Raúl Ilargi Meijer

Feb 172025
 
 February 17, 2025  Posted by at 10:00 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,  22 Responses »


Vincent van Gogh Agostina Segatori Sitting in the Café du Tambourin 1887

 

Trump Says Russia Isn’t A Threat To NATO (RT)
Trump Wants Ukraine Ceasefire By Easter (RT)
Europe & Zelensky Throw Tantrum After US Sidelines Them From Russia Talks (ZH)
Zelensky Is In A Very Bad Position – Tara Reade (RT)
Trump Envoy Sets Timeline For Ukraine Peace Plan (RT)
Trump’s Envoy Signals Possible Ukraine Concessions (RT)
Ukraine c – Kremlin (RT)
Russian Duma Speaker Predicts ‘Serious Changes’ For EU, Its Institutions (TASS)
AfD Candidate For German Chancellor Seeks End To Russia Sanctions (TASS)
Vance Meets Leader Of ‘Firewalled’ German AfD Party Backed By Musk (RT)
Germany Is Self-Imploding (Victor Davis Hanson)
From Rockefeller to Musk: How CEOs and Presidents Shape America (Bluey)
House GOP Drafting Impeachment Articles Against Judges Blocking DOGE (ZH)
Judge Declines to Halt Trump’s Firing of Inspectors General (ET)
Trump Makes First Supreme Court Appeal In Test of Power To Fire Officials (BBC)
Democrats and Unions Launch an Existential Fight Over Buyouts (Turley)
Rand Paul Supports Fort Knox Physical Audit (ZH)

 

 

 

 

RFK NATO

Kudlow

Speaker

DOGE

Mearsheimer

1993-2025

 

 

 

 

The big word is out.

Trump Says Russia Isn’t A Threat To NATO (RT)

US President Donald Trump has dismissed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants a temporary pause in the conflict with Kiev to regroup and launch a full-scale war against NATO. Moscow has repeatedly ruled out any short-term truce, insisting on a permanent, legally binding agreement that addresses the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. However, Zelensky has insisted that he knows “for sure” that Putin wants a brief pause to “prepare, train, take off some sanctions” before launching an attack not only on Ukraine but also on NATO states. “It can happen in summer, maybe in the beginning, maybe in the end of summer. I don’t know when he prepares it, but it will happen,” Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press on Saturday.

Trump, however, has brushed aside Zelensky’s warning, telling reporters on Sunday that he does not agree with the Ukrainian leader’s assessment at all. “No, I don’t agree. Not even a little bit,” Trump said, adding that he believes what Putin truly wants for his country is to “stop fighting.” “They’ve been fighting for a long time. They’ve done it before… They have a big, powerful machine. They defeated Hitler and they defeated Napoleon,” Trump added. “But I think he would like to stop fighting.” Trump also said he expects to meet Putin in person “very soon,” following their “long and hard” phone conversation last week, which was their first known direct interaction since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. He also called Zelensky to “inform” him of the discussion, during which the Ukrainian leader allegedly reaffirmed that Kiev is also prepared to seek a resolution to the conflict.

Russia will need to take Ukraine’s lack of independence into account in any future negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, recalling the failed 2014-2015 Minsk agreements. Trump’s special envoy, Keith Kellogg, also pointed to the collapse of the two prior arrangements, stating, “We are not gonna go down that path.” NATO has long described Russia as a direct threat in order to justify the bloc’s existence after the fall of the Soviet Union, and Western officials have repeatedly claimed that if Moscow wins the Ukraine conflict, it could attack other European countries.

Putin has dismissed the idea of a Russian attack on NATO as “nonsense,” telling US journalist Tucker Carlson last February that the bloc’s leaders are trying to scare their people with an imaginary threat, but that “smart people understand perfectly well that this is a fake.” Moscow has consistently opposed Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, citing the bloc’s eastward expansion as a threat to national security and describing it as a key factor behind the ongoing conflict with Kiev. Zelensky claimed at the Munich Security Conference that “right now the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin because he seems able to block NATO decisions.” Trump has indicated that Washington will not support Kiev’s accession as part of a potential peace deal with Moscow, while his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, described Ukraine’s NATO ambitions as “unrealistic.”

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False flag time?

Trump Wants Ukraine Ceasefire By Easter (RT)

The administration of US President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict by April 20, Bloomberg wrote on Sunday, citing anonymous sources. A US peace plan could be forthcoming within weeks or even days, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy on Russia and Ukraine, said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. ”The Trump administration has told European officials that it wants to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine by Easter,” Bloomberg said, citing sources briefed on the talks. According to the outlet, some European officials felt the pace of the negotiations was ambitious and possibly unrealistic. Talks are reportedly set to kick off with a meeting of Russian and US representatives in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.

Europe will not be given a place in the negotiations, Kellogg told top European diplomats on Saturday. Despite this, UK and EU officials fear the US expects them to shoulder the burden of Ukraine’s post-war security, Financial Times wrote on Thursday. The envoy justified the exclusion of Europe, citing the legacy of the Minsk-2 agreement between Ukraine and now Russian Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics in 2015. Germany and France stood as guarantors to the failed accord, which then German chancellor Angela Merkel later admitted was just meant to buy Kiev time to strengthen itself. “When you looked at Minsk-2, there was a lot of people at the table that really had no ability to execute some type of peace process, and it failed miserably. So we are not gonna go down that path,” Kellogg said.

Moscow has similarly underscored that it will not accept a temporary freeze of hostilities, like the Minsk accords, and insists on a permanent solution that addresses the fundamental causes of the conflict. Just days prior, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump held a phone conversation in the first such interaction since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. The two leaders could meet in Saudi Arabia by the end of this month, Newsweek wrote on Sunday, citing reports. Putin has previously stressed that Moscow has never shied away from peace talks, but emphasized that they have to be based on terms previously agreed in Istanbul in 2022, modified for the territorial “realities on the ground.” Russia has demanded that Ukraine embrace neutrality, demilitarize, denazify and remain free of nuclear weapons, among other points.

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I’m [from] a school of realism,” Kellogg said, regarding Europe having a seat at the table during negotiations. “I think that’s not going to happen.”

Europe & Zelensky Throw Tantrum After US Sidelines Them From Russia Talks (ZH)

Europe will not be included in peace talks for Ukraine, President Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy said on Feb. 15 after sending a questionnaire to European capitals asking what they could offer in security guarantees for Kyiv. As The Epoch Times’ Jacob Burg reports, on Sunday, France said it will host a summit of European leaders on Monday to discuss the Russia–Ukraine war and European security after retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, didn’t include Europe in negotiations over Ukraine’s future following years of war with Russia. France President Emmanuel Macron “will convene the main European countries to discuss European security,” Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told France Inter radio. Barrot described the meeting as a working session and emphasized it should not be “overdramatized.” The office of the French presidency has not yet announced the meeting.

Macron has invited at least Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Denmark, representing the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, the European Union leadership, and the NATO secretary general, according to six European diplomats. They said the purpose of the meeting is to discuss what immediate help can be given to Ukraine and the role Europe can play in providing both security guarantees to Kyiv and Europe at large. Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin last week before consulting European or Ukrainian leaders, saying peace talks had begun. The Trump administration is pushing European allies in NATO to take a primary role in security guarantees for the region as the United States prioritizes border security and counters Chinese political and military influence.

At a global security conference in Munich, Kellogg said the United States would act as an intermediary in talks between Ukraine and Russia. “I’m [from] a school of realism,” Kellogg said, regarding Europe having a seat at the table during negotiations. “I think that’s not going to happen.” In trying to reassure Europeans, Kellogg said it doesn’t mean “their interests are not considered, used, or developed.” Some European leaders pushed back on being sidelined for talks. “There’s no way in which we can have discussions or negotiations about Ukraine, Ukraine’s future or European security structure, without Europeans,” Finland’s President Alexander Stubb told reporters in Munich. “But this means that Europe needs to get its act together. Europe needs to talk less and do more.”

The questionnaire Kellogg sent to Europeans “will force Europeans to think,” Stubb said. Kaja Kallas, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, was more explicit stating that “if somebody agrees something and I mean, everybody else says ‘okay fine!’ you have agreed, but we will not follow this!” She added that EU’s position is “our importance” trumps any peace! NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged Europeans to get involved.

“And to my European friends, I would say, get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defense] spending,” he said. Kellogg said that territorial concessions from Russia and targeting its oil revenues could be included in the talks over ending the war between it and Ukraine. “Russia is really a petro-state,” he said, adding that the West needs to do more in adequately enforcing sanctions against Russia. U.S. and Russian officials will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days for continued peace talks, according to Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). After meeting with Vice President JD Vance in Germany on Feb. 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his nation was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia and that Kyiv would consult with strategic partners before engaging with Russia.

“This is the war in Ukraine against us, and it is our human losses,” President Zelensky told Meet The Press this morning. “We are thankful for all the support, unity in the USA around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support,” adding that “we are thankful for all of this, but there is no leader in the world who can really make a deal with Putin without us, about us.” “I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine. Never,” he exclaimed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Saudi Arabia, McCaul said. The talks are meant to arrange a meeting between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky to “finally bring peace and end this conflict,” he said.

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“Zelensky is probably trying to figure out an exit route, among other things..” [..] “I think he wouldn’t be elected, obviously.”

Zelensky Is In A Very Bad Position – Tara Reade (RT)

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is far from being in a winning position at the moment, RT contributor Tara Reade has said. The former aide to Joe Biden specified that Washington is no longer fighting a proxy war against Russia via Kiev, making the Ukrainian leader useless to both the EU and the US. The comment comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump on Wednesday, the first known contact between the heads of state of the two nations since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. “Zelensky is probably trying to figure out an exit route, among other things,” Reade said, adding that running for president again was not an option for the former comedian. “I think he wouldn’t be elected, obviously.”

The Ukrainian leader’s presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law. Trump has also acknowledged that Kiev will eventually have to hold elections and noted that Zelensky might not serve another term, saying his domestic poll numbers “aren’t particularly great, to put it mildly.” “He’s basically sacrificed a generation of men for what? To give rare earth minerals to the US? To give 22% of the lands to Russia?” Reade said, emphasizing that Zelensky was “in a very bad position.” The comment refers to recent statements made by Trump, who demanded the “equivalent of $500 billion worth of rare earths” from Kiev in exchange for what the president estimated to be “more than $300 billion” Washington had provided in aid since the escalation of the conflict with Moscow.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent presented Trump’s proposal to Zelensky during their meeting in Kiev earlier this week. According to multiple media reports, the deal outlines that Washington would receive a 50% stake in Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for the American aid. On Saturday, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the negotiations, that Ukraine had rejected the bid, citing the lack of security guarantees. According to Ukraine’s Institute of Geology, the country’s deposits include lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, erbium and yttrium. However, Zelensky recently admitted that a large chunk of Ukraine’s mineral-rich territories, some 20%, is currently under Russian control.

NBC reported on Saturday, citing unnamed officials, that the White House could send troops to guard Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. The deployment of military forces could reportedly come after Russia and Ukraine reached a deal to end the ongoing conflict. Reade said the reported troop deployment is unlikely. “There’s a will for there to be a different relationship with Russia.” She highlighted that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said definitively “that there would be no US troops in Ukraine” and “US involvement in providing money and weapons was going to end.”

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“..I’m not talking six months, I’m talking days and weeks..”

Trump Envoy Sets Timeline For Ukraine Peace Plan (RT)

A US peace plan for Moscow and Kiev could come within days or weeks, President Donald Trump’s special envoy on Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Saturday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. In January, the WSJ reported that Trump had tasked Kellogg with outlining a settlement to the Ukraine conflict within 100 days. At the same time, the US president warned of new sanctions if Moscow refused an unspecified plan, but emphasized that he was “not looking to hurt Russia.” “You got to give us a bit of breathing space and time, but when I say that, I’m not talking six months, I’m talking days and weeks,” Kellogg projected as cited by CNBC, adding that he was “on Trump time.” “He’ll ask you to do this job today and he’ll want to know tomorrow why it isn’t solved,” Kellogg emphasized.

Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with his US counterpart, marking their first known high-level direct contact between Moscow and Washington since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. According to the Kremlin, the US leader expressed support for the swift cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution, while Putin mentioned the necessity of addressing the root causes of the conflict, but that a long-term settlement could be achieved through negotiations. Following the conversation, Trump wrote on his platform Truth Social that Washington and Moscow were immediately beginning discussions to resolve the conflict. Trump also said that American and Russian officials might meet during the conference in Munich, adding that Ukraine was also invited to participate. However, no such meeting was reported by the conference organizers or news outlets.

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Russia’s been very clear.

Trump’s Envoy Signals Possible Ukraine Concessions (RT)

Territorial concessions may be part of future peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy on Russia and Ukraine has suggested. Speaking on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, Keith Kellogg emphasized that while some things are off the table, compromise could play a role in the negotiations.“Some of [the concessions] are unrealistic to expect where you’d want to go to, but it’s territorial. It could be the engagement of refusing to use force, renouncement of the use of force into the future,” Kellogg said. He added that both Russia and Ukraine might have to make concessions during talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously indicated that Moscow would be open to an immediate ceasefire and peace talks if Ukraine withdrew its troops from the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye regions, which formally joined Russia following referendums in 2022.

However, in August 2024, Putin dismissed negotiations, citing the Ukrainian military presence in Russia’s Kursk Region. Kellogg also mentioned the necessity of “breaking alliances” between Russia and North Korea, Iran, and China, which he claims have strengthened over the past four years. Earlier this week, Putin spoke by phone with Trump, marking the first known high-level direct contact between Moscow and Washington since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

According to the Kremlin, Trump expressed support for the swift cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution, while Putin mentioned a need to address the root causes of the conflict, agreeing that a long-term settlement could be achieved through negotiations. Following the conversation, the US President wrote on his platform Truth Social that Washington and Moscow were immediately beginning discussions to end the fighting. Russia has yet to confirm any details, but according to multiple media reports, a US delegation – likely composed of national security officials – will travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days for talks with their counterparts from Moscow. Trump also said that American and Russian officials might meet during the conference in Munich, adding that Ukraine was also invited to participate. However, no such meeting was reported by the conference organizers or news outlets.

Kellogg

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“That country cannot really answer for its words..”

Ukraine Lacks Sovereignty – Kremlin (RT)

Russia will need to take Ukraine’s lack of independence into account in any future negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Given that in the past, Kiev backtracked on its promises at the behest of other countries, Moscow will need to consider this lack of autonomy in any upcoming talks, Peskov said in an interview published by Russia 1 TV journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday. “That country cannot really answer for its words,” the spokesman said. “Each time it is necessary to make a certain adjustment when negotiating with them, for their deficit of sovereignty and the deficit of trust in them. Which will not go anywhere,” Peskov added.

The Kremlin spokesman cited the ill-fated 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements and the failed negotiations Moscow and Kiev held in Istanbul in 2022, soon after the full-blown escalation of the Ukraine conflict. The Minsk ceasefire, which was ostensibly intended to freeze the conflict between Kiev and the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, was in fact only “an attempt to give Ukraine time” to build strength, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted to Die Zeit in 2022. “Ukraine would have been whole,” if the Minsk agreements had been followed, “and there would have been no civil war, and Russian people in the Donbass would have had no desire to separate from Ukraine,” Peskov claimed. Similarly, Moscow and Kiev had already agreed on several points during the initial peace talks in Istanbul in 2022, the spokesman added.

“The [papers] were ready, they were ready to be signed. Then another side said, no, you can’t. And they were thrown out,” he said. According to Ukrainian MP David Arakhamia, who was Kiev’s chief negotiator at the talks, then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson came in person to demand that nothing be signed and that Ukraine continue fighting. Moscow has ruled out any temporary solution akin to the Minsk agreements, insisting on a permanent, legally binding solution that addresses the core causes of the conflict. Any such settlement would need to be based on the points previously agreed upon in Istanbul, adjusted for the territorial “realities on the ground,” Russia has stated.

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“Democratic procedures in many EU countries have become window dressing. They have long been forgotten..”

Russian Duma Speaker Predicts ‘Serious Changes’ For EU, Its Institutions (TASS)

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said the Munich Security Conference suggested that the EU and its international institutions are in for serious changes. “Analyzing what happened in Munich, we can say with certainty: There are serious changes in store for the EU and its international institutions, including parliamentary ones,” he wrote on Telegram. “They will be difficult and painful.” According to Volodin, US Vice President JD Vance gave an accurate assessment of the situation in European countries at the conference. “He was not supported. Conference participants were not ready to hear the truth about themselves,” the lawmaker said.

The Duma speaker also said the institution of democracy in the EU was in a poor state. “Democratic procedures in many EU countries have become window dressing. They have long been forgotten and ignored in pan-European structures,” he said. “Therefore, the healthy forces that want to meet the public demand for the renewal of power will wage an uphill battle. They will face all kinds of hurdles meant to prevent them from going through the election procedure. Just like it happened in Romania during the presidential campaign. Or in France and Germany, when undesirable political parties won. But change is inevitable,” Volodin said.

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“..the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine, which are now “being used against Russia for the first time since the Second World War,” shows that the German government has completely forgotten history.”

AfD Candidate For German Chancellor Seeks End To Russia Sanctions (TASS)

Alice Weidel, a candidate for German chancellor from the Alternative for Germany, accused the government of stoking tensions with Russia over the recent three years with such moves as supplying arms to Ukraine, according to Bild. “What has the German government been doing with regard to Russia for the last three years? We have been intensifying the escalation spiral. We have opposed Russia verbally, financially and even with arms deliveries,” she said in an interview with the newspaper. According to the politician, the delivery of German tanks to Ukraine, which are now “being used against Russia for the first time since the Second World War,” shows that the German government has completely forgotten history.

Weidel also called for talks on the settlement of the Ukraine conflict to start swiftly and urged an end to the sanctions policy, which is crippling German economy. Germany is the second-largest arms supplier to Ukraine after the US. According to German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, Germany has provided 44 billion euros in various assistance to Ukraine since the start of the conflict. In the 2025 budget proposal, the country allocated 4 billion euros for the support, half the amount it spent this year. However, the Bundestag has yet to greenlight the budget proposal.

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For Scholz et el, that’s like meeting with the devil..

Vance Meets Leader Of ‘Firewalled’ German AfD Party Backed By Musk (RT)

US Vice President J.D. Vance met with Alice Weidel, the leader of Germany’s ‘firewalled’ Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, on Friday. Vance was in the country to attend the annual Munich Security Conference. Their meeting reportedly lasted about half an hour and focused on the Ukraine conflict, German domestic policies, and freedom of speech, including the so-called ‘Brandmauer’, or “firewall against the right.” The term refers to a stance embraced by mainstream German parties that aims to prevent the right-wing powers from joining ruling coalitions in the country. News of the meeting came after Vance slammed European politicians for “fearing” their own voters by refusing to engage with right-wing parties in a speech on Friday. While he did not mention the AfD directly, he said European governments should drop “firewalls” and “embrace” public opinion or lose the right to be called democratic.

Vance referred to the recent endorsement of Weidel for German chancellor by Elon Musk, a close ally to US President Donald Trump, whose online presence at an AfD rally in Halle last month resulted in accusations of election interference from the German government. The vice president dismissed the allegations, painting Musk’s endorsement as an example of free speech, a core democratic value. He chided the European establishment for criticizing Musk, and said he feared free speech was “in retreat” across the continent.

The AfD denies being far-right, insisting that it promotes the interests of the German people with its anti-immigration stance. It has, however, been put under surveillance for suspected extremism by German intelligence. Despite the allegations, public support for the party has been growing, and it is currently polling in second place ahead of the German parliamentary election on February 23, with 21% of the public saying they support it. Weidel did not comment on her meeting with Vance, but praised his remarks in Munich in a post on X, saying they were “excellent” and applauding his comment regarding firewalls.

According to Reuters, citing Vance’s office, he met with leaders of all of Germany’s major political parties while in Munich, including Friedrich Merz, the head of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which is currently leading in the polls. After meeting with Vance, Merz said in a post on X that he and the vice president “reaffirmed the special importance of transatlantic relations.” However, he later described Vance’s speech in Munich as “little short of interference.” Other German politicians have also criticized Vance for his remarks targeting their policies, with incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz posting on X that “the extreme right should be out of political decision-making processes” in Germany and stating that Vance had no right to give the country advice on the issue.

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“..we’re here 80 years after the rejection of the Morgenthau Plan and the German people, or the German leadership, have essentially updated it and inflicted it on themselves willingly..”

Germany Is Self-Imploding (Victor Davis Hanson)

Hi, I’m Victor Davis Hanson, today I’d like to talk about the crisis facing Europe, specifically its self-implosion across the spectrum—energy, population, fertility, defense. Germany, for example, has been systematically shutting down its nuclear plants and, for a while, its natural gas electrical generation plants. It’s relying, believe it or not, more on oil and coal. But the net result of all of this deliberate turn to wind and solar, at the expense of fossil fuels and nuclear, is that it costs about four times more to use electricity in Germany than it does on average throughout the United States. That’s not the only problem. Germany is deindustrializing. And by that I mean it’s losing about 200,000 jobs in its auto industry due to these high energy prices and regulations. Its green mandates, especially electric vehicle mandates, have revolutionized the car industry, in the sense that they’re not selling abroad as they did in the past.

In addition to that, Germany’s disarmed. They only have about 125 attack aircraft. They have very few armored vehicles. Their active military is only about 180,000 soldiers. They have 84 million people in the country. The fertility rate is getting very close to 1.4. I know we have problems here in the United States at 1.6, but 1.4. And they don’t have borders. They have had a million to 2 million illegal aliens just prance into Germany, especially during the last years of the Merkel chancellorship. In terms of percentage of foreign-born, Germany has more foreign-born than does the United States, which doesn’t have a border in the south, at least until Donald Trump comes in. Twenty percent of the German population is foreign-born. Why am I mentioning all of this?

Because Germany represents the powerhouse, traditionally, of the European economy, and even culture, and it’s starting to implode. The euro, the benchmark of European financial health, is about, right now as I speak at the end of December, one dollar to one euro, and sometimes even less for the euro. That’s very strange because when I used to run a travel company to go to Europe—I remember in 2008, the euro was 1.6, almost 1.7 per the dollar. So what’s happening is that Germany is, I guess we would call it, undertaking a slow-motion suicide. But here’s the irony. In September 1944, at the height of World War II, the secretary of the treasury under the Roosevelt administration, Henry Morgenthau, had a plan for postwar Germany when it was defeated.

He didn’t want another war—the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, World War I, World War II. He said, “Enough.” So what did he do? He submitted a plan that was going to deindustrialize Germany, depopulate Germany, change its borders. It was almost as if he was trying to turn it into something like Tacitus’ description of first-century A.D. Germany, as a pastoral, agrarian society. In fact, he explicitly said that. When Joseph Goebbels heard about this, he said, “Oh my God, this is a gift. We’re losing the war. We’ll tell all of the German people they want us to be permanently pastoral. We’ll starve to death. And even if they don’t like the Nazis, as we’ve destroyed the country, you’re losing more, they’ll fight.”

Thankfully, George Marshall, chief of staff of the Army; ex-President Herbert Hoover; and others went to the Roosevelt administration and said, “If you institute this plan, they’re going to fight to the death. And we have bombed Germany. So when we get into Germany, you’ll see that it’s almost depopulated now.”The net result was they canceled the Morgenthau Plan that would have permanently made Germany depopulated, disarmed, deindustrialized. What’s my point in bringing up this historical example? We the victors of World War II thought imposing a plan of deliberate deindustrialization, depopulization, disarmament, open borders, destroyed borders would be too Carthaginian, and so we backed off. And now we’re here 80 years after the rejection of the Morgenthau Plan and the German people, or the German leadership, have essentially updated it and inflicted it on themselves willingly, not by coercion. That’s a tragic irony and it’s something we should all take a very close look at.

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Trump has a much more acute sense of presidential time and how limited it is and how you need to use it quickly or you don’t maximize its value..”

From Rockefeller to Musk: How CEOs and Presidents Shape America (Bluey)

One of America’s most successful businessmen is closely collaborating with the country’s commander-in-chief—with huge consequences for our government and economy. Elon Musk and President Donald Trump are the latest dynamic duo to showcase the role between private-sector CEO and America’s elected president. But they’re hardly alone in history. Presidential historian and former senior White House aide Tevi Troy writes about the complex relationships between corporate leaders and U.S. presidents in his latest book, “The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.” Troy spoke with The Daily Signal about the historical examples he’s studied and more recent events.

Less than a month into Trump’s second term, Troy already sees notable differences from Trump’s first term. He said Trump’s previous presidential experience is clearly shaping his leadership style and use of executive time. “It really is a remarkable opening to a presidency and shows the contrast between someone who goes into the presidency not sure what they’re to do, which included Trump’s first term, but also Bill Clinton at the beginning of his administration, and then someone who comes in with experience who says, ‘I know exactly what I’m going to do and I’m going to do it,’” said Troy, who is a senior fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute. The presidential historian and author addressed the shifting dynamics between corporate America and the presidency, particularly with tech leaders like Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and others who had front-row seats at Trump’s inauguration.

Troy explained that while these recent CEO moves toward Trump could be viewed as political opportunism, there’s more to the story. “The other side is how hostile the Biden administration was to these entities. Joe Biden even said, ‘I don’t like Mark Zuckerberg,’” Troy said. “Elon Musk had a whole bunch of regulatory actions targeting his companies.” Trump, meanwhile, appears to recognize that these corporate leaders—and their outsized role with artificial intelligence—will have far-reaching implications for American competitiveness. “We need to encourage AI so that America is the leader in AI going forward,” Troy said, suggesting that America’s free-market system provides an advantage over competitors like China, whose AI development is “handcuffed by the censorship of the Chinese Communist Party.”

Troy’s book, “The Power and the Money,” examines the relationships between 18 different CEOs and multiple presidents, offering insights into how these dynamics have shaped American policy and business over the past 150 years. For corporate leaders navigating today’s political landscape, Troy offered this advice: “CEOs need to increase their level of engagement in Washington, but decrease their level of partisanship. And that will allow them to be more influential over the course of multiple administrations.” As for Trump’s next four years, Troy has already observed a more strategic approach to staffing and time management in his second term. “Trump has a much more acute sense of presidential time and how limited it is and how you need to use it quickly or you don’t maximize its value,” Troy explained.

Troy praised Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for maintaining discipline within the White House. “The chief of staff role is hugely important. Susie Wiles … really brooked no nonsense during the campaign. You didn’t hear a lot of leaks. You didn’t hear a lot of infighting,” he said, contrasting this with Trump’s first term when he had four different chiefs of staff in four years. This might be most visible in Trump’s selection of staff, creating more cohesion at the White House and allowing him to move swiftly to implement his agenda.“The staff seem to be much more loyal to him. The first time there were a lot of people with a lot of different ideological perspectives,” Troy said, referencing his previous book “Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump.”

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“They can’t do that, especially when they have a serious record of Democrat activism and being hardcore against President Trump..”

House GOP Drafting Impeachment Articles Against Judges Blocking DOGE (ZH)

House Republicans are drafting articles of impeachment against Democrat judges that have blocked various actions by the Trump administration, including those who have halted efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). According to The Hill: “Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) said he is drafting articles of impeachment against Judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York, who in a ruling last weekend temporarily restricted Musk and DOGE aides from accessing a Treasury Department payment system. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is working on an impeachment resolution against Rhode Island District Judge John McConnell Jr. over his ruling halting the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding.

And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chair of the House Oversight Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee, pledged in a hearing this week while referencing Engelmayer that “We will hold this judge and others who try to stop the will of the people and their elected leaders accountable.” “Our case for impeaching Judge Engelmayer is basically that he’s an activist judge trying to stop the Trump administration from, you know, executing their, you know, Article 2 powers to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed,” Crane told former Rep. Matt Gaetz earlier this week. Greene, meanwhile, said that she would support Engelmayer’s impeachment – arguing that judges can’t simply take power away from Cabinet secretaries.

“They can’t do that, especially when they have a serious record of Democrat activism and being hardcore against President Trump,” said Greene, adding “So, yeah, judges like that, they definitely should be impeached.” On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “district court judges in liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump’s basic executive authority.” Engelmayer initially blocked everyone at the Treasury Department – including Secretary Scott Bessent, from accessing the agency’s database, however another judge overseeing the case later said that the order would not apply to Bessent. Rep. Clyde announced that he was working on impeachment articles, saying in a post on X that Judge McConnell Jr. is “a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending.”

It would take near-unanimous support from House Republicans to impeach one of the judges assuming no Democrats support the measure, while Democrat support would definitely be required to clear the 2/3 threshold to convict in the Senate. So basically, this is going nowhere. “Up till last Congress, the Speaker of the House had never been fired before,” said Crane. “I’m not a wait-and-see kind of guy — look around, hope somebody’s going to do something. I’m going to take action. And like I said, If this isn’t how we get to the, you know, the place that we need to be, I’m fine with that. But I’m not going to sit around and just, you know, watch these individuals stop President Trump from doing exactly what he told the American people he was going to do.”

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“..she chastised him for making everybody rush to a TRO when the matter could have been handled with a five-minute call with the Department of Justice..”

Judge Declines to Halt Trump’s Firing of Inspectors General (ET)

A federal judge on Feb. 14 rejected an emergency bid by eight inspectors general fired by the Trump administration to have their jobs restored. District Judge of the District of Columbia Ana Reyes forced the attorney for the inspectors general to drop the request for a temporary restraining order during a virtual hearing, opting instead for an expedited schedule to hear their request for a preliminary injunction. Reyes expressed frustration that the plaintiff’s counsel, Seth Waxman, filed suit on Feb. 12 for the order requesting emergency same-day relief, which would have included backpay 21 days after the firings occurred, stating that her court’s staff was already overwhelmed with scores of other temporary restraining order requests. Demanding only yes or no answers, the judge asked several questions of Waxman.

He confirmed to her that the eight inspectors general were fired on Jan. 24 without Congress first being given a 30-day notice or “substantial rationale” for the termination and that they were able to retrieve all of their personal belongings. These former inspectors general were employed by the Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, State, Education, Agriculture, and Labor departments and the Small Business Administration. The judge pointed out to Waxman that there was nothing stopping Trump from issuing that 30-day termination notice to Congress five minutes after a TRO (temporary restraining order) went through, this time with a written reason for their termination. Addressing the written complaint arguing the plaintiffs faced reputational damage, Reyes proposed that a 30-day return to the office with a written reason why they were unfit for their jobs could actually cause even more reputational harm than what was already given. All the public knows is that they were fired without cause, she said. There was no harm to their reputation because no cause, say of incompetence, was given, and such a termination could be seen as preferable.

She also criticized Waxman for referencing what he called a similar case in his written complaint, pointing out that the government employee who was fired in that instance was operating independently of the White House while his clients worked for agencies that took direction from the presidency. Reyes declined to even humor the merits of the temporary restraining order during the virtual hearing, which lasted less than 13 minutes, forcing the plaintiffs to drop it. When Waxman transitioned to an expedited briefing schedule, she chastised him for making everybody rush to a TRO when the matter could have been handled with a five-minute call with the Department of Justice. The defense counsel representing the heads of the various departments employing those inspectors general remained silent and opted not to weigh in on the matter.

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“..the agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the agency’s current needs..”

Trump Makes First Supreme Court Appeal In Test of Power To Fire Officials (BBC)

President Donald Trump’s attempts to shrink the federal bureaucracy are heading to the Supreme Court, according to US media.He has filed an emergency appeal to the country’s highest court to rule on whether he can fire the leader of an independent whistleblowing agency. Hampton Dellinger, head of the US Office of Special Counsel, sued the Trump administration after he was fired by email this month. Trump has also sacked more than a dozen inspectors general at various federal agencies along with the jobs of thousands of employees across the US government. Mr Dellinger, who was nominated by Joe Biden, the former president, argues that his removal broke a law that protects leaders of independent agencies from being fired by the president, “except in cases of neglect of duty, malfeasance or inefficiency”.

A federal judge in Washington DC issued a temporary order on Wednesday allowing Mr Dellinger to hold on to his position while the case is being considered. On Saturday, a divided US Court of Appeals in the nation’s capital rejected the Trump administration’s request to overrule the lower court. That has led to the justice department filing an emergency appeal to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. It is the first case the president has taken to the justices since he took office last month. “This court should not allow lower courts to seize executive power by dictating to the president how long he must continue employing an agency head against his will,” Sarah M Harris, acting solicitor general, wrote in the filing provided by the Department of Justice to the Washington Post.

“Until now, as far as we are aware, no court in American history has wielded an injunction to force the president to retain an agency head,” the acting solicitor general wrote, according to the Associated Press news agency. The Republican president’s orders on immigration, transgender issues and government spending have also become bogged down in dozens of lawsuits in the lower courts. Those cases may ultimately wind up at the Supreme Court, too. Trump’s efforts to reduce and reshape the 2.3 million-strong civilian federal workforce continued over the weekend.Workers in various health agencies who are still within their probation periods received letters on Saturday evening informing them they would be terminated, sources told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

“Unfortunately, the agency finds that you are not fit for continued employment because your ability, knowledge and skills do not fit the agency’s current needs, and your performance has not been adequate to justify further employment at the agency,” read the letters. At least 9,500 workers at the departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Interior and Agriculture have been fired by Trump, according to a tally from Reuters news agency. Another 75,000 workers have taken a buyout offered to get them to leave voluntarily, according to the White House. The cost-cutting initiative has been led by department of government efficiency, or Doge, a task force led by Elon Musk.

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“..Musk is “taking away everything we have.” That is precisely what Americans asked for in reelecting Donald Trump…”

Democrats and Unions Launch an Existential Fight Over Buyouts (Turley)

Thomas Paine once remarked, “Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.” With the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, much has clearly changed. President Donald Trump’s move to reduce government is now portrayed as evil in its own right. Elon Musk’s move to draw down various agencies was presented as a virtual return to the state of nature. Democratic members staged protests in front of various agencies to declare “war” and to accuse Trump of “destroying the government” by shrinking it. Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D., Md.) Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Ma, declared “Every time you hear DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, you just remember it is the department of government evil.”

Americans say Trump is keeping his promises
The coordinated efforts of Democratic leaders and the mainstream media have once again not resonated with the public. Trump, according to polls, is now at higher popularity levels than during his first term. And a strong majority of Americans say Trump is keeping his promises, including in his efforts to reduce government spending and waste. Those efforts include a generous buyout offer for federal employees. The Trump administration offered federal workers the chance to stay home for months while receiving full pay if they would agree to resign from government employment.It was an extremely clever move. The best way to shrink the government is to get people to leave voluntarily. But Trump and Musk also have warned that layoffs will follow if not enough federal workers accepted the buyout.

It is a type of self-deportation from government service. And it worked, with about 75,000 federal workers accepting Trump’s offer before the deal ended Wednesday. It worked so well, in fact, that Democrats rushed to stop the voluntary exodus by falsely suggesting that it was a scam. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., warned employees that Trump would “stiff you,” even though the offer comes with the authority of the federal government. His colleague, Mark Warner (D, Va.) added ominously for workers to “Think twice. Has this individual in his business world ever fulfilled his contracts or obligations to any workers in the past?” At the same time, unions (looking at a major reduction of force) have filed with Democratic groups to stop these employees from taking the offer. They found a favorable court with U.S. District Court Judge George O’Toole who enjoined the program.

However, after citywide celebrations over the injunction, the court then lifted the injunction on the buyout program, agreeing to allow the buyouts to go forward. Unions representing federal workers and liberal legal organizations are likely to now appeal O’Toole’s decision. The unions, which are facing a major reduction in dues-paying members, have a disturbing conflict of interest in trying to deny federal workers the benefits of an offer they chose to accept. The legal challenges to the buyout have relied on a plethora of arguments asserting that a president cannot allow employees to stay home and receive pay pending their departure from federal employment. Those arguments cited the Antideficiency Act, which bars agencies from spending beyond the money appropriated by Congress.

President has the authority to manage the executive branch
The counterargument is that money used for the buyouts was allocated to pay employees whose service normally continues year after year. Under Article II of the Constitution, the president is given ample discretion in running the executive branch, including the work status of federal employees. Congress clearly has a role in controlling use of the federal purse. For example, Congress can determine whether to allocate money to build certain Navy vessels. However, once the ships are built, it is the president who decides where to send them and who will serve on the crew. The commander in chief also can expand or shrink the size of the crew. Trump was well within his authority in offering to change employees’ duties while they look for new positions, and the employees had every right to agree to eight months of paid leave in exchange for their resignation from government service.

The opposition from Democrats and labor unions is the ultimate form of paternalism. In the name of protecting employees, opponents fought to prevent workers from accepting offers they believe are best for themselves and their families. Federal employees are entitled to protections in their employment. But they’re not entitled to permanent employment. Congress is entitled to appropriate money for specific purposes. But it is not entitled to manage the executive branch. Trump is very willing to fight on this hill. He holds a strong constitutional position and an even stronger political position.

For those who proclaimed themselves as defenders of democracy throughout last year’s election cycle, this is what democracy looks like. Voters made clear that they want changes in the size and the focus of government. Those voters are unlikely to be convinced by the warning of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that Musk is “taking away everything we have.” That is precisely what Americans asked for in reelecting Donald Trump.

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Bigger mystery than Kennedy’s murder.

Rand Paul Supports Fort Knox Physical Audit (ZH)

One of the biggest questions over the past 50 years is whether the gold at Fort Knox, Kentucky is really there, or if it’s been plundered. What we do know is that the last ‘audit’ of America’s gold stash was conducted on Sept. 23, 1974, when the US Treasury opened just one of its 15 vaults at Fort Knox so politicians and reporters could swarm the site for a two-hour photo-op with roughly 6% of the alleged amount held. Adding to the complete farce, none of the bars being passed around for the cameras were matched to a serial number, assayed or tested for purity, or even verified as US holdings – as foreign countries have previously stored their gold at Fort Knox as well.

Since then there has been no independent verification of the roughly 4,580 metric tons supposedly held by the Treasury outside of bullshit annual ‘vault seal checks’ that don’t actually analyze the gold (oh, and they’ve ‘lost’ seven of those) – various efforts have been raised to audit Fort Knox – most recently in 2021, when Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) introduced (now-dead) legislation to audit America’s gold holdings with a full assay, inventory, and audit of all US gold – which would include a full account of gold transactions undertaken by the US government.

In 2010, former Libertarian Rep. Ron Paul called for an independent audit of Fort Knox. “It’d be nice for the American people to know whether or not the gold is there,” Paul said at the time.

With Elon Musk’s team at DOGE – including a gent who goes by the name “Big Balls” – investigating government-wide waste, fraud and abuse, we thought it might be helpful to point them towards Fort Knox… The suggestion immediately went viral on X, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) indicating he’s on board – replying to Musk with “Let’s do it.” Musk and team need to get to the bottom of just how deep the rot goes…

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Arab jews

 

 

Toys

 

 

Grok

 

 

Hello

 

 

Thai cat

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 162025
 


Edgar Degas L’absinthe (In a café) 1875-76

 

Trump Sends Defense Stocks Crashing (RT)
Trump Establishes Make America Healthy Again Commission (ET)
DOGE Workers ‘Energetic and Dug In’ Despite Threats: Source (ET)
Who Will Rule? An Elected President or an Unaccountable Judiciary? (PCR)
Vance Only Said What Americans Really Think (Lukyanov)
Medvedev Applauds Vance’s ‘Humiliating Rebuke’ Of Europe (RT)
Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban On “Chemical And Surgical Mutilation” Of Children (ZH)
Ukraine Not Invited To Russia-US Talks – Zelensky (RT)
No Place For Europe In Ukraine Talks – Trump Envoy (RT) /td>
European Pro-War Elites Seek To Derail Ukraine Peace – Hungarian FM (RT)
Zelensky Begged Trump To Meet In Person, Also Defends Canceled Elections (ZH)
Zelensky Refused To Sign Rare Earths Deal With US (RT)
Trump Determined to Undo Damage to US-Russian Relations (Sp.)
Prisoner Swap Builds Confidence Between US, Russia – Trump Envoy Witkoff (TASS)
Europe Would Go Broke Trying to Keep Ukraine Afloat if US Dropped Support (Sp.)
Certain EU countries Think of Annexing Ukrainian Lands – Medvedchuk (TASS)
EU Nations Secretly Discussing Ukraine Troop Deployment – AP (RT)
‘It Doesn’t Harm Us’: Russian Scientist Busts Myths About Microplastics (RT)

 

 

 

 

Irony

MTG

Musk

JD Greenwald

Tucker Orban

Woke

Sachs

 

 

 

 

Leading up to the Pentagon audit.

Trump Sends Defense Stocks Crashing (RT)

US defense stocks took a sharp dive this week after President Donald Trump announced that he could slash military spending in half. The announcement came amid a wider cost-saving push by his administration. Companies which saw share prices fall this week include aerospace manufacturers Lockheed Martin (-4.86%) and Northrop Grumman (-6.58%) as well as General Dynamics (-5.30%), according to Friday’s trading data. Speaking at a White House press conference on Thursday, Trump said he planned to discuss a potential reduction in defense budgets with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. “At some point, when things settle down, I’m going to meet with China and I’m going to meet with Russia… and I’m going to say there’s no reason for us to be spending almost $1 trillion on the military… and I want to say let’s cut our military budget in half,” Trump said.

Defense firms have enjoyed increased demand for weapons and military equipment since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Lockheed Martin, the primary producer of the F-16 fighter jets and Patriot missile systems used in Ukraine, posted a 21% year-on-year increase in revenues in 2023. The new US administration has so far sent mixed messages on military spending. Trump has tasked Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency with cutting federal costs, including at the Pentagon. The president has also pushed for a quick resolution of the Ukraine conflict, announcing imminent talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The current $1 trillion in annual US military spending accounts for about 3.4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during his confirmation hearings at the US Senate in January that he wouldn’t want to spend less than 3% of GDP on defense.

Russia has criticized the US arms sector for fueling global instability. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed in September that soaring profits prompt defense firms to provoke new armed conflicts. Meanwhile, claims have resurfaced in recent months about NATO weapons and ammunition being put on sale on the dark web. Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson alleged earlier this month that the Ukrainian military was selling American weapons systems on the black market, including to drug cartels. In January 2024, a US Department of Defense Office of Inspector General report revealed that the Pentagon was unable to fully account for over $1 billion worth of military aid to Kiev. In 2023, CNN reported that criminals and arms traffickers in Ukraine had stolen some Western-provided weapons and equipment intended for troops.

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“And I’ve told you before, I genuinely believe that you are a pivotal historical figure, and you are going to transform this country.”

Trump Establishes Make America Healthy Again Commission (ET)

Hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gained Senate confirmation as secretary of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order establishing the President’s Commission to Make America Healthy Again. Trump made the announcement on Feb. 13 in the Oval Office, where Kennedy was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Kennedy will serve as chair of the task force, which will investigate the “root causes of America’s escalating health crisis,” including childhood chronic diseases, according to a White House fact sheet. Within 100 days, an assessment of the childhood chronic disease crisis will be released, the executive order said. The investigation will target the “over-utilization of medication” and also highlight the impact of food ingredients and chemicals along with “certain other exposures.”

The impact of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotic drugs, mood stabilizers stimulants, and weight-loss drugs will also be studied. According to the executive order, the commission will look into contributing causes to childhood chronic diseases like “the American diet, absorption of toxic material, medical treatments, lifestyle, environmental factors, government policies, food production techniques, electromagnetic radiation, and corporate influence or cronyism.” Federally funded health research should “avoid conflicts of interest” by transparency and open-source data, a White House fact sheet said. The commission will demonstrate “gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick in all health-related research funded by the federal government,” the fact sheet said.

Upon completion of the research, a strategic report based on the assessment will be released, according to the executive order. “The commission shall not reconvene, following submission of the strategy, until an updated mission is submitted to the president through the executive director,” the executive order reads. Kennedy ran for president as a Democrat and then as an independent before leaving the race in August 2024 and backing then-former President Donald Trump. After ending his White House bid, Kennedy established the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement and vowed to end the nation’s chronic disease epidemic. HHS manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health.

In the Oval Office, Kennedy thanked Trump before a pool of reporters. “I have prayed each morning for the past two decades for God to put me in a position to solve the childhood chronic disease epidemic, and now, thanks to you Mr. President, we will make this promise a reality,” Kennedy said. Addressing Trump, Kennedy added: “And I’ve told you before, I genuinely believe that you are a pivotal historical figure, and you are going to transform this country.” The commission will include Trump’s Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy Vince Haley, Office of Management and Budget lead Russel Vought, and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who was also confirmed on Feb. 13. Department heads from the EPA, Veterans Affairs, Education, Housing and Urban Development, and several economic advisers will also compose the task force as will the commissioner, and CDC and NIH directors.

Before Kennedy was sworn in, Trump said Kennedy is “absolutely committed to getting dangerous chemicals out of our environment and out of our food supply, and getting the American people the facts and the answers that we deserve after years in which our public health system has squandered the trust of our citizens.”

Seed oils

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They’re working with/for Musk, and loving it.

DOGE Workers ‘Energetic and Dug In’ Despite Threats: Source (ET)

After reporters revealed the names of multiple Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees, threats have proliferated against them and the department’s head, Elon Musk. Sources familiar with DOGE staff described a mood of resilience among those working to fulfill President Donald Trump’s pledge for government reform. “The young DOGE engineers seemed surprised and initially unprepared to be personally targeted by so much animus,” one source familiar with DOGE’s operations, speaking on the condition of anonymity as they were unauthorized to speak to the media, told The Epoch Times. “But they are energetic and dug in.” Even as DOGE faces criticism from many congressional Democrats and is beset by lawsuits seeking to restrict its access to government data, its early results—including billions in cuts identified to The Epoch Times by the White House—may just be the tip of the iceberg.

DOGE aims to deliver $2 trillion in federal spending cuts during its 18-month lifespan. It ends in 2026 on the 250th anniversary of July 4th, 1776. A source familiar with DOGE said it was “still in the sorting stage.” As DOGE seeks to overcome hurdles, billions could be just the beginning. The Epoch Times has reviewed numerous posts on the social media platform Bluesky that are aimed at DOGE and its reported staff members. Many disseminated personally identifiable information, including names, ages, and home addresses. A source told The Epoch Times that federal law enforcement was dispatched to protect family members of DOGE employees after their names were leaked. As of publication time, the Department of Homeland Security had not confirmed that with The Epoch Times. On Bluesky, an anonymous user called DOGE workers “Nazi scum,” adding, “The only good nazi is a dead nazi.” The post listed the reported names of several DOGE workers.

A Bluesky user whose name matched that of an employee at Boston University’s business school posted a “Wanted” graphic with DOGE employees’ names, faces, and the words “Dead or Alive.” A statement from the university described the post as one from “an employee on his personal social media account,” adding, “the views expressed do not reflect the values of Questrom School of Business.” Members of Congress, including DOGE oversight leaders, voiced shock and anger at the threats.“That’s horrible,” Rep. Blake Moore (R-Utah), co-chair of the House DOGE Caucus, told The Epoch Times. “I haven’t really seen the severity of it, but that’s horrible.”On the other side of the aisle, a spokesperson for DOGE critic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) told The Epoch Times that she “strongly opposes political violence toward anyone, for any reason, in all forms.”

[..] A spokesperson for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said the congressman “condemns threats against DOGE employees.” Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.), who is also concerned about DOGE’s impact, told The Epoch Times, “I unequivocally condemn violence of any kind.” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), who oversees the House DOGE Caucus’s defense and veterans’ affairs portfolio, told The Epoch Times that “if those people broke the law by doxxing these folks and doing that and threatening them, they should be thrown into prison.” “I don’t mean jail. I don’t mean a fine,” he added. ”People that are doing these death threats need to go to prison, or it’s not going to stop.”

Under the Privacy Act, agency officials or others who disclose the personally identifiable information of federal employees could be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined up to $5,000. Threats on social media may also cross the line into threatening interstate communications, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. Ed Martin, the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, wrote in an open letter to Musk and DOGE recruiter Steve Davis that those “discovered to have broken the law or even acted simply unethically” against DOGE would be pursued “to the end of the Earth” in the name of accountability.

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“Something must be done about judicial overreach or the renewal of America is a lost cause.”

Who Will Rule? An Elected President or an Unaccountable Judiciary? (PCR)

The Democrats are using the judiciary to cover up their corrupt operations and theft of taxpayers’ money. If you will notice, the slew of judges countermanding Trump’s executive orders are themselves issuing executive orders, and they are doing so with no reference to law. Instead, they are ruling that Trump’s executive orders are harming someone, including illegal immigrant-invaders who are not US citizens. This is outrageous. Harm is a subjective standard. Moreover, the judges are overlooking the harm that their rulings do. What can Trump do? Like Andrew Jackson, he could ignore the judges. He could order the federal marshall’s, who report to the president and not to the judiciary, to cease delivering the judges’ edicts and to stop providing any service to the judges other than life protection.

The rulings by these judges are so egregious that they demonstrate both that some judges are in on the grift and the danger to Democrats from having their corruption revealed is so great that it has to be prevented by having the judiciary dictate to the executive. We have judges blocking Trump’s order against birthright citizenship which prevents illegals from gaining US citizenship by illegally entering the US in order to give birth. Such births are known as “anchor babies” as they result in citizenship for the entire family. Hows corrupt does a judge have to be to claim that the Constitution provides nefarious ways for foreigners to acquire US citizenship? We have judges ordering Trump to reinstate federal funding for private NGOs working to undermine foreign governments and to spread sexual perversion and anti-white woke propaganda.

Judges ordering the continuation of these harmful activities are arguing that it is harmful to prevent harm. Moreover, many and probably most of these NGOs are grift money-laundering operations dumping taxpayers’ money into the hands of Democrats and their children via NGO salaries and grants. Judges are even ordering Trump to continue financing private DEI and gender operation websites. Judges do not have executive powers. They can interpret existing law and the Constitution, but not on the basis of some subjective factor as their personal notion of harm or their determination to cover up corruption. I predicted that Trump’s attempt to restore America would be tied down in lawsuits aided and abetted by a corrupt judiciary. Something must be done about judicial overreach or the renewal of America is a lost cause.

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“The EU has a vested interest in escalating tensions to a level where even a reluctant US administration cannot stand aside.”

Vance Only Said What Americans Really Think (Lukyanov)

US Vice President J.D. Vance’s landmark speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday has been attributed to various factors. Some say it was an act of revenge. For years, Western European leaders have denounced Donald Trump and his supporters, never considering that they might one day have to answer for their words. Now, the response has arrived, and the EU is left bewildered, asking: “Why us?” But beyond personal grievances, there is a deeper ideological divergence at play. In many ways, Vance’s critique of the Europeans echoed the same accusations that the settlers of the New World leveled at the Old Continent centuries ago: tyranny, hypocrisy, and parasitism. The rejection of European political traditions laid the ideological foundation for the American state three hundred years ago.

Now that dispute over what constitutes real democracy has evolved from an internal American debate into a transatlantic one – and its outcome will shape the future. Yet the most crucial element of Vance’s speech goes beyond personalities or ideological rifts. It reflects a fundamental shift in global politics. The key question today is whether the Cold War should finally end within the framework of the 20th century or whether it should continue indefinitely. Western Europe insists on the latter – not because of any grand strategy, but because it has failed to integrate its former adversaries peacefully. The US, on the other hand, appears ready to move on. This shift is not a product of Trump, nor even of Vance, but rather of America’s evolving priorities. The pivot away from Europe began under George W. Bush and has continued under every president since. Trump merely said out loud what his predecessors preferred to leave unsaid.

For Western Europe, clinging to the ideological and geopolitical framework of the Cold War is about survival. Maintaining the old order allows the EU to sustain its centrality in global affairs and, more importantly, to preserve its own internal cohesion, which is already under strain. For the United States, however, letting go of Cold War-era structures offers a chance to focus on present and future challenges — China, the Pacific, North America, and the Arctic. Western Europe cannot prove itself indispensable in any of these areas, but it can serve as a costly distraction. This leads to an uncomfortable conclusion: The EU has a vested interest in escalating tensions to a level where even a reluctant US administration cannot stand aside. The real question now is whether the Old World is capable of pushing events in that direction.

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“..your democracy is weak, your elections are crap, your rules that violate normal human morality are crap..”

Medvedev Applauds Vance’s ‘Humiliating Rebuke’ Of Europe (RT)

The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has hailed US Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, calling it a rare moment of American honesty about Europe’s weaknesses and Vance himself “a brave guy.” In his speech on Friday, Vance touched on the migration crisis, security, freedom of speech, and apparent democratic backsliding on the continent. Medvedev said Vance “unexpectedly lit up” the conference, calling his remarks a harsh but truthful indictment of modern Europe.“Everyone expected to hear the usual partner-like curtseys to Europe and comments on Donald Trump’s words about the end of the Ukrainian conflict. But he went and harshly scolded the Europeans who have completely lost themselves in recent years: your democracy is weak, your elections are crap, your rules that violate normal human morality are crap,” Medvedev wrote.

He added that the Europeans would retaliate against him if he did not hold such a high post. “However, they will forgive him; they will begrudgingly accept the humiliating rebuke from their senior partner with resentment,” Medvedev concluded. Vance was particularly severe in his indictment of European democracy. He voiced concerns over the erosion of democratic values in Europe, drawing attention to the annulment of the presidential election in Romania. The first round in November saw right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu come out on top with 22.94%, beating liberal leftist and social democrat candidates. Romania’s top court cited intelligence documents alleging “irregularities” in his campaign performance in making their ruling, although the validity of that evidence has been questioned.

