Is it just a coincidence that there will be a major planetary alignment on January 21st?  Just as Donald Trump returns to the White House, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be aligning in the sky.  This planetary alignment of 6 planets will occur the day after the 60th presidential inauguration in our history takes place.  Of course there are many people out there that believe that the positioning of celestial objects is completely coincidental and could never possibly mean anything.  But in Luke chapter 21, Jesus specifically warned us that there would be “signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars” during the times just before His return.  And without a doubt, there certainly have been a lot of very unusual “signs in the sky” in recent years.  Could it be possible that this is yet another “sign in the sky” that should be getting our attention?

I don’t have all the answers.

But hopefully I am asking some of the right questions.

It is being reported that six planets “will align in the sky” on January 21st…

The next planetary alignment will take place on January 21, 2025. In the evening, just after sunset, six planets — Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Venus, and Saturn — will align in the sky. Four of these planets (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn) will be easily visible to the naked eye. You’ll need a telescope or high-powered binoculars to see Neptune and Uranus.

I was stunned when I first heard about this.

But that is not the end of the story.

Throughout the rest of this month and all of next month, all six planets will be visible in the night sky.

Then on February 28th, a seventh planet (Mercury) will join this “parade of planets”…

In January and February, we can witness this event taking place. The planets are not exactly lined up, so they will appear in an arc across the sky due to their orbital plane in the Solar System. During clear nights in January and February, all of the planets except Mercury will be visible – an event sometimes called a planetary parade. On 28 February, though – weather permitting – all seven planets will be visible, a great spectacle for observers on the ground.

“There is something special about looking at the planets with your own eyes,” says Jenifer Millard, a science communicator and astronomer at Fifth Star Labs in the UK. “Yes, you can go on Google and get a more spectacular view of all these planets. But when you’re looking at these objects, these are photons that have travelled millions or billions of miles through space to hit your retinas.”

Including Earth, there are only 8 planets in our solar system.

So all of the other 7 planets will be visible once we get to February 28th.

A “planetary parade” that includes all 7 of the other planets in our solar system is a very rare event, and I have no idea why this isn’t making more news.

But even if there were no “signs in the sky” at all, I would still be entirely convinced that the inauguration of Donald Trump is a pivotal moment in our history.

Our world is about to dramatically change, and nothing will ever be the same after this.

Of course there is always a lot of optimism whenever a presidential inauguration happens, and a CNN poll has found that 56 percent of Americans anticipate that Trump will do a “good job”…

President-elect Donald Trump will enter his second term in the White House with a majority of Americans both expecting him to do well and satisfied with the way he’s handled the transition into public office, according to a new poll.

A CNN survey released Thursday found 56% of Americans expect Trump to do a “good job” as the 47th president – up from 48% after his 2016 election win.

The poll also found 55% approve of the way the president-elect has handled his second transition – far higher than the 40% approval number he received eight years ago.

Needless to say, many on the left do not share this optimism.

Time Magazine is suggesting that those that are coping with grief on Inauguration Day should considering getting together with others for a good cry…

It might seem counterintuitive, but if you need to shed a few tears on Inauguration Day, it’s healthy to let them out with one caveat: You shouldn’t do it alone. “The grace and speed with which somebody recovers from grief if they have an opportunity to cry with the support of another person—someone who they trust and who they believe cares about them—is orders of magnitude improved,” Simon-Thomas says.

While research suggests crying alone isn’t overly helpful, crying around others often leads to comfort, support, empathy, and stronger social bonds. “It’s really, really beneficial to have that emotion in an honest, authentic way, and to reap the benefits we’re endowed with interpersonally.”

Seriously?

Time Magazine used to be respected around the world decades ago, but now it has become a sad joke.

Trump’s team plans to hit the ground running on January 20th, and we are being told that Trump will be signing more than 100 executive orders right away…

“Shock and awe,” Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., recently predicted after Republicans members of Congress received a preview of the activity to come.

Convinced he has an election “mandate” from American voters, Trump is planning to surpass the century mark in executive actions over his first few days of office after getting sworn in as the 47th president on Monday ‒ a moment he’s called a “liberation day for America.”

“There will be over 100 executive actions ‒ commands to the bureaucracies to change their ways,” Stephen Miller, Trump’s incoming deputy chief of staff for policy, told Fox News last week.

Yes, it really will be “shock and awe”, and there will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth on the left.

But this is just the beginning.

As I discussed in a previous article, there are at least 5 historic emergencies that Trump will be faced with once he enters the White House.

