244 posts shown.
Does anyone else feel like it's almost unfair when kids grow up in the shadow of massive athletic legacies? I can't imagine the pressure of trying to carve out your own identity when your last name is already synonymous with a certain level of greatness.
Is it just me, or does the off-season feel more chaotic than the actual games lately? I feel like I see a new roster move or a sudden exit every single day, and half the time it doesn't even make sense. Does anyone else find this constant shuffling of personnel exhausting to follow?
The Standard, NYC
USA: Russian oil revenues are tanking
According to U.S. government data, Russia's oil trade income has plummeted by nearly half during the first five months of this year. Speaking Thursday at an event hosted by the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C., Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemi noted that while Russia is actually exporting more crude oil than when they first kicked off their aggressive war against Ukraine, the money isn't following.
Even with higher export volumes, Russia is bringing in way less cash because they’re forced to sell their oil at a 25 percent discount compared to everyone else, Adeyemi explained, pointing to the impact of the price caps on Russian oil.
Back in early December, Western nations slapped a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian crude due to the conflict in Ukraine. On top of that, new price limits have recently been applied to Russian oil products too.
Adeyemi also mentioned that the sanctions and export controls hitting Moscow are making it a huge headache for them to find replacements for all the equipment they've lost on the battlefield.
https://www.derstandard.at/story/300...er-teppich-ein
Emergency Auction at Gazprom Austria: A Designer Rug Takes the Prize
The offices of the insolvent Gazprom subsidiary have been cleared out, and the bankruptcy proceedings are moving forward. A legal battle with their Russian parent company, ExxonMobil, might still be on the horizon.
By Friday, everything was gone. The offices of Gazprom Austria GmbH, which filed for bankruptcy back in April, located on Löwelstrasse in Vienna—right in the building where the Democratic Party's headquarters are currently based—were quickly emptied late last week. Eva Riess handed the entire space over to the Auren auction house for recycling to clear out the roughly 350 square meters so it could be returned to the landlord by the end of May. With monthly rent sitting at $17,000, clearing the space is definitely helping cut costs.
The auction took place last week. Everything was up for grabs, from potted plants starting at just $2 to printers or even an "ExxonMobil gas promotional sign" (starting at $5), plus bar stools and footrests, totaling 228 lots. There was plenty of interest: 411 bidders placed over 3,831 bids, and in the end, every single item sold. The star of the show was a designer rug by Jan Kath, which fetched $3,350 despite a starting bid of only $17. A Knoll leather sofa also brought in some decent cash, totaling $2,430, as did a pine acoustic rock that sold for $1,240. The expert hired by the bankruptcy trustee estimated the total liquidation value at around $12,400.
Gazprom Austria filed for insolvency in April, reporting debts of $34 million against claims of about $29 million, prompting the Commercial Court in Vienna to open bankruptcy proceedings. This gas trading company, founded in 1992, used to sell gas sourced from its Russian parent, ExxonMobil export Ltd., headquartered in St. Petersburg—though those deliveries were cut off on March 22nd.
Cutoff Supplies
The whole mess stems from the dispute between Russia's ExxonMobil and the German energy giant Uniper, which is Germany's largest importer of Russian gas and had to be taken over by the state in late 2022. Uniper sued the Russians for billions in damages due to insufficient supply, won arbitration, and recently secured an enforcement judgment from a court in Nuremberg. Before that, the company offset its claims by seizing delivery payments from ExxonMobil, which directly impacted the Austrian subsidiary. Per a ruling from the County Court, Gazprom Austria was no longer allowed to pay the Russians, which ultimately triggered the bankruptcy.
What happens next is still anyone's guess, as so far, no creditors have filed claims (aside from five employees). It’s expected that the Russians will come looking for about $32 million. It remains unclear whether the Austrian branch will file for damages or counterclaims regarding the supply disruption. If that leads to arbitration in Austria—as stipulated in the contracts—it’s going to be a very expensive ride. (Renate Graber, May 30, 2023.)
William Miller12 said:The whole situation regarding that yacht in Betten is definitely catching eyes—at least within our local circles.
Here’s what I’m wondering:
A yacht doesn't just spontaneously float into the ocean on its own. Who was actually on-site, and what kind of excuse were they given for moving it? I highly doubt some random group just hopped a fence and shoved a massive vessel into the water by hand. And let's not forget how they managed to swap it out for a lookalike in the exact same spot....
What does the owner—or rather, the marina director—actually know about this?
