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Debt Rattle March 27 2026

Mar 272026
 
 March 27, 2026  Posted by at 10:28 am Finance Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,  78 Responses »


John Falter The Windy City 1946


• Ukraine War Aid May Have Been Funneled to Biden Campaign, DNC (Matt Margolis)
• Ukraine Government Schemed To Funnel War Aid To Biden Campaign (ZH)
• Epic Fury Is a Favor for the World. Step Up and Deal With It (Sarah Anderson)
• Largest Fuel Price Crisis In History Is Approaching – Dmitriev (TASS)
• Trump’s Psychological Smackdown of Iran — and What Will Happen Next (Pinsker)
• Susan Kokinda Outlines the Shift in Strategic Alliances (CTH)
• Kevin O’Leary Tells Everyone to ‘Chillax’ Over Iran (Matt Margolis)
• Elon Musk Seeks To Remove Delaware Judge From His Cases (ZH)
• Are We Safe Anymore? (Ben Shapiro)
• “Don’t Be Evil”: Google’s Motto Becomes a Jury Verdict in Calfornia (Turley)
• Mike Flynn Reaches $1.25m Settlement With Feds Over Russia Collusion Hoax (JTN)
• The Economists Who Got It Right ((John Stossel)
• Armageddon, Iran War & Why Peace is Impossible (Martin Armstrong)
• Zelensky: Trump Pressuring Him To Give Up On Donbas And End War Soon
• Has Trump Let Netanyahu Destroy America? (Paul Craig Roberts)

 


 

 


 

 


 


My theory (and it’s mine) goes further than Margolis: The DNC specifically started and still maintains the Ukraine war as an instrument to finance its domestic activities. The amount of money that flows there is just about endless, and Europe will pay even more than the US. Major agency: USAID. It is perfect. And to think we were focusing on the corruption on the Ukraine side.

• Ukraine War Aid May Have Been Funneled to Biden Campaign, DNC (Matt Margolis)

Have you ever wondered why Joe Biden and the Democrats were so insistent that Congress send endless billions to Ukraine? Well, new declassified intel drops a bombshell that raises some troubling questions about it, and it stinks to high heaven. In 2022, U.S. spy agencies discovered Ukrainian officials were plotting to divert hundreds of millions in American taxpayer cash meant for clean energy projects to Joe Biden’s 2024 presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee.


“Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently learned of the intercepts and has asked the U.S. Agency for International Development officials to scour for records to see if the plot actually was carried out and whether a criminal referral should be made to the FBI,” Just the News reports. “Gabbard’s team has not found substantive evidence the intercepted allegations were thoroughly investigated during the Biden administration, and the communications are not believed to be tied to Russian disinformation efforts, officials said.” Gee, I wonder why the Biden administration didn’t investigate the funneling of millions of dollars to the Biden campaign?

“The Ukrainian Government and unspecified U.S. Government personnel, through USAID in Kyiv, reportedly developed a plan that would provide hundreds of millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund an infrastructure project for Ukraine that would be used as a cover to send approximately 90% of funds allocated to the DNC to fund Joe Biden’s reelection campaign,” the report reads. USAID? You don’t say. Another piece of the puzzle comes into place.Remember when Democrats were freaking out about Donald Trump closing USAID last year? They claimed USAID was saving lives. I mean, sure, if by “saving lives” you mean “funneling millions in cash to Joe Biden and the Democratic Party,” sure.

“They were confident the project would be funded initially, even though at some time in the future the project would be disapproved as unnecessary,” the report continued. “At this time, the money would already be allocated and impossible to return or use for a different purpose.” The money was reportedly laundered through two American subcontractors as part of the scheme to divert the money to Democrat campaigns, making the source untraceable. “The plan included details of how subcontractors would be funded through U.S. companies so that how the funds were spent and allocated would be difficult to track.” What a system, right? Some shady contracts no one could audit, and poof — your Ukraine aid becomes Biden bucks. And the Biden administration made no effort to investigate, so it’s unclear how much money may have been diverted to Biden’s campaign or the DNC.

A lot of things are starting to make sense, aren’t they? Biden failed to stop Russia from invading Ukraine. Biden seemed unable to end the war, and, based on this new information, he had every financial incentive to let it continue. That’s why it always felt like he was demanding blank checks for Ukraine and pushing us closer to deeper involvement. Trump, however, has always had peace as his main objective and has actually been trying to negotiate an actual peace deal.

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“The cover-to-transfer pipeline was engineered for maximum opacity.” [..] .. most of the U.S. funding would be diverted to Joe Biden’s election campaign without the ability to track where exactly the funds came from..”

• Ukraine Government Schemed To Funnel War Aid To Biden Campaign (ZH)

According to a newly declassified intelligence report, U.S. intelligence agencies intercepted communications from Ukrainian government officials back in 2022 discussing a scheme to siphon off hundreds of millions in American taxpayer dollars. The funds, earmarked for clean energy projects in the war-torn country, were allegedly redirected to the United States to benefit Joe Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The report, obtained by Just the News, summarizes raw intercepts gathered by U.S. spy agencies in late 2022. Officials familiar with the material say the communications are not believed to be tied to Russian disinformation efforts. The declassified summary is very specific.


“The Ukrainian Government and unspecified U.S. Government personnel, through USAID in Kyiv, reportedly developed a plan that would provide hundreds of millions of US taxpayer dollars to fund an infrastructure project for Ukraine that would be used as a cover to send approximately 90% of funds allocated to the DNC to fund Joe Biden’s reelection campaign,” the document states. sThe mechanics described are textbook money-laundering architecture. “The plan included details of how subcontractors would be funded through U.S. companies so that how the funds were spent and allocated would be difficult to track,” the report explains. Two American subcontractors were named in the raw intercepts as conduits for funneling money toward Democratic coffers, though their identities remain redacted in the declassified version.

