Aug 192025
 


Edward Hopper Folly Beach, Charleston, South Carolina 1929

 

Russia Did NOT Invade Ukraine (Paul Craig Roberts)
The EU and Kiev Are Losing, and Trump Is My Witness (Romanenko)
Ukraine’s Army Should Face No Size Limits – Macron (RT)
The Old World Order Cracked In Alaska (Bordachev)
An Offer He Can’t Refuse (James Howard Kunstler)
Red Carpet For A New World Order: What Really Went Down In Alaska (Poletaev)
Ukraine Strikes Key Oil Pipeline To EU – Hungary (RT)
Attack on Hungary Pipeline Shows Ukraine Will Stop at Nothing- Zakharova (Sp.)
Zelensky’s Main Argument Against Peace Is a Lie (Romanenko)
5 Takeaways From Trump’s Meeting With Zelenskyy And European Leaders (NYT)
Ukraine Wants Europe To Pay $100bn For Weapons Deal With US – FT (RT)
Ed Martin: Russia Hoax to Blow Up, Schiff and Biden’s DOJ Next (Margolis)
Trump Is About to Go Nuclear Against Mail-in Voting (Margolis)
Mary McCord (Sundance)
British Army Colonel: CIVIL WAR Is Coming (MN)
How Trump Broke the Democratic Party (Margolis)
Trump Vows Social Security Will Thrive for Another ‘90 Years’ (RCW)

 

 

Dubinsky
https://twitter.com/Dubinsky_pro/status/1957103940979368025

 

 

 

 

$1 trillion
https://twitter.com/FFT1776/status/1957100979557396609

MoscowLondon

Speech

 

 

Macgregor – at 16 min he discusses “security guarantees“

 

 

 

 

One step up and two steps back.

On Friday, Trump was well on his way towards peace. On Monday, he walked all of it back. He seems to be trying to make everybody happy, which is hardly ever a good idea, but certainly not if they want diametrically opposed things. Putin genuinely wants peace, provided it comes under his conditions, but Zelensky and the EU leaders are the war party if ever there was one. They, too, want peace, but only after Russia has been thoroughly defeated. and since they have no army to do it with, they want Trump to do it for them. It’s all just one false flag away.

We can perhaps give him the befit of the doubt, but the clown car spectacle in the White House yesterday doesn’t promise much good. Under the nomer of ‘security guarantees’ for Ukraine, they were between ‘acts’, even discussing US troops in Ukraine, on top of a very large Ukrainian army. What they were not discussing is peace.

 

 

Pretty good history lesson from Paul Craig Roberts. Judging from how deeply the false story has been embedded in people’s minds, much needed.

“The restoration of Russian citizenship is completely legal under the international rules of self-determination. There is no effort on the part of Crimea, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson to return to Ukraine.”

Russia Did NOT Invade Ukraine (Paul Craig Roberts)

A totally transparent blatant lie has been turned into a truth throughout the Western world. The lie is that Russia invaded Ukraine. I will provide the factual history which is easy to verify. When Washington overthrew the Ukrainian government in 2014 and installed a puppet, Washington relied on the Banderites to push the government into hostility with the Russian settled areas of Ukraine, areas such as Crimea and Donbas, that originally were part of Russia. Whether or not the Banderites, followers of Stepan Bandera are neo-Nazis, they are certainly hostile to Russians. The conflict in Ukraine began in 2014 with street assaults on Russians in Donbas and government attempts to ban the use of the Russian language and other prohibitions placed on the Russian areas. These street assaults soon grew into artillery attacks on Donbas towns and occupation of Donbas territory by Ukrainian militias sporting Nazi insignia.

To protect themselves, Donbas formed into two independent republics–Luhansk and Donetsk–and formed paramilitaries to defend themselves. In 2014 Donetsk and Luhansk voted overwhelmingly to be reabsorbed into Russia like Crimea, but Putin refused. Instead, Putin relied on the Minsk Agreement, which Ukraine and the independent republics signed, and which Germany and France were supposed to enforce. The agreement, sponsored by Russia, kept Donbas in Ukraine but provided some autonomy, such as independent police and courts to protect the rights of the Russian inhabitants. Putin naively relied on the Minsk Agreement, which the chancellor of Germany and president of France later said was used to deceive Putin while the US built and equipped a large Ukrainian army.

By late 2021 this army was prepared to invade Donbas, much of which was already under Ukrainian occupation, and forcibly reincorporate Donbas into Ukraine without any autonomy. Faced with the abuse and possible slaughter of Russian people, Putin and his foreign minister Lavrov tried during December 2021-February 2022 to obtain a mutual security agreement with the West that would exclude Ukraine from NATO membership and contribute to mutual security by normalizing relations between Russia and the West. The Biden regime, NATO, and the EU flatly refused. The conflict followed this refusal. Seeing the writing on the wall and unable to avoid it, Russia gave official recognization to the Donbas republics. This allowed Donetsk and Luhansk to request Russia to come to their aid, which Putin did at the last minute eight years too late. As Russia was invited into Donbas, Russia did not even invade Donbas, much less Ukraine.

Putin designated the Russian intervention a “special military operation” limited to clearing Ukrainian troops from Russian areas. Seven months into the military intervention on September 30, 2022, Russia reincorporated the Russian areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson into Russia. The ground fighting has been limited to clearing Ukrainian troops from territory that is again part of Russia. Ask yourselves how and why did the truth get replaced by a lie? The answer is that those who profit from war provide the war propaganda. Now ask why does it matter? The answer is that propaganda is a barrier to understanding and to a peaceful diplomatic solution to a conflict that can easily spin out of control into a wider war.

The propaganda that the evil-dictator-war-criminal-Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is the first step in reconstruction [of] the Soviet Empire places restraints on Trump and Putin’s ability to put East-West relations on a less dangerous footing. Already the Western whore media is screaming that Trump is selling out Ukraine, that Trump is selling out Europe, that Trump is putty in Putin’s hands. These and other such ignorant slogans will be used by the Zionist neoconservatives and US military/security complex to drive wedges between Trump and his supporters. Americans have been indoctrinated to think of Russia as the enemy for 75 years. The belief is institutionalized.

Progress toward peaceful relations requires truthful reporting and correction of established beliefs that are false. Can this be achieved when the well-placed neoconservative supporters of US hegemony are defending their interest, and the military/security complex is determined to protect its power and profit? Trump can expect little help from the media. Naive Russians should not get carried away with their hopes for an accommodation with the West. Powerful barriers are in the way of Russian hopes, and Russians have no means of removing the barriers. It is doubtful that Trump does.

Now ask yourselves a final question? Why is it PCR who is making the case for common sense and for truth? Why isn’t it the US foreign policy community, the Kremlin, the Chinese, the Russian media, the Western media, the German government, the British government, the government of India? Why aren’t Trump’s supporters making the case? I am only one voice easily shouted down as a “Putin agent/dupe” by the Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, NPR, BBC, MSNBC, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and the rest of the whore media and a plethora of internet sites sponsored by war-mongers. The normalization of relations between the West and Russia will take many voices. Where are those voices?

Note: The whores at the BBC and the rest of the presstitute media incorrectly report that Russia’s restoration of Crimea, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson to Russian citizenship is illegal. The restoration of Russian citizenship is completely legal under the international rules of self-determination. There is no effort on the part of Crimea, Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson to return to Ukraine.

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“Kiev and the EU are pushing for a reinforced Ukrainian military, possible NATO deployment on Ukrainian soil or even eventual NATO accession.”

The EU and Kiev Are Losing, and Trump Is My Witness (Romanenko)

Monday’s White House summit featuring US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, and several senior EU figures ended without any grand announcements. Yet beneath the surface, a high-stakes diplomatic contest is unfolding over the Washington’s role in the Ukraine conflict. The lack of decisive outcomes suggests that the real work is happening behind the scenes. Trump’s behavior – in particular his decision not to echo Kiev’s or Brussels’s messaging in the post-meeting briefings – is a signal. He is asserting his control over the narrative, reflecting that he remains unpersuaded by EU and Ukrainian arguments for continued Western entanglement in the conflict.

A strategic tug-of-war
The summit and the diplomatic moves surrounding it are a tug-of-war, with Moscow’s goal being to remove Washington’s involvement in the conflict, while Brussel’s and Kiev’s is to keep it anchored in their corner. The absence of new sanctions or pressure on Russia following last Friday’s Putin-Trump summit in Alaska suggests Moscow is gaining momentum. Trump has even shifted from demanding a ceasefire to advocating direct peace talks – a position more congenial to Moscow. EU leaders and Zelensky came to Washington to reinforce Trump’s alignment. The want to persuade Trump: strengthen sanctions, maintain arms shipments, ensure Ukraine has a security architecture they want.

Thus far, though, their pull seems to be struggling. Trump, from the outset, appeared to put the EU and Ukraine on the defensive, signaling that their influence is limited. The backdrop is critical: just days before, Trump hosted Putin in Anchorage, and that summit paved the way for more flexible diplomacy that sidesteps EU-defined preconditions. European leaders arriving at the White House now are playing catch-up – trying to steer a conversation already impacted by Trump’s shift.

The security guarantees question
Everything hinges on security guarantees for Ukraine – a deeply contested issue. Moscow is adamant that any meaningful guarantee depends on Ukrainian neutrality and demilitarization. In contrast, Kiev and the EU are pushing for a reinforced Ukrainian military, possible NATO deployment on Ukrainian soil or even eventual NATO accession. These efforts by the Europeans appear desperate, even naïve – given that Russia is slowly but steadily winning the war on the ground. And as Russia makes military gains, Kiev’s and Brussels’ wiggle room in the negotiations shrinks. That said, their attempts shouldn’t be dismissed outright. The shape of the peace deal slow-cooked in Washington will determine Ukraine’s fate – and by extension, much of Europe’s future security structure.

Moscow, meanwhile, remains unperturbed. After the meeting with Zelensky and the Europeans, Trump held a 40-minute phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Judging by the information released about the substance of the call, Trump made no demands and Putin offered no concessions. They talked about continuing direct Russia-Ukraine talks. They also discussed “elevating” the level of the talks, and according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was present at Monday’s meeting, direct talks between Putin and Zelensky could take place within two weeks. It is clear that the Kremlin remains steadfast and poised to consider setting the terms while it holds all the military cards.

In the end, the Washington summit may have lacked ceremony and a spectacular outcome, but it was loaded with geopolitical subtext: a contest over whether the US remains a supporter to Ukraine or begins to shift back toward a more transactional, realist posture. The EU, recognizing its diminishing leverage, is trying to reclaim the narrative as the battleground, at least for now, is clearly tilting against it.

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He knows exactly how Russia sees this. Calling for it regardless comes very close to a declaration of war.

Ukraine’s Army Should Face No Size Limits – Macron (RT)

A potential peace deal must not place limits on the size of Ukraine’s military, French President Emmanuel Macron has said, rejecting Russia’s demands. Earlier this year, Moscow reaffirmed that peace terms must include Ukraine’s neutrality and legally binding restrictions on the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Kiev has dismissed the demand as unacceptable. Macron made his remarks following a meeting he attended in Washington on Monday with Vladimir Zelensky, several other European leaders and US President Donald Trump. He said European countries should take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine and equipping its army.

“The first security guarantee is a robust Ukrainian army capable of repelling any attempted attack,” Macron told reporters following the negotiations. He added that the Ukrainian army should consist of “several hundred thousand men” and face “no limitations on its size,” according to Le Figaro. The Ukrainian army has struggled to replenish its ranks during the ongoing mobilization campaign, as Russia has steadily gained ground. Ukraine has long urged the West to provide guarantees similar to NATO’s collective defense, as an alternative to full membership in the alliance, which the US has rejected.

Trump said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to security guarantees for Kiev, without elaborating. The two leaders met in Alaska on Friday, with both sides describing the summit as an important step toward peace between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly said it would not tolerate any Western troops in Ukraine, even under the guise of peacekeepers, and insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO. Putin has also warned that Ukraine could use a potential ceasefire to regroup and rearm.

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“..after Anchorage, the Western refusal to acknowledge Russian interests is no longer an insurmountable barrier.”

The Old World Order Cracked In Alaska (Bordachev)

The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska may go down as one of Russia’s most significant diplomatic wins. It was secured through years of military sacrifice, political perseverance, and relentless effort. Yet it is also a transition – a step into a new stage of the struggle for sovereign states in a fractured world. The most consequential result of Anchorage was the quiet burial of the West’s old formula: isolating and “strategically defeating” Russia. For decades, any state refusing to fall in line risked ostracism. That system cracked in Alaska. Not because of American goodwill – there is no such thing in international politics – but because of pressure. Pressure from Russia, from the so-called “global majority,” and from the turmoil tearing at America itself. Trump’s administration has shifted its approach, and the summit proved it.

The outcome was clear: American capabilities diminished, Russian ones enhanced. This, in turn, frees space for other nations to act more independently, even if they will not admit their debt to Moscow.Some talk of a “renaissance” in relations between Moscow and Washington. But there is nothing to restore. The ties that existed before 2022 were shaped by the USSR’s defeat in the Cold War, and cannot be recreated. Instead, dialogue will stabilize on new terms. The core will be recognition that Russia cannot be excluded from the international system. This simple fact means disputes between Moscow and the West, however sharp, are solvable in principle. Competition will remain fierce, especially over Ukraine. But after Anchorage, the Western refusal to acknowledge Russian interests is no longer an insurmountable barrier.

For Trump, Alaska delivered something equally valuable: a domestic win. In the US, relations with Russia have become central to the internal political struggle. One camp insists on preserving an ideological monopoly at all costs. The other argues for flexibility. Trump belongs to the latter – and needed a visible success to show his critics. The face-to-face meeting with Putin provided it. He strengthened his position at home, showing that he can engage Washington directly while sidestepping Western Europe. Foreign policy has always mattered more in Russia, domestic politics more in America. Each man walked away with what he most needed.

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“The USA can only mediate and propose terms. Ukraine needs help formulating terms that are not preposterous.”

An Offer He Can’t Refuse (James Howard Kunstler)

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is dropping in at the White House today so that Mr. Trump can read him the riot act. It’s that simple. Somewhere to or from Alaska, Mr. Trump concluded that a ceasefire would not work, for the excellent reason that seven previous ceasefires in Ukraine failed, and only reinforced distrust and disappointment between the warring parties. Instead, the goal is a peace settlement, an end to the war. The USA and Russia cannot make peace in Ukraine because the war is between Ukraine and Russia. The USA can only mediate and propose terms. Ukraine needs help formulating terms that are not preposterous. Russia’s terms have been clear and precise for years, most particularly: no NATO for Ukraine. What part of that is hard to understand? The EU wants missile bases on Russia’s border. It wants to draw Ukraine into its sphere of influence. Ukraine has been in Russia’s sphere of influence since. . . forever.

The US helped start this conflict in 2014, when Mr. Obama was in charge. It was always a cynical operation, in concert with the cynics of the EU. To put it as plainly as possible, Mr. Trump has called it off, recognizing the foolish futility of the scheme. But the EU players persist maniacally, even though they don’t have the money or the armaments to keep it up, and are otherwise jointly committing slow suicide of their own societies. Anyway, Ukraine is exhausted. Ukraine has lost. Sheer intransigence could keep it going a while longer, but then Russia will sweep west with more pointless bloodshed. The argument is over. Territorial realities must be faced. Agreements must be made.

For the moment, Mr. Zelenskyy is the one who must be brought to agreement. His position as leader of Ukraine is, shall we say, squishy. His term as elected president of Ukraine ended in May 2024, and he only continues to occupy his position under martial law, self-declared. The Russians recognize his leadership as a contingency, because there is nobody else just now. Mr. Trump will be discussing Mr. Zelenskyy’s fate with him today in the White House. (It’s a little like a scene from an Ingmar Bergman movie, don’t you agree?)

There are many ways for this to go. Mr. Z can simply refuse a peace settlement, politely or otherwise. (War continues for no good reason.) He made noises to that effect on Sunday. Or, he can pretend to go along and then flip to some opposite stance, as he has done before. Mr. Z remains an actor of the prima donna variety. He can pretend to parlay in Washington, and then direct his return flight to some country other than Ukraine and seek asylum there, leaving his position vacant and inviting chaos in Kiev. Or. . . he can just play it straight and face the territorial realities.

Namely, that 1) Russia occupies most of the eastern frontier provinces at issue and intends to keep them, since they are inhabited by speakers of Russian who, remember, Mr. Z outlawed some years ago, and who were subject to relentless artillery and missile attacks prior to February, 2022, which prompted Russia’s Special Military Operation. . . that 2) Crimea belongs to Russia. . . that 3) Ukraine will not join NATO. . . that 4) Ukraine will hold new elections ASAP. . . and that 5) Ukraine will substantially disarm. . . . Surely, I left some lesser details out, but that’s most of the meat on the table.

Mr. Z is probably aware that he holds zip in the way of leverage. He is probably thinking (as is everyone else paying attention to this psychodrama) that he will be extremely lucky to stay alive in the aftermath of this fiasco, whatever shadowy corner of the world he might flee to, or how many billions of purloined US dollars he’s managed to stash in the usual places that permit cash-stashing. Staying in Ukraine must be out of the question, considering the damage he’s done to his own people, and the animus it has generated. Who knows, maybe Mr. Trump has reserved a nice little villa for Mr. Z in West Palm, where the president can keep tabs on him? He could learn golf and open a dinner theater.

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“Pressuring Putin would take effort. Pressuring Europe and Ukraine would take effort. Even walking away would take effort – and the US can’t manage that.”

Red Carpet For A New World Order: What Really Went Down In Alaska (Poletaev)

The meeting in Anchorage opened with a choreographed spectacle unlike anything the world had seen before. Two massive airships rolled onto the tarmac one after the other. Two presidents emerged at the exact same moment. They began walking toward each other. Donald Trump paused on the red carpet, waiting as Vladimir Putin covered his part of the distance. The world held its breath. It must have felt something like July 1969, when millions watched Neil Armstrong step onto the lunar surface. A few more seconds, one small step – and then, the historic handshake. A giant leap for mankind. The staging seemed to promise that history would be made that very day. Hundreds of journalists from around the globe had gathered at Elmendorf-Richardson Air Force Base, anticipating dramatic announcements.

Instead, the ending fell flat. After closed-door talks, Trump and Putin appeared before the cameras to declare there was “no deal yet” – only an agreement to keep talking. The expanded session and working lunch were scrapped. Putin laid flowers at a cemetery for Soviet World War II pilots and headed home. So, what exactly was that? For Trump, the peace process boils down to optics. He wants the same kind of photo-op he just staged with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia: Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky shaking hands under his divine glow, the self-anointed peacemaker adding another jewel to his crown. The Kremlin sees it differently. Between the two largest nuclear powers, dialogue must be on an equal footing. A Putin-Zelensky meeting can only come as the result of terms worked out directly between Putin and Trump – terms Zelensky would have no choice but to implement.

That is the central landmine under today’s US-Russian dialogue. For Putin’s delegation, the task wasn’t to put on a show but to achieve some real movement beneath the surface. On the eve of Anchorage, I wrote: “What does Trump want? A ceasefire, and a meeting between Putin and Zelensky. What must Putin do? Ensure both happen on his conditions. Those conditions are clear: Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbass. The question is whether Trump signs on.” If the leaks are to be believed, the Russians at least nudged Trump closer to their position. He now seems willing to test whether he can pressure Ukraine and Europe into accepting Putin’s terms. That’s what the coming weeks will revolve around. By that measure, the Russian delegation achieved its goals – vital for the peace process, but impossible to sell to the public. No shiny photo.

So why doesn’t Trump simply bow out? The answer is simple: he can’t. He’s stuck in the groove he inherited from his predecessor, Joe Biden, and climbing out isn’t easy. Under Biden, Washington was the engine driving the war. Under Trump, America is just dead weight, lumbering forward on inertia. Pressuring Putin would take effort. Pressuring Europe and Ukraine would take effort. Even walking away would take effort – and the US can’t manage that. All America can do now is drift with the current: trickle in weapons and intelligence, without strategy or purpose, because that’s the path of least resistance. Trump hopes the war will somehow resolve itself without him having to deal with it. If we stick with analogies, America under Trump is a massive iron weight on a chain. Russia on one side, Europe and Ukraine on the other, all trying to swing it in their favor.

In Anchorage, Moscow won the round. Europe and Ukraine will bargain, but sooner or later they’ll have to swallow the loss of Donbass – just as they already swallowed the loss of the ’91 borders, the “no talks with Putin” stance, the Zelensky “peace plan,” and plenty more. Europe and Ukraine are prepared to give up much, as long as one thing remains: Western – above all, American – security guarantees to keep the Kiev regime alive. That’s the next big debate. But the reality hasn’t changed. Guarantees exist only if Putin agrees. And he will agree only if Kiev’s government is replaced with one loyal to Moscow. In official language: demilitarization and denazification. These conditions were written into the Istanbul agreements as far back as spring 2022

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“..the Ukraine conflict is “not our war” and that “as long as we [Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government] are in charge, Hungary will stay out of it.”

Ukraine Strikes Key Oil Pipeline To EU – Hungary (RT)

Russian oil supply to Hungary has been halted after Ukraine targeted the key Druzhba pipeline system, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said. Moscow has informed Budapest that Russian experts are working to restore an “essential” transformer station targeted by a Ukrainnian strike, Szijjarto said. Druzhba is one of the world’s longest networks, transporting crude some 4,000km from Russia and Kazakhstan to refineries in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Szijjarto wrote in a post on X on Monday that “this latest strike against our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable.”

It is not yet clear when deliveries of oil through the pipeline could resume, he added. The diplomat reiterated that the Ukraine conflict is “not our war” and that “as long as we [Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government] are in charge, Hungary will stay out of it.” Unlike most other EU capitals, which supported Kiev after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Budapest took a neutral stance and refused to supply weapons to the government of Vladimir Zelensky. It also consistently called for peace and criticized Western sanctions against Russia as ineffective and more harmful to those who impose them.

Ukraine has repeatedly targeted Russian energy infrastructure throughout the conflict, including the Druzhba system and the TurkStream pipeline, which supplies natural gas to Turkish customers and several European countries, including Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Greece. The previous attack on Druzhba occurred last Wednesday, with Kiev confirming that it had sent drones to strike a key distribution station in Bryansk Region, western Russia.Moscow has condemned Ukrainian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure many times as acts of terrorism.

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While Zelensky is doing”peace talks”, Ukraine planned attacks on the Crimean bridge (another one), energy infrastructure, nuclear plants, and pipelines to European countries. With friends like this…

Attack on Hungary Pipeline Shows Ukraine Will Stop at Nothing- Zakharova (Sp.)

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday, commenting on the Ukrainian attack on an oil pipeline leading to Hungary, that Ukraine will stop at nothing. “For all these years, Russia has been warning the ideologues – those from the Obama-Maidan club – who’ve been fostering the Kiev regime, that this immoral and bloodthirsty monster will never stop and, like a filthy contagion, will spread throughout the world. In Africa, they have already committed terrorist attacks. They’ve popped up in the Middle East. They’ve sucked Central Asian citizens into terrorism.

They’ve taken control of the illegal arms trade in Europe. [And] they’ve perfected black market organ transplants for Western clients. Bankovaya will stop at nothing now,” Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram. Earlier in the day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that oil supplies to Hungary had been suspended indefinitely due to another attack by Ukraine on an oil pipeline.

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“..the very Constitution that Zelensky has suddenly invoked as sacred… has long been on hold. And that’s not an accusation – it’s his own admission.”

“Ukraine’s democratic institutions haven’t just been “paused” – they’ve been systematically dismantled under the banner of wartime necessity.”

Zelensky’s Main Argument Against Peace Is a Lie (Romanenko)

Commenting on the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky declared: “The Constitution of Ukraine does not allow the surrender of territories or the trading of land.” On paper, that sounds noble. The message is clear: Kiev won’t let others decide Ukraine’s fate behind its back. But take a closer look, and this principled stance starts to look less like constitutional fidelity – and more like political theater. Because the very Constitution that Zelensky has suddenly invoked as sacred… has long been on hold. And that’s not an accusation – it’s his own admission. Back in December 2022, while addressing Ukraine’s ambassadors, Zelensky quipped: “All the rights guaranteed by the Constitution – are on pause.”

The context? He was joking about how diplomats don’t get holidays. But the phrase stuck. Because it turned out to be more than a joke – it became official policy. Since then, Ukraine’s democratic institutions haven’t just been “paused” – they’ve been systematically dismantled under the banner of wartime necessity. National elections? Canceled indefinitely. Not just presidential or parliamentary – even local races were suspended, eliminating the public’s ability to hold any level of government accountable. Zelensky’s current term, once set to expire, has been extended without a vote – and without a clear end date. Opposition media? Silenced or outlawed. Dozens of TV channels and online outlets critical of the government were shut down or merged into a state-approved broadcasting platform. Independent journalism in Ukraine now walks a legal tightrope – with one foot over prison.

Religious freedom? Eroded beyond recognition. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, seen as too closely linked to Moscow, has been harassed, evicted from centuries-old monasteries, and branded a security threat. Worshippers face criminal charges for sermons, symbols, or even prayers deemed “unpatriotic.” Military conscription? Brutal and indiscriminate. Young men are pulled off the streets by recruiters, sometimes beaten or coerced into enlisting. Videos of forced mobilizations circulate regularly – and are met with silence or spin from the authorities. Political dissent? Treated as treason. Opposition politicians have been arrested, exiled, or sanctioned without trial. Entire parties have been banned. Ukraine’s Security Council now acts as judge and jury – blacklisting citizens, freezing assets, and deciding guilt without a courtroom.

Rights didn’t just get paused. They were overwritten. To be fair, this erosion didn’t start with Zelensky. It began back in 2014 when President Yanukovich was ousted in a manner that skipped any constitutional procedure. The army was then deployed – for the first time in post-Soviet history – against a domestic protest. The rule of law quickly gave way to rule by necessity. Courts rubber-stamped sanctions lists. Parliament became a formality. The Constitution was increasingly treated as a suggestion, not a boundary. Zelensky merely completed what others started. Under his watch, Ukraine is no longer governed by its Constitution – it’s governed by presidential decree. The Constitution hasn’t been a check on executive power for years. Instead, it’s become a stage prop: Shelved when inconvenient. Quoted when useful.

That’s precisely what happened after the Trump–Putin summit. As it became clear that the fate of the conflict was being discussed without Kiev at the table, Zelensky rushed to invoke constitutional law – not to restore legality, but to cling to legitimacy.

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Whaddaya know? New York Times (through a Greek paper).

5 Takeaways From Trump’s Meeting With Zelenskyy And European Leaders (NYT)

President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House on Monday, in a cordial but inconclusive push to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. Much of the meeting focused on what security guarantees the European nations and the United States would provide Ukraine if Zelenskyy agreed to a deal to end the fighting. Trump also spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin to begin setting up a possible direct meeting between Zelenskyy and the Russian leader, though it was not clear when or even whether such a session would come about. Here are five takeaways from the meeting.

The leaders presented a relatively united front
Three days after Trump gave Putin a literal red carpet welcome at their meeting in Alaska and abandoned several key positions he had staked out beforehand, he presided over a discussion with America’s traditional allies in which the participants largely emphasized common ground. Some differences broke through. Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany argued for a ceasefire to be put in place before further negotiations with Russia, but was gently rebuffed by Trump. And President Emmanuel Macron of France suggested he was skeptical that Putin was dealing in good faith. “I am not convinced that President Putin also wants peace,” he told reporters at a news conference. But there were no blowups of the sort that ended a previous visit by Zelenskyy to the White House. All the participants appeared to agree with a plan to arrange direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin even while other issues are worked out, such as the precise nature of the security guarantees for Ukraine and what if any territory Ukraine might be willing to cede.

Trump spoke only in vague terms about security guarantees for Ukraine
Trump said on social media that the meetings were fruitful and that the leaders discussed “security guarantees for Ukraine, which Guarantees would be provided by the various European countries, with a coordination with the United States.” Earlier, addressing reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether the United States would send U.S. troops to Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping effort. Trump did not answer the question directly, but said that the United States would “help them out.” “We’ll be involved,” Trump said. The European leaders pressed Trump on providing a security guarantee similar to NATO’s Article 5, meaning that an attack on Ukraine would be considered an attack on all NATO countries. “We will give them very good protection and very good security,” Trump said. When asked what kind of security guarantees he wanted, Zelenskyy said: “Everything.”

Trump engaged in some shuttle diplomacy with Putin
President Joe Biden once referred to Putin as a “murderous dictator,” but Trump has long held a more positive view of the Russian president. On Monday, Trump continued to portray Putin as genuinely interested in finding a way to end the war he had started. At one point, Trump broke off his session with the European leaders in the East Room of the White House to call the Russian leader. Afterward, Trump brought Zelenskyy and the European leaders into the Oval Office to describe his discussion with Putin, according to President Alexander Stubb of Finland.

Russia and Ukraine will work on a possible Putin-Zelenskyy meeting
Trump said in a social media post that he had called Putin to begin arranging a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. He said he would then seek to meet with both leaders in a trilateral session. But it was unclear if all the parties were on board. Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy aide, said in a statement that Putin and Trump had a “frank and very constructive” phone conversation about the meeting with Zelenskyy and the European leaders at the White House. In diplomatic shorthand, “frank” often signals that the two sides did not fully agree. The statement said the Russian and American leaders had agreed to appoint more senior negotiators for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, but did not mention whether Putin would participate. While Putin has not refused outright to meet with Zelenskyy, he has made it clear that he does not consider the Ukrainian president either legitimate or his equal.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine would buy $90 billion of American arms
Trump has said he does not want to provide more aid to Ukraine, but is willing to sell arms to help the Ukrainians fend off the Russian assault. Zelenskyy expressed particular interest Monday in acquiring more Patriot air-defense systems to help minimize the damage from relentless Russian missile attacks. Zelenskyy told reporters Monday that as part of any security guarantees, Ukraine would buy $90 billion in American weapons through Europe, and that the United States would buy drones from Ukraine. He said that a formal agreement still had to be arranged. But a deal of that scale would be a substantial step toward assuring that Ukrainian forces continue fighting against Russia and have a robust defense in place should a peace deal be reached.

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And they’ll pay it, with money they and their citizens don’t have.

Ukraine Wants Europe To Pay $100bn For Weapons Deal With US – FT (RT)

Ukraine has proposed that its European backers spend $100 billion providing it with American weapons, the Financial Times reported. Kiev continues to seek security guarantees from Washington. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and the heads of several Western European states held talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday to discuss the ongoing conflict and diplomatic attempts to resolve it. Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the previous administration’s unconditional aid to Kiev, announced last month that Washington’s NATO allies would effectively pay for the US-made weapons being sent to Ukraine. In addition to the weapons procurement proposal, Ukraine is preparing a $50 billion deal to produce drones domestically, FT reported, citing four people familiar with the matter and a document Kiev reportedly shared with the US.

Although the document contains limited details, FT said Ukraine intends to purchase at least 10 Patriot air defense missile systems. Ukraine’s European supporters have struggled to ramp up production to meet Kiev’s needs, as Ukrainian forces have steadily been losing ground to the Russian army. After a one-on-one meeting in Alaska on Friday, Trump claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was ready to agree to security guarantees for Ukraine, though he did not provide specifics. Ukraine has previously urged the West to provide security guarantees equivalent to NATO’s collective defense, while several European states have offered to deploy peacekeepers. Russia, however, has stressed that it will not tolerate any Western troops in Ukraine.

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“..director of the Department of Justice Weaponization Working Group..”

Ed Martin: Russia Hoax to Blow Up, Schiff and Biden’s DOJ Next (Margolis)

Ed Martin, the director of the Department of Justice Weaponization Working Group, joined Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” for an explosive interview about ongoing investigations into government abuse of power. Martin confirmed that his office is reviewing criminal referrals involving Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and matters tied to the Russia hoax and January 6 investigations. Bartiromo opened by asking Martin to assess “a decade of dirty tricks” against Donald Trump. Martin agreed, saying the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, launched under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is tasked with uncovering the truth. “We’ve got more stuff going on, a lot of it we can’t talk about because of the nature of it, but it’s going like crazy,” he revealed.

He credited Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard with declassifying materials tied to the Russia hoax and forwarding them as a criminal referral. “What we have in the Department of Justice now is a Weaponization Working Group and the backing of our leadership to go and find this stuff,” Martin explained. He said his team can trace the origins of the hoax precisely. “We know now the birthday of the Russia hoax. It’s Dec. 8, 2016 where the Obama administration, including Obama, said, ‘Don’t put the truth out; lie, and ask the media to help us,’ and The Washington Post and others jumped right in.” Martin confirmed allegations go beyond Schiff’s role in pushing false collusion claims. “There’s a referral from Bill Pulte about a mortgage fraud, about Adam Schiff. That’s publicly discussed. His own lawyers have been out there. Now there’s more on Adam Schiff, and all we’re gonna do again is get to the facts of this and use all the tools that we have in our system.”

Martin stressed that if wrongdoing is uncovered, Schiff would face accountability. Martin drew a stark picture of Biden’s Justice Department targeting everyday Americans. “Joe Biden’s Justice Department actively targeted American citizens, Catholics who went to Mass, parents who went to school boards,” he said. “Carter Page was destroyed by the Russia hoax, and we’re sitting around and pretending it’s okay.” Martin added that those involved in orchestrating the hoax, including Obama officials in a December 2016 Situation Room meeting, must face consequences: “It wasn’t really bad. It needs to be held accountable in every way we can.” Martin confirmed he had personally visited James’ Brooklyn property after a referral raised questions. “One of the referrals is about that property that she has. It’s a very prominent neighborhood in Brooklyn, and I wanted to lay eyes on it,” he said. “If you’re prosecuting something, you’re careful.”

Martin declined to give specifics but hinted at grand jury activity: “When you get a criminal referral, one of the tools you have is a grand jury, and I’ll leave it to you to infer what I mean.” The conversation then turned to January 6, where Martin said the DOJ’s investigation revealed widespread government overreach. “They basically turned government on to make the hoax work,” Martin told Bartiromo. “The FBI and others were putting American citizens on terrorism watch lists, they were auditing their IRS tax returns, they were targeting the American people. They didn’t do this to the terrorists after 9/11, and they were doing it to American citizens.” Martin also alleged misconduct by the January 6 Committee itself: “Of course [they destroyed evidence]. We’re all in that too, and trust me, a lot of people did not get a pardon that were involved in the select committee,You w and they ought to be keeping an eye on their mailbox, because there’s a lot to be asked about.”

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High time.

Trump Is About to Go Nuclear Against Mail-in Voting (Margolis)

President Donald Trump has been warning for years that mail-in ballots and voting machines are riddled with vulnerabilities that invite fraud and undermine trust in elections. We’ve discussed these vulnerabilities here at PJ Media extensively, and now Trump is taking action on them. On Monday morning, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order to put an end to mail-in ballots before the 2026 midterms and restore “honesty and integrity” to America’s elections. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump announced, “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES.”

He argued that such machines cost “Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election.” Trump said the United States stands alone in continuing to use widespread mail-in voting. “We are now the only Country in the World that uses Mail-In Voting. All others gave it up because of the MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED,” he wrote. The president made clear that he intends to act quickly, pledging to use executive authority to move the plan forward. “WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections,” Trump said.

He also challenged the notion that states hold full control over election administration. “Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do,” Trump wrote.President Donald Trump has been warning for years that mail-in ballots and voting machines are riddled with vulnerabilities that invite fraud and undermine trust in elections. We’ve discussed these vulnerabilities here at PJ Media extensively, and now Trump is taking action on them. On Monday morning, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he will issue an executive order to put an end to mail-in ballots before the 2026 midterms and restore “honesty and integrity” to America’s elections.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump announced, “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES.” He argued that such machines cost “Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election.” Trump said the United States stands alone in continuing to use widespread mail-in voting. “We are now the only Country in the World that uses Mail-In Voting. All others gave it up because of the MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED,” he wrote. The president made clear that he intends to act quickly, pledging to use executive authority to move the plan forward.

“WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections,” Trump said. He also challenged the notion that states hold full control over election administration. “Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do,” Trump wrote. Trump reiterated that elections cannot be trusted under the current system. “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” he declared.

He then vowed that he would not back down. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS,” he said, calling mail-in voting a “HOAX” and voting machines “a complete and total disaster.” He ended his post with an urgent warning about the stakes. “THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!! REMEMBER, WITHOUT FAIR AND HONEST ELECTIONS, AND STRONG AND POWERFUL BORDERS, YOU DON’T HAVE EVEN A SEMBLANCE OF A COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!!!” Trump concluded, signing off as “DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”

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X thread.

Mary McCord (Sundance)

1/ To give you an idea of the scope of influence of Mary McCord as a key corrupt and unlawful DC functionary, consider what we can document.

• McCord submitted the fraudulent FISA application to spy on Trump campaign. Oct. ’16

• McCord created the Logan Act claim used against Michael Flynn and then went with Sally Yates to confront the White House. Feb ’17

• McCord then left the DOJ and went to work for Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler on Impeachment Committee. ’18

• McCord organized the CIA rule changes with Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson. ’18

• McCord led and organized the impeachment effort, in the background, using the evidence she helped create. ’19

• McCord joined the FISA Court to protect against DOJ IG Michael Horowitz newly gained NSD oversight and FISA review. ’19

• McCord joined the J6 Committee helping to create all the lawfare angles they deployed. ’21

• McCord then coordinated with DA Fani Willis in Georgia. ’21

• McCord was working with Special Counsel Jack Smith to prosecute Trump. ’22

• McCord is now coordinating a Lawfare attack process against Donald Trump in term #2.

• McCord testified that AG Pam Bondi must recuse herself from investigating McCord. ’25

• Joe Biden pardoned Mary McCord. ’25

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“..almost every plausible way forward from here involves some kind of violence in my view.”

British Army Colonel: CIVIL WAR Is Coming (MN)

A retired British Army Colonel is warning that he believes a civil war in the country is now inevitable because politicians are unwilling to take meaningful actions to fix societal collapse. Colonel Richard Kemp, who has served on the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Cabinet Office crisis centre COBRA, urges that an alliance “of the hard left and Islamist extremists” will clash with broadly conservative British people and that it will lead to widespread prolonged unrest. Kemp suggests that “together with other causes,” these Islamist leftists will “come together to threaten the cohesion and the culture, the entire culture and political existence of the West.” Kemp, who fought counter insurgency in Northern Ireland, served in the Gulf war, Bosnia, and commanded in Afghanistan, asserts that the agitators are “fostered by,” and “funded to a large extent, by our international enemies like Russia, China, Iran, and other countries as well.”

In an interview with podcaster Conor Tomlinson, Kemp remarks that politicians in the UK are “in a state of bewilderment, they’re like rabbits in headlights,” and that while they understand how the unrest is being fomented, they are unable or unwilling to put a stop to it. Kemp says of political leaders that their “horizon is four years,” and “They want to keep a state of equilibrium for that time, they want to do what they can to make sure they win the next election.” “They don’t want to take the radical sort of action that might be necessary to address these sorts of problems,” the Colonel stresses, highlighting mass migration as one major issue. “There’s only so much that I think people can take of that, and they’ve been very quiet up until now, the people in the UK have not really raised their voices against this, or in a very limited way only. But the more it develops, and it is going to develop more and more, the more unrest we are going to see,” Kemp emphasises.

He adds, “they have no option. I’m not encouraging or supporting this, but I think the people will feel they have no option than to take action into their own hands rather than rely on political leaders who are doing nothing, in their eyes.” “I think there is every likelihood, I don’t know what the timeframe is, but I would go so far as to not just predict civil unrest, but civil war in the UK in the coming years if this situation continues which I believe it will,” he urges. “I’d hate to be right on this, but I believe that I know there is no political solution to the situation Britain faces today,” Kemp further declares, adding “When I say there is no solution, I don’t mean there actually isn’t a solution, but there is no solution that any of our politicians are willing to take… because they are afraid of doing anything significant.”

As we’ve previously highlighted, these views are shared by London King’s College war professor Dr David Betz, who believes the UK is already “past the tipping point,” for near future civil war. Betz stated earlier this year, “There isn’t anything they can do, it’s baked in. We’re already past the tipping point, is my estimation… we are past the point at which there is a political offramp. We are past the point at which normal politics is able to solve the problem… almost every plausible way forward from here involves some kind of violence in my view.” Kemp’s interviewer Conor Tomlinson notes that Colonel Kemp has never even heard of Professor Betz and arrived at the same conclusion completely independently, Which “makes his well-informed warnings all the more alarming.”

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They broke themselves. No help needed.

How Trump Broke the Democratic Party (Margolis)

President Trump has had a very productive second term, but according to Victor Davis Hanson, Trump’s biggest accomplishment isn’t legislation; it’s that he shattered the Democratic Party’s façade—and left it flailing. “Donald Trump’s greatest legacy, he broke the Democratic Party and he turned it. … He exposed it for what it was,” Hanson explained in an interview. “It was a bicoastal elite party with a bunch of billionaires who spend lavishly, and a bunch of subsidized poor, and a professional class that feels frustrated.” Hanson described the party’s urban base as young, well-paid professionals struggling in sky-high-cost blue cities. “That’s what the Mamdani constituency is. Frustrated, young prof—white professionals,” he said. Meanwhile, he argued, Democrats have abandoned the working class, along with what he called “muscular classes”—Hispanic and black males, and working-class white voters.

Trump, Hanson pointed out, didn’t just survive this shift—he thrived. “If you look at 2016, ’20, and ‘24, Donald Trump’s white vote is pretty constant,” he said. Despite losing the popular vote in 2016 and 2020, Trump won both the popular vote and the Electoral College in 2024 with the same base. Hanson credited this to Trump picking up women, young voters, and 55% of Hispanic males, along with roughly 25% of black males and 10–15% of Asian males. “So how could that be if he was supposed to be a racist according to the Democrats?” Hanson asked. He explained it’s the Democrats’ condescending approach to voters. “Basically, this is a caricature, but the Democratic attitude toward a black truck driver or a Mexican American electrician was something like this: ‘Now, you don’t know what’s good for you… They’re going to be good for you. I don’t care what you say about your schools being swamps, crime going up. Remember that.’”

He highlighted how the party lectures Americans on everything from gender policies to energy prices. “‘Men have a right to transition, and they are now women, and they’re gonna compete in your daughter’s sports.’ And ‘You don’t know what’s good for you because you’re too ignorant, but I will represent you.’ ‘I’m a black, uh, woman with a PhD.’ ‘I’m a Hispanic woman’ that’s, uh, your congresswoman.’ ‘I am your white liberal Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pel— and I will tell you what is good for you. Got it?’” Hanson called out Barack Obama’s infamous talk with black Democratic activists as a perfect example of this elitism. “‘You think Donald Trump’s good or something.’ ‘You’ve gotta get out there and support Harris.’ ‘You’re suffering basically from Marxist false consciousness. And I, and as an elite, know what’s good for you and I will tell you. Now, go do it,’” Hanson paraphrased.

He reserved particular scorn for former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, whose policies he described as symbolic rather than practical. “Everything about him represents what I just said. Sanctimonious, self-righteous, talk down. I don’t think California is suffering from not enough freeways or it’s too crowded. It’s suffering from racist legacies of clover leaves, and I’m going to make non-racist clover,” Hanson said. Hanson summed up the party’s attitude with a single biting phrase: “It’s a Karen scold.” By treating voters like children and lecturing them on everything from energy prices to social norms, Hanson argued, the Democrats have made themselves easy prey for Trump—a truth the left can’t seem to accept.

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“..one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever signed into law,”

Trump Vows Social Security Will Thrive for Another ‘90 Years’ (RCW)

Nearly a century removed, the Republican president heralded his Democratic predecessor for “one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever signed into law,” the bill that created Social Security. The program turned 90 this month. Without reform, its 100th anniversary is not guaranteed. President Trump still heralded FDR for the program, created at the height of the Great Depression, and vowed in the Oval Office to preserve and improve it “for 90 years and beyond.” The president said this was his “sacred pledge to our seniors.” Had he not returned to the White House, Trump boasted, “Social Security was going to be destroyed.”

And true to his word, Trump has not meddled with senior benefits. His marquee legislation has, in fact, reduced their tax burden by making Social Security benefits tax-free. But the actuarial tables are less rosy than the president put on in front of the cameras. According to new estimates from the program’s chief actuary, Karen Glenn, Social Security will not make it to its 100th birthday as things stand. Instead, the trust fund will be insolvent in just seven years. Money was expected to run out by the first quarter of 2033, but after the One Big Beautiful Bill became law and made benefits tax-free, that forecast was moved up slightly to the fourth quarter of 2032.

At that point, according to analysis by the Congressional Research Service, the federal government would have three options at the point: increase taxes, decrease benefits, or a combination of the two. Trump, who will have joined the ranks of former presidents by then, seemed unconcerned with those predictions. “You keep hearing stories that ‘in six years, seven years, Social Security will be gone,’” he told reporters, “and it will be if the Democrats ever get involved because they don’t know what they’re doing.” So long as his party is in control, he promised, “it’s going to be around a long time with us.”

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RFK

Climate

Rosita

Bloom

Life

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 172025
 


Pablo Picasso Portrait of Dora Maar 1943

 

Trump Arms Ukraine. Russia Doesn’t Care (Kornev)
Trump’s Tariff Revenues Reach Record Highs (Salgado)
Federal Judge Takes Control of US Government (Spivak)
Zelensky Not A Dependable Partner For US – Former Trump Adviser (RT)
EU Is Funding The ‘Death’ Of Ukraine – Zakharova (RT)
The Conflict in Ukraine Is Widening out of Control (Paul Craig Roberts)
Kremlin Urges Trump To Pressure Kiev (RT)
Zelensky Urges Trump To Revisit Ukrainian Missile Proposal (RT)
Trump Sprang Ukraine Surprise On NATO States – Reuters (RT)
The Battle For The Middle East Is Going Global (Sadygzade)
MTG Tries to Stop US Funding of Israeli Aggression (Paul Craig Roberts)
India, China, Brazil Facing ‘Consequences’ For Russia Trade Ties – Rutte (RT)
EU Plan To Move Frozen Russian Money Would Be ‘Expropriation’ – Euroclear (RT)
Adam Schiff Faces Federal Criminal Referral Over ‘Mortgage Fraud’ (Margolis)
EU General Court Orders Le Pen Family To Give EU €300k (RT)

 

 

euro

GMO

Beck

 

 

 

 

“Russia’s layered air defense network, including the S-300, S-400, and S-500 systems, was designed with threats like ATACMS in mind. While a 100% interception rate is unrealistic, operational experience shows a high level of effectiveness..”

Trump Arms Ukraine. Russia Doesn’t Care (Kornev)

On Monday, July 14, US President Donald Trump announced that he had decided to supply Patriot missile systems to Kiev, with the first deliveries expected in the coming days. The key element of this move lies not just in the type of weapons, but in the logistics behind them. While the deliveries will be formally carried out by Washington, the funding will come from NATO allies. The first batteries will be transferred from Germany, which will later be compensated by new shipments from the United States. In essence, a new mechanism is taking shape: American weapons, paid for with European money. But what does this actually mean in practical terms? Is this a major escalation, a political gesture, or simply a reshuffling of existing commitments? And more importantly, how will this affect the battlefield itself?

According to Trump, Ukraine will receive 17 Patriot systems – a statement that immediately raises questions. Most importantly, it’s unclear exactly what the administration considers a “system.” If he meant 17 launchers, that would translate into just three or four full batteries, since each battery includes a radar, command post, and between four and eight launchers. This would not represent a dramatic escalation, but rather allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to replenish and rotate previously supplied batteries.A more ambitious interpretation would assume that Trump meant 17 full batteries. That would be the single largest delivery of air defense systems to Ukraine to date – several times more than what the country currently fields. While the US has the industrial capacity and inventory to provide this quantity, such a generous transfer would be uncharacteristic of Trump’s approach.

