Is the Vatican on the verge of bankruptcy? It appears so. I saw this going viral online so I dug into it (because we actually do our research here, we don’t just rely on Tweets) and what I found was this is accurate: VATICAN BANKRUPTCY?https://t.co/cHpTrpv2Xb pic.twitter.com/9Z5CFz02TP — The Sacred Blue Tent (@SabrinaGal182) December 3, 2024 The AP reports the situation is dire, as admitted by Pope Francis himself: Pope Francis, who has imposed a series of cost-cutting measures across the cash-strapped Vatican, warned Thursday that the city state’s troubled pension fund needs urgent reform to guarantee future obligations. Vatican employees responded by expressing concern that their compensation might be targeted in any further cost-cutting to shore up the pension system, and asked for the fund’s finances to be made public. In a letter to Vatican department heads and cardinals, Francis said he had named a top economic adviser Cardinal Kevin Farrell as a special administrator for the fund, suggesting that decisive, immediate action was necessary. The letter was the latest evidence of the Vatican’s precarious financial situation, after years of mismanagement, financial scandals and budget deficits — all worsened by COVID-19 and the months-long closures of a key source of revenue, the Vatican Museums. Already, Francis has cut the salaries of cardinals by 10%, suspended some seniority bonuses, trimmed special stipends for Rome-based cardinals and begun charging some market-rate rents for their apartments. The pension fund has long been the source of particular concern, and in the new letter Francis acknowledged that the current analysis “indicates a serious prospective imbalance in the fund, the size of which tends to expand over time in the absence of intervention.” “In concrete terms, this means that the current system is unable to guarantee in the medium term the fulfillment of the pension obligation for future generations,” he wrote. As usual, “get woke, go broke”! It never fails: time to sell indulgences? #gowokegobrokeVatican ‘on brink of bankruptcy’ as it struggles to pay pensions https://t.co/SHxpgMn9UB — China_Meltdown (@TheAnalytic) December 2, 2024 Vatican ‘on the verge of bankruptcy’. #Vatican https://t.co/aDQHRMRUeS — FightingOn_MC (@FightingOn_MC) December 3, 2024 Hey Pope Francis,#GoWokeGoBroke The #Vatican has a 23M euros operating deficit and it’s impacting their RETIREMENT funds. What happened to the vows of poverty? What account did you use to pay off lawsuits? Asking for a #Catholic https://t.co/kjXtGdHCou — sdrepub (@sdrepub) December 3, 2024 And from Reuters: Pope Francis said on Thursday the Vatican’s pension fund is facing a “serious imbalance” that may require changes to its operating structure, and appointed a senior cardinal to take over the fund’s administration. In an unusual letter sent to all the world’s cardinals and to the leaders of the Vatican’s various offices, the pope did not quantify the scope of the issue. He said the changes would include “making difficult decisions that will require particular sensitivity, generosity, and willingness to sacrifice on the part of everyone”. Francis appointed Cardinal Kevin Farrell, an Irish-American prelate who has led the Vatican’s office for family issues since 2016, to take over as the fund’s administrator. The pope has expressed uncommon concern about the Vatican’s budget several times in recent months. In October, he ordered the third reduction in three years for the pay packages of the cardinals who lead the Vatican. He has also asked them to pursue a “zero deficit” agenda. The Vatican has not released a full budget statement in several years but is known to be facing a serious budget deficit. The Vatican’s finance czar estimated in 2022 that the net liability of the pension fund for post-employment benefits amounted to some 631 million euros ($664 million). The headquarters of the Catholic Church comprises two entities: the internationally recognised sovereign entity of the Holy See and the Vatican, a 108-acre city-state within Rome. When did it all start to go wrong? Here…. RELATED REPORTS: HERESY: Pope Francis Says “All religions are paths to reach God!” Pope Francis Kisses Muslim Imam, Declares: “All Religions Have a Role To Play” Pope Francis Issues New Condemning Remarks Against ‘Anti-Vaxxers’

Mark Cuban believes he could win the Presidency….with a little help from his friends. One friend in particular: the Round Mound of Rebound, Charles Barkley. Yes, he really said it: Mark Cuban says he’d win White House with Charles Barkley as VP: ‘No question about it’ https://t.co/kfyMdf8nye pic.twitter.com/o5eT1mU34P — New York Post (@nypost) December 4, 2024 Let’s just say the reactions online are “not favorable”…. The NY Post had more details: VP pick and roll. Former Kamala Harris campaign surrogate and “Shark Tank” mogul Mark Cuban believes he can win the presidency by choosing an NBA legend as his running mate. During an appearance on “The Steam Room” podcast, hosted by NBA TNT television personalities Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley, Cuban answered whether his recent turn as a political pundit would result in seeking elected office. Cuban first said “hell no,” about running for higher office, but said one thing could possibly change his mind. “Would your feeling on a run for office change if it were, say, a ticket of you and the Chuckster,” legendary basketball announcer Ernie “The Elevator” Johnson asked, referring to his co-host as the potential running mate. “Yes, absolutely,” Cuban replied with relish. “We’d win running away. No question about it.” “We’d win,” Barkley said in matter-of-fact agreement. “We’d definitely win. Yes absolutely, running away.” Cuban heaped praise on Barkley, all but calling him a role model for civility and personability. “Charles can talk to anybody and put himself in any circumstance and get along with everybody, and I think that’s what we need,” Cuban said. Moments before, the Round Mound of Rebound himself asked Cuban whether he “seriously considered” seeking an elected office. “I did a little bit,” Cuban said with a wince. “I even talked to a pollster. But then I talked to my family and we took a family vote and they said, “hell no.” Cuban further elaborated that he believes today’s politics is “meaner” and that the “hate on social media” serves as a legitimate deterrent to his civic impulses. RELATED REPORTS: JUST IN: Mark Cuban’s Business Partner Donated $100M to President Trump! Now We Know Why Mark Cuban Hates President Trump — It’s Personal Mark Cuban Confirms AGAIN Why He Turned On Donald Trump

