighteen months before they arrive in-system. That’s assuming we head back, of course.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” asked Clara.
“Because once the Rithro is repaired, it will be the only ship in-system possibly able to fight a Breaker drone. We do not need to report in-person to the CEB; we only need to jump back to Barnard’s star to plant a relay drone and send our message. If we left to travel all the way back…well, humans would be defenseless. You have no orbital combat capability.”
Grakosh pondered the sketch. “At the moment, as impressive as that design is, it is theoretical. So. We need to have fewer launches…am I correct that if you go into low orbit, you can lift more?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Dwight. “Literally tons more.”
“Then perhaps we can do a hybrid solution. The landing boats are limited in their internal volume, but they have far more thrust capability. We were able to push our ship with them, at least for a while. If you loft the repair materials up inside a proper container, we might be able to tow them out to the Rithro using the boats. That way we don’t have any political problems with tech transfer.” He gestured with his single ‘tailhand’ in front of him, and a holographic display appeared. With great agility, he began tapping on nothing; a schematic of one of the landing boats appeared, with alien text on one side and below.
Every single engineer plus Chao looked at the display and a single thought ran through their minds.
I Want One.
Grakosh then switched to a schematic of the Earth-moon system and sketched out a rough transfer orbit out to a blinking dot at the trailing L5 point. “I do hope the visual translators are working properly. Unit conversion is such a pain in the tail. Chao, would you mind checking the math on this?”
The alien text then shimmered into readable figures. “Um sure!”
As she leaned over to examine the display, the two agents at the back of the room straightened up as one. Chao caught the movement out of the corner of her eye; by the time she glanced over both men already had pistols drawn.
One of the agents, a thin guy named Hanson, motioned towards the far corner of the room, away from the window and the door. “Everyone, please move over to there. Sit on the floor, and keep your heads down.”
Chao stuck out an arm, and Grakosh quickly coiled himself around it. Her heart started to beat faster, but she tried to remain outwardly calm. The engineers seated themselves as instructed with confused looks. She sat as well, and Grakosh unwrapped himself from her arm to sit in her lap. She tried to breathe slow, although by now she could practically feel her pulse. Hanson and the other agent backpedaled into the room; Hanson kept his pistol trained at the door, while the other agent went low and with impressive speed duck-walked to one edge of the room’s panorama out into the assembly area. He did a quick peek outside.
“Looks normal,” he said. Meanwhile Hanson was in the midst of muttering into his sleeve.
“What…what happened?” asked Chao.
“Not sure, ma’am,” replied Hanson. “There was some sort of attack in Washington, at Captain Sadaf’s speech. Some casualties, we don’t know details. There might be another attack in progress as well. The rest of the team is performing a sweep for any hostiles here.”
The other agent crouched again and gave Chao what he must have figured was a calming smile. “Just standard procedure, ma’am.”
Chao was not calmed. If the captain had been hurt, or worse…this was not going to go well.
Somehow Grakosh picked up on her inner turmoil. “Don’t worry, Chao,” he said quietly. “Captain Sadaf has the luck of the auhn’s Sacred Mothers. She’s seen us through worse.”
The engineers had finally picked up that there might be some physical danger coming their way, at least if the way the color left their faces was any indication.
Grakosh glanced at them all, again somehow intuiting that they needed something to get their minds off of the situation. “So!” he said brightly. “I believe we can solve the patching problem. I am more concerned about the damaged fusion engine. I did some remote surveying of the engine during our flight to Earth, and it is not going to be repairable with our on-board components. We’ll need to manufacture replacements here and ship them up.”
Clara made a pushing-away gesture with one hand. “Oh, no. That’s definite tech transfer, and we can’t be part of that…not yet, at least.” That was by far the biggest stipulation which had allowed the Rithro’s crew to remain on US soil. There was to be no transfer of alien technology to the USA; at the moment, most countries were in favor of setting up an international committee of scientists and engineers who would reverse-engineer what tech they could and hand out the blueprints to any country that asked.
But that didn’t satisfy everyone. Who would pay for the effort? What about countries with a smaller manufacturing base, who couldn’t properly take advantage of the new technology? For technologies with possible destructive applications, would they have to set up separate agencies to monitor and control their use? There was a lot of political and practical fiddly bits to get sorted, even among countries who were supposed allies.
Blake rubbed his bald spot. “I watched the UN debating the other day. First time ever. I have never seen so much said with so little actual content.”
Ned shrugged. “For once, I don’t envy the politicians. This whole thing is a hot potato.”
Grakosh looked with curiosity at Ned. “Hot potato?”
“Just a saying,” replied Dwight. “A potato is a starchy vegetable, you can make it a bunch of ways.”
“Ah, yes!” Grakosh perked up. “I have had mashed potatoes. Quite delicious.”
“Right, well you can also bake them whole. The notion is that after baking it’s really hot, so if you try to pick it up with bare hands…” Dwight now mimed juggling a potato back and forth. “Ow, ow, ow, too hot!”
“Interesting metaphor.”
Agent Hanson murmured into his sleeve again. “Confirm.” He kept his eyes fixed on the door. “Okay, folks, the sweep is almost over. Nobody here on campus who shouldn’t be here.”
“They might not have known I was here,” said Grakosh. “I am assuming this is an organized effort to kill me and my crew. Might be a bad assumption.”
“Could be,” said Chao. Now her guts went cold again, wondering if Sadaf or anyone else she knew were dead.
Both agents then stood, each touching their earpiece as if they didn’t quite believe what they were hearing. “No fuckin’ way,” said Hanson.
The other agent grinned, this time in true mirth. “Oh, that is too precious.” The two men looked at each other and chuckled, which Chao figured counted as a full-throated belly laugh for a Secret Service agent.
“Well?” asked Blake. “Care to let us in on the joke?”
Hanson shrugged. “It’s gonna be all over the news soon enough, reporters are already on the scene. We just got a report from the Decatur PD. About five miles from here, a delivery van was heading in this direction, well over the speed limit. The driver took a corner too fast and flipped the damn thing right onto its side. Slid into a few parked cars, but no bystanders hurt. Witnesses saw a bunch of dudes in black armor, toting rifles, un-ass out of the back of the thing and run off like headless chickens…in the other direction from here. Our guess is they were headed to this location, but we’re double-checking just to make sure none of ‘em made it to the campus. We all should be able to head out in ten minutes.”
“All head out?” asked Clara. “But we’re not a target.”
“That you know of,” replied Hanson. “Until we get this whole shitshow straightened out, right now y’all are considered potential targets. They might have some contingency in place.” He snickered. “I cannot believe that shit. You ever heard of anything like that?” he asked the other agent.
“Nah.” The man winked at the huddled people. “Important tip, folks. Never, ever let the FNG drive the car.”
“FNG?” asked Ned.
“Fuckin’ New Guy,” said Blake.
__________
Horace raised his head with a groan as he came to. Okay…check surroundings. Darkened room, with a single light from above illuminating the area around him. He was in a chair…no he was in a chair, with his wrists handcuffed to each arm and duct-tape around his ankles. He felt like he’d been on the wrong end of a few punches from Mike Tyson. Of course, all of his gear was gone. But he still wore clothes, at least.
In front of his chair, about five feet away, stretched a big oak table. Seated on the other side of the table was a man who put Horace in mind of a college professor. The man’s light-gray suit was impeccably pressed and didn’t have a speck of lint on it. His pale blue tie was neatly knotted at his neck. He had dark, slicked-back hair and wore wire-rimmed spectacles with round lenses. The spectacles sat perched on the end of his aquiline nose as he wrote with a flowing hand in a yellow legal pad in front of him. Two manila folders, each filled with multiple pages, lay neatly before him.
The man looked up as Horace let out a soft groan. “Ah, you’re awake!” His accent was British and quite proper. “Excellent. I fear my colleagues were a little over-enthusiastic in bringing you here. I do apologize.”
Horace probed his teeth with his tongue; one of his rear molars might be loose. “I want a lawyer. You can’t interrogate me without a lawyer present.”
The man leaned back and smiled. “Of course. Unfortunately, there are certain circumstances which have turned this from a simple matter of charging you with six homicides…of federal agents, no less…into something more of a, shall we say, existential crisis. I shall do my best to explain it to you, and if you need clarification at any time, please feel free to ask.”
Horace snorted. “So you must be good cop. Where’s bad cop? Waiting behind me with a rubber hose?”
“My colleague is on his way, he should arrive shortly. There was certain information he wanted me to see…information relevant to this interview.”
“Interview? I am a United States citizen. I have my rights.”
“Of course you do, Mister Bradshaw.” The man pulled the leftmost folder towards him and flipped it open, then began paging through its contents. “Horace Eugene Bradshaw. Graduated from high school with middling grades, applied to the Baltimore police academy. Was subsequently ‘kicked out’, as you say, after a rather unfortunate altercation with a superior officer. Held multiple jobs since; retail, some building maintenance. A few cases of assault, all involving alcohol. The profile of a bitter man without purpose. Exactly the type to wind up being taken under the wing of some radical group.”
“I want a lawyer present.”