According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Ukraine became by far the top recipient of U.S. foreign aid after Russia’s invasion in February 2022 — the first time a European nation held that distinction since the Marshall Plan. As of December 31, 2025, Congress had made available $188 billion in Ukraine-related spending, with $164 billion flowing from just five pieces of legislation. The last of those bills passed in April 2024 — while Biden was actively campaigning for a second term.

What makes the alleged scheme particularly audacious is the built-in exit strategy. “They were confident the project would be funded initially, even though at some time in the future the project would be disapproved as unnecessary. At this time, the money would already be allocated and impossible to return or use for a different purpose,” the report added. In other words, the design assumed the fraud would eventually be discovered – and didn’t care. By then, the money would be gone and untraceable.

The cover-to-transfer pipeline was engineered for maximum opacity. “Additionally, contracts would be executed that would be difficult to verify. In this manner, most of the U.S. funding would be diverted to Joe Biden’s election campaign without the ability to track where exactly the funds came from,” the report read.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently learned of the intercepts and directed USAID officials to search agency records for evidence that the plot was actually carried out and to evaluate whether a criminal referral to the FBI is warranted. Perhaps the most disturbing find so far is that there is no substantive evidence that anyone during the Biden years made a serious effort to investigate what U.S. intelligence had intercepted. Officials reviewing the files noted a lack of investigative curiosity about allegations of foreign election interference.

Since President Trump took office, no new legislation authorizing additional spending for Ukraine has passed Congress. But now we need to find out how much of the funds for Ukraine were diverted to Biden’s campaign or the DNC, and whether the lack of an investigation reflects willful negligence, deliberate burial, or a conspiracy.

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“Like I said, very little of our energy comes through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s the world that has a great interest in that, so they should step up and deal with it..”

• Epic Fury Is a Favor for the World. Step Up and Deal With It (Sarah Anderson)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke out on Operation Epic Fury twice on Thursday, first at Donald Trump’s Cabinet meeting and again before boarding a plane to head to Paris for the G7 Foreign Affairs Ministerial, where he’ll meet with world leaders to talk about security concerns, specifically the situation in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine War. He’s made one thing clear: Iran was not, is not, and will not be a United States-only problem. It’s a world problem. And it’s time for other countries to step up. In what many on social media are calling a “mic drop” moment, Rubio started by laying out the most important issue: Iran has been at war with the United States for 47 years, killing and attacking United States citizens.


“And other presidents had an opportunity to do something about it, and they all warned about how Iran was dangerous, but they refused to act,” he said. “And this president’s not someone that’s going to refuse to act. He’s not going to leave a danger like this in place. He’s going to address it, and that is what he is doing.” He then went on to explain that the people running Iran are “religious fanatics” and there was really no other way to stop them. “They’re attacking embassies and hotels,” he said. “Imagine what these people would do if they had a nuclear weapon. That is an unacceptable risk for the world,” he said, adding, “By the way, the president’s not just doing a favor to the United States and to our people. This is for the world. He defined very clearly on the first night of this operation what the goal was.”

Before boarding his plane on Thursday afternoon, a reporter asked him specifically if he was going to ask the G7 to help with the Strait of Hormuz. While he wouldn’t get into the specifics, Rubio again pointed out that it’s in these other countries’ best interests to get involved because many of them get more of their oil from the Strait of Hormuz than the United States does. Another reporter asked about Trump criticizing NATO earlier on Thursday, and Rubio pointed out something that’s sort of been a theme of his and Trump’s foreign policy for the past year: The U.S. is tired of having to step in and help everyone else out without getting anything in return):

I think he just made an observation, and the observation is that the United States is constantly being asked to help in a war, and we have more than any other country in the world, on a war that’s happening in another continent, in Ukraine. But when the U.S. had a need, he didn’t get positive responses. So, right now he’s just making the observation that — I think it was a couple of the leaders in Europe who said that this was not Europe’s war. Well, Ukraine is not America’s war, and yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than any other country in the world. So, it’ll be something to examine that the President will have to take into account down the road.

A reporter later asked if he was worried about the reception he might get at the G7 meeting and whether he was afraid the other world leaders might not be “happy” with him. Rubio basically laughed in the face of the press. “Well, again, I’m not there to make them happy. I get along with all of them on a personal level, and we work with those governments very carefully, but the people I’m interested in making happy are the people of the United States,” he said. “That’s who I work for. I don’t work for France or Germany or Japan. These are all good people. We’re going to have great meetings…But I work for the people of the United States.”

Finally, someone asked if he plans to ask his G7 counterparts for help with Iran. “Well, it’s not help for us. Like I said, very little of our energy comes through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s the world that has a great interest in that, so they should step up and deal with it,” he said. Boom. I don’t have much else to add — I just love hearing real leadership in action. It’s something our country has been lacking for a long, long time. We aren’t the world’s babysitters, and it’s time some of these countries, especially in Europe, step up and do their fair share in this and numerous other matters.

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“Without a doubt, Russia is in the strongest position because we are a major producer not only of oil and gas, but also of fertilizers.”

• Largest Fuel Price Crisis In History Is Approaching – Dmitriev (TASS)

The most powerful crisis in fuel prices is approaching, which will lead to economic problems in the EU and the United Kingdom, presidential special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev told reporters. “Discussions are now underway that it (oil — TASS) could cost $150 or even $200 per barrel. And why is this important? Because we have a number of very clear forecasts that we have also voiced regarding the European Union and the United Kingdom. They are very simple. We see that the most powerful energy crisis in the history of humanity is approaching. Neither Europe nor the UK is prepared for it at all. Moreover, they have shot themselves in the foot by abandoning Russian energy resources,” Dmitriev said.


