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For modern shoppers, cashless payment methods may seem like a convenient and secure option.

But if you want to avoid common risks like credit card fraud and digital systems that are vulnerable to cyberattacks, cash will always be king.(h/t to SHTFPlan.com)

In the U.S. and other economies that have legal tender laws, only cash is recognized as money. While others think that the balance of their bank accounts is money too, that is not quite the case. After all, your bank balance is one step removed from legal money.

All banks must maintain minimum balances of reserves in cash held either in their vaults, which makes up only a very small amount, or in their “reserve accounts” with their local Federal Reserve Bank branch.

These reserve account balances maythen be converted to real money, or cash, at your bank’s discretion. But the total cash in the U.S. economy also includes cash held outside the banking system, such as the money in your wallet or an emergency money cache hidden at home.

The total of bank reserves and the cash held outside the banking system is called the monetary base, but it is different fromthe money supply.

Most of the money supply is made up of bank credit not backed by reserves. When banks make loans, they credit your account, which becomes bank credit money. This money was created by the bank “out of thin air.”

Keep in mind that the banks did not create reserves, only credit money, which is not the same thing.

As of July 2023, the monetary base in the U.S. was $5.5 trillion, while M3 (the total bank credit money) was $20.9 trillion.

This means that if everyone demanded real money or cash, the banks would only be able to honor around one-fourth of all requests. This highlights the fact that the possibility of your bank failing is real, especially since more than 9,000 U.S. banks failed during the Great Depression of the 1930s. What are the risks of electronic payments?

Cash is important because being ableto hold real cash, not just bank balances accessible by check or electronic means, protects you from the potential infrastructure problems linked to an electronic system but also from the sudden seizure of all or some of your money.

As a prepper, cash is also preferable because “real” cash isanonymous and your bank account is not. When disaster strikes, you can still purchase essential goods or services as long as you still have money in your wallet or an emergency cache.

If that cash has been eliminated by some legal means and if you have angered the powers that be for whatever reason, such as opposing them and asking others to oppose them too, all banks can freeze your bank account or eliminate it.

In February 2022,the government of Canada froze the bank accounts of everyone who participated in the Canadian truckers’ general strike, along with those who helped them.

This year,British politician Nigel Farage had his accounts closed for political reasons. He also revealed that no other British bank would serve him. Without the means to use money, Farage said he came very close to emigrating.

Imagine if that had happened to you, especially if you weren’t a prepper. You wouldn’t be able to pay for gas for your car. Without cash, you wouldn’t be able to buy groceries or supplies for your emergency stockpile.

Soon after, theBBCformallyapologized to Farage over a story it ran on the closure of his accounts at NatWest’s private bank Coutts, which the former Brexit Party leader correctly said was due to his political views.

The BBC previously reported that the reason for the closure wasFarage allegedly fell below the financial threshold required to be a customer at Coutts.

The Coutts website advises that its clients should be able to borrow or invest at least one million pounds ($1.28 million) with the bank or hold at least three million pounds in savings.

However,an internal review of the bank account obtained by Farage revealed that the private bank’s wealth reputational risk committee had said his values did not align with the bank’s own.

“We acknowledge that the information we reported – that Coutts’ decision on Mr. Farage’s account did not involve considerations about his political views – turned out not to be accurate and have apologized to Mr. Farage,” said the BBC in the corrections and clarifications section of its website. What are the risks of central bank digital currency?

All of the world’s major central banks are currently devising plans to institute central bank digital currencies (CBDC) that they will control. This is very dangerous for the civil liberties of all citizens across the globe.(Related:British activist threatened with arrest for using CASH in cashless Aldi grocery.)

If this becomes a reality,the government would no longer need to seek the cooperation of the banks to freeze your accounts or “debank” you entirely, as the British banking system did to Farage.

With the push of a button, you could loseaccess to your financial accounts and you wouldn’t be able to buy food or supplies.

No government should beallowed to hold such power, which could easily become a life-and-death issue for a bank holder. Yet despite these serious risks,digital currencies are being promoted as efficient and modern.

Don’t be fooled. This is a civil liberties issue and it must be stopped now if you want to retainyour freedom and privacy.

Watch the video below to learn more about the dangers of a cashless society and central bank digital currency.

This video is from theCommunicate channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories:

Digital prepping: How to protect yourself against cyberattacks.

CASHLESS DOWN UNDER: Australia gears up for CBDC rollout, with major banks banning OTC cash withdrawals.

