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Debt Rattle February 8 2026

Feb 082026
 
 February 8, 2026  Posted by at 10:44 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,  Add comments


Paulus Potter De stier (The Bull) 1625


• Starmer ‘Toast’ – BBC Source (RT)
• The New Monroe Doctrine: The Plot Twists That No One Saw Coming (Sarah Anderson)
• ICE Asks Newsom Not to Release 33,000 Criminal Illegal Aliens (Salgado)
• Major Federal Appeals Court Ruling Permits ICE to Detain Illegal Aliens (CTH)
• Is Bill Clinton Moving Back Into Contempt? (Turley)
• Trump Endorses Orbán Again Ahead Of Hungary’s April 12 Election (RMX)
• Soros Praises Spain’s Sánchez For Mass Amnesty Of 500,000 Illegals (MN)
• The Trump Admin Finally Tells Boasberg To Pound Sand (Matt Margolis)
• A Geopolitical Earthquake (Jim Rickards)
• Finland Opposes ‘Article 5-like’ Guarantees For Ukraine – Politico (RT)
• Ukrainian Generals Exposed In Multi-million Dollar Corruption Scheme (RT)
• Washington Post CEO And Publisher Quits As Newspaper Implodes (ZH)
• RFK Jr. and Mike Tyson Fight for MAHA in Super Bowl Ad (Scott Pinsker)

 


 

 


 

 


 


One of Epstein’s many victims.

• Starmer ‘Toast’ – BBC Source (RT)

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing a party revolt over the government’s failure to properly vet the former British envoy to the US, Peter Mandelson, over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. One Labour MP described Starmer as “toast.” The controversy centers on Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson, a former Labour MP, as an envoy to Washington, who allegedly received $75,000 from Epstein. Mandelson said he does not recall receiving any money while Starmer claimed that he “was lied to” about the vetting procedure.


The prime minister’s defense, however, sparked ire among fellow party members. According to the Daily Telegraph, Labour MPs have privately urged senior figures, including Angela Rayner, a former deputy prime minister, and Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to consider mounting a leadership challenge. One unnamed minister described the crisis as “existential” for Starmer. Assessing the prime minister’s prospects, an unnamed Labour MP told the BBC that he was “toast.” The verdict was echoed by broadcaster Piers Morgan, who said it was “just a question now of whether the whole government falls too.” .

“He [Starmer] is like a wounded wildebeest: fatally wounded but determined to show how strong he is knowing full well the end is nigh,” another MP told the BBC. Harriet Harman, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, said Starmer’s explanations made him appear “weak, naive and gullible.” Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan said there was a “loss of trust and confidence in the No.10 operatio” and said chief of staff Morgan McSweeney was “clearly part of the problem,” as several media reported widespread calls for his resignation..

The row has drawn fierce opposition attacks, with Tory spokesman Alicia Kearns accusing Starmer of an “abject lack of integrity,” describing his defense as “morally bankrupt.” According to Daily Mail, Angela Rayner has told her inner circle that she was “ready” to launch a leadership campaign. A YouGov survey on Thursday suggested that 50% of respondents believe Starmer should stand down and be replaced, compared with 24% who said he should remain. His approval ratings have already been hit by dissatisfaction with high migration levels and controversial government policies.

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“There are about 1.2 million public school students in El Salvador, and every single one of them received a back-to-school kit to start the year.”

• The New Monroe Doctrine: The Plot Twists That No One Saw Coming (Sarah Anderson)

Welcome to “The New Monroe Doctrine,” where I give you an update on what’s going on in the Western Hemisphere, south of our border, especially as it relates to the United States. Y’all seem to be enjoying Nayib Bukele lately, so let’s talk more about El Salvador this week. Plus, I have some potential good news out of Venezuela that just dropped as I’m writing this, and I’ll tell you what happened when Gustavo Petro came to town on Tuesday.


When You Tackle Corruption, Something Great Happens
Bukele has made many headlines over the last few days. On Thursday, he spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast alongside Donald Trump, urging leaders to pray to God for wisdom like King Solomon did and said that’s what it took for him to be able to turn El Salvador from the so-called “murder capital of the world” to one of the safest countries in the Western Hemisphere. You can read more about that here: Bukele Wows the Crowd — and Trump — at the National Prayer Breakfast.

While we often associate Bukele with what he did for El Salvador’s crime problem, we ignore some of the other numerous things he’s done to turn the country around. Before he became president, the country’s economy was in shambles, infrastructure was crumbling, there were neighborhoods that you just didn’t go into, and the nation’s youngest residents didn’t stand a chance. That’s changing. If, for some reason, you happen to follow any Salvadoran government social media accounts, you saw quite a different story this week. The country’s school year started on February 2, and the pictures and videos from these first days are absolutely breathtaking.