Elon Musk is one of Donald Trump’s closest allies. Since the election, he’s spent several days at Mar-a-Lago consulting with the president… Even weighing-in on Trump’s staffing decisions. And now he’s been announced as co-leader of the new “Department of Government Efficiency”. It’s one reason Fortune magazine just called Elon “the most powerful person in business.” And what Elon has planned next could be the greatest wealth-building opportunity of the 21st century. In fact, according to one legendary investor… It will lead to the world’s first “Super-IPO” – a company that creates well over $100 billion on the first day it goes public! And with Trump back in the Oval Office… There’s no telling when Elon could drop this “Super-IPO” bombshell. And anyone who knows about this story NOW can get in on a “backdoor” play to profit before the IPO… Starting with as little as $50. Click here NOW to learn about Elon’s “Super-IPO” bombshell. (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message in this article and ordering through the included links, which benefits WLTReport. We appreciate your support!  MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!)

A Boston city councilor was arrested by FBI agents following an indictment alleging her involvement in a scheme which reportedly secured her thousands of dollars in cash from a staffer in return for granting a substantial bonus.

NYT: Iran Bugging Out of Syria

The car industry as a whole may be ailing — but Nissan's prognosis is particularly dire, the kind you measure in months, not years. Sluggish sales — mainly in North America — have been disastrous for the Japanese automaker. In response, dealers are selling cars at a loss and production has been slashed by 20%. More recently, the company cut 9,000 jobs and sold a third of its stake in Mitsubishi. The Japanese automaker also plans to cut production at its plants in Canton, Mississippi, and Smyrna, Tennessee — which together employ some 13,000 workers — by 100,000 cars.But all of this may be too little, too late.Death's doorOn paper, at least, it doesn't look good. Nissan's operating profit dropped 85% in the third quarter, with the company recording a net loss of 9.3 billion Yen ($60.1 million at today's exchange rate). On November 7, the company posted a consolidated operating profit for the six months ending in September down over 90% compared with the same period last year."We have 12 to 14 months to survive," a senior official close to Nissan recently told the Financial Times. "This is going to be tough. And in the end, we need Japan and the U.S. to be generating cash," he said. Unfortunately, consumers in those countries are simply not buying. And increased competition from China isn't helping. Stateside slowdownNissan's cost-cutting is part of a large-scale restructuring effort to save $3 billion.Adding to the uncertainty, major shareholder Renault is looking to offload its holdings in the company. Nissan is reportedly seeking a new long-term investor — and hasn't ruled out longtime rival Honda taking a majority stake. Nissan recently signed a partnership with Honda and Mitsubishi for long-term EV development.The Japanese automaker also plans to cut production at its plants in Canton, Mississippi, and Smyrna, Tennessee — which together employ some 13,000 workers — by 100,000 cars. Among the models made at those factories are Nissan's Pathfinder SUV and the Frontier pickup truck. Lost credibilityFrom my perspective, Nissan's mob-like tactics in ousting former CEO Carlos Ghosn cost the company credibility on the global stage. Ghosn, who spent 13 months in a Japanese jail before making a dramatic escape to Lebanon, claims he was targeted for his plans to merge Nissan with Renault. Ultimately, a merger with Honda may be the better move; Japanese companies working together to build better cars would make stockholders and customers happy. More important, it may be the only move left for a company rapidly running out of options.

Overwatch 2 game director Aaron Keller says Blizzard is “really happy” with how the first run of the shooter’s 6v6 mode turned out. To commemorate the occasion, Keller has shared a load of player statistics for the game mode, revealing just how popular it’s already been. With Season 14 looming, the 6v6 mode is also going to return in multiple forms, as it looks like Blizzard is considering whether or not to make the game mode a permanent addition to Overwatch 2 sometime in the future. Continue reading Overwatch 2 6v6 made Blizzard “really happy,” and it’s about to come back MORE FROM PCGAMESN: All Overwatch 2 characters, Best Overwatch 2 settings, Overwatch 2 tier list

Trump's Handshake With Macron in France Makes It Clear 'America Is Back!' (Guess Who Else Showed Up)