“Patience, Mr. Bradshaw. As I said, I will explain. Now, as you may be aware, there were multiple attacks on the various locations where our alien guests were located. These attacks were coordinated, and appear to be well-funded. The attack in Washington, in particular, showed quite a high level of technical competence.”
He slid Horace’s file off to one side and pulled the other file towards him. “We did recover enough of the projectile to know it was a modified mortar round. Modified to have increased range, plus it had a quite ingenious home-made and fin-guided GPS system to ensure a precision strike with only one shot.”
The man then held up a picture showing a long tube, canted at an angle, sitting on a gravel rooftop. “We found the tube itself five kilometers from the site of the strike. Longer than the standard portable mortar barrel, again for increased range. It was rather foolish of your comrades not to take it with them; we suspect they were spooked and ran right after firing the round. Which is fortunate, I suppose. Multiple rounds might have resulted in a much greater number of casualties, including Captain Sadaf. Assuming you had more than one round, of course.”
“I want…”
“Yes, I know. Please, let me finish. Right now, the FBI is searching for who purchased the components of that mortar round; it should not take them long to track down the buyer or buyers. After all, you can’t purchase such things at one’s local shop.”
The man shut the folder and steepled his fingers. “I hope you can understand our dilemma. Putting this together with your attack on Camp David, we have a well-armed, technically competent group with inside help who is seeking to murder our alien guests and perhaps trigger a two-front war against us with the Coalition on one side and some genocidal robots on the other. Where there are three attacks, there could be more planned, even as we speak. Of course, we are moving our guests to a new, secure location…a location which I will not reveal, of course…and there could be ambushes already planned. You see, even if this was a normal legal case you would not be necessarily entitled to a lawyer if there is a so-called ‘ticking clock’ involved.” He smiled ruefully. “And I fear that there is some almighty ticking going on.”
Horace shook his head. Why did everybody take them the aliens at their word that these so-called ‘Breakers’ even existed? He took in a breath to tell this posh bastard that, again, he wanted a lawyer, when a door behind him opened and flooded the room with light. As he blinked, the door shut again. A lean man strolled into view, wearing military fatigues and with a folder under one arm…oh, no. It was him.
“Hey, Little Buddy-O!” said the newcomer, grinning as he saw Horace flinch.
The man at the table rose and gravely shook the other’s hand. “Good to see you, Matthew.”
“Tristan,” replied Matt. “Looking sharp, as always.”
“Well, one must look smart even with such a distasteful job before us.” Tristan turned to face Horace. “I have just explained to Mr. Bradshaw the gravity of the situation, in particular the need to know as soon as possible if any other attacks are planned. Mr. Bradshaw, were there any points I covered that require clarification?”
Matt grinned as he leaned on one corner of the table. “Shithead probably doesn’t know anything.”
“Most likely not,” sighed Tristan as he seated himself again. “If they had any sense they’ll have a proper cell structure.”
“Oh, hey, check this out.” Matt dropped his folder onto the table next to Tristan, then continued his smiling at Horace. “You’ll get a kick out of it.”
With a raised eyebrow, Tristan began reading. “Hmm…ah, yes. very nice. I see our friends at the FBI have followed up on the leads from that mortar round with their usual zeal.”
“Yeah, they’re good at tracking unusual purchases. They love that shit. But flip past that, get to the good stuff.”
Tristan did so, and for the first time Horace saw a look of genuine shock on the man’s face. “They did what?”
Matt laughed. “Dumped the fuckin’ van on its side. Then they all piled out and took off like jackrabbits.”
Tristan let out a small, sensible chuckle. “Well. It seems I may have overestimated our opponents’ competence.”
Horace tried to look stoic, but inside he felt dread. The van must be the one for the ULA attack; it sounded like they had failed.
Matt shook a playful finger at Horace. “Aw, now. Don’t try to play all serious with me. I saw that look. You know what that means, don’t you? I think you know more than you let on.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” said Horace. “Not without a lawyer present.” He clung to the notion like a mantra, although he was now getting a sense of just how fucked he was.
Matt walked forward and squatted, putting himself below Horace’s eye-level. “Now, my Little Buddy-O. I get it, you’re committed to the cause. You’ve psyched yourself up for this, you promised yourself that you’d die rather than roll over on your comrades. But. Let’s be reasonable. At least tell us what you know about any raids planned, even if you don't know much. You might have overheard something. We’ll keep the questions all about that. You don’t have to say a word about anything else. We can wait to ask you about that when you have a lawyer present, and we’ll do it all legal and proper. But I gotta warn ya, pretty much any attorney worth anything is gonna tell you it doesn’t look good for y’all. We got you and your buddies nailed. We got ballistics matches with the rounds which killed the six agents, and you were interrupted in the act of trying to kill a bunch more people…which presumably included all of the aliens at Camp David.”
Horace said nothing. This was how they did it, he knew that much from his time in the academy. The worst thing a suspect could do was remain silent. The police had to get them talking, about anything. If he started talking they’d worm everything out of him…then probably drop him down a deep hole somewhere.
Tristan sighed and stood. “Well, I fear it seems we will be here for a while. I fancy a cup of tea, even if it is an American brand. Matthew, would you care for something?”
Matthew rose as well. “Sure! Coffee, two creams and one sugar.” He pointed at Horace. “How about you? You want some coffee?”
Horace blinked in surprise. “Um, sure,” he said automatically. “Black, please.”
“Are you sure?” asked Matt. “If I’m honest, the coffee here is kinda meh at best.”
Upon Horace’s nod, Tristan walked with an even tread behind him. There was once again a bright, brief light as he exited the room.
Horace took a deep breath. This was it, this bastard was gonna start beating on him.
But instead Matt walked around the table and began flipping idly through the second file, the one on the mortar attack. His voice was mild. “I gotta say, you must have someone in your group with quite a bit of techie knowhow. I have seen some GPS-guided mortar rounds in action, but they’re not really what you would call man-portable. And built in somebody’s basement, no less.”
He continued flipping. “Interesting mix, though. Some very competent behavior, plus your gear was first-rate. You’ve got some funding and resources behind you. But man, when it comes to squad tactics you make the Keystone Kops look like fuckin’ Seal Team Six.”
Horace said nothing, waiting for the beating to start. But instead Matt just continued his casual perusal. After a long, long few minutes of silence, however, the room was once again briefly flooded with light as Tristan entered. He walked into view carrying a cardboard tray with three Styrofoam cups. He handed two of them to Matt. “Two cream, one sugar. And this is black, as the gentleman requested.” Tristan walked back around to his chair, and picked his own cup off of the tray. He blew on it a bit and grimaced. “I do wish you Americans would stop boiling your tea with the leaves in it. Tea needs to be encouraged, not bullied.”
Meanwhile, Matt set his own coffee down and walked towards Horace. The latter flinched as the man reached into a pocket with his free hand. But all that came out was a small key; with a deft touch Matt unlocked the cuff around Horace’s left sleeve and then pressed the cup into the now-freed hand. “It’s lukewarm, I’m afraid. Pot must be almost empty.”
Now that he saw the coffee in his hand, Horace wondered if something was slipped into it. It would be the ideal way to get him to drop his defenses without realizing.
Matt must have picked up on his trepidation and shrugged. “Hey, drink it or don’t. Pour it on your foot for all I care. I’ll swap, if you want.”
With a trembling hand, Horace took a sip. As Matthew had promised, it was bitter and barely hot. But it tasted like coffee.
“I don’t suppose Mr. Bradshaw spoke of anything while I was out?” asked Tristan.
“Nope. He’s gone full clam.”
“Unfortunate.”
Horace drank more coffee and said nothing.
“Yeah.” Matt sipped at his coffee and made a grimace of his own. “Jesus, this is almost cold. All right, I gotta go nuke this thing.”
“For the last time, you heathen, you ‘microwave’ something, not ‘nuke’ it.” Tristan began unbuttoning his suit jacket.
Matt chuckled as he strolled off. “Oh hey, they refilled the vending machine. You wanna cherry-cheese danish?”
With great care, Tristan hung his jacket on the back of the chair. “Good lord, no. Those things are revolting.” He unfastened his tie and with equal gravity laid it over the top of his jacket.
“Nah, all the preservatives give it extra flavor.” With another bright slam, the pair were once again alone in the shadowed room.
Horace was, by now, thoroughly confused as Tristan unbuttoned his collar. The latter then took a careful sip of his tea. “Still too bloody hot,” he muttered. “Damned Yanks. Ah, Mr. Bradshaw, forgive me. On occasion I tend to slip into the vernacular, you might say.” He walked around the desk and gripped Horace’s coffee cup. The sudden physical contact with his fingers made Horace flinch. “May I?” He pulled the cup from Horace’s unresisting grasp and turned to place it on the table, then re-locked Horace’s left hand to the chair. As Tristan walked back towards his tea, he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves to the elbow, then took off his spectacles and placed them on the table.
“What the fuck is going on?” snapped Horace. “This is bullshit, you’re just running around, going in and out, giving me coffee, taking it away. You’re trying to confuse me and make me say something. I know how this works.”
Tristan picked up his tea and returned to stand in front of the bound man. “No, Mr. Bradshaw, I fear you have completely mis-read the relationship between myself and my esteemed colleague.”
The man leaned forward as his face hardened into an emotionless mask. “You see, Matthew is the one who always plays good cop.”
With that, Tristan up-ended his scalding-hot tea right into Horace’s crotch.

