Breaking What's Fixed

 Repair Technicians,

  Will Zoll,  Scamocracy – Part II  The Broken Window Industrial Complex

2020 was the “year of the broken window”, and our money was instantly redirected by governments around the world to “build back better”, whether we liked it or not. Excess money printing flowed into the coffers of industries that served that purpose. This was not just an American problem. The problem was global.

  Now let’s apply this concept to our very simple Prosperity Index model:   

  As you can see, there was a recovery, but We the People were not included. There was real money being spent by the Biden Treasury, but We the People did not get any of it. Instead, we were laden with exponentially rising debt levels to accommodate the maniacal plans of “building back better”.
  Broken windows can be extremely profitable in a Scamocracy, so long as you are part of the scam.   https://prussiagate.substack.com/p/scamocracy-part-ii

​  Gilbert Doctorow, The best thing that Trump can do now is to walk away from the Russia-Ukraine war

​  The past couple of days have brought wildly contradictory reports from the Trump administration on progress in its initiative to achieve a peace accord ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
​  Either they are progressing well and close to success, as Vice President J.D. Vance has commented or they will be ended in the coming days if the warring parties remain obdurate and their positions are irreconcilable, as Secretary of State Rubio stated yesterday.
​  Trump himself in his various statements to journalists has moved from the one position to the other and back again, leaving us all guessing as to his real intentions. However, there are sufficient reasons to believe that the administration will announce that it is leaving the talks and moving on to other foreign policy issues on its agenda.​..

​..I have remarked in recent days on the contradictions in positions on the war’s preferred outcome between the ‘hardliners’ Marco Rubio and General Kellogg on the one side and the more Russia-friendly Steve Witkoff on the other side.
​  From reports on what has been taking place in Paris a day ago, it would appear that the Kellogg line on the end-game in Ukraine has gained the upper hand. This would leave the Russians in possession of the portion of the Eastern Ukrainian oblasts (provinces) that they presently occupy, freezing the line of engagement where it presently is. It would establish a European protectorate over the Westernmost part of Ukraine, presumably with ‘boots on the ground.’ And it would leave intact the Kievan regime, rabidly anti-Russian as it is, holding the rump sovereign state of Ukraine in the middle.​..

..I see the backing of the Kellogg solution in what was going on in Paris at the invitation of Emmanuel Macron. The Americans led by Rubio and Witkoff sat on one side of the table, while the Ukrainian negotiators sat together with the European representatives on the other side...

..At the end of the talks, the Europeans said they were satisfied to have taken part, that it was important to reach an alignment of views with the Americans. The Americans, for their part, said the contribution of the Europeans had been ‘constructive.’...

..The very fact that the Europeans were satisfied with the tenor of the discussion is a victory for the Kellogg position versus the Putin-friendly Witkoff position.
​  We did not hear from the Ukrainian negotiators, but they could not have been happy with the provisions of the Kellogg solution regarding the disposition of the Ukrainian territory now under Russian occupation. Kiev rejects categorically territorial concessions to Russia.​..

​..The desires of the warring parties are mutually exclusive and neither will accept the Trump administration’s proposed compromise. The only question is who, Kiev or Moscow, will be the first to reject the compromise publicly, risking Trump’s fury.
​  Given these conditions, I expect Trump to walk away from the Ukraine war within a week’s time. When you have a clear winner in a war, it is unrealistic and futile to demand that the winner give up the objectives that caused him to launch the war: namely to keep NATO Member States out of Ukraine and to ensure that the human rights of Russian speakers living in Ukraine are respected.. It is still more absurd to expect the winner to capitulate to the loser, as Kiev and the EU are demanding and give up all territorial gains on the field of battle.​   https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/04/19/the-best-thing-that-trump-can-do-now-is-to-walk-away-from-the-russia-ukraine-war/

Iran Is Not Building a Nuclear Bomb: A Fact Sheet   https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2025/04/13/iran-is-not-building-a-nuclear-bomb-fact-sheet/

Trump Rejected Israeli Attack Plan On Iran & Now Hawks Are Fuming

President Donald Trump rejected an Israeli plan to attack Iran with US military support, which was pitched with a timeline of as soon as next month, in favor of seeking diplomacy with Tehran, The New York Times reported late Wednesday...

..That's when Netanyahu made the strange and provocative statement that they should "go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision with American execution." Netanyahu departed Washington with no major wins - not even on the effort to get new tariffs on Israel removed or reduced...

..The report confirms prior Axios reporting which said there's a sharp divide within the Trump administration, as we detailed earlier. Vice President J.D. Vance and those in his camp want to avoid another disastrous Middle East war at all costs:
  This camp includes also Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff — who represented the U.S. at the first round of Iran talks on Saturday — and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. It also gets outside support from MAGA influencer and Trump whisperer Tucker Carlson.
This group is concerned that striking Iran's nuclear facilities would put U.S. soldiers in the region in harm's way when Iran strikes back.
They also argue a new conflict in the region would send oil prices skyrocketing at a sensitive time for the U.S. economy...

..In a meeting this month — one of several discussions about the Israeli plan — Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, presented a new intelligence assessment that said the buildup of American weaponry could potentially spark a wider conflict with Iran that the United States did not want...

..But it looks like they (the hawks and the Israeli lobby/AIPAC) are currently trying to get everyone opposed to war with Iran fired. On Wednesday a third official was escorted out of the Pentagon, with security credentials removed:
  A third high-level Pentagon staffer has been placed on administrative leave in two days as part of a probe into media leaks.
  Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, was escorted out of the building on Wednesday, following Dan Caldwell, senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Darin Selnick, deputy chief of staff to Hegseth.   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-rejected-israeli-attack-iran-now-hawks-are-fuming

  Sundance,  REPORT: President Trump Opposed Israeli Strikes on Iran Nuclear Sites

For now, Mr. Trump has chosen diplomacy over military action.
  This is where we need to insert the element that all media generally refuse to associate, Russia.
  Iran has reengaged with officials from President Trump’s administration following a letter Trump wrote to the leadership in Iran.  President Trump wants Mideast peace; he also wants to avoid the issue of Iran having a nuclear weapon. President Trump views military action as the last possible resort for failed diplomatic and geopolitical efforts.
  Israel wants to attack Iran.  President Trump wants to support Israel but doesn’t want expanded military conflict that pulls the USA into more Mideast war.
  As we see in the continued issues within Ukraine, the CIA supports expanded conflict in both Ukraine and Iran.   Israel and the CIA are in alignment. Hence, in our ongoing restaurant analogy, the CIA is the kitchen, and Israel has a table there. Russian President Vladimir Putin could be an influential geopolitical partner with President Trump, if Trump can get the issues of Ukraine and Russia solved and then pivot to Iran.
  Unfortunately, the CIA does not want the issues within Ukraine solved, doesn’t want Trump and Putin coordinating and certainly doesn’t want Trump and Putin to work out a new strategic global map that does not contain useful conflict.  Again, Israel and the CIA are in alignment.   https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/17/report-president-trump-opposed-israeli-strikes-on-iran-nuclear-sites/#more-271157

  Saudi Defense Chief Visits Iran In Unprecedented Trip As Israel Talks War

China has been the big power which has mediated the Iran-Saudi rapprochement, at a moment the US is widely viewed as in retreat in the region.   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/saudi-defense-chief-visits-iran-highest-level-trip-decades-israel-talks-war

  Israel targets UNRWA flour centre in Khan Yunis
Israeli air strikes targeted an UNRWA flour distribution centre surrounded by tents housing forcibly displaced Palestinians in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. The UN facility played a crucial role in providing food aid, which is under severe strain in the enclave as a result of Israel's continued siege and closure of all crossings into the Strip.   https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250415-israel-targets-unrwa-flour-centre-in-khan-yunis/

  Might as well be killed right here...  Fed Up With Israeli Displacement Orders, Palestinians in Gaza City Refuse to Leave

Over two thirds of Gaza is now either under active displacement orders or within a no-go zone. With no safety or shelter elsewhere, some Palestinians are refusing to leave.   https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/gaza-city-israeli-displacement-orders-kill-zone

  Gaza ministry says Israel killed 1,400+ medical personnel, kidnapped 360 others amid genocide
Despite Iosing lives in Israeli strikes, medics have shown immense resilience, facing shortages of anesthesia, antibiotics and clean water, forcing them to ration painkillers, operate without electricity, and perform amputations without anesthesia.   https://trt.global/world/article/27d246729976

  What happened to the Palestinian doctors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza?

