Across the United States, there were 22,830 homicides in 2023, averaging 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

Homicide rates vary widely across American cities, influenced by factors such as poverty, inequality, gun laws, and local policing strategies.

This map, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, shows the top 40 U.S. cities by their homicide rate per 100,000 residents and the total number of homicides, based on the latest reported data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Where Homicide Rates Are Highest in America

Cities in the South and Midwest tend to show higher homicide rates, reflecting a combination of economic stress, structural inequality, and regional differences in firearm access and enforcement.

The table below ranks the top 40 U.S. cities by homicide rate:

Rank
Major City
State
Homicides per 100,000 people
Total Homicides
1
New Orleans
LA
46
166
2
Memphis
TN
41
372
3
St. Louis
MO
38
106
4
Baltimore
MD
36
205
5
Washington, DC
DC
36
244
6
Birmingham
AL
28
187
7
Philadelphia
PA
26
402
8
Kansas City
MO
25
182
9
Richmond
VA
23
53
10
Indianapolis
IN
22
211
11
Milwaukee
WI
21
190
12
Louisville
KY
19
146
13
Cleveland
OH
18
220
14
Detroit
MI
17
304
15
Norfolk
VA
17
40
16
Atlanta
GA
16
175
17
Chicago
IL
16
805
18
Jacksonville
FL
15
153
19
Nashville
TN
15
103
20
Dallas
TX
12
319
21
Columbus
OH
12
159
22
Houston
TX
11
540
23
Denver
CO
11
77
24
San Antonio
TX
10
218
25
Cincinnati
OH
10
83
26
New York City (The Bronx)
NY
9
128
27
Rochester
NY
9
69
28
Las Vegas
NV
9
207
29
Portland
OR
9
70
30
Oakland
CA
8
136
31
Oklahoma City
OK
8
66
32
Phoenix
AZ
7
337
33
Pittsburgh
PA
8
98
34
Charlotte
NC
8
90
35
Orlando
FL
7
104
36
Minneapolis
MN
7
88
37
Los Angeles
CA
7
659
38
Miami
FL
7
176
39
Newark
NJ
7
56
40
Virginia Beach
VA
6
29

New Orleans ranks first, with a homicide rate of 46 per 100,000 people. Memphis and St. Louis follow closely, each reporting rates above 38 per 100,000. While these cities have a relatively low number of total homicides, their small population sizes place them among the most violent cities in the country.

In terms of total homicides, Chicago ranks first with more than 800 homicides, followed by Los Angeles and Houston. Despite the high totals, these cities have relatively lower rates due to their large populations.

Many Southern and Western states with high homicide rates also rank highly in gun-related deaths per 100,000 people, reflecting a combination of firearm availability, gun ownership rates, and broader socioeconomic challenges.

If you found this infographic interesting, see this graphic on America’s Most Dangerous Cities on Voronoi.

Authored by JoJo Novaes & Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Can you imagine rewinding your biological clock by more than two years in just eight weeks, simply by adjusting your diet and lifestyle? It might be possible.

Illustration by The Epoch Times/Shutterstock

A study published in Aging found that foods rich in methylated adaptogens significantly reduced epigenetic age. In an eight-week randomized controlled trial, male participants aged 50 to 72 who adopted a methylation-focused diet experienced a decrease in epigenetic age of 2.04 years from baseline. Meanwhile, the control group aged forward by an average of 1.10 years, creating a gap of 3.14 years between the two groups.

Even after accounting for weight changes or baseline epigenetic ages, the results remained strong, indicating that these foods directly influence aging markers.

Epigenetic age reveals how old your cells appear, with DNA methylation patterns serving as a window into cellular aging.

Nutritionist Tsai Yi-fang from Taiwan’s Keyi Nutrition Consultation Center told The Epoch Times on the “Health 1+1” program that methylation is like a toggle switch for your DNA. If you add a methyl group, a gene’s function might shut off; if you remove one, that function flips on. For instance, heavy methylation of tumor suppressor genes could impair their ability to suppress cancer. On the flip side, low methylation of inflammation genes can ramp up your body’s inflammatory response.

