Netanyahu Archives - The Automatic Earth

BANNON: My issue isn’t whether Iran has a nuke. My issue is that Netanyahu, for his own political dilemma, created a false sense of urgency. He pushed the salesman upsell—we have to have regime change. This is the Iraq War all over again. It’s phony and obvious. pic.twitter.com/D83jFgXBzs

— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) June 21, 2025

https://twitter.com/JackPosobiec/status/1936078927698526683

BANNON: The national debt is $230,000 per household. Don’t think we’ll ever pay a penny of it. Now look at Persia—three carrier battle groups. Who’s paying? Not Israel. Not the Gulf Emirates. You are. And it’s not just money. It’s blood and treasure. Your sons and daughters. pic.twitter.com/whuq5zIIWm

— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) June 20, 2025

Macgregor

"Most of what is being heard in the mainstream media about Iran is one big LIE. Iran is not about to surrender. It's not going to crumble. There will be no uprising."@DougAMacgregor noted that these same voices were the ones claiming Russia was going to fall apart in 2022… pic.twitter.com/YkmYPqdmsW

— Rachel Blevins (@RachBlevins) June 20, 2025

Ritter

Scott Ritter is spot on with this analysis. Israel went all-in on a quick decapitation war, and that strategy has failed. Netanyahu has just bet the farm on the roll of a dice and lost. pic.twitter.com/tt1rArM92o

— Kerry Burgess (@KerryBurgess) June 20, 2025

“A Spectacular Military Success”

If the situation pans out the way it’s presented today, much of the criticism, domestically and internationally, will subside. But Iran has yet to react. And did they really demolish Fordow? Without a nuke?

• Trump: Iran’s Nuclear Facilities “Completely & Totally Obliterated” (ZH)

President Trump addressed the nation at 2200ET and said that with “massive precision strikes”, Iran’s nuclear facilities have “been completely and totally obliterated” in a “spectacular military success.” He warned Iran (“the bully of the Middle East”) that if they do not come to peace then there are many other targets: “There will be either peace; or tragedy for Iran worse than the likes of which we have seen over the last eight days.” “If peace does not come quickly,” we will go after the rest of the nation with “speed and skill. ” He ended the speech by saying “God bless The Middle East, Gold bless Israel, and God bless The United States.”

BREAKING: President Trump says Iran's nuclear facilities have been "totally obliterated." pic.twitter.com/doentvmWLS

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) June 22, 2025

[..]

* * *
Update (2133ET): Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin revealed that the B-2 bombers spotted heading to Guam were part of a calculated deception to draw attention westward: “It’s notable how much deception was involved in this operation. All eyes were looking west towards Guam.” “The 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs were dropped at Fordo. And as we have reported, there are two entrances to Fordo.” “At least two bombs at each, two entrances, which suggests at least two B-2s were involved over Fordow. My suspicion is that there were more.”

Sean Hannity revealed he spoke directly with President Trump, who confirmed the scope of the U.S. strike on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility: “Six “bunker buster” bombs were dropped by multiple B-2 stealth bombers. Thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from U.S. submarines positioned approximately 400 miles away. Hannity added, “Everyone is out of harm’s way for now.”

JUST IN: Sean Hannity says he spoke with President Trump, reveals 6 'Bunker Buster' bombs were dropped on Iran's Fordo nuclear plant.

– 6 'Bunker Buster' bombs dropped from multiple B-2s

– 30 Tomahawk missiles launched by U.S. submarines from ~400 miles away.

"Everyone is out… pic.twitter.com/JLz0U6fY94

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 22, 2025

“..if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”

• Trump Hails ‘Spectacular’ US Raid Against Iran (RT)

In a televised address from the White House on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces had “completely obliterated” three Iranian nuclear sites in a major overnight operation. He described the strikes as a “spectacular military success” and threatened further action if Tehran does not pursue peace. Below is the full transcript of President Trump’s address to the nation:

“Thank you very much. A short time ago, the US military carried out massive, precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime. Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan. Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not. Future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.

For 40 years, Iran has been saying. Death to America, death to Israel. They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs. That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East, and around the world have died as a direct result of their hate in particular. So many were killed by their general, Qassim Soleimani. I decided a long time ago that I would not let this happen. It will not continue. I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel. I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they’ve done.

And most importantly, I want to congratulate the great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. Hopefully, we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that’s so. I also want to congratulate the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine, spectacular general, and all of the brilliant military minds involved in this attack. With all of that being said, this cannot continue. There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days.

Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There’s no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight. Not even close. There has never been a military that could do what took place just a little while ago. Tomorrow, General Caine, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will have a press conference at 8am at the Pentagon. And I want to just thank everybody. And, in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you.”

“Trump’s Pentagon planned for every imaginable Iran response long before Saturday night’s bombing sorties, officials said. And almost immediately after the bombs dropped, signs of heightened security emerged.”

• With Six Bunker-Busting Bombs, Trump Just Rewrote History (JTN)

As early as 2011, Donald Trump sounded the alarm that Iran must not become a nuclear power or the world would face unspeakable havoc. “Iran’s nuclear program must be stopped by any and all means necessary. Period,” the future president wrote in his book Time to Get Tough. “We cannot allow this radical regime to acquire a nuclear weapon that they will either use or hand off to terrorists.” Fourteen years after penning that book, America’s 47th president took decisive action Saturday night to ensure Tehran didn’t reach that critical goal on his watch, dispatching six bunker-busting bombs aboard B2 bombers and 30 Tomahawk missiles fired from submarines to “obliterate” the Iranian regime’s three primary nuclear weapons facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan.

Early reports indicate the six GBU-57 bunker busting bombs imploded Fordow, a mountain-fortified facility that evaded decades of UN inspections and tantalized the world with a never-ending threat of Iranian nuclear holocaust as its mullahs chanted “Death to America. Death to Israel.” Trump declared himself pleased with the impact of his history-shaping decision, and pointedly made clear to Iran’s mullahs — led by the Ayatollah Khamenei — that their next step would determine the final outcome of the regime’s two-decade quest for an atomic bomb. “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump warned.

“There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” he added. “Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”

Israel and the United States both braced for the worst possible response from Iran – more missile attacks or a possible terrorism strike – while hoping the earthquake-sized thunder of dropping the largest conventional bomb in world history may have shaken the Iranian regime toward a negotiated settlement. Trump’s navigation of the Iranian crisis demonstrated a redefinition of the use of American military might, directly pressuring diplomatic efforts toward peace by delivering surgical strikes with shock and awe destruction. He gave Iran 60 days to make a deal to forego its pursuit of a nuclear weapon and its enrichment of uranium, and on the 61st day green-lighted Israel to begin a military bombardment to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program. The first strikes decapitated Iran’s military leadership and disabled Tehran’s once-revered air defenses.

With unrivaled air superiority achieved by Israel, Trump then lulled Iran into thinking he would give the mullahs two weeks for more negotiations. In fact, he gave them just two days before unleashing Saturday night’s U.S. attacks that delivered utter destruction to Iran’s three most important nuclear development sites. While a military success, Trump and his team as well as his partner, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remain acutely aware there still may be peril ahead for the world. Iran’s vaunted Hezbollah sleeper terror cells and possible missile strikes against U.S. assets or its allies in the Middle East remain atop the worry list. Trump’s Pentagon planned for every imaginable Iran response long before Saturday night’s bombing sorties, officials said. And almost immediately after the bombs dropped, signs of heightened security emerged.

Israel went to a new level of alert demanding its citizens avoid any unnecessary public activities. New York City raised its threat level. And U.S. warplanes and ships patrolled aggressively for any sign of retaliation. In the meantime, Trump signaled unequivocally that Iran will choose the next edition of its fate: More attacks will bring more U.S. military might; more negotiations might bring a new era of peace and prosperity. The choice, Trump said, is Iran’s to make. Meanwhile, the president made sure to address the likely naysayers in the globalist community at large, the far-left of the American Democrat Party that pursued fruitless deals with Iran for more than a decade and the isolationists in his own party who immediately cackled the U.S. bombings were unjustified, illegal or even impeachable

During his nationally televised post-bombing address, Trump enumerated the deadly toll Iran’s violence took on Americans for five decades starting with the 1979 embassy hostage crisis followed by deadly bombings in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia in the 1980s and 1990s and then the Iranian-made roadside bombs that killed and maimed hundreds of U.S. soldiers during the Iraq War. “For 40 years, Iran has been saying ‘Death to America, Death to Israel.’ They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs, with roadside bombs,” Trump reminded Americans. “That was their specialty. We lost over 1,000 people, and hundreds of thousands throughout the Middle East and around the world have died as a direct result of the hate.” Whether that carnage continues or subsides after Saturday’s massive bombing now rests with Iran.

Praise from the child killer. Yay!

• US Strike On Iran Will ‘Change History’ – Netanyahu (RT)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised US President Donald Trump for his “bold decision” to join the Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. In a video address posted Saturday night, after the US carried out strikes against facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Netanyahu called the move a turning point that “has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace.” “Congratulations, President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities with the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history.”

President Trump and I often say: ‘Peace through strength.’

First comes strength, then comes peace.

And tonight, @realDonaldTrump and the United States acted with a lot of strength. pic.twitter.com/7lTWCZkgw7

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 22, 2025

The United States launched airstrikes late Saturday, hitting at least three Iranian facilities. According to US officials, B-2 stealth bombers reportedly dropped bunker-busting bombs during the raid on Fordow, while American submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles against Natanz and Isfahan. President Trump described the strike as “very successful” and warned that Tehran must engage in negotiations or face further military action if it dares to retaliate.

“This act… was unfortunately carried out in the shadow of indifference..”

• Iran Accuses US Of Nuclear Treaty Violation (RT)

Iran has accused the United States of violating international law and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) with its overnight strikes on key nuclear facilities, while assuring the public that no radioactive contamination has been detected at the targeted sites. In an official statement released early Sunday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that US airstrikes hit its nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan at dawn, calling the operation an illegal and “brutal” act. Iranian authorities criticized Washington for publicly claiming responsibility for the attacks on sites that had been operating under the supervision of international inspectors. “This act… was unfortunately carried out in the shadow of indifference and even with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” the statement claimed.

A separate statement from Iran’s Center for the National Nuclear Safety System confirmed that emergency inspections had been conducted at all three sites. “No signs of contamination have been recorded,” the center said, adding that there is “no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites.” The AEOI vowed that Iran’s nuclear program would not be halted by what it described as “evil conspiracies.” It praised the resilience of Iranian scientists and announced that legal measures would be pursued in response to the strikes. “We will not allow the development of this national industry, which is the result of the blood of nuclear martyrs, to be stopped,” the organization said.

The United States struck the facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan early Sunday morning as part of a broader Israeli military campaign described by the IDF as targeting Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure. Iran has not yet announced any military response but has characterized the strikes as “criminal” and a breach of sovereign rights. President Trump warned Tehran against retaliation, threatening further US attacks. The airstrikes mark the most direct US action against Iran’s nuclear program in years and come amid soaring tensions following ongoing exchanges of drones and missiles between Israel and Iran.

Tulsi saving face?!

• Trump Says US Intel of Iran’s Nuclear Program “Was Wrong”, Tulsi Responds (ET)

President Donald Trump said on June 20 that his director of national intelligence’s assessment in March that Iran had yet to decide on building a nuclear weapon was wrong. Trump made the remarks to reporters on Friday while standing next to Air Force One at the Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey. The president was asked about the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment that it had no evidence that Iran was building a nuclear warhead before Israel’s strikes on its military and nuclear sites last week. “Well, then my intelligence community is wrong,” Trump said. “Who in the intelligence community said that?” When he was told that it was his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who gave those remarks to lawmakers in March, Trump replied, “She was wrong.”

After Trump’s comments, Gabbard took to social media to share a clip of her March testimony to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and accused the media of twisting her words. “The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division,” Gabbard wrote. “America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can’t happen, and I agree.” Gabbard said in her testimony at the time that the intelligence community had determined that Iran was not currently building a nuclear weapon. However, as part of that assessment, she said there were alarming signals that warranted continuous monitoring for any change.

The signs Gabbard mentioned included indications that Iranian decision-makers who wanted the country to have nuclear arms were becoming increasingly emboldened in their pursuit, and that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles were at “unprecedented” levels for a state without nuclear weapons. In remarks to reporters, Trump reiterated that he believes, based on the quantity of enriched uranium that Iran currently possesses, that the regime could develop a nuclear bomb “within a matter of months.” “We can’t let that happen,” Trump said, adding that he believes his current military intelligence is more accurate than what then-President George W. Bush used as a pretext to invade Iraq in 2003, which Trump opposed.

He was asked what makes the current situation different than the one 22 years ago, and Trump said: “Well, there were no weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq]. I never thought there were.” “There was a nuclear age [in 2003], but nothing like it is today. And it looked like I’m right about the material that they’ve gathered already,” he said. The United Nations’ nuclear watch group said early last month that Iran had more than 900 pounds of 60 percent enriched uranium at the time. To make a nuclear bomb, 90 percent enriched uranium is required. The group said that if Iran chooses, it could enrich enough stockpiled uranium to make a bomb in a matter of days, but building and testing a warhead could take much longer.

In response to comments from Iran’s foreign minister earlier on Friday, who said if the United States is serious about negotiations, it must first call Israel to order a stop to the airstrikes, Trump said it’s difficult to make that request now. “If somebody is winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody’s losing,” he said. “But we’re ready, willing, and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens.” Trump said he is giving Iran two weeks to “see whether or not people come to their senses” before he makes a final decision on whether to involve the U.S. military in the conflict after Israel’s surprise airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites last week. “I’m giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” he said. The president said he believes that Europe is not going to be able to help in negotiations with Iran to end the conflict.

Peaceful purposes only?!

• Trump’s Envoy Urges Musk To Provide Free Starlink To ‘Friends’ In Iran (RT)

US Presidential Envoy for Special Assignments Richard Grenell has urged SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to provide free Starlink access across Iran so that his “friends” can have uninterrupted “access to information” amid an escalating Israeli bombing campaign against Tehran. “Can you turn on Starlink for free in Iran for the next few weeks, @elonmusk? My friends inside Iran don’t have regular access to information right now. I’ll chip in a donation and I think others would, too,” wrote Grenell, the former acting Director of National Intelligence, in a post on X. Musk has not yet responded to the request, at least not publicly. The billionaire previously said that the “beams are on,” indicating the service is technically available – although accessing Starlink requires a special satellite dish to receive and transmit signals.

Starlink’s constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites was originally promoted as a solution for providing high-speed, low-latency internet to remote and rural areas. President Trump has praised the system for offering vital connectivity in disaster zones, particularly after hurricanes Helene and Milton, when traditional networks failed. However, the system has also proven critical for frontline coordination and drone warfare. SpaceX has supplied the Ukrainian military with Starlink since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, delivering more than 40,000 terminals. Kiev’s forces have become fully dependent on Starlink, and disabling it would result in the collapse of the “entire frontline,” Musk claimed in March.

When Israel launched a surprise “pre-emptive” attack against Iranian nuclear facilities last week, its intelligence agency Mossad reportedly activated sleeper cells who had smuggled drones into Iran to strike defensive infrastructure from within. With the possibility of Washington joining the bombing campaign growing, Iranian authorities have severely restricted communications, isolating the country’s internet from the rest of the world. They also urged citizens to delete WhatsApp, accusing Israel of using the Meta-owned app to spy on users. Richard Grenell, a former US ambassador to Germany and acting Director of National Intelligence, now serves as the Presidential Envoy for Special Missions under Donald Trump. In this role, he has handled a wide range of diplomatic crises and international back-channel efforts.

From before the attack.

• US, Europe Plotting Iran’s Next Leader While Talking ‘Diplomacy’ (Sp.)

On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated a “substantial” possibility of negotiations with Tehran, with a decision on further steps to be made within the next two weeks. Trump is not afraid to use force against Iran, Leavitt stressed, adding that the US continues contacts with Iran in both direct and indirect formats. According to US and European diplomats – who, of course, are just innocent bystanders in the Israel-Iran conflict – there are already secret conversations going on about who might lead Iran after the dust settles, CBS News reports.

They are also whispering about securing nuclear sites, and how to deal with a potential regional environmental disaster if Iran’s nuclear facilities are hit. Apparently, there’s still a “last shot” for talks to stop the Israel-Iran conflict, insiders told the outlet. Turkiye, Oman, Italy, Norway – they’re all ready to host US-Iran talks if Tehran chooses diplomacy. But as Iranian FM Abbas Araqchi put it: “As long as the aggression and attacks continue, there is simply no room for talk of dialogue or diplomacy,” per Fars News Agency.

For Kashmir.

• Pakistan Recommends Trump for Nobel Peace Prize (RT)

The Pakistani government has formally recommended US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his mediation efforts in ending the recent military conflict between Islamabad and New Delhi. India, however, insists Trump played no role in de-escalating the tensions. Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated in late April after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed militants. In a statement on Friday, the Pakistani government announced it “decided to formally recommend” Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize “in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”

According to Islamabad, the American leader helped de-escalate a “rapidly deteriorating situation” that could have triggered “catastrophic consequences for millions in the region and beyond.” It also expressed gratitude to Trump for offering to help resolve the longstanding Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India. The US president has repeatedly claimed credit for the ceasefire on May 10 that halted the hostilities between the two neighboring states. However, the Indian government has denied that the US president played a decisive role. Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri revealed that during a phone conversation with Trump the previous day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that “India has never accepted mediation [to resolve its dispute with Islamabad over Jammu and Kashmir], does not accept and will never accept it.”

Also on Wednesday, the US president invited Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir to a private lunch meeting, after the field marshal similarly called for Trump’s Nobel nomination, Reuters reported, citing White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly. On Saturday, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had arranged a “wonderful treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda in their war.” “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia… and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accords in the Middle East,” Trump lamented.

Speaking to reporters the previous day, the Republican made similar claims about his role in resolving those conflicts. “I should have gotten [the Nobel Peace Prize] four or five times,” he insisted, claiming that this will not happen “because they only give it to liberals.”

In theory, yes.

• Iran Has The Right To Use Nuclear Energy For Peaceful Purposes – Putin (RT)

Iran has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview. After the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday, he spoke with Nadim Koteich, the moderator of the session and general manager of Sky News Arabia. ”We believe that Iran has the right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes. And we are prepared, as we have been in previous years, to provide the necessary support in this field,” the Russian president said. Putin added that Russia opposes the spread of nuclear weapons in any country. “The International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] confirms that there is no evidence of Iranian efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.”

Last week, Israel began a series of strikes against Iran and issued serious warnings regarding the country’s nuclear program. It claimed that Tehran is rapidly nearing a critical point in its alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons, saying the strikes were essential to prevent this. Iran, which maintains that its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes, responded with missile and drone strikes against Israel. In his interview on Friday, Putin urged both sides to resolve the conflict through negotiations. He added that Moscow has repeatedly informed Israel of the lack of evidence regarding Tehran’s intentions to create nuclear weapons. In a report earlier this month, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi stated that “Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60%.”

Meanwhile, US intelligence agencies have found no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. However, President Donald Trump insisted that Iran was “very close” to acquiring them at the time of Israel’s attack. He has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” and warned that the US might intervene. According to the Kremlin, Putin has a “complete picture” of the situation, as one of the few leaders to speak directly with the heads of Israel, Iran, and the US. In a late-night Q&A session on Wednesday, Putin told journalists that resolving the conflict should include mutual security guarantees – protecting both Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology and Israel’s right to security.

“I hope that the Ukrainian leadership will follow the national interests of the country and not the interests of the third parties that stand behind the regime..

• Kiev’s Backers Don’t Want The Conflict Settled – Putin (RT)

The “third parties” that back Kiev are not interested in ending the Ukraine conflict, but are instead using the country for their own goals, Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Sky News Arabia’s Nadim Koteich. On Friday, during the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), moderated by Koteich, Putin stated that Moscow is not seeking the surrender of Ukraine. “We insist on the recognition of the realities that have developed on the ground,” he added. After the session, he gave an interview to Sky News Arabia in which he reiterated that Kiev should respect the will of the people who voted to join Russia. “I hope that the Ukrainian leadership will follow the national interests of the country and not the interests of the third parties that stand behind the regime,” Putin said.

“Ukraine deserves a better future, and not to be a tool in the hands of the third parties that are against Russia.” He added that Ukrainian neutrality and non-nuclear status are necessary for long-term stability in the region. During a Q&A session on Friday, Putin said that negotiations held in Istanbul in early 2022, shortly after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, fell apart under pressure from “neocolonial forces.”Earlier in June, top Russian negotiator and presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky told RT’s Rick Sanchez that Ukraine had a chance to secure a deal on more favorable terms had it not withdrawn from negotiations in 2022. According to Medinsky, Kiev opted to walk away after consulting with the US and UK.

“Russia’s Resilience Exposes Western Policymakers’ ‘Shocking’ Incompetence.”

• Putin’s Message to the West: Your Dominance is Over – BRICS+ the Future (Sp.)

In his speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, Vladimir Putin touched on array of issues, from Western neocolonialism and emerging global power centers to Russia’s economic prospects and defense exports potential. Sputnik asked experts in each of these areas to share their thoughts. The Russian president’s remarks at SPIEF about the need for a new model of development free of “golden billion” neocolonialism “is based on the observation of the world balances of power that have unfolded since the US financial crisis of 2008,” veteran Brussels-based geopolitical analyst Paolo Raffone told Sputnik. “Today the emerging countries have emerged to the extent of being comparable individually (China) or collectively (BRICS+) to overcome Western countries. [Putin’s] remarks are addressed to the US, but are also a warning to the European former powers that still have not abandoned the outdated path of eurocentrism,” Raffone explained.

Putin’s comments are geopolitical realism boiled down to its essence, “calling to rethink the national and international policies for the economy as well as security,” Raffone said. The Russian president isn’t alone in his thinking, the observer pointed out, highlighting Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto’s bombshell remarks this week about the EU and NATO’s loss of relevance, total dependence on China, and failure to engage diplomatically with the Global South. Western leaders became the “victims of their [own] stilted paradigm” about Russia and its economy, retired Jawaharlal Nehru University professor and Russia expert Dr. Anuradha Chenoy told Sputnik, commenting on Putin’s remarks relating to Russia’s emergence as the 4th largest economy globally, and the largest in Europe.

Treating Russia as a glorified “gas station” with no prospects for development, and slapping it with a severe, unilateral sanctions regime in 2022, the West expected the Russian economy and ruble to collapse.Instead, “the opposite happened,” Chenoy said, with the state, banks and industry leveraging finances generated from oil wealth to ramp up domestic production and generate growth. The West’s theories failed, as have their attempts to isolate Russia. “In fact, Russia now has turned to China, BRICS countries and the Global South, which will be their long-term partner. The West and its policies of unfair terms if trade, use of threat and force” ended up isolating them, not Russia, the veteran academic emphasized. “I am shocked at the great lack of collective knowledge and information [on the part] of the West, and their institutions,” Chenoy said, highlighting that Russia’s immense natural resources, the rebuilding of industry and infrastructure have been obvious to Russia watchers for decades.

“Russia will surely reestablish itself as one of the foremost exporters of arms in the world in the coming years,” former Swedish Armed Forces officer and military analyst Mikael Valtersson told Sputnik, commenting on Putin’s mention of Russian plans to expand defense cooperation with friendly countries. “The fast Russian adaptation to the needs at the battlefield and a strong Russian comeback in Ukraine has put an end to western dreams of the elimination of Russia as a strong competitor in the global arms market,” Valtersson said, highlighting the competitive edge Russia has honed from its experiences, including:
• battle-proven, upgraded weaponry. “This is especially important when it comes to air, missile, drone and EW-technology,” according to the observer.
• a “very large capacity to produce weapons quickly for the global military market…a capability the Western countries lack.”
• readiness to allow buyers to freely use the advanced weapons they purchase, without secret kill switches or other restrictions

Valtersson expects these factors to strengthen Russia’s position in the Global South, and in turn to threaten Western arms exports, especially Europe’s. “Europe will probably be forced to focus more on domestic sales within Europe, while the US must reduce restrictions and political demands in conjunction with arms exports. This might become even more acute in light of a growing hesitation to see the US as a reliable strategic partner by many countries,” Valtersson predicts. NATO might try to preserve markets by pressuring countries against buying Russian arms, “but this strategy will quickly lose power since Western economic power is diminishing,” the observer said, emphasizing that economic power translates into political power. While BRICS accounted for 12% of GDP in 2000, it’s over 40% today.

Who makes these decisions?

• Zelensky Reshuffles Top Brass To Fix Faltering Draft – FT (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has reshuffled his top brass, with the goal of overhauling the country’s flawed and “unpopular” forced mobilization, the Financial Times reported on Saturday. Amid heavy frontline losses, the campaign has been marred by widespread draft-dodging and violent clashes between would-be recruits and mobilization officers. On Friday, Zelensky tapped Brigadier General Gennady Shapovalov to be the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces, replacing Mikhail Drapaty and reassigning several senior officers. According to the Ukrainian HQ, in his new role, Shapovalov will focus on “increasing the combat capability of the army, improve the mobilization system and training of military personnel, and implement innovative approaches to management according to NATO standards.”

Shapovalov previously headed Kiev’s team in the NATO mission to coordinate military assistance to Ukraine. The Financial Times said the new commander will face numerous issues, as the “attempts to reform the Ukrainian mobilization and training process have been sluggish at best.” The draft, the outlet added, has been “unpopular,” while Zelensky is facing Western pressure to lower the draft age. Another problem is a new military contract program aimed at attracting young people between 18 and 24 to the army. However, as of April, only 500 contract soldiers joined the army, the FT reported, citing officials in Kiev.

Shapovalov’s appointment follows nearly three weeks of a leadership vacuum after Drapaty resigned from his post but was later moved to lead Ukraine’s joint forces command, which is aimed at helping align Ukraine’s armed forces with NATO operational methods. In a parting statement, Drapaty – who resigned after accepting responsibility for devastating Russian strikes on military training sites – condemned what he called a “culture of mutual cover-up and impunity” within the military. ”We will not win this war unless we build an army where honor is action, not a word, and responsibility is the basis of trust,” he said.

According to RBK-Ukraine, Drapaty’s departure also followed reported tensions with Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky. A source told the outlet that Drapaty privately expressed ambitions to take over Syrsky’s role. The two have had diverging battlefield strategies. Ukraine announced general mobilization in 2022, barring most men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country. In 2024, Kiev tightened the conscription laws and lowered the draft age from 27 to 25 to recoup growing battlefield losses. The mobilization campaign has resulted in numerous violent altercations between draft officers and reluctant draftees, while many have sought to flee the country at significant personal risk.

Greatly.

• Europe’s Anti-Russia Hysteria Speeds Its Decline (Sp.)

No one is excluding Europe from modern processes – European countries are excluding themselves with their policy choices, Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, told Sputnik on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Europe is sabotaging itself by unjustifiably meddling in the Ukraine conflict and taking an anti-Russian stance, said the President of Republika Srpska. The European Union lost pivotal energy resources that it used to receive at a low price from Russia, Milorad Dodik stressed. “It is clear that Europe, if it even survives in the form of the European Union, is headed toward economic and other forms of marginalization,” he said. Europe is scrambling for solutions but somehow drifting even further from them. That’s exactly why I agree that the Global South’s role is only growing more crucial, said Dodik.

SPIEF sets an ideology-free stage for a New Global Order, underscored the leader of Bosnia’s Serb autonomy. A surge of cooperation agreements is signed here, offering a prime opportunity to showcase the Russian economy’s cutting-edge achievements across all modern sectors. What draws crowds to the forum is its host — Russia — a nation reshaping the global value game, noted Dodik. A total of 1,060 agreements worth 6.3 trillion rubles ($80 billion) have been signed on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the Organizing Committee’s executive secretary, Anton Kobyakov, said on Saturday. Over 140 countries sent their representatives to the forum, Kobyakov added.

Make this make sense! pic.twitter.com/IO3oBgTPpD

— Noctis Draven (@DravenNoctis) June 20, 2025

Ursula

NGOs should not be funded by the government to lobby elected representatives! https://t.co/ZY7s0jQ4dC

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 20, 2025

Wow. That puts market sizes into perspective. pic.twitter.com/ljkTR3fScY

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) June 21, 2025

A crossover between Chekhov's Gun, Schrödinger's Cat, Occam's Razor, and Murphy's law. pic.twitter.com/09cdTVOm4U

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 21, 2025

Snowy owl family

[🎞️ furbabiesplus, ai]pic.twitter.com/O36Yknwamx

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 21, 2025

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Debt Rattle June 16 2025

Jun 162025

June 16, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:30 am Finance Tagged with: birthday, California, Iran, Netanyahu, oil, Persia, Trump, war machine, Zelensky 63 Responses »

Ivan Shishkin The wilds 1881

• America First means AMERICA FIRST (Douglas Macgregor)

• From Peace President to Warmonger (Hanseler)

• Trump Presides Over Army’s 250th Birthday Event (JTN)

• Trump ‘Open’ To Putin As Iran-Israel Mediator (RT)

• Israel Asked US To Join Iran Attack – Axios (RT)

• Iraq Warns of $300 Per Barrel Oil (RT)

• Iran Preparing To ‘Shut Down Israel’s War Machine’ – Source (RT)

• Zelensky Says The US Is Being ‘Too Warm’ Towards Russia (NYP)

• Zelensky Says Iran Poses ‘Serious Threat’ To Ukraine, Amid Israel War

• Putin Congratulates Xi On His Birthday (RT)

• Putin Wished Me A Happy Birthday – Trump (RT)

• Europe’s Populist Parties Keep Gaining Ground, but Cannot Get Into Power (ET)

• Republicans Investigating California Governor and LA Mayor Over Riots (RT)

I was skeptical at first, but the No Kings rally worked.

I woke up this morning and my country still has no king.

Good job, everyone!

— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) June 15, 2025

🔸 Sobering Fact:

Although these missiles are not even Iran's "A-Team", the US/NATO/Israel have no defense against this level of weapon — and are many years away from fielding such a defense.

Nor do they have such a weapon themselves — and are many years away from fielding one. https://t.co/vjocQbVvLR

— Will Schryver (@imetatronink) June 15, 2025

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚔️🇮🇷 BREAKING: Trump told ABC News that U.S. involvement in a war with Iran is possible. pic.twitter.com/czE5eS58fe

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) June 15, 2025

https://twitter.com/hippyygoat/status/1933943791779451176

https://twitter.com/The_Real_ITDUDE/status/1933978549230145722

For those in the back, Japan imports 100% of their oil. It’s priced in $USD. When it spikes massively in price it unwinds the yen carry trade in a hurry. The last major unwind was in the summer of 2008 when oil spiked to $147. The S&P immediately fell 30% after. The war itself…

— John (@market_sleuth) June 15, 2025

🇮🇱⚔️🇮🇷 Netanyahu: Iran would have had nuclear weapons within months if Israel hadn’t attacked.

We’ve included images from Maariv (1984), which claimed Iran was in the “final stages” of building a nuclear weapon, and from the New York Times (1995), warning Iran would have the… pic.twitter.com/G0PaOHdy35

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) June 15, 2025

“..Israel’s Iron Dome failed. Israeli intelligence failed. Now Netanyahu is pleading with Washington to intervene with American Military Power to rescue Israel from certain defeat..”

• America First means AMERICA FIRST (Douglas Macgregor)

In the last 72 hours, Israel launched a preemptive strike against Iran when negotiations between Washington and Tehran were still ongoing. Iran was caught off-guard. But Iran recovered more quickly from its Pearl Harbor moment than Israel expected. In less than 18 hours after Israel’s surprise attack, Iran responded firing hundreds of ballistic missiles including hypersonic missiles into central Tel Aviv and across Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s Iron Dome failed. Israeli intelligence failed. Now Netanyahu is pleading with Washington to intervene with American Military Power to rescue Israel from certain defeat; a defeat Netanyahu crafted with encouragement from Washington. At the same time, Russia, China, Pakistan and most of the Muslim World are rallying to Iran’s defense.

Supplies, equipment and technical assistance are pouring into Iran. It’s time for a reality check: Washington burned through $12 trillion in the Middle East since 2003. Result? 7,000 dead Americans. 50,000 wounded, open borders and 100,000 Americans dying yearly from Fentanyl poisoning. Today, the United States is $37 trillion in debt, a sum that does not include so-called “agency debt.” 77 million Americans voted for President Trump because he promised to end the overseas conflicts and halt the march to WW3. Trump’s mandate is unchanged: Secure America’s borders, ports and coastal waters. Deport illegal aliens, crush the criminals r-ping and murdering Americans. Restore the rule of law. But not one more drop of American blood for foreign wars.

One Israeli strike on Kharg Island—where 90% of Iran’s oil exports flow—or Bandar Abbas terminals, and Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz. That’s 20% of global oil supply. That means disrupted supply chains and runaway inflation. Gas hits $7/gallon overnight. Every working family crushed. Truckers can’t deliver food. Economy crashes. For what? So Israel that started this insane war can drag Americans into a wider regional conflict with the potential for nuclear war? We have 40,000 troops in UAE, Qatar, across the Persian Gulf. They are sitting ducks. Iranian Shahed-136 Drones cost $20,000 each. American Patriot Missiles cost $4 million per interceptor. Do the math. We will run through our inventory of missiles and go broke while Americans come home in boxes.

The Middle East is on the brink. Here’s what Washington must do to defuse conflict:
1. Ask for an Emergency UN Security Council meeting. Ask for an Immediate ceasefire making it clear that Washington opposes the destruction of Iran, Israel and any other state in the Middle East.
2. Demand that Israel stop the killing of Palestinians in Gaza and withdraw its forces from Gaza and the West Bank.
3. Suspend all military aid to Israel until Israel agrees to remove its troops from Gaza and permit humanitarian assistance to reach the people of Gaza.
4. Propose the commitment of Armed Forces from non-aligned nations to police Gaza and the West Bank. 5. Propose that the United States, Russia, China, India and Brazil convene a peace conference to arbitrate the dispute between Israel, Iran and Israel’s neighbors. I led American Soldiers under fire into action. I’ve seen plenty of flag-draped coffins. I don’t want to see any more. Washington’s warmongers had 22 years. They failed. They lied.

They profited while America bled. Time’s up. America First means AMERICA FIRST. Not Israel first. Not Ukraine first. Not NATO first. AMERICA FIRST.

War with Iran is likely to walk The United States directly into WW III.

Let's avoid this!pic.twitter.com/K7Sv5NkwhA

— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) June 15, 2025

“It seems that the Iranians would in principle be able to inflict huge damage on the US and Israel, as they – unlike Israel and the US – have hypersonic missiles..”

• From Peace President to Warmonger (Hanseler)

One day before the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, Ukraine attacked aircraft from Russia’s strategic bomber fleet with drones hidden in trucks that were smuggled into Russia. We reported on this in “Operation Spiderweb: Ukraine and NATO attack on Russia: a new Pearl Harbor? Full escalation? Are the fanatics back? Facts and analysis.” The military damage was minor; what remained was a propaganda victory for the West – nothing more. On June 11, the Financial Times went to great lengths to prove that these attacks were carried out with AI without Western help. The FT should probably confine itself to business news – pure propaganda without a shred of evidence. A feeble attempt to keep the Americans out of it, without whose help this attack would not have been possible.

This was followed shortly afterwards by a major attack by Israel on Iran. TheTimes of Israel boasted that the US, together with the Israelis, had carried out a multi-layered disinformation campaign to make the Iranians believe that an attack was not imminent. This report is credible, as Trump made no attempt to hide US complicity in the Israeli attack on Iran at the end of the week. That’s not all, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied US involvement, saying: “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”- Marco Rubio – 13. Juni 2025. This proves that the Americans certainly had a hand in this deadly game and that the Trump administration cannot even manage to coordinate coherently within its own team. Not a sign of professionalism. A few hours ago, a 180 from Trump:

“The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and… pic.twitter.com/9F10xj1xU8

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 15, 2025

It’s clear that there’s no hope of finding out anymore what the President of the US believes and does. What a joy to negotiate with such a person. We can confirm with depressing certainty that it is very possible that the final chapter of the series of wars launched by the US has begun in the Middle East. Please refer to our article “Bloodbaths change the world – Part 2 – 9/11”, where General Clark provided information about the US’s real intentions and plans in 2007:

The target countries were: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan – and finally Iran. Instead of five years in which the US wanted to “pacify” these countries, almost 25 years have now passed. But it seems that the Americans have fulfilled Netanyahu’s wish, who had wanted to attack Iran for 25 years, after all. A few weeks ago, in the article “Anything is possible – unfortunately”, I categorized the Iran smouldering fire as non-critical. In my analysis, I assumed that the Americans were not naive enough to allow themselves to be drawn into such a catastrophic war based on a delusion and Netanyahu’s fantasies of empire. Perhaps the naive person was myself.

It is not yet clear how many levels of escalation will be exceeded in the coming days. After this attack, however, Iran will have to respond militarily in a way that will give the Americans and Israelis existential fears. The Americans about their presence in the Middle East and the Israelis about their existence as a state. It seems that the Iranians would in principle be able to inflict huge damage on the US and Israel, as they – unlike Israel and the US – have hypersonic missiles. We will soon see whether they decide to do so and actually have this strike power.

“..our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win.”

• Trump Presides Over Army’s 250th Birthday Event (JTN)

President Trump on Saturday presided over the Army’s 250th birthday celebration and a military parade undeterred by the rainy and cloudy skies that seemed to cast their shadow beyond the nation’s capital. “Every other country celebrates their victories,” Trump, on whose 79th birthday the event was held, said as the parade of about 6,000 soldiers, 50 military aircraft and 150 vehicles came to an end near the White House. “It’s about time America did, too. That’s what we’re doing tonight. “Time and again, America’s enemies have learned that if you threaten the American people, our soldiers are coming for you. Your defeat will be certain. Your demise will be final. … our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win.”

The crowd sang “Happy Birthday” after Trump’s remarks from the viewing stage, according to NBC News. Earlier in the day, a gunman, still at large Saturday night, fatally shot Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and husband Mark after shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and wife Yvette, at the couples’ respective homes, in what authorities called “targeted” attacks. The Army parade began about 30 minutes before its scheduled 6:30 p.m. start because of the weather, a Secret Service official said. Still, Army tanks rolled slowly down Constitution Avenue under the drizzle as large crowds walked among the monuments, some carrying U.S. flags and wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also attended the parade.

Meanwhile, anti-Trump “No Kings” protesters came out across the country. The liberal group MoveOn.org, which organized the protests, estimated that about 5 million people attended the demonstrations, which took place in cities large and small – including Houston; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Jacksonville, Florida; Arlington, Virginia, Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Organizers described the “No Kings coalition” as non-violent, emphasizing that they canceled the Minnesota protests after news of the shootings. “The No Kings coalition is and remains a nonviolent movement. We are heartbroken by the shooting in Minnesota,” the organization said in a statement when the protests ended. “Our prayers are with their families, their communities, and all those grieving.”

The No Kings protests were planned before violent protests earlier this week in Los Angeles in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s illegal-migrant raids. The protests, including some that were violent, resulted in Trump deploying Marines and the California National Guard. The protests and the Army parade were also held one day after Israel launched missile attacks on Iran, which in turn launched air attacks on Israel. Protesters at a demonstration Saturday in Philadelphia were photographed holding signs that read, “TREASON, Punishable by Death,” “Your silence is consent” and “NO ONE IS ILLEGAL ON STOLEN LAND.” Protesters in other cities held signs that read, “America Has No King” while others called for Trump’s removal from office.

Arrests were made at some of the demonstrations. A man was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee at a “No Kings” protest for allegedly shoving people in the crowd. A man was arrested in Culpeper, Va. for driving his vehicle into a “No Kings” protest. No injuries were reported. Police arrested eight protesters at an anti-Trump demonstration on Saturday in DeKalb County, Georgia focused on immigration. Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman defended the parade as the protests began to wind down. “This parade is comprised of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers—the very best of us,” he wrote on X. “Regardless of your politics, it’s appropriate to celebrate the 250 years of sacrifice, dedication and service.”

Putin won’t do it. Not while the bombing continues.

• Trump ‘Open’ To Putin As Iran-Israel Mediator (RT)

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is open to Russian President Vladimir Putin serving as a mediator in the Israel-Iran conflict. In an hour-long phone call the previous day, the two leaders focused on the Middle East crisis. “Yeah, I would be open to it. He is ready. He called me about it,” Trump responded to ABC News’ Rachel Scott, when asked about Putin’s potential role in brokering peace. “We had a long talk about it. We talked about this more than his situation. This is something I believe is going to get resolved,” Trump added.

After the phone call the Kremlin later said that Putin had condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran and expressed concern over further escalation, while reiterating Russia’s willingness to facilitate negotiations. Putin recalled that Moscow had previously proposed concrete measures to facilitate “mutually acceptable agreements” in US-Iran nuclear negotiations before the current escalation, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov revealed. “Russia’s principled position and commitment to resolving this issue remain unchanged,” Ushakov stated. “As President Putin emphasized, we will continue to act accordingly.”

Despite the cancellation of Oman-mediated nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington following Israel’s strikes, Trump maintained that discussions continued. “They’d like to make a deal. They’re talking,” he said, suggesting the escalation might actually accelerate diplomacy.When asked about possible American engagement in the conflict, Trump stated: “We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved.” The conflict in the Middle East escalated on June 12 when Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites, killing senior military officials and prompting retaliatory missile barrages from Tehran. Both sides have exchanged fire for a third straight day.

Not openly.

• Israel Asked US To Join Iran Attack – Axios (RT)

West Jerusalem has asked the White House to take part in its military campaign against Iran in order to eliminate Tehran’s nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials cited by Axios. Several above-ground facilities in Iran, including sites in Natanz and Esfahan, were destroyed in recent Israeli strikes, according to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi. Israel described the operation as a preemptive move to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon – Iran has consistently denied that it has any intention to do so. Grossi said the Iranian government had also informed him that the Fordow enrichment plant near the city of Qom, a heavily fortified site built deep inside a mountain, was targeted, but there are no indications that the site sustained significant damage.

According to Axios, Israel lacks the bunker-busting bombs and long-range bomber aircraft required to destroy Fordow. The US, however, possesses both and operates forces within range of Iran. Israeli officials reportedly believe that if Fordow remains operational after the operation ends, West Jerusalem’s mission to eliminate Iran’s nuclear program will have failed. An Israeli official told Axios the US might participate in the campaign and said President Donald Trump had indicated during a recent call with Netanyahu that he would consider it “if necessary.” The White House has denied this claim. A second American official confirmed that Israel had requested US involvement but said the Trump administration is not considering it.

Washington has reportedly distanced itself from the operation, while warning that even a limited strike could draw the US into the war. White House officials have argued that it would be illegitimate for Iran to retaliate against American forces. A senior US official told the outlet that while the Israeli attacks could not be prevented, a peaceful resolution remains possible. “We have the ability to negotiate a successful, peaceful resolution to this conflict if Iran is willing,” the source said. “The fastest way for Iran to accomplish peace is to give up its nuclear weapons program.”

Nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington began in April, with Trump warning of military consequences if diplomacy failed.On Saturday, Tehran cancelled a sixth round of negotiations scheduled in Oman. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said talks would not resume until Israeli strikes come to an end. Earlier on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart held a 50-minute phone call to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The two leaders reportedly agreed on the possibility of restarting negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

Havoc ahead.

• Iraq Warns of $300 Per Barrel Oil (RT)

Escalating tensions in the Middle East and a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz could drive oil prices up to $300 per barrel, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned during a phone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. On Friday morning, Israeli jets bombed military and nuclear sites across Iran, kicking off an ongoing exchange of hostilities between the two countries. According to Hussein, oil prices could surge to between $200 and $300 per barrel “if military operations were to break out, which would significantly increase inflation rates in European countries and complicate oil exports for producing states such as Iraq.”

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transport route, could “result in the loss of approximately five million barrels per day from Gulf and Iraqi oil supplies in the global market,” the Iraqi foreign minister was quoted as saying. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime passage through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply flows. On Saturday, Iranian MP and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Kousari stated that Tehran is seriously considering closing the strait to shipping. Analysts have highlighted the potential impact of such a closure on global oil prices. JPMorgan analysts estimate that in a severe scenario, oil could surge to $130 per barrel. Other experts suggest that a complete blockade could push prices even higher, with some forecasts reaching $300 per barrel.

Brent crude prices rose 7% on Friday to $74.23 per barrel in response to the first attacks. While Israel has not targeted Iran’s main oil export facilities, analysts warn that future strikes could severely impact oil supplies. Conversely, the Islamic Republic could retaliate by disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, in Russia, the head of the Federation Council’s information policy commission, Aleksey Pushkov, has said that the conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to a significant increase in oil prices due to Tehran’s possible blocking of the Persian Gulf.

“The official outlined Iran’s extensive list of potential targets within “occupied territories,” which include covert residences of Israeli government leaders, energy facilities, factories supplying military aircraft, and critical command-and-control infrastructure.”

• Iran Preparing To ‘Shut Down Israel’s War Machine’ – Source (RT)

Tehran is gearing up to decisively counter Israel’s military operations, and intends to “shut down the regime’s war machine,” a senior Iranian security official told RT exclusively on Sunday. Israel and Iran have been engaged in a fierce exchange of fire for three consecutive days. According to Israel’s emergency service Magen David Adom, Iranian strikes have killed at least ten people, bringing the total death toll to 13. In Iran, Israeli strikes have caused at least 406 deaths and 654 injuries, according to the group Human Rights Activists. The Iranian government has not released official casualty figures yet.

”Iran has been preparing for a long war,” the official told RT, emphasizing the country’s resolve to confront Israel. According to the source, millions of Iranians rallied in the streets on Saturday, defying West Jerusalem’s attacks, and demanding retribution. “This is an important support for Iran to continue its actions with force,” the official added. The official outlined Iran’s extensive list of potential targets within “occupied territories,” which include covert residences of Israeli government leaders, energy facilities, factories supplying military aircraft, and critical command-and-control infrastructure.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said that the country’s missiles had targeted fuel production facilities for Israeli fighter jets, a claim not acknowledged by Israel. World leaders urgently called for de-escalation in order to prevent an all-out war. Russian President Vladimir Putin had condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran and expressed concern over further escalation. In a phone call with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, Putin reiterated Moscow’s willingness to facilitate negotiations. Oman-mediated nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington were scheduled for Sunday; however, they were canceled following Israel’s strikes. Trump did not rule out the possibility of continuing the negotiations, saying, “They’d like to make a deal. They’re talking.”

Hey! I need attention!

• Zelensky Says The US Is Being ‘Too Warm’ Towards Russia (NYP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chided the tone of U.S. and Russia relations as “too warm” Saturday, while re-upping his push for Washington to ratchet up sanctions on Moscow. The Ukrainian leader stressed that “no one has been able to stop” Russian strongman Vladimir Putin so far, but surmised that President Trump could if he takes a tougher stand. “Right now, the tone of the U.S.–Russia dialogue feels too warm. Let’s be honest: that won’t stop Putin. What’s needed is a shift in tone,” Zelensky wrote on X. “Putin must understand clearly: America will stand with Ukraine, including by imposing sanctions and supporting our army. Any signals of reduced aid, or of treating Ukraine and Russia as equals, are deeply unfair. Russia is the aggressor. They started this war. They do not want to end it.