The US vice president also cautioned against rising censorship in the region, told European member-states to take greater responsibility for their own defense, and raised the alarm over mass migration. US President Donald Trump praised Vance’s speech as “brilliant.” However, some European officials were not so keen on the address. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas warned that it signaled growing transatlantic tension. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius meanwhile, blasted the remarks, calling them “not acceptable.” On the other hand, Russian Senator Alexander Shenderyuk-Zhidkov described Vance’s statements as a “cold shower” for European Russophobes.

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More judge shopping?!

Judge Blocks Trump’s Ban On “Chemical And Surgical Mutilation” Of Children (ZH)

A Biden-appointed Judge on Thursday blocked parts of two executive orders issued by President Trump banning or restricting various forms of ‘gender-affirming care’ – or as one of the executive orders is titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” US District Judge Brendan Hurson of Baltimore ruled that a group of transgender teens and LGBTQ organizations that sued were likely to prevail on all of their claims that the EOs are without authority and amount to illegal and unconstitutional discrimination. “Stopping care in the middle of receiving it, any care, really, casts doubt on whether in fact the goals are to protect the recipients of the care,” said Hurson. Under Hurson’s ruling, various federal agencies are now temporarily prohibited from withholding or conditioning funding based on whether a health care facility provides ‘gender-affirming’ care anywhere in the country.

In addition to the transgender teens, two organizations – PFLAG and GLMA – claimed that hospitals across the country have quickly moved to cancel appointments after Trump’s two executive orders, which the administration deemed a crackdown on “gender ideology.” The first order which Trump signed on day one states that “federal funds shall not be used to promote gender ideology,” while another signed on Jan. 28 directs agencies to ensure that any institution receiving federal funds does not provide gender-transition treatments for individuals up to the age of 19. “That order had immediate consequences,” ACLU lawyer Joshua Block said during Thursday’s hearing, The Hill reports. The DOJ contested the lawsuit, insisting that the case was premature and required additional guidance. Judge Hurson rejected those arguments, calling their position “disingenuous.”

“When there’s smoke coming out of your house, you don’t know what room it’s in, but you don’t wait to call 911 until you know the exact location of the fire,” said Hurson, adding “These plaintiffs have received phone calls stopping their care.” The ruling is the latest in a series of court orders across the country in recent days blocking Trump’s actions – including orders restricting birthright citizenship, and another which restricts transgender prison inmates from living in women’s facilities. Another Thursday lawsuit from a group of government employees sought to block Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive data and removing federal employees until “Musk is properly appointed pursuant to the U.S. constitution.”

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“..there are also “no plans for representatives from other major European powers to join the talks..”

There are no “major European powers” left. That’s a thing of the past. Get used to it.

Ukraine Not Invited To Russia-US Talks – Zelensky (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that Kiev was not invited to the discussions between delegations from Washington and Moscow which are expected to take place in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday, marking their first known direct conversation since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. On Saturday, the countries’ top diplomats followed up with a call to discuss “preparations for a potential high-level Russian-American summit.” Moscow has yet to confirm any details, but according to multiple media reports, a US delegation – likely composed of national security advisers – will travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days for talks with their Russian counterparts.

“Maybe there is something at the table, but not on our table. I didn’t see any invitations, invoices, et cetera, for Ukraine to meet with some other…,” Zelensky told journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. “We don’t have any papers, any invitations,” he reiterated. “And it’s something strange for me to speak in this case, in this format, if before we don’t have any negotiations between us and our strategic partners.” The Ukrainian side was “neither invited to, nor informed about” the upcoming US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia, Fox News reporter Nana Sajaia said earlier in the day, citing an unnamed senior official in Kiev. According to Politico, there are also “no plans for representatives from other major European powers to join the talks,” while Bloomberg reported that European officials had not even been notified.

Kiev and its Western backers, including the previous US administration, have long insisted that no discussions about Ukraine’s future should take place without its direct participation. Following his call with Putin on Wednesday, Trump phoned Zelensky “to inform him of the conversation” with the Russian leader. The Ukrainian leader allegedly told Trump that he, just “like President Putin, wants to make PEACE.” Addressing attendees at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Zelensky reiterated that he was “not going to meet with Russians.”

“I will meet with one Russian only – with Putin,” he stated, stressing that he would sit down with the Russian leader to “stop the war” only after Ukraine, the US, and the EU had devised a “common plan.” Last month, Putin stated that while it is “possible to negotiate with anyone,” Zelensky no longer has the legitimacy to override his own decree banning talks with the Russian president. The Ukrainian leader’s presidential term expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law. The Kremlin has stressed that any potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev must be legally binding. Trump has also acknowledged that Kiev will eventually have to hold elections and noted that Zelensky might not serve another term, saying his domestic poll numbers “aren’t particularly great, to put it mildly.”

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“The European pro-war, liberal elite will try to do everything in its power to ensure that the peace agreement that ends the war in Ukraine is not reached..”

No Place For Europe In Ukraine Talks – Trump Envoy (RT)

Europe may not be at the table when the US holds talks with Russia over Ukraine, US Special Envoy Keith Kellogg said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference. However, Kiev will undoubtedly be present, he added. Kellogg clarified that the interests of other concerned parties would be taken into account. “What we don’t want to do is get into a large group discussion,” he added, as quoted by CNBC. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed possible Ukraine negotiations during a phone call on Wednesday. Following the conversation, the Trump said that American and Russian officials would meet in Munich on Friday, with Ukraine also invited to participate. However, no such meeting was announced by the conference or media outlets.

When asked if he could name the requirements for a credible security guarantee for Ukraine, Kellogg replied, “The answer right now is no,” noting that he was attending the Munich conference to gather insights from Ukraine and Europe. He opined that the US sometimes has a tendency to view issues solely from its own perspective. US Vice President J.D. Vance, who attended the event as well, also insisted on the start of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. “It’s important for us to get together and start to have the conversations that are going to be necessary to bring this thing to a close,” he said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said coming negotiations could mark a watershed in EU-US relations. “[The US] expects Europe to take the lead in securing any agreement that follows. These negotiations can be a turning point for our continent and transatlantic relations. A historic turning point that can go in very different directions.” However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has cautioned that some vested interests want to sabotage the peace process. “The European pro-war, liberal elite will try to do everything in its power to ensure that the peace agreement that ends the war in Ukraine is not reached, which is currently closer than ever,” the diplomat said.

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Desparately searching for relevance.

European Pro-War Elites Seek To Derail Ukraine Peace – Hungarian FM (RT)

While the end of the Ukraine conflict has never been so close, European “pro-war” elites are seeking to sabotage the process, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned. Speaking to Hungarian broadcaster DTV on Friday, the top diplomat expressed cautious optimism regarding a solution to the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. Szijjarto welcomed recent discussions between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the fact that they had agreed to meet in person in the near future. “Now we can not only see the light at the end of the tunnel, but that it gets closer and shines brighter and brighter,” Szijjarto stated, adding that the prospect of peace is now more tangible than ever before.

However, Szijjarto cautioned that achieving peace would not be straightforward and anticipated resistance from European pro-war liberal elites. He believes these groups will make concerted efforts to prevent an agreement, but remains confident that strong US leadership can secure a deal with Russia, regardless of opposition from other leaders and bureaucrats. “The European pro-war, liberal elite will try to do everything in its power to ensure that the peace agreement that ends the war in Ukraine is not reached, which is currently closer than ever,” the top diplomat said.

Putin and Trump spoke for nearly 90 minutes by phone on Wednesday. The conversation is the first publicly known top-level contact between the US and Russian leadership since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. During the call, the two leaders invited each other to visit their respective countries and agreed to hold a meeting on neutral ground beforehand. According to Trump, that will likely take place in Saudi Arabia, and Riyadh has already warmed to the idea. “The Kingdom welcomes holding the summit in its territory and affirms its continued efforts to achieve lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, which began since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis,” the Saudi government said on Friday.

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“Ukrainians don’t want, totally don’t want, because they are afraid, because otherwise we will lose the military loan, the war loan, our soldiers will come back home, and (Russian President) Putin will occupy all our territory.”

Zelensky Begged Trump To Meet In Person, Also Defends Canceled Elections (ZH)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed more details of the content of his Wednesday call with US President Donald Trump, in Saturday remarks given before the Munich Security Conference. Zelensky disclosed that he repeatedly urged Trump to meet with him in person, and there was no assent from Trump on the matter. “I think I said first that we have to meet. But we understood each other because I didn’t say (anything) about it once,” the Ukrainian leader said. Zelensky as well as European leaders have expressed deep frustration that Trump chose to call Russia’s President Putin first, wherein they talked for 90-minutes, amid fears that Zelensky will be cut out from US-Moscow negotiations to end the war.

French President Emmanuel Macron has demanded that Zelensky be at the table, and that nothing can be decided regarding a future peace deal without consulting Ukraine. Also on Saturday, Zelensky said that his country can’t hold elections as martial law is still in effect, amid growing criticism that he’s extending martial law to stay in power, and establishing anti-democratic norms. His term expired in May 2024, but he asserted, “I’m focusing on the survival of our country, and I am doing it really all my term.” “I’m ready to speak about elections if you want,” he said, claiming that “Ukrainians don’t want, totally don’t want, because they are afraid, because otherwise we will lose the military loan, the war loan, our soldiers will come back home, and (Russian President) Putin will occupy all our territory.”

He argued that he has maintained the unity of the country amid the Russian invasion… “So it’s not about myself. It’s about the future of our country. The question is to survive to save Ukraine, our independence, our people, (and) our homes. And if somebody doesn’t like (it), they can choose another citizenship,” he said. He was also asked about the question of the US taking NATO membership off the table, somewhat shocking European allies this week. “If we are not in NATO, then as I said, NATO has to be in Ukraine. We will need an army comparable with soldiers of Russia; it’s 1.3 or 1.5 million soldiers,” he said.

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There’s even talk of sending US troops to protect the rare earths.

Zelensky Refused To Sign Rare Earths Deal With US (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has declined to sign an agreement that would give the US access to his country’s rare earth minerals, Washington Post reporter Josh Rogin and Reuters have claimed. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump made it clear that he wanted Kiev to pay for the assistance it has received from Washington with its natural resources. According to the 2024 World Economic Forum report, Ukraine “holds immense potential as a major global supplier of critical raw materials” that could be “essential” for defense, the technology sector, and green energy. The nation boasts Europe’s largest titanium and lithium reserves, which are not classified as rare-earth elements. Kiev also has considerable beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel deposits.

In a post on X on Friday, the Washington Post’s Rogin claimed that “multiple lawmakers here in Munich told me the US Congressional delegation presented Zelensky with a piece of paper they wanted him to sign which would grant the US rights to 50% of Ukraine’s future mineral reserves. Zelensky politely declined to sign it.” Reuters also cited anonymous members of the Ukrainian delegation at the Munich Security Conference as saying essentially the same thing. The supposed meeting between the Ukrainian leader and a bipartisan group of US lawmakers reportedly lasted 90 minutes. According to the agency, Zelensky “felt he was being asked unreasonably to sign something he hadn’t had a chance to read,” with two of the sources describing the proposal as “one-sided.” Kiev still needs to work out “some details,” according to the report.

On Wednesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Kiev, where he presented the draft to the Ukrainian leader. In an interview with Reuters last week, Zelensky said he would like to have a mutually beneficial partnership with the US as opposed to simply giving Ukraine’s natural resources away. Zelensky acknowledged however, that a large chunk of mineral-rich territories is currently under Russian control. According to Forbes, around $7 trillion worth of Ukraine’s total mineral wealth is located in what is now the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which joined Russia in 2022. Ukraine has “tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth [and] in terms of oil and gas,” President Trump told Fox News this week. He stated he had told the leadership in Kiev “that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earths, and they’ve essentially agreed to do that.”

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“Trump’s statement today telling Volodymyr Zelensky he will start bilateral talks with Russia – without Ukraine – also demonstrates that he recognizes Zelensky as the chief obstacle to peace..”

Trump Determined to Undo Damage to US-Russian Relations (Sp.)

The phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump marks the formal beginning of peace negotiations between the US and Russia, EMP Task Force scholar and former US Department of Defense officer David Pyne tells Sputnik. Trump’s decision to appoint Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead negotiations with Russia, rather than his Special Envoy to Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg, underlines the importance Washington places on the talks, Pyne said.

That, “combined with his invitation for Putin to visit the US and acceptance of Putin’s invitation to visit Moscow, show that Trump is assigning the highest possible priority both to repairing all the damage Biden did to US-Russia relations [and] ending the war in Ukraine within the next few months,” stressed Pyne, a Republican Party activist. Trump’s statement today telling Volodymyr Zelensky he will start bilateral talks with Russia – without Ukraine – also demonstrates that he recognizes Zelensky as the chief obstacle to peace, the expert said.

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Smooth.

Prisoner Swap Builds Confidence Between US, Russia – Trump Envoy Witkoff (TASS)

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East Steven Witkoff expects build-up of confidence between Washington and Moscow after Russian national Alexander Vinnik was released in exchange for US national Marc Fogel. “We had a really good back channel, and it turned out to be very, very credible and enormously helpful. And that led to, I think, a lot of trust building candidly between the Trump administration and President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin,” Witkoff said in an interview aired by the Fox News TV channel.

He also suggested that the exchange that just took place, will probably “pay some large dividends in the future,” including in settlement of the Ukraine conflict. Earlier, Witkoff visited Russia. He departed Russian airspace with Fogel, who had been serving a prison sentence in the country for drug smuggling. Witkoff was also among those representatives of Washington who Trump mentioned as negotiators with Moscow on the issue of the Ukrainian conflict settlement.

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“Trump has “driven a stake through the heart of EU solidarity by essentially withdrawing the United States from the conflict..”

Europe Would Go Broke Trying to Keep Ukraine Afloat if US Dropped Support (Sp.)

It would cost NATO’s European allies an additional $3.1 trillion over ten years to fund Ukraine and expand their own defense capabilities if President Trump left the burden to them, US business media have calculated. Sputnik asked a leading Brussels-based observer of international affairs to comment. Europe simply “does not have the wherewithal to continue” the proxy war with Moscow, and would “be obliged to strike its own separate peace with Russia,” even if it tried to sustain the conflict for some time after a hypothetical withdrawal of US support, Dr. Gilbert Doctorow says. Trump has “driven a stake through the heart of EU solidarity by essentially withdrawing the United States from the conflict and leaving it to Europe to cope as best they can,” Doctorow explained.

“But they cannot cope. It is not just a matter of money. They do not have the military supplies needed by Ukraine to continue the fight. Absent US participation the situation is hopeless for Ukraine and everyone knows that,” the observer stressed. The new reality for Ukraine signals what Doctorow says is a much larger transformation of the US defense posture toward Europe, with Washington ready to continue extending its ‘nuclear umbrella’ to the region, while drawing down the commitment of conventional forces. “The further implication is that when the Europeans understand they cannot on their own stand up to the Russian armies, then they will on their own understand that they have to make some accommodation with the Russians on Europe-wide security,” Doctorow said.

Bloomberg Economics calculated Thursday that independent European support for Ukraine and buildup of their own militaries would cost an additional $3.1 trillion, including: $175 billion to build up Ukraine’s army, $30 billion for a 40,000-troop strong “peacekeeping force,” and $2.7 trillion in debt-financed defense spending by the five largest European NATO members on artillery stockpiles, air defenses and missiles, plus deployments on the NATO’s eastern frontiers.

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“..Medvedchuk stated that historical events show that Ukrainians have always been saved by Russians, which should happen naturally now.”

Certain EU countries Think of Annexing Ukrainian Lands — Medvedchuk (TASS)

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria are nourishing ideas of annexing certain Ukrainian lands, Viktor Medvedchuk, former leader of Ukraine’s banned “Opposition Platform – For Life” party, who now leads the “Another Ukraine” movement, said in an interview with TASS. “It is reliably known that certain countries of the European Union, such as Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, have long been nourishing ideas of annexing certain Ukrainian lands, which were artificially made part of modern Ukraine. Those countries’ politicians have repeatedly voiced and even strongly encouraged their governments to implement those ideas, which are historically valid and reasonable,” he said.

During the presidency of Pyotr Poroshenko (ex-Ukrainian president designated by Russia’s Federal Financial Monitoring Service as a person involved in extremist or terrorist activities) and Vladimir Zelensky, cases of “glaring violation of constitutional rights, freedoms, guarantees regarding ethnic minorities of mentioned states” were allowed in the country, the politician noted. “The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is brazenly violated and ignored. And all of the attempts by the governments of those states to influence and protect their fellow citizens from the criminal policy of Kiev’s authorities came up dry,” he added.

“This is why the only reasonable way out of this situation is to implement the ideas of those countries’ politicians to shield the population and territories where representatives of ethnic minorities live. Today this way is relevant as never before and determined by historical justice and the interests of ordinary citizens, which have got under the weight of the Nazi regime of Zelensky and should be protected,” Medvedchuk stressed. “That said, it is natural and legitimate that Russia has every reason to get back historical Russian lands that it used to own for centuries, to take people under protection from Nazism and militarism, to save the Ukrainian people and ensure its future,” he concluded. Earlier, Medvedchuk stated that historical events show that Ukrainians have always been saved by Russians, which should happen naturally now.

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They have no troops to speak of.

EU Nations Secretly Discussing Ukraine Troop Deployment – AP (RT)

A number of European Union member states have been discussing plans to send their military personnel to Ukraine once hostilities end, the Associated Press has claimed. Several senior EU officials, most notably French President Emmanuel Macron, have been floating such ideas since at least last February. In its article on Friday, the AP reported that the UK and France are “at the forefront of the effort.” The media outlet quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as stating on Thursday that “if there is peace then there needs to be some sort of security guarantee for Ukraine and the UK will play its part in that.” US President Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election galvanized such deliberations among European leaders, the publication alleged.

It further suggested that a group of leaders and ministers from the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland as well as Ukraine, NATO and the EU held a meeting in Brussels in December, where they presumably discussed a potential Western troop deployment to the Eastern European country. The AP quoted Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur as noting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that “we are in a very early stage.” The official pointed out that much would depend on the situation along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) long front line as well as the number of troops Russia and Ukraine would keep in the area if and when any truce took hold, according to the article. Last month, Reuters quoted Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky as insisting that he expected European nations to send 200,000 troops to his country. “It’s a minimum, otherwise it’s nothing,” he remarked, according to the news agency.

Also in January, The Times, citing anonymous military and diplomatic sources, reported that Germany as well as the Baltic states and Poland opposed any potential deployment for various reasons, with the UK, France and the Nordic nations being in favor. Earlier this month, the New York Times quoted an unnamed senior European official as saying that the “continent doesn’t even have 200,000 troops to offer,” apparently referring to Zelensky’s reported demand in January. Speaking late last month, senior Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik warned that “any contingent entering the territory of Ukraine without the consent and permission of Russia is a military target, with quite understandable consequences.” In an interview with RIA Novosti on Monday, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, echoed his colleague’s statement, emphasizing that “peacekeepers cannot operate without a mandate from the UN Security Council.”

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“When any particle enters the human body, it is coated by biological fluids that include fragments of bacteria, proteins, etc. A ‘biocorona’, or coating made up of these fragments, forms around the particle, so it cannot affect the human organism.”

‘It Doesn’t Harm Us’: Russian Scientist Busts Myths About Microplastics (RT)

Microplastics are among the most widely discussed environmental topics today. The media often highlights the harmful effects of polymer nanoparticles on living organisms. However, as head of the Department of Polymer and Crystal Physics at Moscow State University, and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alexei Khokhlov told RT, there is no scientific basis for these claims. Khokhlov argues that microplastic particles are no more hazardous to humans than tiny wood or concrete particles which exist in the environment in much greater quantities.

RT: In recent years, many scientific studies and media reports have been published about microplastics. What exactly are they made of? Khokhlov: Microplastics are defined as fragments of polymer materials smaller than 5 mm. These particles can break down into even smaller micron-sized pieces, and there are also polymer nanoparticles. We live in an era dominated by new materials. Just 100 years ago, the polymer industry was virtually nonexistent. The widespread use of plastics began in the 1950s, and today, approximately 400 million tons of various plastics are produced annually worldwide. The main types of polymers include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride. These materials are used to make plastic wrap, packaging, and so on. Essentially, we are surrounded by polymer materials; life today would be unimaginable without them.

RT: Is it true that microplastics are everywhere, even in our food and water? Khokhlov: The molecular structure of polymers consists of long chains of monomer units. Interestingly, we are made up of polymers ourselves, since proteins, DNA and RNA chains are molecules of such type. As for their presence in the environment, particles from all natural and man-made materials find their way into the environment. Nanoparticles of dust, sand, and natural polymers like cellulose can enter cells. Wood itself is essentially a composite material made from cellulose and lignin. Annually, around 2.5 billion tons of wood are produced globally, while plastics account for only 400 million tons. It’s a very small amount compared to natural polymers.

RT: How do microplastics affect living cells? Can particles penetrate cells and disrupt their function? Khokhlov: Any material will break down into smaller particles as a result of environmental exposure. All nanoparticles can enter the human bloodstream, not just microplastics. For instance, walls gradually disintegrate into dust and sand, which also make their way into the human body. There is no evidence that microplastic particles are particularly harmful. Humanity has coexisted with ordinary dust for millions of years, and it doesn’t harm us. When any particle enters the human body, it is coated by biological fluids that include fragments of bacteria, proteins, etc.

A ‘biocorona’, or coating made up of these fragments, forms around the particle, so it cannot affect the human organism. This process occurs with all particles, regardless of their composition — microplastics included. For the body, there is no difference between microplastics and dust. Currently, plastic makes up only 15% of the total volume of solid waste. This is relatively low, and the concentration of microplastics in the environment remains minimal. Laboratory studies claiming harmful effects are often conducted using extremely high concentrations of microplastics that do not reflect real-world scenarios.

RT: If the environmental impact isn’t significant, why do you think the media and public are so concerned about this issue? Khokhlov: Because the media needs sensational stories. The idea that wood particles can enter human cells isn’t shocking because wood is familiar to us and no one believes it could pose any risk. Synthetic polymers, however, evoke fear because they are unfamiliar and artificial. But there’s no evidence to suggest they act differently than other particles. For example, there has been a lot of talk about eliminating plastic bottles since microplastics can get into the water. However, further research has shown that most of the microplastics found in water primarily come from polyamides, which are synthetic fibers used in textiles. When these fabrics are washed, tiny particles make their way into wastewater and eventually into our waterways.

RT: Can we replace plastic containers with alternatives that won’t break down into microplastics, or ones that would be made up of particles that are safe for nature and humans? Khokhlov: There are always alternatives, but they tend to be much more expensive. And in many industries, such as healthcare, the alternative isn’t the same. For example, we can switch from single-use syringes and gloves to reusable options, but what will the consequences be?In regions where access to clean water is inconsistent and sanitation is poor, single-use items and plastic bottles serve as the only means to avoid poisoning and infectious diseases. However, it’s crucial to ensure that plastic packaging isn’t carelessly discarded outdoors but is properly disposed of.

Out of 400 million tons of plastic, 300 million end up in landfills or incinerators, meaning that 100 million tons aren’t disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner. This is a significant issue that warrants attention and action. Moreover, the primary sources of microplastics are not plastic utensils or packaging but washed [synthetic] clothes, worn automobile tires, urban dust, and even road markings and marine paint. This suggests that combating microplastics would require us to give up driving cars and using washing machines. But what would that lead to? People cannot forgo hygiene standards, and our current infrastructure and logistics cannot provide alternative solutions that would meet the needs of society.

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AOC

 

 

Joinery

 

 

Bday

 

 

Fren

 

 

Baby

 

 

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Feb 152025
 
 February 15, 2025  Posted by at 10:55 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,  49 Responses »


Rembrandt van Rijn Saint Paul in prison 1627

 

JD Vance Gobsmacks NATO (Larry Johnson)
Vance Slams EU Leaders For ‘Running In Fear’ Of Their Own Voters (RT)
Scholz Calls For State Of Emergency In Germany (RT)
Trump Ejects From Ukraine Joyride With EU Screaming In The Backseat (Marsden)
How The US Made Western Europe Its Puppet (Bordachev)
Zelensky Comments On Putin-Trump Call (RT)
Only Zelensky Can Negotiate With Putin, Must Avoid ‘Capitulation’: Macron (ZH)
Zelensky Demands 1.5 Million-Strong Army (RT)
Retired Russian Colonel Claims Trump ‘Has Dirt’ On Zelensky (RMX)
Moscow Responds To Chernobyl Strike Accusation (RT)
Darkness Dying (Kunstler)
14 States Sue To Block DOGE From Uncovering Gov’t Abuses, Slashing Waste (ZH)
Is DOGE Going to Kill the F-35? (Green)
Treasury IG Launches Audit Of “Fraudulent Payments” Found By DOGE (ZH)
Tom Homan Refers AOC to DOJ for Investigation (PJM)
US Embassies Told To Reduce Staff (RT)
Latest Claims of a Constitutional Crisis Won’t Lead to Happier Days (Turley)

 

 

 

 

IRS
https://twitter.com/i/status/1890131415683276875

JD

EU

Maddow
https://twitter.com/i/status/1890450334138384470

Blago

Greece

 

 

 

 

Attention shifts big time to Europe today. Partly because of JD Vance’s speech, partly because of the Munich Security Conference as a whole. Europe’s self destruction is here for everyone to see.

JD Vance Gobsmacks NATO (Larry Johnson)

If Pete Hegseth’s Wednesday gut punch was not enough to rile up the European grifters, JD Vance jumped into the ring and did a body slam in a speech today at the opening of the Munich Security Conference. It lasted approximately 20 minutes and was met with mostly stony silence. The Eurocrats were not a happy lot. Vance made the following key points:
1) Internal Threats: Vance argued that the primary threat to Europe comes “from within,” not from external actors like Russia or China.
2) Free Speech: He accused European governments of censoring free speech and retreating from fundamental democratic values.
3) Immigration: Vance described immigration as the most “urgent” challenge facing European nations.
4) European Defense: He briefly mentioned that Europe must significantly enhance its own defense capabilities.
5) Ukraine Conflict: Vance touched on the Ukraine war, expressing hope for a “reasonable settlement” following President Trump’s announcement about initiating peace talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Vance made a point of chiding European hypocrisy on the issue of free speech: “Unfortunately, when I look at Europe today, it’s sometimes not so clear what happened to some of the Cold War’s winners,” he added, before rattling off a list of examples aimed at illustrating his point: European Union officials’ threats to shut down social media “the moment they spot what they’ve judged to be ‘hateful’ content,” Germany’s raids on people posting misogynistic speech online, Sweden’s jailing of an activist who burned the Quran in public, and “safe access zones” around abortion clinics established in the United Kingdom. For Europeans and others watching, Vance had a MAGA message: “In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town, and under [U.S. President] Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer it in the public square,” he said, to scattered and hesitant applause—one of the few times he got any.”

Vance was especially tough on the Europeans for meddling in Romania’s election, which left the crowd steaming: “Several times in his speech, Vance singled out Romania, which late last year annulled its elections due to alleged Russian interference uncovered by Romania’s security services and is scheduled to hold them again. “You can believe it’s wrong for Russia to buy social media advertisements to influence your elections—we certainly do—you can condemn it on the world stage, even. But if your democracy can be destroyed with a few hundred thousand dollars of digital advertising from a foreign country, then it wasn’t very strong to begin with,” he said.” I think this was the first time in the history of NATO that the assembled poohbahs heard a speech like this. The reaction was comical, at least from my perspective as an American. Germany’s Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, did a good imitation of Claude Rains, who played the police inspector in Casablanca.

Pistorius fumed: “This democracy was just called into question by the U.S. Vice President, not just the German democracy but that of Europe as a whole’, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said at the Munich Security Conference on Friday. ‘If I understand him correctly, he compares the condition of Europe with what prevails in some authoritarian regimes … this is not acceptable’, he added.” What is unacceptable Boris, is that you clowns pretend to be all about democracy while restricting speech and attacking political opponents. The Germans and the Brits have been especially egregious in punishing those with opposing political views. When it comes to being an authoritarian… if the shoe fits, wear it. Kudos to JD Vance for calling them out. Remember Joe Biden’s claims about NATO unity? Well, I guess they are united in their dislike of JD Vance and Donald Trump. Good luck in keeping this party going. The Europeans are miffed that they are not being included in the effort to negotiate with Putin.

Maria Zakharova, the elegant spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, provided a scathing explanation of why Russia does not consider the Europeans as valid interlocutors: “The Italian Foreign Minister, reacting to the phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, expressed the opinion that Europe should not play a “secondary role” in negotiations on Ukraine. There is no emoji to convey the full range of emotions, so I’ll have to use words. Let me remind you that it was precisely the leaders of EU countries—German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande—who not long ago openly admitted that they never actually intended to implement the Minsk agreements, despite previously assuring the world otherwise. Their official position now is that the Minsk agreements were merely an attempt to rearm Kyiv and “buy it time.”

In other words, they pretended to be working in good faith on the Ukrainian issue while actually engaging in a harmful charade. The problem is not just that they lied—everyone is used to that by now. The real issue is that they betrayed Europe’s interests, and this betrayal is one of the causes of the current tragedy. The Minsk agreements became part of international law through their approval by the UN Security Council. This means they were legally binding. Both Hollande and Merkel, as well as Italy’s leadership, knew this perfectly well then and understand it today. By violating international law—something they now openly admit—EU leaders became key accomplices in the catastrophe that unfolded in Ukraine. As a direct result of their actions, Europe now faces an armed conflict on its own continent.

Had the Minsk agreements been implemented, Ukraine would have been saved, and at the same time, the current dire situation of EU citizens—whose well-being has significantly declined due to their leaders’ misguided, and at times outright criminal, decisions—would have been alleviated. Looking even deeper, this was not only a personal betrayal by these leaders but also a reflection of the complete loss of independence in conducting a “sovereign” foreign policy. The European Union, as an integration bloc, and nearly all of its member states have become an extension of NATO, obediently following Washington’s directives. In this regard, the situation surrounding the sabotage and “investigations” of the Nord Streams is more than revealing.

Further confirming this is the vague comment from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about whether Putin’s phone call with Trump constitutes a “betrayal of Ukraine” by the West or not. Both the question and the answer are meaningless. Let me repeat: The West betrayed Ukraine when it obstructed its democratic transition and independence, interfered in its internal affairs, pitted Ukrainians against Russians, incited Slavs against Slavs, then initiated an unconstitutional coup, lied about implementing the Minsk agreements, and ultimately provoked a bloodbath in the region.“

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“..if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”

Vance Slams EU Leaders For ‘Running In Fear’ Of Their Own Voters (RT)

US Vice President J.D. Vance has criticized European leaders for fearing their own voters and failing to uphold democratic values, citing the recent annulment of Romania’s presidential election. Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Friday, he said that Europe’s greatest threat comes from within, condemning what he called the suppression of free speech. Vance cited the cancelled Romanian presidential elections, saying that they were annulled “on the flimsy suspicions of an intelligence agency and enormous pressure from its continental neighbors.” He questioned the notion that democracy could be undermined with digital advertising from a foreign country, saying that if you believe that, then your democracy “was not very strong to begin with.”

He further urged European Union leaders to “embrace what your people tell you,” even when it is “surprising” and they do not agree. “If you’re running in fear of your own voters, there is nothing America can do for you, nor, for that matter, is there anything that you can do for the American people who elected me and elected President Trump,” Vance stated. According to the US vice president, the “cavalier” statements from Brussels officials “sounding delighted” about the cancelled presidential elections in Romania or expansive content moderation powers or other free speech restrictions in the US, Germany and Sweden were “shocking to American ears.” Vance also dismissed any criticism of Elon Musk’s alleged interference in European elections, stating “if American democracy can survive 10 years of Greta Thunberg’s scolding, you guys can survive a few months of Elon Musk.”

Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, sparked controversy in Germany by endorsing the AfD party in this month’s federal election, claiming that “the entire fate of Europe” depends on its outcome. In response, the German government accused the billionaire of election interference, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz asserting that freedom of speech does not extend to promoting “extreme-right positions.” Vance’s criticism comes as Romania is facing political turmoil following its Constitutional Court’s decision in December to annul the presidential election following the shock November win of independent candidate Calin Georgescu.

The court has cited intelligence documents alleging ‘irregularities’ in Georgescu’s campaign performance. The 62-year-old, who promoted his bid for office largely via TikTok, also faced allegations that he was being funded by foreign actors, presumably Russia. None of the claims, however, were backed by any solid evidence, while the preliminary findings of an investigation into the election scandal found the culprit behind the campaign “irregularities” was the pro-Western National Liberal Party (PNL). Moscow has dismissed the accusations as “absolutely groundless.”

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“..the government cannot take on debts worth more than 0.35% of the country’s annual GDP..”

Scholz Calls For State Of Emergency In Germany (RT)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called on the country’s parliament to declare a state of emergency over the Ukraine conflict. The head of government said he wants the constitutional ‘debt brake’ mechanism relaxed in order to ensure continued support for Kiev. Enshrined in the German constitution, the limit dictates that the government cannot take on debts worth more than 0.35% of the country’s annual GDP. Temporary exceptions are allowed “in the event of natural disasters or exceptional emergency situations that are beyond the control of the state,” as long as the Bundestag supports the move. This, for instance, was done during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, Scholz said that the “Bundestag should adopt a resolution as soon as possible, whereby the war in Ukraine and its grave consequences for Germany’s and Europe’s security are classified as an emergency situation.” He explained that this would ensure that aid for Ukraine, “which is more important today than ever, no longer comes at the expense of the other duties that our state has to fulfil towards its own citizens.” The chancellor added that US President Donald Trump is right to demand that European NATO member states shell out more for their defense, stressing that military-related spending “must grow considerably more.” Scholz dismissed the idea that the necessary funds could be obtained from the existing budget.

Speaking on the debt brake, the chancellor suggested permanently exempting defense spending from the limit. Scholz welcomed President Trump’s phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, stressing at the same time that the principle “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine and nothing about Europe without Europe” should be respected. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, between January 2022 and October 2024, Germany provided Ukraine with €11 billion ($11.5 billion) worth of assistance, emerging as its second-largest backer after the US. Meanwhile, amid the decoupling from relatively inexpensive Russian energy and several other factors, the German economy contracted for a second straight year in 2024 for the first time in more than two decades, according to a report released last month by the country’s federal statistics office Destatis.

Among the sectors bearing the brunt of the downturn is the country’s automotive industry. Commenting on Scholz’s remark, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested that by highlighting his staunchly pro-Ukrainian stance, the German chancellor had struck a pose in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump’s position. Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, opined that the German chancellor is hoping to thus score political points at home ahead of the February 23 snap general election, with his party projected to lose to its Christian Democratic Union rivals.

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“The agreement is actually being made right in front of your face and ours, for once..”

Trump Ejects From Ukraine Joyride With EU Screaming In The Backseat (Marsden)

The European Union was never in the driver’s seat on the Ukraine conflict. And now that same toddler sitting in the back with the plastic Fisher-Price steering wheel is throwing the kind of full-blown crimson-faced meltdown that makes adults chuckle. How many times was the EU told, including by its own citizens with sledgehammer subtlety at the ballot box, to stop kissing Uncle Sam’s butt and start covering its own? Instead, its leaders cribbed America’s talking points, completely oblivious as they indulged in economic seppuku. The EU’s entire economy-wrecking “strategy” over Ukraine was based on the fantasy that they were America’s little bro, not being used as naive pawns in a grand game that would knock them right off the chessboard.

If Washington had picked peace over profit from the start, the closest thing that the Euroclowns would have seen to a military confrontation with Russia in Ukraine would have been playing Sergeant Savoir-Faire back home, armed with a map of the nearest coffee shops and a five-course lunch. And now the previously unthinkable has happened. The jig is up on Biden’s ridiculous scam of vowing to do “whatever it takes” for Ukraine to beat Russia on the battlefield – mainly by dumping cash into US weapons which miraculously get lost en route to the frontlines after the cheque clears. Nice racket. Too bad it’s getting people killed – something Trump’s made it clear he’s not exactly a fan of. Looks like he’s finally asked himself if there’s a way for the US to keep feasting on cash without a body count in Ukraine. Spoiler alert: he found a way, apparently. Several, in fact.

Cutting to the chase through all this messy death and destruction stuff, Trump just wants to wrap up the fighting and have Ukraine hand over its resources to cover US spending — most of which has already gone straight into the pockets of American weapons industries. And can he keep the weapon sales flowing, even without active conflict? Absolutely. Just tell NATO countries to cough up some cash for the sake of “preventive defense,” like he’s been doing relentlessly. A solid 90% of EU-bought weapons are already American, according to last year’s EU competitiveness report. And that’s not changing anytime soon – unless the EU’s itching for a tariff-spanking.

A group of European foreign ministers have issued a statement insisting that Ukraine and the EU must be at the table for any peace talks. Yeah, they’re at the table alright – the bib-wearing kiddie table, along with Ukraine. And while they’re busy twisting balloon animals and tossing around buzzwords like ‘enhancing support for Ukraine,’ totally immersed in their ‘choose your own adventure’ game where they’re obviously ‘winning,’ it turns out that Russia and the US – Putin and Trump – did something totally wild. They picked up a phone. Probably even a landline, like something out of a history book. All while the EU was bravely ‘sticking it to Putin’ by flaming him on social media while wiping croissant crumbs off their keyboard between sips of overpriced lattes.

In the wake of that call, Trump announced the start of immediate negotiations for peace. And now the EU is acting like it’s just been dumped by Uncle Sam, who’s committing the added insult of hanging around with the guy on whom they’ve been obsessively hating. “If there is agreement made behind our backs it will simply not work because you need for any kind of deal, any kind of agreement, you need Europeans to implement this deal. You need the Ukrainians to implement this deal,” said the bloc’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas. The agreement is actually being made right in front of your face and ours, for once – unlike the back-room shenanigans between bloc officials and the Biden administration, which ultimately lured the EU economy straight off a cliff with EU “leaders” serving as willing lemmings, sanctioning their own Russian supplies of virtually everything critical to their economy.

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“Each has surrendered strategic autonomy to Washington. Each now dutifully executes even the most irrational dictates from across the Atlantic..”

How The US Made Western Europe Its Puppet (Bordachev)

The biggest obstacles to a rational European foreign policy are American pressure, the internal crisis of Western European elites, and the continent’s neo-colonial economic model. Western Europe’s current antagonism toward Russia is not a natural state of affairs—it is a function of relentless US coercion. If this external pressure weakens, a shift in rhetoric and policy could come swiftly, transforming the political landscape of the continent. Regardless of how long the conflict in Ukraine continues, Russia cannot ignore its relations with its immediate Western neighbors. While Moscow has expanded its global partnerships, Europe remains a geographic and historical constant. The region’s role in world affairs, however, is changing fundamentally, with its influence declining under American dominance.

For much of the 20th century, Western Europe’s relationship with the US dictated its political and economic trajectory. Now, that relationship is not only defining its external stance but also its domestic political dynamics. How this dynamic evolves will determine whether the region can contribute positively to Eurasian stability or continue serving as a source of instability.

At the heart of the US-European relationship is the question of security. Washington’s objectives in Europe have always been twofold: preventing the rise of an independent European military power and using the continent as a staging ground for confrontation with Moscow. The so-called American “security umbrella” is a myth perpetuated for propaganda purposes. In reality, what exists is a US protectorate, reluctantly accepted but actively sustained by certain European elites. This arrangement has only accelerated the continent’s decline. Nowhere is this decline more visible than in Western Europe’s three most powerful states—Britain, Germany, and France. Each has suffered a slow erosion of its global standing. Each has surrendered strategic autonomy to Washington. Each now dutifully executes even the most irrational dictates from across the Atlantic, receiving nothing in return that enhances either national security or economic strength.

Even economically, the cost of Western Europe’s subservience is becoming unbearable. The loss of access to cheap Russian energy has crippled its industry, while economic dependence on the US has yielded no meaningful benefits. Western Europe is neither more prosperous nor more secure as a result of its adherence to Washington’s agenda. If anything, it has lost its ability to act in its own interests. The notion that Western Europe relies on American protection from a serious military adversary is fundamentally flawed. If the region truly faced an existential threat, the only plausible adversary would be Russia. Yet, Russia and the US are locked in a relationship of strategic where both possess the ability to inflict unacceptable damage on each other.

The idea that Washington would risk its own survival to defend European states from Russia is laughable. Even those who have sacrificed much of their sovereignty—such as Germany, Britain, and Italy, which host US nuclear weapons—have no real guarantee of American intervention. Their servility has bought them nothing but subjugation. This reality is well understood in European capitals, though few admit it openly. Instead, Western European leaders continue to act in ways that serve American rather than national interests. Washington views Europe as little more than a base for operations against Russia—its primary value being its geographic location. The US will never sacrifice its own security for the sake of its European vassals.

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Trump and Putin have no use for Zelensky. Anymore than for Brussels or Paris.

“..it was “not pleasant” that Putin was contacted first..”

“..Moscow cannot sign a deal with Zelensky, arguing that he no longer has legitimacy as the country’s leader..”

Zelensky Comments On Putin-Trump Call (RT)

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has spoken out against US President Donald Trump’s recent phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, telling reporters on Thursday that it was “not pleasant” that Kiev was not contacted first. On Wednesday, Trump and Putin held their first call since the US president returned to office, discussing possible steps toward negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict. In a statement on Thursday the Kremlin described the 90-minute conversation as “constructive,” with both leaders agreeing to meet soon in a third country. Following his call with Putin, Trump contacted Vladimir Zelensky, after which he announced that Kiev is prepared to seek an end to the conflict with Russia.

Commenting on the Putin-Trump phone call in a conversation with reporters on Thursday, Zelensky insisted that Kiev must be included in any negotiations. “We will not accept any bilateral negotiations about Ukraine without us,” he stressed. He described his own conversation with Trump as a “really good discussion of almost an hour” but reiterated that it was “not pleasant” that Putin was contacted first. “Calls are calls, I understand everything, but meetings are a priority for us. Ukraine-America, and only after such meetings, after developing a plan to stop Putin, I believe it is fair to talk to the Russians,” Zelensky said. During his presidential campaign Trump repeatedly promised to swiftly end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Since entering office last month, the Republican has taken a starkly different approach to his predecessor Joe Biden.

Trump has criticized US assistance to Kiev and has insisted that Moscow must be part of the conversation to end the hostilities, suggesting that the US could use sanctions and the withholding of US support as leverage. The US president claims he understands Russia’s concerns about Ukraine joining NATO and has stated that Kiev would not become part of the bloc under any settlement. Russia has repeatedly said that it remains open to negotiations but has insisted that key issues, such as Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, must be resolved. At the same time, Putin has also said that Moscow cannot sign a deal with Zelensky, arguing that he no longer has legitimacy as the country’s leader. Trump has also acknowledged that Kiev would have to eventually hold elections and noted that Zelensky might not see another term as his domestic poll numbers “aren’t particularly great, to put it mildly.”

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Putin won’t negotiate with Zelensky, because he’s not a legitimate president. Macron knows this. The goal: keep the war going.

Only Zelensky Can Negotiate With Putin, Must Avoid ‘Capitulation’: Macron (ZH)

French President Emmanuel Macron just ahead of the start of Friday’s Munich Security Conference, which will run through the weekend, declared that only Ukraine’s President Zelensky can negotiate with Putin. It was a shot across the bow warning against Trump’s peace plan, the contours of which are beginning to show, with the French leader saying it could amount to “capitulation” if Russia isn’t forced to make any serious concessions. Macron warned in a fresh interview with the Financial Times that a “peace that is a capitulation” would be “bad news for everyone” – including the United Sates and that fundamentally it must be the Ukrainians driving the talks. Yet the reality is that Ukraine is not in the driver’s seat on the battlefield, where the conflict is being decided. And the outcome of talks is going to reflect this lack of true military leverage.

Macron continued, “The only question at this stage is whether President Putin is genuinely, sustainably and credibly willing to agree to a ceasefire on this basis. After that, it’s up to the Ukrainians to negotiate with Russia.” Thus Macron did make clear that he’s open to this “window of opportunity” for a negotiated solution which Trump is jump-starting. He said that “everyone has to play their role.” There are aspects of Trump’s emerging plan that Macron appears to have welcomed, per the FT: “Nonetheless, the French president endorsed the Trump administration’s position that it was Europe’s responsibility to ensure Ukraine’s security, saying it stemmed from a generational and bipartisan shift in America’s foreign policy priorities away from Europe and towards Asia.

US unilateralism did not start with Trump’s return to power, Macron added, noting that he “did not receive a call” in advance from the Biden administration about its “Aukus” nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the UK or about its withdrawal from Afghanistan. “What Trump is saying to Europe is that it is up to you to carry the burden. And I say, it is up to us to take it on,” Macron said.” Trump policy toward Europe and ending the Ukraine war is now widely being referred to as ‘electroshock’ in various publications after the Macron interview: “The message is clear – an ‘electroshock’, as French President Emmanuel Macron called it: European countries will have to step up defense spending if they intend to protect themselves from Russian aggression.”

Other European leaders have displayed outright anger over what they say is going over Zelensky’s head and showing willingness to deal directly with Putin. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday blasted the potential for peace talks that would cut out Zelensky or the Europeans. “A sham peace — over the heads of Ukrainians and Europeans — would gain nothing,” Baerbock said at the start of the security conference. “A sham peace would not bring lasting security, neither for the people in Ukraine nor for us in Europe or the United States,” she added, according to Reuters.

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The EU couldn’t even get 200,000 peacekeepers together.

Zelensky Demands 1.5 Million-Strong Army (RT)

Vladimir Zelensky has issued a new demand to Ukraine’s western backers, after the US said Kiev’s goal of NATO membership is “unrealistic.” Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Zelensky stated that Kiev needed an army of some 1.5 million soldiers. If Ukraine is not a member of the US-led military bloc, then it must build its defense capabilities together with Western Europe, Zelensky warned. He went on to claim that NATO membership remained the best and “cheapest” option for Ukraine’s security. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this week described Kiev’s hopes of NATO membership as “unrealistic,” a stance that was later reaffirmed by US President Donald Trump.

Zelensky insisted however “Until we are part of NATO, we need an army capable of protecting the country. This means NATO-standard weaponry and a sufficient number of trained Ukrainian troops. Based on calculations with our military leadership, that means an army of 1.5 million soldiers,” Zelensky said. Russia has maintained that Ukraine’s aspirations to join the US-led military bloc are one of the conflict’s root causes. On Thursday, Trump blamed the hostilities on his predecessor Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. The US President held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, stating afterwards that Moscow and Washington would start immediate negotiations to end the fighting. In January, Zelensky proposed deploying at least 200,000 European soldiers as peacekeepers in Ukraine to enforce any potential peace agreement with Russia.

In a recent interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, Zelensky said Ukraine had 980,000 military personnel in service. Maintaining a 1.5 million-strong army would require a 50% increase in funding, Zelensky said, questioning who would finance it and how.The Trump administration recently froze all foreign US aid, including for Ukraine, amid a government-wide spending review. Many EU and NATO members have failed to meet the bloc’s current defense spending target of 2% of GDP. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, western countries have provided over $82 billion in aid to Ukraine per year, according to data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. A Friday press release by the think tank claims that the EU has given Kiev nearly $64 billion in military aid, while the US has provided some $66 billion.

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Got the money? Got the money?

Retired Russian Colonel Claims Trump ‘Has Dirt’ On Zelensky (RMX)

Retired Russian Armed Forces Intelligence Colonel Anatoly Matviychuk has come out swinging in the lead-up to the Munich Security Conference, saying the U.S. has compromising information on Zelensky that will force him to compromise, namely, that he has possibly embezzled large amounts of money from the funds sent to Ukraine for its defense against Russia. In an interview with MK, the retired colonel said that President Trump “has long had a grudge against Zelensky,” since the head of the Kyiv regime supported his persecution and passed on compromising information about him to the previous U.S. administration under Biden. “Today, Trump is skillfully dealing with everyone who once spoke out against him,” Matviychuk noted. “Among them are Zelensky and Yermak. I am sure that Trump has more than enough dirt on them.”

These may have to do with the embezzlement of money. “It is not surprising that it has now become clear that about 100 billion dollars have sunk into oblivion,” the intelligence officer noted. “I believe that in fact the U.S. knows very well where these billions ended up…” Matviychuk claims the money ended up in Zelensky’s Spanish, Italian and British real estate. However, he also went after Zelensky’s wife. “In addition, the million-dollar expenses of the First Lady of Ukraine, Elena Zelenskaya, in European boutiques have been well calculated,” the expert added. Matviychuk added that Zelensky has also opened himself up to accusations of prolonging the conflict and numerous war crimes. This is not the first time someone has claimed Zelensky has enriched himself from U.S. taxpayer money sent for his country’s defense against Russia.

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that Zelenskyy and his partners owned a network of offshore companies dating back to 2012 in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus and Belize. The documents also revealed that before Zelenskyy became president in 2019, he gave his stake in an offshore company to a business partner but made an arrangement that the offshore company would continue paying dividends to a company Zelenskyy’s wife owned, the reporting project said. In response, USA Today offered up its own “fact check,” stating: “The Pandora Papers – secret records obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – highlight information about Zelenskyy’s overseas dealings. However, the papers don’t reveal the exact amount Zelenskyy or his wife have in overseas accounts. Sullivan said none of the assets claimed in the social media post were in the papers.”

USA Today also cites a 2022 Forbes piece that estimated Zelensky’s real estate portfolio at some $4 million after reports that he purchased his parents an $8 million mansion — although USA Today said the claims about an $8 million mansion were false. Nor did the magazine find any proof to back up claims that Zelensky owned three private jets or five luxury yachts. The original Instagram post targeted by USA Today reportedly stating that Zelenky owned “a 35 million dollar home in Florida and has $1.2 billion in an overseas bank account” is no longer available. Despite no hard evidence of embezzlement, allegations have continued non-stop, with many saying that now that Donald Trump is in office, a real audit will uncover the truth.

Tucker Carlson headlined a recent episode of his podcast by claiming “Ukrainian military is selling American weapons systems on the black market, including to drug cartels on the (American) border.” His guest U.S. Col. Daniel Davis said that Zelensky had even recently made a point of denying such allegations, and “the media just reports what he says.” The colonel then added that this has been “an open secret for almost the duration of (the war).”

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How to properly define “false flag” once and for all…

Moscow Responds To Chernobyl Strike Accusation (RT)

The Russian military does not target nuclear infrastructure, including what remains on the site of the destroyed Chernobyl power plant, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky had alleged earlier in the day that a Russian drone had attacked the containment structure built over what remains of the Soviet power facility which was devastated in a 1986 disaster. Zelensky reported “significant damage” in the incident. Peskov stated that any claims that Russia is targeting nuclear facilities are false by default. He said he has no verified information about the situation, but assumed that most likely it was “the latest provocation, a frame up” orchestrated by Kiev. He added: “This is what they love doing.”

The Chernobyl protective dome, also known as the New Safe Confinement, was built in the 2010s to protect the remains of the destroyed reactor 4 unit from the elements and prevent the escape of contaminated material into the environment. The project cost a reported €2.1 billion ($2.2 bn) in international funding. The alleged drone incident came days after the administration of US President Donald Trump ruled out Ukraine’s accession to NATO or restoration of control over all of its claimed territories as part of a potential peace deal with Russia. Zelensky had previously called both goals essential for Ukraine’s interests. Russian officials have warned that Kiev could resort to extreme measures, including false flag operations meant to frame Moscow, in an attempt to derail Washington’s peace efforts and ensure the continued flow of Western aid to Kiev.

Chernobyl
https://twitter.com/i/status/1890321938628665388

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“The nature of the NGO scams is to have a cause that sounds philanthropic, like ‘Save the Orphans of Sadville’ and then they pocket the money and zero actual orphans are helped.” — Elon Musk

Darkness Dying (Kunstler)

The exorcism of the USA just keeps revving up. You can tell by the number of revolutions-per-minute Elizabeth Warren’s head spins while she spews pea soup at the cameras. Who knew what a demon-infested slough USA Management Central was? And yes, I would like some insight as to how humble civil servants like Liz Warren accrue a $12-million fortune . . . and $30-million for Samantha Power (ex-USAID-chief) . . . and more than a $150-million for Nancy Pelosi. Could it be as simple as just good stock-picking? (Is that how they spend their time?) You have reason to suspect that what goes on in Washington DC is the greatest racketeering operation ever run on God’s green earth. “A threat to our democracy!” the Party of Chaos spouted incessantly during the election campaign in re: Donald J. Trump.

“Democracy Dies in Darkness,” The Washington Post still declares on its name-plate. Yet, who exactly kept the lights off the past four years? Who scrambled the brains of the nation’s management and thinking classes? Who made mental illness aspirational? You begin to detect that by “our democracy” they actually meant “our everlasting grift.” And it didn’t die darkness — it thrived, grew, and spread in the moist bureaucratic darkness like the Devil’s own slime mold. And now it is being revealed, to the astonished disgust of slightly more than half the nation that was not on-the-take. Turn over a log in the woods and you have the metaphor for “our democracy.” Countless hundred-footed things slither around under it, their feeding interrupted . . .

[..] This colossal worm-farm lies exposed now with its slithering denizens drying up under the DOGE sunlamp. The response by the political left’s clown troop fronting for all these scams is the most pathetic performative cluster-B psychodrama ever enacted on the streets of our nation’s capital: Schumer, Maxine Waters, Ayana Pressley, Liz Warren, and every other mewling loser in Wokedom singing that old union ditty Which Side Are You On for the cameras — as if they were reenacting the 1907 Monongah Mining Disaster. They are crying— as the old saying goes — all the way to the bank. The histrionics of the past three weeks are only the beginning, you understand, since USAID was just a mole-hill beside the mountain range of past turpitudes yet coming into view as Mr. Trump’s generals deploy in the battle-space.