Striking the right balance is key—too much or too little methylation can spell trouble.

Top 6 Anti-Aging Superfoods

The study highlights six foods—turmeric, rosemary, garlic, berries, green tea, and oolong tea—that are rich in phytochemicals called methyl adaptogens. These compounds fine-tune DNA methylation, keeping genes in a healthy state and lowering disease risk. Each food also brings unique benefits:

Turmeric: Packed with curcumin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that supports liver health and is especially effective for improving non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Berries: Loaded with anthocyanins and vitamin C, berries boast exceptional antioxidant power. Bilberries enhance eye health, grapes support cardiovascular wellness, and cranberries promote urinary tract health.
Garlic: With antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-regulating properties, garlic strengthens overall health and helps manage conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth.
Rosemary: Rich in rosmarinic acid, a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that can relieve headaches, stomach pain, nervous tension, and improve mood and memory.
Green Tea and Oolong Tea: Both are rich in catechins and polyphenols, providing robust antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
The Epoch Times

Additional Methylation-Regulating Foods

In addition to the six foods highlighted in the study, Tsai noted additional foods that regulate methylation:

Beets: Rich in betaine and folate, beets act as methyl donors, supporting methylation regulation in the body, particularly beneficial for people with low methylation levels.

Quinoa: Similar to beets, quinoa is a source of betaine, which provides methyl groups to support a healthy methylation cycle.

Cruciferous Vegetables: Such as broccoli, kale, bok choy, and cabbage, contain high levels of sulforaphane, which influences methylation patterns by regulating DNA methyltransferases (a large family of enzymes) and supports liver detoxification.

Spinach: A leafy green high in folate, spinach also contains magnesium and vitamin B6, essential nutrients for the methylation cycle. Additionally, it provides antioxidants that protect DNA from external damage.

Avocado: Beyond being rich in folate and vitamin B6, avocados contain healthy fatty acids that support brain function and methylation regulation, as well as high levels of glutathione, which aids liver detoxification.

Mushrooms: Mushrooms are packed with vitamins and contain ergothioneine, an antioxidant that protects methyltransferases from oxidative damage.

The Epoch Times

Methylation-Regulating Herbs

Beyond food, certain herbs also possess methylation-regulating and anti-aging properties, such as Rhodiola rosea and Ashwagandha. However, it’s essential to consult a doctor before taking herbs to ensure they are suitable for your constitution, as improper use may harm health.

Rhodiola Rosea: Balances stress hormones, supports mitochondrial methylation activity, and may protect brain tissue from oxidative stress. Clinical trials have shown that Rhodiola rosea can help alleviate physical and mental symptoms associated with stress and overexertion.

Ashwagandha: Rich in withanolides and alkaloids, Ashwagandha may influence methylation by modulating stress response.

The Epoch Times

Unhealthy Habits That Hasten Aging

Alongside eating beneficial foods, steering clear of habits that hasten aging is just as vital, Tsai said.

Chronic Sleep Deprivation and Late Nights: Regularly staying up late or insufficient sleep increases oxidative stress, which damages DNA and proteins, speeding up the aging process.
Chronic Stress: Persistent stress contributes to bodily damage and accelerates the aging process.
Lack of Exercise or Overexertion: A sedentary lifestyle or excessive exercise can increase oxidative stress, promoting premature aging.

Foods to Avoid

Foods High in Sugar: A diet high in sugar fuels glycation, generating harmful advanced glycation end-products that contribute to the aging process.
Processed Foods: Often laden with nitrites and other carcinogenic substances, processed foods can harm cellular health and increase aging markers.
Artificial Sweeteners: Disrupt the gut microbiome, potentially causing metabolic imbalances that contribute to aging.