  Palestinian medical workers recount abuse, starvation, and torture in Israeli detention facilities
Rights groups say Israeli attack on health infrastructure violate international humanitarian law   https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597202/middle-east

Trump White House holds Hamas ‘entirely responsible’ for Israeli execution of Palestinian medics   https://thegrayzone.com/2025/04/07/trump-white-house-hamas-execution-palestinian-medics/

  Yet another citizen-petition:  At least 1,700 Israeli artists, cultural figures sign petitions calling for return of hostages, end to Gaza war

Pressure mounts on Netanyahu to end Gaza war as thousands of Israeli soldiers, academics demand prisoner swap   https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/at-least-1-700-israeli-artists-cultural-figures-sign-petitions-calling-for-return-of-hostages-end-to-gaza-war/3538895

  Power & Pushback: The Trump admin makes its case clear — it is deporting students simply for opposing the Gaza genocide
On the same day ICE posted a social media graphic saying it is working to keep "illegal" ideas out of the US, a Louisiana immigration judge ruled the Trump administration could deport Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil for opposing the Gaza genocide.   https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/power-pushback-the-trump-admin-makes-its-case-clear-it-is-deporting-students-simply-for-opposing-the-gaza-genocide/

Caitlin Johnstone,  "Israel Has A Right To Defend Itself" Is A Genocidal Slogan   https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israel-has-a-right-to-defend-itself

  Washington prepares new shipment of bombs for Israel ahead of ‘vigorous expansion’ of Gaza assault
The shipment aims to complement an arms transfer from earlier this year, which was halted by the former US administration and unfrozen by Trump   https://thecradle.co/articles/washington-prepares-new-shipment-of-bombs-for-israel-ahead-of-vigorous-expansion-of-gaza-assault

  100+ Meta employees, including Head of AI Policy, confirmed as ex-IDF

  More than one hundred former Israeli spies and IDF soldiers are employed by the company, my new investigation shows, many of whom worked for Israel’s spy agency Unit 8200.
  These ex-IDF members are based evenly across Meta’s US offices and in its Tel Aviv office, and a significant number of them, like Anderson, have a specialization in AI. Given that Israel has made extensive use of AI not just to conduct its genocide, but to establish its prior system of apartheid, surveillance and occupation, Meta’s recruiting of IDF AI specialists is particularly insidious.   https://thegrayzone.com/2025/04/08/100-meta-employees-ex-idf/

Videos Confirm Hundreds Of American Troops Exiting Syria   https://www.zerohedge.com/military/videos-confirms-hundreds-american-troops-exiting-syria

Caitlin Johnstone,  The US Just Massacred Civilians In Yemen Without Even Claiming They're Military Targets   https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-us-just-massacred-civilians-in

  Will Yemen turn its missiles on the UAE and Saudi Arabia?
As Washington’s latest military campaign drags into its second month, Yemen’s battle lines remain firmly drawn – with growing questions over whether Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are next to be pulled into a war they can neither control nor win.

  “If you cooperate with the Americans: Either by allowing him to attack us from bases in your countries. Or with financial support. Or logistical support. Or information support. It is support for the Israeli enemy, advocacy for the Israeli enemy, and backing for the Israeli enemy.”
  This was not just a warning. It was a strategic declaration. Any country crossing these lines will be treated as an active participant in the war – and subject to retaliation.
  The message is aimed not just at Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but at other Arab and African states that might be tempted to join the fray under the guise of “protecting international navigation.”
  Yemen is preparing for all scenarios. It will not be caught off guard.  https://thecradle.co/articles/will-yemen-turn-its-missiles-on-the-uae-and-saudi-arabia 

US Mulls Ground War In Yemen Via Mercenaries, Pro-Saudi Factions   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-mulls-ground-war-yemen-mercenaries-pro-saudi-factions

Report Claims N.Korea Supplying 100% Of Russian Artillery Shells Used In Ukraine   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/report-claims-nkorea-supplying-100-russian-artillery-shells-used-ukraine

  "Your conditions are acceptable":  EU to ban Serbia if president joins Putin’s victory parade   https://www.yahoo.com/news/eu-ban-serbia-president-joins-124629634.html

  US Will Pull EU to Pieces Before Letting It Partner Up With China

For starters, "you need to keep in mind that the EU leaders were pre-selected by the Bilderberg Group and the US. Basically...the EU is actually a US project to destroy nation states," Giuliano told Sputnik.   https://sputnikglobe.com/20250417/us-will-pull-eu-to-pieces-before-letting-it-partner-up-with-china-1121884324.html

  Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth explains why we can't be nice to China, or something:  China could sink entire US carrier fleet in 20 minutes

“So far our [US] whole power projection platform is aircraft carrier and the ability to project power that way strategically around the globe,” said Hegseth in a recent interview.
  However, Hegseth added that China’s 15 hypersonic missiles “can take out 10 aircraft carriers in the first 20 minutes of the conflict”..
Hegseth said that the US “loses to China in every war game” run by the Pentagon. “China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the US.”   https://en.mehrnews.com/news/230637/China-could-sink-entire-US-carrier-fleet-in-20-minutes

  How might this country accomplish that goal, considering it would take 12 years to build factories and get them working competently?  

Goldman's China Tech Tour Underscores One Message: America Must Reclaim These Supply Chains By 2030   https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/goldmans-china-tech-tour-underscores-one-message-america-must-reclaim-these-supply

   Meryl Nass MD presents:  OMNIWAR: Here's how the globalists plan to control your brain, or already do so. Free (2nd) symposium with David Hughes, Lissa Johnson and others   https://merylnass.substack.com/p/omniwar-heres-how-the-globalists

A very broad net was cast to protect America from wrongthink...  Tulsi Gabbard Exposes Alarming Biden-Era 'Domestic Terrorism' Strategy   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tulsi-gabbard-exposes-alarming-biden-era-domestic-terrorism-strategy

Global Engagement Center, “GEC is Dead”: Rubio Shuts Down Censorship Program that the Biden Administration Claimed was Ended   https://jonathanturley.org/2025/04/17/gec-is-dead-secretary-rubio-shuts-down-censorship-program-that-the-biden-administration-claimed-was-ended/

Court Rules Google Illegally Holds "Monopoly Power" In Online Ad Tech   https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/court-rules-google-illegally-holds-monopoly-power-online-ad-tech

  A Midwestern Doctor, "Cure a patient, lose a customer":  The FDA's War On America's Health                                                                        

Why do so many innovative therapies never see the light of day   https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-fdas-war-on-americas-health

  Celia Farber,  MAHA Has Teeth?  Yes, And One Hears All Kinds of Interesting Screams From Its Prey

Has RFK Jr. gone soft on vaccines?
  I believe the answer is no. Rather, I believe his entire strategy is to fight this (the pharma-mRNA-vaccines war) as a data war, forcing the opposition to be (as they openly are) against transparent scientific data for the American people.   https://celiafarber.substack.com/p/maha-has-teeth

  Bioweapon labs have always been leaky.  BREAKING - Study Finds Multiple SARS-CoV-2 Lab Leaks at UNC Chapel Hill BSL-3 Facility

Ralph Baric’s lab, architect of SARS-CoV-2, implicated in undisclosed lab-acquired infections—new study reveals systemic biosafety failures and suppressed outbreak data.   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-study-finds-multiple-sars

  Gain-of-Function Ban Nears as White House Confirms Lab Leak Origin of SARS-CoV-2
As a sweeping executive order to ban gain-of-function research nears completion, a new White House webpage reaffirms what many of us have known for years.   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/gain-of-function-ban-nears-as-white

Meryl Nass MD, on a globalist project that has become "just quasi-evil":  Analysis of the Approved Draft of the Pandemic Treaty:  What a relief   https://merylnass.substack.com/p/analysis-of-the-approved-draft-of

  Meryl Nass MD neglects Tractor Supply Company:  OTC Ivermectin now available in Idaho, Arkansas, Tennessee.  New Hampshire's Governor refused to sign. Get your state on this bandwagon.   https://merylnass.substack.com/p/otc-ivermectin-now-available-in-idaho

  Meryl Nass MD,  Door to Freedom has been investigating the food "benefit" programs in the US to understand how to improve them: A Treatise

Secretaries Rollins and Kennedy have been encouraging the states to remove candy and soda as benefits under the for stamp (SNAP) program and improve school lunches.