Yesterday — mirable dictu! — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was sworn-in for Health and Human Services, to oversee the empire of fraud that public health became during the rogue reign of Tony Fauci and his cohorts. The flip-side of MAHA is Make Medicine Truthful Again. Everything about health-care in America slouches in disrepute and ignominy, from the doctors hostage to their private equity taskmasters to the faked drug trials at FDA to the deliberate data mismanagement at CDC to the grant-and-kickback game at NIH and NIAID, to the hellscape of medical insurance fraud, to the revolving door between pharma and government —RFK faces one of the most onerous tasks of filth-clearing since Hercules shoveled out the Augean stables. And then there’s the giant hairball of poisoned American food.

The solitary figure who remains absent on the playing field is Kash Patel, and you can tell by the delaying tactics employed by the Party of Chaos that they (and their blob allies) dread the coming day that he gets confirmed to lead the FBI. That’s when the combined forces of avalanche, tsunami, earthquake, and fire send forth an exterminating spewage of long-suppressed information about the 1960s assassinations, RussiaGate, the Epstein matter, the Ukraine money-laundry, and any number of other unresolved treasonous scandals.

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Lawfare 2.0.

14 States Sue To Block DOGE From Uncovering Gov’t Abuses, Slashing Waste (ZH)

We are now firmly in the lawfare stage of the second Trump presidency, with Democrats filing a flurry of lawsuits to hinder the new administration’s agenda until a strong ruling from the Supreme Court eventually sets precedent. In the latest legal move, a group of 14 states have sued Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, alleging that the authority granted to the billionaire and his team at DOGE is unconstitutional. The states, including Arizona, Michigan and Rhode Island, have taken aim at efforts to dramatically reduce the size of the federal workforce, including dismantling entire agencies, as well as their access to sensitive data. “The founders of this country would be outraged that, 250 years after our nation overthrew a king, the people of this country—many of whom have fought and died to protect our freedoms—are now subject to the whims of a single unelected billionaire,” said Arizona AG Kris Mayes in a statement reported by NBC News.

The lawsuit argues that Trump violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution by creating DOGE – an unofficial government agency, without congressional approval, and for granting Musk “sweeping power” without the advice or consent of the Senate through a confirmation hearing. “President Trump has delegated virtually unchecked authority to Mr. Musk without proper legal authorization from Congress and without meaningful supervision of his activities,” reads the complaint. “As a result, he has transformed a minor position that was formerly responsible for managing government websites into a designated agent of chaos without limitation and in violation of the separation of powers.” The states seek a court order blocking Musk from making changes to government funding, canceling contracts, making personnel decisions, and more.

According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, the lawsuit is nothing more than a “continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump,” adding “The White House will continue to fight these battles in court, and we expect to be vindicated.” Another Thursday lawsuit from a group of government employees sought to block Musk and DOGE from accessing sensitive data and removing federal employees until “Musk is properly appointed pursuant to the U.S. constitution.” That lawsuit came on the heels of NY Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other attorneys general suing the Trump administration to block DOGE from accessing personal data housed in the Treasury department, calling it “unconstitutional.” A federal judge temporarily granted that request, ruling that the states “will face irreparable harm in the absence of injuctive relief.” Meanwhile, 22 state attorneys general were separately granted a request to halt an effort by the Trump administration to make large cuts to federal research agencies.

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Someone likes the F-35… Doesn’t mention the price tag..

Is DOGE Going to Kill the F-35? (Green)

Lockheed-Martin’s F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighter is one of those development boondoggles that we’ve become all too familiar with, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Elon Musk’s DOGE boys are looking at perhaps canceling it. The Spectator’s Teresa Mull wrote Wednesday that while in Hegseth’s view,“’efficiency’ does not equate to funding cuts (he wants DoD spending to increase), one quick and easy way to curb waste right out the gate would be to abandon the F-35 fighter jet, fire every senior person involved in its commission and put in place systems to ensure that such horrors never happen again.” Seriously, the development of the jet was that bad. Although I’m certain that the entire program needs the green eyeshade treatment from DOGE, I don’t think that Mull made the case that the F-35 is a “totally flawed” “monster” that the Air Force, Marines, and Navy should “cease using.”

It’s a short article and even shorter on specifics. One specific detail left out is that, despite the jet’s unspecified “871 unresolved deficiencies,” the F-35 is the safest jet to fly in our arsenal. “The Air Force’s F-15 Eagle has a lifetime Class A accident rate of 2.36 per 100,000 hours of flight, with a spike early in the Eagle’s flying career and a relatively low accident rate 10-30 years after reaching operational status,” while the Air Force jet the F-35 is meant to replace, the F-16, “has a lifetime Class A rate of 3.45 per 100,000 hours.” The F-35’s accident rate is 1.5 crashes per 100,000 flight hours. That’s the lowest for a new jet, ever. It’s such an overpriced, useless hunk of jet that [checks notes] countries like Belgium, Japan, and South Korea that weren’t even in on the development contractor dollars can’t seem to buy enough of them. That’s one helluva endorsement.

Pilots seem to love it. The F-35’s god’s-eye view of the battlespace and its ability to share that data with many other platforms in the air, on land, or sea increases the lethality of everyone fighting alongside it. That’s a unique capability, and it would be missed. And Another Thing: While my wife is a former employee of Lockheed-Martin, she didn’t work anywhere near the F-35 program. I own no shares in the company. But I’m more than willing to be proven wrong here because I believe in two things. The first is that America needs the best jets and that our pilots deserve the best jets. If the F-35 isn’t the best, then we need to start working on the F-36 or whatever, pronto. The second is that American taxpayers deserve something better than the screwing-over we typically get from the Pentagon and its contractor buddies — and that our entire arsenal needs a second, third, and fourth look.

At the very least, DOGE should take a high-powered loup to the F-35’s maintenance costs. While production costs have come down nicely — a fully modern Air Force F-35A (without the fancy VTOL or carrier requirements of the Marines’ F-35B and the Navy’s F-35C) is $82.5 million. The latest version of the F-16 — an impressive upgrade but still based on a 1970s airframe — is about $65 million. Not exactly a bargain, but it’s certainly in line with its greater capabilities. Still, maintenance costs are too high, and readiness is too low. Maybe the mere threat of DOGE will convince Lockheed to offer a serious discount on those maintenance costs.

If Hegseth and the DOGE boys do decide to kill the program, my advice would be to kill it slowly. Milblogger (and retired Navy officer) CDR Salamander devised a rule about procurement that goes something like this: don’t stop building the Current Thing until the New Thing is ready to go. Indecisiveness and development delays with big-ticket items like the NGAD stealth fighter and the navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers have left us dangerously dependent on aging platforms like the F-22 and the Nimitz-class carriers that, frankly, we built too few of. So, if the F-35 needs to die, then make its replacement a high-priority/high-speed job. In the meantime, keep making F-35s, perhaps at a lower rate of production, until that replacement is ready to fight.

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Lawfare lives!

Treasury IG Launches Audit Of “Fraudulent Payments” Found By DOGE (ZH)

The US Treasury’s Department of Inspector General is launching an investigation into “alleged fraudulent payments” found by Elon Musk’s DOGE team, and will analyze the past two years of transactions within the government’s payment system. The IG will also review the security controls to the system after Democratic senators freaked out over the access provided by Trump to Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency. According to a Friday letter by Treasury Deputy IG Loren J. Sciurba, the audit will take approximately six months. “We expect to begin our fieldwork immediately,” Sciurba wrote. “Given the breadth of this effort, the audit will likely not be completed until August; however, we recognize the danger that improper access or inadequate controls can pose to the integrity of sensitive payment systems. As such, if critical issues come to light before that time, we will issue interim updates and reports.”

Musk claims to have found massive waste, fraud and abuse – and has launched an official government website for DOGE that will track how large the US government is, and how much DOGE has saved. The site (which still needs a little ‘fine tuning’) also has an ‘unconstitutionality index,’ which compares the number of rules passed by Congress in 2024 vs. the number of agency rules created out of thin air. According to the report, the audit comes after Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren (MA) and Ron Wyden (OR) pushed for an inquiry at the US Treasury. On Wednesday, Warren, Wyden, and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent raising the alarm over DOGE (and not what they’ve found, of course).

“Your lack of candor about these events is deeply troubling given the threats to the economy and the public from DOGE’s meddling, and you need to provide a clear, complete, and public accounting of who accessed the systems, what they were doing, and why they were doing it,” wrote the lawmakers. Several lawsuits have also been filed by labor unions and advocacy groups against DOGE’s potential unauthorized access to sensitive Treasury payment systems, while five former treasury secretaries (who ostensibly oversaw massive fraud), have similarly sounded the alarm over what they say are risks associated with DOGE accessing sensitive Treasury Department payment systems. Of course, if the following is true, DOGE may be 100% within its right to access these systems after actually having been established by the Obama administration.

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“‘MaYbe shE’s goiNg to be in TroUble nOw.’

Tom Homan Refers AOC to DOJ for Investigation (PJM)

President Donald Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, accused New York Democrat Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of impeding U.S. immigration law enforcement efforts after she was caught advising illegal aliens on how to avoid deportation. Homan told Fox News, “Impediment is impediment in my opinion,” when asked if her actions were “crossing the line” and noted that he was “working with the Department of Justice to find out.” According to 8 US Code 1324 1/A/iv: “Any person who— encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law; or engages in any conspiracy to commit any of the preceding acts, or aids or abets the commission of any of the preceding acts, shall be punished.”

AOC hosted the “Know Your Rights With ICE” webinar live on her Facebook page on Feb. 12, which provided illegals in her NY congressional district with information on how to handle Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent search requests at their homes or workplaces. She told illegals viewing the webinar, “When one of these things [raids] comes to your backyard, you can resist, and when that happens over millions of people, is that you generate enough friction that they cannot go as fast as they want to go,” so it slows down ICE raids. “Believe it or not, in America EVERYONE has rights,” Ocasio-Cortez later posted on her X account. Homan questioned whether AOC’s behavior constituted obstruction of immigration enforcement and asked the DOJ for clarification on whether her acts could be considered unlawful interference.

“I sent a letter today to the deputy attorney general. At what level is that impediment? Is that impediment? I’m not an attorney, I’m not a prosecutor. Is that impeding our law enforcement efforts? If so, what are we going to do about it?” asked Homan.The border czar further hinted, “Maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now.” “‘MaYbe shE’s goiNg to be in TroUble nOw.’ Maybe he can learn to read. The Constitution would be a good place to start,” AOC responded on X. The Trump administration has made enforcement of U.S. immigration law and the deportation of illegals a major priority. The White House has pledged to prosecute anyone who attempts to halt ongoing deportation operations against criminal aliens, including leakers in law enforcement and elected public officials.

Homan has also suggested that President Trump may pull out all Federal dollars from NYC to pressure the local authorities to comply with immigration law and finally end its sanctuary city status. Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who recently saw charges dropped against him by the DOJ, told city officials not to hinder ICE agents from carrying out deportation raids. The DOJ has not commented on whether it would investigate AOC’s actions, but if they do proceed, prosecutors would need to establish that her webinar actively obstructed ICE operations rather than merely provided information to illegal alien residents living in her district.

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It’s government wide.

US Embassies Told To Reduce Staff (RT)

The US State Department has directed embassies worldwide to prepare for staff reductions, ABC News and Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources. Some diplomatic missions have been instructed to consider reducing both US and locally employed staff by 10%, Reuters wrote, citing sources close to the matter. Senior embassy officials have reportedly been asked to compile comprehensive lists of all employees, including tenured, untenured, and temporary staff, sources familiar with the issue told ABC News. The reported directive was issued shortly before US President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” which mandates that State Department staff align with his administration’s foreign policy goals.

The order emphasizes the need for the US secretary of state to maintain an “exceptional workforce of patriots” In line with efforts to cut costs, the Trump administration is also considering eliminating several US consulates and diplomatic posts around the world, NBC News reported on Wednesday. Consulates in Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the Pacific Islands are among those under review, the outlet said. Officials have reportedly been asked to assess the relevance of these facilities to Trump’s America First agenda, considering factors such as diplomatic necessity and potential additional government activities like military contacts and intelligence gathering. The moves are part of President Trump’s broader initiative to reshape the federal workforce. He has proposed a 10% reduction in government employees, in a move to streamline operations and reduce costs. The US administration has already initiated extensive layoffs of probationary workers, impacting nearly all who have not yet attained civil service protection.

Additionally, the administration has launched the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, in order to streamline federal operations with a target of trimming $2 trillion in expenditures from the federal budget. Musk has acknowledged that achieving this goal is a long shot, while suggesting that the drive might result in achieving $1 trillion in cuts.As part of its cost-cutting measures, DOGE has already implemented significant reductions, including the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as well as imposing severe restrictions on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants as part of a broader strategy to eliminate wasteful spending and increase government efficiency.

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“Democrats Jump the Shark..”

Latest Claims of a Constitutional Crisis Won’t Lead to Happier Days (Turley)

Forty years ago, a radio personality coined the phrase “jump the shark” in reference to the episode of the sitcom “Happy Days” in which the character Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jumps over a live shark on water skis. The term is often applied to dying franchises that turn to sensational language or scenes to try to revive the fading interest of the public. More often, you jump the shark and land in utter obscurity. This week, the Democratic Party jumped the shark. For years, Dems and their allies pushed the absurd claim that democracy was about to die if Joe Biden or Kamala Harris was not elected president. The public wasn’t buying it. In 2024, Donald Trump won a majority of the voters as well as control of both houses of Congress. Rather than examine its messaging, Democrats decided to double down. After the election, politicians and pundits announced a new “constitutional crisis” surrounding the effort to downsize the federal government led by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Kris Mayes, the attorney general of Arizona, declared this week, “We are on the brink of a dictatorship, and America has never been in a more dangerous position than she is today.” The same media that carried the breathless accounts of the imminent death of democracy with the last election are now running “constitutional crisis” articles with many of the same “experts.” Despite Trump repeating that he “will abide by the courts” while appealing opposing decisions, NPR insisted that Trump’s circle has indicated it is “willing to ignore court orders and defy judicial authority.” During his first term, Trump repeatedly lost cases — as did his predecessor, Barack Obama, and successor, Biden — but he continued to comply with those rulings.

The fact is that we have the oldest and most stable constitutional system in history. It has repeatedly survived challenges from political to economic meltdowns that would have destroyed other systems. That Madisonian system relies on an independent judiciary, including Trump appointees who regularly ruled against the Trump administration, including on the Supreme Court. For many citizens, what is most striking is not Trump’s actions, but how Democrats are seeking to prevent the very reforms that a majority of voters supported. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) warned that this “is a really, really sad day in America. We are witnessing a constitutional crisis. We talked about Trump wanting to be a dictator on day one. And here we are. This is what the beginning of dictatorship looks like when you gut the Constitution, and you install yourself as the sole power. That is how dictators are made.”

Actually, that is not how dictators are made but how democracies work. Trump ran on reducing the deficit and size of the government. The public is worried about a crisis — though it is not one of democracy but debt. In 2024, the $6.75 trillion budget exceeded our tax receipts of $4.9 trillion. The rest, $1.8 trillion, had to be borrowed. As a result, the national debt has ballooned and, if left on its current trajectory, would amount to 250% of gross domestic product within three decades. We are becoming a debtor nation where every citizen now shoulders a $106,000-per-capita burden to pay for our out-of-control spending.

Nevertheless, in the first DOGE subcommittee hearing in the House, Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) insisted that he would “defend democracy,” which is “under attack” by DOGE and the effort to carry out Trump’s campaign pledges. What is truly in danger is the status quo. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) may have ironically had the most honest moment when he joined one of the daily protests and yelled how Musk’s government efficiency efforts are “taking away everything we have.” By declaring a constitutional crisis, these figures are using “rage rhetoric” that gives a license for extreme conduct and messaging. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has declared a “coup” is being carried out. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) insisted “God d—-it shut down the Senate! … WE ARE AT WAR!” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called on citizens “to fight back” as Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called for a fight in the streets and for citizens “to rise up.”

Not to be outdone in the rage-fest, Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) yelled, “We are gonna be in your face, we are gonna be on your a–es, and we are going to make sure you understand what democracy looks like, and this ain’t it.” Biden was repeatedly found to have violated the Constitution, including with unilateral actions through executive orders. Courts called him out for it. None of these Democratic members declared a coup or collapse of democracy. Such court challenges are common and often these early initiatives shake out with new guarantees and judicial guidelines. The courts may oppose certain moves by Trump and DOGE, but these are decisions of process, not policy. Eventually the president will be able to pare government spending, which is what the Democrats are really upset about — not the invented “constitutional crisis.”

Judging from the polls, the public sees that. The Fonz saw it, even if he still does not get it. Just before the election, Winkler mocked Trump’s huge Madison Square Garden rally and told NBC, “That’s his life’s bread; his life’s blood is the sound of appreciation or adulation or whatever.” That “whatever” is called public support. It is a lesson that the Democrats may want to learn if they ever want to see happier days.

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Elon+X

 

 

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New home

 

 

Translate

 

 

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Feb 142025
 
 February 14, 2025  Posted by at 10:22 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,  50 Responses »


Margaret Gillies Charles Dickens 1844

 

Trump To Xi, Putin: Let’s Cut Military Budget In Half – Russia Back In G7 (ZH)
Russia and US To Hold ‘High-Level’ Meeting In Munich Friday – Trump (RT)
Trump’s Call With Putin Marks A Shift In Global Power (Fyodor Lukyanov)
Putin-Trump Summit On The Way – Kremlin (RT)
Trump Wants A Deal With Russia – But Can He Deliver? (Suchkov)
RFK Jr. Confirmed As Trump’s Health Secretary (RT)
Panic Grips European Leaders as EU Left Out of Trump-Putin Call (Sp.)
European NATO ‘Fears Cost’ Of Trump’s Ukraine Burden Shift (RT)
Orban Sees EU As Undeserving Of Role In Ukraine Settlement Talks (TASS)
Vance Blasts ‘Russian Meddling’ Excuse (RT)
Musk Fraud Probes May Explain ‘Urgency’ of Trump-Putin Call (Sp.)
Zelensky Targets Political Opposition (RT)
Trump Will Terminate ‘Woke’ Policies – Musk (RT)
Trump Freezes All National Endowment for Democracy Funding (RT)
DOGE Exposes Insane Federal Use Of Old Limestone Mine (MN)
Musk: “We Need To Delete Entire Agencies”; Fed Worker Buyout Tops 75,000 (ZH)
US Govt Paid Reuters For ‘Social Deception’ – Musk (RT)
The Great AI Game: US, China Vie For West Asian Cash (Cradle)
The Pentagon Is Recruiting Elon Musk To Help Them Win A Nuclear War (MacLeod)

 

 

 

 

CNN

182

Trump Zel
https://twitter.com/i/status/1890000851185668123

Tulsi

Benz
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889851950189125656

Leavitt

Tillis

Rand Paul

JD

 

 

 

 

Full collision course with the MIC/deep state.

And: you can demand that Europe pays more, or you can pay less yourself.

Trump To Xi, Putin: Let’s Cut Military Budget In Half – Russia Back In G7 (ZH)

On Thursday President Donald Trump continued to signal positive feelings about a future relationship with Russia and Putin, telling reporters that he’d like to see Russia invited back in to join the The Group of Seven major economies, or G7, which until 2014 was the G8 when Russia was included. “I’d love to have them back. I think it was a mistake to throw them out. Look, it’s not a question of liking Russia or not liking Russia. It was the G8,” Trump said from the Oval Office upon announcing new US reciprocal tariffs. “I said, ‘What are you doing? You guys – all you’re talking about is Russia and they should be sitting at the table.’ And he then added, “I think Putin would love to be back.”

The G7 countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. In 2014 these nations decided to expel Russia over the annexation of Crimea, but Moscow pointed out that Crimeans overwhelmingly voted to become part of the Russian Federation after a popular referendum. Another highlight from the Oval Office press conference was when the president called on China and Russia to join the United States in agreeing to cut their enormous defense budgets in half. He said in the context of also urging the three major powers to restart nuclear arms control talks.

“One of the first meetings I want to have is with President Xi of China, President Putin of Russia. And I want to say, ‘let’s cut our military budget in half.’ And we can do that. And I think we’ll be able to,” Trump declared. According to an Associated Press summary of the comments: Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump lamented the hundreds of billions of dollars being invested in rebuilding the nation’s nuclear deterrent and said he hopes to gain commitments from the U.S. adversaries to cut their own spending. “There’s no reason for us to be building brand new nuclear weapons, we already have so many,” Trump said. “You could destroy the world 50 times over, 100 times over. And here we are building new nuclear weapons, and they’re building nuclear weapons.”

“We’re all spending a lot of money that we could be spending on other things that are actually, hopefully much more productive,” Trump continued. Russia and the US have long had the world’s biggest nuclear arsenals, but China has in the last ten years been making strides to greatly bolster its strategic capabilities, which has alarmed the West. Trump warned that any future nuclear use by a global power is “going to be probably oblivion.” Likely Moscow and Beijing will receive these words positively as an overture, especially on the nuclear front, but neither will actually heed Trump’s call to pledge a 50% reduction in defense spending – especially when Russia is at war in Ukraine and under US-EU sanctions. They might tell the Trump White House instead: ‘your move first’.

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The Munich Security Conference was going to take place anyway, but it acquires a whole new status now. JD Vance leads the US delegation, Foreign Ministers Rubio and Lavrov(?!) will be present. Perfect settings to prepare the Putin-Trump get-together. Not sometime in the future, but today, Feb. 14, and over the weekend. Things move fast.

Russia and US To Hold ‘High-Level’ Meeting In Munich Friday – Trump (RT)

President Donald Trump has announced that “high-level” US representatives will meet their Russian counterparts at the Munich Security Conference on Friday to discuss a resolution to the Ukraine conflict. President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart spoke for nearly 90 minutes by phone on Wednesday, marking the first known direct interaction between the Russian and US heads of state since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. On Thursday, Trump said the phone call paved the way for further direct contacts between American and Russian officials. “They’re having a meeting in Munich tomorrow. Russia is going to be there with our people,” Trump told journalists at the White House on Thursday. Trump added that “Ukraine is also invited, by the way,” but did not specify the format of the meeting or clarify whether it would be a three-way dialogue or a series of bilateral talks.

“Not sure exactly who’s going to be there from any country, but high-level people from Russia, from Ukraine, and from the United States,” the US leader added. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Thursday that the fact that both presidents had expressed a willingness to engage in dialogue was a “very important achievement” that has “set in motion an apparatus of aides, ministries and so on, that will now gradually begin dialogue and prepare the next contacts.” “Now that the leaders have demonstrated political will and provided their aides with the necessary instructions to initiate communication, we ask for a bit of patience. These discussions need time to gain momentum,” Peskov said.

The Munich Security Conference is taking place from February 14 to 16 in Munich, Germany. US Vice President J.D. Vance will lead the American delegation at the MSC, where he is expected to meet with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the conference is an opportunity for American officials to “lay out a broad path forward” on Ukraine. Meanwhile, US presidential envoy for the Ukraine conflict Keith Kellogg is reportedly expected to make it clear that the US has no intention of deploying troops to protect Ukraine and wants European NATO allies to increase their defense spending. Russian officials have not attended the Munich Conference since 2022, and Moscow has yet to confirm its participation this year or announce the composition of its delegation.

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“The liberal world order is no longer a guiding principle – it is a relic of the past..”

Trump’s Call With Putin Marks A Shift In Global Power (Fyodor Lukyanov)

The long-anticipated phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has finally taken place, sending shock waves through the geopolitical landscape. But before anyone gets carried away with triumph or despair, it’s worth recognizing what has actually happened: Russian-US relations have simply returned to their natural state – one of strategic rivalry, conflicting interests, and fundamental differences in worldview. For decades, the US pursued a fantasy – one where it could reshape Russia in its own image, first through incentives and later through coercion. Washington believed it could mold Moscow into a compliant partner within the ‘liberal international order’, an illusion that only collapsed when reality hit: Russia was never going to be remade. Meanwhile, Moscow spent years trying to find common ground, adjusting its own policies in hopes of reaching a workable coexistence.

That experiment, too, ended a decade ago. The dissolution of the Cold War system in the late 1980s was a historical anomaly, a fluke that many mistook for a permanent transformation. The Western narrative of ‘victory’ was premature – history does not end, it evolves. Over time, the illusion of a unipolar world became harder to sustain, and the global balance of power began shifting. Those who benefited from the old order clung to it desperately, while those who felt shortchanged pushed back harder. Ukraine became the unfortunate fault line in this struggle, the battleground of irreconcilable visions. What is happening now is not the beginning of a new era but the inevitable correction of an old one.

The US, even under Trump’s presidency, has recognized that great power rivalry is once again the defining feature of international politics. But unlike previous decades, when ideological battles masked geopolitical interests, the new competition is more pragmatic, stripped of the pretense of universal values. The liberal world order is no longer a guiding principle – it is a relic of the past. This shift does not guarantee peace, nor does it eliminate the risks of confrontation. But it does bring a certain rationality back into the equation. The West’s ideological zeal, which often led it to take reckless, counterproductive actions, is giving way to a more sober assessment of power and interests. The focus is no longer on forcing one side to submit, but on negotiating tangible advantages.

Russia, meanwhile, is positioned as a key player in shaping this new world order. The strategic fantasies of the 1990s have been replaced with a hard-nosed realism that acknowledges the limits of Western power. The reset to ‘factory settings’ does not mean stability – it means a return to the fundamentals of global politics, where strength, influence, and calculated diplomacy dictate the course of history.

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The view from Moscow: “..the Trump team apparently “holds the view that everything must be done to stop the war and for peace to prevail..”

Putin-Trump Summit On The Way – Kremlin (RT)

It is hard to overestimate the significance of the recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. He also noted that the presidents have instructed their teams to lay the groundwork for the summit. The call on Wednesday marked the first known conversation between the US and Russian leaders since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Trump has since signaled that he is “okay” with keeping Ukraine out of NATO and suggested that it is “unlikely” that Kiev could regain all of the territory it has lost to Russia over the past decade. Trump also noted that the presidents had exchanged invitations to visit each other’s countries.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Peskov described the phone call as “a very important conversation.” “Against the backdrop of what has been happening for several years, there have been no contacts at the highest level between Moscow and Washington,” he said, noting that this landscape did not contribute to solving the Ukraine crisis. Unlike the administration of ex-US President Joe Biden, which believed that “everything must be done to ensure that the war continues,” the Trump team apparently “holds the view that everything must be done to stop the war and for peace to prevail,” Peskov said. “We are much more impressed by the position of the current administration, and we are open to dialogue,” the spokesman stressed. Peskov added that the leaders would remain in touch regarding a summit.

“They will focus on a separate meeting; they also agreed that instructions would be immediately given to the relevant assistants so that they would begin the relevant work.” At the same time, Peskov declined to reveal which side had initiated the engagement, while clarifying that there has been no agreement on whether Trump will come to Moscow to attend the Victory parade to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. “Exchanging mutual invitations is one thing, but focusing on a separate bilateral meeting is a different process,” the spokesman noted. Regarding a potential territory swap with Ukraine, Peskov cautioned against “getting ahead of ourselves.” “There is political will… to conduct a dialogue to reach a settlement… We need to wait for… at least the first results of the joint work.”

At the same time, Peskov would not confirm or deny Trump’s remarks that Saudi Arabia would host a summit between the two leaders. He also did not provide any timeline for a potential Trump-Putin meeting, or when Russian and American work groups could get down to negotiations. “There is definitely a need for such a [Trump-Putin] meeting to be held promptly. The heads of state have a lot to talk about… It is also impossible to speculate on any deadlines at this point, because the work will only begin these days.”

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“The idea that Trump and Putin could strike a deal on Ukraine [..] poses an existential threat to the current European security order.

Trump Wants A Deal With Russia – But Can He Deliver? (Suchkov)

The defining geopolitical rivalry of the 21st century may be between the United States and China, but few interactions in global politics draw as much scrutiny and intrigue as those between America and Russia. While the future world order may hinge on the dynamics between Washington and Beijing, the stability of the world itself often depends on the relationship between the US and Moscow. Wednesday’s phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump was a reminder of this enduring reality. It was also a signal that, for all the efforts to isolate Russia, serious negotiations are back on the table.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump has never treated Russia with the hostility so often expected in Washington. While he has mocked and insulted rivals and allies alike, from Mexico to NATO partners, Russia and India remain two notable exceptions. The US foreign policy establishment readily accepts Trump’s warmth toward India but views his respectful approach to Russia as something suspicious. Since his first presidency, speculation has swirled around whether Trump genuinely sees Russia as a major power deserving of engagement, or whether he simply understands that diplomacy with Moscow requires mutual respect. Whatever the case, the meticulous preparations that preceded this latest phone call suggest a stark contrast with Trump’s often impulsive approach to other world leaders. Every face-to-face meeting between Trump and Putin during his first term was marked by strong personal chemistry and productive discussions on key global issues.

However, each time Trump returned to Washington, those tentative diplomatic breakthroughs were undermined by a political establishment determined to preserve the narrative of a Russian threat. Allegations of “Russian interference” sabotaged potential cooperation on Syria, Ukraine, counterterrorism, missile defense, and arms control. Now, with Trump back in office, those same forces are once again mobilizing to block any steps toward détente. The idea that Trump and Putin could strike a deal on Ukraine — one that would leave behind those who have invested political and financial capital into prolonging the war — poses an existential threat to the current European security order. It is no coincidence that this phone call took place just before the Munich Security Conference, where many of these “investors in war” gather to reinforce their commitments to perpetual conflict.

Yet, this conversation is merely the first step in a long and uncertain road. Trump’s primary focus remains making America — not Russia — “great again,” and any agreements he seeks with Moscow will be dictated by that priority. However, his openness to negotiation and strategic realism signal a shift in approach that could redefine the global balance of power. The next crucial moment will be an in-person meeting between the two leaders. Whether that meeting leads to a genuine breakthrough or another cycle of political sabotage remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: with the world watching and the stakes higher than ever, Trump and Putin have set the agenda — and their adversaries are paying attention.

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“..Kennedy joined Trump’s campaign, with the latter vowing to let him “go wild” on healthcare policy.”

RFK Jr. Confirmed As Trump’s Health Secretary (RT)

The US Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services on Thursday. The confirmation was secured despite Democratic objections to what they described as Kennedy’s promotion of ‘conspiracy theories’ about vaccines and nutrition. The vote was largely divided along party lines, with 52 Republicans supporting the nomination and 48 Democrats opposing it. Former GOP leader Mitch McConnell was the only Republican to vote against the confirmation. Kennedy, 71, an environmental lawyer, was nominated by US President Donald Trump shortly after his reelection victory in November last year. The vote breakdown marks the second time in as many days that McConnell has opposed one of Trump’s nominees. He was the only Republican to oppose the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday.

McConnell said he refused back RFK Jr. due to the nominee’s vaccine skepticism. “I’m a survivor of childhood polio … I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell stated. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement that “when dangerous diseases make a comeback and people struggle to access lifesaving vaccines, all Americans will pay the price.” Warren also warned that “with his significant, unresolved conflicts of interest, RFK Jr.’s family could continue profiting from his anti-vaccine agenda while he holds office.”

Kennedy, the founder of the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, has gained prominence in the US for questioning the safety and effectiveness of childhood vaccinations and promoting the claim that vaccines are linked to autism. He was also a vocal critic of the Covid-19 response measures recommended by the World Health Organization, including the strict lockdowns and rapid rollout of vaccines. Despite this, Kennedy denies being opposed to vaccination, noting that his own children are immunized. During his confirmation hearings, he stated that he simply advocates for stricter studies and safety testing of vaccines. Following an unsuccessful independent presidential bid, Kennedy joined Trump’s campaign, with the latter vowing to let him “go wild” on healthcare policy.

Kennedy has publicly backed Trump’s pledge to end the Ukraine conflict quickly. In a 2023 interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, he alleged that the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary agency for funding political projects abroad, had funneled $5 billion to support the protests that led to the 2014 Maidan coup. In the interview, Kennedy described USAID as a front for the CIA. He also referenced a leaked phone call between then-US diplomat Victoria Nuland and the US ambassador to Ukraine, in which Nuland was heard selecting members of Ukraine’s post-coup government – just weeks before the president was overthrown. Kennedy is the son of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.


https://twitter.com/i/status/1890081625368854561

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Europe wants to be important. In reality, it is impotent. Close, but…

Why on earth would Trump and Putin want the likes of von der Leyen or Macron at the table? They would just be in the way.

Panic Grips European Leaders as EU Left Out of Trump-Putin Call (Sp.)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, energy issues, and the exchange of citizens in a telephone call that lasted for one and a half hours, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed. The phone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump has triggered a litany of reactions from European politicians. Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy posted a joined statement by several European states that read: “Our shared objectives should be to put Ukraine in a position of strength. Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.” UK Defense Secretary John Healey claimed that no peace talks could be done “about Ukraine without Ukraine.”

Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense chief, lamented the development as “regrettable” arguing that the Trump administration had made “concessions” to Russia, while asserting that “it would have been better to speak about a possible NATO membership for Ukraine or possible losses of territory at the negotiating table.” Joining the bandwagon, Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock added that “peace can only be achieved together. And that means: with Ukraine and with the Europeans.” In addition, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared that “All we need is peace… Ukraine, Europe and the United States should work on this together.”

For his part, French top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot insisted that “There will be no just and durable peace in Ukraine without Europeans.” Meanwhile, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur chimed in, saying: “Europe is investing in Ukrainian defense, and Europe is rebuilding Ukraine with European Union money, with our bilateral aid – so we have to be there.” And finally, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for turbo-charging defense production among member states, adding: “We have to make sure that Ukraine is in a position of strength.”

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It’s not just the money. Europe has no war industry, it has no troops. For decades, it let the US take care of all that. Much cheaper. It will take decades to re-balance this, if ever.

European NATO ‘Fears Cost’ Of Trump’s Ukraine Burden Shift (RT)

Officials in European NATO states are reluctant to shoulder Ukraine’s security without US backing, The Financial Times reported on Thursday. This week, the US President Donald Trump administration signaled its desire for minimal involvement, once a possible truce is achieved. According to the FT, Washington’s transatlantic allies “fear they will have to bear the cost of postwar security and reconstruction” and are frustrated by Trump’s negotiations with Russia conducted without their input. One source indicated that a scenario where “the US says, ‘We did the ceasefire, and all of the rest is for you to clean up’” wouldn’t work for the EU. The diplomat further noted: “There is a limit to what the EU alone can realistically provide in terms of money, arms, and perhaps boots on the ground.”

Another EU official remarked that “the Americans don’t see a role for Europe in the big geopolitical questions related to the war,” adding: “Trump sees us as money.” Former US President Joe Biden’s stated policy was to stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” a sentiment echoed by the EU and various national governments. The shift in Washington’s stance was articulated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a meeting of arms donors in Germany on Wednesday. Hegseth characterized Kiev’s ambition to recover territories it has lost since 2014 as “an unrealistic objective,” an “illusionary goal” would only lead to greater suffering. He also dismissed the feasibility of NATO membership for Ukraine and emphasized that any post-ceasefire peacekeeping mission should not involve the US-led military bloc or US forces: “To be clear, as part of any security guarantee, there will not be US troops deployed to Ukraine.”

Trump then made his intentions clear by announcing he had held a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK issued a joint statement on Wednesday evening alongside the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, reaffirming support for the previous US government’s approach. Releasing the statement on Wednesday Kallas declared Ukrainian territorial integrity “unconditional” and demanded Western Europe has a “central role” in any negotiations. Russia has consistently expressed concerns over NATO’s eastward expansion since the 1990s, viewing it as a direct threat to its national security. Moscow has viewed Ukraine’s potential NATO membership as a “red line” and a significant factor in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

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“While [Trump and Putin] negotiate on peace, EU officials issue worthless statements. You can’t request a seat at the negotiating table. You have to earn it! Through strength, good leadership and smart diplomacy.”

Orban Sees EU As Undeserving Of Role In Ukraine Settlement Talks (TASS)

The EU leadership has not earned a seat at the Ukraine negotiating table alongside Russia and the US, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said. His comments came in response to a statement by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who, following phone talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, insisted that Europe and Ukraine should be included in any negotiations to resolve the conflict. The statement was issued on behalf of the EU as well as France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Spain and the UK.

“This declaration is a sad testament of bad Brusselian leadership. While President Donald Trump and President Putin negotiate on peace, EU officials issue worthless statements. You can’t request a seat at the negotiating table. You have to earn it! Through strength, good leadership and smart diplomacy. The position of Brussels – to support killing as long as it takes – is morally and politically unacceptable,” Orban wrote on X. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin’s conversation with Trump on Wednesday lasted almost 90 minutes. They discussed the crisis in Ukraine, the Middle East and exchanging convicted nationals of the two countries. The Russian and US leaders agreed to maintain communication and arrange a face-to-face meeting.

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But that excuse is all Europe has.

Vance Blasts ‘Russian Meddling’ Excuse (RT)

Western mainstream political parties blaming Russian meddling for electoral failures are increasingly out of touch with voters, US Vice President J.D. Vance has said. EU politicians would rather suppress dissent than reflect on their actions, he told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. Ahead of attending the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Vance urged Western politicians to embrace the rise of anti-establishment politics. He criticized attempts to dismiss viewpoints on issues such as traditional values and immigration by those who attribute them to “misinformation.” “If your democratic society can be taken down by $200,000 of social media ads, then you should think seriously about how strong your grip on or how strong your understanding of the will of the people actually is,” Vance said.

Hillary Clinton, former US secretary of state and presidential candidate, notably popularized the tactic of blaming Russia following her loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election — a claim Moscow has consistently denied. A recent instance occurred in Romania in December, where the Constitutional Court annulled the first round of voting in the country’s presidential election after right-wing anti-establishment candidate Calin Georgescu unexpectedly led the race. Media reports revealed that the alleged Russian interference cited by the court actually stemmed from a consulting firm associated with the ruling National Liberal Party. Allegations of Russian efforts to undermine Romanian democracy were promoted by Context, an NGO funded by the US through the National Endowment for Democracy — an organization that according to its co-founder Allen Weinstein is mostly doing in the open what the CIA previously did covertly.

The narrative suggesting Moscow bolstered Georgescu was supported by the US Embassy in Romania and senior American officials. Vance argued that mainstream parties in the EU are “kind of terrified of their own people.” He pointed to the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which despite electoral success struggles to find coalition partners due to being labeled extremist by centrist factions. Elon Musk, a close ally of Trump, ignited controversy in Berlin by endorsing the AfD in this month’s federal election, asserting that “the entire fate of Europe” hinges on its outcome. In response, the German government accused the billionaire of election interference, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz stating that freedom of speech does not encompass the promotion of “extreme-right positions.”

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“..Trump, Elon Musk and the DOGE sniff out “the fraud and corruption of the Biden Ukraine project.”

Musk Fraud Probes May Explain ‘Urgency’ of Trump-Putin Call (Sp.)

“Trump appears to have a better understanding of the causes and conditions of the Ukraine-Russia and US/NATO versus Russia conflict,” retired US Air Force Lt. Col and ex-DoD analyst Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik, commenting on Wednesday’s lengthy telephone conversation between the Russian and US leaders and its focus on Ukraine. “His tendency to be practical (something we are not seeing in his Israel-Gaza policy) is apparent here. The signal is one of deal making and practicality,” Kwiatkowski said. The call comes at a decisive moment, the observer stressed, pointing out that Congress will be teeing up a new package of aid to Ukraine shortly, with current commitments to run dry in March, as Trump, Elon Musk and the DOGE sniff out “the fraud and corruption of the Biden Ukraine project.”

“I suspect this cannot be kept under the lid much longer, so this may explain the urgency of a settlement,” Kwiatkowski said. “Whether Trump gets a settlement he likes from Russia” or not “is not clear, but I think Trump realizes Russia has already won, and Europe/NATO, in agitating for a long costly wasteful war, needs to start dealing with what it has wrought,” the analyst said. Earlier in the day Wednesday, President Trump took to Truth Social to announce that he had a “lengthy and highly productive” phone call with President Putin, and that the leaders had discussed an array of issues, focusing on Ukraine.

“We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together. But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine,” Trump said. “We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately,” Trump said, adding that his first step would be to call Volodymyr Zelensky. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed important details on the call, including Putin and Trump’s expression of mutual commitment to a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine crisis. Putin reiterated the importance of addressing the “root causes” of the conflict, Peskov said, and invited Trump to visit Moscow. The conversation was said to have lasted for one and a half hours.

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“..criticized Zelensky in parliament, accusing him of transforming Ukraine into a dictatorship with “closed borders, state-controlled television, and leader KimJong-Ze..”

Zelensky Targets Political Opposition (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has imposed personal sanctions on five prominent individuals, including potential political rivals former President Pyotr Poroshenko and exiled opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk. Zelensky previously suspended elections nationwide, citing the ongoing conflict with Russia. On Wednesday evening, Zelensky put into power an order penned by the National Security and Defense Council, which he chairs. In addition to the two politicians, it targeted three wealthy entrepreneurs, including Poroshenko’s business partner Gennady Bogolyubov, former Dnepropetrovsk Region Governor Igor Kolomoysky, and former MP Konstantin Zhevago. Reports of impending sanctions against Poroshenko have circulated in the Ukrainian media since January.

The former president, now serving as an MP, has condemned Zelensky’s move as politically motivated and labeled it “a crime” with “many accomplices.” He accused Zelensky of attempting to scapegoat others for his own mistakes. MP Aleksey Goncharenko, a political ally of Poroshenko, criticized Zelensky in parliament, accusing him of transforming Ukraine into a dictatorship with “closed borders, state-controlled television, and leader KimJong-Ze,” alluding to the Western perception of North Korea. The sanctions issued by Zelensky vary in severity, ranging from largely symbolic revocations of state awards to the freezing of assets, prohibiting legal contracts, and barring the use of mass media for communication. Zelensky has framed the measures as essential for “protecting our state and restoring justice,” alleging that the five targeted individuals “earned billions by effectively selling out Ukraine and Ukrainian interests.”

The sanctions were announced shortly after US President Donald Trump reportedly secured Zelensky’s agreement to transfer $500 billion worth of Ukrainian rare earth minerals as compensation for American military assistance. Trump aims to swiftly resolve the Ukraine conflict while recouping costs for US taxpayers. Zelensky’s presidential term expired last year, although he has refused to call new elections or relinquish power, citing martial law in Ukraine. He maintains that his landslide victory over Poroshenko in 2019 grants him sufficient legitimacy and insists that Ukrainians are not interested in choosing a new leader at this time.

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“..wasting taxpayer money on “ridiculous – and in many cases, malicious – pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats..”

Trump Will Terminate ‘Woke’ Policies – Musk (RT)

US President Donald Trump and his administration will work to end the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) programs across the world, Elon Musk announced at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Thursday. The billionaire’s statement comes as Trump has launched a campaign aimed at ending DEI initiatives within the federal government since assuming office last month. Shortly after being sworn in, Trump repealed some 78 orders signed by his predecessor Joe Biden. This includes terminating DEI programs and ending protections for transgender individuals. Trump also set a 60-day deadline for federal agencies to cease all DEI-related practices.

Speaking via video link at the Dubai forum, Musk, who currently heads Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), acknowledged that there has been “a lot of pushing of DEI worldwide” by the US and stressed that the new administration “doesn’t agree” with this approach. “We want to terminate that stuff, and we are,” Musk said. He warned that if DEI principles were allowed to continue and be used to implement “crazy things that are untruthful” and “don’t reflect reality” into things like artificial intelligence, it could easily lead to a “very dystopian outcome.” Earlier this month, the billionaire claimed that DOGE had already saved the US over $1 billion by scrapping over 100 contracts related to DEI programs.

Musk also reported that his department has managed to cut federal spending by $1 billion per day by effectively halting “the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, the deletion of DEI, and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations.” Trump has also ordered the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which was Washington’s primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad. The president accused the agency of wasting taxpayer money on “ridiculous – and in many cases, malicious – pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats,” which included promoting DEI initiative both domestically and internationally. Musk has also called USAID a “criminal organization” and claimed that it had funded bioweapons research.

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USAID’s ugly little sister.

Trump Freezes All National Endowment for Democracy Funding (RT)

US President Donald Trump’s administration has frozen all funding to the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), several media outlets reported on Wednesday. The move is said to have caused a “bloodbath” within the organization, leaving it unable to pay staff or fulfill financial commitments. The NED, established in 1983, is officially a nonprofit organization that provides grants to support democratic initiatives worldwide. However, over the years, it has faced allegations of covertly influencing political outcomes, with critics arguing that it has taken over covert functions previously handled by the CIA, particularly those aimed at overthrowing foreign governments.

Earlier this month, Elon Musk, who heads Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and has been in charge of finding ways to cut federal spending, singled out NED, calling it a ”scam” and an “evil organization” that needs to be dissolved. Since then, the organization has reportedly been “under siege” from Musk’s DOGE, according to Free Press. “It’s been a bloodbath,” one NED worker told the outlet, explaining that the organization has been unable to meet payroll and pay basic overhead expenses.

The NED has faced longstanding criticism over its role in supporting political movements to undermine sovereign governments. The Center for Renewing America, a think tank founded by Russell Vought, Trump’s director of the Office of Management and Budget, released a policy paper on February 7, accusing the NED of acting as the “tip of the proverbial spear for heightened CIA and State Department efforts to foster political revolution in Ukraine.” The report claimed that the NED had funneled tens of millions of dollars to a myriad of Ukrainian political entities and anti-Russian interests and “advanced both the ‘Orange Revolution’ and ‘Maidan Revolution’ that paved the way for the current Ukraine-Russia war.”

The NED has also faced accusations of sponsoring “color revolutions” in Georgia and Kyrgyzstan and of funding opposition groups in Belarus, Serbia, and Egypt. “The reasons for defunding NED are as numerous as they are imperative,” Vought’s think tank wrote, listing things like “Ukraine warmongering” and “Middle East meddling” as the most clear and pressing rationales for dismantling the agency. The NED funding freeze comes as part of broader measures by the Trump administration to cut foreign spending. This has already included a crackdown on the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad. Trump earlier called for the agency to be shut down, claiming it is run by “radical lunatics.”

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Easily the craziest story this week. People can’t retire when the mineshaft elevator breaks down.

DOGE Exposes Insane Federal Use Of Old Limestone Mine (MN)

Elon Musk’s DOGE has revealed that the federal government is using an old limestone mine in Pennsylvania to store tens of thousands, if not millions of physical paper files in cardboard boxes. The files are just retirement documents for federal workers, so could easily be digitised, yet the government has continued to physically store them. The mine is 230 feet underground and requires over 700 workers with the Office of Personnel Management to operate and upkeep it. What the hell? At least if there is a nuclear apocalypse whoever survives in here will have access to…information on retired government workers. Musk shared the insane finding, noting “Maybe it’s just me, but I think there is room for improvement here.”

The vault inside Iron Mountain which is equipped with a huge reservoir for geothermal cooling. A 2021 report uncovered that despite spending $106 million spent trying to digitize the process, the government abandoned the idea and decided to stick with the stone mine. Labelling it a “time warp,” Musk noted that “The limiting factor is the speed at which the mine shaft elevator can move determines how many people can retire from the federal government.” “The elevator breaks down sometimes, and nobody can retire,” Musk revealed, adding “Doesn’t that sound crazy?” Musk also revealed that since 2014 they had gotten to the letter B in their efforts to digitize the records.

The DOGE post has close to 45 million views at time of writing. Commenting on the mine and other “rot” being exposed by DOGE, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday on Fox News that the media was left in “sheer silence.” “I was watching the faces of the mainstream media reporters who were in the Oval Office, and there was sheer silence because it appeared that many of them who are supposed to be writing the truth about our federal bureaucracy had no idea that the federal retirement system is being processed deep into the ground and is not computerized,” Leavitt said.

“They, the president and Elon are shining a light on the truth about our federal government. But the mainstream media simultaneously is saying there’s an alleged lack of transparency and access. It’s preposterous,” Leavitt continued, adding “Together, President Trump and Elon, the entire DOGE team and this entire administration are shining a light on the corruption, the waste, the fraud and abuse.” “Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and they are revealing the rot of this city every single day. It’s music to the ears of the American people who voted for this. As you rightly pointed out, 77 million of them liked what President Trump promised on the campaign trail, and he is delivering and it’s fascinating,” Leavitt urged.

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“Even Ronald Reagan, the great apostle of smaller government, couldn’t achieve in eight years what Mr. Musk has done in 3 1/2 weeks.”

Musk: “We Need To Delete Entire Agencies”; Fed Worker Buyout Tops 75,000 (ZH)

Early Thursday, Elon Musk joined Dubai’s annual World Governments Summit via video link to provide an update on his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts within the US government, aimed at rooting out corruption and dismantling federal agencies, reducing the federal workforce, and eliminating the shadow government operated in a complex web of NGOs. “We need to delete entire agencies. We need to remove the roots of the weed. That’s not to say there won’t be an increase in future bureaucracy from another administration but it will be from a lower baseline. Nothing is forever but we can strengthen the foundation,” Musk told the crowd.

President Trump appointed Musk as a “special government employee” to lead DOGE and has waged war against the federal bureaucracy. The latest data from Bloomberg, citing sources familiar with the voluntary resignation program for the federal workforce, indicates that 75,000 workers across various federal agencies have opted to leave. This number only makes up about 3% of the 2.4 million civilian federal workforce, far short of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s target of 5% to 10%. This came after a federal judge in Boston lifted his order freezing the buyout program overnight. “The federal workforce grew 6.3% under former President Joe Biden, fueled by pandemic spending programs. A 3% cut to the federal workforce would only bring the number down to 2023 levels,” Bloomberg pointed out.


Source: Bloomberg

Even with the targeted buyouts missing the White House’s estimates, an op-ed by the Wall Street Journal’s deputy op-ed editor, Matthew Hennessey, noted: “Even Ronald Reagan, the great apostle of smaller government, couldn’t achieve in eight years what Mr. Musk has done in 3 1/2 weeks. The billionaire businessman is less apostle than avenging angel. The Department of Government Efficiency is the change we’ve been waiting for.” On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate what he described as “waste and bloat” in the government while “promptly undertaking preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force.” He called it a “critical transformation” of Washington, DC, and framed the move as a necessary step forward for the nation.

Early Thursday, we noted internet search trends across the DC metro area, including Maryland and northern Virginia counties, indicating growing panic among federal workers in the so-called DC swamp. Searches for “Criminal Defense Lawyer” and “RICO Laws” have erupted in recent weeks. Draining the swamp is long overdue. Yet Democrats are calling for war against Musk and Trump over DOGE’s efforts for a more transparent and efficient government. Some far-left Democrats, like Rep. Robert Garcia, called for supporters to begin arming up.

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“..the US Department of Defense had committed more than $9 million on two projects called Active Social Engineering Defense (ASED) and Large Scale Social Deception (LSD)”.

US Govt Paid Reuters For ‘Social Deception’ – Musk (RT)

A subsidiary of Reuters has received millions in US government funding for “large scale social deception” projects, Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has claimed. In a post on Thursday, Musk weighed in on data from the website USAspending.gov stating that Thomson Reuters Special Services LLC, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters, had contracts with government agencies. One of the publicly available documents stipulated that the US Department of Defense had committed more than $9 million on two projects called Active Social Engineering Defense (ASED) and Large Scale Social Deception (LSD). Commenting on the document, Musk wrote: “Reuters was paid millions of dollars by the US government for ‘large scale social deception’. That is literally what it says on the purchase order! They’re a total scam. Just wow.”

According to the Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the ASEAD program aims to develop automated defenses against social engineering attacks, which could involve deceptive tactics to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information. Neither the Pentagon nor USAspending.gov elaborates on the purpose of the program, but both LSD and ASEAD are listed as activities within the realm of engineering and research and development. Reuters was awarded another Pentagon contract that provides the Department of Defense with unidentified advanced development services. The agency has also received around $500,000 from the State Department for access to news services.

Both Musk and US President Donald Trump have vowed to fight corruption and wasteful spending in the US government. In light of this, several federal agencies have terminated contracts totaling $8 million with Politico magazine following Musk’s criticism of these agreements as a “wasteful” use of taxpayer funds. Trump has also suggested that billions of dollars have been misappropriated within agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary agency for funding political projects abroad, to pay for favorable media coverage of Democrats. The claim was rejected by several US media outlets, including Politico and the Associated Press.

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AI requires lots of energy. Where is that cheap? In the Gulf states.

The Great AI Game: US, China Vie For West Asian Cash (Cradle)

China’s unveiling of DeepSeek sent shockwaves through the tech industry. The app skyrocketed to the top of Apple’s US App Store, surpassing ChatGPT and Gemini, and triggered a market tremor: US tech giants like Nvidia saw their valuations plunge by $600 billion. The development heightened Washington’s security anxieties, with officials warning that China’s AI advances could give Beijing a military edge and serve as a tool for spreading state-backed narratives. Global investors have responded by shifting capital toward China’s AI sector, signaling confidence in Beijing’s ability to challenge US dominance. Simultaneously, China is accelerating its push for technological self-sufficiency, reducing reliance on western semiconductor firms like TSMC and Samsung.

Beyond economics, AI-driven automation is expected to disrupt the global labor market, displacing jobs in data analysis, translation, and customer service. Meanwhile, China’s surging demand for AI talent is attracting experts from western markets, exacerbating a potential brain drain in the US and Europe. The global AI contest is often framed as a US–China duel, but West Asia is emerging as a decisive force capable of tilting the balance. With DeepSeek proving that western AI hegemony will no longer go unchallenged, Persian Gulf states are reevaluating their AI alliances, making them a critical factor in Washington’s efforts to secure AI investments. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar are now considered the “swing states” of AI geopolitics. Their importance in the AI revolution rests on three key pillars: energy, finance, and geography.