Choosing High-Quality Carbohydrates

Tsai noted the crucial role of high-quality carbohydrates in supporting healthy aging. According to the Nurses’ Health Study, which analyzed dietary data from 47,513 women, long-term intake of nutrient-dense carbohydrates—such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes—was linked to improved health in older age. These foods offer key benefits:

Nutrient-Dense: Rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, they support overall wellness and vitality.
Low-Glycemic Index: Helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, preventing spikes that can accelerate aging.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Reduces inflammation, a major contributor to age-related diseases.

Nutritionist’s Secrets to Youthful Vitality

Tsai shared her proven strategies for maintaining a vibrant, youthful glow through simple, sustainable lifestyle choices:

Consistent Exercise: Tsai runs twice a week for an hour, alternating fast and slow paces to keep her metabolism humming. Whether it’s cardio or strength training, she recommends choosing an exercise you enjoy and can maintain consistently for long-term benefits.
Robust Sun Protection: To protect against aging UV rays, Tsai advises using sunscreen and wearing sunglasses during midday or afternoon outings. In polluted urban areas, she recommends wearing a mask to block harmful fine particles that can damage health.
Clean, Light Eating: Even with frequent meals out, Tsai ensures home-cooked dishes are light and wholesome, allowing her body space to detoxify and rejuvenate.
Stress Reduction: Chronic stress is a silent accelerator of aging. By scheduling time for relaxation and learning to adapt to stress, Tsai nurtures both mental and physical well-being.

Reversing the clock doesn’t require costly supplements. The true secret lies in daily habits: savor antioxidant-rich, gene-regulating foods, pair them with regular exercise, ample sleep, and stress relief, and keep a positive mindset. Begin now to cultivate lasting vitality!

Public approval of political leaders reflects a mix of economic conditions, policy decisions, and broader voter sentiment. As 2025 comes to a close, approval ratings offer a snapshot of how leaders around the world are perceived heading into 2026.

This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti, ranks major global leaders by approval rating, based on surveys conducted between December 8 and 14, 2025, by Morning Consult.

High Approval at the Top, but Fewer Standouts

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranks first overall, with 71% approval heading into 2026. Although still well ahead of peers, his approval declined modestly from 75% in January 2025.

A similar pattern appears elsewhere: even leaders near the top of the rankings faced gradual erosion in support over the year, reflecting persistent inflation, cost-of-living pressures, and political fatigue among voters.

Approval Gains Reflect New Leadership, Not Turnarounds

Japan, South Korea, Canada, Austria, and Belgium all show higher approval ratings at the end of 2025, but these increases reflect new leaders replacing unpopular predecessors.

Much of Europe enters 2026 with leaders facing net-negative approval. France’s Emmanuel Macron ranks last, with approval in the low teens and disapproval near 80%. The UK’s Keir Starmer, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and several Nordic leaders also post approval ratings in the 30% range or lower.

In the United States, Donald Trump sits in the middle of the ranking, with approval and disapproval nearly evenly split.

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out The World’s Top Nations by GDP Per Capita Growth on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

The final week of the year begins with silver adding to a stunning month of gains, topping $83 for the first time…

Platinum and gold are also catching an early bid, with Treasury futures lower. 

Silver is now at its most expensive relative to gold since Feb 2013…

Analyst and financial writer John Rubino has been warning of a currency crisis., expounding on his warning via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com.

On Friday, we saw a record high price spike for silver that produced a record high price for the white metal.  Meanwhile, we saw record high prices for gold on the same day. 

This has never happened before, and that shows the currency crisis long predicted is here.  Rubino says,

“Currencies are pouring into real money in anticipation of the existing fiat currencies dying.  That is a whole different thing and on a much bigger scale because the numbers are grossly inflated after 70 years of a credit super cycle.  So, what we have seen so far is really just the beginning. 

Gold and silver have had huge runs, but they are doing it when things are more or less still normal.  Precious metals are starting to soar in anticipation of something abnormal coming. 