CASHLESS TYRANNY: EU launches testing of biometric payments from digital wallets.

Sources include:

SHTFPlan.com

Edition.CNN.com

TheGuardian.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
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TV presenter Jay Blades appears in court charged with two counts of rape

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TV presenter Jay Blades appears in court charged with two counts of rape

TV presenter Jay Blades has appeared in court charged with two counts of rape.

The 55-year-old appeared via video link at Telford Magistrates’ Court and spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth at the six-minute hearing on Wednesday.

Blades, from Claverley in Shropshire, was granted conditional bail to appear at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 10 September.

He was not required to enter pleas during his first appearance.

The presenter found fame on the furniture restoration programme The Repair Shop after he started presenting in 2017.

A furniture restorer, he was the face of the popular BBC show that featured people having their treasured objects repaired and rejuvenated until he stepped back from presenting the programme last year.

Read more from Sky News:
Backlash over police vans with facial recognition
New questions for driving theory tests

Blades was also the presenter of the BBC’s Money For Nothing until 2020 and took part in Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity Bake Off, and Comic Relief.

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Sports

OU’s Mateer denies gambling, was ‘inside joke’

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OU's Mateer denies gambling, was 'inside joke'

Oklahoma starting quarterback John Mateer, after screenshots of past references to “sports gambling” on his Venmo account surfaced online Monday, denied ever being involved with gambling, saying Tuesday it was instead “inside jokes” with his friends.

School officials became aware of the screenshots late Monday night and are looking into the situation, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer posted to X on Tuesday. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.

“I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.”

Screenshots posted online Monday night showed Mateer allegedly twice included “sports gambling” in memos for transactions on Nov. 20, 2022, while he was a freshman at Washington State. Both transactions were allegedly made to a Venmo account for Richard Roaten, believed to be a teammate at Washington State at the time.

College athletes are prohibited from betting on any sport offered by the NCAA, with penalties up to loss of eligibility.

OU Athletics issued a statement saying it “takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situation of concern.” The school said its “unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”

Mateer, the No. 1 overall player in ESPN’s portal rankings, transferred to Oklahoma from Washington State this offseason. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, his third with the Cougars.

Oklahoma is ranked 18th in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Sooners open their season at home Aug. 30 against Illinois State.

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Kreul intentions: Five-star DE picks Sooners

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Kreul intentions: Five-star DE picks Sooners

Oklahoma secured its most significant commitment yet in the 2026 recruiting cycle on Tuesday when defensive end Jake Kreul, No. 22 in the 2026 ESPN 300, announced his pledge to the Sooners on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Kreul, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound edge rusher from Florida’s IMG Academy, entered August as the lone remaining uncommitted among the 23 five-star prospects in ESPN’s prospect rankings for the 2026 cycle. He chose Oklahoma over Ole Miss and Texas following a slate of official visits this spring that included trips to all three finalists as well as Colorado, Florida and Ohio State.

Kreul lands with the Sooners as the 16th overall pledge and only the third ESPN 300 commit in Oklahoma coach Brent Venables’ 2026 recruiting class following the program’s 6-7 finish to the 2024 season. Kreul now stands as the top-ranked member of Venables’ latest class alongside fellow top-300 pledges in No. 5 dual-threat quarterback Bowe Bentley (No. 168 overall) and wide receiver Daniel Odom (No. 258). If Kreul ultimately signs later this year, it will represent Oklahoma’s fourth consecutive cycle with at least one five-star addition dating to the 2023 class.

Kruel took part in the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game earlier this year and will enter his senior season at IMG Academy this fall. One of the most polished defensive prospects in the 2026 class, he closed his junior campaign in 2025 with 39 tackles, 11 hurries and 6 sacks.

Oklahoma joined the likes of Florida and Ole Miss among the first major programs to prominently enter the mix for Kreul’s commitment nearly two years ago. Kreul told ESPN last month that his relationships with Sooners defensive line assistants Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis, along with Venables’ background of nearly two decades as a defensive coordinator were driving factors in his heavy interest in Oklahoma.

“The opportunity to play for a defensive-minded head coach and one of the best minds in the sport in coach Venables is something you may not get at every school,” Kreul said. “That piece is something that’s been very present for me throughout in terms of building my relationship with Oklahoma.”

Kreul now stands as the seventh defender bound for Oklahoma in 2026 and a cornerstone member of the Sooners’ latest class. Along the defensive line, Oklahoma also holds pledges from three-star defensive tackle Brian Harris and defensive ends Matthew Nelson and Daniel Norman.

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