Energy is the most obvious element as generative AI data centers require vast amounts of power, and energy-rich countries in West Asia are expected to benefit significantly. Persian Gulf states, rich in energy resources, are well-positioned to benefit from this demand. Financially, oil-rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are heavily investing in AI infrastructure and future technologies, making them not only key customers but also influential players. Sovereign wealth funds are channeling billions into AI-related projects through initiatives like Sanabil, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which invests $3 billion annually in top-tier venture capital firms across both the US and China. In addition, Prosperity7, the investment arm of Saudi Aramco, made headlines by investing in Zhipu AI, one of China’s largest AI startups, becoming the first non-Chinese investor to do so.

The move highlights West Asia’s evolving strategy of playing on both sides in the geopolitical race for AI, maintaining influence and independence despite growing global pressure to ally with the US or China. Such investments demonstrate the region’s ability to balance geopolitical tensions while expanding its influence in the global AI ecosystem. In addition, the geographical location of West Asia represents a fully untapped advantage in the development of AI globally. Data centers play a pivotal role in improving the speed and quality of digital services for users as service efficiency increases and data centers get closer to the end user. Having multiple data centers in strategic locations ensures that data recovery backups are provided in case of failures.

The region’s location is also an advantage, as West Asia serves as a digital crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The majority of web traffic between these continents passes through the region, making it a prime hub for global AI deployment. As AI competition intensifies, West Asia is no longer just an emerging market – it is a strategic theater in the tech war between Washington and Beijing. China views the region as an extension of its Digital Silk Road, aiming to expand its technological footprint through cost-effective AI solutions.

The US, on the other hand, is deepening its AI partnerships with Persian Gulf states, trying to ensure that AI infrastructure aligns with western standards. The battle over AI in West Asia transcends mere technological rivalry; it is a contest for economic and geopolitical dominance. With Persian Gulf states positioned as kingmakers in this struggle, their decisions in the coming years could redefine the balance of power in the AI era. The US–China AI war is no longer just a two-player game – West Asia is now firmly in the mix, and its role in shaping the future of AI is only growing.

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I have a hard time seeing Musk as a -nuclear- warmonger. For one thing, how would he ever get to Mars?

The Pentagon Is Recruiting Elon Musk To Help Them Win A Nuclear War (MacLeod)

Donald Trump has announced his intention to build a gigantic anti-ballistic missile system to counter Chinese and Russian nuclear weapons, and he is recruiting Elon Musk to help him. The Pentagon has long dreamed of constructing an American “Iron Dome.” The technology is couched in the defense language – i.e., to make America safe again. But like its Israeli counterpart, it would function as an offensive weapon, giving the United States the ability to launch nuclear attacks anywhere in the world without having to worry about the consequences of a similar response. This power could upend the fragile peace maintained by decades of mutually assured destruction, a doctrine that has underpinned global stability since the 1940s. Washington’s war planners have long salivated at the thought of winning a nuclear confrontation and have sought the ability to do so for decades. Some believe that they have found a solution and a savior in the South African-born billionaire and his technology.

Neoconservative think tank the Heritage Foundation published a video last year stating that Musk might have “solved the nuclear threat coming from China.” It claimed that Starlink satellites from his SpaceX company could be easily modified to carry weapons that could shoot down incoming rockets. As they explain: “Elon Musk has proven that you can put microsatellites into orbit, for $1 million apiece. Using that same technology, we can put 1,000 microsatellites in continuous orbit around the Earth, that can track, engage and shoot down, using tungsten slugs, missiles that are launched from North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China.” Although the Heritage Foundation advises using tungsten slugs (i.e., bullets) as interceptors, hypersonic missiles have been opted for instead. To this end, a new organization, the Castelion Company, was established in 2023.

Castelion is a SpaceX cutout; six of the seven members of its leadership team and two of its four senior advisors are ex-senior SpaceX employees. The other two advisors are former high officials from the Central Intelligence Agency, including Mike Griffin, Musk’s longtime friend, mentor, and partner. Castelion’s mission, in its own words, is to be at the cutting edge of a new global arms race. As the company explains: “Despite the U.S. annual defense budget exceeding those of the next ten biggest spenders combined, there’s irrefutable evidence that authoritarian regimes are taking the lead in key military technologies like hypersonic weapons. Simply put – this cannot be allowed to happen.” The company has already secured gigantic contracts with the U.S. military, and reports suggest that it has made significant strides toward its hypersonic missile goals.

Castelion’s slogan is “Peace Through Deterrence.” But in reality, the U.S. achieving a breakthrough in hypersonic missile technology would rupture the fragile nuclear peace that has existed for over 70 years and usher in a new era where Washington would have the ability to use whatever weapons it wished, anywhere in the world at any time, safe in the knowledge that it would be impervious to a nuclear response from any other nation. In short, the fear of a nuclear retaliation from Russia or China has been one of the few forces moderating U.S. aggression throughout the world. If this is lost, the United States would have free rein to turn entire countries – or even regions of the planet – into vapor. This would, in turn, hand it the power to terrorize the world and impose whatever economic and political system anywhere it wishes.

If this sounds fanciful, this “Nuclear Blackmail” was a more-or-less official policy of successive American administrations in the 1940s and 1950s. The United States remains the only country ever to drop an atomic bomb in anger, doing so twice in 1945 against a Japanese foe that was already defeated and was attempting to surrender.

President Truman ordered the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a show of force, primarily to the Soviet Union. Many in the U.S. government wished to use the atomic bomb on the U.S.S.R. President Truman immediately, however, reasoned that if America nuked Moscow, the Red Army would invade Europe as a response. As such, he decided to wait until the U.S. had enough warheads to completely destroy the Soviet Union and its military. War planners calculated this figure at around 400, and to that end—totaling a nation representing one-sixth of the world’s landmass—the president ordered the immediate ramping up of production. This decision was met with stiff opposition among the American scientific community, and it is widely believed that Manhattan Project scientists, including Robert J. Oppenheimer himself, passed nuclear secrets to Moscow in an effort to speed up their nuclear project and develop a deterrent to halt this doomsday scenario.

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Humanity

 

 

Princess

 

 

Dogkey
https://twitter.com/i/status/1890033188241915922

 

 

Albatross

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 132025
 


Dante Gabriel Rossetti Monna Vanna 1866

 

Putin Invites Trump To Visit Moscow In ‘Highly Productive’ Call (ZH)
China Offers To Host Putin-Trump Summit (RT)
Hegseth Casts Doubt on Ukraine’s NATO Gamble As Peace Talks Loom (Sp.)
Trump ‘OK’ With Keeping Ukraine Out of NATO (RT)
NATO Boss Issues Warning To Putin (RT)
Musk Calls For Complete Overhaul of NATO (RT)
EU Won’t Give Zelensky 200,000 Peacekeepers – NYT (RT)
Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed As Director of National Intelligence (ZH)
Pam Bondi’s DOJ Sues NY, Hochul, Letitia James Over Licenses For Illegals (ZH)
Trump Sees ‘Tremendous Kickbacks’ In US Government Contracts (RT)
Why They Really Hate Elon Musk (Mises)
Federal Judge Allows Trump To Push Forward With Gov’t Workers Buyouts (NYP)
Federal Judge Blocking Spending Freezes Has History of TDS (AmG)
Judge Temporarily Blocks DOGE From Accessing Federal Student Aid Data (ET)
Left Will Push Violent Revolution Against Trump – Larry Klayman (USAW)
Biden WH, DOJ, National Archives Collaborated On Trump Documents Probe (JTN)
New Task Force To Probe jFK, RFK, MLK Murders, Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ (RT)
Switching Off Russian Gas Pipelines Hurts Europe Far More Than Russia (SCF)
Trump Admin Eyes Billions Going to California High-Speed Train (Turley)

 

 

 

 

Navarro

Harry

VDH

Hegseth

X – a thread

 

 

 

 

“Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end.”

Putin Invites Trump To Visit Moscow In ‘Highly Productive’ Call (ZH)

Update(1330ET): Just on the heels of the historic Putin call, President Trump has revealed an outline of his call with Ukraine’s President Zelensky, calling it a “meaningful conversation”. He had earlier vowed to inform Zelensky of the contents of the Putin phone call, at a moment European allies are stressing that there can be no peace deal without Ukraine’s direct input and participation.
• Trump: a meeting with Vance, Rubio, Zelensky being set up on Friday
• Trump: It is time to stop the Ukraine-Russia war
• No Ukraine deal without Ukraine and Europeans: French, German, Spanish FMs
• Trump has pledged that talks to end the war will start immediately. Wednesday marks the first known conversation between Trump and Putin since the new US president entered office last month.

* * *
US President Trump and Russian President Putin held a nearly hour-and-a-half call this morning which the US president described as “lengthy and highly productive.” Trump said on Truth Social that both leaders had extended invitations of “visiting each other’s nations,” while, the US leader said he would be calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “right now” to inform him about the call. President Trump took to his Truth Social account to explain what was discussed (emphasis ours):

“I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects. We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations, and the fact that we fought so successfully together in World War II, remembering, that Russia lost tens of millions of people, and we, likewise, lost so many! We each talked about the strengths of our respective Nations, and the great benefit that we will someday have in working together. But first, as we both agreed, we want to stop the millions of deaths taking place in the War with Russia/Ukraine. President Putin even used my very strong Campaign motto of, “COMMON SENSE.”

We both believe very strongly in it. We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations. We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, to lead the negotiations which, I feel strongly, will be successful. Millions of people have died in a War that would not have happened if I were President, but it did happen, so it must end.

No more lives should be lost! I want to thank President Putin for his time and effort with respect to this call, and for the release, yesterday, of Marc Fogel, a wonderful man that I personally greeted last night at the White House. I believe this effort will lead to a successful conclusion, hopefully soon!”

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Interesting twist. Riyadh seems more logical for now, but who knows?

China Offers To Host Putin-Trump Summit (RT)

China has presented a proposal to hold a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to help end the Ukraine conflict, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. China has long sought to position itself as a potential peace broker in the Moscow-Kiev conflict, presenting its own roadmap to resolve the crisis. The development comes after Putin and Trump held a phone conversation on Wednesday – their first confirmed contact since Trump returned to the White House last month. The leaders had a “lengthy and highly productive” conversation, according to the US president. Trump later announced that he and Putin had agreed on an “immediate” start of negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

In recent weeks, Chinese officials have put forward a proposal to the Trump team through intermediaries, suggesting a summit between the two leaders and offering to help with peacekeeping efforts following a potential truce, the WSJ reported, citing sources in Beijing and Washington. According to the report, the Chinese offer envisions a US-Russian summit without the participation of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. The proposal goes against the West’s long-standing commitment to involve Kiev in any conflict-related discussions. The White House declined to confirm to the WSJ whether it had received China’s offer but dismissed it nonetheless, with a White House official describing it as “not viable at all.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry also declined to comment on the report, stating only that Beijing is “pleased” to see that Russia and the US are “strengthening ties and intensifying dialogue on a range of international issues.”

During their conversation, Trump and Putin reportedly agreed to visit each other’s countries. The Kremlin press service has confirmed that Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow, but did not provide a time frame for any potential trip. The US president later indicated that their first meeting would “probably” take place soon in Saudi Arabia. No peace talks on Ukraine have been held since the early months of the conflict. The negotiations between Russia and Ukraine held in Belarus and Türkiye broke down in spring 2022, with both sides accusing the other of making unrealistic demands. Senior US State Department official Victoria Nuland said in 2024 that Washington and its allies advised Kiev not to agree to the terms demanded by Moscow.

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“..our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security..”

Hegseth Casts Doubt on Ukraine’s NATO Gamble As Peace Talks Loom (Sp.)

The United States holds the view that Ukraine’s NATO membership is not a feasible outcome of any potential negotiation with Russia, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday. “The United States does not believe that NATO membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement,” Hegseth said during a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. The idea of returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is unrealistic and pursuing this goal will only cause more suffering, Hegseth said. “We want, like you, a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine, but we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” Hegseth said.

Any future security assurances for Ukraine need to be supported by capable European and non-European forces, which should be deployed under a non-NATO mission and not fall under the purview of Article Five, Pete Hegseth said. “Any security guarantee must be backed by capable European and non-European troops. If these troops are deployed as peacekeepers to Ukraine at any point, they should be deployed as part of a non-NATO mission, and they should not be covered under Article Five,” Hegseth said. Hegseth highlighted that these security assurances will not entail the deployment of US forces to Ukraine. The United States is making its priority deterring war with China in the Pacific, US Secretary of Defense Hegseth said.

“We also face a peer competitor in the Communist Chinese with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific. The US is prioritizing deterring war with China in the Pacific,” Hegseth said. The United States under the Trump administration will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship with allies that is based on dependency, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said. “The United States will no longer tolerate an imbalanced relationship which encourages dependency. Rather, our relationship will prioritize empowering Europe to own responsibility for its own security,” Hegseth said.

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“They’ve been saying that for a long time, that Ukraine cannot go into NATO, and I’m OK with that..”

Trump ‘OK’ With Keeping Ukraine Out of NATO (RT)

US President Donald Trump has cast doubt on Ukraine’s chances of joining NATO, aligning with Russia’s long-standing opposition to the move. Moscow has been firmly opposed to Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, calling this a key reason for the ongoing conflict with Kiev. The Kremlin views expansion of the bloc as a threat to national security and insists that Ukraine must remain neutral as part of any peace deal. “I don’t think it’s practical to have it, personally… They’ve been saying that for a long time, that Ukraine cannot go into NATO, and I’m OK with that,” Trump said on Wednesday. His remarks came after a lengthy phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin – their first confirmed contact since Trump returned to the White House last month.

Trump later announced that he and Putin had agreed to begin talks to end the Ukraine conflict. He also indicated that a meeting between the two leaders could take place soon, possibly in Saudi Arabia. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s stance, calling Ukraine’s NATO ambitions and its goal of reclaiming all lost territories “unrealistic.” Speaking ahead of a meeting of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, Hegseth stressed the need for Ukraine to prepare for a negotiated peace, potentially supported by international troops, but without NATO membership as part of any agreement. The Trump administration’s willingness to consider certain Russian demands, including keeping Ukraine out of NATO, marks a significant shift in US foreign policy. Trump previously stated that he understands Russia’s stance on the issue.

Speaking to reporters in Florida last month, he said Moscow’s position had long been “written in stone,” but that former President Joe Biden had ignored it, contributing to the current conflict. “Somewhere along the line, Biden said, ‘[Ukraine], they should be able to join NATO.’ Well, then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I can understand their feelings about that,” Trump added. Kiev remains firm in its desire to join NATO. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has stated that membership is a crucial security goal and a prerequisite for resuming negotiations with Moscow. Despite NATO declaring last year that Ukraine is on an “irreversible” path to membership, no timeline has been provided. While NATO members have supported Ukraine politically and militarily, they have also insisted that Kiev must meet several conditions before joining the bloc – including resolving the conflict with Russia.

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“Mark Rutte has said the US-led military bloc would crush Russia if the country attacks member states..”

This comes as Trump and Putin talk peace. The timing! And without the US, NATO can’t crush as much as a pebble.

The US is planning to undo NATO’s article 5, which obliges help if any member gets attacked.

NATO Boss Issues Warning To Putin (RT)

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that the US-led military bloc would deal a crushing blow to Moscow if it attacks any of its member states.In recent years, senior officials from European NATO member states, including Rutte, have alleged that Russia is harboring aggressive plans toward the military bloc. Putin has repeatedly dismissed this speculation, calling it “nonsense” and a ruse to justify increased military spending. Answering reporters’ questions at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday, Rutte said, “At the moment, if Putin would attack NATO, the reaction will be devastating. He will lose. So, let him not try it, and he knows this. The deterrence and defense is very strong.” However, NATO needs to spend more on defense to be able to defend itself four or five years from now, he added.

Rutte urged member states to make “some difficult decisions this year about… defense spending, doing much, much more than the 2% we pledged.” He went on to say that while the West has “fantastic” arms manufacturers, “they are not producing enough,” which needs to be urgently addressed. The question regarding supposed Russian aggression was prompted by a report issued by Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service on Tuesday. According to the document, within five years of ending or freezing the Ukraine conflict, Moscow would be ready to conduct a large-scale onslaught on Europe, based on the assumption that NATO’s defense spending remains at the current level. “Russia is likely to be more willing to use military force … if it perceives NATO as militarily weakened or politically divided,” the intelligence agency claimed, adding that “this is particularly true if Russia assesses that the US cannot or will not support the European NATO countries in a war.”

Last month, Rutte similarly urged NATO member states to “shift to a wartime mindset” to “prevent war.” Those who refuse to spend more on defense might as well “get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand,” the NATO secretary-general warned at the time. In December, Rutte suggested that European member states should redirect some of the funds they currently spend on welfare toward their militaries. On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that the Ukrainian special services, with Western support, were preparing a false-flag provocation in the Baltic Sea involving Russian-made naval mines, in the hope of dragging NATO into a direct military confrontation with Moscow.

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“Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money..”

Musk Calls For Complete Overhaul of NATO (RT)

NATO should be thoroughly revamped, tech billionaire and US government efficiency tsar Elon Musk, has argued. US President Donald Tump has recently expressed dissatisfaction with the level of defense spending by the bloc’s European members, which he views as a drain on American resources, going so far as to threaten underpaying allies with the withdrawal of US protection. In a post on X on Wednesday, Republican Senator Mike Lee wrote that the “Cold War is over. NATO’s anachronistic.” Trump appointed Musk as a ‘special government employee’ to lead the newly-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) following his victory in the November 5 election, aiming to slash government spending. Commenting on Lee’s message, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO concurred, suggesting that “NATO needs an overhaul.”

Over the weekend, the DOGE chief also took aim at two long-standing state-funded propaganda outlets, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and Voice of America (VOA). The two CIA cutouts were prominently used by Washington to counter Soviet influence in Europe during the Cold War. “Shut them down. Europe is free now (not counting stifling bureaucracy). Nobody listens to them anymore. It’s just radical left crazy people talking to themselves while torching $1B/year of US taxpayer money,” Musk wrote in a post on X. Trump has insisted that NATO member defense spending “should be 5%, not 2%” of GDP, accusing some European nations of taking “advantage of us.” The US is spending “billions and billions of dollars more … than Europe,” he claimed, having previously warned that Washington would not defend those NATO countries that fail to meet their financial commitments.

Earlier this month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Berlin “could neither afford that nor spend” 5% of its GDP for this purpose while NATO chief Mark Rutte has urged countries to reduce their social support spending to boost military budgets. Against this backdrop, Italian news agency ANSA, citing EU diplomatic sources, claimed in January that President Trump was considering scaling back the number of American troops stationed in Europe by 20%. In recent years, multiple senior officials from European NATO member states have alleged that Moscow was harboring aggressive plans toward the US-led military bloc. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly rejected this speculation, describing it as “nonsense” and “utter rubbish.” He suggested that Western officials employ scare tactics in order to justify increased military spending.

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The EU is toothless.

EU Won’t Give Zelensky 200,000 Peacekeepers – NYT (RT)

The EU is unable to fulfill Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s request for 200,000 peacekeepers to enforce a potential ceasefire with Russia, a senior bloc official has told the New York Times, in an article published on Tuesday. Zelensky has advocated for a substantial European peacekeeping force of some 200,000 troops to uphold a potential ceasefire and deter future Russian offensives. Analysts cited by the New York Times consider this figure unattainable, noting that deploying even 40,000 troops would be challenging and could still fall short of providing an effective solution. “A senior European official said that the continent doesn’t even have 200,000 troops to offer, and that any boots on the ground must have American support, especially faced with the world’s second-largest nuclear power, Russia,” the NYT reported.

“If not, they would be permanently vulnerable to Russian efforts to undermine the alliance’s political and military credibility.” Recent reports by the Financial Times and Politico also indicate that while Kiev has publicly called for 200,000 peacekeepers, it realistically anticipates a deployment of 40,000 to 50,000 troops. The outlets suggested that the lower figure is more feasible, though the EU would still face difficulties assembling a force. Moscow opposes the introduction of international peacekeepers in Ukraine. Russian officials have argued that the move could escalate tensions and complicate efforts to resolve the conflict. Earlier this week, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia stated that any deployment of peacekeepers to Ukraine without Moscow’s consent would be “illegal,” warning that they would be considered legitimate targets.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, he called the rumors about the possible deployment of peacekeepers “bizarre,” noting that they cannot operate without a mandate from the UN Security Council, which Russia is a part of and where it holds the right of veto. Russia remains opposed to a freezing of the Ukraine conflict and the introduction of peacekeeping forces, insisting that the only way to resolve it is to address the root causes of the conflict. Moscow insists that Kiev must commit to permanent neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification, while acknowledging the territorial realities on the ground.

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Good. Is RFK today?

Tulsi Gabbard Confirmed As Director of National Intelligence (ZH)

In what is hands-down the most surprising, and welcome, development concerning a Trump pick for a national security top post, Tulsi Gabbard has been confirmed as New Director of National Intelligence. It was narrow, and predictably along parisan lines… Mitch McConnell was the lone Republican no vote… in a post-vote statement he claimed that Gabbard is “tainted”. “Tulsi Gabbard failed to demonstrate that she is prepared to assume this tremendous national trust. The nation should not have to worry that the intelligence assessments the President receives are tainted by a DNI with a history of alarming lapses in judgment,” he said, citing her refusal to condemn Edward Snowden, and her stance on the Russia-Ukraine war.

She’s been subject to years of media attacks branding her a ‘Kremlin agent’ and ‘Assadist’ etc… For example, right up through the vote The New York Times was running its smear campaign in the following: “Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii. She has taken a sympathetic stance toward Russia and Syria under the Assad family’s rule. And she has defended Edward Snowden, an intelligence contractor who released classified information in 2013. These positions, at odds with the foreign policy establishment in both parties, have made her one of President Trump’s most divisive cabinet nominees.”

But she’s long risen to popularity among military members and veterans especially, given her no compromise approach to blasting America’s regime change wars abroad in the wake of Bush’s Iraq war, taking neocons and liberal interventions alike to task. It’s a new day in the world of the deep state intelligence blob in Washington, and without doubt the old powers that be are nervous, or else running scared. But time will tell. Meanwhile, somewhat surprising to see Thune praising her, the new sheriff in town overseeing the nation’s intelligence collection…

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Pam Bondi is ready to announce the new reality. Trump is going to sue, not be sued.

Pam Bondi’s DOJ Sues NY, Hochul, Letitia James Over Licenses For Illegals (ZH)

The US Department of Justice on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against the state of New York and key officials over the state’s 2019 “Green Light” law, which has allowed thousands of illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, while blocking federal immigration and border enforcement agencies from accessing the state’s motor vehicle database. The lawsuit, filed in US district Court in Albany, was announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Wednesday press conference. Aside from the state of NY, Governor Kathy Hochul, state Attorney General Letita James, and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder were named as defendants. The 2019 Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act prohibits New York sheriff’s departments and other agencies from sharing motor vehicle data with federal authorities for the purposes of immigration enforcement. It has allowed tens of thousands of migrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

Yet, as the Times Union notes, the program has been mired in fraud. “The Times Union reported in 2021 that there had been allegations of widespread cheating in the driver permit program, involving schemes to illicitly obtain driving credentials for immigrants. Many of those individuals allegedly also used the licenses to falsely prove New York residency in order to receive unemployment benefits under the state’s pandemic-era Excluded Worker Fund. The $2.1 billion program had provided unemployment benefits for a short period in 2021 for immigrants who did not qualify for regular state and federal benefits.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1889805417318064384

In December, following an investigation by multiple agencies, including the New York inspector general’s office, five men, including two immigrants who had returned to Brazil, were indicted on federal charges in Massachusetts for conspiring to apply for New York driver’s licenses for more than 1,000 undocumented immigrants who did not live in New York. Those charges allege the group’s conspiracy took place between November 2020 and last September, and that they typically charged customers about $1,400 to obtain a driver’s license. The scheme relied on fraudulent residency documents and falsified driving school certificates, according to the indictment.”

When the law was enacted, former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and other Democrats said it was intended to improve public safety by ensuring that illegal immigrants are authorized to drive – with advocates remaining silent on subsequent allegations of widespread fraud. “From a state point of view, I want to make sure the people who are driving on our roads pass a driving test. It is a public safety issue,” Cuomo insisted during a February 2020 interview. In February 2020, former acting director of ICE, Matthew T. Albence, said that law enforcement leaders urged Cuomo and state lawmakers to restore access to NY’s motor vehicle database for ICE and the US Customs and Border Protection.

“New York has barred these two agencies, and only these two agencies, from obtaining information we need to do our jobs, and to keep you safe, and it was done purely for political purposes,” Albence said at the time. “As a 25-year law enforcement professional, it’s unfathomable that information which could be used to prevent crime or a potential terrorist attack is purposefully being withheld in this state, the same state that less than 20 years ago suffered the worst terrorist attack on American soil.”

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“How could a judge want to hold us back from finding all of this fraud and finding all of this incompetence?”

Trump Sees ‘Tremendous Kickbacks’ In US Government Contracts (RT)

US President Donald Trump has sounded the alarm over what he described as rampant corruption in the American government, while vowing to crack down on inefficient bureaucracy that costs the country billions of dollars. The president delivered his remarks in the Oval Office on Tuesday, with Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and a close ally, standing next to the Resolute Desk as the two outlined their vision for cutting government spending. Trump noted in particular deals between the government and private contractors, recalling one case in which a consultant – whom he did not identify – was hired for three months, but continued to receive money over 20 years. “I see a lot of kickbacks. Tremendous kickbacks. Because nobody could be so stupid to give some of these contracts,” he argued.

Meanwhile, billions of dollars go “in waste, fraud, and abuse,” Trump said, adding that “nobody had any idea it was that bad, that sick, and that corrupt.” He stressed that he ran on promises to fight corruption, and he planned to do precisely that. Echoing the president’s remarks, Musk noted that “there are quite a few people in the bureaucracy who have ostensibly a salary of a few hundred thousand dollars but somehow managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars.” The Trump administration and DOGE’s mission is “to restore democracy,” he added. He also noted that the US has no choice but to usher in major reforms. “We’ve got a $2 trillion [budget] deficit. And if we don’t do something about this deficit, the country’s going bankrupt,” Musk said. Trump also criticized the US judiciary for attempts to stop DOGE from auditing government agencies, particularly the Treasury Department’s payment system.

“If I need a vote of Congress to find fraud and abuse, it’s fine with me… How could a judge want to hold us back from finding all of this fraud and finding all of this incompetence?” he charged. While Trump has insisted that the goal of audits is to eliminate corruption, opponents have accused Musk and his agency of overstepping authority, seeking to dismantle critical government programs, and potentially misusing sensitive data for political purposes. As part of its push to combat government inefficiency, the Trump administration has already cracked down on the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad, by suspending most foreign aid. The US president earlier called for the agency to be shut down, calling it run by “radical lunatics.”

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“..a political class that classifies an estimated fifty million documents a year [..] is voicing disgust over Musk’s team’s occasional use of discretion.”

Why They Really Hate Elon Musk (Mises)

As Elon Musk continues to take over and wind down parts of the federal bureaucracy, establishment figures from across media and politics are growing increasingly resentful of the tech entrepreneur. If you read a national newspaper, turn on a major news channel, or tune into one of the establishment’s many late-night “satire” shows, you’re bound to see Musk getting mocked and criticized relentlessly. He’s framed as a rich person using government to get even richer and as a political operative willing to skirt rules and norms to get what he wants. Many establishment types also like to remind their audience Musk is “unelected” at any chance they get—a not-so-subtle suggestion that the actions he’s taking in DC right now are illegitimate. You’ll also hear Musk and his team criticized for conducting some of their work in secret.

And then there’s, of course, the swipe that’s become popular in the wake of his gutting of USAID: that he is willing to hurt poor people to make himself better off. Setting aside the many flaws and inaccuracies with these characterizations of Elon Musk, it’s worth noting that all of them apply even more accurately to the American political establishment itself. To start, “rich people using the government to benefit themselves” has defined the American political system for more than a century. As Murray Rothbard laid out in great detail in his book The Progressive Era, the transition from the laissez-faire, hyper-limited government system of the mid-1800s was not driven by the bottom-up plea to protect workers and keep food clean that we were taught about in elementary school.

It grew out of the recognition among the heads of industry that they could much more effectively protect their market share from smaller competitors and go on to expand it if they used the power of government for their own benefit. In other words, the key to staying on top switched from innovating to lobbying. That started with railroad companies in the late 1800s but quickly grew to include industrial farmers, healthcare providers, and bankers in the early 1900s, followed by weapons companies, Wall Street firms, and many others in the second half of the century. Today, virtually all the giant corporations that dominate these industries owe their positions to government policies set up in their favor—to the detriment of the American public.

The modern political establishment is defined by their willingness and ability to protect and expand this dynamic. It is laughable to hear them falsely criticize Musk for doing the same thing. The same goes for his supposed violation of constitutional rules and norms. Many of the loudest establishment voices condemning this behavior were cheering just as loudly as the George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama administrations launched dozens of undeclared wars, conducted warrantless surveillance, used torture, carried out extrajudicial assassinations on American citizens, and provided aid and comfort to Al Qaeda. At the very least, these are explicit violations of Article 1, Section 8; Article 3, Section 3; and the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution, as well as Section 2340A of Title 18 of the United States Code.

And during the covid pandemic, the political establishment took the exact same kind of approach they’re now criticizing Musk for conducting. Federal and state governments rushed to close businesses, schools, and churches and prohibit people from attending public gatherings—all without even pretending to care about the constitutional rules and norms they’re now feigning concern about. Next, the implication that what Musk is doing is illegitimate because he’s unelected is ridiculous. Not only was it made very clear to voters before the election that Musk would do this if Trump won, virtually the entire federal workforce that the establishment is trying to protect from Musk is unelected too. The millions of unelected officials who conduct the bulk of federal government operations were brought on and set to work without even a fraction of the transparency and publicity involved in Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk.

Speaking of transparency, it’s comical that a political class that classifies an estimated fifty million documents a year—ninety percent of which are “probably unnecessary” according to some establishment legal experts—is voicing disgust over Musk’s team’s occasional use of discretion.

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The first of the activist judges collapses?!

Federal Judge Allows Trump To Push Forward With Gov’t Workers Buyouts (NYP)

A federal judge on Wednesday declined to pause the Trump administration’s buyout program for government workers, giving President Trump a key win in his push to shrink the size of the federal government. US District Judge George A. O’Toole ruled that the union groups suing to block the so-called “Deferred Resignation” program lacked standing and that his Massachusetts-based court lacked the jurisdiction to proceed with the lawsuit. O’Toole, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, temporarily blocked the Office of Personnel Management from moving ahead with the program earlier this week, after unions representing more than 800,000 federal workers charged that that the buyout offers were unlawful. “The plaintiffs here are not directly impacted by the directive,” the judge ruled.

“Instead, they allege that the directive subjects them to upstream effects including a diversion of resources to answer members’ questions about the directive, a potential loss of membership, and possible reputational harm.” “The unions do not have the required direct stake in the Fork Directive, but are challenging a policy that affects others, specifically executive branch employees,” O’Toole continued. “This is not sufficient.” OPM had given some 2 million federal workers unwilling to comply with a return-to-office mandate a Feb. 6 deadline to accept about eight months of pay and benefits in exchange for their resignations. The agency further warned that the buyout offer would not be extended past the deadline and that workers choosing to stay put should expect downsizing, restructurings, realignments and workforce reductions under Trump.

About 75,000 federal workers have accepted the deal, according to OPM. “OPM is pleased the court has rejected a desperate effort to strike down the Deferred Resignation Program,” OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover told The Post. “As of 7:00 p.m. tonight, the program is now closed.” “There is no longer any doubt: the Deferred Resignation Program was both legal and a valuable option for federal employees,” she added. “This program was carefully designed, thoroughly vetted, and provides generous benefits so federal workers can plan for their futures.” OPM had left the program open to resignations after the judge’s initial stay of the deadline.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), one of the groups attempting to block the program, maintains that the program is illegal despite its lack of standing to sue. “Today’s ruling is a setback in the fight for dignity and fairness for public servants. But it’s not the end of that fight. AFGE’s lawyers are evaluating the decision and assessing next steps,” AFGE President Everett Kelley said in a statement. “Importantly, this decision did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program,” Kelley added. “We continue to maintain it is illegal to force American citizens who have dedicated their careers to public service to make a decision, in a few short days, without adequate information, about whether to uproot their families and leave their careers for what amounts to an unfunded IOU from Elon Musk.”

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“Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island can be seen in video footage from 2021 accusing Trump of being “a dictator” and claiming that “racism is a white people problem..”

Federal Judge Blocking Spending Freezes Has History of TDS (AmG)

The federal judge who ordered the Trump administration to unfreeze all funding pauses while federal spending is being assessed, has a history of anti-Trump and woke activism. Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court in Rhode Island can be seen in video footage from 2021 accusing Trump of being “a dictator” and claiming that “racism is a white people problem” and that “we all have racism inside of us.” McConnell, who was appointed by president Obama, has ordered Trump to resume all paused funding and to restore any funds that have been withheld or potentially face criminal contempt charges. The judge also mandated that if Trump wishes to delay any payment, he will need to first need to seek McConnell’s permission and justify the request to the judge’s satisfaction. Commentator Scott Jennings, in a discussion on CNN earlier this week, posed the question to fellow panelists as to whether an unelected judge can cover up fraud but the sitting president is powerless to stop it.

Fellow commentator and former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu raised the possibility that McConnell’s actions, in conjunction with 23 state Attorneys General, were the product of “judge shopping” and that “judges don’t just randomly get these cases.” Sununu told the CNN panel that “there’s a reason that these cases are filed in Boston and Rhode Island.”

The question of whether the president is subordinate to 300 district court judges will likely find its way to the U.S. Supreme Court for further clarification. In the meantime, Judge McConnell’s anti-Trump statements and history of activism casts serious doubt on his ability to maintain impartiality.

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‘Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.’ I want her to make the Education Department unnecessary.”

Judge Temporarily Blocks DOGE From Accessing Federal Student Aid Data (ET)

A federal judge has temporarily barred Elon Musk’s government efficiency team from accessing federal student loan and financial aid information stored at the U.S. Department of Education. In an order issued Tuesday evening, Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia barred any members or associates of Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from seeing or using information from more than a dozen internal databases related to student finance until next Monday. Both sides of the lawsuit—a group of students at the University of California (UC) and the Education Department—have agreed to the halt as they prepare arguments.

UC students a week ago accused the Education Department of violating the Privacy Act of 1974, a federal law that restricts federal agencies from sharing personally identifiable information with third parties unless specific legal exceptions apply. For example, the FUTURE Act of 2019 authorizes the Education Department to import tax return information from the IRS to streamline the financial aid application process.In their complaint filed at the D.C. federal court, the students allege that the Education Department has been providing DOGE with “continuous and ongoing access” to sensitive information “for an unspecified period of time” without clear oversight or legal authorization.

“Because [the Department’s] actions and decisions are shrouded in secrecy, individuals do not have even basic information about what personal or financial information Defendants are sharing with outside parties or how their information is being used,” the complaint reads. The lawsuit comes amid growing uncertainty over the future of the Education Department, which operates on a multi-hundred-billion-dollar budget and oversees $1.5 trillion in federal student loans owed by more than 42 million Americans. President Donald Trump has expressed strong interest in dismantling the department, a position long held by some conservative and libertarian-minded Republican lawmakers but rarely taken seriously in mainstream political discussions—until now.

Speaking about his nominee for secretary of education, Linda McMahon, Trump said he hoped she would eliminate her own position and return control of education to individual states.“We spend more per pupil than any other country in the world, and we’re ranked near the bottom, we rank very badly,” Trump told reporters on Feb. 4 in the White House. “What I want to do is let the states run schools—I believe strongly in school choice—but in addition to that, I want the states to run schools. “I told Linda, ‘Linda, I hope you do a great job and put yourself out of a job.’ I want her to make the Education Department unnecessary.” McMahon’s Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

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“Trump says he’s going to obey the orders, and I don’t think he should… Trump should not obey the orders. That is the fastest way to get it to the Supreme Court, and that is not to obey the orders..”

Left Will Push Violent Revolution Against Trump – Larry Klayman (USAW)

Renowned Attorney Larry Klayman, founder of Judicial Watch and later Freedom Watch USA, predicted that the crap would hit the fan after Donald Trump was sworn into office. He was correct. Now, Klayman says, “Just in the last few days, we have had Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters and Hakeem Jefferies, the Minority Leader in the House, threating to go into the streets for violence. ..” “We can expect violence, but right now, what they are testing are these federal judges… The Democrats have gone forum shopping in leftist states, I don’t even call them liberal anymore… and they are enjoining every one of President Trump’s major executive orders. It’s an outrage. It’s illegal, and I don’t think President Trump should obey those orders.

I think they are illegal. Trump says he’s going to obey the orders, and I don’t think he should… Trump should not obey the orders. That is the fastest way to get it to the Supreme Court, and that is not to obey the orders. They will be at the Supreme Court lickety-split.” Klayman says, “The President has the right to intervene to see how that money is being spent.” “If he finds fraud, waste and corruption, it should be turned over to (AG) Pam Bondi to prosecute. What they found so far is $50 million worth of condoms for Hamas, all kinds of money going to terrorist organizations and you name it. It’s beyond the theater of the absurd. It’s criminal. Trump pointed out at his press conference today that there are likely kickbacks… There are trillions and trillions of dollars, and that is just what has been wasted in the past.”

Klayman also says the pardons from President Biden for his son and family are illegal. Klayman contends, “These so-called pardons are null and void…” “The pardons were illegal for two reasons: He (Biden) did not have the mental capacity to grant them, and they were not specific. They did not say what people were being pardoned for. I just pardon you for any crime. You can’t do that.” Klayman thinks the fight with the Left is a lot worse than most people think. Klayman explains, “We are going to be in a violent revolution potentially in short order…” “The Left is pushing too hard right now, and they are going to start the violence like they did with Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Look what happened in Philadelphia when the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

Lawless, leftist thugs burned down Broad Street. . . . This is a situation that can only spin more wildly out of control the more Trump pushes. . . . It’s getting to a very dangerous phase… The Left wants us dead – they really do. They want to have complete control. Now that control has been taken away from them in an election, they are not going to go quietly. If they don’t get what they want in court, and they probably won’t, they are going to be violent, and this could ratchet up more and more.”

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“..was never about securing classified documents — it was always about weaponizing the full force of the Department of Justice against President Trump by whatever means necessary..”

Biden WH, DOJ, National Archives Collaborated On Trump Documents Probe (JTN)

Newly published emails show the Biden White House cooperated with the National Archives in the Justice Department’s classified documents case against Donald Trump – which allowed the White House to build a predicate for the federal case against Trump that was ultimately dismissed, America First Legal says. The emails, which were obtained in a lawsuit and released by the nonprofit conservative public interest group, show then-Deputy White House Counsel Jonathan Su took a phone call with National Archives and Records Administration officials to discuss the missing boxes allegedly retained illicitly by Trump in September 2021, delaying the agency’s referral to the Department of Justice until after the White House filed a “special access request” the following year.

“New NARA emails further confirm that the classified documents case against President Trump was a sham prosecution that involved the Biden White House from the start – long before NARA’s official referral of classified documents to DOJ for investigation,” America First Legal posted to X. The federal case that was ultimately dismissed centered on allegation that Trump after losing 2020 reelection took classifiied documents to his Mar-a-Lago home in Flordia. “This new timeline is further proof that Biden’s FBI raid on [Mar-a-Lago] was never about securing classified documents — it was always about weaponizing the full force of the Department of Justice against President Trump by whatever means necessary,” the group said.

On Sept. 15, 2022, NARA general counsel Gary Stern wrote to his colleagues that he had brought Su “up to speed on the issue” of the missing boxes. “this [sic] week Jonathan told me that they are open to having [redacted] participate in a meeting with [redacted] and possibly [redacted], the former Staff Secretary who was [redacted] principal source. Accordingly, they need access to war notes from the last administration, which we now hold — so they will be making a special access request,” Stern wrote. The emails show NARA abandoned sending a letter to the DOJ about the case at that time due to the ongoing discussions between the White House and Trump’s legal team. NARA admitted that the cooperation of Trump’s team on the document issue “could help to clarify, if not actually resolve, the issue,” eliminating the need for a wider probe.

But, as Trump’s team tried to fight the requests to turn over the documents, which they argued rightfully belonged to the former president, America First Legal previously argued that the Biden administration used the future “special access request” to create the predicate for an FBI-led raid of Mar-a-Lago to obtain the documents. Just the News first reported in 2022 how the Biden White House worked directly with the Justice Department and National Archives to instigate the criminal probe into alleged mishandling of documents. The White House eliminated the 45th president’s claim to executive privilege and allowed the FBI to review evidence retrieved from Trump’s Florida estate that spring, kicking the probe into high gear.

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Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets. Anna Paulina Luna.

New Task Force To Probe jFK, RFK, MLK Murders, Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ (RT)

A so-called “black book” containing the list of contacts and alleged clients of deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein is set to be released to the public as part of a new declassification campaign, the newly appointed head of a specialized US task force has announced. The Republican-led congressional task force was created to oversee the release of government files linked to a wide range of high-profile topics, including the 9/11 attacks, the origins of Covid-19, UFOs, and the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother and political ally Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights campaigner Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Epstein worked as a financier and socialized with the rich and famous for years, introducing them to dozens of young women – some of whom were underage at the time – and flying them to his private island in the Caribbean on a jet dubbed the “Lolita Express.” He was arrested in 2019 and died in his Manhattan cell later that year, officially ruled a suicide. Evidence related to his case remained classified even after his death, with media reports claiming that the FBI had found videos potentially containing compromising material on his “guests” during searches of his New York residence and Caribbean island. The newly appointed head of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), has vowed to bring some of this information to light, along with other previously classified materials.

“The federal government has been hiding information from Americans for decades,” Luna said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that “it is time to give Americans the answers they deserve.” A GOP congresswoman and supporter of US President Donald Trump, Luna has repeatedly demanded “transparency” in the federal government. The 35-year-old lawmaker was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 after serving in the military for six years. The establishment of the task force was announced by the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, James Comer (R-Ky.), who said it would “build on the Trump administration’s efforts to declassify records of national importance.” Trump signed an executive order to release federal records linked to the assassinations of the two Kennedys and King soon after his inauguration in January.

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“A low rouble is embraced which helps to offset energy price slumps and brings in bigger surpluses when prices soar. So, even cutting the oil price to $45 – which Trump is talking about – might not have as big an impact on Russia as he believes.

Switching Off Russian Gas Pipelines Hurts Europe Far More Than Russia (SCF)

European industry is being crippled by high energy prices, and we are told, this is Russia’s fault. But it is driven by self-defeating energy policies in Brussels and Berlin. The only answer is to boost global supply which may involve uncomfortable choices about Russian pipelines. The Financial Times recently reported that some European member states are pondering restarting supplies of Russian piped gas on the back of any future ceasefire in Ukraine. This is proving controversial, not least among hard-line Russophobe states like Poland and the Balts. But it might make economic sense, not for Russia’s sake, but for Europe’s. Before war started, gas prices in Europe were extremely low – comparable to U.S. gas prices today – because of hugely favourable global supply. LNG from the U.S., the Middle East and Africa together with piped gas from Norway and Russia, pushed the wholesale price of gas down to levels not seen since 2005.

European LNG imports had risen sharply after the onset of the Ukraine crisis in 2014 increasing from only 10% of to nearly 50% today, while Russian piped gas kept flowing. As part of this, imports from the U.S. tripled in volume between 2021 and 2023 and they now make up almost 50% of total European LNG imports. Read the European press and you’ll hear often how U.S. LNG is too expensive, which contributes to the economic headwinds manufacturers in Germany and else are facing. Emmanuel Macron has in the past called out the U.S. as ‘unfriendly’ for selling expensive LNG. But this is deeply misleading. Back in 2019, there was more gas than the world could possibly use, bearing down on prices. The fact of piped or shipped was immaterial to the glut in supply. The surge in U.S. supplies was doing to global gas prices what the glut of U.S. shale oil was doing in January 2016 when prices sunk to $26 per barrel.

The 2016 oil price collapse put immense pressure on Russia’s economy, which is heavily reliant on tax from oil and gas exports. Russia’s current account surplus in 2016 hit its lowest level since 1999, pinching tax income significantly. And that was at a time when Russia was pumping record amounts of oil and gas. Because herein lies a truth; the global price of energy has a much bigger impact on Russia than the amount of energy that you buy from Russia. When President Trump talks to OPEC about slashing the oil price, and, by extension, the gas price, he thinks that this will damage Russia’s economy more than cutting Russian supplies However, Russian monetary policy today is very different to 2016. A low rouble is embraced which helps to offset energy price slumps and brings in bigger surpluses when prices soar. So, even cutting the oil price to $45 – which Trump is talking about – might not have as big an impact on Russia as he believes.

And, in any case, those prices will only be possible by radically changing the supply equation. Mothballing Russian pipelines as putative punishment for Putin’s war in Ukraine is having the opposite effect – restricting supply, pushing up prices and hurting Europe far more than it is hurting Russia. In 2018, Europe imported 201 BCM of gas from Russia, mostly through pipelines, accounting for 38% of its total gas imports. Since the war started, Europe has shut down 185 BCM in potential yearly supply, or 35% of its total gas imports. This includes the destruction or suspensions of the Nordstream pipelines (110 bcm), the suspension of the Yamal Pipeline via Belarus (33 BCM) and now the cutting off of gas transit via Ukraine at the start of 2025 (42bcm). That leaves just 17.5 BCM in pipeline capacity through Turkey for Russian gas.

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“..could ultimately come in a billion dollars a mile.”

Trump Admin Eyes Billions Going to California High-Speed Train (Turley)

Despite a plethora of challenges, the Trump Administration is pushing ahead with its top-to-bottom review of government spending. It has already halted billions in what it views as wasteful spending. It now looks like one of the most wasteful, runaway public works projects in the country could be on the chopping block: California’s high-speed rail project. The project to build a bullet train from Los Angeles to Sacramento is an outrageous example of a public work that lacked any fiscal responsibility or oversight from the state government. Nevertheless, Democrats continue to push for billions more from the federal government as well as California taxpayers. There is currently $4.3 billion in unspent federal funds for California’s high-speed rail project, and Trump should seek to claw back the money in light of the gross negligence shown by the California authorities.

The project was initially approved in 2008 with the support of Gov. Jerry Brown (D) as an environmental and technological advance for the state. It proved a costly bait-and-switch. Voters approved a $9.95 billion bond issue in 2008 after absurdly low estimates of the projected cost. Influential figures and companies stood to make a fortune, and the key was to get a “buy-in” worth billions so that it would be more and more difficult to abandon the project as overruns and delays sent the costs soaring. Now the official estimate of future ridership has dropped by 25% and it demands billions more to complete a project that would be delayed by decades to complete. Remember that this entire project was meant to create a rail line of only 171 miles. It is projected at over $128 billion and could ultimately come in a billion dollars a mile. There are still uncompleted environmental assessments and challenging rail lines through the mountains.

In his first term, Trump criticized the project and withheld a billion dollars in federal aid. However, when President Joe Biden came into office, he opened the federal coffers and approved billions more despite well-documented mismanagement and dubious spending. Trump is now pledging an investigation, which is long overdue. There is ample reason to suspect fraud and other possible violations in this multi-billion dollar boondoggle. Indeed, this week, the inspector general, Benjamin Belnap, issued a scathing report on the first phase of still uncompleted project. That is only the stretch from Merced to Bakersfield which was supposed to be completed by 2033.

Belnap wrote: “With a smaller remaining schedule envelope and the potential for significant uncertainty and risk during subsequent phases of the project, staying within the 2033 schedule envelope is unlikely. In fact, uncertainty about some parts of the project has increased as the authority has recently made decisions that deviated from the procurement and funding strategies that were part of its plans for staying on schedule.” The Merced-Bakersfield line alone would now cost $35.3 billion, more than the 2008 projection for a complete system. California Democrats have continued to throw money at the project without making meaningful changes on the overruns and delays. There is currently only $28.7 billion in state bonds left. The inefficiency of the project has been raised for years.

Even if completed, the system would reduce auto travel by 10 million miles a day in a state where citizens drive a billion miles a day. As noted by Cal Matters, “A 10 million-mile reduction would ostensibly cut emissions by scarcely 1%.” It added: Logically, spending emission auction money on more direct carbon reduction programs, such as reducing emission-spewing wildfires, would make more sense. The current estimate for linking San Francisco with Southern California is $107 billion. Officials don’t even know how to fully finance Merced-Bakersfield, much less raise the other $72.4 billion they would need. Both a federal investigation and a cessation of funding are long overdue. It is time to bite the bullet. California has every right to spend over $100 billion during budget deficits, but the rest of the country should not subsidize it.

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Talent

 

 

Reindeer

 

 

Explain

 

 

Blackjack

 

 

Zanzibar
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889579116162158607

 

 

Penguin
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889578911207477372

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 122025
 


Leonardo da Vinci (?) La Joconde nue or Monna Vanna 1515

 

Stubbornness, Divine Providence and Donald Trump (Miele)
Trump Orders Federal Agencies To Comply With Musk’s DOGE Cuts (RT)
Democrat Senator Accuses Trump And Musk Of ‘Billionaire Takeover’ (RT)
Judge Blocks Federal Government From Cutting Medical Research Funding (ET)
US Tax Dollars Fuel Ukrainian Elites’ Lavish Lifestyles – Tucker Carlson (RT)
DOGE Investigating Feds Whose Net Worths Have Exploded (ZH)
Zelensky’s 100 Days Might End In Florida As Trump Prepares Ukraine Plan (Jay)
Musk Reacts To Zelensky’s ‘Ukrainians Don’t Want Elections’ Claim (RT)
Trump’s Envoy To Shift Ukraine Burden Onto Europe (RT)
Trump To Send Treasury Secretary To Kiev (RT)
Europe Told To Brace For Flood Of Ukrainian Soldiers With PTSD (RT)
Kiev Mayor Predicts ‘Painful Compromise’ To End Ukraine Conflict (RT)
Kiev Plotting Provocations To Drag NATO Into War – Moscow (RT)
Trump Nominees, COVID Dissenters Launch Science Journal (JTN)
“Get Violent and Fight”: Tennessee Minister Calls for Violence (Turley)
Clinton Probe to Expose Gates, Soros and Epstein Links (Sp.)
Russia Treated US ‘Very Nicely’ – Trump (RT)

 

 

 

 

DOGE 2024

MAGA minute

Leavitt

Gutfeld
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889115655565091300

FEMA


https://twitter.com/i/status/1889081920560189890

Jennings

AI

Rogan nice man
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889195160044486728

Kayleigh

Judge Nap/Mearsheimer

 

 

 

 

What would the world be like if Trump had won a 2nd consecutive term? No Butler murder attampt, no Elon, no RFK, no JD Vance…

Stubbornness, Divine Providence and Donald Trump (Miele)

Donald Trump has always been a complex character, but to fully understand him now, one must begin with the assassination attempt at Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. Listen to how Trump described that experience in his second inaugural address: “Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and indeed to take my life. Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.” Even his harshest critics were hesitant to challenge Trump’s grandiose assertion because – at some level – they could put themselves in Trump’s shoes. And now, three months after the election and a mere three weeks after he was sworn in, the evidence is plain that Trump is a politician reborn, with a purpose renewed. If Making America Great Again started as an election slogan, it has been transformed into a divine mission.

Trump 2.0 is the Democrats’ worst nightmare. If he had won a second term in 2020, forcing him to govern with a Chuck Schumer-controlled Senate, he would have been virtually powerless. He would have limped through that second term with the usual bluster and name-calling, but without any new vision or agenda. His mandate would have been simple – keep the economy strong and don’t rock the boat too hard. Play golf whenever possible. There would have been no Elon Musk and no Department of Government Efficiency. There would have been no Bobby Kennedy Jr. or Make America Healthy Again. It is unlikely there would have even been a housecleaning at the FBI or CIA. Remember, there would not have been a raid at Mar-a-Lago, nor a “deranged” special counsel, nor a Jan. 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol. We would be living in an entirely different world, led for four years by an entirely different Trump on a glide path to retirement.

The 2024 election would have been a complete unknown. Republicans would have scrambled to find a worthy successor to Trump, but there would be no anointed one. Almost certainly not Mike Pence, but then who? Josh Hawley? Tom Cotton? Nikki Haley? Tim Scott? Not J.D. Vance, who would still be a mid-level literary author and never have been elected senator from Ohio. The Democrats would not have had to suffer through the embarrassment of a senescent President Joe Biden. They would have had a legitimate primary battle in 2024 between Govs. Newsom, Shapiro, Pritzker, and Hochul, and Sens. Klobuchar, Warren, Gillibrand, and maybe Sanders. Kamala Harris would have been an afterthought – or withdrawn before Iowa just as she did in 2020.

The likelihood of a Democratic victory after two consecutive Trump terms would have been high. MAGA itself might have fizzled out from attrition and eight years of mainstream media overkill. So it’s easy to theorize about the role of divine providence bringing us to this point, but one can’t discount the importance of Trump’s own character in asserting his will against the established order either. His ability to withstand the full court press of two impeachments, two special counsels, two assassination attempts, and multiple felony indictments and convictions to convince the American public to return him to the White House is nothing short of miraculous. If Trump was indeed “saved by God,” there must have been a reason – something that made Trump a perfect vessel for reshaping our times, even though not perfect himself. So what is it?