He added that rising oil prices are positive for Russia, and Europe will beg for supplies. “Without a doubt, what is happening is generally positive for Russia, because our oil and gas reserves and our diversified supplies worldwide, including with a focus on BRICS countries, undoubtedly strengthen Russia’s position on global markets. Russia will certainly receive many requests from Europe and from the UK to obtain Russian energy resources and will decide whether to provide them or not. But our prediction is very clear — that Europe and the UK will beg for Russian energy resources, and Russia will make the appropriate decisions or choose not to,” Dmitriev said.

At the same time, Russia is in the strongest position on the global energy and fertilizer markets, Dmitriev told reporters. “Without a doubt, Russia is in the strongest position because we are a major producer not only of oil and gas, but also of fertilizers. And now a crisis is beginning in the fertilizers and agricultural sector markets. Therefore, Russia is currently in a very strong position,” Dmitriev said.

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“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”

—Sun Tzu, The Art of War

• Trump’s Psychological Smackdown of Iran — and What Will Happen Next (Pinsker)

If you could distill PR and marketing to a single sentence, it’d be, “What do I gotta say so you’ll do what I want?” Meaning, it’s 100% outcome based: Theories are fun, but reality is the ultimate litmus test. Which is why, to build a PR war plan, we only need three ingredients:
• An honest, accurate assessment of where we are today.
• An honest, accurate assessment of what motivates our target audience.
• A clear picture of where we want to be tomorrow (i.e., what “victory” looks like).


That’s it. All the rest is simply a roadmap between today and tomorrow (sprinkled with tactics, measurables, and mile markers). If you know where you are and where you’d like to be, everything else falls into place. “Know the enemy and know yourself” — Sun Tzu would’ve rocked at PR. The Iraq War introduced the phrase “shock and awe” into the public lexicon, relying on the PR power of big booming bombs. Undoubtedly, the psychological impact was significant; how could it not be? Whereas the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war in Iran was surely shocking and aweing to many Iranian mullahs (especially all the dead ones), it probably pales in comparison to either Iraq war. Iran, after all, is nearly four times larger geographically, and in Iraq, more air forces were running more bombing raids.

Stands to reason that more bombs in a smaller area would be more shocking and awe-inspiring. Plus, today’s U.S. and Israeli bombs and missiles are increasingly targeted, “smart,” and ultra-precise. In the Persian Gulf War, barely 9% of our bombs were smart bombs. It’s unclear what percent of U.S. and Israeli bombs are currently “smart,” but it’s certainly a much larger number. It’s also unclear what that means: Are ultra-precise, target-specific bombs and missiles MORE psychologically devastating? Or do larger quantities of randomly-landing bombs and missiles deliver a heavier psychological blow? These are relevant questions because war is a tool — a means to an end. And the endpoint we’re trying to reach is for the Iranian regime to capitulate, stand down, and cede to President Donald Trump’s demands.

Like Carl von Clausewitz said, “War is politics by other means.” Both Bush presidencies relied purely on military hardware to crack the enemy’s resolve. Their strategy was straightforward, loud, and booming — just like the bombs themselves. But one of the things that differentiates President Trump from his predecessors is his outside-the-box thinking. More than any other president in the past 100 years, he’s willing to try new and novel ways to slice the Gordian knot. Both Bushes were creatures of the status quo, but the current president marches to his own drummer. From tariffs to Greenland to “Governor Trudeau” to the Gulf of America, he’s unusually gifted at weaponizing psychological PR tactics.

The English used to be the best at it. From intercepting and publicizing Napoleon’s love letters to their Andrew Dice Clay-esque nursery rhymes about Adolf Hitler’s unfortunate deformities, they were so good at it, Joseph Stalin said at the 1943 Tehran(!) Conference that World War II would be won with “British brains, American steel, and Soviet Blood.” That was then. Today, U.S. intelligence and Israeli ingenuity have supplanted the Brits at psychological warfare. America’s capabilities are unrivaled anywhere in the world, and Israel’s winning streak of innovative psychological victories — perhaps most notably, its “Grim Beeper” operation that decapitated Hezbollah — keeps growing.

According to some reports, it was American intelligence that learned of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s secret meeting with Iranian leaders; others credit Israel. Either way, the combination of Mossad + IDF + CIA + U.S. Armed Forces has rattled Iran to its core.In fact, the Wall Street Journal reports that the Israelis are actually chatting with high-ranking Iranians:The Journal reviewed the contents of one call between a senior Iranian police commander and an agent of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign-intelligence service. “Can you hear me?” a Mossad agent can be heard, speaking in Farsi. “We know everything about you. You are on our blacklist, and we have all the information about you.” “OK,” the commander said in the recording. “I called to warn you in advance that you should stand with your people’s side,” the Mossad agent said. “And if you will not do that, your destiny will be as your leader. Do you hear me?”

“Brother, I swear on the Quran, I’m not your enemy,” the commander said. “I’m a dead man already. Just please come help us.”

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“.. the U.K., EU, and NATO are absent and increasingly irrelevant.”

• Susan Kokinda Outlines the Shift in Strategic Alliances (CTH)

The rebranded Lyndon LaRouche PAC has another good outline on the new strategic alliances assembled by President Trump as the ongoing conflict with Iran continues. Susan Kokinda reviews how the United Kingdom and Europe have been sidelined as President Trump directly negotiates with key stakeholders in the middle east and Asia. Kokinda correctly notes the messaging from Russia indicates a strategic awareness that old systems are fracturing and the potential for new strategic alliances is rising.


