Clinging To Promises,
MICHAEL HUDSON: Well, there’s a lot of confusion about what problem the national debt actually poses. The government can always print the money, and the Federal Reserve can create all the money needed to finance the deficit. So there’s no problem there at all. If it has to pay a trillion dollars in interest, it can just print it. It will make the bondholders rich, but nobody really has to be taxed for it. That’s the basic principle of modern monetary theory.
The real problem with military spending isn’t the national debt itself. It’s the balance of payments. What has forced the American balance of payments into deficit—beginning with the Korean War and continuing through the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and much of today—is foreign military spending. Military expenditures abroad were responsible for essentially the entire balance-of-payments deficit during those decades.
As more dollars are spent abroad than come back in, the dollar is pressured to depreciate. To prevent that, the United States has tried to force other countries to subsidize it. The underlying mythology is that the U.S. needs foreign subsidy and payments to protect itself from first a Soviet invasion, and now a Russian and Chinese invasion.
The pretense is that America’s massive military budget has to be paid for by foreign countries—not because the U.S. wants to control them, not because it wants 800 military bases around the world, but because it’s supposedly “protecting” them. That myth has enabled the creation of NATO and its use as a mechanism to dominate Europe and force countries to hold their foreign exchange reserves in dollars rather than gold or other currencies.
We’re now seeing that system begin to unravel, especially in the wake of recent events at Davos. The real question is how the United States will finance its military and political domination now that it no longer runs a trade surplus, has deindustrialized, and has become a debtor nation rather than the world’s creditor.
After World War II, the U.S. was the leading industrial, financial, and military power. Today it no longer is. The only thing it can offer other countries now is the promise not to destroy their economies if they comply. That’s what Trump’s tariff threats represent: a protection racket.
This has become increasingly clear in Europe. Voters are beginning to ask why they must put American interests first, why they must sacrifice their economies, and why sanctions and energy policies are imposed that benefit the U.S. while harming Europe.
The claim that Europe needs protection from Russia or China is increasingly exposed as a myth. If there is no genuine invasion threat, then why impose sanctions, pay inflated prices for American LNG, and dismantle social democracy to fund military expansion?
What we are seeing is an attempt at intellectual warfare—shaping how people think about civilization, law, and power. The U.S. frames itself as “civilization” while labeling others as barbarians, obscuring the core principle of international law since the Treaty of Westphalia: national sovereignty and non-interference.
Trump’s withdrawal from UN institutions, the creation of alternative bodies like the so-called “Board of Peace,” and the rejection of multilateral norms mark a sharp break with centuries of international order. The symbolism is almost comical, but the implications are serious.
This is why today’s discussion matters. We’re witnessing a structural transformation of the world economy and the global balance of power. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/defeat-of-the-west-michael-hudson-and-lena-petrova-on-davos-panic-destruction-of-the-eu-economic-collapse.html
The real problem with military spending isn’t the national debt itself. It’s the balance of payments. What has forced the American balance of payments into deficit—beginning with the Korean War and continuing through the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and much of today—is foreign military spending. Military expenditures abroad were responsible for essentially the entire balance-of-payments deficit during those decades.
As more dollars are spent abroad than come back in, the dollar is pressured to depreciate. To prevent that, the United States has tried to force other countries to subsidize it. The underlying mythology is that the U.S. needs foreign subsidy and payments to protect itself from first a Soviet invasion, and now a Russian and Chinese invasion.
The pretense is that America’s massive military budget has to be paid for by foreign countries—not because the U.S. wants to control them, not because it wants 800 military bases around the world, but because it’s supposedly “protecting” them. That myth has enabled the creation of NATO and its use as a mechanism to dominate Europe and force countries to hold their foreign exchange reserves in dollars rather than gold or other currencies.
We’re now seeing that system begin to unravel, especially in the wake of recent events at Davos. The real question is how the United States will finance its military and political domination now that it no longer runs a trade surplus, has deindustrialized, and has become a debtor nation rather than the world’s creditor.
After World War II, the U.S. was the leading industrial, financial, and military power. Today it no longer is. The only thing it can offer other countries now is the promise not to destroy their economies if they comply. That’s what Trump’s tariff threats represent: a protection racket.