I’ve tried to think of analogs for Trump’s persona in life and literature and largely come up empty. As a politician, Trump is sui generis. You can scan the Bible for other examples of imperfect perfection such as King David and Cyrus the Great, but it’s best not to impute to a contemporary such as Trump the authority of the Old Testament. So where else do we turn? A few authors have noted the similarity of Trump to Napoleon Bonaparte, including for his ego, his exile, and his support from the common man. I myself have written twice about such a connection, including once in 2016 before he was elected and once in 2022 after he was banished to Mar-a-Lago. The columns stand the test of time, but there might be one avatar for The Donald drawn from literature that is even more appropriate.

I am thinking of the character known simply as the Mule in Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” trilogy. Book two of the science fiction series, “Foundation and Empire,” introduces the Mule as a character of such intense individuality that he has the power to break every expectation, exceed every limit, and avoid virtually every trap put in his way as he attempts to conquer the galaxy. As Asimov has another character explain, “He has no name other than that of the Mule, a name reportedly applied by himself to himself, and signifying, by popular explanation, his immense physical strength, and stubbornness of purpose.”

We need not worry about physical strength in our comparison, but “stubbornness of purpose” can be applied to Trump and to only a few others in U.S. history, including George Washington during his role as commander in chief of the Continental Army and Abraham Lincoln as commander in chief of the Union Army. Were it not for Trump’s extraordinary second term, his divine commission, we might never have even understood his stubbornness of purpose. Oh yes, he was considered mule-headed for his unwillingness to follow political conventions, but until his return from exile, he still tried to curry favor with the ruling class by trying to fit in with expectations rather than imposing his will through brute force.

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“..agencies may hire only one employee for every four who depart..”

Trump Orders Federal Agencies To Comply With Musk’s DOGE Cuts (RT)

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating US federal agencies to implement workforce reductions and efficiency measures outlined by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk. Signed on February 11, 2025, the order directs agencies to limit hiring to essential positions and collaborate with DOGE to identify areas for significant staff cuts and potential agency eliminations. Appearing alongside Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Musk defended the initiative, stating that the American “people voted for major government reform, and that’s what they’re going to get.” “It’s not optional for us to reduce federal expenses – it’s essential. It’s essential for America to remain solvent as a country,” Musk said.

“We have this unelected, unconstitutional fourth branch of government – the bureaucracy – which, in many ways, currently holds more power than any elected representative,” he added. “It does not reflect the will of the people. So it’s something we’ve got to fix.” “And we’ve also got to address the deficit – a $2 trillion deficit. If we don’t do something about this, the country is going bankrupt. I mean, it’s astounding that the interest payments alone on the national debt exceed the Defense Department’s budget,” Musk noted.

Trump’s executive order establishes a hiring ratio in which agencies may hire only one employee for every four who depart, with exemptions for roles related to public safety, immigration enforcement, and law enforcement. Agency heads must develop data-driven plans, in consultation with DOGE team leads, to ensure new hires are allocated to high-need areas. The order also requires agency heads to submit reports within 30 days, evaluating whether their departments or sub-agencies could be eliminated or consolidated. It does not apply to military personnel, and agency heads may exempt “any position they deem necessary to meet national security, homeland security, or public safety responsibilities.” Critics have raised concerns about the potential impact of these measures on public services and the concentration of power within DOGE, with reporters pressing Musk on potential conflicts of interest.

Trump’s latest push for large-scale federal workforce reductions follows previous efforts by his administration to streamline government operations, including a foreign aid and hiring freezes. The Department of Government Efficiency has been granted expanded authority to oversee these reductions, aiming to identify and eliminate wasteful spending within the federal government.

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Musk is a Chinese puppet.

Democrat Senator Accuses Trump And Musk Of ‘Billionaire Takeover’ (RT)

US President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk are seizing power in Washington “for corrupt purposes,” according to Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. The lawmaker from Connecticut accused the president of punishing his enemies and rewarding his friends in what he called “the billionaire takeover of government.” Trump has repealed dozens of executive orders signed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, since returning to the Oval Office on January 20. Amid a broader push to cut government spending, the president has suspended all US foreign aid and halted numerous projects assigned to USAID, Washington’s main agency for administering funding to political projects abroad.

Trump also appointed Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, as a “special government employee” to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). “This is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Murphy said in an interview with ABC News aired on Sunday, accusing Trump of “attempting to seize control of power for corrupt purposes.” The lawmaker claimed that the president is planning to single-handedly address public financial issues in order “to reward his political friends” and “punish his political enemies,” branding the administration’s latest decisions, in particular disbanding USAID, an “evisceration of democracy.”

Murphy also said the agency was “a thorn in the side of the Chinese government,” claiming that Trump’s move to eliminate it will “make America much less safe around the world” but will benefit Beijing. The senator accused Musk, who has branded USAID a “criminal organization,” of pursuing his own ends by taking steps to shut down the agency. “Elon Musk has many major business interests at stake inside Beijing, and so making Beijing happy is going to accrue to the financial benefit of Elon Musk and many billionaires who outsource work to China,” the lawmaker stated. Last week, Trump accused USAID of funnelling billions of taxpayer dollars into media companies to promote positive media coverage of the Democrats. At the same time, Musk accused USAID of funding bioweapons research.

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Waiting for Jay Bhattacharya to be confirmed as NIH director.

Judge Blocks Federal Government From Cutting Medical Research Funding (ET)

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley entered a temporary restraining order on Feb. 10 preventing the federal government from cutting medical research funding in 22 states in response to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Massachusetts. The order is in place until further word from the court, Kelley said. Government lawyers were also ordered to, within 24 hours, and at biweekly intervals thereafter, confirm with the judge that they are regularly disbursing medical research funding in the states, which include Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Oregon. California, New York, and Massachusetts receive the most funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The legal challenge targets the U.S. National Institutes of Health directive that imposes a lower cap on indirect research costs for institutions receiving government funding after a quarter of $35 billion in NIH research funds went to indirect costs in 2024.

The new cap was set in the Feb. 7 directive at 15 percent, which is largely in line with private funding limits, and down from what the NIH said was an average of 27 percent to 28 percent. “The United States should have the best medical research in the world. It is accordingly vital to ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead,” according to an NIH memorandum from the agency’s Office of the Director. Dr. Matthew Memoli is the acting NIH director while the Senate considers President Donald Trump’s nominee, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. In an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, attorneys general representing the states alleged that institutions, if the change were allowed to go through, would lead to “catastrophic financial consequences, which could result in layoffs and furloughs, research program closures, financial defaults, and disruptions to clinical trials, potentially jeopardizing people’s lives and health.”

The states also said the change violates a law that prohibits the NIH from changing the cap on indirect research costs. “Even were NIH to have the authority it claims, a demanding regulatory process would be required; but NIH took none of the steps mandated by that process. In addition, the agency did not consider the detrimental effect of its decision on ongoing research that NIH itself has determined is integral to public health,” the motion stated. “Nor did NIH address the considerable reliance interests that are impaired when thousands of existing grants, totaling billions of dollars, are changed unilaterally over a weekend.” The government has not issued a response to the motion. After granting the request for a restraining order, Kelley set a hearing on the matter for Feb. 21.

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“All the visitors are Ukrainian, and they’re rolling into Hermes, and dropping a million dollars in an afternoon. It’s all through Europe you see this.”

US Tax Dollars Fuel Ukrainian Elites’ Lavish Lifestyles – Tucker Carlson (RT)

Ukrainian elites have enriched themselves from embezzling US taxpayer money sent to fund the conflict with Russia, American journalist Tucker Carlson has claimed. He recounted his observations of affluent visitors at an elite ski resort, during an interview with retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis on Monday. Carlson, a former Fox News host and a vocal opponent of US support for Ukraine, described his visit to a pricey resort in the Alps, where he discovered that “the whole town is Ukrainian.” “All the visitors are Ukrainian, and they’re rolling into Hermes, and dropping a million dollars in an afternoon. It’s all through Europe you see this. The richest people are the Ukrainians,” he said, adding that the money they’re throwing around “belongs to me and you and every other American taxpayer.”

Carlson went on to say that Ukrainian corruption not only squanders American resources but also endangers US citizens. He cited allegations of Ukrainian military personnel selling weapons on the black market, which have reportedly reached the Mexican drug cartels. He claimed to know this for a fact, but did not provide evidence. He also criticized US funding for the Ukrainian special services, saying they have orchestrated “terrorist attacks” within Russia.”Everyone who wants to know what’s going on knows,” Carlson said, accusing the media and officials from the administration of former President Joe Biden of covering up for Kiev. The contrast between the amount of assistance for Ukraine and the affluence of some Ukrainians in the EU has fostered resentment in countries such as Poland, which has welcomed nearly a million Ukrainian refugees since the conflict escalated in 2022.

In an interview last October, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poles are appalled by “the sight of young men from Ukraine, driving the best cars, spending weekends in five-star hotels.” Opinion polls suggest a shift in public sentiment against Ukrainians.In recent remarks, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky claimed that his country has received substantially less US aid than reported, saying the total is $76 billion, rather than $200 billion, which is often cited. He added that around 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the conflict so far. Carlson highlighted both of these claims, calling them examples of blatant lies that the Western media reports uncritically.

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Normal in DC.

DOGE Investigating Feds Whose Net Worths Have Exploded (ZH)

DOGE head Elon Musk said on Tuesday that DOGE is going to investigate federal employees whose net worths have exploded despite their comparatively low pay. The announcement – which came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on federal agencies to work with DOGE, follows a bombshell report that Samantha Power, former head of USAID, saw her net worth explode to $30 million despite an annual salary under $250,000. “We don’t know why. Where did it come from? I think the reality is that they’re getting wealthy at the taxpayer expense,” Musk said on Tuesday. Power, a former ambassador to the United Nations under President Obama, and was sworn in as head of USAID in May of 2021, reported a net worth between $6.7 million-$16.5 million in January of 2021 on a disclosure form. Her net worth is now estimated as high as $30 million, according to the website Biden’s Basement.

According to various reports, Power’s sources of income have varied over the years. After serving as UN Ambassador, she reportedly made $471,000 per year as a Harvard professor, and made $351,000 from speaking engagements with major firmst such as Nestle, Google and UBS, along with $1 million in book royalties. Most notably, however, was an $11.73 million gain in her investment holdings. If we had to venture a guess, DOGE’s access to information from the Treasury, USAID, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), run through Palantir’s intelligence apparatus (including AI), will quickly unravel graft hidden through multiple layers of organizational fog.

Meanwhile, there’s the issue of lawmakers who have become unbelievably ‘lucky’ when it comes to growing their net worth via insider trading.

In July, a bipartisan group of senators including Josh Hawley (R-MO) came to an agreement on a renewed effort to ban members of Congress from trading stock. “Congress should not be here to make a buck,” Hawley said at the time. “There is no reason why members of Congress ought to be profiting off of the information that only they get.”

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“.. it is quite wrong of both Lammy and Zelensky who claim Putin doesn’t want to talk. This is coded talk which means simply “he’s not prepared to give us what we want”.

Zelensky’s 100 Days Might End In Florida As Trump Prepares Ukraine Plan (Jay)

Are we witnessing the final days of caretaker President Zelensky? Two recent media events where he clearly stated, some would even say ‘begged’, for a deal with Donald Trump might indicate that he is now in panic mode. Zelensky’s recent offer to Trump for the U.S. to take Ukraine’s mineral reserves reveals a lot about the former comedian turned politician. In numerous speeches and various media events he has repeatedly talked about the Ukrainian people, Europe and the sanctity of democracy all being under threat when Russia wins the war. But now we can see all that was BS and that now, without Hollywood movie stars raising his profile of hundreds of media outlets pumping out the fake news to support him, we get to what really matters above all: mineral wealth.

The problem or dilemma Zelensky has is not unlike that of a dying old man who has millions in the bank. Does he hand over all his wealth to the best doctors to buy a few more years of life, based on their promises, or does he accept the end is near? His logic is not complicated. His chief focus is his own power and positon above all. But is a peace deal, with or without a mineral sweetner compatible with his presidential incumbency? Something, it would seem, has to give. What he is now doing is certainly panicking. There can be no other way to look at the recent media spots. With practically now all U.S. and UK media taking the line that the war is being lost now to Russia and further reports that Moscow could be planning a major push with one or two brigades, time is of the essence. He needs to think clearly.

Perhaps delusional western powers like the UK are preventing any lucid, realistic thinking, given that David Lammy, the British foreign secretary recently visited him and handed him a cheque for over 60 million USD and told him that Britain is prepared to replace the U.S. militarily. Yes, that’s 60, you read correctly. While it’s unclear what an army in defeat could do with this small change, given that U.S. experts are estimating that just for the Ukraine army to continue for one more year they would need between 50 and 100 BILLION dollars, the British should thank Zelensky for keeping a straight face at the farce. Zelensky’s problem is how to secure a peace deal and come out looking like a winner. Add to that almost mission impossible is his insistence on “western security” guaranties – read NATO membership – and you can see why things are not exactly moving forward very quickly.

Trump has announced a peace deal to be agreed in April. Like the 600-pound gorilla in the room, he is likely to make it happen, or at least a ceasefire of sorts, but will Zelensky still be president when it happens? Zelensky is rapidly realizing the trap and just how entangled he is in the centre of it. Give Trump a huge bribe? It might not cut it given that Trump must already be looking at who to replace Zelensky, who would probably offer more. Both Trump and Zelensky need to come out of it as victors and it was interesting how he used the word “victory” when explaining it to the Reuters journalists (do they actually ask questions or is it just their job to be his PR apparatus?). Yet the question of Putin being a victor has not been tackled, given that he’s already winning and holds all the cards. While it is true that the intensity of fighting is certainly the case on the Russian side, it is quite wrong of both Lammy and Zelensky who claim Putin doesn’t want to talk. This is coded talk which means simply “he’s not prepared to give us what we want”.

It’s unlikely Zelensky will be the broker to make the deal happen as we head towards Trump’s 100-day deadline and I predict, as I have been doing so for months, that both Putin and Trump will conclude that he needs to be removed for a deal to be made. NATO membership of Ukraine is a joke and cannot happen for any deal to be struck and it is telling that the West still clings to this fantasy, but explains why Zelensky is still harping on about it. At the time of writing Trump hinted to journalists that he was about to meet with Zelensky so we should estimate that this will be the ‘either piss or get off the pot’ moment where all diplomatic endearment will be put aside. Trump will tell him the plan and tell him there and then, you’re either with it or you’re out.

As easily as the Obama and Biden administrations ushered Zelensky and his predecessor into power, Trump will prove that he can counter the move. Watch very closely in the coming weeks for top aides of Zelensky to be fired, but who in reality have resigned. Trump’s specialty for years in NYC getting deals done was to threaten his competitors with seducing their wives. Many gave into this tactic. Almost certainly Trump’s people will be working on Zelensky’s entourage who might wipe him out financially with higher payoffs – if he chooses to stay. But will he stay?

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“..claimed that NATO is planning to oust Zelensky as it believes that he is one of the main obstacles to peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.”

Musk Reacts To Zelensky’s ‘Ukrainians Don’t Want Elections’ Claim (RT)

Elon Musk has taken a jab at Vladimir Zelensky over his claim that Ukrainians are opposed to holding presidential elections while the conflict with Russia continues. Zelensky’s term officially expired in May 2024, but he has refused to hold presidential elections since, citing active martial law. While Kiev’s backers in the West continue to recognize Zelensky as Ukraine’s president, Russia deems him illegitimate, insisting that legal power in the country now lies with the parliament and its speaker. In an interview with ITV on Friday, Zelensky explained Kiev’s reluctance to hold the new vote by arguing that “during this war, our population is against elections, all people are against it.” He claimed that holding elections under such circumstances would undermine Ukraine’s defense posture, adding, “If we suspend martial law, we will lose the army.”

Musk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), offered a response full of irony, posting “Sure” on social media. In November, the billionaire mocked Zelensky’s claim that the “US cannot force us to ‘sit and listen’ at the negotiating table. We are an independent country.” “His sense of humor is amazing,” the tech entrepreneur wrote at the time. According to the Ukrainian outlet Telegraf, Zelensky has already decided to run in the potential next election, if it is held. While the report estimated that the Ukrainian leader – who has a trust rating of around 52% – has a reasonable chance of winning, the situation could drastically change if former top general Valery Zaluzhny, currently Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, enters the presidential race.

The Ukrainian outlet claimed that to suppress the candidacy of the popular general, Zelensky could press criminal charges against Zaluzhny, including a probe related to the fall of Kherson to Russian forces in 2022. According to RBK-Ukraine, Zelensky’s team is also hoping that military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov could counter Zaluzhny’s potential bid for the presidency. Meanwhile, the Trump administration appears to be pressuring Kiev to organize a new presidential election. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s top envoy for Ukraine, told Reuters earlier this month that Washington wants Kiev to hold the vote, potentially by the end of the year, especially if a ceasefire with Russia can be agreed upon in the coming months. “Most democratic nations have elections in their time of war. I think it is important they do so. I think it is good for democracy,” he said. Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that NATO is planning to oust Zelensky as it believes that he is one of the main obstacles to peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

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From Friday, at the Munich Security Conference, we’ll have Vance, Kellogg, Rubio … and Zelensky.

Trump’s Envoy To Shift Ukraine Burden Onto Europe (RT)

Keith Kellogg, the US presidential envoy for the Ukraine conflict, will meet with European officials in the coming weeks to advance President Donald Trump’s objectives, according to Bloomberg and The Telegraph. The diplomatic campaign will reportedly kick off at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Friday, as the new US administration aims to recoup funds expended on the conflict in recent years. On Monday, the outlets cited insider sources outlining Kellogg’s plans to gather feedback from trans-Atlantic partners before finalizing a strategy for achieving a truce with Russia. He is interested in Europeans’ “willingness to take the lead on providing deterrent forces to ensure that any peace settlement holds,” a source reportedly told Bloomberg.

Kellogg is also expected to make it clear that the US has no intention of deploying troops to protect Ukraine and wants European NATO allies to increase their defense spending. The Telegraph claimed that Kellogg has reassured European officials of Trump’s commitment to maintaining some level of military assistance to Kiev. Concerns have been raised about the extent of Kellogg’s influence over Trump, after he reportedly said he was surprised by the president’s announcement of scheduled talks with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.

Trump aims to recoup money expended for support for Ukraine allocated under his predecessor, Joe Biden, by seeking rights to the country’s natural resources. In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, he said he had effectively secured $500 billion worth of rare-earth minerals as compensation, regardless of the outcome of negotiations with Russia. “They may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday, but we’re gonna have all this money in there, and I say, I want it back.”

US Vice President J.D. Vance will lead the American delegation at the MSC, where he is expected to meet with Zelensky. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the conference is an opportunity for American officials to “lay out a broad path forward” on Ukraine. Zelensky has claimed that Trump can achieve “peace through strength” with continued military assistance. He has conceded that without US support, the Ukrainian army risks collapse. Russian officials have rejected the idea of freezing the conflict along the current front lines, insisting on a comprehensive resolution addressing the underlying causes of hostilities, which include NATO expansion in Europe and discriminatory policies against ethnic Russians in Ukraine.

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Got the money? Got the money?

Trump To Send Treasury Secretary To Kiev (RT)

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will be sending Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Ukraine. The trip, which could take place as soon as this week, will include discussions of a potential deal for rare-earth minerals in exchange for aid to Kiev, according to various media reports. Trump recently demanded that Kiev must ensure a return on “America’s $300 billion” in aid by providing the US with critical minerals. He told Fox News on Tuesday that it would be “stupid” to keep funding Ukraine without tangible benefits. Rare-earth metals, which are essential for producing the magnets that convert power into motion in electric vehicles, smartphones, missile systems, and other advanced electronics, have no viable substitutes, and their demand is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Bessent will be the first cabinet-level official in Trump’s administration to visit Kiev.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said he is sending Bessent to meet Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, stating that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev “must and will end soon.” Trump further claimed that the US had spent “billions of dollars globally, with little to show.” Though Trump did not specify Bessent’s travel date, Bloomberg and Reuters report it will happen this week for preliminary negotiations. Zelensky has signaled openness to such a deal but acknowledged that nearly half of what Kiev claims as its rare earths are located in areas controlled by Russia. He said Kiev’s supporters must help push Russian forces out of the mineral-rich areas before any investment can take place.

Before the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict, the country held Europe’s largest titanium and lithium reserves, critical for military and energy industries. Around $7 trillion of Ukraine’s total mineral wealth of around $14.8 trillion is in its former Donbass regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Forbes. However, these two regions declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 after the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev and later voted to join Russia. Trump’s demand has sparked strong criticism, including from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who argued that it “would be very selfish” to use Ukraine’s resources to finance defense support.

The US leader has been calling for a swift resolution to the conflict, signaling potential peace talks between Moscow and Kiev. He has reportedly tasked his special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, with negotiating a settlement within 100 days. However, no concrete details of a plan have been disclosed. Moscow has expressed openness to talks but insists that any negotiations must be based on equal and mutually acceptable terms, reflecting the realities on the ground and Russia’s national interests. According to Bloomberg, Kellogg plans to present Trump with potential strategies to end the conflict in the coming weeks.

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Lovely.

Europe Told To Brace For Flood Of Ukrainian Soldiers With PTSD (RT)

Ukrainian soldiers returning from the front could pose a threat to civilians across Europe due to untreated mental health issues, Polish military psychiatrist Radoslaw Tworus has warned. In an interview with Wirtualna Polska published on Sunday, Tworus, who heads the department of psychiatry, combat stress, and psychotraumatology at the Military Medical Institute in Warsaw, said trauma from the battlefield may lead to serious psychological problems, potentially endangering society. His warnings come amid growing concerns in the region that Ukrainian soldiers will emigrate en masse to neighboring countries after the conflict. “These extreme experiences related to stress, threats to life, witnessing injuries, destruction, hunger, and exhaustion will have great significance not only for Poland but for Europe. Because these people are in Europe,” Tworus stated.

“We have to prepare,” he added. Tworus emphasized that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is among the major concerns, but is only part of the issue. “If we are talking about the battlefield, we are talking about a very stressful environment… a person can face a number of different problems: adaptation issues, psychosis, depression, addictions. The spectrum of these disorders is very wide.” He warned that the most problematic cases involve individuals who are unaware of their mental health issues and therefore do not seek help. “There may be depression, but there may also be euphoria, agitation, and aggressive states. There are many of these symptoms,” Tworus said, noting that any problems related to sleeping, eating, nervousness, quick mental fatigue, exhaustion or euphoric states “require consultation.”

He cautioned that soldiers with unresolved mental health issues might project their struggles onto family members or even the countries hosting them, potentially leading to unpredictable consequences. Tworus’ comments follow a recent report by Personnel Service, a Polish recruitment company, which claimed that up to one million Ukrainians could emigrate to Poland after the conflict ends. Based on a poll conducted in December, the report indicated that one in four Ukrainian men and one in five Ukrainian women are considering leaving Ukraine post-conflict. The primary reasons cited were Ukraine’s economic difficulties and lack of security.

Poland initially saw the largest influx of Ukrainian asylum seekers in the EU following the escalation of the conflict with Russia, with the number peaking at 1.36 million in 2022. Across the EU, as of November 2024 approximately 4.2 million Ukrainians had been granted temporary protection status under a bloc-wide initiative. The program, which offers access to housing, education, and employment, was recently extended to March 2026, though it has faced opposition from some member states.

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“I am very much afraid that it could lead to riots or worse – to an internal standoff and a civil strife..”

Kiev Mayor Predicts ‘Painful Compromise’ To End Ukraine Conflict (RT)

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine could end “in a month or two,” Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko claimed on Tuesday, warning that a potential peace deal could be “very painful to every Ukrainian.” US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to seek a swift end to the hostilities. He has not revealed his peace plan, but it reportedly involves freezing the conflict along the current front line, establishing a demilitarized zone patrolled by European soldiers, and suspending Kiev’s bid to join NATO. Russia has said it remains open to negotiations but insists that any agreement must include “reliable, legally binding agreements eliminating the root causes of the conflict” instead of just freezing it.

“I am sure that it would be difficult to call it a positive result,” Klitschko said, commenting on the peace prospects at a forum in Kiev. “The so-called compromise could turn out to be very painful for every Ukrainian.” The mayor believes that the end of the conflict could lead to social tensions and political strife that would lead to a “war of extermination” inside the country. Kiev is unlikely to be able to keep its wartime army after the conflict ends, he stated, adding that around a third of the current armed forces personnel would have to be discharged and reintegrated into civilian life. The end of the conflict would also mean the start of an election contest, the mayor said, adding that this could also spiral out of control.

“I am very much afraid that it could lead to riots or worse – to an internal standoff and a civil strife,” Klitschko warned. Elections are “traditionally accompanied by mutual accusations,” the Kiev mayor stated, adding that it could become “a difficult challenge” for Ukraine. The politician said he is “sure” that Ukraine is not ready to face this scenario and needs to seek a solution. Last week, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky stated that the nation cannot hold any votes under the present circumstances because it would supposedly “lose” its army. He also claimed that the whole election narrative was supposedly only peddled by Moscow, which would be the only one to benefit from a vote in Ukraine.

Moscow has repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy since his presidential term officially expired in May 2024. Russian President Valdimir Putin has said the parliament is the only legitimate governing body in Ukraine. According to Klitschko, “everyone is talking about elections” in Ukraine even as the hostilities continue. “Political electoral processes have already begun,” the Kiev mayor added. Klitschko, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, was one of the most prominent figures in the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev in 2014 and became the capital’s mayor the same year. He has long had strained relations with Zelensky. In 2023, he accused the Ukrainian leader of steering the nation towards authoritarianism. Last month, he also stated that Zelensky’s team was seeking to “usurp power” by undermining local authorities.

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“.. the Kiev regime will not only actively hinder peace settlement processes but is also prepared to extend hostilities far beyond Ukraine’s borders..”

Kiev Plotting Provocations To Drag NATO Into War – Moscow (RT)

Ukrainian special services, with Western support, are preparing a series of high-profile provocations to implicate Moscow and draw NATO into a direct military confrontation, according to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). In a statement on Tuesday, the SVR claimed that Kiev plans to use Russian-made naval mines to orchestrate an explosion involving a foreign vessel in the Baltic Sea. The alleged goal is to blame Moscow and prompt NATO to restrict Russia’s access to the Baltic on the pretext of ensuring maritime security. NATO has been increasing its military activities along Eastern Europe’s borders in recent years, citing security concerns over Russia. Last month, it announced plans to expand its presence in the Baltic Sea, launching a new mission to safeguard undersea infrastructure following a series of disruptions and damage to cables between member states.

Russia, which perceives the Baltic Sea as a strategic area for its naval operations and energy exports, has vowed to do everything necessary to protect its interests. Last year, Nikolay Patrushev, the former head of the Russian Security Council who currently serves as an aide to President Vladimir Putin, warned that NATO is using its newest members, Sweden and Finland, to turn the Baltic into an “internal sea” under Western control.Moscow has stressed that it has no intention of attacking any NATO member states, but has criticized the military buildups on its border. It has also warned that direct confrontation between Russia and NATO could escalate into a nuclear conflict, adding that it will respond to any hostile moves.

In its statement, the SVR also alleged that Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), in collaboration with intelligence agencies from several European countries, is planning attacks on Russian “non-systemic opposition” figures and businessmen residing abroad. The plan reportedly involves recruiting perpetrators from Asian and Middle Eastern countries, offering up to $20,000 for participation, with instructions to blame the Russian intelligence services if apprehended. Russia has accused Ukraine of planning various provocations in order to blame Moscow. Ukraine has dismissed the claims as propaganda. In recent months, Russia’s security services have on numerous occasions arrested Ukrainian agents tasked with targeting prominent public figures. The SVR cited reports indicating that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and his associates are willing to resort to provocations to preserve their positions.

“To this end, the Kiev regime will not only actively hinder peace settlement processes but is also prepared to extend hostilities far beyond Ukraine’s borders,” it said. Zelensky remains in office despite his term expiring last May. He has refused to step down and postponed elections, citing martial law, which was imposed in 2022 following the escalation of the conflict with Russia.In a separate report this month, the SVR claimed that NATO is exploring ways to remove Zelensky from power by undermining his credibility before potential elections next year. It claimed that some Western officials see him as a roadblock to peace talks with Moscow. Moscow has expressed willingness to engage in peace talks, though Putin has insisted that negotiating with the current Ukrainian leadership will not have any legal meaning.

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Jay Bhattacharya, Marty Makary and Martin Kulldorff. One step away from crucifixion just a few years ago. Times change.

Trump Nominees, COVID Dissenters Launch Science Journal (JTN)

Before President Trump nominated them to lead the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makary, respectively, laid the groundwork for an academic journal on public health that would stand athwart the squelching of scientific dissent and narrative policing endemic to academic publishing around COVID-19. Now awaiting confirmation, the Stanford and Johns Hopkins medical school professors are handing the reins of the Journal of the Academy of Public Health to their collaborators, including founding editor-in-chief and epidemiologist Martin Kulldorff, who endured social media censorship for his COVID views and firing from Harvard Med for his medical choices.

The house organ of the newly formed Academy of Public Health, JAPH stands apart from similar journals not only in its enthusiasm to challenge COVID-19 dogmas and bite the federal hand that feeds researchers, as evident in its first crop of articles Jan. 30, but in its business model, peer-review process and transparency practices. APH is an international nonprofit organized under the RealClearFoundation, a sibling to RealClearPolitics and itself a donor-financed 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which announced the journal Wednesday and called Bhattacharya and Kulldorff its cofounders. While at least one author must be an APH member, received papers are published immediately and reviewers are each paid a $500 honorarium and publicly credited, and reviews are published alongside the papers – unusual practices in academic publishing.

JAPH will even publish “external article reviews” of influential papers published in journals without the “same philosophy of open peer-review and scientific discourse” – an unsolicited, public layer of peer review – and invite the authors to respond. More common: Its open-access model makes JAPH free to read, while authors pay $2,000 to publish research, “literature syntheses” and history articles and $500 for unreviewed “perspectives,” though the honorarium for reviewers may be applied to their own publications. Each APH member gets one free research, synthesis and history article, and an annual free perspective, while authors without research grants or institutional funds can also apply for waived publication fees on a case-by-case basis.

Kulldorff elaborated on the problems in science journals, which in “some ways” are now “hampering rather than enhancing open scientific discourse,” and called JAPH a “proof of concept” for proposed solutions in his opening perspective Jan. 30. Beneficiaries of the new model include funding agencies, which are “not allowed to see the reviews they paid for” but “will get an external evaluation of the research they fund” through JAPH’s model, he said. Other first-issue articles include a study that found no “significant” differences in COVID case rates or “incidence rate ratios” between neighboring K-12 school districts when one had a mask mandate or when neither had one, and Kulldorff and Bhattacharya’s analysis of the “fundamental design flaws in the Covid vaccine trials” contrasted with polio vaccine trials.

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“..When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury, and threatens to steal your personal information and your social security check..”

“Get Violent and Fight”: Tennessee Minister Calls for Violence (Turley)

Clearly, Dr. Steve Caudle of Greater Second Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga is not the “turn-the-other-cheek” type of minister. Caudle called upon his flock to choose violence in responding to the policy changes in progress in Washington with the new Administration. It is a further escalation of the rage rhetoric from Democratic politicians and pundits. In a sermon live streamed to YouTube on Sunday, Caudle denounced Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for threatening to “steal” Americans’ information and money, and said that a violent “conflict” will be coming:

“In this nation, I’m worried that we are on the verge of bloodshed. This is an attempt to take us back to a day that we do not want to go, and we will not go. Therefore, there will be conflict. I pray that the peace of God will win out and overcome the madness that is attempting to take over this nation.” “And I will say to you, beloved: no one likes violence, but sometimes violence is necessary. When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury, and threatens to steal your personal information and your social security check, there is a possibility of violence. Sometimes the devil will act so ugly, that there is no other choice but to get violent and fight!”

Invoking Matthew 11:12, he added: “… Why not talk this way? Because Jesus did… Jesus said in this key verse… ‘The kingdom of Heaven suffers — what — violence. And the who — the violent — take it by force. The kingdom of God is a warzone, it is a battlefield. You did know this, right?”

There is a normalization of such violent rhetoric with mainstream figures. The result can be a sense of license for some willing to turn to violent forms of expression, particularly when given the patina of moral justification. As I have previously written, rage rhetoric has long been a part of our political process. However, when religious figures rationalize violent action, we cross a dangerous Rubicon in the use of such rhetoric.

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“Hundreds of billions in grants could be returned to US and foreign governments if fraud is proven..”

Clinton Probe to Expose Gates, Soros and Epstein Links (Sp.)

The fall of the House of Clinton would trigger a domino effect, upending globalist entities like Bilderberg, billionaires such as Bill Gates & George Soros, and their bought politicians worldwide, says Wall Street analyst Charles Ortel. Ortel calls CF the largest unprosecuted fraud. If true, its trustees, executives and donors – both US and foreign – could face IRS and legal probes at home and abroad. Hundreds of billions in grants could be returned to US and foreign governments if fraud is proven, according to the analyst.

Australia, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, Ukraine and others funded CF, public records show. The largest known donor is UNITAID (WHO), which has sent hundreds of millions more than CF has reported to the IRS since 2006. Other suspicious donors: DFID, AusAID, NORAD and aid agencies from Canada, Ireland and Sweden, Ortel says. Private foundations also funded Clinton frauds. The Gates Foundation has donated since 2005 – while convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein collaborated with Bill Clinton. George Soros is another key donor.

Harvard, Yale and Columbia University gave credibility to Clinton charity frauds, Ortel says. Legacy media & publishers boosted Clinton Global Initiative events, ignoring that none were legally registered charities. A full probe into CF and its offshoots is needed ASAP, Ortel says. A 2018 hearing revealed CF owes $2.5 billion to the US government for acting as a foreign agent instead of a nonprofit. But the scandal exceeds $2.5 billion – Bill Clinton used the charity as a front, with no honest accounting for AIDS, climate, or Haiti’s missing $10 billion, Ortel concludes.

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“..marijuana and hashish oil [..] ..carefully concealed in his personal belongings..”

Russia Treated US ‘Very Nicely’ – Trump (RT)

President Donald Trump has said that Moscow agreed to release Marc Fogel, a former US embassy employee sentenced to 14 years in prison on drug trafficking charges, without asking “much” in return. Moscow has not yet commented on the development, but US officials have praised the move as a “show of good faith” after US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff’s private jet departed Russia with Fogel on board on Tuesday. “We were treated very nicely by Russia, actually. I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed,” Trump told journalists at the White House later in the day.

Asked whether Washington had given Moscow “anything in return,” Trump paused briefly before responding: “Not much. No, they were very nice.” Fogel, a teacher at an Anglo-American school in Moscow, had previously worked at the US embassy in Russia. He lost his diplomatic immunity in May 2021. In August of the same year, he was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after authorities found marijuana and hashish oil in his possession. He was later sentenced to 14 years in prison after Russian officials accused him of attempting to establish a drug trafficking route, alleging that the banned substances were carefully concealed in his personal belongings.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

Aluminum
https://twitter.com/i/status/1889332373222797385

 

 

Koala

 

 

Yelp

 

 

Welcome
https://twitter.com/i/status/1888946524182528022

 

 

Chauvet (read the whole thread)

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 112025
 
 February 11, 2025  Posted by at 10:41 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  50 Responses »


Robert Rauschenberg Buffalo II 1964

 

Trump Orders 25 Percent Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum (ET)
Trump: DOGE To Analyze Pentagon Spending After 7th Failed Audit (ZH)
Trump Admin Urges Judge to Dissolve Order Blocking DOGE From Treasury (ET)
The Making of Elon Musk: How the Left Makes Monsters of Us All (Turley)
Sen. Mike Lee Floats Ron Paul For Fed Chairman, Musk Says ‘Amazing’ Idea (JTN)
DOGE: FEMA Sent $59 Million Last Week To Luxury NYC Hotels For Illegals (ZH)
Canada ‘Not Viable’ Without US Support – Trump (RT)
The Fallout of Trump’s USAID Freeze (Ryumshin)
Trump Wants Ukraine To Pay Back $500 Billion (RT)
Ukraine Sells US Weapons To Mexican Drug Cartels – Tucker Carlson (RT)
Danger of Deep Worldwide Recession in 2025 – Ed Dowd (USAW)
Warfare on Lawfare (Kunstler)
EU’s von der Leyen Calls For Alternative To NATO (RT)
EU’s Right Calls For New ‘Reconquista’ Against ‘Islamist Advance’ (RT)
Trump’s Gaza Plan ‘Futile’ – Erdogan (RT)
Trump Threatens To ‘Let Hell Break Out’ In Gaza (RT)
Musk And Altman Throw Punches Over Control Of OpenAI (ZH)
Deepseek Compared To ChatGPT On The Ukraine War – Who Is Winning? (Helmer)

 

 

 

 

80/20

Andreessen

Trump Bret Baier

X

Musk AfD

 

 

 

 

“Steel and aluminum tariffs 2.0 will ensure that American producers can compete on a level playing field..”

Trump Orders 25 Percent Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum (ET)

President Donald Trump on Feb. 10 imposed 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew from Florida to New Orleans on Feb. 9 to attend the Super Bowl, Trump said he would announce a 25-percent levy on “any steel coming into the United States. Aluminum, too.” The president also said he would announce “reciprocal tariffs” soon. Under this plan, the United States would implement import duties on goods and services when another country imposes tariffs on U.S. products. “If they are charging us 130 percent, and we’re charging them nothing, it’s not going to stay that way,” Trump said. “If they charge us, we charge them.” The tariffs are set to take effect on March 4. Canada and Mexico are two of the largest aluminum and steel trading partners of the United States.

Although the president claimed that the U.S. trade deficit with Canada was $200 billion, the gap was $63.33 billion last year, according to Census Bureau data. A March 2023 study by the International Trade Commission found that the first Trump administration’s use of Section 232—tariffs imposed on imports considered vital for national security—raised steel and aluminum prices. However, the effect on economic growth and employment was minimal. Repealing Section 232 would ultimately lead to the creation of more than 4,000 jobs and a long-run gross domestic product growth of 0.02 percent, or $3.5 billion, according to Alex Durante, senior economist at the Tax Foundation. “Because tariffs are taxes on imports and raise the cost of production, we estimate that repealing the Section 232 tariffs would strengthen the U.S. economy and create jobs,” Durante said in a 2024 paper.

In a separate pre-taped interview with Fox News released on Feb. 9, Trump said he had not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to avoid tariffs after agreeing to a 30-day pause. “No, it’s not good enough,” Trump told host Bret Baier. “Something has to happen. It’s not sustainable. And I’m changing it.” Last week, the president agreed to a 30-day extension on his initiative to apply a 25-percent levy on all goods from Canada and Mexico. Canadian oil, natural gas, and electricity imports would be taxed at a rate of 10 percent. Senior Canadian officials, including François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science, and industry, pledged to “stand up for Canada,” its workers, and its industries. Ontario Premier Doug Ford criticized Trump on social media platform X, writing that he is “shifting goalposts” and inciting “constant chaos.”

François Legault, premier of Quebec, a major aluminum supplier, said on X that it is critical to “begin to renegotiate” Canada’s free trade agreement with the United States “as soon as possible.” “Quebec exports 2.9 million tons of aluminum to them, or 60 percent of their needs. Do they prefer to get supplies from China?” he wrote. “We must put an end to this uncertainty.” Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, said the tariffs are a “direct attack” on Canadian workers and the country’s economy. “These tariffs don’t protect jobs—they kill them. Canada cannot sit idly by while our workers are treated as bargaining chips in Trump’s trade war,” Bruske said. “Our government must respond with strong, immediate action to defend Canadian industries and the workers who keep them running.”

As part of his 2018 Section 232 national security tariff extensions to shield aluminum and steel makers, the president signed trade proclamations that increased tariffs on these products without exemptions or exclusions. Trump reinstated a 25-percent tariff on millions of steel imports that had previously entered the United States duty-free under exemptions, quota arrangements, and other exclusions. He also raised the levy tariff rate on aluminum imports to 25 percent from the previous 10 percent in 2018. “This is a big deal—making America rich again,” Trump told reporters. The latest tariffs are a response to policies that the Trump administration said have permitted various countries—namely Brazil, Canada, China, Russia, and Mexico—to “manipulate trade.” “Steel and aluminum tariffs 2.0 will ensure that American producers can compete on a level playing field,” a White House official said in a call with reporters.

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Bring on the lawsuits.

Trump: DOGE To Analyze Pentagon Spending After 7th Failed Audit (ZH)

President Donald Trump has directed Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to audit the Pentagon, after the Defense Department failed its seventh audit in a row. During an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier set to air before the Super Bowl, Trump said he was directing DOGE to investigate both the Department of Education and the Pentagon. “We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,” Trump said.

On Friday, Trump said during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that he was directing DOGE to investigate “Pentgon, education, just about everything,” adding that he thinks Musk will find “a lot” of waste, fraud and abuse. “Sadly, you’ll find some things that are pretty bad, but I don’t think proportionally you’ll see anything like we just saw,” Trump said, referring to USAID – where the new administration has placed 97% of the staff on leave. Last week, Trump said that billions of dollars have been stolen by USAID. Reviewing the Pentagon will be no small task for an agency which sees roughly $800 billion flow through it, and has never managed to pass its own financial audits with the exception of the Marine Corps. The Pentagon employs nearly 3.3 million service members and civilians.

Musk, who has been appointed as a “special government employee,” is one of Trump’s key advisers, who has set a goal for DOGE to cut up to $2 trillion in federal expenses by July 2026. Last week, DOGE claimed that it had managed to save over $1 billion by slashing contracts related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), through halting “the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, the deletion of DEI, and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations,” as The Burning Platform noted on Sunday.

On Saturday, Musk said that DOGE and the US Treasury Department have agreed to new anti-fraud measures aimed at preventing tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent government entitlement payments each year, including the following:
– Require that all outgoing government payments have a payment categorization code, which is necessary in order to pass financial audits. This is frequently left blank, making audits almost impossible.
– All payments must also include a rationale for the payment in the comment field, which is currently left blank. Importantly, we are not yet applying ANY judgment to this rationale, but simply requiring that SOME attempt be made to explain the payment more than NOTHING!
– The DO-NOT-PAY list of entities known to be fraudulent or people who are dead or are probable fronts for terrorist organizations or do not match Congressional appropriations must actually be implemented and not ignored. Also, it can currently take up to a year to get on this list, which is far too long. This list should be updated at least weekly, if not daily.

The above super obvious and necessary changes are being implemented by existing, long-time career government employees, not anyone from @DOGE. It is ridiculous that these changes didn’t exist already! Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious. When I asked if anyone at Treasury had a rough guess for what percentage of that number is unequivocal and obvious fraud, the consensus in the room was about half, so $50B/year or $1B/week!! This is utterly insane and must be addressed immediately.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently defended DOGE’s actions at Treasury – telling Bloomberg in an interview with Bloomberg that the DOGE team is made up of highly trained professionals and “not some roving band running around doing things,” possibly in reference to claims by critics that DOGE has embraced and is applying the adage “move fast and break things,” which is part of the Silicon Valley start-up culture of being innovative, nimble, and disruptive.

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Bizarro world.

Trump Admin Urges Judge to Dissolve Order Blocking DOGE From Treasury (ET)

The Trump administration on Feb. 9 urged a federal judge to rescind an order that blocks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) personnel and some other government workers from accessing U.S. Department of Treasury records. The order from U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer bars access to the payment records for all personnel apart from civil servants “with a need for access to perform their job duties.” “On its face, the Order could be read to cover all political leadership within Treasury—including even Secretary Bessent,” government lawyers said in an emergency motion to the court, referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “This is a remarkable intrusion on the Executive Branch that is in direct conflict with Article II of the Constitution, and the unitary structure it provides.” Article II grants the president the power to appoint the heads of executive agencies and to seek their opinions on any subject relating to their duties.

“Basic democratic accountability requires that every executive agency’s work be supervised by politically accountable leadership, who ultimately answer to the President,” the government lawyers said on Sunday. “A federal court, consistent with the separation of powers, cannot insulate any portion of that work from the specter of political accountability. No court can issue an injunction that directly severs the clear line of supervision Article II requires. Because the Order on its face draws an impermissible and anti-constitutional distinction, it should be dissolved immediately.” If the order is not dissolved, the court should clarify or modify the order to make clear it does not cover top Treasury officials, according to the motion, and if the court is unwilling to grant relief, it should stay the order pending the outcome of an appeal.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, who is overseeing the case, after receiving the motion ordered the parties to meet and confer regarding the motion “to determine if the parties can reach agreement on a stipulation that either resolves or narrows the issues presented in the Motion.” If the parties cannot reach an agreement, the plaintiffs are ordered to file a reply by 5 p.m. ET on Monday, with a response to the reply due from government lawyers six hours later. The case was brought by New York and 18 other states against President Donald Trump and Bessent. The states said that the government giving access to payment records to DOGE, which is headed by Elon Musk, posed cybersecurity risks and imperiled the privacy of state residents whose financial information and other personal data were stored in the files. The states asked for an order blocking the access and received the order early Saturday.

Pam Bondi

Long list of crap

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“They have made monsters of everyone who challenges the confines of their known world.”

The Making of Elon Musk: How the Left Makes Monsters of Us All (Turley)

Across the Internet, politicians and pundits are in a monstrous mood. The same people who spent the last year declaring the imminent death of democracy if Donald Trump were elected are now insisting that the real threat is the “monster” he has unleashed upon the federal bureaucracy. It is the thing of legend, a Beltway monster that you told your children about around campfires late at night: An outsider who comes to town and lays waste to government waste, firing thousands and slashing budgets. Part Frankenstein, part Bigfoot, that creature never had a name, but would be beholden to no one and uninterested in the status quo. The monster now has a name, and it is Elon Musk. Democratic politicians are now claiming that reducing government is equivalent to destroying government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) yelled dramatically to an outdoor crowd this week that Musk’s government efficiency efforts are “taking away everything we have.”

For decades, both Democratic and Republican presidents have run on reducing government and making it more efficient. But everyone knew that such campaign pledges would be quickly discarded after each election. What is so terrifying this time is that Musk means it. We know that because he has done it before. When Musk bought Twitter with the promise of dismantling its censorship system and culture, he started by firing virtually everyone. Critics immediately declared that he was a fool and did not understand how to run a social media company. Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich said that Musk’s firings meant the death of Twitter and triumphantly declared, “You break it, you own it.” It did not exactly work out that way. Musk fired as much as 90 percent of his staff and the company survived. Liberals only grew more determined, seeking even to boycott his other companies and bar Space X from needed national security missions.

As liberal media and pundits raged, Musk stayed firm and survived. Now Amazon has increased advertising on X, which is now the sixth most popular social media site. It has reportedly hit 500 million subscribers and a reported 40-plus percent profit margin. It is set to make billions with a greatly reduced overhead due to the firings. Musk’s model has been watched — and to some degree replicated — by other companies. The only way to change a culture is sometimes to change the people. Take the U.S. Agency for International Development, where Musk led an effort to freeze operations at the agency and move it to within the State Department. Notably, they are not shutting down the agency, and Trump has said that he wants to continue foreign aid needed for core missions like clean water and disease prevention, for example.

There are good-faith reasons to be concerned that vital programs must not be abruptly ended. However, the complaint is that USAID is the ultimate example of a bloated agency with a high percentage of funding going to administrative costs over field operations. The State Department reportedly plans to reduce the USAID workforce from over 10,000 to less than 300. It is vintage Musk. It is easier to take the trauma upfront and then rehire the employees needed to fulfill the mission with a leaner workforce. That process is easier if you can get people to leave voluntarily. Part of it is performative like Musk showing up at Twitter with a sink — to let reality “sink in” for the thousands of employees. It appears to be working. Many employees are taking an offer to leave with a generous severance package. The idea is simple: If you throw a badger into a crowded car, people will get out. Musk is that badger.

As for Musk being a democracy-devouring Frankenstein, the rhetoric is again outstripping reality. The fact is that liberals rarely hunt monsters, they create their own monsters. The making of “Muskenstein” can be found in the cancel campaign launched against him as soon as he pledged to restore free speech on Twitter. An unprecedented alliance of government, corporations, media, and academia were arrayed against him. This same alliance has worked countless times to get corporations and CEOs to comply with its demands for censorship. But Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, was unbowed. Liberals correctly saw Musk’s defiance as an existential threat. For years, they had exercised virtual total control of social media, legacy media, and academia. Opposing views were denounced as dangerous disinformation.

The key to their system was that you maintain orthodoxy by coercing people into silence. During the COVID pandemic, scientists who challenged the enforced view of masks, COVID-19 origins, and other issues were banned or fired. Others remained silent as they watched colleagues exiled for expressing their opinions. Musk had to be destroyed, or others might start to believe that they could also defy the groupthink. The problem is that intolerance for opposing views creates thousands of renegades and outsiders. I was one of them. I was once associated with liberal academia, which frankly worked to my advantage in favorable media and academic opportunities. I then began to question the growing orthodoxy in academia over the loss of free speech and viewpoint diversity, including the purging of faculties of conservative and libertarian voices. I was quickly targeted for it.

But that campaign gave me an even greater understanding of the dangers of the anti-free speech movement from outside the system. On a much higher level, Musk seems to have felt the same liberating aspects of being declared persona non grata. They turned Musk into the very monster they feared. They are now doing the same thing with Mark Zuckerberg. After the head of Meta announced that he was going to end the robust censorship system on Facebook and other sites (as well as downsizing staff), the left went after him with the same unhinged hatred. Like Musk, Zuckerberg had been celebrated as an industry icon, but is now condemned as a grotesque abomination. Politicians such as Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) — who once threatened Zuckerberg not to restore free speech values like Musk — are now set against him. There is talk of boycotts as many liberals retreat into the safe space of BlueSky, a site that essentially protects liberals from opposing views.

BlueSky’s appeal is that it stays close to shore, where the waters are safe and shallow. The problem for many on the left is that more and more people want to venture beyond those navigational buoys. Like Musk, they want to consider new horizons and possibilities. In Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Hector Barbossa warns Captain Jack Sparrow, “You’re off the edge of the map, mate! Here there be monsters!” For liberals, we are now off the map where creatures of mythological shapes dwell. They found them exactly where they thought they would be. After all, they created them. They have made monsters of everyone who challenges the confines of their known world.

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Ron Paul is 89. Not his job.

Sen. Mike Lee Floats Ron Paul For Fed Chairman, Musk Says ‘Amazing’ Idea (JTN)

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, floated former GOP Rep. Ron Paul for Federal Reserve chairman and billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency called the idea “amazing.” Musk initially wrote on X that it would be a “good idea” if DOGE allowed Paul to run a “Federal Reserve audit team.” Lee responded to that comment on X.”Raise your hand if you’d like to see @RonPaul as Federal Reserve chairman,” Lee wrote about Paul, 89, whose signature issue became calling for a full audit of the Federal Reserve . He was also a vocal opponent of the Iraq War before it began. The current chairman of the Federal Reserve if Jerome Powell. Paul’s son, Rand, is currently serving in the U.S. Senate representing Kentucky.

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“..a “clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds.”

DOGE: FEMA Sent $59 Million Last Week To Luxury NYC Hotels For Illegals (ZH)

Elon Musk’s team of mid-20s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) disruptors has once again found wasteful spending—this time focusing on a $59 million payment sent by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to luxury hotels across New York City housing illegal aliens. “The DOGE team just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants,” Musk wrote on X early Monday morning. Musk explained, “Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President’s executive order,” adding, “That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals!” Musk did not specify which luxury NYC hotels received FEMA funding for migrants last week but noted that a “clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds.”

However, a December report revealed that NYC politicians spent $220 million in a sweetheart deal with Pakistan to lease the prestigious Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan for illegal alien housing. The most alarming issue was that NYC paid a foreign government to house illegals. “So let me get this straight; places like North Carolina and Maui get a pittance because FEMA says they lack funds, so we have to send our Military there to do work that could be put into the local economies. Meanwhile FEMA blows its budget on housing illegal immigrants?” one X user wrote in response to Musk’s report. While illegals have lived ‘the American Dream’ on the taxpayers’ dime, residents across Western North Carolina have only now begun receiving FEMA assistance amid the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene. Many of these folks in North Carolina had limited to no FEMA assistance under the Biden-Harris regime. That all changed after President Trump entered the White House on January 20.

WNC

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Trudeau fully aligned with the US Dems, woke and all, and against Trump. Now Canada will pay the price.

Canada ‘Not Viable’ Without US Support – Trump (RT)

Canada is “not viable” as a country without continued economic support and military protection from the US, President Donald Trump has claimed. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump doubled down on his idea of Canada joining the US as the 51st state, which Ottawa strongly opposes. The president argued that Canada does not “pay very much for military, and the reason they don’t pay much is they assume that we’re going to protect them… they don’t pay their share of military in NATO.” “The other thing is, we subsidize them to the tune of about $200 billion a year. If we stopped doing that, if we stopped allowing them to make cars through tariffs and other things – cars, trucks, etc., what they make – they’re not viable as a country,” he added.

According to Trump, becoming the 51st state of the US would be “the greatest thing [Canada] could ever do.” “It would be unbelievable. It would be a cherished state,” the president said, suggesting that the current border between the two countries is “artificial” and was drawn with a ruler. In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump confirmed that he is serious about incorporating Canada into the US. Asked to comment on reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned the country’s business leaders that Trump’s plans are a “real thing,” the president replied: “Yeah, it is.”