His goal is to make a visible impact, not to set records. The more plausible scenario is that this is a European-funded replacement for earlier systems that have been damaged or expended. In parallel with the Patriot announcement, details began to emerge about long-range missiles. According to The Washington Post, the Trump administration is considering removing all restrictions on Ukraine’s use of ATACMS missiles to strike targets deep inside Russian territory. It’s worth clarifying that Ukraine already possesses such missiles. Since 2023, its forces have deployed ATACMS variants with a range of up to 190 km, and since spring of 2024, longer-range versions capable of reaching 300 km. The change lies not in the hardware itself, but in the potential shift in how it can be used.

Up until now, Washington has forbidden Kiev from using these weapons to strike internationally recognized Russian territory. According to American press reports, those limits may now be dropped. While this move would entail risks, it doesn’t represent a strategic game-changer. Russia’s layered air defense network, including the S-300, S-400, and S-500 systems, was designed with threats like ATACMS in mind. While a 100% interception rate is unrealistic, operational experience shows a high level of effectiveness. The threat is real, but hardly decisive.

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“Tariff revenues reached a record level of $113 billion, representing a significant financial boost and hitting a new high for this year..”

“Compared to last June, this year’s figures are up 301%..”

Trump’s Tariff Revenues Reach Record Highs (Salgado)

Revenues from Donald Trump’s tariffs have hit record highs as of the start of this month, as the president announced more tariffs, especially on hostile countries. Tariff revenues reached a record level of $113 billion, representing a significant financial boost and hitting a new high for this year, Fox Business reported. Democrats, who prefer taxing Americans to tariffing foreigners, have bewailed the tariffs nonstop, but Trump’s optimism about the revenues seems to be justified so far. We need fewer taxes on Americans and more tariffs on belligerent nations that hate the USA. And companies that dislike the tariffs should bring operations back to America.

A June 30 press release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) previously boasted that the majority of the tariff revenues collected this year are due to Trump‘s tariffs, with which he is leveling the international trade playing field and penalizing hostile countries. Fox News added more details on the newest numbers: The U.S. received more than $27 billion in customs duties in June, the highest figure so far this year, according to the Treasury Department’s “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” data. Compared to last June, this year’s figures are up 301%. In January, tariff revenues hovered around $7.9 billion and more than doubled in April to $16.3 billion. Meanwhile, July is on track to continue as a revenue contributor for the federal government.

Even before the newest revenue numbers were announced, DHS was celebrating the tariffs’ success. “We are proud to help President Trump make America richer and reverse a broken trade system that resulted in millions of jobs shipped overseas and made us dependent on foreign adversaries for essential goods,” said an unnamed senior official. “This administration will always put the American first.” The U.S. slapped all the European Union countries and Mexico with 27% tariffs this month, Fox stated, and Trump imposed a particularly hefty 50% tariff on Brazil for attacking freedom of speech and undermining free elections. “Goods transshipped to evade this 50% Tariff will be subject to that higher Tariff,” Trump wrote the Brazilian president Lula before warning, “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 50% that we charge.”

Many countries around the world have long imposed significant tariffs on American goods while demanding no reciprocal tariffs on their goods. Trump was determined to change that rigged and unjust system. That naturally infuriated the countries that had become accustomed to taking advantage of us, and Democrats always take part in those criticizing in America, but the change was actually long overdue. Trump also aims to bring manufacturing back to America and encourage both companies and customers to prefer goods made in America. As Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reminded anti-tariff gripers, “Remember, there’s a ZERO percent tariff on all goods made in the USA!”

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Lawfare squared and cubed. Congress may not approve, nor may the Supreme court, but this judge is determined to find a way.

Federal Judge Takes Control of US Government (Spivak)

Just days after the Supreme Court again made it clear that the separation of powers is sacrosanct, Indira Talwani, an Obama appointed federal judge in Massachusetts, has taken the unprecedented step of ordering the government to fund Planned Parenthood, purporting to enjoin implementation of a portion of the Big Beautiful Bill (BBB) passed by Congress. The BBB imposed a one-year ban on state Medicaid payments to health care nonprofits that offer abortions and also received more than $800,000 in federal funding in 2023. Three days after the president signed the BBB into law, Planned Parenthood sought a temporary restraining order (TRO). Without hearing from the government, complying with federal rules, or even providing an explanation, within hours after the filing, Talwani issued a TRO for at least 14 days that requires the government to spend money Congress declined to appropriate.

Four days later, the administration asked Talwani to dissolve the TRO because of its obvious infirmities. Instead, she doubled down, issuing an amended TRO that satisfied the technical requirements she had previously ignored. I work with Planned Parenthood’s very capable lead lawyers. Without the facts or the law on their side, they did the right thing. They found a far-left federal judge who has repeatedly ruled against the Trump administration and is willing to create a constitutional crisis to advance a political cause. Numerous Supreme Court decisions explain that merely because something is legal does not mean that Congress must fund it, or continue to do so. Just a few weeks ago, in Medina v. Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court rejected Planned Parenthood’s challenge to South Carolina’s right to exclude Planned Parenthood from its Medicaid program.

For more than 40 years, the Hyde Amendment has generally prohibited federal funding for abortion, and the court has repeatedly held that the government is under no contrary obligations (e.g., Maher v. Roe and Harris v. McRae). Talwani’s order violates Article I of the Constitution, which could not be more clear: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” Article I vests the power to authorize spending exclusively in Congress. In OPM v. Richmond (1989), the Supreme Court confirmed that the Appropriations Clause conveys a “straightforward and explicit command” that no money “can be paid out of the Treasury unless it has been appropriated by an act of Congress.”

There is no basis in the Constitution or any Supreme Court decision to support the right of a court – any court – to interfere in congressional decisions to fund, or cease funding, a private organization. To the contrary, in Rust v. Sullivan (1991), the Supreme Court held that “the Government has no constitutional duty to subsidize an activity merely because the activity is constitutionally protected.”Planned Parenthood’s main argument is the equivalent of jury nullification. Because it is the dominant provider of abortion services in the United States, limiting its ability to carry out its mission would deprive women of access to such services. Even if true, that is a political argument unsuccessfully made during the last election and during the debate over the BBB.

Planned Parenthood asserts that the BBB is an unconstitutional bill of attainder because the criteria for defunding effectively single it out. That absurd argument flies in the face of an unbroken line of cases that apply the Article I prohibition on bills of attainder only to criminal or quasi-criminal punishment. Congress often funds, or defunds, individuals and organizations. In Nixon v. Administrator of General Services (1971), the Supreme Court rejected the proposition that an individual or defined group is subject to a bill of attainder merely because Congress singles them out. Talwani did not mention bills of attainder in her amended TRO. Planned Parenthood also claims that defunding its efforts constitutes viewpoint retaliation under the First Amendment, and a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment.

In Rust, the Supreme Court rejected similar claims. In its papers, Planned Parenthood cites no Supreme Court case compelling Congress to appropriate spending on these grounds. Nonetheless, in her amended TRO, Talwani relied on the First and Fifth Amendments to justify issuance of the TRO. She also rejected the government’s concern that it would be harmed if it paid money to Planned Parenthood, because, she averred, the government likely would instead use the funds to pay another provider. By that logic, a mugger is only taking money that his victim would probably spend on something else. The first hearing is on Friday. If Talwani does not relent, she can expect an unpleasant rebuke from appellate courts.

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“..in order for the US-Ukraine partnership to work, Kiev “must become transparent and corruption-free.”

Zelensky Not A Dependable Partner For US – Former Trump Adviser (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and his chief of staff Andrey Yermak are not “dependable” partners for the US, former Trump adviser Steve Cortes has said, pointing to transparency and corruption issues in Kiev. Cortes made the statement in a reply on X to Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko, who had stressed the importance of knowing “the difference between helping Ukraine and helping Zelensky.” She claimed that “Ukrainians want peace” while “Zelensky wants money and to stay in power.” “Exactly,” Cortes responded, stating that in order for the US-Ukraine partnership to work, Kiev “must become transparent and corruption-free.” “Yermak and Zelensky are not dependable, believable partners for the United States,” he said.

Cortes, who previously served as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, has long been critical of the Ukrainian government’s internal practices. Earlier this month, he published a commentary warning of waning trust in Kiev’s leadership, singling out Yermak as a central figure in what he described as systemic corruption, calling him Ukraine’s “co-president” and accusing him of shielding officials under criminal investigation. Cortes argued that Yermak has become a nuisance in UK-Ukraine relations, noting bipartisan frustration with the aide. He specifically cited Yermak’s role in the dismissal of General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, a popular and respected military leader, while officials like Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov—who has faced corruption allegations—remained in office. Chernyshov, however, was ultimately sacked earlier this week amid an ongoing cabinet reshuffle.

The former adviser’s remarks echo longstanding concerns expressed by Donald Trump, who has also described Zelensky as the “primary obstacle” to peace and has repeatedly criticized the scale of US support for Ukraine and the lack of accountability for the billions of dollars sent to Kiev. In March, Trump adviser David Sacks also called for a full audit of US aid to Ukraine, claiming there had been “tons of stories” about corruption and the misuse of American weapons. He said the only remaining question was “how much” had been stolen, calling Kiev’s leadership massively corrupt.

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“.. it’s a bit like being told to foot the bill for a meal someone else enjoys, only for them to end up dead afterward. Am I correct?”

EU Is Funding The ‘Death’ Of Ukraine – Zakharova (RT)

The European Union is funding the “death” of Ukraine by paying for weapons sent to Kiev, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. On Monday, US President Donald Trump unveiled a proposal to continue delivering American weapons to Ukraine at the expense of EU taxpayers. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, said that the proposal was welcome, but that Trump should not take credit for aid unless the US is willing to “share the burden.” “Was Kaja starting to figure things out?” Zakharova wrote on social media on Wednesday. “Let’s help her: it’s a bit like being told to foot the bill for a meal someone else enjoys, only for them to end up dead afterward. Am I correct?”

Moscow has consistently argued that no amount of Western military aid will make it change its core goals in the conflict. The Kremlin has described the EU’s approach as an attempt to prolong the war “to the last Ukrainian” and harm Russia, using Ukraine as a proxy. Trump has emphasized that arms sales to Ukraine are a business opportunity for the US. His administration maintains the proposal is naturally shifting responsibility for Ukraine’s future to the EU, which it says has the most to gain or lose.

”Europe wants to take the traditional defense of Europe. They should,” US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker told Fox News. “The reality right now in Europe is they cannot manufacture the armaments required on the battlefield of Ukraine, or on the battlefield if there is a potential war in Europe.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the EU was placing “improper pressure” on Trump to adopt a more pro-Ukrainian stance. He warned that escalating sanctions on Moscow – something Trump also threatened – would ultimately harm EU member states more than Russia.

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“The dilemma is that the US weapons industry is too powerful for peace.”

The Conflict in Ukraine Is Widening out of Control (Paul Craig Roberts)

Since early 2022, more than three years ago, my theme has been that Russian President Putin’s unwillingness or inability to bring the conflict with Ukraine to a quick end will result in an ever-widening war culminating in a major conflagration far beyond Donbas and Ukraine. It was obvious to me, but not to Putin and to my critics, that by refusing to use sufficient force to end the conflict Putin was guaranteeing the increased participation of Washington and NATO in the conflict. Over the years of the conflict I have provided numerous updates on “The Ever-widening War.”

The war has widened into an attack on Russian strategic forces and recent talk of providing Ukraine with missiles to attack Moscow. According to news reports, Europe is preparing for war with Russia. The conflict has already gone far beyond Donbas. The point of a major conflagration cannot be far off. One Russian commentator says “World War III has already begun.” Putin, and as far as I can tell, few in Russia understand the Zionist neoconservatives doctrine of American hegemony. It seems that Putin has never heard of the three decades old Wolfowitz doctrine. Putin himself admits that he has only now understood the situation that confronts Russia. As John Helmer reports:

“Putin has just admitted this in a television interview on July 14. “I thought that the contradictions with the West were primarily ideological,” he said. “It seemed logical at the time – Cold War inertia, different views of the world, values, the organization of society. But even when the ideology disappeared, when the Soviet Union ceased to exist, the same, almost routine deviation from Russia’s interests continued. And it was not because of ideas [ideology], but because of the pursuit of advantages – geopolitical, economic, strategic. The world respects only those who can protect themselves. Until we show that we are an independent and sovereign power that stands behind our interests, there will be no room for anyone to treat us as equals.”

President Trump, stopped by the Ruling Establishment from his domestic agenda, has turned to foreign affairs where he can remain in the limelight by bullying other countries to conform to his edicts. He has now given Putin 50 days to comply. To comply with what? With Zelensky’s demands? What is the agreement for which Trump demands Putin’s consent? As the conflict is between Washington and Russia, the agreement has to be made by Trump and Putin. Putin has made it clear that the agreement must deal with “the root cause” of the conflict, which is the absence of a mutual security agreement. But if Washington is set on hegemony, there can be no mutual security agreement.

Here is the real situation: Two heavily nuclear armed governments are both in denial of reality. Putin and Lavrov are governed by their illusion that the difference between Russia and the West can be resolved through words. Washington is dangerous because the Zionist neoconservative doctrine of American hegemony is institutionalized. To avoid the brewing conflagration, all Washington and the EU need to do is to agree with Russia to a mutual security treaty. Russia only wants threats off its borders. Russia has no territorial ambitions unless Russia is driven to them by security threats. Trump wants America to make money. How does America make money when US aggression cuts the West off from the majority of the world? The only reason for BRICS is Washington’s hostility to Russia, China, and Iran. The dilemma is that the US weapons industry is too powerful for peace.

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“..sanctions would be imposed on Russia and its trade partners unless hostilities are halted within 50 days. No similar deadline was issued for Ukraine.”

Kremlin Urges Trump To Pressure Kiev (RT)

The Kremlin urges all nations to push Kiev to reach a negotiated settlement in the Ukraine conflict and hopes US President Donald Trump is privately doing so, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.Earlier in the week, Trump unveiled a proposal under which NATO member states supporting Kiev would purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine’s fight against Russia. He also warned that sanctions would be imposed on Russia and its trade partners unless hostilities are halted within 50 days. No similar deadline was issued for Ukraine. ”There were a lot of remarks about [Trump’s] disappointment [with Russian President Vladimir Putin], but we want to hope that in parallel to that, pressure is being applied to the Ukrainian side,” Peskov told journalists. “It appears that the Ukrainian side takes all statements of support as signals to continue war, not as signals for peace.”

In public comments, Trump has alternated between assigning blame to Moscow and Kiev for the lack of progress toward his desired outcome in the conflict. His latest statements have focused on criticizing Russia. In May, Ukraine agreed to resume direct negotiations with Russia after the Trump administration indicated it expected such a step. However, talks stalled after the early June meeting, with Kiev declaring the process “exhausted” and indicating it had only participated to avoid appearing dismissive of Trump’s diplomatic agenda. Moscow has said it remains committed to achieving its core objectives in Ukraine but prefers a diplomatic solution if possible.

Trump’s threats were welcomed by hardliners in the US and Europe. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina issued a veiled threat of military action, writing on X that “if Putin and others are wondering what happens on day 51, I would suggest they call the Ayatollah.” Graham referenced Iran’s supreme leader, whose country was targeted last month by US and Israeli airstrikes. Officials claimed the attacks were necessary to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure and prevent the development of a nuclear weapon, a goal that Iran denies pursuing.

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“..Kiev asked the US to station nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles in Ukraine..”

Great idea. Nazis with nukes.

Zelensky Urges Trump To Revisit Ukrainian Missile Proposal (RT)

Vladimir Zelensky has called on US President Donald Trump to reconsider Ukraine’s proposal to host long-range American missiles. The appeal comes in the wake of Trump’s pledge this week to provide advanced weapons systems to Kiev, with the caveat that the costs will be covered by other nations. In an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday, Zelensky appealed for even more military aid, referencing part of his “victory plan,” which he had previously presented to both President Joe Biden and Trump in the lead-up to the 2024 US presidential election. ”I remember that we had a powerful deterrence package before President Trump became president. I wanted America to sell us such a package. But it was not done,” Zelensky said.

Previous media reports have suggested that Trump may deliver additional long-range weaponry to Ukraine as part of his new initiatives. Some outlets claimed he had encouraged Zelensky to target Moscow and St. Petersburg, though the White House has refuted them. Publicly, the US president has advised against attacks on the Russian capital. Zelensky first presented his “victory plan” to the US in September 2024. According to leaked classified details of the proposal’s “deterrence package,” Kiev asked the US to station nuclear-capable Tomahawk cruise missiles in Ukraine. The Biden administration reportedly rejected the request outright. Ukrainian lobbying efforts during the 2024 US election cycle drew scrutiny, particularly following Zelensky’s visit to an arms manufacturing facility in the swing state of Pennsylvania.

He was accompanied by prominent Democrats during the trip, including Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bob Casey, prompting Republican officials to take aim, accusing him of implicitly supporting the rival party. Zelensky’s subsequent interactions with Trump were also marked by tensions. The planned signing of a minerals deal during his February visit to the White House – an offer of broad US access to Ukrainian natural resources that originally was part of the “victory plan” – erupted into a public dispute in the Oval Office. The agreement was ultimately signed in late April. Moscow has accused Zelensky of prolonging hostilities with Russia despite mounting Ukrainian casualties in a bid to preserve his power through martial law despite his presidential term officially ending last year.

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“And I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice.”

Trump Sprang Ukraine Surprise On NATO States – Reuters (RT)

Several NATO member states were not notified in advance that they would be asked to fund new arms deliveries to Ukraine under US President Donald Trump’s latest proposal, Reuters has reported, citing European officials. On Monday, Trump pledged to provide more US-made weapons to Kiev through a new scheme funded by European NATO members. “We’re not buying it,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with the bloc’s secretary-general, Mark Rutte. “We will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it.” Trump noted that the plan is seen by Washington as a business opportunity. Rutte said six countries – Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada – were willing to take part in the arms procurement scheme.

However, high-ranking sources at the embassies of two of those countries told Reuters they only learned of their supposed participation when the announcement was made. “It is my clear sense that nobody has been briefed about the exact details in advance,” one European ambassador told Reuters. “And I also suspect that internally in the administration they are only now beginning to sort out what it means in practice.” Several countries have already distanced themselves from Trump’s plan. According to Politico and La Stampa, France and Italy will not be financially supporting the effort. Hungary and the Czech Republic have also declined to participate, with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala saying Prague is focusing on other projects.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, on the other hand, has welcomed the proposal but emphasized that Washington should “share the burden,” stating that if European countries pay for the weapons, it should be considered as “European support.” Since taking office in January, Trump has renewed pressure on NATO members to increase defense spending and warned that the US may not defend allies who do not meet their obligations. Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms supplies to Ukraine, arguing that it only prolongs the bloodshed and does not change the course of the conflict. The Kremlin maintains that foreign military aid is being used to escalate the hostilities rather than seek a diplomatic resolution.

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“..the Middle East, where the actions of the US and Israel are seen as manifestations of Western hegemony, while BRICS nations and their partners are increasingly positioning themselves as defenders of multipolarity, sovereignty, and a just international order.”

The Battle For The Middle East Is Going Global (Sadygzade)

Global events increasingly reflect the growing confrontation between the Western bloc, led by the United States and its allies, and the countries of the so-called “World Majority,” coalescing around BRICS. This geopolitical tension is particularly evident against the backdrop of escalating conflicts in the Middle East, where the actions of the US and Israel are seen as manifestations of Western hegemony, while BRICS nations and their partners are increasingly positioning themselves as defenders of multipolarity, sovereignty, and a just international order.

On July 7, US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The two leaders discussed two major issues: the upcoming negotiations with Iran and the controversial initiative to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. These topics underscored Washington and West Jerusalem’s efforts to reshape the Middle East’s security architecture – framed under the banner of offering a “better future,” yet unfolding amid growing accusations of violations of international law.= During a working dinner, Netanyahu stated that Israel and the US had been consulting with several countries allegedly willing to accept Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza. He emphasized that the proposed relocation would be “voluntary,” offering a better future to those who seek it. According to him, agreements with a number of countries were already nearing completion.

Initially, Trump refrained from making a clear statement on the matter, but later remarked that “neighboring countries have been extremely cooperative,” expressing confidence that “something good will happen.” This ambiguity may reflect either an attempt to soften the political sensitivity of the issue or a reluctance to prematurely reveal the details of a plan that has drawn considerable criticism. Previously, Trump had proposed transforming Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and relocating its population – an idea harshly rejected both by the residents of the enclave and by international human rights organizations, which characterized it as a form of ethnic cleansing. Behind the scenes of the dinner, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas were ongoing, focused on securing a ceasefire and a hostage exchange.

The meeting marked the third in-person encounter between Trump and Netanyahu since the Republican leader’s return to the White House in January. Just two weeks earlier, the US had carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in support of Israeli military action. Days later, Trump helped broker a short-term ceasefire in the 12-day war between Israel and Iran – an achievement likely intended to bolster his own diplomatic credentials. During the meeting, Trump announced that his administration had scheduled formal talks with Iran. He said that Tehran had shown a willingness to negotiate following substantial military and economic pressure. US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff confirmed that the meeting was expected to take place “within the next week.”

Trump also indicated he was open to lifting sanctions on Iran under the right circumstances. Meanwhile, Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed hope that tensions with the United States could be resolved through diplomacy. These statements suggested a potential, albeit limited, window for resetting US-Iranian relations, though both sides appeared driven primarily by tactical considerations. The political significance of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting was further underscored by protests outside the White House. Hundreds of demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags, demanded an end to US military support for Israel and called for Netanyahu’s arrest in light of the International Criminal Court’s warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

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“..it is impossible not to be thankful for Trump. But Trump’s subservience to Israel is dispiriting and shameful..”

MTG Tries to Stop US Funding of Israeli Aggression (Paul Craig Roberts)

US Rep. Greene has introduced legislation to remove military aid for Israel from the US budget. Marjorie Greene has done several things that members of the US House and Senate are trained not to do. She acknowledged Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons. Members of the US government are not supposed to acknowledge Israel’s nuclear weapons, because the Symington Amendment forbids aid to governments that enrich weapons grade uranium and produce nuclear weapons outside of International Atomic Energy Agency controls. The Israeli controlled US government avoids the Symington law by refusing to acknowledge the fact that Israel has acquired, with Washington’s assistance, nuclear weapons totally outside the IAEA controls

US Rep. Greene also points out the incongruity of Israel armed with nuclear weapons needing American military aid. This is especially the case when American men and women were killed and wounded fighting Israel’s wars against Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Hezbollah the protector of Lebanon, and then were abandoned by Washington and are living on the streets. The US military is now being urged to die for Israel in Iran. Americans have been so successfully brainwashed by the Israel Lobby that they see no difference between the interest of America and Israel. This is Netanyahu’s constant message. Israel and America are the same country.

President Trump has done a good thing for Americans by closing the border to immigrant-invaders. The Biden regime used American tax dollars to pay for the inflow of millions of non-ethnic Americans across an undefended border to transform the country into a Tower of Babel. President Trump did another good thing in eliminating the intentional discrimination against white ethnic Americans by the Biden regime’s DEI policy which refused to promote white heterosexuals until there was a specified percentage of homosexuals, lesbians, pedophiles, transgendered, and peoples of color. This Democrat liberal/leftwing policy was called “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,” but white people were not included. So, it is impossible not to be thankful for Trump. But Trump’s subservience to Israel is dispiriting and shameful.

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Yeah, threatening China is a real slick move if you’re located in the North Atlantic.

India, China, Brazil Facing ‘Consequences’ For Russia Trade Ties – Rutte (RT)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned India, China and Brazil of “consequences” if they continue to do business with Russia. Rutte’s comment came after a meeting with US Senators on Tuesday, following President Donald Trump’s announcement on providing new military aid for Ukraine and a threat to impose 100% secondary tariffs on purchasers of Russian exports, unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days. “My encouragement to these three countries, particularly is, if you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you are the President of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte told reporters.

“So I urge you to make a phone call to Vladimir Putin and convey to him that he needs to get serious about peace talks, because if not, the consequences will have a massive impact on Brazil, India, and China,” he added. Since 2022, India and China have significantly increased their oil purchases from Russia. In May, New Delhi emerged as the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels, with estimated purchases totaling $4.9 billion, of which crude constituted about 72% of the total value, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The US and India are engaged in negotiations for a trade agreement and are racing to meet an August 1 deadline set by Trump, in order to avoid reciprocal tariffs.

Rutte’s warning echoes US Senator Lindsey Graham, who in June said that he was working on a sanctions bill that he called an “economic bunker buster,” aimed at the three countries. Indian diplomats and officials have spoken with the Republican senator who sponsored the bill, which has Trump’s backing. Since he began his second term in January, Trump has issued direct threats to BRICS and imposed new duties on countries perceived to be aligned with the bloc.

https://twitter.com/MyLordBebo/status/1945194167396892930

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Euroclear issues warnings, but at the same time it transfers money to Ukraine.

EU Plan To Move Frozen Russian Money Would Be ‘Expropriation’ – Euroclear (RT)

European Union plans to move frozen Russian sovereign assets into riskier investments would amount to expropriation, the Belgium-based settlement house Euroclear has warned.In an interview with the Financial Times published Wednesday, Euroclear Chief Executive Valerie Urbain said such a move could expose the EU’s financial system to both legal and systemic risks. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the US and EU have frozen more than $300 billion in Russian state assets. In May, the EU approved a plan to channel profits from those assets to support Ukraine, while some member states have pushed for outright confiscation.

Some $213 billion of the assets are held by Euroclear. The securities depository is currently reinvesting proceeds from Russia’s maturing assets – such as coupon payments and redemptions – primarily through central banks. The G7 is using those returns to support a $50 billion loan to Ukraine. However, as profits have declined following interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank, the European Commission is reportedly considering moving the funds into higher-yield investments to boost Kiev’s funding. Urbain has warned that seeking higher returns could lead to retaliation from Moscow and compromise Euroclear’s central role in the global financial system. “If you increase the revenues, you increase the risks.” Last year, Euroclear transferred €4 billion ($4.3 billion) to Ukraine, and so far this year it has paid €1.8 billion ($1.9 billion), according to Urbain.

She said the EU may try to raise those amounts by creating a “special purpose vehicle” to channel Russian assets into higher-risk investments that could bring “more revenues.” She cautioned that such a structure would involve “a lot of risks for Euroclear and for the European markets globally.” Legally, she said, the move would constitute “expropriation of the cash from Euroclear” without relieving the institution of its liability to the Russian central bank, “a position that we cannot bear.” Moscow has repeatedly warned that seizing its funds would violate international law. Legal and political concerns – particularly over sovereign immunity and property rights – have so far prevented the EU from endorsing full confiscation.

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The facts do seem obvious.

Adam Schiff Faces Federal Criminal Referral Over ‘Mortgage Fraud’ (Margolis)

President Donald Trump demanded on Tuesday that California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff be “brought to justice” following allegations of mortgage fraud tied to his Maryland property. The statement came after a federal housing agency reportedly referred the matter to the Justice Department for a criminal investigation into Schiff’s real estate dealings. “I have always suspected Shifty Adam Schiff was a scam artist,” he wrote. “And now I learn that Fannie Mae’s Financial Crimes Division have concluded that Adam Schiff has engaged in a sustained pattern of possible Mortgage Fraud.” “I always knew Adam Schiff was a Crook,” Trump continued. “Mortgage Fraud is very serious, and CROOKED Adam Schiff (now a Senator) needs to be brought to justice.” Schiff, of course, denies the allegations.

These aren’t wild allegations plucked from thin air; the evidence is pretty clear. According to records, Schiff claimed his main residence was a spacious 3,420 square foot home in Maryland, a move that conveniently secured him better mortgage rates — rates designed for people who actually reside in those homes as their principal dwelling. Simultaneously, he grabbed a homeowner’s exemption on a much smaller 650 square foot condo in Burbank, Calif., handing himself a tidy cut of about $7,000 off his tax bill by also insisting that the property was his “primary residence.” Two homes, both allegedly his principal residence, in two different states, reaping benefits from both ends. Is that some kind of bureaucratic miracle? Or a calculated abuse of the system he’s sworn to oversee?

Schiff’s own paperwork — mortgage forms, exemption claims, and that curious personal check he used to pay California property taxes (listing his Maryland address, no less) — tells a story of someone playing the system with both hands. Adding insult to injury, Schiff only made that personal check payment once, in 2017. The evidence is serious enough that a senior administration official confirmed to The New York Post that the Federal Housing Finance Agency, responsible for overseeing Fannie Mae, has submitted a criminal referral to the Justice Department, calling for a full investigation.

“It is extremely serious and [Schiff] is not taking it seriously,” the official told the Post. The source added that Schiff had a criminal count for each time he paid his monthly mortgage. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, under the leadership of Bill Pulte, has remained tight-lipped, declining to comment on the referral involving Schiff. But it was Pulte who, just a few months ago, referred another high-profile Trump adversary, New York Attorney General Letitia James, to the Justice Department over alleged mortgage fraud tied to properties in Brooklyn and Virginia.

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Whatever Macron says. What kind of court is that?

EU General Court Orders Le Pen Family To Give EU €300k (RT)

The EU General Court in Luxembourg has ordered Marine Le Pen and her two sisters to repay more than €300,000 (over $350,000) to the EU. The funds were “considered to have been wrongly received” by their father, the late opposition leader Jean-Marie Le Pen, during his time as a member of the European Parliament, the court said in a statement on Wednesday. The legislative body claimed in 2024 that Le Pen “had improperly invoiced personal expenses” and demanded repayment. The latter, however, sought to appeal. Following Le Pen’s death in January, his daughters pursued the proceedings as his legal heirs.

Jean-Marie Le Pen was founder of the right-wing National Front and a longtime critic of EU integration. He served as an MEP from 1984 to 2019. His outspoken positions on national sovereignty and immigration challenged the French political establishment for decades. What were once dismissed as fringe positions have since become major issues in European politics. The ruling comes just months after his daughter, Marine Le Pen, former leader of the right-wing National Rally (RN) and three-time presidential candidate, was convicted of embezzling EU funds. Although she denied any wrongdoing, she received a prison sentence, was fined €100,000 ($116,000), and barred from holding public office for five years, a decision widely seen as eliminating a leading contender from the 2027 presidential race.

Le Pen has appealed the conviction. A verdict is expected in the summer of 2026 and will prove decisive in her bid for the presidency. The previous election in 2022 resulted in a run-off between Le Pen, who won over 42% of votes, and Emmanuel Macron, who secured 58%. Le Pen’s conviction triggered a wave of protests, with her supporters condemning the ruling as politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent. US President Donald Trump accused the French political establishment of employing lawfare against the right-wing figure, urging Paris to “free” her.

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https://twitter.com/mickitiki/status/1945216878474912079

Oil

Damascus
https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1945464255148638586

No idea

Honda Rube

Don’t miss

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Jul 022025
 


Pablo Picasso Woman with blue collar (Portrait d’Inez) 1941

 

Senate Passes the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’-With 3 GOP Defections (Margolis)
Trump Says DOGE Should Investigate Musk (RT)
Trump Vs. Musk: “Big, Beautiful Bill” Feud Sparks Overnight Firestorm (ZH)
Media Forced To Admit Trump’s Tariffs Are Working As Revenues Spike (ZH)
Pentagon Halts Weapons Supplies To Kiev Over Depleting Stockpiles (RT)
‘Catastrophic’ Budget Increase Will Destroy NATO – Lavrov (RT)
Putin and Macron Talk For First Time In Three Years – Kremlin (RT)
Italy Could Classify $13.5 Billion Bridge As NATO Spending – Poltico (RT)
1 in 5 Illegal Migrants Now Simply Flying Into Germany (RMX)
Poland Reintroduces Immigration Controls (RT)
President Trump’s Plan for the Middle East (Paul Craig Roberts)
Trump Says Israel Agrees To 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire, Urges Hamas To Accept (ZH)
Syria Could Drop Demand That Israel Return The Golan Heights (RT)
AI Is The Only Thing Keeping The World From Total Stagnation – Peter Thiel (Flor)
Kennedy Labels US Democrats ‘War Party’ (RT)
RFK Jr. Unloads Disturbing Vaccine Secrets On Tucker (VF)

 

 

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1940120314744070596

Miller census
https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1939702115515191304

RFK

j6

https://twitter.com/TheGabriel72/status/1939831962224529910

Candace

Fraud

 

 

Ritter’s Rant 017: The Blame Game

 

 

 

 

“We’re just extending current tax policy,” he said. “We are preventing a $4 trillion tax increase on the American people. When you vote against this, that’s who you’d be voting for.”

Senate Passes the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’-With 3 GOP Defections (Margolis)

After days of gridlock and backroom wrangling, the Senate today passed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ the legislative linchpin of President Trump’s second-term agenda. The tally was 51 yeas and 50 nays, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tiebreaking vote. The Senate was locked in a “vote-a-rama”—a procedural endurance test where senators burn the midnight oil, lobbing amendment after amendment in a desperate bid to tweak, torpedo, or salvage the bill. With a razor-thin majority, Republicans could not afford more than three defections, which is why Vice President JD Vance was summoned to the Capitol to cast the tie-breaking vote. Vance has already played this role before, and it’s clear the White House was counting on him to drag this bill across the finish line.

The real drama, however, wasn’t coming from Democrats—they were united in opposition, as always—but from within the GOP ranks. Senators like Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins became the focal points of intense lobbying, their votes courted with a mix of sweeteners and veiled threats. In the end, Murkowski voted for the bill; Collins voted against it, along with Sens. Thom Tillis and Rand Paul. Naturally, Democrats were panicking, posting apocalyptic predictions on social media. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune blasted Democrats for what he called a “mind-blowing” display of hypocrisy over the national debt, accusing them of pretending to care about fiscal responsibility now that Republicans are in charge.

“It is rich to hear Democrats all of a sudden concerned about debt and deficits,” Thune said on the Senate floor, as lawmakers debated President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” “Really? I mean, I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve not been involved in a single spending debate in which Republicans [weren’t] trying to spend less and Democrats [weren’t] trying to spend more—except when it comes to national security. Democrats are always willing to cut defense, but never want to cut anywhere else.” Thune reminded the chamber that Democrats had full control of Congress and the White House just a few years ago and used reconciliation not to cut deficits, but to push through massive spending packages.

“One of the bills cost $2 trillion. The other cost $1 trillion. And it was all spending,” he said. “That’s the fundamental difference between us. Democrats like government—and when you send money to Washington, money is power.” Thune contrasted that with the GOP’s effort to stop a looming tax hike. “We’re just extending current tax policy,” he said. “We are preventing a $4 trillion tax increase on the American people. When you vote against this, that’s who you’d be voting for.” The bill now heads to the House.

Massie

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Has he offered to repay the $400 million Musk paid into his campaign?

Trump Says DOGE Should Investigate Musk (RT)

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Elon Musk should be investigated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which the tech billionaire formerly headed, for allegedly benefiting excessively from government subsidies. Musk, a former ally of Trump, stepped down as the head of DOGE last month amid disagreements with the president over his so-called “big, beautiful” budget bill, which includes a $5 trillion debt ceiling increase. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has repeatedly criticized the legislation, saying it undermined his work with DOGE to cut federal spending. The tech billionaire attacked the bill and its supporters again on Tuesday as the US Senate began voting on the amendments to Trump’s 940-page proposal.

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame,” Musk wrote on X. “And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” he warned. The entrepreneur also reiterated his call for a new “America Party” to be formed to serve as “an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.” Trump, who claims that the actual reason for Musk’s anger was not the “big, beautiful bill,” but his plans to roll back the government’s electric vehicle (EV) subsidies, fired back at the Tesla and SpaceX CEO shortly afterwards in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” he wrote. Without the assistance from the government to Musk’s companies, there would be “no more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” Trump insisted. “Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for President, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one,” Trump added.

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“As for Trump’s threat about “no more rocket launches, satellites” — referring to Musk’s company SpaceX — good luck following through on that. SpaceX is the reason the U.S. is leading the global space race..”

Trump Vs. Musk: “Big, Beautiful Bill” Feud Sparks Overnight Firestorm (ZH)

Update (0800 ET):President Trump on Elon Musk this morning:
TRUMP: MUSK IS UPSET HE LOST THE EV MANDATE BUT ‘HE COULD LOSE A LOT MORE THAN THAT’
TRUMP, ASKED ABOUT DEPORTING MUSK, SAYS HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK

* * *
Tesla shares slid in premarket trading in New York following a late-night clash between CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. The feud played out across their respective social media platforms. “Elon Musk knew, long before he so strongly Endorsed me for president, that I was strongly against the EV Mandate. It is ridiculous, and was always a major part of my campaign. Electric cars are fine, but not everyone should be forced to own one. Elon may get more subsidy than any human being in history, by far, and without subsidies, Elon would probably have to close up shop and head back home to South Africa,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The president continued, “No more Rocket launches, Satellites, or Electric Car Production, and our Country would save a FORTUNE. Perhaps we should have DOGE take a good, hard, look at this? BIG MONEY TO BE SAVED!!!” The Truth Social post came after Musk slammed Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” on X ahead of the final vote, vowing to launch a new political party, claiming that Republicans and Democrats are merely a ‘uniparty’ operating with a limitless taxpayer-funded credit card.

Tesla has long benefited from the $7,500 EV tax credit, which the BBB plan aims to eliminate. While this move has been widely anticipated, it could ultimately work in Tesla’s favor, hitting rivals like Rivian, Lucid, and legacy automakers far harder, as many still rely heavily on such subsidies to stay afloat. Tesla shares are down 4% in premarket trading, currently hovering around $303 per share. On the year, shares are down 21%, as of Monday’s close. As for Trump’s threat about “no more rocket launches, satellites” — referring to Musk’s company SpaceX — good luck following through on that. SpaceX is the reason the U.S. is leading the global space race.

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“If they buy more from US sources or countries not on the list, then their costs will remain low. If they don’t, then they must shift the costs in other ways.”

Media Forced To Admit Trump’s Tariffs Are Working As Revenues Spike (ZH)

The debate is raging this week over increased government spending and the potential raising of the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, with many fiscal conservatives splitting with the GOP and the Trump Administration over what they feel is a betrayal of their campaign promises to reduce government waste. Trump argues that all the elements included in his “big beautiful bill” are necessary in order to revitalize the US economy and break from the interdependency of the current globalist model. Can the dollar continue to absorb the pressure of ever increasing debt obligations? Is there a way to cut the debt without cutting spending? At least one aspect of Trump’s fiscal plan is showing success in this area despite the warnings of critics; the establishment media has been forced to admit that the administration’s tariff efforts are actually working.

The US has collected over $121 billion in revenues from tariffs on imported goods, and despite claims that tariffs are a “tax on the consumer”, prices on the shelf have not risen so far. Opponents of the policy are struggling to explain the data. Some still argue that disaster is right around the corner while others are acknowledging that there is a potential to pay off US debt over time if the import duties remain in place for the long term. Misconceptions about tariffs lead the public to believe that they are a tax on foreign producers or governments, but tariffs are in fact taxes on companies sourcing products internationally from nations on the duties list. The taxes place the responsibility of adaptation on corporations – If they buy more from US sources or countries not on the list, then their costs will remain low. If they don’t, then they must shift the costs in other ways.

Raising prices is the last thing any company not producing necessities wants to do. Consumers can easily cut back on peripheral goods. In other words, the assertion that tariffs are a hidden tax on the public is rooted in a lack of understanding on import duties and how they affect markets. Consumers will buy from producers that keep prices down by adapting to the tariffs, and there are many ways to adapt. It’s that simple. Democrats and some conservatives argued that prices would rise exponentially as international corporations immediately deferred costs on consumers in order to offset the added expenses on imported raw materials and manufactured goods. They were wrong.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, rose 2.3% in May, modestly above the central bank’s 2% annual target. The May Consumer Price Index rose at an annual rate of 2.4%, cooler than economists expected. Some blame the “front loading” of imports (increased orders of goods before the tariffs went into effect). However, front loading was estimated to act as a stop-gap for only two months (possibly three by some predictions). Tariffs were initiated in February and though there have been fluctuations it’s been five months waiting for the tariff asteroid to explode American wallets and nothing has happened.

Will companies eventually shift the tariff burden on American consumers over the next year? A better question would be can they shift the burden in a weaker retail market? Would they take the risk of plunging sales? Or will they do what they should have been doing all along: Buy a larger percentage of their goods from US producers and bring manufacturing back home? At the current rate, tariffs could generate around $300 billion by the end of this year and $1.2 trillion over the next four years. It’s not enough to offset increased debt spending, but it does offer an alternative to hiking taxes on the general public (which is what Democrats would do). And if inflation concerns continue to prove over-hyped, then the tariff model could remain in place for many years to come.

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All they needed was a credible excuse.

Pentagon Halts Weapons Supplies To Kiev Over Depleting Stockpiles (RT)

The Pentagon has suspended shipments of several categories of US-made weapons to Ukraine, according to Politico and NBC News. The decision reportedly followed an internal review of American weapons reserves ordered by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, amid rising concerns about the rate at which munitions are being depleted. The move reportedly affects dozens of Patriot missile interceptors, Stinger and AIM air-to-air missiles, hundreds of Hellfire and GMLRS systems, as well as thousands of 155mm artillery shells that Washington had previously pledged to Kiev. Some of the weapons were already positioned in Europe have now been withheld before handover to Ukrainian forces, NBC reported. The weapons in question had been funded under the Biden administration through two mechanisms: direct drawdowns from existing US military stockpiles and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which contracts new production from defense contractors.

The Trump administration has not requested any additional Ukraine aid, and existing resources are expected to last only “several more months,” according to Politico. White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly defended the move as a necessary step to prioritize American defense needs. “This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe. The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran,” she said, without confirming any details. The decision to freeze or slow-walk the remaining aid without formal notice to Congress may raise legal concerns similar to the 2019 withholding of some Ukraine assistance under Trump’s first administration –a move the Government Accountability Office ruled unlawful at the time, Politico noted.

Kiev has repeatedly voiced frustration over what it sees as dwindling support from Washington. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky met with President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague last week but received no firm promises. Trump said Patriots were “very hard to get” and that the US needed them for its own defense and for Israel. Trump has stated he intends to negotiate a ceasefire with Moscow and bring the conflict to an end. Hegseth said last month that the White House is reducing military funding for Kiev as part of its “America First” strategy and in hopes of achieving a diplomatic settlement.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration signed a deal giving the US priority access to Ukraine’s mineral wealth –a step the White House said would allow America to “get back” some of the hundreds of billions spent under Biden. The Pentagon’s policy shift appears to reflect a broader realignment under Trump, who has publicly questioned the rationale behind endless aid to Ukraine. Russian presidential envoy and head of the Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, noted that the move “highlights the real limits of Western capacity and the shifting priorities of the US military.”

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“Perhaps he foresees – being such a prophet – that this catastrophic, in my view, increase in NATO countries’ budgets will also lead to the organization’s collapse.”

‘Catastrophic’ Budget Increase Will Destroy NATO – Lavrov (RT)

The results of NATO countries hiking military budgets will be “catastrophic” and lead to the bloc’s collapse, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. His remarks mirrored Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s earlier suggestion that a boost in Moscow’s defense spending could trigger the fall of the government. At NATO’s most recent summit last month in the Hague, member states committed to spending 5% of GDP on the military – a significant rise from the previous 2% target. Poland backed the hike, arguing that failing to achieve the new benchmark “as soon as possible” would pose a ‘‘threat’‘ to the bloc considering the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

In an interview with Polish media, Sikorski drew a parallel between modern Russia and the late USSR. Referring to President Vladimir Putin, he stated that “he himself once said that the Soviet Union fell because it spent too much on armament, and now he is doing exactly the same thing.” Meanwhile, speaking to the press at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Foreign Ministers Council in Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Lavrov took issue with Sikorski’s characterization, countering: “Perhaps he foresees – being such a prophet – that this catastrophic, in my view, increase in NATO countries’ budgets will also lead to the organization’s collapse.”

Lavrov also said that Russia “plans to reduce its military spending,” which now accounts for 6.3% of GDP, and “be guided by common sense, but not made-up threats like NATO member states, including Sikorsky.” The 5% GDP target faced opposition from some NATO members. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country could not allocate one-fifth of its state budget to defense, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the goal “not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.”

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Makes the ‘war on Russia’ narrative much harder to maintain.

Putin and Macron Talk For First Time In Three Years – Kremlin (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron by telephone, the Kremlin press service said on Tuesday. It is the first phone contact between the leaders since September 2022. The conversation revolved around the situation in the Middle East, as well as the Ukraine conflict. During the call, Putin told Macron that the Ukraine conflict was “a direct consequence of the policies pursued by Western states, which for many years ignored Russia’s security interests,” and had established an “anti-Russian bridgehead” in the country, the press service stated. The Russian leader reiterated Moscow’s approach to any settlement, stating that it must “be comprehensive and long-term, address the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and be based on new territorial realities.”

Putin and Macron also discussed the situation in the Middle East, namely the recent escalation between Israel and Iran. The two leaders agreed that diplomacy was the way forward, the Kremlin press service noted, adding that they agreed to maintain contact for the sake of “possible coordination of the positions.” Both countries share a “special responsibility” to maintain “peace and security,” as well as to preserve the “global nuclear non-proliferation regime,” the two men agreed, according to Moscow. “In this regard, the importance of respecting Tehran’s legitimate right to develop peaceful nuclear energy and continuing to fulfill its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including cooperation with the IAEA, was emphasized,” the Kremlin press service said.

France has long asserted itself as one of Kiev’s key backers in the conflict with Moscow. Paris has committed more than €3.7 billion ($4.1 billion) in military assistance to Ukraine since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, according to the Kiel Institute’s aid tracker. Macron has also repeatedly floated the idea of deploying French soldiers to Ukraine. While the deployment never materialized, Paris repeatedly signaled that troops could be sent after the end of hostilities to act as a deterrent against Russia. Moscow has firmly opposed Western forces in Ukraine in any role, warning the it could trigger an all-out war between Russia and NATO.

In recent months, however, Macron has softened his stance, admitting back in May that the French have done “the maximum we could” to help and could no longer supply Ukraine with weapons. Last week, the French president said that NATO’s European members have no wish to “endlessly” arm themselves and should “think about” restoring dialogue with Russia “right now” in order to negotiate broader European security as part of a potential Ukraine peace deal.

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“..the new designation of the project would make raising money for it easier and would also “override bureaucratic obstacles..”

Italy Could Classify $13.5 Billion Bridge As NATO Spending – Poltico (RT)

Italian authorities are looking to classify a long-term project to construct a bridge connecting the mainland to the island of Sicily as a NATO expenditure amid their struggle to meet the bloc’s spending goals, according to Politico. The idea of creating an overpass to the largest island in the Mediterranean had been discussed in Italy for many decades, but its realization has been hampered by high costs, the difficulty of operating in a seismic zone and other issues. If built by the current government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the 3.6-km-long suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina will become the longest in the world. In its article on Monday, Politico described Italy as “one of NATO’s lowest military spenders,” with Rome investing only 1.49% of its GDP in defense last year, a far cry from the 5% goal approved at the bloc’s summit in The Hague in June.

Marking the $13.5 billion bridge as a NATO spending could help Meloni meet the bloc’s 5% target and, at the same time, “convince a war-wary public of the need for major defense outlays at a time when Italy is already inching toward austerity,” the article read. An unnamed Italian government official told the outlet that no formal decision has yet been made by Rome on classifying the bridge as a security project, but further talks would likely be held soon to “see how feasible this feels.” According to another official from the Italian Treasury, who also talked to Politico, the new designation of the project would make raising money for it easier and would also “override bureaucratic obstacles, litigation with local authorities that could challenge the government in court claiming that the bridge will disproportionately damage their land.”