The decisions that Trump makes over the next couple of months will have a major impact on the trajectory of global events.

Meanwhile, the positioning of the planets in the night sky will be clearly pointing to the fact that something truly unusual is taking place.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post There Will Be A Planetary Alignment Of 6 Planets In The Sky The Day After Trump Is Inaugurated appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

This article was originally published by Cassie B. at Natual News. 

• • Israel intensified Gaza bombardment hours after announcing a ceasefire deal, killing 77 Palestinians, including 21 children and 25 women, in the deadliest 24-hour period in over a week.

• • The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S., aimed for a six-week pause, hostage-prisoner exchanges, and Israeli troop withdrawal, but violence has cast doubt on its durability.

• • Ceasefire celebrations in Gaza were overshadowed by Israeli airstrikes, which killed dozens, including a human rights worker and his family, sparking criticism and skepticism.

• • Political infighting in Israel, including Netanyahu’s delayed cabinet vote and far-right opposition, threatens the fragile ceasefire agreement.

• • The deal offers hope with increased humanitarian aid, but unresolved issues like Gaza’s governance and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict remain.

Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza just hours after announcing a ceasefire deal with Hamas, killing at least 77 Palestinians—including 21 children and 25 women—in the deadliest 24-hour period in over a week.

The agreement, brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States, was meant to bring a six-week pause to the fighting and facilitate the release of hostages and prisoners. However, the continued violence has cast a shadow over the fragile truce, raising questions about whether the deal will lead to lasting peace or merely a temporary lull in the bloodshed.

The ceasefire, set to begin Sunday, outlines a phased approach: an initial six-week pause in fighting, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of 33 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. U.S. President Joe Biden hailed the deal as a “critical first step” toward ending the conflict, which has claimed over 46,000 Palestinian lives and displaced nearly 2 million people since October 2023. Yet, as Israeli airstrikes continued to devastate Gaza, many are left wondering if the agreement is more about optics than genuine reconciliation.

Ceasefire celebrations overshadowed by violence

The announcement of the ceasefire sparked jubilation in Gaza, where residents have endured 15 months of relentless bombardment, severe shortages of food and water, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. In Khan Younis, crowds took to the streets, waving Palestinian flags and chanting in celebration. “I am happy. Yes, I am crying, but those are tears of joy,” said Ghada, a displaced mother of five.

But the celebrations were short-lived. Hours after the deal was announced, Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza City, Rafah, and Nuseirat, killing dozens and destroying homes. Among the victims was Ihab Marwan Kamal Faisal, a 33-year-old human rights worker, along with his wife and two young daughters.

The timing of the strikes has drawn sharp criticism. “Every time there is talk about a truce or ceasefire, we witness an escalation in the intensity of the bombardment,” said Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense. The attacks have left many questioning Israel’s commitment to peace.

The ceasefire deal, while a significant diplomatic achievement, faces numerous hurdles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed a cabinet vote on the agreement, citing last-minute demands from Hamas. Meanwhile, far-right members of his coalition, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to withdraw their support if Israel does not resume fighting after the initial six-week pause.

This political infighting underscores the fragility of the deal. “It’s stunning to me that the prime minister—the magician, the master politician—seems to have miscalculated,” said Aaron David Miller, a veteran American negotiator.

Even if the ceasefire holds, the broader conflict remains unresolved. The agreement does not address the future governance of Gaza or the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A glimmer of hope

Despite the violence, the ceasefire offers a glimmer of hope for Gaza’s beleaguered population. The deal includes provisions for increased humanitarian aid, which is desperately needed to address the enclave’s dire conditions. The United Nations and other aid agencies are preparing to ramp up their operations, but the scale of the devastation will require years of reconstruction.

For now, the people of Gaza remain caught between hope and despair. Although they’ve been waiting for a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations, they’ve suffered monumental losses.

As the world watches, the question remains: Will this ceasefire mark the beginning of a lasting peace, or will it be another fleeting pause in a cycle of violence that has claimed too many lives?

Imposing mandatory digital identification on every nation on the entire planet has become a primary goal for the global elite.  It isn’t going to happen tomorrow, but eventually the plan is to get virtually everyone in the world into the system.  If the global elite get their way, a time will come when you will not be able to buy or sell anything on the Internet without logging in with your UN-mandated digital identity chip.  You won’t be able to go to school, get a job or open a bank account without your UN-mandated digital identity chip either.  In essence, you will become a complete and utter outcast from society.

