Trump Admin Throws Md Dems Lifeline To Halt Power Blackout Threat As Green Policies Backfire

 Maryland Governor Wes Moore and the Democratic Party in Annapolis have managed to spark a 'manufactured power crisis' in the Mid-Atlantic state through failed green energy policies, which have driven power bill costs up more than 1,000% over several years and are now financially crushing working-class households and mom and pop businesses. The Democrats' promise of a progressive 'utopia' in the imploding state has failed to materialize - and frankly, never will. 

Now, the Trump administration is throwing Governor Moore and the far-left Democrats, who are running the state into the ground, a massive lifeline to prevent a power grid collapse in the Baltimore region.

According to Fox Baltimore reporter Gary Collins, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has granted a 90-day emergency waiver allowing the H.A. Wagner power plant to exceed pollution limits to avoid rolling blackouts in the Baltimore metro area. 

Traditionally coal-fired, but also capable of burning oil and natural gas, the Wagner power plant is owned and operated by Talon Energy and is located near Curtis Bay, Maryland. It provides hundreds of megawatts, playing a key role in supplying on-demand baseload power to Baltimore Gas & Electric (BG&E) Zone, part of the PJM Interconnection grid (Goldman spotted this power crisis from a mile away). 

Democrats who run the state have placed strict pollution controls on the Wagner power due to its coal usage, often reaching emissions caps during peak demand hours. Trump's lifeline for Democrats will help prevent rolling blackouts - like a third-world country - that would ultimately spark more doom for Gov. Moore's 2028 presidential ticket - if he ever had one.  

But apparently he does, because the Democratic Party has fired up its NGO complex and has been buying air time on local radio stations - and one state lawmaker told us the propaganda has shifted to purchasing social media influencers, all to quell growing dissent as the power bill crisis crushes everyone. 

We no longer need to explain how Maryland is becoming the epicenter of the Democratic Party's imploding policies - all on display for the nation to see, especially on the green issue.

• "Another Reason To Leave": Top Maryland Power Official Warns Of Regular Rolling Blackouts

• Maryland Democrats Scramble As Green Energy Agenda Sparks Power Bill Hyperinflation

• Democrats Spark "Manufactured Power Crisis" In Maryland As Left Begins To Panic

• "You're Welcome": Pennsylvania Boasts About Saving 'Green' Maryland From Near Power Grid Collapse

• Far-Left Panic: Dark Money NGO Floods Baltimore Airwaves With Propaganda To Save Governor

Maryland must undergo an urgent course correction on its power grid policies or face a harsh winter of darkness.

https://www.zerohedge.com/ai/trump-admin-throws-maryland-democrats-lifeline-halt-power-blackout-threat-after-green-policies

Large trade seen behind US Treasury yield spike that fueled speculation

Synopsis

U.S. Treasury yields experienced a sudden surge, sparking speculation about the cause. Theories ranged from a technical error, possibly a "fat finger" mistake in futures trading, to hedging activity related to a corporate bond issue. A massive sale of 10-year bond futures contracts was suspected, impacting the market. 

A spike in U.S. Treasury yields across the curve in the late morning session on Wednesday caused speculation about what was behind the move.

Some traders suggested it could have been a technical error, while others said it could have been due to an interest rate hedge for a corporate bond issue. Reuters could not verify the cause of the move.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/bonds/us-treasury-yield-spike-in-short-span-fuels-speculation-about-cause/articleshow/123154607.cms

Ontario seeks proposals for feasibility study on cross-Canada energy corridor

 The Ontario government on Thursday issued a request for proposals for a feasibility study to explore the best way to establish a new economic and energy corridor in the state.

The proposed corridor includes new Alberta-to-Ontario pipelines, which would transport Western Canadian oil and gas to refineries in southern Ontario and to tidewater ports such as a new deep-sea port on the coast of James Bay.

The study will also assess the feasibility of port developments on James Bay, Hudson Bay and the Great Lakes, along with a potential refinery along the pipeline route.

The energy corridor follows a recent memorandum of understanding between Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan to collaborate on protecting Canadian workers, expanding energy and trade infrastructure, and advancing nuclear development to meet rising demand.