The problem for Rome is that the Strait of Messina lies outside of Italy’s only designated NATO military mobility corridor, the article pointed out. However, the Italian case is backed by the fact that only 3.5% from the NATO spending target must be allocated for core military needs, while the remaining 1.5% could be steered toward broader strategic resilience projects, including infrastructure. “Whether NATO — and more importantly, US President Donald Trump, who loves a big building project — will buy into that logic is another matter,” Politico noted.

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They do it on purpose?

1 in 5 Illegal Migrants Now Simply Flying Into Germany (RMX)

In the past 12 months, the German Federal Police have identified 12,858 illegal migrants who entered Germany by air, a significant number that is on the rise. Now, migrants are increasingly choosing simply to fly into Germany instead of dealing with the long ordeal of crossing multiple borders in dangerous conditions. This increase in migrants flying into Germany jumped after Germany tightened border controls.In May of this year alone, at least 977 illegal entries were recorded using air travel to enter Germany, accounting for over 20 percent of all identified illegal border crossings.However, the true number of such crossings is likely much higher, as foreign nationals traveling within the Schengen area are not required to show identification. As a result, they are often only discovered long after they have left the airport, making it impossible to turn them back.

“It would be consistent to also notify the Schengen air borders,” said Heiko Teggatz, a board member of the German Police Union (DPolG).“If the smugglers aren’t completely stupid, they’ll simply bring their people from other Schengen states to Germany by plane. Today, you can easily book a plane ticket within the Schengen area, and you generally don’t have to show your ID anywhere.”All of this information came from a government response from Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) after Alternative for Germany (AfD) MP Gottfried Curio, the party’s domestic policy spokesperson, launched an inquiry.Dobrindt was forced to acknowledge that the tightened controls “refer exclusively to the land borders,” meaning no illegal migrants were turned back at airports.

This trend of illegal entry by plane has intensified since the new federal government instructed officials to begin rejecting asylum seekers at internal borders. Teggatz confirmed this “increase in secondary migration via airports,” noting that “Medium-sized commercial airports like Hanover are particularly affected.” Despite hundreds of officers being deployed at German airports, checks are almost exclusively conducted on flights from outside the Schengen area. That means if a migrant makes it to Greece and manages to get on a plane to Germany, there is little chance he will be checked.= Dobrindt, like his predecessor, Nancy Faeser (SPD), has reported rejections of migrants coming into Germany, but only from land borders. It remains unclear why airports were not included in tightened border measures.

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People don’t go to Poland to stay there; they’re on their way to Germany.

Poland Reintroduces Immigration Controls (RT)

Poland has decided to temporarily reintroduce border controls along its frontiers with Germany and Lithuania to stop the flow of illegal migrants. All three nations are part of the Schengen Area, which allows free travel across most of the bloc. The EU has been grappling with a refugee crisis since at least 2015, largely caused by upheavals in the Middle East and Africa, and later by the Ukraine conflict. Warsaw has previously accused German police of “dumping” thousands of migrants back across the Polish border. Some activists have organized self-styled ‘citizen border patrols’ along the German frontier. “We remain advocates for freedom of movement in Europe, but only on condition that there is the shared will of all neighbors… to minimize the uncontrolled flow of migrants across our borders,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

He stated that temporary border controls would similarly be implemented on Poland’s border with Lithuania.In 2023, neighboring Germany, the EU’s top destination for asylum seekers, introduced temporary controls on its borders with Poland and the Czech Republic to stem the flow. Most of the people entering Poland travel on to western Europe, where benefits for asylum seekers are more generous. Berlin has since repeatedly renewed the controls. Under the Schengen agreement, participant nations are allowed to temporarily reintroduce border controls in emergency situations, with the Covid-19 outbreak having been one recent instance. Tighter national migration and border control policies could lead to the destruction of the EU, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned in May.

Commenting on the restoration of control on the Polish-Lithuanian border, Tusk accused the Baltic state, as well as neighboring Latvia, of having lax border controls. The lapses have supposedly allowed illegal migrants to cross over from non-EU Belarus, and subsequently to enter Poland. Since 2021, Warsaw has accused Minsk and Moscow of deliberately orchestrating the flow of illegal migrants into EU states. Russia and Belarus have denied the allegations.

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“If Netanyahu has any sense, he will let Trump rescue the Israeli people.”

President Trump’s Plan for the Middle East (Paul Craig Roberts)

In discussion yesterday with Nima on Dialogue Works about the Israeli-Iranian-Trump-Netanyahu ongoings, I suggested a bold and innovative plan for the Middle East that Trump should present to the world in a speech to the UN General Assembly. I even offered to write the speech. https://www.youtube.com/live/L-8j_NSxC14 I formed the plan from mulling over insights into Trump’s attitude toward the Middle East from Gilbert Doctorow, Michel Chossudovsky, and from Trump’s news conference with Netanyahu when Trump stated Washington’s claim to Gaza as an American possession. Doctorow pointed out that it was irrelevant whether Trump had destroyed the three underground Iranian nuclear sites. What mattered is that Trump’s assertion, true or false, had destroyed Netanyahu’s excuse for war with Iran. Is Netanyahu going to risk Washington’s protection by contradicting President Trump?

Chossudovsky pointed out that in the press conference at which Trump stated Washington’s claim to Gaza, Trump expressed the idea of a Gaza resort as the anchor for an American Middle East colony in place of Greater Israel. In front of Netanyahu Trump unveiled a vision of a Middle East made rich by American management. It would be a different kind of colonial management from the British/French approach that extracted assets and sent them home to Britain and France. Trump envisioned a partnership in which the “colonies” would be shareholders sharing in the profits from economic development. This would be good for Israel as well. When a presstitute asked Netanyahu his opinion, Netanyahu did not disavow it.

I was surprised that Trump’s claim to Gaza and its reconstruction and his idea of a reconstruction of the Middle Eastern countries that previous US regimes had destroyed for Israel did not get a big news play. But Chossudovsky saw it, and he helped me to see it. Ask yourselves, Is there any better solution to the Israeli-Muslim problem in the Middle East? Israel is smaller in area than New Jersey. Iran is 2.5 times larger than Texas. Israel has fewer than 10 million people. Iran has more than 90 million people. Iran can produce modern missiles in greater quantities than Israel can be supplied from the US. In a recent news conference in a demonstration of Israeli insanity, Netanyahu added the territory of Pakistan to Greater Israel. Pakistan has nuclear weapons and a population of 250 million.

Israel has zero chance of winning a war with Iran and the same for Pakistan. Israel knows this but is confident that the power that the Israel Lobby can exert over dumbshit American’s lives and money guarantees that Americans will fight more wars for Israel. The Israeli-subsidized Christian Zionists–a contradiction of terms–are all for it. Amazing, isn’t it, Israel has even corrupted Christian evangelicals, paying their preachers to send Americans to war for Israel. What might be reducing Israel’s control over America is the weakened position of Netanyahu, under two Israeli court indictments for crimes, and by the destruction inflicted on Israel by its irresponsible attack on Iran, culminating in Netanyahu’s plea to Trump to stop the war before Israel had to sue for peace.

This leaves Trump with the upper hand. Israel now understands that it cannot exist without Washington’s protection. Thus Trump can force Netanyahu to give up the unrealistic Zionist goal of Greater Israel and comply with Trump’s vision of a colony under America’s redevelopment of the Middle East. If Trump would take this plan to the UN, it would silence Israel and the American neoconservative zionists and save us from war that could turn nuclear. If Trump establishes peace and cooperation in the Middle East, he can do the same with the West and Russia. Russia was the ally of Britain and France in both WW I and WW II. It is not difficult to come to terms with a former ally. There is no ideological reason and no territorial reason for conflict between the West and Russia.

Think about America’s waste of resources and prestige during the first quarter of the 21st century. Trillions of dollars spend destroying Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Somalia with zero gain. No one except military/security war profits got anything from these wars. There was no terrorist threat. Washington brought no one democracy, only destruction. Think about the destruction Washington brought to entire countries for no purpose than Israel’s absurd idea of a Greater Israel. The millions of dead, permanently maimed, and dislocated people, many of whom have located in Europe and the US burdening those taxpayers with their upkeep. WHO BENEFITTED??

Let’s give Trump a chance. An American partnership in the Middle East is far better than the conflicts inherent in Greater Israel. If Israel refuses to go along, Trump should just run over them. Israel is of no consequence in the world. Israel since its existence has never been anything except a cause of conflict, death, and destruction. Why a people like this has been tolerated, I do not know. Can Sunni and Shia be brought together and Muslims brought together with Jews? Seems fantastic. But perhaps they will see it as preferable to the continuation of endless bloodshed. If Netanyahu has any sense, he will let Trump rescue the Israeli people.

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Too many dead Gazans for a real ceasefire.

Trump Says Israel Agrees To 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire, Urges Hamas To Accept (ZH)

President Trump said Tuesday that Israel has agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and warned Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. Trump announced the development as he prepares to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for talks at the White House on Monday. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war in Gaza. “My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” Trump wrote, saying the Qataris and Egyptians would deliver the final proposal.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better – IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he said. Trump’s promise that it was his best and final offer may find a sceptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war’s longest ceasefire in March, Trump has repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid to Gaza’s civilian populace. Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer was in Washington on Tuesday for talks with senior administration officials to discuss a potential Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters. Dermer was expected to meet with US Vice-President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump repeated his hope for forging an Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal next week. Asked if it was time to put pressure on Netanyahu to get a ceasefire deal done, Trump said the Israeli prime minister was ready to come to an agreement. “He wants to,” Trump said of Netanyahu in an exchange with reporters while visiting a new immigration detention facility in Florida. “I think we’ll have a deal next week.” Talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over a major sticking point – whether the war should end as part of any ceasefire agreement. About 50 hostages remain captive in Gaza, with less than half believed to be alive.

The development came as over 150 international charities and humanitarian groups called on Tuesday for disbanding a controversial Israeli- and US-backed system to distribute aid in Gaza because of chaos and deadly violence against Palestinians seeking food at its sites. The joint statement by groups including Oxfam, Save the Children and Amnesty International followed the killings of at least 10 Palestinians who were seeking desperately needed food, witnesses and health officials said. Meanwhile, Israeli air strikes killed at least 37 in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, according to Nasser Hospital. “Tents, tents they are hitting with two missiles?” asked Um Seif Abu Leda, whose son was killed in the strikes. Mourners threw flowers on the body bags.

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“On Monday, President Donald Trump lifted most US sanctions on Syria in order to facilitate the flow of foreign aid for the country’s reconstruction.”

Syria Could Drop Demand That Israel Return The Golan Heights (RT)

Former warlord Ahmad al-Sharaa, who seized power in Syria last year, may abandon the country’s claim to sovereignty over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in exchange for normalized ties with West Jerusalem, according to a report by Lebanese media. Israel captured a large portion of the 1,800 square kilometer region of Syria’s Quneitra Governorate during the 1967 war and effectively annexed it in 1981. Amid the turmoil during al-Sharaa’s rise to power, the IDF seized additional territory. The IDF has also carried out multiple airstrikes against Syrian troops loyal to the current government, which West Jerusalem said were intended to protect the local Druze population, an ethnoreligious minority community which inhabits the contested region.

Lebanese broadcaster LBCI reported Monday that the two countries could normalize relations as part of a broad agreement. Under the proposed deal, Israel would recognize al-Sharaa’s legitimacy, withdraw troops from areas seized since his December takeover, and agree to Syria’s military presence near its borders with Israel and Jordan, with certain restrictions. In exchange, “Israel is expected to secure full sovereignty” over the Golan Heights, LBCI said, citing sources familiar with Syrian affairs. The report added that internal hardliner opposition, including from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the jihadist group formerly led by al-Sharaa – could derail the effort.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Monday that Israel will maintain control of the Golan Heights under any future peace arrangement with Syria. Al-Sharaa has sought international recognition since ousting President Bashar Assad. Under former President Barack Obama, the United States aimed to remove Assad through a combination of sanctions and covert support for anti-government armed groups labeled “moderate rebels.” On Monday, President Donald Trump lifted most US sanctions on Syria in order to facilitate the flow of foreign aid for the country’s reconstruction.

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“..if Trump didn’t win, he’d leave the country. Elon replied: “There’s nowhere to go.” That moment stuck with Thiel. Mars, once a symbol of civilizational escape and ambition, no longer felt like a real option—even to Musk..”

AI Is The Only Thing Keeping The World From Total Stagnation – Peter Thiel (Flor)

Peter Thiel just did the most mind-exploding, crazy interview I’ve ever listened to. It’s so drastic, I still don’t know what to think – other than everyone should listen to it. So I dissected it piece by piece and organized it to draw some conclusions.nThis is what you cannot miss:

1. We are stuck. Thiel still believes in his “stagnation thesis.” His point? We’ve exited a 200-year period of accelerating change—1750 to 1970 was all about breakthroughs in physical reality: faster ships, railroads, cars, planes. It culminated in the Concorde and Apollo. But since then? Nothing. We’ve made marginal progress in “the world of bits” (internet, mobile, AI), but that’s not the same as reshaping the physical world. In biotech or cancer research, for example, progress is either negligible or cloaked in over-specialization that makes it impossible to track. As Thiel puts it: “The fact that it’s so hard to answer [whether we’re progressing] is itself cause for skepticism.”

2. Our future has been stolen—and it looks nothing like Back to the Future. Back to the Future II imagined 2015 as a world of flying cars, skateboards and radical transformation. What we got instead was smartphones and cars that look the same. Thiel’s kids watching 1985 on screen couldn’t tell it apart from today. “The world seems fairly similar.” That’s the cultural proof of stagnation: if a time traveler from 1985 landed in 2025, they’d be confused by the phone, but everything else would feel familiar. And the economic metric? Ask millennials: How are you doing compared to your parents? For most, the answer is worse.

3. We need to take more risks. Biotech is stuck. “We’ve made zero progress on dementia or Alzheimer’s in 40–50 years,” Thiel says. Scientists are trapped in a dead-end “beta-amyloid” theory that doesn’t work but keeps getting funded. We need to radically increase the risks we’re willing to take in medicine, aging, and beyond. Thiel wants a cultural return to the ambition of early modernity—Francis Bacon, Condorcet—when science promised immortality, not regulation. He tells the story of taking his PayPal team to a “freezing party” in 1999, where people bought cryonics insurance. “That was the last generation who still believed they could live forever.”

4. The moment Peter Thiel realized Elon lost faith in going to Mars. In 2024, Thiel joked to Elon Musk that if Trump didn’t win, he’d leave the country. Elon replied: “There’s nowhere to go.” That moment stuck with Thiel. Mars, once a symbol of civilizational escape and ambition, no longer felt like a real option—even to Musk. Why? Because “the woke AI and the socialist government would follow you to Mars.” The dream of Mars as a frontier for freedom had died. It was no longer a science project—it had become a political one. Thiel calls 2024 “the year Elon stopped believing in Mars.”

5. Will AI become stagnationist? AI is the only real exception to our stagnation—but Thiel worries it might reinforce it. He calls AI “more than a nothingburger, less than a total transformation.” Like the internet in the 1990s, it might boost GDP by 1% a year—but won’t restart the engines of human progress. And worse: it could become conformist intelligence. Like a Netflix algorithm that generates infinite okay-ish content, AI might flood the world with blandness, not breakthroughs. “If you don’t have AI, there’s nothing going on,” Thiel says. But he also warns: if AI becomes too “woke” or compliant, it will deepen the very stagnation it claims to solve.

6. Is AI hype—or is it transhumanism? Thiel sees modern transhumanism as not ambitious enough. It’s not that changing your body is weird—it’s that it’s pathetic compared to what early modern thinkers (and even Christianity) aimed for. “Transhumanism is just changing your body. But you also need to transform your soul.” He notes: the word nature never appears in the Old Testament. The Judeo-Christian story is about transcending nature—with God’s help. The critique of today’s “trans” ideas, he argues, isn’t that they go too far. It’s that they don’t go far enough.

7. The risk of the one-world totalitarian state: how the Antichrist would take over the world. Thiel introduces his most apocalyptic idea: that existential risk (AI, nukes, bioweapons) is being used to justify global governance. This leads to the ultimate form of stagnation: “a one-world state of the Antichrist.” The logic is seductive: to avoid destruction, centralize control. Nuclear weapons? A global authority must manage them. Dangerous AI? Global compute regulation. Thiel’s framing: The atheist slogan = “One world or none.” The Christian framing = “Antichrist or Armageddon.” The twist? The Antichrist doesn’t come with innovation. He comes with regulation. He offers “peace and safety”—and people submit.

8. Is Peter Thiel building the tools for the Antichrist? Thiel’s critics could argue: if anyone’s enabling global surveillance and control, isn’t it Thiel himself—via Palantir and military tech investments? He acknowledges the irony. He doesn’t believe he’s doing that, but concedes that many of the tools he’s helped build could be used that way. He warns that we’re already ruled—softly—by global regulators. The FDA doesn’t just control drugs in the U.S., but worldwide. Same with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. “Nuclear power was supposed to be the technology of the 21st century,” he says. “And it somehow has gotten off-ramped all over the world.”

9. Are we already living under a moderate rule of the Antichrist? Thiel floats a chilling thought: what if the Antichrist isn’t a coming tyrant—but the mild technocracy we already live in? 50 years of “peace and safety” have come at the cost of progress. He cites 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly…” Still, he insists we have agency. He rejects Calvinism and determinism. “There’s a huge scope for human freedom. Don’t wait for the lion to eat you.”

Read more …

“They were the party of free speech,” he continued. “When President Trump started advocating for free speech… the Democrats became openly for censorship.”

Kennedy Labels US Democrats ‘War Party’ (RT)

US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has accused the Democratic Party of abandoning its traditional values and transforming into a pro-war, pro-censorship force defined largely by opposition to President Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging interview with conservative talk show host Tucker Carlson published Monday, Kennedy said the Democratic Party now instinctively reverses positions as soon as Trump adopts them. “The Democrats were the anti-war party,” Kennedy said. “But as soon as [Trump] expressed his opposition to the Ukraine war, they became the war party.” “They were the party of free speech,” he continued. “When President Trump started advocating for free speech… the Democrats became openly for censorship.”

Kennedy, a longtime Democrat who briefly ran as an independent candidate in 2024 before supporting Trump and joining his cabinet in early 2025, said he continues to champion the same principles but now faces opposition from former allies. “These were people I was friends with my whole life and I have not changed… but the party has just a knee-jerk reaction against anything that is Trump,” he told Carlson. Kennedy added that Democrats, once critical of the CIA and trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), shifted to support both once Trump voiced criticism. He also accused the party of undermining women’s sports, noting that his uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, had helped write Title IX, a US federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination.

“You can go on and on with those examples, but President Trump is literally dictating the platform of the Democratic Party. Anything that he says, they’re going to be against,” he said, noting that this pattern reflects a deeper problem in American politics. “You know that partisanship by its nature is dishonest and it is the enemy of democracy,” RFK Jr. warned. “And in George Washington’s farewell speech, he said that he was very frightened about the rise of the political party because they would become self-interested rather than patriotic.”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 inoculations and promoting the claim that they are linked to autism –a theory widely rejected by the scientific community.

He was also a vocal critic of the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 response measures, including lockdowns and the rapid rollout of experimental vaccines. Despite his controversial reputation, Kennedy denies being opposed to immunization, noting that his own children have been vaccinated. He has repeatedly stated that he advocates for stricter safety testing and more rigorous studies. After Kennedy endorsed Trump, the president vowed to give him broad authority over healthcare policy, saying he would let Kennedy “go wild.” Kennedy said most opposition to his policies as Health Secretary comes not from industry experts but from media and political operatives. “I get opposition from proxies to the industry. Yes. And I think the major opposition that I feel is from the mainstream media and from Democrats,” he said.

Read more …

“And the Democrats have him pegged as a guy who’s sort of sitting in the Cabinet meeting talking about how can we make billionaires richer. He’s the opposite of that. He’s a genuine populist,” Kennedy said.

RFK Jr. Unloads Disturbing Vaccine Secrets On Tucker (VF)

It’s not every day an active HHS Secretary sits down for 90 minutes straight with Tucker Carlson. But that’s exactly what happened, and Kennedy instantly seized Carlson’s attention with a chilling story of CDC corruption. He revealed that the health agency buried a 1999 internal study led by researcher Thomas Verstraten, which showed an alarming 1135% increase in autism risk from the hepatitis B vaccine. Kennedy said the researchers were “shocked” by the findings. So what did they do? They covered it up, according to Kennedy. “They got rid of all the older children essentially and just had younger children who are too young to be diagnosed [with autism].” RFK Jr. then explained the real reason why your pediatrician will kick you out of their practice for refusing vaccines.

“There’s a published article out there now that says that 50% of revenues to most pediatricians come from vaccines.” It’s all about the money. The higher the vaccination rate, the bigger the bonus. “And that’s why your pediatrician, if you say I want to go slow on the vaccines… will throw you out of his practice because you’re now jeopardizing that bonus structure.” To the claim that the vaccine–autism link has been “debunked,” Kennedy had a message for Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and everyone who smugly insists on it. “None of the vaccines given to children in the first six months of life have ever been studied for autism.” Let that sink in. He went further, revealing that the CDC actually did find a link when they studied the DTaP vaccine.

But they dismissed it. Kennedy said they claimed it “didn’t count” because the data came from VAERS—the very system they use to track vaccine injuries. So when the evidence pointed to harm, they simply claimed their own system wasn’t reliable enough and took no steps to fix it. The vaccine corruption didn’t end there. Kennedy attested that the CDC killed off a vaccine injury reporting system that actually worked—because it worked too well. It showed that 1 in 37 vaccines caused an injury. Tucker was stunned. “Of all vaccines?” he asked. “Yeah,” Kennedy confirmed. RFK Jr. explained that the CDC funded a study led by researcher Ross Lazarus. It compared a sophisticated machine-counting system to VAERS. What did they find? VAERS was failing to catch over 99% of vaccine injuries.

The new system also revealed that 2.6% of all vaccinations resulted in an injury. So what did the CDC do? They shut it down in 2010. And they’re still using VAERS today—even though it’s a completely inadequate system. But Kennedy didn’t stop at old vaccine scandals. He also broke down Pfizer’s own COVID vaccine trial data. That trial showed a 23% higher death rate in the vaccinated group. Pfizer gave 21,720 people the vaccine and 21,728 the placebo. One vaccinated person died of COVID. Two placebo recipients died. They used this tiny difference to claim “100% effective” based on relative risk reduction. But in absolute terms, it took 22,000 vaccinations to save one life. Over six months, 21 vaccinated participants died of all causes, compared to 17 in the placebo group—a 23.5% higher death rate.

And then there’s vaccine spokesperson Paul Offit, often seen on CNN and other mainstream networks. Kennedy shared an infuriating story about how he literally “voted himself rich” on the rotavirus vaccine. While serving on the CDC’s ACIP committee, Offit voted to add rotavirus vaccination to the childhood schedule—even as he was developing his own competing vaccine. He guaranteed demand for his product. The first approved rotavirus vaccine, RotaShield, was yanked from the market for causing dangerous intussusception. Offit’s vaccine, RotaTeq, eventually replaced it. He and his partners later sold their rights to Merck for $186 million. As RFK Jr. said, Offit literally “voted himself rich.” When Carlson mentioned Fauci, Kennedy revealed how Fauci funded research that helped scientists hide evidence of lab-made viruses. The technique, called “seamless ligation,” allowed researchers to engineer viruses in a lab without leaving telltale genetic fingerprints.

RFK Jr. explained: “One of his fundees, Ralph Baric, from the University of North Carolina, developed a technique called the seamless ligation technique, which is a technique for hiding the laboratory origins of a manipulated virus.” “… normally if there’s a virus manipulated, researchers can look at the DNA sequences and they can say this thing was created in a lab. Ralph Baric had developed a technique that he called the no-see technique and its technical name was seamless ligation, and it was a way of hiding evidence of human tampering.” He called it the exact opposite of what real public health work should be. Carlson cut in, saying, “That’s what you would do if you’re creating viruses for biological warfare.”

The conversation shifted to Trump, leading to one of the biggest highlights of the entire interview. First, Kennedy explained that Trump chose his cabinet in an unorthodox way: he wanted to see three clips of each candidate performing on TV before considering them for the job. “One of the things with President Trump is that he really knows how to pick talent… For every one of the positions that he picked, he wanted to see three clips of them performing on TV. He’s very conscious of the fact that these people are going to be out selling his program to the public,” Kennedy said. That’s when Kennedy ended the interview with a bang, sharing his genuine thoughts about Trump for three straight minutes. It was one of the standout moments of the entire conversation.

If you’re on the fence about Trump, listen to Kennedy here. It might just change how you see him. “I had him pegged as a narcissist, when narcissists are incapable of empathy. And he’s one of the most empathetic people that I’ve met,” Kennedy said. “He’s immensely curious, inquisitive, and immensely knowledgeable. He’s encyclopedic in certain areas that you wouldn’t expect,” he continued. Kennedy added that Trump genuinely cares about soldiers who go to war, citing how Trump “always talks about the casualties on both sides” of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. “Whether it’s vaccines or Medicaid or Medicare, he’s always thinking about how this impacts the little guy. And the Democrats have him pegged as a guy who’s sort of sitting in the Cabinet meeting talking about how can we make billionaires richer. He’s the opposite of that. He’s a genuine populist,” Kennedy said.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

Rogan

Hep B

99%

Sun
https://twitter.com/FredsFarm247/status/1939983704379592749

PIANO
https://twitter.com/Ducnghia16/status/1939746838510543130

Cupcakes
https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1939990438389092561

Firefly

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 262025
 


Rembrandt van Rijn Self portrait with Saskia 1636

 

Trump Pushes Back On Pentagon Intel, Says Iran Nuclear Sites ‘Destroyed’ (ZH)
Israel, CIA Agree With Trump On ‘Destruction’ Of Iran’s Nuclear Capability (ZH)
Iran’s Stunning Admission That Proves Trump Was Right (Margolis)
Trump Hoping for Comprehensive Peace Agreement With Iran: Witkoff (ET)
NATO Leaders Agree To 5% Hike In Defense Spending (ZH)
NATO Members’ Leaders Snubbing Zelensky At Key Summit – Orban (RT)
‘Ukraine Is Not In NATO, My Job Is To Keep It That Way: Orbán (RMX)
Trump Denies Discussing Ceasefire With Zelensky (RT)
‘Yapping Bitches In Brussels A Direct Threat To Russia’ – Medvedev (RT)
NATO Boss Calls Trump ‘Daddy’ (RT)
‘Ukraine Can Win’ – New NATO Commander (RT)
Peace Dialogue With Kiev On Hold – Moscow (RT)
Escape from New York: Democrats Embrace Socialist for New Mayor (Turley)
Gold: The Only True Asset in A Broken Global System (Piepenburg)

 

 

The 12-day war is over.

NATO
https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1937510323252285840

Bannon

Candace

Tel Aviv

 

 

 

 

We have 4 sources that say the Iran nuke sites are ‘heavily destroyed’: CIA, Trump admin, Israel and Iran. But networks like CNN will have none of it. You be the judge.

Trump Pushes Back On Pentagon Intel, Says Iran Nuclear Sites ‘Destroyed’ (ZH)

There are two apt sayings for this current situation facing the White House in the wake of the Trump-ordered bombings against Iran’s nuclear facilities. First, what’s worse in war-time decision-making than doing the wrong thing? Doing it incompletely. Second, it is always easy to begin a war, but very difficult to stop one. And so here President Trump and his top officials find themselves, defending the ‘limited’ strikes and proclaiming the destruction of Iran’s nuclear program and enrichment capability in the face of a skeptical media. The escalation dialectic – which the mainstream media is so good at – begins… The heat is on an the NATO summit in The Hague, where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters, “Of course we’re doing a leak investigation with the FBI right now because this information is for internal purposes, battle damage assessments.”

Referencing yesterday’s leaked DIA report which strongly suggests Iran’s nuclear program is “mostly intact” – he continued, “And CNN and others are trying to spin it to make the president look bad when this was an overwhelming success.” And Trump himself said, “They really don’t know.” And in response to the contrary intelligence, “I think Israel is gonna be telling us very soon because [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is going to have people Involved in that whole situation.” “This was an unbelievable hit by genius pilots and genius people in the military, and they’re not being given credit for it because we have scum that’s in this room. And not all of you are… CNN is scum. MSDNC is scum. The New York Times is scum. They’re bad people. They’re sick,” Trump said. “And what they’ve done is they’re trying to make this unbelievable victory into something less.”

And here’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio, somewhat hedging: “(Iran’s nuclear) program today has been set behind significantly from where it was a week ago. It is in far worse shape today than it was a week ago because of US actions and because some of the actions Israelis took,” Rubio told Politico. “So, the bottom line is they are much further away from a nuclear weapon today than they were before the president took this bold action,” he said, adding that “very significant, substantial damage” was done to a “variety of different components.”

Iran has meanwhile admitted that nuclear sites are ‘badly damaged’ – perhaps in hopes of giving Trump what he wants in terms of PR to ensure the bombing will stop and ceasefire will hold; however, the Iranians have also vowed to pursue their nuclear energy program without interruption and that it remains a matter of national sovereignty. To review of the leaked DIA assessment, one official had told CNN: “So the (DIA) assessment is that the US set them back maybe a few months, tops.” The White House acknowledged the existence of the report marked top secret but said they disagreed with it. Trump, Rubio, and Hegseth are in Europe proclaiming the ‘overwhelming success’ of the strikes:

https://twitter.com/Ronxyz00/status/1937816872596189379?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1937816872596189379%7Ctwgr%5E6b630d8b117c227f42c47e2d0ea17b89b3921ebd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Ftrump-pushes-back-pentagon-intel-insists-iran-nuclear-sites-destroyed

So this appears yet another case of the White House disagreeing with its own intelligence community (IC) – in an ongoing awkward situation which has Iraq war vibes. However, without doubt the IC is still working on an overall consensus, based likely on several different intel threads, and across agencies. One obvious danger from the perspective of Western decision-makers (and Israel): if Iran was not intent on getting a bomb before, they likely are now – given their very existence is under threat.

Read more …

“..was Iran’s core nuclear program really destroyed? If everyone can ‘agree’ – at least publicly for the sake of Trump’s narrative – this might mean Iran can simply continue enriching, but truly in secret this time.”

Israel, CIA Agree With Trump On ‘Destruction’ Of Iran’s Nuclear Capability (ZH)

Israel’s military chief of staff as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken up following President Trump’s words before Wednesday’s NATO summit which declared Iran’s nuclear program ‘obliterated’.The Israeli military agrees, saying that the program suffered “systemic” damage and was set back years due to both the Israeli warplane attacks, as well as the large-scale US B-2 bomber raids on three main facilities.”According to the assessment of senior officials in the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Intelligence Directorate, the damage to the nuclear program is not a pinpoint strike but a systemic one – the cumulative achievement allows us to determine that Iran’s nuclear project sustained severe, broad, and deep damage and has been set back by years,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said Wednesday.

The military further declared that IDF’s goal of the “immediate existential threat” from Iran has been met. Trump too said Wednesday, “Last weekend, the United States successfully carried out a massive precision strike on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities and it was very, very successful.” Netanyahu has also offered his agreement – at least on the Fordow site: The US’ strike on the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran has eliminated critically important infrastructure and rendered it inoperable, with attacks by the US and Israel setting back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on behalf of the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC).

“The devastating US strike on Fordow destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,” the statement reads. It noted that this “achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.” Interestingly, the Israeli side is also confirming the use of ground commandos that breached Iran during the 12-day conflict. Commando units, along with the Israeli Air Force, carried out “deception” tactics that helped Israel gain control of Iran’s airspace as well as other strategic goals, the IDF’s Zamir revealed further. “These achievements were made possible, among other things, by the integration and deception carried out by air forces and ground commando units, which operated covertly in the enemy’s depth and granted us operational freedom of action,” he said.

Political cover? War theater? or for real? It’s not just Israel confirming it now. CIA Director John Ratcliffe issued a statement about Intelligence on Iran’s Nuclear Program: “CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.” But all of this again begs the question… was Iran’s core nuclear program really destroyed? If everyone can ‘agree’ – at least publicly for the sake of Trump’s narrative – this might mean Iran can simply continue enriching, but truly in secret this time.

Read more …

“The Iranian foreign ministry admitted that their nuclear facilities were ‘badly damaged’ by U.S. strikes over the weekend after reports surfaced about a low-confidence U.S. intelligence assessment suggesting otherwise..”

Iran’s Stunning Admission That Proves Trump Was Right (Margolis)

It’s a telling moment when the world’s leading state sponsor of terror is more honest about American military success than the so-called guardians of truth in our media. Iran’s regime, notorious for its propaganda and defiance, has now publicly conceded that recent U.S. strikes “badly damaged” its nuclear facilities. “The Iranian foreign ministry admitted that their nuclear facilities were ‘badly damaged’ by U.S. strikes over the weekend after reports surfaced about a low-confidence U.S. intelligence assessment suggesting otherwise,” National Review reports. This is no minor admission — this is Tehran waving a white flag, if only for a moment, and acknowledging that American power still matters. Yet the legacy media, so quick to trumpet any narrative that undermines U.S. strength, have bent over backwards to ignore or diminish this reality.

For years, the media have clung to the delusion that Iran’s nuclear ambitions could be tamed through photo-op diplomacy and hollow gestures — or, under Barack Obama and Joe Biden, by handing over pallets of cash and granting Tehran a fast track to the bomb, all while pretending containment was possible. When President Donald Trump flipped the script with a maximum pressure campaign that crippled Iran’s nuclear trajectory, the media called it reckless. And now, after a flawlessly executed U.S. strike that wiped out key nuclear sites and brought an immediate ceasefire, they’re scrambling to downplay the results.

Rather than acknowledge a clear victory, CNN and others rushed to circulate a conveniently “leaked” intelligence report claiming the operation only set Iran back a few months. The report, conveniently classified until it became politically useful, magically appeared in the hands of CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, best known for pushing the phony Hunter Biden laptop “disinformation” narrative. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wasn’t having it. She torched the report as “flat-out wrong” and slammed CNN for laundering a smear campaign on behalf of the swamp, using an “anonymous, low-level loser” in the intel community as cover.

This isn’t journalism. It’s damage control from a media establishment that still can’t stomach a Trump victory, even when it means stopping Iran from getting the bomb. While traveling in Europe with President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in on the controversy surrounding the intelligence leak about the Iran airstrikes, calling it one of the most frustrating aspects of Washington. In an interview with Politico, Rubio made it clear that the problem isn’t just the leak itself; it’s how the leaked information gets twisted to serve an agenda.

“Well, I can’t talk to you about intelligence,” Rubio began, but he quickly pointed out how dangerous and misleading these leaks can be. “Intelligence leaks are one of the most frustrating things anywhere,” he said, noting that it’s not just about unauthorized disclosures but the way those disclosures are almost always distorted. “In these leaks, what you typically have is someone who read it and then leaks it to the media, giving it the spin and the angle they want it to have because they’ve got some purpose: embarrass the administration, they were against the action, whatever it may be.”Rubio’s comments reflect growing concerns that the so-called intelligence report CNN ran with wasn’t just a breach; it was a political hit job meant to undercut Trump’s successful strike on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran’s rare admission of damage is a crushing blow to the legacy media, which cares more about downplaying American strength than reporting the truth.

Read more …

“..Trump said the war between the U.S. ally and its regional rival “could have gone on for years” and “destroyed the entire Middle East” but that “it didn’t, and never will!”

Trump Hoping for Comprehensive Peace Agreement With Iran: Witkoff (ET)

Talks between the United States and Iran resumed one day after Iran and Israel reached a Washington-brokered cease-fire agreement, Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, said on June 24, describing the discussions as promising. Witkoff made the comments in an interview on Fox News after U.S. President Donald Trump announced on June 23 that a cease-fire deal had been reached to end 12 days of fighting. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Iran would first stop its attacks for 12 hours, after which Israel would stop its attacks. After 24 hours, there would be an official end to the war, he said. Both Iran and Israel accused each other of violating the truce shortly after it was announced.

Despite those early violations, the cease-fire appeared to be holding as of June 24, and Witkoff told Fox News that the Trump administration is hopeful of a long-term peace deal. “With regard to the Iranians, the president has said unequivocally, that he wants to see and is hopeful for a comprehensive peace agreement that goes beyond even the cease-fire. We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising,” Witkoff said. “We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran, that brings it into the league of nations, that creates long-term prosperity for Iran, and most importantly, allows for the [Gulf Cooperation Council] to grow economically,” he said. Iran is not a member of the regional union of countries.

Witkoff said now is the time to sit down with the Iranians and “get to a comprehensive peace agreement,” adding, “I am very confident that we are going to achieve that.” Witkoff’s comments come after Israel launched an air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as part of what it said were efforts to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The Iranian government, which has repeatedly said its uranium enrichment program is peaceful, retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites and cities. In announcing the cease-fire agreement, Trump said the war between the U.S. ally and its regional rival “could have gone on for years” and “destroyed the entire Middle East” but that “it didn’t, and never will!”

He said both nations had agreed to remain peaceful and respectful during the cease-fire, and that, assuming everything works out as it should, the “12-day war” would come to an end. Witkoff reiterated Trump’s comments to Fox News, declaring the conflict over. “Since this conflict began, we’ve been talking to [Iran] about having some sort of peaceful settlement, and Iran’s one caveat has always been that Israel had to stop its campaign,” Witkoff said. “And once Israel fulfilled its objective, which they did, and once the United States fulfilled its objective, which it did … the president was able to go to both parties and get a cease-fire done. “And by the way, the proof is in the pudding. No one’s shooting at each other. It’s over.”

Read more …

https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1937881850908684394

For what it’s worth. First, show us the money.

“There is an irreversible path for Ukraine to join NATO—and that remains true today, and will still be true after this summit..”

NATO Leaders Agree To 5% Hike In Defense Spending (ZH)

As expected, NATO members have agreed to new commitment to significantly boost defense spending, aiming to raise military budgets to 5% of GDP over the next decade—more than double the current 2% benchmark—at the ongoing major annual summit being held in The Hague. The Trump-backed decision is being finalized in Netherlands this week, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte having hailed the proposal as a “quantum leap’ during a press briefing. Trump declared Tuesday that we’re with NATO “all the way”. And on Wednesday he’s expected to give a big address, as all eyes are focused on the Iran bombing and what’s next. Bloomberg notes, also as fully expected and long ago previewed, that the spending target includes 3.5% via core defense and 1.5% in related investment covering infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Rutte and officials gathered in the Netherlands have stressed that all member states must participate, highlighting that Spain’s hesitation over the steep cost—nearly $90 billion annually—will not exempt it from the pledge. “NATO doesn’t allow for opt-outs or side deals,” he has firmly stated. The increased funding is intended to dramatically scale up NATO’s military production, including building thousands of tanks and multiplying air defense systems by five, at a moment the alliance is staring down Russia amid the Ukraine war, where Moscow forces are establishing a huge buffer zone in the north and east, and actually increasing territory beyond Donetsk’s western border.

WikiLeaks meanwhile says the arms companies will continue to be the only real winners…

Rutte has of course identified Russia as NATO’s “most significant and direct threat” and reiterated full support for Ukraine, despite Washington having named China has America’s ‘top pacing threat’ and long-term main miliary and economic rival. Of course, alliance has already funneled hundreds of billions of dollars into a conflict with Russia that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of lives on both sides, and Ukraine losing about 20% of its territory.NATO leaders as of Wednesday have vowed to keep pursuing Ukraine’s path to membership, with Rutte emphasizing that the question of accession was never ruled out, especially not before the war. “There is an irreversible path for Ukraine to join NATO—and that remains true today, and will still be true after this summit,” he has said.

Read more …

“Orban being Orban delivered the response the Europeans did not want to hear. Trump is great. Russia is not scary. The biggest threat to the EU is their continued slide away from competitive economics. As to Zelenskyy, NATO has no business in Ukraine.”

NATO Members’ Leaders Snubbing Zelensky At Key Summit – Orban (RT)

Several NATO members, including the US, are deliberately avoiding meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky at the bloc’s key summit in The Hague, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has claimed. Speaking prior to the gathering on Wednesday, Orban noted that Zelensky would only attend the informal dinner and “will not participate in the NATO summit in any official form,” indicating that “a clear sign that the previous chapter is over.” The Hungarian prime minister went on to explain that this is a drastic change compared to previous years, stating that “the Americans, the Turks, the Slovaks, and we have made it clear that we do not want to sit at the same table with Zelensky when it comes to NATO.” He further stressed Hungary’s continued opposition to Ukraine joining NATO or the EU.

Orban has repeatedly warned that Kiev’s membership in any of the blocs would drag the West into a direct conflict with Russia. Meanwhile, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto noted that the 2025 summit would be the first since 2022 where the focus would be not on stepping up support for Ukraine, but on strengthening the bloc’s collective defense. “With Ukraine’s NATO membership off the agenda, direct confrontation with Russia has been avoided. Rationality has prevailed,” he added. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he would “probably” meet with Zelensky on the sidelines of the summit. At the same time, he described the Ukrainian leader as being in a “tough situation,” adding that he “should have never been there.”

In another sign of the simmering tensions between Zelensky and Trump, the Washington Post reported that NATO leaders are “tiptoeing around rifts” during the summit, trying to showcase “a veneer of unity”. The paper reported that “NATO officials are trying to keep [Trump and Zelensky] apart as much as possible in public — a recognition of Trump’s occasionally volcanic disdain for the Ukrainian leader.” In this vein, NATO organizers positioned Zelensky far from Trump during the official summit photo-op, according to footage broadcast by C-SPAN.

orban

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“So, he is the man of common sense, which means that the new wars are getting shorter and the old wars are running out of fuel, which is the consequence of his activity.”

‘Ukraine Is Not In NATO, My Job Is To Keep It That Way: Orbán (RMX)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voiced skepticism over proposed NATO plans to raise defense spending to 5 percent of member states’ GDP, calling the target unworkable under existing EU budgetary constraints and warning of economic consequences if Brussels doesn’t radically change its fiscal framework. “We are able to do it, it is not easy,” Orbán said at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday. “But the whole calculation of budget regulation of the European Union must be changed. So if we keep the regulations as it is, nobody in the European Union can fulfill 5 percent, whatever they say. We have to recalculate everything in a different method; in that case, we can do it.” Orbán’s comments reflect his broader concern that NATO is drifting into dangerous territory — both financially and geopolitically.

Rather than supporting yet another push toward militarization, the Hungarian leader emphasized that Europe’s real threat is not military in nature but economic. “The real threat is not security-wise, it is economic and losing our competitiveness in global trade,” he said. “That’s our problem.” He also reiterated his long-standing opposition to NATO involvement in Ukraine, restating Hungary’s commitment to keeping the alliance out of the war. “NATO has no business in Ukraine,” Orbán said plainly. “Ukraine is not a member of NATO, nor is Russia. And my job is to keep it as it is.” Orbán has repeatedly argued that escalating military aid and deepening Western involvement risk prolonging the war and damaging European interests. His administration has opposed further sanctions on Russia and has long expressed concern over the possibility of NATO and EU membership for Kyiv in the current climate.

On Tuesday, the Hungarian prime minister hit back at thinly veiled criticism of his administration from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — an honorary guest at the summit in the Netherlands. Zelensky suggested that it is “unfair when a single party blocks the Union’s decision,” referencing Hungarian opposition to further negotiations with Kyiv on EU membership. In response, Orbán wrote on X, “President, with all due respect: the European Union was founded to bring peace and prosperity to its member states. Accepting a country that is at war with Russia would immediately drag the EU into a direct conflict. It is unfair to expect any member state to take this risk.

”In other remarks in The Hague, Orbán further highlighted his alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump, praising what he called Trump’s “common sense” approach to foreign policy and suggesting that a shift in Washington’s leadership is already having a stabilizing effect on global conflicts. “The international order is more based on common sense,” Orbán said. “And the president of the United States is a man of common sense, as you have seen, just recently, to manage the conflict between Iran and Israel. So, he is the man of common sense, which means that the new wars are getting shorter and the old wars are running out of fuel, which is the consequence of his activity.”

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He may deliver some weaponry. But other than that?

Trump Denies Discussing Ceasefire With Zelensky (RT)

US President Donald Trump has denied discussing a Ukraine ceasefire during his meeting with Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague, directly contradicting the Ukrainian leader’s earlier remarks. Zelensky had described the meeting as “long and substantive,” claiming the two leaders had discussed ways to “achieve a real peace.” Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said the topic was not part of the conversation. “No, no, I just… wanted to know how he’s doing,” he said. Trump added that he planned to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in hopes of bringing the conflict to an end, though he did not specify when the conversation might take place.

When pressed on his past claim that he could end the war within 24 hours, Trump said the comment had been “sarcastic.” He acknowledged that resolving the conflict would not be easy, describing Putin as “more difficult” than anticipated and admitting he “had some problems with Zelensky” as well. Asked if the US would contribute to the $5 billion in military aid pledged to Ukraine by other NATO countries, Trump reiterated only that the conflict must end.

In another exchange, a BBC Ukraine journalist asked whether the US would sell Patriot missile systems to Ukraine. Trump replied that the systems were “very hard to get” and that the US also needed them. He noted that Washington was supplying Patriots to Israel but would “see if we can make some available.” Since taking office in January, Trump has repeatedly called for a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this week, he said he hoped to reach a “deal with Russia” to stop the fighting. Moscow has maintained that it is willing to hold talks “without preconditions,” but insists that any lasting agreement must reflect the current battlefield realities and Ukraine’s neutrality.

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“Brussels today is Russia’s true enemy,” he wrote. “Slowly but surely, the EU is transforming into a self-sustaining military bloc that will gradually come to compete with NATO…”

‘Yapping Bitches In Brussels A Direct Threat To Russia’ – Medvedev (RT)

The European Union has emerged as a hostile force to Moscow, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has claimed, accusing the bloc of arming the “neo-Nazi Kiev regime” to attack Russia. In a Telegram post on Wednesday, Medvedev stated that the old EU as an economic union has “essentially ceased to exist,” and in its current “perverted form is no less of a threat” to Russia than NATO. “Brussels today is Russia’s true enemy,” he wrote. “Slowly but surely, the EU is transforming into a self-sustaining military bloc that will gradually come to compete with NATO…” The ex-president accused “Brusselian cockroaches and narrow-minded leaders of EU countries” of advancing their militarization strategy based on an imaginary “Russia threat,” ushering in a new “era of rearmament.”

According to Medvedev, the EU’s goal is to arm the Kiev regime to the point where it becomes invulnerable to Russia, claiming Brussels is ramping up its military-industrial output and building military factories on Ukrainian soil. The EU, he said, is also sending personnel to train Ukrainian militants “so that they can kill our citizens and carry out terrorist attacks.” He also accused Brussels of “brazenly” using profits from Russia’s frozen assets to finance its “vile activities.”

“The EU, stuffed with weapons, rainbow freaks, and yapping bitches in Brussels, constitutes a direct threat to Russia,” Medvedev wrote. “This, of course, should not hinder our bilateral cooperation with individual European states.” Ukraine’s potential EU membership – which Russia had not objected to in the past – would now constitute a “danger” for Moscow. While Kiev’s NATO ambitions were always seen as a red line for Russia, Medvedev indicated the EU had now adopted a similar confrontational posture.

Ukraine made EU and NATO membership official national goals by amending its constitution in 2019. It applied to join the bloc in February 2022 and was granted candidate status later that year. Admission requires unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states. While some members voiced objections, Brussels has backed Kiev’s bid. The European Commission suggested Ukraine could join by 2029 if it made sufficient progress in areas such as political and judicial reforms, as well as in combating organized crime and corruption. In his post, Medvedev proposed two outcomes for Ukraine: “Either the EU itself realizes that it doesn’t need the Kiev quasi-state at all, or, better, there is no state left to join the EU.”