“That’s why the world must send a clear message: if Putin refuses to end the war, the strongest possible sanctions will follow.” Zelensky’s remarks appear to take aim at some of Trump’s recent comments, where he likened the warring nations to “two young children fighting like crazy.” He’s also repeatedly implied that Kyiv bears — as does Russia — responsibility for the bloody war. “You should have never started it,” Trump pubically said of Zelensky back in February. Russia began the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are currently mulling a sanctions package introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) last month.That sweeping package further tightens the existing sanctions on Russia and slaps 500% tariffs on countries that do business with the Kremlin.

Trump has sent mixed signals about the sanctions package, concerned that it could derail negotiations with Russia while also indicating that he is losing patience with Putin. Zelensky appears to be angling to pressure Trump on further tightening the screws on Russia ahead of the Group of 7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, beginning on Sunday. Zelensky had been working to meet Trump at the G7, which would be their first face-to-face since their meeting at the Vatican in April. “No one has been able to stop Putin. Only Trump remains, he might be able to. But to stop Putin, one thing is essential: he must lose money. Only then will he be unable to expand his army and military sector,” Zelensky said.

“Moscow is not expected to come to Iran’s aid in this current emerging war.”

• Zelensky Says Iran Poses ‘Serious Threat’ To Ukraine, Amid Israel War

Once again another major Middle East conflict is taking much of the West’s attention away from the long war in Ukraine, but President Volodymyr Zelensky is speaking up (or rather inserting himself), suggesting that events in Iran have a direct impact on Ukraine. He has told Newsmax the Islamic Republic poses a “serious threat” to Ukraine, given that it has for years supplied military arms and technology to Russian forces, which are then used against Iranian cities. There have been more recent reports that Tehran might be supplying short-range ballistic missiles. It is the Iranian-produced Shahed Kamikaze drone which has wreaked havoc on Ukraine from since the war’s start. Zelensky claimed in the comments that Iran is “actively working” against his country.

“Iran is, in fact, actively working against us by supplying weapons and technology to Russia. That makes them a serious threat. Even so, we do not seek escalation,” Zelenskyy said. “We understand all too well the devastating consequences such a conflict can bring. The human cost, the losses, the potential outcomes of a full-scale war. But Iran continues to support Russia.” “This regime is enabling Russia’s aggression by providing arms and technological support. Iran uses its oil revenues to fund war efforts. That is the harsh reality we are dealing with,” he added. The last 48 hours have seen open war explode between Iran and Israel after the Israeli Air Force began attacking Iranian nuclear sites, as well as ballistic missile batteries. Nuclear scientists and military leaders have also been killed in Iran.

Iran has responded by launching unprecedented numbers of ballistic missiles and drones against Israel, in a serious tit-for-tat which is now ongoing. “Let me be frank. We don’t want escalation in any part of the world. But if this continues, if there is another wave of conflict, more missile strikes, more collaboration between Russia and Iran, then the situation could grow even more dangerous,” Zelensky said. Washington is the biggest funder of both the Ukrainian and Israeli militaries… While Russia and Iran have indeed stepped up their defense relationship over the last several years, Moscow is not expected to come to Iran’s aid in this current emerging war.

Spring chicken at 72.

• Putin Congratulates Xi On His Birthday (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended birthday greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, 72, according to a statement from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. “The president wished his Chinese counterpart and friend all the very best,” Peskov said. The message comes on the heels of a visit by Xi in May, when he traveled to Moscow to participate in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II. Xi and Putin held a formal meeting at the Kremlin on May 8, joined by senior delegations from both sides. The talks lasted over three and a half hours and concluded with the signing of a number of joint agreements. The Chinese Foreign Ministry described Xi’s visit to Moscow as “a complete success.”

Putin described the meeting with Xi as “highly positive” and emphasized the value of face-to-face dialogue. He also thanked the Chinese leader for attending the commemorative event and confirmed his own plans to visit China for ceremonies marking the defeat of militarist Japan. Beijing has advocated a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict since it escalated in 2022. It has also been critical of the West’s unilateral sanctions against Russia and blamed NATO expansion for provoking the crisis. In 2023, China released a 12-point proposal, received favorably by Moscow, on how to resolve the conflict through a political settlement which respects the realities on the ground.

“..He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” Trump wrote.

• Putin Wished Me A Happy Birthday – Trump (RT)

US President Donald Trump has revealed that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, wished him a happy birthday during a phone conversation on Saturday. Shortly after the phone call, the US president took to his Truth Social to provide details. “President Putin called this morning to very nicely wish me a Happy Birthday, but to more importantly, talk about Iran, a country he knows very well. We talked at length,” Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday, wrote. The two presidents spent “much less time” discussing the Ukraine conflict, he noted, adding that the topic “will be for next week.” “The call lasted approximately one hour. He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end, to which I explained, his war should also end,” Trump wrote.

According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the conversation between Putin and Trump was “meaningful, frank, and most importantly, very useful.” Putin condemned Israel’s strikes on Iran, noting that they occurred just before the sixth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, originally scheduled for June 15, would have begun. “Despite such a complicated situation, the Russian and American presidents didn’t rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,” Ushakov added. The presidential aide also confirmed that Putin had extended his birthday wishes to Trump, noting that both leaders have “expressed their satisfaction with the personal relationships that allow [them] to communicate in a businesslike manner,” as well as to “seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be.”

“cordon sanitaire” or “firewall”

• Europe’s Populist Parties Keep Gaining Ground, but Cannot Get Into Power (ET)

Across the European continent, despite gaining considerable proportions of the vote, populist parties are increasingly being frozen out of governing in coalitions by political opponents who regard them as extremist. Proponents of the tactic known as a “cordon sanitaire” or “firewall” say it’s not an attack on democracy but a defense of it. But one war expert said the tactic will only arouse anger in voters and that “there is no potential for peaceful political change.” Coalitions are part and parcel of political life in many European countries. But the cordon sanitaire, a measure normally directed at keeping out fringe outliers, is now being used to keep out parties that are gaining majority-level support. Such parties include the Alternative for Germany, France’s National Rally, Austria’s Freedom Party, Spain’s Vox, and the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom.

They all deny being “far-right” as they are often dubbed by media, opponents, or academics, but their political opponents regard them as beyond the pale and have formed coalitions on the promise of shutting them out of governance. The AfD, an anti-mass immigration party, which came second in Germany’s national parliamentary elections, earning nearly 21 percent of the vote, was recently denied allotted committee chairmanships and vice-chairmanships. The party is locked in a legal battle with the state to avoid being branded an “extremist” right-wing movement by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency.

AfD’s policies include strong support for traditional marriage between a man and woman and the nuclear family, the preservation of national independence in the face of the European Union’s increasing power, the preservation of German culture amid “European integration” and Islamization, and border security, including the expulsion of illegal immigrants. But this doesn’t seem to have dented the party’s popularity in the polls. According to a recent INSA survey, the AfD is at 24.5 percent, hot on the heels of the CDU at 26 percent. nA similar pattern is being seen in other countries.

Early in June, the Dutch government collapsed after Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders said his party would pull out of the governing coalition. Wilders asked coalition partners to sign up to a plan to cut illegal immigration, which included using the army to protect Dutch borders, rejecting all illegal immigrants, sending Syrian refugees back to their country, and closing asylum shelters. At the time, he said that if the country’s immigration policy was not strengthened, the PVV would be “out of the Cabinet.” He followed through on the threat.

In Austria, conservatives, Social Democrats, and liberals formed a coalition in March to block the anti-immigration and euro-skeptic Freedom Party from taking power, even after it won an electoral victory with 29 percent of the vote last September. The party was founded in 1956 by Anton Reinthaller, a former SS officer and member of the Reichstag.Last year, French President Emmanuel Macron called a surprise snap election on June 9, following his centrist Renaissance party’s poor performance in European Parliament elections when the populist and nationalist party National Rally (RN) performed very strongly.

But RN has increased its voter share ahead of the French presidential elections, which are scheduled to be held in or around April 2027, and is currently polling at 35 percent. In 2023, Socialist Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap national election after his party was beaten in local government polls by the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the nationalist Vox.Sanchez managed to retain power but only after months of wrangling with regional parties and a controversial power deal with Catalan separatists. Vox, founded in 2013, is now the third-largest force in the Spanish Parliament.

Transparent? Who?

• Republicans Investigating California Governor and LA Mayor Over Riots (RT)

The US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has begun an investigation into riots in California that have followed a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid on illegal migrants. Committee members are accusing Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass of inaction and obstructing federal attempts to manage the unrest. The protests that erupted last week quickly devolved into riots, with participants torching police cars and US flags, blocking highways, and clashing with law enforcement officers. The latter have responded with tear gas and rubber bullets, with hundreds of arrests, as well as multiple injuries on both sides reported. The start of the probe was announced in a press release by the US House Oversight Committee on Friday.

Chairman James Comer and Clay Higgins, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement, both Republicans, sent letters to Newsom and Bass, requesting that they hand over “documents and communications” dated June 1, 2025 and later, relevant to the ongoing riots and the state authorities’ response to them. The letters also accused the two Democrats of falsely claiming that “state and local law enforcement had protests under control” and of “falsely blaming” President Donald Trump “for the actions of violent rioters.” Newsom previously sued the Trump administration over its decision to deploy the National Guard to California. On Thursday, a US district judge ruled the move illegal, only for a Court of Appeals to issue a temporary injunction against that ruling hours later. For now, the National Guard remains under Trump’s control, and not that of the state authorities, until a hearing on Tuesday.

Responding to the committee’s request, Governor Newsom’s press office said in a post on X on Saturday that the records requested “will include some highly unusual communications from the White House.” “We’re good with transparency. Will the White House say the same?” the message added. In an acrimonious exchange throughout the week, Newsom described Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard as a “step toward authoritarianism” and a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” Trump, in turn, urged the “grossly incompetent” California governor to “get his act together” and to “apologize… for the absolutely horrible job” he has allegedly done. The US president also suggested he would back a proposal by White House border czar Tom Homan to have Newsom arrested for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement efforts.

USAID

Hungarian Government releasing a documentary on how Democrats funneled money through USAID to George Soros “to promote Democrat agendas such as illegal migration, transgenders and war stances”

“The Hungarian government has announced that they will be releasing a documentary… pic.twitter.com/27yqdTKggj

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 14, 2025

Dragon

– Just one dragonfly can consume over one hundred mosquitos in a day
– Dragonflies can fly backwards
– They have nearly 360-degree vision
– Their wings inhibit bacterial growth due to their natural structures
– They're actually beautiful

This is not stained glass, it's a wing. pic.twitter.com/0BfB3ljjuE

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 15, 2025

Ostrich

0strich father shields his chicks from the sun in Kenya’s Samburu Reserve

Happy Father's Day 💕
https://t.co/ba7A1fiJMm

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 15, 2025

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Debt Rattle June 15 2025

Jun 152025

June 15, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:02 am Finance Tagged with: California, Iran, Kellogg, Netanyahu, unready 60 Responses »

Ivan Shishkin Midday. Near Moscow 1869

• Trump Rejects Netanyahu’s Request To Join War (ZH)

• Poll: 90% of Americans Don’t Want US Involved in Israel-Iran War (CTH)

• Putin and Trump Discuss Iran and Ukraine – Kremlin (RT)

• ‘Perverted Logic’ To Call Israeli Attack On Iran Self-Defense – Polyansky (RT)

• Trump Leverages Israel’s Attack To Force Iran To Table (JTN)

• Iran-the-Unready (Paul Craig Roberts)

• Iran Could Strike American Military Bases – Fars (RT)

• Border Czar Tom Homan Discusses Border Security and Deportation Operations (CTH)

• Trumps Envoy Outlines Plan For Ukraine Peace (RT)

• Let California Collapse- and Let the Rest of America Learn (Armstrong Williams)

🇮🇱🇮🇷 RITTER: “IRAN’S ONLY HOPE IS TO BREAK ISRAEL’S BACK… POLITICALLY”@RealScottRitter:

"If Iran can repeat this tomorrow, and the next night, and the next… Israel can’t survive that politically.

It’ll be the end of the Netanyahu regime.

Iran’s goal is not to change… https://t.co/gjjlqX861C pic.twitter.com/J52Ymoayox

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 13, 2025

"Putin does not need Ukraine.
He doesn't need Europe.
Damn it, he already has enough land of his own.
He just wants to make sure that there are no United States weapons in Ukraine aimed at Moscow"

(US Senator Tommy Tuberville on Russia’s special military operation) pic.twitter.com/scJZKSc6TB

— Richard (@ricwe123) June 13, 2025

Zhiri
https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1933714354475839868

I just texted this to RFK: pic.twitter.com/NmHQiqayFs

— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) June 14, 2025

Far too close to WWIII. Stay away from that.
“Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground..”

Also: nobody knows how strong Iran is. They’re just guessing. Most of their stuff is undergound.

Detail: israel has 10 million people. Iran has 90 million.

• Trump Rejects Netanyahu’s Request To Join War (ZH)

• In the past 48 hours, Israel has asked the Trump administration to join its war effort, per Axios
• Israel seeks help targeting & destroying the fortified Fordow uranium enrichment site
• Axios says the Trump administration is so far rejecting the Israeli request
• But if Fordow remains intact, Israel’s mission to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program will be considered a failure
• AJ: At least 80 people – including 20 children – have been killed in Iran and four in Israel, with hundreds wounded on both sides in the ongoing tit-for-tat attacks.

Axios underscores that “Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran.” Meanwhile, the images coming out of Iran show unprecedented and shocking scenes of oil refineries burning uncontrollably while nearby highway traffic has been forcibly stopped…

[..] Latest updates (1850ET):
• An unconfirmed Israeli airstrike has targeted Iran’s defense ministry headquarters, causing minor damage.
• The Israeli Air Force reportedly bombed the Shahran oil depot near Tehran, Iranian state media reports.
• Two Israeli citizens have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out security offenses under instructions from Iran.
• Iran struck a two-story home in Tamra, east of Haifa, killing three.
• Jordan has suspended all flight operations in its airspace until further notice
• Several missiles were observed streaking above Jerusalem on Saturday night
• Israel also carried out airstrikes in Yemen Saturday night, aiming to eliminate Abdul Malik al-Houthi, a senior Houthi military leader
• Al Jazeera, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency, reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the country’s defense ministry headquarters in Tehran on Saturday evening, causing minor damage to one of its buildings

Clear enough?

• Poll: 90% of Americans Don’t Want US Involved in Israel-Iran War (CTH)

President Trump supporter Charlie Kirk presented a poll question on his Twitter account asking, “Should the US get involved in Israel’s war against Iran?” Almost a half million responses and the outcome is almost 90% saying no.

Should the US get involved in Israel’s war against Iran?

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 13, 2025

There is obviously a significant majority of MAGA Republicans who do not want the U.S. military involved in more foreign conflict. Also, it’s obvious this is not a scientific poll and more of a ‘sense’ amid the people who use Twitter; people who are often the strongest political influence voices for American politicians; but still, that is quite a remarkable outcome.

“Putin condemned Israel’s strikes on Friday, particularly noting that they occurred just before nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US scheduled for June 15..”

• Putin and Trump Discuss Iran and Ukraine – Kremlin (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump spoke over the phone on Saturday, discussing the attacks between Iran and Israel and the Ukraine conflict, according to the Kremlin. The Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov called the conversation “meaningful, frank, and most importantly, very useful.” Putin condemned Israel’s strikes on Friday, particularly noting that they occurred just before nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US scheduled for June 15, he said. “Despite such a complicated situation, the Russian and American presidents didn’t rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,” Putin’s aide added.

On Friday, Iran confirmed that Israeli attacks killed Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, along with several nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Tehran fired dozens of ballistic missiles into Israel, some of which reportedly breached its air defenses. Putin and Trump also discussed the latest prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kiev. The Russian president also confirmed readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine “after June 22.”

During the latest round of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2, the two sides agreed to carry out a series of exchanges, focusing primarily on seriously injured, ill, and younger captives. Russia also unilaterally decided to repatriate the bodies of more than 6,000 fallen Ukrainian troops on humanitarian grounds. Ushakov also stated that Putin extended birthday wishes to Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday. “Both presidents expressed their satisfaction with the personal relationships that allow [them] to communicate in a businesslike manner, [and] to seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be,” Putin’s aide concluded.

🇷🇺🇺🇸 Putin Held a Phone Call with Trump — Key Points:

➡️The conversation lasted 50 minutes and was described as useful;

➡️Putin informed Trump about the progress of prisoner exchanges with Ukraine and confirmed Russia’s readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine after June… pic.twitter.com/BxogVbeCcO

— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) June 14, 2025

“..The authorities in Moscow “totally support the Iranian position… that this is absolutely inadmissible and that nobody should be permitted to act as Israel does..”

• ‘Perverted Logic’ To Call Israeli Attack On Iran Self-Defense – Polyansky (RT)

Framing Israel’s attack on Iran as self-defense is a form of “perverted logic,” Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, has told RT, accusing West Jerusalem of flagrantly breaching the global body’s charter. On Friday, Israel struck Iranian uranium enrichment sites, while also killing several senior military commanders and scientists in targeted assassination operations, describing its acts as preemptive steps aimed at stopping Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Iran, which denies pursuing a military nuclear program, responded by launching multiple volleys of ballistic missiles at targets in Israel, including in the country’s largest city, Tel Aviv. In his interview on Saturday, Polyansky accused Western politicians claiming that Israel’s attack on Iran was “self-defense” of having “very perverted logic.”

“Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But in this case, Israel launched an aggression – an attack against Iran – totally violating and breaching the UN Charter and international law… I cannot imagine how it can be framed as legitimate self-defense,” he said. The authorities in Moscow “totally support the Iranian position… that this is absolutely inadmissible and that nobody should be permitted to act as Israel does,” the diplomat stressed. The attack on Iran is “a very dangerous provocation against international law, against everything that really keeps our world together, and it can trigger very-very serious consequences regionally and internationally,” he warned.

According to Polyansky, the goal of the Israeli strike was to “undermine” the US-Iran nuclear talks, the next round of which is scheduled to take place on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that diplomacy was made “meaningless” by the Israeli attack on Iran, which he claimed was “allowed” by Washington. However, in a later comment Baghaei clarified that Tehran had not yet made a decision to call off Sunday’s meeting in Oman. Moscow wants the talks between the US and Iran to continue, Polyansky said. When it comes to resolving “the controversy around the Iranian nuclear program… we, of course, favor the way of diplomacy and restraint,” he stressed.

“Trump told reporters on Thursday at the White House that he preferred Israel not attack Iran. “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it..”

“Israel is doing what any rational and responsible nation would do when faced with such an immediate existential threat..” Immediate? for 40 years?

• Trump Leverages Israel’s Attack To Force Iran To Table (jTN)

As Israeli warplanes and drones were launched into Iran, President Donald Trump was quick to distance the U.S. from Israel’s decision-making, but behind the scenes, his administration was aware of what Israel had planned. As soon as the smoke from the first bombs cleared, Trump pivoted to use the moment to implore Tehran back to the negotiating table and to protect Israel from a counteroffensive. Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and about 25 of its nuclear scientists. So far, two scientists have been confirmed dead, in addition to the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, the military chief of staff and senior general. The men were subject to international sanctions over their role in Iran’s longstanding bid to join Israel as the second nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.

Trump told reporters on Thursday at the White House that he preferred Israel not attack Iran. “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” Trump said, referring to a potential Israeli attack on Iran during the ongoing U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran. “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.” Trump said he preferred a diplomatic solution with Iran over military conflict. “I’d love to avoid the conflict. Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher — meaning they’re going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now,” he said. Trump had warned that an attack on Iran could spur a “massive conflict,” and signaled that an attack might happen if a nuclear deal is not reached with Iran.

“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” he said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful,” Trump also said. “We’ll trade with them, we’ll do whatever is necessary.” Behind the scenes, the U.S. had informed Israel that an attack on Iran would be unilateral and not involve the U.S. military. Israel had reportedly planned the attack for about 8 months. After the attack occurred, Trump warned Iran to come to the table and make a deal to avoid further destruction.

“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!” he added. Iran estimates that 78 people have been killed and 320 have been injured in the attack. Iran has now responded to the Israeli attack with their own ballistic missile attack on Israel, where over 50 people were reportedly injured and one confirmed dead as of Friday evening.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to emphasize that the U.S. was not directly involved in the planning of the attack on Iran. “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” Rubio said in a statement. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” Republicans in Congress have been supportive of Israel’s military actions toward Iran so far. “The Iranian regime is run by terrorists who have openly called for the destruction of Israel. Past measures of appeasement and diplomacy have been futile in stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” said House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas.

“Israel is doing what any rational and responsible nation would do when faced with such an immediate existential threat. The United States must stand firmly with our ally as it defends its people and prevents a nuclear catastrophe,” he added.

“President Trump cannot claim he was uninformed. The Jerusalem Post reports that an Israeli government official told the Post that “There was full and complete coordination with the Americans.”

• Iran-the-Unready (Paul Craig Roberts)

Like all opponents of Washington and Israel, Iran proved itself unready. Muslims never seize the initiative. They sit on their butts until they are decapitated. Instead of taking Israel out, Iran suffered a serious attack and then feebly retaliated. Wars are not won by retaliation. The mystery is why was Iran unready? Iran has had years of US hostility dating from the Carter years and decades of observing Washington carry out the Zionist neoconservatives program of eliminating 7 Muslin countries. Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Lebanon, with the target now on Iran and Saudi Arabia awaiting in the wings.Why was Putin unready? Despite the warning of the US using a color revolution in Georgia to invade South Ossetia, Putin was caught off guard by Washington’s overthrow of the Ukrainian government and installation of a Washington puppet.

For eight years Putin watched the buildup of a large Ukrainian army and failed to build one of his own. The Russians, Muslims, and Chinese seem incapable of understanding the Wolfowitz doctrine of Washington’s hegemony, or are they simply unable to face reality? The Fars News Agency says Iran is planning to attack US bases in the Middle East in response to the Israeli attack, preferring to call Israel’s declaration of war an “attack.” Planning? So again the pathetic Iranians announce in advance something they are planning to do so that Washington and Israel know in advance and are prepared to frustrate the attack. If Iran had been ready, the US bases would already have been destroyed.

The American public never learns either. The American people have been fed a constant diet of war propaganda against Iran for many hears going back to the Carter years in the 1970s when Iranians overthrew the American puppet ruler, the Shah of Iran, and established their revolution, thus depriving the US and the British of control over Iran’s oil. 9/11, an inside job that Washington blamed on Muslims in order to launch wars against seven countries, served to legitimize Washington’s 21st century wars in the Middle East. Israel has taken advantage of Washington’s alignment of Americans with Israel’s interest and has been for years in the forefront of encouraging war between the US and Iran for Israel’s gain. Unlike the attack on Russia’s strategic forces, President Trump cannot claim he was uninformed. The Jerusalem Post reports that an Israeli government official told the Post that “There was full and complete coordination with the Americans.”

In plain language Washington was involved and has jointly with Israel declared war on Iran. In his effort to protect US bases in the region from Iranian attack, assuming Iran still has the means and has the will to go with the means, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.” George Orwell was right in predicting how words would come to mean their opposite. War is peace. And now US Secretary of State Rubio has turned “full and complete coordination with the Americans” into America’s non-involvement. As Washington was fully involved, why did Washington not tell Israel: “NO! Trump is trying to get out of one war, not be dragged into another by Israel.”

Obviously, Washington or whoever Washington’s master is–in this case it seems to be Israel–wanted war. This was obvious from the beginning of Trump’s “negotiations” with Iran. Trump’s definition as determined by his use of “negotiations” is another example of words being turned into their opposite. By negotiation, Trump means “complying with Washington’s demands.”

Trump says that Iran is responsible for the Israeli/Washington attack, because Iran was recalcitrant and despite Trump giving Iran “chance after chance” to agree with Trump’s demands, failed to sign Trump’s In this sentence Trump shows the essence of his view of negotiation: “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.” Apparently, Trump means “the Persian Empire.” So, failing to comply with Washington or Israel means war and destruction, or surrender after sufficient punishment. Despite this obvious fact, Putin is negotiating over Ukraine. How reckless will the next attack on Putin-the-Unready be?

“..in the coming days,” Tehran’s retaliation “will spread to all areas occupied by this [Israeli] regime and related US bases in the region.”

• Iran Could Strike American Military Bases – Fars (RT)

Iran could target US military bases in the Middle East as part of its retaliation after being attacked by Israel, Fars news agency has reported, citing an informed source. Tehran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Iravani, said Washington’s support for Israel has made it complicit in the IDF strikes which killed 78 people and injured 320 others in Iran on Friday. A source with access to Iran’s military leadership told Fars that “in the coming days,” Tehran’s retaliation “will spread to all areas occupied by this [Israeli] regime and related US bases in the region.” “This confrontation will not end with last night’s limited action. Iran’s strikes will continue and… will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors,” the agency’s interlocutor claimed.

Israel and the US will pay the price for being the “main pillars of terrorism in the region,” the source said. Israel has claimed that it targeted Iranian uranium enrichment sites in the airstrikes, as well as several senior military commanders and scientists as a preemptive measure aimed at stopping Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran, which denies that it is pursuing a military nuclear program, responded on Friday by launching multiple volleys of ballistic missiles into Israel, killing at least three people and injuring over 150, according to the Jerusalem Post.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement later on Friday that the attack on Iran was a “unilateral action” by Israel. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” he stressed. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates military sites across at least 19 locations in the Middle East, including eight permanent bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The think tank estimates that there are currently 40,000 to 50,000 US troops in the region.

He grinds on.

• Border Czar Tom Homan Discusses Border Security and Deportation Operations (CTH)

Border Czar Tom Homan appeared for a podcast discussion with Dr Phil. Homan makes a strong point about the “customs” aspect in Customs and Border Patrol and outlines how it was customs enforcement that backstopped the reason for the ICE raid in Los Angeles. There was a money laundering operation underway that had long been investigated. “ Dr. Phil and Border Czar Tom Homan break down the major LA raid targeting cartel-linked businesses, sparking protests and debate. They discuss a major multi-agency operation in Los Angeles targeting criminal enterprises in the garment industry. Homan explains how ICE, DEA, FBI, IRS, and other agencies collaborated to serve search warrants, uncovering $80 million in undeclared imports, $17 million in unpaid tariffs, and arresting 41 undocumented immigrants.

The operation, part of a larger investigation into money laundering and cartel activity, sparked intense protests and clashes outside targeted businesses. Homan discusses the challenges of balancing law enforcement with public outcry, the new zero-tolerance policy for interference, and the importance of transparency about the broader criminal context of these actions.”

Kellogg has been embedded in Kiev for 6 months. He has their view now. Useless for negotiations.

• Trumps Envoy Outlines Plan For Ukraine Peace (RT)

Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, has said peace in the Ukraine conflict is within reach. He has suggested exploring how terms outlined by Kiev and Moscow might align in a final agreement to end the fighting. During the latest round of talks earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine exchanged draft memorandums on a roadmap toward an eventual peace deal. Moscow’s version requires Ukraine to recognize the loss of five regions that joined Russia in referendums, withdraw its forces from those territories, commit to neutrality, and limit its military capabilities. Ukraine has dismissed the proposal, calling it “an ultimatum,” rejected any territorial concessions as well as neutrality, and demanded a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

Kellogg, who was tasked with working on the memorandums exchanged between Ukraine and Russia, explained that his team has developed what they refer to as “term sheets” – documents outlining a potential end state for peace. According to him, they first reviewed the Ukrainian term sheet, followed by the Russian document. The memorandums were then combined to explore how their contents could align in a final agreement, he added. “We put them together. And we said, OK. How can you meld these two documents together to get to an end state?” he said during a forum organized by the German Marshall Fund in Brussels on Thursday. According to Kellogg, they now feel quite comfortable with the direction of the discussions. “We know what an end state looks like, could look like, should look like,” he said, adding, “if we could just get to that point, we think it’s winnable. And that’s where you really want to get to.”

When asked about what specifically the “end state” might entail, Kellogg referred to the idea of a comprehensive ceasefire. He clarified that such a deal would apply to positions held on the ground – essentially, where forces were physically located at that time. The May and June rounds marked the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since 2022, when Kiev withdrew. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia later said the pullout followed advice from then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to sign a deal – a claim Johnson denies. Kiev returned to talks under pressure from Trump, in what Moscow called a long-overdue step. The Trump administration insists it’s seeking a settlement to the Ukraine conflict that will last, not Kiev’s surrender or Russia’s defeat.

“Only through suffering the full ramifications of its decisions can the state’s voters and policymakers be compelled to change course..”

• Let California Collapse—and Let the Rest of America Learn (Armstrong Williams)

California has long prided itself on being a symbol of progressive governance, a supposed beacon of tolerance, opportunity, and inclusivity. But behind the glittering curtain of Hollywood dreams and Silicon Valley innovation lies a troubling reality—a self-inflicted crisis stemming from policies that defy economic logic and common sense. As California grapples with an unprecedented immigration surge, ballooning homelessness, and mass exodus of residents and businesses, the question arises: Should the federal government intervene The answer is unequivocally no. In fact, the federal government—particularly under President Donald Trump—should stand back and allow California to confront the consequences of its own ideological delusions.

Between July 2021 and July 2022, approximately 400,000 residents left California. The state, once a magnet for dreamers, is now hemorrhaging taxpayers and employers. Major corporations such as Tesla, Oracle, and Chevron have relocated to more business-friendly states like Texas and Florida. The exodus is not coincidental—it is a direct reaction to California’s punitive tax structure, suffocating regulations, and increasingly chaotic public order.And yet, while residents and businesses flee, California continues to double down on the very policies driving its collapse. It remains a sanctuary state, offering sweeping protections and incentives to undocumented immigrants. It has issued more than a million driver’s licenses to those here illegally and expanded health care coverage to include undocumented adults. These moves, while morally framed by their proponents, come with significant and unsustainable costs.

The state’s homeless population now tops 187,000—the highest in the nation—and two-thirds of those individuals live unsheltered. According to a Los Angeles Times report from January, recent immigration surges are directly contributing to this crisis. Public schools are strained, social services are maxed out, and law enforcement is overwhelmed. And with each passing month, the budgetary burden grows heavier.The recent immigration-related unrest in Los Angeles further underscores the state’s growing instability. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested over 100 undocumented immigrants during workplace raids, the city erupted in protest. Streets were blocked, fires were set, and National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to restore order. California leaders were quick to denounce the federal response, accusing Trump of political theater.

But that response—though controversial—was a necessary reaction to an unsustainable situation created by California’s own defiance of federal immigration law. It is important to understand what’s really happening here: California has positioned itself in ideological opposition to national sovereignty and law enforcement. The leadership in Sacramento and Los Angeles has chosen to prioritize ideological virtue signaling over practical governance, turning California into a testing ground for utopian policies divorced from reality. Now, as the weight of those policies begins to crush the state, there will be increasing cries for federal aid. But Trump—and any serious leader in Washington—should resist the temptation to intervene. To do so would be to reward failure and to shield irresponsible leaders from the consequences of their own actions.

California must be allowed to face the results of its governance. Only through suffering the full ramifications of its decisions can the state’s voters and policymakers be compelled to change course. More importantly, allowing California’s collapse to unfold naturally provides a stark warning to the rest of the country: This is what happens when border security is ignored, when economic productivity is punished, and when government becomes divorced from reality. Let California be the example. Let it show the nation what occurs when ideology eclipses governance and when virtue signaling replaces responsible leadership. The coming fiscal and humanitarian disaster will be not only a reckoning for California but a cautionary tale for every state flirting with the same disastrous policies.

So, let California collapse. Let it learn. And let the rest of America take notes.

Beat

Fun fact.

Cockatoos enjoy music and are known to exhibit dancing and rhythmic movements in response to it.

Studies have shown that they can perceive rhythm and melody, and some even synchronize their movements to a beat. pic.twitter.com/HAW2LG2P5G

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 14, 2025

Rays

The scale of mobula ray migration

often referred to as the largest ray migration on Earth, occurring annually along Mexico's Baja California peninsula in the Sea of Cortez.

📹Aidan Bedford

pic.twitter.com/q0W3qDkE4w

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) June 14, 2025

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Debt Rattle June 14 2025

Jun 142025

June 14, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 9:38 am Finance Tagged with: Deception, escalation, executive order, Iran, Netanyahu, Persia, quagmire, Trump, unprovoked 61 Responses »

Martin Johnson Heade Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay 1868

• Unprecedented Escalation Between Israel and Iran (RT)

• Scott Ritter: US Lulled Iran to Sleep Using Nuclear Talks Deception (Sp.)

• Trump and Israel Manipulated the Liberal Media and Decapitated Iran (Pinsker)

• Tucker Carlson Blasts Trump Over Iran Attack (RT)

• Israeli Strikes On Iran ‘Completely Unprovoked’ – Moscow (RT)

• President Trump Speaks Out About Israeli Air Strikes on Iran (Queen)

• This Is Not Our War (Russo)

• The Whole Planet Is Being Kept Hostage By A Death Cult (Pepe Escobar)

• Game On (James Howard Kunstler)

• Russia’s Summer Blitz Redraws The War (RT)

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s EO Requiring Proof Of Citizenship For Elections (JTN)

Putin

Vladimir Putin doesn’t mince words.
No US president truly holds power. And now, even Donald Trump,once the loudmouth promising peace,shows his true colors by backing attacks on Iran. Just another puppet controlled by the Deep State, serving the machine while pretending to lead. pic.twitter.com/FDReh0Q05i

— Richard (@ricwe123) June 13, 2025

Lull
https://twitter.com/zei_squirrel/status/1933348545329049856

Greenwald

Israel, in 2021, built its new IDF supreme command post in the heart of Tel Aviv, buried beneath blocks of civilian buildings.

Called the "Fortress of Zion," it was deliberately placed so it couldn't be attacked without seeming to target civilian sites.https://t.co/S64h4t1YdC

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 13, 2025

You can spend literally 40 years falsely warning the world that Iran is months or weeks away from obtaining a nuclear weapon: as Israel has been doing.

But the minute it's used as pretext to start a war, many Americans will say: "good! Iran was weeks away from getting nukes." https://t.co/nrhiOi7ChE

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 13, 2025

Clark

Former US General and NATO Commander Wesley Clark revealed the US empire made plans to overthrow the governments of 7 countries in 5 years:
Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran.

Iran is the only one left. Now the US & Israel are attacking it.pic.twitter.com/bfbQWNrg1n

— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) June 13, 2025

@DougAMacgregor
·13h
June turned out to be Iran’s Pearl Harbor. Iran will now react as we did in 1942 when we were caught napping.
What was limited to the region between Israel and Iran will now become regional.
Trump’s statements after the fact are an admission of his own level of complicity in the attacks.
The ”talks” with Iran were a ruse. Witkoff, like most of the Trump Administration was an agent of Israel and Netanyahu.
This is the beginning of a regional war that will involve The United States, Russia, as well as the whole Islamic World.
As Dan McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute pointed out this morning, the similarities between the Israeli use of drones inside Iran with the Ukrainian Spider Web Attack inside Russia are striking.
Finally, Americans should now expect terrorist attacks on soft targets inside the USA.
Soft targets include at a minimum nuclear reactors, military installations, power grids, and shopping malls.

Any situation that smolders for decades will lead to many different stories and points of view. Here they are. I get the impression that iran was surprised overnight, but can we be sure? Or did the story just get longer? I did notice the Saudis distance themselves from Iran. But that’s not new either. Persia is a quagmire of the ages.

• Unprecedented Escalation Between Israel and Iran (RT)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out airstrikes on Iran on Friday, to which Tehran responded with a barrage of drones and missiles. West Jerusalem said the attacks aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Tehran condemned the Israeli strikes as “blatant aggression” and vowed a “crushing” response. The attacks occurred just days before the sixth round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran, planned for Sunday in Oman. Early Friday morning, around 200 Israeli fighter jets struck targets across Iran, including a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Strikes were also reported at nuclear sites in Fordo and Isfahan, as well as military airfields near the cities of Hamadan and Tabriz. Almost 80 people were killed and over 320 injured in the attacks, according to the Iranian ambassador to the UN.

Tehran confirmed the deaths of top military leaders, including Major General Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, and Brigadier General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC’s Aerospace Division. Several veteran nuclear scientists were also killed. Iran said only “superficial damage” was done to the Natanz site. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the strikes, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “We struck at the heart of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program,” he said in a statement following the air raids.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said the situation had “reached the point of no return” due to advancements in Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran has repeatedly stated its program pursues only peaceful goals and that it does not seek nuclear weapons. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes as unjustified and accused Israel of killing civilians. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the attacks “amount to a declaration of war.” The Iranian army launched more than 100 drones at Israel hours after the strikes on its territory, followed by ballistic missile fire. Some missiles broke through Israeli defenses and landed in Tel Aviv. At least one person has been killed and more than 60 injured, according to Israeli media. Israel also carried out additional strikes in Iran throughout the day.

The US State Department denied American involvement in the Israeli strikes. However, President Donald Trump told Fox News he had been aware of the planned operation and praised its “excellent” outcome. He criticized Iran for failing to reach a deal on its nuclear program under his “60-day ultimatum.” Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke over the phone with Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday afternoon. He condemned Israel’s strikes as illegal under international law and expressed condolences for the deaths of civilians in Iran. Putin said Russia would seek to “advance the de-escalation of the conflict,” according to the Kremlin. The tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program must be resolved through diplomacy, he added.

Iran suspended its participation in the Omani-mediated negotiations with the US, the sixth round of which was due to take place on Sunday. Trump previously accused Tehran of “slow-walking” the talks and insisted on complete dismantlement of its nuclear program. Tehran rejected Trump’s demands as unacceptable, insisting it would continue nuclear research for civilian purposes.

“..We will see Iran retaliating in a way that is not sustainable for Israel. But this is part of the Israeli trap to create the perception of existential struggle so that the United States will be confronted with a choice..”

• Scott Ritter: US Lulled Iran to Sleep Using Nuclear Talks Deception (Sp.)

Israel has carried out an unprecedented attack on Iran, targeting its nuclear program, scientists, and senior military leaders. Sputnik asked veteran ex-Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter what just happened, and what comes next.The months of Iran-US nuclear talks essentially gave “Israel the opportunity for maximum surprise to achieve maximum damage,” with the strikes effectively amounting to “a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran,” Scott Ritter said. “This was very closely coordinated in order to give Israel the opportunity for maximum surprise to achieve maximum damage. While America may not have sent resources or assets to participate in this attack, this attack was closely coordinated with the United States, done with the knowledge of the United States, done with the support of the United States. This, by any definition of the word, was a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran,” Ritter said.

Emphasizing that the Iran-US nuclear negotiations were “dead in the water,” as Trump proved “unable to intimidate Iran into accepting the American demands of zero enrichment,” Ritter suggested that from the strategic standpoint, Trump could not actually “push forward such a deal because of Israel’s opposition to it, because of the opposition of some very senior Republicans in the Senate and the Congress, and just general hostility towards Iranian enrichment program here in the United States.” [..] The months of Iran-US nuclear talks essentially gave “Israel the opportunity for maximum surprise to achieve maximum damage,” with the strikes effectively amounting to “a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran,” Scott Ritter said.

“This was very closely coordinated in order to give Israel the opportunity for maximum surprise to achieve maximum damage. While America may not have sent resources or assets to participate in this attack, this attack was closely coordinated with the United States, done with the knowledge of the United States, done with the support of the United States. This, by any definition of the word, was a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran,” Ritter said. Emphasizing that the Iran-US nuclear negotiations were “dead in the water,” as Trump proved “unable to intimidate Iran into accepting the American demands of zero enrichment,” Ritter suggested that from the strategic standpoint, Trump could not actually “push forward such a deal because of Israel’s opposition to it, because of the opposition of some very senior Republicans in the Senate and the Congress, and just general hostility towards Iranian enrichment program here in the United States.”
“We are at war with Iran,” Ritter said.

“It’s not that we will find ourselves at war with Iran. We are at war with Iran. We may not know it yet. But as I said, the Iranians are fully cognizant of what happened. Now, the Iranians will find out how effective the Israeli decapitation was, how effective the Israeli preemption was. This was a strike that apparently incorporated significant drone capacity that was existing inside Iran.” “How much of this drone capacity continues to exist, we don’t know. But if the Iranians have the capabilities that they claim to have and the resilience they claim to have, we will see an escalation.

We will see Iran retaliating in a way that is not sustainable for Israel. But this is part of the Israeli trap to create the perception of existential struggle so that the United States will be confronted with a choice, let the Israeli ally suffer and perhaps be defeated, or to intervene and administer the coup de grâce against Iran. So, you know, we are looking at a long, drawn-out process that ultimately, I believe, will result in the United States entering this conflict on the side of Israel directly, even though indirectly, it is already a participant,” Ritter summed up.

“.. the last great Iranian innovation was what — Persian rugs?”

• Trump and Israel Manipulated the Liberal Media and Decapitated Iran (Pinsker)

How bad are things in Iran right now? Even Hezbollah is looking at Iran’s [tush]-whipping and going, “No thanks, we’re sitting this one out.” A few hours ago, from The Times of Israel: “Hezbollah official says it will stay out of the Israel-Iran fight.” Yeah. When even your proxies, stooges, goons, and hired muscle have abandoned you, things ain’t good.The Iranian radio “morning zoo” certainly had its hands full today: “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. It’s another beautiful day in downtown Tehran! Our government buildings can be identified, of course, by the big clouds of smoke where their roofs used to be. There are exciting new job openings in the Iranian Ministry of Nuclear Development — drop your resume off today. And tonight, get the kids ready for the annual ‘Running of the Tanks!’”

Wheeeee! Fun for the whole family. When news of Israel’s daring (and, apparently, remarkably successful) attack first broke, I strongly suspected that the U.S. and Israel were working together: There’s a chance, of course, that Israel is acting at Trump’s behest: If you’re trying to get one side to agree to a deal, it might be useful to “intensify” their pain-points. In fact, maybe Trump is on the phone with Supreme Leader of Iran and explaining how things work in the Big City: “Yeah, y’know that deal we offered yesterday? Subtract $20 billion from it, ‘cuz now you’ve got less stuff to trade.” So maybe Israel and America are (unofficially) working together: Call it the Crassus school of bartering.

Since Israel and America both want the same outcome, it would make sense to collaborate tactically — and sometimes in geopolitics, plausible deniability has its purposes. Especially when you’re in highwire negotiations. “Better agree today, cuz tomorrow you’ll have even less! Good talk.” It could explain Tulsi Gabbard’s spooky/weird nuclear warning. We’re still within the fog of war, and there’s certainly a chance we’re misreading the tea leaves. But in geopolitics, the past is prologue: Everything is interconnected. So, if you know where the domino is after it fell, you can usually surmise where it used to be. And already, a clearer picture of what the hell happened is emerging.

First of all, this seems to be yet another triumph of Israel’s intelligence agencies. After being caught flatfooted on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli government has doubled down on innovation. Who could forget their ingenious decapitation of Hezbollah?

HEZBOLLAH: You sneaky Israelis! We know you’ve bugged our phones, so we’ve outsmarted you by using pagers!
ISRAEL: Yeah, you got us, haha.
HEZBOLLAH: Death to Israel!
ISRAEL: …say, can I sell you any pagers? Got the lowest prices in town.
HEZBOLLAH: Why, sure. I’ll take 500.
In a world where past is prologue, in hindsight, it was pretty stupid to assume that Iran would out-think, out-innovate, or out-plan the Israelis. Whereas the Jewish Nation advanced its reputation for outside-the-box thinking as recently as last night, the last great Iranian innovation was what — Persian rugs?

“Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel in carrying them out. Politicians purporting to be ‘America First’ can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it..”

• Tucker Carlson Blasts Trump Over Iran Attack (RT)

US President Donald Trump’s support for Israel’s strikes in Iran could spark an “all-out war” in the Middle East, American journalist Tucker Carlson has warned. Early Friday morning, Israeli jets bombed nuclear and military sites across Iran, prompting Tehran to retaliate with a barrage of drones and missiles targeting Israeli cities. The escalation threatens ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, which Trump revived earlier this year. In what he described as possibly his “final newsletter before all-out war,” Carlson – a key Trump ally during the 2024 presidential election – argued that the US was “complicit in the act of war.”

“While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons to Israel, which Donald Trump just bragged about on Truth Social, undeniably place the US at the center of last night’s events,” Carlson wrote. “Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel in carrying them out. Politicians purporting to be ‘America First’ can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it,” he added. In a post on X, Carlson contended that “the real divide” is not between supporters of Israel or Iran, but “between warmongers and peacemakers.”

“Who are the warmongers? They would include anyone who’s calling Donald Trump today to demand air strikes and other direct US military involvement in a war with Iran,” he said. Carlson stated that the “warmongers” include talk show hosts Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and Republican donors Ike Perlmutter and Miriam Adelson. While the US State Department has denied involvement in the strikes, Trump confirmed he had prior knowledge of the Israeli operation and praised the attacks as “excellent.” He blamed Iran for the hostilities and accused it of refusing to accept the terms of his proposed nuclear deal. Addressing the UN Security Council, Iranian envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said the US and other Israeli allies “share full responsibility for the consequences” of Israel’s actions.

“..the Israeli military action appeared intended to sabotage indirect US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled to resume Sunday..”

• Israeli Strikes On Iran ‘Completely Unprovoked’ – Moscow (RT)

Russia’s envoy to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, has condemned Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Speaking at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, the diplomat said West Jerusalem was acting with impunity, backed by the West. Israel has launched strikes on uranium enrichment sites in Iran and killed several senior commanders and scientists in targeted assassination operations, claiming the moves were preemptive steps to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran, which denies pursuing a military nuclear program, responded with multiple volleys of ballistic missiles at Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv. Nebenzia said the Israeli military action appeared intended to sabotage indirect US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled to resume Sunday. Tehran has declared that the strikes have effectively ended any diplomatic pathway.

“This is a completely unprovoked attack – whatever Israel may claim to the contrary – and it constitutes a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law,” Nebenzia said. “Responsibility for all the consequences of these actions rests entirely with the Israeli leadership and those who condone them.” He noted that Iran has the right to defend itself and pointed to Tehran’s previous commitment to the 2015 UN-backed nuclear deal, which the US abandoned during President Donald Trump’s first term. Iran denied accusations of secretly violating the agreement at the time but has since ramped up uranium enrichment.

The US and its allies “have been doing everything possible to fuel the escalation, and, essentially, they incited it,” Nebenzia argued, adding that Western support had “spurred Israel to take radical steps.” He also raised alarms over the risk of radiation leaks from the targeted Iranian facilities and warned that “no military solution can be either legitimate or viable.” Iran’s UN envoy, Amir-Saeid Iravani, described Israel’s attacks as “a chilling display of calculated aggression” that “amounted to a declaration of war.” He called for international action to disarm Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal, which the Israeli government neither confirms nor denies. Israeli envoy Danny Danon defended the strikes, saying Israel was a “democracy under siege” and had acted to “prevent its destruction” by Iran. He urged the council to reflect on the potential consequences had the Iranian missiles been equipped with nuclear warheads.