The story of how a PR firm paid conservative influencers to equate freedom with eating sugar is at the URL below.  ("Big-Gulp" = 30-round-magazine?)   https://merylnass.substack.com/p/door-to-freedom-has-been-investigating

  New UCSF study shows vaccinated 6x more likely to be hospitalized than unvaxxed.
Nearly 30,000 people were surveyed. You had a 6X greater risk of hospitalization post vaccine than post infection. This is a disaster and should cause the vaccines to be revoked in any sane society.   https://kirschsubstack.com/p/breaking-new-ucsf-study-shows-vaccinated

Jessica Rose Ph.D.  Secretary Kennedy outs autism pandemic  What is behind increasing autism rates and can VAERS help us find out?   https://jessicar.substack.com/p/secretary-kennedy-outs-autism-pandemic   

Jessica Rose Ph.D. explains further:  Autism chart explained and the "inflection points" in 1996   https://jessicar.substack.com/p/autism-chart-explained-and-the-inflection

  1 in 31 Kids Had Autism in 2022 — Up From 1 in 36 in 2020
Overall, the prevalence of autism in U.S. children rose approximately 17% between 2020 and 2022, continuing a decades-long trend, the CDC said in its latest study, published today. The number for boys was 1 in 20 overall and as high as 1 in 12.5 in California.   https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/autism-prevalence-rise-1-in-31-cdc-study/

  Wherein a first good act may go unpunished:  Indian man who fed water to cheetahs in viral video restored in job

  Forest officials confirmed his reinstatement after protests by members of his community. Since this was his first offence, forest officials said they let him go with a warning, telling him that if he encountered an animal in distress in future, he should contact the authorities and not intervene himself.
  The viral footage surfaced on Sunday with a video showing him pouring water into a metal pan, urged by off-camera voices. Moments later, a cheetah called Jwala and her four cubs drink from it.
  Mr Gurjar said he was not at fault and blamed those who made the videos viral.
  Referring to the cheetah and her cubs in the video, he said, "I called her by her name, saying 'Jwala come, Jwala come'. They come only when you call them by their names."   https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9e3v8l4rwo

​Water Bearer (pictured watering in a couple of pepper plants)

Witkoff's Travels

 Observing Remotely,

  Gilbert Doctorow,  Transcript of interview with Press TV, Iran  04/14/2025

​ It’s impossible to say with any confidence where this is headed, but I am an optimist with respect to the initiatives of Donald Trump, because there is some deep understanding that is being achieved between the United States and Russia, to which we are not privy.
​  But there are little signs that come out, signs that I was reading with respect to Steve Witkoff’s visit to Petersburg on Friday, which was a stop on his way to those meetings in Oman that you have just described. The Russians were, as I believe, important brokers in arranging the meeting in Oman. And I believe that Witkoff stopped over to get final recommendations, advice from President Putin on how to proceed in his dealings with Iran. The Russians–
​  If that is correct, and the Russians were demonstrating to Donald Trump how useful they can be, how constructive the relations with the United States can be, if there is a return to a normal relationship between the two countries, and looking past the ongoing fighting in Ukraine...
​  The West is doing its best– Britain is the ringleader, France is the second ringleader, in trying to sabotage the peace talks by speaking of a coalition of the willing, which didn’t work very well, to have men on the ground to resist Russians in case there is a further Russian aggression, as they say, in Ukraine after a peace treaty is signed. The issue that the Russians made, Mr. Lavrov made, in Turkey this past weekend is very relevant here: that the, whatever peace is concluded, has to look after the security interests of all the parties.​ And to speak about providing security to Ukraine alone is to miss the point entirely. The Russians also need security guarantees. And therefore the outcome of these negotiations is very much dependent on how well Mr. Trump can control these European former allies of Britain and France in particular.
​  Now, what does that mean for the end of the fighting?​ It means that the Russian positions are taken in all seriousness by Washington, which will seek to accommodate Russia’s security concerns. We’ve already heard from Witkoff that essentially America agrees to Russia’s keeping the four oblasts that it now largely occupies and has annexed by, according to constitutional procedures. I’m speaking now of Donbas oblasts and what used to be called Novorossiya, which is Kherson and Zaporozhzhye. These provinces are acknowledged by the United States as being future Russian-recognized territory.​   https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/04/14/transcript-of-todays-interview-with-press-tv-iran/

  Sundance, Envoy Steve Witkoff Gives Topline Review Following 5 Hour Meeting with Vladimir Putin
  Within the brief moments provided by Hannity for Witkoff to speak, the envoy of President Trump noted both Putin and Trump understand the core issues and are aligned to solve the problem despite the CIA and SSCI efforts to keep wedging them apart.  Additionally, Trump and Putin see a future where geopolitical and economic alignment can be very beneficial for both Russia and the United States; they just need to find a way to navigate the complex politics on the U.S/NATO side of the mess.
  President Putin does not want an alignment with Chinese President Xi Jinping, it’s not a natural fit for Russia to be strategically networking with China.  Put a simpler way, Putin really doesn’t like Chairman Xi because Russia values brutal honesty in relationships, not the Beijing cunningness, ulterior motives and manipulative self-interest.
  President Trump and President Putin can be natural allies.  Both leaders have the same basic national security worldview and on an economic front Putin would rather have financial ties to the West than the East.
  However, the broader CIA apparatus is not going to give up power or control to President Trump without a fight.  Recently the CIA operated rotor wing (helicopter) drones to attack Moscow in order to provoke a useful response from Putin.  Despite the efforts of Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, both the CIA and State Dept embeds are operating to maintain their control in Ukraine...
..Vladimir Putin knows President Trump is navigating some deeply complicated networks within the G7, NATO, European Union, Great Britain, CIA, U.S. Senate and beyond.
  The extent Putin is willing to go providing Trump room to negotiate these political land mines is increasingly clear within Putin’s nonresponse to the ongoing CIA provocations.
  Trump and Putin will work to box in Zelenskyy while simultaneously Trump will threaten and even bash Putin a little.  Actually, when you stop pretending this is a little fun to watch unfold.
  From the other side, Ukraine President Zelenskyy knows Putin and Trump are on the same page; however, Zelenskyy also knows the CIA and SSCI are on his side.   https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/04/15/envoy-steve-witkoff-gives-topline-review-following-5-hour-meeting-with-vladimir-putin/

​Spy vs. Spy:  Russia & Belarus Ready To Ramp Up Spy War Against NATO: Kremlin Intel Chief   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-belarus-ready-ramp-spy-war-against-nato-kremlin-intel-chief