I have been astounded by what I have discovered.  Leo Hohmann and a few others have been writing about this, but the general population has no idea what the global elite have planned.  All the way back in September 2018, the United Nations established the “UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force”…

Inspired by the Secretary-General’s determination to tackle the global problem of statelessness (affecting more than 10 million people worldwide), but also noting the wider (and larger) issue of lack of legal identity, the Secretary-General’s Executive Committee, in January 2018, mandated the Deputy Secretary-General to convene “UN entities to develop, in collaboration with the World Bank Group, a common approach to the broader issue of registration and legal identity…”. To operationalize the decision of the Executive Committee, an inter-agency coordination mechanism — the UN Legal Identity Agenda Task Force (UNLIA TF) — was established from September 2018, where 13 UN agencies, under the chairmanship of UNDP, UNICEF and the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, are working together to try to assist Member States achieve SDG target 16.9.

One of the responsibilities of this task force is to “oversee the implementation of the UN LIA at the regional and national level”.  The following comes from the official UN website…

• To oversee the implementation of the UN LIA at the regional and national level;
• To develop and maintain normative work related to the UN LIA (with UNDESA leading as normative focal point);
• To fully engage in fund raising, advocacy and communication of the UN LIA;
• To convoke UN system-wide meetings to advance the implementation of the UN LIA;
• To brief the DSG and other senior UN principals as required (including the Strategic Results Group on SDG Implementation) on latest developments in the implementation of the UN LIA;
• To support the UNDP Administrator in his role as member of the WBG ID4D programme’s High-Level Advisory Council.

The United Nations Development Program is on the ground in 170 different countries and territories, and they have become one of the key UN agencies that is working to advance this agenda.

On the UNDP website, they have an entire page that discusses what they intend to do.  They argue that “embracing digitalization” will help to close the “global identity gap”…

Legal identity serves as a fundamental gateway to accessing both public and private services. However, a staggering 850 million people worldwide lack the means to establish their identity. Embracing digitalization offers a pathway to bridging this global identity gap, with digital legal identity serving as a cornerstone of digital public infrastructure, fostering interoperability among diverse systems.

Whenever they want to sell us on some horrible new thing that they want to do, they make it sound like it is something that is necessary to help the poor and needy.

The UNDP has listed five “compelling reasons” why digital identification must be imposed on the entire planet.  The first reason they give is that digital identification will allow them to track all of us…

Digital legal identities offer a unique means of tracking population movements, facilitating swift access to essential information for each human being.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want the UN to ever track my movements.

I am sure that you feel the same way.

The second reason they give is that it will allow governments to register people more quickly during major disasters…

Several countries are adopting digital IDs to register disaster impacts, aiding in the comprehensive understanding of these events. With support from UNDP, countries are establishing tracking systems to collect data from various agencies, including environment, health, public works, transport, agriculture, statistics, and others at national, provincial, and sub-national levels.

So what would happen during a long-term global emergency such as a pandemic?

Would everyone be required to register for “assistance” with their national governments?

The third reason they give is that digital identification is necessary for “identifying vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure”…

Digital IDs aid in identifying vulnerable populations and critical infrastructure, thereby bolstering resilience and guaranteeing a dependable energy supply during adverse events like extreme weather, seismic activity, wildfires, or power grid failures. Utility providers and emergency services can utilize this personal data during disasters to precisely locate individuals in need of special assistance, including those reliant on medical equipment powered by electricity or facing mobility challenges. Targeted support ensures that the most vulnerable members of the community receive prompt assistance and access to necessary energy resources.

In other words, when things go wrong, digital identification will make it easier for governments to “help” us.

We just have to give away all of our privacy first.

The fourth reason they give is that digital identification will help fight “climate change” because it will allow governments to “track energy consumption” and “inspire behaviour change”…

Leveraging digital legal ID data to track energy consumption, inspire behaviour change, and enhance sustainability measures can mitigate climate-related disasters.

In other words, they want to monitor how much energy you are using.

If you use too much, lowering your “social credit score” will “inspire” you to use less energy.

The fifth reason they give is that digital identification that is tied “directly to digital wallets” will allow authorities to encourage people to fight “climate change”…

By offering rewards or subsidies directly to digital wallets, individuals are encouraged to invest in renewable energy, leading to broader adoption and increased participation in sustainable energy initiatives.

Ultimately, linking your financial life to your digital identification is such an important part of their program.

They will know what you buy, what you sell, and everything else that you are doing online.

In fact, eventually they want to make it impossible to conduct any commerce on the Internet at all unless you have digital identification.

They argue that forcing everyone to reveal who they really are will make the Internet “safer” for everyone.

But of course the potential for tyranny would be off the charts.