“In the face of unprecedented tariffs from the United States and increasing geopolitical instability, Canadians must work together across governments to build the energy and trade infrastructure we need to unlock new markets domestically and protect jobs,” said Kinga Surma, Ontario’s minister of infrastructure.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/ontario-seeks-proposals-feasibility-study-181954190.html

India's Modi, Brazil's Lula speak amid Trump tariff blitz

 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he discussed the “imposition of unilateral tariffs" during a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signalling concerted efforts at pushing back against US President Donald Trump’s strong-arm levies that have rattled the global economy.

The two BRICS members, both hit with 50% tariffs—the highest rate Trump has announced, discussed the holding of a Brazilian state visit to India early next year and also recalled the goal of increasing bilateral trade to over $20 billion by 2030, Lula said in an X post.

PM Modi, for his part, stressed that the two sides were committed to deepening their partnership.

https://www.news18.com/india/brazils-lula-dials-pm-modi-discusses-issues-of-mutual-interest-amid-trumps-tariff-tirade-ws-l-9491825.html

A painful rate cut for the Bank of England

 

The Bank of England reduced its key interest rate by 25 basis points on Thursday, bringing it to 4.0%. The meeting was marked by unusual difficulty in reaching a consensus.

While this decision is in line with market expectations, today's meeting was not without its challenges. For the first time in its history, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) had to hold two rounds of voting to decide on the level of interest rates. The first vote resulted in a delicate balance: four members in favor of a cut, four in favor of maintaining the status quo, and one, Alan Taylor, arguing for an even more significant reduction of 50bp. In the second round, Taylor joined the "25 camp" to confirm a quarter-point cut.

Governor Andrew Bailey and four of his colleagues ultimately opted for easing, believing that the disinflationary momentum remained credible despite everything. Among those in favor of maintaining the status quo, Clare Lombardelli—recently appointed deputy governor for monetary policy—diverged from the consensus for the first time, joined notably by Huw Pill, the institution's chief economist.

This vote highlights the tensions between the contrasting signals the central bank is receiving. On the one hand, the labor market is showing signs of weakness. But on the other, inflation is still too high. It is expected to remain between 3.5% and 4% for the rest of the year, according to the BoE's latest forecasts. However, several of its members have recently cited research papers suggesting that inflation tends to become entrenched once it exceeds 3.5% to 4%.

Source: Bank of England

In its statement, the Bank of England maintained its usual stance: any future rate cuts should be "gradual and cautious." But it also added that "the degree of policy restriction has declined as the policy rate has been reduced." This was perceived as a more hawkish stance. The market now anticipates a higher terminal rate, with only two rate cuts between now and next year and none this year.

This shift could complicate the task of the Starmer government, whose election promise to accelerate economic growth was based in part on sustained monetary easing. For Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, a premature halt to rate cuts would thwart her ambitions for stimulus.

Andrew Bailey described the decision as "finely balanced," insisting that rates were still on a downward path, but that any further cuts would now need to be carefully calibrated.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/a-painful-rate-cut-for-the-bank-of-england-ce7c5edfdf81f72d

Web3 is evolving: how DeFi consolidation and new sectors are reshaping the crypto space

 

Web3 activity is shifting as DeFi consolidates into fewer hands and emerging sectors like RWA and DePIN drive broader user adoption and diversify use cases.

With the altcoin market cap now hovering around $1.5 trillion, Web3 has become essential to watch for understanding crypto’s broader dynamics, especially as the 2022–2026 cycle unfolds differently from previous ones. Unlike past cycles where DeFi and NFTs monopolized attention, today’s Web3 ecosystem is far more diversified. Transaction patterns are shifting, capital is flowing through new channels, and emerging use cases are reshaping what meaningful Web3 activity looks like.

Web3 usage picks up

Since the beginning of 2024, decentralized applications (DApps) have seen a sharp rise in user engagement, closely mirroring market sentiment. According to DappRadar, the number of weekly Unique Active Wallets (UAW) in crypto games surged by 325%, reaching nearly 35 million. Collectibles (NFT-related DApps) followed with an even steeper rise of 420%, now engaging around 28 million weekly users.

DeFi and exchange-related activity also increased, though less dramatically. These sectors peaked in UAW between November 2024 and January 2025, during the last major altcoin rally. Since then, their active user count has declined but remains well above 2023 levels. DeFi UAW grew 140% since early 2024, reaching 13 million, while exchange DApps rose 150% over the same period.