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Rutte has one goal only: war with Russia. He needs Trump for that.

NATO Boss Calls Trump ‘Daddy’ (RT)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has rushed to defend US President Donald Trump’s recent expletive-laden rant about Iran and Israel as merely “daddy” using “strong language.” Trump on Tuesday lashed out at both countries for allegedly breaching a Washington-brokered ceasefire, telling reporters before departing for the NATO summit in the Hague that West Jerusalem and Tehran have “been fighting so long and so hard that they do not know what the f**k they are doing.” The outburst came hours after he announced the truce, which was reportedly broken soon after by both Israel and Iran. Asked about the remark during a joint press conference the next day, Trump likened the two nations to “kids (fighting) in a schoolyard.” Rutte, seated beside him, added: “And then daddy has to, sometimes, use strong language.”

When a reporter later brought up the comment, Trump laughed and replied, “Daddy – you’re my daddy,” saying that the NATO chief had meant it “affectionately.” “I think he likes me, if he doesn’t, I’ll come back and hit him hard,” Trump joked. Rutte’s flattery wasn’t limited to the stage. Ahead of the summit, Trump published private text messages in which a fawning Rutte praised the US president’s “decisive action in Iran” as “truly extraordinary” and said it “makes us all safer.” He went on to tell Trump, “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” and boasted that “Europe is going to pay BIG.” A NATO spokesperson later confirmed the authenticity of the exchange.

Rutte also used the summit itself to back Trump’s controversial push for NATO members to more than double their military spending to 5% of GDP. At Wednesday’s press conference, he called Trump “a good friend” and said he “deserves all the praise” for forcing the issue. Asked by a reporter whether such overt admiration made him look weak, Rutte brushed it off: “I don’t think so. I think it’s a bit of a question of taste.”

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New on the job.

‘Ukraine Can Win’ – New NATO Commander (RT)

Ukraine can still achieve a military victory over Russia, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe and head of the US European Command, Alexus Grynkewich, said during a US Senate hearing on Tuesday. He was confirmed in his new role with the US-led military bloc earlier this month.v“I believe Ukraine can win,” he responded when asked if Kiev could still prevail despite significant casualties and waning financial support. Grynkewich also noted that Ukrainian forces are displaying a level of tenacity that is hard for outsiders to fully comprehend.vHe did not specify what form a Ukrainian victory might take, nor did he provide further detail regarding battlefield prospects.

Top NATO officials have long insisted that Ukraine should aim to defeat Russia militarily. The bloc continues to supply arms and intelligence to Kiev, even as it loses territory to Russian forces. Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive failed to achieve any meaningful breakthroughs, and a more recent attempted incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region was repelled. Meanwhile, Russian advances have continued along several sectors of the front line, including in the Donetsk and Kharkov regions. Military analysts and Western officials have increasingly questioned the viability of a Ukrainian victory. Last month, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul claimed that the military defeat of nuclear-armed Russia had been impossible “from the very beginning.” US President Donald Trump has also repeatedly expressed doubt that Ukraine could secure a military victory over Russia, instead pushing for a negotiated settlement of the conflict.

He has insisted that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” referred to Ukraine as “demolished,” and cautioned that the country may not be able to survive the conflict, even with US support. Moscow has also repeatedly insisted that its victory is inevitable and has criticized continued Western military aid to Ukraine, arguing that it only prolongs hostilities without affecting their outcome. Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed that the conflict will end only when its “root causes” are resolved and his country’s security interests are taken into account. He has also accused Kiev’s foreign backers of being uninterested in actually ending the conflict and using Ukraine to achieve their own goals.

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“Peskov noted that the exact date of the next round of talks with Kiev would be decided after all previous pledges are fulfilled, referring to prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of slain soldiers.”

Peace Dialogue With Kiev On Hold – Moscow (RT)

Moscow and Kiev are currently working to fully implement the humanitarian portion of their previous agreements, and therefore no negotiations are currently underway on their respective peace roadmaps, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Speaking at a regular press briefing on Wednesday, Peskov noted that the exact date of the next round of talks with Kiev would be decided after all previous pledges are fulfilled, referring to prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of slain soldiers. Russia and Ukraine held direct talks in Türkiye last month, resuming a diplomatic process that was paused by Kiev in 2022 after it chose to seek a battlefield victory with Western assistance. During their latest meeting on June 2, the two sides agreed to exchange prisoners and the remains of deceased troops for humanitarian reasons.

Ukraine and Russia also traded draft memorandums outlining their proposed paths to peace. The return of slain soldiers was completed on Monday last week. Russia transferred 6,060 sets of remains to Ukraine and received 78 in exchange. The Russian military says it has more than 3,000 bodies it is willing to hand over. There were also several prisoner swaps, though neither side gave specific figures, unlike during previous swaps. Negotiators had suggested that Moscow and Kiev would not seek parity in numbers when returning seriously injured soldiers from captivity.

While Kiev did resume dialogue with Moscow as urged by the administration of US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian officials have claimed that Russia is not negotiating in good faith because it declined to agree to an unconditional ceasefire. Moscow said Kiev could use such a pause to regroup its military and outlined conditions for a truce in its draft memorandum. Russia said it would suspend hostilities if Ukraine either pulled troops out of Russian territories that Kiev claims, or suspended its conscription campaign and deliveries of Western arms. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is presently set to meet Trump on the sidelines of the ongoing NATO leaders summit in The Hague.

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“Real estate in Florida is about to skyrocket.”

Escape from New York: Democrats Embrace Socialist for New Mayor (Turley)

The presumptive selection (pending the results of New York’s ranked-voting system) of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as the Democratic nominee has sent shockwaves throughout the business and political establishment. For those calling for the party to move more to the center, New Yorkers just responded with a Bronx cheer by choosing a socialist who wants city-run grocery stores, an eleven-percent city corporate tax rate, free child care, free buses, and other far-left wish list items. Real estate in Florida is about to skyrocket. Mamdani has said that he intends to make New York a “model for the Democratic Party” by moving to the far left and embracing socialist policies. Despite being called anti-Israel, Mamdani crushed Andrew Cuomo with young college-educated voters.

He promised to pay for freezing rents, providing free child care, and other programs by “taxing the rich.” It is a return to the “eat the rich” calls of figures from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to former mayor Bill de Blasio. Politicians have long turned to the “Eat the rich!” battle cry when things are not working out politically or economically. When struggling in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pledged a wealth tax, declaring that she was coming after “the diamonds, the yachts, and the Rembrandts too.” Then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, another Democratic contender at the time, was barely registering in the polls when he promised that “we will tax the hell out of the wealthy.”

The election also reinforces the opposition of many to the move to restore the state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which forces taxpayers in low-tax states to subsidize residents in high-tax states, such as California and New York. By allowing the deductions, politicians can assure New Yorkers that they will receive some of the money back from the rest of the country through deductions, justifying even higher tax hikes. I have long opposed SALT deductions as a uniquely bad idea. The question is whether wealthy individuals and corporations will accelerate the exit from New York in light of continued support for increasing tax burdens and public subsidies. Eric Adams could still prevail over Mamdani as an independent in the general election. Cuomo has also not ruled out an independent run. However, the results of the election show the increasing hold of socialist politics on many New Yorkers.

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“At these debt levels, no one leader, ideology or policy can resolve the deficit and debt cancers spreading globally..”

Gold: The Only True Asset in A Broken Global System (Piepenburg)

Matthew Piepenburg, Partner at VON GREYERZ, joins VRIC Media founder, Jay Martin, in a compelling conversation about the revolutionary shifts happening in the global financial system—the ramifications of which all point toward gold’s increasingly central role as THE strategic reserve asset of the present and future. Piepenburg opens with a simple theme. Namely, the risks and wide-ranging ramifications of sickening global debt levels can not be overstated enough. Everything from risk assets, currency destruction, geopolitics and social unrest to the gold price is a derivative of one simple theme: DEBT. We are also seeing revolutionary shifts from globalism to neo-mercantilism/protectionism, but as Piepenburg warns, such shifts are not surrendered easily, and that messiness in the interim is inevitable. Part of this “mess” includes rising social unrest as a direct result of the inflation and currency debasement, which failed monetary policies have directly created.

Looking ahead, as old systems, ideologies, and policies fail and new ideologies and protectionist systems rise, the transition will not be easy or smooth. Piepenburg foresees less international cooperation going forward, which means more messy wars, trade alliances and social fracturing. When asked if recent attempts to cut spending in the USA are a glimmer of hope, Piepenburg bluntly says we are way past easy solutions. At these debt levels, no one leader, ideology or policy can resolve the deficit and debt cancers spreading globally. Martin and Piepenburg also discuss the long-sighted policies of China vs. the short-sighted policies of the US to determine which nation has the most realistic options in the years ahead, while also recognising the severe challenges facing both of these economic powers. Ultimately, more cooperation would favor both nations and the world, but the chances of such policies are slim and getting slimer in this pre-Iran war recording.

In this increasingly splintered global backdrop, the conversation turns toward gold and increasingly obvious central bank demand for the same. Piepenburg certainly enjoys gold’s price action but reminds that gold, which has outperformed the S&P for more than 20 years, is nevertheless far more than a speculation asset or even a volatility hedge. Instead, gold is emerging as THE central global strategic reserve asset, as evidenced by moves taken by even the BIS, the IMF or the COMEX outflows. This is not a fable but a fact. Gold is now clearly a superior store of value than fiat currencies and sovereign IOUs of all stripes.

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Statins


Doors

Chimp
https://twitter.com/Yoda4ever/status/1937914182709686736

Strandbeest

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 252025
 


Salvador Dali Sick Boy (Self-portrait in Cadaqués) 1923

 

Trump Drops ‘F-Bomb’ Over Israel and Iran (RT)
Where Is Iran’s Uranium? (ZH)
Empire Of Chaos Takes War On BRICS To Next Level (Pepe Escobar)
In Rope-a-Dope Strategy, The Bell Also Sounds For Rest Periods (Helmer)
Western States Lied About Iran’s Nuclear Program – Russia’s UN Envoy (RT)
Trump Says Wants To ‘See A Deal’ With Russia (TASS)
Trump Shares Fawning Private Letter From NATO Chief (RT)
NATO Chief Dodges Question About Why To Fear A ‘Russian Attack’ (RT)
EU Becoming An Extension of NATO – Lavrov (RT)
Trump Seals His ‘President Badass’ Cred – And Makes US Foes Think Twice (Lowry)
Is Berlin planning a strike on Moscow? (Amar)
Will Germany Initiate Compulsory Military Service? (RMX)
UK Announces Joint Drone-Production With Ukraine (RT)
Israel’s Moral Collapse: Strategy Doesn’t Require Dead Children (Romanenko)
Amid Pressure Campaign From Trump, Fed Chair Powell Set To Testify (JTN)
RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz To Reform Prior Authorization Of Major Health Insurers (JTN)

 

 

https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1937469688453448162

Poso

EU gold

Gaetz
https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1937234008963760318

 

 

 

 

The Iran nuclear issue is still lingering (what was destroyed? not sure), and Trump gets his next problem: He’s in the Hague with NATO, whose EU members want him to join in an attack on Russia. They say: we went up to 5% spending. now you have to fight with us. The last thing Trump wants, but the EU has lost to Russia and wants to save face. At any cost. We will need Trump the peacemaker yet.

Trump Drops ‘F-Bomb’ Over Israel and Iran (RT)

US President Donald Trump has resorted to obscene language in blasting both Israel and Iran for allegedly violating a Washington-brokered ceasefire. Shortly after officially agreeing to the truce, West Jerusalem accused Tehran of firing more missiles at Israeli territory and promised a harsh response. Iran has denied attacking Israel. The exact time when the ceasefire was supposed to take effect remains unclear.“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they do not know what the f**k they are doing,” Trump told journalists on Tuesday before departing for the NATO summit in The Hague. The US president said that he was “not happy” with both countries, but especially with Israel, which he said had “unloaded” right after agreeing to the truce. “They did not have to unload,” he stressed.

“There was one rocket that I guess was fired overboard after the time limit and now Israel is going out. These guys [have] got to calm down,” Trump insisted. He reiterated that he was “not happy with Iran either,” claiming that Tehran will “will never rebuild its nuclear” capabilities after the US and Israeli strikes. The US president addressed West Jerusalem in a separate post on his Truth Social platform, writing in all capital letters: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” In a later post, Trump claimed that “Israel is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘plane wave’ to Iran.”

“Nobody will be hurt, the ceasefire is in effect,” he wrote. Shortly after that, Iranian news agencies reported that Israel carried out strikes in the western part of the country. ISNA said that there were explosions near the cities of Babol and Babolsar, while Mehr news agency claimed that the projectiles landed in an empty, unpopulated area. Israeli officials told The Times of Israel that the IDF has carried out “a small strike” against an Iranian radar north of Tehran in response to an earlier attack by Iran.

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Not where Trump said it is, that seems obvious.

Where Is Iran’s Uranium? (ZH)

Where is Iran’s Uranium? Truce Highlights Mystery Over Stockpile… that’s Bloomberg’s latest headline over the ‘biggest mystery’ that remains in the war. There’s also the pressing question of whether Trump’s massive airstrikes from B-2 bombers actually truly destroyed the facilities and these stockpiles. The Iranians aren’t dumb, and likely took drastic steps to further protect, conceal, or likely move these enriched stockpiles – some 400kg according to most reports – as wave after wave of Israeli warplanes hit Iran, significantly before the US sent its bombers this past weekend. It appears core components are still intact – though Iran has long maintained it is merely for peaceful nuclear energy development. The NY Times is currently reporting that the US operation merely set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months. And further:

“US BOMBS DIDN’T COLLAPSE UNDERGROUND IRANIAN NUKE BUILDINGS: NYT”. Big media allegations, based on US officials and an intel assessment, that the Iranians moved their enriched uranium: “Early emerging intelligence also points to the stockpile having not been destroyed, which contradicts the current ‘victory lap’ claims being made by President Trump and some of his top officials. In a huge development below is fresh CNN reporting based on a leaked assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA): The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.

The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available. But the early findings are at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.” One unnamed defense official quoted in the report says centrifuges are largely “intact.” And more based on the apparently ‘Top Secret’ leaked DIA intel report: “So the (DIA) assessment is that the US set them back maybe a few months, tops,” this person added. The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but said they disagreed with it.

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Strong from Pepe.

Empire Of Chaos Takes War On BRICS To Next Level (Pepe Escobar)

They came. They bunker-busted. They fled. And then they set the stage to control the narrative via a massive P.R. operation. POTUS hailed the “spectacular” victory of B-2s flying from the US to West Asia to release MOPs (“Massive Ordnance Penetrators) over Fordow in the middle of the night of June 22 (significantly, the same date of the start of Operation Barbarossa in 1941). Trump 2.0 functionaries gloated that the Iranian nuclear program was now gone. That’s the reality show. Now for reality. Mannan Raisi, a member of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) from the holy city of Qom, summed it all up: “Contrary to the statements of the lying US President, the nuclear facilities at Fordow were not seriously damaged. Only the above-ground structures, which can be restored, were destroyed.

In addition, everything that could pose a danger to the population was evacuated in advance. There are no reports of any nuclear emissions. Trump’s false claims about the ‘destruction of Fordow’ are refuted by the fact that the attacks were so superficial that there were not even any fatalities at the facility.”What really matters is that the Empire of Chaos, in a single – spectacularly criminal – raid, bunker-busted the UN charter (again); international law (again); the NPT (perhaps for good); the US constitution; the “international community”; and Trump’s own MAGA base. The Global South is now doing the math – and drawing the necessary conclusions.“Peace through strength” POTUS now owns two wars; a genocide; and an unprovoked attack by a nuclear superpower on behalf of a nuclear power against a non-nuclear power.

The IRGC’s response was swift: the real war starts now. The Zionist axis will pay – in spades. It will not be a full-scale war against the Empire: that’s supremely un-strategic. What will develop is multi-layered death by a thousand cuts. That was already in effect in the morning of June 23. Iran launched no less than five multi-directional waves of missiles – covering the whole of Israel, including new targets such as Ashdod port and power station. The Israeli interception rate fell below 50%. All hell broke loose – from alert siren malfunctions to power outages. Knesset members fled. An El Al rescue flight from New York was forced to turn back in mid-air when missiles started flying. The message: the whole of Israel is now a legitimate target – reached within minutes by Kheybar-Shakan, Emad, Qadr, and Fattah-1 missiles.

The Strait of Hormuz: the ultimate card. Iran’s upgraded priorities include: stop the war on Gaza and southern Lebanon; “evolve” the nuclear doctrine (all bets are off); targeted assassinations of Zionist leaders; more strikes on Mossad; more missile barrages on Tel Aviv, Haifa and Dimona. There will be no direct war on the Empire of Chaos. The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is the ultimate Iranian card, not the nuclear card: it won’t be played in full for now. At best there could be a partial blockade of oil shipping to the – fragmented – collective West. A top former Deep State source confirmed that “the CIA advised the Trump administration that China was resolutely against the shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz, so Trump went ahead with the bombing.”

Shutting down the Strait of Hormuz will detonate a global depression of unforeseem magnitude. The loss of over 20% of the world’s oil supply will trigger the implosion of over two quadrillion dollars of derivatives, as was already speculated by Goldman Sachs projections in the late 2010s. Warren Buffett described it as a chain reaction after a nuclear explosion. As it stands, Tehran learned a lesson the hardest way. It’s not that the Iranian leadership acted immorally: on the contrary, its belief in diplomacy and serious negotiations proved totally at odds at with the US empire’s totally debased modus operandi. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi summed it all up. Iran was negotiating with the US “when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy.”

Then Iran was talking “with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy.” Ergo, it’s absurd to order Iran to “return” to the table: “How can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?” At the St. Petersburg forum, President Putin was very clear that “we support Iran and the struggle for its legitimate interests, including peaceful use of atomic energy.” He added, crucially: “Those who say Russia is not a reliable partner are provocateurs.” Putin himself said earlier that week that Russia had previously offered to bolster Iran’s air defenses, but was not taken up on that offer. It also is no secret that unlike the treaty with North Korea, the Russia-Iran strategic partnership agreement didn’t feature a collective security provision. That may be about to change.

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“Iran has not been lacking. They have been ready. Also, they have the capacity to fire several large missiles per day for several weeks, if not months, which the Israelis and Americans cannot stop. These will get through to Israel’s water, gas, and electricity plants, other fuel supplies, and ports.”

In Rope-a-Dope Strategy, The Bell Also Sounds For Rest Periods (Helmer)

According to the Unified Rules of Boxing issued by the US Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, when the bell sounds for the end of each round, there is a “rest period” before the boxers resume their fight, or one retires too hurt to continue. The ceasefire between Israel and Iran which President Donald Trump (lead image, left, right) has congratulated himself for arranging is the bell sounding for the rest period to begin. Iran’s rope-a-dope strategy allows rest periods. But for this strategy to succeed, the rest periods must be too short for Israel to be re-supplied by the US, Germany and other allies, compared to the re-supply arrangements which Iran is now trying to make with Russia, China, North Korea and other sources.

Since Trump’s first announcement allowed Israel and Iran to continue striking each other for six hours, his deadline was roughly 7 am Teheran time today, June 24. In reply, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, announced “there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Teheran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.” According to Trump, “Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, ‘PEACE!’” Trump has then claimed he had forced them. “We couldn’t have made today’s ‘deal’ without the talent and courage of our great B-2 pilots, and all of those associated with that operation. In a certain and very ironic way, that perfect ‘hit’, late in the evening, brought everyone together, and the deal was made!!!”

Sources in Moscow say the terms of the Trump “deal” are quite different. On the one hand, according to the sources, Trump understands that unless he orders a halt to US arms supplies and battlefield intelligence to the regime in Kiev, Russia will not halt its arms supplies and intelligence-sharing with Iran. The sources add that for the time being Iran is not requesting fresh Russian aid. “Several individuals have been moved under Russian protection; these are individuals and families who have been moved into Russia. North Korean deliveries have been crucial in the run-up — they are basically Chinese. So Iran has not been lacking. They have been ready. Also, they have the capacity to fire several large missiles per day for several weeks, if not months, which the Israelis and Americans cannot stop. These will get through to Israel’s water, gas, and electricity plants, other fuel supplies, and ports.”

The assessment in Moscow is that Iran has demonstrated it has escalation control for the long term, and that in the short term Israel needs US re-supply, re-financing, and recovery more urgently than Iran. In exchange for Trump’s “ceasefire” to meet the Israeli requests, President Vladimir Putin has communicated that Trump must do nothing to block the acceleration of Russia’s offensive in the Ukraine.

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“The US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday and has so far been upheld.”

Western States Lied About Iran’s Nuclear Program – Russia’s UN Envoy (RT)

The US and Israel have spread disinformation about Iran’s nuclear program as a pretext for attack, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia has said. Speaking at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the diplomat condemned the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as illegal under international law and said they had “created a real threat” of radioactive contamination. Nebenzia noted that the reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which carries out inspections in Iran, serve as proof of “the absence of proliferation risks.” “We want to emphasize that nowhere in the IAEA reports is there any mention of Iran converting its nuclear stockpiles for undeclared or military purposes,” Nebenzia said.

The IAEA has found no evidence indicating the development of nuclear weapons by Iran. Therefore, all claims by Western delegations to the contrary are falsehoods aimed at audiences either unfamiliar with the reports or lacking competence on the matter. Nebenzia described the attack on Iran as “yet another attempt to legitimize the use of force outside the framework of the UN Charter.” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi told Sky News last week that there was no evidence of “any systematic effort” by Iran to manufacture nuclear weapons. He added, however, that the agency had “elements of concern” about Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 60%. During a press conference in New York on Tuesday, Israeli envoy Danny Danon reiterated his government’s position that Israeli strikes, which began on June 13, were aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran, which denies having a military nuclear program, has condemned the attack as an act of aggression and announced plans to restrict its cooperation with the IAEA. The US-brokered ceasefire between Iran and Israel took effect on Tuesday and has so far been upheld.

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‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you.’

Trump Says Wants To ‘See A Deal’ With Russia (TASS)

US President Donald Trump stated that he would like to “see a deal” with Russia. Speaking to reporters aboard a plane en route to the Netherlands for the upcoming NATO Summit, Trump was asked to comment on the Russia-related language expected in a communique to be issued after the alliance leaders’ meeting. “I’ll have to take a look at it. But, you know, I’d like to see a deal with Russia. As you know, Vladimir [Putin, the Russian president] called me up. He said, ‘Can I help you with Iran?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t need help with Iran. I need help with you.’ And I hope we’re going to be getting a deal done with Russia,” Trump responded.

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Is Trump flattered enough to also be deceived?

Trump Shares Fawning Private Letter From NATO Chief (RT)

US President Donald Trump has posted screenshots of a private text message from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in which he showered the American leader with praise for “decisive action in Iran.” The message, which Trump shared on his Truth Social platform, appears to have been sent ahead of the two-day NATO summit in The Hague, which started on Tuesday. “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer,” Rutte wrote, aparently referring to the US strikes on nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic sites which took place on June 22.

In his message, Rutte also promised “another big success” for Trump in The Hague, saying that all NATO members had agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” he wrote. A NATO spokesperson has confirmed to the BBC that the text is authentic.

Trump has long insisted that NATO members in Europe should significantly increase their military budgets, which many have pledged to do in recent years, citing the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Spain has reportedly decided to opt out of the 5% spending target, after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected the idea as “not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.” Madrid is currently below the existing 2% spending threshold, with only about 1.3% of its GDP allocated for the military. Rutte, however, told journalists on Monday that NATO rules don’t allow such exemptions.

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“3, 5, 7 years from now, Russia will be able to successfully attack us, if we do not start investing more today.”

NATO Chief Dodges Question About Why To Fear A ‘Russian Attack’ (RT)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has failed to explain why the bloc believes Russia could attack within five years, but nevertheless used the claim during a press conference on Monday to reiterate calls for increased military spending. In recent months, a number of Western officials have repeatedly claimed that Russia may attack an Eastern European member state in the near future, using the rhetoric as a foundation for drastically raising defense spending. Moscow has vehemently denied harboring any hostile intent, and called such accusations “nonsense.” While speaking at a pre-summit press conference in The Hague, Rutte was asked to disclose what NATO’s assessment of a Russian attack within five years was based on.

The secretary general, however, avoided giving any specific intelligence or threat assessment, citing only general fears and urging an increase in the bloc-wide defense spending target to 5% of GDP. Rutte said there was “great worry in many circles of NATO” and referred to “senior military leaders” and “intelligence community people” who have spoken about the possibility that “3, 5, 7 years from now, Russia will be able to successfully attack us, if we do not start investing more today.” He emphasized that “huge extra defense spending over the next three to five years” was required to ensure NATO’s future readiness. According to Rutte, yearly increases would be needed to strengthen the bloc through new personnel and military equipment.

Russia has consistently rejected the idea that Moscow plans to invade NATO countries, with President Vladimir Putin calling the accusations “nonsense” and “shameless lies” designed to extract resources from the population and divert it towards military spending. Speaking to military academy graduates on Monday, Putin stated that the West “came up with this horror story themselves and repeats it year after year,” using it to provoke a new arms race and justify what he called “global militarization.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has also slammed NATO’s “unbridled militarization” and suggested that the bloc would need to create a “monster” to push through the proposed 5% GDP defense spending benchmark. “Let’s call things by their proper names,” he said. “This is an alliance created for confrontation. This is an alliance that brings aggression and confrontation. This is not an instrument of peace and stability.”

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” The bloc has undergone a “radical transformation,” he claimed, becoming an “aggressive military-political bloc” that is “essentially a branch, or rather an appendage of NATO.”

EU Becoming An Extension of NATO – Lavrov (RT)

The European Union is turning into an extension of NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. During a speech at an international forum in Moscow, Lavrov recalled that the EU was initially formed as an economic union that was meant to make life better for its residents in a “socio-economic sense.” The bloc has undergone a “radical transformation,” he claimed, becoming an “aggressive military-political bloc” that is “essentially a branch, or rather an appendage of NATO.” Lavrov pointed to an agreement signed between the EU and NATO under which EU member countries, even those that are not part of the military bloc, would be obligated to allow NATO troops and equipment to pass through their territory to an eastern front when required.

The Russian foreign minister said such arrangements mean EU countries are “directly involved in preparations for war against our country.” Lavrov’s remarks come as US President Donald Trump released screenshots of a series of grovelling messages from NATO chief Mark Rutte in which the former Dutch PM celebrated US attacks on Iran, aped Trump’s writing style and boasted of ensuring EU members more-than-double military spending, citing an alleged Russian threat. Last month, EU member states also adopted a €150 billion ($170 billion) debt plan to fund arms production and military procurement. Russia has consistently maintained that it harbors no hostile intent towards any EU nation, dismissing the accusations as “nonsense” and fearmongering used to justify increased military spending.

Moscow has also condemned the EU’s new debt initiative, describing it as a continuation of the bloc’s hostile policies and militarization. Russian officials have warned that the spending hikes are tantamount to an “incitement to war on the European continent.” Speaking to military academy graduates on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that the West “came up with this horror story” about a Russian attack and is now repeating it “year after year” to provoke a new arms race and justify “global militarization.”

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“The word “badass” was bandied about a lot after the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump last year..”

Trump Seals His ‘President Badass’ Cred – And Makes US Foes Think Twice (Lowry)

The word “badass” was bandied about a lot after the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump last year. Famously, the bloodied Republican candidate raised his fist in defiance. In a different context, the same pungent word applies to his 2 a.m. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump the TV star has a knack for the theatrical and grand gesture. That obviously matters in domestic politics, but in international affairs, too, where projecting strength and command are just as important. We don’t know where the war heads from here, and need to learn more about the damage that was inflicted. Still, it was an operation with a distinct and very useful element of Trump badassery. It’s not that Trump always follows through on his threats: He doesn’t, with his on-and-off “liberation day” tariffs an ongoing example of backing off and recalibrating.

But when he makes good on a threat, it leaves a mark. He’s said how foreign adversaries in his first term didn’t always believe his threats 100%; they might believe him some percentage less than that, but it’d still be enough to make them wonder. After this, whatever that number is just went up another 30% or so. Trump’s signature military operations haven’t been particularly complex: smashing ISIS, killing Iraqi Gen. Qassem Soleimani, bombing Fordow and other Iranian nuclear facilities. They haven’t required mustering big international coalitions or launching, say, amphibious landings. But they achieve an outsized effect, thanks to the stark terms in which they are promised (e.g., bombing “the s–t” out of ISIS), or the sheer audacity of the operation. Killing Soleimani was a very limited action, but one that was shocking all the same.

Bombing Fordow and the other sites was also quite focused, but the operation came as a strategic thunderclap. One way to put it is that the “shock and awe” bombing campaign before the second Iraq war was much less awesome than advertised, and a prelude to a grinding, drawn-out conflict. Trump’s operations tend, in contrast, to be all shock and awe, and for real. He represents the opposite approach of Robert McNamara during the Vietnam War. Basically, the former business executive and LBJ defense secretary believed that talented managers could micromanage their way to success in government — complicated problems required complex analysis, shorn of a human element. The Trump method is to simplify everything and apply blunt-force solutions, undergirded by a very human psychology of dominance.

To wit, Iran can’t have a nuclear bomb: Diplomacy would be ideal, but if it doesn’t work, military force will be necessary. Tinker to Evers to Chance. QED. Trump proved immune to any subtle and counterintuitive theories about Iran, displaying the attitude toward the regime that you’d expect of any commonsensical American who’s lived through the last 45 years. Another way to look at Trump’s strike is as the bookend of Desert One in 1980, Jimmy Carter’s misbegotten hostage-rescue operation. The failure of that attempt represented a humiliation that was another blow to our national self-confidence and was a symbol of the reduced state of the post-Vietnam US military. It also spoke to the staying power of the Iranian regime at its inception.

This is the opposite. The strike showcased the remarkable reach and proficiency of the US military, and a president willing to wield it as necessary. The operation may eventually — although this is less certain — be seen as a prelude to the end of a decrepit regime. Again, who knows how this all plays out, and it may be that there are unanticipated downsides and mission creep. Trump posted the other day about regime change. The Iranians might believe that’s merely bluster — but they need to take it more seriously than only a couple of days ago. Such is the effect of Trump’s badass move, and we should hope it is being felt not just in Tehran but in every capital of a country that wishes us harm.

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Not without NATO.

Is Berlin Planning A Strike On Moscow? (Amar)

Forget the fog of war. Even in war, and sometimes especially in war, some things are exceedingly clear. Regarding the so-called ‘Hamas-Israel War’, for instance, it is obvious that in reality it is not a war at all but a genocide, namely the Gaza Genocide, carried out by Israel against the Palestinians whose unbroken resistance will be the stuff of legends, and of history too. bLikewise, in the case of Israel’s current assault on Iran – really, of course, a combined US-Israeli attack from the get-go – there is no room for doubt that it is criminal and a “blatant act of aggression,” as multiple experts in international law agree. That’s because in essence, Israel is not acting with a UN mandate – which it would not have received – or in self-defense.

The legal basis for this compelling assessment is not complex and there is no room for good-faith debate: Israel’s attack violates Article 2 (4) of the foundational UN Charter, which is recognized universally as jus cogens, that is, a binding norm: no pick and choose. The few generally accepted, narrowly defined potential exceptions to this article’s comprehensive prohibition on the use of force, such as an erroneous incursion, certain operations at sea, or a rescue of nationals, clearly do not apply. The Israeli onslaught also does not have the blessing of the UN Security Council, and it cannot possibly count as lawful self-defense under Article 51. So far, so simple. If anyone tries to make this look complicated by flagrantly misapplying and abusing the notion of a ‘preemptive strike’, you are dealing with Israeli or Israel-Lobby disinformation and propaganda.

That too is anything but surprising. Yet what is more puzzling than the above is the response of the governments, and often the mainstream media of the West, to this clearly criminal Israeli attack. After years of invoking international law to go after Russia, it turns out that the same leaders and talking heads will tie themselves into 5-D pretzels to let Israel get away with whatever Israel feels like doing on any given day. This is not really news either, of course: Western ‘elites’, with Washington always in the lead, have behaved no better when serving as accomplices in Israel’s Gaza Genocide. But there is something peculiar and noteworthy about how exactly some important Western politicians and their media and ‘think tank’ experts spin the attack on Iran.

Take, for instance, Germany. Its chancellor Friedrich Merz has gone out of his way to loudly endorse the assault on Iran. He has even exposed himself to ridicule and some – if far too little – criticism by employing revoltingly indecent language. Calling Israel’s actions “dirty work” (it sounds even worse in the original German: “Drecksarbeit”) that must be done and for which we all should be grateful, Merz has revealed his double racism: As a German and a historian, I can only say that a German leader praising Jews for doing “our” dirty work is, to put it very mildly, extremely boorish. Defining the criminal killing of Iranians as that “dirty work” adds a very nasty “colonial” flavor reminiscent of say, Kaiser Wilhelm II gloating over massacring Chinese during the so-called Boxer Rebellion.

While Merz has been clumsy enough to couch his obnoxious ideas in equally obnoxious language, he has by no means been alone. All too many prestigious German publications, such as the staid Frankfurter Zeitung or the also important Merkur newspaper, have hurried to either simply agree with Merz or at least to excuse and relativize his vile statement. In addition, rather overworked all-purpose ‘experts’, such as the reliably conformist and rarara-russophobic Christian Mölling, have used their perma-perk in Germany’s streamlined talk shows to cynically diminish international law and help dress up Israel’s newest crime as so necessary that it trumps all law anyhow.

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Crank up the fear!

Will Germany Initiate Compulsory Military Service? (RMX)

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder has come out with an aggressive plan to prep Germany for war. Support for Ukraine, defense against Russia, and efforts to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear weapons are the priorities. “Compulsory military and civilian service is the future,” said Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder, according to Magyar Nemzet.n“It is not enough to simply send out questionnaires to young people asking if they would be willing to serve; more decisive steps are needed,” he added. Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011, but the service could be reactivated via a parliamentary ruling.

The German government’s coalition agreement currently only allows for voluntary military service. However, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has already indicated that a much more ambitious bill is in the works, which would allow for the introduction of compulsory military service if necessary. In addition to the issue of conscription, Söder also urged the maximum deployment of the Bundeswehr —the German army — and again called for the development of a national missile defense system. “This also requires technology – an Iron Dome system is absolutely necessary to protect not only Berlin, but all of Germany,” he said, emphasizing that urgent action, including more sanctions, is needed to deter Russia.

Söder also called for full support for Ukraine, including supplying the country with arms. Thorsten Frei, the head of the German Chancellery, warned on Monday that the threat to U.S. military bases in Germany had increased significantly after the U.S. air strikes on Iran. “We stand with the United States and Israel,” Frei stated, adding that German security agencies are doing everything they can to protect American facilities. Regarding the attacks on Iran, the politician highlighted: “The fact is that it was not only Israel that was in serious danger. If a terrorist regime were to obtain nuclear weapons, it would also pose a serious threat to world peace.”

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“..a “massive step forward” in military assistance for Kiev. Zelensky described the development as “historic.”

UK Announces Joint Drone-Production With Ukraine (RT)

The UK has announced it will begin joint production of military drones with Ukraine. Speaking in London on Monday after a meeting with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, British Prime Minister Kier Starmer hailed a “first of its kind” deal that represents a “massive step forward” in military assistance for Kiev. Zelensky described the development as “historic. ”Moscow has long described the UK as a key driver of the ongoing hostilities. Neither leader disclosed specific details of the initiative, but both indicated that Ukrainian defense manufacturers stand to benefit from British battlefield technologies.

Zelensky was in the UK this week to meet with Starmer and speak at an event hosted by the Chatham House think tank. Zelensky mentioned production of “long-distance drones” during his speech. One such kamikaze drone hit a residential tower near Moscow early Tuesday morning. Russia has accused the UK of being directly involved in Ukrainian drone operations, particularly naval drone attacks targeting Crimea. Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted that Britain is also “100% involved” in Ukrainian intelligence operations, including those Moscow categorizes as acts of terrorism.

“It is obvious that all this is being done by the Ukrainian side, but it would have been helpless without the support… from the British,” Lavrov said.In April, The Times reported that British troops have been present in Ukraine since 2022, the year the conflict escalated. The report stated British forces played a key role in deploying French-British Storm Shadow cruise missiles supplied to Kiev. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who oversaw the UK’s early and extensive involvement in the conflict, has referred to the Ukrainian military as “our proxies” in interviews, as did some other Western former and current officials.

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Too many stories.

Israel’s Moral Collapse: Strategy Doesn’t Require Dead Children (Romanenko)

The recent revelation that Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Sadati-Armaki was killed along with his entire family – his wife, two daughters, and son – in an Israeli airstrike should stop even hardened strategists in their tracks. This wasn’t just a precision strike. It was an execution of a household. Sadati-Armaki was not a senior official. He was a mid-level scientist—an engineer working within Iran’s nuclear framework. That role may have made him a target in the logic of modern conflict. But nothing, not even that logic, can justify killing his children in their own home.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. On June 13, at least five other nuclear scientists were killed in Israeli strikes across Tehran: Fereydoon Abbasi, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari Daryani, and Seyed Amir Hossein Feghhi. Their credentials tied them to Iran’s nuclear program. All had played some role, technical or administrative, in Iran’s nuclear development. None were combatants. Most were academics. Some had already retired from state positions. Crucially, they weren’t alone. In multiple reported cases, family members died alongside them. Wives. Daughters. The daughter of a senior official.

These were not errant missiles landing in crowded urban spaces. These were targeted strikes on homes, in residential areas, at night, when families were together. This isn’t the fog of war. It is its deliberate weaponization. The children didn’t make enrichment policy. The spouses didn’t oversee uranium labs. But they died because of proximity—because they were related to someone deemed dangerous. To call this “collateral damage” is cowardice. When decision-makers approve a strike on a home, knowing who sleeps inside, the outcome is no longer an accident. It is a choice. Some argue that in an asymmetrical war, deterrence must be personal. But this is not deterrence—it’s liquidation. It suggests that no civilian life adjacent to state infrastructure is worth preserving. It sends the message that not even scientists’ families will be spared, as if moral limits are luxuries we can no longer afford.

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“..if he reduced them to the number they should be, 1% to 2%, that ‘numbskull’ would be saving the United States of America up to $1 Trillion Dollars per year..”

Amid Pressure Campaign From Trump, Fed Chair Powell Set To Testify (JTN)

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will appear before Congress on Tuesday as President Donald Trump continues to push the independent central bank to lower interest rates. Powell will present the Fed’s Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Washington. The chairman’s remarks before Congress come as Trump hounds Powell to lower interest rates. Last week, the Federal Open Markets Committee kept the central bank’s federal funds rate at a target of 4.25% and 4.5% – further frustrating Trump and his allies. Trump has called Powell names and said the chairman is “not a smart person.” Trump has also dubbed him “too late” for not cutting rates. Last week, the president even suggested appointing himself chairman of the Federal Reserve. He also called for aggressive cuts.

“Europe has had 10 cuts, we have had none,” Trump wrote last week. “We should be 2.5 Points lower.” Over the weekend, the president again skewered Powell, encouraging rate cuts in a lengthy post on Truth Social, the president’s social media platform. “He could do the biggest and best job for our Country by helping to lower Interest Rates and, if he reduced them to the number they should be, 1% to 2%, that ‘numbskull’ would be saving the United States of America up to $1 Trillion Dollars per year,” Trump said. “I fully understand that my strong criticism of him makes it more difficult for him to do what he should be doing, lowering Rates, but I’ve tried it all different ways. I’ve been nice, I’ve been neutral, and I’ve been nasty, and nice and neutral didn’t work! He’s a dumb guy, and an obvious Trump Hater, who should have never been there.”

Trump laid out his reasons for a cut. “We have virtually No Inflation, our Economy is doing really well, and will soon be doing, with the tremendous Tariff Income coming in, and Factories being built all over the Country, better than it has ever done before,” Trump wrote. “If he was concerned about Inflation or anything else, then all he has to do is bring the Rate down, so we can benefit on Interest Costs, and raise it in the future when and if these ‘other elements’ happen (which I doubt they will!).” The president hinted again at firing Powell, something he suggested earlier but backed off. “Maybe, just maybe, I’ll have to change my mind about firing him? But regardless, his Term ends shortly!,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

In May, the Supreme Court hinted that it wouldn’t allow a president to fire the chairman of the Federal Reserve. The nation’s highest court said the relationship between the president and the Federal Reserve was different from other independent agencies.

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RFK continues what he was tasked with. Good.

RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz To Reform Prior Authorization Of Major Health Insurers (JTN)

Several major health insurance companies are vowing to make changes to simplify their prior authorization process and improve Americans’ access to timely health care.mU.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Medicare & Medicaid Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced the changes during a news conference Monday afternoon.mThe initiative comes after administrative barriers and wait times have made it trickier to access health care promptly in recent years. This includes prior authorization, which requires health-care services to be approved by insurers before care can be given.mn“Patients should not be waiting because bureaucratic hurdles are blocking their medical treatment,” Oz said Monday.

Oz and Kennedy announced plans to collaborate with numerous health-care insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Kaiser Permanente, to implement grace periods when patients change plans and utilize electronic systems to speed up prior authorization. “Americans shouldn’t have to negotiate with their insurer to get the care they need,” Kennedy said. “Pitting patients and their doctors against massive companies was not good for anyone.”n These commitments made by health insurance companies were not prompted by federal mandates from HHS or CMS but were rather made on a voluntary basis.

“We applaud these voluntary actions by the private sector, which is how these types of issues should be solved,” Oz said. “CMS will be evaluating progress and driving accountability toward our shared goals as we continue to champion solutions that put patients first.”mnHealthcare trade association America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) announced that insurance companies are seeking to launch standardized electronic systems for prior authorization by Jan. 1, 2027.Insurers are also aiming to decrease the number of health-care claims that require prior authorization screening by Jan. 1, 2026. “These measurable commitments – addressing improvements like timeliness, scope and streamlining – mark a meaningful step forward in our work together to create a better system of health,” Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Kim Keck said.

RFK

https://twitter.com/sheislaurenlee/status/1937266150208836044
https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1937317261045297481

Read more …

 

 

 

 

600/s

Dalgleish

Assange

Drunk


Dive dog
https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1937124117670707709
Sea lion
https://twitter.com/Yoda4ever/status/1937234225675346011

Lobster

 

 

 

 

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Jun 212025
 
 June 21, 2025  Posted by at 9:25 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  99 Responses »


Salvador Dali Portrait of my father 1920

 

Iran Now First Line Of Defense For BRICS & The Global South (Pepe Escobar)
Trump Hints at Potential Breakthrough with Iran (Margolis)
Medvedev Warns of New Chernobyl (RT)
IAEA Chief: Strike On Iran’s Bushehr Plant Would Create Nuclear Disaster (ZH)
Fox Report: Tactical Nukes ‘Not Off The Table’ For Trump’s Iran Response (ZH)
Trump Believes Only ‘Agreement’ Can Solve Russia–Ukraine Conflict (RT)
Russia Not Seeking Ukraine’s Surrender – Putin (RT)
NATO Split Over 5% Spending Commitment (RT)
Americans Irritated By Zelensky’s Top Aide – Politico (RT)
Ninth Circuit Rules for Trump on National Guard Deployment (Turley)
World Needs ‘Fundamentally New Development Model’ – Putin (RT)
Trump Calls For Special Prosecutor To Investigate 2020 Election (JTN)
Hungary To Keep Russian Oil and Gas Flowing (RT)
US Working Class Wages Are on the Rise (Sheffield)
Anxiety Attack (James Howard Kunstler)
EU To Gamble With Russia’s Frozen Assets – Politico (RT)

 

 

Macgregor

Levy

Tucker

1980

Bannon

 

 

 

 

Very different viewpoints. Trump and Bibi claim Israel victory. Pepe Escobar in the first article says the opposite.

RT: “US President Donald Trump said he will decide whether to join Israel’s campaign against Iran within two weeks “at maximum,” noting that it is difficult to push for a ceasefire and negotiations when one side is clearly “winning.” “I’m giving them a period of time. And I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” Trump told journalists on Friday. The comment came shortly after senior diplomats from the UK, France, and Germany met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Geneva. However, Trump insisted that “Europe is not going to be able to help in this.”

If Washington were serious about pursuing a peaceful resolution, it would take Trump just one phone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Araghchi said earlier in the day. Trump responded, “It’s very hard to make that request right now.” “If somebody’s winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody’s losing,” he added.”

Now Escobar:

 

 

 

 

The crying shadow in the funeral dance,
The loud lament of the disconsolate chimera.

T. S. Eliot, Burnt Norton

Iran Now First Line Of Defense For BRICS & The Global South (Pepe Escobar)

Israel’s shock’n’awe on Iran – straight from the trademark US playbook – essentially failed, despite the initial combination of speed, meticulous military planning and the element of surprise, including hacking the Iranian electronic communications within the military grid; decapitation of the vertical IRGC nomenklatura; the spiderweb drone attack playbook; and bombing – ultimately ineffectual – of key nodes of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure. It took hours for top Iranian technicians to get their grid back. And once that happened, the tide began to turn, to the point that after surgical missile volleys deep in the night on Sunday, the IRGC announced its capability to seriously disrupt Israel’s command and control systems using “enhanced intelligence”, thus breaching Iron – or Paper – Dome.

Absolutely key infrastructure nodes in Tel Aviv and Haifa have been destroyed – from the Rafael weapons complex (specialized in missiles, drones, cyber warfare and Iron Dome components) to the power plant and oil refinery in Haifa. This is historic in more ways than one. Compound the cries of joy all across the lands of Islam to the massive psychological trauma inflicted on Israel. The myth of Israeli invincibility has been definitely shattered. Unleashing hell from above, killing women and children and spinning like there’s no tomorrow does not win a war against a real opponent. The tweaked IRGC strategy – applied by an instantly revamped leadership – is being fine-tuned day by day in a calculated, surgical manner. It’s not that hard for the IRGC to totally paralyze Israel’s economy. Israel has only one oil refinery (already bombed); three ports, of which one is already bankrupt (Eilat) and another is on fire (Haifa); and one airport (already in dire straits).

The blowback on Tel Aviv’s desperate, indeed suicidal move – no chess involved – is in effect. Tehran is proving that every Zionist axis calculation that Iran could – and was – bled dry in a matter of hours was, predictably, false. The POTUS, for his part, fell into a voracious trap. His MAGA base is already fractured – in depth. Non-Zionist MAGA is the overwhelming majority. He admitted in a stunning infantilist post that he knew everything about the Israeli shock’n awe all along. Less than 10 days ago, in a meeting in New York packed with billionaire usual suspects, Steve Witkoff himself – Trump’s Talleyrand – explicitly noted that Iranian ballistic missiles are “a threat to America”. Considering their performance in the last 48 hours, everything points to Washington de facto entering the Hot War.

Diplomatic sources in Tehran point out that the leadership is working under this scenario. That’s why they are essentially still holding their capabilities – and carefully calibrating the next big steps in the escalatory ladder. Once again: Iranian strategic patience on display. The question then is, in a scenario of the US de facto at war, what will it take for Russia and China, in concertation, to lose their own strategic patience. Persian pride – and trust in their own capabilities, as I observed last month in Iran – rules that they consider to have all the necessary resources to outlast the Zionist axis, US included. After all they are only now starting to use their really advanced missiles – from the Kheybar-Shekan 2 and the Fattah-1 to the Haji Qassem. So, in a nutshell, the Iranian response turned the chessboard completely upside down.