“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire..”

• President Trump Speaks Out About Israeli Air Strikes on Iran (Queen)

On Thursday night, the world watched as Israel launched extensive air strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Operation Rising Lion reportedly took out key nuclear scientists and members of Iran’s military leadership.The operation, which is continuing into Friday, came after President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give Iran 60 days for negotiation. Operation Rising Lion commenced on Day 61.Throughout Thursday night, we awaited a statement from Trump. In our internal chats on Slack, members of the PJ Media team anticipated that Trump’s statement, when it came, would be a big one. Finally, the president broke his silence in the early hours of Friday with two posts on Truth Social.In the first post at 5:56 a.m. ET, Trump lamented that the Iranian leadership wouldn’t make a deal:

“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic] spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”

In the second post at 7:36 a.m. ET, the president reiterated that there’s still time for Iran to negotiate: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to “make a deal.” They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!” Axios claims that Israel and the U.S. coordinated on the strikes, even though Israel acted unilaterally: Two Israeli officials claimed to Axios that Trump and his aides were only pretending to oppose an Israeli attack in public — and didn’t express opposition in private. “We had a clear U.S. green light,” one claimed.
The goal, they say, was to convince Iran that no attack was imminent and make sure Iranians on Israel’s target list wouldn’t move to new locations.

Netanyahu’s aides even briefed Israeli reporters that Trump had tried to put the brakes on an Israeli strike in a call on Monday, when in reality the call dealt with coordination ahead of the attack, Israeli officials now say. However, Axios adds that “The U.S. side has not confirmed any of that.” It will be interesting to see if U.S. officials confirm any of those assertions.

“Perhaps it is still in Israel’s best interests to fight this war—although we’re doubtful—but it’s a big bite to chew. You’d try to get the U.S. involved, too.”

• This Is Not Our War (Russo)

As of this writing, Israel is conducting the first wave of significant military action against Iran—“going kinetic,” in the latest phrase everyone in the news business has suddenly discovered. (Why “kinetic,” denoting mere movement? Why not “go dynamic,” denoting the transfer of energy or application of force? Why not “go commotive,” denoting the involvement of very loud noises? Impossible to say.) Directives went out Wednesday for Americans to evacuate the region; it is expected that Iran will include American assets on its list of retaliation targets on the assumption that any Israeli attack, even one that occurs without direct U.S. military support, occurs with the consent of Israel’s biggest sponsor. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement during the Thursday night attacks disclaiming American involvement. It remains to be seen whether anyone will believe him.

It’s difficult to escape the sense that it didn’t have to be this way. The U.S.–Iran dealmaking process had shown promise at various points, and it remains obscure what changed between then and now. I don’t know enough about Israeli domestic politics to feel confident in explaining things in terms of Benjamin Netanyahu’s varied fortunes; nor was I in the room when the decision was made to regard limited Iranian uranium enrichment as impermissible. At this point, it begins to seem academic. What will happen next? I doubt that anyone at this point will openly say that the U.S. should commit to an increased troop presence in the Middle East to support Israeli operations against the Islamic Republic; Donald Trump in particular knows that a fresh ground war is political poison.

No, we’ll start with air support, and maybe some bunker-busters, because, for all its vaunted military-industrial base, somehow Israel just can’t make a bunker-buster big enough to get to those reactors. The Islamic Republic will, of course, try to rebuild; Israel and its supporters will be committed at first to a policy of “mowing the grass,” of conducting strikes along an indefinite timescale to prevent an Iranian nuclear program. Iran will retaliate in an asymmetrical and ugly fashion, inviting further sessions with John Deere and the Weedwacker and justifying further American commitments of support to Israel. At the same time, Iran will harden its resolve to acquire a nuclear deterrent, leading to more of the same.

The ongoing expense and festering chaos from “mowing the grass”—especially if any of Iran’s asymmetric retaliations involve, for example, terrorism in the American homeland—will always tend to encourage policymakers to find a more permanent solution: regime-change. At that point, we will have come a long way from air support and a few loaner bombs. And if we were to pursue regime-change, who would replace the ayatollahs? The shah, whose family’s police state was so hated that Khomeini seemed preferable? The MEK’s bizarre mix of Islamism and Marxism? A miraculous, autochthonous secular liberal democracy with Western-style human rights norms? None of these options seems both likely and desirable. Each would demand American support up to and including direct military intervention.

The notional principal on this course of action also has significant incentives to draw the U.S. into direct involvement. Israel is increasingly diplomatically isolated; this may be just or unjust, but that is beside the point that it is simply true. It is implicated in wars on multiple fronts, none of which seem to have clear ends in sight; these may be just or unjust, but that is beside the point that they are happening. Garrison states rarely do well in the long run. (Has anyone checked in on Biafra lately? Rhodesia? Pakistan?) Add to the difficulties of a permanent war economy the issue of raw scale. Israel is a nation of 9.7 million. Iran is a nation of 90.6 million. Perhaps it is still in Israel’s best interests to fight this war—although we’re doubtful—but it’s a big bite to chew. You’d try to get the U.S. involved, too.

“The psycho-pathological genocidal masterplan is to force Tehran to capitulate – without even putting up a fight.”

• The Whole Planet Is Being Kept Hostage By A Death Cult (Pepe Escobar)

Let’s cut to the chase. The devastating attack on Iran by the psychopathological genocidal “chosen” ethno-supremacist set up in Tel Aviv – a de facto declaration of war – was coordinated in detail with the President of the United States, Circus Ringmaster Donald Trump. This infantilism-afflicted Narcissus Drowned in the Pool of his Own Image gave away the game, himself, in a rambling post. Selected highlights: “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal”. No “deal”; actually his unilateral demands. After all, he torpedoed the original deal, the JCPOA, because it was not his “deal”. “I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told.” The decision to strike had already been made. “Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but (…) they are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” Gloating comes with the territory.

“The next already planned attacks being even more brutal.” Total alignment with the trademark Israeli “decapitation” strategy. “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire”. It was Persian (italics mine) Empire – but after all this is a man who doesn’t read, or study. Notice the Art of Diplomacy: Take my deal, or drop dead.

This – incandescent – decade was launched by an assassination, of Gen. Soleimani in Baghdad, as I emphasized in my 2021 book Raging Twenties. He was on a diplomatic mission. The green light personally came from then President of the United States, Donald Trump. The mid-Raging Twenties is now hurled to the brink of a devastating war in West Asia, with global repercussions, by the serial assassination of the IRGC leadership, in Tehran, by the psycho-genocidal Zionist entity. After an elaborate kabuki of deception, the green light to Tel Aviv – go ahead and do it – also came from the President of the United States, Trump 2.0 (who claimed he was “aware’’ of the attacks).

The psycho-pathological genocidal masterplan is to force Tehran to capitulate – without even putting up a fight. The preamble kabuki was masterfully executed. The indirect nuclear negotiations in Oman were taken seriously in Tehran, lulling the Iranian leadership, civilian and military, to sleep. They fell into the trap and were caught, literally, in their sleep.Ayatollah Khamenei – who himself is in physical danger, as Israel is applying the same decapitation model it unleashed on Hezbollah – has a very tough decision to make: capitulation or total war. It will be total war – and with the U.S. as a direct participant.

“Leftism is the tyranny of structurlessness. Lawlessness. The abhorrence of order. That is why Leftist individuals are characterized by emotional dysregulation. . . . ” JT Haltigan

• Game On (James Howard Kunstler)

If you seek a general theme in this moment’s tempestuous events, try No submission. It’s behind events in the Middle East and in the USA — and across Western Civ ultimately. No submission to what, you ask? To willful evil. Of course, the willfully evil will not see it that way, and great quarrels will arise over who-and-what represents the evil abroad in the world. Iran advertised countless times its resolve to wipe Israel off the map, in so many words. Israel was not inclined to submit to that outcome and it closely monitored Iran’s practical steps to acquire deliverable nuclear bombs. Israel, in turn, advertised that Iran’s nuclear program would not be allowed to succeed. The world stood by waiting to see who’s advertising jibed with reality.

Now you know. Never Again is not an empty slogan. The Shiite jihad has been put down, and the effort will continue until the answer is beyond dispute, days, maybe a week or more. Iran’s civil leadership was willing to talk, or at least pretend to talk down to the last hour, but the mullahs above them obdurately pushed ahead toward nuclear jihad. Not going happen, Israel assured them. And so, here we are.The world situation amounts to a set of jihads of different varieties. In our country, the Democratic Party has been waging jihad against order, liberty, truth, and decency. You can tell it’s jihad because it’s irrational, frankly, insane. Americans are asked to submit to propositions that will destroy the country and its traditions, and they have had enough of the hustles aimed at that outcome.

Too many of us do not believe that uncontrolled illegal immigration is okay, that government should replace the family, that all journeys in life can be equally favorable, that men can become women by wishing it, that our history must be erased, that censorship is required to keep the jihad going, and that the punishment against citizens will continue until morale improves. That is the program of the American left and lately of the Democratic Party it has taken over. They demonstrate it by their deeds. The Party represents a dwindling cohort of the populace, but its forces have already marched through and captured many institutions crucial to our national life. The opposing force, loosely called Populism, will not submit to that program, is now actively putting a stop to as much of it as possible, shaking out those institutions.

The Left and the Democrats have lost a lot of ground in recent months, especially their control on the levers of power. And since power is really all they care about — the power to make everybody else submit — they are growing desperate, seeking to induce as much chaos across the land as they can possibly generate. Hence, the outbreaks of civil disorder in the cities, using illegal immigrants as one set of shock troops and mentally-ill youth as another phalanx. The object of the chaos is to provoke the Populist opposition to exert its authority to control that chaos, and therefore — in the insane reasoning of the leftists — to prove that authority itself is an intolerable wickedness. This is only possible, of course, in minds that do not comprehend boundaries, differences between right and wrong, up and down, inside and outside, reality and fantasy. That is the mentality that drives itself toward chaos. So, it remains for the Populists to demonstrate that authority is not innately wicked, that it can have a beneficent purpose in the scheme of civilized humanity. Order is not necessarily tyranny.

That other war.

• Russia’s Summer Blitz Redraws The War (RT)

As the spring sun gave way to the heat of early summer, a new phase of the military campaign began to unfold across the front lines – and this time, the initiative clearly belongs to Russia.After months of grinding attritional warfare, Russian forces have launched a sweeping spring-summer offensive that is already delivering tangible results. From the borderlands of Sumy to the contested hills near Chasov Yar and the approaches to Dnepropetrovsk, the tempo has shifted decisively. Ukraine, battered and overextended, is now struggling to contain simultaneous breakthroughs across multiple sectors. The silence of Western media around these developments only underscores the magnitude of what is unfolding on the ground. A coordinated advance is in motion – methodical, strategic, and, by all appearances, effective.

Following the liberation of Sudzha in early March 2025, the fighting quickly spilled across the border into Ukraine’s Sumy Region. Moscow officially described its objective as the creation of a buffer zone – meant to safeguard the resumption of peaceful civilian life in Russia’s neighboring Kursk Region. Motivated by political considerations, the Ukrainian Army has been trying to cling to a narrow foothold just across the border, in the village of Tyotkino in Kursk Region. In fact, Kiev has deployed some of its most experienced and ideologically committed units to this stretch of the front. But rather than showcasing Ukrainian resolve, the situation in Tyotkino has underscored the growing imbalance in offensive capabilities between Ukrainian and Russian forces in 2025.

From the Russian side, Tyotkino is essentially a logistical cul-de-sac. But for Ukraine, the village connects to a critical rear supply hub in Belopolye. Even so, Ukrainian efforts to expand their presence in the area have ended in near catastrophe. In mid-May, the commander of Ukraine’s 47th Brigade came close to staging a mutiny, accusing his superiors of issuing reckless orders that led to needless casualties. Elsewhere along the Sumy front, Ukrainian forces – many of them retreating from Sumy and the surrounding areas – have taken heavy losses. This remains a strategically vital axis for Ukraine. The authorities have announced mandatory evacuations in another 11 settlements, bringing the total number of evacuated towns and villages in the region to 213.

Notably, this marks the first time Russian forces have entered Sumy Region since spring 2022. As of now, Russian advances appear to be accelerating. The front line has moved to within roughly 20km of the city of Sumy itself.Liman (also known as Krasny Liman) is a strategic city in the Donetsk People’s Republic, with a pre-war population of around 20,000. Situated along the Kharkov-Donetsk railway, it serves as a key transportation hub in eastern Ukraine. After brief fighting, the city fell under Russian control in late May 2022 – but was later lost during Ukraine’s Kharkov offensive in October of the same year.Today, Russian forces appear intent on retaking Liman by cutting off a single critical road that leads northwest toward Izium.

Calling SCOTUS.

• Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s EO Requiring Proof Of Citizenship For Elections (JTN)

A federal judge on Friday blocked President Trump’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship for elections. Judge Denise J. Casper, of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, an Obama appointee, said U.S. states have a likelihood of success in their legal challenges to the order, The Associated Press reported. “The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Casper wrote in her ruling. She also said that regarding citizenship, “There is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections and the federal voter registration forms require attestation of citizenship.”Casper cited the states’ arguments that the requirements would burden them with “significant efforts and substantial costs” to update procedures.

In April, the GOP-led House passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act again, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote for federal elections. Trump issued the executive order in March that includes the requirement that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections, offers assistance to states with maintaining voter rolls, and makes improvements in the Election Assistance Commission. The president also ordered the attorney general to prosecute election crimes, take action against states that accept absentee ballots for federal elections after Election Day, and ensure that foreign nationals do not donate to federal elections or that organizations that receive federal funds do not engage in lobbying.

The order additionally mentions the rescinding of “Bidenbucks” – the former Biden administration’s apparent effort to have federal agencies partner with private groups in get-out-the-vote efforts. In April, Democratic attorneys general in 19 states filed a lawsuit over the order, arguing against some of its aspects, including enforcing documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and ensuring that states accept absentee ballots for federal elections after Election Day.

Names of things you probably didn't know pic.twitter.com/rFqHW9h8W0

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 13, 2025

RFK

OMG… This is so Awesome! 😱

RFK Jr says the Big Beautiful Bill includes a $75 per month Healthcare Program, where you can get a Concierge Doctor, who’s Available 24/7…. NO BILLS. NO INSURANCE CLAIMS!

“It’s going to be like old style healthcare”

• It also includes a “Health… pic.twitter.com/LVLmQpCJxD

— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) June 12, 2025

pic.twitter.com/ah44viXThA

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 13, 2025

pic.twitter.com/lDr3BgySvD

— Nury Vittachi (@NuryVittachi) June 13, 2025

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Debt Rattle May 14 2025

May 142025

May 14, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:00 am Finance Tagged with: 747, AfD, DEI, illogical, Istanbul, Kellogg, lizards, nationwide injunctions, Netanyahu, Qatar, SCOTUS, secret delegation, speak english, Trump, Witkoff 53 Responses »

Marc Chagall Blue lovers 1914

• China Sent Secret Delegation To Washington 3 Weeks Ago To Negotiate Deal (ZH)

• Trump Not Going To Istanbul, Kremlin Downplays Direct Ukraine Peace Talks (ZH)

• Trump’s Top Officials Going To Türkiye For Russia-Ukraine Talks – Reuters (RT)

• Russia Continues To Prepare For May 15 Talks in Istanbul – Kremlin (Sp.)

• Not Talking To Putin Illogical – Witkoff (RT)

• How Our Country and Its History Were Stolen from Us (Donald Jeffries)

• Trump Can Still Lead Without a Third Term (Victor Davis Hanson)

• Trump Administration Is Exposing the Hubris of Institutional DEI (Stepman)

• EU Investigating MEPs Over Moscow Visit – Lawmaker (RT)

• Trump Torches Neocons, Emphasizes ‘Peace Through Strength’ Deal-Making (ZH)

• Netanyahu Blasts Media ‘Spin’, Says Trump Ties ‘Excellent’ (Cradle)

• Supreme Court Set to End Era of Nationwide Judicial Injunctions (Margolis)

• Here’s the Truth About the Qatar Jumbo Jet Story (Margolis)

• Labour and Tories are ‘Two Cheeks of the Same Backside’ – George Galloway (Sp.)

• UK PM Starmer Mercilessly Dragged For Telling Immigrants To Speak English (MN)

• US Pressure May Have Forced Germany To Drop Surveillance On AfD (RMX)

• Donald Trump Helped Ancient Russians Defeat Space Lizards (RT)

RT’s editor in chief erases Kellogg, says he needs a holiday. She’s right.

Keith Kellogg is one of the two men – along with Steve Witkoff – that Donald Trump has sent to Istanbul talks.

This morning on Fox, he proposed a ceasefire that will involve Russia retreating, a Coalition of the Willing contingent, and a "closing of the skies" over… pic.twitter.com/9Ajs3KmxBM

— Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) May 13, 2025

Debt based

"The biggest financial fraud is…we issue the currency with debt…We could issue the currency without debt."

"Lincoln tried…he ended up dead. Andrew Jackson tried…they tried to assassinate him…Kennedy had started to propose…no debt-based currency. Boom, he's dead."… pic.twitter.com/OAsRXMkEiz

— Sense Receptor (@SenseReceptor) May 12, 2025

New

The world we live in today pic.twitter.com/1o4CZXrlL5

— Friend Of Россия 🇷🇺 🇬🇧 (@FriendOfRussia) May 12, 2025

MacG

We must not go to war with Iran! pic.twitter.com/NR7gcgMJtY

— Douglas Macgregor (@DougAMacgregor) May 12, 2025

pic.twitter.com/TzFlqEyMDj

— Donna Barford (@DonnaBarford) May 12, 2025

This is not Islamophobia, this is truth. pic.twitter.com/tSv4hquMOH

— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) May 13, 2025

Why Trump offers asylum to white South Africans.
https://twitter.com/realMaalouf/status/1922044936406323432

Imran
https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1922229596012921088

Macron, Merz, Starmer, Zelensky:
“Russia is desperate for a ceasefire”
… 5 minutes later…
“We suggest a 30 day unconditional ceasefire and we will continue to arm Ukraine in the meantime.”
… 5 minutes later …
“We demand that Russia accept the ceasefire”
… 5 minutes later …
“It’s Russia who is losing and is desperate to rearm.
… 5 minutes later …
“Why is Russia ignoring our ceasefire demand?”

“While Vowing It Would “Never Talk To Trump”.

• China Sent Secret Delegation To Washington 3 Weeks Ago To Negotiate Deal (ZH)

Recall that on April 25 we reported something which no other US media outlet carried, namely that a “Chinese Delegation Spotted Entering Treasury Department” in a meeting shrouded in secrecy as China “Demanded All Photos Be Deleted.” Naturally, we suggested that this was an overture to China offering an olive branch to the Trump admin on US soil in hopes of reaching a trade deal, a speculation which the TDS-crowd fumed over. It turns out we were right, and as the FT writes, “the first meeting to break the US-China trade deadlock was held almost three weeks ago in the basement of the IMF headquarters, arranged under cover of secrecy.”

US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, who was attending the IMF spring meetings in Washington, met China’s finance minister Lan Fo’an to discuss the near complete breakdown in trade between the world’s two biggest economies, according to people familiar with the matter. The previously unreported encounter was the first high-level meeting between US and Chinese officials since Donald Trump’s inauguration and the launch of his tariff war. The Treasury declined to comment on the secret meeting. The talks culminated this weekend in Geneva with Bessent and He Lifeng, China’s vice-premier, agreeing a ceasefire that would slash respective tariffs by 115 percentage points for 90 days. All of the above is correct, except that the encounter was “previously unreported” – we reported here first on April 25 that on April 24 the Chinese were seen entering the Treasury department under a shroud of secrecy. :

Chinese Delegation Spotted Entering Treasury Department, Demands Photos Be Deleted: Report https://t.co/CRh07l2K1Z

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 25, 2025

The date April 24 is interesting for another reason: that’s the day Chinese state media vowed that it would not engage in trade talks without complete tariff surrender, with Yahoo News reporting that “China Slams the Door on Trump: No Trade Talks Without Total Tariff Surrender.” …

and at the same time also lying that there are “no negotiations with the Trump administration over tariffs”: And yet, amid all this propaganda, Beijing was secretly negotiating with the US just a few hundred feet from the White House, and the outcome would be the Geneva tariff deal which sent stocks soaring…. although anyone who had read our report and had put on a bullish trade long ago, would have made an absolute killing. Then again, one didn’t need the FT to confirm what we first reported three weeks ago: we could just listen to Chuck Schumer’s latest installment in his endless tirade of lies, and flip it…

https://twitter.com/Jules31415/status/1922125798414147706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1922125798414147706%7Ctwgr%5E9e8434e4e35c0c33b0b8d94eda5fe8670580952f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fmarkets%2Faaaaand-its-gone

Zelensky is in the way.

• Trump Not Going To Istanbul, Kremlin Downplays Direct Ukraine Peace Talks (ZH)

The Kremlin on Tuesday affirmed that “the Russian side continues to prepare for the negotiations that are scheduled to take place on Thursday.” This after on Sunday Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to resume direct negotiations with Kiev, and proposed the Istanbul talks. Ukrainian President Zelensky then made a performative gesture – likely more meant to prove to the White House that he’s ‘willing’ – saying he’s ready to fly to Istanbul in person and urged Putin to do the same. Putin spokesman Dimitry Peskov when grilled by reporters on Tuesday downplayed the whole event, describing that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul later this week are merely “still possible”. As for revealing the line-up for the Russian delegation, and who is expected lead, Peskov said “we will announce it as soon as the president [Putin] deems it necessary.”

Despite some sensational recent headlines and statements, one thing we can be sure will not happen is President Putin’s personal presence. And per the latest from Reuters, President Trump is not going to be there in Turkey either (after on Monday he actually floated the possibility). “All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelensky had said. And Trump had responded by saying he was “thinking about actually flying over” – which would have to happen immediately on the heels of his big Gulf visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and UAE. Zelensky has meanwhile insisted that any talks should be preceded by the start of a 30-day ceasefire – which Washington appears to be backing, but which the Kremlin has already rejected.

Really, all the talk of pushing to get Putin in Istanbul to negotiate in person was about generating mainstream media headlines like the following: Moscow worries that such a lengthy pause in fighting would only be used by Ukrainian forces to rearm and regroup along the front lines, at a moment they are exhausted and steadily losing ground. Peskov told reporters further, “[Western] Europe is, after all, entirely on Ukraine’s side. It cannot claim to have an unbiased approach… Its approach is not balanced, it is rather pro-war, aimed at continuing the fighting, which is in sharp contrast to the approach demonstrated, for example, by Moscow or Washington,” according to Russian media.

Take out Zelensky -and the Europeans- and you can get a Putin-Trump meeting.

• Trump’s Top Officials Going To Türkiye For Russia-Ukraine Talks – Reuters (RT)

US President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to send Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg to Türkiye this week to attend the potential talks between Moscow and Kiev, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. The talks, which are expected to be held in Istanbul on Thursday, were originally proposed last week by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who offered to resume direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev without any preconditions in order to reach a lasting settlement to the Ukraine conflict. Vladimir Zelensky has expressed his readiness to engage in dialogue with the Russian side, but has insisted that it be preceded by an unconditional 30-day ceasefire – a demand Moscow has repeatedly rejected. Zelensky has also said that he would only attend the meeting in Istanbul if Putin comes in person.

Trump has also supported the proposal to renew talks between Moscow and Kiev. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday ahead of his Middle East tour, the US President stated that he might even personally attend the negotiations in Türkiye, especially if Putin decides to attend. “I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen,” Trump said. “Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey,” he added. Moscow has not commented on the possibility of Putin traveling to Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also has yet to confirm who would be representing Moscow during the talks, stating that the Russian president’s decision on the matter will be announced in due time.

According to Reuters, regardless of whether Putin, Zelensky or Trump decide to take part in the talks, Kellogg and Witkoff have been ordered to go to Istanbul on Thursday to attend the meeting. The outlet noted that the two senior advisers will not actually take direct part in the negotiations and will only play the role of observers. While it’s still unclear if the talks will actually take place and in what form, Peskov has stated that preparations for Thursday’s negotiations are underway. He has also ruled out the possibility of any of Kiev’s Western European backers taking part in the process, arguing that they are “entirely on Ukraine’s side” and “rather pro-war,” which excludes them from being considered “unbiased.”

Oh, they’ll be ready. Just not to give in.

• Russia Continues To Prepare For May 15 Talks in Istanbul – Kremlin (Sp.)

Russia continues to prepare for negotiations with Ukraine scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. “The Russian side continues to prepare for the talks, which are scheduled to take place on Thursday,” Peskov told reporters. The Kremlin will announce who will represent Russia at the Istanbul talks as soon as Russian President Vladimir Putin deems it necessary to announce this, the official added. Europe is entirely on Ukraine’s side and cannot claim a balanced approach in the negotiation process, Peskov added. “I suggest once again that you focus on the statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin. If we talk in general about Europe’s participation in such a key negotiating process, then since Europe is entirely on Ukraine’s side, it cannot claim an unbiased approach, a balanced approach,” Peskov told reporters when asked whether there is a place for European leaders at the negotiating table in Turkiye.

Europe’s approach to Ukraine is aimed at continuing the conflict and contrasts with the approach of Moscow and Washington, the official added. Russia does not accept biased conclusions made regarding the MH17 crash case, Kremlin spokesman said. On Monday, the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Council named Russia as responsible for the downing of flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in 2014. The Dutch cabinet said that the issue of compensation will be considered in the near future. “Our position is well known. You know that Russia was not a country that took part in the investigation of this incident. Therefore, we do not accept any biased conclusions,” Peskov told reporters.

“There is no deal without President Putin’s sign-off.”

• Not Talking To Putin Illogical – Witkoff (RT)

Isolating Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to help resolve the Ukraine conflict, senior US negotiator Steve Witkoff has said, calling the approach lacking in logic. Western nations have attempted to marginalize Moscow diplomatically since the escalation of the conflict in 2022, but Witkoff, speaking to Breitbart News last week, criticized that approach. He emphasized the necessity of including all major players in the dialogue. ”We need to talk to any stakeholders in this conflict,” Witkoff said in the section of the interview published Monday. “There is no deal without President Putin’s sign-off.” US President Donald Trump’s special envoy added that he found it difficult to “understand the logic” of those who oppose direct engagement with the Russian leader.

The Trump administration’s current stance is that Russian and Ukrainian officials must be brought together physically so that the US can “show them that the alternatives to a peaceful resolution here are bad for everybody.” The Trump administration’s current stance is that Russian and Ukrainian officials must be brought together physically so that the United States can “show them that the alternatives to a peaceful resolution here are bad for everybody.” Putin last week reiterated Moscow’s call to resume negotiations that Kiev abandoned in 2022, proposing that talks be held again in Istanbul. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and several European NATO members have insisted that Russia first agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, warning that failure to do so will result in further sanctions. Russian officials say such a pause would give Kiev an opportunity to regroup militarily and renew hostilities.

Putin has offered to restart negotiations as early as Thursday. Zelensky has said he will go to Istanbul that day and expects Putin to come too. Witkoff emphasized that the US could step back from its mediating role if progress is not made. “The president has issued an ultimatum to both sides” to begin direct talks, he said. ”I think if the US pulls back from this conflict… that’s a bad result for everybody,” he added. “It’s bad for the Europeans. It’s bad for the Ukrainians. I don’t think it’s good for the Russians. I think the Russians actually do want a peaceful settlement.” Moscow has urged a comprehensive agreement that addresses what it sees as the root causes of the conflict, including a promise by NATO to eventually admit Ukraine and discriminatory policies by Kiev toward ethnic Russians.

Paul Craig Roberts posted this piece on the popular statues of obese black women. I guess I have the author and title right, but I can’t be sure.

• How Our Country and Its History Were Stolen from Us (Donald Jeffries)

Recently, there has been a veritable epidemic of statues suddenly popping up all over the globe, depicting overweight Black females. This is decidedly odd, as the figures don’t represent a particular person of historical significance, but rather a modern “Woke” phenomenon of a brand of human being; the loud and proud Black woman.

[..] In New York City, there is now a twelve foot statue of an obese Black woman- sporting the distinctive hands on hip stance that has made them so beloved in America 2.0. The statue is nonsensically called “Grounded in the Stars.” As someone once said, if you want to gauge the health of a nation, look at its art. The statue provides a startling dose of “diversity,” in contrast to the statues of boring dead White guys Father Francis Duffy and songwriter George M. Cohan. This is the same New York City, of course, who over the past few years took down statues of Teddy Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson. The message is; an anonymous Black woman is more culturally and historically significant to this country than the most brilliant of our Founding Fathers, who wrote the Declaration of Independence. If that isn’t a slap in the face to the millions who are still asleep, I don’t know what would be.

The first question that should be asked is; why this curious campaign to install statues of fictional Black women? Who started it? Who is behind it? I seriously doubt that leaders in Italy and the Netherlands abruptly determined, independent of each other, that homage should be paid to a demographic group that has zero historical ties to either country. Now, the motivation is obvious. To further promote Black people. Well, any Black people who aren’t questioning the disproportionate power of a certain ethnic/religious group, that is. And to further diminish the historical greatness of formerly hallowed White leaders. And what about the White women? Why doesn’t Pakistan erect a statue of a fictional girl in a bikini? You could have her staring at her cell phone if you want. Nonwhite countries need cultural “diversity,” too, don’t they? Where are the statues of antiwar icon Jeanette Rankin, our greatest historical figure who identified as female?

It’s hard to tell how many Black female statues there are. A few years back, there were reports of them springing up in Roanoke, Virginia, and South Boston. There were already at least six statues of Harriet Tubman scattered across this country. I doubt that there are six statues of White women collectively in America. The most featured female on U.S. statues is the Indian squaw (yeah, I know- that’s probably “hate speech”) Sacagawea, who has an impressive sixteen of them. I guess statues are kind of like presidential candidates; only nonwhite women need apply. And yet White women can’t stop applauding. They may well like fat Black statues even more than transgender athletes. Roanoke, Virginia, which featured Virginia Dare, the first child born in America, vanished without a trace. The city still exists, and despite being on the edge of nearly all-White Appalachia, its only two statues are of Black figures.

The statue of Robert E. Lee that stood in the U.S. Capitol was scheduled to be replaced by a 2021 decree, in favor of a sixteen year old girl named Barbara Johns, who led a student walkout in Prince Edward County in 1951. It was something to do with racism, which they tell us was all the rage back then. One thing you know for sure is that Johns was Black. Virginia has a statue of Mary Todd Lincoln’s Black dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly, but not of Honest Abe’s overly emotional wife. So this explosion of Black female statues is not really new. They were already overrepresented. As one typically absurd “Woke” spokesperson put it, this is an effort to “confront preconceived notions of identity and representation.” It’s inevitable that one or more statues of Black women with suitably fat asses will pop up somewhere, to memorialize the fine art of twerking. We would not want future generations to forget that.

This well organized campaign comes on the heels of laughable propaganda that “Black women built this country.” What? I can’t think of any group that had less to do with building this country. Well, maybe Hispanics. After all, they weren’t here then. The very term had yet to be invented. Or Muslims. No, it was almost exclusively White males who built this country, backed by hearty and supportive frontier wives, mothers, and daughters. But it’s “racist” to even say that. And on top of that, there is the even more head shaking “Shut up! A Black woman is speaking!” This ridiculous expression is parroted most enthusiastically by self-loathing White women. This kind of insidious programming goes well beyond conventional Stockholm Syndrome. White women are not literally being held captive by Black women. This is just one of the reasons why I maintain at least 1/3 of White women today are clinically insane.

If they expand their horizons, there are plenty of worthy flesh and blood candidates to consider. Queen Latifah is certainly fat enough, and at least has displayed her lack of acting skills in a good number of IMDB credits. Stacy Abrams? She lost an election and is still complaining about it. And I don’t have to tell you that they don’t come any obesier in the Black community than her. Oprah? Imagine how excited the White women would be! Their “girlfriend,” who manipulated them to high ratings, and then dropped their racial and sexual comrade Hillary like a hot potato when Barack Obama declared for the presidency. It would take some skill to get the majesty and scope of Oprah’s giant behind just right, kind of like the Venus de Milo from a dark universe. And if you want to be inclusive of non-obese Black women, there’s Kamala. Perhaps Jasmine Crockett. And Michelle Obama can represent….well, you know.

He just can’t be elected.

• Trump Can Still Lead Without a Third Term (Victor Davis Hanson)

You know, one of the most popular topics in the media is President Donald Trump is now a lame duck, even though he has basically a full term of four years. But if you read The Washington Post, even The Wall Street Journal, but especially The New York Times, the question is, can MAGA survive after Trump steps down? In other words, if I were to decode that, it was, “Please, please let’s end these crazy MAGA people because Trump won’t be around.” There’s arguments on both sides whether a popular movement can survive its creators. Obviously, the tea party from which MAGA drew a lot of its ideas as well as the candidacy of Ron Paul—the three candidacies, I should say—did not survive. Or it was incorporated or absorbed into MAGA. But it didn’t survive because it didn’t have a leader.

And when you look back at presidents of a party that have their own brand—Reaganism, for one example—they usually do not survive the tenure of the original president, even if the same party continues the administration. Ronald Reagan, he had a particular conservative strain of Republicanism that when he ran on two prior occasions, they said he wouldn’t be elected. He’s too conservative. Yet, when he stepped down, he proved that Reaganism was a very effective political ideology. And what happened? His handpicked successor, George H.W. Bush, almost as soon as he came into power, he said, “Read my lips. No new taxes.” And he raised taxes. And then you remember what he said? He said, “I want a kinder, gentler nation.” Nancy Reagan, the first former first lady, said, “Kinder and gentler than whom? Us?” So he didn’t really continue Reaganism.

Bill Clinton hit upon—I think partly with the input of Mark Penn, Dick Morris, Doug Schoen—a centrist Democratic way of government. Maybe it wasn’t as centrist as we think but it was pretty left-wing. But they were able to pass it off as centrist. It was a winning formula. Al Gore won the popular vote in 2000 to succeed him. And what did Barack Obama do? He repudiated Clintonism and the Democratic Leadership Council. And he went hard to the Left. And the result of that is we got a destroyed or an irrelevant Democratic Party. So, when Trump steps down, there’s all of these arguments, pro and con, that MAGA will or will not survive. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a very effective governor. He had a sweeping victory in 2022. He embraced the MAGA agenda. And his argument was, “You can have MAGA but without the Trump legal liabilities.” But he wasn’t able to capture the popular imagination.

I’ll leave you with one last thought. Donald Trump has been trolling the media. In March he said—they asked him, “Would you like a third term?” “Uh, no. You know, you can’t do it. But my lawyers are working on it. They’re looking at it.” What he meant was the 22nd Amendment that was passed in 1951, right before the ascension of Dwight Eisenhower—no president shall be elected for more than two terms. No president shall be elected twice. That was a Republican reaction. They controlled the Congress for two of the four terms of FDR. It’s kind of ironic because Dwight Eisenhower would’ve been elected a third time probably and beat John F. Kennedy if he could have run a third time. But his party had precluded that idea right before he became president.

A lot of presidents think about it. Every successful president, the topic comes up. It came up with Reagan. It came up with Clinton. Obama, remember, said, “I’d like to phone in a third term, if I didn’t have to do the work.” He also said he was lazy. He confessed to that. Maybe that was why. But here’s my point. Trump was not serious at the time. He just wanted to either troll the press and media or he wanted to dispel the idea that he was a lame duck and just throw it out there that maybe he could be president a third time. Because if you look at the language of the 22nd Amendment, it doesn’t say you can’t hold office twice. It says you can’t be elected. Perhaps he could get a vice president—he could run as vice president. The president could resign.

And then, he would take over and hold office three times but not be elected. That was all fantasy. He was never going to do that. No voter would vote for a president to step down. Here’s my point, again. Donald Trump was trolling and he knows what makes the Left angry and confuses. And the worst thing that they fear is a third term. But just this May—just recently he was asked that question again. He said, “Of course I’m not gonna run for a third term. And who’s going to be the standard-bearer? I don’t know. I don’t wanna pick them. But we have an obvious vice president who’s a firm believer in MAGA. And we have Marco Rubio, a successful secretary of state, who could also serve.”

But the point, again, is he raised the question, “Will this MAGA doctrine continue after I leave? Will there be sunshine after the sun is gone?” In other words, to use a simile. And he’s saying, “I’m gonna be around. I’m gonna be a senior statesman. I’m going to endorse somebody. And I’m gonna ensure that that person, by the force of my ex-presidency and influence, shall abide by MAGA doctrines.” So no, Donald Trump is not going to seek a third term. And yes, I think the MAGA ideology of the Republican Party will stay with us for the near future.

“This is the global elite smart set’s version of the gangbanger who sticks up a business and later posts pictures of himself on social media holding the gun in front of all the stolen goods..”

• Trump Administration Is Exposing the Hubris of Institutional DEI (Stepman)

Harvard University was likely in violation of civil rights law in the name of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the school practically said so, proudly, on its public website. Now it is under federal investigation. The Washington Free Beacon’s Aaron Sibarium reported Monday that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency created to enforce civil rights law, launched an investigation into Harvard in late April over whether the school was (or continues to be) unlawfully hiring based on race and sex. It reportedly discovered this information based not on some deep investigation into the workings of the school, but from Harvard’s own public website.

“In public documents now deleted from Harvard’s website but still publicly available on web archives, Harvard admitted that in a span of ten years, it went from 59% of ‘all ladder faculty’ being white men to 49%, comparing that decrease in white men to an increase in the ‘total women, nonbinary, and faculty of color’ (i.e., all faculty other than white men) from 41% in 2013 to 51% in 2023,” the EEOC reported. It wasn’t just a case of apparent discrimination in its recent hiring practices, the EEOC claims. According to the report, “Harvard touted its success in changing its faculty demographics, noting in 2023 that its numbers of women and ‘people of color’ tenured was up 24% and 33% over ten years, with the percentage of each group tenured since 2022 (just one year) at 46%.” The report included a long list of potentially discriminatory student training programs too.

The EEOC noted that these practices didn’t come to an end in 2023. Again, why does it think this? Harvard straight up said so on its website. This is the global elite smart set’s version of the gangbanger who sticks up a business and later posts pictures of himself on social media holding the gun in front of all the stolen goods. Harvard has some ‘splainin’ to do. And it couldn’t come at a worse time as the Trump administration has not only put a hold on billions of dollars in federal grant money over civil rights violations but has even threatened to pull the university’s tax-exempt status. The Daily Signal reached out to Harvard for comment about the investigation. A spokesperson for the school pointed to a statement by Harvard President Alan Garber. “Employment at Harvard is similarly based on merit and achievement. We seek the best educators, researchers, and scholars at our schools,” Graber said.

“We do not have quotas, whether based on race or ethnicity or any other characteristic. We do not employ ideological litmus tests. We do not use diversity, equity, and inclusion statements in our hiring decisions.” What’s remarkable about this investigation is how unremarkable Harvard’s actions were. For the last decade at least, elite institutions of all kinds have been leaning into diversity, equity, and inclusion to the point of openly saying this is a key metric for hiring decisions. This trend only accelerated during the George Floyd riots and the Great Awokening. Besides a few outlets like The Daily Signal, there was relatively little criticism of this practice by the legacy media. The Biden administration seemed to outright encourage it as it engaged in its own, vast federal DEI initiatives and hiring practices.

Apparently, few institutions questioned whether this was strictly legal and assumed the federal government would always support discriminatory hiring in the name of racial justice. Even law firms were apparently unconcerned about the potential repercussions of DEI hiring. The EEOC on Monday, according to The Federalist, launched a complaint against nearly 50 of the country’s top law firms, accusing them of discriminating against white applicants to a summer fellowship program in the name of diversity. Again, this didn’t come from any kind of deep investigation. It came from a public website where Sponsors for Educational Opportunity bragged that it was “the nation’s only summer internship program for pre-law students of color.”

The Trump administration made it clear virtually from Day One that it considered these practices illegal and that the Justice Department would investigate “unlawful discrimination related to ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) in the workplace.” That produced a counterrevolution overnight. Many businesses were quick to drop DEI the moment they thought it was safe to do so. The study that provided the foundation for most DEI hiring practices has already been soundly debunked. The advantage DEI gave businesses is that it kept well-funded left-wing activists and the federal government off their backs. Remove those fears and add to it the potential for lawsuits and it’s easy to see why Big Business has been quietly extinguishing DEI.

Big Business was quickest to bail out when it became clear the political winds were changing. That process became a stampede after President Donald Trump was elected as even the wokest companies have begun dropping DEI quotas after openly touting them for years. Higher education is a special case, especially the most elite universities. They don’t just embrace DEI as an ideology to stay on the good side of a regime. They are the originators of the idea, the home of the true believers who would rather find increasingly clever ways to discriminate rather than follow the law.

Q: who does the EU use for such investigations? They have no secret service.

• EU Investigating MEPs Over Moscow Visit – Lawmaker (RT)

A member of the European Parliament claims he and other lawmakers who recently traveled to Moscow are facing an EU investigation over their diplomatic outreach to Russia. Independent Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou visited the Russian capital with other lawmakers during Victory Day celebrations, where he met with the chairman of the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, Vyacheslav Volodin. In a video posted to X on Monday, Panayiotou said his trip “was not liked at all in the European Parliament, and they have already started an investigation against us. ”Panayiotou has openly criticized the EU’s combative stance on Russia and the Ukraine conflict. He argues that Brussels should prioritize diplomacy over supplying weapons to Kiev.

During last Saturday’s meeting, Volodin lauded international dialogue that allows officials “understand each other and come up with decisions important for their peoples and states,” according to the State Duma’s website. Other guests at the Russian parliament reportedly came from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Serbia. The Moscow visit coincided with Russia’s Victory Day commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The event drew 28 foreign leaders, including Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic – both of whom ignored threats from Brussels should they go.

“I consider today’s trip to Moscow to be extremely successful,” Fico said, noting he held talks with senior officials from Brazil, China, and other countries on the sidelines of the event.Vucic, speaking from Moscow’s Red Square, said he was proud to represent Serbia – an EU candidate – at the ceremony, even though he expected to face personal consequences from the EU for his attendance. Russian President Vladimir Putin praised visiting foreign leaders who attended Victory Day celebrations, calling them “leaders not through their office, but through strength of character, convictions, and readiness to defend those convictions.”

“Trump also proclaimed that he ordered the cessation of US-Houthi hostilities in the Red Sea, after the Pentagon flexed its military might.”

There are different versions of that story. Some call it a humiliation.

• Trump Torches Neocons, Emphasizes ‘Peace Through Strength’ Deal-Making (ZH)

Some highlights of President Trump’s lengthy speech before the US-Saudi Investment Forum, wherein he frequently praised his Saudi host crown prince Mohammad bin Salman and advanced peace through deal-making…

Markets Rocking The stock market is “gonna go a lot higher.” He said “People should have listened. We’ve never had anything like this,” and he cited the “explosion of investment and jobs.” Business executives “weren’t that happy when they saw me,” a month ago, but changed their tune as markets rose,” Trump added. “We are rocking: The United States is the hottest country, with the exception of your country,” Trump said, pointing to MbS in the front row before him.

Saudi Arabia as Global Business/Tech Hub “Mohammed do you sleep at night? How do you sleep?” he said, addressing the crown prince. “Critics doubted it was possible, what you’ve done, but over the past eight years, Saudi Arabia has proved the critics totally wrong.” “…Instead, the birth of a modern Middle East has been brought by the people of the region themselves, the people that are right here, the people that have lived here all their lives, developing your own sovereign countries, pursuing your own unique visions and charting your own destinies in your own way.”

Silence befell the crowd as Trump said that it was his “fervent wish” that Saudi Arabia “will soon be joining the Abraham Accords” – but he ultimately conceded that the kingdom will do it in “it’s own time”. “It will be a special day in the Middle East, with the whole world watching, when Saudi Arabia joins us. And you’ll be greatly honoring me, and you’ll be greatly honoring all of those people that have fought so hard for the Middle East. And I really think it’s going to be something special — but you’ll do it in your own time. And that’s what I want, and that’s what you want, and that’s the way it’s going to be.”

Iran put on Notice “In the case of Iran, I have never believed in having permanent enemies. I am different than a lot of people think. I don’t like permanent enemies. Sometimes you need enemies to do the job, and you have to do it right. Enemies get you motivated,” Trump said. He continued, “I want to make a deal with Iran. I can make a deal with Iran. I’ll be very happy if we’re going to make your region and the world a safer place.” He offered a “much brighter future” if Tehran will do a deal. “If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure … and take all action required to stop the regime from ever having a nuclear weapon. Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Lifting Sanctions on Syria “Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing in many years. That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade,” Trump said. “The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important — really an important function — nevertheless, at the time. But now it’s their time to shine,” he added. So I say, ‘Good luck, Syria.’ Show us something very special.” “Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said [..]

Blasted NeoCons & Liberal Interventionists “In the end, the so-called ‘nation-builders’ wrecked far more nations than they built—and the interventionists were intervening in complex societies they did not understand,” Trump said. “The gleaming marvels of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi were not created by the so-called nation-builders, neo-cons, or liberal non-profits like those who spent trillions failing to develop Kabul and Baghdad.” “In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace.”

Gaza, Yemen “The people of Gaza deserve a much better future,” Trump said. “But that will or cannot occur as long as their leaders choose to kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women and children for political ends.” Trump also proclaimed that he ordered the cessation of US-Houthi hostilities in the Red Sea, after the Pentagon flexed its military might.

Bibi watches Trump in Riyadh and it makes him nervous.

BTW: I read Edan Alexander refused to meet with Netanyahu, but I see no details.

• Netanyahu Blasts Media ‘Spin’, Says Trump Ties ‘Excellent’ (Cradle)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he has approved a negotiating delegation to travel to Qatar on Tuesday to participate in US-led prisoner exchange talks. The decision was announced after the embattled premier met with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee earlier in the day and spoke over the phone with US President Donald Trump. “I thanked President Trump for his assistance in the release of IDF soldier Edan Alexander. President Trump, for his part, reiterated his commitment to Israel and his desire to continue close cooperation with me,” Netanyahu wrote on social media.

“In my meeting with Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee, we discussed the last-ditch effort to implement the outline for the release of the hostages presented by Witkoff, before the fighting escalates. To this end, I have instructed that a negotiating delegation be sent to Doha tomorrow,” Netanyahu added. He also said he had informed his US allies “that negotiations would only take place under fire.” Netanyahu’s announcement came a few hours after he rejected reports that a rift exists between him and Trump, calling his relationship with the US president “excellent.” “These spins – most of them are born here [in Israel.] They’re born in a certain media outlet that’s trying to promote a certain candidate. And in order to promote him, they need to say: ‘Trump and Netanyahu are no longer,'” Netanyahu said in a video posted on his X account.

https://twitter.com/IhabHassane/status/1922014395682488515?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1922014395682488515%7Ctwgr%5E60727b8b582f72661326eb65488d00e38dbab088%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fgeopolitical%2Fnetanyahu-blasts-media-spin-says-trump-ties-excellent-dispatches-hostage-negotiators

This comes as Israeli-US captive Edan Alexander was released by Hamas on Monday evening. Officials from Washington reportedly informed Tel Aviv that his release will kickstart a new round of prisoner exchange talks. Alexander’s release reportedly prompted a partial stop in Israeli army operations inside Gaza. “A significant number of military operations have indeed been halted. There are no airstrikes in Gaza, aside from a few attacks, and no drone reconnaissance flights over the Gaza Strip,” Israeli Army Radio had reported Monday morning.