“Susan Kokinda argues President Trump has opened a new diplomatic space to de-escalate the Iran conflict by working through a regional roster—Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Gulf States, and back channels into Iran—while the U.K., EU, and NATO are absent and increasingly irrelevant. Citing reporting that ministers met in Riyadh and that Egypt, Turkey, and Oman carried messages, she says this “Board of Peace” architecture is isolating Iran and weakening its proxies, pointing to Lebanon’s move against Hezbollah, the Palestinian Authority’s condemnation of Iran, and Hamas considering disarmament. Kokinda links Europe’s exclusion to self-inflicted energy weakness from Green and anti-Russia policies, noting rushed LNG moves and a delayed Russian oil ban vote. She concludes Ukraine’s outlook darkens as Europe and Britain lack leverage, highlighting Zelenskyy’s scramble for support in London and Washington.”


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“Donald Trump is finally eliminating the threat posed by Iran once and for all after decades of inaction from presidents from both parties..”

• Kevin O’Leary Tells Everyone to ‘Chillax’ Over Iran (Matt Margolis)

Kevin O’Leary has a message for everyone losing their minds over Operation Epic Fury and its potential economic fallout: chillax! The Shark Tank investor and business mogul appeared on Fox News to push back against the growing chorus of voices warning that U.S. military action against Iran is about to tank the economy. He began by framing the situation inside Iran in stark human terms, arguing that the status quo — for Iranians — is already unsustainable. “Everybody in the region wants to get Iran on board for peace and growth, and even the people there, they want the same thing. You’ve got 250,000 people making sixty million miserable. That’s not a long-term solution either,” O’Leary said. “That’s just in Iran. That’s why you’ve got to take the long view, and the long view here could be just sixty days.”


O’Leary wasn’t buying it — and he had the numbers to back up his claim. “Remember, to affect the US economy, you need oil. I’m talking about recession talk, or hurting the economy, or damaging small business. You need oil at over $93 for three months. We’re only one-third into it,” O’Leary said. “So, everybody, chillax and let this thing play out. There’s a really big opportunity here, a huge one, and everybody gets the upside, including all our trading partners.” That’s the core of his argument. If there’s anything that can trigger a recession, it’s high oil prices, but they haven’t hit the threshold that historically triggers real damage to the U.S. economy. Heck, prices aren’t nearly as bad as they were under Biden, so there’s not much reason to press the panic button.

In fact, the panic, in his view, is premature at best and wildly overblown at worst. One-third of the way through a potential sixty-day window, the doomsday crowd is jumping the gun. But O’Leary didn’t stop at defending the economics of the moment. He zoomed out and argued that a successful resolution could trigger a massive wave of trade deals across the Middle East and beyond. “We work this out, we’re selling stuff to Saudi Arabia, we’re selling it to the UAE, we’re selling it to Asia, we’re selling it to Japan,” he said. That’s a lot of markets. And O’Leary’s point is that critics are so focused on the short-term noise that they’re completely missing the long-term prize. For O’Leary, this whole moment needs to be looked at differently. “This is a huge opportunity,” he said. “I just see it for what it is. It’s history being made.”

History is being made. While the panickers on the left flood cable news with recession warnings, O’Leary is looking at an entirely different map that spells huge economic opportunity for us. So, don’t listen to the left. They want this to be an economic and political disaster for President Donald Trump, and they’ll never stop pretending that it is.

Editor’s Note: Donald Trump is finally eliminating the threat posed by Iran once and for all after decades of inaction from presidents from both parties.

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Just like Trump. The law is only what you want it to be.

• Elon Musk Seeks To Remove Delaware Judge From His Cases (ZH)

Lawyers for Elon Musk and Tesla are seeking to have a Delaware judge removed from cases involving them, arguing her neutrality could be questioned after her LinkedIn account “liked” a post about Musk losing a recent trial in California, according to Financial Times. Musk’s firm said the interaction with the “inflammatory” post created “a perception of bias against Mr. Musk in these cases, recusal is necessary and warranted”. The post referred to a federal case where a jury concluded Musk had defrauded Twitter investors, a decision that could cost him billions if it stands. A consultant who worked with the plaintiffs even took a jab at Musk and his legal team in that same thread.


Judge Kathaleen McCormick responded that she didn’t realize the post had been liked until LinkedIn alerted her. She stated: “I either did not click the ‘support’ icon at all, or I did so accidentally. I do not believe that I did it accidentally,” suggesting uncertainty about how it happened. FT writes that the situation is another chapter in Musk’s strained relationship with Delaware’s courts. McCormick has previously ruled against him, including decisions to void Tesla’s massive $56bn compensation package—though it was later reinstated on appeal despite agreement with some of her criticisms.

Musk has long expressed distrust of the state’s judiciary, even relocating Tesla’s incorporation to Texas. During a prior dispute with Twitter, he told jurors: “We were unlikely to win the case in Delaware because the judge [McCormick] was extremely biased against me.” McCormick still oversees a separate Tesla-related case tied to shareholder claims about excessive director pay. She said she will consider stepping aside and also noted that she lost access to her LinkedIn account after the incident. The controversy reflects wider concerns about judges’ activity on social media. In 2025, another Delaware judge stepped away from LinkedIn after facing backlash over his posts.

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The fear of fear?

• Are We Safe Anymore? (Ben Shapiro)

It’s time to ask some serious questions. As spring travel ramps up, a record 171 million Americans are expected to take to the skies. Airports will be crowded, security lines long, and for many travelers, a fundamental question will linger: Are we safe? That question extends far beyond the airport terminal. It surfaces at the southern border, in major American cities, and in the wake of tragedies like the killing of 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman in Chicago. Gorman, a student at Loyola University, was shot and killed while walking with friends along a pier in Rogers Park. According to prosecutors, the group encountered a man hiding near a lighthouse. As they fled, he allegedly opened fire, striking Gorman in the back. Authorities say the suspect, a Venezuelan national, had previously entered the United States illegally and had prior contact with law enforcement before being released.