The Circus Ringmaster – complete with hosting a pathetic military parade in Washington – is naked. And unmasked. He now owns not one but two proxy wars: against Russia, and against Iran, with neo-nazis in Kiev and genocidals in Tel Aviv on the frontlines. All part of the Big Picture War: against BRICS. By now it’s clear even for the deaf, dumb and blind that this was never about the Iranian nuclear program, or the “effort” to construct a Trump-owned JCPOA 2.0. It is about the lifelong Zionist axis obsession: regime change in Tehran. That is the Holy Grail, dreamed of since the late 1990s, capable of opening the door for the deeply troubled Empire of Chaos of Iran’s immense wealth in natural resources – from energy to rare earth deposits, thus prolonging the life of the multi-trillion-dollar-indebted Empire.

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“We are ready and willing and able and have been speaking to Iran, and we will see what happens..”

Trump Hints at Potential Breakthrough with Iran (Margolis)

President Donald Trump delivered his most explicit signals yet that his administration is actively pursuing diplomatic channels with Iran, even as he maintains the threat of military action against the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program. Speaking to reporters at Morristown Airport in New Jersey, Trump revealed that his administration has been in direct communication with Iranian officials and expressed cautious optimism about potential negotiations. “We are ready and willing and able and have been speaking to Iran, and we will see what happens,” Trump stated when asked about Iran’s conditions for negotiations. The revelation that the United States is already engaged in talks with Tehran represents a significant development in the escalating situation between the two nations.

Trump’s comments came in response to questions about Iran’s foreign minister suggesting that serious negotiations would require the U.S. to ask Israel to halt its ongoing air strikes. While Trump acknowledged the complexity of such a request, noting that “if someone is winning, it’s harder to do than if somebody is losing,” he didn’t rule out the possibility entirely. As we learned on Thursday, Trump has given Iran what he described as a maximum two-week window to demonstrate progress toward a resolution. When pressed about this timeline, Trump explained his reasoning simply: “Just time to see if people come to their senses.” He emphasized that any decision on military action would depend on Iran’s response during this period, stating, “I’m giving them a period of time and we will see what that period is, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum.”

Notably, Trump dismissed European involvement in potential negotiations, asserting that “Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe but to us. Europe will not be able to help on this one.” This preference for direct bilateral engagement suggests the administration believes it has unique leverage that European allies lack. When questioned about Iran’s desire for civilian nuclear capabilities, Trump expressed skepticism about the necessity of such programs. “They are sitting on top of one of the largest piles of oil in the world. I don’t know why they need that for civilian work,” he argued, suggesting that Iran’s vast oil reserves make nuclear energy development suspicious. While some voices on the left have suggested Trump is getting hawkish with Iran, he was quick to draw distinctions between the current situation and past military interventions, particularly the Iraq War, which he opposed.

“There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were,” Trump recalled, emphasizing his prescient opposition to that conflict while maintaining that the current Iranian threat is fundamentally different. “It is a tremendous amount of material, and I think within a matter of weeks or certainly within a matter of months, they would be able to have a nuclear weapon, and we can’t let that happen.” The revelation of ongoing U.S.-Iran communications, combined with Trump’s two-week ultimatum and openness to various diplomatic solutions, suggests his administration is pursuing a complex strategy that keeps all options on the table while prioritizing a negotiated resolution to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons development.

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“According to the report, some officials have said that only a tactical nuclear weapon could damage Fordow — a scenario President Donald Trump is reportedly not considering..”

Medvedev Warns of New Chernobyl (RT)

Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities could result in a nuclear disaster akin to the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Thursday. His comments come amid reports that the US is weighing a potential strike on Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear installation, which was built deep into a mountain to withstand airstrikes. The US is reportedly considering the deployment of its GBU-57bunker-buster bombs to target the site. Israel has no comparable military capability. Everyone, even the Israeli defense minister, with his loud declaration about Khamenei’s fate, must understand that attacks on nuclear facilities are extremely dangerous and can lead to a repeat of the Chernobyl tragedy,” said Medvedev, who is currently deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, in a social media post.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz referred to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as a “modern-day Hitler” who “can no longer be allowed to exist.” The Guardian reported on Thursday that US officials doubt whether the GBU-57s would be effective. According to the report, some officials have said that only a tactical nuclear weapon could damage Fordow — a scenario President Donald Trump is reportedly not considering. The White House has dismissed the claims. Fox News cited an anonymous official who said the US military is “confident bunker busters can complete the job, and NO OPTIONS have been taken off the table.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said a final decision on possible US military action would be made within two weeks.

Speaking in a Q&A with journalists on Wednesday night Russian President Vladimir Putin said that despite the attacks, Iran’s underground infrastructure remained operational. Moscow is calling for deescalation of tensions and has offered itself as a mediator. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called reports about possible US use of tactical nuclear weapons “speculative” and warned that such a move would be “catastrophic.” Tensions flared last Friday when Israel launched unprovoked airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites and assassinated multiple Iranian nuclear scientists and high-ranking military officers. West Jerusalem claimed the operation was a “preemptive” effort to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies its nuclear program has a military dimension, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has said it has seen no signs of imminent weaponization.

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It would be madness.

IAEA Chief: Strike On Iran’s Bushehr Plant Would Create Nuclear Disaster (ZH)

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has issued fresh remarks before the Security Council on Friday, warning that Israeli strikes on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant is where the consequences of an attack could be most serious. The active and operating nuclear power plant currently hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. He warns of potential nuclear disaster: “Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear — in case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity,” Grossi tells the UN Security Council. More highlights from Grossi’s UN address via Al Jazeera:

• Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear that, in case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment.
• Similarly, a hit that disables the only two lines supplying electrical power to the plant could cause its reactor core to melt, which could result in a high release of radioactivity to the environment.
* In their worst case, both scenarios would necessitate protective actions, such as evacuations and sheltering of the population, or the need to take stable iodine with a reach extending to distances from a few to several hundred kilometres.
• Radiation monitoring would need to cover distances of several hundred kilometres, and food restrictions may need to be implemented.
• Any action against the Tehran nuclear research reactor could also have severe consequences, potentially for large areas of the city of Tehran and its inhabitants.
• Armed attack on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with great consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the state which has been attacked. I, therefore, again call for maximum restraint.

Oil facilities are still getting hit by Israeli warplanes into Friday: A series of headlines, some contradictory, on where things stand with Iran nuclear negotiations with the US, sent oil sliding, then pumping, then extending losses again. One senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is ‘ready’ to discuss limitations on its uranium enrichment, while a quick follow-up headline said “zero enrichment will undoubtedly be rejected” by Iran “especially now, under Israel’s strikes.”

The official said “the role of European powers is now more prominent, as Tehran is unwilling to engage with US amid Israeli attacks. After that glimmer of hope offered for negotiations, the clarification that nothing has in fact changed, sent oil dropping further Friday morning. Oil prices declined on Friday but stayed on track for a third straight weekly increase, following the White House’s postponement of a decision regarding US participation in the Israel-Iran conflict: nBrent crude futures were down $2.57, or around 3.3%, to $76.28 a barrel by 1204 GMT but still set to gain nearly 3% on the week.

According to the latest from Bloomberg: Israel will complete the task of preventing Iran from gaining nuclear weapons whether or not the US joins the operation, its energy minister said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the only way to end the war is to “unconditionally” stop Israel. And Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has clarified just before meeting European officials in Geneva related to EU efforts at mediate that “Iran is not prepared for negotiations with anyone while Israel continues its attacks.”

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One tactical nuke and the world would never be the same… Pandora’s floodgate..

“..even if President Trump give the order it may not be powerful enough to reach and destroy the deeply buried site..”

Fox Report: Tactical Nukes ‘Not Off The Table’ For Trump’s Iran Response (ZH)

We described earlier that the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has reportedly informed American officials that destroying Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility might require the use of a nuclear weapon, based on The Guardian. Officials, briefed on the limitations of the GBU-57 — a 30,000-pound conventional bunker-buster bomb — are worried that even if President Trump give the order it may not be powerful enough to reach and destroy the deeply buried site. The latest reporting has sought to clarify that President Trump is not considering the nuclear option, nor has it yet to be formally presented to him by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. From fresh ‘anonymous’ White House statement present contradictory information.

So very quickly, here we are… there’s prominent public discourse about the ‘possibility’ or eventual ‘necessity’ of a nuclear bomb. As the Quincy Institute’s Eli Clifton observes: It’s disturbing but not surprising how the entire Executive Branch communications apparatus can be activated into total war-hysteria mode seemingly overnight. Israel is urging the US under Trump to target Fordow with whatever it takes, given it lacks the capability to carry out such a strike. But at least it’s ‘comforting’ that a tactical nuke is off the table, for now… or wait: “none of the options are off the table” – a fresh FOX report claims, citing a senior White House official. All this is premised on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Iran is in fact pursuing a nuclear weapon. Dangerously the White House seems to be siding with Israeli intelligence over the assessment of the US intelligence community, as presented by DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who may have already been sidelined in White House Situation Room discussions.

* * *
The Publication Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists are meanwhile warning that it’s possible that the Fordow enrichment facility could be destroyed and yet still it won’t make the Iranian nuclear threat go away…

“If the Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear program, started on June 13, is to prove successful in preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, then a necessary—but not sufficient—step will involve the elimination of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant. At the Fordow plant, located near the city of Qom, the Iranians have enough centrifuges (including IR-6s, their more advanced type) and uranium hexafluoride gas to produce several nuclear weapons. They could probably produce enough weapon-grade (90 percent) enriched uranium for one nuclear weapon within five to six days. Perhaps more important, Fordow itself is a hardened facility, built within a mountain and protected from many forms of attack. It could—in theory—continue to operate even after other nuclear facilities in the country have been destroyed, with its material then fueling nuclear weapons to be produced clandestinely. If Israel decides to continue down the military path against Iran’s nuclear program, it has no choice but to ensure that the Fordow enrichment plant no longer poses a threat.

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“..Kiev must acknowledge the “realities on the ground” and that its negotiating position worsens with each passing day..”

Trump Believes Only ‘Agreement’ Can Solve Russia–Ukraine Conflict (RT)

US President Donald Trump views a negotiated agreement between Russia and Ukraine as the only viable path to ending the ongoing conflict, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce. Trump’s efforts to mediate a truce between Russia and Ukraine contributed to the countries restarting direct negotiations in Türkiye last month – talks that Kiev had abandoned in 2022 to focus on its military campaign. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that while Moscow is not seeking an “unconditional surrender,” Kiev must acknowledge the “realities on the ground” and that its negotiating position worsens with each passing day. In a press briefing on Friday, Bruce was asked whether those remarks meant Moscow was not serious about the talks, and how Washington would respond.

“As I’ve mentioned before, during negotiations, things sometimes progress, things change. That’s the whole point of negotiations and conversations: you signal how long you’re generally willing to wait, but you also know if someone is serious,” she said, noting, “At the same time, we’ve heard some very blunt comments by President Trump about President Putin.” That’s where we’ve landed at this point in comments from both the president and secretary of state – that the only way this is going to end is for the two parties to meet and come to a conclusion and a decision, and some kind of an agreement. She added that while the US remains Ukraine’s “biggest supporter,” the process of peace negotiations is complex and constantly evolving. “We are clearly making our presence and our care about the situation known… but this is not about reacting to a single quote or online statement,” she said.

When asked about Putin’s assertion that Russia now holds a “strategic advantage” in the conflict, Bruce declined to comment on potential punitive measures or new sanctions, reiterating: “We’re not going to listen to what [Russia] says – we’re going to watch what they do.” “Only the president can make the decision about how to proceed. Only he knows all the elements about what’s important and how we’re going to make a difference,” she said. “As I term it… there is one guiding hand to the choices that we make. And that would include Russia, Ukraine, and every conflict he’s trying to stop.” The spokeswoman added that direct engagement between Moscow and Washington continues behind the scenes, involving “months now of dealing with the parties directly,” and argued that Trump, as “the most powerful leader in the world right now,” is better positioned than the public or press to assess the situation.

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“I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people..”

Russia Not Seeking Ukraine’s Surrender – Putin (RT)

Russia is not seeking Ukraine’s surrender, President Vladimir Putin has said. During a plenary panel on Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin was asked whether Moscow has been seeking Ukraine’s “unconditional surrender,” as US President Donald Trump is demanding from Iran. “We are not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. We insist on recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground,” Putin said, noting that the Ukraine conflict was “completely different” from the ongoing escalation in the Middle East. During a Q&A session, Putin was also asked about Moscow’s military plans and the advance beyond the former Ukrainian territories that became part of Russia as a result of referendums in 2022.

Putin did not give a direct answer, suggesting that in a certain sense, the entirety of Ukraine is Russian. “I have said many times that I consider Russians and Ukrainians to be one people, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” he said, stressing that Moscow has never denied Ukraine’s right to be an independent country. The president did not rule out seizing the Ukrainian city of Sumy and pushing the “buffer zone” designed to protect Russia’s border areas from attacks deeper into Ukrainian territory. “We don’t have the goal of taking Sumy, but in principle, I don’t rule it out,” Putin stated.

Russian troops entered Sumy Region earlier this year, after expelling Kiev’s invasion force from Russia’s Kursk Region, which Ukraine attacked last August. According to the Russian president, the “buffer zone” in Sumy Region is 10-12km deep already. The attack on Kursk Region has only created more problems for the already thinned-out Ukrainian troops, Putin said, adding that the ranks of Kiev’s military are currently filled to only 47% on average. The invasion of Kursk turned into a “catastrophe” for the Ukrainian military, which lost around 76,000 troops there, he went on to say.

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They’ll find some creative accounting..

NATO Split Over 5% Spending Commitment (RT)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has rejected NATO’s proposal for member states to increase military spending to 5% of their GDP, calling the idea “not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.” Following US President Donald Trump’s demands for a 5% target, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for every bloc member to raise military spending to 3.5% of GDP and commit a further 1.5% to wider security spending. “Spain will continue to fulfill its duty in the years and decades ahead and will continue to actively contribute to the European security architecture. However, Spain cannot commit to a specific spending target in terms of GDP at this summit,” Sanchez wrote in a letter to Rutte that emerged on Thursday in the media.

“It is the legitimate right of every government to decide whether or not they are willing to make those sacrifices. As a sovereign ally, we choose not to.” Spain currently falls well behind other Western nations, allocating only about 1.3% of its GDP to military spending – significantly below NATO’s 2% target. Rutte previously called for cuts to social programs across the EU in order to fund the increased military outlays. Since assuming office in January, Trump has intensified demands that the bloc’s European members spend more on defense and has repeatedly accused them of failing to shoulder the burden equitably. Earlier this month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled his cabinet’s plan to significantly increase military spending.

The move was backed by Rutte, who claimed that Russia could be ready to target NATO countries within the next five years. Leaders of the bloc are expected to agree to increase defense spending to contain the alleged threat. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the rhetoric about the threat posed by Russia to NATO as an “inconceivable lie” used by Western governments to justify tax increases and the diversion of public funds to the military-industrial complex. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday, Putin warned that this kind of military posturing only escalates global tensions while diverting resources from social and economic development.

The Times reported on Wednesday that the upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for 24-25 June in The Hague, is expected to be unusually brief with just one working meeting lasting two and a half hours. The outlet reported that the format of the summit was altered in light of Trump’s dislike of lengthy diplomatic meetings.

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“..with some officials even claiming that he de facto runs the country..”

Americans Irritated By Zelensky’s Top Aide – Politico (RT)

A growing number of US officials – from Capitol Hill to the administration of President Donald Trump – are expressing deep frustration with Vladimir Zelensky‘s powerful chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, according to a Politico report. Yermak’s repeated visits to Washington since the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022 have been seen as increasingly unproductive and even counterproductive, according to ten people familiar with his interactions, the publication reported on Thursday. US officials describe Yermak as “abrasive,” prone to pressing unclear demands, and “uninformed” about the realities of US politics.

His most recent trip to DC earlier this month included poorly attended briefings, last-minute meeting cancelations – including with Secretary of State Marco Rubio – and confusion among aides about his purpose in town. “We don’t know why he’s here,” one of the sources said. Another Trump administration source called him a “bipartisan irritator.” The Biden White House reportedly tolerated Yermak as an acceptable source of friction during wartime. But with President Donald Trump pressuring Kiev toward diplomacy, he now appears to have become an “existential liability” for Ukraine, according to another source.

Yermak dismissed the criticism, telling Politico through a spokesperson: “If that means being considered ‘challenging’ by others – so be it,” stressing that he is focused on promoting Ukraine’s objectives regardless of political niceties. However, Yermak is reportedly “extremely frustrated” with the results of his visit, according to another Politico source. One person described the trip as “a disaster from the Ukrainian perspective.” Yermak is a former film producer who Zelensky – an actor-turned-politician – brought into government in 2019. The 53-year-old has been described as “Zelensky’s right-hand man” and “Ukraine’s real power broker,” with some officials even claiming that he de facto runs the country.

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Back to normalcy.

Ninth Circuit Rules for Trump on National Guard Deployment (Turley)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom just lost a major ruling in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ruled that President Donald Trump is likely to prevail in his deployment of National Guard troops. Newsom and various Democratic politicians have insisted that Trump’s order is unlawful and that Newsom has to agree to any request for deployment. The Ninth Circuit ruled on Thursday that Newsom does not have such a veto over deployments.

The Ninth Circuit blocked the injunction of District Court Judge Charles Breyer who suggested in open court that Trump was acting like another “King George.” He then wrote an opinion that included many Democratic talking points — suggesting, for example, that Trump was creating disorder by calling out the National Guard to deal with disorder. Breyer further indicated that the violence in Los Angeles was relatively minor, despite potentially deadly attacks on law enforcement, arson, and looting. Breyer gave the Administration little time to appeal his ruling, but it was enough for the Ninth Circuit.

Title 10 provides:
Whenever— (1) the United States, or any of the Commonwealths or possessions, is invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation;
(2) there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States; or
(3) the President is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States;
the President may call into Federal service members and units of the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary to repel the invasion, suppress the rebellion, or execute those laws. Orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States or, in the case of the District of Columbia, through the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia.

In his decision, Judge Breyer took the extreme position that Trump could not use subsection 3 if there was any possibility of executing federal laws absent the use of the National Guard troops: [T]he statute does not allow for the federalizing of the National Guard when the President faces obstacles that cause him to underperform in executing the laws. Nor does the statute allow for the federalizing of the National Guard when the President faces some risk in executing the laws. . . . The statute requires that the President be “unable” to execute the laws of the United States. That did not happen here.

In its decision, the court rejected this premise and held that “Section 12406 does not have as a prerequisite that the President be completely precluded from executing the relevant laws of the United States in order to call members of the National Guard into federal service, nor does it suggest that activation is inappropriate so long as any continued execution of the laws is feasible.” It concluded that “it is likely that the President lawfully exercised his statutory authority” in federalizing control of the guard. It also rejected Newsom’s claim of a veto on deployment.

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“The global system must pivot away from neocolonialism, which enabled the ‘golden billion’ to siphon resources for the elites, the Russian president says..”

World Needs ‘Fundamentally New Development Model’ – Putin (RT)

The world needs a new development model that is not based on the principles of neocolonialism and is resilient to political manipulation, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. Speaking on Friday at a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin stated that throughout the past several decades, the so-called ‘golden billion’ has been pumping out resources from other nations to benefit the interests of a narrow circle of elites. He pointed to the example of the US, saying the country’s “super incomes” never actually reached ordinary citizens or the middle class.

The Russian president insisted that changes in the political sphere should be reflected in the people’s quality of life, in education, science, and infrastructure. He called for a “fundamentally new development model, one that is not built on the rules of neocolonialism.” He stressed that this model should be “free from political manipulation” and “focus on the needs of citizens.” Putin added that the old mechanisms of the globalization era have outlived their usefulness, and there isn’t even an effort to modernize them. Instead, it is now necessary to create a new model, taking into account the national interests of all states, he said.

The Russian president stated that the global economy is already undergoing its biggest transformation in decades, with the balance of power shifting and BRICS emerging as a leading force. Putin went on to say that BRICS now accounts for 40% of the global economy, and that this share will only grow given the rise of the Global South.

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Add one for 2024.

Trump Calls For Special Prosecutor To Investigate 2020 Election (JTN)

President Donald Trump on Friday called for a special prosecutor to investigate election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. “Zero Border crossings for the month for TRUMP, verses 60,000 for Sleepy, Crooked Joe Biden, a man who lost the 2020 Presidential Election by a ‘LANDSLIDE!'” he posted on Truth Social. “Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed. This cannot be allowed to happen again in the United States of America! Let the work begin! What this Crooked man, and his CORRUPT CRONIES, have done to our Country in 4 years, is grossly indescribable! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Trump’s call for a special prosecutor comes in the wake of reports from the FBI that China had conspired to mass-produce fake driver’s licenses to carry out a massive fake ballot scheme in the 2020 election. Officials told Just the News that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had captured nearly 20,000 fake driver’s licenses in July 2020. Those revelations have called into question the assertions from former FBI Director Christopher Wray that he knew of no foreign interference plots ahead of the election. They have further reignited Trump’s own claims of large-scale election fraud in 2020 that he has said affected the results.

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“We won’t let Brussels force [Hungarian] families to pay 2-4x more for energy..”

Hungary To Keep Russian Oil and Gas Flowing (RT)

Hungary has received assurances from Russia that deliveries of oil and gas under long-term contracts will continue despite efforts by the EU and Ukraine to disrupt them, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025). Hungary has opposed EU sanctions on Russian energy since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, saying the imports are vital to national interests. The country has a long-term contract with Gazprom and receives the bulk of its oil and gas from Russia. Gas is mainly delivered via the Turkish Stream pipeline through Bulgaria and Serbia. Budapest is also working with Russia’s Rosatom to expand the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

The foreign minister was commenting on a proposal by the European Commission that would ban imports of Russian gas, including LNG, to the EU starting January 1, 2026. For landlocked countries such as Hungary, the cutoff would apply from early 2028. According to Szijjarto, the heads of Russia’s largest energy firms have signaled that they are ready to continue supplying Hungary with low-cost natural gas and crude oil despite challenges and restrictions.n”Agreed with Russian officials & energy company leaders to maintain our cooperation, despite efforts by Brussels & [Kiev] to undermine it,” Szijjarto wrote on X. He made the statement after meetings with Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller, and Rosatom Director General Aleksey Likhachyov.

Szijjarto said oil deliveries are ongoing, gas flows continue through the TurkStream pipeline, and the expansion of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant – known as Paks II – is progressing. “We won’t let Brussels force [Hungarian] families to pay 2-4x more for energy,” he added. His remarks come as the European Commission has proposed ending all remaining Russian gas imports to the EU by the end of 2027. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen presented the plan on Tuesday, following approval from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. It includes a ban on new Russian gas contracts starting in 2026 and a full phaseout the following year.

The proposal faces opposition from Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and reportedly from Italy. It is expected to be introduced as trade legislation, which would not require unanimous approval from all EU member states. Szijjarto has called the plan “absolute insanity,” warning it could cause fuel price hikes and undermine national sovereignty. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed to block the move.

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Maybe Trump should stick to domestic issues…

US Working Class Wages Are on the Rise (Sheffield)

In his fight to elevate life for the Forgotten Americans, President Donald Trump has already shattered another record in his second term in support of blue-collar Americans. During Trump’s first five months of his second term, real wages for hourly workers saw their largest increase under any administration in nearly 60 years. Blue-collar U.S. workers saw real wages grow 1.7% thus far during the second Trump administration—a stark contrast from the negative wage growth seen during the first five months of the Biden administration. “The only other time it has been this high … was during President Trump’s first term,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in an interview with the New York Post. Bessent attributed the rise in working-class wages first to Trump’s policy focus on reviving manufacturing.

“Since Richard Nixon in 1969, Trump has been the only president to record positive growth for blue-collar workers in his first five months. He also achieved 1.3% in his first term,” noted the Post’s Miranda Devine. “The recovery from a 1.7% decline recorded in Biden’s first five months, as inflation outpaced earnings, suggests a shift in economic conditions for this financially stressed segment of the workforce.” Bessent also noted the rise in working-class wages for Americans was due to the Trump administration’s focus on combating illegal immigration. Competition for hourly jobs with illegal immigrants drives down wages for U.S. workers. Progressives once championed the working class. They dominated among blue-collar workers, but as the movement drifted in the direction of chaos and lawlessness, Democrats moved to the far left on immigration. Earlier on, Democrats’ 1984 party platform didn’t even include a section on immigration.

But now they’ve shifted so far left that Democrat voters now hold more leftist views on immigration than one-time Democratic Party leaders like former President Barack Obama, who was dubbed “the deporter in chief” for the Obama administration’s immigration enforcement.

The negative effects of illegal immigration on black U.S. workers, for example, was admitted by the Obama U.S. Civil Rights Commission: “Among its findings, the Commission notes that the illegal workers are estimated to account for as much as one-third of total immigrants in the United States, and that illegal immigration has tended to increase the supply of low-skilled, low-wage labor available. The Commission found also that about six in 10 adult black males have a high school diploma or less, and are disproportionately employed in the low-skilled labor market in likely competition with immigrants. Evidence for negative effects of such competition ranged from modest to significant, according to the experts who testified, but even those experts who viewed the effects as modest overall found significant effects in occupations such as meatpacking and construction.”

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“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” —Marcus Aurelius

Anxiety Attack (James Howard Kunstler)

You must have noticed by now how this Fourth Turning bidness disorders the collective mind. The churning zeitgeist is hard on the nerves, while something strange is birthed by mankind, the end of one way of life and the beginning of another. Everybody’s got a story, and most of them are pretty spooky — A-I Globalist hell. . . de-pop and neo-slavery. . . chemtrail death. . . lizard people. . . caliphate on-the-march across Western Civ. . . World War Three. . . escape to Mars. . . . Mercy!

The last thing you might imagine is a tranquil evening in the town square among happy and prosperous neighbors, the dogs frisking and the children chasing each other as lights begin to twinkle against the lovely violet sky. Rather, you have to wonder just when is that hard rain a’gonna fall? When will some obdurate enemy try to bust a cap in your country’s ass? And at the center of this psychic maelstrom, the provocative visage of Mr. Trump.

So, let’s stipulate that it’s natural to be alarmed by events. But must you lose your mind? Many did during the Covid set-up, and they have not recovered. Most particularly the political Left. The Covid operation was supposed to rid the world of DJ Trump for good, and it flopped. What it accomplished politically for four years was to demonstrate that the Left cannot be trusted to run our national affairs. That, and the cumulative failures of lawfare, have made the Left crazier than ever — while the Democratic Party goes broke and bleeds out support-wise.

Meanwhile, the political Right struggles to hold things together, especially the morale of the people. The great national megaphones — CNN, The New York Times, et al. — are no help at all. They only multiply the mental disorder. And they will do everything possible to undermine the efforts of MAGA to reform a system that foundered under corruption and delusion. Where there is not gridlock these days, chaos breaks out. . . violence of action and opinion.

The focus of all this angst for the moment is Israel. Suspicion runs deep that Israel “owns” America, bends us to its will, treats us like a mere lackey in its quest to dominate the world. It does this, they say, through AIPAC, its chief lobbyist, stuffing money into every pocket and every campaign treasure-chest in DC. In reality, political payoff-wise, AIPAC, at $3.3-million (according to OpenSecrets.org) doesn’t hold a candle to the National Association of Realtors at $63.5-million, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, at $30-million, and the US Chamber of Commerce, at $29.6-million.

Of course, the AIPAC suspicion tends to redound upon plain-old, age-old hatin’ on the Jews. (Full disclosure, yours truly is one.) It’s true enough, for such a low percentage of the US population, Jews seem to run an awful lot of things here: Wall Street firms, Ivy League universities, medical research, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Broadway, the news media. How to account for that? Well. . . it is said that in the shtetls of old Europe, the richest fathers married off their daughters to the smartest young men in the village. Hence, their offspring sailed into Ellis Island with a certain advantage. It could be as simple as that. What else might it be? Luciferian magic, some seem to think.

So now, obviously, Israel is engaged in trying to beat the crap out of Iran in order to persuade them to discontinue that country’s quest for deliverable nukes. Every other means of persuasion has failed, you understand, while Iran has never ceased to advertise its wish to “wipe Israel off the map” — a leitmotif not subject to disambiguation. Strange to relate, this has utterly inflamed the political Left against Israel and the Jews. Strange especially because until the day-before-yesterday the political Left in America was dominated by Jewish orgs, Jewish money, and Jewish individuals.

As we speak, Jewish Democratic Party lawyers run the Lawfare endeavor: Norm Eisen, Marc Elias, Benjamin Wittes, Michael Bromwich, Brooke Goldstein (Exec Director of The Lawfare Project org). Marc Elias has served as the Left’s chief election law finagler through three national elections, while Norm Eisen coached Special Counsel Jack Smith, New York AG Letitia James and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg in mounting their cases against Donald Trump.

Now, ironically-to-the-max, The Lawfare project is battling against the wild outbreak of antisemitism on Ivy League campuses (surprise, surprise) — Harvard, in particular, where the antisemitic frolics are presided over by the university’s Jewish president, Alan Garber. So, now it’s Jew-on-Jew, which is just another angle on the political Left eating itself alive. In case you’re wondering, I consider the Jewish lawfare ninjas a disgrace to my ethnic group, for the simple reason that their years’ long exploits against Mr. Trump have been altogether garishly dishonest. The lawfare gang has done much more damage to our country than AIPAC ever has.

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Gambling with other people’s money..

EU To Gamble With Russia’s Frozen Assets – Politico (RT)

The European Union is looking to channel billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian assets into “riskier investments” to boost funding for Ukraine, Politico has reported, citing sources. Officials reportedly view the move as a way to generate higher returns without directly tapping into the sovereign funds themselves, which would be in breach of international law. The proposal is part of a broader EU initiative to use profits from immobilized Russian assets – primarily Western government bonds held by the Brussels-based clearing house Euroclear – to support Ukraine’s war effort. Moscow has labeled the seizure of its assets as “theft.” bWestern nations froze an estimated $300 billion in Russian sovereign funds following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. Of that amount, more than $200 billion is held by Euroclear.

The funds have generated billions in interest, with €1.55 billion ($1.78 billion) transferred to Kiev last July to back a $50 billion G7 loan. Under the new plan, the assets would be placed into an EU-managed investment fund that could pursue higher-yield strategies, officials told Politico on Thursday. The goal is to increase returns without resorting to outright confiscation – a step opposed by countries such as Germany and Italy due to the potential legal and financial consequences. The EU’s $21 billion contribution to the G7 loan is expected to be fully disbursed by the end of this year. With future US aid uncertain and the bloc’s own budget under pressure, officials are exploring alternative ways to keep Ukraine’s economy afloat beyond 2025, Politico reported.

EU policymakers hope the plan will allow them to extract more revenue from the assets without violating international legal norms. The International Monetary Fund has warned that outright seizure could damage global trust in Western financial institutions. Talks among member states over confiscation have dragged on for more than three years without resolution.

Brussels also reportedly sees the new investment structure as a safeguard in case Hungary vetoes the renewal of sanctions – a move that could result in the assets being returned to Russia. EU sanctions must be unanimously extended every six months, and Budapest has repeatedly threatened to block them, citing national interests. Critics caution that riskier investments could result in losses ultimately borne by EU taxpayers, the outlet noted. Russia has condemned the asset freeze and has threatened countermeasures, including legal action.

Read more …

 

 

 

 

Autopen
https://twitter.com/TheGabriel72/status/1935958631947641284

Deal

Vax

Elon
https://twitter.com/cb_doge/status/1935809580451131736

BYD

 

 

 

 

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Jun 202025
 


Eugène Delacroix Liberty Leading the People 1830

 

White House Says Trump To Decide On Attacking Iran ‘Within Next 2 Weeks’ (ZH)
Trump Has Reportedly Approved Iran Attack Plans, Withholds Final Order (ZH)
Tulsi, Hegseth et al Sidelined From Iran-Israel Discussions (RT)
Larry Johnson Reveals What’s Really at Stake as Trump Mulls Iran Attack (Sp.)
US Intel Has No Evidence Iran Building Nuclear Weapon – Top Democrat (RT)
No Proof Iran Is Working On A Nuclear Bomb – UN Watchdog (RT)
Israeli Nuclear Sites To Face ‘Crushing Blows’ – Iranian Source (RT)
The End of Israeli Exceptionalism (Bordachev)
A Dangerous Moment – The Targeting of Tulsi Gabbard (CTH)
Putin Aligns With Israel and Finds A New Way To Deny Reality (Paul Craig Roberts)
Is Trump’s Constituency Netanyahu or MAGA-America? (Paul Craig Roberts)
Supreme Court Delivers a Crushing Blow to Trans Agenda (Margolis)
Germany’s 5% of GDP Defense Spending Goal Will Ruin Economy (Sp.)
Spanish PM Rejects NATO Call to Raise Defense Spending to 5% of GDP (Sp.)
Putin Reveals Pitfalls Of Potential Meeting With Zelensky (RT)

 

 

June 20

Candace

export

Gaetz

 

 

 

 

We get the impression that Trump is having, let’s say, some second thoughts. On Tuesday, he said “The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week.” On Thursday, it was “Amid speculation regarding negotiations with Iran, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next 2 weeks.”

Why the second thoughts? Is it because of new facts, is it the -broad- resistance against direct US involvement among his supporters and voters, or is it because he realizes it’s doubtful that US bunker busters could hit the desired underground Iran targets?

White House Says Trump To Decide On Attacking Iran ‘Within Next 2 Weeks’ (ZH)

Summary: The White House held a high stakes presser Thursday afternoon, as President Donald Trump also again convened his top national security officials in the situation room to hear intelligence officials and make key decisions on the Israel-Iran war, just prior. Of course, the biggest question that remains is: will the US directly enter the war against Iran?

White House quoting Trump: Amid speculation regarding negotiations with Iran, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next 2 weeks.
• Leavitt: Trump thinks ‘substantial chance’ of Iran negotiations
• Leavitt: Witkoff has been in touch with Iran
• Leavitt: Trump always interested in diplomatic solutions
• Leavitt: it’s the US belief that Iran has never been closer to a nuclear weapon
• Leavitt: Iran can and should make a deal or face consequences
• Leavitt: Trump remains in contact with Netanyahu
• Leavitt: Iran is in a weakened position and we have sent a deal
• Leavitt: Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon, it just needs a ‘decision’
Oil slides on the “two weeks” announcement, as the can gets kicked down the road:

Israel-Iran Conflict Continues, Trump Weighs Options

The most pressing issues at stake:
• Last ditch diplomacy working? Reuters reports in a breaking development that Iran held direct talks with US over de-escalation and potentially restarting nuclear negotiations.
• The Guardian reports that Trump only wants to strike Iran only if the US can destroy the Fordow enrichment facility.
• Destruction of Fordow would at least require the 30k pound bunker buster bomb, but still may not be effective in ending Iran’s enrichment capacity.
• Netanyahu says that while regime change in Tehran is not the current goal, the option is on the table.
• Tactical nuke on the table?

• Will the Iranians close the Strait of Hormuz, choking off global oil shipping?
• Reports of US bases in the region taking protective and defensive measures
• Israeli intelligence official says ‘imminent collapse’ of Iranian government is “far from the truth” – NBC reports
• Iran is warning that a “third party intervention” would spark an immediate military response
• Netanyahu has said the US has been “helping a lot” – without defining specifics

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“The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week.”

Trump Has Reportedly Approved Iran Attack Plans, Withholds Final Order (ZH)

As President Trump convenes a White House situation room meeting this Tuesday early evening, and following Ayatollah Khamenei’s earlier televised speech vowing ‘we will not surrender’ – The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump has made the decision: “President Trump told senior aides late Tuesday that he approved of attack plans for Iran, but was holding off to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program, people familiar with the deliberations said. Iran’s well-defended Fordow enrichment facility is a possible U.S. target. Israel has yet to attack the facility, which is buried under a mountain and is generally considered by military experts to be out of reach of all but the most powerful bombs. Asked earlier if he had decided whether to strike at Iran’s nuclear facilities, Trump said, “I may do it, I may not do it.” And he repeated his insistence of Iran’s unconditional surrender: “The next week is going to be very big, maybe less than a week.”

Is this yet another last ditch effort to strong arm Tehran to the negotiating table, where Trump’s hope is that it will declare zero enrichment? Has the US Commander-in-Chief painted himself into a corner, and now it’s all zero sum? The Iranians remain under heavy Israeli bombing, and with leadership likely in deep bunkers, are unlikely to negotiate the end of their own ‘regime’. Trump may have finally pulled the trigger here. Where’s Congress? Meanwhile, elements of the Right and elements of the Left are uniting around this simple and very reasonable observation…

* * *
Update(1302ET): Things are quickly going from bad to worse for Iran, amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes, and given Iran’s air defenses in its western portion of the country appear completely destroyed and disabled. Iran is now in a ‘near-total national internet blackout’ – according to monitoring from a UK-based watchdog: Vital civic infrastructure in Tehran, including some sewage system and water networks, have also been hit.

* * *
President Donald Trump on Wednesday fielded reporters’ questions on the Iran crisis, but refused to answer whether the US military will directly enter the war, amid Israeli requests that the Pentagon assist in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told reporters outside the White House, and added curiously: “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.” He indicated that the Iranians had reached out but he feels “it’s very late to be talking.” But he also threw out the possibility: “We may meet. It’s, I don’t know, there’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” he said on the White House lawn. “I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate. And I say, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?'” And more: “For 40 years they’ve been saying death to America, death to Israel, death to anybody else that they didn’t like,” he said. “They were bullies. They were schoolyard bullies. And now they’re not bullies anymore. But we’ll see what happens. “I wouldn’t say that we won anything yet. I would say that we sure as hell made a lot of progress.”

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“Trump is now said to be relying on a smaller, more experienced ‘Tier One’ advisory group..”

Tulsi, Hegseth et al Sidelined From Iran-Israel Discussions (RT)

US President Donald Trump has excluded Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from high-level discussions on the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, NBC News and the Washington Post have reported, citing senior administration officials. Gabbard’s sidelining, according to NBC, reportedly stems from her public and internal pushback against the official US and Israeli narrative that Tehran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. Hegseth has also been edged out of operational discussions, with the Washington Post reporting that two four-star generals overseeing the deployment of additional US military assets in the Middle East have taken the lead.

Trump is now said to be relying on a smaller, more experienced ‘Tier One’ advisory group – comprising Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Vice Chair General Dan Caine – which is now reportedly shaping US policy on Iran, rather than the traditional civilian defense and intelligence leadership. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has denied the reports, insisting that Hegseth is “speaking with the President multiple times a day each day and has been with the President in the Situation Room this week.” Gabbard also told reporters that she and the president are “on the same page.”

Israel launched a large-scale bombing campaign against Iran last week, claiming Tehran was close to producing a nuclear weapon. Trump will decide whether to join the Israeli campaign “within the next two weeks,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday. However, US intelligence still assesses that Iran, while it has stockpiled enriched uranium, has not taken concrete steps toward developing nuclear weapons, according to Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. This view has remained unchanged since March, when Gabbard told Congress that the US intelligence community “does not believe Iran is building a nuclear weapon.” Trump contradicted this assessment on Tuesday, stating that Iran is “weeks away” from obtaining nuclear weapons and dismissing Gabbard’s remarks by saying, “I don’t care what she said.”

A former Democratic congresswoman and Iraq War veteran, Gabbard has long been critical of the US intelligence community, which she now oversees, and she was known for supporting NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. Her release of a video warning about the horrors of nuclear war following a visit to Hiroshima reportedly annoyed Trump’s advisers. Her absence from a key June 8 meeting at Camp David on Iran policy has fueled speculation about her diminished influence, with multiple sources telling NBC that she has not taken part in recent strategic discussions.

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“..it’s an “extremely dangerous, extremely volatile situation,” and one that clearly has “nothing to do with nuclear weapons..”

Larry Johnson Reveals What’s Really at Stake as Trump Mulls Iran Attack (Sp.)

With Tehran refusing to fold in the face of US ultimatums and threats, Donald Trump is considering joining Israel’s campaign of aggression. Sputnik asked veteran ex-CIA and State Department insider Larry Johnson to make sense of the administration’s calculations, including what could be holding Trump back. President Trump is vacillating on whether or not to move forward with the attack because he knows it would tank his ratings, including among Republicans, Johnson, a former CIA officer and State official, explained. “There are public opinion polls showing that 53% of Republicans are against any attack on Iran. Overall, 61% of Americans are against any attack on Iran. There have been several individuals who were prominent supporters of Donald Trump in the election that have come out condemning him,” he noted.

“I think the political realities are starting to catch up to Trump, which is why he’s now backing away from that,” Johnson said, pointing out that conservative voices sounding the alarm bell include Trump’s most prominent pre-election supporters, from political commentators Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens to comedian Dave Smith. On top of that are the logistical uncertainties, like whether a US bunker buster bombing of the Fordow nuclear site would even work, and whether the B-2 bombers based in Diego Garcia used for such an operation would be safe if Russia were to supply Iran with systems capable of detecting and downing the stealth bomber. Overall, it’s an “extremely dangerous, extremely volatile situation,” and one that clearly has “nothing to do with nuclear weapons,” Johnson stressed. Instead, it’s about “regime change” – an attempt “to install a government that’s going to be a lackey of the West and that will not cooperate or be friendly with Russia.”

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“..you’ve got the president basically dismissing all of the intelligence.”

US Intel Has No Evidence Iran Building Nuclear Weapon – Top Democrat (RT)

US intelligence still assesses that Iran, despite stockpiling enriched uranium, has not taken steps to develop nuclear weapons – a view which has remained unchanged since March, according to the Senate Intelligence Committee’s top Democrat. US President Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday, however, that he believes Tehran was “very close” to obtaining nuclear weapons at the time of Israel’s recent military strikes. His statement contradicts earlier remarks by his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who told lawmakers that Iran “is not building” one. The Iranian authorities insist that their nuclear program is purely peaceful and that they have every right to pursue it. In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Democratic Senator Mark Warner, said senators were briefed this week – following the Israeli strikes – that US spy agencies still find no evidence that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.

He criticized Trump’s remarks as “foreign policy by tweet,” calling them irresponsible and perplexing, given that they contradict the intelligence briefings lawmakers have received. Warner noted that in March, Gabbard stated that Iran had “taken no steps toward building a bomb.” “And we got reconfirmed… Monday of this week, that the intelligence hasn’t changed,” he added. At the time, she said the US intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” When Trump was reminded of this by journalists on Tuesday, he replied: “I do not care what she said.”

Responding to Trump’s remark, Warner said, “you’ve got the president basically dismissing all of the intelligence.” He added that even as vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he is unclear on the current US strategy, asking: “If I don’t have the foggiest idea, what do the American people know?” Trump said he has not yet decided whether to support Israel’s military action against Iran, but echoed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Iran was “weeks away” from developing a nuclear weapon.

Since launching its campaign against Iran last week, Israel has targeted uranium enrichment infrastructure, bombing centrifuge facilities – including a site at Natanz, south of Tehran – and laboratories used to convert uranium gas into metal, according to Israeli officials and the IAEA. Trump has called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” claiming that the US now controls its airspace. He also said killing Khamenei would be “easy.” Media reports suggest he may soon join Israel’s military campaign. Tehran has vowed not to yield to pressure and warned it will retaliate if attacked.

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“..A day before Israel’s initial attack on Iran, the IAEA passed a resolution declaring that Tehran was not complying with its obligations concerning nuclear non-proliferation..”

No Proof Iran Is Working On A Nuclear Bomb – UN Watchdog (RT)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence that Iran is making a “systematic effort” to produce a nuclear weapon, according to the agency’s chief, Rafael Grossi. Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, asserting that the country was on the brink of developing a nuclear bomb. The sides have been exchanging retaliatory strikes ever since. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes Tehran was “very close” to obtaining the nuclear weapon, contradicting early statements from his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who stated that Iran “is not building” one. Iranian authorities insist that their nuclear program is purely peaceful and that they have every right to pursue it. I

n an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday, Grossi said that, currently, “there is this competition about who is wrong or right about the time that would be needed” for Iran to produce a nuclear bomb. “Certainly, it was not for tomorrow, maybe not a matter of years,” he noted. The Iranians may have enough enriched uranium, but in order to turn it into a nuclear weapon, technology and extensive testing is also required, the IAEA chief explained. Despite inspecting Iran’s nuclear sites for more than two decades, the UN watchdog “did not have… any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon” on the part of Iran, he said. “What we are telling you is what we have been able to prove. The material is there. There have been, in the past, some activities related to the development of nuclear weapons, but we did not have, at this point, these elements,” Grossi stressed.

A day before Israel’s initial attack on Iran, the IAEA passed a resolution declaring that Tehran was not complying with its obligations concerning nuclear non-proliferation. Among other things, the agency noted that Iran had “repeatedly” been unable to prove that its nuclear material was not being diverted for further enrichment for military use. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said last weekend that Tehran will limit its cooperation with IAEA due to the agency’s reluctance to condemn Israel’s attacks on the country’s nuclear sites. The UN watchdog’s conduct “makes no sense,” he stated.

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“The Zionist regime’s claim that Iran attacked one of the hospitals in the occupied territories is completely false..”

Israeli Nuclear Sites To Face ‘Crushing Blows’ – Iranian Source (RT)

Iran intends to continue its military response against Israel and could target its nuclear infrastructure, a senior Iranian security official has told RT. In an exclusive statement to the head of RT’s Tehran bureau, the official, who chose to remain anonymous, said that Iranian armed forces will maintain missile and drone operations throughout the day, specifically targeting “the occupied territories and Israeli garrisons.” nThe official said Iran’s response follows “the Quranic advice on retaliation,” and warned that Iranian forces would respond “to any extent and wherever the regime attacks Iranian soil.” He noted, however, that based on “Iran’s moral principles,” there would be no attacks on hospitals. “The Zionist regime’s claim that Iran attacked one of the hospitals in the occupied territories is completely false,” the official stressed, referring to reports of the Soroka hospital being struck in the city of Be’er Sheva in southern Israel.

He also stated that Tehran’s response will be escalated in light of the Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. “Since the [Israeli] regime has attacked our nuclear facilities, our armed forces will subject their nuclear facilities to crushing blows,” the official said. Since launching its assault last week, Israel has hit several Iranian nuclear facilities, including sites in Natanz, Isfahan, Fordow and near Tehran. Between nine and 14 nuclear researchers have been reported killed in the attacks. Without naming the US directly, the Iranian official also warned that “if another country directly enters into war with us, it will provide much more accessible targets for the Iranian armed forces to destroy.”

US President Donald Trump has hailed Israel’s attacks on Iran as “excellent” and has urged Tehran to surrender unconditionally. He has also warned that the US could become directly involved in the conflict if any American targets are hit by Iran. Last Friday, Israeli forces began carrying out strikes on Iran, claiming Tehran is nearing the completion of a nuclear bomb. Iran dismissed the accusations and retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes on the Jewish state. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has since also refuted Israel’s claims, stating that the watchdog has found no evidence that Iran has been making a “systematic effort” to produce a nuclear weapon.

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“Some in West Jerusalem may dream of “reformatting” the Middle East – reshaping the region through force and fear. If successful, it could buy Israel a few decades of security and breathing room. But such outcomes are far from guaranteed.”

The End of Israeli Exceptionalism (Bordachev)

Israel has now been at war with its neighbours for nearly two years. The latest round began with the Hamas-led terrorist attack on 7 October 2023. In response, West Jerusalem launched an aggressive military campaign that has since expanded to touch nearly every country in the region. The escalation has placed the Jewish state at the centre of Middle Eastern geopolitics once again – this time, dragging in Iran, a state that had long avoided direct confrontation through strategic caution. Now, even Tehran finds itself under fire, with US backing making the stakes far higher. Iran is left facing a grim choice between the bad and the very bad. But this isn’t about Iran. It’s about Israel, a country that has for decades functioned as the West’s forward operating base in the Middle East.