Myself (36) and Wife (32) with 4 kids (6, 3, 1, 1). For the most part, I am following the guidelines from this forum. We are putting enough in 401k to get full employer match (plus 2% more at my employer), and are maxing out IRA Contributions for both of us (doing 50:50 Roth/Trad IRA). My employer also automatically gives $60/month + matches funds into my HSA Account at 100% up to the max (I put in $146/pay period, they put in $176, for max of $7,750/yr; currently have $12k in this account). We have no high-interest debt.
Looking for any general advice, but my biggest question and problem is that I have quite a bit of cash sitting around ($100k in Ally Bank HYSA currently earning 3.8%, and about $45k in other checking/savings accounts earning minimal interest). I’m a little unsure where to put this money. I enjoy the liquidity, but know I could be earning much more.
I spent a lot of time formatting the below, so I hope it looks good haha!!!
Current Income
Myself: $52k (Take home $3,300/month)
Wife: $53k (Take home $3,400/month)
Small Business: $20k
Total Yearly Income: About $120k
Total Take Home Pay (not including business): $6,700/month
Current Expenses

• Mortgage: $2000/month
  
  • Bought for $435k, 20% down, mortgage of $348,000 @ 3.00% in June 2021
  • Current Balance $334,500
  • Current Estimated Value $490,000
• Vehicles: $1250/month
  
  • Loan Payments: $950/month (one car will be paid off in October, freeing up $557/month)
  • Insurance: $300/month (3 cars plus camper)
• Food: $750/month
  
  • $350 groceries
  • $300 restaurants
    • Family Dinners maybe 2/month
    • Lunches during work week about 1/week
  • $100 coffee/alcohol
• Utilities: $340/month
  
  • Electric: $150/month
  • WateTrash: $80/month
  • Natural Gas: $50/month
  • Internet: $60/month

Investments
Myself:

• Employer 401k: $53k
  
  • Employer matches first 3% 1:1, matches half of next 2%. I currently put in 7%, they put in 4%
  • Target Date Fund: Current allocations roughly as follows
    • 30% Fidelity International Index
    • 25% Fidelity 500 Index
    • 11% Fidelity mid Cap Index
    • 10% Fidelity Small Cap Index
    • 8% Large Cap Value Fund Class R1
    • 5% ClearBridge International Growth IS
    • 4% Fidelity US Bond Index
    • 4% PGIM US Real Estate R6
• Traditional IRA (Vanguard): $54k
  
  • All funds invested in 2055 Target Retirement
• Roth IRA (Vanguard): $16k
  
  • All funds in 2055 Target Retirement
• Vanguard Brokerage Account (Vanguard, just opened a couple weeks ago): $10k
  
  • All funds in VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF)
• Treasury Direct I-Bonds: $11k
  
  • Opened in February 2022 with $10k
• Robinhood Account $29k
  
  • Opened in 2017, slowly investing in stocks and whatever I want, lots of airlines, tech, healthcare
  • Up 44% All time in 6 years, so about 7.3% per year.

Total Investments for myself: $173k
Wife:

• Employer 401k: $69k
• Employer matches first 5%. Currently putting in 5% and getting full 5% match.
• LifeStage Investment Service with “Aggressive” profile
  
  • 54% US Equity Fund
  • 46% International Equity Fund
• Roth IRA (Vanguard): $8k
  
  • 2060 Target Retirement
• Traditional IRA (Vanguard) $5k
  
  • 2060 Target Retirement

Total Investments for wife: $82k

• 529 Account for Child 1: $9k
• 529 Account for Child 2: $2k

Total Investments for kids: $11k

• Liquid Assets:
  
  • Ally Bank HYSA: $106k
  • Other Personal Checking/Savings: $55k
  • Business Checking/Savings: $42k
  • HSA Account: $12k
• Other Assets:
  
  • Home worth $490k
  • 3 Vehicles worth roughly $60k

Was thinking how it always seem to be the same shit different day with the elites and their manufactured rigged crisis. Here's a humorous edit of Hank Paulson's speech in 2008 to be ready for the next round of crisis lies we will be handed, Janet is welcome to just take my suggestions wholesale with out changes. Yeah youre welcome Jan Jan Yeller.
Edited Treasury Secretary Remarks on the U.S. Economy and Financial System by Hugh Danforth for the coming crisis.
December 1, 2008 or Next Month 2023
Washington- Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on the current state of the U.S. economy, our implementation of the financial rescue(bailout) package and strategies for use (giving money to the people that made this mess) of the remaining TARP funds.
Today we continue to work through a severe financial crisis, (created by our own efforts to lobby to eliminate and dumb down regulations and take ridiculous risks that we would never take if our own money was at stake. While we are making progress, the journey ahead will continue to be a difficult one, for you, on Main St. But I have confidence that we are pursuing the right strategy to enrich our friends on Wall St. and stabilize the rigged financial system and support the flow of credit into our pockets and the trickle into the economy. The new authorities Congress provided in October dramatically expanded the tools available to the federal government to address the needs of our rigged system. As I and my fellow regulators stated clearly at the time, we now have a set of tools to fleece average people everywhere - new authorities in addition to our existing ones to do more damage in a few short years- that we can deploy in creative combinations to maximize our profits and their impact on our rigged system. And we have taken significant collaborative monopolistic actions that demonstrate that strategy in action.
This consistent effort to strengthen our financial institutions, so they can pay larger salaries and bonuses, so they can support our economy is critical to our progress through the current economic downturn. Strong financial institutions and a stable rigged financial system will smooth the path to stealing more so we can lie about a recovery and an eventual return to prosperity.
The root of this financial turmoil is the liquidity fairy and the naked short selling made by market markers on that began and accelerated throughout 2021. As one stock poses systemic risk, along with Commercial mortgage backed securities that we don’t regulate because that would be bad for the ultra rich who own the politicians for pennies on the dollar, share priced have declined and commercial foreclosures have risen, related assets have been hit particularly hard. 84 years ago the fake share price of the one true stock and it’s short squeeze aka correction spilled over into the financial sector, pushing the banking system into stress. Consequently, the overall economy has suffered. Third quarter GDP this year showed bullshit changes. The unemployment rate has moved to a level not seen in 84 years, with a loss of too many great American jobs at companies that were run into the ground by naked short sellers, Boston Insulting Group consultants, and unpatriotic scum that want to destroy the lives of so many of their countrymen and women because they - the billionaires -are not rich enough. Data released last week showed that through Jan 2021, stock prices in a basket of 10 major companies had fallen a bigly percent over the previous year, demonstrating that the "correction" has not abated. And as the economy slows further, it threatens to prolong the market “correction” which is not a correction at all, just a forced hard reset to stop the rigged stock market from paying lucrative fees to asshole lawyers and bankers.
There is no single action the Federal Government can take to end the financial market turmoil and the economic downturn, because we have manipulated everything so extremely with buying politicians up to the supreme court! In these extraordinary times, we must instead focus on developing the most effective combination of our tools to further pillage your life savings, hold down wages, increase inflation and destroy our planet to protect the financial system and speed the process of all-out-theft.
Financial System Recovery Efforts
We have implemented several programs aimed at improving the flow of credit to businesses and consumers, so they can spend and invest and restore our economy.
Most significantly, we devoted trillions to increasing the capital of our banks. A stronger capital base enables banks to take losses as they write down or sell troubled assets, which they created in a self enriching scam of fees and fake valuations. Stronger capitalization is also essential to increasing lending for the liquidity fairy at the market makers which, although difficult to achieve during times like this, is essential to economic recovery.
Treasury has received hundreds of applications from the regulators, and hundreds more are under review by the regulators. To date we have stolen your children’s future and the future of many generations to purchase preferred shares in the asshole institutions, putting billions in additional capital into the financial system. And we will work through the remaining applications in the coming weeks and months.
We have announced the terms for participation for most non-publicly traded banks, another important source of credit in our economy. Regulators are already receiving many applications from private banks and are reviewing and processing those now.
In a powerful joint statement on November 12 th, our banking regulators have emphasized that the extraordinary government actions taken to stabilize and strengthen the banking system are not merely one-sided; all banks – not just those participating in the Capital Purchase Program – have benefited, so they all also have responsibilities in the areas of lending, dividend and compensation policies, and foreclosure mitigation. We strongly support this regulatory initiative, which is just a little bullshit giveaway to cover for a year or tow so we can get back to business as usual, until we’ve created a massive American Oligarchy to rule over the American sheeple.
We expect and asked really nicely that the banks increase their lending to their friends and one another as a result of these efforts and it is important that they do so, so they can survive another day. This lending won't materialize as fast as any of us would like, but it will happen much, much faster as confidence is restored as a result of having used the TARP to stabilize our system and to increase the capital in our banks.
As we all know, the non-bank financial sector is a critical source of finance for the consumer spending that fuels our economy. Consumer credit, so you can buy more crap you don’t really need, is critical for many households as they consider purchasing a car, new appliances, or other big ticket items. Like other forms of credit, the availability of affordable consumer credit depends on ready access to a liquid fairy and affordable secondary market – in this case, the asset backed credit market. Recent credit market stresses essentially brought this market to a halt. As a result, millions of Americans cannot find affordable financing for their basic credit needs, to buy groceries or gas. And credit card rates are climbing, making it more expensive for families to finance everyday purchases, to go into deeper debt. The Federal Reserve and the Treasury last week announced an aggressive program to support the normalization of credit markets and the availability of affordable consumer credit to support economic recovery.
To support the return of consumer lending, the Treasury will provide small few billion in TARP resources to back a Federal Reserve facility that will provide liquidity to issuers of consumer asset backed paper, enabling a broad range of institutions to step up their lending, and enabling borrowers to have access to lower cost consumer finance and small business loans. The facility may be expanded over time and eligible asset classes may be expanded later to include other assets, such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities or other asset classes. (didn’t even have to edit this line because it was a new way to do the same shit they did in 2008.)
This consumer lending facility is one example of the creative combination of federal government authorities to ease a major obstruction to the flow of credit into our economy. The actions taken last week to support Citigroup similarly demonstrate the creative combination of tools to most effectively strengthen our financial institutions and confidence in our rigged system.
We are actively engaged in developing additional programs to strengthen our financial system so that lending flows into our pockets and trickles by the tiniest drips possible into the economy. When these programs are ready for implementation, we will discuss them with the corrupt Congress and all the politicians owned by the world’s elites.
We continue to look at additional capital strategies, and as we do so we will assess the impact of the first capital program, and use this information to evaluate the size and focus of an additional program in light of existing economic and market conditions.
And we are continuing to examine potential commercial foreclosure mitigation ideas that may be an appropriate and effective use of TARP resources.
An important complement to those guidelines was my announcement that they will suspend all foreclosures on commercial real estate for 90 days. The foreclosure suspension will give the owner class and servicers time to utilize the new streamlined loan modification program and make it possible for more families to work out terms to lose their jobs and their homes.
And of course, as we consider potential new TARP programs, we must also maintain flexibility and firepower for the elites to address new challenges as they arise.
As I have said for some time, the liquidity fairy and the pandemic is at the root of our economic and market difficulties. The most important thing we can do to mitigate foreclosures and progress through the correction is to reduce the cost of mortgage finance. The actions we have taken to stabilize and strengthen our pals, and through them to increase the flow of moolah & credit have insulated the corrupt thieve from real prices and rates from the rapid increases and fluctuations in the cost of other credit. But given that we have essentially guaranteed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities, the rates on those securities – and corresponding mortgage rates – have not come down as much as we may have hoped. The Federal Reserve's announcement that it will purchase billions of debt and half a trillion dollars in commercial mortgage backed securities should have a strongly positive impact on the cost of mortgage finance. And we continue to look for additional ways to make cheap credit more affordable, which will stimulate relentless purchases of unnecessary consumer crap, help to stabilize prices and eventually send the one true stock to the moon.
Conclusion
Until the financial crisis is behind us, we must remain vigilant, ready to respond and to manage unpredictable events as they occur. Our first priority is on recovery. We work every day fully aware of our awesome responsibility to the American people who depend on the financial system to save for college and retirement, for financing homes, cars and companies. I am confident that we will work through this difficult period, and opportunity and prosperity will again flourish. Thank you.