The case has reignited debate over immigration enforcement, sanctuary policies and public safety. Critics argue that policies limiting cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities can have serious consequences. Chicago’s sanctuary status, they note, restricts such coordination. In this instance, the suspect had reportedly been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting months earlier but was not turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Supporters of stricter enforcement contend that more consistent cooperation could prevent repeat offenses. They argue that when individuals who are in the country unlawfully are released after prior arrests, the system has failed to mitigate potential risks.

Others, however, caution against drawing broad conclusions from a single case. Some local officials have emphasized the complexity of crime and the need to avoid politicizing individual tragedies. Chicago leaders have also reiterated longstanding concerns about overreliance on incarceration, arguing that deeper social issues contribute to violence. Still, the divide is stark. On one side are those who believe enforcement — whether at the border or within cities — must be strengthened to ensure public safety. On the other are those who argue that enforcement alone cannot address the root causes of crime and that policy responses must be broader in scope.

Meanwhile, the political backdrop adds another layer of tension. A funding dispute affecting the Department of Homeland Security has raised concerns about staffing and operations, including airport security. Reports of long TSA lines have only heightened public anxiety, even as federal officials work to manage the strain. Even traditionally critical voices have acknowledged that personnel shifts, including assistance from other federal agencies, have helped ease some delays. But for many Americans, the broader question remains unresolved.

Public safety — whether in neighborhoods, at the border or in transit hubs — continues to be one of the most powerful forces shaping political opinion. Incidents like the killing of Gorman bring that concern into sharp focus, forcing policymakers and the public alike to confront difficult questions about accountability, enforcement and priorities. As millions prepare to board planes in the coming weeks, those questions won’t be easily dismissed. And for voters, they may prove decisive.

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“For now, it will be left to the courts, not these companies, “to do the right thing” on social media liability.”

• “Don’t Be Evil”: Google’s Motto Becomes a Jury Verdict in Calfornia (Turley)

Google once had a motto: “Don’t be evil.” In its reorganization in 2015, the motto was changed to “Do the right thing.” According to a California jury this week, neither motto stuck.In a historic verdict against both Google and Meta, a jury found that the companies maliciously designed their social media products to addict children, including the plaintiff, who was known only as Kaley or KGM. The jury heard testimony of efforts to “target” young users and feed an addiction to social media and YouTube. The jury awarded Kaley $3 million in compensatory damages divided between Meta (70%) and Google (30%). It then awarded another $3 million in punitive damages.


Those damages are nothing to companies worth billions. However, the verdict was like a dinner gong for plaintiffs lawyers. There are already thousands of cases filed against social media companies. That wave is about to become a tsunami. That is particularly the case after companies like TikTok and Snap settled before trial. In addition to this civil verdict, the New Mexico Attorney General secured a $375 million verdict the same week against Meta under the state’s consumer protection laws.But it will be a very long time before these companies cut a check. The California case is rife with compelling appellate issues that will take years to work out. Indeed, what makes this case so intriguing — and even more tempting for plaintiffs’ lawyers — is that it was actually not the strongest case.

The 17-year-old in California started using social media at age 6. Kaley had a troubled childhood with problems at home and bullying at school. She experienced depression, anxiety, and body dysmorphia that could be linked to other aspects of her life. Her use of social media was extreme: all-consuming and all-day. Meta argued that it does prohibit users under 13 from using any of its platforms. YouTube offers different platforms for children, like YouTube Kids.However, Kaley created dozens of accounts to drive her “likes” and increase her virtual interactions.The trial showed how complex such cases are in isolating what was the most substantial factor in Kaley’s harmful childhood. The case stretched the concepts of factual and legal causation to the breaking point.

I have taught torts for over 30 years and, in my view, the causation in this case is dubious. Even with tobacco, there was protracted litigation over other sources of cancer. However, that litigation was relatively straightforward in comparison to cases seeking to assign liability for depression, anxiety, or body dysmorphia. Children are bombarded with social and media imagery and messages from myriad sources. At the same time, many (like Kaley) come from homes with troubling or abusive elements.The companies have previously asserted immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934. These lawyers found a creative way to evade that immunity by claiming they are challenging the design of “the product” of social media companies, not suing over the specific content that appears on their sites.

That may prove too clever by half for some judges. Product liability law has previously been used to circumvent constitutional or legal barriers, as in the unsuccessful product liability and nuisance cases against gun manufacturers. Section 230 is designed to protect internet companies that serve as platforms for third-party postings. Here, the lawyers are arguing that you have immunity for what is posted, but your system itself is a product that is subject to a lawsuit. In finding negligence and a failure to warn, the jury clearly agreed with the complaint that the design of the sites was maliciously intended to create “a compulsion to engage with those products nonstop,” feeding “harmful and depressive content.” However, it is a difficult line between marketing and targeting.

It is not clear what warning these social media companies should offer beyond what they have previously posted. More importantly, it is unclear whether such warnings would have any impact on users.If Meta warned that social media can be addictive or harmful, would it have deterred Kaley? Her mother already tried to block her from such usage.There is no question that social media has a hold on children and adults because they like it. It allows them to create, observe, and communicate with an unprecedented range of people and sites. The question is whether this compulsive conduct reflects an intentional effort to addict minors or a product that is irresistible for many. The only certainty after these verdicts is that there will be more of them. As soon as this verdict was read, the “likes” from plaintiffs’ lawyers flooded in across social media. Those trials will continue despite great uncertainty about the very foundation of any liability.