Since the mid-20th century, Israel has enjoyed a privileged position – a bridgehead of Western power in a volatile region, while also deeply enmeshed in its politics and rivalries. Its success has rested on two pillars: the unshakable support of the United States, and its own internal capacity for innovation, military strength, and a unique social model. That second pillar, however, has weakened. The clearest sign is in demographics: Israel is facing rising negative migration. In 2024, some 82,700 people are expected to leave the country – a 50% increase from the year before. It is not the unskilled or disengaged who are leaving, but the young and educated. The people who are needed to sustain a modern state are choosing to go.

Of course, Israel’s troubles are not unique. Like many developed nations, it is struggling under the weight of a decaying neoliberal economic system. The pandemic made things worse, exposing the fragility of the model and encouraging a shift toward a “mobilisation” mode of governance – rule through emergency and constant readiness for conflict. In the West more broadly, war and geopolitical confrontation have become a way to delay or disguise necessary systemic reform. In this regard, Israel has become a laboratory for the West’s emerging logic: permanent war as a method of governance. In the autumn of 2023, the Israeli establishment embraced this fully. Conflict became not just a tactic, but a way of life. Its leaders no longer see peace as the goal, but war as the mechanism for national unity and political survival.

In this, Israel mirrors the broader Western embrace of conflict with Russia and China – proxy wars chosen when actual reform is off the table. At the global level, nuclear deterrence limits how far such wars can go. But in the Middle East, where Israel wages war directly, those constraints don’t apply. This allows war to serve as a pressure valve – politically useful, even as it becomes self-destructive. But even war has limits. It cannot indefinitely mask economic decay or social unrest. And while conflict tends to cement elite power – even among incompetent leadership – it also drains national strength. Israel is now consuming more and more of its own resources to sustain this permanent state of war. Its social cohesion is fraying. Its once-vaunted model of technological and civic progress is no longer functioning as it did.

Some in West Jerusalem may dream of “reformatting” the Middle East – reshaping the region through force and fear. If successful, it could buy Israel a few decades of security and breathing room. But such outcomes are far from guaranteed. Crushing a neighbour doesn’t eliminate the threat; it merely brings distant enemies closer. Most importantly, Israel’s deepest problems aren’t external – they are internal, rooted in its political and social structures. War can define a state, yes. But such states – Sparta, North Korea – tend to be “peculiar,” to put it mildly. And even for them, war cannot substitute for real diplomacy, policy, or growth. So has Israel, always at war, truly developed? Or has it simply been sustained – politically, militarily, and financially – as a subdivision of American foreign policy? If it continues down this path of permanent conflict and right-wing nationalism, it risks losing even that status. It may cease to be the West’s bridge in the Middle East – and become something else entirely: a militarised garrison state, isolated, brittle, and increasingly alone.

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“..what I am confident about is that if Tulsi Gabbard is removed, she will not be replaced, and that’s as good as a win for the bad actors trying to target and survive Trump.”

A Dangerous Moment – The Targeting of Tulsi Gabbard (CTH)

For the sake of urgency I’m going to talk in direct and bold terms about the targeting of Tulsi Gabbard. The IC system is attempting to remove her as a disruptive influence by using Iran as a wedge to get her out, but the issue they have with her has nothing to do with Iran. CTH approaches this after being very concerned about Tulsi Gabbard’s ability. Not because of intent, but rather because we doubted she understood the scope of the IC opposition aligned against the office of the Director of National Intelligence. She started out with these weaknesses, but she learned quickly – grasped the opposition– and has become a transformative force within the Intelligence Community. Director Gabbard’s recent efforts within the Intelligence Community Inspector General office is another feather in her cap of competence. Gabbard is now a threat.

If President Trump allows or supports the removal of DNI Gabbard, he is opening up the backplate of his armor, and making himself vulnerable. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Chairman Tom Cotton, the disassembled National Intelligence Council and a host of Intelligence Community embeds would like to see Gabbard removed. DC wants to see her removed because the traditional role of the DNI has been a willful tool of the Intelligence Community; Gabbard is not that. As DNI Mrs Tulsi Gabbard has chased down intelligence community leakers, released the JFK files, released Joe Biden’s domestic terrorism surveillance plan, intercepted an NIC plot to impeach President Trump (confirmed by Rubio), taken control of the Presidential Daily Briefing, and begun to confront the corruption within the IC Inspector General organization. These are actions, not words, and those actions speak boldly. Suffice to say, her effectiveness has placed a target on her back.

In the past few weeks, ever since she began intercepting the ICIG issues and using her own personnel to monitor the IC network, she has been targeted with several direct smear campaigns. It is obvious the targeting is coming from inside the intelligence apparatus, and perhaps even the orbit around/under CIA Director John Ratcliffe. She did make a strange video about nuclear weapons contrast against the horrific outcomes in Japan, but that seemed to be more of a personal video entry expressing a deep concern about nuclear weapons from her own perspectives. I said it was weird when I saw it, but I put that into the context of ‘surfboard Tulsi‘, the DNI peacenik. No biggie. However, with the Israel -v- Iran conflict encompassing the White House, there is a transparent objective to weaponize Tulsi Gabbard’s activity as a contrast against President Trump supporting military conflict in Iran.

This contrast is being stimulated by the same elements who want to see her removed for the reasons noted above. The latest narrative du jour in the files includes: “WASHINGTON DC – […] Trump has increasingly mused about nixing Gabbard’s office completely, an idea he floated when he gave her the job. In the White House there have been discussions about folding its mandate into the CIA or another agency, according to one of the people familiar with his response to the video and two others familiar with the matter — though it’s unclear what that would mean for Gabbard. The Director of National Intelligence serves as the president’s principal intelligence adviser and oversees the sprawling U.S. spy community.

First, “nixing Gabbard’s office completely” is exactly what the bad elements of the Intelligence Community would love to see. Second, “folding its mandate into the CIA” is like a dream come true for the darkest elements of the IC and Senate enablers. And Third, “serves as the president’s principal intelligence adviser” is false. That’s the job of the National Security Advisor, Marco Rubio. If there is one hope amid this looming and increasing drumbeat to remove her, it is that Marco Rubio likely can see exactly what the motives and intentions are from his former colleagues. The elements targeting DNI Gabbard all come from SSCI Chairman Marco Rubio’s old tribe. SoS/NSA Rubio might save her, as too may Vice President JD Vance. Both of them are at the perfect distance to see the assembled drumbeat against Gabbard for what it is. At least that is my hope.

I am not confident they will succeed removing her. However, what I am confident about is that if Tulsi Gabbard is removed, she will not be replaced, and that’s as good as a win for the bad actors trying to target and survive Trump. President Trump has no more juice or influence in the Senate. That time is over. Trump has exhausted all of the political capital he held in the upper chamber. Every Republican Senator will now smile, nod and do whatever the heck they want regardless of how it impacts President Trump. This is especially true for the SSCI who would control confirmation of a DNI replacement. They don’t have to pretend any longer, Trump’s juice is gone. If President Trump allows the Brutus crew in his orbit to isolate, ridicule and marginalize Tulsi Gabbard, he will be putting a significant part of his administration at risk. This is the Six Ways from Sunday crowd.

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“..Putin does not understand that the problem is Greater Israel. Iran is the last Muslim country with the capability of resisting the Israelization of the Middle East.”

Putin Aligns With Israel and Finds A New Way To Deny Reality (Paul Craig Roberts)

John Helmer reports that Putin said he supports the “unconditional security of Israel” and that the Russian-Iranian treaty “did not envisage military cooperation.” Is this Putin’s green light for a US/Israeli strike on Iran? Why does Putin support the security of Israel but not of Iran? Israel is the aggressor, not Iran. Iran is a buffer for Russia. Israel is a threat. Putin offered his ideas to Netanyahu and Trump on how to resolve the “problem.” Putin said, “In my opinion, in general, such a solution can be found.” Putin does not understand that the problem is Greater Israel. Iran is the last Muslim country with the capability of resisting the Israelization of the Middle East. Israel has had a target on Iran for many years, and the American whore media has succeeded in demonizing Iran in the hearts and minds of the American people.

Putin’s foolish statements putting distance between Russia and Iran removes the only real constraint on a US/Israeli war with Iran. Such a war could soon begin. Gilbert Doctorow and the Washington Post report that Israel’s supply of missiles for its air defense are being rapidly depleted by sustained Iranian attacks. Israel faces the possible humiliation of having to sue for peace in about a week to ten days or use its nuclear weapons. This prospect is a huge incentive for Netanyahu to get Trump into the war and for Trump to oblige him.

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“Why do you regard the risk of a nuclear war as less of a threat than a mutual security agreement with Russia?”

Is Trump’s Constituency Netanyahu or MAGA-America? (Paul Craig Roberts)

President Trump is supposed to be America’s President, different from Biden who was the immigrant-invaders’ president, the president for DEI, the president for Zelensky in his conflict with Russia, the president for misunderstood criminals and sexual perverts. So why is Trump behaving as if he is President for Netanyahu? Iran has done nothing to America. It has not attacked us, sanctioned us, frozen our bank reserves, forbidden trade with us, assassinated any of our leaders. These are things that Washington has done to Iran. Why? Because Netanyahu told us to. Having failed to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities used to produce fuel for nuclear power and for medical purposes, Netanyahu has turned the task over to Trump, “Israel’s best friend.” Why does Trump want to be best friend with a government that for 21 months bombed and staffed Palestinian civilians, green-lighted Israeli soldiers to shoot babies and children in the head, and is now relying on starvation and disease to finish off the Palestinian population, forcefully preventing food, water, and medicine from entering Gaza?

Would you want to be friends with Netanyahu? Can you respect a president who not only wants to be friends with a genocidal maniac like Netanyahu, but is ready to take America to war for Netanyahu? I cannot. It seems that Trump is going to do good for Netanyahu by harming America and forfeiting American lives in yet another war for Israel. Hey Trump, what happens to the domestic agenda if taking on Iran is a bigger job than Netanyahu told you? Are you going to end up expanding Israel’s borders instead of protecting America’s borders? What happened to your plan to use Gaza as the anchor for your development of an American Middle East colony in place of Greater Israel? You declared Gaza an American possession and the first stage in the development plan. Has Netanyahu straightened you out about Greater Israel?

What happened to peace in Ukraine in 24 hours? You never sat down with Putin, understood the Russian concerns about NATO on Russia’s borders, and understood that the obvious solution was a mutual security agreement. That is all it takes to solve the problem before another fool green lights another attack on Russian strategic forces. Why do you regard the risk of a nuclear war as less of a threat than a mutual security agreement with Russia? What’s wrong with a mutual security agreement? Is the answer that the US military/security complex won’t allow you to take away the enemy that justifies their budget and power? America’s last industry seems to be weapons. Can we survive without it?

Hey Trump, considering all your problems at home with the judiciary blocking your deportation efforts and your ability to exercise executive branch powers to control the federal government’s policies and spending, with state and local Democrat officials working against your effort to control the border, with NGOs and foundations financing anti-deportation riots, why are you diverting your limited time and energy to foreign wars? After Netanyahu gets you into a war with Iran, are you going to start one with China? When the dumbshits in Europe get into a war with Russia, are you rushing Americans to the rescue?

Trump, you were supposed to be an American President, not President of the World. Our own country is drowning in problems. Why are you getting involved in other countries’ problems? Your dumbshit predecessors–Dubya/Cheney, Obama, Biden–have already destroyed five countries for Israel. If you make it six with Iran, Netanyahu will hand you number 7–Saudi Arabia–and then numbers 8–Pakistan, a larger problem as Pakistan has nukes. Will number 8 be Turkey? Are you going to be the president who created Greater Israel for the genocidal Netanyahu? Do you think that this is something to be proud of?

That is not why you were elected. You had better pay attention to your base. When the American Establishment concludes that you have been given enough rope, the RINOs will join the Democrats in impeaching you, and your disappointed public base will not come to your rescue. You will be impeached and convicted and so will be your supporters. Privileges for DEI will reappear along with open borders as white heterosexuals become accustomed to their second class status in a country that the Democrats have created in their image–a Sodom and Gomorrah Tower of Babel. The Camp of the Saints will advance, and you, Donald Trump, will have opened the last door to the replacement of the white ethnicities.

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“Wednesday’s ruling is a crucial step toward restoring sanity to American healthcare and protecting our most vulnerable citizens from ideologically driven medical abuse.”

Supreme Court Delivers a Crushing Blow to Trans Agenda (Margolis)

In a resounding victory for parental rights and child protection, the Supreme Court delivered a 6-3 decision Wednesday that upholds Tennessee’s ban on so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors. This landmark ruling represents a triumph of common sense over radical gender ideology that has been targeting America’s children for far too long. nAs you could have guessed, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, while the conservative majority on the court correctly recognized what Tennessee and 24 other states have already figured out: Children deserve protection from irreversible medical experiments masquerading as healthcare. The ACLU and its allies tried to dress up this radical agenda in constitutional language, claiming that banning these dangerous treatments for gender dysphoria while allowing the same medications for legitimate medical conditions somehow violated “equal protection.”

What a joke. There’s nothing “equal” about subjecting confused children to experimental treatments that could sterilize them and cause lifelong health problems. And thankfully, a majority of the court disagreed with the ACLU. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said that such policy decisions are best left to voters and their elected officials, not the courts. In her dissent, Sotomayor accused the court of retreating “from meaningful judicial review exactly where it matters most,” and “abandon[ing] transgender children and their families to political whims.” The medical establishment’s endorsement of these treatments is hardly the slam-dunk argument the left thinks it is. The same organizations pushing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones have been captured by woke ideology and are more interested in political correctness than protecting children.

Meanwhile, as we’ve previously reported here at PJ Media, European countries that have been dealing with this gender madness longer than we have are now pulling back because they’re finally acknowledging what many of us have been saying all along: the risks far outweigh any supposed benefits. Various studies have supported this conclusion. This Supreme Court decision is a massive win for the 25 states that have had the courage to stand up to the transgender lobby and put children’s welfare first. It’s a vindication of basic common sense in an age when saying that boys are boys and girls are girls can get you labeled a bigot.

Of course, the fight isn’t over. The radical left won’t give up its crusade to confuse and mutilate America’s children just because the Supreme Court dealt them a major blow. There are still battles to fight in schools, sports, and countless other institutions that this gender ideology has infected. The Court has yet to address the broader questions of parental rights and the scope of state authority to protect children from harmful medical interventions. But Wednesday’s ruling is a crucial step toward restoring sanity to American healthcare and protecting our most vulnerable citizens from ideologically driven medical abuse.

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Imagine bankrupting yourself over a fantasy threat.

Germany’s 5% of GDP Defense Spending Goal Will Ruin Economy (Sp.)

Germany would “ruin” its economy by agreeing to a blitzing raise in its defense spending, particularly the NATO-proposed target of 3.5% to 5% of GDP, Ralf Dickel, an independent German energy expert specializing in international energy trade, told Sputnik on Thursday.In early May, media reported that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had proposed that NATO states increase their defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and allocate another 1.5% of GDP to additional defense needs to meet US President Donald Trump’s demand for a 5% target. The minimum requirements are expected to be agreed upon at the NATO summit in The Hague from June 24-25. “First of all, again, this 3.5 percent, 5 percent is completely ridiculous. We will ruin our economy for nothing,” Dickel said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). The expert expressed his concern over the prevailing mindset in the West where the emphasis on military readiness is seen as a solution to global tensions.

“What worries me is that in the West, we have a lot of people who say, ‘okay, this must spend much more on defense,’ on being war-ready, actually. Not on defense, but war-ready. That is very stupid on several accounts,” Dickel said. He argued that true defense should not be measured solely by the percentage of GDP allocated to military spending but should be informed by a careful analysis of potential threats. “I mean, first of all, it’s fair to be able to defend yourself, but that is something you would not usually link to a scale of your GDP, but you would rather analyze what is a scale of potential military actions against your country, and then you should be sure to meet them. But in parallel to that, we should also make an offer to negotiate. And to negotiate eventually some new architecture, some new security architecture,” he stated. The expert concluded by stressing that sustainable security for any state could not solely be achieved through military means but must also involve dialogue and cooperation.

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Will NATO survive this?

Spanish PM Rejects NATO Call to Raise Defense Spending to 5% of GDP (Sp.)

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Madrid would not support the proposal to increase the alliance’s defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2032, according to a letter published by El Pais newspaper on Thursday. “For Spain, committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive; it would move Spain away from optimal spending and would hinder the EU’s efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem,” the letter read.

Sources at the Spanish government told the newspaper that while they do not rule out Europe reaching 5% defense spending, they believe it is too early to set that target. Earlier in June, Rutte called on NATO member states to increase their defense spending from the current 2% to 3.5% of their respective GDPs, and spend another 1.5% on infrastructure development, military industry and other security-related investments. US President Donald Trump previously demanded that NATO allies spend 5% of GDP on defense.

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”If the Ukrainian state entrusts someone to negotiate on its behalf, suit yourself, let it be Zelensky,” Putin said. “The question is, who will sign the document?”

Putin Reveals Pitfalls Of Potential Meeting With Zelensky (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he could meet with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to conduct peace talks between the two countries, but expressed doubt regarding Zelensky’s authority to sign a treaty. Zelensky has repeatedly called for a meeting with Putin, claiming that he alone can resolve key bilateral issues, including territorial disputes.nSpeaking late Wednesday with international media at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Russian president reiterated Moscow’s concerns about Zelensky’s legitimacy. ”If the Ukrainian state entrusts someone to negotiate on its behalf, suit yourself, let it be Zelensky,” Putin said. “The question is, who will sign the document?”

Zelensky’s presidential term expired last year, and no successor has been elected due to martial law. Zelensky insists that he has the right to remain in office, even though the Ukrainian Constitution calls for the transfer of presidential powers to the speaker of the parliament. ”Propagandistically, one can say anything about the legitimacy of the current authorities, but we care about legal aspects and not propaganda when dealing with serious issues,” Putin said.

He added that since Ukrainian officials are appointed by the president, Zelensky’s questionable legitimacy calls into question the authority of those serving under him. We don’t care who conducts negotiations, even if it is the head of the regime. I am even willing to meet with him for some final phase, where we won’t be spending endless amounts of time divvying things but would just put a stop to it all. ”But the signature must come from legitimate authorities,” Putin stressed. “Otherwise, whoever comes after him will toss it to the dumpster. That’s not a way to conduct serious business.”

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Cancer
https://twitter.com/Rainmaker1973/status/1935346765256863947

Heart

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Jun 192025
 


Rembrandt van Rijn Self portrait with tousled hair 1629

 

Ayatollah Tells Trump “We Will Never Surrender” In Televised Speech (ZH)
Trump Says Iran Reached Out, But It’s ‘Very Late To Be Talking’ (ZH)
Strait Of Hormuz Disruption Fears Surge (ZH)
Neocons Dragging Trump into WWIII – Martin Armstrong (USAW)
Israel Running Low On Missile Interceptors (ZH)
Only 16% Of Americans, 19% Of Trump Voters Want US To Join War On Iran (ZH)
Erdogan Backs Iranian Response To Israel (RT)
Is the Trump Project Unravelling? (Alastair Crooke)
Blue Collars, Bigger Paychecks: ‘Strongest Growth in 60 Years’ (PJM)
Germany Stoking Russophobia and Fears of World War III (Norbert Davies)
NATO Rearmament Is Completely Pointless – Putin (RT)
Brussels Makes EU ‘As Uncompetitive As Possible’ – Putin Envoy (RT)
Intelligence Has Departed Every Government (Paul Craig Roberts)
40% of Americans Expect Civil War In Next Decade (RT)
Zelensky Seeks $40bn a Year For ‘Resilience’ (RT)

 

 

Sachs

https://twitter.com/RussiaIsntEnemy/status/1935005386307707124

Ritter

 

 

 

 

Message for the home front, not Trump.

Ayatollah Tells Trump “We Will Never Surrender” In Televised Speech (ZH)

In a rare and important nationally televised wartime speech by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he warned against American military intervention on behalf of Israel. bHe set out three clear messages: first that Israel’s aggression happened when Tehran was engaged in indirect nuclear talks with the US and that there was no sign whatsoever that harsh military action was coming. This is confirmation he and the Islamic Republic were caught completely off-guard. Axios had claimed that Washington knew about it, and that the talks were a smokescreen to allow Israel the element of total surprise when its warplanes began hitting Iranian nuclear sites. Second, he asserted that the Americans should know that Iran is not going to surrender and that US entry into the war would bring irreversible destruction.

A third main point Khamenei maid in the speech, even as bombs are still falling on Tehran and elsewhere, is that the American military’s entry into the conflict would be clear sign of weakness for Israel. “The US President threatens us. With his absurd rhetoric, he demands that the Iranian people surrender to him. They should make threats against those who are afraid of being threatened. The Iranian nation isn’t frightened by such threats,” the Ayatollah said according to state translation. “It isn’t wise to tell the Iranian nation to surrender. What should the Iranian nation surrender to? We will never surrender in response to the attacks of anyone. This is the logic of the Iranian nation. This is the spirit of the Iranian nation.”

He continued: “The US entering in this matter [war] is 100% to its own detriment. The damage it will suffer will be far greater than any harm that Iran may encounter.” And more: The harm the US will suffer will definitely be irreparable if they enter this conflict militarily. The Zionist regime’s malicious attack on our country took place at a time when Iranian officials were indirectly engaged in negotiations with the US side. There was no indication on the part of Iran that signaled a military move. Speaking on the question of potential direct US involvement already, Khamenei said, “It was already suspected that the US was involved in the malicious move carried out by the Zionist regime, but considering their recent remarks, this suspicion is growing stronger day by day.”

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Iran has one big thing: hypersonics. But how many, and how strong?

Trump Says Iran Reached Out, But It’s ‘Very Late To Be Talking’ (ZH)

President Donald Trump on Wednesday fielded reporters’ questions on the Iran crisis, but refused to answer whether the US military will directly enter the war, amid Israeli requests that the Pentagon assist in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities. “There’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” Trump told reporters outside the White House, and added curiously: “Nobody knows what I’m going to do.” He indicated that the Iranians had reached out but he feels “it’s very late to be talking.” But he also threw out the possibility: “We may meet. It’s, I don’t know, there’s a big difference between now and a week ago,” he said on the White House lawn. “I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate. And I say, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?'” And more:

“For 40 years they’ve been saying death to America, death to Israel, death to anybody else that they didn’t like,” he said. “They were bullies. They were schoolyard bullies. And now they’re not bullies anymore. But we’ll see what happens. “I wouldn’t say that we won anything yet. I would say that we sure as hell made a lot of progress.” He further described Iran as “totally defenseless” at this moment of Israeli warplanes having full dominance of skies in Western Iran. According to a recent Bloomberg headline: “Iran’s Missile Attacks Wane, Allowing Israel to Start Reopening“ Amid all of this, CNN is reporting that a third US aircraft carrier is being moved, though not all the way to Middle East waters. This could be as ‘back-up’ to the two carriers currently deploying to the CENTCOM region of responsibility:

“USS FORD CARRIER STRIKE GROUP EXPECTED TO DEPLOY TO EUROPE: CNN”. CNN details of this latest new deployment: “The USS Ford Carrier Strike Group is expected to be deployed to Europe next week, near the Middle East, putting a third aircraft carrier in close proximity to the conflict between Israel and Iran, a US official and two other people familiar with the matter said. nThe Ford’s scheduled deployment to the European Command theater has been in the books since late last year. But it will likely move into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, near Israel, given the ongoing conflict with Iran. At the same time, another aircraft carrier is en route to the Middle East, where it will either join or replace the USS Carl Vinson, CNN has reported.

Meanwhile the hawks are circling, as GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said he spoke with President Donald Trump last night about Iran, and that he argued there is one facility that “it would be hard to Israel to get without our help.” “We’ll see what the president does. But I never felt better about the end of the Iran nuclear program is very close, and the world will be better off for it,” Graham said.

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“Starting tomorrow, for 100 days, no oil tankers or LNG cargoes will be able to pass through the strait without Iran’s approval,” Khandouzi said..”

Strait Of Hormuz Disruption Fears Surge (ZH)

JPMorgan’s forecast of triple-digit Brent crude prices could soon be a reality as conflict risk in and around the Strait of Hormuz intensifies. The waterway, which handles roughly 20% of global oil trade, remains one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Any disruption, particularly amid growing military escalation between Iran and Israel, could impact energy flows worldwide and send prices soaring. The most concerning sign of potential maritime disruption in the Strait of Hormuz emerged in the overnight hours via a statement on X by former Iranian Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi. While unofficial, the timing and seniority of the comment may reflect broader regime sentiment—or serve as a warning of what’s to come.

“Starting tomorrow, for 100 days, no oil tankers or LNG cargoes will be able to pass through the strait without Iran’s approval,” Khandouzi said. He stated, “This policy is decisive if it is implemented “in a timely manner.” Any delay in its implementation means enduring more war inside the country. Trump’s battle must be ended with a combination of economy and security.”

https://twitter.com/A_M_R_M1/status/1934805393412063259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1934805393412063259%7Ctwgr%5E68829673ae0d439f19690df06424f4777aafd1e0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theautomaticearth.com%2F2025%2F06%2Fdebt-rattle-june-18-2025%2F

Such messaging, especially when paired with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval activity in the region, raises the increasing probability of IRGC actions targeting commercial shipping lanes in the strait. This escalation could serve as the catalyst that turns JPMorgan’s $120–$130 per barrel Brent crude forecast from a scenario into a market reality. Some more excerpts from the full JPM note: A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—the world’s busiest oil-shipping channel—would shut down the region’s oil trade, supercharging oil prices. The skinny waterway—at its narrowest point it is only 21 miles (33 km) wide— separating the UAE, Oman and Iran, connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, and facilitates the movement of some 30% of the world’s seaborne oil trade and 20% of the world’s LNG supply.

Widespread GPS jamming has been reported across the strait for the last several days: Which unfolded into a maritime disaster early Tuesday when crude oil tanker Front Eagle slammed into the port quarter of the tanker Adalynn, sparking a massive fire on Adalynn, and concerns about a potential ecological disaster have surged. All in all, the world’s most critical maritime chokepoint appears to be in the crosshairs of the Iranian regime. On Tuesday, President Trump met with his national security team for over an hour to discuss the Middle East and later held a call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The key question now is whether the U.S. will enter the conflict. If it does, a shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is almost guaranteed—setting the stage for global energy markets to be thrown into turmoil.

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“Things are going to be bad in the US but much worse in Europe. Armstrong says, “If they turn this into a Jihad or holy war, it will go absolutely crazy. You are going to be looking at civil war in virtually every city.”

Neocons Dragging Trump into WWIII – Martin Armstrong (USAW)

Two weeks ago, legendary financial and geopolitical cycle analyst Martin Armstrong was signaling a big turn toward war. We all know Ukraine is out of control with no peace deal in sight, and now the Middle East is blowing up too. Armstrong says, “I think Trump has been kind of snookered into this . . . Netanyahu knew he could not get the nuclear. Now, he says we are losing because they have not been able to achieve that. So, Netanyahu says President Trump, please go in and attack Iran and eliminate that, which is World War III. . .. Iran is not by itself. We have to consider what is going to take place here. . .. I am concerned this drags in Russia and also China. . .. You have Zelensky over there conspiring with Britain to use an old Soviet torpedo to sink an American ship so they can blame that on Russia.

You have the same nonsense in the Middle East so they can create a false flag there to say Iran attacked American forces. They are trying to drag Trump into World War III. These neocons are horrible people. They have no humanity, and they do not care about how many people die.” For anyone hoping this would blow over or not be too severe, forget that. Socrates, Armstrong’s computer program that is extremely accurate, says this is going to be a long and very bad dream. Armstrong says, “Socrates is not showing this is going to be over swiftly and ending. It is warning that this is going to be more protracted. On top of that, Iran has supersonic missiles. They had them before we did. They claim they domestically developed them, but it’s widely believed Russia helped them. In addition to that, about 80% of the oil from Iran goes to China. This, to me, is a classic neocon blunder.”

Things are going to be bad in the US but much worse in Europe. Armstrong says, “If they turn this into a Jihad or holy war, it will go absolutely crazy. You are going to be looking at civil war in virtually every city. This is not good. If you are looking at war that is a dispute over a border or economics, you can come to some sort of negotiation. You cannot do that when you are talking about a religious war. . .. If you take out the Supreme Leader, you are going to turn this into a religious war. You are looking at Muslims reacting in Europe and even the United States. This is s different type of war, and we better damn well respect that.”

Armstrong thinks gold will hit some resistance at around $4,000 per ounce and then go up to $5,000 per ounce. When that happens, Armstrong says silver will easily hit $50 per ounce and beyond. Armstrong says oil could hit $115 a barrel sometime in July, and it could go higher from there. In closing, I asked Armstrong what he would tell President Trump right now. Armstrong says, “We are in a war cycle, and it is a contagion. . .. Get the hell out of Ukraine, and get the hell out of the Middle East.” Armstrong is still strongly recommending getting two years of food.

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Will the US step in? Note: these things don’t stop hypersonics.

Israel Running Low On Missile Interceptors (ZH)

Following multiple rounds of Iranian missile barrages that have proven far more effective than many “experts” anticipated, the Israeli Defense Forces are already running low on defensive Arrow interceptor missiles, making Israel all the more desperate for the United States to join the war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government initiated on Friday the 13th. Meanwhile, as Iran’s retaliation continues, reports of war-fatigue among Israel’s population are already emerging.

Against that backdrop, President Trump has been dialing up the intensity of his rhetoric as he pushes Iran to capitulate to demands that it cease all uranium enrichment — a demand that Iran has long ruled out as a violation of its sovereignty, while insisting its nuclear program isn’t focused on creating a weapon. The US intelligence community assessed that to be true in March. “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” exclaimed Trump in a terse Tuesday social media post. Trump, who spoke with Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday, is considering options that include a US strike on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports. As his deliberations continue — while some members of Congress are backing a resolution that would bar a US attack without congressional authorization — the Pentagon continues shifting a variety of assets toward the region. The DOD insists they’re for defensive use, which includes shielding Israel from the consequences of starting a war with Iran.

According to an individual briefed on US and Israeli intelligence, Israel is on pace to run out of defensive missiles in 10 to 12 days. “They will need to select what they want to intercept,” that person told the Washington Post. “The system is already overwhelmed.” Arrow interceptors are manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. The United States has been pushing other missile defense assets into Israel over the last week, but the Wall Street Journal reports that practice is already raising concerns about the effect on US military readiness.

“Neither the U.S. nor the Israelis can continue to sit and intercept missiles all day,” Tom Karako of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) told the Journal. “The Israelis and their friends need to move with all deliberate haste to do whatever needs to be done, because we cannot afford to sit and play catch.” (CSIS is funded in part by the US government and major weapons manufacturers.) According to Israeli financial newspaper The Marker, the ongoing missile defense is costing Israel about $285 million a night, though ZeroHedge readers will reasonably brace for the day that American taxpayers are presented with the bill.

Even ahead of running out of interceptors, Israel is struggling to consistently defend its citizens and assets from Iran’s arsenal, and especially its cutting-edge hypersonic missiles. Videos of the missiles repeatedly hammering Israel have been making jaws drop around the world and across social media since Iran began retaliating for Israel’s unprovoked launch of a war on Iran.

https://twitter.com/zhao_dashuai/status/1934087063806341372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1934087063806341372%7Ctwgr%5Ef6d22de9c737405f4010b842d909090e19dbe45a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fisrael-running-low-missile-interceptors-iran-proves-stronger-foe-expected

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that strikes over Tuesday night used “a new advanced missile.” According to state media, the first-generation Fattah hypersonic ballistic missile has a two-stage solid-fuel system, a 1,400-kilometer range, a top speed of Mach 13-15, and a maximum time-to-target of just 336 seconds. Claiming it repeatedly and easily penetrated Israel’s defenses, the IRGC boasted that “tonight’s missile strike demonstrated that we have achieved total control over the skies of the occupied territories.”

Of course, there’s also the question of how long Iran’s inventory of offensive missiles can last — but it’s far from clear how much of the arsenal remains after accounting for missiles already launched and others destroyed by Israeli strikes. Iran’s pace of strikes has reportedly eased over the past two nights. “Iran has to make a very, very difficult calculation, because they have a limited amount of missiles, and considering the rate of fire, they cannot replenish in real time,” said International Institute for Strategic Studies analyst Fabian Hinz told the Post. Working to accelerate the math to Iran’s detriment, Israel said it struck missile factories on Tuesday, along with a centrifuge production center.

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“The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.”

Only 16% Of Americans, 19% Of Trump Voters Want US To Join War On Iran (ZH)

As President Trump reportedly considers issuing an unconstitutional order to commit the US military to Israel’s war on Iran, a new poll finds very little public support for an American attack on Iran — even among those who voted for Trump in 2024. According to an Economist/YouGov poll taken between June 13 and 16, only 16% of Americans “think the US military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. In an even more significant finding, only 19% of people who voted for Trump in 2024 support American military involvement. (23% of all self-identified Republicans support going to war.) Similarly, 56% of all Americans say the United States should engage in negotiations with Iran. That avenue has even greater support among Trump supporters — with 63% advocating negotiations.

On the other hand, some of the poll’s findings illustrate the effectiveness of decades of government propagandizing about Iran that’s been echoed by establishment media. For example, 61% of Americans say Iran’s nuclear program poses either an “immediate, serious threat” or “somewhat serious threat” to the United States. In 2007, the US intelligence community issued a National Intelligence Estimate that concluded with “high confidence” that Iran was not developing a nuclear weapon. That same conclusion has been periodically reiterated by the intelligence community ever since, including just three months ago. Similarly, 50% of Americans and 68% of Trump voters classify Iran as an “enemy” of the United States. A quarter of Americans categorize Iran as “unfriendly.”

Interestingly, the poll also asked respondents to characterize Israel in the same way. Here, 10% said Israel was unfriendly and 6% called Israel an enemy; 61% said Israel was either an ally or friendly, while 23% said they were unsure. Against the top-line finding of 16% of Americans saying Israel is either “unfriendly” or an “enemy,” some groups with above-average negative convictions about Israel include Hispanics (21%), 18- to 29-year-olds (21%), 30- to 44-year olds (20%), income under $50k (18%) and liberals (22%).

The finding of broad unpopularity of another US war in the Middle East comes alongside a rising chorus of voices demanding that the decision should be made by the Congress, as required by the United States Constitution. On Monday, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna introduced the “Iran War Powers Resolution” that would prohibit the US military from “unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Also on Monday, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine introduced a resolution in the upper chamber that would require a debate and vote before any use of force against Iran.

“The Constitution does not permit the executive branch to unilaterally commit an act of war against a sovereign nation that hasn’t attacked the United States,” said Massie “Congress has the sole power to declare war against Iran. The ongoing war between Israel and Iran is not our war. Even if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.” A coalition that spans ideological lines is forming to back the resolutions, and the Ron Paul-affiliated Campaign for Liberty has posted a webpage that makes it quick and easy for citizens to urge their representative and senators to sign on.

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Big player between Christians and Islam. NATO member.

Erdogan Backs Iranian Response To Israel (RT)

Iran has a legitimate right to respond to Israel’s attacks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said, accusing West Jerusalem of engaging in “banditry and state terrorism.” He also compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, claiming Tehran is nearing the completion of a nuclear bomb. Iran dismissed the accusations and retaliated to the Israeli military operation with waves of drone and missile strikes on the Jewish state. “It is entirely natural, legitimate, and lawful for Iran to defend itself against Israel’s banditry and state terrorism,” Erdogan stated on Wednesday during a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara.

The Turkish president strongly criticized Israel’s leadership for its acts of aggression, claiming that Netanyahu has “long surpassed the tyrant Hitler in the crime of genocide.” He also condemned the global inaction over Israel’s aggression in Gaza, seen by the UN rights committee as characteristic of genocide, stating that “the blood of massacred civilians, murdered babies, and children is splattered not only on the hands and faces of those who support Israel’s arrogance, but also on those who remain silent.” Türkiye is doing “everything we can” to stop what he called “inhumane aggression” not only against Iran, but also Gaza, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, Erdogan insisted. “Stopping Israel’s aggression is essential for the world and humanity,” he said. Ankara is staying vigilant and “closely monitoring Israel’s terrorist attacks on Iran,” he said.

The government is committed to safeguarding the country’s interests, peace and security and is prepared for “every possible negative development and scenario.” Russia has condemned the Israeli campaign as illegal and warned that strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure could trigger a “nuclear catastrophe.” In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel’s attacks on peaceful atomic sites violate international law and threaten global stability. US President Donald Trump, however, has backed Israel and demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.” On Tuesday, he claimed that American forces and allies have achieved “complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” and said the US knew the location of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling him an “easy target.”

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When you lose Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon…

Is the Trump Project Unravelling? (Alastair Crooke)

The Musk versus Trump fallout (at least for now) has a distinct ‘made for television’ quality to it. But do not be deceived by the entertainment content. The spat illustrates a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the MAGA coalition. It is quite possible that this contradiction will erupt at some further point and may end up triggering the slow decay of Project Trump. bA fulcral moment in the last U.S. election was the switch of Silicon Valley’s ultra-rich Tech oligarchs from their support for the Democrats to Trump. It brought both money and the potential glittering prize that America could seize a monopoly over global data storage; AI; and what Yanis Varoufakis calls ‘cloud capital’ – the purported ability to extract rent (i.e. fees) for access to America’s putative massive data hoard and to Big Tech’s associated platforms. Such a data monopoly, it was believed, would then give the U.S. the ability to manipulate how the world thinks – and to define the products and planforms seen to be ‘cool’.

The notion too was that a monopoly on data centres could potentially be as lucrative as the U.S. monopoly of the dollar used as the principal trade currency – which could provide major capital inflows to offset debt. The explosive quality to a coalition of Tech Oligarchs with the MAGA Populists, however, is that both factions hold irreconcilable visions – both for dealing with America’s structural debt crisis, as well as that of America’s cultural future. The ‘Tech Bros’ vision is wildly radical; it is ‘authoritarian libertarianism’. Peter Thiel, for example, argues that a small posse of Oligarchs should rule the empire, unfettered by any democratic limitation; that the future should be based in ‘disruptive technology’; be robotic and AI driven; and that the populace should be tightly ‘managed’ through AI control.

The Trump Economic Team’s vision is quite different: Trump’s own primordial objective – to which geo-politics is subordinate – is to shore up the dollar as the world’s main trading currency. This objective however can only be sustained through addressing America’s unsustainable debt overhang. The overhang reflects the imbalance that built up after 1970 when the U.S. trade account slipped into deficit: On the one hand, the U.S. has facilitated an exaggeratedly large sphere of global dollar indebtedness to splurge worldwide; but at the same time, this massive inverted pyramid of debt rests on a diminutive and shrinking American production base. nIn other words, whilst America benefited enormously from these capital inflows, it can no longer expect to grow itself out of its own, self-created debt-trap.

Team Trump proposes to address this imbalance through devaluing the dollar (perhaps by up to 30%), by corporate tax cuts (to induce a return of overseas manufacturing to the U.S.), and thus bringing about a managed shrinkage of the offshore dollar debt cloud relative to U.S. productive capacity. To be clear, this does not solve the debt problem – It just buys time. The Tariff ‘shock and awe’ strategy was intended to frighten the world into making unwise deals to accommodate this schema. The U.S. pressure on states for greater NATO defence spending too, similarly follows U.S. ‘bankruptcy best practice’ for the restructuring of existing creditors. So far, this has not worked out as planned, due in major part to Chinese resistance. As a result, the U.S. bond-market (debt market) remains today on tenderhooks, with every auction a nail-biter.

Over simplifying things – one can see that the populist MAGA base are insisting on a return to a real human economy and well-paid employment prospects versus the contrasting dystopian view of theTech Bros, who see only a (non-human) disruptive tech, robotic and AI future. These visions are completely at odds with each other. Knowing this background may explain how Steve Bannon (a supporter of the MAGA populists) can be viscerally opposed to Elon Musk, labelling him an apostate, an ‘illegal migrant’, with the demand that he be deported. The question is, how did such contradictory visions find themselves joined into a single coalition?

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“..create up to 6 million blue-collar jobs in construction and manufacturing, reversing decades of offshoring.”

Blue Collars, Bigger Paychecks: ‘Strongest Growth in 60 Years’ (PJM)

We’re only five months into President Donald Trump’s second term, and we’ve seen him keep many of the promises he made during his campaign, a rarity for anyone in politics. Now, we can add a pretty historic bump in blue-collar wages to the list. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Tuesday that real wages for hourly workers are up almost 2% so far this year, the strongest growth in 60 years. Under Joe Biden, hourly wages were down nearly 2%. As a matter of fact, no other president has seen a rise in hourly wages since Richard Nixon… with the exception of Trump’s first term, during which wages were up 1.3%.

Bessent, who sat down with columnist and “Pod Force Once” podcast host Miranda Devine for an interview recently, said three things have contributed to this significant growth: falling inflation, the president’s “emphasis on manufacturing,” and the removal of illegal immigrants from the workforce. Bessent told Devine that when Biden opened up the border and allowed everyone to flood the country, it was a disaster for “working Americans” because it put pressure on their wages. Team Trump also believes that if the One Big Beautiful Bill passes, wages will increase even more, while inflation drops even lower. The bill targets hourly and blue-collar workers via elements like “no tax on tips.” “The bill would also eliminate federal income taxes on overtime pay for over 80 million hourly workers in industries like manufacturing, construction, and first responders who often rely on overtime for income,” according to Devine. She adds that it would also provide “tax incentives for manufacturers to build U.S. factories,” which would “create up to 6 million blue-collar jobs in construction and manufacturing, reversing decades of offshoring.”

Bessent also released a statement on Tuesday, praising the Senate’s version of the One Big Beautiful Bill: “We applaud the Senate’s action to progress this critical legislation and expand upon President Trump’s tax relief for hardworking Americans. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill will protect families and small businesses from the largest tax hike in history and deliver No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and new tax cuts for seniors. The bill will ensure the United States remains the premier destination for global capital, while protecting American companies and workers from foreign taxes. The passage of this bill will deliver the permanence and certainty both individual taxpayers and businesses alike are looking for, driving growth and unleashing the American economy. We look forward to continuing to work with the Senate and the House to further refine this bill and get it to President Trump’s desk.”

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The only thing they have left to sell is fear.. Their economy is crashing… Find someone to blame it on..

Germany Stoking Russophobia and Fears of World War III (Norbert Davies)

Berlin continues to peddle lunacy, warning the state needs to be prepared for an attack from Russia within the next four years. The Western European nation responsible for starting two world wars now has designs to enlarge and modernize its civil defense infrastructure as its European NATO allies fast-track militarization in preparation for a potential direct showdown with Russia, according to Ralph Tiesler, head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). Presently, Germany has around 600 operational shelters with room for half a million people, which is less than 1% of the population. In comparison, the BBK said that Finland has 50,000 protective shelters, amounting to space for 4.8 million people, or 85% of its population.

In a series of recent interviews with national media, Tiesler said that to manage the shortage, the BBK plans to convert cellars, underground garages, and metro stations into a system of bomb shelters capable of accommodating up to one million people out of Germany’s population of 85 million. The hardened facilities would come complete with food, water, bathrooms and sleeping areas. “For a long time, there was a widespread belief in Germany that war was not a scenario for which we needed to prepare. That has changed. We are concerned about the risk of a major war of aggression in Europe,” he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung news outlet. “New bunkers with the highest protection standards cost a lot of money and take time. We need faster solutions,” Tiesler said, adding that his agency will present a comprehensive plan later this summer.

“Nearly every basement can become a safe place in the event of an attack,” he said in a separate interview with Zeit, encouraging his fellow Germans to reinforce windows, stock essentials, and prepare to shelter for extended periods. President Vladimir Putin has consistently argued that Moscow has “no reason, no interest – no geopolitical interest, neither economic, nor political, nor military” to fight with the countries of the NATO bloc. While downplaying the likelihood of a full-blown Russian invasion of Berlin reminiscent of the final days of World War II, Tiesler warned that as a major NATO logistical hub, Germany would become a target for “selective strikes” in the event of an eastern front conflict.

German hospitals are being considered for their ability to treat mass casualties, with Tiesler warning that the national health system could witness up to 1,000 additional patients daily in the event of a military confrontation. Other plans include doubling the number of warning sirens nationwide, upgrading emergency apps to include missile strike instructions, and possibly introducing a national civil service requirement, as reported by RT. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who gave Ukraine the greenlight to use long-range missiles against Russia, pledged to turn the Bundeswehr into the strongest conventional army in Europe by giving it all the financial resources it needs to become so. Merz also said he would introduce a new volunteer military service. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reportedly hopes for a “drastic increase” to the country’s military budget, up to €90 billion ($102 billion) by 2028.

Tiesler has insisted that civil protection must not be neglected, estimating that at least €10bn (£8.4bn) would be needed over the next four years to cover civil defense needs, and at least €30bn over the next decade. All this must be accomplished by 2029, the year German officials have repeatedly cited as the deadline for Berlin to be “ready for war.” Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said that “the absurdity of such statements is clear to anyone who understands the slightest bit of history and the goals of the special military operation in Ukraine, which we announced openly and without hiding.” Russian officials have repeatedly said that Moscow is seeking the “denazification” and “demilitarization” of Ukraine, as well as an arrangement guaranteeing that the country would not join NATO, and would instead recommit to neutrality.

Meanwhile, Moscow has also slammed Western Europe’s militarization drive, which is pushing smack up to the Russian border in the Baltic States and Finland. Rather than supporting U.S.-led peace initiatives for the Ukraine conflict, the EU and UK are instead gearing up for an apocalyptic confrontation with Russia.

Lavrov recently stated that Germany’s military buildup and arms deliveries to Kiev prove Berlin’s “direct involvement” in the conflict. He warned that the country is “sliding down the same slippery slope it already followed a couple of times in the last century – toward its own collapse.” According to a survey by the Levada Center, a Western-funded organization which has been designated as a “foreign agent” in Russia, the United States is no longer the country tht Russians consider the most unfriendly. Germany is now in first place, with 56% of respondents describing it as an “unfriendly country” towards Russia, followed by the UK at 49% and Ukraine at 43%.

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Russia will not attack.

NATO Rearmament Is Completely Pointless – Putin (RT)

Moscow does not consider any NATO rearmament to be a threat to Russia, President Vladimir Putin told journalists on the sidelines of the 28th annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Certain threats could arise from the US-led military bloc’s actions, but Russia would be ready to address any challenges to its security, Putin stated at a Q&A session early Thursday, adding that any increase in defense spending by NATO would not make a difference. “We do not consider any NATO rearmament to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our own security, and we are constantly improving our armed forces and our defense capabilities,” Putin said.

The Russian leader has insisted there is “no doubt” that Russia “will mitigate all the threats that may arise.” Putin dismissed rhetoric about an alleged threat posed by Moscow to NATO as an “inconceivable lie” used by Western governments to justify tax increases and the diversion of public funds to the military-industrial complex. “A Nazi propagandist once said that the more incredible the lie, the faster people will believe it. This legend that Russia is planning to attack Europe, the NATO countries, is the same inconceivable lie,” Putin said. “Everyone understands that this is nonsense. And they deceive their population to ensure the extraction of money from the budget… and to explain failures in the economy.”

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Couldn’t have done it “better” if you tried..

Brussels Makes EU ‘As Uncompetitive As Possible’ – Putin Envoy (RT)

Officials in Brussels are completely undermining the EU’s competitiveness, according to Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and presidential envoy. His comment follows the European Commission’s proposal to eliminate all Russian oil and gas imports within two years. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen unveiled the plan, which is backed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Tuesday. It seeks to ban all new gas contracts with Russia, and presents measures to facilitate the end of Russian oil imports by the end of 2027. “EU Commission bureaucrats seem obsessed – with making the EU as uncompetitive as possible on the global stage,” Dmitriev, who is also the Russian president’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation, wrote on X. “Mission accomplished or still in progress?”