I’m a SAHM and just liquidated $100k from an old 401k from my previous company. It’s sitting in a vanguard money market in my traditional ira rn. The account only has one target date retirement fund that’s returned 2% this year and the money market returned 5%. Yikes. Someone tell me just to invest it all in one lump sum vs DCA because that’s what I’d do with $10k but $100k makes me squeamish.

https://elpais.com/ciencia/2023-05-31/siete-de-los-nueve-umbrales-que-permiten-la-vida-humana-sobre-la-tierra-ya-han-sido-sobrepasados.html
Submission statement:
This article from El País reports on a new study published in Nature that quantifies for the first time the nine thresholds that we shouldn't cross if we want Earth to remain hospitable for civilisation. They include climate change, freshwater availability, natural area conservation, pollution levels, and ozone layer. The study finds that seven of them have already been exceeded in whole or in large areas of the planet. This is a clear sign of collapse, as it shows how human activities are pushing the Earth system beyond its safe and fair limits, threatening the well-being of current and future generations.
Translation:
Seven of the nine thresholds that allow human life on Earth have already been exceeded.
A report quantifies the climatic, natural and pollutant limits that ensure the safe and just maintenance of civilisation.
In 2009, a large group of scientists identified nine limits that humans should not exceed if the Earth is to remain hospitable to civilisation. These included, among others, available fresh water, the natural area that is conserved, pollution levels, the ozone layer and, of course, climate change. Now, a new report just published in Nature quantifies for the first time the thresholds for each of these problems that should not be exceeded if the earth system is to be safe and just not only for present humans, but for future generations. Seven of them have already been exceeded in all or large parts of the planet. The apocalyptic picture is softened by the fact that the hole in the tropospheric ozone layer has fallen off the list: humanity was able to solve the problem in time.
The report identified those limits for the Earth system, understood as a global ecosystem, to be sustainable and safe. It was written at the time that, if they were widely exceeded, a series of catastrophic changes would follow. But since then, safety has been joined by another idea: the Earth system will not be safe if it is not also just. It is one of the contributions of this new report, the quantification of justice between humans, other living beings and future generations.
"Human beings are part of the Earth system. We are a big part of the problem and we have to be a big part of the solution," summarises Noelia Zafra, co-author of the report. "But problems and solutions do not affect everyone equally and there are some humans who bear the inconvenience of sustaining the Earth system, while others mostly benefit. It is also the case that a few generate problems for many," adds the researcher from BC3, the Basque climate change research centre.
This is the case, for example, of the emissions that are causing climate change. Their rise dates back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and the main players, Europe and North America, are the main culprits. Even now, as emerging countries such as China begin to take a greater share of responsibility, half of greenhouse gas emissions come from the richest 10 per cent of the population. "We cannot act together to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis if we are not all starting from the same situation and there is conflict between us," adds Zafra.
"It's not a goal, it's a limit".
The 2015 Paris Agreement set an acceptable global average temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius to curb climate change. But that need for fairness explains why the report's authors further lowered the limit on the extra warming the planet could withstand, dropping it to one degree. The director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Research (Germany), Johan Rockström, reminded an online press conference that "1.5 degrees is not a target, it is not a goal, it is a physical limit". Above that limit the risks are very high, but even before it is exceeded, warming is already having profound consequences. Scientists estimate that the temperature has already risen by an average of 1.2 degrees Celsius and the impact can be felt across most of the planet and suffered by millions of people.
One of the contributions of this report is that it does not stop at the climate emergency. For its authors, it is already clear that climate change is not the only existential problem facing human civilisation. Another of the thresholds quantified is the portion of the planet that still retains its original state. The work promoted by the Earth Commission, an alliance of leading scientists, set 50-60 per cent of the Earth's surface to be preserved free of livestock, agriculture, mining or any other human interference. "Currently, we are between 45% and 50%. So, just below the limit," recalls David Obura of the organisation CORDIO, and co-author of the study. Obura also points out that denatured areas of the planet can still add resilience to the Earth system. The millions of hectares devoted to pasture and crops - even cities - can be part of the solution, provided that for every square kilometre of altered ecosystem, a minimum of 20 per cent is vegetated, even if it is not natural.
Other thresholds that have been quantified and already exceeded are the extra nutrients contributed to the soil by humans. In particular, they quantify anthropogenic nitrogen and phosphorus used mainly in agriculture. An excess of these elements alters both the substrate and the water in a process known as eutrophication. Cases such as the Mar Menor in Murcia illustrate this very well. The limits not yet exceeded globally, but in large areas of the planet, have to do with the use of water, both surface and groundwater. According to the report, one third of the planet is already over-exploiting surface water resources, with the limit set at 20%. For groundwater, the rate of replenishment is not respected in half of the Earth. As for air pollution caused by the emission of non-natural particles (engine combustion, heating and cooling, industrial emissions, etc.), the limit is still far from being exceeded on a global scale, but it has already been exceeded in several regions of the planet, such as South-East Asia.
The report acknowledges that it leaves out problems such as ocean acidification, plastic accumulation and microplastics, persistent chemicals and antibiotics. They argue that these are threats that have not yet been sufficiently studied to determine whether they pose existential risks. Several of the problems are also related, such as the loss of biodiversity accelerated by excess nutrients. And others, such as climate change, amplify the severity of the others.
"If we look at freshwater, air, pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorus, or the integrity of the biosphere both in terms of surface area and biodiversity, we do so on purpose because if they add up, they provide resilience, buffering capacity and stability to the whole Earth system," Rockström told the press conference. Exceeding each threshold in these areas reduces "the strength of the planet to cope with the climate crisis". He added: "Seven of the eight indicators we have been assessing are outside the safe and just space. We also see that there is a window for transformation to regain that safe space that is still possible. But it requires transformations and very, very fast action. And it will not be enough just to decarbonise the global energy system.
How can this be done? From BC3, Zafra recalls the challenge: "Human well-being cannot exist without the Earth system. Reconciling the well-being of all human beings with justice with the limits of the Earth system means asking ourselves what well-being really is, what and how much we need to feel good, how much we are willing to harm other people and living beings to achieve what, and carrying out broad social processes at all scales that allow inclusive and fair transformations to tackle the climate and biodiversity crisis".

"Tomorrow's bill is a bunch of fake news." - Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), playing the GOP hits

Beg, Borrow, Or Deal

Anybody else getting pretty fucking sick of Republicans holding the global economy hostage?

• While the rest of us were spending our Memorial Day weekend thinking about the sacrifices American troops have made for their country (and the Succession series finale), the White House and congressional Republicans were in the octagon fighting it out over the debt ceiling as zero-hour for the government running out of money and causing a global economic crisis quickly approaches.
  
• House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden reached a final agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling on Sunday, and it’s full of enough “compromises” that getting all necessary support in Congress may be a tough hill to climb for both sides. President Biden was circumspect in a statement outside the White House on Sunday evening, saying, “The agreement prevents the worst possible crisis, a default, for the first time in our nation’s history…Takes the threat of a catastrophic default off the table.”
  