  Gilbert Doctorow,  Friedrich Merz: the most dangerous German leader since Adolf Hitler
  During his tenure in office, the mealy-mouthed and indecisive outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz took baby steps towards supplying the Zelensky regime with ever more lethal weapons systems. Yes, he yielded in giving to Kiev the celebrated Leopard tanks.  Yes, he allowed Germany to be home to the NATO coordination centers where Americans and British officers planned every move of the Ukrainian armed forces on the field of battle. But Scholz held back on his country’s prize weapon, the air-launched long-range Taurus missile.
​  The reason for Scholz’s refusal to budge on this issue was the admission of his highest officers that use of the Taurus in Ukraine would be possible only if German officers and technical personnel actually controlled the programming, thereby making Germany a co-belligerent with Ukraine, and subject to Russian retaliation.
​  Even after the United States gave permission to the United Kingdom and France to provide Ukraine with their long-range precision missiles, the Storm Shadow and Scalp respectively, Scholz held back.
​  Yesterday Friedrich Merz told reporters that he is prepared to send the Taurus to Kiev. Still more irresponsibly, Merz signaled that Ukraine would be allowed to use the Taurus to destroy the Kerch (Crimea) bridge and other targets in Russian Crimea.
​  The Russians took notice of these statements at once. They stand ready to deliver a devastating counter-blow to Germany if Merz proceeds with policies that reflect the worst of German revanchism.  What will happen after that is anyone’s guess.​   https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/04/15/friedrich-merz-the-most-dangerous-german-leader-since-adolf-hitler/

​  It's going for war, not social security:  Incoming chancellor warns Germans of falling income

Friedrich Merz has admitted that increased social security contributions could put pressure on net salaries​   https://www.rt.com/news/615724-merz-warns-germany-falling-income/

Staying on message, but spinning his wheels:  Trump Blames Biden, Putin, Zelenskyy For Ukraine War, Says He's Working To End It​   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-blames-biden-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-says-hes-working-end-it

​  "Dictator" refuses elections:  Zelensky's Martial Law Move STUNS Trump, Ukraine's President To Remain In Power For 3 More Months

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted bills to extend martial law and mobilisation for an additional 90 days, starting May 9. This move is seen as a strategic attempt to delay elections amid ongoing conflict. Ukrainian lawmakers are expected to approve these measures, with the extension pushing martial law and mobilisation until August 6.​   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-blames-biden-putin-zelenskyy-ukraine-war-says-hes-working-end-it

​  Gilbert Doctorow,  The Kremlin takes note of the contradictions in Trump’s foreign policy team​  

  General Kellogg brought particular attention to himself this past weekend in interviews with British news media. He initially was quoted as calling for a settlement in Ukraine along the lines of Germany at the conclusion of WWII, namely to divide up the country. Kellogg later backtracked and said he meant creation of spheres of influence, with Russia holding onto the eastern oblasts that it now occupies and Europeans providing defense for the Western territories of Ukraine, with an independent rump Ukraine in the middle.  The acknowledgement that Russia would keep what is now theirs, of course, was an acceptable element for the Kremlin even if they completely rule out the introduction of European (NATO) forces in the Western Ukraine.

​  Meanwhile, what Steve Witkoff has been saying since his return to Washington from Oman suits the Russians very well.  Witkoff sees the war ending with Russia rightfully keeping Crimea and the four oblasts annexed in 2022:  Zaporozhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk.  In his remarks there is not a word about European peacekeepers. He has gone on to say that he is optimistic that agreement on a peace treaty is within reach. He also sees good prospects for normalization of relations with Russia and for development of large mutually attractive commercial projects.

​  It is clear that the Kremlin expects Witkoff and Trump to prevail over Kellogg and Rubio.​   https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/04/15/the-kremlin-takes-note-of-the-contradictions-in-trumps-foreign-policy-team/

​  EU industry bosses want Russian gas supplies restored – Reuters

​  Germany’s chemical industry is in a “severe crisis” and in dire need of a return to cheap Russian gas, Reuters reported on Monday, citing executives in the sector. French energy majors Engie and Total have also told the agency that they could see a restart of imports of  hydrocarbon from Russia.​   https://www.rt.com/news/615738-eu-energy-firms-russian-gas/

​  Gilbert Doctorow, Why did Russia attack Sumy and with what results?  
​  For their part, the Russians have put out some very specific information about what were their objectives in the latest attack on Sumy and what they actually achieved.  They tell us that they used two Iskander-M hypersonic missiles to obliterate the command staff of the Ukrainian army group called ‘Seversk’ which was holding a meeting at the time. They claim to have killed 60 soldiers and officers of the Ukrainian armed forces including a certain Colonel Yula.
​  Moreover, they point out that their missile strikes were successful in evading Ukraine’s local electronic warfare gear and Western supplied air defenses.
​  As regards possible civilian casualties, Moscow blames Kiev for continuing to violate international humanitarian law and placing military personnel and equipment in civilian properties.
​  But let us go beyond this narrow technical explanation of the attack. The proper context to understand what is going on is the following:  Sumy was the planning and staging center for the Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s Kursk oblast just across the border last August. It is still active supporting what remains of Ukrainian troops inside Kursk and it is the staging point for new attacks on the neighboring Belgorod oblast of the RF.  Moscow has set the objective of taking Sumy and the surrounding territory of Ukraine to create a buffer zone, thereby pushing back the Ukrainian armed forces beyond the range of their artillery and local drones.​   https://gilbertdoctorow.com/2025/04/14/why-did-russia-attack-sumy-and-with-what-results/

​  Simplicius, Zelensky Charms CBS, as Trump Throws Impatient Tantrum​   

Trump erupted over the interview, calling CBS a failed station, and other predictable insults. The problem is, Trump has been floundering on his Ukraine position, digging himself a deeper hole out of desperation to save face over the failed talks with Russia. In his efforts, he has made quite a few contradictions. Sensing people’s increasing view that he has now ‘owned’ the reputationally-toxic Ukrainian conflict, Trump went on the offensive to claim it is Biden’s conflict, after all...

..Trump is getting really antsy about Russia’s steadfast adherence to its long-held principles. Lusting for the PR boost of ending a pesky war he knows nothing about, Trump is nearly begging for Russia to stop advancing and winning...

​..From this critical 18-24 cohort, despite record monetary incentives, they managed to recruit—from the entire country, no less—only 160 or so people per month. This is while Russia is recruiting over 1,000 per day total.
​  The point is that, this is a dire bellwether for the critical 18-24 cohort: it means virtually no one in that age range wants to willingly serve in the war. As a kind of trial run for a necessary future forced mobilization of this group, it shows that virtually no one from the group wants to voluntarily serve, and that forcing them to fight when the time comes will be a very messy affair.
​  That comes at a time when there are again increased reports of women being recruited into the ranks, even from prison:
​  A captured soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the 425th assault regiment "Skala" reported during interrogation about the conscription of women from prisons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They have been preparing them for a month and a half, and now there are 2-3 women in the assault unit of 8 people. The men in the Rock are about 45 years old, and the women are about 30.
​  Not to mention the first reported deaths from the new 18-24 cohort, including a 21-year old girl who was featured in a video proudly discussing her signup to the 1 million hryvnia bonus program.​..

..Read the last part again:
​  A battle between the French army and the Russian army on the eastern borders of Romania is only possible if the Russian Armed Forces capture the Odessa region and Moldova before that.
​  The opposite is true: they’re clearly there to map out routes to seize Odessa swiftly in the case Ukrainian defenses collapse and Russian troops bear down on the key city.

https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/zelensky-charms-cbs-as-trump-throws

  ​It appears that the Russians shot down a Ukrainian F-16 at great distance.  Did Russia’s 40N6 400km Range Air Defence Missile Just Shoot Down Ukraine’s F-16 Fighter?   https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russia-s40n6-400km-shoot-down-f16

​  With Iran talks, Trump could achieve a triple win
Steve Witkoff met with Tehran's foreign minister directly. Already, this White House has achieved more than what Biden's did in four years.