Right now, this is a bigger gold than silver story because gold is the money we go back to when national currencies fail.  Silver is a more complex story because it is also an industrial metal. 

There are new industries that are using more and more silver, and there is just not enough silver to satisfy that demand.”

Rubino contends the silver price spike will bring on a lot of volatility.  Rubino points out, “That is pretty much a lock…”

“Silver is probably going to bounce around a lot in the next week or so. . .. All the silver is being sucked away, and when they run out, they say we will just pay you cash for these futures contracts.  If that happens, that is basically the end of paper exchanges. 

We will just totally stop trusting them. 

Why would anybody want a long futures contract on an exchange that just defaults . . ..  This is another big thing that might happen in the coming weeks. 

When you see prices move like this, an awful lot of bad things become possible. . ..

There are a lot of shorts out there that just went massively underwater on Friday. . .. Somebody big has a lot of losses. . .. It’s like Warren Buffett says, ‘You only know who has been swimming naked when the tide goes out.  Well, the tide has gone out for silver, and now we are going to find out who was unwisely short that market in the past week.”

Rubino sees silver resetting to at least $200 per ounce in the not-too-distant future.  Gold will also reset to at least $10,000 per ounce.  

Rubino says the next big trend is Big Tech players buying actual silver mines and bypassing metal exchanges altogether.  Rubino says,

“Big Tech players are going to go out and get silver now, so they are set for the next few years.  Yes, some of them are starting to buy silver mines. 

In the mining sector, this is one of the big changes we will see coming soon. 

Maybe Tesla buys First Majestic or some mine like that.  Tesla buys a big silver mining company with multiple silver mines to guarantee silver supply going forward. . .. Google, Meta or Microsoft can pay insane amounts of money for commodities if they need to.  It’s inventory building and panic buying in some cases. . ..

All roads lead to higher precious metals right now.  The only way it doesn’t is if there is a global nuclear war that extinguishes civilization. 

Take that out of the equation, and everything points to weaker currencies and higher precious metals prices.”

There is more in the 49-minute interview.

Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with financial writer John Rubino of the popular site called Rubino.Substack.com for 12.27.25.

A former Russian diplomat has been sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony after being convicted of passing state secrets to the United States, which allegedly happened during his stint as an assistant to Russia’s consulate general in Houston, where he worked between 2014 and 2017.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Friday that 38-year old Arseniy Konovalov has been found guilty of treason. He was detained in March last year on suspicion of providing classified information to American intelligence, and the newly released video of the moment he was detained by the Russian security service while inside a vehicle upon his return to Russia has gone viral. He has a look of utter shock and horror on his face upon realizing what was happening.

The FSB in its statement alleged that “AS Konovalov, an employee of the Russian foreign ministry, during a long-term foreign assignment in the United States, proactively transferred secret information to American intelligence for money.”

The video release further showed Konovalov placed in a holding cage at Moscow’s Lefortovo district court by masked officers after being taken from the vehicle.

On top of the sizeable prison sentence, the court also fined Konovalov 100,000 roubles. The security service did not specify the nature of the information which was allegedly handed over to the US side, nor did it make any supposed evidence public. 

US officials have also not commented on or confirmed the case, but there has been speculation on Russian Telegram channels that Konovalov was recruited by the CIA at some point.

There are reports that espionage and treason investigations and cases overseen by Russian authorities have jumped significantly since the start of the Ukraine war, which is about to reach completion of its fourth year.

Watch: The diplomat’s eyes get big, a shocked and anxious look on his face, at the moment one FSB officer holds up an identifying badge and the others grab him from behind…

A court in Moscow sentenced former Russian diplomat Arseniy Konovalov to 12 years in a maximum-security penal colony for treason, accusing him of passing secrets to U.S. intelligence.