• Okay, Joe, but [winces]…what else is in the agreement? The deal keeps non-defense spending basically stagnant in 2024 and limits its increase in 2025 to 1 percent. It also suspends the debt limit until January 2025, a key priority for the Biden administration, and ensures that we don’t have to go through this bullshit again in a year. The Congressional Budget Office released a report late Tuesday saying that the deal would cut $1.5 trillion from the deficit over the next decade. Democrats won some new expanded benefits for veterans, homeless Americans, and young people aging out of foster care. The GOP proposal to repeal many of the clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act also didn’t make it to the final deal, thankfully.
  

That’s about the end of the “good” news.

• The bad news? Well, McCarthy bragged that the bill in its current form would be the “most conservative deal we’ve ever had.” Not all of his caucus agrees, but most people to the left of oh, say, Mitt Romney would. The agreement rescinds about $30 billion in unspent coronavirus relief money previously-approved through congressional bills. The Inflation Reduction Act stipulated that the IRS would receive $80 billion in new funding over the next decade. This deal claws back $1.4 billion, and Biden agreed to take an additional $20 billion from the agency over the next two years. The deal also expands work requirements for SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), a long-held Republican obsession. But the CBO report indicates that the number of exceptions demanded by the Biden administration for SNAP recipients may mean that as a result of this deal, even more people will be eligible for the program than were before. In one final blow, the deal also kneecaps President Biden from extending the yearslong pause on student loan payments that began during the coronavirus pandemic.
  
• Congressional Democrats who would otherwise oppose the deal for giving too many concessions to the GOP mob are now put between a rock and a hard place, forcing them to either vote for the deal that gives so much to Republicans, or oppose the agreement President Biden created, putting the economy at risk. White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, who was one of the president’s lead negotiators on the deal, urged Congress to pass it nonetheless, saying, “This agreement represents a compromise, which means no one gets everything that they want and hard choices had to be made.” Gotta be honest, this doesn’t feel great!
  

Members of Congress are now reviewing the bill and the House will begin voting as soon as Wednesday. The far-right flank of the House GOP is already threatening to oust McCarthy as soon as they can, because even a deal this deeply conservative isn’t evil enough for them. Cool party!

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Under The Radar

Crowdsourcing tools have become central to certain aspects of our modern American dystopia, like paying for essential medical treatment that should be covered by (cough) universal healthcare, but it’s recently taken up an even more sinister function: as a fundraising tool for far-right extremists. People like Daniel Goodwyn, who pleaded guilty for his involvement in the January 6 insurrection, have raised tens of thousands of dollars in crowdfunding campaigns from other right-wing sympathizers who consider the indicted insurrectionists to be “political prisoners” instead of treasonous criminals, which…lol. So now, the Justice Department wants Goodwyn to forfeit the more than $25,000 he raised, and prosecutors in the over 1,000 January 6-related criminal cases are increasingly asking judges to impose fines on top of prison sentences to offset these donations. Most of those charged in these cases have taxpayer-funded public defenders, so it’s all but certain that they’re simply pocketing the money and using their criminal activity for explicit material gain. These crowdfunding efforts have mostly been orchestrated through GiveSendGo, the self-described “#1 Free Christian Funding Site,” because more mainstream sites like GoFundMe have barred January 6 defendants from using their platform.

What Else?

A New York federal appellate court ruled on Tuesday that OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma can shield members of the Sackler family, the company’s owners, from opioid lawsuits as an indirect protection of bankruptcy proceedings. The Sacklers will be forced to hand over an additional $6 billion towards fighting the opioid crisis they created as part of the agreement.
The trial of Robert Bowers, the man responsible for the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA in 2018 began on Tuesday. In opening statements, his own lawyer acknowledged that Bowers planned the attack, made antisemitic statements, and “shot every person he saw,” during the attack.
Ukrainian drones hit wealthy districts in Moscow, the first major military action outside of Ukraine, while Kyiv also suffered air strikes for the third time in 24 hours.
As artificial intelligence continues to develop at breakneck speed, deep-fakes and other easily-disseminated misinformation pose a huge threat to the 2024 election.
U.S. consumer confidence has reached a six-month low, particularly concentrated in the over-55 demographic.
Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) announced his plan to resign from Congress, possibly as soon as this week, due to his wife’s ongoing health issues.
The Carter Center announced that former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 95, has dementia.
Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney gave a commencement speech at her alma mater Colorado College over the weekend. About half of the students turned their chairs around and sat with their backs to her in protest.

Be Smarter

Last week, retail giant Target acquiesced to the violence of far-right extremists in their stores over the company’s Pride collection by pulling some of the items entirely and relocating others to more removed corners of their locations. Now, the LGBT+ community is looking for answers about the dangerous precedent this sets. Progressive lawmakers and LGBT activist groups are lobbying corporations not to cave to far-right activism and develop new strategies to combat the rising tide of anti-LGBT violence. History has repeatedly demonstrated that kowtowing to far-right extremists doesn’t, uh, end well, and it’s clear that if corporations want to capitalize on their “allyship” during Pride month, they should not abandon the LGBT community and tacitly legitimize the views of violent right-wing bigots at the first signs of pushback.

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Light At The End Of The Email

Disgraced CEO of Theranos and overall weird blood lady Elizabeth Holmes reported to a Texas prison today to begin her 11-year sentence for overseeing the massive blood-testing fraud at her former company.
Researchers in Southern California used drones to observe great white sharks and found that they’re near and around humans in the water much more often than previously thought (scary!) but the overwhelming majority of the time, don’t bother anyone (okay, good!), meaning shark attacks could be even less likely than prior measurements indicated. Love that for us!

Enjoy

michael "cohost.org/lutz" lutz on Twitter: "USING AI TO EXPAND THE FRAME ON MICHELANGELO'S "CREATION OF ADAM" TO REVEAL BEHIND GOD A SECOND, LARGER, SCARIER GOD"

I am an immigrant to the US. I have a 401k through the employer and a Roth IRA with a small pot of money invested. I am employed with a decent salary. I am not particularly happy with the current employer or the city where I live. I am considering giving it a year to decide whether I should stay in the US or not. I am unsure at this point. However, I still need to plan for my retirement and future savings. Does it make sense to open a target date fund (TDF) with my Roth IRA or separately in a regular taxed brokerage account? Or is it better to invest my money into an Index fund or ETF for the Roth IRA? The employer doesn’t allow maxing the 401k but offers a 457 Plan which has a max contribution of $22,500 but with no employer match. Does it make sense to open a 457 Plan when there is no employer match? I can save around a thousand dollars each month. I am unsure if that money should go a 457 or to a taxable brokerage account? Should I suspend any investment for a year until I make a final decision on whether I want to stay in the US or not? Or should I invest in any case despite my indecisiveness. I am single and have no financial responsibilities toward anyone apart from myself. Which also means that I have no one to fall back on if there is a financial need.

In part 1, we examine some of the dialogue that happens in the first four seasons. By the time we get to season 3, we have in fact eliminated any theories in which Red is not one of Liz's parents, because Red admits to Kirk Liz is indeed his daughter, and not having raised her, it eliminates this is a adoptive or step parent situation, a parental without necessarily meaning biological connection. Red is one of Liz's parents, either Katarina or Raymond Reddington. The same exact spot we continue to spin in season 8, when Townsend tells us as much. He can replicate for Red the effect of losing his family by killing Liz in front of him.
You can read an extended analysis of the link of the Hobson's choice, the suicide speech and Rederina here.
We will examine seasons 5 and leave seasons 6, 7 and 8 for a third part because season 5 is pivotal and the analysis is a long one.
Season 5: Them Damn Bones!
The bones are the cornerstone of everything that follows, for is the foundation that Red is not the Reddington from before 1990 when he disappeared. Remember that we have never been shown a dead Reddington, or even a fresh dug grave. Nachalo gets us to a wounded Reddington in the car, nothing further. It is said by Katarina and Ilya, but we have no visual confirmation.
Red saying he had a prior identity does not solve much, per se, because one thing we know is that the man known to the US Navy as Raymond Reddington, does not seem to exist under that name until the Naval Academy.
Remember that Liz, obsessed with blood relatives, and with the resources of the FBI to find all sorts of records (birth, death, marriages, college, voting, taxes, military records, financial, name change, etc.) is surprised when she thinks Ressler found her paternal grandfather. It seems both our "new" Reddington and the "old" Reddington had a prior identity.
We will spend some time in the bones, for they are pivotal. This season sets up everything that follows.
Let us begin by identifying key moments:

1. Kate dig the bones, tells Red about it, gets Tom to pick them up, and does not add any identification clue to them. Attaches a tag so they are directed to Liz.
2. Tom picks up the bones and decides to find out the identity before giving them to her, getting Nik to help. Nik gets Pete who extracts DNA from a tooth and breaks into CODIS using Liz's id. The bones return an ID, and Garvey is notified of the match.
3. Garvey gets the bones, gets Tom, Pete and Lena, and eventually kills Tom via his goons and leaves Liz in a coma.
4. Red get the bones, but not before Liz manages to find Jennifer by following Garvey. Garvey died, shot by Liz and Dembe.
5. Garvey had given the bones to Jennifer and involves someone who had a grudge with Reddington for an issue in 1989, Sutton Ross. (For this part, think about the logic of it, if the man Ross had the issue with has been dead long enough to be a bag of bones).
6. Jennifer, aided by Ross, shows Liz the bones in a charade. (For this one please remember that Jennifer knew where Liz lived, and yet, that is how she chose to show Liz. As for entrapping Red, Liz would have happily done so, without the theatrics.)