​  Trump has repeatedly declared that his only red line is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, but it has remained unclear whether Trump would seek to achieve that through the complete dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program a la Libya, which has been the Israeli position, or seek a verification-based solution that limits rather than eliminates the nuclear program.
​  The problem with the “Libya model,” of course, is that Iran would never accept such a capitulation, which is precisely why Israel has pushed this line. They calculate that such demands guarantee the failure of diplomacy and force Trump to shift towards military action.
​  But Witkoff never mentioned dismantlement during Saturday’s talks. The two sides discussed instead degrees of limitations to the program and the sanctions relief Trump was willing to offer in return.
​  While dismantlement sounds stronger and tougher, it is unfeasible, whereas a verification-based model not only works, Tehran has already agreed to one before and can agree to it again.​   https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-talks-trump/

​  Gaza death toll since October 2023 nears 51,000 — health ministry
Over the past 24 hours, 39 people were killed and 118 others were hospitalized in the enclave, the ministry added​   https://tass.com/world/1943319

Killing Palestinian children rises to an industrial level​   https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250414-killing-palestinian-children-rises-to-an-industrial-level/

​Caitlin Johnstone,  Saying It's Antisemitic To Oppose Genocide Is Like Saying It's Anti-Catholic To Oppose Pedophilia   https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/saying-its-antisemitic-to-oppose

Israeli army forces raid West Bank hospital, detain Palestinian​:  Several staffers also arrested during Israeli raid on Jenin hospital, witnesses say​   https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israeli-army-forces-raid-west-bank-hospital-detain-palestinian/3537911

On Palm Sunday, Israel Bombs The Only Christian Hospital In Gaza​   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/palm-sunday-israel-bombs-only-christian-hospital-gaza

​Guns vs no-guns:  How Israeli settlers are able to seize Palestinian land with impunity in the West Bank   https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597043/middle-east

​  Israel’s escalating West Bank assault is part of a larger plan to split the territory in two
Israel is expanding its “Iron Wall” offensive in the West Bank as it approves plans to separate the northern West Bank from the south. The plan is an accelerated prelude to Israel's expected annexation of the West Bank.​   https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/israels-escalating-west-bank-assault-is-part-of-a-larger-plan-to-split-the-territory-in-two/

​  Over 1,500 Israeli armoured corps troops demand end to Gaza war, return of hostages

According to the daily, Maariv, the petition was signed by 1,525 members of the armoured corps, ranging from riflemen to generals.
They called on the government “to do everything possible to secure the release of the hostages – even if it comes at the cost of halting the fighting.”​   https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250414-over-1500-israeli-armoured-corps-troops-demand-end-to-gaza-war-return-of-hostages/

​  Good for Turkey, not Israel?  Saudi Arabia to 'pay off' Syria's World Bank debt: Report
Syria owes around $15 million to the World Bank and is suffering severe economic conditions due to years of war and sanctions​   https://thecradle.co/articles/saudi-arabia-to-pay-off-syrias-world-bank-debt-report

​  Michael Hudson,  Return of the Robber Barons,  Donald Trump’s Distorted View of America’s Tariff History

​ What Trump singles out to admire in America’s nineteenth-century industrial policy is the absence of a progressive income tax and the funding of government primarily by tariff revenue. This has given him the idea of replacing progressive income taxation falling on his own Donor Class – the One Percent that paid no income tax prior to its enactment in 1913 – with tariffs designed to fall only on consumers (that is, labor). A new Gilded Age indeed!
​  In admiring the absence of progressive income taxation in the era of his hero, William McKinley (elected president in 1896 and 1900), Trump is admiring the economic excess and inequality of the Gilded Age. That inequality was widely criticized as a distortion of economic efficiency and social progress. To counteract the corrosive and conspicuous wealth-seeking that caused the distortion, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Law in 1890, Teddy Roosevelt followed with his trust busting, and a remarkably progressive income tax was passed that fell almost entirely on rentier financial and real estate income and monopoly rents.
​  Trump thus is promoting a simplistic and outright false narrative of what made America’s nineteenth century policy of industrialization so successful. For him, what is great is the “gilded” part of the Gilded Age, not its state-led industrial and social-democratic takeoff. His panacea is for tariffs to replace income taxes, along with privatizing what remains of the government’s functions. That would give a new set of robber barons free reign to further enrich themselves by shrinking the government’s taxation and regulation of them, while reducing the budget deficit by selling off the remaining public domain, from national park lands to the post office and research labs.​   https://www.democracycollaborative.org/whatwethink/return-of-the-robber-barons

​  Federal Judge Halts Trump Admin's Deportation Of Half A Million Biden "Parolees"​   

​Judge Talwani’s order would require individual hearings for the half of a million individuals allowed into the country under this program by President Joe Biden...
..The Administration argued that it did have a “reasoned decision” to end the CHNV program and weighed the cost to the parolees. It noted that the parolees were always going to face family separation and costs since this was just a temporary, two-year program. It asserted that it did weigh alternative periods for winding down the program. While the court may disagree with its conclusions, it asserts that it has the same discretion used by President Biden in creating the program.​   https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/federal-judge-halts-trump-admins-deportation-half-million-biden-parolees

​  Economic shunning​ of "non-persons":  Deliberately Polluting the Death Master File Violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act​  

​  The Trump administration seems to be walking straight into a pair of Fair Credit Reporting Act violations by placing immigrants whom it knows to be alive on the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File. The Death Master File is a list compiled by the Social Security Administration of people Social Security believes to be dead (generally based on the filing of death benefit claims with Social Security, so it is not at all a complete list of who is actually dead). Creditors and other users of consumer reports regularly use the Death Master File, either directly or through a consumer reporting agency, as part of credit granting, employment, or insurance decisions—you don't want to be doing business with someone who is dead (and that might indicate that the living person with whom you are dealing isn't who they say they are). So, Death Master File issues end up being consumer reporting issues and fall under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, violations of which can not only create substantial private civil liability, but they can also be enjoined in a suit by a state attorney general.​   https://www.creditslips.org/creditslips/2025/04/deliberately-polluting-the-death-master-file-violates-the-fair-credit-reporting-act.html

​  Jessica Rose Ph.D. broadens her scope:  Is Blackrock an entity prioritizing metrics over people?  

What are the implications of AI's role in seeking data-driven returns?   https://jessicar.substack.com/p/is-blackrock-an-entity-prioritizing

​  Passengers Will Soon Need Real ID To Board Domestic Flights, TSA Warns​   

​  The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on April 11 said it will begin enforcing the long-delayed REAL ID rules at airports nationwide on May 7. Once the rules are fully enforced, state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards that do not meet the new standards will no longer get through the security checkpoints.​..

​..Travelers can still use documents that the TSA recognizes as acceptable alternatives to a Real ID. These include a passport or passport card, a permanent resident card, and an enhanced driver’s license issued by one of five states—Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington—as well as other federally approved forms of identification.​   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/passengers-will-soon-need-real-id-board-domestic-flights-tsa-warns

​Decorum-Mandatory:  Respect & Clarity: China Opens Door For Reengaging Trump In Trade Talks   https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/respect-clarity-china-demands-prerequisites-reengaging-trump-trade-talks

Big Win for Trump, NVIDIA to Manufacture AI Supercomputers in US​   https://mishtalk.com/economics/big-win-for-trump-nvidia-to-manufacture-ai-supercomputers-in-us/

​  But not in China?  Uncontrolled AI growth in US could doom humanity — Chinese ambassador

Zhang Hanhui stressed that China regards security as a fundamental principle of AI development, "emphasizing the priority of ethical norms and the need to keep AI under control"​   https://tass.com/world/1943151

  "Inclusiveness" must be good, right?  Chinese envoy vows efforts to develop partnership in AI with Russia
Zhang Hanhui said that China and Russia will seek to surmount obstacles by establishing cooperation, build the future on the basis of inclusiveness​   https://tass.com/world/1943117

​  But you may want to upgrade to our proprietary version:  Chinese neural network DeepSeek to remain open-source to benefit the world — ambassador

According to Zhang Hanhui, China believes that artificial intelligence "should be a technology accessible to all, not a privilege for the few"​   https://tass.com/world/1943127