For now, it will be left to the courts, not these companies, “to do the right thing” on social media liability.

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Yeah, he feels a tad better. But it’s nothing to do with justice. Lock up those responsible! They walk free now as the state pays their fines. IT IS Insane!

• Mike Flynn Reaches $1.25m Settlement With Feds Over Russia Collusion Hoax (JTN)

Retired General Mike Flynn on Wednesday settled his lawsuit accusing the federal government of malicious prosecution during the now-discredited Russia collusion case and will receive $1.25 million in compensation. Flynn, who was forced to resign as President Donald Trump’s first national security advisor after a stellar career as a three-star general, overseeing the Defense Intelligence Agency, told Just the News he felt vindicated by the settlement after enduring what he called “the Russian Hoax FBI lawfare against me.” “Nothing can fully compensate for the hell that my family and I have endured over these many years—the relentless attacks, the destruction of reputations, the financial ruin, and the profound personal toll inflicted upon us all,” he said.


“No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.” “This ordeal stemmed from partisan government officials in a coordinated effort to pursue an innocent man as part of a broader campaign to undermine President Trump and his administration. It was a relentless, partisan pursuit that weaponized federal law enforcement in a brazen and unjust manner,” he said. Flynn sued the DOJ for $50 million in 2023 for malicious and politicized prosecution by Special Prosecutor Robert Muel Flynn thanked the Trump DOJ for entering into a settlement.

“Yet this settlement goes far in demonstrating that the current Department of Justice—under the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Blanche, and other dedicated departmental leaders—is committed to bringing accountability for the bad acts of those partisan actors. It marks a meaningful step toward righting a profound wrong,” he said. “There should never again be such a brazen attempt to weaponize federal law enforcement against political opponents or innocent citizens. It is essential that we remain guardians of the rule of law. A huge part of that guardianship is accountability—holding those who abuse power to answer for their actions.”

Flynn’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, said Flynn “is an American hero and he and his family should have never been put through this hell. That they had the courage to stand firm and fight back against the extremists in the Mueller investigation should be a testament to the strength of American character. “In this agreement, the Justice Department is doing more than simply cutting a check, they are admitting that General Flynn was seriously wronged,” he added.

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“Hayek and Mises were right. The socialist planners are wrong.”

• The Economists Who Got It Right ((John Stossel)

Politicians say they can “make the economy work better.” I once believed they could. But years of reporting taught me that politicians’ attempts to “fix” the economy usually make things worse. Twenty years ago, Republicans and Democrats helped create the Great Recession by telling government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buy more peoples’ mortgages because, as President George W. Bush put it, “Owning a home is a part of (the American) dream.” But that guarantee inspired lenders to approve dubious mortgages, given to riskier borrowers.Housing prices shot up in a government-created bubble. When many people stopped making mortgage payments and the housing bubble burst, we got the Great Recession.


It’s just one example of what Austrian economists Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises wrote about years ago. In “The Fatal Conceit,” Hayek writes, “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.” Mises’ “Human Action” points out that all economics start with individuals making purposeful choices. That “human action” determines prices, and markets coordinate the most efficient use of resources. But the media believed the socialists. The New Republic wrote: “the major task of our civilization is … to organize our great economic organs.” On the contrary, wrote Hayek: “To follow socialist morality would destroy much of present humankind and impoverish much of the rest.”

He was right. Every socialist government, everywhere, has failed. They fail because no political leader can ever know as much as millions of individuals doing our own thing. “That’s the idea that Mises’ introduced to the world,” says Ryan McMaken of the Mises Institute. “Central planning doesn’t work because everybody has different ideas for themselves, wants to do different things with their property. If you take away their ability to do what they want, it eventually causes great impoverishment.”I assumed belief in socialism would die when the Soviet Union did — but bizarrely, it hasn’t. Recently, young people helped elect socialist mayors in Seattle and New York City. They promise rent control and government-run grocery stores.

“We don’t have to look any further than Mises to find an excellent explanation of why that doesn’t work,” says McMaken in my new video. Unfortunately, Mises and Hayek were never as popular as economists pushing central planning and government spending.”There’s a big advantage that the people who are in favor of inflation and more government regulation have. Everyone in government wants that same thing,” says McMaken. “‘Like to spend? Like to regulate the economy? Boy, have we got an economic theory for you.’ (That) of course became instantly popular with people in government.”And popular with the public. “Because the public wants government to spend on them as well!” says McMaken.

“Here was an economic theory telling them the government can give you boatloads of welfare nonstop forever and there’s no downside. … The reality is that there is a downside: recessions, unemployment, inflation and falling real wages.” We got that in the 1970s, after years of spending on President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society” programs. In total, American taxpayers have spent $30 trillion in the name of reducing poverty. Politicians said government agencies would spend the money efficiently. They rarely did, and the deficit spending contributed to 15% inflation.

“People then saw, ‘Everything we’ve been told for the last 30 years about managing the economy isn’t really true,'” says McMaken. “When you start to inflate the money supply, it sows the seeds for a future economic collapse. That is the cause of everything we’ve seen over the last century. It is Mises’ work that explains why the Great Depression happened … We have to study the economic side of things because if we don’t … we can’t see the ways that the state is ripping us off.” Hayek and Mises were right. The socialist planners are wrong. Books like “The Fatal Conceit”, “The Road to Serfdom” and “Human Action,” although I couldn’t get through all of it, are well worth reading today.

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Armstrong lost faith in Trump.