This has become increasingly clear in Europe. Voters are beginning to ask why they must put American interests first, why they must sacrifice their economies, and why sanctions and energy policies are imposed that benefit the U.S. while harming Europe.
The claim that Europe needs protection from Russia or China is increasingly exposed as a myth. If there is no genuine invasion threat, then why impose sanctions, pay inflated prices for American LNG, and dismantle social democracy to fund military expansion?
What we are seeing is an attempt at intellectual warfare—shaping how people think about civilization, law, and power. The U.S. frames itself as “civilization” while labeling others as barbarians, obscuring the core principle of international law since the Treaty of Westphalia: national sovereignty and non-interference.
Trump’s withdrawal from UN institutions, the creation of alternative bodies like the so-called “Board of Peace,” and the rejection of multilateral norms mark a sharp break with centuries of international order. The symbolism is almost comical, but the implications are serious.
This is why today’s discussion matters. We’re witnessing a structural transformation of the world economy and the global balance of power. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/defeat-of-the-west-michael-hudson-and-lena-petrova-on-davos-panic-destruction-of-the-eu-economic-collapse.html
Alex Krainer, Did Bank of Japan crash the dollar?
The consequences of 26 years of free money policy and aggressive Quantitative Easing (read: money printing) are coming due. The United States is among the most vulnerable to Japanese contagion. The culprit may have been the Bank of Japan. Over the last 26 years, Japan has been the world’s key exporter of financial capital. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) made money free in 1999 (setting interest rates at zero) and pioneered quantitative easing (QE) in 2001. With interest rates at or near zero and vast quantities of liquidity generated out of its printing presses, the BOJ became the world’s largest owner of Japanese Government Bonds (JGBs) as well as U.S. Treasuries.
Bank of Japan owns some 52% of all JGBs outstanding and around $1.2 trillion in U.S. treasuries (as of October 2025). In effect, the BOJ has been monetizing government debt. In the process, Japan has accumulated the highest ratio of public debt to GDP of any developed country: a whopping 260%....
..Today, the reversal of Japan’s zero interest rates policy and all that it entailed, is accelerating. This month, the yield on 10-year JGB hit over 2.3%, the highest level since 1997. Now, the cost of servicing Japan’s public debts consumes around 25% of the government’s budget. Rather than providing economic stimulus, the Bank of Japan has reversed its QE policy and has begun aggressively reducing its colossal balance sheet. Bank of Japan owns some 52% of all JGBs outstanding and around $1.2 trillion in U.S. treasuries (as of October 2025). In effect, the BOJ has been monetizing government debt. In the process, Japan has accumulated the highest ratio of public debt to GDP of any developed country: a whopping 260%....
One of the unintended outcomes of BOJ’s aggressive QE policy has been the steady depreciation of the yen, in spite of rising interest rates. Now, to defend the yen and to keep their bonds markets from collapsing, the BOJ and other Japanese financial institutions must scramble to repatriate their foreign investments, including stocks, bonds, ETFs and ultimately even US government treasuries, since they represent the largest and most liquid foreign asset Japan owns. In a crisis, Japan will be forced to liquidate their US Treasury investments...
..The ultimate consequences of this crisis would be difficult to forecast, but given the magnitude of imbalances that are now present in global markets thanks to 26 years of Japan’s massive QE, the contagion from Japan could hit the whole global economy like a tsunami. In response, the governments of other Western nations might have to resort to the same policies as the BOJ.
When Japan yanks liquidity from under their markets, their central banks will have to ramp up their own printing presses that much more. Ultimately, this process leads to an acceleration of inflation and/or hyperinflation. And by now, every overindebted government will welcome inflation as it will enable them to get rid of their debts with a worthless currency. https://alexkrainer.substack.com/p/did-bank-of-japan-crash-the-dollar1. Net Zero Meets Industrial Reality [Economy is based on hydrocarbons, stupid.] ...
2. Rules-Based Order Declared ‘Finished’ [I'm just taking it NOW.] ...3. Quiet on The Great Reset [Fog of resource-war] ...
4. Anti-Globalist Challenge [Yeah? You and whose army?] ...5. World ‘Not a Cozy Place’ “This new world of great powers is being built on power, on strength, and when it comes to it, on force,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. “It’s not a cozy place.” ...