​  Study Finds COVID-19 mRNA Booster Shots Decrease Pancreatic Cancer Survival by 50%
In a cohort of 272 pancreatic cancer patients, receiving ≥3 mRNA doses increased overall death risk by 300% and induced immune dysregulation via IgG4 class switching.​   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-study-finds-covid-19-mrna

​  Study Identifies 86 Serious Neuropsychiatric Safety Signals Linked to COVID-19 Vaccination
CDC/FDA safety thresholds breached for 86 adverse events including dementia, schizophrenia, suicidal and homicidal thoughts, stroke, psychosis, depression, cognitive impairment, delusions, and more.​   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-study-identifies-86-serious

​  Autism Rates Reach Unprecedented Highs: 1 in 12 Boys at Age 4 in California, 1 in 31 Nationally
New CDC Data Paints a Stark Picture of America's Silent Epidemic. Let's look at the numbers​   https://popularrationalism.substack.com/p/autism-rates-reach-unprecedented

New Studies Ignite Debate: Fluoride Linked to Autism and ADHD, Prompting Calls for Policy Reassessment​   https://basedunderground.com/2025/04/14/new-studies-ignite-debate-fluoride-linked-to-autism-and-adhd-prompting-calls-for-policy-reassessment/

​  Peter McCullough MD advocates reducing all of the nudges into Autism:  Determinants of Autism

Multifactorial Problem Amenable to Risk Factor Analysis--Dr. McCullough on Stage at Autism Summit​   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/determinants-of-autism

​Poop and pee get mixed with PFAS when industry dumps illegally. Don't look!  BIOSOLIDS – the dirty trick behind our commercial fertilizers   https://doortofreedom.org/biosolids-the-dirty-trick-behind-our-commercial-fertilizers/

Organic Gardener (barefoot in the kitchen, cooking up the first green beans of the season)

Declared Dead

 Living Witnesses,

  When a group of people is declared to be sub-human, non-human, or now, no-longer-living, their property and other rights are removed. We see that Palestinians are going through a Holocaust, as the Jews did in Europe, and that concentration camps recently awaited "the unvaccinated" in numerous western countries a few years ago. Enough of us stood against that publicly, many losing our jobs and or licenses, to prevent a critical mass of society from fully accepting those plans in the rush of the moment, before fears subsided.

  Now they have come for the Illegal Aliens, purportedly just the worst ones, at first, through the novel mechanism of declaring them to have died in the Social Security database, which freezes their bank accounts, credit cards, and forces their employers to comply in the only way possible, by firing the officially-deceased person, upon whom they cannot pay the employer's taxes.

  With minimal reflection you can see that this mechanism, once normalized in administrative process, can easily be applied to anybody, certainly to me, and I probably offend almost anybody from time to time... 

  How about you? Are you beyond all reproach?

Right-tyranny is bound to be better than left-tyranny, anyway ... right?

  Social Security Overseer Refused to Help Weed Migrants Out of the System, Then Security Showed Up

Despite official action to essentially wipe migrants out of the Social Security system, a new report said one bureaucrat refused to go along.
  Greg Pearre, a manager who according to The Washington Post oversaw technology experts, was refusing to put names of migrants into what’s known as the “death master file,” which is usually used for Social Security recipients who have died.
  As a result, on Thursday, security guards arrived at Pearre’s office at Social Security Administration headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland, and escorted him out.
  As with all Trump administration innovations, blocking access to migrants’ Social Security numbers has its critics.
  “This is an unprecedented step,” Devin O’Connor, a senior fellow at the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said in response.
“The administration seems to basically be saying they have the right to essentially declare people equivalent to dead who have not died. That’s a hard concept to believe, but it brings enormous risks and consequences,” he said.
But White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said removing illegal immigrants needs to be done.   https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/social-security-overseer-refused-help-weed-migrants-system/

  Hey, wasn't Tulsi Gabbard put on that list last year?  US Strips Benefits From Thousands Of Criminal Aliens, Those On Terror Watchlist                            As part of the enforcement action, the Social Security Administration reclassified those individuals’ Social Security numbers into its Ineligible Master File, a restricted database that prevents improper payment of federal benefits. Formerly known as the Death Master File, the system is used to ensure that only lawfully eligible individuals can access programs such as Social Security, Medicaid, and other federally administered aid.
  Immigration parole allows certain noncitizens to temporarily enter and remain in the United States, during which they may receive work authorization and Social Security numbers if granted parole for more than one year.
  White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston said the action fulfills President Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to enforce immigration laws more strictly.   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/us-strips-benefits-thousands-criminal-aliens-those-terror-watchlist

Passengers Will Soon Need Real ID To Board Domestic Flights, TSA Warns​   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/passengers-will-soon-need-real-id-board-domestic-flights-tsa-warns

Probably just an honest mistake:  Man 'Erroneously Deported' Is Alive In El Salvador Prison   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/man-erroneously-deported-alive-el-salvador-prison-official

"I'm Not Going To Do It": El Salvador Refuses To Return Alleged MS-13 "Terrorist" To US​    https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/el-salvador-president-visit-white-house-discuss-deportation-prison-plans

  "Terrorists were in there":  Israel destroys Baptist hospital in Gaza, forcing it out of service
The hospital, located in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, has been a vital lifeline for more than 1 million Palestinians in Gaza and North Gaza governorates, especially after the destruction of several major hospitals in the strip since October 2023.   https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250413-israel-destroys-baptist-hospital-in-gaza-forcing-it-out-of-service/

  "Ditto":  Israel just bombed the last operational hospital in northern Gaza — again

When the bombing of hospitals was still taboo in October 2023, Israel denied bombing al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. This time, Israel claims it targeted a Hamas command-and-control center at the hospital. It has not provided any evidence.   https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/israel-just-bombed-the-last-operational-hospital-in-northern-gaza-again/

  Most older Republicans are still onboard, though:  Juan Cole: A Majority of Americans Views Israel Negatively in Wake of Gaza Genocide

The Pew Research Center reports that 53% of Americans now have a negative view of Israel, a stark deterioration from 42% in spring 2022 before the Israeli total war on Gaza.
  Moreover, in just 3 years the percentage of Americans with very negative views of Israel has nearly doubled, from 10% to 19%. That is nearly one in five Americans.   https://scheerpost.com/2025/04/13/juan-cole-a-majority-of-americans-views-israel-negatively-in-wake-of-gaza-genocide/

  Israel is About to Empty Gaza, Chris Hedges

Israel is poised to carry out the largest campaign of ethnic cleansing since the end of World War II. Since March 2, it has blocked all food and humanitarian aid into Gaza and cut off electricity, so that the last water desalination plant no longer functions. The Israeli military has seized half of the territory — Gaza is 25 miles long and four to five miles wide — and placed two-thirds of Gaza under displacement orders, rendered “no-go zones,” including the border town of Rafah, which is encircled by Israeli troops.
  On Friday Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that Israel will “intensify” the war against Hamas and use “all military and civilian pressure, including evacuation of the Gaza population south and implementing United States President [Donald] Trump’s voluntary migration plan for Gaza residents.”
  Since Israel’s unilateral ending of the ceasefire on March 18 — which was never honored by Israel — Israel has been carrying out relentless bombing and shelling against civilians, killing over 1,400 Palestinians and wounding over 3,600, according to the Palestinian health ministry. An average of one hundred children are being killed daily according to the United Nations. Israel is, at the same time, inciting tensions with Egypt to lay what I suspect will be the groundwork for a mass expulsion of Palestinians into the Egyptian Sinai.
  Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, echoing Katz, said Israel would not lift the total blockade until Hamas was “defeated” and the remaining 59 Israeli hostages were released.
  “Not even a grain of wheat will enter Gaza,” he vowed.   https://scheerpost.com/2025/04/13/israel-is-about-to-empty-gaza/

  A petition is not actually "mutiny", is it?  Mutiny in IDF: Thousands of IDF soldiers call on government to stop fighting in Gaza

More than 8,000 IDF soldiers have written a joint letter calling on the Israeli government to release Palestinian hostages, even if it means ending the fighting in Gaza, The Jerusalem Post reports. The document was signed by both active-duty and reserve officers.   https://en.topcor.ru/58660-bunt-v-armii-oborony-izrailja-tysjachi-voennosluzhaschih-cahal-prizvali-pravitelstvo-strany-ostanovit-boevye-dejstvija-v-sektore-gaza.html

  Very slow progress. Diplomatic property is not even returned yet:  Russia & US Reveal Details Of Latest Talks In Istanbul

Moscow's newly appointed ambassador to Washington, Aleksandr Darchiev, led the Russian side, while the US side was headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Sonata Coulter.
  Darchiev was quoted in TASS after the meeting as saying that an "understanding has been reached [to pursue] further measures aimed at easing the movement of diplomats in the host country as well as related visa procedures."