• Armageddon, Iran War & Why Peace is Impossible (Martin Armstrong)

The Neocons running the Trump administration, as always, are a complete failure when it comes to thinking strategically about Iran or even the Middle East in general. Emails we receive from industry colleagues often mix statements with reality, and uncertainty about the future of a conflict is causing historic supply disruptions and upending industry planning. If Trump declares victory and pulls back the U.S. military, Iran would then say that it owns the Strait and declare victory. Rumors have circulated that Iran would then impose a tax on any ship passing through the Strait, perhaps resulting in a resumption of this crisis.


The overall U.S. and Israeli strategic objectives for Iran remain questionable. What I do know is that there was a private phone call in which Netanyahu manipulated Trump, stressing that he could “make history” by toppling the Ayatollah regime and taking revenge for Iranian efforts to assassinate him, which was central in Trump’s decision to strike when he did.The classic Neocon claim that America can fight a markedly limited war, and engage in airplane targetry, has never worked even once, and it only demonstrates their dishonest lack of strategy to sell these endless wars. Claiming that naval protection of ships is absurd, for that would prove an impossible challenge and leave major vulnerabilities for the US Navy. That is no more invincible than Israel’s Iron Dome.

Trump’s threats to target Iran’s energy sector over the Strait of Hormuz would have only escalated tensions if Iran had not reopened the Strait in 48 hours. He had to back down and then claim he was in talks with Iran, which they instantly denied. I have some info that Trump has gone to Pakistan to present a 15-point peace proposal, which may sidestep Netanyahu. However, I have sources who have also said IRAN will no longer deal with Steve Witkoff, or Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, both of whom are Jewish, and clearly a very serious affront to Iran and a major appearance of a conflict of interest. They have to be the worst possible people to negotiate with Iran, given the hatred that Netanyahu has publicly made clear about Iran.

Furthermore, the claims that the United States won the war against Iran within the first hour of military action and that the conflict quickly tilted in favor of the USA were also bravado. However, President Trump also said that American forces would remain deployed until the mission was complete. This has been proven to be just boastfulness and fake news. They also claimed that they destroyed most of Iran’s missile capacity. Yet, Iran launched waves of missiles at Israel on Tuesday, a day after U.S. President Trump said there had been “very good and productive” talks aiming at halting the war unleashed and unprovoked by the U.S. and Israel.

History is not going to come down in Trump’s favor. A year ago, in late March 2025, the U.S. Intelligence Community assessed that “Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that [Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not reauthorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.” However, in a congressional hearing about that assessment, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also said, “Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.” Trump instead used Netanyahu’s bogus claims. They never had a missile that could reach the United States, Europe, yes, but not the United States.

That calls into question the Neocon/Netanyahu lies to start this war, just as the Weapons of Mass Destruction never existed in Iraq. They need to lie and create an immediate threat to circumvent Congress, and the last “war” was World War II. Everything else has been an abuse of executive power instigated by the Neocons. Trump is sending in troops, and Iran replied – come closer.

The Western press propaganda shows a ballistic missile being intercepted by Israel. What they fail to explain is that an Iranian Ballistic Missile costs $300,000 or less, while the Israeli interceptors cost $2-$3 million each. Israel typically launches at least 3 interceptors per Iranian missile, and some have said up to 6 interceptors have been fired. A Sling interceptor costs about $1 million each, and an Iron Dome interceptor costs $50,000 each. Iran is bleeding the West dry, and even Taiwan has expressed concern that the US is using its entire stockpile of cruise missiles, meaning they cannot be defended.

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See this in the light of the opening article. How he is financed.

• Zelensky: Trump Pressuring Him To Give Up On Donbas And End War Soon

With the Ukraine war now marching into its fifth year, and with the next weather-driven “fighting season” underway, a frustrated Ukrainian President Volydymyr Zelensky says the Trump administration is pressuring him to give up the Donbas region in exchange for US security guarantees. He also claims that Russia is offering to stop providing intelligence to Iran if the United States stops giving intel to Ukraine. Last week, we reported that trilateral talks about the Ukraine war had been suspended, thanks to the United States now having to focus on executing Trump’s war on Iran with Israel. However, in an interview with Reuters, Zelensky said that Trump is now pressuring Ukraine to cave on its biggest demand just to wipe the war off his to-do list.


In his 2024 campaign, Trump told voters that he’d have the war settled “before I even arrive at the Oval Office.” “The Middle East definitely has an impact on President Trump, and I think on his next steps. President Trump, unfortunately, in my opinion, still chooses a strategy to put more pressure on the Ukrainian side,” he told Reuters. The principal thrust of that pressure: Ukraine giving up on its demand that the eastern Donbas region be returned to Ukraine, in exchange for US security guarantees for what’s left of the Ukraine after the shooting stops. Comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the great majority of the Donbas is already under Russian military control.


In addition to all of Luhansk and most of Donetsk, the Russian army has secured most of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts that lie to Donbas’ southwes “The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelensky said, adding that such a move would leave Ukraine and Europe vulnerable to Russian aggression, because ceding Donbas would also cede key defensive terrain. Zelensky also bemoaned what he says is an insufficient supply of interceptor missiles for Patriot air defense systems. “We were not stopped from deliveries. I’m very grateful to President Trump, and to his team, but this supply of Patriot missiles is not as large as we need.”