There are about 1.2 million public school students in El Salvador, and every single one of them received a back-to-school kit to start the year. Kids in grades fourth and up got laptops, while younger students got tablets. They came preloaded with programs like Google Classroom, Microsoft Office 365, Platzi (for English and skills certification), and anti-theft tracking. Other items included were school uniforms, shoes, books, crayons, pencils, paint, and other supplies personalized to each child’s needs and grade level.

But these kids aren’t just receiving school supplies. They’re getting new schools. In 2022, Bukele created an education reform program called Mi Nueva Escuela or “My New School,” and part of that included remodeling 5,150 schools over five years. All of the schools would have “free internet, new infrastructure and furniture, audiobooks, braille and sensory books.” Before the 2026 school year started, Bukele inaugurated 70 newly renovated schools. So far, he’s done 504, and last year began speeding up the process. Mi Nueva Escuela also ensures children have access to nutritious food and health care at school, advanced technology, and high-quality teachers who have gone through additional training.

And it involved getting rid of El Salvador’s outdated, rigid curricula and replacing them with something holistic that actually matches how children learn and will ultimately lead to better outcomes. nFirst Lady Gabriela de Bukele has been heavily involved with this, particularly when it comes to early childhood education. In January, she rolled out the new curriculum for younger students that incorporates more structured play, exploration, and creativity, and encourages better emotional and social development and, eventually, more well-rounded adults. They also removed all gender ideology and inclusive language from school curricula, as well as any other content seen as advancing woke agendas. Schools must focus on learning, respect, order, and responsibility instead of any progressive nonsense.

Kids are also expected to come to school looking respectful in their uniforms, and boys must have short, clean haircuts that can’t be mistaken for gang-affiliated ones. Furthermore, they must greet their principals and teachers respectfully upon arrival. Basically, Bukele and his team are creating schools that students actually want to attend. They’re also creating schools that raise well-adjusted adults and not gang members. I know what you’re probably thinking. BIG GOVERNMENT! PUBLIC SCHOOLS! RAISING TAXES! HOW IS HE PAYING FOR THIS? IT MUST BE SOCIALISM! Calm down, and I’ll tell you.

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“The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.”

• ICE Asks Newsom Not to Release 33,000 Criminal Illegal Aliens (Salgado)

Sanctuary state California’s Democrat leaders consistently release dangerous illegal alien criminals back onto the streets and defy federal detainer requests, even for murderers. That could mean that more than 33,000 foreign criminals will be released onto California’s streets. Among the illegal alien criminals who should be in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody are nearly 400 murderers and over 3,000 burglars, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. She asked California Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop prioritizing a political agenda over his people and not to release the 33,179 criminal illegal aliens without notifying ICE first.


McLaughlin explained, “The crimes of these aliens include 399 homicides, 3,313 assaults, 3,171 burglaries, 1,011 robberies, 8,380 dangerous drugs offenses, 1,984 weapons offenses, and 1,293 sexual predatory offenses.” Newsom’s refusal to hand over a Mexican illegal alien who ran over and killed 11-year-old Aiden Antonio Torres De Paz in Escondido, California, just before Thanksgiving is only one example of California Democrats siding with murderous foreign criminals. And of course, it is not simply that the authorities in California help the illegal aliens escape justice; they also enable them to commit more crimes..

It’s no coincidence that “California” has become synonymous with “catastrophe.” While there are many Republicans still living in California, the deep-blue coastal cities are keeping destructive Marxists in power — and illegal alien criminals out of custody. In light of all this, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, according to a Feb. 5 DHS press release. The release exposed profoundly shocking statistics: California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 criminal illegal aliens since January 20. The crimes of these aliens include 31 homicides, 661 assaults, 574 burglaries, 184 robberies, 1,489 dangerous drugs offenses, 379 weapons offenses, and 234 sexual predatory offenses..

Newsom and his fellow Democrats are thoroughly despicable. Think how many victims were affected by those crimes, and who will not now see any justice done to their victimizers. Lyons emphasized, “We are calling on Governor Newsom and his administration to stop this dangerous derangement and commit to honoring the ICE arrest detainers of the more than 33,000 criminal illegal aliens in California’s custody. It is common sense. Criminal illegal aliens should not be released from jails back onto our streets to terrorize more innocent Americans. If we work together, we can make America safe again. 7 of the 10 safest cities in the U.S. cooperate with ICE law enforcement.”

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[…] At the heart of the issue is a 30-year-old immigration statute that requires the detention — without bond — of all “applicants for admission” to the United States ..”