Let us begin by point # 5, which comes in 5.22, because it goes to the crux of the matter. The involvement of Sutton Ross by Ian Garvey. Let us think about this matter carefully:
Ross has a grudge with Reddington, because he believes that in 1989 Reddington had tricked him into stealing bad plans for the Chinese. Garvey helped him faked his death.
Garvey knows the identification of the bones, and by then, so would Ross. Why would Garvey involve Ross to get his revenge, if both men KNOW that the man who tricked Ross has been dead for a very long time?
Raymond Reddington was an officer with the US Navy Counterintelligence, not a traveling vacuum salesman, so the idea that anyone would supplant him without anyone noticing is poppycock.
Therefore, the Reddington who Ross blames for his mishap is the same Reddington who disappeared a year later, in 1990, the so-called, original or real Raymond Reddington.

In the '80s, when a company or a country wanted to steal R&D rather than develop it, Ross and his team stole it for them.
Didn't he steal R&D on a stealth fighter for China?
A defective stealth fighter called the Grayscape Seventeen. The Navy knew Ross was working for China, so they made sure he stole plans for a plane that couldn't fly, and when it crashed, China blamed Ross, turned him over to the feds, who issued an arrest warrant, and Ross disappeared.

"Let's start with this DNA report. For 30 years, I've wanted to be in the same room as Raymond Reddington, the bastard who tricked me into selling the Chinese a dodo bird when they were looking for an eagle. And here we are. So, the DNA report tell me what it means. ... The only guarantee you have is that, if you don't tell me, she will die. Of course, perhaps you don't care about that. Perhaps her life isn't worth your revealing your precious secret for. After all, what is she to you, really? "
Let us re-write this if Ross knows for certain Red is someone other than the man who arrange the Grayscape 17 charade:

Let's start with this DNA report. For 30 years, I've wanted to be in the same room as Raymond Reddington, the bastard who tricked me into selling the Chinese a dodo bird when they were looking for an eagle. And here we are, it turns out he has been dead for a very long time, which I found out when I got the report, and means I will never get any revenge on the perp, and you are an idiot for taking the name of a traitor. So tell me what the report means be cause I am curious to know how Raymond Reddington died?
The only guarantee you have is that, if you don't tell me, she will die. Of course, perhaps you don't care about that. Perhaps her life isn't worth your revealing your precious secret for. After all, what is she to you, really? Because she is not your daughter, because you are not Raymond Reddington, who Jennifer told me was Liz's father.

Was Sutton Ross licking hallucinogenic toads? What possible good may it do to him, other than getting him killed to learn whatever about the report? It supposedly is self explanatory: Reddington is dead and this man is someone else. But clearly, this makes no sense. The fact Sutton was involved is because he too had a grudge against Reddington, like Jennifer and Garvey had.
Clearly this incident dates to the 1980, Ross's 30 years places it in 1989.
Is there something else confirming that Garvey does indeed believe the bones are not of Raymond Reddington? Yes. When Garvey finally learns what is the connection between Red and Liz, this is what he says:
"Reddington's (RED) her father.... Now I get it. Reddington (RED) and your husband (TOM), how they knew each other. Reddington (RED) didn't know you (LIZ) through him (TOM). He knew him (TOM) through you (LIZ)."
Garvey is saying the man who is alive, and the father of Liz and Jennifer is one and the same, not the bones in the bag. That is why he wants the whole truth, because if the secret is that Reddington is an imposter, what else would Garvey want to know?
Let us write it if we believe Red is an impostor and not the same man who fathered Liz:

Reddington's (DEAD MAN IN BAG) her father.... Now I get it. Reddington (DEAD MAN IN BAG) and your husband, how they knew each other. Reddington (DEAD MAN IN BAG) didn't know you through him. He knew him through you.

Consider too what Dembe tells Red:
"Ross wants blood. He (ROSS) thinks you (RED) ruined his life."
"But he (ROSS) thinks you (RED) did, and because of that, he wants to world to know what's inside the duffel. (A SECRET RED DOES NOT WANT OUT)
It does not matter what Red did or did not, if he gave Ross the plans, or facilitated the exchange, or if he was not responsible at all. What matters is what Dembe knows (who is the bag's identity), and what Ross knows (who is in the bag) and wants, which is revenge for the charade on the person he holds responsible, who is the man calling himself Reddington in 1989.
Those lines make no sense whatsoever, for anything other than the bones would not be the original or real Reddington.
Ross wants blood. He thinks you (RED) ruined his life. BUT IF Ross has the bones then Ross knows Red is not the man who tricked him, or sold him, or gave him those blueprints.
But he thinks you (RED) did, and because of that, he wants to world to know what's inside the duffel. (The bones of the man who DID set him up, or at least who Ross thinks did, which begs the question, why on earth would he then think Red ruined his life. At most, he is an idiot for taking that name.
​
Let us move now to point #3, which involves what Garvey says about the bones to Tom and what Red himself discusses with Dembe and Smokey about them, namely, the value of the bones:
"You know, all this time I've given you to think has prompted me to do some thinking of my own. And, uh I got to tell you, I'm stumped. When you consider all the people on the planet who would be interested in the contents of that case and you multiply that number by an even greater number of unspeakable things those people would do to get it, how the hell could it end up in the hands of a little pissant like you?"
and:

RED: We came all this way to find the duffel has been handed from one enemy of mine to another.
DEMBE: And yet, neither chose to make its contents public.
SMOKEY: If what you're looking for is as valuable as you say, why why why why didn't they put it up for auction?
RED: I have no idea.

Exactly what would be lost to Red if the world knew he is NOT Raymond Reddington, but an impostor who much like Gregory Devry, took the name for reasons unknown?
Red's value, his empire, is based on his contacts, decades of being the concierge of crime, of brokering deals, finding information. Who he was is irrelevant. And remember that, for the Rederina lens, knowing he is not Reddington does not equate to knowing he is Katarina. The name Reddington had no intrinsic value, for all Reddington was in 1990 when he disappeared, and then in 1991 was a two bit traitor.
For all Nachalo was trying to sell us different goods, Nachalo's Raymond Reddington had not much value per se. He was an imbecile incapable of suspecting a beautiful Russian woman, one who could move freely in the West without being followed by a cadre of KGB agents so she will not defect, was not a KGB agent herself.
Then let us move to the matter of the identification. Red is certain that whoever has them, will come to him, will be able to identify them, and once done, there is no more questions to be had:

GARVEY: Let's start with the truth.
RED: You have the bones. You already know the truth.
GARVEY: A truth. I want the whole truth.

In season 3 we had learned that Reddington's DNA was not in any DNA identification database.

Who is this guy? - He claims he's Reddington?
Yes, and we can't disprove it with DNA because there's nothing on file from 1990 when Reddington disappeared.

He is identified by fingerprints alone in the pilot of the series.
And yet, in season 5, for the Rederina theory, we are meant to believe that somehow DNA from Raymond Reddington has magically appeared in CODIS, and Ian Garvey, US Marshall attached to Carla and Jennifer Reddington has been advised a match has been made.
We have three options. First, the DNA was a direct match and the plot makes no sense, nothing new there.
Second, the DNA is from Jennifer Reddington. But that is nonsensical, for upon learning that Jennifer's genitor is a skeleton, nobody would think that the man using the name of her legal father is an impostor, but would think instead that her mother was certainly having fun when Reddington was in Russia, and her husband, having found out about the hanky panky, had dispatched the man. A story of sex, betrayal, murder and paternity, but not of identity.
And the third option is that the DNA match was not of Reddington. Valuable bones as proof of death? In this case, it means that the report shown to Liz by Jennifer was a fake. Her little revenge for Garvey's death.
So, to believe that the DNA is indeed Reddington's we have to accept that the creator and writers were too lazy or too stupid to even add a line of how was the DNA added when they had made a point to tell us that it was not there in 2015.
Totally possible, especially in light of season 8B starting with the supremely stupid The Russian Knot, ending in the dumpster fire and the Toxic Fumes, TM by u/Anselmo213, followed by insipid season 9 and filler season 10, still ongoing.
​
Now let us focus on the exhumation of the bones, Kate's motives and actions. The bones is the last step in a long battle in which Kate took Red's money, sent his associates to jail, exposed his part in the Von Hauser death, and got the Apothecary to design a poison that would have suffocated Red slowly. She was doing all this, not to save Liz, whom she believed was past salvation, because she always had chosen Red over the truth, but to save Agnes.
The interesting thing, is that when she digs them, she touches the carved K on a tree with respect, and apologizes to Katarina. If Kate indeed would know Red is Katarina, in what universe does that action make any sense, especially when the bones are supposed to be those of a man she hated, when she has already poisoned Rederina to die slowly of suffocation!
Her attitude would make sense if she believed she had dug the bones of Katarina, thus ending the danger to Liz because with her mother dead, there is no using Liz as bait.
Kate dug the bones, even though she was going to testify. Without as much as a hint of their identity, attached a tag with Liz's name and address, and tasked Tom, never good for following orders, to give them to Liz. Consider Kate may have had one of her people do so without incurring in any mishaps, the choice of Tom seems designed to get him killed, particularly when she took pains to alert Red the bones were out and in route to Liz, and called the person delivering them her ally.
Let us get to the issue of what Dembe and Red discuss, when they go check the suitcase location and find it gone. The night before, unbeknown to Kate who had died earlier, Liz gets a test that proves that Raymond Reddington, from a sample from an old case before he disappeared, was Liz's father. She had confronted Red.
The non-denial that also happened in 4.22 should not be news:

DEMBE: You didn't deny it.
RED: I didn't.
DEMBE: And she thinks that's Kate's secret?