Once you have the ability to track the behavior of everyone on the planet and you also have the ability to exclude people that are unwilling to submit to your demands from the system, you would be able to exercise a level of control over the globe that is unprecedented in the entire history of humanity.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post What Will You Do When You Can’t Buy Or Sell Anything On The Internet Without Your UN-Mandated Digital Identity Chip? appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

Are you willing to die for what you believe?  This is a question that hundreds of millions of Christians have to ask themselves every single day.  The things that you are going to read about in this article are absolutely horrifying, but you won’t hear about them from the corporate media, because the corporate media hates to share stories that put Christians in a sympathetic light.  The Christian faith is the most persecuted faith on the entire planet, and every single day Christians are being beaten, tortured, taken to death camps and executed.  According to the latest report from Open Doors, a staggering 380 million Christians are currently facing high levels of persecution…

Christian persecution spiked around the globe in 2024, with more than 380 million Christians suffering high levels of persecution and discrimination, according to a report released Wednesday.

The human rights watchdog group Open Doors has published its World Watch List 2025, which ranks the fifty countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.

But we aren’t supposed to talk about this, are we?

In fact, this article will probably get a lot less attention than some of my other articles, because we have been trained to ignore the systematic persecution of Christians that is happening on the other side of the globe.

In Africa, one out of every five Christians is facing severe persecution, and in Asia it is two out of every five Christians…

Worldwide, one in seven Christians is persecuted. For Christians in Africa, the number is higher still: a full 20 percent live in persecution. Meanwhile in Asia, two in five Christians are persecuted for their faith, an astonishing 40 percent.

North Korea claimed the number one spot in the report.  According to Open Doors, if you are identified as a Christian in North Korea “you could be killed on the spot”…

If your Christian faith is discovered in North Korea, you could be killed on the spot. If you aren’t killed, you will be deported to a labour camp and treated as a political criminal. You will be punished with years of hard labour that few survive. And it’s not only you who will be punished: North Korean authorities are likely to round up your extended family and punish them too, even if your family members aren’t Christians.

The concentration camps in North Korea are some of the most brutal that the world has ever seen.

But we don’t really talk about them anymore, and so most people don’t even know that they exist.

Somalia claimed the number two spot in the report.  A radical Islamic terror group that controls much of the country is absolutely obsessed with eradicating the Christian faith…

In Somalia, following Jesus is a matter of life and death. Al-Shabab, a violent Islamist militant group, is at war with the government and controls large swathes of the country. This group enforces a strict form of Sharia (Islamic law) and is committed to eradicating Christianity from Somalia. They have often killed Somali Christians on the spot. The dangers have increased over the years, as the militants have increasingly focused on finding and eliminating Christian leaders.

Yemen claimed the number three spot in the report.  Sadly, the Houthis have absolutely no tolerance for Christians…

If someone is reported to be a Christian and or involved in Christian activities, they could face severe monitoring, arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment and even murder. In Houthi-controlled areas it’s dangerous to possess a Bible or other Christian books. Leaving Islam to follow Christ is seen as a huge betrayal of the native tribe—punishment by the community can include being disowned, disinherited, divorced and losing custody of their children, being banished or even murdered.

Libya claimed the number four spot in the report.  The U.S. went to a great deal of effort to overthrow the government of Libya a number of years ago, but now it has become one of the most anti-Christian nations on the entire planet…

In Libya, following Jesus is a huge risk for anyone. Libyan Christians with a Muslim background face violent pressure from their families and communities to renounce their faith. Foreign Christians, especially those from sub-Saharan Africa, are targeted by Islamist militant and criminal groups. These groups kidnap and sometimes brutally kill Christians. Even if they avoid such a fate, sub-Saharan Christians face harassment and threats from radical Muslims.

Sudan claimed the number five spot in the report.  A nightmarish civil war is raging in Sudan, and both sides seriously hate Christians…

After a year and a half of war, Sudan is now home to the world’s largest displacement crisis and the world’s largest hunger crisis, with nearly nine million people having been forced to flee their homes. Neither side is sympathetic to Christians, and the conflict has given Islamist extremists more opportunity to target them. More than 100 churches have been damaged so far, and Christians have been abducted and killed. Sudanese Christians who have come to faith from a Muslim background face severe backlash from their families and communities. These believers tend to keep their faith secret, even from their own children.

There are two countries that didn’t even make the top ten that I think deserve special mention.