• Major Federal Appeals Court Ruling Permits ICE to Detain Illegal Aliens (CTH)

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has made a massive ruling in favor of President Trump and the ICE removal process [pdf Ruling Here]. In short, throughout the nation 360 immigration judges had previously ruled that illegal aliens (applicants for admission) should be granted bond and released during the removal proceedings. The Fifth CCA has now ruled the aliens can be detained as they go through the removal process. This means ICE captures the illegal, holds them in detention and then rapidly deports them. The ruling, which will likely be appealed to the supreme court, fast-tracks the removal.



(VIA POLITICO) – “[…] At the heart of the issue is a 30-year-old immigration statute that requires the detention — without bond — of all “applicants for admission” to the United States while they are “seeking admission” to the country. For decades, administrations of both parties applied this to people who had newly arrived in the country, perhaps by crossing the southern border. Those residing in the country’s interior, often for years, were categorized under a different statute that allowed them to seek a bond hearing before an immigration judge before ICE could lock them up..

But in July, ICE Director Todd Lyons adopted a new interpretation of the law, declaring that anyone targeted for deportation by ICE would be treated as an “applicant for admission,” subjecting them to mandatory detention. That decision was backed up in October by the Board of Immigration Appeals, a panel of immigration judges who set national policy for executive branch-run immigration courts that handle deportation proceedings. (more)”.

This issue was a big deal during the 2012 “Unauthorized Alien Children” influx, when President Obama and DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson began releasing all the captured illegal aliens with a bond hearing. Thousands of temporary judges were assigned and NGO’s provided tens of thousands of lawyers for everyone so the illegal entrants could quickly exit ICE custody. Later, as an expanded part of the Obama and Biden directive, the border patrol just started issuing citations on the spot for court appearances and letting the illegal aliens go into the country. Now, all illegal aliens will be subject to continued detention as soon as they are captured, pending removal.

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One step up and two steps back. Rinse and repeat.

• Is Bill Clinton Moving Back Into Contempt? (Turley)

The Clintons are again suggesting that they might not agree to a deposition after previously yielding to the threat of a contempt vote. Hillary Clinton taunted House Oversight Chair James Comer “if you want this fight…let’s have it—in public.” For his part, Bill Clinton seemed more conclusive on X in opposing a deposition: “I will not sit idly as they use me as a prop in a closed-door kangaroo court.” The question is whether the Clintons are again gaming the system after avoiding a bipartisan vote to hold them in contempt. As with the Hunter Biden deposition (which was also delayed by such tactics), there are various reasons for holding a closed deposition before public hearings.


First, these depositions allow professional staff to conduct questioning in a methodical and professional manner. In a public hearing, questioning is conducted by members who are often ill-equipped for substantive inquiries. Second, the Clintons must be asked about a range of documents and communications that contain names and privacy-protected information. At a public hearing, the use of such documents would trigger redactions and interruptions. Third, these depositions allow for in-depth questioning on transactions and communications. In a public hearing, members are confined to a five-minute rule that guarantees questioning cannot achieve much, if any, depth..

Those are all reasons the Clintons want a public hearing in which members, not staff, ask questions under tight time limits. It produces superficial examinations with little ability to pursue substantive conflicts or issues. None of this really matters legally. All citizens are compelled to appear at such hearings. They may invoke the Fifth Amendment, but they must appear. Even the Clintons. However, the Clintons have spent a lifetime gaming the system, avoiding accountability for alleged crimes, including (in the case of Bill Clinton) federal perjury. This is vintage Clinton. After a bipartisan vote in committee to hold them in contempt, they took a 180-degree turn and agreed to the depositions. The final vote was then cancelled..

Once cancelled, Bill Clinton is again suggesting that he will “not sit idly by” for such a deposition. It is not clear what that means. He will sit for this deposition or be held in contempt like any other citizen.The declaration could mean anything from laying the groundwork for invoking the Fifth Amendment to another act of defiance of the subpoena. He could be planning to refuse to answer certain questions in a combative approach to the deposition. However, that could still result in a contempt sanction..

Notably, the Clintons have long been able to control the conditions of their questioning. Even with the Independent Counsel, Clinton was able to secure concessions on time and questions. He still tripped the wire and committed perjury, according to a federal court.This is a rare occasion where they will not dictate such conditions. That raises the intriguing possibility that Bill Clinton could set a precedent by invoking the Fifth Amendment. Otherwise, he may not be idle, but he will be present.

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Keep Brussels outta Budapest.

• Trump Endorses Orbán Again Ahead Of Hungary’s April 12 Election (RMX)

U.S President Donald Trump has endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for re-election ahead of Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election, praising him as “a truly strong and powerful leader” and saying he has his “complete and total” backing. In the message posted Thursday on Trump’s Truth Social account, Trump credited Orbán with improving bilateral ties and framed him as a law-and-order nationalist leader. “Relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement under my administration, thanks largely to Prime Minister Orbán,” Trump wrote.“I was proud to endorse Viktor for re-election in 2022, and am honored to do so again,” he added.