For Rederina and Third Man this is not an issue. He is not her father, because in one case he is her mother, and in the other he is unrelated, although his confession to Kirk, and Townsend's word make this impossible. But let us go to the first time he has denied it, which was in season 1, when Liz asks him directly, and obviously does not believe the answer.
Red had suffocated Sam (possibly at Sam's request to kill him swiftly) after promising the man who had been a father to Liz that Sam will always be her father, something only a biological father has any right to do. Not even a mother can do so, especially considering Sam WAS Liz's father, and especially true in the Rederina case, for Katarina had been responsible for what happened to Reddington, by targeting him, then babbling to the cabal about a fulcrum, then hiding his death and taking his gender and identity.
"You will always be her father, Sam. I can only hope that I can love her and protect her as you have."
Having given this promise on a deathbed to Sam, Red cannot ever say again he is Liz's father. He can say Liz is his daughter, for that shifts the onus to Liz. But Sam is her father.
This line, interpreted from the Rederina standpoint, is especially despicable. She got her father killed, had deceived her husband the child was his, told the cabal's Fitch who Liz's father was, then hid his death, had Ivan steal information from the KGB, so she will have even more enemies, made Liz's father as a traitor, assume the gender and identity, proceeded to abandon Liz, then killed the man who had actually been Liz's only parent, lied to Liz about her mother being dead by suicide, and her father who was a criminal had abandoned her, then directed her life from afar, like a puppet, and then, instead of letting her kill him and be done with it, insist they make up, then she kills him via emotional blackmail.
What right did Rederina have of assuming the man who had been Liz's only parent, that he had no intention of supplanting Sam as a father? WTF?
Then all in relationship to those bones this is what Dembe says:
"Raymond I'm not sure Elizabeth will ever be ready to learn about what you did to Katarina."
For the two theories that are not Rederina, this presents no problem. Red did something TO Katarina. Betrayed her, hurt her some way, kill her, whatever. But the phrasing of it, however, does presents a lot of issues for Rederina.
It implies that gender change was not done willingly, but was a last resort.
It is disquieting, even though we had already established in Cape May that according to the Rederina lens, in the Hobson's choice, Red describes his actions to save Liz and let the woman go as the worst he has done. Now Dembe seems to do the same, by implying the gender change was done unwillingly, yet Nachalo does not seem to have any of it. Katarina describes the "new Reddington" as someone useful, but has no hint of a tremendous sacrifice, the worst thing done.
It disassociates Rederina from Katarina, and implies some wrongdoing in what happened to her "what you did to her".
For the non-Rederina camps, it seems that the bones are somehow related to Katarina. They are something Red did TO her. Considering he later takes the bones to burn at Dom's that seems to be supported. This is supported as well by Kate's actions when she dug her, the carved "K" on the tree, and the loving attention to place them not in a trash bag, but on a suitcase.
Red told also both Liz and Tom that the bones were none of their business, which would certainly be a lie if they were the bones of either parent of Liz.
TO TOM: This is a secret, not a lie.
TO LIZ: I won't tell you something that's none of your business. It was none of Tom's business.
​
Finally we have to examine the role played by Jennifer Reddington AKA Lilly Roth (point #6), who is who briefly shows Liz a report that has Liz believe the bones are those of their father. A report that has not been seen or confirmed by anyone else, for the envelope Tom saw was not the same as the one Liz saw. Possibly a Prop Department's laziness or a clue. Right now who would know?

Red meets with Jennifer

One encounter which is truly remarkable if we want to analyze what Rederina does to the story is the encounter between Red and Jennifer. Red had maintained Jennifer under surveillance, since the bar shootout. She wants answers, and he wants the bones. So they meet. We do not know if she knows the report by then, and she is certainly not afraid of Red at all. She will lead Red to a cementery where her mother is buried as Naomi Hyland, dead the same year the bones were exhumed by Kate, 2017, 2 years prior to this moment.
So Red is telling Jennifer what HE thinks Jennifer wants to know, why was she abandoned.
We will examine this conversation in light of all possible situations, because either the writers were being extremely dishonest, or Jennifer is certainly speaking ambiguously:

RED: Put where the Cabal wouldn't find you.
JENNIFER: Or my father. (implying she may know already Red is not her father because he is an impostor)

but then JENNIFER: "After you left, we went into Witness Protection."
So, Jennifer, just like Kate seems to know both that the man there is her father and know he is an impostor. Dishonest writing especially if an unambiguous answer is never one we are meant to have and they were lying for 10 years saying they knew what the answer was and so would we at the end.

OPTION 1: Let us examine the conversation if we think Jennifer already knows the man talking to her is an impostor and assuming REDERINA:

REDERINA: "In 1990, the KGB and the CIA had almost nothing in common except the mutual determination to hunt down one individual."
That would be KATARINA ROSTOVA, the person talking to Jennifer. Well that is absolutely true for Rederina. Katarina was indeed being chased by both the Americans and the Russians. IN HIS INSTANCE REDERINA IS BEING HONEST with Jennifer
JENNIFER: "You".
THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT JENNIFER KNOWS HE IS KATARINA, for her father was not being chased by neither one.
REDERINA: "Being a fugitive from American law enforcement is a lot easier than being a fugitive from the two most powerful nations on Earth. And anyone close to a target of theirs becomes a target themselves."
So, Rederina is telling Jennifer that he became Reddington because it was easier to evade the FBI than the CIA and the KGB. Seems unusually open, but considering Cape may underr the Rederina interpretation tells us Katarina became Rederina because she had no choice, the Hobson's choice, the hardest thing he had done, equating it to suicide, Rederina is then telling Jennifer that he did all this simply to protect her family, which in this case is simply Liz, not her (Jennifer) or her mother (Carla).
JENNIFER: "Family."
REDERINA: "Especially family."
A confirmation then that with her father dead, Rederina seek to protect Katarina's family, Liz, for Jennifer is nothing to Rederina. Rederina tells Jennifer then all was done to protect Liz. Except for what follows:
REDERINA: "Unless they're abandoned on the side of a road on Christmas Eve."
WAIT. WHAT? Rederina is now telling Jennifer that her father's disappearance was due to his having abandoned HIS family, Jennifer and his wife, Carla, because he wanted to protect them? According to Nachalo he had just taken the fulcrum he had created by himself, taken his love child without so much as a goodbye to his wife, and holed up in that secret location, the family Summer house, to wait for Katarina (the human being telling this line), to show up for both her child and the fulcrum? Carla never said anything about a fire, only that he had never shown up, and they were waiting for him for Christmas? So now Rederina is adding that cruelty to Jennifer who already knows this man in front of him is not her father.
And here is were things get really weird.
JENNIFER: "After you left, we went into Witness Protection."
WTF? Supposedly in this scenario, because of what she says below "Or my father" Jennifer knows the man in from of her is not her father. So why is she then referring to Red as she would her father who LEFT THEM. So, does she knows her father is long dead, or does she not?
REDERINA: Put where the Cabal wouldn't find you.
JENNIFER: Or my father.
Well, if Rederina had not told Fitch who Liz's father was, and that he did have proof against the cabal, proof she failed to find THEN hid the death of Reddington all to make him into a traitor, then to assume his identity to protect Liz, Jennifer and Carla would be mourning the death of a stupid man who could not keep it in his pants, or figure out a Russian woman interested in the sap was not a KGB spy, but supposedly he just said the whole WITSEC was about protecting them from the cabal. WTF? I mean, W.T.F.?
REDERINA: An effective, albeit excruciatingly painful solution.
WHAT? Why would hiding Carla and Jennifer would be excruciating to him? Rederina chose to do all those stupid things supposedly to protect Liz and Carla and Jennifer, So why would all be painful? Especially after all that BS about having no choice in Cape May. How could ANY of this make any sense?
Effective?
You survived, as did your mother, to whom I hope you are now willing to take me.
Well then.
OPTION 2: Jennifer already KNOWS the man talking to her is NOT her father, he is an impostor.
IMPOSTOR RED: "In 1990, the KGB and the CIA had almost nothing in common except the mutual determination to hunt down one individual."
Katarina was indeed being chased by both the Americans and the Russians. So IMPOSTOR RED is being truthful that the origin of this mess is that Katarina was being chased by everyone she had betrayed.
JENNIFER: "You".
Since her father was not chased by anyone NOT the cabal, then she is just mistaken, or she assumes this impostor was just trying to save his own ass.
IMPOSTOR RED: "Being a fugitive from American law enforcement is a lot easier than being a fugitive from the two most powerful nations on Earth.
So, he is telling Jennifer that he became Reddington because it was easier to evade the FBI than it was for the person chased by the CIA and the KGB. Basically because Katarina was being chased, this man assumed the identity of Reddington because it was easier for him to do so than it was for Katarina to evade them, so there MUST be a connection between making Red a criminal, and her hiding which Nachalo told us that inventing a new criminal Reddington was useful, even though the stolen KGB information was the seed, which makes no sense.

IMPOSTOR RED: And anyone close to a target of theirs becomes a target themselves."
JENNIFER: "Family."
IMPOSTOR RED: "Especially family."