Set for Thursday. Not a done deal.

• Supreme Court Set to End Era of Nationwide Judicial Injunctions (Margolis)

The days of rogue district court judges hijacking executive authority may finally be numbered. On Thursday, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in a consolidated case, Trump v. CASA, which challenges lower court rulings that blocked President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants. Despite the constitutional authority granted to the executive branch on immigration matters, three district judges issued sweeping nationwide injunctions halting the order. Now, the highest court may have the chance to rein in judicial overreach and restore balance between the branches of government. Since President Trump began his second term, liberal judges have weaponized nationwide injunctions against his administration an astonishing 17 times in just the first few months — and that’s only counting through late March 2025. This is nothing new, of course.

Even Newsweek seems to believe that the court will side with the Trump administration. “In recent years, some justices have expressed criticism of universal injunctions. Justice Neil Gorsuch, one of the court’s conservatives, argued in a 2020 concurring opinion that injunctions are “meant to redress the injuries sustained by a particular plaintiff in a particular lawsuit.” He said the “routine issuance of universal injunctions is patently unworkable, sowing chaos for litigants, the government, courts, and all those affected by these conflicting decisions” and that the court must address them. He also noted that nationwide injunctions mean that plaintiffs can shop around for the judge that is most likely to be sympathetic to their cause.”

“Because plaintiffs generally are not bound by adverse decisions in cases to which they were not a party, there is a nearly boundless opportunity to shop for a friendly forum to secure a win nationwide,” Gorsuch wrote. Even Justice Elena Kagan, one of the Court’s three liberal justices, has criticized broad nationwide injunctions and the blatant judge-shopping tactics used by plaintiffs to game the system.This shouldn’t be a partisan issue because Joe Biden’s outgoing Solicitor General, Elizabeth Prelogar, also filed a brief in December 2024 asking the Supreme Court to limit these broad orders despite knowing Trump would benefit from the decision. “In the Trump years, people used to go to the Northern District of California, and in the Biden years, they go to Texas,” Kagan said in 2022. “It just can’t be right that one district judge can stop a nationwide policy in its tracks and leave it stopped for the years that it takes to go through the normal process.”

Let’s be honest: Nationwide injunctions were never about judicial oversight. They’ve been the left’s go-to tool for blocking President Trump’s agenda through activist judges. With just one ruling, any of the hundreds of district court judges in the country can nullify federal policy they don’t like. Now, the left is panicking. Without these judicial shortcuts, they’ll have to argue their cases on the merits instead of in front of cherry-picked friendly judges. Even Vox admitted these injunctions were “the core of the resistance.” But that era may be ending. The Supreme Court looks poised to rein in this abuse of power and restore constitutional balance. For anyone who believes in law, not lawfare, this moment can’t come soon enough.

“Qatar is offering the jet to the US military, not Donald Trump..”

• Here’s the Truth About the Qatar Jumbo Jet Story (Margolis)

The Democrats have been desperate to find a scandal to pin on Trump, and their latest attempt may be the stupidest yet.It was recently reported that the Trump administration is gearing up to accept a high-end Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family—a luxury aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One during President Trump’s second term. Naturally, the left is already losing its mind, but here’s the reality: this is a win for taxpayers. In the wake of media hysteria over the offer from Qatar to provide the United States with an aircraft, Buzz Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot, White House military aide, and carrier of the nuclear football, has stepped in to inject a dose of reality—and firsthand experience—into the conversation. While critics scramble to paint the move as some kind of scandal involving President Trump, Patterson makes clear this is nothing new or scandalous, and absolutely nothing that warrants the breathless outrage.

“I’m going to try one last time,” Patterson began in a post on X. “The Qatar B-747 was built in the US by Boeing. They are offering a newer 747 to replace one of the two current AF-1s that have been flying for 40 years. Which are tired and need to be replaced.”That last point is key. The current Air Force One planes are aging relics that first entered service when Ronald Reagan was in the White House. Replacing them has been a long, slow, and—thanks to bureaucratic delays—frustrating process. Patterson, who served as a military aide during the Clinton administration and has flown on Air Force One over a hundred times, says the Qatar aircraft would simply help fill the gap until Boeing completes new replacements—something that won’t happen for years.

“This AF-1 will serve the sitting president, whether they be Republican or Democrat until Boeing gets their s—t together to complete the new, upcoming improved 747s that started under Obama, was renegotiated under Trump, and was completely ignored by the Biden administration,” he explained. “It’s looking like 2029 to 2030 for delivery at the soonest.” Critics have tried to turn this into a personal gift to Trump, but that’s not even remotely accurate. “Qatar is offering the jet to the US military, not Donald Trump,” Patterson explained. And the idea that this somehow jeopardizes national security is also off base. “They will get the aircraft and perform all of the security and the installation of the systems that AF-1 requires to safely move our president around the world. Not the Qatari’s,” Patterson explained. “And you and I will pay for that but not the $400 million the 747 would normally cost.”

I’m going to try one last time.

The Qatar B-747 was built in the US by Boeing. They are offering a newer 747 to replace one of the two current AF-1s that have been flying for 40 years. Which are tired and need to be replaced. The wing based at Andrews has also purchased…

— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) May 12, 2025

In other words, the U.S. is saving money and getting a newer, U.S.-made aircraft to bridge the gap until Boeing finally delivers the long-overdue replacements. And contrary to the media’s alarmist tone, this sort of arrangement isn’t unprecedented. “The wing based at Andrews has also purchased aircraft from other countries in the past which are currently flying our VP and senior government officials. This is NOT new,” Patterson said. As for the predictable online conspiracies? Patterson dismissed them with a knowing smirk. “I love X but sometimes the ‘sky is falling’ conspiracy crap grows tiresome. A little knowledge goes a long way. Having flown on the current AF-1s 100 hundred [sic] times, I have intimate knowledge.” In short, the critics are wrong, the facts are clear, and the manufactured outrage is little more than partisan noise drowning out a perfectly rational, cost-saving move for the country.

“It’s like that moment in Orwell’s Animal Farm when the animals looked from man to pig and pig to man and they could no longer tell the difference..”

• Labour and Tories are ‘Two Cheeks of the Same Backside’ – George Galloway (Sp.)

Imagine that for a second — freezing your own pensioners while funding someone else’s war. This is the UK’s reality now, and no one from either of the two major British political parties is speaking up against this. “The Labour minister’s talk is indistinguishable from the Conservative ministers’ talk. It’s like that moment in Orwell’s Animal Farm when the animals looked from man to pig and pig to man and they could no longer tell the difference,” the former British parliamentarian George Galloway told Sputnik.

“Reform UK’s rise isn’t just a warning shot; it’s a referendum on Labour’s betrayal of the working class..”

Isn’t it treason to let your country be overrun?

• UK PM Starmer Mercilessly Dragged For Telling Immigrants To Speak English (MN)

In a jaw-dropping display of political hypocrisy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared Monday that it is “common sense” that migrants should speak English, posting on X that “If you want to live in the UK, you should speak English.” This from the same Labour leader whose government has overseen the harassment and even arrest of Brits for expressing similar sentiments, branded as potential “hate crimes” under draconian speech laws.

“Speak English”?

That’s literally a hate crime in your tyrannical fascist hell-hole, jackass.

Off to jail for you!

Bigot! pic.twitter.com/bVbvIMeAYz

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) May 12, 2025

It's a criminal act to say "if you want to live in the UK, you should speak English" in Britain (cf. Crime and Disorder Act 1998, s. 33, s. 50A), and UK police have issued warnings for asking someone to 'speak English' https://t.co/1fe47lV9Ne

— ib (@Indian_Bronson) May 12, 2025

While ordinary citizens face police scrutiny for daring to question unchecked immigration or cultural integration, Starmer now parrots the very rhetoric he once condemned, revealing a spineless opportunism that prioritizes political survival over principle. The irony is thicker than London fog: the man who championed open borders and vilified Brexit voters as xenophobes now postures as a defender of national cohesion, all while his Home Office fails to stem the tide of illegal Channel crossings.

You let the entire 3rd world invade your country.

It’s far too late for that

You already destroyed your own country by being a stupid leftist.

— Philip Anderson (@VoteHarrisOut) May 12, 2025

This brazen pivot comes as no surprise given the political earthquake shaking Starmer’s Labour Party. The recent local elections saw Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surge, capturing councils and seats with a platform unapologetically slamming mass immigration and woke orthodoxy. Reform’s gains, including a stunning Runcorn byelection upset, have sent Labour into a tailspin, with Starmer’s approval ratings tanking as voters flee to Farage’s turquoise tidal wave.

Polls show Reform’s favourability spiking, particularly among working-class Britons fed up with Labour’s elitist disconnect. Starmer’s sudden tough talk on immigration—complete with promises to slash net migration and impose stricter English language rules—smacks of a desperate bid to claw back voters defecting to Reform. But his words ring hollow, a cynical rebrand from a man who, as shadow Brexit secretary, campaigned for a second EU referendum and scoffed at concerns about immigration’s impact on communities.

The stench of Starmer’s double standards is suffocating. While he now preaches “integration” and “fair rules,” his government continues to coddle a system where dissenters are silenced and borders remain porous. Brits who’ve lost jobs, homes, or safety to the strains of mass migration watch as Starmer plays both sides—cracking down on free speech while failing to deport illegals. Reform UK’s rise isn’t just a warning shot; it’s a referendum on Labour’s betrayal of the working class.Starmer’s English language edict isn’t common sense—it’s a calculated flip-flop from a man terrified of Farage’s shadow, and it won’t fool a public fed up with two-faced elites.

The most common baby boy name in England is Muhammad. It's too late for this now. https://t.co/2fvyzUfU06

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 12, 2025

“Germany often relies on external partners to spy on its own citizens, as Germany features very strict privacy laws. The NSA is thought to be especially active watching Germans.”

• US Pressure May Have Forced Germany To Drop Surveillance On AfD (RMX)

Germany’s domestic spy agency has suspended authoritarian surveillance methods of the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and U.S. pressure may have played a role. The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the country’s powerful domestic spy agency, had labeled the AfD a “confirmed far-right organization” before suspending this designation last week. The main reason presented was that the AfD is appealing the designation in court and the agency would wait until this appeal is concluded to decide whether to keep the designation. However, Germany’s ally, the United States, immediately criticized the designation in some of the harshest language possible, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling it “tyranny in disguise.” That was not all, though.

U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the powerful U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, then asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard (DNI) to suspend intelligence cooperation between the United States and Germany. According to Cotton, the German authorities’ politically motivated surveillance activities resemble methods used by dictatorships that are unbecoming of a democratic ally. “Rather than trying to undermine the AfD using the tools of authoritarian states, Germany’s incoming government might be better advised to consider why the AfD continues to gain electoral ground,” he wrote. This would have represented a drastic break between the two allies and even a threat to Germany’s national security, which raised the stakes in Germany’s authoritarian move to stifle the political opposition. Currently, the AfD is the largest opposition party in the country and for the first time ever, polled in first place last month.

The developments have also caused a major stir in Germany. Alice Weidel, co-chair of the AfD, said American pressure was behind the BfV’s withdrawal of its designation label on the AfD. In addition, Joachim Steinhöfel, a lawyer defending freedom of speech, told NIUS that the move by the BfV is “a complete surrender by the German domestic intelligence service.” He also noted that U.S. influence was vital. “We also have to thank the Americans for exerting massive pressure,” he added. Germany often relies on external partners to spy on its own citizens, as Germany features very strict privacy laws. The NSA is thought to be especially active watching Germans. As a result, any U.S. withdrawal from intelligence sharing could have been disastrous for Germany.

The temporary removal of the designation was warmly welcomed by the AfD, as it gives the party breathing room. For one, a vote on the ban of the party has little chance of moving forward without the designation. Second, the designation offered the BfV the legal means to surveil the entire party and its membership without a warrant, including reading emails and chats, as well as flood the party with informants. Now, German intelligence is being forced to rethink its surveillance policy as political divisions grow. However, if the appeal court agrees with the BfV that the AfD can be labeled right-wing extremist, the same issue may rear its head again. It is unclear how long this appeals process will take, whether months or even years; however, there is a growing chorus from Germany’s left, as well as the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to ban the entire AfD party. If that happens, tensions between the U.S. and Germany could soar to new heights.

“This led to a wave of commercial spinoffs.”

• Donald Trump Helped Ancient Russians Defeat Space Lizards (RT)

Heroic Slavic warriors triumph over evil reptilian invaders to pounding phonk beats. These surreal showdowns have racked up millions of views and spawned a wave of spin-offs, including video games, comic books, and tabletop RPGs. What started as a mock academic lecture quickly turned into a full-blown cultural phenomenon – fueled in part by some deep-rooted medieval nostalgia. One of the most well-known stories in the Ancient Rus vs. Lizards mythos is ‘The tale of how the Russian hero Danila Trumpov drove the accursed Lizards from the Slavic States of America’. In this fictional legend, a Russian version of Donald Trump defeats a shadowy alliance of humanoid lizards, who are supposedly aided by Bill Gates. Trumpov wields imaginative techniques like the “Republican Egg Squeeze” and the “Texas Burger Bomb,” and even manages to sabotage the lizard lobbyists by replacing the dollar with the ruble.

In the end, the forces of Slavic justice prevail, and the Lizards are forced to retreat to the distant planet of Nibiru. This is just one installment in a sprawling fan-fiction universe created as a joke, but which has grown far beyond its origins. What began as light-hearted parody has developed into a full-fledged narrative world that mixes satire, absurdity, and pseudo-history – while also poking fun at the cult of Russia’s supposed ancient supremacy. In March 2023, a strange YouTube video appeared, starring an AI-generated character introduced as “Professor and four-time historian Alexey Sergeyevich Bagirov.” Speaking with an air of authority, the professor unveiled what he described as the long-suppressed truth of Russian history: that the ancient Rus civilization once stretched across nearly the entire Earth.

Bagirov’s lecture combined several familiar conspiracy tropes – claims of lost civilizations with advanced technology, an ancient war between humans and shape-shifting lizards, divine interventions by pagan gods, and secret documents allegedly hidden from the public. His arguments leaned heavily on loose word associations and “secret documents,” while the visuals featured intentionally janky PowerPoint slides with exaggerated animations, accompanied by loud, distorted background music. But the creators went further than simply remixing old conspiracies. They built a whole new mythological framework. According to Bagirov, the ancient Rus not only coexisted with dinosaurs – they were actually friends. He explains that the word dinosaur supposedly derives from the Old Slavic root dino, meaning “child,” and that the name of the Slavic pagan god Zavra identifies him as the “divine ancestor” of all dinosaurs.

In a follow-up video, Bagirov adds a central stylistic twist to the saga: the Slavic reinterpretation of all names and terms. He describes how dinosaurs played an important role in the daily lives of the Rus. Brachiosaurus Brachislav helped build houses and studied astronomy; Styracosaurus Stavrislav took part in mammoth hunts; and a pterodactyl named Pterodimir flew children to school. In the third video, Bagirov introduces the main villains: the Lizards from the planet Nibiru – an idea familiar to fans of post-Soviet conspiracy lore. In this universe, the Lizards are jealous of the glory of the Rus and want to destroy it. Their weapon is deception: they try to seduce the Rus with fake sciences – especially mathematics. To that end, they dispatch agents such as Euclid, Archimedes, Democritus, Plato, and others, each programmed with 2G radiation, to infiltrate the ancient region of Russo-Greece.

Through all this, Bagirov satirizes the genre of amateur pseudo-historians who emerged in the post-Soviet space – those who claim access to secret truths, reject mainstream science, and lean heavily on unverifiable legends or misreadings of historical texts. These theorists rarely seek real evidence, but often captivate audiences with promises of lost national grandeur and sinister enemies. Though clearly absurd, the videos resonated with viewers. The fictional characters were so outrageous, and the tone so deliberately ridiculous, that the series became far more popular than anyone had expected – perhaps even more than the creators intended.

The characters of the Rus and the Lizards soon found a second life in short-form video content. These clips featured AI-generated visuals, voiceovers in mock-serious tones, and of course, pounding phonk soundtracks. The volume of content rapidly multiplied, and the Rus vs. Lizards universe continued to evolve, layering in more absurdist and satirical details. In these stories, the source of the Rus’ supernatural vitality is the water of Lake Baikal – an intentional nod to the lake’s revered status in Russian culture and to pseudo-scientific beliefs about the mystical power of “charged water.” The Rus are portrayed as a global civilization, and this is reflected in the fictional renaming of countries: Australorussia, Egyptoslavia, the Slavic States of America, and more. These names parody pseudo-historians who try to rewrite history to suggest that Russia once ruled the entire planet.

Religion in the Ancient Rus universe is a hybrid of Orthodox Christianity and revived paganism. On the one hand, characters shout catchphrases like “You fiends, at least fear the Lord!”; on the other, they perform bizarre rituals to Perun and other old Slavic deities. This mashup reflects the worldview of certain fringe groups who, in recent decades, attempted to revive pre-Christian Slavic faiths – often blending them with nationalist ideology and pseudoscience. Aside from the irony and satire, the meme’s success was also driven by how visually compelling the characters were. They looked cool. Their armor, weapons, and over-the-top powers appealed to a younger audience, especially in meme format. This led to a wave of commercial spinoffs.

AI Theft
https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/1922091193439228017

Musk
https://twitter.com/teslaownersSV/status/1921957388762112467

Musk

NEW: @elonmusk highlights Tesla’s Optimus robot, robotaxis, the Boring Company, and xAI—while announcing Starlink’s approval for aviation and maritime use—at the Saudi-U.S. investment forum.pic.twitter.com/lqHZWEzyDd

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) May 13, 2025

pic.twitter.com/Qpi7360M2y

— gorklon rust (@elonmusk) May 13, 2025

Makary

Trump Admin’s Aggressive Push to Slash Drug Prices: Will Big Pharma and Its Lobbyists Bend?

Dr. Marty Makary, FDA Commissioner, spoke forcefully about President Trump’s executive order demanding pharmaceutical companies lower drug prices significantly within 30 days. The order… pic.twitter.com/EqOrUX8eJT

— Camus (@newstart_2024) May 13, 2025

Giraffe

Father giraffe comes to see his newborn calf for the first time
pic.twitter.com/KPMYXUyOTK

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) May 13, 2025

Duck pool
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1922276219703181770

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Debt Rattle May 10 2025

May 102025

May 10, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:04 am Finance Tagged with: Biden crime family, China, Chris Cuomo, delusions, Fetterman, Fico, god, humbled, Hungary, hyperbole, lies, Netanyahu, tariffs, Tulsi 42 Responses »

Samuel Peploe Beach scene 1907

• America Humbled (Arthur Schaper)

• Hyperbole, Lies, and Delusions (Richard Porter)

• Trump Says “80% Tariffs On China Seems Right” (ZH)

• Fear Of Economic Collapse Forced China To Negotiate With Trump (ZH)

• Trump Delinks Saudi Nuclear Energy Deal From Israel Normalization (ZH)

• Putin and Trump Exchange Greetings On Victory Day – Moscow (RT)

• Germany To Declare Immigration Emergency (RT)

• Hungary Prepares for Battle Over EU’s Plan to Phase Out Russian Energy (Sp.)

• Putin ‘Doing Whatever Possible’ For Ukraine Peace – Kremlin (RT)

• Slovak PM Fico Slams Western ‘Iron Curtain’ In Talks With Putin (RT)

• UK Hits Russia With ‘Largest Ever’ Sanctions Package (RT)

• Poetic Justice Came for Letitia James, and It’s Glorious (Margolis)

• Going Around. . . Coming Back Around (James Howard Kunstler)

• Chris Cuomo Nails Why Dems Are Trying to Destroy John Fetterman (Matt Vespa)

• Ric Grenell Drops Some Reality on Kennedy Center Performers (Lower)

• Sources Say the Biden Crime Family Is Going Broke (Margolis)

• DNI Tulsi Gabbard Discusses Intel Community Leaks to Media Allies (CTH)

EXCLUSIVE: Vatican Insider Leo Zagami Reveals How The New Pope Is A Continuation Of The Globalist Takeover Of The Catholic Church & Will Be Used To Wage War Against President Trump!

“It's Not A Good Day… He’s Worse Than Francis… It's Gonna Be A War Against Trump Waged By The… pic.twitter.com/QT3hFwdcb6

— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) May 8, 2025

Priceless! A day in the life of Senator Kennedy.

‘I don’t hate anybody, I don’t.
I look for Grace wherever I can find it . And when I say my prayers, one of the things I ask my maker is…please God don’t make me hate.

Because sometimes it’s hard, here in Washington.

When I get… pic.twitter.com/o3ydW2LtxW

— Tosca Austen (@ToscaAusten) May 8, 2025

“He looks very old. He looks as if his first pet could have been a dinosaur.”
https://twitter.com/LangmanVince/status/1920594476948496894

Stock

JUST IN: President Trump says Americans should “buy stocks now” because of what’s coming down the pipeline.

“This country will hit a point that you better go out and buy stock now.”

“Let me tell you this. This country will be like a rocket ship that goes straight up. This is… pic.twitter.com/lyWfGH4FFH

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 8, 2025

Patterson

Author James Patterson is asked about crossing paths with Jeffrey Epstein at Mar-A-Lago. He recounts the story of when Trump discovered Epstein was inappropriate with young girls and BANNED HIM THAT DAY. pic.twitter.com/7cMV81apTm

— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) May 8, 2025

RFK

“A Puppet of the Empire” — Dr. Jack Kruse Exposes the Agenda Behind Casey Means’ Surgeon General Nomination

While @POTUS announced Dr. Casey Means as the new Surgeon General nominee, insiders confirm that @RobertKennedyJr originally backed @DrKellyVictory —someone with years of… pic.twitter.com/UYfjN0KhcZ

— LindellTV (@RealLindellTV) May 9, 2025

https://twitter.com/AutismCapital/status/1920607028852240726

Yesterday, Casey Means was nominated for surgeon general, and was immediately attacked. See for yourself what she actually believes. https://t.co/KsXdKvpGdw

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) May 8, 2025

We’re talking pedophilia now, child porn.

James O’Keefe has released footage showing Attorney General Pam Bondi in a restaurant just days ago, having a conversation with a stranger about the Epstein files.

In the video, Bondi admits they have “so many videos” involving Epstein and children, and that each one has to be… pic.twitter.com/QSKKkaeNyG

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) May 8, 2025

JD walk away

The first two pieces would usually be more background, but I brought them forward- for good reasons.

“After decades of drift and decline, a humbled America turns to Trump—renewed, resolute, and ready to reclaim its purpose under God.”

“Ulysses has come home. He has finished off all the suitors, he has his wife Penelope, and the gods are smiling at him. He learned his lesson. He gets it.”

• America Humbled (Arthur Schaper)

The United States, the American people, Donald Trump, and even myself: we have all been humbled over the last four years—or the last sixteen years … or even thirty years. And we needed it. More than thirty years ago, following the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the United States emerged as the leader of the pack in a once-bipolar world. The Soviet Union collapsed, socialism sloughed off, free enterprise became commonplace as the solution to all our problems, and the liberal democratic process was winning. “It is the End of History,” Francis Fukuyama (arrogantly, short-sightedly) prophesied.Of course, history didn’t stop, and we had lessons to learn. Some suggest that this fantasy of global liberalism came crashing down on September 11, 2001. Let’s not forget February 26th, 1993, when Islamic terrorists attempted to topple the World Trade Center by detonating the foundation of one tower to crash into the other.

Islamic terror replaced the adversarial communist regimes as our enemies. America was complacent, prosperous, and secure in its secular liberalism. Instead of remembering what made the West the best—the Gospel, our Judeo-Christian heritage, Biblical truth, our reliance on a Living Savior instead of humanist self-reliance—we got self-righteous and self-satisfied. “We beat the Russians! We are the only player on the world stage!” Thus, it seemed that there was nothing left to fight but ourselves. But that was never the case. Marxism’s vision of a stateless world dominated by class conflict never emerged, but Pan-Americanism would never work, either. An America-defined globalism not only offended other nations, but it also undermined the American citizen and the American experiment.

With an obsessive focus on free trade, cheap labor, and making money while ignoring national identity—borders, language, culture, faith, family, and freedom—Americans witnessed the wonders of the American dream turn into an elite fantasy that only the rich and politically connected could enjoy. We got arrogant, then fearful and angry; we stopped believing in what really made America great. We forgot who we are. We needed to be humbled. And what is humility? A biblical definition is apropos, I think: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

American exceptionalism is a real thing. We the People of the United States should be proud of our heritage. That recognition does not justify American supremacism, however. Nor does it mean our safety, security, or sovereignty depends on what other countries do and believe. The United States embraced some humiliating defeats not just on September 11, 2001, but in the waning year of the George W. Bush administration, when risky financing and overextended loans inflated housing prices and unleashed the Great Recession. Instead of taking stock of where we were wrong, we went with a false messiah, Barack Obama, who chimed, “We are the change we have been waiting for.” But we were the ones who caused our own downfall. How could we make changes if we did not change?

From this self-righteous refusal to own our failures came the Occupy Movement, Black Lives Matter, and the re-radicalization of race. Obama long harbored bitter disgust for the United States, and he seduced the American public. Under the Obama Administration, humility was minimized and disparaged, for sure. One of the most repeated words in the 44th president’s speeches was “I.” It was all about him, and to hell with America. And the country was humbled for the worse. Obama called us all racist and insisted that we needed the government to run our healthcare. He exhorted us to flood our country with “undocumented immigrants” so that we could pay back for all the wrongs that American imperialism had caused. America fell into decline. Then came Trump, and with him the mantra “Make America Great Again.”

He talked about God restoring America’s previous glory. But was that something he could do himself? Not at all. In too many ways, his first term had some of the hallmarks of amateur hour. He surrounded himself with bad advisors, went with tired ideas, and didn’t transform the Art of the Deal into the Art of Governing. Election 2020, with COVID, George Floyd, massive spending, and a frustrating Congress, did not help matters. Americans still had not learned their lesson. We need God. We need biblical truth. We need to restore our Judeo-Christian heritage, our Anglo-American legal traditions, and our revolutionary legacy. America’s further humbling came under bumbling Joe Biden. Defined by Biden-Harris’ arrogant incompetence, suffused with dementia and DEI, America became weaker, worn out, and adrift, all while witnessing the left’s culmination of all their wishes. Obama got his third term.

Then Trump ran again. He faced challenges from the right because he hadn’t gotten the job done. Perhaps those challenges shaped his second-term determination. Then came a would-be assassin’s bullet, which changed the course of history in our favor. Trump has acknowledged, “God saved my life.” And why? “To Make America Great Again.” His second inaugural speech was all business, with a clear reliance on where his—and our—power comes from: God. Trump is a different man, acting like the president I wanted in 2016, whom I had anticipated DeSantis would be. Like Homer’s eponymous hero, Trump is a man of many turns, and he’s turning out real results. Ulysses has come home. He has finished off all the suitors, he has his wife Penelope, and the gods are smiling at him. He learned his lesson. He gets it.

President Trump 2.0 has accomplished much of what we had expected in 2017, and more. Trump now knows his limits, and he knows what he can—and must—do. That is true humility. If his supercharged successes continue, it makes all the disappointments, frustrations, and confusions of the previous six years worth the aggravation.

This is important because so many people claim Trump “lies all the time”. He doesn’t. He speaks in hyperbole all the time, but that’s not the same as lying. “Like the country’s never seen..”, “Better than anyone’s ever imagined..” or “I’ll end it in 24 hours..”, that’s just a way of talking (“exaggerated claims not meant to be taken literally”). And a 78-year old real estate developer will not change his way of talking. His vast majority of American voters didn’t demand it of him.

• Hyperbole, Lies, and Delusions (Richard Porter)

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s speech in New Hampshire last week was greeted by the media as yet another stirring call to arms for the rudderless Democratic Party. “Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption – but I am now,” Pritzker thundered. “These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace. They have to understand that we will fight their cruelty with every megaphone and microphone that we have. We must castigate them on the soapbox and then punish them at the ballot box.” Republicans protested that the governor came close to inciting political violence – and they have a point, given the attempts to assassinate Donald Trump, the dangerous attacks on Tesla, and the near-kidnapping of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

However, what Pritzker had to say in his speech before channeling Maxine Waters’ infamous call to harass Republicans should not be overlooked. It raises an important question: Is Pritzker delusional, a liar, or merely hyperbolic? Hyperbole, lies, and delusions are all forms of falsehoods, but of different magnitudes. The first are exaggerated claims not meant to be taken literally. Trump himself is no stranger to this oratorical device. Lies are exaggerations or falsehoods the speaker wants others to believe – and, while shameful, are a too-frequent feature of modern political discourses. Delusions are false beliefs at odds with observable reality. Jerry Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi” is an example of hyperbolic name calling. Seinfeld and his audience understood it was an exaggeration so grotesque that it was funny. No one thought the soup guy was actually a member of the SS. Jussie Smollett’s claim that MAGA bros assaulted him was a lie, albeit a calculated, elaborate, and harmful hoax. The Salem witch trials were the terrible consequence of a mass delusion.

So, is Pritzker channeling Seinfeld, Smollett, or Cotton Mather? “It’s wrong to snatch a person off the street and ship them to a foreign gulag with no chance to defend themselves in a court of law,” Pritzker said. “Standing for the idea that the government doesn’t have the right to kidnap you without due process is arguably the most effective campaign slogan in history,” he said before adding, “Today it’s an immigrant with a tattoo, tomorrow it’s a citizen whose Facebook post annoys Donald Trump.” He went on in this vein for a while: “Our retirees don’t deserve to be left destitute by a Social Security Administration decimated by Elon Musk.” “Our citizens don’t deserve to lose health care coverage because Republicans want to hand a tax cut to billionaires.” “Our federal workers don’t deserve to have, well, a 19-year-old DOGE bro called Big Balls destroy their careers.”

“Autistic kids and adults who are loving contributors to our society don’t deserve to be stigmatized by a weird nepo baby who once stashed a dead bear in the back of his car.” This is all absurd. Activists have brought hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of illegal migrants, as Democrats fight to keep criminals and gang members from being deported. Long-standing immigration laws set forth the process that’s due to non-U.S. citizens before they are deported – processes pursuant to which prior presidents of both political parties deported millions of non-citizens. There’s not the slightest suggestion that Republicans (who have been fighting Big Tech censorship) support criminalizing Facebook posts. To the contrary, Vice President J.D. Vance was widely criticized by Democrats for condemning Britain and Germany for criminalizing Facebook posts.

Not a single person receiving Social Security payments legally is losing their government pension. Improving efficiency, eliminating waste, and rooting out fraud protects retirees and strengthens the system. No American receiving health care legally will lose health care coverage. And preventing states (like Illinois) from providing health care to noncitizens under Medicaid will result in more funding to cover health care for U.S. citizens. There will be no tax cut for high earners in the budget reconciliation; the existing rate structure will be maintained. Trump is reducing federal employment through buyouts, layoffs, and dismissals to improve government efficiency (i.e., doing more with fewer workers) and to redirect government policy (i.e., eliminating DEI). In his speech, Pritzker also accused Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. of nepotism.

That’s rich coming from the heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune who used inherited money to buy his way into office. In any case, it’s the opposite of nepotism for the scion of Democrat royalty to become a Republican leader. And Kennedy is trying to stop the autism epidemic, not shame autistic people. So, everything Pritzker said in New Hampshire was obviously false. What’s interesting to consider is: What does he, and what does his audience, actually believe about these topics? When asked by Jen Psaki on MSNBC about his speech, Pritzker replied with yet another apocalyptic fantasy: “We are in a perilous moment in this country,” he replied. “There is, I mean, tumult around everyone in this country. We have had our economic rights taken away, we have had our civil rights taken away, and it’s only been a hundred days.”

Consider further that in February, Pritzker – who helped build the Illinois Holocaust Museum – compared the new Trump Administration to the Third Reich, volunteering that he didn’t make the comparison to Nazis lightly. Put it all together, and it sounds like Pritzker is channeling Jussie Smollett, not Jerry Seinfeld. He’s not trying to entertain, and I think he knows better. He wants to frighten and anger people. He wants outrage, not knowing smiles. There’s a worst-case scenario, however. What if the governor of Illinois, and apparent 2028 presidential candidate, is delusional and believes his falsehoods? He wouldn’t be alone – and that’s even more scary. In a world in which many progressives believe Luigi Mangione is a hero, Pritzker’s lies in the cause of his ambition to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for president are more outrageous – and more perilous – than Smollett’s lies to make himself a civil rights icon.

Consensus appears to be the 50%-to-54% range. Trump leaves himself space with 80%. Because negotiations are ongoing. And 80 is way down already from 145.

• Trump Says “80% Tariffs On China Seems Right” (ZH)

President Trump posted on Truth Social, “80% Tariff on China seems right!” while noting that the final decision rests with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.The comment lends credibility to an earlier New York Post report suggesting the administration is considering cutting tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to a significantly lower baseline.Trump also said: “CHINA SHOULD OPEN UP ITS MARKET TO USA — WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON’T WORK ANYMORE!!!” In markets, S&P 500 futures puked, then recovered some losses. Most of the overnight gains have been erased. Perhaps traders were expecting a higher percentage of tariffs to be removed ahead of Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s meeting on Saturday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Switzerland.

* * *
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart are set to begin the first round of trade talks in Switzerland on Saturday. Traders and analysts are looking to yesterday’s “breakthrough” U.S.-U.K. trade deal as a potential preview of what may be announced over the weekend or early next week—possibly signaling a peak in the ongoing trade war. According to a source familiar with the discussions, the New York Post reports that the Trump administration is weighing a plan to slash tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to between 50% and 54%. The same source said levies on neighboring South Asian countries would also be reduced to 25%. “They are going to be bringing it down to 50% while the negotiations are ongoing,” the source said, referring to tariffs on China.

Here’s more color from NYPost: Insiders said the 50%-to-54% range — down from the triple-digit level that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said this week “isn’t sustainable” this week — is in keeping with rates that were discussed last month when President Trump met with the bosses of the three biggest retailers in the U.S. Market participants are considering Thursday’s U.S.-U.K. trade framework as a potential preview of what to expect in upcoming trade announcements—not just with China but with dozens of other countries. The deal hints at broad tariff reductions and expanded market access for American exports, particularly in agriculture, energy, and industrial goods. However, as with the U.K. framework, a baseline 10% tariff appears likely to remain in place. Last week, Goldman offered some good news: peak trade war.

Earlier this week, Goldman chief economist Jan Hatzius told clients, “The mood music with China has improved, and we expect the U.S. tariff rate on China to drop from around 160% to around 60% relatively soon. (China is likely to reduce tariffs on the U.S. by a similar amount.)”

Plus, the Milken Institute Global Conference attendees in Beverly Hills on Monday “warmed up” to the tariff environment. Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun—which manufactures retro toys like Tonka Trucks, Care Bears, and My Little Pony in China—told NYPost that “there will be an adjustment” in tariff policy “by the end of this week or next,” adding that it could begin a surge in orders from China. “We are hearing China at 50% to 54% and [other] Asian countries at 25%,” said Lawrence Rosen, chairman of New Jersey-based arts-and-crafts distributor Cra-Z-Art. During the US-UK trade deal, Trump told investors, “Better buy stocks now.”

Not suprising. China maxed out its production capacity, and then lost its no. 1 client.

• Fear Of Economic Collapse Forced China To Negotiate With Trump (ZH)

Three weeks ago, when we first reported that as a result of the ongoing Trump trade war with China, “chinese factories are shutting down, laying off workers”, we said that as a result of this war of attrition in which the outcome of every incremental clash and battle will be used just as aggressively for media propaganda, “the fact that any marginal pain will be amplified as trade war weakness will mean that Beijing will do everything in its power to prevent the full extent of the shutdowns from being revealed.” Sure enough, last week the WSJ reported that whereas “not long ago, anyone could comb through a wide range of official data from China… then it started to disappear.” We detailed the unprecedented disappearance of Chinese “data”, fake as it traditionally may have been, earlier this week.

But while we had our theories why China quietly vaporized hundreds of data sets – naturally one wouldn’t be deleting the data if it was good, or could at least be massaged in a credible way – it was not until today when a Reuters report confirmed what we said from day one, namely that in the long run China’s economy has more to lose than the US, where the hit would be faster but would focus primarily on the market, and once the initial selloff shock wears off leverage would swing to benefit the White House. And just as we supposed, Beijing’s unprecedented propaganda campaign, it was the cracks in the economy that forced Xi to the negotiating. According to the Reuters report, “since U.S. President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on China last month, Beijing had responded in kind. On state and social media, it posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted “imperialists,” and sent a message: capitulation to bullies is dangerous, and it wouldn’t back down.”

But behind closed doors, China was quietly preparing to do just that, and Reuters reports that according three sources, officials had grown “increasingly alarmed about tariffs’ impact on the economy and the risk of isolation as China’s trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington.” China’s reasons for deciding to negotiate, Washington’s letter on fentanyl, U.S. diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time, based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. As usual, China’s diplomatic efforts had two faces, one for popular domestic consumption, and one for private engagement with the adversary, in this case the US. Sure enough, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that “China’s firm opposition to the U.S. abuse of tariffs is consistent and clear, and there is no change.”

It added that “the U.S. has ignored China’s goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying, which seriously undermines dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control.” In retrospect, the pretext may have been “fentanyl” but as we learn in a follow up report today from the WSJ, it was anything but a facade: according to the Journal, Xi Jinping is sending his top public-security aide to Switzerland as part of Beijing’s trade talks with Washington, signaling the importance of the fentanyl issue to bilateral relations. Wang Xiaohong, who is the minister of public security and a senior leader within the State Council, China’s cabinet, will be part of the Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng, a trusted aide to Xi and a gatekeeper to the world’s second-largest economy….

Xi has designated Wang, a close lieutenant, as the point person in Beijing’s recent discussions with Washington over how to address President Trump’s concerns about China’s role in the fentanyl trade, The Wall Street Journal has reported, helping pave the way for the weekend trade talks. So no, the US had not “ignored China’s goodwill”, and judging by Xi’s response, clearly the issue of fentanyl is a very serious one, and more importantly, one which will allow Trump to score a quick and easy victory over the weekend, one which will further demonstrate the Trump admin’s growing leverage in the ongoing negotiations. But back to the Reuters report, according to which China’s Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying said on Friday that China has full confidence in its ability to manage U.S. trade issues, adding that “the Trump administration’s approach cannot be sustained.” Once again, however, we learn that it was China’s approach which was far more unsustainable.

The trade war between the world’s two largest economies, combined with Trump’s decision last month to impose duties on dozens of other countries, has disrupted supply chains, unsettled financial markets and stoked fears of a sharp downturn in global growth. After Trump’s tariff salvo last month, China took a hard line in its public messaging. Beijing posted footage on its official social media feeds of a Chinese MiG-15 fighter shooting down a U.S. jet in the Korean War, with commentary: “China won’t kneel down, because we know standing up for ourselves keeps the possibility of cooperation alive, while compromise snuffs it out.” The tone began to shift on April 30, when a state media-affiliated blog said the U.S. had “proactively reached out to China through multiple channels, hoping to discuss tariffs”, commentary which according to the White House was a lie.

Meanwhile, China was adamantly denying that there were any discussions taking place about trade talks, which was also a lie as just a day later we learned that discussions were in fact taking place ahead of this weekend’s trade talks. CSIS’s Kennedy said contacts between Chinese agencies, Beijing’s embassy in Washington and the Trump administration had been increasing in frequency in recent weeks. Some in-person interactions took place at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in late April, including with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which paved the way for the Swiss meeting, said Kennedy, confirming what we reported two weeks ago (see “Chinese Delegation Spotted Entering Treasury Department, Demands Photos Be Deleted: Report”.) More importantly, we also learn today that it was China that first reached out, more than a month ago.

After Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, Reuters reports that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao quietly reached out to his U.S. counterpart, Howard Lutnick, but was rebuffed as not senior enough, according to one official familiar with the exchanges. While Trump has been pushing for direct talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, China had originally rejected that idea as not in keeping with its traditional approach of working out the details first before the leaders sign any deal, according to public statements by both sides. Which is why after the original Chinese overture was shut down, both sides engaged in unprecedented diplomatic jingoism to deflect attention from the failure to pursue a diplomatic solution.

Major development. Maybe Trump can show that Bibi is not the same as Israel. Bibi stands in the way of peace. Just like Zelensky.

• Trump Delinks Saudi Nuclear Energy Deal From Israel Normalization (ZH)

The United States is no longer linking negotiations for a Saudi nuclear energy program with a normalization deal for Riyadh to recognize Israel based on the Abraham Accords. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright in April while on a visit to Saudi Arabia mentioned a “pathway” to a civil nuclear agreement, even though the Saudis were insisting that there would be no normalized ties with Israel until it ceases Gaza military action, and allows for a Palestinian state. This was a first strong hint that the new administration was ready to delink the two issues. “Dropping the demand that Saudi Arabia establish diplomatic relations with Israel would be a major concession by Washington,” Reuters now reports. “Under former President Joe Biden, nuclear talks were an element of a wider U.S.-Saudi deal tied to normalization and to Riyadh’s goal of a defense treaty with Washington.”

This could pave the way for a Saudi nuclear deal breakthrough during President Trump’s visit next week. Wright explained, “For a US partnership and involvement in nuclear here, there will definitely be a 123 agreement … there’s lots of ways to structure a deal that will accomplish both the Saudi objectives and the American objectives.” As we detailed previously, US involvement in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program would require a so-called “123 Agreement,” referring to Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954. This section outlines nine non-proliferation requirements designed to prevent the use of civil nuclear technology for weapons development or the transfer of sensitive materials. Washington appears to be readying an issuance of official permission regarding this key restriction. After all, Trump typically visits the Gulf while bearing ‘gifts’.

While the Joe Biden White House had sought a broader deal involving nuclear cooperation, security guarantees for the kingdom, and normalization with Israel, Wright’s April remarks focused narrowly on energy partnership. Saudi Arabia aims to expand renewable and nuclear energy as part of its Vision 2030 reforms. In addition to dropping the demand to normalize with Israel, the US has also nixed efforts to ink a US-Saudi mutual defense treaty with Riyadh. And crucially, these talks to approve a Saudi nuclear program are being advanced without consulting Israel. The Netanyahu government will no doubt reject the possibility of a future nuclear-capable Saudi Arabia.

Israel Hayom has written that “The president won’t be able to get approval to push forward a civilian nuclear program for Saudi Arabia without the Israeli component,” according to an Israeli official. “He doesn’t have a Senate majority for any agreement that doesn’t include Israel or that moves forward without its consent.” As for other things Trump is expected to announce on his Gulf tour next week, he will likely to announce a series of new major arms deals with the kingdom. While during his first administration he visited Saudi Arabia very early on, the Saudis have appeared to be lower on the list of priorities this time around.

Bibi

🇺🇸🇮🇱 TRUMP TO NETANYAHU: I’LL HANDLE THE MIDEAST WITHOUT YOU

Trump is reportedly fed up with Netanyahu—and moving ahead on Middle East deals without him.

Word is, Trump privately accused the Israeli PM of dragging his feet on a Saudi normalization deal and being too eager to… https://t.co/LFpG1izDJc pic.twitter.com/MJqdI86GLt

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 8, 2025

BREAKING:

🇺🇸🇮🇱 The friendship between Trump and Netanyahu is over

Israeli Army Radio reports that President Trump has decided to 'cut contact' with Netanyahu, stating that Netanyahu and his associates act 'arrogant' and try to push around the President

Close associates of… pic.twitter.com/KajRdGYvs4

— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) May 8, 2025

Via aides… Both have felt the irony of that. They should be able to just pick up a phone.

• Putin and Trump Exchange Greetings On Victory Day – Moscow (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump have congratulated each other on Victory Day, an aide to the Russian president, Yury Ushakov, told journalists on Friday. The two leaders extended the greetings through aides, according to the official. The presidents shared “heartfelt words, mutual greetings on a common holiday, great holiday,” Ushakov told the Russian Channel 1 broadcaster. Washington has not officially commented on the matter. On Friday, Russia celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Soviet triumph in the World War II against Nazi Germany. The day was packed with military parades and other ceremonial events across the nation that paid tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the Soviet people during the war.

The celebrations in Moscow, including the military parade on Red Square, were attended by upwards of 30 foreign leaders, including those of China, Brazil, Egypt, Slovakia, Serbia, and Uzbekistan. US Ambassador to Moscow Lynne Tracy skipped the event despite receiving an invitation, according to TASS. The Moscow parade was still attended by several US WWII veterans, who were invited alongside other foreign veterans, including from Mongolia, Israel and Armenia. On Thursday, Trump issued a public statement on the ‘Victory Day for World War II’. He described the victory over Nazism as “the Allied Powers’ triumph,” highlighting the role of the US and never mentioning the Soviet Union.

Earlier this month, similar statements by the US president drew criticism from Moscow. On Friday, during his speech at the annual military parade in Moscow, Putin stressed that Russia remembers the lessons of World War II and “will never accept the distortion of its events.” Since returning to office in January, Trump has pushed both Moscow and Kiev toward a truce in the ongoing conflict between the two nations but has recently voiced frustration over the lack of progress. On Thursday, he called for a month-long “unconditional ceasefire” amid a 72-hour Victory Day truce unilaterally declared by Russia. He expressed his hope that “an acceptable ceasefire will be observed” but warned that both sides would be held accountable if a ceasefire is reached but not respected.

10+ years after Merkel f*cked it up.

• Germany To Declare Immigration Emergency (RT)

New German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will declare a national emergency to tackle the country’s issues with migration, Die Welt has reported. Merz, who was elected chancellor on Tuesday, said on his first day in office that his government would begin turning back illegal migrants at the border. Germany remains the top destination for asylum seekers in the EU. Last year, it received a quarter (over 237,000) of all asylum applications across the 27-member bloc. Berlin has already informed the ambassadors of neighboring countries about the chancellor’s decision to impose a national emergency, the paper said in an article on Thursday. The move would allow the German government to prioritize its own decisions over EU regulations, according to Die Welt.

In order to turn away migrants, Berlin will invoke Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which provides for “the maintenance of law and order and the safeguarding of internal security” by member states. Germany has a 3,700km land border with nine countries, including Poland, Austria, France, and the Netherlands. They are all part of the EU’s Schengen area, which allows passport-free travel for most EU citizens and many non-EU nationals.

On Wednesday, Germany’s newly appointed interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, told journalists: “we will control the borders more strictly,” which will lead “to a higher number of rejections” of asylum applications. The goal is to “send a clear signal to the world and to Europe that the policy in Germany has changed,” he explained. In a letter seen by Bild, Dobrindt instructed the head of the Federal Police to disregard a 2015 directive from then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, who allowed more than a million migrants into the country at the height of Europe’s 2015-16 refugee crisis.

This can’t go on forever. The EU must go.

• Hungary Prepares for Battle Over EU’s Plan to Phase Out Russian Energy (Sp.)

