(Worthy Insights) – When asked whether a Federal Reserve or Central Bank Digital Currency might be on the horizon, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told a congressional committee this year, “We’re nowhere near recommending or let alone adopting a central bank digital currency in any form.”

While Powell admits that while the central bank continues to work on a digital currency, he realizes the obstacles to success at the present time are insurmountable.

For starters, the Fed knows a Central Bank Digital Currency or CBDC could wreck the nation’s banking industry, threaten the dollar’s status as the world’s reserve currency and even threaten the Fed itself. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – A Texas judge has placed an injunction on a Biden administration law that would protect transgender rights in schools and universities.

Federal district judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was nominated to the position by Donald Trump in 2017, wrote that the rule went against gender discrimination laws by placing transgender females in women’s spaces.

Thursday’s ruling came on the same day that the Republican-led House of Representatives passed a measure to kill the same federal rule. [ Source: NewsWeek (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – A U.S. Army base in North Carolina previously held a training class in which pro-life organizations were described explicitly as “terrorist groups.”

The training class included a presentation that featured a slide deck listing the pro-life groups National Right to Life and Operation Rescue as terrorist organizations at Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, the Fort confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Fort condemned the slides on Thursday and claimed that the deck was put together by a garrison employee who was not authorized to use them for the presentation.

“This is a national outrage. Instead of defending us from foreign terrorists, Joe Biden’s Pentagon is attacking pro-life Americans as a domestic terror threat,” Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks told the DCNF. “Even if this slide deck was unapproved, it still exposes the Biden Pentagon for creating a politicized environment where far-left wack jobs feel they can get away with teaching our troops that conservative Americans are their adversary and legitimate military targets. We are in dangerous territory.” [ Source: Daily Caller (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – Hurricane Beryl has caused at least $3.3 billion in damage in the United States, the Caribbean and Mexico, according to research shared on Thursday from a firm that specializes in estimating disaster costs.

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas on Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane after wreaking havoc through the Caribbean. The storm has killed at least 11 people in the Caribbean, according to The Associated Press (AP). Six people in Texas and one person in Louisiana were also killed.

The AP on Thursday reported a firm that works on damage estimates, Karen Clark & Company, found the storm is responsible for $2.7 billion in privately insured U.S. losses. firm also calculated the storm caused $90 million in damage in Mexico and $510 million in the Caribbean. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – A new survey of Jewish New Yorkers found that more than one-third of Jewish residents believe that New York City is no longer safe for Jews in the aftermath of the Hamas massacre of October and the subsequent global outbreak of antisemitism, the New York Post reported.

The poll, which was conducted by the New York Solidarity Network, found that 35% of Jewish residents believe “New York is no longer a safe haven for Jewish life and the Jewish people.” That number rises to nearly 40% when the same statement is applied to the United States of America as a whole.

On a more personal level, 44% of respondents said that they felt unsafe, a number which rose to 67% when Orthodox Jews, who are more visibly identifiable as Jewish were asked. [ Source (Read More…) ]

(Worthy Insights) – In a significant shift in Middle East dynamics, Saudi Arabia is reportedly seeking a defense alliance similar to Israel’s, while Gulf states position themselves to play a crucial role in resolving the Gaza crisis. This development unfolds against a backdrop of regional tensions, including concerns along the Israel-Lebanon border, uncertainty in United States politics, and ongoing turmoil in Israel’s political landscape, according to a high-ranking Gulf official.

“Currently, we’re all in a holding pattern,” the official confided this week to Israel Hayom. “We’re closely monitoring the Israel-Lebanon border, wary of potential conflict escalation. We’re also navigating the uncertainties within the US administration, the upcoming presidential elections, and the political instability in Israel. Nevertheless, there’s a consensus that the leading Gulf nations will inevitably be integral to resolving the Gaza situation, as part of a broader regional arrangement that includes expanded normalization with Israel.”

When pressed on who constitutes “we all,” the official elaborated, “This encompasses the leadership of moderate Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan, and the Israeli leadership – extending beyond just Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu.” [ Source (Read More…) ]