But then this is just peachy. So, this charade was done to protect the family of Rostova, basically Liz and Dom, as well as her understanding mother, happily gallivanting since 1991 eating burgers instead of borsch.
BUT here is the weird part:
IMPOSTOR RED: "Unless they're abandoned on the side of a road on Christmas Eve."
THIS IS PURE NONSENSE. Impostor Red is now telling Jennifer that her father's disappearance was due to his having abandoned HIS family, Jennifer and his wife, Carla, because REAL REDDINGTON wanted to protect them?
According to Nachalo REAL REDDINGTON had just taken the fulcrum he had created by himself, taken his love child without so much as a goodbye to his wife, and holed up in that secret location, the family Summer house, to wait for Katarina to show up for both her child and the fulcrum? Carla never said anything about a fire, only that he had never shown up, and they were waiting for him for Christmas? So, basically, Carla, KNOWING her husband was dead, had invented this disappearance story in order to get herself and her child to hiding, being an accomplice with Katarina, who had created the fake evidence, and using it herself to get herself and Jennifer in WITSEC?
And here is were things get really weird.
JENNIFER: "After you left, we went into Witness Protection."
WTF? Supposedly in this scenario, because of what she says below "Or my father" Jennifer knows the man in from of her is not her father. So why is she then referring to Red as she would her father who LEFT THEM. Suppsaoely she knows her father is long dead. Dishonest writing, bad writing or clue?

IMPOSTOR RED: Put where the Cabal wouldn't find you.
JENNIFER: Or my father.

So this whole scheme about Reddington being a traitor was a stratagem concocted by this impostor and Reddington's wife to protect both Carla and Jennifer?

IMPOSTOR RED: An effective, albeit excruciatingly painful solution.
JENNIFER: Effective?
IMPOSTOR RED: You survived, as did your mother, to whom I hope you are now willing to take me.

WTF? Why would an impostor who did not give a rat's ass about Carla or Jennifer give two hoots about being separated from them? Because it cannot be about his becoming Reddington, because apparently he did so willingly because Katarina was being chased by the KGB and the CIA.
It is a massive contradiction which only makes sense at train speed, but which cannot withstand a logical examination, just as the Rederina option was. Nonsense. Poppycock.

OPTION 3: Jennifer thinks she is talking to her father, and Red is acting like he is her father Reddington (term used in a broad manner, not necessarily a genitor).

RED: "In 1990, the KGB and the CIA had almost nothing in common except the mutual determination to hunt down one individual." (that would be Rostova, for Katarina was indeed being chased by both the Americans and the Russians. In here, Red can ONLY be telling Jennifer that Katarina was being chased by both, for we know Reddington was not.)
JENNIFER: "You". (In this case, Jennifer is mistaken, and since we do not see Red's reaction wether he nods or shakes his head in denial, he must have denied non-verbally.)
RED: "Being a fugitive from American law enforcement is a lot easier than being a fugitive from the two most powerful nations on Earth.
Red is telling Jennifer that because it was easier for him to become a fugitive from the FBI than it was for Katarina Rostova to evade the CIA and the KGB.
RED: "And anyone close to a target of theirs becomes a target themselves."
So, here Red is saying that when it came to the KGB and the CIA, they would go after the family. So, any relative of that person, who we know to be Katarina Rostova would be a target.
So far, Red has told Jennifer that in 1990, one person had been chased by the KGB and the CIA, and because that person's family would be in danger, he became a fugitive from the FBI because it was easier for him to evade the FBI than it was for that person, who we know to be Katarina, to evade the CIA and the FBI, to protect HER family.
JENNIFER: "Family."
RED: "Especially family."
So, confirming here that it is done to protect the family of THAT person, chased by the KGB and the CIA. Rostova not Reddington.
RED: "Unless they're abandoned on the side of a road on Christmas Eve."
Now he is saying that the official story of the disappearance of Raymond Reddington, that he disappeared on his way to see her and her mother on Christmas Eve, was done to protect her and her mother, while he had already said that the disappearance of her father was because it was easier to become a criminal chased by the FBI than it was for Rostova and her family to disappear and be safe from the KGB and the CIA.
According to Nachalo Reddington had just taken the fulcrum he had created by himself, taken his love child without so much as a goodbye to his wife, and holed up in that secret location, the family Summer house, to wait for Katarina to show up for both her child and the fulcrum?
Carla never said anything about a fire, only that he had never shown up, and they were waiting for him for Christmas? So, according to what Red is saying here, the disappearance of Reddington was a stunt to protect her family? his family?
JENNIFER: "After you left, we went into Witness Protection."
So, here Jennifer DOES know that Red IS her father who left her, and her mother, and when he did, they went into WITSEC, basically saying her mother testified or provided evidence that warranted her going into WITSEC.
RED: Put where the Cabal wouldn't find you.
Red then says that doing so was to protect Carla and Jennifer, a stunt created to hide them from the cabal. A lie, that her mother was scared of her husband, and an admission to us that the charges of treason were fabricated, which we saw when Carla pretends to be afraid in 2.01.
JENNIFER: Or my father.
Jennifer here then does not know Red is not her father, but it is saying that they were hidden in such a manner than her father could not find them, even if he had wanted to.

RED: An effective, albeit excruciatingly painful solution.
JENNIFER: Effective?
RED: You survived, as did your mother, to whom I hope you are now willing to take me.

He admits here that being separated from his wife and child was a solution that although was painful for him, it served the purpose of keeping both Carla and Jennifer alive. Then the whole thing, his becoming a criminal, based on the evidence given by her mother served the purpose of putting them in WITSEC to hide, because it was easier for him to become a criminal, via the evidence provided by his wife, than it was for Katarina Rostova to evade the KGB and the CIA, to protect HER family, essentially saying that Jennifer IS the family of Katarina Rostova, essentially saying that the woman Jennifer knew as her mother, and we saw as Carla AKA Naomi IS Katarina Rostova, hidden in WITSEC from the KGB, the CIA and the cabal, and kept there because her husband was a criminal at large, and she provided testimony or proof against him, a rouse.
​
<<<<< CONCLUSIONS OF SEASON 5 >>>>>
So here is where we are. The bones as the remains of the "real" Raymond Reddington makes sense so long as we do not examine details, dialogue and motivations. Nachalo makes it even worse. Total nonsense.
Unless the show changed directions, but then why would Bokenkamp, Eisendrath, Reiter , Knauff and the rest with such patent nonsense?
Why write lines that make it impossible that Red is other than Reddington, even, if he is still an impostor, in the sense nobody was born Raymond Reddington?
ROSS TO RED: "Let's start with this DNA report. For 30 years, I've wanted to be in the same room as Raymond Reddington, the bastard who tricked me into selling the Chinese a dodo bird when they were looking for an eagle. And here we are. So, the DNA report tell me what it means."
KATE TO THE BONES: "I'm sorry, Katarina."
NIK TO TOM: "Reddington's her father? I can't say I'm surprised. I'm sad for her. That sucks, but what does this have to do with me? "
RED TO SAM: "You will always be her father, Sam. I can only hope that I can love her and protect her as you have."
SAMAR: "Yes, and we can't disprove it with DNA because there's nothing on file from 1990 when Reddington disappeared."
GARVEY TO LIZ AND JENNIFER: "Reddington's (RED) her father.... Now I get it. Reddington (RED) and your husband (TOM), how they knew each other. Reddington (RED) didn't know you (LIZ) through him (TOM). He knew him (TOM) through you (LIZ)."
GARVEY TO TOM: "You know, all this time I've given you to think has prompted me to do some thinking of my own. And, uh I got to tell you, I'm stumped. When you consider all the people on the planet who would be interested in the contents of that case and you multiply that number by an even greater number of unspeakable things those people would do to get it, how the hell could it end up in the hands of a little pissant like you?"
SMOKEY ABOUT THE BONES: "If what you're looking for is as valuable as you say, why why why why didn't they put it up for auction?"
RED: "You have the bones. You already know the truth."
DEMBE KNOWING ROSS KNOWS THE BONES ID: "Ross wants blood. He thinks you (RED) ruined his life."
DEMBE KNOWING ROSS KNOWS THE BONES ID: "But he thinks you (RED) did, and because of that, he wants to world to know what's inside the duffel."
RED TO JENNIFER: "Being a fugitive from American law enforcement is a lot easier than being a fugitive from the two most powerful nations on Earth. And anyone close to a target of theirs becomes a target themselves.... Especially family. Unless they're abandoned on the side of a road on Christmas Eve...An effective, albeit excruciatingly painful solution.....You survived, as did your mother, to whom I hope you are now willing to take me."
JENNIFER TO RED: "After you left, we went into Witness Protection."
We continue later to seasons 6 to 8.

I am an immigrant to the US. I have a 401k through the employer and a Roth IRA with a small pot of money invested. I am employed with a decent salary. I am not particularly happy with the current employer or the city where I live. I am considering giving it a year to decide whether I should stay in the US or not. I am unsure at this point. However, I still need to plan for my retirement and future savings.
Does it make sense to open a target date fund (TDF) with my Roth IRA or separately in a regular taxed brokerage account? Or is it better to invest my money into an Index fund or ETF for the Roth IRA?
The employer doesn’t allow maxing the 401k but offers a 457 Plan which has a max contribution of $22,500 but with no employer match. Does it make sense to open a 457 Plan when there is no employer match? I can save around a thousand dollars each month. I am unsure if that money should go a 457 or to a taxable brokerage account?
Should I suspend any investment for a year until I make a final decision on whether I want to stay in the US or not? Or should I invest in any case despite my indecisiveness. I am single and have no financial responsibilities toward anyone apart from myself. Which also means that I have no one to fall back on if there is a financial need.