The EU executive is considering bypassing Hungary in the vote on its plan to phase out Russian energy imports by relying on a “qualified majority,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. “We need to gather allies, to prepare legally. There really is a plan to bypass a unanimous decision and pass it by a qualified majority,” Orban told Kossuth Radio. Hungary is gearing up for an uphill battle in the coming weeks and months to ensure that Hungarian households are not forced to pay twice as much for power and utilities, Orban said. Orban estimated that Hungary would have to pay about 2 billion euros ($2.23 billion) more for energy than it does now if the European Commission gets its plan to abandon Russian energy imports adopted by the Council of the European Union.

A qualified majority requires at least 15 out of 27 EU member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population to support the proposal. On Tuesday, the Commission presented a project on ending Russian energy imports to the EU by the end of 2027. The Commission intends to submit a legislative proposal in June to ban all imports under new Russian gas contracts and existing spot contracts. This ban could come into effect by the end of 2025. Remaining imports of pipeline gas and LNG from Russia under long-term contracts could stop by the end of 2027.

Vance et al may pretend that the past 3 years never happened, but they did. Putin does what he can inside the new paradigm, not some old one. He can’t, it would be like time travel.

• Putin ‘Doing Whatever Possible’ For Ukraine Peace – Kremlin (RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin is “doing whatever is possible” to pursue peace in the Ukraine conflict, but has no other choice than to continue its military operation as long as Kiev refuses to hold talks with Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. In an interview with ABC News on Friday, Peskov said Ukraine “is trying to escape from negotiations” despite declaring that it is ready for a ceasefire. However, Moscow believes a truce will only give Kiev the opportunity to regroup its battered troops. ”Ukraine will continue their total mobilization, bringing new troops to [the] front line. Ukraine will use this period to train new military personnel and to give a rest to their existing ones. So why should we grant such an advantage to Ukraine?”

Another issue, he said, is arms shipments from the West, which should be ceased during a truce. “Otherwise, it will be [an] advantage for Ukraine.” “President Putin is doing whatever is possible to solve the problem, to achieve a settlement through peaceful and diplomatic means,” Peskov said. “But having no peaceful and democratic means at hand, we have to continue [the] military operation.” The Kremlin spokesman went on to say Moscow is hopeful that US President Donald Trump could play a role in mediating the conflict. Trump, he suggested, could help “bring a little bit more flexibility and a little more political will and wisdom to [the] Kiev regime.”

Russia offered a 72-hour ceasefire from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Moscow described the offer as a humanitarian gesture aimed at paving the way for direct peace talks without preconditions.Ukraine has dismissed the overture as “manipulation” and demanded a 30-day ceasefire instead. Russian officials have said the pause would allow Ukraine to regroup and strengthen its military. The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine has launched thousands of attacks of various kinds, including four cross-border incursions into the Russian regions of Kursk and Belgorod.

“There is a huge desire to build a new Iron Curtain in various forms..” “We will do everything to ensure that we can shake hands through this curtain.”

• Slovak PM Fico Slams Western ‘Iron Curtain’ In Talks With Putin (RT)

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after attending the Victory Day parade on Red Square and other festivities marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. During talks at the Kremlin on Friday evening, Fico criticized what he described as a new “Iron Curtain” being imposed by Western nations, calling the obstacles he faced en route to Moscow due to airspace restrictions by some EU member states “a childish joke.” “There is a huge desire to build a new Iron Curtain in various forms,” Fico said, according to a Kremlin transcript. “We will do everything to ensure that we can shake hands through this curtain.”

Amid systematic desecration and destruction of World War II memorials in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, Fico reaffirmed Slovakia’s commitment to preserving Soviet memorials – and proposed erecting a monument to Marshal Ivan Konev, a Soviet commander involved in the liberation of Czechoslovakia during the war. Putin welcomed Fico’s efforts to restore “long-standing ties between Russia and Slovakia that were effectively frozen” by the previous government in Bratislava, “which strictly followed the collective line of the West.” The Russian president noted that those in the EU who tried to prevent Fico from attending the event in Moscow “have once again been convinced that it is better not to do this… You achieve your goals no matter what.” Fico also expressed skepticism about the EU sanctions on Russia, arguing they harm the bloc more than Moscow. He stressed Slovakia’s interest in maintaining pragmatic relations with Russia, particularly in the energy sector. He noted that Slovakia’s nuclear power plants are not compatible with fuel from Western suppliers and warned that halting Russian gas and oil imports could destabilize the country’s energy infrastructure.

The Slovak prime minister’s visit drew condemnation from Brussels, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen describing his attendance as “regrettable.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “unthinkable” for an EU leader to stand alongside Putin at the celebration of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Fico maintained that his presence in Moscow was a gesture of respect for the Soviet soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defeat fascism. “For me, it was a moral obligation to come here and commemorate,” he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic as heroes for defying EU pressure. “These days… it is simply an act of heroism – showing one’s sovereign will to pay tribute to the memory of Victory Day, despite blatant, frenzied pressure,” Peskov said.

Feels like it’s from 1999 or thereabouts.

• UK Hits Russia With ‘Largest Ever’ Sanctions Package (RT)

The British government has announced its “largest-ever” sanctions package against Russia, according to an official statement. The measure aim to deal a blow to the Russia’s oil transportation network and reduce Moscow’s energy revenues. The announcement was timed to coincide with Russia’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany on Friday. London, one of Kiev’s staunchest supporters – providing it with military and tactical support and billions in cash – has long claimed that Moscow poses a threat to the UK’s national security. Various British governments have implemented over 2,000 sanctions against Russian individuals and entities, since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict over three years ago. “The threat Russia poses to our national security cannot be underestimated. To ramp up the pressure on Putin, I’m announcing the largest package of sanctions yet,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X.

The new measures blacklist up to 100 oil tankers that the West claims are part of a Russian “shadow fleet,” older vessels operating outside Western insurance systems. According to London, the vessels have carried more than $24 billion worth of cargo since the start of 2024. The EU and the US have also targeted Russian shipping and a 17th European sanctions package that would blacklist another 150 ships is expected to be approved later this month. Moscow has dismissed the restrictions as a “futile” gesture that will not harm the Russian economy, but instead drive-up energy costs and inflation across Europe. Russia’s oil revenues have remained robust thanks to non-Western buyers, such as China and India. Last month, the Russian Embassy in London urged the British government to stop “theatrical and short-lived gestures of hostility towards Russia.”

The UK has also accused the vessels of posing a threat to critical undersea infrastructure, such as telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines, dismissed by Moscow as “hastily concocted fantasy stories.” London’s tough sanctions rhetoric comes as Britain, along with the EU, is being sidelined from the peace process around Ukraine. A key London meeting on the conflict was downgraded last month after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his attendance. US President Donald Trump has also floated the idea of a possible partial lifting of restrictions on Moscow as part of a possible peace settlement.

“She campaigned on a promise to bag Donald Trump on something. She didn’t even bother to name what it was. She literally campaigned… on the promise that she would nail him on anything, and then she filled in the violation later.”

• Poetic Justice Came for Letitia James, and It’s Glorious (Margolis)

On Thursday, we reported that federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James over allegations of mortgage fraud. Later, during a Fox Business interview about these charges, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley told host Elizabeth MacDonald that “the karma is crushing here.” During the segment, Turley pointed to contradictions in James’ defense strategy that he believes mirror accusations she previously made against former President Donald Trump. “These all have to be combed out,” Turley explained when asked about the seriousness of the charges. “The James defense team is saying that there were contradictions that were corrected, that, for example, that home was the primary residence of the other signatory.”

According to the referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte, James is accused of falsifying records to obtain favorable loan terms on two properties: a Brooklyn brownstone she’s owned since 2001 and a Virginia home purchased in 2023. The case is now being handled by U.S. Attorney John Sarcone III, whose office in New York’s Northern District is leading the investigation. Pulte stated that James “appears to have falsified records” to meet lending requirements and secure better mortgage terms. Turley noted that James’ defense relies on an argument that financial institutions should have conducted their own due diligence, a standard she outright refused to grant Trump in her own case against him. “It’s an ironic defense because they’re saying, ‘Look, if the bank simply looked into this on their own, they could see that these were more units than just four, that this was not the primary residence of James,'” Turley stated.

He continued, “That’s a type of understanding and leeway that she refused to allow to Donald Trump. She insisted that everything that was… signed in his name… really are bound legally to him. And so, they said you have an obligation to make sure everything filed was absolutely accurate.” Turley did not hold back in his assessment of the situation, suggesting a certain poetic justice was at play. He reserved his strongest criticism for what he characterized as the most significant contradiction in James’ position. “The greatest irony, of course, is to hear her counsel and her spokesperson say, ‘You know, this is just wrong because Trump campaigned on moving against his enemies,'” he said.

This defense strategy particularly struck Turley as hypocritical, given James’ own campaign rhetoric when running for attorney general. “For those of us who have covered this litigation for years, having those words come out of the mouths of James’ staff really is breathtaking,” he emphasized. Turley recalled James’ previous statements during her campaign, noting, “She campaigned on a promise to bag Donald Trump on something. She didn’t even bother to name what it was. She literally campaigned… on the promise that she would nail him on anything, and then she filled in the violation later.” Naturally, we’ve come to expect that Democrats have one set of rules for themselves and another for everyone else. In their version of justice, Democrats commit the crimes—and Republicans serve the time.

“I hope Ed Martin’s 1st assignment at DOJ is to investigate Thom Tillis’ corruption.” — Rogan O’Handley (aka’ DC Draino’ on X)

• Going Around. . . Coming Back Around (James Howard Kunstler)

The funny part is that this swarm of Jacobin botflies from Norm Eisen to Sen. Thom Tillis thought (and acted) as if Ed Martin was the only MAGA lawyer capable of uncovering the steaming pile of seditious poo festering, lo these many years, in the DC federal district (i.e., the Swamp). Like, get rid of Ed and our troubles are over. Really? Don’t you suppose that there are dozens of other capable, patriotic, seasoned lawyers, seething over the corruption that is Swamp crime, who can effectively occupy the office of US Attorney for the District of Columbia?

The second funniest part is apparently the Jacobins thought that Ed Martin would just skulk off into the gloaming like a whipped dog and be gone — when, in fact, Mr. Trump folded him at once into three jobs in the Department of Justice that don’t require confirmation by the Senate, and will allow him to attend to exactly the same set of grave problems afflicting this republic from a position of power. Mr. Martin will now serve as Director of the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group, Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Pardon Attorney reviewing the legitimacy of “Joe Biden’s” auto-pen signing of important documents — meaning, he’ll have the power to bring cases on his own and make criminal referrals to the US Attorney for DC.

You must also imagine that in his 100-plus days as Interim US Attorney for DC, Mr. Martin assembled quite a portfolio of evidence around the manifold blob wrong-doings of the past decade, but especially the treachery of the J-6 / 2021 blob operation at the US Capitol, and the ensuing cover-up of all that, including the intel community’s role in it, the perfidy and perjuries of Chris Wray, Merrick Garland, Nancy Pelosi and others, and the gong show of lies and villainy that was the House J-6 committee chaired by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), (with remedial support from Adam Schiff, Liz Cheney, Jamie Raskin, and, backstage as always, lawfare ninjas Norm Eisen, Mary McCord, Marc Elias, Ben Wittes, and Andrew Weissmann).

On the ostensible defeat of Ed Martin’s nomination, the president instantly turned around and installed Jeanine Pirro as Interim US Attorney for DC. Before retiring into a career as a TV talking head, Ms. Pirro was a Westchester County, New York, judge, and then elected District Attorney, so she knows how to work criminal cases. The interim appointment runs 120 days. In theory, Mr. Trump can appoint a new Interim US Attorney every 120 days, and keep rotating them until the cows come home — each successive one with the same support staff of assistant US attorneys underneath, the same cases ongoing, and the same trove of evidence catalogued.

All of which is to say, the blob officials and lawfare stormtroopers are mistaken to think that their ongoing circus of legalistic monkey business has somehow gained immunity from appraisal, investigation, and prosecution by de-railing Ed Martin. The cases themselves are bigger than any one particular US attorney and have a momentum of their own as the nation struggles to overcome the organized assault on the law itself that lawfare represents.

“He’s someone we can work with, and that makes him MAGA in the eyes of the Left, which is insane.”

• Chris Cuomo Nails Why Dems Are Trying to Destroy John Fetterman (Matt Vespa)

I’m not a fan of Chris Cuomo, but he has become more sensible since he left the confines of CNN. It’s funny how he, Chuck Todd, and others seem to be making more sense now that they don’t have to kowtow to the hyper-left-wing sensibilities of their former employers. They’re not red-pilled, but they dish out some decent takes now and then. Cuomo nailed why Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) is being targeted for destruction. He’s not a crazy person. He’s pro-Israel, focused on working Americans, and understands the realities of the 2024 election. You can’t scream about Trump 24/7 and block all his nominees. His side lost, and there were consequences. The former CNN host pointed out that’s the irony here: that Fetterman is being ‘canceled’ for trying to rebuild the party into one that can win elections:

Fetterman has been reaching across the aisle too much for them. The senator crushes Hamas and campus protests, which, as we all know, is a pet project of the radical left. He met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago — that’s a huge sin. And he worked with Republicans on passing the Laken Riley Act and voted for 10 of Trump’s cabinet picks. And now the senator is saying that Trump has keyed in correctly on the most important concern in our country: Helping the majority do better when it comes to workers and economic benefits. New York Magazine released a lengthy article that attacked the Pennsylvania Democrat, describing him as reckless, a quasi-conspiratorial thinker, and one who is not taking his mental health seriously. It was a textbook case of character assassination.

“Democrats, this is why you lost. You can’t cancel everyone who doesn’t hate the right and play by your stilted rules of purity,” Cuomo added. He’s right. I’m not going to endorse Fetterman. I wouldn’t vote for him if I were a Pennsylvania resident, but should he survive, it’s not a devastating loss. He’s someone we can work with, and that makes him MAGA in the eyes of the Left, which is insane.

Trump’s envoy for the hardest cases. “Warn them that there are real-world consequences for their emotional virtue signaling–and let the chips fall where they may.”

• Ric Grenell Drops Some Reality on Kennedy Center Performers (Lower)

To paraphrase something my colleague Susie Moore stated in an earlier piece about the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals providing much-needed guidance to lower courts on a miniscule group of the barrage of cases against President Trump and his administration, we continue to follow the saga of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Readers likely remember the brouhaha by progressives near the beginning of Trump’s new term when he announced he was kicking off some of the board members and appointing himself the new chair of the famed arts venue. Although a few days later, the president named former U.S. ambassador to Germany and U.S. Envoy for Special Missions, Ric Grenell, as interim executive director.

During CPAC 2025, Grenell addressed the poor state of the Kennedy Center’s finances, sharing that Pres. Trump likely has the same concerns about the organization’s ability to “Make Art Great Again,” as Grenell put it in the interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns. I think, I don’t know for sure, but I think the frustration President Trump has is that the Kennedy Center has no cash on hand. No reserves. And they have been paying for the salaries with the debt reserves. While taking around more than 40 million dollars in public money. You can’t have that. If you’re going to take public money, then you get to have public input.

So, what we’re gonna say at the Kennedy Center, first of all, we gotta clean up the financial situation. We have to do the big productions that the masses and the public want to see. We want to have really big programming. And my colleague Jennifer Oliver O’Connell included one tidbit that leftists went wild over before Grenell cleared it up–and it relates to Thursday’s story: Grenell also cleared up some misinformation about an artist who supposedly dropped out from performing on the Kennedy Center stage because Trump took over the center and installed Grenell. Grenell made it known that some of these decisions were made before Trump took over, and the decision to drop the act was based on the performance not producing adequate ticket sales.

He also hinted that the Center will have a special Christmas show. Maybe we’ll get more details on that in the coming months. Anyway, earlier this week, some performers in the traveling cast of “Les Misérables” who were slated to take part in an upcoming charity fundraiser/performance at the Center threatened to boycott it … because Pres. Trump is set to appear. On Wednesday, while speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Ric Grenell just laid out the “Les Miz” performers, according to industry publication Variety. First, it seemed this was the first time he had heard the “rumor” about the controversy, then he added, “But the Kennedy Center will no longer fund intolerance.” He stated that it shows who isn’t “professional” in the performance company, and that any producer thinking of hiring any of these performers might be inspired to think again. Here’s his full quote:

“Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed,” Grenell added. “In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire — and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience.” He continued, “The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoy a performance together.” This is exactly how Republicans need to handle this sort of childish wokeness from the “resistance” to America First principles and all things Trump. Let’s keep on this path. Warn them that there are real-world consequences for their emotional virtue signaling–and let the chips fall where they may.

The whole family lived large. Now income has dried up.

• Sources Say the Biden Crime Family Is Going Broke (Margolis)

Aww, now isn’t this nice? The Biden crime family is facing a serious cash crunch now that its patriarch is out of power and the influence-peddling machine has ground to a halt. As we previously reported, on Thursday, Joe and Jill Biden made a live appearance on “The View” in New York City, and according to Mark Halperin, the move is part of a broader effort to rehabilitate Joe Biden’s image after a disastrous first 100 days back in private life. “There’s a story in Politico today that says they’ve hired the former Pentagon spokesperson to manage the Biden comeback,” Halperin said. “Joe Biden wants to be out there… He wants to speak out against Donald Trump. He wants to defend his reputation.” Halperin also noted that Politico is reporting the Trump administration plans to release audio of Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, the one that led Hur to describe Biden as “an elderly man with a poor memory.”

]But Halperin offered a blunt insight from someone close to the family: “I talked to someone very familiar with the Bidens, and I think they’ve pointed out something that I’m gonna say now, that to me, is the explanation, or at least part of the explanation, which is Biden Inc. has collapsed.” He didn’t sugarcoat the financial rot. “All those Biden grandkids had a lavish lifestyle, which they very much liked. Hunter made hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars. Joe, as a former president, is not in a position to get the same kind of paid speeches, corporate boards, book deals.” “Wait, wait, wait! The paintings aren’t worth a lot?” Sean Spicer quipped. “The grift is over,” Spicer observed. “The big guy’s not getting his cut anymore, and that’s a problem. I get it; they’ve lived a very lavish lifestyle. There’s the beach house. I gotta imagine the property taxes aren’t cheap. Uh, they’re used to a certain lifestyle, but not just them. To your point, the whole family was coming from one source and they lost their USAID funding basically.”

Of course, we all know the “source” was the global network of influence built while Joe Biden was vice president and continued into his presidency. But that operation doesn’t function without power, and now, without it, the Bidens are scrambling to find new income. “They were pulling in $10 million a year, maybe more,” Halperin estimated. “What’s Biden Inc. pulling in today?” That really puts Biden’s decision to seek a second term into perspective, doesn’t it? Spicer was just as candid: “No one wants to know what he thinks. Number two, he doesn’t know what he thinks, and that’s a bigger problem.” Even Biden’s future prospects as a paid speaker are bleak. “You don’t think the Washington Speakers Bureau looked at him and said, ‘That guy needs to be flown all over the country giving $800,000 speeches’?” Halperin asked sarcastically.

Spicer replied, “No. I think they looked at him and said, ‘We’ll get back to you after the company retreat.’” As for the prospects of a presidential library — a traditional source of prestige and fundraising — Halperin was blunt: “He’s not a good fundraiser, and the donors are not currently in love with him.” So the Biden crime family is out of gas, out of influence, and running on fumes. The free ride is over — and the scramble for relevance (and revenue) has begun.

“.. the politicization of our intelligence community needs to end—to even begin to start to earn the trust of the American people..”

• DNI Tulsi Gabbard Discusses Intel Community Leaks to Media Allies (CTH)

One of the least understood dynamics about how the DC silos operate, pertains to review and investigative work done by government officials into government misconduct. In essence, special counsels, special investigators and appointed special prosecutors do not look at government activity if that activity can be framed as political. The silos protect themselves from external review. As a consequence, the only administrative review of government misconduct happens when the silos look internally at their own agency. In this short video below Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard outlines that 11 internal investigations are ongoing to target Intelligence Community officials, staff and employees who are leaking classified information to the media. After the internal review, the DNI then sends (criminal) referrals to Main Justice and the FBI if warranted. Currently three criminal referrals have been sent to the FBI/DOJ as eleven investigations continue. WATCH:

DNI GABBARD REVEALS 11 PENDING INVESTIGATIONS INTO INTEL LEAKS AND UNDERMINING OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

U.S. Director of National Intelligence @DNIGabbard reveals to @MattGaetz “we have 11 other internal investigations ongoing now within ODNI and we intend to continue to… pic.twitter.com/s0SAwTQIjt

— One America News (@OANN) May 9, 2025

TRANSCRIPT … […] “as I said, the politicization of our intelligence community needs to end—to even begin to start to earn the trust of the American people. The actions that we’ve taken—unfortunately—there continue to be significant leaks coming out of the intelligence community. Not only my organization, but the CIA and others—again, by those who are very directly trying to undermine the agenda and actions of President Trump. Once again, the President who was elected by the American people with an overwhelming mandate. The way that we start to end this is by bringing about transparency and accountability. In these cases, we conducted our own internal investigation.

In three cases, we referred them to the Department of Justice. As you know well, Matt, sometimes—or historically—we could refer things to the Department of Justice, and they would sit on a desk somewhere or get lost in the paper shuffle. And you end up having to wait and you wonder, Well, is anything ever going to happen? Well, I can tell you, with the leadership we have there now, not only has there been action taken, but they have been actioned by the FBI and are going through immediately to investigate these cases with the intent of bringing about prosecution. We have 11 other internal investigations ongoing now within ODNI, and we intend to continue to carry them out to completion—to hold those who are illegally leaking classified information, trying to undermine the President, politicizing intelligence—hold them accountable. Because this has got to end.”

DNI Tulsi Gabbard is following a frustratingly slow process. However, if she is successful the DC apparatus will target her for removal.

https://twitter.com/NicHulscher/status/1920925406829703262

Fauci

FAUCI was SEWING DEAD BABY SCALPS ON the BACKS of MICE, and taxpayers were funding it. The tissue had to be alive for this experiment to begin with, so the bigger question is, where was FAUCI getting the dead babies from and were these babies aborted on purpose for for these… pic.twitter.com/ieIng35KJo

— The SCIF (@TheIntelSCIF) May 9, 2025

EPIC
https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/1920899852776489123

Burkina

Russia didn’t just invite President Ibrahim Traoré to Moscow — they sent a state aircraft to personally pick him up from Burkina Faso. That’s not diplomacy. That’s respect.

That’s symbolism. In a world where African leaders are often summoned like subordinates, this moment… pic.twitter.com/OjbgZC75ka

— Frontline Africa (@frontlineafrika) May 8, 2025

https://twitter.com/Joe__Bassey/status/1920244279655481686

Jews

Change of the amount of Jewish people compared to pre-WWII. pic.twitter.com/WKwsDi1x7C

— Civixplorer (@Civixplorer) May 9, 2025

Greenwald

“37 American states, mostly red states, but not all, it is a requirement if you want a contract with the state, that you have to sign a loyalty oath saying you do not support and & never participated in a boycott of Israel.”

—American journalist Glenn Greenwald pic.twitter.com/0yv1wE0Nem

— The Resonance (@Partisan_12) May 8, 2025

Solar
https://twitter.com/ryankatzrosene/status/1920683016583520573

Throw
https://twitter.com/buitengebieden/status/1920830164415447378

Lamp

A curiosity missed by many in London

[📹livinglondonhistory]pic.twitter.com/ZQ6qCJ3BTf

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) May 9, 2025

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Debt Rattle February 5 2025

Feb 052025

February 5, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 11:06 am Finance Tagged with: Elon Musk, FBI, Gaza, mass layoffs, Netanyahu, NPR, PBS, RFK jr, Trump, Tulsi Gabbard, USAID, Zelensky 123 Responses »

Pablo Picasso Girl with a Mandolin (Fanny Tellier) 1910

• US Will ‘Take Over’ Gaza – Trump (RT)

• Zelensky Says He’s Ready For Talks With Putin (RT)

• The Dynamic Duo Have the Dems on the Run (Green)

• Elon Musk Is ‘Special Government Employee,’ White House Confirms (ET)

• Audit USAID…Then Shut It Down! (Ron Paul)

• “Rank Insubordination”: Rubio Says USAID Full Of Rogue Employees (ZH)

• RFK Jr. Moves Closer To Becoming US Health Chief (RT)

• DOJ Seeks Information on FBI Employees Who Investigated Jan. 6 (ET)

• Dept. of Ed on the Chopping Block as Trump Readies Executive Order (Moran)

• House Panel Asks PBS, NPR Chiefs to Testify on Alleged ‘Biased Content’ (ET)

• NY AG Letitia James Defies Trump’s EO On “Gender Affirming Care” (AmG)

• 20,000 Government Workers Take Trump Buyout Offer As Mass Layoffs Loom (ZH)

• Trump Attack On The Deep State Spectacular And Almost Certainly Legal (Widburg)

• Biden Spent Billions Promoting Illegal Immigration – Musk (RT)

• Merkel To Blame For The Rise Of The AfD: Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz (RMX)

• UK Hoping To Buy Its Way Out Of Trump Tariffs (RT)

• El Salvador Abandons Bitcoin Legal Tender Experiment (RT)

• Trump’s Withdrawal From the Paris Agreement Won’t Hurt the Climate (RCW)

Benz Glenn

Mike Benz Reveals USAID as a CIA Front for Foreign Meddling and Influence Operations

“… there is not an inch of daylight between USAID and the State Department, and USAID exists as an illusion to fool you into thinking that USAID is not the State Department, but it is. The only… pic.twitter.com/NBzQhUPpmE

— UngaTheGreat (@UngaTheGreat) February 4, 2025

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY: “The USAID are screaming like they're part of a prison riot because they don't want us reviewing the spending. But that's all @elonmusk is doing. And he's finding some pretty interesting stuff … Just what the President said he was going to appoint Musk to do.” pic.twitter.com/etfGizrxEI

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) February 4, 2025

Leavitt

NOW – Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Trump's deportation operation; "President Trump is not messing around and he's no longer going to allow America to be a dumping ground for illegal criminals from nations all over this world." pic.twitter.com/Lkai82FQFb

— Overton (@overton_news) February 4, 2025

Raskin

BREAKING: Rep. Jamie Raskin blasts Elon Musk outside USAID HQ, declaring that Democrats will block DOGE from eliminating government waste and fraud.

"Elon Musk, you didn't create USAID."

"He doesn't have the power to destroy it, and who will stop him? We are!"

"We don't have a… pic.twitter.com/sXtf9AqDZe

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 3, 2025

McCain

Meghan McCain is now threatening senators who will not vote to confirm Tulsi Gabbard.

"If anyone votes against her, I promise you I will do anything in my power to make sure there are consequences for this… there will be hell to pay." pic.twitter.com/Ljpe1l1vg6

— Ron Smith (@Ronxyz00) February 3, 2025

McCabe

Corrupt FBI guy attacks @realDonaldTrump. There are many like him still in FBI. So many that I don't think the agency is salvageable.pic.twitter.com/rN4m5NkiVl

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 4, 2025

80%

Elon is doing the same thing with our government that he did with Twitter. pic.twitter.com/pU4npd8fxN

— Don Keith (@RealDonKeith) February 3, 2025

Vivek

Simple formula to downsize the federal government: cut as much as possible & when in doubt, send it to the states. Federalism is the backstop. pic.twitter.com/j4GaojicgO

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) February 4, 2025

“Ukraine is not losing, but the front is moving in the wrong direction”
Mark Rutte

Force 2 million people from their homeland and turn it into a playground for the rich. As Tacitus said: “they make a desert and call it peace”. Not Trump’s finest idea. “Jordan and Egypt should take them”. “But they don’t want to..” “Oh well, we’ll give them money”. “It’s not about money, it’s about homeland”.

• US Will ‘Take Over’ Gaza – Trump (RT)

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will assume control over the Gaza Strip, vowing to rebuild the war-torn enclave and create economic opportunities for its future residents. When asked whether US troops would be deployed to Gaza, Trump vowed to “do what is necessary.” Trump made the remarks on Tuesday following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The US president reiterated his view that Palestinians should be permanently resettled elsewhere, adding that the US would “take over” Gaza and lead efforts to clear the destruction left by 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.“The US will take over the Gaza Strip. And we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” Trump said, promising to “level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings.”

Asked to clarify what exactly he meant by a “takeover,” the US leader said he envisions a “long-term ownership position” that would supposedly bring “great stability” to the entire Middle East. “Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing it, and creating thousands of jobs,” Trump claimed. Trump also said he is not ruling out deploying US troops to support his Gaza development plan. “We’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that. We’re going to take over that place,” he said. Approximately 92% of homes in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or severely damaged, and around 1.9 million people – more than 90% of Gaza’s population – have been displaced since the war broke out in October 2023, according to the UN. Trump, a former real estate mogul, has repeatedly referred to Gaza as a “demolition site” in recent weeks.

When asked who would populate Gaza once the US “takes over” and redevelops it, and whether the Palestinian people would be able to return, Trump responded: “I envision… the world’s people living there. I think the potential in the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I think the entire world, representatives from all over the world, will be there and they’ll live there… Palestinians also,” he said. “I don’t want to be a wise guy. But the Riviera of the Middle East – this could be so magnificent.”

Bibi

Libya, Iraq, Palestine, Iran.

Netanyahu has been President of America for a long time.

It’s cost us Trillions.

pic.twitter.com/rbNGCiP3Qp

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) February 3, 2025

Trump appears to do better at home than abroad. Gaza is a mess, and so is Kiev. Putin will not talk to Zelensky: “..when the current head of the regime – that’s the only way to call [Zelensky] today – signed this decree, he was a somewhat legitimate president. But now he can’t cancel it because he is illegitimate. That’s the trick, the catch, the trap..”

Trump also wants Ukraine to pay the US in rare earths. But those are all in the Lugansk and Donetsk areas, i.e. parts of Russia.

• Zelensky Says He’s Ready For Talks With Putin (RT)

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has expressed his willingness to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin if it is the only way to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end. He made the remarks during an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, with excerpts published on Tuesday. Asked if he is prepared to meet with the Russian president, Zelensky indicated that he is.“If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup, for this meeting,” he said. “What is my attitude to him [Putin]? I will not be kind to him and I… consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well,” he said.

The remarks appear to reflect a shift in Zelensky’s stance. He has refused to negotiate with Putin in the past and even signed a decree banning any negotiations with Moscow, and Putin specifically. Last month, Zelensky said the ban applies to all Ukrainian officials except himself, while the original 2022 decree only stated that negotiations are “impossible” without specifying any individuals or entities prohibited from engaging in them. Last week, Putin reiterated Moscow’s position that Zelensky lacks the legitimacy to sign agreements, given that his presidential term expired in May 2024 and no constitutional mechanism exists to extend it. However, the Russian president said he is willing to send negotiators to talk to Zelensky if he is open to discussions.

“It’s possible to negotiate with anyone. However, due to his illegitimacy, [Zelensky] has no right to sign anything. If he wishes to participate in talks, I will deploy people who will conduct such negotiations,” Putin stated.The Ukrainian decree banning negotiations with Russia remains an obstacle to meaningful talks between Kiev and Moscow, Putin said. He pledged to deploy a team of legal experts to assess the authority of any Ukrainian negotiating team and determine whether they have the proper legal standing to sign an agreement. “If we start negotiations now, they will be illegitimate… Because when the current head of the regime – that’s the only way to call [Zelensky] today – signed this decree, he was a somewhat legitimate president. But now he can’t cancel it because he is illegitimate. That’s the trick, the catch, the trap,” Putin explained.

“This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this.”

• The Dynamic Duo Have the Dems on the Run (Green)

“Get ’em skeered and keep the skeer on ’em,” was Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s timeless advice about combat. President Donald Trump is a Yankee and Elon Musk is an awkward super-genius immigrant but I swear those two have been reading up on their Confederate history. No, I’m not suggesting they’re going to “put y’all back in chains.” What do you think I am, a Democrat? [shudder] When your enemy is scared, don’t give him a moment to recover his wits. When he’s on the ground, don’t let him up. When he flees, pursue him. Because sometimes a simple win isn’t enough. Trump and Musk have the Democrats scared, and every indication is they mean to keep them scared. And Another Thing: I used to refer to Democrats as opponents. But after years of being treated like their enemy, it’s time to return the favor.

The panic set in over the weekend when Musk and his DOGE boys — more on them momentarily — showed up at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) like they owned the place. Correction: they showed up like we, the taxpayers, own the place. Which we do, by the way. It’s just been a long time since our civil servants had a good reminder of the “servant” half of their positions. By Monday, they were desperately flailing.

An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government.

DOGE is not a real government agency.
DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions.
DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law.
DOGE’s conduct cannot be…

— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 3, 2025

“Congress must take action to restore the rule of law,” he whined. You just want to grab Schumer by the lapels and give him a good shake while reminding him, “You ARE in Congress, you ninny. Take it up with your coworkers, assuming they’ll listen to your pathetic excuse for a United States senator.” Musk responded to Schumer, “This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this.” And I’ve just got to know which 22-year-old know-nothing intern posted this face-palmer on behalf of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee yesterday.

A foreign billionaire has seized the United States government.

— DCCC (@dccc) February 3, 2025

It’s like the Dems are so all-in on their illegal alien invasion that they no longer know the difference between a naturalized citizen and a foreigner. There are a great many examples of waste with which I’ve already amused you these last few days but I think Stephen Miller summed up best what’s wrong with USAID.

Aid to poor international countries is great. Sign me up. Send them grain. Send them rice. Vaccines. Anything. Do it.

"Here is $32 million to perform the Simple Jack scene from Tropic Thunder in makeup but make it Trans." in Burundi, Africa is exactly how and why you lost this…

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 4, 2025

THIS is what they’re panicked about losing. Not because anybody gives a damn about condoms for Gaza or establishing DEI in Serbian elementary schools, but because of the skim they’ll miss out on. Think of Democrats as mobsters who get their beaks wet on every transaction. Intelligencer’s Ed Kilgore collected his wits enough to very calmly shriek about “Trump and his underlings” doing things “that rely on exotic and dangerous theories of imperial presidential powers that Richard Nixon could have only dreamed of possessing.” Refusing to release grants (that were never explicitly authorized by Congress) to Deep State cronies is imperial, you see. Anyway, Kilgore’s genius #Resist plan goes thusly: There is a steadily increasing possibility that the Trump offensive could go so far and so fast that congressional Democrats are tempted essentially to go on strike when it comes to actions where they do actually have some leverage.

These include an upcoming effort to keep the federal government operating when the stopgap spending authority enacted in December runs out on March 14. So they’re going to stop us from shutting down wasteful government by shutting down even more wasteful government? Oh, please don’t throw me in that briar patch! More seriously, Kilgore writes that “the emerging idea may be for congressional Democrats to insist that before they provide a single vote that Republicans need, Elon Musk and Russell Vought (the OMB director nominee widely thought to be behind the funding freeze) must be put on a leash.”There are the chains again. It always comes down to those for Dems, doesn’t it?

Wait until the news sinks in that Trump is serious about radically downsizing the Department of Education. That’s another one of the Left’s Holiest of Holies that exists for the sacred purposes of funneling money to favored Democrat constituencies while indoctrinating children. It isn’t all fun and games, sadly. The Left doxxed at least one of the young computer geniuses Musk brought with him to OPM to untangle the spilled spaghetti mess of slush-fund spending at USAID and other agencies. There were two assassination attempts on Trump last year, so there’s no doubt in my mind the Left won’t happily trigger some other nut into taking a shot or two at one of Musk’s whiz kids. “In a mature society,” Robert Heinlein’s (literally) timeless character Lazarus Long observed, “’civil servant’ is semantically equal to ‘civil master.'” Well, I’m not feeling all that mature right now. How about you?

“Special government employees are appointed for no more than 130 days.”

• Elon Musk Is ‘Special Government Employee,’ White House Confirms (ET)

The White House on Monday confirmed that Space X and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk is considered a “special government employee” under the Trump administration amid questions about his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Speaking to reporters at the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Musk’s federal status and added, “I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws.” Leavitt was also asked about Musk’s security clearance. She said she didn’t know but would check on it. The designation allows Musk, the world’s richest person, to work for the federal government and potentially avoid disclosure rules regarding possible conflicts of interest and finances that generally apply to other government staff.

Special government employees are appointed for no more than 130 days. President Donald Trump said that Musk “can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval, and we’ll give him the approval where appropriate; where not appropriate, we won’t.” “He reports in … but he does have a good natural instinct,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. The Republican president also downplayed complaints about Musk’s alleged conflict of interests, saying, “Where we think there’s a conflict or there’s a problem, we won’t let him go near it, but he has some very good ideas.” One of the most significant steps was DOGE gaining access to the U.S. Treasury payment system, which is responsible for 1 billion payments per year totaling $5 trillion. It includes sensitive information involving bank accounts and Social Security payments.

It’s unclear what Musk wants to do with the payment system. He has said that he could trim $1 trillion from the federal deficit “just by addressing waste, fraud and abuse.” Democratic lawmakers have decried what they characterize as an unelected billionaire amassing too much power over the federal government. “That’s the biggest data hack ever in the world,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) told reporters in Madison, Wisconsin. “I am outraged about it,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Capitol Hill, adding that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent must revoke Musk’s access to the payment system. “We must halt this unlawful and dangerous power grab.” In a post on the Musk-owned social media platform X, Schumer said that DOGE isn’t “a real government agency” and lacks authority to make spending decisions or to shut down programs.

In response, Musk wrote on X on Tuesday morning that Schumer’s reaction is “hysterical” and that DOGE “is doing work that really matters.” He framed DOGE’s mission in existential terms. “This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people,” Musk wrote. “We’re never going to get another chance like this.” Meanwhile, a group representing retirees and union workers sued Bessent and the U.S. Treasury Department on Monday in a bid to get them to stop sharing personal and financial information with DOGE.

“The scale of the intrusion into individuals’ privacy is massive and unprecedented,” the groups wrote in their complaint, filed in the District of Columbia federal court. Aside from the Treasury Department, Musk and Trump have set their sights on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with both saying that the organization has been led by radicals and needs to be dissolved. On Monday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is now the acting director of USAID. He said the agency lacked accountability and that its staff did not follow orders.

“..the “news” from Ukraine is being written by US government-backed media outlets and then picked up by US and other western media.”

• Audit USAID…Then Shut It Down! (Ron Paul)

As of this writing, when you attempt to access the US Agency for International Development (USAID) website or social media pages you are informed that, “This site can’t be reached.” The media reports that the new Trump Administration has not only frozen USAID activities but may be planning on bringing it back under control of the US State Department. Other reports, including statements by Elon Musk, suggest If true, the closing of USAID may be one of the most significant changes President Trump has made among many dramatic actions in his first couple of weeks in office. Many Americans may still have the idea that USAID is a government agency delivering relief at disaster sites overseas. They may still remember the bags of rice or grain with the USAID logo on them. But that is not USAID.

USAID is a key component of the US government’s “regime change” operations worldwide. USAID spends billions of dollars every year propping up “NGOs” overseas that function as shadow governments, eating away at elected governments that the US interventionists want to overthrow. Behind most US foreign policy disasters overseas you will see the fingerprints of USAID. From Ukraine to Georgia and far beyond, USAID is meddling in the internal affairs of foreign countries – something that would infuriate Americans if it was happening to us. When President Trump ordered a 90 day pause in USAID activities, we quickly learned just how pernicious the agency really is. The US media reported that Ukrainian press outlets were scrambling to keep their doors open when the US dollars stopped flowing. It is reported that 90 percent of the media outlets are funded by the US government!

This means that there is virtually no independent media in Ukraine, only fake news outlets willing to toe the US Administration’s propaganda line. Does anyone think these wholly US-funded “news” outlets would ever publish a story that the US government did not want published? This is plainly immoral, but it is also dangerous. Most US mainstream media stories about Ukraine have their origins in the “reporting” of the local media. From battlefield news to casualties to the state of the Ukrainian military, the “news” from Ukraine is being written by US government-backed media outlets and then picked up by US and other western media. It is a closed propaganda loop that not only propagandizes the US citizen but also feeds false information into US government outlets – such as Congress – that rely on mainstream US media reporting for their news on Ukraine.

No wonder so many in Washington continue to support this hopeless war! But USAID is not just in the business of disinformation. Elon Musk recently re-posted a New York Post article on X reporting that USAID funneled $53 million to EcoHealth Alliance to support gain-of-function research on coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab! Did USAID help fund COVID? Americans have a right to know. In natural catastrophes overseas Americans have shown themselves to be extremely generous. Private volunteer assistance organizations can more effectively assist victims of disasters worldwide. USAID needs a full and transparent audit. Americans deserve to know exactly what is being done in their name overseas. Then the agency needs to be shuttered completely, and its employees sent home. That would go a long way toward making America great again.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1886575073911333323

“..their basic attitude is, ‘We don’t work for anyone, we work for ourselves, no agency of government can tell us what to do.”

• “Rank Insubordination”: Rubio Says USAID Full Of Rogue Employees (ZH)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for what he called “rank insubordination,” and is full of rogue employees who do whatever the hell they want. “Well, that was always the goal was to reform it, but now we have rank insubordination,” Rubio told Fox News, in comments just one day after President Trump announced that Rubio would serve as the acting head of USAID – which itself came after Elon Musk’s DOGE team descended upon the agency and revealed that “USAID is a ball of worms. There is no apple. And when there is no apple you just need to get rid of the whole thing. That’s why it’s got to go. It’s beyond repair.” According to Rubio, “Now we have basically an active effort — their basic attitude is, ‘We don’t work for anyone, we work for ourselves, no agency of government can tell us what to do.”

“So the president made me the acting administrator,” he added. “I’ve delegated that power to someone who is there full-time, and we’re going to go through the same process at USAID as we’re going through now at the State Department.” According to Rubio, USAID has lost its focus and abandoned the “national interest” – telling Fox: “They have basically evolved into an agency that believes that they’re not even a U.S. government agency, that they are out — they’re a global charity, that they take the taxpayer money, and they spend it as a global charity irrespective of whether it is in the national interest or not in the national interest.”

“One of the most common complaints you will get if you go to embassies around the world from State Department officials and ambassadors and the like is USAID is not only not cooperative — they undermine the work that we’re doing in that country, they are supporting programs that upset the host government for whom we’re trying to work with on a broader scale, and so forth,” Rubio added. On Monday, deep state crusaders Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) staged a dramatic protest outside the USAID headquarters, with Omar suggesting that Trump’s move to fold the agency into the State Department was “what the beginning of dictatorship looks like!” – and Raskin suggesting that Elon Musk had “illegally seized power over the financial payment systems of the United States Department of Treasury,” adding “Elon Musk, you didn’t create USAID,” and that Musk “doesn’t have the power to destroy it.”

Tulsi, too, is one final round of votes away from being confirmed.

• RFK Jr. Moves Closer To Becoming US Health Chief (RT)

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has moved closer to becoming the US secretary of health and human services after the Senate Finance Committee voted 14-13 to approve his nomination, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats opposed. Kennedy, 71, an environmental lawyer and well-known vaccine skeptic, faced rigorous questioning during his confirmation hearings. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a physician and chairman of the Senate Health Committee, had initially expressed reservations about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines. However, Cassidy ultimately voted in favor after receiving assurances from Kennedy and the administration of their “commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.”

Democrats, led by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, strongly opposed the nomination, citing concerns over Kennedy’s views. Wyden warned that Kennedy’s leadership could erode public trust in vaccines and public health initiatives. “Mr. Kennedy has given us no reason to believe he will be anything other than a rubber stamp for plans to cut Medicaid and rip health care away from the American people,” Wyden stated. The full Senate, where Republicans currently hold a majority, is expected to vote on Kennedy’s nomination in the coming days or next week. A simple majority is required for confirmation.

US President Donald Trump nominated Kennedy shortly after winning reelection in November last year. If confirmed, Kennedy will oversee a vast budget and key agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other sub-agencies.Shortly before the committee’s vote, Trump endorsed his nominee in a post on Truth Social. “Twenty years ago, autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT’S 1 in 34. WOW! Something’s really wrong. We need BOBBY!!! Thank You! DJT,” the president wrote. Kennedy is the son of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He was a vocal critic of the Covid-19 response measures recommended by the World Health Organization, including the strict lockdowns and rapid rollout of vaccines.

Zerohedge: “Update (1615ET): DOGE is at it again – kicking down the doors of FBI headquarters to obtain the names of roughly 5,000 agents who worked on Jan. 6 cases. This comes after the agency withheld specifics on those involved, such as their names. Officials working for Elon Musk’s DOGE were spotted by CNN entering FBI headquarters on Tuesday to collect the information.

• DOJ Seeks Information on FBI Employees Who Investigated Jan. 6 (ET)

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the names of thousands of FBI employees who worked on investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove in a Jan. 31 missive to Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll directed the FBI to provide the names of all bureau personnel who investigated Jan. 6 and an unrelated terrorism case, Senate Democrats said in a Feb. 3 letter. Driscoll told FBI workers in a separate message to the FBI workforce that the request encompasses thousands of employees across the country, including himself, “who have supported these investigative efforts.” Bove warned that “additional personnel actions” could follow, Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said. [..] An FBI spokesperson confirmed that Bove has requested information about FBI personnel.

“The FBI is currently working to respond to a request for information from the Acting Deputy Attorney General about current and former FBI personnel assigned to certain investigations or prosecutions, including the events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “The FBI will work within the law and policy to respond to official requests for information from the Department of Justice. To be clear, the FBI does not view anyone’s identification on one of these lists as an indicator of misconduct,” the bureau added. Ed Martin, interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, previously launched an investigation into why federal prosecutors brought a felony obstruction charge against hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants. Trump, after taking office, pardoned many people who had been charged over Jan. 6.

The new request for information comes after acting Department of Justice leadership terminated officials, including prosecutors involved in prosecuting Trump before he was elected, and six FBI executive assistant directors. “I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully,” Bove stated in his letter to Driscoll, Senate Democrats said. Durbin and the other senators told Acting Attorney General James McHenry and Driscoll that the terminations, and reassignments that have also taken place, “deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism.” They asked for details about the actions.

Leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents Association told members of Congress on Feb. 3 that the Department of Justice’s actions are threatening the jobs of thousands of FBI agents and “risk disrupting the bureau’s essential work.” “Any review of Special Agents should follow established disciplinary procedures that provide the necessary due process and transparency to our nation’s law enforcement officers,” the group said. McHenry and Driscoll are serving in acting positions as the Senate considers the nominations of Pam Bondi and Kash Patel to become, respectively, the attorney general and FBI director. Patel said during his confirmation hearing that he would not act against FBI employees solely due to their work on probes into Trump. “All FBI employees will be protected against political retribution,” he said. “I will not politicize that office,“ Bondi said during her confirmation hearing. ”I will not target people simply because of their political affiliation.”

“Congress isn’t going to get rid of the Education Department. There simply aren’t the votes, as many Republicans have shown in the past that shuttering the Education Department is a bridge too far.”