In early February, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and additional 10% on imports from China, citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug trafficking. In response, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs of 25%, targeting a wide range of American-made goods. However, as the specter of a trade war loomed, Washington and Ottawa agreed to delay the implementation of the tariffs. On Sunday, Trump reiterated his stance on tit-for-tat tariffs and again teased plans for new 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, which would again affect Canada and Mexico, without saying whether there would be exemptions.

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Let it die. Start something new.

The Fallout of Trump’s USAID Freeze (Ryumshin)

If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, particularly X, you might have noticed a pattern. Media outlets, NGOs, and human rights groups with a liberal slant are posting about financial trouble. Some plead for public donations, while others announce layoffs and budget cuts. What’s causing this sudden turmoil? In many cases, it boils down to the suspension of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). For decades, this agency has been a lifeline for countless “grant seekers.” With the freeze in operations, many of these groups now find themselves at a breaking point. USAID is the largest source of official US financial aid abroad, with an annual budget running into the tens of billions of dollars. These funds fuel hundreds of projects worldwide.

While some initiatives address genuine concerns like poverty, hunger, and environmental protection, others have a more ambiguous purpose, such as “building civil society” or “developing democracy.” Often, these projects serve as vehicles for advancing US political interests, sometimes with covert ties to intelligence agencies. Between 2022 and 2024, USAID disbursed nearly $120 billion globally. The largest beneficiary was Ukraine, which received over $32 billion, funding everything from government operations to 90% of the country’s media outlets. Moldova was another major recipient, where USAID financed energy independence projects and media aligned with the government. Other countries in the post-Soviet space saw millions funneled into “democracy-building” efforts.

In 2024 alone, USAID poured over $40 million into Georgian civil society projects, $20 million into Armenia, and $11 million into Belarus. Even after officially ceasing operations in Russia in 2012, USAID quietly continued its activities, with $60 million earmarked for 11 programs in 2025-2026, including “Strengthening Local Governance in the North Caucasus” and “New Media” initiatives. In January 2025, everything changed. US President Donald Trump froze all foreign aid for 90 days. This was followed by a dramatic shake-up: USAID’s headquarters was raided by DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) agents, and Elon Musk declared the agency was effectively “shut down.” For decades, USAID’s funding had been a critical support system for pro-Western and opposition structures in Russia and beyond.

Now, many of these organizations find themselves adrift, their stable funding having evaporated overnight. Yet celebrating this development as a triumph may be premature. The USAID freeze isn’t about dismantling the agency entirely. Rather, it’s a restructuring to wrest control from the Democrats, who previously used it to push left-liberal values globally. Trump’s goal is to transform USAID into a tool for his administration’s conservative agenda. As he bluntly put it: “[it has] been run by a bunch of radical lunatics, and we’re getting them out,” while Musk called it “a criminal organization” and said it was “time for it to die.” Under Trump’s plan, USAID will be integrated into the State Department, now headed by Marco Rubio.

Funding will not disappear – it will be redirected. Instead of backing progressive initiatives, grants will support projects that align with traditional values, patriotism, and the revived “American Dream.” The beneficiaries will shift from liberal activists to conservative organizations promoting these ideals. Geographically, funding priorities may also change, focusing more on Europe and Latin America. Regardless of these shifts, the primary mission of advancing the US interests will remain intact. The suspension of USAID has created chaos among the vast network of Russian organizations reliant on its funding. But they won’t go down without a fight. Some will perform ideological backflips, rebranding themselves as Trump-aligned supporters to secure new funding streams.

Others will pivot to European donors or private backers like disgraced 1990s oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky. A few will downsize, trimming staff and budgets, but continue to operate independently. The hardest hit will be the smallest and most ideologically rigid groups, unable or unwilling to adapt. They will likely disappear altogether, but these are the exceptions.

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“..they may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday, but we’re gonna have all this money in there..”

Trump Wants Ukraine To Pay Back $500 Billion (RT)

US President Donald Trump has said he wants to secure a deal with Kiev to ensure Washington gets its money back by trading aid for Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals – regardless of whether “they may be Russian someday.” In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Trump claimed that “the United States is in for more than $300 billion, probably 350” in various forms of aid to Ukraine, adding that it would be “stupid” for Washington to continue bankrolling Kiev without receiving anything in return. “I want to have our money secured because we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars,” the US leader said. “They have tremendously valuable land in terms of rare earth, in terms of oil and gas, in terms of other things.”

“I told them that I want the equivalent, like $500 billion worth of rare earths, and they’ve essentially agreed to do that,” Trump stated. “So at least we don’t feel stupid. Otherwise, we’re stupid. I said to them, we have to get something.” “You know, they may make a deal, they may not make a deal, they may be Russian someday, or they may not be Russian someday, but we’re gonna have all this money in there, and I say, I want it back,” he added. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed last week that he would be open to reaching an agreement over Kiev’s deposits of lithium, titanium, and other heavy metals. However, he insisted that Ukraine’s Western backers must first help push Russian forces out of mineral-rich territories before they can invest in rare-earth resources.

Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the country had Europe’s largest reserves of titanium and lithium. While not classified as rare-earth elements, these materials are critical for military industries, batteries, and capacitors. The list of rare-earth metals that can be found in Ukraine also includes beryllium, manganese, gallium, uranium, zirconium, graphite, apatite, fluorite, and nickel. According to Forbes, around $7 trillion of Ukraine’s total mineral wealth is located in its former Donbass regions of Donetsk and Lugansk, which declared independence from Ukraine in 2014 following the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kiev. Most of these territories came under Russian control after Donetsk and Lugansk voted to join Russia in 2022.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited the protection of people in Donbass as a key reason for launching the military operation in Ukraine. Resources in these territories are a major factor in NATO member states’ support for Kiev, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in October 2024. “Their discourse revolves around territory and resources that they require in America,” he said. “Our concern is not territories, but people.”

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Carlson knows this, but Trump does not?

Ukraine Sells US Weapons To Mexican Drug Cartels – Tucker Carlson (RT)

A significant portion of the weapons Washington has provided to Kiev as military aid in its conflict with Russia is ending up in the hands of America’s “actual enemies,” including Mexican drug cartels, US journalist Tucker Carlson has claimed. As much as half of all weapons sent by the US to Ukraine end up on international black markets, the former Fox News host said on Monday during an interview with retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Daniel Davis. “The Ukrainian military is selling a huge percentage – up to half – of the arms that we send them. I know this for a fact,” Carlson claimed. However, he did not disclose his sources or provide specific evidence to support his statement.

Carlson argued that Washington is supplying Kiev with “hundreds of billions of dollars” worth of arms, a significant portion of which are being “stolen and sold to our actual enemies,” including “drug cartels on our border.” He also claimed that weapons from Ukraine could be easily purchased online, describing the situation as a “crime” and a “nightmare.” Since 2022, the US Congress has authorized approximately $175 billion in aid for Ukraine. However, a large portion of that funding has reportedly been allocated to American industries and other US government activities related to the conflict. In January, US President Donald Trump claimed that Washington had spent “$200 billion more than the EU” on aid to Kiev.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky later stated that Kiev had received just over $75 billion in military and other forms of assistance from Washington, adding that he has no idea where Trump’s estimate of $200 billion originated or where it could have vanished. Moscow has repeatedly warned that the unchecked supply of Western weapons to Ukraine has led to a large number of arms falling into the hands of organized criminal groups and extremists worldwide. Western media and officials have also acknowledged that weapons supplied to Kiev’s backers have ended up in criminal hands. In April 2022, Europol reported that its investigations indicated weapons were being trafficked out of Ukraine and into the EU to supply organized crime groups.

In October 2022, Finnish authorities stated that weapons originally sent to Kiev had surfaced in the country and were acquired by local criminals. At the time, similar reports emerged from Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. In June 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Western anti-tank weapons intended for Ukraine had been found on Israel’s border and were allegedly aimed at the Jewish state. In June 2024, Spanish media reported that criminal gangs in southern Spain had obtained modern military-grade weapons allegedly smuggled from Ukraine.

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Looking at his words, it seems he means a mini-recession. Because Trump.

Danger of Deep Worldwide Recession in 2025 – Ed Dowd (USAW)

Former Wall Street money manager and financial analyst Ed Dowd of PhinanceTechnologies.com is back with a new report called “Danger of Deep Worldwide Recession in 2025.” The new report shows how a weak economy was propped up under the Biden Administration and how a crash, this year, is inevitable. Dowd says, “What we are going to have going forward is the reversal of deficit government spending, which was juicing the economy with illegals. Some of them got jobs, but a lot of them got benefits. They got housing accommodations. The NGO system was flush with money to facilitate this massive, purposeful logistical operation. People don’t understand that the net legal migration in the US is one million a year. That’s one million people a year.

The last four years, we brought in 10 million to 15 million people. That is a new economic variable, and it distorted the economy. It never got us into expansion territory, but it papered over a lot of the ills we were seeing. Trump’s policies are going to reverse that all out. . . . The velocity of money under Joe Biden really started to rise. . . . Illegal immigration is very inflationary. . . . In the fourth quarter, the velocity of money is already rolling over. The Trump effect began the moment he was elected. We’ve seen self-deportations. We have seen new tenant rents plunge, and that’s what has been holding up the housing market.”

How bad is the economy going to get? Dowd predicts, “We are seeing a recession in 2025. The rest of the globe is already starting to roll over. It’s going to be a worldwide recession. There is going to be a mini housing crisis. Housing has been stagnant for the better part of the year. There is no transaction volume, and nobody can afford homes. We are hitting the 18-year housing cycle. The last housing cycle was in 2007, and you add 18 years and you get 2025. . . . The economy for the middle-class is going down. . . . As time goes on, we are going to see GDP numbers go lower and lower and lower. . . . It’s kind of a perfect storm for the Trump Administration. There is no way to avoid the pain.”

When can we expect things to get better? Dowd says, “This is much like Ronald Reagan in his first term. He was elected with -2% real wages. This was the same phenomenon going into the 2024 Election. So, we are going to have a recession . . . Then, Trump gets his policies, and he has a very short window of opportunity to get all of his policies enacted. If he does, we will be booming on the other side of this.” Dowd still likes gold and thinks rates will begin going lower, which means locking in rates now will be a smart play for many. Dowd says, “Gold is good long term.” Dowd also thinks AI is over-bought and is in a bubble and points out, “There is no money on the other side,” of the AI boom. Dowd thinks AI tech will crash just like the internet bubble in early 2000. Dowd thinks, “AI prices are too expensive, and they will collapse at some point.”

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“The actual objective by the plaintiff in these cases (the Party of Chaos) is simply to delay any corrective action.”

Warfare on Lawfare (Kunstler)

Speaking of metanarratives — and apart from the private vendettas on Planet Rap — a nice one is developing at center-stage of US political life: the Party of Chaos using federal judges to oppose the dismantling of their gigantic grift scaffold. In other words, more lawfare to obstruct any earnest effort to effectively reform the management of our country. So, last week, you get Judge Carl J. Nichols in the DC District arguing that the DOGE shutdown of USAID was unauthorized and potentially illegal, lacking congressional approval. Then, late Friday (when most citizens are checking out of the week’s struggles) Judge Paul Engelmayer out of the Southern District of New York blocked DOGE and other executive branch officials from accessing US Treasury records of expenditures.

The injunction, comically, prevents Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from seeing what his agency doles out money for — that is, from managing anything his department does. The suit that prompted the ruling was brought by nineteen states’ Attorneys General led by NY AG Letitia James. So, you see how this works. You must also imagine that the White House was prepared for these lawfare shenanigans, though they haven’t shown their hand in response so far. This is a constitutional quarrel, of course, since it concerns who has authority between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary over agency spending and, in particular, who gets to audit it. The actual objective by the plaintiff in these cases (the Party of Chaos) is simply to delay any corrective action.

The DOJ under Pam Bondi can designate the US Solicitor General to petition the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) for certiorari — to expedite the resolution of this constitutional issue as to whether Mr. Trump, as chief executive, and his bona fide appointees, can carry out executive functions. The arguments against that appear to be weak. It is the President’s duty to see that the laws are faithfully executed, meaning that the departments under him do their jobs correctly, which would give him inherent authority to audit and restructure agencies like USAID. Both judges Nichols and Engelmayer are arrogating executive and legislative functions on policy-making to themselves, triggering a separation-of-powers dispute that the SCOTUS must adjudicate promptly.

What matters most in these cases is that SCOTUS has an opportunity to put up new guardrails against the hijacking of the federal courts for the purpose of lawfare — that is, for political dirty-fighting under color-of-law. The law is slow-moving, arcane, and incomprehensible to most non-lawyer citizens and that is why the Party of Chaos has misused it so liberally. In any event, DOGE is moving ahead on many other fronts and the next battleground looks like the US Department of Education, an agency which, since its creation in 1979, has only presided over an epic degeneration in the academic performance of young people. The agency has grown since 1979 to 4,400 employees overseeing a $238-billion budget.

Otherwise, what it’s mainly accomplished is to enrich the various teachers’ unions and to raise the cost of college tuitions astronomically while degenerating the purpose and value of higher ed. The fifty states were arguably doing a better job on their own without any DOE on the scene. Meanwhile, it’s satisfying to see the security clearances revoked from Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Lisa Monaco, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg, Andrew Weissmann, Mark Zaid, and Norm Eisen. The reason: among other crimes, they all dabbled in election interference. And “Joe Biden” lost his, too, on account of being too feeble-minded to be trusted with classified information. Who knows what other legal complications lie in waiting up ahead for that whole gang? Lawfare giveth and lawfare taketh away. Or FAFO.

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Yeah, let’s start a second army. Does she represent anything other than the arms industry?

EU’s von der Leyen Calls For Alternative To NATO (RT)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for an alternative to NATO, arguing that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security. Her remarks come amid growing US demands for increased defense spending among members of the US-led military bloc, uncertainty over future support for Ukraine, and fears of a potential shift in Washington’s commitment to European security. “NATO remains the foundation of our defense. But it is evident that we need a pan-European defense,” von der Leyen said in a press briefing in Lithuania on Sunday. “Modern warfare requires a scale, technology, and coordination too big for any one nation to handle alone,” she added, asking for more funding, “both public and private.” The strategy for the future of European defense will be presented to EU leaders by mid-March, she said.

Before the Ukraine conflict, French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel were among the most vocal advocates for establishing an EU army. In 2019, Macron described NATO as “brain dead” and urged European leaders to pursue a policy of “strategic autonomy” from Washington, which has influenced security policy on the continent through NATO since the end of World War II. One of the suggestions was to create a “true, European army” to independently strengthen continental security. Though then-NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that the move would “weaken the connection between North America and Europe,” Italy supported the idea. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has argued that the bloc cannot have a credible foreign policy without a joint military. However, the idea faced strong pushback in other European countries.

In 2024, then-top EU diplomat Josep Borrell suggested that while the bloc should aspire to boost the military capabilities of its members, this does not mean that it should create a common army. Several EU states, including Denmark and Poland, have also signaled that they want their security guaranteed within the existing NATO framework. Macron recently announced that France would double its military budget and urged other EU states to follow suit, citing the possibility of dwindling US interest in European security after Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Since February 2022, the US has provided over $65 billion in military aid to Ukraine. However, Trump has questioned this support, stating that Kiev has “had enough,” while advocating for a peace agreement with Russia.In 2022, after the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the EU significantly ramped up defense spending. Since then, Germany, France, and other EU states have pledged record increases in defense budgets.

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EU’s right organizes: “Make Europe Great Again.”

EU’s Right Calls For New ‘Reconquista’ Against ‘Islamist Advance’ (RT)

Right-wing leaders from across Europe have called for a new “Reconquista” to defend the continent’s traditional values and cultural identity while criticizing the EU’s migration policies. On Saturday, the Patriots for Europe group, the third-largest political bloc in the EU parliament, gathered in Madrid for its first high-profile rally since the summer elections. Attendees included Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain’s conservative Vox party; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban; Marine Le Pen of France’s National Rally party; and other high-profile conservative and right-wing leaders. The event was held under the slogan “Make Europe Great Again,” an explicit nod to US President Donald Trump’s campaign motto. The conference centered on the theme of battling Islam, EU bureaucracy, globalism and left-wing “woke policies” and diversity.

The term “Reconquista” echoed throughout the event, with Abascal comparing today’s political struggles to the centuries-long campaign by Christian kingdoms to free the territory of modern Spain from Muslim rule in the Middle Ages. “We Spaniards are proud to be known for that extraordinary feat of our ancestors. We are ready to be that again,” Abascal noted. “We are ready to be that wall of Europe once again in the face of Islamist advance,” he said, vowing to fight against “global dictatorship,” including the one imposed from Brussels. The idea of Reconquista was also mentioned by Martin Helme, the leader of Estonia’s Conservative People’s Party. “For Europe to be great again, we need to have a new Reconquista,” he said while accusing globalist elites of trying to “damage our Christian civilization and replace it with their sick satanic utopia.”

Orban, a consistent opponent of the EU’s lenient approach to migration, also weighed in, suggesting that “the replacement of the population of Europe is not a conspiracy theory, it is pure practice.” The Hungarian leader also said that liberal ideology had suffered a major defeat due to Trump’s victory in the US. “The Trump tornado, has changed the world in just a couple of weeks. An era has ended,” he said. The sentiment was echoed by Le Pen, who also called for “renaissance of Europe” which she said could be achieved by establishing dialogue among different right-wing forces. Right-wing parties across the EU have grown in popularity over the past decade, with their electoral gains fueled by public discontent over rising immigration, especially from Africa and the Middle East, as well as economic instability.

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“In May, Erdogan severed trade ties with the Jewish state in response to the war, which he has consistently compared to the Holocaust.”

Trump’s Gaza Plan ‘Futile’ – Erdogan (RT)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza, calling it a meaningless plan pushed by the “Zionist lobby.” Trump floated the idea of the US owning the Palestinian enclave last week at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He reiterated his previous call to relocate the Palestinians outside Gaza, shifting the burden onto neighboring countries. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Erdogan expressed Ankara’s firm opposition to any plan that would forcibly expel the Palestinian population from their homeland. “The proposals put forward by the new American administration regarding Gaza with the pressure of the Zionist lobby have nothing worth considering or discussing,” Erdogan told a news conference at Istanbul Airport before flying to Malaysia. Trump’s plan proposes transforming Gaza into what he describes as “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Under the plan, displaced Palestinians would first relocate to Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab countries, with some eventually resettling in the newly developed area. Netanyahu has voiced support for the proposal, calling it the “first good idea” he has heard concerning the region’s future. Erdogan described the idea as “completely futile.” “No one has the power to remove the people of Gaza from their eternal homeland that has been around for thousands of years. Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem belong to the Palestinians,” he argued. Türkiye has been one of Israel’s most vocal critics throughout the Gaza conflict. In May, Erdogan severed trade ties with the Jewish state in response to the war, which he has consistently compared to the Holocaust. Trump’s initiative has been strongly opposed by key regional players, with Jordan, Egypt, the Arab League, and Hamas all rejecting it.

Global powers, including Germany, France, Brazil, Russia, and China, have also condemned the displacement proposal. Opponents of the plan argue that forced relocation would violate international law, with human rights groups calling it “ethnic cleansing.” Despite the criticism, Trump is reportedly pressing forward with diplomatic talks, seeking input from Arab leaders to refine his approach. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Fox News on Sunday that the US president is set to meet with key Arab leaders, including the king of Jordan, the president of Egypt, and potentially the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, to negotiate the relocation of Palestinians. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry earlier strongly rejected the proposal, arguing that Palestinians are the rightful owners of their land, not “intruders” or “immigrants” who can be expelled at the will of the “Israeli occupation.”

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Noon Saturday.

Hasn’t Gaza been hell already for months? Not enough?

Trump Threatens To ‘Let Hell Break Out’ In Gaza (RT)

US President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Hamas, demanding the release of all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza by midday Saturday, and warning that failure to comply would result in “all hell” breaking out. On Monday, Hamas threatened to halt the release of additional hostages, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the fragile ceasefire agreement by preventing displaced Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza, restricting the delivery of humanitarian aid, and delaying negotiations for the second phase of the deal. In response, Israel alleged that Hamas’s actions constituted a complete breach of the agreement, under which the militant group pledged to initially release 33 hostages in several batches in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners held by Israeli authorities.

“I have instructed the IDF to prepare at the highest level of alert for any possible scenario in Gaza,” Defense Minister Israel Katz stated. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said the future of the ceasefire would be “Israel’s decision.” “But as far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock – I think it’s an appropriate time – I would say cancel it, and all bets are off. Let hell break out,” Trump said. “We want them all back,” he added, insisting that the hostages should be released all at once, “not in dribs and drabs, not two and one and three and four and two.” Asked to clarify what punitive measures he envisions, Trump reiterated that “all hell is going to break out.”

“You’ll find out. And they’ll find out too. Hamas will find out what I mean. These are sick people,” he added. Last week, Trump floated the idea of the US taking control of the Palestinian enclave during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He proposed transforming Gaza – left in ruins after 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas – into what he described as “the Riviera of the Middle East.” As part of the plan, he suggested relocating Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries while the area is redeveloped. On Monday, he threatened to withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refused to take Palestinian refugees. The move would amount to “ethnic cleansing” and a “crime against humanity,” Bassem Naim, head of Hamas’s political branch, told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday.

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“..it is vital that the charity be fairly compensated for what its leadership is taking away from it: control over the most transformative technology of our time..”

Altman claims “Musk previously supported turning OpenAI into a for-profit but walked away because he couldn’t get control of it.”

Musk And Altman Throw Punches Over Control Of OpenAI (ZH)

Elon Musk is leading a group of investors in a $97.4 billion offer to purchase the nonprofit that controls OpenAI – the makers of ChatGPT, – and which Musk was an original investor in. On Monday, Musk’s attorney Marc Toberoff said he submitted the bid to OpenAI’s board of directors in an unsolicited offer that could upend OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s plans to convert it into a for-profit company, as well as plans to spend up to $500 billion on AI infrastructure through the so-called ‘Stargate’ joint venture, WSJ reports. “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said in a statement provided by Toberoff. “We will make sure that happens.” Altman and Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a charity. In 2019, after Musk left the company and Altman became chief executive, OpenAI created a for-profit subsidiary that has served as a vehicle for it to raise money from Microsoft and other investors. Altman is in the process of turning the subsidiary into a traditional company and spinning out the nonprofit, which would own equity in the new for-profit.

One of the thorniest questions in the conversion has been how the nonprofit will be valued. Musk’s bid sets a high bar and may mean that he, or whoever runs the nonprofit, would end up with a large and possibly controlling stake in the new OpenAI. The bid is being backed by xAI – Musk’s own artificial intelligence company, which could end up merging with OpenAI following a deal. Other investors in the potential deal include; Valor Equity Partners, Baron Capital, Atreides Management, Vy Capital and 8VC, a venture firm led by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale. And who else? Ari Emanuel – CEO of Hollywood company Endeavor (and the brother of Democrat operative Rahm Emanuel) – who was portrayed in Entourage. Altman responded to the offer with a “no thank you,” adding “but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.” [..]

Musk has filed several legal complaints against OpenAI, accusing the company of betraying its original mission as a nonprofit by creating the for-profit arm, as well as colluding with Microsoft, its biggest investor, to dominate AI development. On Jan. 7, Toberoff sent a letter to the attorneys general in California, where OpenAI is based, and Delaware, where it is incorporated, asking that they open up bidding for the company to determine the fair market value of its charitable assets. Musk and other critics have said they believe OpenAI may undervalue the nonprofit when they spin it out. OpenAI has called Musk’s legal claims baseless and overreaching and said the nonprofit will receive full value in its ownership stake of the for-profit. The company released documents in December that it said showed Musk previously supported turning OpenAI into a for-profit but walked away because he couldn’t get control of it. -WSJ

What’s more, Toberoff says Musk and team is prepared to match or exceed any bids higher than their own. “If Sam Altman and the present OpenAI Inc. Board of Directors are intent on becoming a fully for-profit corporation, it is vital that the charity be fairly compensated for what its leadership is taking away from it: control over the most transformative technology of our time,” he said. The move to buy OpenAI comes weeks after Altman appeared next to newly inaugurated President Donald Trump and other business leaders to announce a plan called “Stargate,” which would invest up to $500 billion over the next four years in US data centers – a plan which Musk talked mad shit about, claiming that the project’s backers didn’t have the cash for, and calling Altman “a swindler.”

According to the report, OpenAI was already facing several hurdles on their path to converting from a charity to a for-profit company, with rival firm Meta Platforms sending a letter to California’s attorney general in December expressing opposition to the plan, and OpenAI remaining stuck in negotiations with Microsoft and other stakeholders over how much equity should be allocated to whom. The original plan was to complete the transition by later 2026, with a $6.6 billion funding round in October which valued the company at $157 billion. Separately, the company has been in talks to raise up to $40 billion in new funding at a $300 billion valuation in a round led by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, which would invest between $15 and $25 billion itself

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Dr Fu Manchu.

Deepseek Compared To ChatGPT On The Ukraine War – Who Is Winning? (Helmer)

The last Chinese as clever, as profiteering, and as popular in the imagination of millions as DeepSeek was Dr Fu Manchu. “Imagine a person, tall, lean and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan,” wrote his creator Sax Rohmer, the alias of an Englishman: “invest him with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources of science past and present …Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man.” Appearing first in 1912, educated at several western universities, the “Chinese devil’s” plots were aimed at combating fascism, communism, and the British empire. His methods included honey-trap girls, poisons, germs, spiders, and unspeakable tortures. He was a caricature of western fear of the superiority of the Chinese race.

DeepSeek is his new name; the racism is the same. According to a US government-backed report issued a few days ago, DeepSeek is “highly biased as well as highly vulnerable to generate insecure code, toxic, harmful and CBRN [Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear] content.” Open AI, the US government-connected company which owns the competing ChatGPT, has declared the Chinese villain is a thief. “DeepSeek may [sic] have inappropriately distilled our models…We take aggressive, proactive countermeasures to protect our technology and will continue working closely with the US government to protect the most capable models being built here.” Last December the New York Times launched court action against Open AI, accusing it of the same plagiarism on which Open AI is now relying in its attack on DeepSeek. “Independent journalism is vital to our democracy,” the newspaper claimed.

“For more than 170 years, The Times has given the world deeply reported, expert, independent journalism… Defendants’ unlawful use of The Times’s work to create artificial intelligence products that compete with it threatens The Times’s ability to provide that service. Defendants’ generative artificial intelligence (“GenAI”) tools rely on large-language models (“LLMs”) that were built by copying and using millions of The Times’s copyrighted news articles, in-depth investigations, opinion pieces, reviews, how-to guides, and more…The law does not permit the kind of systematic and competitive infringement that Defendants have committed. This action seeks to hold them responsible for the billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages that they owe for the unlawful copying and use of The Times’s uniquely valuable works.”

This is the first time in US federal court history that the reproduction of government deception operations and propaganda by newspaper reporters has been subjected to a test, not of the espionage statute as in the Ellsberg and Assange cases, but of the copyright laws. A month later, the New York Times attacked DeepSeek, not for plagiarising the Times, but for reproducing Chinese government propaganda. “If you’re among the millions of people who have downloaded DeepSeek, the free new chatbot from China powered by artificial intelligence, know this: The answers it gives you will largely reflect the worldview of the Chinese Communist Party. Since the tool made its debut this month, rattling stock markets and more established tech giants like Nvidia, researchers testing its capabilities have found that the answers it gives not only spread Chinese propaganda but also parrot disinformation campaigns that China has used to undercut its critics around the world.”

This is no more than one press pot calling another media kettle black. But with billions of dollars at stake in the stock market capitalisation of the American and Chinese companies producing Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, this is also a battle of the propaganda operations of the US government in the wars it is currently waging. For a test of this warfighting, DeepSeek has been questioned on issues of the Russian war in the Ukraine and the US war against Russia. Its answers, which follow verbatim, reveal no evidence (repeat no evidence) of Chinese backing for the Russian side. Instead, surprise (repeat surprise) – there is evidence that DeepSeek is no more capable than Chat GPT of distinguishing between propaganda and truth. So long as DeepSeek trains on the English language and answers questions from the current English-language database and large language model, this is inevitable. Resisting English-language dominance in AI is now Kremlin strategy.

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RFK Monsanto

 

 

Elon Rogan Mars

 

 

Coast guy

 

 

Street art

 

 

Family

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 102025
 


Jacopo Bassano The Miraculous Draught of Fishes 1545

 

DOGE’s Targets (Burg)
Musk Slams Ruling Blocking DOGE From Accessing Treasury Payment Systems (JTN)
Musk Calls For Impeachment Of Judge Who Blocked DOGE Access At Treasury (ZH)
Trump, Musk, and the Deep State: The Battle Over Transparency Begins (Kimball)
Musk Says DOGE, Treasury Agree on New Anti-Fraud Measures (Ozimek)
US Treasury Pays $100bn Annually To Unknown Recipients – Musk (RT)
Musk Mocks Pro-Western ‘independent’ Media For Losing US Funding (RT)
Trump’s USAID Purge Has Revealed US Scheming In Kiev, But Won’t Stop It (Amar)
Designating Cartels as Terrorists Will Have Huge Consequences (Summers)
Trump Stripping Security Clearances Of Numerous Antagonists (Devine)
Trump Doubles CBS Harris Interview Lawsuit Damages to $20 Billion (ET)
Freed Jan. 6 Prisoners Speak Out as They Begin to Rebuild Their Lives (Hisle)
‘Diversity Is Our Strength’ Dumbest Phrase In Military History – Hegseth (RT)
Paris Backs Neo-Nazism in Ukraine – Moscow (RT)
The EU’s Worst Enemies Are Its Own Russophobic Leaders (Marsden)

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1888619828258214032

Bureaucracy
https://twitter.com/i/status/1888290487028560099

Bessent

Alina

Rubio

 

 

 

 

“They’re doing it at my insistence. It would be a lot easier not to do it, but we have to take some of these things apart to find the corruption.”

DOGE’s Targets (Burg)

Moving at breakneck speed as President Donald Trump shakes up the executive branch, Musk’s engineers and advisers have accessed information technology (IT) systems in several federal departments. Anonymously sourced reports, not yet independently verified by The Epoch Times, allege DOGE is probing several other agencies, and groups are filing lawsuits to bar Musk’s advisers from accessing those departments’ computer systems. DOGE’s actions, which Musk says are aimed at reducing government spending and waste, have spurred a backlash from some Democratic lawmakers who describe it as a breach of congressional oversight by an unelected “special government employee.” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) cited cybersecurity concerns if DOGE is connecting to federal databases with “their own unvetted commercial servers.”

This week, during a House Oversight Committee on “Reducing Waste in Government,” Rep. James Comer (R-K.Y.) defended Musk’s unprecedented role in the executive branch, saying “real innovation isn’t clean and tidy.” President Donald Trump defended DOGE’s access to federal data systems on Friday, adding that the Pentagon and the Department of Education are next. “We’re going to be looking at tremendous amounts of money … being spent on things that bear no relationship to anything and have no value,” Trump said. “I’m very proud of the job that this group of young people … [are] doing. They’re doing it at my insistence. It would be a lot easier not to do it, but we have to take some of these things apart to find the corruption.”

So far, the DOGE team has accessed IT systems at agencies, including the Treasury Department, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Energy, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), while a coalition of labor unions has sued to block access at the U.S. Department of Labor. Additionally, students in California are suing the Department of Education, alleging that DOGE staffers are accessing confidential student data. The Epoch Times could not independently confirm other agencies—including the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Agency for International Development—where DOGE may have received access to internal systems or databases.The Treasury Department confirmed in a Feb. 4 letter to Congress that DOGE staff had been given “read-only” access to the agency’s nearly $6 trillion federal payments system.

According to the letter, Cloud Software Group CEO Tom Krause will work with the agency as a “special government employee” to review the Bureau of the Fiscal Service for operational efficiency and prevent abuse, fraud, and waste. The work will be done in conjunction with career Treasury officials.On Feb. 5, the Justice Department wrote in a court filing that it would, for now, restrict DOGE’s access to Treasury Department payment systems. DOGE was also granted access to systems and technology at CMS, the agency said on Feb. 5. CMS will be in direct collaboration with DOGE while two senior agency staffers will direct the effort. CMS, which is within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, oversees the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare is a health insurance plan for older and disabled Americans, while Medicaid covers low-income enrollees.

While DOGE has said it wants to cut $2 trillion in government spending, the goal would likely be difficult to reach without reducing spending on health and social assistance programs. Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance subsidies made up 24 percent of the 2024 federal budget, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. However, Trump told reporters last week that there would be no impacts on Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security unless his administration finds waste or abuse. “The people won’t be affected,” Trump said, referring to recipients of those benefits.

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“How on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent?”

Musk Slams Ruling Blocking DOGE From Accessing Treasury Payment Systems (JTN)

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk slammed an Obama-appointed federal judge for blocking his Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department payment systems for at least one week. “This ruling is absolutely insane! How on Earth are we supposed to stop fraud and waste of taxpayer money without looking at how money is spent? That’s literally impossible! Something super shady is going [on] to protect scammers,” Musk wrote Saturday on X.

According to Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer’s order, access to payment records would be limited to “civil servants with a need for access to perform their job duties within the Bureau of Fiscal Services who have passed all background checks and security clearances and taken all information security training called for in federal statutes and Treasury Department regulations.”

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The Dems went “judge-shopping” and found one willing to block DOGE, and even the Treasury Secretary, from accessing Treasury files.

Musk Calls For Impeachment Of Judge Who Blocked DOGE Access At Treasury (ZH)

Elon Musk has called for the impeachment of an Obama-appointed judge who barred DOGE and the Treasury Secretary from accessing payment systems at the US Treasury. On Friday night, Democrats went ‘judge shopping’ to ask that Musk’s team be stopped from accessing Treasury systems, knowing that instead of receiving a judge by random selection, the only available judge would be Paul Engelmayer – who held an ex-parte hearing without DOJ lawyers. Engelmayer did not cite any case law or precedent for his ruling, which many have criticized for vast overreach. The order prohibits special government employees, along with those from outside the Treasury department, and the Treasury secretary himself, from accessing the systems. On Saturday, Musk posted to X: “A corrupt judge protecting corruption,” adding “He needs to be impeached NOW.”

In an earlier post, Musk wrote “it’s time,” in response to the suggestion that activist judges should be impeached. Engelmayer’s ruling came in response to a lawsuit by 19 Democratic state attorneys general who panicked over DOGE investigating waste, fraud and abuse within the US government. “The Court’s firm assessment is that, for the reasons stated by the States, they will face irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief,” wrote Engelmayer in his decision. “That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking.”

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“..Engelmayer’s order came in response to a lawsuit filed on Friday by Letitia James..”

Trump, Musk, and the Deep State: The Battle Over Transparency Begins (Kimball)

Tasked with the Herculean labor of unscrambling the byzantine Rube Goldberg device that is the 21st-century administrative state for furthering corruption, illegal payments, and partisan influence at home and abroad, DOGE commander Elon Musk and his laptop-and-algorithm-toting lieutenants have been patiently uncovering the pyramid of waste, fraud, and abuse that is the foundation of the United States government in its twenty-first-century incarnation. In a remarkable piece called “Override: Inside The Revolution Rewiring American Power,” a blogger known as EKO showed how it worked. Four young coders arrive at the Treasury Department in the wee hours of January 21. Within hours they have succeeded in tracing long-hidden payment directions. No committees. No approvals. No red tape. Just four coders with unprecedented access and algorithms ready to run.

“The beautiful thing about payment systems,” noted a transition official watching their screens, “is that they don’t lie. You can spin policy all day long, but money leaves a trail.” That trail led to staggering discoveries. Programs marked as independent revealed coordinated funding streams. Grants labeled as humanitarian aid showed curious detours through complex networks. Black budgets once shrouded in secrecy began to unravel under algorithmic scrutiny. The difference between Trump’s first term and his second (acknowledged) term can be explained in two words: velocity and preparedness. In 2017, Trump’s initiatives were hampered, blindsided, litigated, and smothered in red tape. This time the Leviathan’s usual expedients are impotent. “Their traditional defenses—slow-walking decisions, leaking damaging stories, stonewalling requests—proved useless against an opponent moving faster than their systems could react.

By the time they drafted their first memo objecting to this breach, three more systems had already been mapped.” And here’s the point: “Pull this thread,” a senior official warned, watching patterns emerge across DOGE’s screens, “and the whole sweater unravels.” He wasn’t wrong. But he misunderstood something crucial: That was exactly the point. The left gets it. And their heads are exploding. So far, their biggest gun was the creaky cannon Judge Robart wheeled out: the emergency injunction with immediate “nationwide effect.” The New York Times, a house organ for anti-Trump hysteria, has a long hand-wringing column about the latest wheeze. Paul A. Engelmayer, a U.S. District Judge appointed by Barrack Obama, just issued an “emergency order” to restrict Elon Musk’s and DOGE’s access to the Treasury Department’s payment and data system.

He also insisted that anyone who had access to those systems after January 20 “destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems.” Fun part: even Scott Bessent, the Secretary of the Treasury, is prohibited from looking into the corrupt structures of his own department. Engelmayer’s order came in response to a lawsuit filed on Friday by Letitia James, Attorney General of New York and professional scourge of all things Trump, along with 18 other Democratic state attorneys general. What was the charge? The stated predicate was that by authorizing the investigation, Trump had failed in his Constitutional duty to “faithfully execute the laws enacted by Congress.” The real predicate was that Musk’s beavers were uncovering the inner mechanism of the deep state and the resulting truths were unbearable.

“Humankind,” said T. S. Eliot, in “Burnt Norton,” “cannot bear very much reality.” Similarly, Bureaucrats cannot bear very much transparency. Like vampires, the sunlight is fatal to them. How will Trump respond? We do not know yet. I hope it will be at least partly as Andrew Jackson is said to have responded in his contretemps with Chief Justice John Marshall. In 1834, the Supreme Court determined that the Cherokee Indians owned Northern Georgia. Nevertheless, Andrew Jackson evicted the Indians, reputedly observing that Marshall “has made his decision; now let him enforce it.” Lincoln responded in a similar fashion to Chief Justice Roger Taney in 1861. In April of that year, Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. This allowed military commanders to imprison suspected saboteurs without indictment.

Taney said (in “Ex Parte Merryman”) that Lincoln did not have the authority to do this. Lincoln basically ignored him, invoking the novel doctrine of “nonacquiesence.” As usual, Lincoln demonstrated his deep understanding of the issues involved. “Are all the laws but one to go unexecuted,” he asked Taney, “and the Government itself go to pieces lest that one be violated? Even in such a case, would not the official oath be broken if the Government should be overthrown when it was believed that disregarding the single law would tend to preserve it?” In my view, Trump’s actions to expose the partisan corruption of the administrative state are in response to an existential threat is as grave, if less bloody, than the Civil War. The permanent bureaucracy that rules us has for decades been erecting and fortifying a nearly impenetrable edifice from which to preserve its privileges and power, stifle criticism, and export its globalist agenda.

Donald Trump was elected to deconstruct that edifice. Elon Musk is one of his most potent aides in accomplishing that task. Of course, the left is hysterical. Their gravy train is being derailed before their eyes. The people who elected Trump are delighted. I suspect that the squeals and tantrums of the ruling party and its minions will amount to no more than theater. I further suspect that Trump will resort not only to “nonacquiesence” but also to non-payment. In 2022, New York received $383 billion in federal spending. There are many ways in which Trump could stanch the flow of federal dollars to obstreperous states. I think he should consider them all. I am also happy to see some official pushback. Rep. Darrell Issa, for example, just announced that he is “immediately introducing legislation next week to stop these rogue judges and allow Trump and DOGE to tell you where government is spending your money.” Good for him.

One final suggestion. If left-wing regime-party judges can issue emergency restraining orders with “immediate nationwide effect,” why couldn’t a politically mature district judge in, say, Alabama do the same, overturning the order issued by his left-wing colleague on an “immediate, nationwide basis?” I offer the idea free and for nothing.

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Want to oppose finding fraud?

Musk Says DOGE, Treasury Agree on New Anti-Fraud Measures (Ozimek)

Elon Musk said Saturday that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the U.S. Treasury Department have agreed on new anti-fraud measures aimed at preventing tens of billions of dollars in fraudulent government entitlement payments each year. In a Feb. 8 statement shared on social media, Musk described the scale of the problem as “utterly insane,” citing estimates that at least $50 billion annually is being lost due to improper payments, including funds going to individuals without Social Security Numbers or even temporary ID numbers. Musk, who leads DOGE and has been designated a “special government employee” by President Donald Trump, revealed in the post that Treasury officials estimated that $100 billion in annual entitlement payments may be going to individuals without verifiable identification.

In a discussion with Treasury personnel, Musk said he asked for an estimate of how much of that is “obvious and unequivocal” fraud, and the consensus was that at least half—$50 billion per year, or around $1 billion per week—is fraudulent. “This is utterly insane and must be addressed immediately,” Musk wrote, adding that the DOGE team and Treasury have jointly agreed to a series of reforms. One of the most significant changes will be the requirement that all outgoing government payments include a payment categorization code. According to Musk, these codes are essential for financial audits, yet they are frequently left blank, making it nearly impossible to track where taxpayer dollars are going.

Under the new rules, every payment will also need to include a rationale in the comment field. Currently, many government payments lack any explanation, making it difficult to assess their legitimacy, Musk said. While he emphasized that no judgment will be applied to these rationales at this stage, requiring at least some justification for payments is expected to serve as a deterrent against waste and fraud. Another reform involves more effective implementation of Treasury’s Do-Not-Pay list, which is meant to prevent payments to fraudulent entities, deceased individuals, suspected terrorist fronts, and other entities or people who should not be paid by federal agencies. Musk said that this list has not been strictly enforced, with some payments still being made to flagged entities. He also pointed out that it can take up to a year for names to be added to the list, calling for weekly or even daily updates to prevent ongoing fraud.

Musk said that the above “super obvious and necessary” changes will be implemented by existing, long-time career Treasury employees; not anyone from the DOGE. His remarks in this regard align with Treasury Department Scott Bessent’s insistence that DOGE members have read-only access to Treasury data and that they have not been “tinkering” with sensitive payment systems at the department. The development comes as DOGE focuses its cost-cutting and efficiency-enhancing efforts at multiple federal agencies, including Treasury, as part of the Trump administration’s broader aim of reducing deficits and eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse from government.

Republicans have praised DOGE’s efforts to identify government waste, while Democrats have denounced the body’s actions as an abuse of power and its operations as skirting congressional oversight. There have been protests over DOGE by members of Congress, federal employee unions, and privacy advocates, along with a number of lawsuits targeting its activities. Recently, a judge blocked DOGE’s access to the personal financial data of millions of Americans at the Treasury Department. Bessent recently defended DOGE’s actions at Treasury. He said in an interview with Bloomberg that the DOGE team is made up of highly trained professionals and “not some roving band running around doing things,” possibly in reference to claims by critics that DOGE has embraced and is applying the adage “move fast and break things,” which is part of the Silicon Valley start-up culture of being innovative, nimble, and disruptive.

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Just one example of many.

US Treasury Pays $100bn Annually To Unknown Recipients – Musk (RT)

Elon Musk, as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has said that the US Treasury pays over $100 billion annually to individuals without Social Security Numbers (SSNs) or temporary ID numbers. Musk has urged immediate reforms to address potential fraud and inefficiencies in payment systems. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X has been appointed a “special government employee” to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under US President Donald Trump’s administration and is currently among Trump’s key advisers. Despite its name, the agency is not a permanent federal executive department, but a temporary body dedicated to reducing government spending. The tech billionaire has set a goal of reducing the federal deficit by at least $1 trillion, which would require daily cuts averaging $4 billion.

“Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious,” Musk posted on X. According to Treasury officials, approximately half of these payments, equating to $50 billion per year, or $1 billion per week, could be fraudulent, Musk stated. He described it as “utterly insane and must be addressed immediately.” Musk said that in response, DOGE and the Treasury Department have agreed to implement measures to enhance transparency and accountability in government payments. These include requiring all outgoing payments to have a payment categorization code. Musk pointed out that this field is frequently left blank, making audits challenging. Additionally, all payments must include a rationale in the comment field, which is currently often omitted.

Musk noted that it can currently take up to a year to get on the “Do-Not-Pay” list. The list includes entities known to be fraudulent, deceased individuals, probable fronts for terrorist organizations, and recipients not matching Congressional appropriations. Musk has asked for updates at least weekly, if not daily. He emphasized that these changes are being implemented by existing, long-time career government employees, not by anyone from DOGE. He expressed his astonishment that such obvious and necessary changes were not already in place. Last week DOGE announced that it had managed to save over $1 billion thanks to the elimination of contracts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The published index lists 30 federal bodies, stating that 104 contracts with a “ceiling value” of over $1.2 billion were eliminated.

In a post on X on Monday, Musk described DOGE as “the wood chipper for bureaucracy.” Musk’s team has also gained access to the federal payment system, courtesy of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to oversee and curb government expenditures. This move has sparked concerns among some officials, who worry about potential conflicts of interest and the impact on sensitive taxpayer information. Lawyers with the US Justice Department have agreed to a proposed order that would temporarily restrict DOGE from accessing sensitive financial data at the Treasury Department.

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“‘Independent media’ lmao…”

Musk Mocks Pro-Western ‘independent’ Media For Losing US Funding (RT)

Elon Musk has derided pro-Western Russian and Ukrainian media outlets over their degree of perceived “independence,” as the publications now find themselves under severe financial strain following US President Donald Trump’s clampdown on the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Shortly after his inauguration, Trump suspended most of US foreign aid pending a three-month review, which primarily affected USAID, Washington’s agency for funding political projects abroad. Trump has called for the agency to be shut down altogether, citing rampant corruption and overall inefficiency. On Sunday, Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and also a fierce critic of USAID, mocked a Washington Post article entitled “Independent media in Russia, Ukraine lose their funding with USAID freeze.”

“‘Independent media’ lmao,” he wrote on X, employing the acronym meaning “laughing my a** off.” The WaPo report highlighted the dire financial situation many pro-Western media in Ukraine and Russia found themselves in following Trump’s return to the White House. The article noted that the lack of funds affected Ukraine’s small regional outlets and investigative websites. Detector Media, a Ukrainian journalism watchdog, warned last week that “We risk losing the achievements of three decades of work and increasing threats to Ukraine’s statehood, democratic values, and pro-Western orientation.” Natalya Ligachova, head of Detector Media, estimated that “more than 50%” of media outlets are dependent on American assistance, at least to some extent.

Meanwhile, The Moscow Times, an Amsterdam-based English- and Russian-language newspaper, reported, citing sources, that up to 90 Russian organizations operating outside of the country – many of which have been accused of spreading falsehoods about Russia – have lost US funding. Many of them may be forced to cease operations altogether, the report said. The Moscow Times itself has been designated “undesirable” by the Russian government for “discrediting” Russia’s foreign and domestic policies.

Prior to the USAID clampdown, Russian officials repeatedly accused the US of waging an information war, including by using numerous foreign-funded liberal outlets against the country to justify the West’s “hybrid aggression.” Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Moscow took tough measures to curb the spread of falsehoods about the Russian military, imposing a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for violations. Russian President Vladimir Putin said last September that despite the conflict in Ukraine, the media are still free to express their opinions, as stipulated by the Constitution. He stressed, however, that both domestic and foreign media are obliged to obey the country’s laws.

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“..when Ukraine’s current past-best-by-date leader Vladimir Zelensky actually did face and win an election in 2019, his single concrete – and sensible – promise was to seek peace through negotiations..”

Trump’s USAID Purge Has Revealed US Scheming In Kiev, But Won’t Stop It (Amar)

First, we now learn that almost the entire Ukrainian media sphere – 90 percent of news organizations – depended on USAID funding. Indeed, Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent (the irony…), a staunchly info-warring publication, fears that losing access to the USAID trough “has caused harm to independent Ukrainian journalism on par with the COVID-19 pandemic and the onset of Russia’s full-scale war.” Hear, hear. More generally, a recent article in the Columbia Journalism Review is worrying that losing USAID money will threaten “independent” journalism worldwide. No wonder, as USAID itself has proudly claimed that the US government “is now the largest public donor to independent media development globally.”

But any talk of “independence” here is, just like Rudenko’s complaint, obvious Orwellian-grade propaganda: Journalism that literally depends for its very existence on funding from an organization serving as a front for the foreign interests of the single most powerful and aggressive country in the world may be anything, but it cannot be – by definition – independent. You may, if that’s your thing, politically sympathize with such journalism or argue that you feel it is still, on balance, useful, if you wish, but please cut out the absurdity. In practice, Ukraine is a perfect illustration of how such media dependency-across-borders can easily end in catastrophe: Anyone who knows Ukrainian well enough – as I do – can have a look for themselves.

What they will find is a Potemkin village of pseudo-diversity, at best, with very few and embattled exceptions. In reality, the Ukrainian public sphere has been massively manipulated by a monotonous diet of pseudo-”patriotic” messaging. The single most urgent question concerning Ukraine’s own national interests, however, has been systematically maligned and made taboo: namely, if serving as proxy war cannon fodder for the West has been worth it. The second manner in which USAID has promoted this devastating war was, if anything, even worse, in the sense of more drastic and hands-on: It’s now almost forgotten, but when Ukraine’s current past-best-by-date leader Vladimir Zelensky actually did face and win an election in 2019, his single concrete – and sensible – promise was to seek peace through negotiations.

Clearly, at the time, that promise was a major factor in his unprecedented landslide victory. Once in office, for a very short moment, it seemed as if Zelensky was trying to keep that promise. But then – years before the 2022 escalation – he made a 180-degree turn and emerged as an uncompromising and shortsighted nationalist and a tool of the US – if a very expensive and occasionally capricious one. It is likely that he will soon be discarded, as tools can be. But the damage he has already done to his country is enormous. Many observers have long been puzzled by early Zelensky’s terrible turn. Was it fear of the powerful and aggressive Ukrainian far-right? Was it a misconceived play for even more popularity? Was it money? Was it Western pressure? We still don’t know the whole story, but we do know one important new thing: a wave of “popular” resistance “from below” and by “civil society” against Zelensky’s initial attempts to look for peace was not genuine.

Instead, it had massive Western backing, including from USAID. In particular, the organization was one of the key sponsors of a “joint statement” which presented a concerted threat to Zelensky in 2019, that is, almost immediately after he assumed office. On the surface the product of 70 Ukrainian NGOs, this was, in reality, a massive affront to democracy and the rule of law: Its sole purpose was to unconstitutionally constrain the newly elected president with so-called “red lines” and, in particular, nullify what so many of his voters wanted, namely an honest search for peace. None of this means that Zelensky is innocent. On the contrary, it was his duty and, literally, his job to resist such shameless pressure tactics and their foreign backers and stand up for his voters and the country as a whole. His failure to do so is his and will remain so forever.

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Feels like a good idea.

Designating Cartels as Terrorists Will Have Huge Consequences (Summers)

On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that started a process by which international organized crime cartels would be designated as “Foreign Terrorist Organizations” or “Specially Designated Global Terrorists.” The designations would give the U.S. government power to go after the cartels’ finances, target those who supply them with weapons, and even carry out military strikes against cartel-owned facilities. With groups such as the Sinaloa cartel, MS-13 from El Salvador, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua posing a serious threat to the United States, analysts say these new terrorist designations could have far-reaching consequences. The Trump administration has not gone into detail about how it plans to use the new powers, but on Jan. 31, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he would not rule out military strikes against the cartels.

On Feb. 3, following Trump’s tariffs threat, Canada announced it would invest $200 million and appoint a czar to investigate the fentanyl trade and would also designate the cartels as terrorist organizations. Ioan Grillo, a Mexico-based journalist and author of several books, including “El Narco, The Bloody Rise of Mexican Drug Cartels,” told The Epoch Times the terrorist designations would provide the U.S. government with more power to go after the cartels’ finances. He said it could also be used to target arms dealers in the United States who provide weapons for them. “You could go after people trafficking firearms to the cartels, you could arrest them for providing material to a foreign terrorist organization,” Grillo said.

Organized crime syndicates such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa cartel will be put in the same basket as al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other groups listed as designated foreign terrorist organizations on the State Department’s website. Francois Cavard, a human rights activist who has spent years investigating the drug trade in Central and South America, told The Epoch Times that changing the legal status of cartels such as Tren de Aragua from “being considered just another criminal organization” to being designated as terrorists was “huge.” Cavard said the gang—whose name translates as the “Train of Aragua” and which began as a group of corrupt workers on a failed railway project, which was funded by a huge loan from China—was heavily involved in human smuggling, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

Greta Nightingale, an attorney and partner at O’Melveny, a firm of Washington-based international lawyers, and chair of its national security group, said that being designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” and a “specially designated global terrorist” were based on different statutes but have essentially the same effect. She told The Epoch Times that the assets of the designee are frozen and that if they come within the control of U.S. persons (such as a U.S. bank) they cannot access them. Nightingale said Americans are also not allowed to engage in any dealings with such designees or engage with third parties if they will benefit the designated party. “If a U.S. company does business with a Mexican company that is tied to one of these cartels, they risk an enforcement action,” she said.

“If the company is owned or controlled by a cartel, then such business is clearly illegal. But if the ties are more attenuated then the legal exposure is less clear.” Nightingale said that “the safest approach is to stay away if you have information that suggests that there are ties between a cartel and a Mexican business, as you invite reputational harm and also may undermine the safety of your employees.” Cavard said the most significant effect of the designation is that cartels and gangs such as Tren de Aragua were no longer considered to just be after illegal financial profit but are considered “to also have power and control purposes … that represents a serious and extremely dangerous threat to the security of the country.”