Praise between the two leaders stretches back years. In March 2024, after meeting Orbán at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, the U.S. president claimed that, unlike much of Europe, “Hungary is a safe country because of [Orbán’s] strong immigration policies.”There’s nobody that’s better, smarter, or a better leader than Viktor Orbán,” Trump added during a presidential campaign rally later that year.Orbán has repeatedly returned the favor, portraying Trump as the indispensable champion of peace and sovereignty. At CPAC Hungary in 2024, Orbán rallied conservatives around Trump as he backed him to return to the White House.

Orbán has previously cast Hungary as an outpost surrounded by what he describes as a hostile liberal mainstream in Brussels and Western Europe. “Hungary is a conservative island in the liberal European ocean,” Orbán said.With the election approaching, Orbán issued a stark warning to the European Commission not to interfere in what is expected to be his governing Fidesz party’s toughest vote yet. On Thursday, the Hungarian prime minister wrote on X, “Keep your hands off our elections! The report by the Republicans’ House Committee on the Judiciary exposes foreign actors attempting to influence Hungary’s vote, with money, services, and political backing flowing in from abroad. Decisions about Hungary’s future belong to Hungarians alone. Foreign meddling will not be tolerated.”
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EU has no borders.

• Soros Praises Spain’s Sánchez For Mass Amnesty Of 500,000 Illegals (MN)

Alex Soros, son of billionaire George Soros, has lavished praise on Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for granting legal status to up to 500,000 illegal migrants, stating that Sánchez shows “what real leadership looks like” by confronting issues with policies that are “both principled and pragmatic.” Soros added, “We need more elected leaders like him!” This endorsement comes amid widespread backlash against Sánchez’s open-borders agenda, which critics slam as a betrayal of Spanish citizens.


In a post on X, Alex Soros highlighted Sánchez’s approach, quoting the prime minister’s own words: “They care for aging parents, work in small and large companies, and harvest the food on our tables. On weekends, they walk in our parks and play on the local amateur soccer team….” The amnesty, implemented via a royal decree bypassing parliament, targets undocumented migrants who arrived before the end of 2025 and can prove at least five months of residence in Spain. As The New York Times reported , the Socialist-led government describes it as essential for Spain’s economy, where migrant labor supports agriculture and tourism.

Yet, this move has ignited fury across Spain, with opponents decrying it as an incentive for further illegal entries from North Africa and Latin America. As we detailed in our earlier coverage, Spaniards face the prospect of integrating another half-million migrants amid rising tensions and massive resource strains. The timing of Soros’s praise is telling, as Sánchez’s regime grapples with corruption scandals and probes into his inner circle. Facing a firestorm of criticism on X, where users label the amnesty “treasonous,” the far-left government has threatened to “limit and likely ban” the platform entirely.

Sánchez himself, in addition to his underlings, has indicated a desire to ban X. This crackdown mirrors broader European efforts to stifle dissent, from French raids on X’s offices to EU fines under the Digital Services Act. Musk himself fired back at Sánchez, dubbing him “dirty Sanchez” in response to the censorship push. Soros’s intervention underscores the globalist playbook: push mass migration to reshape demographics, then silence opposition through free speech restrictions. With Spain’s amnesty poised to exacerbate border chaos—echoing Angela Merkel’s 2015 disaster—Sánchez’s policies prioritize foreign arrivals over native Spaniards, fueling demands for accountability.

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“The question is whether we still have three coequal branches of government, or whether unelected judges now get to run the executive branch by decree …”

• The Trump Admin Finally Tells Boasberg To Pound Sand (Matt Margolis)

For over a year, President Donald Trump’s team has tangled with activist judges who act as if they run the executive branch. These activists in black robes think they can dictate policy on border security, national defense, and pretty much everything the executive branch does. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg has become the poster child for this judicial overreach. Last week, the Trump administration finally decided it had enough of his illegitimate orders, and told him, in so many words, to pound sand.


“The Trump administration will not comply with a court order requiring due process for hundreds of Venezuelan migrants deported to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador last year, DOJ lawyers said,” reports Fox News Digital. “It sets up a heated clash in court next week in a case that is almost certainly headed back to the Supreme Court.” The status and plight of 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to a Salvadoran prison last March under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act have emerged as one of the defining court fights of Trump’s second term, allowing the administration to test its mettle against the federal courts and the practical limits of judicial authority, on one of Trump’s biggest policy priorities.

It’s a fight that has also put U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who is overseeing the Alien Enemies Act case, squarely in the Trump administration’s crosshairs as he attempts to determine what due process protections, if any, the administration is legally obligated to provide and how far the courts can go to enforce them. A new filing from the Justice Department made clear the administration believes it owes the migrants no additional due process at all. Should the court try to order otherwise, lawyers for the administration said they would promptly seek intervention from higher courts.