• Dept. of Ed on the Chopping Block as Trump Readies Executive Order (Moran)

Donald Trump has ordered a plan to shutter the U.S. Department of Education and transfer its programs to the states, giving Congress a roadmap on how to accomplish that. This is a long-term project with no certainty of success. While the Education Department has many enemies, it also has many friends in both parties. With an FY 2025 budget of $82.5 billion, there’s plenty of cash to spread around. That $82.5 billion is in addition to the $276 billion spent to help K-12 students “catch up” after the pandemic. The government called that program “The Education Stabilization Fund.” The truth is, it didn’t stabilize anything. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is often called “The Nation’s Report Card” because it’s administered to so many students.

The results from the 2024 NAEP test reveal the total failure of our Education Department. “The percentage of eighth graders who have ‘below basic’ reading skills according to NAEP was the largest it has been in the exam’s three-decade history — 33 percent,” reports the New York Times. “The percentage of fourth graders at “below basic” was the largest in 20 years, at 40 percent.” The teachers won’t take responsibility for that disaster. The Education Department isn’t either, despite creating programs they claimed would help kids “catch up.”

ABC News: “Closing down the department would be an extraordinary move that would help Trump inch closer to fulfilling the promise that he made for months on the campaign trail: dismantling it and sending education policy back to the states. But any executive action is likely to ask for a plan to shut down the department, but not an immediate directive to shut down the department, sources told ABC News. It’s also unclear how the next education secretary would handle plans to close the department and reallocate its functions. Trump’s education secretary choice Linda McMahon has not yet had a Senate confirmation hearing. A bill in the Senate to shutter the department would likely fail without a two-thirds majority vote.”

Without a semi-orderly transfer of responsibilities from federal to state agencies, chaos will ensue. That’s why the Trump administration will begin the process by moving carefully. The planned executive order would “shut down all functions of the agency that aren’t written explicitly into statute or move certain functions to other departments,” according to the Wall Street Journal.” “Fully abolishing the department would require an act of Congress, and lawmakers have for years shown little interest in doing so. Trump unsuccessfully tried to merge the education and labor departments in his first term. Last week, Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) introduced a bill to abolish the Education Department by the end of 2026. “Unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., should not be in charge of our children’s intellectual and moral development,” Massie said. “States and local communities are best positioned to shape curricula that meet the needs of their students.”

I liken attempts to get rid of the Education Department to trying to get rid of Obamacare. Both of those huge entities have embedded themselves into every nook and cranny of American life. It’s not just a question of declaring them dead or repealed. Both Obamacare and federal education programs are a part of the DNA of many communities, and the chaos that would ensue by getting rid of either of those programs would cause enormous pain to some of the most vulnerable citizens. Congress isn’t going to get rid of the Education Department. There simply aren’t the votes, as many Republicans have shown in the past that shuttering the Education Department is a bridge too far. But if Trump and Elon Musk are able to shrink the Department of Education, curtailing many of its programs, the administration should consider it a victory.

“Greene pointed to NPR’s refusal to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story because “we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions..”

• House Panel Asks PBS, NPR Chiefs to Testify on Alleged ‘Biased Content’ (ET)

The heads of the taxpayer-funded Public Broadcasting System (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) are being asked to testify at a congressional hearing on allegations of “blatantly ideological and partisan” coverage. In a Feb. 3 letter to PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), chairwoman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s (HOAC) Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), cited as an example of such coverage PBS reporting that characterized a recent gesture by Elon Musk as a “Nazi salute.” Musk vigorously denied the allegation and Greene pointed to the Anti-Defamation League’s statement that said Musk “made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute.”

Greene told Kerger that “this sort of bias betrays the principles of objective reporting and undermines public trust. As an organization that receives federal funds through its member stations, PBS should provide reporting that serves the entire public, not just a narrow slice of like-minded individuals and ideological interest groups.” In response, a PBS spokesman released a statement to The Epoch Times saying the outlet is “grateful to have bipartisan support in Congress, and our country. We’ve earned this support from decades of noncommercial and nonpartisan work in local communities: providing all Americans with content they trust.” The statement continued, saying PBS is committed to offering “a broad range of stories and programs that help citizens understand our past and shape our future; and helping children and families open up worlds of possibilities through educational programming.”

In a similar Feb. 3 letter to NPR President and Chief Executive Officer Katherine Maher, Greene pointed to NPR’s refusal to cover the Hunter Biden laptop story because “we don’t want to waste the listeners’ and readers’ time on stories that are just pure distractions” as evidence of unacceptable bias in federally funded news coverage. An NPR spokesman released the following statement to The Epoch Times concerning the hearing: “Since its inception, NPR has collaborated with local nonprofit public media organizations to fill critical needs for news and information in America’s communities. We constantly strive to hold ourselves to the highest standards of journalism. … We welcome the opportunity to discuss the critical role of public media in delivering impartial, fact-based news and reporting to the American public.”

Greene offered the two media executives two alternative dates in March for the hearing. A subcommittee spokesman told The Epoch Times the date has not been set. In addition to the Musk and Hunter Biden laptop incidents, Greene said the forthcoming hearing was prompted in great part by the publication in 2024 of an exposé by former NPR senior editor Uri Berliner. Berliner criticized the organization for “only serving a liberal leaning audience and for failing to properly report major news stories—including Hunter Biden’s laptop, COVID-19 origins, and the Russian collusion hoax,” Greene said in a separate statement announcing the hearing.

“..pausing so-called “gender-affirming care” for gender-confused minors violates state law.”

• NY AG Letitia James Defies Trump’s EO On “Gender Affirming Care” (AmG)

In open defiance of President Trump’s January 28 executive order to “protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation,” New York Attorney General Letitia James on Monday warned hospitals that pausing so-called “gender-affirming care” for gender-confused minors violates state law.

Trump specified in his executive order that the term “child” or “children” referred to individuals under 19 years of age, and the phrase “chemical and surgical mutilation” meant “the use of puberty blockers, including GnRH agonists and other interventions, to delay the onset or progression of normally timed puberty in an individual who does not identify as his or her sex; the use of sex hormones, such as androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, to align an individual’s physical appearance with an identity that differs from his or her sex; and surgical procedures that attempt to transform an individual’s physical appearance to align with an identity that differs from his or her sex or that attempt to alter or remove an individual’s sexual organs to minimize or destroy their natural biological functions.”

The EO notes that the above procedures are often referred to as “gender affirming care.”“Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding,” the EO states. “Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization.” The EO continues: “Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition” of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

James stated in a letter to health care providers and organizations that receive federal funds that denying such “care” to children in New York violates state laws that protect against discrimination based on sex and gender identity. “Regardless of the availability of federal funding, we write to further remind you of your obligations to comply with New York State laws,” the letter states. “Electing to refuse services to a class of individuals based on their protected status, such as withholding the availability of services from transgender individuals based on their gender identity or their diagnosis of gender dysphoria, while offering such services to cisgender individuals, is discrimination under New York law.”

1%. Not the same as Twitter yet..

• 20,000 Government Workers Take Trump Buyout Offer As Mass Layoffs Loom (ZH)

Approximately 20,000 federal workers, or around 1% of the federal workforce, have accepted the Trump administration’s “buyout” offer before Thursday’s deadline, Axios reports, citing a senior administration official. The offer allows federal employees to stop working immediately and continue to be paid through Sept. 30. And with the door open for another 48 hours, the White House expects more to take the offer. “We expect more to come. If you see what’s happening at USAID, it’s just one piece of the puzzle,” said the official, referring to the federal agency which oversees foreign aid programs full of rogue employees that were funding all sorts of woke, anti-American projects around the world.

The buyout offer has faced heavy opposition from unions and other organizations, which argue that the offer is illegal, there’s no guarantee people will actually get paid (lol), and it’s something that Congress would need to authorize. The Trump admin rejects those assertions, and says it’s following through on its promise to restructure the federal government. Last week, the administration sent out a memo offering to pay all federal workers an 8-month severance through Sept. 30.The official further stated that the administration is still trying to implement a hiring freeze, which has proven more difficult than expected as some agencies continue to hire new workers. According to the report, the normal attrition rate within the federal workforce is around 6% per year, suggesting that some of those who have taken the buyout offer were planning to leave government service anyway.

According to the Washington Post, the assistant commissioner of a division of the General Services Administration told staff early this week that mass layoffs across the federal government are “likely” after the ‘buyout’ offer expires Thursday. “Please know that I empathize with the tough decisions you each are having to make,” wrote Erv Koehler, assistant commissioner of general supplies and services at GSA, in an email obtained by the Post. “Please focus on making the best decision for you and your particular situation.” According to Koehler’s email, GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service “is being asked” to cut its program by 50%, which reflects the agency’s goal to half the size of its staff.

“President Trump has appointed DOGE and Elon Musk to act as his agents when it comes to reasserting executive control over government agencies. Agents acting within the scope of their assigned agency have the same authority as the principal.”

• Trump Attack On The Deep State Spectacular And Almost Certainly Legal (Widburg)

In the last few days, Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) has effectively put an end to USAID, gelded the General Services Administration (GSA) tech division, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Treasury, and fired corrupt people in the FBI—and that’s just the short list. With the war on USAID, GSA, OPM, and the Treasury alone, DOGE is saving taxpayers at a rate of one billion per day. All of this has driven the Democrats into a frenzy as they insist that an elected president managing the government is a coup. Unfortunately for them (but not for us), they don’t have a legal leg to stand on.

President Kennedy founded USAID via Executive Order 10973 in November 1961: “Administration of Foreign Assistance and Related Functions.” It was meant to be a permanent clearing house that would work with the State Department to distribute money intended to help advance technology and financial competence in low-income countries. It reflected the fact that, in 1961, the U.S. was still the last country standing after WWII. The vision was to benefit America by fortifying poor countries against Soviet depredation. USAID has strayed far from that mandate. [..]Elon Musk revealed that the Treasury Department was cutting checks to terrorist organizations and known fraudsters. And, of course, Trump fired all the FBI agents involved in the war against those of Trump’s supporters who showed up at the Capitol on January 6. The Acting FBI Director fought back, which leads to the point of this article: It’s almost certain that none of these people has a legal leg to stand on, whether it comes to the way Trump has stopped the money flow or the firings.

First, Trump’s refusal to fund corrupt agencies: Since 1801, under the aegis of Thomas Jefferson, presidents have had a power known as impoundment. This means the president gets to decide how to spend—or not spend—money that Congress has allocated. In other words, the generation that ratified the Constitution believed that this was an appropriate exercise of executive power. However, in 1974, in yet another piece of Watergate fallout, Congress enacted the “Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974,” which says that the president must submit to Congress his plans not to spend money. Given the history of impoundment (the ratifying generation approved of it), it’s highly unlikely that this act is constitutional. The fact that no president has yet challenged it doesn’t change this reality.

Additionally, because Trump has a majority in Congress, if he were to submit his impoundment plan, the greater likelihood is that it would give him a pass. (RINOs would have a hard time explaining to voters why they want America to pay for “trans” comic books in Peru.) Second, Trump’s ability to fire employees: [..] In 1789, the First Congress debated whether the Constitution gives the president the unilateral power to remove Executive Branch officers. Ultimately, Congress simply said that when the president fires someone (a tacit acknowledgment that he has that unilateral power), a lower-level employee must take custody of records until a new officer is appointed. That debate has led the Supreme Court to hold several times that Congress has no direct role in firing officials. [..]

There was a fight over this power when Andrew Johnson attempted to fire an Executive Branch officer whom Lincoln had appointed, violating the Tenure of Office Act, and leading to Johnson’s impeachment. However, the Senate did not convict Johnson, and by 1887, Congress repealed any requirement that the Senate approve firings. When the 19th century ended, the president’s unilateral power to fire officers was unquestioned. This makes sense because if the Founders had wanted to extend the “advice and consent” power to firings, they could have done so. This standard continued through the 1920s. Things changed in the 1930s when an activist Supreme Court created a new standard, which has affected (or infected) the government to this day: It held that if Congress designates an agency as “independent,” Congress, not the president, has the power over dismissal, with the president as its agent.

This was the go-ahead to create a fourth branch of government that is neither legislative, executive, nor judicial, although, as we’ve repeatedly seen, these “independent” agencies all claim those powers. The big issue of our day is whether these “independent” agencies are constitutional—I say they’re not because they are not one of the three branches of government established under the Constitution. Thankfully, the Supreme Court has, of late, been pulling back from the 1930s template. Here’s another legal concept: “The greater includes the lesser.” In this case, it means that if the president has the power to fire officials, he has the power to fire lesser employees working under those officials.

And one last legal concept: President Trump has appointed DOGE and Elon Musk to act as his agents when it comes to reasserting executive control over government agencies. Agents acting within the scope of their assigned agency have the same authority as the principal. I’m confident that President Trump is acting entirely within the authority the Founding Fathers and ratifiers of our Constitution intended him to have. However, we know that these issues will end up before the Court and, perhaps, before Congress. I’m hopeful that, as President Trump and DOGE expose an escalating amount of government fraud, abuse, and waste, despite the escalating Democrat pushback, Congress and the Courts will understand that they will not have the American people at their backs if they strike down his legitimate use of constitutional power.

“..billions of dollars were shifted from helping Americans in need to facilitating illegal immigration. Super messed up!”

• Biden Spent Billions Promoting Illegal Immigration – Musk (RT)

Elon Musk has accused the administration of former US President Joe Biden of redirecting billions of dollars in taxpayer funds away from assisting Americans in need and instead using them to support undocumented migrants. The entrepreneur is a close ally of current US President Donald Trump and leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an organization responsible for reducing wasteful government spending. Musk has been vocal about the economic impact of illegal immigration, often criticizing government spending on social services for people in the country illegally. He has claimed that federal policies have incentivized unlawful border crossings while placing a significant financial burden on US citizens.

“Under the Biden administration, billions of dollars were shifted from helping Americans in need to facilitating illegal immigration. Super messed up!” Musk stated in a post on X on Tuesday. He previously estimated that illegal immigration cost US taxpayers over $150 billion in 2023 alone, citing data from the Federation for American Immigration Reform. This figure includes expenditures on healthcare, education, and law enforcement. The Biden administration had defended its approach to immigration, asserting that it was balancing border enforcement with humanitarian obligations. The previous administration claimed having expanded legal pathways for migrants while deporting those who failed to meet asylum requirements.

However, critics such as Musk and many Republican leaders maintain that Biden’s policies have weakened border security, incentivized illegal crossings, and strained government resources. Musk has shown a growing interest in political and social issues, particularly immigration. In 2023, he personally visited Eagle Pass, Texas, to witness the conditions at the US-Mexico border and spoke with officials about the challenges posed by the migrant surge. Since then, he has advocated for stronger border controls and policy reforms to curb illegal immigration.

Staying in power for 16 years is far too long. You kill off the next generation of leadership.

• Merkel To Blame For The Rise Of The AfD: Former Austrian Chancellor Kurz (RMX)

Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has openly blamed his former German counterpart Angela Merkel for the rise of right-wing populism in Germany, arguing that her 2015 open-border migration policy directly fueled the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Kurz stated that without Merkel’s migration stance, the AfD would never have gained the support it currently enjoys. Speaking to Bild, Kurz defended the asylum policies advocated by CDU leader Friedrich Merz, particularly his call to reject all illegal migrants at Germany’s borders. “I don’t just think that is correct, but it is absolutely necessary,” Kurz said. “If you look at how large parts of Europe — including Germany and Austria — have changed due to uncontrolled migration, it is obvious that this development is not good.”

Kurz, who was Austria’s foreign minister during the 2015 migrant crisis, emphasized that migration policies require not just words but concrete actions. He expressed hope that a policy shift in Germany would serve as a model for the rest of Europe. “In 2015, I saw firsthand how the Welkomkultur — or ‘welcome culture’ — triggered a negative domino effect, encouraging more migrants to come to Europe,” he explained. “When we shut down the Balkan route, other countries followed, and we saw a reversal of the migration wave. The same is possible today. If Germany takes the lead, other European nations will follow.”

Earlier this week, the CDU sought in the German parliament to implement a stricter immigration and asylum policy, legislation that could only pass with support from the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The move led to violent protests from left-wing activists at the CDU party headquarters in Berlin, but Kurz dismissed controversy surrounding the AfD’s support, arguing that leaders should focus on implementing the right policy irrespective of political alliances. “A politician should do what is right and not constantly worry about who supports or opposes it,” Kurz stated. “That is what leadership means.”

The Austrian politician criticized conservative politicians who shy away from necessary policies out of fear of aligning with right-wing populists on certain issues. “In Germany, there is a fear that a policy could be supported by the AfD,” he said. “But you cannot intentionally do something wrong just to avoid being on the same voting side as the AfD.” He pushed back against criticism that his own coalition with the right-wing FPÖ from 2017-2019 helped legitimize populist movements, emphasizing that he had won two elections against the FPÖ as leader of the Christian-democratic Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), proving that the center-right can defeat right-wing populists by pursuing strong policies. “The right-wing parties are always strongest when conservative parties fail to implement their policies consistently,” Kurz warned.

After the left-wing parties took control of Austria, the FPÖ rallied to win last September’s elections as the largest party, and its leader Herbert Kickl is now in talks with the ÖVP to form a coalition. He is expected to become the FPÖ’s first-ever chancellor.Kurz argued that Merkel’s migration policies since 2015 were the main factor behind the AfD’s rise, saying: “Without the wrong migration policy since 2015, there would not be such a strong AfD in Germany. The failed migration policy is the guarantee that the AfD will continue to grow.” Kurz concluded with a stark warning to Germany’s political leadership, urging them to address citizens’ legitimate concerns about migration before they drive more voters to right-wing populist parties. “If you really want right-wing parties to grow without limits, then you should continue ignoring the legitimate concerns of a large part of the population,” Kurz said. “Otherwise, you will only push more people into the arms of these parties.”

“..more liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as F-35 fighter jets..”

• UK Hoping To Buy Its Way Out Of Trump Tariffs (RT)

The UK government is considering purchasing more liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as F-35 fighter jets from the US in the hope of averting punitive tariffs on British goods, Politico has reported. Tariffs were a prominent tool in US President Donald Trump’s repertoire during his first term in office, with the Republican using the same tactics after returning to the White House last month. In an article on Tuesday, Politico quoted an anonymous former UK Energy Department figure as predicting that London and Washington could seal a deal that grants the US an even bigger share of the British market. According to the media outlet, American LNG currently accounts for 26% of the UK’s energy imports.

Former UK Energy Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng told Politico that with dwindling North Sea offshore gas production, London would inevitably have to turn to foreign suppliers. “The US is the natural place to go,” the official said, adding that the “only other options are Qatar or Russia – and we’re not going to get it from there.” Citing an unnamed “defense industry figure,” the report claimed that the UK could also place more orders for US-made F-35 warplanes. The media outlet noted that the prospect of further purchases had been uncertain given London’s participation in the multinational Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) aimed at building a new fighter-jet. However, with Trump back in office, “everything [is] on the table,” another anonymous senior UK government figure told Politico.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, Trump claimed that while the “UK is out of line,” trade issues “can be worked out.” Last Saturday, Trump slapped 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, and 10% tariffs on goods from China, suggesting that the European Union could soon face similar measures. On Tuesday, however, Trump placed the decisions on hold for a month after Canada and Mexico agreed to beef up security along their respective borders with the US. Trump argued that the agreements with both neighbors would help “stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal migrants into our country.”

It’s not over. The IMF, in exchange for a $1.4 billion loan, insisted bitcoin acceptance should not be mandatory everywhere. We have questions.

• El Salvador Abandons Bitcoin Legal Tender Experiment (RT)

El Salvador’s Congress has approved a reform revoking Bitcoin’s status as legal tender, in a reversal of the country’s landmark 2021 decision, according to media reports. The amendments to its Bitcoin law come after a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund, which requires that the acceptance of the cryptocurrency be made voluntary in the country. In 2021, El Salvador became the first country to adopt cryptocurrency as legal tender, officially recognizing Bitcoin alongside the US dollar, which had been the nation’s primary currency for two decades. The legislative changes passed on January 30 removed Bitcoin’s mandatory acceptance in El Salvador, making its use entirely voluntary. The reform was approved with 55 votes in favor and two against.

The amendments reportedly come after nearly two years of pressure from the IMF, which urged the country to mitigate Bitcoin-related financial risks in exchange for a $1.4 billion loan, which was agreed to in December, to stabilize the country’s struggling economy. The IMF specifically pushed for Bitcoin acceptance to be voluntary in the private sector, according to Reuters. The move marks a significant policy reversal for El Salvador, as President Nayib Bukele championed Bitcoin’s legal tender status as a way to boost financial inclusion, particularly for the unbanked population.

However, recent surveys show that 92% of Salvadorans have refrained from using Bitcoin since its official adoption, highlighting public skepticism toward the digital currency, despite government efforts. Although Bitcoin has lost its legal tender status, the government has recently indicated that it will continue buying the cryptocurrency to add to its reserves. Last year, Bukele slammed the US dollar, claiming it is backed by nothing, and that the US economy is based on the “farce” of printing unlimited amounts of money. He went on to predict that Western civilization will collapse when this bubble “inevitably bursts.”

“Talk is cheap. What matters is success. On that metric, the Trump administration is set to actually achieve what Paris Agreement signatories only write on paper.”

• Trump’s Withdrawal From the Paris Agreement Won’t Hurt the Climate (RCW)

President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Cue the leftwing meltdown. Though everyone knew the withdrawal was coming, the left and the “international community” are still decrying America’s alleged abdication of leadership on climate. But toothless agreements window dressed with international summits and photo ops are not the same as leadership. The truth is America has led the world in reducing emissions for years not because of the Paris Agreement, but because innovation and the free market facilitate the deployment of cheaper and cleaner energy. Let’s review the record. In recent decades, America has achieved unprecedented — and unexpected — energy production thanks to fracking and horizontal drilling. Since the early 2000s when these twin technologies began to be deployed much more expansively, U.S. natural gas production has more than doubled.

By 2016, hydraulically fractured gas wells accessed through horizontal drilling accounted for nearly 70% of all oil and natural gas wells. While the left may clutch its pearls at the increased production of a fossil fuel like natural gas, this clean energy source has been a main driver of U.S. emissions reductions. Over the past 15 years when America has massively increased natural gas output, the U.S. reduced carbon emissions more than any other country. We can see this year by year. For example, from 2022 to 2023, America offset dirtier coal energy generation with natural gas. As coal declined by 121.9 terawatt hours of electric generation over that time, natural gas increased by 118.9 terawatt hours. At the same time, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions declined 1.9%. Notably, 80% of the U.S. carbon emissions reductions were driven by the electric power sector — precisely where natural gas has an outsized impact.

Notice what didn’t cause those emissions reductions? The Paris Agreement. The American energy sector — powered by innovation and good-old-fashioned free market economics — has been driving down carbon emissions cheaply and effectively before the Paris Agreement was a twinkle in climate activists’ eyes. And it will continue to reduce carbon emissions long after President Trump’s decision to withdraw. The Paris Agreement is far from the panacea some activists claim it is. It isn’t even a particularly effective tool to rally nations toward greater climate success. In the middle of the allegedly climate-conscious Biden administration, none of the world’s biggest emitters — America included — had reduced their emissions in accordance with the Paris goals. Apparently, the $1 trillion regulatory and subsidy regime erected by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act had little bang for the buck.

What Agreement supporters forget is that no number of high-profile international accords can make command-control tactics work — or instill other nations with the ambition to fulfill their empty promises. The Paris Agreement is the definition of bureaucratic failure, conflating meetings, busyness, and lofty goals as success. Its only achievement is to make climate ideologues and green jetsetters feel good about themselves as they fly to international conferences. It’s no wonder President Trump withdrew. Talk is cheap. What matters is success. On that metric, the Trump administration is set to actually achieve what Paris Agreement signatories only write on paper.

Trump entered office promising to deregulate the fossil fuel industry, increase permitting for natural gas extraction, approve the construction of energy facilities like natural gas export terminals, and re-establish American energy dominance. By leaning into America’s carbon advantage and exporting clean American energy abroad, he will boost the U.S. economy, supplant dirty energy from nations like Russia and Venezuela with a clean American alternative, and lower emissions both at home and abroad, all without the jaw-dropping price tag of the failed Biden-era green agenda. We should combine these steps with efforts to actually hold the biggest polluters accountable (which are being discussed by President Trump’s cabinet). This approach would be the antithesis of the Paris Accords’ America-last strategy.

Netflix
https://twitter.com/i/status/1886570424105927139

Salesman

And he is the BEST president we've ever had, too! pic.twitter.com/1piV0tzeUg

— NRM84 (@Mappy6984) February 3, 2025

Babysit

When daddy babysits
pic.twitter.com/pp2skD9vdJ

— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) February 4, 2025

Bond
https://twitter.com/i/status/1886672286507270440

88 pounds

This sheep is covered in 88 pounds of wool. pic.twitter.com/esqZEiolmE

— Agriculture Insider (@Agriculfuture) February 4, 2025

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Debt Rattle January 19 2025

Jan 192025

January 19, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:35 am Finance Tagged with: Azov Sea, ceasefire, Chicago, Executive Orders, Gaza, Hamas, inauguration, Netanyahu, Tiktok, Trump 64 Responses »

Salvador Dali The Feeling of Becoming 1931

• Hamas Names Israeli Hostages To Be Released First (RT)

• Netanyahu: Trump “Emphasized” That The Gaza Ceasefire Is “Temporary” (ZH)

• Trump’s 100 Executive Orders On Day One Promises Chaos, Huge Changes (Moran)

• Trump’s First Day Executive Orders To Touch A Wide Range Of Subjects (JTN)

• Top Priorities for Trump’s Presidency (ET)

• Most Americans Share Trump’s Views – Poll (RT)

• TikTok Goes Dark In The US (RT)

• Marco Rubio Says No Clear Reason Why US Bankrolled Ukraine (SCF)

• US Treasury To Take ‘Extraordinary Measures’ After Trump Inauguration (RT)

• Trump Plans Huge Chicago Illegal Immigrant Raid – WSJ (RT)

• Russia Warns Against UK-Ukraine Claims to Azov Sea (Sp.)

• Frozen Future? Europe’s Energy Crisis Worsens Amid Gas War (Sp.)

• New Juicy Details About How Biden Was Forced To Drop Out (Margolis)

• The Man Who Probably Will Not Be Allowed To Lead Romania (Karganovic)

• US Suspends EcoHealth Alliance, Peter Daszak (ZH)

https://twitter.com/i/status/1880632659401212320

Elon Musk: Humanity is becoming a superorganism.

“The Internet is like a nervous system for humanity, whereas previously, communication was more like osmosis.

In order for information to travel, somebody would have to call someone with a phone or write them a letter, and then… pic.twitter.com/sGXP5q4F1g

— ELON CLIPS (@ElonClipsX) January 18, 2025

Noem

The Biden regime picked up over 700K illegals from all over the world on PRIVATE jets to escort them to the city of their choice at the taxpayers' expense!

Even worse, they would fly illegals to another state to avoid deportation if they committed a serious crime!

SICKENING &… pic.twitter.com/mtlsckvJBS

— Michelle #AmericaFirst (@MichelleRM68) January 17, 2025

250

This is happening in every state in America right now…

We need to collectively demand more resources go towards combating the trafficking of children…

Human trafficking is over a 250 billion dollar business a year..

It’s far worse than most can even imagine… pic.twitter.com/ocPl5lvAsB

— Isaac’s Army (@ReturnOfKappy) January 17, 2025

Maher

Blistering ending monologue from Bill Maher as he torches LA Mayor Karen Bass 'Nero who fiddled in Ghana as LA burns':
"Axios ran a story on how getting the water out of the hydrants in Pacific Palisades was more complicated than it seems.
I'm sure it's very complicated. That's… pic.twitter.com/mwcBD2Z8Kq

— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) January 18, 2025

Speaker

NEW: During a one-on-one meeting, Speaker Johnson asked President Biden why he paused LNG exports to Europe, says Biden was completely unaware he had done so.

The United States hasn't had a president for four years.

Johnson says Biden was completely unaware of an executive… pic.twitter.com/GgGm3QuYkM

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 18, 2025

Strzok
https://twitter.com/i/status/1880476390354755690

The ceasefire, which was due to start this morning at 6.30 GMT, was delayed because Hamas did not release the names of 3 female hostages to be freed. They blamed technical difficulties. A few hours later, Hamas released the names and the ceasefire officially started. Anyone’s guess how long it will last.

• Hamas Names Israeli Hostages To Be Released First (RT)

Hamas has released the names of the three Israeli captives to be freed on the first day of the implementation of the ceasefire deal in Gaza, a Hamas spokesperson said in a post on Telegram. The move potentially clears the way for the truce to begin after an hours-long delay. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to cancel the ceasefire with Hamas if the Palestinian militant group did not provide a list of the Israeli hostages to be released in the first phase of the truce.

Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said, “As part of the prisoner exchange deal we decided to release today: Romi Gonen, 24, Emily Damari, 28, and Doron Shtanbar Khair, 31.” The three civilian women were taken hostage on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas onslaught in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were kidnapped to Gaza. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued on Sunday even after the planned start time for the ceasefire had passed. Netanyahu said the truce “will not begin” until Hamas provides a list of hostages to be released as part of the agreement.

Bibi lost the support of Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir today, as well as two others. His majority is now razor thin.

• Netanyahu: Trump “Emphasized” That The Gaza Ceasefire Is “Temporary” (ZH)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued some surprisingly bold assertions in a national televised address given just 12-hours before the much anticipated Gaza ceasefire is set to go into effect Sunday morning. Both Biden and Trump have hailed and celebrated the deal, but it’s the Republican president-elect who is by and large receiving the most credit for seeing it to the finish line. Some Israeli media outlets have represented the whole thing as a ‘defeat’ for Netanyahu, who appeared to want to keep the war going until Hamas is completely eradicated. Among Netanyahu’s most provocative words on Saturday was his claim that he has the support of President-elect Trump in the scenario Israel feels it must abandon the ceasefire and keep fighting. He says he has Trump’s full backing to resume the war, and has claimed further that Trump too agreed that the truce is just “temporary”. Watch below:

Netanyahu says Trump "emphasized" to him that the ceasefire is "temporary," and Israel will have "full backing" to resume the war in Gaza. He says Trump has decided to "lift all the remaining restrictions" on US munitions, allowing Israel to resume the war with "tremendous force" pic.twitter.com/oodqpwkU7I

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 18, 2025

“Netanyahu also asserted that he negotiated the best deal possible, even as Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition to it,” Times of Israel notes of the remarks. And there’s some some last-minute details which threaten implementation of the ceasefire… The prime minister had warned earlier that a ceasefire wouldn’t go forward unless Israel received the names of hostages to be released, as had been agreed. His statement came almost three hours after Israel had expected to receive the names from mediator Qatar. There was no immediate response from Qatar or Hamas. But without doubt Netanyahu is feeling the pressure, both within but even more from external allies, especially Washington – which writes the checks for the Israeli war machine.

As for Netanyahu’s talk of the deal being ‘temporary’ it’s unclear whether the Trump team agrees with this assessment. There hasn’t been any initial reaction from Trump as he prepares for the inauguration Monday. But Trump without doubt wants a ceasefire to stick, and is likely to be celebrating its implementation during some of Monday’s inaugural remarks. He has vowed to wind down various conflict hot spots, especially Ukraine, and bring peace. He has also warned that there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas doesn’t uphold its end of the truce deal. This suggests Netanyahu could be telling the truth, or at least an interpretation of it. An initial small group of hostages are expected to be returned to Israel by Sunday evening, with hopeful families awaiting and on edge.

“It is the duty of the President to propose and it is the privilege of the Congress to dispose,” said FDR. It’s a shame that this president will have to do both.”

• Trump’s 100 Executive Orders On Day One Promises Chaos, Huge Changes (Moran)

Trump aides are calling it “Shock and Awe.” There will be 100 executive orders (EO) and other executive actions starting Monday, Jan. 20. Indeed, most executive actions aren’t going to “shock” a lot of people. Trump has talked about all of them in the campaign and during his years in exile since his defeat in 2020. The scope of some of the EOs is broader than some on the left have been predicting, and narrower than some on the right were hoping for. The audacious nature of the 100 EOs masks the probability that almost all of them will be challenged in federal court. Even if the challenges are eventually unsuccessful, some of the executive orders will be picked apart or canceled altogether. The EOs that have garnered the most interest and that have been the target of a hysterical scare campaign on the left are the orders relating to illegal aliens.

In fact, the first actions taken by Customs and Border Protection (CPB) will be to pick up illegal aliens who have committed felonies. “That’s the low-hanging fruit,” said Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford. “People that recently crossed, people that were legally present and committed other crimes, people that the court has ordered them removed — that’s well over a million people. Start working through that process.” In the meantime, Trump is going to reinstitute the most effective guard against illegal immigration in history: Title 42. The measure was adopted during the pandemic as a public health rule, but Trump is planning to stretch the definition to cover the current border crisis. This will set offer howls of outrage among open borders advocates and will be challenged in court. Trump has several other actions planned to secure the border.

New York Sun: “Trump could also move to allow use of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which would authorize some state and local law enforcement to aid Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, Axios has reported. On another front, Trump has vowed to issue an executive order to strip away birthright citizenship, which ensures children born to parents who do not have legal status in America are American citizens. That will likely set up a clash over the 14th Amendment that could wind up at the Supreme Court.” Trump has also promised to strip some federal funds from going to sanctuary states and cities. He tried the same thing during his first term, and was slapped down by appeals courts because, according to Eugene Volokh, the policy “ran afoul of constitutional limits on federal power and on executive power over the budget.”

Trump is hoping that the 54 judges he appointed to the appeals courts will take a different view of the constitutionality of denying funds to sanctuary cities. Other EOs that Trump is expected to sign include actions on energy and trade. “We will begin charging those that make money off us with Trade, and they will start paying, FINALLY, their fair share,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He also announced that on Jan. 20, he would develop an “External Revenue Service.” This new agency will “collect tariffs, duties, and all revenue” from overseas. On foreign policy, China should prepare itself. In addition to slapping China with tariffs, Trump has vowed to rescind its designated status of “permanent normal trade relations,” also known as “most favored nation.” The status was granted more than two decades ago as China prepared to enter the World Trade Organization.

Such a move is popular among congressional Republicans, who think granting China “normal” status and allowing the nation into the WTO was detrimental to the American economy. But the move would likely require congressional action. On Ukraine, although Trump has said he could stop the war in “24 hours,” it will take considerably longer, given the animosity between the two countries. But Ukraine’s President Zelensky finally appears ready to deal. How far he will go for a ceasefire will determine how long the negotiations take. Not all of Trump’s day-one actions will require an EO. Many of the actions will be to rescind Biden administration EOs. Trump is trying to do as much as he can as president, because he knows that once he’s forced to work through Congress, a quagmire will ensue.

This appears to be the fate of all presidents, present and future. Congress has abandoned its constitutional responsibility to govern. “It is the duty of the President to propose and it is the privilege of the Congress to dispose,” said FDR. It’s a shame that this president will have to do both.

He won’t get much sleep.

• Trump’s First Day Executive Orders To Touch A Wide Range Of Subjects (JTN)

President-elect Donald Trump is set to formally take office on Monday after which he is expected to sign an exploding ball of executive orders that will set the tone for his administration on key issues, namely border security and energy. On the campaign, Trump facetiously quipped that he would not act as a dictator or impose authoritarian rule “except for day one.” “We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. Other than that I’m not gonna be a dictator,” he told an amused Sean Hannity during a town hall event last year. Since then, reports have emerged that Trump could sign as many as 100 executive orders on his first day in office. Trump himself made a litany of “day one” promises while on the campaign trail that included moves on nearly every key issue.

Such promises included the convening of a task force to plan America’s 250th birthday, the start of mass deportations, the imposition of tariffs on Mexico, an end to birthright citizenship, the termination of migrant flights, deregulations, orders permitting the expansion of energy production, restrictions on DEI and other programs, and the rooting out of career bureaucrats who work against his agenda. Immigration and border security During a recent meeting with Republican senators, Trump adviser Stephen Miller highlighted planned actions on immigration to begin early in the administration as part of what the Associated Press called “executive punch unseen in modern times.” Among the most highly-anticipated order will be the return of the “Remain-in-Mexico” policy requiring that would-be asylees stay outside the U.S. ahead of their court dates.

Others are likely to address the completion of the southern border wall, Trump’s signature campaign promise from 2016, while others are expected to target groups of illegal aliens that recently entered the United States and those who have already been approved for deportation.Some of the immigration orders may stall, however, with the Senate evidently hesitant to speedily confirm some of his key nominees for posts relevant to those policies. Still, some of his border actions will need only the weight of the president’s signature. One of his key immigration promises was to implement an executive order directing federal agents to interpret the law in a way that would not grant the children of illegal immigrants American citizenship. Trump made that promise in May of 2023, at which time it generated considerable legal speculation about the likely challenges to such a dramatic reinterpretation of the law.

Trump promised to begin mass deportations on day one, but some sources have suggested the deportation numbers will be low at first and gradually build while the administration gets its apparatus in place. “You’re not going to see historic numbers in month one. You start to see a steady increase, and then it’ll keep building and building,” one source familiar with the administration’s plans told Politico. nIndependent of immigration, Trump reportedly plans to target energy production, in part by rolling back Biden-era executive orders and environmental regulations. Specifically, Trump has taken aim at the Biden administration’s natural gas export restrictions and electric vehicle mandates, vowing to end them on day one and to expand fracking in Pennsylvania.

The natural gas export ban was part of the Biden administration’s climate change initiatives and was ostensibly temporary, though it faced legal challenges and the Department of Justice in December asked the courts to halt proceedings, given the incoming Trump administration was likely to end the ban anyway. The electric vehicle mandate, meanwhile, was a regular fixture of Trump’s campaign, especially amid United Auto Workers’ lengthy strike. Trump made the argument that the Green New Deal and the Biden administration’s effort to transfer auto-manufacturing to electric vehicles would bankrupt the industry and result in additional offshoring of their jobs. “I will cancel her insane electric vehicle mandate. It’ll be ended on day one,” he promised.

Jan. 6 pardons? In December, Trump promised to pardon Jan. 6 participants on his first day, saying they were “living in Hell” as the Justice Department pursued charges over their involvement in the incident. More than 1,500 people have faced charges related to Jan. 6 but the scope of Trump’s planned pardons remains unclear, especially whether they will include those convicted of violent offenses. Trump’s actual day one schedule was changed last minute due to inclement weather, with the Inauguration itself being moved inside the Capitol Rotunda, a move not seen since President Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration in 1985. After the swearing-in ceremony, Trump plans to travel to the Capital One arena, which will be open for the crowd to watch the ceremony on a large screen. After that appearance, he is expected to make his way to the White House to begin signing his many planned executive orders.

He has to undo 4 years of “Biden”.

• Top Priorities for Trump’s Presidency (ET)

Readers of The Epoch Times have identified border security, fiscal responsibility, and national defense as the top priorities for President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration. A poll of 26,740 readers, conducted between Jan. 10–13, points to these issues as key areas of focus, reflecting widespread concern over unchecked immigration, economic instability, and global security threats.

Meanwhile, write-in responses by readers of The Epoch Times highlighted strong support for government reform, coupled with opposition to progressive policies such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Border security and deportations topped the list, with 90 percent of respondents considering it “extremely important.” This aligns with Trump’s campaign pledge to launch what he has described as the largest deportation operation in American history, set to begin immediately after his inauguration on Jan. 20. “On my first day back in the Oval Office, I will sign a historic slate of executive orders to close our border to illegal aliens and stop the invasion of our country,” Trump said during a Turning Point USA conference in Phoenix in December 2024. Besides vowing to deport millions of illegal immigrants, Trump also plans to end birthright citizenship, in which anyone born in the United States is currently given automatic citizenship, including to parents of illegal immigrants.

Fiscal Discipline and Economic Stability. Government spending and debt reduction ranked as the second-highest priority, with 82 percent of respondents highlighting the need for fiscal discipline. Concerns over the ballooning national debt—now at $36.22 trillion—is a key concern. The president-elect has said he intends to address these issues through measures such as cutting wasteful spending and reforming federal agencies. To spearhead these efforts, Trump has proposed the creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—with Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tapped to lead the initiative. DOGE aims to slash $2 trillion from the federal budget.

“Your money is being wasted,” Musk said at a Trump rally in New York in October 2024, underscoring Trump’s commitment to tackle government inefficiency and cut wasteful spending. The federal government spent $6.75 trillion in fiscal year 2024—which was $1.83 trillion more than it collected in revenue—pushing the national debt up to $36.22 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. So far in fiscal year 2025, which runs until the end of September, the government has already spent $1.79 trillion.

The issue of debt sustainability, long a concern of fiscal conservatives, has clearly been on Trump’s radar. In a statement announcing the nomination of Scott Bessent to serve as his Treasury secretary, Trump said his administration would “reinvigorate the private sector, and help curb the unsustainable path of federal debt.” The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has warned about the unsustainable trajectory of federal debt, projecting it to climb to a hefty 181 percent of GDP by 2053. If left unchecked, this rising debt is expected to slow economic growth, increase interest payments to foreign creditors, and limit lawmakers’ flexibility to address future fiscal and economic challenges, according to the CBO.

Strengthening National Defense and Securing Elections. Military strength and national security emerged as the third most important priority, with 77 percent of respondents citing it as “extremely important.” Concerns over global threats from adversaries such as China and Russia have amplified calls for bolstering America’s defense capabilities. Trump’s proposed “peace through strength” agenda emphasizes modernizing the military, increasing operational readiness, and reinforcing U.S. deterrence on the world stage. On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to reform the U.S. military, criticizing “woke” policies that he says undermine the nation’s warfighting capacity.

More than his approval rating.

• Most Americans Share Trump’s Views – Poll (RT)

Most Americans support Donald Trump’s policies, despite the president-elect’s approval rating hovering around 50 percent, according to a New York Times and Ipsos poll published on Saturday. The poll, which surveyed 2,128 adults between January 2 and 10, indicated strong backing for several of Trump’s key policy priorities, such as reducing illegal immigration and implementing protectionist measures against Chinese imports. More than two-thirds of respondents opposed offering so-called “gender-affirming care” to children, another major agenda item for Trump. Approximately 71% of Americans believe that no minors should be prescribed puberty-blocking drugs or hormones. Last month, Trump vowed to end “transgender lunacy,” promising to prohibit sex change surgeries for minors and keep trans athletes out of women’s sports.

Nearly four in five respondents agreed that athletes who were assigned male at birth but transitioned should not be allowed to compete against women in sports. A vast majority of respondents – 87% – supported deporting illegal immigrants with criminal records, one of Trump’s central talking points during his reelection campaign. More than half of respondents either strongly or somewhat supported the deportation of all illegal immigrants in the US, according to the poll results. Nearly two-thirds of respondents – including 54% of Hispanics and 44% of Democrats – favored deporting undocumented migrants who entered the US during President Joe Biden’s last four years in office. The Biden administration reversed several immigration restrictions set by Trump during his first presidency, contributing to a spike in illegal immigration.

Support for Trump’s promises to impose heavier tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports was nearly evenly split, but slightly leaning toward opposition. Approximately 46% supported raising tariffs on goods imported from China and Mexico, while 50% opposed such measures. Trump’s favorability rating remains just below 50%, according to data posted by poll aggregator website FiveThirtyEight on Friday. More than half of Americans view the entire US political system as broken, according to the NYT/Ipsos poll. Some 57% of Democrats and 63% of Republicans believe that the American political system has been broken for decades.

TikTok itself pulled the plug. From yesterday: “The platform’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration and has thanked Trump for his readiness to work on averting the ban. Trump’s incoming national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has signaled that TikTok could remain operational if a “viable deal” is reached. “We will put measures in place to keep TikTok from going dark,” Waltz said, adding that the legislation allows a 90-day extension for ByteDance to finalize divestiture.”

• TikTok Goes Dark In The US (RT)

Some 170 million US users of the viral social media app TikTok faced a blackout of the service on Saturday, days after the Supreme Court passed a decision that could lead to a national ban of the platform. On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that TikTok needs to divest from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by Sunday or face a ban. Late Saturday, users in the US received an update for TikTok, blocking the application’s use and explaining the outage. “We regret that a US law banning TikTok will take effect on January 19 and force us to make our services temporarily unavailable,” the messages said. “We’re working to restore our service in the US as soon as possible.” TikTok warned about the possible suspension of its services in a statement on its newsroom page on Saturday.

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” TikTok said in the statement. The Supreme Court’s decision stems from allegations that ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok poses a risk to US national security. According to the court, the app’s ownership could potentially allow the Chinese government access to American users’ data. TikTok has dismissed allegations that its Chinese ownership poses a threat, maintaining that it has “never shared” American users’ data with Beijing. President-elect Donald Trump has signaled that he will probably give the app a temporary reprieve from the ban to allow it to sell to a non-Chinese company. Trump will “most likely” give the app a “90-day extension,” he told NBC news in a phone interview on Saturday.

Rubio is all about China.

• Marco Rubio Says No Clear Reason Why US Bankrolled Ukraine (SCF)

It doesn’t bode well that the next U.S. Secretary of State begins his top-flight position in government by telling blatant lies and fatuities. Marco Rubio (53) is a sure bet to be confirmed as America’s most senior international envoy representing the new administration of President Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated in the White House on Monday. This week, Florida Senator Rubio appeared before the Senate in confirmation hearings for his post. Rubio has been a senator since 2011 and has served on foreign relations and intelligence committees. Despite bitter personal clashes with Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign, Rubio was picked for the top diplomat post in the incoming administration. The confirmation is a done deal given his deep connections in Congress among Republicans and Democrats.

The ambitious son of Cuban immigrants is known for his hawkish views. He previously called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “thug” and described Russia as a “gangster state with nuclear weapons.” Any future trips to Moscow will be awkward to say the least, especially when the “tough guy” Floridian meets a real diplomat like Russia’s Sergei Lavrov. Strangely, though, this week, Rubio projected himself as the voice of reason and diplomacy. It was quite a U-turn. He told the Senate committee that the top priority of the Trump administration will be to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. That view aligns with Trump’s oft-expressed desire for a settlement to the three-year conflict. There’s a lot to parse in Rubio’s weasel words. He informed senators: ”It should be the official policy of the United States that we want to see it [the war] end… This is not going to be an easy endeavor… My hope is that it could begin with some ceasefire.”

Rubio was one of the biggest cheerleaders for the Ukrainian regime, believing that it would inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. Now, he has suddenly been overcome with seeming prudence and concern for peace by declaring that Ukraine cannot possibly win against Russia. Rubio went on: “In order to achieve objectives like the one that needs to occur in Ukraine, it is important for everyone to be realistic. There will have to be concessions made by the Russian Federation, but also by the Ukrainians, and the United States lends itself there. It’s also important that there be some balance on both sides.” So, you see what’s happening here. Rubio is uncharacteristically sounding like a peace envoy – after years of spouting belligerence towards Russia – and sneakily setting up the United States to be a kind of broker between two warring parties.

Note how he advocates concessions by both sides – Ukraine and Russia – without mentioning that the U.S. is a principal party to the conflict (albeit by using proxy Ukraine). He appeals to people to be “realistic” because Ukraine can’t win and it is “running out of Ukrainians.” This is after Rubio and countless other hawkish politicians in Washington pushed this war to the destruction of Ukraine, with over one million casualties from far superior Russian firepower. Rubio and his imperialist warmongering ilk have pushed this proxy war at the risk of inciting a nuclear conflagration with Russia. But it was the bit when Rubio tried to sound like the innocent diplomat deploring violence that peaked contempt for this pathetic Yes Man.