The comment came in response to criticism from Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who warned that the plan represents “a serious violation” of Hungary’s sovereignty. He claimed that the EU is “ready to dismantle Hungary’s secure and affordable energy supply.” The legislation seeks to apply EU trade law mechanisms to imports of Russian oil and gas, enabling Brussels to bypass potential vetoes from countries such as Hungary and Slovakia. Energy prices across Europe soared following Ukraine-related sanctions in 2022. Jorgensen said the latest phaseout is not about Ukraine, but because “Russia has weaponized energy” against the EU. Moscow has called the sanctions illegitimate and counterproductive. Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the lifting of sanctions as a condition for resolving the Ukraine conflict.

The Kremlin also noted that Russia has been a reliable energy supplier to the bloc. Russia, once the EU’s main gas supplier, sharply reduced exports three years ago amid Western sanctions and the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage. Its share of EU pipeline gas fell from over 40% in 2021 to around 11% in 2024. While most EU countries have cut Russian gas, landlocked members, including Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Serbia, still rely on limited supplies through various exemptions. Meanwhile, Russian LNG imports to the EU have surged, making up 17.5% of the bloc’s supply last year – second only to the US at 45.3%. France, Spain, and Belgium took in 85% of these shipments, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

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“We are headed into a massive conflagration, because there are no honest governments on earth..”

Intelligence Has Departed Every Government (Paul Craig Roberts)

Iran had the strategic advantage over Israel and could have wiped Israel out. Instead, the hapless Iranians sat passively on their butts, gave a gratuitous demonstration of their capability, thus putting Israel on guard without doing any damage to Israel. Next the Iranian government failed to see the many indications that it was about to be attacked while it wasted its time in “peace negotiations,” and had an important part of its leadership decapitated and its oil fields set on fire. Talking about doing oneself in, Iran takes the cake. Reminds me of Putin. Putin kept Russia sitting on its passive butt for eight years self-deceiving himself with his “Minsk Agreement,” while Washington built and equipped a large Ukrainian army.

Unable to get a mutual security agreement from the Biden regime, on the eve of the Ukrainian army’s intended invasion of the two Donbas republics–Russian people whose requests in 2014 to be reincorporated into Russia Putin foolishly refused, Putin had to finally intervene although he had made no effort to be militarily prepared and had to rely on a semi-private army known as the Wagner Group. The Russian general staff were jealous of the fighting capability of the Wagner Group and wanted the troops integrated into their forces. When the Wagner Group’s commander and his troops could no longer stand the mindless restraints Putin was putting on the conduct of a war, causing Russians casualties while restraining Russian offensives, some of the Wagner Group marched on Moscow as a protest.

The Russian generals called it a coup, a rebellion. The Wagner Group’s leader died “mysteriously in a plane crash,” the Wagner group was broken up. Thus, an effective Russian fighting force was destroyed by the government it was fighting for. The latest consequence of Putin’s inability to face up to reality is the attack on the Russian strategic triad. Again Putin denied reality and said it was not an act of war against Russia, just a terrorist action. Putin did more damage than Ukrainians to Russia’s fighting force. As I recently wrote in a column, there are wars everywhere but they are not acknowledged as wars. Governments are too stupid to understand that this is a dangerous situation. Now Trump has demanded “unconditional surrender” from Iran or Trump is going to assassinate the Iranian leader. “We know where he is hiding,” Trump added.

Can you imagine! What has Iran done to America? Nothing. Trump is hot and bothered that Iran, according to Netanyahu, has, or is about to have, nuclear weapons, the thought of which discomforts Netanyahu, President Trump’s real boss. Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence told Trump that the American intelligent services believe there is no evidence of Iranian nuclear weapons. Really, does anyone think Israel would be attacking Iran if Iran had nuclear weapons? Israel tried to take out Iran’s nuclear research facilities and failed, lacking the ability. So Netanyahu has passed the task on to the Trump and his MAGA-American super patriots. Americans have already destroyed FIVE countries for Israel, disguised as “the war on terror,” and now Netanyahu has set Trump up to do in the sixth.

The Russian Foreign Ministry responds to this dangerous situation with nothing but meaningless words. RT reports: “The ongoing intensive attacks by the Israeli side on peaceful nuclear facilities in Iran are illegal from the point of view of international law, create unacceptable threats to international security and push the world towards a nuclear catastrophe,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on Tuesday. Why does the Russian Foreign Ministry think that Washington or Israel care what it says? As Russia never does anything, Russia is not a player. If the Russian Foreign Ministry has anyone capable of thought, just because Iran has a target on its back doesn’t mean that Russia doesn’t. China also has a target on its back, and the Chinese government sits there passively telling their “Russian allies” to sue for peace in Ukraine.

The stupidity is unimaginable. What is the point of seeking peace with those whose intention is to get you?Israel and/or Washington bribed, paid, threatened, or ordered the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board to push through last week’s “biased anti-Iranian resolution” on Tehran’s nuclear program,” which, without an inspection, gave Israel a free hand, and led to this tragedy, according to the Russian foreign ministry. Yet, Putin and his foreign ministry are desperate to be a part, even a subordinate part, of the totally corrupt Western World whose reality is a fabrication of lies. I sometimes wonder if the Russian population is lost to Russia. Have the decades of Washington’s propaganda via the Voice of America, Radio Liberty into the minds of Russians succeeded in alienating Russians from their own defense?

If not, why are the Russians doing such a poor defense of themselves. All the Russians do is to protest the West’s official narratives. What kind of resistance is this? None at all. The absence of resistance leads to war. Are there any governments capable of acknowledging reality? Every government is lost in official narratives that are stupid and dangerous beyond belief. Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence, reported to President Trump that the US intelligence community discounts the Israeli claim that Iran has, or is about to have, a nuclear weapon. Trump responded: “I don’t care what she says.” Trump’s controller–Netanyahu–told Trump different, and Trump believes his controller, not his own appointee as Director of National Intelligence.

With Netanyahu firmly in charge of the US government, war is a certainty. American patriots will conclude that I am on the side of Iran, Russia, and China, which shows the limits of emotional response. I am on the side of truth and life. When governments refuse to confront reality, reality runs away with them. We are headed into a massive conflagration, because there are no honest governments on earth. A government somewhere has to stand up and acknowledge that pointless war is afoot, and the presence of nuclear weapons makes it dangerous.

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Lovely.

40% of Americans Expect Civil War In Next Decade (RT)

Forty percent of Americans believe a civil war in the US is “somewhat” or “very” likely within the next decade, a new YouGov poll released on Tuesday suggests. The poll, which surveyed 3,375 adults, underscores widespread anxiety over the nation’s deepening divisions. It also follows a wave of unrest in the country, including violent protests against federal deportations and nationwide demonstrations aimed at President Donald Trump. Women were more likely than men to consider civil conflict plausible, with 45% indicating it was likely. Views also varied by political affiliation: 48% of Democrats, 39% of independents, and 32% of Republicans said a civil war was at least somewhat probable. While respondents were more or less split on the likelihood of a civil war, just over 20% were unsure or declined to answer.

The data also suggested racial disparities. Among white respondents, 10% said a civil war was “very likely,” compared to 18% of black respondents. Hispanics were the least likely to completely dismiss the idea, with only 11% saying a conflict was “not likely at all,” while 15% called it “very likely.” Earlier this month, riots erupted across California in response to federal immigration enforcement actions. Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines after a public clash with California Governor Gavin Newsom over his handling of the crisis. Last week, Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife injured in what officials called “politically motivated” attacks.

On Saturday, an estimated 5 million people participated in “No Kings” marches across all 50 states. Organizers described the protests as a stand against “authoritarianism, billionaire-first politics, and the militarization of our democracy.” Meanwhile, some Republican allies have warned that Trump is losing support for deviating from his “America First” platform, particularly after backing Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump dismissed the criticism in an interview with The Atlantic, saying he alone defines what “America First” means.

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Always looking out for number 1.

Zelensky Seeks $40bn a Year For ‘Resilience’ (RT)

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has called on Western donors to commit $40 billion annually to prop up his country’s budget, following a high-profile snub by US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit. Zelensky made the appeal Tuesday during the gathering in Kananaskis, Canada, where he failed to get an audience with Trump, who left early.Posting a photo on social media of himself speaking to six leaders, Zelensky demanded sustained donations. “It’s crucial to have $40 billion annually in budgetary support for Ukraine – to ensure our resilience and the ability of our country to carry on,” he said, urging the US to approve the aid.

Trump “does not apply strong enough pressure on Russia,” Zelensky claimed, despite Kiev purportedly defending Washington’s global interests. He called on other G7 members to lobby the US leader, while advocating investment in Ukraine’s arms production and new sanctions against Russia. The summit’s results have been reported as a disappointment for Kiev and have cast doubt on the prospects of a Trump-Zelensky meeting at a NATO leaders summit scheduled for next Tuesday. “It is a permanent hazard that Ukraine is a victim of events and Trump’s short attention span,” a Ukrainian official told The Guardian. “There had been all sorts of promises for this summit – including new US arms deliveries being offered.”

G7 leaders did not issue a joint statement on Ukraine, reportedly due to Trump’s refusal to endorse language critical of Russia. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s chair summary noted that participants supported Trump’s efforts to broker a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine” and backed Kiev’s call for an unconditional ceasefire. Russian officials have dismissed the Ukrainian demand as a ploy to give Kiev’s forces time to regroup. During recent peace talks in Istanbul, Moscow offered two options for a conditional truce: A withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from territories that have joined Russia, or a halt to Ukraine’s military mobilization and Western arms deliveries. Kiev rejected both proposals.

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Viagra
https://twitter.com/Mangan150/status/1935303367137645000

Worth the read
https://twitter.com/anarchy_build/status/1935254968031678505

Iran map

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Apr 122025
 


Pablo Picasso Guernica 1937 (I turned it 90°, so you can see)

 

Kremlin Reveals Content Of Putin’s Talks With Trump Envoy Witkoff (RT)
Trump’s Kiev Envoy Clarifies Proposal To ‘Divide Ukraine Like Postwar Berlin’ (RT)
Kellogg Blasts Times for Misrepresenting His Words on Ukraine (Sp.)
Zelensky Mustn’t Govern Russians He Despises – Lavrov (RT)
UK Has Deep Involvement In Ukraine Conflict – The Times (RT)
NATO Needs Romania To Launch WWIII – Georgescu to Tucker Carlson (RT)
The Tariff Issue Again (Paul Craig Roberts)
China Dismisses US Tariff ‘Numbers Game’ (RT)
10 Tariff Questions Never Asked (Victor Davis Hanson)
Trump’s Tariffs Only the Start. Congress Must Now Cut Taxes, Regulations (DS)
Dem-Appointed Federal Judges Are the Big Losers at Supreme Court This Week (DC)
The Wicked Flee (James Howard Kunstler)
Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case (Turley)
Trump Plans Charm Offensive To Win Over Greenland – NYT (RT)
Zelensky Offered US Rare-Earths Deal Under Biden – Blinken (RT)
The End of La Grande Illusion Democratique (Karganovic)
Tulsi Gabbard Drops TWO Huge Bombshells (MN)
Trump Admin Reaches Agreements With 5 Law Firms (ET)

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/kylenabecker/status/1910329166995607765

SAVE

Chamath

O’Leary

RFK

 

 

 

 

Trump has two envoys in/for Ukraine right now. One is General Keith Kellogg, whose task is to talk to Zelensky and Kiev. The other is Steve Witkoff, who has a much broader portfolio. One moment he’s discussing the Middle East with various parties, the next he holds a four hour meeting with Putin in St. Petersburg. Witkoff told Trump this week, before his meeting with Putin, that “recognizing Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson was the swiftest path to halting the war”. To which Kellogg responded that Zelensky would never accept that.

Kellogg ponders a plan that involves peacekeeping forces and -zones with UK, France and Ukraine troops. Which Russia will not accept. It’s very easy this way for Zelensky to halt any peace proposals. It leaves two questions: 1/ who’s winning? and 2/ how much patience does Trump have? NATO will never concede that Russia won and now gets to call the shots. But Russia did win. UK, France and Ukraine cling on to hopes that Trump will support their side and start a world war. Trump wants peace.

Kremlin Reveals Content Of Putin’s Talks With Trump Envoy Witkoff (RT)

The discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday involved “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” the Kremlin has announced, declining to provide further details. Witkoff visited Russia on Friday and met with Putin in St. Petersburg. The meeting lasted over four hours and the content of the talks has been largely kept under wraps by Moscow and Washington. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the issue during a press briefing earlier in the day when asked by a reporter about the purpose of Witkoff’s visit to Russia. According to Leavitt, the visit was aimed at facilitating direct US communications with the Kremlin as part of a broader effort to negotiate a ceasefire and eventual peace agreement in the Ukraine conflict.

The Trump administration faced growing internal divisions this week after Witkoff allegedly proposed a ceasefire plan that would recognize Russian control over four eastern regions claimed by both Moscow and Kiev, Reuters reported on Friday citing anonymous sources. During a White House meeting with President Donald Trump last week, Witkoff argued that recognizing Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson was the swiftest path to halting the war, the outlet’s sources said. General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, reportedly pushed back, stressing Ukraine would not accept full territorial concessions. The meeting reportedly concluded without a decision from Trump, who has repeatedly said he wants to broker a ceasefire by May. Witkoff subsequently traveled to Russia on Friday for talks with Putin.

The episode has deepened rifts within the Trump administration, as officials debate how to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Reuters wrote. Witkoff’s approach, previously outlined in a March interview with Tucker Carlson, has reportedly alarmed both Republican lawmakers and US allies. “They’re Russian-speaking,” Witkoff told Carlson of the eastern territories. “There have been referendums where the overwhelming majority of the people have indicated that they want to be under Russian rule.” Several Republicans reportedly contacted National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns about Witkoff’s stance, criticizing him for echoing Russian rhetoric.

A recent dinner with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev, who until recently was under US sanctions, further stirred controversy. Originally planned at Witkoff’s home, it was moved to the White House after security concerns were raised. Despite criticism, Witkoff retains strong backing from Trump and some administration officials. Waltz praised his efforts, citing his business background and recent diplomatic activity, including securing the release of US citizen Marc Fogel from Russia.

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“Medvedev, said that the potential emergence of any NATO “peacekeepers” in Ukraine would mean a war between the bloc and Russia.”

Trump’s Kiev Envoy Clarifies Proposal To ‘Divide Ukraine Like Postwar Berlin’ (RT)

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, has rejected the notion that he proposed partitioning Ukraine like post-WWII Germany, accusing The Times of misrepresenting his remarks about a Cold War-style post-ceasefire security arrangement. Kellogg told The Times in an interview published on Friday that British and French – but not American – troops could lead a Western military force positioned west of the Dnepr River, while Ukrainian forces would hold territory further east. He also suggested establishing a demilitarized zone (DMZ) roughly 18 miles (30 kilometers) wide along the current lines of control to prevent direct clashes with Russian forces.

“You could almost make it look like what happened with Berlin after World War Two, when you had a Russian zone, a French zone, and a British zone, a US zone,” said Kellogg, a retired US Army lieutenant general, appointed by Trump to deal directly with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Kellogg acknowledged that Moscow “might not accept” the proposed zones of control, and claimed that a DMZ would create conditions for a “sustainable” ceasefire and would “not be provocative at all” to Moscow. The British newspaper ran its story with the headline “Trump envoy: We can divide Ukraine like postwar Berlin,” prompting Kellogg to accuse the publication of taking his words out of context.

“The Times article misrepresents what I said,” Kellogg wrote on X on Friday evening. “I was speaking of a post-ceasefire resiliency force in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. In discussions of partitioning, I was referencing areas or zones of responsibility for an allied force (without US troops). I was NOT referring to a partitioning of Ukraine.” The Times report, however, noted that Kellogg’s idea implies that any final settlement would involve Kiev relinquishing claims to territories already controlled by Russia – a point that echoes proposals recently floated by Trump’s Russia envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Witkoff, who met Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg on Friday, had previously argued that recognizing Russian ownership of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson was the swiftest path to halting the conflict. The suggestion, reportedly voiced during a White House meeting last week, has triggered internal debate within the Trump administration, with Kellogg allegedly pushing back against full territorial concessions. Kiev’s backers remain split on a proposed “reassurance force” that could potentially be deployed to Ukraine after hostilities between Kiev and Moscow end. Following the latest meeting of the “coalition of the willing” – composed of some 30 predominantly EU and NATO member states – in Brussels on Thursday, only six Western nations expressed readiness to send troops, according to AFP.

Moscow has repeatedly warned the West against deploying troops to Ukraine under any pretext, specifically objecting to forces from any NATO countries ending up in the country. Last month, former Russian president and deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said that the potential emergence of any NATO “peacekeepers” in Ukraine would mean a war between the bloc and Russia.

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“The Russian Foreign Ministry previously said the plans of some EU countries to send “peacekeepers” to Ukraine are a provocative step aimed at maintaining unhealthy illusions in Kiev..”

Kellogg Blasts Times for Misrepresenting His Words on Ukraine (Sp.)

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg accused the Times newspaper of misrepresenting his words about control zones in Ukraine, clarifying that he did not mean “partitioning” the country itself.
The Times wrote in an article that Kellogg suggested partitioning Ukraine into control zones after the end of the conflict like Berlin after World War II, but without US ground forces. Kellogg, the report said, proposed dividing Ukraine into several control zones, where the military of several countries would be located: British and French troops could be deployed to western Ukraine as a “reassurance force.” Between them and the Russian forces there could be “Ukrainian forces and a demilitarized zone.”

“The Times article misrepresents what I said. I was speaking of a post-cease fire resiliency force in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. In discussions of partitioning, I was referencing areas or zones of responsibility for an allied force (without US troops). I was NOT referring to a partitioning of Ukraine,” Kellogg wrote on X, attaching a link to the article. Earlier in April, Alexey Polishchuk, Director of the Second CIS Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Sputnik that London and Paris’ discussions on sending deterrent forces to Ukraine were preparations for foreign intervention. According to Polishchuk, Kiev is known to be rejecting the peace process and is even sabotaging the moratorium on strikes against energy facilities. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in turn, previously stated that any foreign military presence in Ukraine would be viewed as a threat to Russia and carries the risk of a direct military clash.

Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) previously reported that the West would deploy a so-called “peacekeeping contingent” of about 100,000 people in Ukraine to restore its combat capability. The SVR said this would be a de facto occupation of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the deployment of peacekeepers is only possible with the consent of the parties to a particular conflict. According to him, it is premature to talk about peacekeepers in Ukraine. Earlier, he also left without comment statements that Russia would allegedly not be against the deployment of peacekeepers in Ukraine.

On March 6, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia does not see any possibility for a compromise on the issue of deploying foreign peacekeepers in Ukraine. As the Russian minister specified at the time, if a foreign contingent is deployed in Ukraine, Western countries will not want to discuss the terms of peaceful settlement. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously said the plans of some EU countries to send “peacekeepers” to Ukraine are a provocative step aimed at maintaining unhealthy illusions in Kiev.

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“..Moscow has firmly rejected the idea of NATO troops being stationed in Ukraine.”

Zelensky Mustn’t Govern Russians He Despises – Lavrov (RT)

Vladimir Zelensky’s openly declared hatred for Russians means he must not and will not govern people living in former parts of Ukraine that Kiev seeks to retake, Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated. In a late March interview with the French daily Le Figaro, Zelensky expressed his disdain for “Russians who killed so many Ukrainian citizens,” asserting that this “hatred” fuels his leadership. Lavrov referenced the comments during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry on Friday, underscoring why Moscow has deemed Kiev’s territorial claims unacceptable. “Who would even hypothetically consider handing over those people to such an individual? Nobody. No way,” he emphasized. Since the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, five Ukrainian regions plus the city of Sevastopol have voted to break away and join Russia. The Ukrainian government has dismissed these referendums as a “sham.”

Lavrov also reminded journalists of Zelensky’s previous derogatory remarks, including statements made prior to the conflict’s escalation in 2022. In 2021, Zelensky urged Donbass residents who identified as Russian to relocate to Russia. That same year, he referred to politicians targeted by his government with personal sanctions as another “species.” The minister accused the Ukrainian government of “legislatively eradicating everything related to Russia and the Russian world: the Russian language, Russian-speaking media, the Orthodox Christianity represented by the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and much more.”

Such discriminatory policies, he argued, justify labeling the Zelensky administration “neo-Nazi” and contribute to ongoing hostilities. Lavrov asserted that US President Donald Trump recognizes Russia’s red lines and considers “the return to the 1991 borders, as Zelensky keeps demanding” impossible. The Trump administration seeks to mediate a peace deal between Moscow and Kiev, while the UK and France are leading discussions on a proposed “reassurance force” to be deployed in Ukraine if a truce is achieved. Moscow has firmly rejected the idea of NATO troops being stationed in Ukraine.

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“Sometimes their visits were so sensitive they went in civilian clothing.”

UK Has Deep Involvement In Ukraine Conflict – The Times (RT)

Britain’s military leadership played a far more extensive and covert role in the Ukraine conflict than previously known, not only designing battle plans and supplying intelligence, but also authorizing secret troop deployments inside Ukraine to deliver weapons training and technical support, according to a report by The Times. While London’s political and military backing for Kiev has been public since the 2014 Western-backed coup, the extent of its involvement after the escalation in February 2022 “remained largely hidden… until now,” the British newspaper wrote on Friday. The Times claimed that British troops were sent into Ukraine in small numbers on several occasions throughout 2022 and 2023, operating discreetly to avoid provoking Russia. In particular, UK forces were deployed to fit Ukrainian aircraft with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles and train pilots and ground crews in their use.

“UK troops were secretly sent to fit Ukraine’s aircraft with the missiles and teach troops how to use them,” the publication wrote, noting that it “would not be the first time British troops had been deployed on the ground.” The UK had been delivering thousands of NLAW anti-tank missiles to Kiev and sending instructors to train Ukrainian soldiers in their use since 2015. While British troops were pulled back from Ukraine shortly before the escalation in February 2022, the deteriorating battlefield situation and the urgent need for technical expertise saw small teams of UK personnel redeployed quietly alongside fresh supplies of missiles, the newspaper reported.

London also reportedly played a key role in helping Ukraine prepare its much-touted 2023 “counteroffensive” against Russia – and in mediating between Kiev and Washington when the operation failed to meet US expectations. The newspaper claimed that “behind the scenes” the Ukrainians referred to Britain’s military chiefs as the “brains” of what they called an “anti-Putin” coalition. Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace was even ereportedly nicknamed “the man who saved Kiev” by Ukrainian military officials. “The Americans went to Ukraine only on rare occasions because of concerns that they would be seen to be too involved in the war, unlike Britain’s military chiefs who were given the freedom to go whenever necessary,” The Times wrote. “Sometimes their visits were so sensitive they went in civilian clothing.”

Moscow perceives the Ukraine conflict as a Western-led proxy war against Russia, in which Ukrainians serve as “cannon fodder.” It considers foreigners fighting for Kiev as “mercenaries” acting on behalf of Western governments. Senior Russian officials have suggested that more complex weapon systems provided to Kiev are highly likely operated by NATO staff. The presence of current and former NATO troops has also been tacitly admitted, but never openly confirmed, by Western officials. For example, last year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz revealed the involvement of British and French forces in preparing Ukrainian missile launches, as he explained why Berlin would not supply similar weapons to Kiev. Earlier this month, a New York Times investigation found that the administration of former US President Joe Biden provided Ukraine with support that went far beyond arms shipments – extending to daily battlefield coordination, intelligence sharing, and joint strategy planning, which were described as indispensable to Kiev’s fight against Russia.

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“..the “largest military base of NATO is in Romania,” coupled with the 380-mile (612 km) long border that his country shares with Ukraine..”

NATO Needs Romania To Launch WWIII – Georgescu to Tucker Carlson (RT)

Calin Georgescu, a former Romanian presidential candidate whose bid was controversially invalidated earlier this year, has claimed that NATO wants to “launch World War III from Romania.” In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, he said his staunch pro-peace stance was among the main reasons why he was barred from running for president. The right-wing politician, known as an outspoken critic of NATO, the EU, and Western support for Ukraine, scored a surprise win in the first round of November’s presidential election, receiving 23% of the vote. However, the country’s Constitutional Court swiftly moved in to annul the result over alleged “irregularities” in his campaign. Later, Georgescu was stripped of his right to run for office.

Appearing on Carlson’s podcast on Thursday, the former Romanian presidential candidate alleged that NATO wants to “launch… World War III from Romania.” The politician cited the fact that the “largest military base of NATO is in Romania,” coupled with the 380-mile (612 km) long border that his country shares with Ukraine. “In this situation of course Romania is the asset for [the] European Union, for [French President Emmanuel] Macron in order to launch the war,” Georgescu insisted. “They want to turn NATO [into] an offensive force” and are “pushing for war,” he alleged, adding that “my position was exactly against them.”According to Georgescu, “all my campaign was just concentrate[d] on peace[.] When I said… the word ‘peace’, they immediately alerted… because they need war.” The right-wing politician went on to say that the “majority of Romanian people… have this position against any intervention and any participation [in] war.”

“I was denied [the right to run for president] by the globalist mafia,” the former candidate alleged, further claiming that the people behind the invalidation of his candidacy were the same people who attempted to derail Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in the US, using similar smear tactics. Appearing on ‘The Shawn Ryan Show’ in January, Georgescu similarly suggested that NATO military infrastructure in Romania could be used to launch a major offensive against Russia. Bucharest, a NATO member since 2004, has been expanding the MK Air Base to make it the largest NATO installation in Europe. Moscow has described the base as “anti-Russian” and warned that it would be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes in a military conflict.

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“Trump paused the tariffs, because the tool worked. Seventy-five countries have agreed to negotiate a solution to Trump’s concerns.”

The Tariff Issue Again (Paul Craig Roberts)

The whore media is doing its best to misrepresent the tariff issue and to cause hysteria that causes stock market volatility and fears of world recession. One of the anti-Trump propaganda ministries that poses as financial media went so far as to claim that Trump has caused a “regime shift whereby US Treasuries are no longer the global fixed-income safe haven.” Once upon a time the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Economist, the BBC, the US TV networks were semi-reliable. Today they are nothing but propaganda ministries. Trump has “paused” the threatened tariffs. Why? Because as I have reported in columns and interviews they are a negotiating tool with which to reach agreements. Trump paused the tariffs, because the tool worked. Seventy-five countries have agreed to negotiate a solution to Trump’s concerns.

How did the excrement that pretends to be a media report Trump’s success? “The most significant retreat by Trump in his term so far.” “Faced with a world recession, sharp selloff of equities and bonds and plunge in oil prices, Trump abandoned his crackpot tariffs.” The Western media, especially the one in the US, has never served the West well. The US media covered up the assassinations of President John Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. The media first encouraged, then misrepresented, the Vietnam War. The media used the CIA-orchestrated “Watergate” to hound President Nixon out of office. The media tried, but failed, to destroy President Reagan as a somnolent Grade-B movie actor who slept through cabinet meetings.

The media covered up 9/11. The media supported obvious lies, such as “Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction,” “Assad’s use of chemical weapons against his own people,” accused Gaddafi of ” being an authoritarian administration that systematically violated human rights and financed global terrorism in the region and abroad” (Wikipedia, the worst liar on earth). The media makes excuses, or does not cover, Israel’s extermination of Palestine and the Palestinian people. The media lies through their teeth about “the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” about alleged evils of Iran and China. When people in the Western world are confronted by nothing but lies and propaganda serving as news, what understanding can they have?

Consider the Iranian issue. Iran has not threatened the US in any way, yet labors under Washington’s sanctions and war plans to attack Iran. For many years the Israel Lobby has been trying to get Americans to attack Iran for Israel. Trump, who appears to be an Israeli puppet instead of a strong American president, is threatening Iran with devastating attack. But does he mean it, or is it, like the tariff threat, just another negotiating instrument? If I were Trump, I would not want any wars, because wars are all-consuming, and the domestic agenda would be put on the back burner. I think that Trump wants to avoid all wars so that he can deal with America’s real enemy: the American Establishment. It will be interesting to see who is strongest, Trump or the war establishment.

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We won’t go back to what was before. Something new must be found.

China Dismisses US Tariff ‘Numbers Game’ (RT)

China likened the United States’ tariff policy to a ‘numbers game’ with no practical meaning after the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed multiple rounds of duties on Chinese imports over the past few weeks. In a statement on Friday, the Chinese government accused Washington of using tariffs as a weapon for bullying and coercion, while hitting back with its own reciprocal trade duties. ”Even if the US continues to impose even higher tariffs, it would no longer have any economic significance and would go down as a joke in the history of world economics,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said, as cited by Reuters. The US has imposed four major tariff hikes on China in just over two months, with the latest escalation on Wednesday bringing the duties from an initial average of 20% to a cumulative rate of 145%.

China has retaliated, announcing its latest reciprocal hike to 125% on all American imports on Friday. The Ministry of Commerce said Beijing would not retaliate any further, indicating that it may turn to other ways of responding and vowing to “fight to the end.” Trump argues that the increased duties are needed to address trade imbalances and stop China from “ripping off the USA.” Earlier this week, he opined that the “proud” Chinese would have to “make a deal at some point.” China has also filed a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization challenging the latest US tariff hike, asserting that Washington’s actions have significantly disrupted the global economy. The trade dispute between the world’s two largest economies has caused extreme volatility in global stock markets, sent oil prices to four-year lows, and caused concerns regarding global supply chains.

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Who gets the long end of the stick?

10 Tariff Questions Never Asked (Victor Davis Hanson)

1. President Donald Trump’s so-called trade war. Many call the American effort to obtain either tariff parity or a reduction in the roughly $1 trillion trade deficit and 50 years of consecutive trade deficits a “trade war.” But then what do they call the policies of the past half-century by Europe, Asia, China, and others to ensure asymmetrical tariffs, pseudo-health and security trade restrictions, and large surpluses? A trade peace? Trade fairness?

2. Do nations prefer surpluses or deficits? Why do most nations prefer trade surpluses and protective tariffs? Are Europe, Asia, China, and others stupid? Are they suicidal in continuing their trade surpluses and protective or asymmetrical tariffs. Is the United States uniquely brilliant in maintaining a half-century of cumulative trade deficits? Do Americans alone discover the advantages of a $1 trillion annual trade deficit and small or nonexistent tariffs? Why don’t America’s trading partners prefer deficits like ours—given we supposedly believe they are either advantageous or perhaps irrelevant?

3. Would our trade partners prefer to trade places with us? Would our trade partners prefer to have America’s supposed benefits of a $1 trillion trade deficit? Would the United States then “suffer” like they do by running up $200 billion annual surpluses?

4. What if wages went up at the rate of the stock market? What would now be the reaction of the stock market if over the last decade wages had increased at the rate of stocks—and the stocks at the rate of wages?

5. Is Wall Street’s panic based on what might happen—or what is happening? Is Wall Street’s meltdown a fear of what might happen in the future? Or is it reacting to March’s latest jobs report that there were 93,000 more jobs created than predicted? Was the Wall Street panic predicated on reports of much lower oil prices? Did the furor arise over the March inflation report that the annualized inflation rate dipped to 2.6% per year?

6. Is the frenzy caused by the Trump economic agenda? Is Wall Street’s worry that Trump’s impending tax cuts, more deregulation, greater budget cuts, and continued efforts to eliminate budget deficits and reduce national debt will stall economic growth?

7. What about North American neighbors? If the U.S. was running a $63 billion-plus trade surplus with Canada, refusing to meet its NATO requirements to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defense, and instead spent only 1.37%, would Canada become concerned? If Mexico were running a $171 billion trade deficit with the U.S., if Americans in Mexico were sending over $60 billion per year out of Mexico to the U.S., and if American drug dealers were making $20 billion by selling fentanyl and opioids to Mexico, would Mexico be angry?

8. Is the Trump agenda bad economic news? Is the current panic over tariffs amplified by Trump’s other policies? Is the sudden end of 10,000 illegal entries a day bothering Wall Street? Are the media furious that the Red Sea is suddenly navigable again, the Houthis in Yemen curtailing their attacks? Is the outrage due to the targeting of approximately $200 billion in budget cuts or plans to shave off $500 billion from the annual budget? Does the conundrum arise because Trump is sanctioning Iran, unapologetically supporting Israel, and seeking an end to the Ukraine War?

9. Was the Biden record preferable? Should Trump try to match former President Joe Biden’s $7 trillion addition to the national debt? Should he return to allowing 12 million illegal aliens into the country? Was the 2021 Afghanistan pullout a good model? Is Wall Street worried that Trump may copy the Biden New Green Deal, his electric vehicle mandates, and more green regulations?

10. Why the negotiations and why now? Why are 70 countries now wishing to negotiate tariffs with America either down to zero or reciprocally to the same rate as ours? Is that a good thing? If so, why did our trade partners not wish to lower their trade barriers far earlier? Did they suddenly and spontaneously decide they were acting unfairly and, on their own prompt, now want to make amends? What’s next? If there soon is a rush of nations to cut a deal with the U.S. and not to be left out of the American market, will there follow another hysterical Wall Street spasm—but not to sell, but instead to buy stocks at bargain prices?

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“Now is not the time to settle for the lowest common denominator, which is always a temptation in politics..”

Trump’s Tariffs Only the Start. Congress Must Now Cut Taxes, Regulations (DS)

President Donald Trump announced historic tariffs on April 2—“Liberation Day”—to ensure that America is no longer “looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered” by other nations. On Wednesday, the president announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs and lowered the tariff rate on most nations to 10%. He also raised tariffs on China to 125%. His bold leadership, which quickly brought 75 countries to the negotiating table, he said, should be applauded. Clearly, his strategy is working: America is gaining leverage, and China is becoming more and more isolated. While conservatives have been divided and disorganized about how to respond to the president’s policy, with almost all Republicans in Washington still watching from the sidelines, we’re calling on Americans to unify around a “yes, and” agenda.

That means saying yes to strategic, reciprocal tariffs that target China and other trade abusers—based on their barriers, not simply the balance of trade—as we work toward true free and fair trade. And it means insisting that tariffs are most effective when paired with a broad array of conservative policies that alleviate economic pain on the American people. While Trump works to liberate us from foreign abuses, congressional Republicans must fight to liberate Americans from the burdens of federal regulations, mandates, and taxes. First, we must not settle for extending the status quo on tax relief. Thanks to the majorities Trump delivered in November, Republicans must pursue deeper tax reform through reconciliation. Every penny raised from tariffs should be offset with pro-growth tax cuts.

Making the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent is a good start, but we also must remove every remaining tax penalty on expanding hiring and business operations in America by adopting full and immediate expensing for all investments. Pairing this with a simplified flat tax for all is even better. Congress should collapse the personal income and corporate tax rates to 15%. Second, Congress should work alongside the Trump administration, using the reconciliation process, to transform the current 10% universal tariff into a true border-adjusted tariff. That means applying a universal 10% tariff on all imports, while granting a matching 10% credit to all American exports. That isn’t just smart policy—it’s a long-overdue correction to a global tax system that has punished American industry for decades. We’ve let foreign goods pour into our markets tax-free, while our manufacturers are taxed at home and slapped again abroad. That’s not free trade—it’s economic surrender.

And no country has abused this broken system more brazenly than China, which has cheated on trade, exploited our openness, and gutted the U.S. industry while Washington looked the other way. If we want to rebuild our economy, secure our supply chains, and end our dependence on adversarial regimes, then a border adjustment tariff must be part of the conservative economic playbook. As a bonus, these revenues can be used to offset lost revenue from the lower tax rates we are calling for. Third, Republicans must finally get serious about cutting spending—not with half measures or messaging bills, but with real, structural reform. Through reconciliation, Congress should significantly cut mandatory spending riddled with waste, fraud, and abuse.

Now is not the time to settle for the lowest common denominator, which is always a temptation in politics. If we are to undo the fiscal and inflationary damage done by the previous administration and decades of fiscal irresponsibility, we must go big and take advantage of this historic electoral mandate. Then, through the appropriations process, we must slash the bloated discretionary budget that fuels the unchecked growth of the federal bureaucracy. In the meantime, the Department of Government Efficiency must be fully unleashed to do its job—scrutinizing every dollar, rooting out inefficiency, and holding agencies accountable. This is how we restore fiscal integrity and prove to the American people that their government works for them, not the other way around.

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“..the high court has for procedural reasons issued back-to-back rulings undoing restrictions district judges imposed on the Trump administration..”

Dem-Appointed Federal Judges Are the Big Losers at Supreme Court This Week (DC)

The Supreme Court has struck down orders issued by Democrat-appointed district court judges five times in the past week. Without addressing the merits of the issues—which include consequential questions about immigration, funding, and the president’s authority to remove agency officials—the high court has for procedural reasons issued back-to-back rulings undoing restrictions district judges imposed on the Trump administration. “I think that the recent spate of Supreme Court decisions blocking lower court rulings against the Trump administration indicates that a majority of the justices are growing tired of district court judges issuing broad rulings, often in the form of nationwide injunctions, when they lack jurisdiction and are equally concerned about these judges ordering agencies to disburse millions, if not billions, of taxpayer dollars that will be impossible to recoup if the government ultimately prevails,” John Malcolm, director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Chief Justice John Roberts put a temporary hold Wednesday on orders forcing the reinstatement of two fired agency leaders, clearing the way for President Donald Trump to remove Cathy Harris from the Merit Systems Protection Board and Gwynne Wilcox from the National Labor Relations Board. While asking the Supreme Court to quickly block the lower court orders, the administration also asked the Supreme Court to grant certiorari to consider the matter on its merits. Roberts ordered fired officials to offer a response to the administration by April 15. Another Supreme Court ruling from Tuesday reversed a lower court decision requiring the administration to reinstate over 16,000 fired federal employees, finding some of the organizations that sued did not have standing.

The Supreme Court blocked two lower court orders dealing with immigration issues on Monday. Roberts temporarily halted an order that would have required the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an alleged MS-13 member living in Maryland with his American wife, to the United States after he was deported in error. In a 5-4 decision, the majority also permitted the administration to enforce the Alien Enemies Act of 1789, a wartime authority that allows the president to remove citizens of a hostile nation, to deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang to El Salvador. The majority blocked the order issued by D.C. District Court Chief Judge James Boasberg because the case was brought in the wrong venue, but stressed that detainees are still entitled to judicial review.

The three liberal justices, along with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, dissented from the ruling, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor calling the majority’s decision an “extraordinary threat to the rule of law” and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson saying it should raise concern for “lovers of liberty.” Following the ruling, a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the administration on Wednesday from removing individuals held in the El Valle Detention Center under the Alien Enemies Act. A Clinton-appointed judge in the Southern District of New York likewise halted deportations in his district under the act. The Supreme Court blocked an order in another 5-4 decision Friday that directed the Trump administration to pay out millions of dollars in teacher training grants, which it halted as part of its effort to cut programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“The Supreme Court has indicated in very strong terms that, rather than seeking out liberal district court judges in the bluest of blue states, people who think they are being unlawfully detained should file habeas petitions where they are being held, former government officials who believe they were wrongfully terminated should go to the Merit Systems Protection Board, and government contractors who believe they are owed money should go the Federal Court of Claims,” Malcolm told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “As to the ultimate merits of these claims, I believe the administration will prevail in most of these cases, but, of course, that remains to be seen.” White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation that seeking relief on the emergency docket “was necessary for the President to quickly deliver his agenda for the American people without unlawful interruption.” “President Trump secured five wins in six days in the Supreme Court, because it is finally taking steps to reign in rogue judges who seek to undermine President Trump’s authority,” Rogers said.

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“..newly-appointed US Attorney for the New Jersey federal district, Alina Habba, opened a criminal investigation against Gov. Murphy for “obstruction and concealment.” That means, possibly, jail. Badda-bing! This ain’t no foolin’ around.”

The Wicked Flee (James Howard Kunstler)

The decade-long treasonous hectoring of Mr. Trump keeps on coming, you understand, for the simple reason that there have been absolutely zero consequences for any of the vicious rogues behind it. Not so much as a rap on the knuckles for seeking to overthrow a president, steal elections, hide high crimes, rob the treasury, and recklessly frame the innocent. And suddenly this week, as startling as a mythic goddess of justice riding a spring zephyr, comes a brisk demonstration of exactly what-to-do. Days ago, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey ordered his state police to not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement officers (ICE) — a nice bit of grandstanding for a guy seeking to occupy the Democratic Party’s leadership vacuum. So, Thursday night, newly-appointed US Attorney for the New Jersey federal district, Alina Habba, opened a criminal investigation against Gov. Murphy for “obstruction and concealment.” That means, possibly, jail. Badda-bing! This ain’t no foolin’ around.

The reason the Democrat pols and their activist agents pule and mewl about “retribution” is because they know they are guilty of so many manifest crimes against the country and against decency, that a fair system would have jailed or hanged them by now. They evaded their reckonings only because their own filthy mitts gripped the levers of justice until very recently. Since January 20, that has obviously changed. But two questions have dogged the necessary restoration of fairness and good faith in the backbone of government we call the law. 1) Since the culpable are such well-known figures — the Clintons, Obama, Biden, Comey, Brennan, Mayorkas, Garland, Wray, Fauci, Collins, Pelosi, Eisen, Weissmann, McCord, Schiff, and dozens more — how do you seek justice without appearing to “go after” individuals in the old Soviet mode of “show me the person and I’ll find you the crime”? And 2) where do you begin with such a cosmic-scale panorama of treasonous malfeasance spanning many years and many theaters-of-action?

I’d say US Attorney Alina Habba’s move this week is an excellent place to start. For one thing, Governor Murphy’s defiant act is a fresh crime, only days old, and a clear-cut one: you can’t order state officials to flout federal law, especially where public safety is concerned. Ms. Habba smacked him instantly, like an insolent biting insect. Now, follow through. Prosecute. Mere apologies not accepted. No “mulligan” on that shot. If she brings a case, then other mayors and governors of the many self-proclaimed “sanctuary” jurisdictions around the country, trolling for virtue brownie points in their Woke waters, will rethink their lawless posturing. Couple of other good starts just this week. Mr. Trump issued executive orders yesterday that will afford a fresh look into some older but critical crimes against the nation. One directs US Attorney General Bondi to investigate the actions of a key player in wide-ranging 2020 election mischief. From the White House memo itself:

Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is a significant bad-faith actor who weaponized and abused his government authority. Krebs’ misconduct involved the censorship of disfavored speech implicating the 2020 election and COVID-19 pandemic. CISA, under Krebs’ leadership, suppressed conservative viewpoints under the guise of combatting supposed disinformation, and recruited and coerced major social media platforms to further its partisan mission. CISA covertly worked to blind the American public to the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop. Krebs, through CISA, promoted the censorship of election information, including known risks associated with certain voting practices. Similarly, Krebs, through CISA, falsely and baselessly denied that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, including by inappropriately and categorically dismissing widespread election malfeasance and serious vulnerabilities with voting machines. Krebs skewed the bona fide debate about COVID-19 by attempting to discredit widely shared views that ran contrary to CISA’s favored perspective.

Next, the White House directed an investigation of Homeland Security officer Miles Taylor who proclaimed, during the first Trump term in an anonymous New York Times op-ed, that he was party to “a resistance within the Federal Government that ‘vowed’ to undermine and render ineffective a sitting president. . . . [T]his conduct could properly be characterized as treasonous and as possibly violating the Espionage Act,” the EO said. Sounds serious, a little bit.

Next, in another EO, the White House severely disciplined the swamp law firm Susman Godfrey for its racist DEI activism in the federal agencies it did work for, saying, “Lawyers and law firms that engage in activities detrimental to critical American interests should not have access to our nation’s secrets, nor should their conduct be subsidized by Federal taxpayer funds or contracts.” Hence, Sussman Godfrey lost its security clearances, its federal work contracts were cancelled, and its lawyers are barred from entering federal buildings, including courthouses. FAFO.

Next, Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard announced at Thursday’s cabinet meeting that her office has obtained evidence of massive vulnerabilities in voting machines that allow hackers to flip votes. This has long been written off as “baseless conspiracy theory” for years by degenerate news outlets like The New York Times. The key word in Ms. Gabbard’s statement, is “evidence.” You realize, of course, that there is no reason to use vote-counting machines in our election except for the purpose of hacking and cheating. Most other putatively “democratic” nations use paper ballots and manage to tabulate and report election results within twenty-four hours.

Of course, this motley batch of sudden cases — Gov. Murphy of NJ, Chris Krebs, Miles Taylor, Susman Godfrey — are relative outliers to the notorious operations such as RussiaGate, the Schiff-Vindman-Ciaramella-Eisen plot behind Impeachment No. 1, The Covid-19 intrigue, The BLM rampage, the Hunter Biden Laptop ruse (and Biden family’s bribery and treason), J-6 riot and the DNC Pipe-bomb caper, and four years of a wide-open border. That long train of crimes, seditions, and treasons came close to wrecking the country. We know exactly who was behind and involved in all of that. What remains is the heavy-lifting to build cases that can be brought to grand juries in good faith. Perhaps a comprehensive omnibus RICO case can incorporate all of these in what appears to amount to a single, complex orchestrated, long-running attempted coup. Don’t bet that this isn’t coming. And, by-the-way, the infamous “Crossfire-Hurricane” binder was just released last night. As of this writing, there is almost no analysis available yet. Stand by.

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Legalese: “..the district court could order the government “to facilitate” but not necessarily “to effectuate” the return.

Court Issues Curious Order in the Garcia Case (Turley)

The media lit up yesterday with the order of the Supreme Court in the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an accused MS-13 member mistakingly sent to El Salvador. I have previously said that the Administration should have brought back Garcia immediately and pushed for deportation under existing laws. Yet, in the order, the Court ordered the government to “facilitate” the return without stating what that means. Last evening, the Court issued the short three-paragraph per curiam opinion in Noem v. Garcia. After the ruling, many on the left claimed “Supreme Court in a unanimous decision: He has a legal right to be here, and you have to bring him back.” It is a bit more ambiguous than that. The Court actually warned that the district court could order the government to facilitate but not necessarily “to effectuate” the return.

The application is granted in part and denied in part, subject to the direction of this order. Due to the administrative stay issued by THE CHIEF JUSTICE, the deadline imposed by the District Court has now passed. To that extent, the Government’s emergency application is effectively granted in part and the deadline in the challenged order is no longer effective. The rest of the District Court’s order remains in effect but requires clarification on remand. The order properly requires the Government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador. The intended scope of the term “effectuate” in the District Court’s order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court’s authority. The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs. For its part, the Government should be prepared to share what it can concerning the steps it has taken and the prospect of further steps. The order heretofore entered by THE CHIEF JUSTICE is vacated.

So what does that mean? The Court disagrees with many, including the Fourth Circuit, that President Trump had no inherent executive powers to countermand the district court’s order. He clearly does have countervailing powers that have to be weighed more heavily in the matter. The district court is expressly ordered to show “due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.” What is left is a legal pushmi-pullyu that seems to be going in both directions at once. What if the Trump Administration says that inquiries were made, but the matter has proven intractable or unresolvable? Crickets. No one would seriously believe that, but what right does the district court have to manage the relations or communications with a foreign country? The problem with this shadow docket decision is that there is more shadow than sunlight in its meaning.

Read more …

Money’s a charm.

Trump Plans Charm Offensive To Win Over Greenland – NYT (RT)

US President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a public relations campaign and financial incentives to persuade Greenlanders to join the United States, the New York Times has reported. Trump has repeatedly stated that Washington needed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory in order to enhance America’s “national security,” claiming recently he will “100% get” the Arctic island. The president has even alluded to using military force if necessary. The new approach focuses on persuasion over coercion, featuring advertising and social media campaigns to influence public opinion among Greenland’s approximately 57,000 residents, the NYT reported on Thursday, citing unnamed US officials. The plan includes mobilizing several cabinet departments to implement Trump’s long-standing goal of acquiring the Mexico-sized territory.