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“..all of this work we’re doing now with getting [illegal aliens] out, finding murderers on the street. … all of this that we’re doing is because of him allowing people to come into our country.”

Trump Stripping Security Clearances Of Numerous Antagonists (Devine)

President Trump has ordered security clearances stripped from a new hit list of antagonists. Just days after revoking Joe Biden’s access to classified information and secure federal buildings — “because I don’t trust him” — Trump said his new top target is ex-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who orchestrated the “Dirty 51” letter from former intelligence officials on the eve of the 2020 election. The infamous missive falsely claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop, the contents of which The Post revealed, was Russian disinformation. Blinken’s security clearances will be revoked, following the same presidential directive aimed at Biden and the 51 ex-spooks last week, Trump told The Post in an exclusive interview. “Bad guy. Take away his passes,” he said of Blinken. “This is to take away every right they have [revoking security clearances] including they can’t go into [federal] buildings.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg join the new group of eight Democrat foes Trump plans to punish by revoking any access to classified information and barring their entry to federal facilities. The president said they all will be given “exactly the same” punishment as Biden and the Dirty 51 as part of his administration’s vow to hold government officials accountable for actions he regards as election interference or the mishandling of classified information. Bragg prosecuted Trump last year in the so-called “hush money” case and James brought a civil fraud case against the president for supposedly exaggerating his wealth when applying for bank loans.

The move is regarded as more symbolic than consequential for the New York lawfare duo. But it could hamper them in carrying out their official duties by prohibiting them from entering courthouses, prisons, and law enforcement facilities in Foley Square in lower Manhattan, including the Thurgood Marshall and Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouses, the Metropolitan Correctional Center, and the Jacob Javits Federal Building which houses the FBI’s New York field office. They also will not be able to set foot in the US Attorney’s offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, in Manhattan and Brooklyn. “It’s more an insult and a slap in the face than a real deterrent,” said attorney Bob Costello, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor who testified as a defense witness in Trump’s hush-money trial in Manhattan.

The other targets Trump disclosed to The Post include Biden’s former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who also was chief foreign policy adviser to Hillary Clinton during her failed 2016 presidential bid when he notoriously helped foment the Trump-Russia collusion hoax. Also in Trump’s sights are Biden’s Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who was involved in overseeing lawfare investigations against Trump and coordinating the DOJ response to the Jan. 6 riot. She also helped orchestrate the Russia hoax while working as an aide to President Obama.

Next in line are anti-Trumpers Andrew Weissman, the lead prosecutor in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russiagate investigation of Trump, who frequently maligns the former president in his role as an MNBC contributor; lawyer Mark Zaid, who represented Eric Ciaramella, the CIA analyst identified as the whistleblower in Trump’s impeachment in 2019 over a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; and Norm Eisen, special counsel to the Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment. Former Trump attorney Tim Parlatore says Trump’s action is largely symbolic and hard to enforce, especially on New York officials. But it will have a “major impact” on Zaid’s legal practice “because he fashions himself as a national security lawyer.” “He’s a whacky partisan guy [who] tweeted after Trump was inaugurated that it was time for a coup. He makes his money during Republican [presidencies] by going against the administration.”

Trump last week cut off Biden’s access to the daily intelligence briefings normally afforded former presidents, before stripping his security clearances, telling The Post he doesn’t “trust” his predecessor with such sensitive information. “I don’t trust him. He’s not worthy of trust … To safeguard national security,” He told the Post his administration had no plans to investigate his predecessor, while noting that Biden did not pardon himself when he pardoned his son Hunter and six other family members. “I wouldn’t do it specifically. If something comes up, he’s certainly prime time for investigation. … It’s not good what he did to our country. I mean, all of this work we’re doing now with getting [illegal aliens] out, finding murderers on the street. … all of this that we’re doing is because of him allowing people to come into our country.”

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“It is beyond dispute that Defendants wanted Harris to win the Election, and indeed political gain for Harris was certainly Defendants’ intent behind their tampering with the Interview..”

Trump Doubles CBS Harris Interview Lawsuit Damages to $20 Billion (ET)

President Donald Trump has expanded his lawsuit against CBS, doubling the damages sought to $20 billion and adding CBS parent company Paramount Global as a defendant. The amended complaint, filed on Feb. 7 at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, alleges news distortion, election interference, and financial harm caused by CBS’s handling of its “60 Minutes” interview with Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. “It is beyond dispute that Defendants wanted Harris to win the Election, and indeed political gain for Harris was certainly Defendants’ intent behind their tampering with the Interview,” the amended complaint reads. “But Defendants’ primary motivation was commercial and pecuniary gain.”

Trump’s legal team claims that CBS deceptively edited Harris’s responses to make her appear more articulate and composed, while also diverting viewership from Trump’s media platform, Truth Social, reducing ad revenue. The complaint asserts that CBS intentionally aired different portions of Harris’s remarks on “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes,” misleading the public about her full statements. “Once Defendants finally released the unedited version of the Interview, it became apparent that they had engaged in gross broadcast distortion cover-up and manipulated not only Harris’s Reply about Prime Minister Netanyahu, but the Interview in its entirety,” the amended complaint reads. CBS has dismissed the claims and maintains its edits were standard journalistic practice.

“We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC [Federal Communications Commission],” the network said in a Feb. 5 statement. “They show–consistent with 60 Minutes’ repeated assurances to the public–that the 60 Minutes broadcast was not doctored or deceitful. CBS further stated that a longer portion of Harris’s response aired on Face the Nation while a shorter one aired on 60 Minutes for the sake of brevity. “As the full transcript shows, we edited the interview to ensure that as much of the vice president’s answers to 60 Minutes’ many questions were included in our original broadcast while fairly representing those answers,” the network stated. “60 Minutes’ hard-hitting questions of the vice president speak for themselves.”

The uncut transcript reveals that some of Harris’s answers were cut roughly in half and clarifies her full response to a question about the Israel–Hamas war, which Trump’s campaign claimed was awkwardly phrased and was unfairly edited to improve her image. The transcript also shows that Harris’s complete answer was a combination of the two aired clips. “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region. And we’re not going to stop doing that. We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said, per the transcript.

Reacting to the transcript’s release, Trump wrote in a post on social media that it shows CBS had removed Harris’s “horrible election changing answers” and replaced them with better ones and that this was election interference and “election fraud at a level never seen before.” He also called for CBS to lose its broadcasting license.

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“..he justified that decision by pointing out that the convicted Jan. 6 defendants had already been locked up for years, often in “inhumane” conditions..”

Freed Jan. 6 Prisoners Speak Out as They Begin to Rebuild Their Lives (Hisle)

Prosecutors acted with “unrelenting integrity,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said, as the Justice Department pursued cases against 1,583 people for events on Jan. 6, 2021—a date etched into the American psyche with unforgettable images of vandalism and violence at the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump, who had attracted a massive crowd to Washington that day amid a dispute over his 2020 election loss, decried these cases as “political persecutions.” He tossed out the prosecutions upon his return for a second presidential term on Jan. 20. Saying he was ending “a grave national injustice that has been perpetrated upon the American people over the last four years,” Trump commuted sentences for 14 serious Jan. 6 offenders and issued full pardons to all remaining defendants—1,569 people, based on federal data.

Trump showed mercy even to those convicted of assaulting officers—a controversial move. He previously stated that only peaceful, nonviolent offenders deserved consideration. But he justified that decision by pointing out that the convicted Jan. 6 defendants had already been locked up for years, often in “inhumane” conditions. They were targeted for political reasons and were punished more harshly than many people who committed worse offenses, including killings, he said. A half-dozen of the former Jan. 6 prisoners told The Epoch Times their side. The publication also reviewed Justice Department statements about each interviewee and dozens of other resources for this story. The interviewees, ranging from a 25-year-old entrepreneur to a 55-year-old former New York police officer, say much information has been suppressed and distorted.

They, like many Americans, continue to question why security in and around the Capitol was clearly insufficient on Jan. 6. They also suspect a government setup—and a coverup. Although officials have rejected such claims, a government watchdog’s recent report reignited questions over the actions of “confidential human sources.” Twenty-six of these informants were present on Jan. 6, the Inspector General’s report said. Four of the informants entered the Capitol; 13 others entered restricted areas on the grounds—without FBI permission. The FBI didn’t authorize the informants to encourage violence, either.

But the report left it unclear whether informants obeyed that order. The interviewed Jan. 6 defendants say many Americans still incorrectly believe that police officers were killed in the melee; 140 officers were hurt, none fatally, despite initial reports. It’s unclear how many civilians were injured, but Trump supporters were the only people who died that day. Police fatally shot Ashli Babbitt, 35, and beat Roseanne Boyland, 34, who was knocked unconscious in a stampede; her cause of death remains in dispute. Investigators cleared officers of wrongdoing in both cases.

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“All branches of the US military are facing some of the worst recruiting shortfalls in their history.”

‘Diversity Is Our Strength’ Dumbest Phrase In Military History – Hegseth (RT)

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke out on Friday against diversity initiatives in the armed forces, blasting the phrase “diversity is our strength” as the “dumbest” in military history. Addressing Pentagon staff, he said his leadership would focus on unity and fairness while eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. “In this department, we will treat everyone equally,” Hegseth told the audience in the Pentagon auditorium. “We will treat everyone with fairness. We will treat everyone with respect, and we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.” Hegseth, a former Fox News host and US National Guard veteran, has moved to end DEI, arguing such programs are divisive. He has also halted identity month celebrations, such as Black History Month and Women’s History Month.

In his speech, he said such efforts “put one group ahead of another” and “erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution.” Hegseth also talked about global security, saying recent events had damaged perceptions of American strength. He pointed to the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Ukraine conflict, and the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel as signs of instability. “Chaos happens when the perception of American strength is not complete,” he maintained. “And so we aim to reestablish that deterrence.” He pledged accountability for the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 when the US-backed government in Kabul collapsed faster than expected.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan, planned by President Donald Trump in his first term, followed a 20-year military campaign that cost billions of dollars and killed tens of thousands. Former President Joe Biden was roundly criticized for his handling of the pull out, in which 13 American service members were killed, and for leaving thousands of allied Afghans behind. “We are going to look back at what happened in Afghanistan and hold people accountable,” he said. “Not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it.” President Trump has pushed back on DEI within the federal government since assuming office on January 20. After being sworn in, he signed a series of orders rolling back protections for transgender individuals and terminating DEI initiatives.

Trump banned transgender people from serving in the US military in 2017. Biden repealed the ban shortly after taking office in 2021, only to have Trump reverse that in his second term. The Pentagon repealed its “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in 2011, allowing gay and lesbian troops to serve openly. Gender dysphoria, the clinical diagnosis for many transgender people, was still considered cause for involuntary discharge until 2016. All branches of the US military are facing some of the worst recruiting shortfalls in their history. Republican lawmakers have blamed the problem on the Pentagon’s prioritization of diversity over military readiness. A 2021 report commissioned by Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee found that the US Navy was focusing more on “wokeness” and diversity than winning wars.

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“Paris is officially supporting some kind of incredible and insane force of neo-Nazism, which has flourished in Ukraine,” Zakharova said..” “Moreover, the neo-Nazism in Ukraine has already turned into terrorism, it has mutated.”

Paris Backs Neo-Nazism in Ukraine – Moscow (RT)

The French authorities have unquestionably supported the rise of neo-Nazism in Ukraine, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. She emphasized that the Kiev regime has turned into an international terrorist cell with the connivance of its Western backers. Moscow has repeatedly accused the current Ukrainian government of embracing Nazi ideology, and listed the denazification of the country as one of the key objectives of its military operation, along with demilitarization and enforcing neutrality. “Paris is officially supporting some kind of incredible and insane force of neo-Nazism, which has flourished in Ukraine,” Zakharova said in an interview with RIA Novosti published on Sunday. “Moreover, the neo-Nazism in Ukraine has already turned into terrorism, it has mutated.”

The spokeswoman mentioned a series of atrocities allegedly conducted by Ukrainian soldiers in the village of Russkoye Porechnoye in the Russian region of Kursk, which are currently being probed by the country’s Investigative Committee, in the latest instance of what she branded “a fusion of Nazism and fascism with new technological capabilities and a terrorist nature.” Earlier this year, Russian investigators reported multiple incidents related to the village, located 10km north of Sudzha, which had been occupied by the Ukrainian army since last August. The officials charged that Ukrainian soldiers raped, tortured, and murdered local residents. Some of the allegations have been confirmed by Ukrainian soldiers captured during the liberation of the settlement.

“All these [war crimes] are being backed by Paris via supplies of weapons and money, via lending political support, via encouraging [Kiev], and of course via saying no word of condemnation,” Zakharova maintained. The spokeswoman concluded that officials in Paris prefer not to notice that killings of civilians and journalists “through the use of the weapons supplied to Ukraine by Western backers, including France, do not match with the ethics supported by the French authorities on the international scene.”

Earlier this week, French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced that the Ukrainian military had received the first batch of fourth generation Mirage 2000-5 aircraft that French President Emmanuel Macron promised to supply last year. Lecornu added that the jets would be operated by Ukrainian pilots who have undergone training in France. Commenting on the move, Russian lawmaker Leonid Ivlev said that the transfer of the fighter jets would inevitably lead to the involvement of France in a military conflict with Russia. Meanwhile, a representative of Russian defense conglomerate Rostec said the jets would be swiftly destroyed if Kiev uses them near the front line.

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“..an energy crisis that’s heavily contributed to voters across the bloc turning against establishment parties..”

The EU’s Worst Enemies Are Its Own Russophobic Leaders (Marsden)

It’s a big day for the EU, says the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. All because three former Soviet states – Latvia, Lithuania, and her home country, Estonia, where she previously served as prime minister – have just swapped out their historically reliable Russian electricity entirely for a system regulated by the folks in Brussels, whose recent energy security strategies have included imploring citizens to dress in sweaters, like turtles, and to consider group showers. “Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will permanently disconnect from Russia’s power grid tomorrow,” Kallas wrote on social media on February 7th. ”Russia can no longer use energy as a tool of blackmail. This is a victory for freedom and European unity.”

Yeah, Western Europeans are united, alright. On the fact that the EU has triggered an energy crisis that’s heavily contributed to voters across the bloc turning against establishment parties in recent national elections. The skyrocketing cost of living, largely attributed to a lack of affordable energy, was even cited by the EU’s own Eurobarometer report last year as a motivating factor for 42% of Europeans in last summer’s EU parliamentary elections. Those elections saw the arrival in Brussels of “more MEPs on the far-right benches than before,” Le Monde wrote, characterizing the rise of anti-establishment populism, notably on the right.

While loudly shunning cheap Russian energy, the EU has nonetheless been importing record levels of it, in the form of LNG, at several times the price. Russian oil being shipped to the EU has surged by putting on a fake mustache and arriving on European shores from Türkiye, India, and China, with Foreign Policy magazine underscoring just last month that Europe “somehow still depends on Russian energy.” The end result is essentially a virtue tax that gets passed on to the consumer. All this to impress the EU’s girlfriend, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, whose country was raking in about a billion dollars a year just for him kicking his feet up and watching Russian gas flow across Ukraine to the EU. Easiest job in the world, right? With the added bonus of pocketing cash from Russia that it can’t spend on the battlefield, according to typical EU logic. But Ukraine and the EU colluded to even put an end to that, creating an even bigger financial sinkhole for themselves to fill. Brilliant.

The EU has also become heavily dependent on the US – now to the benefit of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Which hopefully Brussels loves, because it has already set itself up to finance it as a result of its overdependence on the US as a means of sticking it to Putin. Trump has made it clear that he views the EU’s lack of sufficient dependence on the US as some form of abuse – of the US. “I told the European Union that they must make up their tremendous deficit with the United States by the large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way,” Trump wrote last December on social media. What a mess. How did it all go so wrong?

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RFK

 

 

Pachamamba

 

 

Levitation

 

 

Calm
https://twitter.com/i/status/1888621964908007723

 

 

Baby elephant

 

 

Bluebirds

 

 

Bubbles

 

 

Bull

 

 

MTL

 

 

Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 092025
 
 February 9, 2025  Posted by at 10:45 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,  70 Responses »


René Magritte Personal values 1952

 

Trump Reveals He’s Spoken With Putin By Phone (Miranda Devine)
DOGE To Audit Pentagon (RT)
Judge Puts Brakes On Trump’s USAID Purge (RT)
Judge Blocks DOGE’s Access to Sensitive Treasury Records (ET)
Trump Alone Can Fix It (RCP)
USAID Funded Massive ‘News’ Platform, ‘Censorship Industrial Complex’ (ZH)
Now We Know Who was Running the Country for Joe Biden (Margolis)
Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearances, Intel Briefings: “Poor Memory” (ZH)
USAID or SorosAid? How US Tax Dollars Fund Chaos Worldwide (Sp.)
How USAID and Its $50 Billion Budget Became a Target for Reform (ET)
The Rise and Rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (ET)
Trudeau Warns Trump’s Threat To Annex Canada Is ‘Real Thing’ (RT)
Apple Ordered to Provide UK Gov’t Access to ALL User Data on the Cloud (HUSA)
Russian News Finds Readers Despite Sanctions, USAID-Funded Competition – FT (RT)
In Valdai, Confronting The “American Problem” In West Asia (Pepe Escobar)
NATO Troops Unable To Move Quickly Across EU (RT)
“Recycling” Makes Plastic Pollution Worse (McGlinchey)

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1887952783858393241
DOGE

Astroturf

Sen. John Kennedy

Maher
https://twitter.com/i/status/1888080063800705027

Bannon

SPower

McClain

 

 

 

 

“Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. All over the battlefield.”

Trump Reveals He’s Spoken With Putin By Phone (Miranda Devine)

President Trump has spoken to Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the phone to try to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war, he told The Post in an exclusive interview aboard Air Force One Friday. “I’d better not say,” said Trump when asked how many times the two leaders have spoken. But he believes Putin “does care” about the killing on the battlefield. In an exclusive interview with The Post aboard Air Force One Friday, President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone as he is trying to negotiate with him to end the Ukraine war. “He wants to see people stop dying,” said Trump. “All those dead people. Young, young, beautiful people. They’re like your kids, two million of them – and for no reason.”

The three-year-old war “never would have happened” if he had been president in 2022, Trump asserted. “I always had a good relationship with Putin,” he said, unlike his predecessor. “Biden was an embarrassment to our nation. A complete embarrassment.” Trump said he has a concrete plan to end the war. “I hope it’s fast. Every day people are dying. This war is so bad in Ukraine. I want to end this damn thing.” Addressing National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who joined him in his study aboard Air Force One Friday night, the president said: “Let’s get these meetings going. They want to meet. Every day people are dying. Young handsome soldiers are being killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. All over the battlefield.”

Vice President Vance will meet Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference next week. Trump has said he wants to strike a $500 million deal with Zelensky to access rare-earth minerals and gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace settlement. On Iran, Trump told The Post: “I would like a deal done with Iran on non-nuclear. I would prefer that to bombing the hell out of it. . . . They don’t want to die. Nobody wants to die.” “If we made the deal, Israel wouldn’t bomb them.” But he would not reveal details of any potential negotiations with Iran: “In a way, I don’t like telling you what I’m going to tell them. You know, it’s not nice.” “I could tell what I have to tell them, and I hope they decide that they’re not going to do what they’re currently thinking of doing. And I think they’ll really be happy.” “I’d tell them I’d make a deal.” As for what he would offer Iran in return, he said, “I can’t say that because it’s too nasty. I won’t bomb them.”

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Fire and brimstone. We’re getting serious. It should result in an audit, which is long overdue. But that won’t come easy.

DOGE To Audit Pentagon (RT)

Elon Musk, as head of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been tasked with revising federal spending, and has set his sights on the Pentagon and the Department of Education, US President Donald Trump has confirmed. The newly authorized audits come in line with a broad push to slash public expenses. Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has been appointed as a “special government employee” to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump’s administration, and is currently among the president’s key advisers. Despite its name, the agency is not a permanent federal executive department, but a temporary body dedicated to reducing government spending. Its primary goal is to cut up to $2 trillion in federal expenditures by July 2026.

Speaking at the press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, Trump said that Musk will go through “just about everything” while reviewing the budgets of the departments. “I’ve instructed him to go check out education to check out the Pentagon, which is the military, and sadly you’ll find some things that are pretty bad, but I don’t think proportionately, you’re going to see anything like we just saw,” Trump said, highlighting that the DOGE would find “a lot,” taking into account how “bad” it was “with what we just went.” Earlier this week, Trump stated that billions of dollars have been stolen by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), highlighting that the lion’s share of the funds were used to pay for positive media coverage of Democrats.

Trump’s administration is currently focused on shutting down the agency, which operates as Washington’s primary means for funding political issues abroad. On the first day of his presidency, Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on almost all foreign aid. The president has also pushed against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs within the federal government since assuming office on January 20. After being sworn in, Trump signed a series of orders rolling back protections for transgender individuals and terminating DEI initiatives. Last week, DOGE claimed that it had managed to save over $1 billion thanks to the elimination of contracts related to DEI. Prior to that, the agency had stated that it had slashed federal spending by approximately $1 billion per day as of January 29, due to an effective halt to “the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, the deletion of DEI, and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations.”

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Two federal judges separately(?!) getting involved. The first one says USAID cannot mass-fire employees…

Judge Puts Brakes On Trump’s USAID Purge (RT)

A federal judge has temporarily barred the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad, from putting thousands of employees on paid leave. The order was in response to a lawsuit filed by two labor unions representing federal workers. A “limited,” temporary restraining order issued by Judge Carl Nichols in the US District Court in Washington, DC, on Friday, banned the US government from placing around 2,200 USAID workers on administrative leave or evacuating them from their host countries before the end of the day on February 14. The ruling also reinstates some 500 employees who had already been furloughed.

“All USAID employees currently on administrative leave shall be reinstated until that date, and shall be given complete access to email, payment, and security notification systems until that date, and no additional employees shall be placed on administrative leave before that date,” the order reads. A request for a longer-term pause will be considered at a hearing on Wednesday, according to the ruling. Earlier on Friday, Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group filed suit on behalf of two labor unions representing federal workers. The two unions are the 800,000-member American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association, which represents thousands of foreign service officers working for USAID.

US President Donald Trump suspended all US foreign aid, pending a three-month review, in one of his first executive orders after taking office on January 20. The decision is part of a broader plan to significantly reduce government spending. Subsequently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended a number of projects assigned to USAID. Earlier this week, Trump claimed that the agency had funneled billions of taxpayer money into media companies to foster positive media coverage of Democrats. Meanwhile, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is evaluating federal agencies’ spending, has branded USAID a “criminal organization” and claimed it funded bioweapon research.

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…the second one says DOGE can’t access “personal financial data of millions of Americans”. Both cases run until Feb 14.

That DOGE would increase “Cybersecurity Risk” sounds fake. They’re too good for that. And as soon as something leaks, their project is over. But yeah, you can make the claim, no matter how empty…

Judge Blocks DOGE’s Access to Sensitive Treasury Records (ET)

A federal judge has temporarily barred the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), run by Elon Musk, from accessing the personal financial data of millions of Americans kept at the Treasury Department. The late-night order, issued Saturday by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in Manhattan, blocks most Trump administration officials—including Musk and members of his cost-cutting initiative—from accessing sensitive Treasury records for at least a week while the case proceeds in the New York court. The injunction specifically prohibits President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from granting access to records containing personally identifiable or confidential financial information to political appointees, special government employees, or any other employees from outside of the department. The White House has designated Musk a special government employee.

Under the order, only those working at the Bureau of Fiscal Services and have passed background checks may access those records in order to do their job. The judge further ordered any person among those whom he restricted to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems, if any.” A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Feb. 14. The decision was made after 19 state attorneys general sued the Trump and Bessent after DOGE was given access to the Treasury records. DOGE is an advisory body tasked to identify ways to reduce government spending.

The attorneys general argued that Musk and DOGE, which is not an official government department, should not have access to such highly sensitive financial data. They claimed that the move violates federal law and presents a massive cybersecurity and privacy risk. “Defendants’ new expanded access policy poses huge cybersecurity risks” that put “vast amounts of funding for the States and their residents in peril and endangers the [personally identifiable information] of States’ residents whose information is stored on the payment systems,” reads the complaint, which was filed late Feb. 7 in U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Engelmayer agreed with the state’s argument that they “will face irreparable harm in the absence of injunctive relief.”

“That is both because of the risk that the new policy presents of the disclosure of sensitive and confidential information and the heightened risk that the systems in question will be more vulnerable than before to hacking,” Engelmayer wrote. There was no immediate comment from the White House or Musk. The decision is the latest in a series of judicial interventions blocking the Trump administration’s rapidly unfolding actions to overhaul the federal bureaucracy. Just hours before Engelmayer’s order, another federal judge in Washington halted a Musk-led initiative to dismantle USAID, the agency responsible for administering foreign aid programs. In recent weeks, judges have also intervened to block Trump’s early executive actions ending automatic citizenship for children born on U.S. soil, pausing federal grants and loans, offering buyout to federal workers, and sending male inmates who identify as transgender women back to men’s prisons.

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Eventually published as “Welcome to the Executive Presidency”. This was the working title.

Trump Alone Can Fix It (RCP)

“I would support you to be spokesperson for the Pentagon,” Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal acidly told Pete Hegseth during his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. The insult was a poke in Pete’s eye for his career at Fox News. Blumenthal, who once fibbed that he had served in Vietnam as a Marine (he never left the States), thought Hegseth lacked the record of “leadership” to head an organization as large and complex as the Department of Defense. Evidently, it never crossed Blumenthal’s mind that this appointment was a first step toward making the department less large and complex. On paper, former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had such “leadership” experience, as did Jim Mattis, Bob Gates, Leon Panetta, Donald Rumsfeld, and most other department secretaries over the last 25 years.

Pete, on the other hand, led a platoon in Iraq before smiling his way through Saturday morning news shows. Once, during a bit on “Fox and Friends,” Hegseth tossed an ax that sailed over its target and struck a man standing nearby. Pete grimaced, the man was unhurt, and the show went on. Despite Blumenthal’s putdown, Hegseth’s nomination passed out of committee and cleared a floor vote on his way to becoming the youngest secretary of defense since Donald Rumsfeld was first confirmed 50 years ago. Hegseth wasn’t the traditional nominee, and that’s the point. Blumenthal and others like him looked at Hegseth through distorted, outdated glasses. They fail to understand that Donald Trump is remaking the executive branch of the federal government, and it starts with choosing communicators.

Any effective network of strategic communication must be organized as a hierarchy – if there is no one “at the top” who determines the messaging, there will be as many messages as there are nodes in the network. The executive’s ability to achieve his goals is fundamentally dependent on high-fidelity, rapid information transferal, where the message is relayed broadly, quickly, and without significant distortion. That’s what effective communication is – and it explains why Trump’s first term was less effective than it could have been. When Trump took office eight years ago, the left resisted him through the mainstream media, Hollywood, and corporate America, but the spearhead of “The Resistance” was his own government. The bureaucrats of the vast “administrative state” did not see Trump as a legitimate occupant of his office. Thus, they didn’t merely distort the communication that came from the top.

They tried to subordinate his agenda by refusing to transfer the information. More than that, they actively disseminated information that ran counter to the president’s stated aims. Accomplished people like Jim Mattis and Rex Tillerson were seasoned executives with deep managerial experience, but their priorities were misplaced: Rather than advance the president’s initiatives, they focused on protecting themselves and their legacies.In his 1938 classic “The Functions of the Executive,” author Chester Barnard explains that an executive’s first task is to create a “definite system of communication.” Barnard wasn’t talking about the technical means of communication – whether that be telephone, memo, or computer – but the communicators themselves. These new modes of transferring information sometimes obscure the human interaction that remains the most effective form of information transfer.

“Communication,” Barnard writes, “will be accomplished only through the agency of persons,” meaning the appointment of the right people. Controlling an enterprise, he tells us, hinges on the executive’s choice of who will repeat and amplify the executive’s message. During the Biden interregnum, it seems that Trump absorbed these insights, almost as if by osmosis. Consider the inauguration. There were Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg front and center. Yes, they are among the world’s wealthiest men, but they also happen to be the owners of national and global media organizations. Trump spent the entire first day of his second term on camera, narrating his executive actions. “Here, David, that’s for you,” Trump said, passing his trademark, Trump-embossed marker to an aide, then holding up an executive order before the cameras like a newborn baby.

Never before had a president so merrily occupied the stage of the Oval Office, hosting audiences of millions online and on television, as he signed documents, bantered with reporters and staff, and generally went about his business. Trump knew his daylong, unscripted availability would contrast sharply with his predecessor’s behavior. Joe Biden’s increasing withdrawal from the public and his inability to deliver spontaneous remarks hid his declining mental health, and the fact that he really wasn’t in charge.

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They didn’t just influence the news, they made it too (4,291 media outlets).

USAID Funded Massive ‘News’ Platform, ‘Censorship Industrial Complex’ (ZH)

In addition to propping up far-left corporate media outlets like Politico and the BBC with taxpayer funds, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has funneled half a billion dollars to a secretive non-governmental organization operating a global news propaganda matrix. WikiLeaks published the bombshell report in the overnight hours that shows the massive taxpayer-funded state propaganda network – operating as a shady NGO – called “Internews Network”: “USAID has pushed nearly half a billion dollars ($472.6m) through a secretive US government financed NGO, “Internews Network” (IN), which has “worked with” 4,291 media outlets, producing in one year 4,799 hours of broadcasts reaching up to 778 million people and “training” over 9000 journalists (2023 figures). IN has also supported social media censorship initiatives.

The operation claims “offices” in over 30 countries, including main offices in US, London, Paris and regional HQs in Kiev, Bangkok and Nairobi. It is headed up by Jeanne Bourgault, who pays herself $451k a year. Bourgault worked out of the US embassy in Moscow during the early 1990s, where she was in charge of a $250m budget, and in other revolts or conflicts at critical times, before formally rotating out of six years at USAID to IN. Bourgault’s IN bio and those of its other key people and board members have been recently scrubbed from its website but remain accessible at http://archive.org. Records show the board being co-chaired by Democrat securocrat Richard J. Kessler and Simone Otus Coxe, wife of NVIDIA billionaire Trench Coxe, both major Democratic donors. In 2023, supported by Hillary Clinton, Bourgault launched a $10m IN fund at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). The IN page showing a picture of Bourgault at the CGI has also been deleted.

IN has at least six captive subsidiaries under unrelated names including one based out of the Cayman Islands. Since 2008, when electronic records begin, more than 95% of IN’s budget has been supplied by the US government.


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“We had a former cocaine addict sitting in on the most sensitive meetings of the most consequential and most important government in world history. Does that sit right with you?”

Now We Know Who was Running the Country for Joe Biden (Margolis)

Have you noticed how leftists are losing their minds over Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to expose rampant waste and corruption? As Musk uncovers shocking levels of mismanagement and even actions aiding America’s enemies, critics have launched coordinated attacks on him, implying that he’s the one who is actually running the White House. “No one voted for Elon Musk!” they say. Time Magazine’s latest issue has joined the fray, featuring Musk seated confidently at the Resolute Desk—a symbolic jab suggesting he’s really the one in charge. The outrage is ironic, considering the same voices now wailing about Musk’s alleged control were silent while Joe Biden spent four years clearly not running the White House. Why does this matter? Well, we now have fresh allegations from Lindy Li, a former Democratic National Committee (DNC) insider, about who was running the White House for Joe Biden.

And it’s quite terrifying. Once a proud fundraiser for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Li has turned into an insider spilling the Democratic Party’s most closely held secrets—and, boy, does she have stories. Her revelations pull back the curtain on what has been described as a chaotic and delusional 2024 campaign for the Democrats, which spectacularly collapsed under the weight of its own hubris. Li has revealed intriguing insider details about how Joe Biden was ultimately ousted, and what Pelosi and Obama really think of Kamala. Back in December, she revealed new dirt on Joe Biden’s mental decline. “The president has not been cognitively fit to assume the duties of the Oval Office for a number of years now,” she told Fox News. “And it breaks my heart because I know President Biden and I love the man, but he is in no shape or form able to carry out the duties that the Commander in Chief requires, and it’s just devastating.”

But it’s her revelations about what happened in the White House in the aftermath of Biden’s devastating performance in his June debate on CNN with Trump that are truly jaw-dropping. According to Li, Joe Biden, already staggering from public scrutiny, effectively lost control of the White House after that fateful debate. The event reportedly prompted an audacious power shuffle at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—one spearheaded by none other than Hunter Biden. Li alleges that, following Biden’s disastrous debate drubbing, Hunter essentially took over White House operations. Speaking with podcaster Shawn Ryan, she painted a picture of dysfunction at the highest levels of government: “After the [CNN] debate, Hunter basically commandeered the White House. He sat in on all of the White House top-level meetings. We had a former cocaine addict sitting in on the most sensitive meetings of the most consequential and most important government in world history. Does that sit right with you?”

Ryan’s immediate reaction—“No”—reflected what many are surely thinking. “Without security clearance mind you,” Li added. The idea that Hunter Biden, with no security clearance, was allegedly dictating the flow of information to his father is a much bigger deal than Elon Musk going after government waste, don’t you think? “That’s who was basically running the show. So Hunter basically battened down the hatches after the debate to make sure his father would only receive intel he pre-approved.” The media’s and the Democrats’ hypocrisy is glaring. They attack Elon Musk for exposing waste, accusing him of having too much power without having been elected, while their lack of scrutiny during the Biden presidency allowed for an unelected crack addict to run the country.

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“The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.”

Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearances, Intel Briefings: “Poor Memory” (ZH)

President Trump revoked former President Biden’s security clearance and terminated his daily intelligence briefings, stating that, given his “poor memory,” there was no reason for Biden to continue receiving classified government information. “There is no need for Joe Biden to continue receiving access to classified information. Therefore, we are immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances, and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Friday evening. Trump said the decision was based on the precedent of Biden’s 2021 decision to end his access to the secret information. He also pointed to the special counsel report last year: “The Hur Report revealed that Biden suffers from ‘poor memory’ and, even in his ‘prime,’ could not be trusted with sensitive information.”

Biden in 2021…

Trump concluded the post with: “I will always protect our National Security — JOE, YOU’RE FIRED. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Steven Cheung, the president’s communications director, shared Trump’s Truth Social post on X and said: “Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more!” Trump’s team made a smart move given the investigations into various Biden family members—including Hunter Biden, who has been at the center of a probe into influence peddling schemes. Federal investigators have also recently become concerned about the Biden family’s close ties to China. Speaking with The Hill last month, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY.) said the pardons “validated” the investigations into Biden family members. Perhaps the actual reason the Trump team revoked Biden’s security clearance is over the family’s close ties with the Chinese.

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“USAID and Soros allegedly spent $27 million on anti-Trump prosecutions, claims journalist Mike Benz.”

USAID or SorosAid? How US Tax Dollars Fund Chaos Worldwide (Sp.)

Soros’ vast NGO network has spent over $20 billion since 2000 on radical liberal causes across the world. Tens of millions or even billions of US taxpayer dollars were funneled through USAID, observers suspect. The Soros-linked East-West Management Institute received over $260 million from USAID to influence foreign affairs in Georgia, Uganda, Albania, and Serbia. Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Action Center, backed by Soros, began receiving USAID grants in 2014 – the same year the US-backed Euromaidan coup ousted elected President Viktor Yanukovych with neo-Nazi support. Over $1 million has been funneled by USAID to the center.

In August 2024, a coup against Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina was allegedly fomented by USAID, IRI, and Soros-linked groups. Her successor, Muhammad Yunus, is a known Clinton and Soros ally. According to The Grayzone, US taxpayer money funded rappers, transgender activists, and LGBT* initiatives to create a “power shift.” Soros and USAID have long sought to unseat Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, who has actively opposed the globalist billionaire since 2017. During the 2022 elections, the Soros-linked NGO Action for Democracy funneled $7.6 million to his opposition.

Soros-linked groups, backed by USAID, led resistance efforts against Donald Trump during his presidency, influenced the 2020 election through Black Lives Matter protests, and worked to flip battleground states in 2020–2021. Soros funded the Electoral Justice Project, Black Lives Matter’s voter mobilization effort, and gave $22 million to Tides Advocacy, which supported the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s pre-election nationwide protests aimed against Trump in 2020. USAID and Soros allegedly spent $27 million on anti-Trump prosecutions, claims journalist Mike Benz. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was also accused of being “bought” by Soros.

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“..an agency gone rogue, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on inane programs, refusing to answer basic questions from congressional committees, and actively undermining the foreign policy goals of the United States.”

How USAID and Its $50 Billion Budget Became a Target for Reform (ET)

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was a little-noticed federal agency until it suddenly became the object of a fierce political battle over the limits of presidential power and the accountability of government bureaucracies. When the Trump administration closed the agency’s offices on Feb. 3 and later placed most employees on administrative leave, USAID took center stage in a drama unfolding at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. On one side is the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to make all parts of the executive branch comply with the president’s agenda. On the other side are congressional Democrats, who are warning that the action is a dangerous abuse of executive power and are vowing to fight it. Meanwhile, many observers fear that USAID’s true purpose—to advance U.S. interests through the use of soft power—may be overlooked.

On Feb. 3, President Donald Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as acting director of USAID. The next day, the president indicated that the agency may be shuttered and its functions permanently transferred to the State Department. Here is why critics want to abolish or reform the agency, supporters want to save it, and what may happen next. USAID was established by an executive order of President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to advance U.S. foreign policy by offering developing nations technical assistance, help with education and health care, and disaster relief. The idea was that turning poor countries into stable world citizens would benefit U.S. citizens, too. A stable, prosperous nation makes a good ally, the theory went. Champions of USAID continue to see it as both an essential tool for foreign policy and a tangible expression of the goodness and generosity of the U.S. people.

Most observers agree that the agency does some good. Relatively small by Washington’s standards, USAID employs about 10,000 people and controls an annual budget of about $50 billion. In 2023, USAID poured $10.5 billion into humanitarian aid and $10.5 billion into health programs in countries around the world, according to the Congressional Research Service. One program that is often touted as a shining success story is the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a USAID program that has provided more than $110 billion for controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS in more than 50 countries. “Most estimates are that somewhere in the vicinity of 27 million people are alive today because President Bush initiated and Congress supported that program,” Scott Pegg, acting director of the Global and International Studies program and chair of political science at Indiana University–Indianapolis, told The Epoch Times.

President Donald Trump said in remarks to reporters on Feb. 4 that “some of the money is well spent.” Yet the agency’s halo dims on closer inspection. Critics tell the story of an agency gone rogue, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on inane programs, refusing to answer basic questions from congressional committees, and actively undermining the foreign policy goals of the United States. The White House on Feb. 3. produced a list of projects funded by USAID that it characterized as examples of waste and abuse. The projects include $1.5 million to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities,” another $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia, and $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam.

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) listed further examples on social media platform X on Feb. 3, including $56 million to boost tourism in Egypt and Tunisia and $27 million for “reintegration gift bags” for deported Central Americans. Hunt said the agency was behaving “like a child with YOUR credit card.” Some USAID grant recipients include terrorist-controlled organizations, according to a study by the Middle East Forum released on Feb. 1. The study found that $122 million has gone to groups aligned with designated terrorist organizations, including millions of dollars for organizations directly controlled by the Hamas terrorist group. A July 2024 report from the U.S. Office of Inspector General noted deficiencies and vulnerabilities in USAID’s vetting process, which is supposed to prevent the diversion of U.S. funds to terrorist organizations.

In one case of apparent abuse, USAID partnered with Chemonics, an international consulting firm, to spend $9.5 billion to improve health supply chains. Chemonics allegedly overbilled the agency by up to $270 million and failed to meet its objectives, and the project led to 31 indictments for the illegal resale of USAID-funded materials, according to Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who has called for an independent analysis of USAID grant recipients. Ernst said USAID also provided nearly $1 million in funding to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, which the CIA has said was the most likely source of the virus that causes COVID-19. USAID has resisted congressional oversight for decades, some lawmakers say, resulting in a culture of defiance. “The agency has engaged in a demonstrated pattern of obstructionism,” Ernst wrote in a letter to Rubio on Feb. 4.

False claims were made that certain documents were classified to delay review by congressional staffers and to mislead Congress on the indirect cost of programs, Ernst wrote, adding that in some cases, this amounted to more than 25 percent of the grant total. The agency refused to provide data on administrative costs, Ernst said. The agency later said that providing the data to Congress would violate federal law and that it had no obligation to respond because Ernst did not present a formal request from a “committee of jurisdiction.” “Washington insiders are more upset at DOGE for trying to stop wasteful spending than USAID for misusing tax dollars,” Ernst told The Epoch Times. “The agency has stonewalled me and used every trick in the book to hide what they are doing from the American people. It has lied, misled, and deceived taxpayers, but I will not be deterred in fighting for and uncovering the truth.” Rubio leveled his own criticism at the agency on Feb. 3, after being appointed its interim caretaker.

“They have basically evolved into an agency that believes that they’re not even a U.S. government agency, that … they’re a global charity,” Rubio said in an interview on Fox News. Worse, the agency frequently works at cross purposes with the interests of the United States, the secretary of state said. “One of the most common complaints you will get … from State Department officials and ambassadors and the like, is: ‘USAID is not only not cooperative, they undermine the work that we’re doing in that country,’” sometimes advancing programs that the host government finds objectionable, Rubio said. Speaking about USAID at the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador on Feb. 4, he said: “It’s been 20 or 30 years where people have tried to reform it, and it refuses to reform. When we were in Congress, we couldn’t even get answers to basic questions about programs. That will not continue.”

Chemonics – revealing

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“..the best symbolic indication that the old partisan and ideological divides in the country that date back three-quarters of a century find themselves fully scrambled into a wholly new alliance.”

The Rise and Rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (ET)

There is much to learn about the way the world works today by watching the confirmation vote on Trump’s pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services. In so many ways, this is a remarkable development with a dramatic story arc, one that speaks presciently to events over the past five years and where they stand in public consciousness. In November 2021, a major book blasted onto the scene that hardly anyone had expected. It was “The Real Anthony Fauci” by Kennedy. The author had already emerged as the world’s leading critic of the policy response to COVID-19, which included locking down societies across the globe to prepare the population for a vaccine that was already on record as failing to protect against both infection and transmission.

This book was not just a criticism of the way that the “nation’s leading infectious disease doctor” had been the dominant voice for shutdowns, closures, distancing, and masking. It dug through the deep history of the U.S. bioweapons program to highlight the role of dangerous research with a military angle. Fauci was not merely the guy telling you how to stay well; he had become a powerful figure in the bioweapons industry, which had a deep relationship with pharmaceutical companies. The book was beyond mind-blowing, and its many hundreds of footnotes provide an incredible documentary source for readers to check. I dug through them to discover features of the pandemic response I never knew existed. The depth of research here was simply astounding.

As the book became a bestseller, Amazon itself faced pressure to censor it. It acquiesced for a time simply because the powers that be were so awesome and aggressive. Still, the book made inroads in any case. At that time, the political constellation in the country was shifting wildly, and no one knew where it would wind up. The Biden administration had doubled down on coercive pandemic policies and added vaccine and mask mandates while issuing wild warnings of mass death for noncompliance. Resistance on the right and left were growing, but no one knew for sure where all of this would end up. As Trump clinched the Republican nomination, there was a brief moment when it seemed that the Democrats would be open to replacing Biden on the ticket.

A lifelong Democrat and the inheritor of the mantles of both his father and uncle, Kennedy seemed like an obvious choice to take the nomination in an open primary. He started an ad campaign that revived his uncle’s early efforts. But there would be no primary, thus forcing him into an independent bid for the presidency. Third-party attempts in the United States always run into the same problem: The whole system is geared toward two parties, and voting logic usually ends up reinforcing that as well. As that reality gradually dawned on Kennedy, there was a growing sense within the large movement that backed him that he needed another option. As events unfolded, Trump was subjected to a close assassination attempt on July 13, 2024. That was the moment when the two camps came together.

After several days of talking, there was a sudden realization on both sides that they were fighting the same corporatist enemies from two different fronts, one focused on immigration and trade and the other focused on food and pharma power. There was general agreement that many things in America needed to change. The sudden emergence of the unity effort of Trump and Kennedy together disoriented both sides, simply because the coalition brought together factions that had long seemed opposed. Kennedy was a long-time environmental lawyer, and Trump was generally an anti-environmentalist. They would agree to disagree on oil and energy but concentrate on the economic and physical health of America, which came to be embodied in the MAGA/MAHA coalition.

The shock in both camps was high, but the urgency of the moment—and the deep desire for change in Washington—impressed upon the grassroots the need to shake off their squeamishness and get to work together. How much did Kennedy’s involvement help the Trump campaign? Enormously. Was it decisive in the sweeping victory? Very likely. As a thank you for joining forces or perhaps a quid pro quo that was nonetheless highly merited, Kennedy gained nomination to the position of secretary of health and human services, which oversees many other agencies in the realm of food, health, pharmaceuticals, and much more.

The real challenge then began after Trump’s victory because of a peculiar feature of the American system: Cabinet picks have to be confirmed by the Senate. In normal years, and with most appointees of the past never really presenting that much of a challenge to the status quo, a president’s picks sail through with bipartisan support. Trump’s picks would be different, particularly the Kennedy choice since his stance on pharma and pandemic planning was well known. A choice for him would represent a repudiation of the past five years of policy, a prospect nearly all of Washington dreaded.

In the course of events, an incredible irony emerged. In committee—and likely too in the larger Senate—the vote fell along party lines, but not in the way one would expect. This lifelong Democrat and scion of the great Democrat family was opposed by every Democrat and supported (so far) by every Republican. Not only that, but the Republican-friendly press opposed him tooth and nail. The Wall Street Journal, National Review, and the New York Post all published bitter editorials that called the nominee a crank and conspiracy theorist.

Largely because of a huge push from the grassroots—and because of support from Trump—the Republicans voted for him in any case, while the Democrats simply could not and did not, despite the manner in which Kennedy, in many ways, represented causes long important to many people generally considered to be on the left. Thus does the expected confirmation of Kennedy—his rise and rise for fully five years—embody the best symbolic indication that the old partisan and ideological divides in the country that date back three-quarters of a century find themselves fully scrambled into a wholly new alliance. If you attend any events that bring together MAGA and MAHA, you know exactly what I mean. They are exciting scenes of people who have never been in the same room together, gradually discovering points of agreement and feeling very optimistic about the future.

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Trudy is nervous.

Trudeau Warns Trump’s Threat To Annex Canada Is ‘Real Thing’ (RT)

Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been caught on a hot mike telling businessmen that US President Donald Trump is not joking when he talks about absorbing Canada, the Toronto Star newspaper has reported. Trump reiterated his desire to make Canada “our 51st state” when he spoke to journalists in the Oval Office earlier this week. “I would love to see that. Some people say that would be a long shot. If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they would become a state,” he claimed. The US president and the Canadian PM discussed the hiccups in their relations during two phone calls on Monday. On Thursday, Trudeau revealed some of the details of those conversations to businessmen and union leaders ahead of a closed-door meeting as part of the Canada-US Economic Summit in Toronto.

The prime minister thought he was speaking confidentially, but it turned out that his microphone had not been turned off promptly and he was overheard by journalists. “I suggest that not only does the Trump administration know how many critical minerals we have but that may be even why they keep talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state,” Trudeau said as cited by the Toronto Star. The US wants to “benefit” from Canada’s natural resources and “Trump has it in mind that one of the easiest ways of doing that is absorbing our country, and it is a real thing,” he warned. When Trump first raised the possibility of making Canada part of the US in December, Trudeau insisted that there was “not a snowball’s chance in hell” of it happening.

Last week, the US president argued that Canada would struggle to remain viable if it stopped getting “hundreds of billions of dollars” in subsidies from Washington. The solution would be joining the US, which would result in “much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – and no tariffs!” In early February, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico and 10% on imports from China – citing concerns over illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Ottawa vowed to retaliate by slapping equivalent duties on US goods. However, Trump decided to postpone the introduction of tariffs on the two neighboring countries for 30 days in return for promises by both governments to strengthen border security.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1887994885967380517

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“The Post noted that the access sought by the UK “has no known precedent in major democracies.”

Apple Ordered to Provide UK Gov’t Access to ALL User Data on the Cloud (HUSA)

The Washington Post reported Friday that the United Kingdom’s deep state has demanded that Apple create a back door for them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud—what would be an unprecedented erosion of online privacy and civil liberties. Citing anonymous sources, the Post reported that the British government’s undisclosed order was issued last month. It reportedly requires Apple to give officials blanket capability to view fully encrypted material. Typically, Apple has assisted authorities on a case-by-case basis—such as helping the FBI access a terrorist’s phone, for example. The Post noted that the access sought by the UK “has no known precedent in major democracies.” According to the Post, the UK’s order was made pursuant to the sweeping U.K. Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, which authorizes law enforcement to compel assistance from companies to access user data.

“The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand,” the Post reported. “Apple can appeal the U.K. capability notice to a secret technical panel, which would consider arguments about the expense of the requirement, and to a judge who would weigh whether the request was in proportion to the government’s needs. But the law does not permit Apple to delay complying during an appeal.” An Apple spokesman reportedly declined to comment. The Post reported that Apple is likely to stop offering encrypted storage in the UK. “Yet that concession would not fulfill the U.K. demand for backdoor access to the service in other countries, including the United States,” the newspaper added.

Western countries, including the U.S., have been pushing for total access to online user data for years. In March 2021, for example, former FBI Director Chris Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that encryption was stifling his agents from investigating domestic extremism. According to Wray and other law enforcers, tech companies should be able to build “backdoors” into their encryption that preserves privacy, while allowing for access when necessary. That, they say, strikes the proper balance between data security and national security.

However, numerous tech experts, civil libertarians, and others say that it’s impossible to build a backdoor that can’t be exploited by hackers. They also say that by banning encryption, the United States would be following in the footsteps of authoritarian countries such as China, which blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal. “It is important to understand that any kind of back door (or front door) access for the ‘good guys’ can also be exploited by the ’bad guys,’” the pro-industry Information Technology & Innovation Foundation stated in a July 2020 report. “For example, key escrow systems would introduce new attack vectors that could allow attackers to gain access to encrypted information, such as by compromising the system that maintains copies of the keys.”

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“..this is not an agency for aid, assistance and development..” [..]“This is a machine for interference in internal affairs, a mechanism for changing regimes, political systems, and state structures..”

Russian News Finds Readers Despite Sanctions, USAID-Funded Competition – FT (RT)

RIA Novosti and Russia Today have been spreading their message despite competition from media outlets funded by USAID and Western sanctions pressure, the Financial Times has said. In an article published on Thursday, the British daily outlined the hit various media outlets would face from President Donald Trump’s crackdown on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary means for funding political causes abroad. A number of USAID projects were focused on “countering” major Russia media outlets such as RIA Novosti and Russia Today, whose news coverage was “spreading on social media despite Western sanctions,” the newspaper said.

According to FT, the agency spent around $100 million on funding programs in Russia in 2023. Programs in Moldova received $309 million while around $1.7 billion was spent on Ukraine. The US president froze most US foreign aid for a 90-day review shortly after his inauguration. USAID has subsequently seen a number of its projects suspended, and Trump has said he wants the agency shut down. Without funding from the agency, many NGO media outlets around the world are struggling to stay afloat, FT wrote. According to French NGO Reporters Without Borders (RFS), 9 out of 10 media outlets in Ukraine relied on donations and USAID as their primary donor, with many already announcing that they’ll have to shut down.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Trump’s crackdown on the agency vindicated Moscow’s 2012 ban on its activity in the country. “We said that this is not an agency for aid, assistance and development,” the spokeswoman stressed in a press briefing on Thursday. “This is a machine for interference in internal affairs, a mechanism for changing regimes, political systems, and state structures,” she said, adding that the agency had acted outside the realm of Russian and international law.

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“..it’s the embarrassingly passe “there are no Palestinians” trope on steroids.”

In Valdai, Confronting The “American Problem” In West Asia (Pepe Escobar)

The 14th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Club in Moscow was hit by a geopolitical bunker buster bomb right in the middle of the proceedings: the announcement, by US President Donald Trump himself, of some sort of future Trump Gaza Riviera Resort and Casino in Palestine. Even before international outrage started to overspill, from the BRICS front to ASEAN to the Arab world (which sees it as Nakba 2.0), reaching even Trump-friendly Saudi Arabia and major US allies in Europe, perplexity set in at Valdai among most scholars and academics. Two glaring exceptions were professor at the University of Tehran Mohammad Marandi and former British diplomat Alastair Crooke – always delicately nuanced analysts of West Asia.

Both have long argued that as the US empire is being forced to retreat, it will become much more ruthless and take greater risks. Marandi qualifies Trump as “a gift” to American global decline. Crooke, for his part, wonders whether Israel’s far-right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really trapped Trump in a quagmire – when it may be the other way around. Trump now seems to have Netanyahu – which he basically despises – exactly where he wants him: owing favors. Trump made a lot of bombastic promises, which Netanyahu can sell as a major success to the Tel Aviv warmongers who compose his government. So his coalition will hold – for now. Yet, in return, Israel will still have to follow the next steps of the despised ceasefire project.

And that would lead, in theory, to the end of the war. Netanyahu wants an Infinite War, with unlimited Eretz Israel expansion and annexation. That is not a done deal – by far. As it stands, at face value, in one fell swoop, Trump normalized genocide, ethnic cleansing, and the reduction of the Gaza tragedy to a tawdry real estate deal in a “phenomenal location.” The accumulated effect of “the US will take over the Gaza strip,” “we will own it,” and “… level the site” not only opens the US to a shockingly illegal foreign annexation, but it’s the embarrassingly passe “there are no Palestinians” trope on steroids.