More than a billion people live in China, and over the past several years the persecution of Christians in China has greatly intensified…

China, where persecution is also intense, has also moved up the “World Watch List,” ranking 15th on the 2025 ranking as the most difficult nation for believers; it was previously in the 19th spot.

Brown said much of the growth of the Christian church in China has been centered on small house churches — unregistered houses of worship.

“And the Chinese government, over the last couple of years, has had a very intentional and deliberate effort to stamp out many of those unregistered churches,” he said. “For those churches that are registered, there is a lot of ideological control that the state is looking to exert, looking for your pledges to the Communist Party there.”

Unless you attend one of the churches that has agreed to full ideological control by the communist government, it is very difficult to be a Christian in China these days.

More than a billion people also live in India, and more churches are being attacked in India than anywhere else in the world…

Property crimes are a key concern in India, which topped GCR’s list for targeted attacks on Christian property with 4,949 attacks. The ancient Christian community in the region of Kerala believe the Apostle Thomas planted the Christian faith during his apostolic ministry in the first century. But today, the Malankara Orthodox Church and Syro-Malabar Catholic Church face targeted assaults.

“This isn’t just random violence. Persecutors use violence to drive out Christians to take control and capture the culture in some of these countries,” said Six. “This is a decade of systematic, planned, organized occupation of some Christian areas. And it’s now at the point where every single rung of civil society and government is armed against impoverished Christian communities,” which “have no recourse.”

India engages in “mass suppression of the church,” observed Six. Yet Perkins said India is “getting a pass from many in the West, because of its growing economic power.”

What would you do if you lived in one of these countries where the persecution of Christians is rampant?

If you were faced with a life or death choice, would you be willing to die for your faith?

It is so important to know why you believe what you believe, because someday you may be faced with such a choice.

Every day, more Christians are being arrested.

Every day, more Christians are being taken to secret prisons and concentration camps.

Every day, more Christians are being tortured, and every day more Christians are being killed for what they believe.

If we won’t speak up for them, who will?

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post Death Camps, Hard Labor, Abductions, Executions And Burned Churches – 380 Million Christians Are Facing “High Levels Of Persecution” appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

We are facing an unprecedented retirement crisis in this nation.  Millions upon millions of Baby Boomers are retiring, and most of them are struggling.  In fact, it has been estimated that 80 percent of our retirees are either struggling right now or are in serious danger of falling into financial insecurity.  We are supposed to be the economic powerhouse of the world.  How could we have allowed this to happen?

There are several reasons why our retirement crisis has become so severe.

First of all, people are living significantly longer than they did decades ago, and so retirees need more money these days.

Secondly, most retirees did not save enough for retirement, and many of them entered their retirement years carrying high levels of debt.

Thirdly, healthcare costs are completely and utterly out of control in this country.  We desperately need to do something about this.

Fourthly, high inflation has made the cost of living extremely oppressive.

Fifthly, pension plans are less common then they once were, and so more retirees than ever are depending upon Social Security as their primary source of income.

When you step back and consider the big picture, it is clear that we have a major problem on our hands, and there are no easy solutions.

The following are 18 incredible statistics about America’s retirement crisis that will blow your mind…

#1 Back in 1940, the average life expectancy of a 65-year-old was about 14 years.  Now, it is over 20 years.

#2 The number of Americans that are 65 and older will rise to about 77 million by 2035.

#3 Americans that are retiring now will need an average of $1.22 million to last thirty years in retirement.

#4 Only about half of all U.S. households currently have retirement savings accounts.

#5 One recent survey found that 93 percent of Republicans, 86 percent of Democrats, and 94 percent of independents believe that there is a retirement savings crisis in this country.

#6 47 million U.S. households with older adults are either “financially struggling” or are “at risk of falling into economic insecurity”.

#7 Approximately 80 percent of Americans have thought about putting off retirement due to financial reasons.

#8 Over 90 percent of Americans are concerned that they may have to work more years than they originally planned.

#9 There is supposed to be approximately 2.7 trillion dollars in the Social Security trust fund, but our politicians took all of that money and spent it instead.  Today, our Social Security trust fund is simply a colossal pile of government bonds.

#10 Social Security is the primary source of income for most Americans over the age of 65.

#11 According to the National Academy of Social Insurance, 33 percent of Social Security recipients receive all or nearly all of their income from Social Security.

#12 Nearly nine out of ten people age 65 and older are receiving Social Security benefits.

#13 In 2009, nearly 51 million Americans received $672 billion in Social Security benefits.  In 2024, nearly 68 million Americans received $1.5 trillion in Social Security benefits.

#14 More than 180 million U.S. workers have earnings covered by Social Security, and they pay approximately 1.2 trillion dollars in Social Security payroll taxes.