6. Trump Dominates [Imperial Red-Giant-phase burnout-explosion] https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/end-great-reset-six-final-takeaways-davos-globalism-net-zero-lose-edgeDay to day volatility jawboning: USD Pops, Yen Drops As TsySec Bessent Says "Absolutely Not Intervening" https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/usd-pops-yen-drops-tsysec-bessent-says-absolutely-not-intervening
Elite Economic Hit Man, Treasury pick Scott Bessent scored billion-dollar wins with these bets on Wall Street 11/23/2024
The South Carolina native and Yale graduate started off as a securities analyst and options trader at a Saudi family's investment arm, according to the Wall Street Journal. He later interned with Jim Rogers, worked for short-seller James Chanos, and then joined Soros Fund Management in 1991.
That's when Bessent made one of his most famous wagers. While at the firm's London office, he helped engineer a short against the British pound in 1992, netting Soros a profit of more than $1 billion. In the U.K., the trade is infamous and led to "Black Wednesday," when the pound was de-linked from European currencies. After working for Soros, he became a senior partner at Protege Partners and then started his own firm but had to return clients' funds in 2005, the Journal reported.
In 2011, he returned to Soros and served as chief investment officer for the hedge fund turned family office. During his second stint, he made about $10 billion in profit for Soros, according to Bloomberg. Among his big bets was a short against Japan's yen that produced a $1 billion windfall in 2013.
He left in 2015 to launch Key Square, which makes bets on global macroeconomic trends, and raised $4.5 billion, including $2 billion from Soros. Key's main fund saw returns surge 13% in 2016 after Bessent bet again on the British pound falling, this time after the Brexit vote to leave the European Union, sources told Reuters. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/treasury-pick-scott-bessent-scored-182333132.html
"Market's Pick?" - President Trump Confirms Kevin Warsh As Next Fed Chair Nominee
As was apparently leaked last night - for a big win on Polymarket - President Trump has just confirmed he is nominating Kevin Warsh to become the next Fed Chair: "I am pleased to announce that I am nominating Kevin Warsh to be the CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM." ...
..Goldman Sachs' Delta-One desk-head, Rich Privorotsky, offered some color on 'Why Warsh'?
It’s a surprising pick, but from a long-term perspective arguably the right tone.
It puts questions around Fed independence largely to bed.
The big asset the US system has is the USD system, and without a credible central bank that would eventually fracture.
You have to ask why the pendulum is swinging toward Warsh now.
One interpretation is reflexivity...in the 70s Volcker wasn't Carter's preference, it was the market's. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-reportedly-announce-kevin-warsh-next-fed-chair-friday-morning-bitcoin-gold-tumble
Tether To Become "Gold Central Bank" In Post-Dollar World, CEO Ardoino Says
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino told Bloomberg that he expects the company to become one of the largest gold central banks in the world.
The company plans to start trading its gold reserves for additional profit.
Tether owns around 140 tons of gold, worth around $23 billion, stored in a nuclear bunker in Switzerland...
Shanghai silver hit $138.25 (+8.51%) - Bai Xiaojun, multi-source confirmation across China markets. COMEX trading $114, India $128, massive arbitrage spread. HIGH confidence
China gold miners hitting daily limit up - multiple stocks maxed out circuit breakers, ETF inflows surging in January per oriental_ghost. Industrial buying acceleration. HIGH confidence
Thailand bans gold short selling - Bank of Thailand intervention to prevent gold outflow, surface rationale is baht appreciation. Echoes capital control patterns. MEDIUM confidence
Powell: “we don’t take a strong signal from rising gold, silver prices” - Fed chair commentary despite metals +4% same day, also admitted US debt unsustainable path. Cognitive dissonance on display. HIGH confidence
COMEX registered silver drain continues - 5M oz shifted registered to eligible, only 108M free float remaining, Jan26 physical deliveries 48M oz (5x Jan25). Physical squeeze tightening. HIGH confidence https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-01-29
It’s a surprising pick, but from a long-term perspective arguably the right tone.
It puts questions around Fed independence largely to bed.
The big asset the US system has is the USD system, and without a credible central bank that would eventually fracture.
You have to ask why the pendulum is swinging toward Warsh now.