The Trump administration is also studying financial incentives for Greenlanders, including replacing the $600 million in subsidies that Denmark gives the island with annual payments of about $10,000 per person, the sources said. Some Trump officials reportedly claim the costs could be offset by revenue from Greenland’s natural resources, including rare earths, copper, gold, uranium and oil. In order to bolster the campaign, the White House is highlighting Greenlanders’ shared ancestry with Alaska and Arctic Canada as well as other historical ties, including the US military’s presence on the island during World War II, the report said. Greenland was under Danish rule from the early 19th century until the 1950s, but during World War II it was briefly occupied by US forces after Nazi Germany seized Denmark. The island now hosts a US military base and an early warning system for ballistic missiles.

In recent decades, the island has gained greater autonomy, receiving home rule in 1979 and the right to declare independence after a 2009 referendum. Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019 and has revived the proposal since returning to office. His administration describes the island as a strategic asset, citing its location and untapped natural resources. Trump’s plans and a recent visit by a high-profile US delegation, including US Vice President J.D. Vance and White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, have drawn vocal criticism from Greenlandic and Danish officials, who have rejected any suggestion of a sale. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen has condemned Trump’s recent remarks as escalatory and disrespectful, saying the rhetoric had become increasingly aggressive and amounted to a “hidden threat” against Denmark and its semi-autonomous territory.

Greenland’s newly elected Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has urged the islanders to unite and make clear that “we do not belong to anyone else” and will never come under Washington’s control.

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Part of a “victory package”. Alongside “immediate NATO membership, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Kiev, and the deployment of long-range Western missiles on Ukrainian territory..”

Zelensky Offered US Rare-Earths Deal Under Biden – Blinken (RT)

Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said he sees nothing inherently wrong with his country benefiting from Ukrainian rare-earth minerals, but claimed that the current administration under Donald Trump is taking the wrong approach to achieve this. In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Blinken confirmed that an offer from Kiev on minerals had been on the table during his time as secretary of state under President Joe Biden. The current US administration is working to finalize a deal with Ukraine, which President Trump claims will enable American taxpayers to recoup funds spent over the years supporting Kiev’s war effort against Russia. The agreement does not offer security guarantees to Ukraine. According to Blinken, the Biden administration took a different approach to the rare-earths deal offered by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.

“Part of the victory package that [Zelensky] put on the table in the last six months of our administration included us working with them on rare earths, on critical minerals,” he told journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin. Blinken said the Biden administration had aimed to promote investments in Ukraine for the mutual benefit of both nations. However, he criticized the Trump administration’s proposal as “basically a protection racket without the protection.” The document submitted by Washington in March reportedly grants American businesses broad access to the Ukrainian economy but without security assurances. The White House contends that vested US interests would serve as a de facto form of protection.

Zelensky has sought Western security guarantees as a precondition for signing a peace treaty with Moscow. Among his proposed options were immediate NATO membership, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Kiev, and the deployment of long-range Western missiles on Ukrainian territory, aimed at Russia. Negotiations for a minerals deal began during the early weeks of the second Trump presidency, with at least two draft proposals being abandoned. The two countries appeared close to finalizing an agreement during Zelensky’s visit to Washington in late February. However, the planned signing was canceled after Zelensky publicly questioned Trump’s approach to Russia, leading to the Ukrainian delegation being asked to leave the White House.

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Le Pen was trapped. „Such a procedure,“ Kolakusic explains further, „is unprecedented anywhere else in the world or in any other parliament, but it is a perfect weapon for settling accounts with dissidents.”

The End of La Grande Illusion Democratique (Karganovic)

Only the incurably naïve were shocked by the brazen and deliberate rigging of the French Presidential elections. Granted, the outrageous infringement of collective West’s verbally proclaimed democratic electoral canons in Romania, which took place shortly before, could have been taken by alert observers as a reliable signal of what might imminently occur in other precincts of the “European garden.” Blinded by cultural racism however some of them might have mistaken electoral rigging in Romania, a recently acquired patch of that garden, as a sui generis case, entirely attributable to Balkan primitivism. But they would have overlooked conveniently the now well established fact that instructions to corrupt Romanian bureaucrats to eliminate inconvenient candidate Georgescu did not emanate from Bucharest alone. We now know that they were issued imperatively from the idyllic Garden’s ideological centre, which is in Brussels.

Without diminishing, in the electoral disqualification and penal punishment of Marine Le Pen, the influence of the local French branch of the globalist cabal (it would be unpardonably incorrect to call that scum “elite”) there also the nefarious role of the nerve centre in Brussels must be stressed. The arbitrary mechanism which allows the cabal to target virtually anybody it perceives as unsuitable or as a threat was laid bare by Croatian European Parliament deputy Mislav Kolakusic. The core charge pressed against Le Pen, let us recall, was of a basely pecuniary nature, namely that as an EU deputy she partially used her office employees in Strassbourg to do political work on behalf of her French political party, the Front National, improperly remunerating them with European Union funds. The outspoken EU parliamentarian Kolakusic knows of what he speaks because he was himself charged with this ghastly infraction, an accusation from which he managed to successfully defend himself only thanks to having kept meticulous records.

It appears that acting with Gallic abandon Marine Le Pen or her office manager were not nearly as fastidious record keepers and they are now paying the political and penal price for the oversight. What Kolakusic reveals about the inner workings of the system, based on his own experience and observation, is most unsettling and strongly suggests a deliberately built-in trap ready to be sprung on anyone who gets out of line. His remarks are in Croatian, but their gist is as follows. The way the European Parliament interprets its own rules, its officials are authorised to determine as they deem fit whether parliamentary deputies or their staff on any given day had worked a full eight hours as required on tasks exlusively related to matters pertaining to European Parliament affairs, or not. If not, there are unpleasant consequences that can be made to follow.

That portion of salaries alleged to have been paid out from European funds for performing tasks deemed unrelated to European Parliament work is refundable on demand, as subjectively assessed by investigators who are empowered to act with arbitrary discretion. But that is the least of it. More ominously, the arbitrariness extends to the determination of how the matter shall be treated. It could be considered a harmless lapse curable with a reprimand and a refund. But if the powers that be take a particularly dim view of the alleged malefactor, it could also be treated as an act of moral turpitude, having been committed with the element of mens rea, which creates grounds for the imputation of criminal liability. It is by opting for the latter interpretation, of course, that with the helpful assistance of the French judiciary (that some naive folks had thought to be so incorruptible) that they got Marine Le Pen.

„Such a procedure,“ Kolakusic explains further, „is unprecedented anywhere else in the world or in any other parliament, but it is a perfect weapon for settling accounts with dissidents, be they of the so-called extreme right or extreme left, or independent parliamentarians, which is to say the only members of the European Parliament who think using their own brains and who formulate their own original positions on major issues.“

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It all goes back decades.

Tulsi Gabbard Drops TWO Huge Bombshells (MN)

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard made a startling revelation during an open cabinet meeting Wednesday, announcing that she has evidence that electronic voting machines have been tampered with to manipulate the results of past US elections. “I’ve got a long list of things that we’re investigating. We have the best going after this, election integrity being one of them,” Gabbard stated. “We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers for a very long time,” she continued.

Gabbard emphasised that the evidence shows that machines are “vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast.” She told President Trump that the finding “further drives forward your mandate to bring about paper ballots across the country so that voters can have faith in the integrity of our elections.” It seems the ‘conspiracy theorists’ were right again.

Gabbard also announced that she is about to make public a huge amount of information relating to the assassinations of RFK, and MLK Jr.

Gabbard followed up on the comments in a Fox News interview, also noting she has teams of people scouring FBI and CIA warehouses looking for hidden documents on the JFK assassination.

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This frees up White House lawyers’ time. For free.

Trump Admin Reaches Agreements With 5 Law Firms (ET)

The Trump administration announced on April 11 that it has reached agreements with five law firms to represent causes they both support, such as helping veterans. These law firms are the latest to offer pro bono services to the White House. The administration has gone after law firms it says have taken stances at odds with Trump’s policies, such as practices relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). None of the law firms were targeted by the administration but reached these agreements with the White House, which has issued executive orders going after a handful of others. A group of four law firms agreed to each provide at least $125 million, or $500 million altogether, in pro bono services: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Allen Overy Shearman Sterling US LLP, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, and Latham & Watkins LLP. The firms agreed to be counsel to help veterans, law enforcement, and first responders; combat anti-Semitism; and ensure “fairness in the justice system.”

They “will take on a wide range of pro bono matters that represent the full political spectrum, including conservative ideals,” President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. The law firms agreed to end the use of DEI in hiring personnel and “affirm that it is their policy to give fair and equal consideration to job candidates, irrespective of their political beliefs, including candidates who have served in the Trump administration, and any other Republican or Democrat administration,” according to Trump. They will also advise other law firms regarding employment practices. The four firms said they will not refuse to represent those who have not been clients of prominent nationwide law firms due to holding political beliefs that contrast those of their firm’s lawyers. The White House celebrated the agreement.

“President Trump and his administration have entered into an agreement with these long established firms, which have affirmed their strong commitment to ending the Weaponization of the Justice System and the Legal Profession. The President continues to fulfill his promise to the American people that the age of partisan lawfare in America is over,” the White House said, according to Trump’s post. In a joint statement, which Trump shared on Truth Social, the law firms said they “look forward to a continued constructive and productive relationship with President Trump and his team.” A fifth law firm, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, LLP, agreed to provide at least $100 million in pro bono counseling, also in helping veterans; combating anti-Semitism; assisting law enforcement, military personnel, and first responders; and “ensuring fairness in our justice system.” The law firm agreed to hire personnel based on merit and not on DEI.

Like with the four other firms, this includes not discriminating based on political beliefs. They will also assist other law firms on hiring practices and not refuse representation to those whose political beliefs do not align with the firm’s attorneys. Cadwalader said it worked with Trump and his team to reach the agreement. “The substance of our agreement is consistent with the principles that have guided Cadwalader for over 230 years: We always put our client’s interests first; we believe that Justice should be available to everyone; and we are committed to attracting, retaining and nurturing the very best talent from all backgrounds,” it said in a statement, according to Trump’s post. Other law firms that have come to agreements with the White House include Skadden, Milbank, and Willkie Farr and Gallagher, which each will provide at least $100 million in pro bono representation. Paul Weiss agreed to provide $40 million in free counseling in areas such as combating anti-Semitism and assisting veterans.

With these arrangements so far, the law firms have agreed to provide at least $940 million in pro bono representation to some of the causes supported by the president. Meanwhile, Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie, and WilmerHale have taken legal action against the administration, seeking to reverse the executive orders against them. Trump signed an executive order on April 9 to effectively blacklist Susman Godfrey from engaging with the U.S. government. The law firm represented Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation lawsuit against former Trump lawyer and New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The president said on April 10 that the law firms may help the administration with negotiating trade deals with countries.

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Hatim
https://twitter.com/DiogenisSinopis/status/1910564969717903565

 

 

Isaacson

https://twitter.com/LionelMedia/status/1910063189628219694

 

 

 

 

Train
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1910577245174849819

 

 

Candace

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Apr 042025
 
 April 4, 2025  Posted by at 9:14 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  57 Responses »


Pablo Picasso Portrait of woman in wheelchair 1936

 

This Is Good. Very, Very Good. (CTH)
Beijing Slams Trump’s “Unilateral Bullying” Tariffs, Signals Retaliation (ZH)
President Trump Ends Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Chinese Goods (CTH)
World Leaders React To Trump’s Tariff Onslaught (RT)
Here’s Why Trump Will Win the Tariff Standoff (Margolis)
Kevin O’Leary Slams Canada’s ‘Sheer Stupidity’ in Trade Standoff With Trump (Margolis)
How Could Trump Tackle Trap Set Up by Europe? (Sp.)
Trump Teases Bombshell DOGE Finding: ‘What They Found Is Incredible’ (ZH)
Trump Tariffs Breach NATO Rules – Norway (RT)
Putin, Zelensky Ready To Make A Deal – Trump (RT)
Putin Envoy Visits Washington (RT)
Third Parties Attempting To Derail US-Russia Talks – Putin Envoy (RT)
House Panels Press Probe of ActBlue Campaign Fundraising Operations (Adams)
Dr. Oz Will Save Medicare, Strengthen Medicaid, Secure a Healthier America (DS)
War With Iran ‘Almost Inevitable’ – France (RT)
Hungary to Abandon ICC Over Concerns of Political Bias – Orban (Sp.)

 

 

 

 

WH tariffs

Batya Ungar-Sargon
https://twitter.com/DC_Draino/status/1907606593509769654

Lutnick

https://twitter.com/TONYxTWO/status/1907779787730378838

BeckBoasberg

KUHN

Vance
https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1907775597897523536

Bernie
https://twitter.com/mazemoore/status/1907883583228051964

Beck

 

 

 

 

What Marine Le Pen and Trump’s tariffs have in common is they are both anti-globalist. The world is changing and everyone will have to adapt.

Here is “sundance” the lawyer:

This Is Good. Very, Very Good. (CTH)

If it was weak, I would tell you it was weak. If it was a construct that contained dangerous consequences, I would warn you of them. If this trade/tariff regime was going to be harmful to the economy I would say so. This global trade reset (as outlined) doesn’t create doom – not even close, it creates discipline. What we’re seeing isn’t a reckless trade war. It’s a strategic recalibration targeting the structural imbalances that hollowed out American industry. The tariffs are reciprocal, calculated based on actual trade deficits. That’s not random or punitive—it’s mathematically fair. And they’re targeted: this isn’t a broad tax on everything. The focus is on finished goods, not the raw materials and components we need to build here. That protects domestic production and supply chains—not disrupts them.

Some worry this will destabilize capital markets. But this plan doesn’t touch interest rates, credit channels, or core financial plumbing. It doesn’t burden U.S. manufacturers or trigger input price spirals. Quite the opposite—it creates revenue and predictability; two things capital markets thrive on. It also closes loopholes like de minimis, reins in corporate arbitrage, and forces trading partners to play fair. If that creates discomfort for companies built on outsourcing and imbalance, that’s not doom. That’s a long-overdue correction. This isn’t the collapse of global trade. It’s the end of surrender and the beginning of mutual accountability.

This is good. Very, Very good.

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China had it good for a few decades. So of course they’re not rejoicing today.

“The era of Asia’s export manufacturing-led development has come to an end, and the region will need to develop markets closer to home.”

Beijing Slams Trump’s “Unilateral Bullying” Tariffs, Signals Retaliation (ZH)

President Trump’s late afternoon announcement on Wednesday—”Liberation Day”—unveiled a far more aggressive tariff policy than top Wall Street analysts had anticipated, prompting panic dumping in global equities and futures markets overnight. Of particular concern is Trump’s stance toward China. The total effective tariff rate on Chinese imports surged to 54%, a dramatic increase of 34% from the previously imposed 20% in additional levies tied to fentanyl and earlier duties. Trump’s Liberation Day has drawn swift condemnation from Beijing, which has described the escalating tariff war as “unilateral bullying.” Nikkei Asia quoted China’s Ministry of Commerce, warning that it “firmly opposes” Trump’s tariffs and “will resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests.”

The Commerce Ministry noted that the US “ignored” the benefits of a global trading system, adding, “The so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs,’ which are based on subjective and unilateral assessments by the United States, are not in line with the rules of international trade, seriously jeopardize the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned, and are typical of unilateral bullying.” The ministry did not discuss specifics on the countermeasures. A ministry spokesperson told reporters that Beijing hopes to “resolve various issues through equal consultation.” In other words, it’s just a matter of time before Beijing mounts a countermeasure against the US, whether that’s targeted tariffs, export controls, or other measures (such as targeting US Big Tech). Or as we’ve recently seen: Beijing Derailing Panama Port Deal.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sang the same tune: China “firmly opposes” Trump’s trade war escalation, which “seriously undermines” the rules-based global trading system. He urged Washington to resolve trade differences through talks. However, President Trump tried that with the Chinese Communist Party in his first term with the so-called “Phase One” agreement. Beijing committed to purchasing $200 billion of additional US exports. Yet, the phase one deal with the CCP was derailed by Covid disruptions. The Trump administration’s goal with reciprocal tariffs against literally the entire world, including some cases of near triple-digit reciprocal tariffs that will lead to a historic emerging markets shock, is to reverse a half-century or more of de-industrialization policies in the US that have hollowed out the nation’s core and produced a national security threat as the world fractures into a bipolar state.

In financial markets, the People’s Bank of China set the daily reference rate for the yuan at 7.1889 per dollar, weakening the currency. This allows the yuan to depreciate and support export competitiveness. A move like this will only draw accusations of currency manipulation from Trump. “We maintain our view that the PBOC will not allow a sharp [yuan] depreciation given capital outflow risks and the government’s objective to restore confidence in the Chinese economy,” HK Mizuho Securities analyst Ken Cheung wrote in a note earlier. Goldman analysts Andrew Tilton and others told clients:

“On April 2, President Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs on trading partners with exclusion of products that are subject to sectoral tariffs, resulting in what we estimate to be an increase of 26pp in the average effective US tariff rate on China, which would bring the total effective tariff rate on Chinese goods to 58%. This is much higher than we and the market had expected. Similar to the experience when the previous two 10% tariff increases were imposed on China earlier this year, we think the Chinese government is likely to retaliate with some targeted tariffs on US products as well as non-tariff measures like export controls.

We expect policymakers to continue to resist significant CNY depreciation. We believe the government will step up easing measures to offset the additional growth drag from higher tariffs. We are not changing our 2025 full-year GDP growth forecast of 4.5% at this time due to better-than-expected Q1 data and increased policy easing expectations, as well as remaining uncertainties regarding whether some of the tariffs could be negotiated down in the coming months. That said, we acknowledge downside risk from slowing global growth after the large, across-the board US tariff increases.”

S&P Global Ratings credit analyst Ming Tan warned that Trump’s tariffs could exacerbate China’s weak economy: “The drag on China’s economy from higher tariffs will transmit to banks. We expect problem loans will rise over the next few years and could leap as high as 6.4% of total loans in a downside scenario.” Fred Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC, had a big-picture view for clients: “The era of Asia’s export manufacturing-led development has come to an end, and the region will need to develop markets closer to home.”

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No paper work for cheap trinkets picked up on a holiday. Makes sense. But when it becomes anything under $800, that sense changes profoundly. Now we’re talking laptops.

President Trump Ends Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Chinese Goods (CTH)

The de minimis loophole comes from back in the 1930s. The idea back then was, say you went on a vacation to Paris, you shouldn’t have to file customs paperwork or pay taxes if you decided to ship some little Eiffel Tower statues to your friends back home. Congress in 2015 then raised the de minimis threshold from $200 to $800. However, the e-commerce world exploded, and Chinese companies began using the de minimis loophole to ship cheap goods (ex. Temu and Shein) into the USA direct to consumers without paying any customs duty. Yesterday as part of the global trade reset and tariff structure, President Trump revoked authorization for Chinese goods to transfer to the USA using the de minimis rule.

The de minimis exemption has been cancelled for all products coming out of China. The rule change only targets China and Chinese shippers. No one else. The minimum duty is $25, and the tariff rate is 30% for all products mailed from China into the USA that previously qualified under the de minimis rule. Beyond tariffs or sector specific countervailing duties, the removal of China to use the $800 de minimis exemption will destroy their economy. There is no way for manufacturers in China, marketed into the USA, to be able to survive if they are forced to collect and organize the requirements for U.S. custom and import duties. They will simply dissolve.

FACT SHEET – […] “Following the Secretary of Commerce’s notification that adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenue, President Trump is ending duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong starting May 2, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT. Imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties, which shall be paid in accordance with applicable entry and payment procedures. All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025).

This is in lieu of any other duties, including those imposed by prior Orders. Carriers transporting these postal items must report shipment details to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), maintain an international carrier bond to ensure duty payment, and remit duties to CBP on a set schedule. CBP may require formal entry for any postal package instead of the specified duties. The Secretary of Commerce will submit a report within 90 days assessing the Order’s impact and considering whether to extend these rules to packages from Macau.”

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They can all make the deal to abolish their own tariffs.

World Leaders React To Trump’s Tariff Onslaught (RT)

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rolled out a sweeping new wave of “reciprocal tariffs” as part of his so-called “Liberation Day” plan, sparking concerns over a potential global trade war. Trump announced that Washington would impose tariffs ranging from 10% to 49% on all countries based on the principle of reciprocity, declaring it a day of economic independence for the United States. Trump said the tariffs would be used to boost US manufacturing and that the measure would “make America wealthy again.” Many countries have reacted with dismay and have pledged retaliation. While a 10% base tariff was applied to all imports, many of the top US trading partners were hit with much steeper duties.

China China – branded one of the “worst offenders” by Trump – was hit with a new 34% tariff on its goods, in addition to an existing 20% levy, raising total duties to at least 54%. The US decision ignores the balance of interests established through years of multilateral trade negotiations and overlooks the fact that it has long reaped significant benefits from global trade, the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “China firmly opposes this and will take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” the ministry said. “There are no winners in trade wars, and there is no way out for protectionism. China urges the US to immediately lift unilateral tariffs and properly resolve differences with its trading partners through dialogue on an equal footing,” the ministry added.

Canada Canada, already subject to US tariffs, was spared the additional 10% baseline tariffs applied to many other countries due to its membership in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). It’s unclear how much last week’s “extremely productive” call between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney influenced the decision to grant Canada a reprieve. Last month, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Canadian goods and 10% on energy products, citing concerns over drugs and migrants crossing the border. Exceptions were made for importers who can prove their products comply with USMCA. Carney stated that while Trump had preserved key aspects of the commercial relationship between Canada and the US, the tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles were still coming into effect. “We are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures, we are going to protect our workers, and we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7,” Carney said.

Mexico Another major US trade partner, Mexico, also avoided Trump’s global tariff. The US president had earlier slapped 25% tariffs on its southern neighbor, citing failures to address migration and fentanyl trafficking, but later carved out exemptions for USMCA-compliant goods. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the country has no plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US and will “announce a comprehensive program, not a tit-for-tat on tariffs.” “Let’s see what announcement they make, but we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance,” Sheinbaum added.

EU European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the universal duties as a “major blow to the global economy.” She claimed that a new 20% US tariff on the EU would see “uncertainty spiral,” causing “dire” consequences “for millions of people around the globe.” The move will “trigger the rise of further protectionism,” von der Leyen argued, warning that the bloc is prepared to respond. “If you take on one of us, you take on all of us,” she stated. Echoing her remarks, European Council President Antonio Costa said a trade war between the EU and the US would “affect everyone,” and called Trump’s decision a “major economic mistake.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of Trump, criticized the decision as “wrong” but expressed her commitment to negotiating a deal with the US to “prevent a trade war.”

In Germany, the EU’s major economic powerhouse, which has been grappling with a downturn over the past two years, Economy Minister Robert Habeck slammed the US “obsession” with tariffs, warning that it “could put a spiral in motion that can tear countries into recession.” In France, President Emmanuel Macron is set to convene representatives from all business sectors affected by the import tariffs as producers are already counting future losses. Sales of French wine and spirits are expected to drop by at least 20% in the US, spirits exporters group FEVS told Reuters.

“We are indeed going to see an adverse effect on production,” French government spokeswoman Sophie Primas told broadcaster RTL. Trump “thinks he is the master of the world” but the EU is “ready for this trade war” and has a “whole range of tools,” she insisted. The sweeping tariffs will put jobs at risk on both sides of the Atlantic, according to Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin, who believes there is “no justification for this.” Goods from Ireland will be hit with a 20% tariff as part of measures Trump has imposed on the EU. “More than €4.2 billion worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily. Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk,” Martin said.

UK Britain was hit less hard than most other countries with a 10% duty imposed on its exports. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “nobody wins in a trade war” and vowed to “fight for the best deal for Britain.” He argued that there’s a “range of levers at our disposal” stressing, however, that the UK’s “intention remains to secure a deal” with the US. ‘Reciprocal’ duties, action against ‘pathetic’ EU: Key points from Trump’s global tariff announcementREAD MORE: ‘Reciprocal’ duties, action against ‘pathetic’ EU: Key points from Trump’s global tariff announcement

Japan Japan has “serious concerns” about the consistency of Trump’s tariffs with the WTO agreement and the Japan-US trade deal, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said in a statement. Japanese Trade Minister Yoji Muto described the measures as “extremely regrettable” and stated that all options were under consideration. When asked whether Japan would retaliate against the 24% tariff imposed by the US, he said: “We need to decide what is best for Japan, and most effective, in a careful but bold and speedy manner.”

Israel Economic officials in Israel, a key US ally, were reportedly in “complete shock” over the 17% tariff imposed by Trump, according to local media. The country had eliminated all tariffs on American imports ahead of the announcement to ensure that Israel was exempt from new levies. “We are working to understand the motivation behind this move,” Ron Tomer, president of the Manufacturers Association of Israel, said on Wednesday.

Ukraine The new 10% tariff announced by Trump on Ukrainian imports is “economic cynicism,” said Daniil Getmantsev, head of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Finance Committee. According to Getmantsev, the levy is unlikely to have a major negative impact on Ukraine, given the relatively small exports to the US. “But imposing such tariffs when our trade balance with the US shows a $2.6 billion deficit is, frankly, economic cynicism of the highest order,” he added.

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“Well, I would say they’ve been doing it to us for a long time. And, if they don’t like tariffs, then why do they have them?”

Here’s Why Trump Will Win the Tariff Standoff (Margolis)

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made it clear in an interview with CNN that the era of trade imbalances is over, and under President Trump, the U.S. will no longer tolerate unfair treatment. During a discussion with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Bessent confidently explained the administration’s position on tariffs and trade policy, signaling that Trump’s economic strategy is deliberate and well thought out. When pressed on how the administration’s policies could impact the auto industry, particularly regarding vehicles made with foreign parts, Bessent was blunt. “If half the cars coming into the United States are foreign-made, that’s hard to turn around overnight, as you know,” Collins said. “So what would you say to people in the auto industry who are worried about that timeline and how quickly that could shift?”

“Buy American,” Bessent said bluntly. He also clarified that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) exempts certain vehicles and parts from the new tariffs. Collins attempted to raise concerns from U.S. allies, questioning what the administration would say to countries like South Korea and Japan, which are now facing increased tariffs. Bessent’s response was direct: “Well, I would say they’ve been doing it to us for a long time. And, if they don’t like tariffs, then why do they have them?” His answer underscored the administration’s stance that America has been on the losing end of trade deals for too long.

As for whether the tariffs should be considered permanent, Bessent took a wait-and-see approach. “I think we’re gonna wait and see how this plays out,” he explained, suggesting that adjustments could be made based on how the policy unfolds. Collins also asked about the possibility of retaliation from other countries. Some foreign leaders have hinted at potential countermeasures, while others have opted to observe before making a move. Bessent urged patience. “One of the messages that I’d like to get out tonight is everybody sit back, take a deep breath, don’t immediately retaliate, let’s see where this goes. Because if you retaliate, that’s how we get escalation.”

When Collins pressed him on whether such escalation could turn into a full-fledged trade war, Bessent dismissed the idea. “Not a trade war. Depends on the country,” he said, before explaining that history favors the United States in such disputes. “Remember that the history of trade is, we are the deficit country. The deficit country has an advantage,” he explained. “[The others] are the surplus countries. The surplus countries traditionally always lose any kind of a trade escalation.”

His message to foreign governments was clear: Acting hastily would be a mistake.“ As a student of economic history or a professor of economic history, I’d advise against it,” he said. When Collins sought further clarification, he reinforced the point: “I would say that doing anything rash would be unwise.” Bessent’s remarks leave no doubt that Trump’s trade policies are rooted in historical precedent and strategic calculation. While globalists may panic, the Trump administration remains confident that America is in a stronger position than its trade partners. And history is on our side. Bessent’s message is clear: Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.

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Carney has elections coming. And his party polls great on anti-Trump thetoric. But he’ll still have to walk it back.

Kevin O’Leary Slams Canada’s ‘Sheer Stupidity’ in Trade Standoff With Trump (Margolis)

Famed entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary eviscerated Canada’s leadership for its defiant stance against U.S. trade policies, calling the rhetoric from Interim Prime Minister Mark Carney “sheer stupidity” and warning that the country is in no position to win a trade war with President Trump. Speaking on CNN, O’Leary, who is himself Canadian, reacted to Carney’s inflammatory remarks. The prime minister declared, “We are cutting off all ties to the United States. There’s no cooperation anymore.” O’Leary dismissed the statement as political posturing with no basis in economic reality. “That, of course, is sheer stupidity,” he said. “Seventy-five percent of the output of the Canadian market for over a hundred years has been sold to the U.S., and 17 states in the U.S. call Canada their number one trading partner.”

O’Leary pointed out that despite Carney’s tough talk, Canada is economically dependent on the United States and cannot afford to play a game of brinkmanship with its largest trading partner. He argued that Carney’s remarks were more about political theatrics than sound economic policy. “If you wanna be tough and you wanna sound important and you’re trying to get elected and you’re the only person that can save every Canadian from the evil Trump, that’s exactly what you say,” O’Leary said, accusing Carney of exploiting anti-Trump sentiment to bolster his own political image. He likened Carney’s rhetoric to that of Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro, who has declared that U.S. tariffs would remain in place indefinitely. O’Leary was equally dismissive of such claims, calling them nothing more than political noise meant to rally supporters rather than provide real solutions.

“Navarro’s saying the same thing. ‘These tariffs are in perpetuity. We will fix this. We will push back the world’. All of this rhetoric and noise, it’s not the signal.” O’Leary argued that the best path forward would be a trade framework in which tariffs are removed entirely. “It’s all noise. And in the end, I think everybody’s better off if we get to reciprocal tariffs of zero,” he said. I think we all know that this is Trump’s goal, too. He wants free trade to actually be free trade. O’Leary emphasized that serious investors like himself look at the long-term picture rather than get caught up in the short-term panic created by political leaders. “So the countries you care about, that you wanna do business with, you end up with zero tariffs and you support a free trade mandate. It’s very hard to see that outcome in the cloud we’re in right now and all the rhetoric and jawboning, but if you’re an investor like I am, you think long term.”

While some have expressed concerns about rising inflation and housing prices, O’Leary cautioned that such economic shifts take time to unfold. “Not two weeks, not two months,” he said, pushing back against the notion that immediate catastrophe was looming. O’Leary noted that similar political grandstanding is happening in other countries as well. “Britain’s doing the same thing right now,” he pointed out. “You should hear the rhetoric in London today.” Ultimately, O’Leary was confident that the current wave of economic fearmongering would subside. “It too will pass,” he concluded, reinforcing his belief that Canada’s leadership needs to drop the empty threats and focus on practical solutions.

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“..the US’s Cold War era-based foreign policy perfectly suits European elites, who want Trump back into “the fold of the historical West..”

How Could Trump Tackle Trap Set Up by Europe? (Sp.)

The US president earlier said that “from the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly. The US’s European allies set up a trap for the Trump administration to contain its “drastic” foreign policy shift, Alexander Yakovenko, Deputy Head of Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group, told Sputnik. Trump could get out of the trap if he “masters enough political will” and doesn’t “put up with the US foreign policy strategy of the Cold War era”, Yakovenko, who is also head of the Russian Security Council’s Expert Advisory Committee on global problems and international security, stressed. The expert noted that the US’s Cold War era-based foreign policy perfectly suits European elites, who want Trump back into “the fold of the historical West, as we have known it over the past 80 years.” The European elites are unwilling to change “their mentality and their worldview, they’d rather live in the world of their own, which I think doesn’t exist any longer,” Yakovenko emphasized.

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“President Trump had the courage to allow us to go across databases. He signed an executive order. It’s never been done before, where agencies could talk to each other and databases could talk with each other.”

Trump Teases Bombshell DOGE Finding: ‘What They Found Is Incredible’ (ZH)

President Donald Trump teased another explosive revelation from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as Democrats and legacy media escalate their ongoing campaign against the cost-cutting initiative and its leader, Tesla CEO Elon Musk. While speaking with the press aboard Air Force One en route to South Florida for the weekend, Trump said: “They found something today that’s horrible,” adding. “You’ll find out very soon. What they found is incredible.” Trump also gave Musk credit for his leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has so far achieved an estimated savings of $140 billion, amounting to roughly $869.57 per taxpayer.

“Elon is fantastic,” the president said. “He’s a patriot. He found millions of dollars of fraud.” “He loves the country that’s why he does it,” he added. Addressing speculation about Musk’s future, Trump responded to reporters, “I want him to stay as long as possible.” The president also commented on the recent wave of violent attacks targeting Tesla vehicles and dealerships, incidents he has previously labeled as “terrorism.” “It’s a shame what they are doing with his car company,” he said. “It’s a great car, great product.” According to a since debunked Politico report citing unnamed sources, Trump has privately indicated to close associates that Musk plans to scale back his involvement as an advisor in the near future. While Musk and the White House denied the report, Trump told reporters on AF1 that “Elon is fantastic,” but he has “a number of companies to run.”

“I want him to stay as long as possible,” said Trump. “There’s going to be a point where he’s going to have to leave.” Over the weekend, at a Wisconsin rally aimed at boosting voter turnout, Musk and DOGE volunteer Antonio Gracias disclosed that millions of noncitizens were granted Social Security numbers under former President Joe Biden’s administration. They presented a chart illustrating a consistent annual rise, peaking at over 2 million in FY 2024, which concluded on September 30. In both FY23 and FY25—the latter starting in October and running through September of this year—approximately 1 million noncitizens received Social Security numbers.

“None of this would have happened without President Trump,” Gracias told Fox News. “President Trump had the courage to allow us to go across databases. He signed an executive order. It’s never been done before, where agencies could talk to each other and databases could talk with each other.” “That allowed us to connect all this data, to find these people across the system, across the benefit system, all the way to the voting records. It really took a lot of courage,” he added. Now the question is; what’s this ‘horrible’ thing DOGE found? And is it just a ‘LOOK, SQUIRREL!’ to distract from all the ‘fun’ we’re having in response to new tariffs?

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US must make Norway rich because they’re both in Nato?!

Trump Tariffs Breach NATO Rules – Norway (RT)

Recently imposed US tariffs could breach NATO’s founding principles by undermining economic cooperation among allies, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has said. He raised the issue during the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, public broadcaster NRK has reported. The official reportedly pointed to Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which commits members to strengthen economic ties to foster peace and stability within the alliance. “If you want a strong NATO, you should ensure that there is as much economic growth as possible in the NATO countries,” NKR quoted him as saying. “That was the insight of those who established NATO, that economic cooperation would be good for the entire alliance,” the diplomat added.

According to the outlet, Eide raised the matter directly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the meeting, saying “We must be clear that protectionist measures between allies are a serious problem.” On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariff increases on numerous trading partners, including NATO countries. Norway is among those affected, facing a 15% duty on selected exports to the United States. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told NKR on Thursday that Oslo would seek to negotiate with the US over the tariffs.

“This is bad news, it is very serious,” Store said. “There is an opening for negotiations here, the Americans say, and we will use that in every possible way that we can,” he added. Trump’s announcement has sparked concern across the EU, with several NATO allies voicing fears that the tariffs could harm both trade and alliance unity. French President Emmanuel Macron has called the tariffs “brutal and unfounded,” and warned that retaliation could include a digital tax on American tech companies.

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“Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.” Well, to be honest, Europe is not trying.

Putin, Zelensky Ready To Make A Deal – Trump (RT)

The leaders of Russia and Ukraine are ready to make a peace deal, US President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday. He has been trying to broker a ceasefire between the two neighbors since February. A reporter asked Trump on Air Force One about his communication with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. “I think he’s ready to make a deal. And I think that President [Vladimir] Putin is ready to make a deal,” Trump said. He declined to go into specifics but added that the US was having “a lot of good conversations about Ukraine and Russia.” “We like to see [the conflict] stopped as soon as possible because thousands of people have been killed in a week,” Trump said. “Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.”

Trump made his comments as Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, traveled to Washington, where he reportedly met with America’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff. The sides mostly continued discussing steps to normalize bilateral relations frozen by the Biden administration in 2022, Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening. He noted the “positive dynamic” of the talks, adding that more meetings need to take place to resolve the differences. Trump’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, told Fox Business on Wednesday that Trump has been “frustrated” with both Putin and Zelensky. He remained optimistic about the negotiations, saying that the sides were “on the precipice” of a comprehensive ceasefire.

Moscow has accused Kiev of multiple violations of the energy truce brokered by Trump last month. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian troops struck fuel depots, gas facilities, and the electrical grid, despite promising to respect a 30-day pause on such attacks. Kiev, for its part, claimed that Russia was breaching the same agreement. Russia has maintained that any long-term settlement would be viable only if the US and Ukraine address the “root causes” of the conflict. Moscow demands that Kiev abandon its plans to join NATO and recognize Crimea and four other former Ukrainian regions as Russian territory.

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Note that Putin didn’t send his political envoy, but his business man.

Putin Envoy Visits Washington (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, visited Washington on Thursday. He is the highest Russian official who traveled to the US since diplomatic contacts were suspended in 2022. Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, previously participated in the Russian-US talks in Riyadh on February 18, where both sides agreed to start gradually normalizing the ties severed by the Biden administration. Speaking to reporters on Thursday evening, Dmitriev noted that President Donald Trump and his team have a better understanding of Russia’s terms than his predecessor, former President Joe Biden. “We are seeing absolutely clearly that, unlike President Biden, the Trump administration is determined to resolve the whole spectrum of bilateral issues,” the diplomat said.

“They are very respectful. They are listening to Russia’s position, and are understanding Russia’s concerns. They are asking a lot of questions and finding compromises,” he added. “Naturally, there are differences. But there is dialogue, which we believe will help to overcome these differences,” Dmitriev said. The envoy said that he had discussions about restoring trade and normal business relations between the states. “Many American companies would like to replace European companies that have left Russia,” he said. Dmitriev stressed that Moscow is ready to work on business projects that would be beneficial to both countries. He added that the sides talked about potential cooperation in the Arctic and the development of rare-earth minerals. “We are actively working on the resumption of direct flights” between Russia and the US, he said. Dmitriev said that more rounds of talks will be needed to hammer out the deal.

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“We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US, and attempts to distort the statements made by Russia,” the diplomat said. “It happens on a daily basis.”

Third Parties Attempting To Derail US-Russia Talks – Putin Envoy (RT)

Certain countries want to throw a wrench into the normalization of Russian-American relations, President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said. He made his comment during a rare trip to Washington, where he met with top US officials. “Different countries are trying to derail this dialogue, derail the restoration of the Russian-American relations,” Dmitriev told reporters on Thursday evening. He noted that the negotiations have been accompanied by “a lot of rumors, incorrect quotes, and incorrect interpretations.” “A lot of people are interested in preventing the development of our relations. We are seeing a coordinated campaign in the media, attempts by various politicians to undermine the relations between Russia and the US, and attempts to distort the statements made by Russia,” the diplomat said. “It happens on a daily basis.”

“The best way to overcome disinformation is direct dialogue,” he stressed. Dmitriev reportedly met with Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been one of the key US negotiators on Ukraine. According to NBC News, the Russian diplomat also met with Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Markwayne Mullin. According to Dmitriev, the sides mostly discussed steps to gradually amend the cooperation severed by the Biden administration in 2022. The agenda included possible partnership in the Arctic, the development of rare-earth minerals, and the resumption of direct flights between the countries, he said.

Some EU and Ukrainian politicians have attempted to dissuade Trump from restarting negotiations with Moscow. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, claimed last month that “Russia cannot really be trusted.” Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky suggested in February that Trump was trapped in a “disinformation bubble.” Trump has blamed Zelensky for the conflict, while his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, argued that the EU should be sidelined during negotiations.

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Cue DOGE.

House Panels Press Probe of ActBlue Campaign Fundraising Operations (Adams)

Top Republican House leaders have formally requested that ActBlue, one of the Democratic Party’s largest political action committees, turn over documents related to its governance and operations. In a letter dated April 2 to ActBlue President and Chief Executive Officer Regina Wallace-Jones, the chairmen of the House committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Administration requested documents and testimony from two employees of the organization. The names of the employees whose testimony was requested were redacted in the version of the letter that was made public. A source familiar with the investigation told The Daily Signal, “We expect ActBlue employees to participate in the transcribed interviews and submit the required documents.” The source explained, “If they fail to comply, all options are on the table.”

An ActBlue spokesperson told The Daily Signal, “As we have historically done, ActBlue will continue to respond to requests from the House committees.” In their letter, the committee chairs said that they were seeking “to investigate ActBlue’s fraud-prevention policies and practices, which may allow bad actors to make fraudulent political donations, including from foreign sources.” ActBlue is one of the largest fundraisers for the Democratic Party, and claims to have raised more than $16.7 billion for Democrats since it was founded in 2004. Prior to the recent turmoil in leadership, it was a widely trusted source for liberal giving. ActBlue has come under increasing scrutiny since it announced a wave of departures of top staff in February. The resignations included the organization’s highest-ranking legal officer, the chief revenue officer, and the assistant research director.

ActBlue has received donations from some of the Democratic Party’s most important fundraisers, including thousands of dollars from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. The Daily Signal has previously reported that the group may have received millions of dollars through fraudulent donations, according to testimony from some elderly Americans. One such individual, a retired Yale University professor, testified in a signed affidavit that he believed the donations in his name did not reflect his actual donation frequency or dollar amount. ActBlue charges a 3.95% processing fee on donations to it.

The organization also reportedly locked out Zain Ahmad, the last remaining member of the group’s general counsel’s office as of Feb. 26, from his email and other internal platforms. The letter from the House chairmen highlighted the organization’s actions toward Ahmad, who has been put on leave, and noted that ActBlue’s union reportedly told the group’s board that “those of us who work with our legal team in our day-to-day do not have clear direction on how to proceed with our work in their absence.” The House letter noted that fraudulent political donations “could amount to interstate criminal conduct,” citing a legal case that resulted in a Chinese national’s criminal conviction for improper donations.

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By Senator Roger Marshall. The idea is that Oz will execute RFK’s MAHA vision.

Dr. Oz Will Save Medicare, Strengthen Medicaid, Secure a Healthier America (DS)

Medicaid and Medicare are on a path that should concern all Americans, but with the right leadership, we can turn their trajectory around. On its current course, Medicare, the government-run health insurance program for seniors, will fall off a financial cliff in as little as a decade—maybe even sooner. Meanwhile, Medicaid, the program that pays for health care for the poor, now covers more people than Medicare, placing an enormous strain on both state and federal budgets. As a nation, we face a chronic disease epidemic, and along with it, a crisis of unsustainable rising costs, high demand, and worsening patient outcomes. Over the past five years, Medicaid spending has surged by some 50%—another unsustainable trend that diverts funds from schools, roads, bridges, and high-speed internet.

Together, Medicare and Medicaid will each spend roughly a trillion dollars this year. That’s why we urgently need a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator who can rescue Medicare and fortify Medicaid. As both programs fall under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we need a leader with a fresh perspective—one who prioritizes patient care while ensuring financial stability. This role demands someone who has experienced these programs at the grassroots level, where patients, doctors, and hospitals intersect. This person must be an exceptional communicator, capable of managing a $2 trillion budget and transforming an organization of 6,000 employees who oversee the health needs of 140 million Americans. This budget accounts for nearly a quarter of federal spending in a system that already overspends by $2 trillion annually.

Above all, we need someone who can help us in our mission to Make America Healthy Again. Thankfully, we have just the person for the job: Dr. Mehmet Oz. To America, he’s Dr. Oz: a world-renowned heart surgeon and the trusted star of a hit TV show. Some may also recognize him as an innovative inventor of lifesaving heart devices, holding both an M.D. and an MBA. But to me, Dr. Oz is a fellow physician and a good friend. He’s a devoted father of four and grandfather of four. He’s a person who cares deeply about finding solutions—a problem-solver ready to tackle the challenges of Medicaid and Medicare head-on, focusing on the health and safety of every American and ensuring those who rely on these programs continue to receive the care they deserve.

Dr. Oz is uniquely equipped to modernize health care. He will harness cutting-edge technology and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence to meet patients’ needs. He’ll champion transparency and prioritize quality outcomes over mere quantity of care or coverage. By empowering patients and providers with choices, he’ll drive higher-quality care. He’ll strengthen telehealth and address the distinct challenges of rural communities, along with those of the inner city. Thinking outside the box, he’ll uncover innovative solutions to our health care woes with full transparency.

Put simply, Dr. Oz is the right leader at the right time to execute President Donald Trump’s and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy’s vision to Make America Healthy Again. With his expertise, compassion, and bold leadership, he will transform the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services into a beacon of fiscal responsibility and patient-centered care. There’s no one better suited to save Medicare, strengthen Medicaid, and secure a healthier future for all Americans. I look forward to his swift confirmation and the work he will do to address our health crisis. With Dr. Oz, Secretary Kennedy, and President Trump at the helm, the best is truly yet to come for our health care system and its patients.

https://twitter.com/Holden_Culotta/status/1907927964131668210

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Only Israel wants it.

War With Iran ‘Almost Inevitable’ – France (RT)

A military conflict with Iran would be highly likely if attempts to renegotiate a new nuclear deal fail, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has warned. US President Donald Trump has threatened Tehran with a bombing campaign if it does not concede on its nuclear program, which Washington alleges is aimed at developing atomic weapons. The Iranian government, which vehemently denies the claims, has vowed to retaliate against any attack. Addressing French MPs on Wednesday after an Iran-focused government meeting led by President Emmanuel Macron, Barrot stated that without a new agreement, “a military confrontation would appear almost inevitable,” warning that such a scenario could further destabilize the Middle East.

In 2015, Iran and major world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) accord which restricted Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, in 2017 Trump unilaterally withdrew from the arrangement, which he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled “the worst deal ever,” opting instead for a campaign of “maximum pressure” through sanctions. The EU sought to provide Iran with means to bypass American pressure to preserve the JCPOA, but negotiations have since stalled. The standoff has bolstered a hardline foreign policy approach in Tehran, which refused to uphold its commitments in retaliation for Western failure to deliver on its part of the nuclear pact .

Since beginning his second presidential term in January, Trump has repeatedly issued threats of military action unless Tehran agrees to a new nuclear deal. In a recent interview, he stated, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing. And it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defiantly responded to Trump on Monday, warning that the US and Israel “will definitely receive a strong, reciprocal blow” if they attack Iran. Amid the escalating tensions, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday it had deployed additional assets to the Middle East. According to Reuters sources, four B-2 bombers have been relocated to a base on Diego Garcia Island, positioning them for potential missions against Iran.

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“..the ICC is becoming a political entity rather than an impartial court upholding the rule of law..”

Hungary to Abandon ICC Over Concerns of Political Bias – Orban (Sp.)

Hungary has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), as it believes the institution has shifted from an independent judicial body to a politically motivated one in recent years, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Thursday. “We are convinced that the ICC is becoming a political entity rather than an impartial court upholding the rule of law. This has been particularly evident in its recent decision regarding Israel,” Orban stated at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Orban, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will present a bill to parliament on Thursday, officially initiating Hungary’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

Earlier in the day, Orban’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, confirmed that the Hungarian government had made the decision to leave the ICC, with the formal withdrawal process set to begin later on Thursday. The ICC’s disregard for the immunities of heads of state from countries that are not parties to the Rome Statute violates international law and thus undermines the court’s own legitimacy as an independent party in disputes. Moreover, its actions destabilize global security, making it difficult to view the ICC as a body acting on behalf of the international community.

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CO2

 

 

Calley Means
https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1907512164933320833

 

 

Bowden
https://twitter.com/McCulloughFund/status/1907511535078936726

 

 

autism

 

 

Canaia
https://twitter.com/ContrarianTribe/status/1907779479168016572

 

 

Pi
https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1907831288691614116

 

 

Car

 

 

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