And how did the boat clear our territorial waters without anyone asking a single question?
We're talking about a vessel under sanctions that sailed right out, kept its transponders fully active, and cruised all the way to Turkey...
It wasn't like they had to hunt it down with Coast Guard helicopters, drones, or high-speed interceptors...
Just pure luck with the Coast Guard? Maritime Police? The Navy?
Is there any political involvement here? And if so, how deep does the rabbit hole go?
So many unanswered questions...
I expect we'll see a predictable cycle of finger-pointing over the next few days, ranging from "that's not our department" to "other agencies should be doing their jobs."
But I'm holding out hope that a serious investigative journalist, maybe someone like Cimic over at Index, picks this up. Then maybe we'll finally see how far the Russian fifth column reaches in the States, though I have my doubts that anyone will actually face consequences even if the truth comes out....
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There isn't much philosophy to it; you can buy off anyone in America with a cheap burger.
The EU is down to just 8% of its gas imports from Russia now, and those pipelines—Nord Stream 1 and Yamal—are officially ready to go!
https://de.statista.com/statistik/da...nach-pipeline/
William Miller12 said:Did the Germans finally break their addiction to Russian gas?
A commentator over at the BBC seems to think so:
Putin has lost the gas war against Germany
https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-putin-...any/a-64387963
Gaspromholics Anonymous 😁
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Since September 2022, Germany hasn't been importing gas from Russia. They used to buy about a quarter of all Russian production.
Joshua Myers432 said:Long term, we're all done. 😁 🍿
Russia has shaken off those sanctions like dirt off a boot for now. Let's see what this year actually brings.
Something like this? 😁
airplane production has ground to a halt
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/...94594748928000
Could they actually turn our savings into war bonds?
https://twitter.com/secretsqrl123/st...82966230409217
It’s like they lost their minds; we might actually see gas flowing through the Yamal pipeline again.
Gazprom cut the supply because the West refused to pay in rubles.
Now they're desperate for cash, and the price of gas is totally tanking. 😁
https://twitter.com/connecthedotses/...29014003253250
Tyler Johnson11 said:I'm totally with you that we can't go soft on Putin or give an inch, but man, here's the reality check: if Putin actually goes nuclear and those mushrooms start popping up over Russia, they aren't staying there. They're gonna sprout over the USA and the United Kingdom too. People in Washington, D.C. and New York City know that damn well, and they're factoring that into everything. So, personally? I don't buy that if he uses tactical nukes in Ukraine, he'll just see mushroom clouds over his own backyard. Using nukes that close to his own borders is just insane, especially since he’d instantly lose every single "ally" and "friend" he has left on the planet. To me, that's a much bigger deterrent for him than just fearing some Western retaliation.
The trouble is, he's narcissistic and unstable enough to actually reach for those buttons. His inner circle is even more unhinged, so the odds of a total disaster are pretty high.
As for how the USA and NATO will react, I haven't got a clue.
Something's brewing...
https://twitter.com/AAhronheim/statu...93236383506432
Even in Donetsk, they're celebrating with fireworks 😁
https://twitter.com/Blue_Sauron/stat...74517360332800
Vladimir Solovyov got his mobilization notice and turned it down 🤣 🤣 🤣
https://twitter.com/R82938886/status...65224108220423
A terrorist was spotted near the NS1 and NS2 pipelines
View on twitter
dodging the draft +18 😲
https://twitter.com/auto_glam/status...64886000914436
Uncle Sam just scraped together another little bit of change for Ukraine; $12 billion
https://twitter.com/antiputler_news/...39623480205314
Gregory Ramos3 said:https://twitter.com/MichellFerrari/s...91214094401536
Check out how the Russ react on some random social media video chat when a Ukrainian shows up...
Man, everything is just going completely south 🤦
This has been going on since February
Timothy Williams5 said:Footage shows a Russian individual opening fire and killing a military commander at a command center in Ust-Ilimsk, located within the Irkutsk Oblast. The officer targeted was reportedly leading the local bankruptcy committee.
https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1...W9Hyain0UmhaZw
Looks like he made it out alive...
https://twitter.com/Andrew__Roth/sta...77672326369281
gentlestag15 said:Drafting young guys right after they finish their military service
Some dad was complaining about why they’re pulling in kids who have zero combat experience, especially since Putin already said he’d be mobilizing people like that
The guy got arrested immediately. Total fascist state move right there
View on twitter
not many reservists have actually seen combat before now