That gripe comes as both US and Israeli interceptor missile supplies are being rapidly diminished in responding to wave after wave of Iranian attacks — weeks after White House boasts that Tehran’s ballistic missile capability had been “functionally destroyed.” Meanwhile, Ukraine has apparently come up with an alternative air defense tactic straight out of a video game: mZelensky also claimed that his military intelligence had acquired “irrefutable” evidence that Russia is sharing intelligence with Iran, as the country continues to defend itself in the war launched by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28. What’s more, he claimed Putin is using that as a bargaining chip to persuade Trump to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over Donbas:

“I have reports from our intelligence services showing that Russia is doing this and saying: ‘I will not pass on intelligence to Iran if America stops passing intelligence to Ukraine.’ Isn’t that blackmail? Absolutely.” This latest stirring of the pot by Zelensky comes on the heels of Russia launching the largest 24-hour aerial attack since the Feb 2022 Russian invasion. Counting both drones and cruise missiles, 979 warheads poured into Ukrainian airspace, with about half of them coming in a very rare broad-daylight blitz on Tuesday. While we can’t verify its authenticity, this video seemingly shows that Trump isn’t the only one who’s unenthusiastic about Zelensky’s pipe dream of retaking the Donbas:

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” As the Democrat Sodom & Gomorrah Tower of Babel regime that succeeds Trump returns to office, it will be Netanyahu who destroyed America.”

What, not Hillary? Obama?

• Has Trump Let Netanyahu Destroy America? (Paul Craig Roberts)

Donald Trump’s reelection as President was a hopeful development for Americans. Obama and Biden had dismantled America with open borders and DEI. Millions of people were walking into the country claiming health, food, and housing benefits. Merit was cast aside, and a system of race and gender privileges had taken the place of merit and equality under law. White heterosexual males had become second class citizens. Trump’s win was convincing. He found himself with a majority of the Supreme Court. Republicans had the House and Senate, although by narrow margins. AI and data centers were invigorating the economy. Trump pardoned the wrongfully convicted Jan 6 “insurrectionists.” The Justice Department was pursuing the Democrat officials who had weaponized law and committed felonies. The border was being closed. It looked like America would be put back on its feet.


But before the chance at renewal could be set in stone, Netanyahu and the Zionist Lobby intervened. Trump was moved from MAGA to MIGA. Trump gave American approval to the Israeli genocide of Palestine. He fortified the genocide with American money, weapons, and diplomatic cover. He attacked Iran for Israel twice. The first time after Israel’s attempt failed to destroy Iranian uranium enrichment capability used only for peaceful purposes, not for weapons. The second Trump attack on Iran was as Netanyahu’s partner in a sneak military attack on Iran, thus initiating a major war that has not turned out to be the cake walk Trump promised.

Currently the war is going against Israeli-America. Iran has demonstrated staying power and that its missiles can penetrate Israeli-American defenses. US air and naval bases in the Persian Gulf have been badly damaged, some apparently put out of action, and oil sheikdoms that hosted the American bases have had their energy facilities destroyed. Iran has demonstrated that Israeli-America cannot protect Dimona, the site of Israel’s nuclear facilities and weapons. The Gulf of Hormuz is selectively open according to Iran’s decision. Iran has demonstrated that its missiles can hit Diego Garcia and Crete, resulting in the removal of US carriers long distances from the conflict, thus reducing the effectiveness of range-limited fighter aircraft. The insecurity that the war has brought to gas and oil facilities has raised energy prices, binging inflation in its wake. On top of it all, it appears that, confident of quick victory, Netanyahu and Trump initiated a major war unprepared and whose interceptor missiles have run out, but Iran’s attack missiles have not.

Trump does not know what to do. His ultimatum to Iran expired last Monday, but Trump extended it 5 days. There is speculation that either he is creating conditions for declaring victory and going home or is stalling for time to assemble sufficient forces for an invasion, if not of the Iranian vast land mass then of Kharg Island. In other words, Trump is weighing up his choices: to declare victory and leave or to go in deeper. There are reports that Trump has ordered US Marines and paratroops to be sent to bases in the area. If so, it remains to be seen if Iran will strike the troops in their bases before they can invade. The number of American soldiers being sent is not sufficient for a land invasion force. If the intent is to occupy Kharg Island, how do the soldiers arrive alive? If they do arrive, what are they supposed to do, and how do they get out alive?

Considering the total failure of Pentagon planning for the war, it seems we are looking at more unaddressed questions. Meanwhile, the domestic agenda has fallen apart. The prosecutions of New York Attorney General Leticia James, James Comey, and the coterie of Democrat officials who framed Trump supporters and did their best to imprison and dispossess Donald Trump has gone by the wayside. It seems that the Democrats will not be held accountable for weaponizing law, thus leaving weaponized law unchallenged for future use.

With Trump’s attention directed elsewhere by Netanyahu, Minneapolis and Minnesota were able to defeat Trump’s deportation attempt. Moreover the Democrats refused to fund the Department of Homeland Security, thus closing down TSA airport security. Lines to board flights, thanks to Democrats, became four hours long. People missed their flights and connections and confusion reigned. What did Trump do? Did he point to the Democrats? No. Trump pulled ICE off of deportations and assigned them to take the place of TSA. In other words, Trump pulled the Democrats’ bacon out of the fire for them.

It is difficult to imagine a mistake of this magnitude if Trump was not preoccupied by the war Netanyahu, “America’s Greatest Friend,” roped him into. Having been roped into Netanyahu’s war for Greater Israel, Trump is trapped between a rock and a hard place. Thinking the war would be over in three days, no planning was done and Iranian capability was dramatically underestimated. Midterm US elections are on the scene. Trump has stupidly fractured his MAGA movement. He cannot survive politically with a war defeat. How does he obtain a victory? Will nuclear weapons be his and Netanyahu’s alternative to defeat by Iran?

Trump, so determined to demonstrate his support for Israel, this time faces impeachment and conviction and subsequent prosecution if Democrats regain control of Congress. If so, Donald Trump becomes the fall guy for Netanyahu. Trump will be blamed, but it is Netanyahu and Israel’s powerful Zionist Lobby that rules America who took Trump to war. As the Democrat Sodom & Gomorrah Tower of Babel regime that succeeds Trump returns to office, it will be Netanyahu who destroyed America.

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