#15 As you can see from the previous two items, our Social Security payroll taxes are not enough to cover the amount being paid out in benefits.

#16 The average Social Security benefit for a retired worker in the U.S. was $1,922 per month in September 2024.

#17 Back in 1950, each retiree’s Social Security benefit was paid for by 16 workers.  In 2010, each retiree’s Social Security benefit was paid for by approximately 3.3 workers.  By 2035, it is being projected that there will be approximately 2.4 workers for each retiree.

#18 Close to 50 percent of all American workers do not believe that the Social Security system will pay them benefits when they retire.

Needless to say, our federal government is facing an unprecedented financial nightmare, and our retirement crisis is a big reason for that.

Social Security accounts for approximately 21 percent of the federal budget, and Medicare accounts for approximately 14 percent.

That means that those two programs alone account for more than a third of all federal spending.

The politicians in Washington would never dare to make cuts to those programs, because elderly voters would revolt in a major way.

So if we are going to do anything to get our exploding debt under control, cutbacks will have to occur elsewhere.

But we desperately need to do something, because our 36 trillion dollar national debt is growing very rapidly and it threatens to overwhelm us.

We are in so much trouble.

As our debt continues to explode and general economic conditions continue to deteriorate, I expect the plight of our retirees to continue to intensify.

And that is not good news for any of us.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

The post 18 Incredible Statistics About America’s Rapidly Growing Retirement Crisis That Will Blow Your Mind appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

Some of the images of the destruction that has taken place in the Los Angeles area are hard to believe.  We are being told that approximately “75% of Pacific Palisades has been completely leveled by fires”, and the use of the phrase “completely leveled” is not an exaggeration at all.  It literally looks like a nuke went off and wiped out everything.  There have been plenty of fire disasters in California before, but never anything like this.  At this point, Accuweather is projecting that total economic losses will be “between $52 billion and $57 billion”…

The blazes — which are ripping through some of the nation’s priciest real estate — are likely to cause between $52 billion and $57 billion in damages and economic loss, according to a preliminary AccuWeather estimate.

That may sound like a very high estimate, but JPMorgan analyst Jimmy Bhullar came up with a very similar figure…

A separate estimate from JPMorgan analyst Jimmy Bhullar also pegged total economic losses from the LA fires at close to $50 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. That total includes insured losses at more than $20 billion and “even more if the fires are not controlled,” Bhullar said.

Those losses would make the Los Angeles-area infernos the costliest wildfires in U.S. history.

Previously, the Camp Fire in 2018 was the most destructive wildfire in history — causing an estimated $12.5 billion in insured losses, WSJ said.

Read that last sentence again.

Prior to 2025, the costliest fire disaster in U.S. history caused 12.5 billion dollars in insured losses.

This disaster is going to beat that by a very wide margin.

One of the reasons why this disaster is going to be so costly is because homes are being destroyed in an area where home values are extremely high…

Some of the worst damage is located in Santa Monica and Malibu, where median home values are over $2 million, AccuWeather said.

On Thursday, multiple fires continued to spread all around Los Angeles.

Sadly, it was being reported that the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire were still zero percent contained…

Firefighters on Thursday continued to battle multiple deadly wildfires that erupted across Los Angeles, creating an apocalyptic scene as residents fled the raging infernos.

At least five fires were active in Los Angeles County, scorching more than 40 square miles across the region, according to Cal Fire. The Palisades Fire in the coastal Pacific Palisades community and the Eaton Fire, located east in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, remained the largest blazes with 0% containment.

Why aren’t they able to contain these fires?

So far, over 2,000 structures have been destroyed, and more are catching fire with each passing hour…

Out-of-control blazes are still raging in Los Angeles, with firefighters unable to contain one of Southern California’s worst natural disasters in history.

Roughly 30,000 acres were on fire, and at least five people were dead early Thursday, with more than 180,000 residents ordered to evacuate, and more than 425,000 without power. More than 2,000 structures have been lost in the Pacific Palisades fire and in the Eaton fire in and around Altadena, with critical fire weather forecast through Friday night, local officials said. Forecasters said no rain is expected over the next week.

This disaster is far from over.

And what is making things even worse is that arsonists have apparently been trying to start additional fires.

In fact, podcaster Andrew D. Huberman says that he literally witnessed this happening…

Huberman, who has 5.2 million subscribers to his health podcast Huberman Lab, took to social media platform X to share the footage, urging people to ‘call in any activity’.