After acknowledging that the United States has supplied Ukraine with $175 billion in total aid, including at least $65 billion in military, since the eruption of conflict in February 2022, Rubio complained that it was “never clearly delineated what the end goal of the conflict was.” He added: “What exactly were we funding? What exactly were we putting money towards? On many occasions, it sounded like ‘however much it takes for however long it takes’. That is not a realistic or prudent position.” Marco Rubio is a liar. He knows full well from his deep involvement in U.S. imperialist machinations that the plan was to sponsor a NeoNazi regime in Kiev since the CIA-backed in 2014 to wage war on Russia for its calculated strategic defeat and conquest. Washington bankrolled Ukrainian fascists to do its dirty work. That’s exactly what it was funding. Now Rubio is pretending that it was all some kind of misadventure that needs to be brought to a settlement.

Tuesday. Is that under Yellen or Bessent?

• US Treasury To Take ‘Extraordinary Measures’ After Trump Inauguration (RT)

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said her department will take “extraordinary measures” to prevent the US from hitting the national debt limit on Tuesday, one day after President-elect Donald Trump takes office. In a letter to Congress on Friday, Yellen explained that the US will hit its roughly $36 trillion debt limit between January 14 and January 23, potentially leading to a default. To avoid this possibility, Yellen said the Treasury Department will use a number of accounting tricks, including pausing payments into civil service retirement accounts until Congress and the president agree to raise the debt ceiling again. Yellen did not say for how long her measures will forestall a default. sThe US debt ceiling was raised three times during President Joe Biden’s term in the White House.

Last month, Trump pressed House Republicans to include another raise in a stopgap spending bill, but the proposal was ultimately defeated by dozens of fiscal conservatives in the GOP. Trump has repeatedly said that the debt ceiling should be abolished altogether to avoid such near-yearly showdowns, arguing that the limit – which is intended to restrict government borrowing – is pointless when it is repeatedly raised. ”It doesn’t mean anything, except psychologically,” he told NBC News last month. “The Democrats have said they want to get rid of it. If they want to get rid of it, I would lead the charge.” Scott Bessent, Trump’s pick to replace Yellen, has said he would work with Congress to repeal the debt ceiling if instructed by Trump.

“The raid will begin on Tuesday morning and last all week..”

• Trump Plans Huge Chicago Illegal Immigrant Raid – WSJ (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump will kick off his deportation drive with a large-scale raid in Chicago one day after his inauguration, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Hundreds of immigration officers are expected to take part in the raid. The raid will begin on Tuesday morning and last all week, with between 100 and 200 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers deployed to the city, the newspaper reported, citing four anonymous sources. Officers will target illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds, although anyone present during arrests who entered the country illegally will also be detained, the sources said. Trump promised on the campaign trail that if elected, he would lead “the largest deportation operation in American history.”

In an interview with MSNBC last month, he said he would start by deporting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes inside the US, before moving on to “people outside of criminals.” There are thought to be anywhere between 11 million an 35 million illegal immigrants living in the US. The president-elect has appointed former ICE Director Tom Homan as his ‘border czar’, and tasked him with carrying out the deportations. “We’re going to start right here in Chicago, Illinois,” Homan said at a Republican dinner in the city last month. “And if the Chicago mayor doesn’t want to help, he can step aside. But if he impedes us, if he knowingly harbors or conceals an illegal alien, I will prosecute him.” Chicago was chosen as the location of the first raid because of its high numbers of illegal immigrants and Trump’s animosity with the city’s Democratic mayor, Brandon Johnson, the Wall Street Journal’s sources said.

Chicago is a so-called ‘sanctuary city’, meaning the city authorities do not ask about immigration status, and are forbidden from cooperating with federal immigration agencies such as ICE. Johnson has vowed to keep these policies in place, and on Wednesday, the Chicago City Council sided with him, voting 39-11 against a measure that would have allowed city police officers to work with ICE on immigration cases. In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Police Department said that while its officers would not take part in the upcoming raid, they “will not intervene or interfere with any other government agencies performing their duties.” More raids are expected to follow, the newspaper reported, adding that large immigrant centers such as New York, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami are considered top targets for the Trump administration.

“..the Azov Sea became Russia’s internal sea. Any claims to its waters are gross interference in the internal affairs of our country..”

• Russia Warns Against UK-Ukraine Claims to Azov Sea (Sp.)

Russia will firmly suppress any attempts to lay claims to the Sea of Azov after it became its internal sea, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday. “Neither Ukraine nor the UK has any room for cooperation in the Azov Sea. After the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions joined Russia in September 2022, the Azov Sea became Russia’s internal sea. Any claims to its waters are gross interference in the internal affairs of our country and will be severely suppressed,” Zakharova said.

Moscow considers this agreement to be nothing more than a PR stunt, she added. “Behind this, we see London’s long-standing desire to gain a foothold in these waters, especially in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Kiev, despite all its geopolitical claims, has been assigned only a supporting role in this,” Zakharova said. On Thursday, Ukraine and the United Kingdom signed a “One Hundred Year Partnership Agreement,” pledging to enhance maritime cooperation in the Baltic, Black and Azov seas.

“..disrupted supplies to Austria, Italy and Central Europe, raising energy prices and prompting regional efforts to minimize the impact.”

• Frozen Future? Europe’s Energy Crisis Worsens Amid Gas War (Sp.)

Ukraine’s halt to the transit of Russian gas, combined with sanctions imposed by the US on Russian oil and gas companies, pose a significant risk of plunging Europe into a new energy crisis. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban raised these concerns during his visit to Belgrade, where he held talks focused on energy challenges with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. “Recent developments in Europe’s energy supply are alarming,” Orban said in a video message aired on Hungarian television. “Ukraine has blocked a pipeline that supplied gas to Hungary, and the US administration has introduced sanctions that have driven up energy prices across Europe. The continent is hurtling toward another energy crisis,” Orban said.

The outgoing US government imposed sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas sector on January 10, targeting companies like Gazprom, Neft and Novatek, 183 tanker vessels and top executives. Serbia’s NIS, partly owned by Gazprom, was also affected, with the US demanding the cancellation of Russian investments by February 25. Combined with Ukraine’s block on Russian gas transit on January 1, the actions have disrupted supplies to Austria, Italy and Central Europe, raising energy prices and prompting regional efforts to minimize the impact.

“..he did not argue, and he did not shout. “I need a week,” was all he said.”

• New Juicy Details About How Biden Was Forced To Drop Out (Margolis)

“If you run and you lose to Trump, and we lose the Senate, and we don’t get back the House, that 50 years of amazing, beautiful work goes out the window,” Schumer told him. “But worse — you go down in American history as one of the darkest figures.” Schumer added, “If I were you, I wouldn’t run, and I’m urging you not to run.” Democrats spent years dismissing concerns over Mr. Biden’s age and mental fitness for the presidency, and ultimately spearheaded the effort to pressure him into stepping aside. Amusingly, the story makes clear that Schumer’s concern wasn’t over Biden’s ability to do the job.

For months, Mr. Schumer had been concerned that Mr. Biden was going to lose to Mr. Trump and cost Democrats Congress. It wasn’t that he thought Mr. Biden was not capable of the job. During their weekly conversations, the president often rambled, but he had always rambled. Once in a while, Mr. Biden would forget why he had called, but Mr. Schumer thought little of it. He was convinced that Mr. Biden could handle the job. According to the story, Republican attacks about Biden being old and senile were just too much to overcome—even though the mainstream media was rabidly pushing the Democratic Party line.

“Long before the president’s disastrous debate performance, Mr. Schumer had privately concluded that the barrier of Mr. Biden’s age was too much for him to overcome,” the report says. The debate wound up being “a gift” in the eyes of Chuck Schumer, because it became “a forcing mechanism to start an overdue discussion about the president’s political viability.” As concerns mounted over President Biden’s ability to continue his campaign, Biden continued to refuse to step aside, sending a defiant letter on July 8 declaring his intention to stay in the race, angering congressional Democrats. At a tense July 11 meeting, frustrated senators demanded proof of Biden’s fitness, with some warning their silence would soon end.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island told Mr. Biden’s aides that the silence from the majority of Democratic senators should not be interpreted as a sign of support. It was out of respect and affection to allow Mr. Biden time to gracefully exit the race, but it would not last forever, he said, because if they continued to vouch for his fitness, they would be “lying.”. As support from the caucus was crumbling, Schumer ultimately was the one who went to Biden’s beach house to “deliver his own blunt message.” Mr. Schumer said if he had even a 50 percent chance of winning, he would probably keep going. “Fifty-fifty, to do this, to stay here; it’s worth it,” he said. “But, Mr. President, you’re not getting the information as to what the chances are.”

When he asked whether Mr. Biden had talked to his pollsters about his chances of winning the race, the president shook his head. “Well, I have talked to them,” Mr. Schumer said. “My guess is you have about a 5 percent chance. None of your pollsters disagree with me.” Only twice did Mr. Biden interrupt to ask a question, and both times it was: “Do you really think Kamala can win?” Mr. Schumer said that he didn’t know, but that she had a far better chance than Mr. Biden did. (Mr. Biden has since made it clear that he disagrees. In an interview with USA Today, the president said of whether he could have defeated Mr. Trump: “It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes.”) […] At the time, Mr. Biden revealed little of his own thinking, but he did not argue, and he did not shout. “I need a week,” was all he said.

“..what passes for “Western democracy.”

• The Man Who Probably Will Not Be Allowed To Lead Romania (Karganovic)

Calin Georgescu rightfully has a huge grievance against what passes for “Western democracy.” He is the clear first-round winner in the Presidential elections held in Romania late last year. Yet his projected even more resounding victory in the second round, scheduled for early December 2024, was scrapped (as the BBC indelicately put it) following a Romanian Supreme Court ruling that the electoral process was marred by alleged hybrid warfare interference conducted by Russia on Georgescu’s behalf.

How do you “scrap” elections in a vibrant democracy such as Romania, which also happens to be a member in good standing of NATO and the European Union, which are bastions of liberal freedoms and the rule of law? Well, you do it by making up a bogus dossier on the political candidate that you dislike and by ordering the local judiciary to act on it as if it were genuine evidence. The dossier purporting to document the alleged interference was so patently phony that at its first sitting to consider the matter the Romanian Supreme Court dismissed it out of hand. This show of integrity did not sit well at all with the paladins of the rules-based order. So they ordered the judges to reassemble forthwith in their chambers and to get it right this time. On 6 December the distinguished Romanian jurists did just that and obediently reversed their ruling issued just four days previously.

Citing Article 146 (f) of the Romanian Constitution concerning the legality and correctness of the presidential elections, the Court ordered that the “entire electoral process will be integrally redone.” So the result of the first round was duly “scrapped” and along with it the second round as well. The second round, which was in progress as the judges hurriedly improvised their new ruling, was stopped in its tracks. As even the Atlantic Council, no friend of elections which go the wrong way, was compelled to admit “the rollout of the decision was somewhat fumbled, as it became public while polling stations were already open for the [Romanian] diaspora in the second-round presidential election, and by the time the process was stopped, around 53,000 citizens abroad had already voted.” Scrapped just in time, because the Romanian diaspora was known to be a hotbed of Georgescu supporters.

The Presidential election was set by the judges for an unspecified date in the future. Some rumours suggest that it might be in May of this year, or whenever it is that the stage can be prepared to ensure the right outcome. In the meantime, Klaus Iohannis, who should have relinquished his post in December to his successor, is now as legally “expired” as his Ukrainian colleague Zelensky. But that does not seem to bother any of the vociferous champions of the democratic process. Iohannis after all is their man. The Romanian public, however, do not seem to take kindly to electoral interference by the compliant judges and their string-pullers, who are widely suspected of being located abroad but not in Russia. Thousands have been marching in the streets of Bucharest and other major cities to oppose the cancellation of the elections.

How much good it will do them in a country that has embraced the principles of Western democracy remains to be seen. The protagonist of this political earthquake who was not permitted to democratically establish his credentials as the new President of Romania, Calin Georgescu, ever since his first-round triumph has been subjected to the full measure of calumny that is reserved for those whom the globalist system perceives as a non-team-player and a threat. The hope was evidently that he would be successfully discredited and simply fade away, allowing the charade of “democratic elections” with a prearranged outcome to be repeated whenever it is judged safe to do so.

Expectedly, the Georgescu affair with its scandalous implications has been largely ignored by the collective West media, except for a few derogatory observations here and there at the banned candidate’s expense. The Georgescu story might have died a quiet death but for the professionalism of American podcaster Shawn Ryan, who decided to perform a public service by travelling to Romania to find out first-hand what the electoral commotion was all about. The result was a remarkable interview with the man who by all reasonable estimates should be sitting today in the Presidential office in Bucharest. It is worth viewing carefully and in its entirety for the insights it affords into the sombre times in which we happen to live.

Suspend them, but not Fauci? How does that work?

• US Suspends EcoHealth Alliance, Peter Daszak (ZH)

EcoHealth Alliance, the nonprofit that Dr. Anthony Fauci used to offshore risky gain-of-function research 6 months before the Obama administration banned it, has finally been cut off by the US Government – along with its former president, Peter Daszak, for a period of five years following scrutiny over its work in Wuhan, China ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic. The decision by the Department of Health and Human Services was based on findings by the House Oversight Committee, which announced on Friday that EcoHealth and Daszak had been disbarred. “Justice for the American people was served today,” said Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) in a statement.

“Bad actor EcoHealth Alliance and its corrupt former President, Dr. Peter Daszak, were formally debarred by HHS for using taxpayer funds to facilitate dangerous gain-of-function research in China. Today’s decision is not only a victory for the U.S. taxpayer, but also for American national security and the safety of citizens worldwide.” EcoHealth funding had been suspended in May by HHS, which recommended a permanent ban on funding the nonprofit. “Given that a lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is the most likely origin of COVID-19, EcoHealth and its former President should never again receive a single cent from the U.S. taxpayer,” Comer continued. As journalist Paul Thacker noted in June, the NIH lied about EcoHealth’s gain-of-function research, feeding lies to reporters, while lying to Congress.

Meanwhile, former NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci ‘prompted’ the fabrication of a paper by a cadre of scientists aimed at disproving the Covid-19 lab-leak theory. According to US Right to Know, emails obtained in 2020 revealed that a statement in The Lancet authored by 27 prominent public health scientists condemning “conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin” was organized by employees of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit group that has received millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funding to genetically manipulate coronaviruses with scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The emails obtained via public records requests show that EcoHealth Alliance President Peter Daszak drafted the Lancet statement, and that he intended it to “not be identifiable as coming from any one organization or person” but rather to be seen as “simply a letter from leading scientists”.

To review; The US was doing risky gain-of-function research on US soil until 2014, when the Obama administration banned it. Four months before the ban, Dr. Fauci offshored it to Wuhan, China through New York nonprofit, EcoHealth Alliance. After Sars-CoV-2 broke out down the street from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Fauci engaged in a massive campaign to deny the possibility of a lab-leak from the lab he funded, and instead pin the blame on a yet-to-be discovered zoonotic intermediary species.

Clock
https://twitter.com/i/status/1880287757505032366

Clean

Some men need to be shown this pic.twitter.com/3oi4sjJI3V

— ……….. (@phveektordrayne) January 16, 2025

Tree

Check out all the moments this tree lived through pic.twitter.com/1MkFnwI7Em

— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) January 16, 2025

Real love
https://twitter.com/i/status/1880380928050213339

Shaolin
https://twitter.com/i/status/1880282013938380849

Remora
https://twitter.com/i/status/1880158153200865331

Frens

pic.twitter.com/5VNqrGqaj6

— Doglover (@puppiesDoglover) January 16, 2025

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Debt Rattle January 18 2025

Jan 182025

January 18, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:25 am Finance Tagged with: ceasefire, Gaza, Greenland, half staff, Imran Khan, inauguration, Netanyahu, Rotunda, Tiktok, Trump, Witkoff 39 Responses »

Alfred Eisenstaedt The kiss (V-J Day in Times Square) 1945

• ‘Obstacles’ To Ceasefire With Israel Removed – Hamas (RT)

• Steve Witkoff: The Real Estate Investor Who Sealed The Gaza Ceasefire (MEE)

• Trump Inauguration Forced Indoors (RT)

• Authorities Preparing For “Worst Case Scenarios” Ahead of Trump Inauguration (MN)

• Some State Governors Order Flags Up For Trump Inauguration (JTN)

• Trump Holds ‘Very Good’ Call With Xi (RT)

• Trump Teases TikTok Decision (RT)

• Greenland Responds To Trump’s Acquisition Proposal (RT)

• Greenlandic Lawmaker Reveals Five Possible Options in Status Referendum (Sp.)

• Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)

• Can the US Justice System Be Reformed to Serve Justice? (Paul Craig Roberts)

• EU Faces Up To €1 Trillion Loss For Cutting Russian Gas (RT)

• EU’s Kallas Rules Out Lifting Russia Sanctions (RT)

• Biden Commutes Sentences for Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders (ET)

• Biden Considered Pardoning Trump – NBC (RT)

• Joe Biden: An Assessment (Jim Kunstler)

• Pakistan’s Imran Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison (ZH)

President Donald Trump will become the first president since Ronald Reagan in 1985 to be sworn in indoors, breaking from the traditional outdoor inaugural ceremony. Reagan’s second inauguration was moved to the Capitol Rotunda due to brutal weather conditions, with temperatures dropping to 7°F and a windchill of -25°F.

Similarly, President Trump announced on Friday that his inauguration would take place indoors at the Capitol Rotunda, citing forecasts of severe winter weather. Temperatures in Washington, D.C., are expected to hover in the upper 20s on Monday, accompanied by ferocious winds that could make outdoor conditions unsafe for attendees. The indoor ceremony will include Trump’s inaugural address, along with prayers and speeches, offering a more controlled and comfortable setting amid the harsh weather.

WATCH: President Trump to Become First President Since Reagan Sworn in Indoors |

President Donald Trump will become the first president since Ronald Reagan in 1985 to be sworn in indoors, breaking from the traditional outdoor inaugural ceremony.

Reagan’s second inauguration was… pic.twitter.com/HkLlbYIHAD

— Overton (@overton_news) January 17, 2025

Pam

Pam Bondi is going to be confirmed as Attorney General.

All of President Trump's nominees are exceptional, and I believe every single one will be confirmed.

Democrats are panicking because they know that President Trump is filling his Administration with the best of the best. pic.twitter.com/B6FFVemyFJ

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 17, 2025

Kristi

Senator @joniernst: "So Governor, how do you plan to prioritize the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants like Sarah's killer?"

DHS Secretary-designate @KristiNoem: "The number one priority of the President is to secure the border and to deport these criminal actors… pic.twitter.com/ga1Vneesm3

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 17, 2025

Self deportation

The self-deportations of illegals has begun.

Boom!! pic.twitter.com/hLwJhyOEC2

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 17, 2025

Mike Davis
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879971078707216691

Tucker Sean Davis

It’s been six months since the Butler assassination attempt and we still know nothing about the man who shot Donald Trump, much less why he was allowed to do it. That should make you nervous. Sean Davis explains.

(0:00) The Three Big Questions of the Trump Assassination Attempt… pic.twitter.com/Y6ZHachAut

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) January 17, 2025

Watters LA

.@realDonaldTrump wants to make L.A. great again — but after years of Democrat incompetence, he has his work cut out for him. A bombshell report reveals how California leaders let the wildfires get this bad. Officials were warned the fires were coming, but they refused to deploy… pic.twitter.com/zUzEJxJV41

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) January 17, 2025

Sachs Biden

His conclusion regarding the outgoing U.S. administration. pic.twitter.com/M9GZySeSe6

— Zlatti71 (@Zlatti_71) January 16, 2025

The big “inflection point” in the Gaza talks came last week, Jan 10, when Trump, on Truth Social, without any comment, posted a video of Jeffrey Sachs labeling Netanyahu a “deep, dark son of a bitch”. That’s how Trump let Bibi know.

• ‘Obstacles’ To Ceasefire With Israel Removed – Hamas (RT)

Hamas and Israel have been able to remove the roadblocks to the comprehensive ceasefire deal reached earlier this week, the Palestinian group has said. In a statement on Friday, Hamas said that “the obstacles that arose due to the occupation’s failure to abide by the terms of the ceasefire agreement were resolved at dawn today.” It did not elaborate on the nature of the hurdles, but noted that “the movement sought a national exchange deal from all factions and members of our people.” The group added that it became possible thanks to “generous efforts of the mediators.” While it did not name the countries, Qatar and Egypt have been particularly deeply involved in facilitating the peace process. The group also noted it would soon publish the lists of Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of the first phase of the exchange deal.

On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire in a bid to end their 15-month conflict in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of over 1,100 Israelis and 46,000 Palestinians.The deal, which was mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, is split into three phases. During the first phase, which is to last 42 days, Hamas expected to release 33 hostages, including children, female soldiers, wounded and sick, in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinians. The latter stages, which have not yet been worked out in detail, will presumably see the release of the remaining hostages and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, according to US President Joe Biden. Following the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of backtracking on parts of the agreement and trying to “extort last-minute concessions.” Hamas has stressed it remains committed for the deal while accusing West Jerusalem of launching an attack on “a place where one of the female prisoners of the first stage of the ceasefire deal was located.”

Trump selected a real estate man, like himself, for this task. Because in his view they are the best negotiators.

• Steve Witkoff: The Real Estate Investor Who Sealed The Gaza Ceasefire (MEE)

On Saturday, Gaza ceasefire talks were down to the wire, and President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy wanted to hash out the deal once and for all with Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Israeli leader’s office said he could not be roused during Shabbat. Steve Witkoff allegedly gave a “salty” reply, making it clear he didn’t care if it was the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. In the words of one report from Haaretz, Witkoff said Trump expected Israel to agree to the ceasefire, and “things that Netanyahu had termed life-and-death issues…suddenly vanished”. So, who is Witkoff, Trump’s new man in the Middle East?

Witkoff is a Republican and a billionaire Jewish-American real estate developer. His soft, slightly nasally voice masks his reputation as a hard-charging negotiator who developed the nerve for leveraged loans as a teenager betting at the racetrack. When he was starting off in the cut-throat world of New York City real estate in the 1990s, he wore a handgun strapped to his ankle, according to a Wall Street Journal expose from the time. Witkoff has been praised for pushing the ceasefire across the finish line. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani credited him in a speech announcing the deal on Wednesday, albeit one usurped by Trump’s earlier proclamation that an “EPIC” ceasefire had been reached. It is important to note that Witkoff was mentioned before the sitting Biden administration’s envoy, Brett McGurk.

The New Yorker turned south Floridian has no official training as a diplomat and his appointment epitomises Trump’s disdain for traditional bureaucrats and policy wonks, who are steeped in area expertise and boast graduate degrees in international relations but lack private sector experience. “We have people that know everything about the Middle East, but they can’t speak properly…he is a great negotiator,” Trump said at a press conference in January, praising his friend. There, Trump reiterated his now infamous pledge that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if the hostages held in Gaza were not freed by the time he takes office on 20 January. “You know what that means, do I have to define it for you,” he barked at a journalist, who pressed for details.

[..] Witkoff doesn’t speak much in public, but when he does, he is measured and deliberate. Appearing on Fox News in January, he said Trump’s “strong stance, his certitude in asserting that ‘all hell would break loose’ is moving people”, when asked about the ceasefire talks. He added: “They (the hostages) are living in terrible conditions, and it’s time for everybody to come back.” His remark that “There will be plenty of Palestinians who will be released as a result of this and they will go home to their families,” did not elicit a response from Fox News host Sean Hannity. With Trump saying he will use the hostage deal to expand the 2020 Abraham Accord agreements, Witkoff is likely set to delve deeper into the world of Gulf politics and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

He has also said he wants to solve tensions with Iran over a nuclear weapon “diplomatically…if people are willing to adhere to their agreements”, but, ever the negotiator, he did not show too much of his hand: “We are not going to have a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.”

Bit of a shame.

• Trump Inauguration Forced Indoors (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will give his inauguration speech inside the Capitol, citing the extremely cold weather that could be dangerous to his supporters and security personnel alike. US presidents traditionally take their oath of office outside the Capitol, with a crowd of onlookers stretching down the National Mall. “January 20th cannot come fast enough!” Trump said on Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform. “It is my obligation to protect the People of our Country but, before we even begin, we have to think of the Inauguration itself.” Trump cited the “Arctic blast” sweeping the US and the weather forecast for Monday in Washington calling for “severe record lows” with wind chill, to argue that this would create dangerous conditions for “hundreds of thousands of supporters that will be outside for many hours,” as well as police and their service dogs and horses.

With that in mind, the president-elect said, the inauguration address, prayers and other speeches will be delivered inside the Capitol Rotunda, just as President Ronald Reagan did in 1985, also because of the cold. “This will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!” Trump said in the social media post. “In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly!” he added. The ceremony will be broadcast live from the nearby Capital One Arena, the basketball and hockey venue about six streets away. The venue has already been reserved for Trump’s Victory Rally on Sunday afternoon, and he said he intends to join the crowd there on Monday, after he takes the oath of office. “Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president-elected said.

For much of US history, presidents who won the election in early November would have to wait until March 4 of the following year to be sworn in. The 20th Amendment, enacted in 1933, moved the inauguration date to January 20. The ceremony is traditionally attended by members of Congress, justices of the US Supreme Court, and former presidents and their spouses, along with foreign ambassadors and any special guests invited by the new US leader. A number of Americans who receive special tickets through their members of Congress are allowed to enter the designated area of the Capitol grounds to observe the inauguration, while the general public can congregate at the National Mall, where the ceremony is usually broadcast on large screens. President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration was carried out with tens of thousands of National Guard troops around the Capitol and no members of the public allowed, as the incoming administration claimed there was a risk of an “insurrection” due to a riot by Trump supporters at the same location two weeks prior.

“..nuclear irregularities..”

• Authorities Preparing For “Worst Case Scenarios” Ahead of Trump Inauguration (MN)

Authorities in Washington DC are scanning for “nuclear irregularities” while the Secret Service preps for “worst case scenarios” as security preparations kick into high gear ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. Trump will be sworn in for his second term in office on Monday, January 20th. A report by CBS News reveals how Department of Energy helicopters are flying in grid patterns around the city from only 150 feet in the air in order to “scan for radiological or nuclear irregularities.” Officials are attempting to map a “blueprint” of normal radiation readings over Washington in order to detect anything unusual like potential dirty bombs. Any slight variation in readings sets off an alarm which is then investigated by the pilots. The U.S. Secret Service, which has faced criticism for its previous lax security measures around Trump, is also roleplaying “worst case scenarios” that could interrupt the inauguration process.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1880078644644855900

According to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Thomas, security measures for Trump’s inauguration will eclipse anything previously seen. This includes the presence of 25,000 law enforcement officers and military personnel, including 7,800 National Guard soldiers. 30 miles of ‘anti-scale’ fencing around the site of the inauguration will also provide a “ring of steel” to protect the event and its 250,000 attendees. More than 25 Coast Guard vessels are also in position to patrol the area. During last month’s concern over mystery drones seen flying around the United States, one theory was that the drones were being flown by the U.S. Military to scan for missing nuclear material. Trump continues to face a heightened threat after facing three assassination attempts over the last 6 months, with some of his supporters urging him to not even attend the inauguration in person.

How many half-staffs will be left by Monday?

• Some State Governors Order Flags Up For Trump Inauguration (JTN)

Governors in multiple states plan to raise U.S. flags at state facilities for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. President Joe Biden ordered flags flown at half-mast nationwide after former President Jimmy Carter’s death on Dec. 29. The traditional 30-day mourning period will overlap with Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump said he wants flags flying high for his return to the White House. In addition to some governors, House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered that flags at the U.S. Capitol fly at full-staff for Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Most of the governors raising flags are Republicans, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democrat, has joined in with an order for his state to raise flags for the inauguration, according to a Fox News report.

Biden was asked if he would raise the flags for his rival’s inauguration, but his press secretary said last week that Biden had no plans to do so. Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho flags at half-mast after Carter’s death, but said flags should go back to the top of the pole from sunrise to sunset on Jan. 20 for Trump’s inauguration. North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong also directed the U.S. and North Dakota flags to be flown at full staff on Jan. 20 at the North Dakota Capitol and all state buildings in celebration of the inauguration. Armstrong said the state should honor both men. “The inauguration of a U.S. president is a time to celebrate, and the Stars and Stripes should fly high as a symbol of freedom and democracy on such a momentous day for our nation,” Armstrong said.

“We will continue to honor the life and legacy of President Carter, as we should, by returning flags to half-staff on Jan. 21 as a mark of respect and reverence.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was on the receiving end of Trump’s mockery for more than a year during his presidential run, said his state also can honor both presidents. In a memo, DeSantis called it a “unique occasion, where we simultaneously celebrate the service of an incoming president and commend the service of a former president.”

Alabama will also raise flags for the inauguration. Gov. Kay Ivey ordered flags returned to full staff “on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol Complex in Montgomery and at state buildings throughout Alabama” on Jan. 20. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have issued similar flag proclamations for Trump’s big day. Trump previously criticized Biden’s flag decision and the Democrats who support it. “The Democrats are all ‘giddy’ about our magnificent American Flag potentially being at ‘half mast’ during my Inauguration,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in a recent post. “They think it’s so great, and are so happy about it because, in actuality, they don’t love our Country, they only think about themselves.”

“President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”

• Trump Holds ‘Very Good’ Call With Xi (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping by phone. According to Trump, the two leaders discussed trade, fentanyl, and the impending sale or shutdown of TikTok. “I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday, adding that “the call was a very good one for both China and the USA.” “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects,” Trump continued. “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!” Chinese state media confirmed that the call had taken place, but provided no further details.

Trump and Xi have not spoken since the end of Trump’s first term in 2021. Relations between Washington and Beijing were strained during the president-elect’s first stint in the White House, with the US sanctioning Chinese tech giant Huawei and sparking a trade war by setting tariffs on Chinese imports. Trump has also accused China of failing to crack down on the export of fentanyl – a deadly synthetic opioid – to the US, and has vowed to levy an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese imports until Beijing “follows through” on punishing fentanyl dealers and manufacturers. The call took place two days before TikTok is set to go dark for millions of American users. Legislation signed by President Joe Biden last year requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest from its US operations by January 19, 2025, or be blocked from US internet infrastructure and app stores.

The US Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on TikTok’s appeal against the law, while Trump – who credits the app with helping him win the youth vote in November – is reportedly mulling an executive order to delay the enforcement of the ban. Despite Trump’s multiple grievances with Beijing, the incoming president has repeatedly boasted of his “special relationship” with Xi. Trump invited Xi to his inauguration, and while the Chinese president will not attend Monday’s ceremony, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Vice President Han Zheng will travel to Washington to watch Trump be sworn in. “We stand ready to work with the new US government to enhance dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly pursue a stable, healthy and sustainable China-US relations and find the right way for the two countries to get along with each other,” a ministry spokesperson said.

It doesn’t appear as urgent as some suggest.

“My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!”

• Trump Teases TikTok Decision (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has said that he will make a decision on whether to enforce a ban on TikTok in the country “in the not too distant future,” after the Supreme Court upheld a law blocking the app, should its Chinese parent company not sell to an American firm by Sunday. In a decision announced on Friday, the court’s nine justices all agreed that Congress did not violate the US Constitution’s protection of free speech when it ordered the sale of the app last year. “There is no doubt that, for more than 170 million Americans, TikTok offers a distinctive and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement and source of community. But Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary,” the court said, referring to a presumed threat from China.

While enforcement of the ban will fall on the last full day of President Joe Biden’s term in office, a White House official told multiple US media outlets on Friday that the decision would be left to Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday. “The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!” Trump – who credits the app with helping him win the youth vote in November – is mulling an executive order to delay the ban coming into effect, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

During his first term, Trump attempted to ban TikTok, citing national security risks due to its Chinese ownership. However, during his recent presidential campaign he changed his mind, stating: “For all of those who want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump. The other side is closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok.” TikTok has repeatedly denied allegations that it shares user data with the Chinese government. Commenting on existing TikTok bans for government employees in the US, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has accused the US of “abusing state power to suppress foreign companies.” Trump reportedly met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month. Shou will attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday, as will Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

“But we want to… be clear. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be a part of the US..”

Says who? Go ask them. After Trump makes his offer.

• Greenland Responds To Trump’s Acquisition Proposal (RT)

Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede has rejected Donald Trump’s proposal to buy the Arctic island, asserting that Greenlanders do not want to be Americans. However, the Danish autonomous territory will always remain “a strong partner” of the US, he added. In an interview with FOX News on Thursday, Egede addressed Trump’s renewed interest in “acquiring” Greenland from Denmark, citing national security concerns. “We are close neighbors, we have been cooperating in the last 80 years, and I think in the future we have a lot to offer to cooperate with,” Egede said, insisting that Greenland would always be a part of NATO and “a strong partner of the US.” “But we want to… be clear. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be a part of the US,” the prime minister emphasized.

He said islanders “do not want to be Danes” either. “We want to be Greenlanders,” he added. Trump had initially suggested buying Greenland from Denmark in 2019 during his first presidential term, but the ambitious plan fell short at the time due to strong opposition from the authorities both in Copenhagen and in the autonomous territory. Earlier this month, speaking at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect refused to rule out using economic measures or military action to achieve this goal.Officials in Denmark have also rejected the possibility of selling the island. “Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said earlier this month.

The Arctic island, which has a population of around 57,000, hosts the US Pituffik Space Base, which plays a significant role in NATO defenses due to its strategic location. Greenland became an autonomous territory of Denmark in 1979 after 70.1% of voters supported the Home Rule Act. The island – which has its own government while Denmark retains control over foreign affairs and defense – has been gradually seeking more sovereignty. A 2019 poll suggested that nearly 68% of Greenlanders supported independence from Denmark within the next two decades.

Denmark has not been treating Greenland well. A referendum will reflect that. Plus, Trump will present a very good offer.

• Greenlandic Lawmaker Reveals Five Possible Options in Status Referendum (Sp.)

Greenland has captivated the world’s attention amid Donald Trump’s remarks about acquiring the island, and statements by authorities in Nuuk and Copenhagen that Greenland is “not for sale.” Sputnik reached out to a top pro-sovereignty MP in Prime Minister Mute Egede’s coalition to learn more about what Greenland wants, and how it plans to get it. Denmark “de facto annexed Greenland in 1951” and lied to Brussels about the existence of the island’s Inuit peoples, and it will be up to Greenlanders to choose their future in a referendum with up to five possible options, Kuno Fencker, a pro-independence Siumut Party lawmaker in Prime Minister Egede’s ruling coalition government, told Sputnik. The options are: keeping the status quo, new commonwealth status with Denmark, or a free association arrangement with Copenhagen, Washington, or both, Fencker, a member of the Greenland parliament’s Foreign and Security Policy Committee, explained.

Greenland is “absolutely are aware that we can’t be fully independent,” Fencker said. “We are looking positively in regards to how can we become a sovereign state that can cooperate with other states,” he noted, emphasizing that in today’s world, even Denmark itself isn’t independent from the political, economic and defense institutions it’s engaged in. The current relationship with Denmark doesn’t suit Greenlanders, Fencker stressed, pointing out that Trump’s recent threats to use tariffs to pressure Copenhagen into submission on the question of Greenland “is actually not that much different [from] from what Denmark is doing to us.” Specifically, “every time we want independence or statehood, they will fearmonger us in regard to taking away the block [grant] right for Greenland and our right to education and healthcare in Denmark.”

Greenland “has always been an important geopolitical factor, and it’s always been important” to the US with its Pituffik Space Base in the island’s northwest, Fencker said. “With the melting ice of Greenland, we absolutely are aware” that the US will seek to shore up its military and intelligence capabilities. An independent Greenland will therefore “require payment for any military presence in Greenland,” the lawmaker said. Ultimately, Greenland’s “value” in relations with partners “is not something you can put money on, but we are absolutely open for business and open for negotiations on how we as a sovereign state can cooperate with the other states on equal terms,” Fencker emphasized. “We are rising up here in Greenland again and we want our right to external self-determination…We want to become a sovereign state, which is non-negotiable, which you can also say [means] we are not for sale.” the lawmaker summed up.

President-elect Trump’s talk of acquiring Greenland from Denmark has reignited pro-independence passions on the island ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April. Polling in 2016 and 2019 found that up to two thirds of Greenlanders support independence, although a 2017 survey found that the majority is not ready to sacrifice living standards for the sake of independence. The question of whether Copenhagen gets more back from Greenland than it pays in the form of subsidies has been hotly debated. Despite being ruled by Denmark from the early 18th century, Greenland’s living standards and quality of life measures remain significantly lower than those of Denmark, with the island suffering higher unemployment, higher poverty levels, and average lifespan that’s nearly 8 years shorter.

Trump will make sure it gets done on a case by case basis.

• Trump Must Not Flunk His Litmus Test (Paul Craig Roberts)

Trump’s litmus test awaits him on the Oval Office desk. The litmus test is the pardon for every one of the wrongly indicted and wrongly prosecuted January 6 Trump supporters–which means all of them–who attended the rally and were persecuted for doing so. If Trump fails to immediately issue a full and unconditional pardon to all, he will lose the support of MAGA Americans. If Trump waits, the Establishment will erode the prospects of pardons. “Don’t embarrass Justice Department prosecutors and create an unwelcome environment for the new Attorney General.” “Let bygones be bygones.” “Let sleeping dogs lie.” Crises will appear. More urgent topics will pile on top of the pardons.

To help Trump stand by his supporters, Gary Heavin is working with American Patriot Relief, a 501(c)4 foundation and has marshaled private jet airplanes to return to their homes the pardoned from prisons located at great distances from their homes. Volunteers will be waiting outside 75 prisons in 35 states to deliver the J6 patriots to their homes. In cases where imprisonment caused the loss of their homes, housing will be provided until they are back on their feet. Some have suffered so severely at the hands of the most evil regime in American history that permanent care might be needed. The project will work with other January 6 support groups such as J6 Pardon Project, American Gulag Chronicles, Stophate, J6 A Road Home, Stand In The Gap, Patriot Mail Project, Condemned USA. Gary Heavin describes the support efforts that are in place in yesterday’s appearance on Ron Paul’s program.

All of us can be part of this historic event of overturning government injustice by donating here: http://givesendgo.com/FREEDOMSAMBASSADOR. This is not a political fundraiser. All funds go to the aid of the persecuted J6 Americans. In my view, full pardon for all is just one-third of what needs to be done. Another one-third is restitution for all expenses, lost income, and stress from being wrongly prosecuted and locked away from family, friends, and career in prison. In some cases the vile Democrats imprisoned the wrongly convicted great distances from their communities, thus depriving them of support from visits from family and friends. Some were kept in solidary confinement. Others were tortured. There is some concern that prison officials will have “misplaced” some of the wrongly convicted in order to hold on to them longer while they look for where they relocated them with confusing transfers. The vileness of Democrats has no limit.

The remaining one-third is actually the most important one-third. The DOJ, FBI, and White House officials responsible for the indictments, prosecutions, and imprisonments must be indicted, prosecuted and sentenced. By weaponizing law for propaganda and political purposes and by using false indictments for the purpose of suppressing the powerful evidence of massive vote fraud in the 2020 presidential election, high law enforcement officials committed felonies. They must be held accountable for their crimes. Otherwise, legal precedents are created that are fateful for democracy, the rule of law, and accountable government. Once precedents are established that high officials have immunity for using law not to enforce justice but to create injustice, the rule of law and accountable government cease to exist. How can Trump permit the government officials who intentionally framed innocent people for political and propaganda purposes to walk away unpunished?

“Faced with the risks of a trial at the hands of Democrats and the cost of attorneys, most of the falsely accused self-incriminated.”

• Can the US Justice System Be Reformed to Serve Justice? (Paul Craig Roberts)

The Biden regime is the most corrupt regime in American history, and Biden knows it. That is why he talks of large numbers of “preemptive pardons.” A preemptive pardon is an invention of the Biden regime. No such thing exists in US law. Its purpose is to preempt indictment for a crime. That Biden is considering preemptive pardons means that Biden knows his officials committed crimes, and he wants to protect them from being held accountable for their crimes. Remember the vile and corrupt way the majority of the J6 convictions were obtained. Of course, it was with politicized Democrat jurors, politicized Democrat prosecutors, and politicized Democrat judges in Democrat jurisdictions who understood that they were serving their party’s political propaganda and not justice.

But I am speaking of the methods. The privacy of American citizens was violated in order to ascertain who attended the rally. Once a victim was chosen, a rigged indictment was brought. Prosecutors made it clear to the victim and attorney that contesting the charges in court with a trial would result in an add-on charge that carries a long prison sentence, whereas if they agreed to self-incrimination with a plea deal, prison time would be waived or greatly reduced. All the Democrats wanted was a bunch of “convictions” to support the propaganda of insurrection. Faced with the risks of a trial at the hands of Democrats and the cost of attorneys, most of the falsely accused self-incriminated. This abuse of law and defendants has become the main avenue of conviction in America today.

Only about 3% of the convicted are convicted by a jury of their peers. 97% are convicted by self-incrimination to avoid the risks and expense of a court trial. Consequently, the evidence against the defendant is never tested in court. The police and prosecutors can make up whatever charge they wish as they know the defendant will not have his day in court. In most cases the defendant will admit to a different crime than the one he is indicted under, neither one of which will actually have been committed. Plea bargains save the prosecutor’s and judge’s time, maximize the prosecutor’s conviction rate which he uses for reelection or to move into higher office, and reduces prison time and cost for the defendant. As I demonstrated in my book, The Tyranny of Good Intentions, the American “justice system” is corrupt and desperately requires reform.

The reform of this corrupt system would be far more important to the American people than Washington helping Israel achieve Greater Israel or the enhancement of the military/security complex’s power and profits with wars wherever Washington can invent an excuse. The American government is far removed from the interests of the American people. Perhaps Trump will take a first step with an immediate full pardon of all J6 American patriots. Making America Great Again does not mean expansion of the empire into Canada, Greenland, and Panama. It means the restoration of justice in the legal system and the restoration of respect for the truth. Without truth and justice, neither of which exists in today’s America, America cannot be made great again.

Suicide in all its glory.

• EU Faces Up To €1 Trillion Loss For Cutting Russian Gas (RT)

The loss of Russian gas could cost the EU over €1 trillion ($1 trillion), according to Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Speaking at the Future Minerals Forum in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Dmitriev said the EU’s economic growth had slowed significantly since halting Russian gas imports, while Russia’s economy continues to demonstrate resilience. Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the EU prioritized reducing its reliance on Russian energy. Some members voluntarily stopped importing Russian gas, while others, such as Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Italy, continued gas imports from the country. However, these flows ceased earlier this month after Kiev refused to renew its gas transit deal with Moscow.

“Europe is suffering from not receiving Russian gas, with expected losses of more than €1 trillion,” Dmitriev stated. He previously attributed these losses to the high cost of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which the EU has imported in greater quantities to replace Russian supplies. Dmitriev added that neither losing the EU as a gas buyer, nor sanctions aimed at destabilizing the Russian economy, have had a significant effect on it, while the EU has borne the brunt of the economic fallout. “The Russian economy is in good shape, with growth expected at 4% by the end of 2024, while Europe showed 1% or less.

If one looks at the overall attempts to limit the Russian economy, 4% growth does not look so bad,” he said. The RDIF chief projected a potential slowdown in Russia’s growth to 2-2.5% next year but stressed that the outcome would depend on the central bank’s monetary policies, which he described as “critical for the continued growth of the Russian economy.” Despite extensive international sanctions placed on Russia in connection with the Ukraine conflict over the past three years, the country’s economy has adapted effectively, according to many observers.

The IMF recently raised its 2024 growth forecast for Russia to 3.6%. In contrast, the body downgraded its growth outlook for the euro area to 0.8%. The EU, meanwhile, has been facing sluggish economic growth and energy challenges. The loss of Russian gas has forced member states to turn to more expensive alternative energy sources, and the shift has driven up costs for businesses and households, strained manufacturing sectors, and fueled inflation. The European Commission recently reduced its 2025 growth projection for the Eurozone to 1.3%. Germany, the bloc’s largest economy, recorded its second consecutive year of contraction in 2024, a first in over two decades, the federal statistics office Destatis revealed earlier this week.

I kid you not: Euroclear, where most Russian assets are held hostage, is located in Belgium. Now EU geniuses have found an 80-year old WWII decree that the Belgian king can evoke to block transfers of any assets out of the country.

• EU’s Kallas Rules Out Lifting Russia Sanctions (RT)

There is no reason for the EU to drop its sanction “leverage” against Russia, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said as Hungary’s potential veto looms over their extension. Brussels has imposed 15 rounds of restrictive measures against Moscow since the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Extending the sanctions past January 31, however, requires a unanimous vote by all EU member states. “We definitely need the sanctions in place. This is our leverage, and it would be very strange to give it away,” Kallas told reporters on Friday. “Things haven’t changed. [Russian President Vladimir] Putin hasn’t changed his goals and nothing has changed on the ground. So there is no basis for lifting the sanctions,” she added.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to commit to extending the sanctions until he can discuss them with US President-elect Donald Trump, who is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday. In his weekly interview with Hungary’s Kossuth Radio on Friday, Orban argued that the EU needs to adapt to the fact that “a new era is beginning” with Trump coming back to the White House. “It is time to throw the sanctions out of the window and establish a system of sanctions-free relations with Russia,” he said. “That is a long way off, but we have to work on it.”

At the moment, however, “the signs coming from Brussels are not encouraging,” Orban added. Trump initially vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict as soon as he takes office, but recent comments from his team have indicated a longer time frame. “Whatever the negotiations then we will be in a much weaker position” if the sanctions are lifted, Kallas argued. “I also don’t think that it’s in the interest of the US to give up the sanctions now.” The outgoing administration of President Joe Biden has tried to “Trump-proof” the sanctions by moving some of the targeted persons and entities from a blacklist declared by the executive branch to one enacted by Congress, with the goal of making them much harder to lift.

Kallas was the prime minister of Estonia before she was tapped to head the EU’s foreign policy division last fall. Along with the other two Baltic states and Poland, she took a hard line on Russia and in support of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Orban has called for peace talks, refused to provide any weapons or ammunition to Kiev, or allow military supplies through Hungarian territory. EU leaders are concerned that if Hungary succeeds in letting the sanctions expire, Russia could recover almost €200 billion ($205 billion) in frozen central bank assets held by the Belgium-based Euroclear. The bloc is reportedly considering having the Belgian king invoke a 1944 decree to block any transfer of assets from the country, putting Belgium in legal jeopardy rather than the EU.

In a country where some people serve multiple years for smoking a joint, maybe not that crazy.

• Biden Commutes Sentences for Nearly 2,500 Non-Violent Drug Offenders (ET)

President Joe Biden said on Jan. 17 that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history. The latest pardons are being granted to people who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses and who are serving “disproportionately long” sentences compared to those they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice, Biden said in a statement published by the White House.Biden pointed to two pieces of legislation: the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which reduced the disparity in sentences for crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses from a weight ratio of 100 to 1 to 18 to 1, and the First Step Act of 2018, aimed at reducing the size of the federal prison population while promoting rehabilitation.