Past presidents such as Barack Obama were never forced to abide by the conditions left-wing judges are now imposing on Trump. When Obama exercised prosecutorial discretion on immigration, deferring removal proceedings for specific categories of aliens, it wasn’t controversial. But when Trump tries to deport alleged gang members who pose a national security threat, suddenly judges think they can dictate every detail of how the executive branch operates.

The Trump administration made crystal clear in its filing that it views this fight as far from over. Regardless of how Boasberg rules, the case is almost certain to end up at the Supreme Court for review. And I wouldn’t bet against the Trump administration in this case. The Supreme Court ruled last year to limit the use of universal injunctions, with implications for a wide range of challenges to federal laws and regulations. Despite the ruling, judges such as Boasberg continued to issue these rogue orders, hamstringing the Trump administration at every turn.

Trump himself has called for Boasberg’s removal from office. An impeachment resolution was introduced in the House last year and has garnered support from 23 Republicans. The administration even filed an ethics complaint against the judge, though a federal appeals judge dismissed it. The question isn’t whether Trump should comply with every partisan order some rogue district judge dreams up. The question is whether we still have three coequal branches of government, or whether unelected judges now get to run the executive branch by decree. For too long, the answer has tilted in the wrong direction. The Trump administration’s willingness to finally stand up to judicial overreach is long overdue.

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“Would Trump take over the Chagos Islands to prevent the transfer to Mauritius? Possibly yes. That would be one more nail in the NATO coffin.”

• A Geopolitical Earthquake (Jim Rickards)

What if NATO members such as the UK, Denmark, France and Germany send their armed forces to defend Greenland? None of those powers are particularly strong and it’s unlikely they could muster more than two brigades for this purpose (about 5,000 troops in total). Under the direction of U.S. NorthCom, with a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group, cyber warfare, drones and elite airborne troops trained in Arctic warfare, the U.S. could put those NATO troops into full retreat with substantial casualties on their side in a day or two at the most.


The U.S. would gain Greenland, but the armed confrontation would be the end of NATO. That’s not necessarily a bad thing from the U.S. perspective. NATO members have not been paying anywhere near their share of the costs of military preparedness. The War in Ukraine has shown that most NATO weapons, including Patriot anti-missile batteries, Abrams and Challenger tanks, HIMARS precision-guided artillery, Bradley fighting vehicles and cruise missiles are obsolete when up against Russian hypersonic missiles, drones, anti-missile defenses and GPS jamming techniques. NATO is probably falling apart anyway, but a debacle in Greenland would accelerate that ending.

Without NATO, the Baltic Republics could be rapidly invaded and annexed by Russia. They already have large Russian-speaking populations and were part of the former Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991. This annexation would be a tragedy for some but a homecoming for others.The major NATO powers might form a new military alliance centered around France and its nuclear weapons. Yet, the U.S. would still have allies in Europe including Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, Poland and Greece. These countries form a kind of wall between Russia and Western Europe. Europe could find itself cut off from Russian natural gas because of Ukraine and also cut off from U.S. natural gas because of the battle for Greenland.

With the U.S. controlling its own oil and that of Venezuela and Guyana, and Arab countries siding with the U.S., Western Europe could find itself with almost no energy supplies apart from its pathetic patchwork of windmills and solar farms and French nuclear reactors. Western European manufacturing would quickly grind to a halt. With the U.S. grabbing Venezuela and Greenland and Russia helping itself to the Baltic Republics, China could decide that the time was ripe to seize Taiwan. The U.S. might allow this to happen on a view that its sphere of influence is the Western Hemisphere through the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

Of course, the U.S. would destroy Taiwan’s semiconductor fabrication and research facilities on its way out the door. The U.S. would rapidly expand its indigenous semiconductor manufacturing while mining the Western states of the U.S. and Greenland for rare earths. Have you heard of the Chagos Islands? They’re an archipelago of seven atolls including more than 60 islands lying 300 miles south of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos are controlled by the UK as the British Indian Ocean Territory. Except for their natural beauty, they would be unremarkable but for the fact that the Chagos includes the island of Diego Garcia, which houses a U.S. Naval Support Facility.

That facility has been used to launch B-52, B-1 and B-2 bomber attacks throughout the Middle East including the Gulf War, the Global War on Terror and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the UK has agreed to cede the Chagos to the island nation of Mauritius, also in the Indian Ocean closer to Madagascar. The UK would take back a lease to Diego Garcia, but Mauritius would be sovereign. Trump has called the Chagos deal “stupid”. Would Trump take over the Chagos Islands to prevent the transfer to Mauritius? Possibly yes. That would be one more nail in the NATO coffin.

