George Soros’ foundation, which is now controlled by the billionaire activist’s son, plans to cut 40 percent of its workforce, according to reports and a statement from the Open Society Foundations (OSF)
The board of directors of OSF, which George Soros founded in 1979 and personally led until about a month ago, has approved “significant changes” to the organization’s operating model that require “difficult decisions” and will make the foundation “nimbler,” The Epoch Times has learned.
“The changes are intended to maximize Open Society’s impact in helping to counter the forces currently threatening open and free societies,” said a joint statement released Friday by George Soros’ son and OSF chair, Alexander Soros, and the organization’s president, Mark Malloch-Brown.
While OSF did not immediately respond to a request from The Epoch Times for more details, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the “difficult decisions” are job cuts amounting to at least 40 percent of the organization’s global workforce.
OSF employs around 800 people worldwide, with around 320 of those on the chopping block.
George Soros Cedes Control
Barely a month ago, George Soros told The Wall Street Journal that he had ceded control of his $25 billion empire to his 37-year-old son, Alex Soros, who suggested that he would be even more politically engaged than his father.
The Democrat megadonor told the outlet that he initially didn’t want to cede control of the foundation to any member of his family “as a matter of principle.”
However, he said that he and his son “think alike” and that he’s taking over at the helm of the foundation because “he’s earned it.”
Alex Soros told the outlet that he’s “more political” than his father and that he’s worried about the prospect that former President Donald Trump might win the 2024 race for the White House.
“As much as I would love to get money out of politics, as long as the other side is doing it, we will have to do it, too,” he told the Journal, suggesting that the deep pockets of the Soros organization will be deployed to support presidential campaigns opposing Trump.
Alex Soros was quietly elected to the OSF board as its chairman in December 2022. He now directs political activity as president of Soros’s political action committee.
“We are going to double down on defending voting rights and personal freedom at home and supporting the cause of democracy abroad,” a spokesperson for Alex Soros told the Financial Times regarding his priorities for political action.
‘Soros DAs’
George Soros, a Hungarian-born investor worth billions, is a controversial figure in the United States after groups tied to him poured money into left-wing district attorney candidates’ campaigns across the country.
Trump has vowed to target what he and other Republicans have described as “Soros DAs” after being indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who reportedly took campaign cash from Soros during the 2021 election.
Responding to an allegation that he backed Bragg, Soros said in March that he’s never met him and didn’t contribute any money to his election bid.
“I think some on the right would rather focus on far-fetched conspiracy theories than on the serious charges against the former president,” he told Semafor.
However, Soros has made clear his backing for certain prosecutors. In an earlier op-ed, he explained why he has donated to “reform-minded prosecutors” and has “no intention of stopping.”
“The funds I provide enable sensible reform-minded candidates to receive a hearing from the public,” he wrote.
“In recent years, reform-minded prosecutors and other law-enforcement officials around the country have been coalescing around an agenda that promises to be more effective and just.”
Soros noted that this includes less-punitive criminal justice policies.
“This agenda includes prioritizing the resources of the criminal-justice system to protect people against violent crime. It urges that we treat drug addiction as a disease, not a crime. And it seeks to end the criminalization of poverty and mental illness,” he wrote.
“This is why I have supported the election (and more recently the re-election) of prosecutors who support reform. I have done it transparently, and I have no intention of stopping.”
Alex Soros’s remarks to the Journal and the Financial Times suggest that the OSF and affiliated groups will continue to press ahead with the agenda charted by George Soros.
OSF President Mark Malloch-Brown recently argued for the adoption of a “new economic order” that would focus on “justice and stability.”
Malloch-Brown said in a speech that if there’s “one watchword for this new framework of global governance, it must be ‘inclusivity,’” and along with it, “a multilateralism that has the roots and staying power for the new world that we are going into.”
He said a challenge of this new world would be whether collective rights supersede individual rights and whether “the interest of the state to build that green transition, provide inclusive growth means that it’s at the expense of human rights.”
“It’s not at all clear where that battle lands, as it’s not at all clear where the battle for democracy lands,” Malloch-Brown said.
Some critics of the work of OSF have argued that its political agenda leans too far to the left.
Article cross-posted from our premium news partners at The Epoch Times.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