  The two sides are also working on a road map to restore Russian diplomatic properties previously seized by the US, according to regional media.   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russia-us-reveal-details-latest-talks-istanbul

  THE THREE STEPS — WHICH WAY IS FORWARD, WHICH WAY IS BACKWARD IN RUSSIA’S WAR FIGHTING, PEACE NEGOTIATING STRATEGY,      John Helmer

  A well-informed source in Moscow says that Trump and his subordinates have been surprised by the Russian terms for ending the war. “The Russians have told Americans they will have Odessa and a land corridor to Moldova. They have offered ports on Dnieper River for access to the sea for the Ukrainians. There has been no demand about Nord Stream. Money is being discussed on the sidelines but not in the main talks. In the main room [in Riyadh on February 18] Lavrov and Ushakov brought no papers and asked Americans [Rubio and Waltz] to dust off the December 2021 treaty draft.     The Russian positions shocked the Americans. They were told the Ukraine will be demilitarized and its forces will be turned into paramilitary and police. The Americans were also surprised how little Russians cared about Zelensky or his British and Europeans backers. The Americans were told there will be no Ukrainian paramilitary force east of the Dnieper – only police. A new Russian demand was tabled for autonomy of  eight Ukrainian oblasts, with Kiev army forces removed. In general, the  Russians propose turning the Ukraine into a genuinely federal structure with provisions that Banderites can never take power in Kiev and that the central forces will be limited in their capabilities,  supplementing the police if and when Banderites take to the streets. The main purpose of any such force will be de-nazification and keeping it that way. There are demands also about the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.”   https://johnhelmer.net/the-three-steps-which-way-is-forward-which-way-is-backward-in-russias-war-fighting-peace-negotiating-strategy/#more-91375

  Zelensky mustn’t govern Russians he despises – Lavrov
The foreign minister stressed that nobody “would even hypothetically consider handing over those people” to the Ukrainian leader   https://swentr.site/russia/615603-larvrov-zelensky-hates-russians/

  Very little revealed:  Kremlin reveals content of Putin’s talks with Trump envoy  The Russian president has held a marathon meeting with Steve Witkoff   

  The discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday involved “aspects of the settlement of the Ukraine conflict,” the Kremlin has announced, declining to provide further details.   https://swentr.site/news/615638-putin-witkoff-talks-russia/

  Gilbert Doctorow,  Witkoff Putin Talks US envoy meets Putin

  The visit on Friday of Donald Trump’s personal emissary Steve Witkoff to Petersburg for a meeting with President Putin was likely taken on short notice. It was less for purposes of continuing talks on ending the Ukraine war that it was for consultations on how to proceed Saturday in talks with the Iranian Foreign Minister in Oman which Putin had arranged. Judging by the comments from the White House today that the Iranian talks were constructive and that a further meeting is planned in one week’s time, we may conclude that Vladimir Putin has helped to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for Trump on Iran just as he did for Barack Obama in September 2013 by agreeing with Bashar Assad on the destruction of Syria’s stock of chemical weapons.   https://gilbertdoctorow.substack.com/p/news-x-world-witkoff-putin-talks

  Iran and US unveil results of nuclear talks
Both sides described the negotiations in Oman as “constructive” and have reportedly agreed to meet again for “real talks”   https://swentr.site/news/615692-iran-us-nuclear-talks/

  Rubio and Musk back Witkoff’s peace efforts
The US Secretary of State and Tesla CEO agreed that “Steve Witkoff is busting his ass for President Trump”   https://swentr.site/news/615691-witkoff-great-musk-rubio/

  "Our credit is good, right?"  Europe Pledges $23 Billion in Military Support for Ukraine

Germany and the UK led the way in promising to provide aid to Ukraine following the US backing away from the role under the Donald Trump administration   https://news.antiwar.com/2025/04/11/europe-pledges-23-billion-in-military-support-for-ukraine/

Ukraine to Extend Martial Law, Ending Hope for a Summer Election   https://basedunderground.com/2025/04/13/ukraine-to-extend-martial-law-ending-hope-for-a-summer-election/

  Any such foreign troops would be official targets for Russia:  Trump’s Kiev envoy clarifies proposed ‘zones of responsibility’ in Ukraine

Keith Kellogg has accused The Times of misrepresenting his words about post-ceasefire security   https://swentr.site/news/615640-kellogg-divide-ukraine-berlin/

  UK deeply involved in Ukraine conflict – The Times
Kiev allegedly refers to Britain’s military chiefs as the “brains” of the “anti-Putin” coalition, according to the exposé   https://swentr.site/news/615649-uk-involvement-ukraine-conflict/

Top Kiev official wants women conscripted into army  Presidential aide Pavel Palisa has suggested “learning from the Israeli experience”   https://swentr.site/russia/615715-kiev-official-wants-women-in-army/

  Russia and Ukraine to hold direct talks – CNN Turk
Delegations from the two countries will meet in Türkiye to discuss security in the Black Sea, the outlet has claimed

  The meetings will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Turkish Naval Forces headquarters in Ankara, according to sources.
However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga claimed that the reports are false and “[no talks] were planned,” according to TCH TV channel.   https://swentr.site/russia/615707-cnn-turk-direct-talks/

​  I don't think Marine Le Pen is making mistakes: The end of La Grande illusion democratique   Will Marine Le Pen have the creativity to step out of the box and twist the lion’s tail just a bit?   https://strategic-culture.su/news/2025/04/11/the-end-of-la-grande-illusion-democratique/

​  NATO needs Romania to launch WWIII – Georgescu
Calin Georgescu has claimed his opposition to the supposed plans led to his candidacy being invalidated by the “globalist mafia”​   https://swentr.site/news/615634-ex-presidential-candidate-nato-romania-war/

​  Maybe the cutters and the throats are different people:  EU would ‘cut its own throat’ by pivoting to China – US Treasury secretary

Scott Bessent has warned the bloc against closer ties with Beijing at the expense of relations with Washington​   https://swentr.site/news/615507-eu-cut-throat-pivot-china/

Negotiating global trade restructuring: Trump Exempts Computers, Handsets, Chips From Reciprocal Tariff Blitz, Still Subject To Original 20%​   https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-exempts-computers-handsets-chips-reciprocal-tariff-blitz

 

Just a "pause":  China Calls US Tariff Exemptions A "Small Step" Toward Fixing "Wrong Practice"​   https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-exempts-computers-handsets-chips-reciprocal-tariff-blitz

Trump Orders Military To Seal Southern Border As US Accelerates Hemispheric Defense​   https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-orders-military-seal-southern-border-new-us-accelerates-hemispheric-defense

Minority Report: UK Government Developing 'Murder Prediction' Program​   https://www.zerohedge.com/political/minority-report-uk-government-developing-murder-prediction-program

Fauci, Birx, Walensky, and Other Top COVID Officials Face Criminal Referral Requests in Seven States for Alleged Murder and Medical Terrorism​   https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/fauci-birx-walensky-other-top-covid-officials-face/