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Deadlines for Russia are meaningless.

• Zelenskyy Says US Gave Ukraine And Russia A June Deadline To End War (ET)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Feb. 6 that the United States has given both Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war, adding that Washington is likely to increase pressure on both sides if fighting continues beyond that point. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said U.S. officials have outlined a timeline aimed at securing an end to hostilities by early summer, as the Trump administration steps up diplomatic efforts to halt Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.


“The Americans are proposing the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer,” Zelenskyy said, according to remarks embargoed until Feb. 7. He added that Washington wants “a clear schedule of all events” and would likely apply pressure “precisely according to this schedule” if progress stalls. Zelenskyy said U.S. officials have made clear they intend to “do everything” to bring the war to an end by June. He did not specify what form pressure might take or whether it would apply equally to Kyiv and Moscow. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment or confirmation.

Zelenskyy’s comments came after the latest round of U.S.-brokered trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi involving representatives from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia. All sides described the discussions as constructive, and a Russia–Ukraine prisoner swap was announced, but no cease-fire or political agreement was reached. U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on Feb. 6 aboard Air Force One that “we had very, very good talks today, having to do with Russia, Ukraine,” adding that “something could be happening.” Trump did not provide details on the discussions or address whether a formal deadline had been communicated to the warring parties.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the Feb. 4–5 talks focused on creating conditions for a lasting peace and included discussions on cease-fire implementation and monitoring mechanisms.“Ukraine expresses its gratitude to [President] Donald Trump for his leadership in advancing efforts aimed at ending the war,” Umerov said. Russian presidential representative and Russian Direct Investment Fund chief Kirill Dmitriev, who was present at the talks, reported that there was “good, positive movement forward” in the negotiations.

“As you know, we are actively working with the Trump administration to restore Russia–U.S. economic relations, including through the Russian-American Economic Cooperation Group,” he said, according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS. The delegations agreed to a mutual exchange of 157 prisoners of war each—the first such exchange in five months—and said further talks would continue in the coming weeks. Zelenskyy said Feb. 6 he had received an initial report from Ukraine’s negotiating team and was expecting a full in-person briefing in Kyiv.

“Further meetings are planned in the near future, likely in the United States,” he said, adding that Ukraine remains open to “all workable formats” that could bring peace closer. He said that any settlement must ensure Russia “has no appetite to continue the war” and receives “no reward for its aggression.” Despite renewed diplomacy, Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on core issues. Russia has insisted that Ukraine withdraw from the eastern industrial region of Donbas, where fighting remains intense. The Kremlin has described full control of the region as a key condition for any peace agreement.

Ukraine still controls about 20 percent of the Donetsk region and has repeatedly rejected Russian demands to cede the territory. The diplomatic push comes as Russia continues to intensify attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Overnight into Feb. 7, Russia launched a large-scale air assault involving more than 400 drones and around 40 missiles, Zelenskyy said. The strikes targeted power generation facilities and electricity distribution substations across several regions. “Every day, Russia could choose real diplomacy, but it chooses new strikes,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, accusing Moscow of using winter conditions as leverage.

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Don’t call it that.

• Finland Opposes ‘Article 5-like’ Guarantees For Ukraine – Politico (RT)

Finland has privately urged US officials to avoid describing future security commitments to Ukraine as “Article 5-like,” warning the terminology could undermine NATO’s foundational mutual defense clause, according to a leaked diplomatic cable. Under NATO’s Article 5, an attack on one member of the bloc is treated as an attack on all others, warranting a military response. A January 20 US State Department cable, obtained by Politico, has reportedly revealed that Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen cautioned visiting American lawmakers that such language risks conflating NATO’s absolute Article 5 guarantees with whatever bilateral promises nations might make to Kiev.


Valtonen also reportedly stressed the need for a clear “firewall” between the US-led military bloc and future security arrangements for Ukraine. Finland’s defense minister allegedly made similar points in a later meeting, according to the cable. Amid the ongoing US-led peace negotiations on the Ukraine conflict, several media reports have suggested that Washington has offered “Article 5-like” security guarantees for Kiev as part of a peace roadmap, listing Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, as one of the potential guarantors which would defend Ukraine in case of a future attack.Late last year, however, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo rejected the premise, stating that Helsinki will not offer NATO-style guarantees to Ukraine, and noting a stark difference between aid and defense obligations. .

“We have to understand that a security guarantee is something very, very serious. We’re not ready to give security guarantees, but we can help with security arrangements. The difference between them is huge,” he said. Moscow has said it does not oppose security guarantees for Ukraine in principle but has insisted they must not be one-sided or directed against Russia, and should follow a peace deal rather than precede one. Russian officials have also warned against any sort of NATO troop deployment to Ukraine, whether as peacekeepers or otherwise, warning this could lead to a direct confrontation with the bloc.