He wrote: ‘People are lighting fires in otherwise non-burning urban areas of LA.

‘Saw this happen first hand in Santa Monica. Called it in & fire dept & police responded.

‘Stay safe and call in any activity ASAP. We don’t need more flames out here.’

Why would anyone do such a thing?

Have they gone completely and utterly insane?

There should be absolutely no tolerance for anyone that is attempting to set new fires in the middle of a major fire emergency such as this.

In areas where fire has already come and gone, many are discovering that there is nothing left of their homes except for a pile of ash…

Some residents ventured back to areas the fire had already swept through, where brick chimneys were left looming over charred waste and burnt-out vehicles. The remnants of a tattered and scorched American flag flapped from a pole.

“I had just come from my family home where my mother lives that was burned to a crisp … And then I came up to my home and – same thing. It’s completely dust,” said Oliver Allnatt, 36, wearing ski goggles and a filtered face mask as he took pictures of the ruins. “Basically just a chimney stack and a pile of ash. I mean, it’s something out of a movie.”

Many of these homeowners will not be able to rebuild because they had their insurance policies canceled.

One woman that was interviewed by KABC was trying to ward off the fires with a garden hose because the home where her parents have lived for more than 70 years was no longer covered by fire insurance…

Lynne Levin-Guzman stood in the front yard of her 90-year-old parents’ home in Los Angeles County, California, trying to protect it with a garden hose — because their insurance company no longer would.

“I know I’m not supposed to be here, but this is my parents’ home and they just lost — they got canceled from their fire insurance. So they’re dealing with this,” she told CNN affiliate KABC. “They’ve lived in this house for 75 years and they’ve had the same insurance and these insurance people decided to cancel their fire insurance.”

“And they wonder why people leave California,” she added.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

As I discussed yesterday, I simply do not understand why anyone would still want to live in California at this stage.

Yes, there are good paying jobs in the state and the weather is nice.  But in recent years California has been hit by historic disaster after historic disaster.

Sadly, this is just the beginning.

A lot more chaos is on the way, and natural disasters will continue to be a major theme throughout the rest of 2025.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

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The post It Literally Looks Like A Nuke Went Off – We Are Witnessing The Costliest Fire Disaster In U.S. History By A Very Wide Margin appeared first on The Economic Collapse.

High winds returned to Los Angeles on Sunday morning, and that is making one of the most catastrophic disasters in U.S. history even worse.  Already, more than 60 square miles in the L.A. area have been burned.  To put that in perspective, the entire city of Washington D.C. covers just over 68 square miles.  I have been trying to find the right words to describe the devastation that we have been witnessing, but I just can’t seem to find words that are sufficient.  According to California Governor Gavin Newsom, this is one of the worst natural disasters in the entire history of our nation…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Saturday that the Los Angeles-area wildfires will be one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history and called for an independent investigation into the local water supply.

“I think it will be in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope,” Newsom said when asked whether the disaster would be among the nation’s worst ever.

The winds that have been spreading the fires calmed down for a while, but now they have flared back to life…

On Saturday night and into Sunday morning, winds have been in the 35-55 mph range, with some gusts reaching as high as 70 mph in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles.

It becomes very difficult to control fires when wind speeds are this high.

In fact, a Cal Fire public information officer was warning that wind speeds had gotten so high that aircraft that are being used to fight the fires may need to be grounded again…

Chris Harvey, a Cal Fire public information officer, said he was concerned that Sunday’s winds could become strong enough that firefighting aircraft would have to be grounded again. Aerial efforts were suspended for a time last week because of the extraordinarily strong winds, which made it unsafe for aircraft to make their usual drops of water and fire retardant.

What firefighters need more than anything is for the winds to die down.

Unfortunately, we are being told that the region will be under a “red flag warning” until Wednesday…

It’s the last thing that wildfire-ravaged southern California needs, but a red flag warning will span several days, through Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 6 p.m., with strong winds and continuing critical fire weather in the forecast, the National Weather Service announced on Saturday.

The warning indicates that existing fires could spread and new ones could start, meteorologists said. It begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, as fire crews continue to battle the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, which are still threatening lives and property in Los Angeles County.

The latest red flag warning also includes the Inland Empire and Orange County, and residents throughout Southern California should be prepared for pre-emptive power outages to lessen the likelihood of wildfires being sparked by Southern California Edison or other equipment, officials said.

What is Los Angeles going to look like after several more days of burning?