Konovalov, a former Foreign Ministry employee, was arrested in March 2024. pic.twitter.com/SlpoWdTaW5

— Clash Report (@clashreport) December 27, 2025

Certainly there’s been an intelligence-driven ‘dirty war’ happening with intensity behind the scenes both in Russia and Europe, as each rival side tries to gain an informational edge in the context of the NATO vs. Moscow stand-off.

There have also over several years been a number of American travelers and even journalists arrested in Russia on allegations of espionage – though Washington has consistently deemed these ‘wrongful detentions’.

Via InternationalMan.com,

International Man: What do you see as the single most important thing that people should prepare for in 2026?

Doug Casey: Strauss and Howe asked that question in their book, The Fourth Turning. We’re at a major turning point in the U.S.

I’ve felt for years that the U.S. was heading toward something like a civil war. It could be as serious as the unpleasantness of the 1860s, just different. The red people and the blue people in the U.S. really dislike each other; they can’t even talk to each other. When things get to that stage, things are typically solved by force; I expect that’s what’s going to happen. Very likely during the next three years, while Trump is still in office. He’s the perfect catalyst.

It’s going to be exacerbated by the long-term migration trends. If we look 100 years down the road, it’s pretty clear that with modern travel and communications technologies, the migration of people from poor countries to rich countries all around the world will accelerate. Eventually, the U.S. won’t even exist in its present form. Of course, that’s true of every country. The colors of the map on the wall have been running since Day One.

I hope a catastrophic upset doesn’t happen in the near future for any number of reasons. For one, it won’t be any fun. For another, I’m a huge fan of traditional America. It was a unique institution in world history—the only country ever founded on the concepts of free thought, free markets, and individualism. A civil war—regardless of what form it takes—would likely overturn those things.

While I hope things mellow out, hope isn’t the best foundation for making plans.

International Man: Geopolitically, tensions continue to build across Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia.

Where do you expect the major flashpoints to emerge in 2026?

Doug Casey: The politicians who run Europe are uniformly despicable non-entities, from Ursula von der Leyen, She-Wolf of the EU, on down. One proof of that statement is that I could be prosecuted just for saying so in much of Europe. They’re soulless bureaucrats who stand for nothing but statism and collectivism. They’re driving Europe to actively rearm, doubling military budgets, reinstituting the draft, and talking about the necessity of war with Russia. I suspect they’ll get their war; I just hope it doesn’t go nuclear or biological. Odd, in that it’s over the Ukraine, the most backward and corrupt country on the continent. Perverse, in that it was never even a country until Lenin created it in 1923.

But that’s not all. The euro, an Esperanto currency, the “Who owes you nothing?” of fiat currencies, is a dead duck. All of the EU’s member countries are bankrupt welfare states. In fact, the European Union itself is going to break up. What’s good for individual countries is totally at odds with what the 80,000—and that’s an accurate number—EU employees in Brussels want to impose. NATO, which should have been disbanded when the USSR collapsed, will also disappear. Europe will, best case, become a petting zoo for Chinese tourists and a luxury resort for Third World migrants.

The Middle East? While Trump is in office, we might as well adopt Israel as the 51st state. That won’t go down well with the world’s two billion Muhammadans. Don’t confuse the friendly relations of Washington with the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and others among the 55 Muslim countries with political stability. Most are economic basket cases and extremely unstable.

East Asia? It’s perfectly irrational for China to attack Taiwan. The result would be widespread destruction on both sides—even if the US and/or Japan didn’t join the party. But governments do irrational things, unpredictably. What will happen with China’s claims on the East and South China Seas? It should be between them and six of their maritime neighbors. But the US could turn a regional border dispute into WW3.

But the unexpected flashpoint, I think, is going to be Africa. Over the last 60 years, the 55 African states (that’s only an approximate number since we don’t know how places like Libya, Western Sahara, Somaliland, or Darfur will wind up) have developed significant armies, aided by weapons and training from Europe and the US. They survive on the export of raw materials (causes of perpetual conflict) and aid from Europe and the U.S. (which is likely to evaporate). All of them (like almost everywhere in the Middle East and Central Asia) are artificial constructs with arbitrary borders. They’re all unstable kleptocracies run from the presidential palace.