The most intriguing growth, however, comes from the “Other” category. This segment has been steadily rising since early 2024, now becoming the second largest in Web3 by UAW. “Other” includes quickly growing sectors like interoperability (bridges between blockchains), RWA (real-world asset tokenization), DePIN (decentralized physical infrastructure), AI-related Dapps, and other emerging services.

DeFi TVL surges, but user participation shrinks

The DeFi sector presents a paradox. On the one hand, DeFi now represents less than 10% of Web3’s unique active users, a sharp decline from 19% in Q2 2025 and 26% in Q1 2025. On the other hand, DeFi still generates the lion’s share of Web3 transactions—over 240 million per week.

Even more telling is the state of DeFi Total Value Locked (TVL). According to DefiLlama, DeFi TVL now stands at $137 billion, a 150% increase since January 2024, though still below its $177 billion all-time high from late 2021.

This divergence between TVL growth and UAW decline reveals a shift in how DeFi operates, and this shift is in line with this cycle’s main narrative — growing institutionalization of crypto. Capital is consolidating into fewer, larger wallets, which now also include funds. This trend is still young, as DeFi faces regulatory uncertainty in many jurisdictions. Still, institutions start participating in DeFi by providing liquidity in permissioned pools, lending against tokenized treasuries from platforms like Ondo Finance and Maple, known for its partnership with the investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, or using DeFi protocols as backend settlement rails, a concept that is being explored in Singapore’s Project Guardian initiative.

Meanwhile, protocol-level automation offered by DeFi services like Lido or EigenLayer further reduces wallet activity, as DeFi is evolving into a capital-efficient layer where institutional players seek yield, while direct retail engagement diminishes.

Emerging Web3 sectors expand the user base

While DeFi continues to dominate transaction volume, the “Other” category currently generates around 57 million weekly transactions, marking a rather mediocre performance.

This shows that “Other” services are characterized by low-frequency, high-impact transactions. Activities like DAO voting, RWA minting, or cross-chain bridging don’t require constant interaction. As a result, these sectors engage large user bases but contribute fewer transactions per wallet compared to DeFi’s high-frequency, bot-driven activity.

The growth of “Other” reflects Web3’s maturing landscape, as use cases diversify from pure financial speculation to infrastructure and utility services. It also shows adoption expanding horizontally, attracting users interested in practical applications rather than chasing speculative DeFi returns.

Overall, the on-chain data paints a clear picture. DeFi is consolidating as the capital-intensive engine of Web3, while emerging sectors with occasional but meaningful user interactions are expanding Web3’s reach. This isn’t a decline. It’s a reconfiguration. Web3 seems to be evolving beyond its speculative past, towards a broader, multi-sector ecosystem where diverse forms of activity coexist, each with its own rhythm of capital and user engagement.

https://www.marketscreener.com/news/web3-is-evolving-how-defi-consolidation-and-new-sectors-are-reshaping-the-crypto-space-ce7c5edfde89f021

FBI removes former acting director, agent involved in Jan 6 prosecutions, more eyed to be ousted

 The FBI on Thursday is ousting at least three officials, including the former acting director and an officer involved in the January 6 investigations, Fox News has learned.

Former FBI acting director Brian Driscoll is among those being forced out of the bureau, sources familiar with the matter told Fox News, along with Walter Giardina, a special agent at the bureau who played a role in the investigation of President Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro, and Steven Jensen, acting director of the Washington Field Office.

Driscoll, for his part, served as acting director of the FBI prior to the confirmation of FBI Director Kash Patel, and Jensen played a key role in the January 6 investigations.

Senior FBI officials told the agents in question that they needed to leave by Friday, with no specific reason given to them individually. 

Former FBI acting director Brian Driscoll is among those being forced out of the bureau.FBI

The FBI is also ousting Walter Giardina, a special agent who played a role in the investigation of Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro, and Steven Jensen, who played a key role in the January 6 investigations.James Keivom

One individual with knowledge of the removals described it as “retribution.” 

The FBI did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment.

https://nypost.com/2025/08/07/us-news/fbi-removes-former-acting-director-agent-involved-in-january-6-prosecutions-as-more-expected-to-be-ousted/