But this is far from “sheer lunacy,” as defined by US think tanks everywhere. It’s a natural extension of trying to buy Greenland, trying to annex Canada (in both cases, an increase to the US resource base), grabbing the Panama Canal, and rechristening the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. It’s about changing the subject and the predominant narrative instead of addressing the real threat to the Empire: the Russia–China strategic partnership. In this case, the new Gaza Riviera built on a pyramid of skulls is not only endorsed but already envisioned by the genocidals in Tel Aviv in tandem with Trump’s billionaire donors, a key part of Israel’s lobby in the US.

Trump’s vision, according to New York insiders, came from his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who less than a year ago was already talking about the real estate gold represented by the Gaza seashore. Kushner is even more dangerous now that he’s acting behind the curtains in Trump’s second term: he’s the main influencer on POTUS when it comes to a possible, future US-sanctioned occupation of Gaza. For the moment, we have a Deporting-Building-Selling reality show ethos applied to the most insoluble problem in West Asia. Marandi calls it the “US–Israel problem.” Taha Ozhan at the Ankara Institute qualifies it as “the Israeli-centered order” as well as “the American problem.”

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That’s just one little problem. Try this:

Name me one European country where people are fine with German troops on their land.

NATO Troops Unable To Move Quickly Across EU (RT)

The EU would be unable to move a major military force within the bloc’s territory in case of need, a recent report by its financial watchdog stated this week. Bureaucratic hurdles and chaotic logistical planning would prevent a swift deployment, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) concluded in the document. Brussels has already spent all of its budget allocated for improving military logistics between 2021 and 2027 without achieving the stated goal of “moving military staff, equipment, and supplies swiftly and seamlessly,” the ECA said in a statement accompanying the report. Funding worth €1.7 billion ($1.76 billion) was spent in just two years and no money was “left in the pot by the end of 2023,” the report said, adding that organizing military movements within the bloc could still face “significant delays.”

Member states still need to file a notification of cross-border movement 45 days in advance in order to get authorization, according to the paper. One nation’s tanks can also be outright banned from crossing into the territory of a neighboring EU member simply because they are heavier than allowed by the neighbor’s road traffic regulations, the report said. Military logistics directions can also include infrastructure like bridges that are not suitable for heavy equipment, requiring armor to take a major detour, it added. The ECA blamed the chaotic planning and management structure for the setbacks. “Governance arrangements for military mobility in the EU are complex and fragmented, without a single point of contact, which makes it difficult to know who does what,” it said.

With the allocated military mobility budget spent, there will be “a significant gap of over four years” before any more funds will be available, it warned. “Projects were funded mainly in the east of the EU, but the bloc hardly funded any projects at all on the southern route towards Ukraine” the watchdog said. The ECA – an independent auditing body with a college consisting of individual members assigned by each EU member state – has been critical of Brussels’ defense policy initiatives over the past several years.

In 2024, it warned that the European Defense Industry Program could fail to reach its goals despite a €1.5 billion budget due to a poor balance between policy objectives, funding, and the timeline for implementation. The program could result in resources “spread across a wide array of projects that may not have a measurable impact at EU level,” it said. In 2023, it stated that the EU was lacking a long-time strategy on defense spending, while also warning later the same year that financial assistance to Kiev could add tens of billions of euros to the bloc’s debt due to Ukraine potentially being unable to repay its loans.

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The function of plastics recycling is to make people feel less guilty, so they will use more plastics.

“Recycling” Makes Plastic Pollution Worse (McGlinchey)

If you’re like many people, you’ve always thought a numbered-triangle symbol on the bottom of a plastic container tells you it’s recyclable — giving you peace of mind that when you toss it into a blue bin, it will be turned into something else. That’s not true. Those symbols are Resin Identification Codes (RICs). Numbered 1 through 7, they only identify the kind of plastic an item is made of. Far from giving a sweeping assurance that RIC-stamped items are recyclable, the symbol frequently indicates a particular item absolutely cannot be recycled. Reluctant to burden citizens with figuring out which plastics are recyclable — a chore that could dampen participation and cause confusion as recyclability of various plastics changes over time — many municipal recycling programs simply encourage people to toss all their RIC-stamped plastics in the bin and let the recyclers sort it out.

Which ones do recyclers actually want? The most-recycled plastic in America is stamped with a “1,” identifying the item as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). You’ll find it on beverage bottles, cooking oil containers, and many other liquid-containing bottles. A “2” tells you it’s high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Another generally recycling-suitable plastic, it’s used for milk jugs and laundry detergent jugs, and spray-cleaner bottles. It’s all downhill from there. Chances are your bin has plenty of #5 — polypropylene (PP) — which is frequently used for single-serve coffee-maker pods; yogurt, butter, prescription pill and soft tofu containers; and the lids on paperboard raisin cartons. Unfortunately, while there’s been a modest recent uptick in recyclers’ interest, polypropylene generally isn’t being recycled in the United States.

As for the rest of the RIC spectrum, feel free to make pointed inquiries with your city government, but chances are extremely slim that any #3, #4, #6 or #7 items you throw in your curbside blue bin will be made into anything else. That heap includes lots of packaging, such as non-cardboard egg cartons, fast-food clamshells, styrofoam cups and to-go containers, flexible 6-pack rings and bread bags. Feeling a little demoralized? Brace yourself: This blue-bin buzzkill is just getting started.

Let’s circle back to recyclers’ favorite: #1 PET. Even for this most-favored plastic, much of what’s placed in blue bins isn’t recycled. It’s a question of configuration: Recyclers love clear PET bottles, but most of them don’t want PET when it’s in the form of clamshell containers, cups and tubs. In these formats, PET reacts differently to the heat of recycling. For example, if they’re combined with bottles, those PET tubs used to package your blueberries and strawberries create ash that contaminates the whole batch. “This is a perfect example of why we don’t go by plastic numbers,” explains Millenium Recycling. “A #1 clamshell container is NOT the same as a #1 bottle and they cannot be recycled the same way.”

Size matters too. No matter the type of plastic, if it’s smaller than three inches, most recycling processors don’t want it cluttering up their works. Given that, the Washington Post recently advised simply throwing away any plastic that doesn’t fit in the palm of your hand. Thinness is another liability — which means your plastic forks, spoons and straws are also a no-go. Then there’s color discrimination — any kind of black plastic is pretty much guaranteed not to be recycled, because infrared scanners in automated sorting machines aren’t able to “see” most black plastic. And while clear #1 PET bottles are at the top of the recyclability list, colored PET bottles are less favored.

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Cooked
https://twitter.com/i/status/1887888796261216690

 

 

Helmet

 

 

Mums baby

 

 

Tigerboar

 

 

Cat

 

 

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Feb 082025
 
 February 8, 2025  Posted by at 10:50 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , ,  66 Responses »


M.C. Escher Gravitation 1952

 

How It Worked (James Howard Kunstler)
Trump Administration Sued Over USAID Clampdown (RT)
USAID Corruption At ‘Unexplainable’ Level – Trump (RT)
Trump’s Assault On USAID Could Change US Foreign Policy Forever (Bordachev)
Hungary Moves To Expose USAID Funding (RT)
14 States to File Lawsuit Against DOGE Access to Gov’t Payment Systems (ET)
Trump Nukes All Govt-MSM Contracts After Politico Firestorm (ZH)
Time Mag Puts ‘President Elon Musk’ on Cover, Trump Has Epic Response (PJM)
US ‘Will Lose The Next War Very Badly’ – Musk (RT)
Zelensky Extends Forced Conscription And Martial Law Again (RMX)
Trump Says He ‘Will Probably’ Meet Zelensky Next Week (RT)
UK Trying To Prevent Peace – Ukrainian MP (RT)
US-Russia War Would Be ‘Good For Ukraine’ – Zelensky’s Top Aide (RT)
Border Czar “Expects” Kinetic Warfare Between US Troops & Mexican Cartels (ZH)
TikTok’s Actual Offense? Innovating While Not Being American (Tamny)
Elizabeth Warren DESTROYED by X Community Notes (Bartee)
How Trump Suddenly Became A Feminist Champion (RT)
Microplastic Found in Brain Weighs as Much as a Plastic Spoon (ET)

 

 


Jim Kunstler 2024

 

 

Turley

Alina

Tax cuts

X

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Many lawsuits have been mounted by blob-adjacent attorneys to make all this stop. But one big problem for them is that their gigantic legal fees [..] were previously paid by exactly those NGOs that are getting shut down now.”

How It Worked (James Howard Kunstler)

If you wondered since 2016 how come the blob and the Democratic Party were aligned so exquisitely in their operations to destroy populism (personified by Mr. Trump) and to permanently entrench single party power in America for all time to come, it’s because an endless font of taxpayer money was streamed into countless non-governmental orgs creating a shadow civil service of Democratic Party activists that melded seamlessly with the big policy-making agencies.

The money was laundered through manifold layers of these orgs and their sub-orgs to pay for an ongoing “color revolution” in the USA — lawfare, election fraud, propaganda, censorship, career cancellation, medical fuckery, open borders, and other totalitarian ploys — while enriching political players at all those manifold layers from multi-millionaire congressmen and senators to thousands of NGO officials making six-figure salaries to street hustlers like Patrisse Cullors of Black Lives Matter and “anti-racism” racist Ibram X. Kendi and his $50-million Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University (recently axed) — and, of course, ultimately the former Potemkin president “Joe Biden” and his family.

It was all this money that drove eight years of sponsored insanity. Mainly, it kept the hands of the Democratic Party firmly on the levers of power so that nothing could be done about the insults and injuries they were inflicting on our country. So, is it a mystery now that nobody was prosecuted for burning the cities in 2020, or for magically creating millions of extra “Joe Biden” votes out of nowhere that year, or setting up the kickback machine from Ukraine to Congress, or forcing millions to get a janky vaccine?

Pam Bondi is going to be a busy girl. The DOGE has uncovered a government racketeering operation of which the USAID scandal is but one cog in a colossal engine of grift. What the public, including you readers, may not appreciate is how much planning went on over the past year to mount the DOGE effort, and how comprehensively the work of its many hundreds of computer techies (not just six whiz-kids) has laid bare the money-trails out of previously impenetrable government computers. Their algorithms have pierced the firewalls, revealing decades of fraud and deceit.

Mr. Trump’s cabinet officers have started the job of dismantling the machine by getting rid of the employees who set it up and worked for it. By Thursday, Secretary of State Rubio fired all but 300 of the 10,000 people working for USAID. CIA Director Ratcliffe offered the agency’s entire workforce a “deferred resignation” option that will allow them to bail out and still collect their salaries until September. Look for straight-up firings to ensue. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the acting FBI director to terminate eight senior FBI officials and asked for a review of up to 5,000 involved in J-6 investigations (including, presumably, agents who engaged in abusive SWAT-team deployments).

Many lawsuits have been mounted by blob-adjacent attorneys to make all this stop. But one big problem for them is that their gigantic legal fees — hundreds of dollars an hour on the meter multiplied by x-hundreds of lawyers— were previously paid by exactly those NGOs that are getting shut down now. So, perhaps you see exactly how those levers of power worked. The money will have to come from somewhere else, and I doubt that Silicon Valley billionaire blob-supporter Reid Hoffman wants to piss away the rest of his fortune on this.

Some actual persons will have to be held accountable for all the mischief carried out in rogue agencies over many years. It has to start somewhere. I nominate Samantha Power as a first test case. She was in charge of USAID for nearly four years — until Jan 20, 2025 — including the duration of the Ukraine War. She was also personally very busy hands-on in arranging attempted color revolutions in Hungary (failed, against Viktor Orban), Georgia (failed), Mexico (failed), and Brazil (succeeded against Jair Bolsonaro). Ms. Power provided money from USAID-connected NGOs to foster instability in many more countries, including our country. It must have come as quite a shock to her that Kamala Harris did not win the 2024 election. USAID will not be paying for Ms.Power’s legal representation.

Much more will come to shock the blobsters and their legions — though just now, as the reformation of government begins, it’s comforting just to think of all those dedicated seditionists, Wokesters, Marxians, and Jacobins unable to make their rent payments or buy groceries all of a sudden. The paychecks have stopped coming for thousands who wanted to turn American life upside-down and inside-out. This happened most colorfully at the fake-news outfit called Politico this week. Turned out they were a subsidiary of the blob. Who knew? (Everyone who was paying attention to the jive they published.) Management had to send out a memo that reporters and editors would not get paid this week, or maybe ever again. Boo hoo.

It was also revealed this week that the Reuters News Agency, the Associated Press, The New York Times, the Wash-Po, and around 700-other news outfits altogether had been receiving financial support from USAID, the CIA, and other government entities. Now do you understand why the Democratic Party voters are so obdurately deluded and deranged?

USAID
https://twitter.com/i/status/1887844383224922586

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“The claimants alleged that Trump lacks the powers to dissolve USAID due to it being established under a 1998 law passed by Congress.”

Trump Administration Sued Over USAID Clampdown (RT)

The largest US government workers’ union and an association of foreign service workers have sued the administration of US President Donlad Trump in an attempt to prevent the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington’s primary vehicle for funding political projects abroad. Sources told Reuters on Thursday that the White House intends to keep fewer than 300 employees out of more than 10,000 at the independent agency, which had a budget of some $60 billion in 2023. Trump previously branded USAID “a criminal organization” run by “radical lunatics,” which he claimed had been involved in financing bioweapons research and used its funds to pay for positive coverage on the Democratic Party in the media.

The lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in Washington, DC on Thursday by the American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association, called the clampdown on USAID “unconstitutional and illegal.” Trump’s order on his inauguration day last month to suspend all US foreign aid for 90 days and the subsequent decision by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to halt USAID projects around the world created a “global humanitarian crisis,” it claimed. The lawsuit named the president and the State and Treasury Departments as the defendants. The claimants alleged that Trump lacks the powers to dissolve USAID due to it being established under a 1998 law passed by Congress. “Not a single one of defendants’ actions to dismantle USAID were taken pursuant to congressional authorization. And pursuant to federal statute, Congress is the only entity that may lawfully dismantle the agency,” the lawsuit read.

Those behind the action seek a temporary and eventually permanent order from the court to restore funding for USAID, reopen its offices and block any further orders by the Trump administration to dissolve it. On Wednesday, hundreds of former and current employees protested in Washington against Trump’s plans regarding the agency. They carried banners reading: “USAID saves lives,” “Stop the coup,” “Save our democracy” and others. Democratic members of Congress, including Senators Mark Warner and Chris Van Hollen, and Representative John Garamendi, were among those to address the crowd. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who largely oversees the dismantling of USAID as the head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said on X earlier this week that the agency “is a ball of worms. There is no apple. And when there is no apple, you have just got to basically get rid of the whole thing.”

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“USAID stole billions of dollars, “much of it going to the fake news media as a ‘payoff’ for creating good stories about the democrats.”

USAID Corruption At ‘Unexplainable’ Level – Trump (RT)

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is riddled with almost unprecedented levels of corruption, and should be shut down, President Donald Trump has said. In one of the first executive orders after his unauguration, Trump suspended all US foreign aid, pending a three-month review, amid a wider push to cut down on government spending. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently halted a number of projects assigned to USAID, Washington’s main agency for administering funding to political projects abroad. Elon Musk, leading the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which is evaluating federal agencies’ spending, has branded USAID a “criminal organization.”

“USAID is driving the radical left crazy, and there is nothing they can do about it because the way in which the money has been spent, so much of it fraudulently, is totally unexplainable,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social on Friday. “The corruption is at levels rarely seen before. Close it down!” he said. The day before, the US president claimed that the agency funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into media companies to foster positive media coverage of Democrats. USAID stole billions of dollars, “much of it going to the fake news media as a ‘payoff’ for creating good stories about the democrats. the left wing ‘rag,’ known as ‘Politico,’ seems to have received $8,000,000,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. The decision reportedly followed findings by Musk’s team that millions of taxpayer dollars were being spent on Politico Pro subscriptions.

Subsequently, the White House has directed the General Services Administration to terminate all media contracts funded by USAID, Axios wrote on Thursday, citing an internal email the outlet obtained as saying. Politico has denied receiving direct funding from the government, explaining that their premium subscriptions service was being used by some US agencies. According to Reuters, the administration plans to retain fewer than 300 of USAID’s over 10,000 employees. This significant reduction has prompted a lawsuit from a major government workers’ union, challenging the legality of the cuts. The American Federation of Government Employees and the American Foreign Service Association sued Trump, Rubio, as well as the Treasury and State departments, branding the crackdown on USAID “unconstitutional and illegal.”

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“As significant in its influence as the Department of Defense or the State Department, USAID has long served as a powerful instrument for advancing Washington’s global agenda..”

Trump’s Assault On USAID Could Change US Foreign Policy Forever (Bordachev)

Over the decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has evolved into a “state within a state” within American foreign policy. As significant in its influence as the Department of Defense or the State Department, USAID has long served as a powerful instrument for advancing Washington’s global agenda. However, the recent actions of the new administration in Washington, led by Donald Trump, mark a significant shift, targeting this elite bribery agency with sweeping reforms. For Russia, these developments carry both challenges and opportunities.

USAID’s role in American foreign policy
USAID was created during the early years of the Cold War when the United States realized it could not defeat the Soviet Union in a direct armed conflict. Instead, it opted for a strategy of peaceful competition. Unlike the USSR, which sought to improve the lives of ordinary people in developing nations, the US focused on manipulating elites and influential actors. This philosophical divide between the two superpowers defined their approaches to foreign policy. Armed with substantial financial resources — approximately $40 billion last year — USAID has been the principal instrument of US interference in the internal affairs of other states. Its core mission has been the systematic bribery of elites to secure their loyalty to American interests. This strategy has been employed across Latin America, Asia, the Arab world, and, more recently, the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

USAID: An instrument of destabilization
Far from promoting stability or development, USAID’s activities have often led to internal crises and even the collapse of statehood. Ukraine stands as a stark example of this, where the agency’s involvement has contributed to deepening political and social unrest. In other cases, USAID has propped up regimes that offer special privileges to the US, though such instances are relatively rare. The agency’s operations are not about making the United States more attractive to the rest of the world. Soft power, often romanticized in academic circles, is not the result of foreign policy maneuvers but of a nation’s internal appeal. The US is attractive to some because it offers a lifestyle rooted in selfishness and individualism, not because of its diplomatic or military actions.

Trump’s offensive: Reshaping USAID
The Trump administration’s reforms of USAID represent a decisive attempt to curb its unchecked power. Personnel reshuffling, increased oversight by diplomats, budget cuts, and the appointment of Trump-loyal officials are all part of this overhaul. This assault is not driven by a desire to end US interference in other nations’ affairs — such a policy is too central to maintaining America’s global dominance. Instead, it is an effort to reassert control over a bureaucracy that has grown too independent and self-serving. Trump’s disdain for the agency stems from its inefficiency and its bloated structure, which prioritizes its own survival over achieving tangible foreign policy results. For a leader as authoritarian as Trump, allowing such a structure to operate autonomously is unacceptable. All achievements must now be tied directly to his leadership and energy.

Panama: A case study in simplicity
A recent example of this new approach can be seen in Panama. The Trump administration launched a decisive diplomatic offensive against the Panamanian government, pressuring it to abandon cooperation with China. Without the need for elaborate schemes or massive expenditures, the US appears to have secured control over the Panama Canal’s logistics systems. This success raises an important question: if political pressure can achieve results, why waste billions on bribing elites?

Implications for Russia
For Russia, these developments offer both strategic advantages and lessons. The internal divisions within the US caused by such reforms will inevitably limit its foreign policy options. Even a temporary suspension of funding for USAID’s activities will create confusion among grant recipients, undermining their confidence in Washington’s support. Moreover, the changes in Washington highlight the importance of avoiding the pitfalls of copying Western methods wholesale. Russia must remain cautious in adapting American tactics to its own foreign policy. Simplified, traditional approaches, as demonstrated by the US in Panama, often yield better results than overcomplicated schemes.

The legacy of USAID
USAID’s history is one of extensive political manipulation. Initially, it focused on recruiting elites and intellectuals in Latin America, Asia, and the Arab world. After the Cold War, its activities expanded to include officials, law enforcement agencies, and activists in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Recently, the agency has intensified its efforts in the Transcaucasus and Central Asia, aiming to destabilize these regions in light of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Despite its considerable financial resources and influence, USAID has failed to create lasting stability or prosperity in the regions it targets. Instead, its actions have often exacerbated tensions and conflicts, serving as a tool for advancing American hegemony rather than genuine development.

The way forward
The Trump administration’s actions against USAID signal a shift in US foreign policy, but they also expose the limitations of the American model. The reliance on bribery and coercion as primary tools of influence is unsustainable and increasingly ineffective. For Russia, this presents an opportunity to strengthen its own foreign policy strategies, emphasizing mutual respect and genuine cooperation. As the United States grapples with its internal divisions and reassesses its global role, Russia must continue to assert its interests while remaining vigilant against attempts to destabilize its neighbors. The lessons from USAID’s failures are clear: true influence comes not from manipulation but from fostering genuine partnerships. In conclusion, the Trump administration’s “riot” at USAID may not fundamentally alter America’s interventionist tendencies, but it does offer a glimpse into the vulnerabilities of its foreign policy apparatus. For Russia, this is both a challenge and an opportunity — to counteract American influence while charting a more effective and principled path in global affairs.

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“..these are people and organizations paid from abroad whose job is to overthrow the Hungarian government..”

Hungary Moves To Expose USAID Funding (RT)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that he will implement measures ensuring the transparency of aid from the United States to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media outlets critical of his government. Speaking on state radio on Friday, Orban emphasized the need to “eliminate these foreign networks” that meddle in the country’s domestic affairs, referencing US Agency for International Development (USAID) programs. An ally of US President Donald Trump, Orban highlighted the Trump administration’s plan to integrate USAID into the State Department, aligning it with the “America First” policy. “In America, we would call them agents, as they do not serve their own country but accept money from another power… We don’t call them agents… but these are people and organizations paid from abroad whose job is to overthrow the Hungarian government,” the prime minister said.

Orban, who has been in power since 2010 and faces the voters in early 2026, asserted that recipients of foreign funds must face “legal consequences” and be “squeezed out” as they pose a threat to Hungarian sovereignty. In late 2023, his government established the Sovereignty Protection Office to monitor and address the risk of political interference. Foreign financing for parties or groups running for office are banned in the country, with penalties of up to three years in prison. The European Commission launched an infringement procedure over the law in February 2024, citing its potential to undermine the bloc’s democratic values and fundamental rights.

Orban has a long history of taking measures against foreign-funded organizations, particularly those linked to Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros. He has repeatedly accused Soros of meddling in Hungary’s domestic affairs, undermining traditional family values, and promoting a globalist agenda. In 2018, Hungary implemented a “Stop Soros” law aimed at NGOs helping asylum seekers. That year, the Soros-funded Open Society Foundations announced it would move from Budapest to Berlin, citing a repressive environment under Viktor Orban. Hungary also forced the closure of Central European University (CEU), which relocated to Vienna due to regulatory challenges. The European Union has withheld funding from Orban’s government, accusing it of breaching democratic standards.

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Feels a bit like Audit the Fed.

14 States to File Lawsuit Against DOGE Access to Gov’t Payment Systems (ET)

A coalition of 14 state attorneys general said on Thursday that they will file a lawsuit to stop the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive federal payment systems. The coalition said that DOGE, an advisory committee led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, has no authority to access federal government systems—which they said contain Americans’ personal data, state bank account data, and “some of our country’s most sensitive data.” “This level of access for unauthorized individuals is unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable,” the coalition said in a statement released by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. “DOGE has no authority to access this information, which they explicitly sought in order to block critical payments that millions of Americans rely on—payments that support health care, childcare, and other essential programs.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent granted DOGE access to the Treasury’s payment system after Trump took office on Jan. 20. DOGE has been tasked with reviewing agencies for potential downsizing and termination, including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to reduce federal spending and boost government efficiency. The attorneys general also argued that President Donald Trump “does not have the power” to grant DOGE access to Americans’ private information or to withhold federal payments approved by Congress. They planned to pursue legal action to defend “our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on.” The coalition includes Platkin and attorneys general from New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

On Feb. 5, a coalition of labor unions sued to block DOGE access to federal payment systems, alleging that it violates “constitutional limits on executive power” and “laws protecting civil servants from arbitrary threats and adverse action.” The plaintiffs—which include the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union, and the Economic Policy Institute—sought a temporary restraining order or administrative stay against DOGE. Justice Department attorneys issued a proposed order on Feb. 5 saying the federal government will temporarily restrict DOGE from accessing information in the Treasury Department’s payment system and allow special government employees “read-only” access to payment records. “The Defendants will not provide access to any payment record or payment system of records maintained by or within the Bureau of the Fiscal Service,” it said.

The proposed order followed an incident in which Democratic members of Congress attempted to enter the Treasury building on Feb. 4, saying they wanted to provide oversight after DOGE was granted access to the federal payment system. Democratic lawmakers have been calling for the access to be revoked. Trump had previously said that Musk would not be able to take any action without approval from the White House and assured that the government would prevent him from acting in cases of conflict of interest. “Where we think there’s a conflict or there’s a problem, we won’t let him go near it, but he has some very good ideas,” the president told reporters at the Oval Office last month.

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“..the White House is also planning to cut USAID’s staff from roughly 10,000 employees to just 294..”

Trump Nukes All Govt-MSM Contracts After Politico Firestorm (ZH)

In light of the firestorm over tens of millions of dollars going from the US government to various media outlets in the form of subscriptions, particularly Politico, President Trump has directed the General Services Administration to terminate “every single media contract” expensed by the agency, according to an email obtained by Axios. “GSA team, please do two things,” the email begins.
• Pull all contracts for Politico, BBC, E&E (Politico sub) and Bloomberg
• Pull all media contracts for just GSA – cancel every single media contract today for GSA only.

The move comes after internet sleuths discovered tens of millions of dollars going towards Politico Pro subscriptions, with particular focus on one $8 million allocation. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the executive branch would cancel their contract with Politico……and today we find that it goes much further than just the rag that laundered the deep state’s ’51 intel officials’ Hunter Biden laptop propaganda. For example, the NY Times was also cut off. Politico responded on Thursday, claiming that they have “never received any government funding — no subsidies, no grants, no handouts. Not one dime, ever, in 18 years.” No, just tens of millions in Politico Pro subscriptions from the government. Like Hunter Biden received $200,000 for a painting of his excrement, which was totally not influence peddling.

Deep Cuts To USAID
Meanwhile, the White House is also planning to cut USAID’s staff from roughly 10,000 employees to just 294 – a 97% reduction, after Elon Musk’s DOGE team revealed that the international aid organization has essentially been funding woke pet projects and anti-American activities. On Tuesday, the administration put a stop on all USAID work and placed all employees on leave, with thousands of overseas workers to be recalled within 30 days. According to Reuters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio – who was placed in charge of USAID earlier this week, said that the Trump administration was identifying and designating critical programs that would be exempted from the stop work order and deep cuts. According to the report, over 2/3 of USAID’s workers are located outside the United States. As of 2023, the ‘aid’ organization managed more than $40 billion in projects. USAID’s website informed people that as of midnight on Friday, February 7, “all USAID direct hire personnel will be placed on administrative leave globally, with the exception of designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs.”

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“Is Time magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that.”

Time Mag Puts ‘President Elon Musk’ on Cover, Trump Has Epic Response (PJM)

Leftists have been whining about “President Musk” ever since Trump announced the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency. Now, Musk is uncovering staggering levels of government waste (as well as active aid and comfort of America’s enemies — which, of course, those who like to illustrate the old adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing will insist is not treason). It was inevitable that the empire would strike back. Time Magazine is just an old wheeze of its former self, but in its latest issue, it lashes out at Musk and Trump with all the feeble wallop it can muster. The cover of Time’s latest issue, dated Feb. 24, carries no caption, but its meaning is unmistakable. It depicts Elon Musk staring determinedly and unapologetically at the reader, clutching a cup of coffee, and sitting behind the Resolute Desk, that is, the president’s desk in the Oval Office.

The cover story laments that “for now, millions of government workers find themselves at Musk’s mercy. One described her team at the Department of Homeland Security assuming a ‘defensive crouch’ as they awaited a visit from the DOGE. For an inkling of their fate, she added, her colleagues had turned to a book called Character Limit, which chronicles the way Musk took over Twitter two years ago and fired 80% of its staff, often with chaotic and lasting results.” Chaotic, yeah, got it. Multitudes of useless and unproductive employees were sent packing, and Twitter, that is, X, runs just fine. Time’s apocalyptic hit piece nevertheless piles on much more of the same. An unnamed bureaucrat says: “‘There’s only so much Democrats can do,’ she said, not wanting to give her name lest it attract more attention from DOGE.” Yes, of course, although this fear rings hollow after one of Musk’s employees, not some supposedly courageous government leftist, was just doxxed.

Time concludes with a plea for someone, anyone, to help: “Her official email account had been shut down, and she could no longer access her desk at the agency. Like thousands of her colleagues and millions of Americans, she was left to watch Musk’s moves play out, wondering how far he would go, and what, if anything, could stop him.” Oh, horror! The cover, meanwhile, is directed as much at Trump as at Musk. Time hoped to annoy the president, whom the left loves to lampoon as narcissistic and self-absorbed, by suggesting that he was not actually in charge of his administration. Trump, however, coolly refused to take the bait. As he met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday, a reporter asked him: “Mr. President, do you have a reaction to the new Time Magazine cover that has Elon Musk sitting behind your Resolute Desk?”

The reporter and Time’s editors were no doubt hoping that Trump would hit the ceiling and launch into a long rant about how, not Musk, was calling the shots — something that the late-night comics could work with and use to try to regain the offensive from this administration, which has put the left on the defensive more than any other administration in recent memory. Trump, however, refused to play along, and instead tweaked the failing magazine, saying: “Is Time magazine still in business? I didn’t even know that.” This was an apposite response, as, unlike some other establishment publications that still like to pretend that they’re unbiased sources for news, Time’s hatred of Trump has been naked, open, and unapologetic. It made him Person of the Year for 2024, but this was no honor, as Hitler and Stalin both bore the title back when it was Man of the Year.

During Trump’s first term, Time ran a series of covers featuring him melting (twice), painting himself into a corner, barely keeping his head above water in a flooded Oval Office, melding into Vladimir Putin, heartlessly facing down a crying Hispanic child (presumably at the Southern border), and on and drearily on. On the other side of this crude propaganda was the magazine’s Soviet-style cover for its Aug. 26, 2024 issue, which featured Kamala Harris looking confident and resolute, her head tilted slightly upward as she looked calmly into a future that contained no challenges she could not overcome. The caption: “Her Moment.” This image could have hung in Tiananmen Square right next to the big picture of Chairman Mao and no one would have batted an eye.

But for Time magazine, it didn’t work: Harris lost the election anyway. And the Musk cover won’t work either. The Trump administration is clearly determined to be unsparing in rooting out government corruption. Only the corrupt could object.

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“The current strategy is to build a small number of weapons at a high price to fight yesterday’s war..”

US ‘Will Lose The Next War Very Badly’ – Musk (RT)

The US risks major defeat in the country’s next war unless it urgently reforms its outdated weapons programs, Elon Musk has warned in a stark assessment of the nation’s defense capabilities. Musk, who heads SpaceX and Tesla, has been appointed as a “special government employee” to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under US President Donald Trump and is now among his key advisers. “American weapons programs need to be completely redone. The current strategy is to build a small number of weapons at a high price to fight yesterday’s war. Unless there are immediate and dramatic changes made, America will lose the next war very badly,” Musk wrote on X. The billionaire has long been a vocal critic of inefficiencies within the US defense sector, arguing that excessive bureaucracy and outdated military strategies undermine national security.

Musk’s DOGE department has actively worked to streamline federal operations, including those related to defense. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the maker of the Predator drone, has urged DOGE to reform the Pentagon’s contracting system, calling the current process too slow and bureaucratic to counter threats from nations such as China and Iran. L3Harris Technologies, a major defense contractor, has provided DOGE with recommendations to improve efficiency in the defense acquisition system. These include eliminating duplicative Cost Accounting Standard requirements and establishing a central contracting arm within the Office of the Secretary of Defense to manage joint procurement programs. DOGE has already canceled approximately $420 million in government contracts within its first 80 hours of operations, taking initial steps toward an ambitious goal of reducing federal spending by $2 trillion.

Musk’s critique also extends to specific defense programs. He has been particularly damning of the F-35 fighter jet program, labeling it a “sh*t design” and advocating for a shift toward unmanned systems, which he believes are more effective and economical in modern combat. Speaking at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York in February, Musk emphasized the transformative impact of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) on warfare, citing the Ukraine conflict as a prime example. “The current war in Ukraine is very much a drone war already,” Musk noted. “If there’s a major power war, it’s very much going to be a drone war.” He called for increased investment in drone production and a significant acceleration in manufacturing, warning against the pitfalls of preparing for past conflicts instead of future ones. “Countries pretty much are geared up to fight the last war, not the next war,” Musk cautioned.

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Trump is pushing for elections. Zelensky says no way.

Zelensky Extends Forced Conscription And Martial Law Again (RMX)

.Ukraine has long stopped being a democracy and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky just made sure to keep it that way for another 90 days by signing a decree to extend martial law and continue general mobilization effort. The measures in force so far were due to expire on Feb. 7. Parliament voted to extend the provisions on Jan. 15. Ukraine was supposed to have a new vote long ago, but due to the war, Zelensky argued that it was not possible. Ukraine declared a nationwide state of general mobilization on Feb. 24, 2022, and has since extended it several times. Due to staffing problems in the army, a bill on tightening mobilization rules came into force on May 18, 2024. Martial law and conscription come despite the majority of Ukrainians saying they want to end the war and are willing to accept territorial losses in order to do so, according to the independent Gallup Polling agency.

In recent months, mobilization efforts have increasingly involved the use of violence and forced conscription, leading men to attempt to leave the country, often at the risk of their lives. Zelensky, who fears losing power if the war ends, has an incentive to keep the conflict going. However, support for Zelensky has rapidly declined among the Ukrainian population. Almost every week, reports are coming in about forced conscription in Ukraine being carried out using increasingly brutal means. Hungarian channel M1-Hirado recently ran a special compiling some of the latest footage of Ukrainians being beaten and shoved into vans in forced mobilization operations.

As Remix News has previously reported, desertion rates at the frontline are high, with many Ukrainians fleeing before they ever even enter combat. To make up for shortfalls, authorities from the so-called Territorial Recruitment and Social Support Center (TCK) are using increasingly aggressive methods to meet monthly draft quotas. After morning briefings, officers split into teams and search various locations around the city – cafes, restaurants, and even nightclubs – for men eligible for military service.

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“..He added that talks would most likely take place on US soil, as “I’m not going there.”

Trump Says He ‘Will Probably’ Meet Zelensky Next Week (RT)

US President Donald Trump has stated that he will likely have face-to-face talks with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky as early as next week, adding that he would like to talk with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin soon as well. Since his inauguration last month, Trump’s administration has been sending signals regarding potential peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, no details have been forthcoming to date. Commenting on the prospect of such dialogue, officials in Moscow have expressed cautious optimism. Addressing the press during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House on Friday, President Trump said: “I will probably be meeting with [Vladimir] Zelensky next week.”

He added that talks would most likely take place on US soil, as “I’m not going there.”“And I will probably be talking to President Putin. I’d like to see that war end,” Trump said, adding “President Putin and I have always had a good relationship.” Trump reiterated his long-standing point that the conflict would never have started had he been in office in February 2022. The US president also said that he would like to discuss the “security” of Ukraine’s rare-earth deposits with Zelensky. On Monday, he similarly stated that “we are looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they are going to secure what we are giving to them with the rare earths and other things.”

Trump once again accused NATO’s European member states of expending far fewer resources than the US on supporting Ukraine, promising to “equalize” the situation. Commenting on Trump’s latest remarks in a post on X, formerly Twitter, late on Friday, Zelensky wrote: “The coming weeks may be very intensive in diplomacy, and we will do what’s needed to make this time effective and productive.” “Right now Ukrainian and American teams are working out the details. A solid, lasting peace shall become closer,” he predicted.

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“The opposition lawmaker has been in custody since November 2023 facing a litany of charges, including high treason.”

UK Trying To Prevent Peace – Ukrainian MP (RT)

The purpose of UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent visit to Kiev was to disrupt peace negotiations with Russia on the settlement of the Ukraine conflict, according to jailed Ukrainian MP Aleksandr Dubinsky. Britain’s foreign secretary visited Kiev on Wednesday and announced a further 55 million pounds ($68.7 million) in financial aid. Dubinsky claimed on his Telegram channel on Thursday that the actual purpose of Lammy’s trip was to disrupt the peace process. The opposition lawmaker has been in custody since November 2023 facing a litany of charges, including high treason. According to him, Lammy’s “urgent” visit to Kiev as well as Vladimir Zelensky’s “urgent” interview with British media “were necessary to prevent a peaceful settlement” and to “discredit” US envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg’s plan to resolve the conflict.

“What is needed for this? An urgent counteroffensive. I believe Zelensky has been brought his plan,” Dubinsky stated. During his visit, Lammy met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrey Sybiga, who urged the UK authorities to scale up investments in Ukraine’s arms production. Bloomberg reported earlier this week, citing insiders, that Keith Kellogg is expected to present a peace plan at next week’s Munich Security Conference. However, in an interview with Newsmax on Wednesday, the envoy clarified that while he will be holding discussions with EU leaders in Germany, he will not publicly unveil the proposition. Instead, he stated that the deal would be presented by US President Donald Trump himself.

Last Friday, Trump said that communication is ongoing between his administration and the Russian government and reiterated his goal of putting a swift end to nearly three years of hostilities. The UK has beefed up its military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the year. Last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a £4.5 billion boost, which includes the procurement of hundreds of air defense systems, drones, and other equipment to support Kiev’s war effort.

The Istanbul round of peace talks was scrapped in April 2022 when then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise visit to Kiev to discuss military aid and urge Ukraine to keep fighting. David Arakhamia, then head of the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations, later acknowledged Moscow’s claims that Johnson had played an influential role. While the British politician denied involvement, former US undersecretary of state Victoria Nuland later confirmed that the negotiations fell apart after the US and UK pushed Kiev to reject the Istanbul deal.

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Leave guys like Zelensky and Podoliak in place and you’ll never have peace.

US-Russia War Would Be ‘Good For Ukraine’ – Zelensky’s Top Aide (RT)

A US-Russian war would be advantageous to Ukraine in the current conflict with Moscow, according to Vladimir Zelensky’s top aide, Mikhail Podoliak. In an interview with local media on Wednesday, published by RBK Ukraine he discussed the possibility of a US troop deployment in the country under President Donald Trump. When asked about the likelihood of US troops coming to Ukraine, Podoliak expressed skepticism but said that pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin “does not necessarily require pushing for a direct confrontation” between the US and Russia, however such a conflict “would certainly be good for us.” This week, the US leader announced a plan to turn Gaza into a “riviera” owned by the US, not ruling out deploying US soldiers to implement it.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later rejected the notion that Trump was reneging on a promise not to “entangle” the US in foreign conflicts, saying he had not “committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza.” Moscow has accused Kiev of violating the rules of war and employing terrorist tactics due to an inability to overpower Russia militarily. Some supporters of Ukraine concede that its government has resorted to controversial methods of fighting, including a state-sponsored program of targeted assassinations. Among the victims was Russian journalist Darya Dugina, killed by a bomb in 2022. Ukraine is also suspected of orchestrating sabotage missions, including the Nord Stream pipeline attacks. Reports suggest that the Ukrainian military leadership authorized the highly-challenging underwater demolition mission against the Russian-German energy link, though alternate scenarios involve the US.

Trump has pledged to resolve the Ukraine conflict swiftly and has suspended most US foreign aid programs since taking office last month, with Kiev also affected. While military assistance reportedly remains untouched, Zelensky recently acknowledged that without US weapons, his army could face collapse. Historically, Trump has shown a readiness to resort to military action under tenuous circumstances. In 2018, during his first term, he ordered missile strikes on Syria, carried out jointly with the UK and France, in response to an alleged chemical attack. However, a subsequent investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) revealed evidence that contradicted the US-endorsed narrative. The findings were allegedly suppressed, and the OPCW final report did not dispute Western justifications, prompting some inspectors to accuse their organization of scientific malpractice. Its leadership denied any wrongdoing.

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“..if US special forces operators kill cartel leaders, retaliatory attacks by cartel members could occur at Mexican beach resorts or, worse, on the streets of US cities.”

Border Czar “Expects” Kinetic Warfare Between US Troops & Mexican Cartels (ZH)

Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan told ABC News in an exclusive interview that he anticipates a potential kinetic engagement between the US military and drug cartels, though he did not specify a location. His remarks come as thousands of US troops have been deployed to the southern border. Additionally, earlier this week, a US Air Force surveillance aircraft conducted a signals intelligence (SIGINT) operation over cartel-controlled areas in Baja California. “Look, I’m looking at numbers this morning, about 14,000 arrests, and about 76% of them are criminals,” Homan told ABC News’ Kyra Phillips and Terry Moran when asked about the ICE raids. “We’re not going to neighborhoods looking for people different than us. These are well-planned, investigated leads,” the border czar said. When Homan was asked whether the US military could get involved if cartels strike, Homan replied: “Yes, and we expect them to,” adding that US troops “need to protect themselves.”

At the start of the week, in what appeared to be the shortest trade war in history, Mexico and Canada each committed 10,000 troops to their respective borders, while the US reinforced its southern border with thousands of soldiers in the last few weeks. By Monday evening, a USAF RC-135V/W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft conducted a SIGINT operation over the southern half of Baja California, a region home to heavily armed Tijuana Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel members. [..] Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had some strong words for drug cartels.

Dismantling Mexican drug cartels could be a very messy operation, which is why the Trump administration fortified the border with the military. The challenge, however, is that if US special forces operators kill cartel leaders, retaliatory attacks by cartel members could occur at Mexican beach resorts or, worse, on the streets of US cities.

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“..the political class is taking a page from the antitrust playbook in its attempt to wrest TikTok away from its owners on the cheap..”

TikTok’s Actual Offense? Innovating While Not Being American (Tamny)

Ten days ago the shares of Nvidia corrected 17 percent. How could this have happened to such an “owned” and analyzed company? The answer, at least as of now, is that surprise over inexpensively trained and very capable DeepSeek forced investors to at least rethink Nvidia’s long-term dominance. The news on January 26th gave investors reason to at least question whether the current face of AI would perhaps be disrupted by dynamism within the sector that its chips had helped create. It’s worth thinking about Nvidia and the market meaning of DeepSeek’s surprising rollout with TikTok top of mind. China-fearful politicians have voted to ban TikTok in the United States unless it can find an American owner.

Forget for a moment that TikTok is already American owned, and simply ask the question about whether or not the same politicians would have pursued “sell or ban” legislation if TikTok were an unknown. Hopefully the question answers itself. TikTok’s problem is that it discovered the future of social media much more effectively than its American competition. At which point it can be said that the attacks on TikTok aren’t much different from antitrust attacks over the years on American companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Live Nation, and many others. What’s important about those suits is that none of them took place when Amazon had the nickname “Amazon.org,” or when Apple was near bankruptcy, when Google was an unknown David to Yahoo’s Goliath, or when Live Nation was one of many cheaply priced entertainment companies trying to divine how the internet and streaming would upend the music industry.

It’s just a comment that antitrust ankle biters never discover dominance in its ascendance. Antitrust is by definition a look backwards, and an attempt to penalize the businesses that had the temerity to discover a previously unknown commercial future. TikTok’s travails are a manifestation of the previous truth. Having led the needs of social media users much better than the American competition, TikTok faces a forced separation from the investors and innovators that made it great in the first place. In short, the political class is taking a page from the antitrust playbook in its attempt to wrest TikTok away from its owners on the cheap. Which requires more thought beyond the odious antitrust flavor of TikTok’s theft.

Its ascendance from unknown to the world’s most popular social media company plainly discredits the excuses bruited by politicians as they attempt to take it. Former Rep. Mike Gallagher has excused his own long fingers with op-eds at the Wall Street Journal asserting that TikTok is “controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.” No, government-controlled businesses are never this popular. Other conservatives (including Gallagher) claim the problem with TikTok is that it will gather data on American users for the Chinese Communist Party. That’s similarly an empty excuse when it’s remembered that all user supported sites attain their value from the data gleaned from those users; data that is subsequently sold.

Which brings us back to the “sell or ban” legislation from a U.S. political class that should hang its collective head in shame. As is the case with all antirust attacks, the attempt to break up and take TikTok personifies obnoxious conceit about the future of a commercial sector defined by relentless change, including change at the top. Assuming the political class can pull off its attempted heist, rest assured that the thieving of successful businesses for innovating while not being American won’t end with TikTok. And that’s because antitrust by its very name is once again a look backwards. See the DeepSeek surprise if you’re confused.

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“At one point, nearly every candidate decried the practice, before realizing it may be a necessity for survival.”

Elizabeth Warren DESTROYED by X Community Notes (Bartee)

If ever you needed proof that X Community Notes is vastly superior to corporate “fact checks” as a way for real journalists to do real work countering “misinformation” rather than as a bludgeon to suppress dissident narratives, this is it. Lying about being a Native American for DEI leg-ups, it turns out, isn’t the only dishonesty Elizabeth Warren peddles. This lie, however, is much more consequential in terms of policy impact: “I don’t take contributions from Big Pharma executives. I don’t take any corporate PAC money,” Elizabeth Warren says in the Senate hallway when confronted over her smears of RFK Jr.

But the contradictory proof is all right there in the X Community Notes window, just under the lying pharma tool, with links and links and links, rendering my job as a journalist exposing her blatant lies far easier: “Elizabeth Warren has in fact received donations from both Pharmaceutical companies and PAC organizations in the combined tune of millions of dollars.” Warren, in fact, is the second-biggest beneficiary of cash from pharma employees and/or PACs in the entire Congress, next to Bernie Sanders.

Via TIME, 2020: “In an ironic twist, that now makes Warren, who along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has been the strongest opponent of super PACs in the 2020 campaign, the biggest beneficiary of such a group heading into Super Tuesday — the most prominent reversal yet among the candidates on the issue of high-dollar donations. At one point, nearly every candidate decried the practice, before realizing it may be a necessity for survival. Under campaign finance laws, donors can give unlimited amounts to a super PAC as long as the groups do not directly coordinate with the candidates they are supporting. Since launching her campaign, Warren has prided herself on her refusal to accept money from political action committees or federal lobbyists, and she has promised to disavow any super PAC that formed on her behalf.”

That pledge is still publicly available on her campaign website, but Warren has not distanced herself from Persist PAC. Instead, her rhetoric on the issue started to shift in the past month, as her once-promising campaign underperformed its expectations in the first three states to vote. “If all the candidates want to get rid of super PACs, count me in, I’ll lead the charge,” she told reporters on Feb. 20 in Nevada when asked if she would disavow Persist PAC. “But that’s how it has to be. It can’t be the case that a bunch of people keep them and only one or two don’t.”

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Just decrying men in women’s spaces doesn’t make you a feminist. It makes you a normal person.

Point in case: Trudeau calls himself a feminist, and he cheers on the craziness.

How Trump Suddenly Became A Feminist Champion (RT)

It was US President Donald Trump – a man who looked at Playboy founder, Hugh Hefner, and thought, “Now there’s a guy with life figured out” – who somehow became the only person in charge willing to pump the brakes on the surreal spectacle of born males bulldozing women on the rugby field, then waltzing right into the women’s locker room along with them. All while intersectional third-wave feminists are on the sidelines, basically acting like the hype squad… for the “dudes.” After allowing a dude to smoke all the women in college swim championships, the NCAA American collegiate sports league announced on Thursday that it was suddenly putting an end to the practice, limiting the participation of transsexuals in women’s events to those whose assigned gender at birth was female.

The move came in the wake of Trump’s executive order earlier in the week withdrawing federal funding from institutions that allowed biological males to compete against women. “If you let men take over women’s sports teams or invade your locker rooms, you will be investigated for violations of Title IX and risk your federal funding,” Trump said. Under this Title IX civil rights law, considered a major victory for 60’s and 70s-era second-wave feminist icons like Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, and tennis icon and activist Billie Jean King, colleges receiving federal funding couldn’t just have sports teams and scholarships exclusively reserved for men anymore. Sports suddenly became a social elevator and opportunity springboard for young women, too. But all of that was clawed back, mostly to deafening silence from feminists.

How on earth did Donald “grab her by the p***y” Trump end up being the one to reestablish due north on this issue? One could argue that it’s feminism itself that has been ideologically corrupted by radical leftism, to the point where even the second-wave feminists – who were considered radical back when they were fighting for women to own property, have their own credit cards, or keep their own name in marriage – now seem almost conservative in comparison to this latest crop. Feminism didn’t need intersectionality. That is, to get mixed up with causes that detract from the straightforward focus on improving the lives of women.

There’s more than enough material to work with already when we still haven’t fully emerged from the turbulent wake of the MeToo movement, which shattered the long-standing omertà that mandated women’s silence about systemic second-class or abusive treatment as the price of fame and fortune in Western media and entertainment. I was personally once told, despite supposedly being hired for my political acumen at a certain New York-based American cable news outfit, to just sit there and laugh at my co-host’s jokes, deferring to him while crossing and uncrossing my bare legs on camera. The message was clear: You either leave or comply, because if you don’t, then some other ambitious woman with equally decent legs will.

And if you’re on the political right, good luck finding any feminists in your corner. Because leftist causes now take precedence over the defense of actual women, particularly if the woman in question doesn’t pass the ideological litmus test. Rather than fighting the creeping, increasingly institutionalized corruption-driven brand of globalist leftism, today’s feminists have embraced it, confounding their struggle with all sorts of other causes that dilute their original mission. If one wanted to hijack the feminist movement, and render it totally useless in the actual defense of women, it’s hard to imagine a better way of going about it than by confusing it with issues like climate change and gender bending.

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“..over just 8 years, the amount of microplastic fragments in the brain has increased by about 50 percent. Brain samples from 2024 contained microplastics equal in weight to a plastic spoon.”

“Brain tissue contained 7 to 30 times more microplastics than other vital organs like the livers or kidneys..”

Microplastic Found in Brain Weighs as Much as a Plastic Spoon (ET)

Microplastics are making their way into human brains at higher levels than in other vital organs, according to new findings. The study, published in Nature Medicine on Feb. 3, confirms that tiny plastic fragments are passing through the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier, potentially impacting health and cognitive function. Researchers from the University of New Mexico (UNM) tested autopsy samples from 2016 and 2024. They found that over just 8 years, the amount of microplastic fragments in the brain has increased by about 50 percent. Brain samples from 2024 contained microplastics equal in weight to a plastic spoon. Brains affected by dementia showed significantly higher concentrations of these plastic particles. Finding such high concentrations in the brain was unexpected and alarming, Matthew Campen, lead researcher and toxicologist, told The Epoch Times during a press conference.

“People are simply being exposed to ever-increasing levels of micro- and nanoplastics,” said Campen. The particles are so small, they’re roughly the width of two COVID viruses standing side by side, he noted. The rate of accumulation “is simply mirroring the environmental buildup and exposure.” As plastic breaks down over time, it degrades and becomes small enough to enter the human body and brain. Brain tissue contained 7 to 30 times more microplastics than other vital organs like the livers or kidneys, making it one of the most plastic-polluted tissues yet examined. Researchers tested 52 human brain samples from both 2016 and 2024, all taken from the frontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for judgment, decision-making, and muscle movement. In the brain, the microplastic concentration reached around 5,000 micrograms per gram—far higher than the liver and kidneys, which carried around 400 micrograms of plastics per gram.

The study also compared earlier brain samples from the eastern U.S. (1997–2013), which had lower microplastic levels, around 1,250 micrograms per gram. Their findings support a trend of gradual increases in plastic accumulation in the organs over time, with 2024 showing the highest levels. To visualize the amount of microplastics in the brain, Campen held up a plastic spoon. Since the brain weighs around 1,400 grams (or three pounds), having 5,000 micrograms of plastic per gram would amount to over 5 grams of plastic in total—roughly the weight of a plastic spoon. In deceased people with dementia, levels reached much higher levels of over 26,000 micrograms per gram. In the dementia samples, some particles were clumped together in areas with inflammation, raising concerns about a possible link between microplastics and brain tissue damage, according to the researchers.

However, while the study correlates microplastics to dementia, the study does not prove that higher plastic levels in the brain directly cause dementia symptoms. It is also possible that the disease process itself may hinder the brain’s ability to clear out the accumulated plastics, Campen added. Researchers found 12 types of plastic in the brain, with polyethylene (PE), commonly used in bottles, bags, and containers, making up 75 percent of the total. Other plastics included types commonly found in packaging, car parts, pipes, flooring, bottles, containers, fabrics, and other industrial products. “It was notable that these are largely mirroring proportions of polymers that we do see in our environment,” Marcus Garcia, study co-author and postdoctoral researcher at UNM, explained to The Epoch Times during the press briefing.

The particles in the brain were mostly sharp nanoscale shards and flakes. These tiny particles are small enough to cross the blood-brain barrier, although Campen says it’s still unclear how exactly the particles enter the brain. Researchers believe that micro- and nanoplastics may enter the body through eating, drinking, and breathing. These particles have been found in various parts of the body, including arteries, hearts, lungs, blood, and placentas. A study published on Jan. 30 found plastic pollution to be significantly higher in placentas from premature births. One possible reason for the buildup, according to Garcia, is that organs like the liver and kidneys are designed to filter toxins, while the brain has more limited clearance systems. Another theory is that brain tissue, which is about 60 percent fat, may better “trap” plastic particles.

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