The question is: to what degree will Europe, or especially the U.S., or especially Trump, stick their nose into African border wars and civil wars? There will be lots of them. I think Africa is the big powderkeg that nobody’s talking about.

International Man: The U.S. domestic political situation remains combustible, with deep cultural and economic fractures.

How do you expect America’s internal divisions to evolve in 2026 as we approach the midterms?

Doug Casey: Trends in motion tend to stay in motion. Despite the fact that corporations, the entertainment industry, academia, and the media seem to be backing away from truly insane levels of wokeism, the issue is in doubt. The trend toward Wokeism has built momentum for decades, and the country’s been indoctrinated with it for generations. It’s not going away overnight.

Trump is purposefully and overtly polarizing. As I discussed last week (link), although he may see himself as Cincinnatus, he’s more like Caesar. He’ll keep stirring things up, if only because he knows what his adversaries will do to him when he’s out of office. While most sensible people love his antiwokeism, most of his economic and international interventionism will backfire—bigly. I suspect he’ll lose the midterms, and the Dems in the House will impeach him again. Will they succeed in the Senate this time? The natives will get restless no matter what.

International Man: With Trump poised to replace Fed Chair Powell, he will exert a stronger influence over central bank policy. What do you expect the monetary environment of 2026 to look like?

Doug Casey: The dollar will approach its intrinsic value as Trump and the Fed create a trillion more of them. It’s a formula for chaos.

Trump is a big believer in mercantilist-style economics, which holds that the US must export more than it imports. I think he’ll try to force that issue with foreign exchange controls of some type, creating yet more distortions.

You want to exit the dollar, own precious metals, avoid the stock market and bond markets, and get your money out of the U.S. None of this is a formula for domestic tranquility, either in 2026, 2027, 2028, or beyond. And I’m assuming there will be a normal election in 2028, which is not a very safe assumption.

International Man: Investors are torn between chasing the current market bubble and preparing for a potential financial reckoning.

Where do you think the biggest risks and opportunities will be in 2026, and which asset classes are positioned to benefit most from the turbulence ahead?

Doug Casey: There’s no question about the fact that most of Trump’s business success has been due to borrowing. Leverage, low interest rates, and inflation made the man.

Trump’s history and incorrect understanding of economics tell me that the Fed will buy and monetize more government debt than ever, doing everything they can to artificially depress interest rates. For the short run, that could argue for the stock market going higher in 2026. But it’s a high-risk bet. Do you feel lucky?

With gold over $4,000 and silver over $60, they’re probably where they “should” be relative to other things. But as unstable as the world is, and because of their unique advantages, they’re going higher. The smart thing is to speculate on the shares of miners; they’re really cheap, and neither the public nor the institutions even know they exist, for reasons I’ve discussed in the past. All-in sustaining costs of producing gold is about $1,500 an ounce. It’s not hard to do the math.

In the last 50 years, we’ve had five 10-to-1 mining bull markets. I think we’re about to experience one more. A big one. Many of the smaller stocks have already gone three or four to one. Nobody cares… which is good.

In addition, you should be long commodities generally. Grains are basically selling at around the cost of production. As are oil, gas, coal, and uranium. Commodities are very under-owned. Buying ETFs in any or all of these things is a set-and-forget allocation of capital for at least the next couple of years.

*  *  *

2026 points to a clear inflection point—marked by rising political division, global instability, and mounting monetary risk. The pressures Doug describes are converging faster than most investors expect. But this conversation only scratches the surface. In a new free special report, Doug Casey’s Top 7 Predictions, Doug lays out the key trends he believes will shape the years ahead—and what they mean for your wealth, freedom, and financial security. Click here to get it now.