​  Celia Farber,  Lots of evidence; no "interest":  Nick Bryant Acquired Jeffrey Epstein's "Little Black Book," in 2012, And Finally Found A Media Outlet To Publish It, After Three Years Of Pitches Being Scornfully Rejected By All Media He Approached

​  The Truth Barrier Sent Him A Question When Pam Bondi Staged Her Strange Influencers Op, And he Replied. Deconstructing The Distorting OPS Of "The Epstein List."​   https://celiafarber.substack.com/p/nick-bryant-acquired-jeffrey-epsteins

​  Vanessa Beeley,  ISRAEL: Girls Raped in Ritual Ceremonies Reveal the Horrors – Investigative Report by IsraelHayom

The darkest ritual abuse exists in Israel as proven by decades of child abuse, rape and pedophilia

​  Ayala: "It's always a dark place. There are between six and nine men there. Tie me to bed with my hands and feet, stand in a circle, mumble prayers or blessings, and there is the rabbi who always leads the situation and says what to do. There's a ceremony, and every one of them rapes me "
​  The names of certain Rabbis were repeated in separate cases. Complaints filed a various police stations across the country were all closed, relatively quickly. Even when suspicions were previously raised about the existence of a child abuse network in Jerusalem, police investigators were unable to follow up due to an alleged lack of evidence etc.
​  Dr. Joiana Silberg: "I had hope that in Israel there would be an understanding that this is an international phenomenon, and that there would be cooperation between entities in Israel and other countries. But when a complaint came and a case was opened in Israel - the police did not conduct the investigation as required "​   https://beeley.substack.com/p/israel-girls-raped-in-ritual-ceremonies

​  P​ierre Kory MD,  Expert Medical Record Reviews Of The Two Girls In Texas Who Purportedly Died of Measles

I have long reviewed medical records of patients harmed by poor medical care. Here, I present clear evidence of what actually caused the 2 girls deaths in Texas. It wasn't measles. Not by a long shot.​   https://pierrekorymedicalmusings.com/p/my-expert-review-of-the-medical-records

​  ‘Parents Have Waited for 30 Years’: NIH to Study Causes of Autism
According to The Washington Post, the NIH is still finalizing plans for the new multimillion-dollar research program. “We will leave no stone unturned in our mission to figure out what exactly is happening,” an HHS spokesperson said. HHS oversees the NIH.​   https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/nih-study-what-causes-autism-parents-wait-30-years/

​  A Midwestern Doctor,  The Forgotten Cancer Cure Hiding in Plain Sight

How DMSO turns a common dye into a highly potent cancer treatment that's harmless to normal tissue

​  When DMSO is combined with hematoxylin (a dye widely used in pathology), it becomes a highly potent cancer treatment, both harnessing DMSO’s intrinsic anticancer properties and directly destroying cancer cells. It is also highly specific to targeting cancers while not affecting normal cells, thereby allowing it to dissolve cancers at doses that have virtually no toxicity to the patient.
​  Despite its ingredients being relatively easy to procure and producing remarkable results, this therapy (like many other alternative cancer treatments) was almost completely forgotten. Fortunately, a narrow thread of knowledge has kept this sixty-year-old discovery alive, most recently through a doctor who spent the last fifteen years refining this lost therapy and successfully treating cancer patients with it.
​  This article will discuss everything known about DMSO-hematoxylin, such as its mechanisms, which cancers it responds to (e.g., it’s very effective for leukemias along with their associated anemias and can often treat advanced cancers no other treatment works for), and with how to use it both at home and within a medical setting.​   https://www.midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-forgotten-cancer-cure-hiding

​  FDA Fast Tracks Self-Amplifying mRNA Bird Flu Injection
BARDA- and Gates-funded experimental replicon shots move toward accelerated approval.

​  In November 2024, the FDA green-lit a Phase 1 trial for the Arcturus Therapeutics self-amplifying (replicon) H5N1 "pandemic" bird flu injection (ARCT-2304).

These experimental replicon shots are primary funded by BARDA with support from the Gates Foundation, who gave Arcturus Therapeutics a $928,563 grant in October 2024 to “improve understanding of durability of protection after administration of nucleic-acid based vaccines.”​

​  Yesterday, Arcturus Therapeutics received U.S. FDA Fast Track Designation for the replicon injection ARCT-2304.

​According to the FDA:
Fast track is a process designed to facilitate the development, and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.​   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-fda-fast-tracks-self-amplifying

​  Steve Kirsch,  3 studies show definitively that the influenza vaccines don't work

But the press still thinks it does. There are record flu deaths in California this year, but they never report on the vaccination status of the people who died. Why not?​   https://kirschsubstack.com/p/3-studies-show-definitively-that

​  ‘Deeply Concerning’: This Year’s Flu Shots Led to 27% Higher Risk of Flu
People who received a flu vaccine formulated for the 2024-2025 flu season had a 27% higher risk of getting the flu than those who didn’t get the vaccine, suggesting “the vaccine has not been effective in preventing influenza this season,” according to a new preprint study.​    https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/flu-shots-27-percent-higher-risk-influenza-2024-2025-season/

​    NEW STUDY – Young Adults Likely Produce Toxic Spike Protein for at Least One Year After COVID-19 mRNA Injection
Persistent elevation of inflammatory cytokines over one year post-injection indicates ongoing immune stimulation likely driven by systemic Spike protein production.

​  Prolonged IL-6 and TNF-α elevation is linked to autoimmune conditions and post-acute inflammatory syndromes.
Persistent VEGFA suggests ongoing vascular endothelial activation and potential long-term cardiovascular effects.​   https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/new-study-young-adults-likely-produce

​  "On the Recommended list":   Pregnant Women Who Took Pfizer’s RSV Vaccine Were More Likely to Give Birth Prematurely
A new study published in BMJ Open reported pregnant women vaccinated with Pfizer’s Abrysvo RSV vaccine were more likely to experience preterm births. The findings confirm concerns raised during clinical trials and shared with regulators, but the FDA approved the vaccine anyway.​   https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pregnant-women-pfizer-rsv-vaccine-premature-birth-bmj-study/

​  A Critical Analysis of All-Cause Deaths during COVID-19 Vaccination in an Italian Province

..All the information contained in the dataset provided by Rosso et al. and used for this analysis was extracted from the Italian National Healthcare System. The population considered is that of residents or those domiciled in the province of Pescara on 1 January 2021, aged 10 years and older, without a positive SARS-CoV-2 swab at the date of the follow-up start.
​  Vaccination data were acquired from the official regional SARS-CoV-2 vaccination dataset, up to 31 December 2022.
The follow-up considered ranges between 1 January 2021 and 15 February 2023...
..We found all-cause death risks to be even higher for those vaccinated with one and two doses compared to the unvaccinated and that the booster doses were ineffective. We also found a slight but statistically significant loss of life expectancy for those vaccinated with 2 or 3​-4 doses.​   https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/7/1343

​Professor Ugo Bardi:  Peak Population: The Global Reversal Unfolds​:  Is an African Century Coming?   https://senecaeffect.substack.com/p/peak-and-fall-the-global-population

   A human line that did not continue.  Scientists Discovered 7,000-Year-Old Mummies in the Desert That Don’t Share DNA With Modern Humans

​  DNA analysis of the mummies, which are the remains of female herders from a time when the Sahara was more humid and known as the Green Sahara, did not show the expected Sub-Saharan genes.
​  The Takarkori individuals are most closely related to other North African peoples who diverged from Sub-Saharan populations long before.​   https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a64383417/saharan-mummies-dna/

​  (Surfer) Jessica Rose Ph.D.  On consciousness: Minds, Models, and Mysteries

Do Neuronal Microtubules Host Quantum Consciousness via Tubulin and EZ Water?​   https://jessicar.substack.com/p/on-consciousness-minds-models-and

​

Living Human (offering this picture of some onions that "fell over" and got harvested)