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NOOOOOO! Corruption? With these fine upstanding folk?

• Ukrainian Generals Exposed In Multi-million Dollar Corruption Scheme (RT)

Ukrainian anti-graft agencies have announced the results of a major investigation of former senior military officials, including two generals, suspected of running a multi-million dollar embezzlement scheme. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry reportedly signed a contract for a key command and control system in 2016 with a commercial company that had no experience in creating software. Over four years of development, the technical specifications were changed 13 times, increasing the cost by $7 million. The Dzvin-AS troop command-and-control system only entered into service in 2022.


On Friday, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), said the investigation had moved to the legal disclosure phase that typically precedes formal indictments. The alleged ring included a deputy head of the Ukrainian General Staff, a deputy commander of Communications Troops, the head of the General Staff’s automation department, and a businessman whose firm won the contract to develop the Dzvin-AS. Investigators say delays and cost overruns that plagued the project helped the group embezzle $5.7 million..

Reports of problems with the Dzvin-AS surfaced in the media as early as 2021, citing a 2020 contract audit. In December 2022, months after the conflict with Russia escalated, then-Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov ordered the system’s deployment. NABU said in 2024 the Defense Ministry considered funding expansion for the system rather than fixing or scrapping it. Reznikov resigned in 2023 over a separate corruption scandal involving inflated food procurement contracts but was never charged with any crime. NABU called the two investigations the agency’s most important efforts to fight military graft.

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Bezos playing Elon Musk.

• Washington Post CEO And Publisher Quits As Newspaper Implodes (ZH)

How the mighty have fallen. In a “poetic ending” plot twist, that even jaded conspiracy theorists would have had trouble scripting, Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis has abruptly and unexpectedly stepped down from his perch atop Jeff Bezos’s crumbling media empire. Well, maybe not that unexpectedly… That’s right, the same WaPo that spent years hurling “fake news” grenades at us here at ZeroHedge, trying to get us deplatformed, demonetized, and disappeared from the internet, is now eating crow as their own house of CIA-funded cards collapses. Yes, this is our unapologetic victory lap – we’ve outlasted another establishment hack, which earlier this week saw an in house “Red Wedding” where hundreds of CIA conduits “reporters” were fired… and it feels good.


Lewis’s exit was announced late on Saturday around 6pm ET, just days after he orchestrated a bloodbath of layoffs that axed a whopping 30% of the staff – over 300 journalists sent packing in what can only be described as a desperation move to staunch the bleeding from years of financial hemorrhaging and dwindling readership. Lewis, ever the gracious Brit, framed his departure as a noble sacrifice “in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post.” Sure, Will – because nothing says “sustainable future” like firing a third of your workforce and then bailing before the pitchforks come out. Also the news that he was at the Super Bowl after the biggest mass termination in WaPo history probably didn’t help.

Meanwhile, as Semafor notes, the real reason for Lewis’ departure is the he presided over two major errors, one his, and the other that of his boss, Jeff Bezos who clearly has grown bored with his vanity media project. First, Lewis blocked the Post reporting on his role in the UK phone hacking scandal, preventing the publication of a story few would have read anyway. Then, Bezos pulled a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris at the 11th hour, for apparent fear of offending Donald Trump. That endorsement wouldn’t have made much of a difference politically, but hundreds of thousands of subscribers canceled over what they saw as a craven capitulation.

Let’s rewind a bit on Lewis’ illustrious – if catastrophically short – tenure. Handpicked by billionaire overlord Jeff Bezos – whose Amazon tried three times to demonetize ZeroHedge not once, not twice, but three times (and only thanks to the FCC intervening do we have any Amazon ads showing) – at the start of 2024, Lewis was supposed to be the savior who would “transform” the once-venerable rag and reverse its slide into irrelevance. Instead, he presided over a dumpster fire of epic proportions, culminating in this latest round of pink slips that left the newsroom in shambles. Former editor Marty Baron, the guy who once helmed the paper during its Watergate glory days or whatever passes for glory in legacy media these days, didn’t mince words: he called it one of the “darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations.”

Ouch. And Katie Mettler, ex-chair of the WaPo guild, piled on with a zinger: “I’m glad Will Lewis has been fired. I wish it had happened before he fired all my friends.” Tell us how you really feel, Katie. Cutting through the shades of gray, we were more laconic: WaPo is finished. In the interim, the keys to the kingdom go to some dude named Jeff D’Onofrio – the former CFO who’ nobody had ever heard of until now, and who is stepping up as the placeholder boss. Good luck, Jeff – you’ll need it. With readership tanking, ad revenue in freefall, and trust in mainstream media at all-time lows, the WaPo’s “sustainable future” looks about as promising as a subprime mortgage in 2008.

