Recent Events______________________________________

Car Bomb in Syria Kills at Least 20 - (2025-02-04)

"There was no immediate claim from any armed groups for the bombing, which was the deadliest since rebel forces overthrow president Bashar al-Assad in December."

The American press has been quick with performative victory-lap coverage, creating the impression of stability and legitimacy, but there are a lot of moving parts and this story could be far from over.

Nord Stream Sabotage: Cui Bono? - (2025-02-04)

"Europe is at the mercy of global markets, bidding against the likes of China and South Korea for liquefied natural gas. Prices have recently soared to the highest level in a year, hurting businesses and adding to a cost-of-living crisis in Europe. The largest source of liquefied natural gas has been the United States, mostly terminals from the Gulf Coast, which provide nearly half of Europe's supply"

Cheap, Energy-Efficient AI: Who Woulda Thought? - (2025-01-27)

"Shares in California-based Nvidia, one of the biggest beneficiaries of spending on AI chips, plunged 16 per cent, wiping out more than $600bn of market value, a record loss for any company."

Right after Western tech companies announced an alleged $500 Billion investment. Pie on face moment.

Manhattan Editors Relent, Now that Biden is Gone - (2025-01-23)

"At current trends, Ukraine is losing a larger share of its smaller army. There are currently more than 400,000 Russians facing about 250,000 Ukrainians on the front line, and the gap between the armies is growing"

The Ukrainians who are actually doing the fighting understand that they are largely sacrificing themselves for corrupt leaders who are more concerned with maintaining their own wealth and power.

"In recent weeks, reports have surfaced that hundreds of 'busified' men in the 155th brigade deserted before they were deployed to stop the advance of the Russians near Pokrovsk."

The Hegemon Squeezes Its Vassal States - (2025-01-21)

"Donald Trump has threatened the EU with a trade war unless it buys more US oil and gas. But despite Brussels signalling openness to the idea, it has no power to buy — and European countries are importing record volumes of cheaper liquefied natural gas from Russia"

"Large scale purchase of our oil and gas. Otherwise, it is TARIFFS all the way!!!"

Still wondering who sabotaged the Nord Stream pipeline? The EU is about to discover just how little power it actually has.

Now He Tells Us - (2025-01-17)

"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."

Uh, let me guess, Joe... would any of those folks happen to be Donors to the Democratic Party? After your heir apparent raked in well over a billion?

Execs Scramble to "Kiss the Ring" - (2025-01-17)

"Now, between Trump's inaugural committee, an allied super PAC and a 501(c)4 group set up to boost the incoming administration politically — and which is not required to disclose its donors — Trump allies are expected to rake in as much as $250 million dollars."

China's Trade Surplus Hits $1 Trillion - (2025-01-14)

"Chinese producers, meanwhile, have stepped up exports to offset sluggish domestic demand, with households still recovering from a three-year property crash in the world’s second-largest economy. China’s imports have also slowed as its exports have expanded, prompting accusations from trading partners that the country’s surpluses were unsustainable and threatened to deindustrialise the rest of the world"

Lancet Study of Death Toll in Gaza - (2025-01-10)

"We estimated 64,260 deaths (95% CI 55 298–78 525) due to traumatic injury during the study period, suggesting the Palestinian MoH under-reported mortality by 41%."

Economic Loss from California Fires - (2025-01-10)

"AccuWeather has updated and increased its preliminary estimate of the total damage and economic loss to between $135 billion and $150 billion"

More Cyberwar Propaganda from the WSJ - (2025-01-06)

"The victims had mediocre cybersecurity, and some had no idea they had even been breached."

The real story here isn't that China is hacking U.S. assets (just like the NSA and CIA are busy hacking foreign assets), it's that American CIOs are neglecting security to the extent that it's a fairly simple job for attackers to get in. It goes without saying that any utility to puts their systems on the internet is asking for trouble...

The Myth of "Unprovoked" in Ukraine - (2025-01-05)

Our leaders tell us that Russia's invasion of Ukraine was unprovoked. But a recent interview with the New York Times reminds us that this is gaslighting:

"So first, if you look at the trajectory of the conflict, because we saw it coming, we were able to make sure that not only were we prepared and allies and partners were prepared, but that Ukraine was prepared. We made sure that well before the Russian aggression happened, starting in September and then again December, we quietly got a lot of weapons to Ukraine to make sure that they had in hand what they needed to defend themselves"

Hello? U.S. officials saw this coming because they're the same group of people who initiated it by poking the bear. Lest we forget Victoria "F-The-EU" Nuland determining the future makeup of the Ukrainian government.

"Nuland and Pyatt were engaged in such planning at a time when Yanukovych was still Ukraine's lawful president. It was startling to have diplomatic representatives of a foreign country—and a country that routinely touts the need to respect democratic processes and the sovereignty of other nations —to be scheming about removing an elected government and replacing it with officials meriting U.S. approval."

67 Killed in Gaza Airstrike - (2025-01-03)

"Israeli airstrikes killed at least 68 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, including at a tent camp where the head of the enclave's Hamas-controlled police force, his deputy and nine displaced people died, Gaza authorities said."

Cracks Appear in South Korea - (2025-01-03)

"South Korea's presidential guards and military troops prevented authorities from arresting impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday in a tense six-hour stand-off inside Yoon's compound in the heart of Seoul."

Terror Attack Hits Big Easy - (2025-01-02)

"A U.S. Army veteran flying an ISIS flag from his truck swerved around makeshift barriers and plowed into New Orleans' crowded French Quarter on New Year's Day, killing 15 people in an attack officials said may have been carried out with the help of others."