Right now, the Palisades Fire is being pushed by high winds toward the “ultra-affluent Southern California neighborhoods of Brentwood and Bel Air”…

The devastating Palisades Fire pushed to the northeast, prompting new evacuations in the ultra-affluent Southern California neighborhoods of Brentwood and Bel Air as the threat of more dry winds raised risks after a brief respite.

The spreading flames brought “another night of unimaginable terror and heartbreak,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said early Saturday.

The expanded evacuation area covers some of Los Angeles’ most important cultural institutions, including the Getty Center, an architectural landmark with a world-class art collection.

In a desperate attempt to save it, thousands upon thousands of gallons of pink chemicals are being dropped on Brentwood…

A DC-10 air tanker was flying over the Palisades fire as it dropped around 10,000 gallons of the chemical to prevent fire from reaching Brentwood – a place many high-profile celebs call home.

Incredible pictures show affluent neighborhoods covered with the pink chemical in what looks like an apocalyptic movie.

One picture shows a backyard with a pool covered in hues of pink after tanker planes dropped chemicals all over the area.

Vast numbers of L.A. residents have been forced to evacuate over the past several days.

Unfortunately, they are discovering that many of those that have temporary housing to offer are really jacking up their prices…

Days after an inferno razed the Pacific Palisades, Maya Lieberman is desperate to find somewhere to live. But unscrupulous landlords who are jacking up prices are making it hard.

“The price gouging is going haywire, it’s obscene,” the 50-year-old stylist told AFP. “I can’t find anywhere for us to go.”

Southern California used to be such a beautiful place.

Sadly, life in the region will never be the same after this.

And what makes all of this even more infuriating is the fact that the damage did not have to be this bad.

Firefighters were running out of water as they tried to fight the Palisades Fire because a reservoir that can hold 117 million gallons of water had been closed for repairs since February of last year…

A large reservoir in Pacific Palisades that is part of the Los Angeles water supply system was out of commission when a ferocious wildfire destroyed thousands of homes and other structures nearby, the Los Angeles Times found.

Officials said that the Santa Ynez Reservoir had been closed since about February for repairs to its cover, leaving a 117-million-gallon water storage complex empty in the heart of the Palisades for nearly a year.

The revelation comes amid growing questions about why firefighters ran out of water while battling the blaze, which ignited Tuesday during catastrophically high winds. The Times reported early Wednesday that numerous fire hydrants in higher-elevation streets of the Palisades went dry, leaving crews struggling with low water pressure as they combated the flames.

Why does it take a year to fix the cover of a major reservoir?

I just don’t understand that.

The “water czar” that is in charge of making sure that the reservoirs and fire hydrants are working correctly is a woman named Janisse Quiñones, and she is reportedly being paid $750,000 a year…

The $750,000-a-year LA water czar is responsible for a raft of failures that contributed to the devastating Palisades Fire, fire department insiders told DailyMail.com.

On Mayor Karen Bass’s orders, the city maxed out its budget to ‘attract private-sector talent’, hiring Department of Water and Power (LADWP) CEO Janisse Quiñones on a $750,000 salary in May – almost double that of her predecessor.

Now, Quiñones is being blamed by LA Fire Department (LAFD) insiders for leaving a nearby reservoir disconnected and fire hydrants broken for months, DailyMail.com can reveal, leading to firefighters running out of water as they battled the devastating Palisades Fire this week.

Most of the time, we don’t pay a great price for the extreme incompetence of our leaders.

But in this case, it is going to cost us billions upon billions of dollars.

This is already one of the worst disasters in U.S. history, and it is far from over.

Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today.

Get prepared for what is ahead by visiting some of our sponsors…

The Jase Case is more than an emergency medication supply. The right meds the moment you need them: https://shorturl.at/gMpOj

Protect your home and vehicle with EMP Shield: https://shorturl.at/Hh2oz

Ready Hour Emergency Food: https://shorturl.at/RB6ul

My Patriot Supply: https://shorturl.at/GhppY

InstaFire: https://shorturl.at/brRN1

AlexaPure: https://shorturl.at/CH23z

Operation Blackout: https://eflow.americablackout.com/2964TZB/7XDN2/

Final Famine: https://trk.finaleagainstfamine.com/2964TZB/BP658/

Genesis Code: https://trk.discovergenesiscode.com/2964TZB/M2GJW/

Final Blackout: https://trk.borderdatareport.com/2964TZB/2N721M/

Last Blackout: https://trk.last-blackout.com/2964TZB/2J2CRS/

The post This Is One Of The Most Catastrophic Disasters In U.S. History, And High Winds Could Spread The Fires To New Areas Of L.A. Until Wednesday appeared first on The Economic Collapse.