But let’s not forget the delicious irony here. This is the same Washington Post that has repeatedly tried to kneecap ZeroHedge, labeling us as purveyors of “disinformation” and cozying up to Big Tech censors – such as Amazon and Google – in a bid to silence dissenting voices. mRemember when they accused us of being Russian bots or spies, or whatever flavor-of-the-month smear was trending? That aged like milk. And while the CIA’s favorite (well, no longer favorite) mouthpiece was busy playing hall monitor for the establishment narrative, we’ve been here, grinding away, delivering truth that their advertisers wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. And guess what? We’re still standing, stronger than ever, with record subscribers and 100 million page views per month, while their imported CEO packs his bags and slinks back across the pond.

Is there a Polymarket, we wonder, on when ZeroHedge will surpass WaPo in readership. But we digress: Karma, folks, is real, and it’s spectacular. And as WaPo licks its wounds and hunts for yet another white knight to bail them out (or maybe they’ll go for a black knight this time, after all the whole equity thing), we’ll be over here popping the champagne. After all, in the cutthroat world of media, survival isn’t about being “respectable”; it’s about being right. And on that front, ZeroHedge wins again. In the end, Democracy may well die in darkness, but WaPo’s time of death was 6pm on February 7, 2026.

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“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s allies are airing an ad during the Super Bowl featuring Mike Tyson boosting the Make America Healthy Again campaign…”

• RFK Jr. and Mike Tyson Fight for MAHA in Super Bowl Ad (Scott Pinsker)

Technically speaking, Evander Holyfield’s ears weren’t processed foods, so I guess his story checks out. Either way, Iron Mike Tyson will be starring in a 30-second Super Bowl ad on behalf of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again campaign. To date, the Trump administration hasn’t used RFK Jr. as a PR prop very often, but perhaps it should: The Western Journal: Despite Attacks, Poll Shows RFK Jr. Is the ‘Most Popular’ Member of Trump’s Cabinet “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been among the most targeted by Democrats of President Donald Trump’s cabinet members since taking office in February. Yet despite all the rhetorical slings and arrows, the leader of the Make America Healthy Again movement is the most popular cabinet official in the administration.


CNN data analyst Harry Enten reported the polling results on Thursday, as RFK Jr. appeared before the Senate Finance Committee. […] “RFK Jr. is not a drag on President Trump. He’s not the most embattled. In fact, he is the most popular official in Trump’s cabinet, at least according to the polling,” the CNN data expert said. As Western Journal noted, RFK Jr. and the MAHA movement are on the plus-side in much of the polling: An Axios/Ipsos American Health Index survey released in July found a majority back the core of Kennedy’s MAHA food safety efforts. Fifty-six percent said “chemicals or unsafe additives in foods are a large or moderate risk to their health right now.

”Further, 67 percent say “they agree that they do not think foods that contain pesticides or artificial food dyes in them are safe to eat, even if they are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.” For his part, RFK Jr. hyped the ad as “the most important message in Super Bowl history”: Politico, of course, focused on the potential political payoff: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s allies are airing an ad during the Super Bowl featuring Mike Tyson boosting the Make America Healthy Again campaign, giving Kennedy another high-profile perch as allies look for ways to bolster his MAHA movement.

The ad, paid for by the nonprofit MAHA Center, highlights new dietary guidelines announced by the Health and Human Services secretary in January and urges viewers to “eat real food,” borrowing a line regularly used by Kennedy about his nutrition recommendations.” […] The ad highlights the elements of the MAHA movement that members in both parties believe could help Republicans in November’s midterms. Kennedy’s campaign against processed foods, dyes and pesticides has polled strongly among parents, even as he implements anti-vaccine policies that sharply divide Americans. Here’s a sneak peek of Iron Mike’s ad:

After retiring from boxing (let’s memory-hole his “fight” with Jake Paul), Tyson, now 59-years-old, has promoted various consumable products, including marijuana edibles and cannabis “flower,” along with vegan ice cream. (Tyson might be eating healthier these days, but he also claims he smokes $40 thousand worth of marijuana each month.)Still, he remains one of the most instantly-recognizable celebrities on the planet, and he’s been a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump, endorsing his presidential campaigns in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

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Home › Forums › Debt Rattle February 8 2026

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  • February 8, 2026 at 10:44 am #230393
    Raúl Ilargi Meijer
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    Paulus Potter De stier (The Bull) 1625 • Starmer ‘Toast’ – BBC Source (RT) • The New Monroe Doctrine: The Plot Twists That No One Saw Coming (Sarah An
    [See the full post at: Debt Rattle February 8 2026]

    February 8, 2026 at 12:57 pm #230401
    kultsommer
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