The previous weight ratio of 100 to 1 meant that 5 grams of crack cocaine, for example, was treated as equivalent to 500 grams of powder cocaine for sentencing purposes. “Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes,” Biden said. “As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities,” Biden said. With this latest action, Biden has now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history. “This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars,” Biden said.

“I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.” In December 2024, Biden said he was pardoning 39 people and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 others who had been convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug offenses. The president said at the time that these commutation recipients were placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities and have shown that they deserve a second chance.”

In a separate statement, the White House said many of those impacted by December’s pardons and commutation were parents, veterans, health care professionals, teachers, advocates, and engaged members of their communities who had “used their experiences in the criminal justice system to inspire and encourage others.” Also in December, Biden announced he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 individuals on death row, reclassifying their penalty to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Biden has advocated for an end to the death penalty at the federal level in the United States except for limited cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. When he first took office, he imposed a moratorium on federal executions while the Justice Department reviewed policies and procedures surrounding the practice.

He commuted 37 sentences, leaving three federal inmates facing execution: 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; Dylann Roof, who shot and killed nine people at a church in South Carolina in 2015; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018. Earlier in December, Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had been criminally convicted and was facing sentencing in two separate cases involving tax evasion and illegal possession of a firearm. Biden is set to leave office on Jan. 20. His successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has vowed to expand executions for federal inmates in order to “protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters” and restore law and order.

“According to NBC, he will leave office with “a nation divided, a party in tatters,” and Americans questioning his commitment to the rule of law..”

• Biden Considered Pardoning Trump – NBC (RT)

Outgoing US President Joe Biden reportedly thought about pardoning his successor, Donald Trump, before leaving office, NBC News has reported, citing a White House source. Trump faced a flurry of federal felony charges levied by Biden’s Department of Justice in the run-up to the 2024 election, which he described as political persecution intended to prevent him from returning to office. Biden “privately mused” about the idea of pardoning Trump after his victory in the 2024 election as “a magnanimous move,” NBC reported on Friday, citing a person “directly familiar” with his comments who wished to remain anonymous. However, a White House official said that “to our knowledge, this was not raised.” The federal cases against Trump had already become untenable after the US Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in July.

Trump went on to win the popular vote and the Electoral College in November, sweeping all swing states to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris. Biden officially won the 2020 election with the most-ever votes in US history. Trump contested the vote, claiming rampant irregularities under the cover of the Covid-19 pandemic measures. Biden initially pledged to be a one-term president and pass the job on to Harris, but ultimately decided to run for reelection. Democrats pressured him to bow out of the campaign in July after Trump survived an attempt on his life. Biden eventually endorsed Harris to replace him. According to NBC, he will leave office with “a nation divided, a party in tatters,” and Americans questioning his commitment to the rule of law. On Friday, Biden commuted the sentences of 2,500 drug offenders, arguing they were serving “disproportionately long sentences” under current laws.

“I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in US history,” he said in a statement. Biden’s most controversial pardon was granted to his son, Hunter, convicted last year of breaking federal gun and tax laws. The pardon covered offenses which Hunter “has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,” a period that extends far beyond the time the gun and tax offenses took place and encompasses Hunter’s time on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. Citing a trove of emails and messages found on Hunter’s laptop in 2020, Republicans accused Hunter of selling access to his father, who was US vice president at the time.

“Go back to Delaware and sit in the dim light of your room with the curtains drawn so you won’t have to hear about the gruesome discoveries to come of what you left behind.”

• Joe Biden: An Assessment (Jim Kunstler)

The four years of “Joe Biden’s” term-in-office that followed have induced the most severe disordering of the collective American mind in our history, lost in a fog of perfidious mendacity unmatched in scope by the Civil War, or any other national crisis. “Joe Biden’s” government went to war against the people of this land, at the same time it sold-out our vital national interests to the CCP, the WEF, the WHO, and other parties seeking our nation’s destruction. For years, we have been forced to swallow absurdities such as unsafe and ineffective vaccines, drag queens in the grade schools, borders wide-open to saboteurs (declared to be “secure”), and a stupid war against Russia that has destroyed the sad-sack nation of Ukraine.

“Joe Biden” has been a disaster and an embarrassment, easily the most damaging character to ever creep onto the US political scene. His one talent was for fakery. Even with sclerosis eating through his brain, he was able to go through the motions of faking it, reading his script off the teleprompter — though he was no longer up to casual questions in a news conference setting. The slime trail of crimes he leaves behind would be easy to follow by law enforcement officials actually interested in crime. He’s likely to pardon himself at the last moment, and pardon a long roster of federal officials who have committed crimes with and behind him. One way or another, they are going to be found out, even if many manage to evade prosecution. But at least we are going to learn a lot more about who was pulling “Joe’s” strings, and exactly what they did, and how — including the trick of making the news media hostage to their crimes.

So, adios, “Joe Biden,” you miserable, treasonous bastard. History will record you as the one president so far who was consciously a villain outright, in true self-knowledge of his own wickedness. You left your country a wreck in every dimension: in national security, national bankruptcy, national pride, and national confidence. Go back to Delaware and sit in the dim light of your room with the curtains drawn so you won’t have to hear about the gruesome discoveries to come of what you left behind. And when the day arrives for your funeral, be advised that it will not be much better than your campaign stop in Darby, PA, in June 2020, when you maundered pointlessly to a nearly empty room. . . before going out for ice cream with your secret service detail.

I’ve said before that Khan’s case is quite a lot like Trump’s. Just more. There are 170 legal cases against Khan, vs ‘only’ 94 against Trump. Now people want Trump to help him, but it’s not clear what he could do. He can get him free, but Khan’s enemies won’t let him stay in the country and pursue politics again. And that is what he swears he will do: “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief.”

• Pakistan’s Imran Khan Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison (ZH)

The unfortunate saga of Pakistani state persecution against former Prime Minister Imran Khan continues, as a Pakistani court on Friday sentenced Khan and this wife to 14 and seven years in prison after finding them guilty of corruption. He had already been held in jail for a couple years, despite many months of huge protests in various places by supporters demanding his release, after he and his wife were accused of accepting a gift of land from a real estate tycoon in exchange for laundered money, amid many additional pending graft investigations. Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reject the allegations, and the former prime minister had pled non-guilty in the case. “Whilst we wait for a detailed decision, it’s important to note that the Al Qadir Trust case against Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi lacks any solid foundation and is bound to collapse,” PTI’s foreign media wing asserted in a statement.

PTI plans to challenge the verdict in higher courts, with Khan pledging after this conviction: “I will neither make any deal nor seek any relief.” Khan has meanwhile insisted that his arrest in 2023 was simply politically motivated, designed by his rivals and enemies to keep the popular politician from power. According to a review of the last couple years of turmoil which has gripped Pakistan over Khan’s fate: “While imprisoned, Khan has been facing dozens of cases ranging from charges of graft and misuse of power to inciting violence against the state after being removed from office in a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022. He has either been acquitted or his sentences suspended in most cases, except for this one and another on charges of inciting supporters to rampage through military facilities to protest against his arrest on May 9, 2023. His supporters have led several violent protest rallies since the May 9 incidents.”

During Trump’s first term in office, via AFP

He’s gotten some international support and backing amid the saga, with a United Nations panel of exports having announced last year that his detention “had no legal basis and appears to have been intended to disqualify him from running for political office”. Importantly, Khan’s supporters are expressing hope that Trump will use his influence to free him. According to the NY Times on Friday: Supporters of Imran Khan, the imprisoned former prime minister, are now pinning their hopes on getting him freed — however fanciful — on the wild card among the three: the incoming administration of Donald J. Trump. Mr. Trump has said nothing publicly to indicate that he plans to intervene in Mr. Khan’s case. Once he is sworn in as president on Monday, Pakistan is unlikely to rank high among Mr. Trump’s foreign policy priorities.

I’ll say it again, @geonews_urdu:

Free Imran Khan. pic.twitter.com/z4Uxdejc2O

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) December 16, 2024

But a series of posts on social media by one of Mr. Trump’s close allies has inspired almost messianic certainty among Mr. Khan’s followers that the once and future American president will help secure his freedom. PTI had made a better than expected showing in February 2024 parliamentary elections and had decried that this was all a conspiracy to prevent his return to office by the military-run deep state. There are ultimately a whopping 170 legal cases against Khan. Current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who emerged victorious in the last elections while Khan had languished in jail, was seen more as the “military’s man” in Islamabad, while Khan’s legacy has sought to be erased by those same elite powers.

Lynch
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879984839753101588

One of the most important ideas that Lynch was very adamant on was the ability for viewers to intuit and interpret his work. You already have all that you need to understand it. pic.twitter.com/lEaQT2x1VT

— Arthouse Shawn Levy (@firagawalkwthme) January 16, 2025

David Lynch [R. I. P. ] explains how negativity is mind control pic.twitter.com/EcE3uxpQQ3

— Synekura Audio (@synekura_audio) January 16, 2025

Louie (2012) ”Not that kind of funny”
(Louis C.K., David Lynch) #RIP pic.twitter.com/W8H5woNl0H

— Måjestyk Pig (@wretchedcretin) January 16, 2025

David Lynch’s final role was as John Ford in The Fabelmans (2022), directed by Steven Spielberg.

pic.twitter.com/YdgZzTKEvz

— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) January 16, 2025

❤️ pic.twitter.com/Cie54Prou2

— Barto (@bartonovopolis) January 16, 2025

This is beautiful – Angelo Badalamenti talking about composing the famous TWIN PEAKS theme with David Lynch. pic.twitter.com/Kvgu03r0wA

— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) January 16, 2025

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

Debt Rattle January 17 2025

Jan 172025

January 17, 2025 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 10:57 am Finance Tagged with: ceasefire, Denmark, Gaza, Greenland, Hamas, Hegseth, Hollywood, Netanyahu, Pam Bondi, Vivek, warmongers 94 Responses »

Jean-François Millet The Gleaners 1857

• Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.)

• Trump Played Key Role In Gaza Ceasefire Deal – Times of Israel (RT)

• Hamas Denies Netanyahu’s Claims On Violating Hostage Deal (RT)

• UK To Sign ‘100 Year Partnership’ With Ukraine (RT)

• UK and France Secretly Discussing Troops For Ukraine – Telegraph (RT)

• UK Promises To ‘Explore Options’ For Military Bases In Ukraine (RT)

• Denmark’s Repeated Threats Over Greenland’s Independence Bid (Sp.)

• Moscow Slams West For ‘Fantastic Hypocrisy’ (RT)

• In Farewell Address, Biden Brags (ZH)

• Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General (ET)

• Trump Team Planning Roadmap To Ease Russia Sanctions – Bloomberg

• Far Left UK Government Proposes BANNING “Controversial” Conversations (MN)

• Sen. Ramaswamy? Vivek Emerges As Dark Horse Successor To Vance (JTN)

• Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote Expected After Inauguration (JTN)

• Trump Names Three Legendary Actors As ‘Special Envoys’ To Hollywood (RT)

• The British Attack On The Skripals Didn’t Kill Them (Helmer)

“NEVER EVER QUIT”

Chills.

4 days to go.
pic.twitter.com/DklFiDLlrH

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 16, 2025

Popok

I guarantee this is the most important clip you will watch all week, and you will remember it for the rest of your life. https://t.co/AT6eQjbCPC pic.twitter.com/2ek7z43UnK

— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) January 16, 2025

Granddaughters
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879738402633101535

Yilongma
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879592734580953158

Leavitt

Incoming White House Press Secretary @karolineleavitt says Team Trump couldn’t be more pleased with how the confirmation hearings are going on Capitol Hill. She says the only thing we’ve learned in the past 48 hours is that Democrats have not yet found a cure to Trump Derangement… pic.twitter.com/yBsoDgD92q

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) January 16, 2025

Sachs

Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: ‘This is Israel using the United States as if our military is in their hands, which in effect it is…’

‘I regard Netanyahu as having been our greatest, disastrous President of the 21st century because he ran American foreign policy for 20 years and he cost… pic.twitter.com/WqsKt7ZUv1

— Going Underground (@GUnderground_TV) January 15, 2025

Joe 2016

"We led a coup in Ukraine, installed a government, looted, and played both sides"

(Joe Biden in 2016) pic.twitter.com/zEyiXQddLG

— Richard (@ricwe123) January 16, 2025

Bessent
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879934087064088636

RON WYDEN: "We're in a clean energy arms race with China. Which side are you on?"

SCOTT BESSENT: "China will build 100 new coal plants this year. There is not a clean energy race. There is an energy race. China will build 10 nuclear plants this year. I'm in favor of more nuclear… pic.twitter.com/loFYRiETc3

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 16, 2025

1871

Let’s see you break it.

• Netanyahu’s Office Confirms Gaza Deal Signed by Israel, Hamas, US, Qatar (Sp.)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has confirmed that Israel, Palestinian movement Hamas, the United States and Qatar have signed a deal on a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported on Friday, citing the office. The prime minister gave instructions to convene the security cabinet and then hold a government meeting to approve the deal, the report added.On Thursday, media reported, citing an Israeli official, that the Israeli security cabinet will meet to vote on the ceasefire deal on Friday, while the Israeli government is expected to vote on the agreement on Saturday.

Israel and Hamas, with the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, agreed on January 15 to a 42-day ceasefire and declared their intention to finally end the hostilities that have claimed the lives of 46,000 Palestinians and about 1,500 Israelis over 15 months, spreading to Lebanon and Yemen and provoking an exchange of missile strikes between Israel and Iran. The first stage provides for a partial exchange of prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli troops to the Gaza borders and humanitarian aid. The second and third stages are yet to be agreed upon. Under the deal, the guarantors of the agreement — Qatar, Egypt and the United States — will establish a coordination center in Cairo.

Alon Piskas

BREAKING: Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas tells CNN that Donald Trump was the "game-changer" behind the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release agreement.

Biden didn't do anything.

"If you're asking what the game changer was and what brought Netanyahu to say yes now… pic.twitter.com/3JGTcqNy0W

— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 15, 2025

“..Trump’s envoy pick managed to achieve more “in a single sit-down” than President Joe Biden’s administration had in a year.”

• Trump Played Key Role In Gaza Ceasefire Deal – Times of Israel (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump’s team has played a deciding role in mediating a ceasefire deal between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday, citing two Arab officials. Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, has reportedly managed to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to the truce’s terms in just one meeting. On Wednesday, Trump announced that West Jerusalem and Hamas had reached an agreement securing the release of the remaining hostages. According to multiple media reports, the deal struck in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion. Witkoff has been in Qatar’s capital, Doha, for the past week and has taken an active part in the hostage release talks, according to the Times of Israel.

Last Saturday, he also flew to Israel for a meeting with Netanyahu. It was during that meeting that he reportedly swayed the Israeli prime minister to accept the key provisions of the deal, two Arab sources told the news outlet. Two days after the meeting, both sides told the mediators they have accepted the draft deal in principle, the sources added. Neither Witkoff, nor the Israeli prime minister’s office responded to the Times of Israel’s request for comment. The paper also stated that Trump’s envoy pick managed to achieve more “in a single sit-down” than President Joe Biden’s administration had in a year. After the deal’s announcement, both Trump and Biden claimed credit for it. The president-elect called it an “epic ceasefire agreement that could only have happened” because of his election victory in November.

Biden called it a result of “dogged and painstaking American diplomacy” as well as pressure exerted on Hamas and the weakening of Iran. The outgoing president nonetheless credited the role played by his successor, saying that “for the past few days, we have been speaking as one team.” Trump’s team responded on X by claiming that Biden could not have gotten the deal done without the intervention of Trump and Witkoff. The US State Department also recognized Trump’s role in the development. “The involvement of President-elect Trump’s team has been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” its spokesman, Matthew Miller, told journalists.

On Thursday, Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of “reneging” on key points of the deal, claiming the Palestinian group had created “a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” The militants denied the accusations, saying they were “committed” to the deal. West Jerusalem intensified its airstrikes across Gaza shortly after the announcement of the truce deal. At least 32 people were killed in “heavy Israeli bombardment” on Wednesday evening, according to Reuters. On Thursday, the IDF accused Hamas of firing a rocket into the Jewish state, adding that the incident had caused no casualties.

Two more days before it’s active.

• Hamas Denies Netanyahu’s Claims On Violating Hostage Deal (RT)

Palestinian armed group Hamas has rejected claims by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it is creating a last-minute “crisis” in finalizing the deal to release the hostages held in Gaza. On Wednesday, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had struck an agreement securing the release of the remaining hostages. According to multiple media outlets, the agreement approved in Qatar involves a 42-day truce and an exchange of prisoners, including all Israelis taken captive in the October 7, 2023 Hamas incursion into the country. “Hamas is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators,” Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of the group’s political bureau, said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.

The statement came shortly after Netanyahu’s office accused the Palestinian group of “reneging on the understandings” reached as part of the hostage deal and “creating a last-minute crisis that is preventing an agreement.” “The Israeli cabinet will not convene [to approve the deal] until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement,” it stressed. Israel intensified its airstrikes across Gaza shortly after the ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, Reuters reported, citing the civil emergency service and residents in the enclave. The attacks came as people in Gaza took to the streets to celebrate the truce, which is expected to start on Sunday. At least 32 people were killed in “heavy Israeli bombardment,” especially of Gaza City, late on Wednesday, the agency said.

The strikes continued early on Thursday, with homes being destroyed in Rafah in southern Gaza, Nuseirat in central Gaza, and in northern Gaza, it added. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blamed Hamas for firing a rocket into Israel on Thursday, with the incident causing no casualties. Israel began its military operation in Gaza 15 months ago in response to the cross-border raid by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people died and 250 others were taken prisoner. At least 94 of them still remain in captivity. Nearly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 104,000 wounded in Israeli attacks in the enclave, according to the latest data from Gaza’s health ministry.

The Brits still have a sense of humor.

• UK To Sign ‘100 Year Partnership’ With Ukraine (RT)

The UK and Ukraine will sign a 100-year partnership agreement during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s first trip to Kiev since taking office, London has said. The British government announced the planned deal on Thursday, shortly before Starmer arrived in the Ukrainian capital on a surprise visit. The agreement that the prime minister and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky are expected to sign will formalize “the unbreakable bonds” between the two countries, further expanding bilateral ties in defense and other areas, the government statement read. The treaty would “deter ongoing Russian aggression” against Ukraine and commit London and Kiev to increase defense cooperation, including on maritime security in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea and Sea of Azov, it stated.

Moscow has control of the whole Sea of Azov coastline after the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions officially became part of Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other officials have since then described it as Russia’s “inland sea.” As part of the deal, a UK-built Grain Verification Scheme will be launched in order to track down on what London called “stolen grain,” referring to the crops produced in Russia’s new territories. “We are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level,” Starmer claimed before his trip. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s prime backers since the escalation between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022. It has committed 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Kiev and trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil.

However, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that officials close to Zelensky have privately expressed disappointment in Starmer for months over what they described as his cautious approach to Ukraine. According to the agency, the Ukrainian leadership has also questioned why it took the British prime minister, who assumed office more than six months ago, so long to visit Kiev. Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said that Britain’s continued support for Ukraine is a sign that the UK government “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict [between Moscow and Kiev]. They are doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

There are still some warmongers left.

• UK and France Secretly Discussing Troops For Ukraine – Telegraph (RT)

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have discussed sending soldiers into Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, the Telegraph has claimed citing anonymous sources. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky first mentioned the idea last week, and said he would discuss it with Starmer when he visits Kiev. According to the British outlet, however, Starmer is not fully on board yet. “There are challenges over what we could support, what would we want to support, and the broader question about the threat that those troops may be under and whether that is escalatory,” the Telegraph quoted a Whitehall source as saying on Wednesday evening. Spokespeople for 10 Downing Street and the Elysee Palace did not deny that Starmer and Macron discussed the peacekeeper possibility last week at the Chequers estate in the UK, but gave no details about the conversation.

Starmer was in Kiev on Thursday, promising a “100-year partnership” pact with Ukraine. One of the rumored plans US President-elect Donald Trump might propose after taking office next Monday involves Western troops deployed as peacekeepers along the demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine, supposedly running along the current line of conflict. No US forces would be involved, only “European” soldiers not acting under NATO command, according to media reports that have been impossible to verify. Macron reportedly brought up the idea of “European” peacekeepers with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk last month, but Warsaw said it was “not planning any such actions.” Earlier this week, Zelensky wrote on social media that he had discussed with “key allies” the “practical steps” for the implementation of the peacekeeper idea.

“We are getting slightly ahead of ourselves. We are not there yet,” one British official told the Telegraph. Putting boots on the ground in Ukraine has been endorsed by former PM Boris Johnson, former Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt, and two ex-defense ministers, Grant Shapps and Gavin Williamson. The UK has given 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Kiev since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated in February 2022, and reportedly trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil. The British government’s continued support for Kiev means London “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said recently, accusing the UK of “doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

Russia will love this part…

• UK Promises To ‘Explore Options’ For Military Bases In Ukraine (RT)

London has revealed details of a long-term partnership agreement with Kiev, which includes broad plans for military infrastructure development and defense cooperation over the next century. The document suggests the potential establishment of military bases in Ukraine, with an emphasis on aligning these initiatives with NATO standards for maximum effectiveness.The 15-page declaration, signed on January 16, 2025, lays out a framework for cooperation between the United Kingdom and Ukraine across various sectors, with a primary focus on military collaboration. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky formalized the deal during a ceremony in Kiev on Thursday. “The Participants will explore options for deploying and maintaining defence infrastructure in Ukraine, including military bases, logistics depots, reserve military equipment storage facilities and war reserve stockpiles,” the document states.

The agreement also emphasizes maritime cooperation, particularly in the Black Sea region. The UK has pledged to enhance Ukraine’s interoperability with NATO in the maritime sphere through joint naval operations, port visits, and the development of Ukrainian naval bases. “We will work together to ensure NATO learns the lessons from Ukraine’s experience in the Black Sea to inform its development of future maritime capabilities. We will promote the development of naval bases on the territory of Ukraine,” the document reads. Another section highlights plans to “deepen cooperation on long-range strike capabilities,” integrated air and missile defense, and the stockpiling of complex weapons to bolster “deterrence.” Additionally, London has committed to providing Ukraine with annual military assistance of no less than £3 billion until at least 2031, and “for as long as needed to support Ukraine.”

While the agreement lacks detailed, binding commitments beyond promises to expand, intensify, and facilitate collaboration across multiple sectors, Zelensky hinted at potential “secret” components within the pact. The UK has been one of Ukraine’s prime backers since the escalation of conflict between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022. It has committed 12.8 billion pounds ($16 billion) in military and civilian aid to Ukraine and reportedly trained 50,000 Ukrainian troops on British soil. Russia has sharply criticized London’s continued support of Kiev as a sign that the UK government “clearly does not seek to resolve the conflict.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously said “they are doing everything possible to make it drag on, thus prolonging the suffering of the Ukrainian people.”

Meanwhile, reports suggest that US President-elect Donald Trump, set to take office next Monday, may propose deploying Western troops as peacekeepers along a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine. The rumored plan reportedly excludes US forces, relying instead on “European” soldiers acting outside NATO’s command structure. London remains cautious about the idea of sending British troops to Ukraine as part of any peacekeeping force, even though Starmer is said to have discussed the matter with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to The Telegraph.

“Almost No One in Greenland Wants to Join the US.” I don’t believe that for a second. They’re tired of Demark.

• Denmark’s Repeated Threats Over Greenland’s Independence Bid (Sp.)

For years, Denmark has been threatening Greenland every time the issue of independence is raised, the leader of the island’s largest opposition party, Naleraq, and former Greenlandic Foreign Minister Pele Broberg told RIA Novosti. “Every time we talk about independence, they [the Danes] threaten us. They say, ‘If you do this, you will never come to Denmark again; you will have no education, etc.’ We always hear threats when we talk about independence,” Broberg said. For example. He added that when his party ran for parliament seats in 2018 and he mentioned the plan to gain independence, the Danish prime minister addressed national media, saying that it was unrealistic. “Even to this day, Danish politicians say, ‘No, no, we will never do anything like that [give Greenland independence].'”

They don’t even seem to respect the self-government law as far as independence is concerned. But we have a problem in that there are political parties that are publicly in favor of independence without any plans but don’t really want it,” the official noted. In addition, Naleraq has a very clear plan to leave the Kingdom of Denmark, which is that if the party wins the 2025 parliamentary elections, it will submit an application for an independence referendum on the same day, Broberg added. “It may take two days, it may take two months, it may take two years. The plans we have developed are based on how we left the EU in the 80s. We voted in 1982, and we left in 1985. Brexit also took three years, and that is why we keep saying that the discussion is about a three-year period. The most important thing for us is to start the process itself,” the ex-minister said.

Washington has no chance to bribe the Greenlandic government to annex the island, the former minister added. “No,” Broberg said in response to a corresponding question. US President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to assume office on January 20, has called it an “absolute necessity” for the United States to own Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, responded by saying that the island was not for sale. Greenland was a colony of Denmark until 1953. It remains part of the kingdom, but in 2009 it received autonomy with the ability to self-govern and make independent choices in domestic policy.

Almost No One in Greenland Wants to Join the US. Only 0.0001% of people in Greenland want to become part of the United States, while 75% support the idea of independence from Denmark, Pele Broberg pointed out. US President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to assume office on January 20, has called it an “absolute necessity” for the United States to own Greenland. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, responded by saying that the island was not for sale. On January 7, Donald Trump Jr., the son of the president-elect, visited Greenland. Following the visit, Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that his son and members of his team visited the nation, adding that “the reception was great.” The president-elect posted a video in which people wearing baseball caps that read “Make America Great Again” responded in the affirmative when asked if they wanted Trump to buy Greenland.

Still diverting attention away from Nordstream?

• Moscow Slams West For ‘Fantastic Hypocrisy’ (RT)

The West is spinning incidents in the Baltic Sea as purported evidence of a Russian threat, while putting a smoke screen on real attacks that undermine European energy security, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. The EU and NATO have alleged that Moscow was behind multiple cases of power and communication cables being damaged in recent months. Western officials have argued that they justify bolstering NATO regional presence and imposing sanctions against the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ – ships allegedly involved in Russian oil exports in defiance of unilateral restrictions issued by Western nations. Western claims that Moscow is waging a sabotage campaign in the Baltic Sea fit a wider pattern of baseless accusations against Russia, Zakharova said. She told a regular media briefing: “Accusations directed against our nation are being habitually voiced before the circumstances of what had happened are established. We have seen this many times.”

She accused the West of “fantastic hypocrisy,” pointing to what she described as the “non-investigation” of the September 2022 attack on the Nord Stream pipelines. The energy links built under the Baltic Sea were intended to deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany, before being blown up in what Moscow calls a “terrorist attack.” The US benefited the most from the incident and was likely behind it directly or through a proxy, Russian officials have claimed. In early 2022, US President Joe Biden declared that “there will be no Nord Stream,” if Russia used military force against Ukraine.

Zakharova criticized Brussels for swiftly demanding action against Russia over the cable incidents after showing no such reaction to the Nord Stream sabotage. “It seems that since Biden said that he would destroy this project, the EU believes that what happened was all proper,” she said. She also condemned the EU for reacting meekly to Kiev’s drone attack on a Russian compressor station last week. The facility pumps natural gas under the Black Sea to Türkiye and multiple consumers in Southern Europe. Attacks like that are seemingly being “condoned by the part of the EU, which has been acting against the interests of their own people for many years,” she stated. Such people would rather stoke fear in Europe over the “myth” of supposedly dangerous Russian ships than address genuine security threats, she added.

Please go away.

• In Farewell Address, Biden Brags (ZH)

Five days before leaving office, President Joe Biden delivered a live primetime farewell address to the nation, highlighting his accomplishments and warning of emerging threats, including oligarchs and a “tech-industrial complex.” His speech, delivered from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening, not only marked the end of his presidency but also the conclusion of his five-decade political career. “After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands, a nation where the strengths of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure,” Biden said before ending his speech. “Now, it’s your turn to stand guard.” As Emel Akan reports for The Epoch Times, Biden’s political career, which spanned decades and included serving as a senator from Delaware and as vice president under President Barack Obama, will come to an end on Jan. 20 when he hands the reins to Republican President-elect Donald Trump.

“In the past four years, our democracy has held strong, and every day, I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history,” Biden said. Ahead of Biden’s farewell speech, the White House released a fact sheet outlining his administration’s record, highlighting a long list of actions, starting with the efforts to combat the pandemic. “Millions of Americans now have the dignity of work. Millions of entrepreneurs and companies creating new businesses and industries, hiring American workers, using American products,” Biden said. “Together, we’ve launched a new era of American possibilities.” Biden is leaving office with his approval rating at the lowest point of his term, according to a recent CNN poll. Only 36 percent of U.S. adults say they approve of how Biden handled the presidency, with particularly low marks on issues like immigration, foreign affairs, and the economy.

Biden stated that although a positive impact of his policies and spending priorities may not be felt right away, he believes they will produce lasting benefits in the years ahead. “You know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together but the seeds are planted. And they‘ll grow and they’ll bloom for decades to come,” he said. In his nearly 17-minute speech, Biden did not mention his successor by name but wished success to the incoming administration. “I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people. And I wish the incoming administration success because I want America to succeed,” Biden said. Presidential farewell addresses are a longstanding tradition in American politics, offering presidents a final chance to reflect on their time in office, list their accomplishments, and provide parting advice to the nation.

As Ronald Reagan famously remarked in his 1989 farewell address, “There is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells.” This tradition is a key feature of farewell addresses, where outgoing leaders look to the future and warn of potential dangers facing the nation. Biden’s farewell address followed the same pattern. “I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern,” Biden said. “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.” Biden referred to Dwight Eisenhower’s iconic 1961 farewell address where he warned the nation about the dangers of the “military-industrial complex.” “The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist,” Eisenhower said during his speech.

“Six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country,” Biden said. “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Errors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking.”Biden recently expressed disapproval of Meta’s decision to do away with its current social media fact-checking program, calling it “really shameful.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg justified the decision last week in a video statement by saying that fact-checking has become “too politically biased,” resulting in censorship and a loss of trust. He also warned of dangers of AI, saying that it’s crucial for people to govern this new technology. “As the land of liberty, America, not China, must lead the world in the development of AI,” Biden said.

Biden also hinted in his speech at charges his Department of Justice made against Trump. “We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president, is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office,” Biden said. This marked the president’s fifth and final address from the Oval Office since taking office. The president last spoke from behind the Resolute Desk on July 24, when he addressed the nation to explain his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Farewell addresses are a key opportunity for presidents to shape the narrative of their time in office, according to Tom McArdle, former White House speechwriter for President George W. Bush. “Presidents use farewell addresses primarily to try to write history before the historians do, and they rarely succeed,” he told The Epoch Times.

Their efforts often fail because the true measure of a presidency is shaped more by actions than words, McArdle said. It’s inevitably Biden’s performance that will define his legacy, he said. The president’s farewell speech comes on the heels of a breakthrough in the Middle East, as Israel and Hamas reached a deal for a hostage and prisoner swap, along with a six-week ceasefire, set to take effect on Jan. 19.Before he began his farewell speech, Biden took credit for his work in brokering the deal in the Middle East. “After eight months of non-stop negotiation by my administration, a cease-fire and hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas,” Biden said. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it will be largely implemented by the incoming administration.”

She was impressive.

• Pam Bondi’s Confirmation Hearing for Attorney General (ET)

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15 as part of her confirmation process to serve as the next attorney general of the United States. During the hearing, both sides of the aisle focused on concerns about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Bondi pledged not to engage in. Democrats tended to focus on Bondi’s ties with President-elect Donald Trump and her willingness to maintain the DOJ’s independence from the White House. She also encountered questions about illegal immigration, national security, and FISA warrants. While the Senate is expected to confirm Bondi, Sam Dorman, via The Epoch Times, lays out some of the main topics addressed during the hearing:

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi fielded questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee on Jan. 15 as part of her confirmation process to serve as the next attorney general of the United States. During the hearing, both sides of the aisle focused on concerns about the weaponization of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which Bondi pledged not to engage in. Democrats tended to focus on Bondi’s ties with President-elect Donald Trump and her willingness to maintain the DOJ’s independence from the White House. She also encountered questions about illegal immigration, national security, and FISA warrants. While the Senate is expected to confirm Bondi, here are some of the main topics addressed during the hearing:

They don’t work anyway.

• Trump Team Planning Roadmap To Ease Russia Sanctions – Bloomberg

Advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump are developing a sanctions strategy to push Russia-Ukraine peace talks which could involve easing restrictions on Moscow, Bloomberg claimed on Thursday. Last week, incumbent US President Joe Biden unveiled a “sweeping” new round of sanctions on Moscow, targeting two major Russian petroleum producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, associated entities, as well as 183 vessels involved in transporting Russian crude oil. These new measures have already caused world oil prices to surge; Brent futures have gained almost $5 per barrel since they were announced. Citing people familiar with Trump’s plans, Bloomberg has claimed that the future president’s team is currently considering two main approaches to future US sanctions.

In the first scenario, if Washington sees that the Ukraine conflict could soon be resolved, limited sanctions relief may be granted to Russian oil companies as a gesture of good faith. The other option, however, is to take a more aggressive stance by intensifying restrictions in a bid to put more pressure on Moscow and increase US leverage in negotiations. According to the outlet, the easing of sanctions against Moscow could include raising the ceiling on Russian oil prices above the current limit of $60 per barrel. Meanwhile, tougher restrictions could involve strengthening secondary sanctions or measures against ships that allegedly transport oil from Russia. Bloomberg’s sources noted that these plans are still in their early stages and depend on how Trump himself chooses to proceed.

Moscow has vehemently condemned Biden’s last round of sanctions, calling them “illegal,” with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that they could destabilize global energy markets. Responding to Washington’s move, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also suggested that the outgoing president’s legacy would be defined by the “mess” he leaves behind. Meanwhile, Trump has said that a meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently being set up. with Moscow also expressing an openness to negotiations with the future US leader.

Careful what you say anywhere.

• Far Left UK Government Proposes BANNING “Controversial” Conversations (MN)

The leftist Labour government in Britain has proposed radical reforms to the rights of workers that could include classing ‘sensitive’ topics of conversation in the workplace such as religion, women’s rights, or transgenderism as ‘harassment’. The proposed legislation would force employers to prevent workers from being subjected to such subjects by third parties, such as customers. If they are found to have failed to do so, they could face lawsuits under the legislation. Watchdog The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned that if it comes into the force next year, the proposed law could significantly impact freedom of expression and even be applied to “overheard conversations” such as those between two or more people in a pub.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1879129951988838575

The EHRC has noted that applying the harassment law in cases involving a “philosophical belief” could lead to problems owing to the fact that many employers do not understand such topics are protected by equality law. “The legal definition of what amounts to philosophical belief is complex and not well understood by employers. It is arguable that these difficulties may lead to disproportionate restriction of the right to freedom of expression,” the watchdog warned. A spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association said in comments to The Times “Any legalisation must be carefully drafted to make sure it does not have unintended consequences, such as pub workers expected to decide whether private conversations between customers constitute a violation of law.”

Julia Hartley-Brewer slams a potential Labour law that may ban pub-goers from speaking freely about controversial issues such as the trans debate.

"Labour view everyone in the pub as horrible, racist, xenophobic bigots… part of the crackdown on freedom of speech!"@JuliaHB1 pic.twitter.com/kdRpWr8BUE

— Talk (@TalkTV) January 14, 2025

Sir Tim Martin, founder and chairman of the pub chain Wetherspoons urged that the proposal “sounds like Big Brother thought control which would be a bureaucratic nightmare to enforce.”Martin added, “All beliefs which challenge the status quo are contentious. Newton’s law of gravity and Einstein’s theory of relativity were contentious at one point. Or Alexander Fleming creating the biggest-ever advance in medicine from mould.” “Humanity has progressed through these challenges and their subsequent debate,” he further emphasised, adding that “The cancellation of ideas is, in effect, a new religious commandment by those who think they’re not religious.” Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK remarked “Every pub is a parliament. It is where we discuss the world. If that is restricted they might as well all close.”

“Trump himself had privately urged him to accept the post. Should he do so, he may not be able to work with Musk at DOGE.”

• Sen. Ramaswamy? Vivek Emerges As Dark Horse Successor To Vance (JTN)

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy disappeared from social media in recent weeks, amid reports that he could fill Vice President-elect JD Vance’s Senate seat. The reports come as something of a reversal as he previously removed himself from consideration for the post after Trump put him in charge of a planned new department. Originally named the co-chair of President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Ramaswamy was set to prioritize sweeping cuts to government spending alongside co-chair Elon Musk. The pair spoke boldly about finding $2 trillion in waste to help the country balance the budget and drastically reduce the size of the federal government. But Ramaswamy fell off the grid in the wake of a contentious and public debate between incoming Trump administration figures over the H-1B visa program.

Ramaswamy’s defense of the program and comments about the way Americans raised their children drew intense backlash from the MAGA wing of the Republican Party and led to pronouncements that he had killed his political future. But mounting reports suggest that he may find a viable escape route through the upper chamber and that Trump himself had privately urged him to accept the post. Should he do so, he may not be able to work with Musk at DOGE. Politico reported this week that Ramaswamy had met with Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, to discuss the prospect of him replacing Vance. The Ohio-based Republican is one of the state’s most high-profile politicians not currently in office and has attracted speculation over a possible gubernatorial run as well.

Ramaswamy gained traction in the Republican primary, however, primarily as an advocate for reforming American foreign policy in favor of a more reserved approach. During that contest, he regularly traded barbs with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and railed against the party’s neoconservative wing. He also developed a reputation as conservative firebrand on an array of domestic issues. DeWine, for his part, is widely regarded as a moderate and establishment Republican, making Ramaswamy an unexpected choice to succeed Vance. But the prospect of a Ramaswamy gubernatorial campaign evidently has the governor mulling a Senate appointment, to clear the way for Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, to take over DeWine’s post. “DeWine isn’t incentivized to pick Ramaswamy for Senate, but Vivek is also the one roadblock to Husted,” one source told Politico.

Trump has not discussed the matter publicly but has reportedly encouraged Ramaswamy behind closed doors to accept the position, largely due to a consensus among Musk, the president-elect, and Ramaswamy himself that DOGE will need a stalwart advocate in the Senate. Ramaswamy would also fill a void left by Vance as a stalwart voice against hawkish interventionism amid the largely neoconservative upper chamber GOP. While an appointment from the governor would not put Ramaswamy before the state’s electorate for two years, his arrival in the Senate may not be well-received by some members of the chamber or Trump’s base. The tech mogul’s campaign saw him spar repeatedly with the establishment GOP, going so far as to use his opening remarks in a primary debate to call on then-RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel to step down.

Should he emulate Vance on foreign policy, moreover, he is likely to become a thorn in the side of hawkish leadership like his predecessor. His comments on the H-1B debate, moreover, are likely to make him less than palatable to some immigration hawks and MAGA stalwarts. Ramaswamy weighed in weeks ago in support of the visa program, contending that employers needed to look abroad for qualified manpower due to an American culture that he said valued “mediocrity over excellence.”

“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer),” Ramaswamy said. “A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.” Ramaswamy’s initial X post was widely shared online and attracted tens of thousands of comments, largely negative, and accusing him of solely looking to defend the importation of cheap labor. Trump himself spoke in defense of the H-1B visa, calling it a “great program,” but his own remarks have not quelled the anger of his base over Ramaswamy’s comments.

He did well.

• Pete Hegseth Confirmation Vote Expected After Inauguration (JTN)

Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker on Thursday said the final vote to confirm Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will likely take place in the days following President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. The senate committee held its hearing on Hegseth on Tuesday, where he clashed with Democrats, and denied allegations of sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement. But Republicans appeared to rally around the conservative, including Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who endorsed the nominee following the hearing. Wicker did not specify what day the vote would take place, but said it could be as late as next Thursday if Senate Democrats do not allow the chamber to speed up the confirmation process.

“I expect our Democratic friends will delay it to the extent to which they are free to do under the rules. Wednesday, Thursday perhaps,” Wicker told reporters, per Politico. “This is not something that needs to drag out. He’s got the votes.” Senate Democrats have not stated whether they intend to delay the vote, which would leave the Pentagon without a confirmed leader, but the committee’s ranking member Jack Reed said the chamber needs more information before voting. “We’ve made it clear we feel that there’s more information that should be provided, and not just for our benefit, but for our Republican colleagues too,” he said.

If the confirmation is delayed, it is not clear who would fill in for Hegseth after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin leaves office. But the move is not unprecedented, as President Joe Biden had to wait two days after his inauguration for the Senate to confirm Austin in 2021. The potential delay also comes after Republicans insisted that Trump’s national security team should be confirmed as quickly as possible, citing recent national security concerns, including a terror attack in New Orleans.

The industry’s imploding through woke and DEI. Maybe not a bad idea to try and save it.

• Trump Names Three Legendary Actors As ‘Special Envoys’ To Hollywood (RT)

US President-elect Donald Trump has named movie icons Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone as his “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, a position apparently invented by the incoming president on Thursday. ”It is my honor to announce Jon Voight, Mel Gibson, and Sylvester Stallone, to be Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. “They will serve as Special Envoys to me for the purpose of bringing Hollywood, which has lost much business over the last four years to Foreign Countries, BACK—BIGGER, BETTER, AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!” he continued, adding that the three men will serve as his “eyes and ears” inside the film industry.

It is unclear what the position, which has never existed before, will entail. However, all three actors are outspoken supporters of Trump, making them rarities in a Democrat-dominated industry. Voight was a vocal supporter of Trump during the latter’s first term in office, and received a National Medal of Arts from then-President Trump in 2019. Gibson came out in support of Trump before November’s election, describing his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, as someone with “the IQ of a fence post.” Stallone spoke at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate after the election, praising the Republican as “a really mythical character” and “the second George Washington.”

Hollywood has been mired in a downturn since the Covid-19 pandemic, with competition from foreign countries and streaming services chipping away at profits and forcing multiple studios – including Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount, and NBCUniversal – to announce layoffs over the last year. The number of US productions during the second quarter of 2024 was down 40% on the same period in 2022, and fell another 5% in the third quarter of last year, according to figures from ProdPro and Film LA. The US box office take fell to $8.7 billion last year, a 3.3% drop in 2023 and a 23.5% drop from 2019, according to Variety.

“Weapon, crime scene, victim, killer, motive – all have been faked.”

• The British Attack On The Skripals Didn’t Kill Them (Helmer)

The war to destroy Russia has been an evil in which the British, Americans, Germans and French have combined for more than a century now. In the present stage on the Ukrainian battlefield, every weapon and force fielded by the Anglo-Americans and their allies has been defeated; the Ukraine itself, territorially and politically, has been destroyed. No serious Russian believes this war will be over when the incoming US president claims the personal credit for negotiating end-of-war terms short of the US side’s capitulation. About men like him and negotiations like his, it was the Irishman Edmund Burke who in his 1770 essay “Thoughts on the Present Discontents” issued this warning: “When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”*

In the present war against Russia, the bad men have combined across the Atlantic and the Pacific. Against them on the information war front, there are very few good men – not one in the mainstream media, almost none in the alternative media. The power of state repression is only half the reason. The other half is the competition for money. In competing for internet media subscribers, even those tempted to be good will be motivated not to associate, to compete against each other instead, and thereby “fall, one by one in the contemptible struggle.” In propaganda war, the bad men must convince their paymasters more than their audience that they are winning. Reaching this point today has required a series of confidence-building, warmaking preparations – the putsch in Kiev of February 2014; the shoot-down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine in July 2014; and the Novichok attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, England, in March 2018.

The official narrative of Novichok, the Russian chemical warfare weapon allegedly used against the Skripals, has just reached its climax in London. A state-sponsored report will be published in a few weeks’ time. It will conclude that President Vladimir Putin had the means, opportunity and motive to kill the Skripals, and is guilty of attempted murder on English soil. But the forensic evidence which has slipped into the public record from the British intelligence and security services, the chemical warfighters at Porton Down, and the Whitehall staffs advising the prime minister proves the narrative and the indictment are false. Weapon, crime scene, victim, killer, motive – all have been faked. By the Anglo-American and Canadian law standards of reasonable doubt and balance of probabilities, the prosecution of the case against Russia should have collapsed. Except, of course, that in the present state of war, this hasn’t happened.

The new book, Long Live Novichok! The British poison which fooled the worldis the lone voice to explain for the time being at least; it is also the only platform to defend Sergei and Yulia Skripal as political prisoners of the British for the past seven years. Because they didn’t die after they had been sprayed with a British poison, they have been kept in hospital under forced sedation and tracheostomy; then held under guard, in isolation, incommunicado. Their telephone calls to family in Russia, made in a hurry and in secret, stopped five years ago. For the first time the book documents the British presentation in public of the poison weapon itself, revealing the clue of the colour of Novichok. This is the evidence that the murder weapon wasn’t Russian, it wasn’t Novichok at all. In today’s podcast from Canada, Chris Cook and I discuss the reasons for the failure of Novichok to kill anyone, and its success at brainwashing everyone, or almost everyone.

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Jeremy Kuzmarov, John Helmer January 15, 2025 by Chris Cook

Jeremy Kuzmarov and counting down to The Donald’s return; John Helmer and spitting out the red, white, and blue Skripal pills in the second half.

Read on Substack

MAHA

RFK Jr. has sparked a powerful shift in the national conversation. He’s compelled the country to confront the realities of our health and has challenged the entrenched establishment that perpetuates illness. The impact of his efforts is unfolding before our eyes. pic.twitter.com/F0nnOObDDn

— MAHA Alliance (@MAHAalliance) January 15, 2025

Aaron Rodgers hopes senators challenge RFK Jr. at his confirmation.

“I wanna watch his confirmation hearing and just see who tries to f*** with him.”

“Please, somebody try and get after him and just watch him absolutely mop the floor with any of these senators.”

“If you spend… pic.twitter.com/7sHOxnrtfD

— End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) January 17, 2025

Freeman

Morgan Freeman: What Elon Musk has done, nobody else has ever done.

“I'm a huge fan of Elon Musk.I think he's got the most incredibly forward-thinking ideas about where we can go technologically.

What he's done, nobody else has ever done. He's landed a rocket ship, so it's… pic.twitter.com/6FR7dJQZo8

— ELON CLIPS (@ElonClipsX) January 16, 2025

Nap time
https://twitter.com/i/status/1879642213476389367

Stray

This beautiful stray dog carries a stray kitten outside the highway so vehicles don't hurt him. Empathy & kindness are gifts granted to any good soul. pic.twitter.com/6pghmh46gr

— Hakan Kapucu (@1hakankapucu) January 15, 2025

Pastor

ALERT: Pastor Brandon Biggs: A Chilling Warning for Trump's Safety

Pastor Brandon Biggs, the man who stunned the world with his astonishingly accurate prediction of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life, is raising alarms again.

Months before it happened, Biggs not… pic.twitter.com/WUCQVr5yhL

— Jim Ferguson (@JimFergusonUK) January 16, 2025

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