One interpretation is reflexivity...in the 70s Volcker wasn't Carter's preference, it was the market's. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/trump-reportedly-announce-kevin-warsh-next-fed-chair-friday-morning-bitcoin-gold-tumble
Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino told Bloomberg that he expects the company to become one of the largest gold central banks in the world.
The company plans to start trading its gold reserves for additional profit.
Tether owns around 140 tons of gold, worth around $23 billion, stored in a nuclear bunker in Switzerland...
..Tether's staple product, USDT, dominates the global stablecoin market, with over $186 billion in circulation, according to The Block's crypto price page.
By backing USDT with U.S. dollars, the stablecoin’s success provides Tether with the capital to reinvest in assets like gold to capture further interest and profit.
It also issues Tether Gold (XAUT), which holds over 50% share of the gold stablecoin market with a $2.62 billion market capitalization.
Just earlier this week, Tether officially announced the launch of USAT — its U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin that is available to U.S. customers, unlike USDT. https://www.zerohedge.com/precious-metals/tether-become-gold-central-bank-post-dollar-world-ceo-ardoino-says
By backing USDT with U.S. dollars, the stablecoin’s success provides Tether with the capital to reinvest in assets like gold to capture further interest and profit.
It also issues Tether Gold (XAUT), which holds over 50% share of the gold stablecoin market with a $2.62 billion market capitalization.
Just earlier this week, Tether officially announced the launch of USAT — its U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin that is available to U.S. customers, unlike USDT. https://www.zerohedge.com/precious-metals/tether-become-gold-central-bank-post-dollar-world-ceo-ardoino-says
Meryl Nass MD, There are multiple ways the government can move us into programmable money, and it will be the END of freedom and life as we know it. The Clarity Act is the most immediate scheme to do this.
The Clarity Act markup was completed by the Senate Ag cttee today. The Senate Banking Cttee is still working on it. The noose is tightening. https://merylnass.substack.com/p/there-are-multiple-ways-the-government Gold & Geopolitics (can't keep up hour to hour) Daily digest: 2026-01-29
China gold miners hitting daily limit up - multiple stocks maxed out circuit breakers, ETF inflows surging in January per oriental_ghost. Industrial buying acceleration. HIGH confidence
Thailand bans gold short selling - Bank of Thailand intervention to prevent gold outflow, surface rationale is baht appreciation. Echoes capital control patterns. MEDIUM confidence
Powell: “we don’t take a strong signal from rising gold, silver prices” - Fed chair commentary despite metals +4% same day, also admitted US debt unsustainable path. Cognitive dissonance on display. HIGH confidence
COMEX registered silver drain continues - 5M oz shifted registered to eligible, only 108M free float remaining, Jan26 physical deliveries 48M oz (5x Jan25). Physical squeeze tightening. HIGH confidence https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-01-29
Silver and Gold prices were hit hard yesterday and today. Asian exchanges are shutting down. Prices drop as metal becomes unavailable for delivery. Huh?
Gold & Geopolitics, (Pet) rock, paper, scissors - A case study in coordinated intervention https://no01.substack.com/p/pet-rock-paper-scissors
Mish Shedlock, What Do Truck Shipping Indexes Say About the US Economy?
That’s because the seasonally adjusted month-over-month weakness (not every month) lasted for years.
For example, seasonally-adjusted month-over-month shipments were negative 16 out of the last 22 months.
In turn, that’s what kept year-over-year NSA shipments negative for 35 straight months.
If anything, the seasonally adjusted chart looks even worse than the NSA chart. That’s because some of the steep rebounds on the NSA chart vanish when adjusted. https://mishtalk.com/economics/what-do-truck-shipping-indexes-say-about-the-us-economy/
1/16/2025 The Dark Forces in Control of the Anglo-American-Zionist Empire Are the Source of the World Crisis. Richard C. Cook
This goal was to be accomplished through worldwide mercantile colonization, including heavy involvement in the international slave and drug trades, and war against a succession of leading European continental powers: Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottomans, and Russia. The rival that could not be immediately suppressed was the U.S., which declared independence in 1776. So recapture of the U.S. also became a priority...
..France’s Charles De Gaulle had seen what was happening during the 1950s and 1960s and tried to head off the Empire’s ambitions by kicking the U.S. military out of France and promoting the ideal of a confederation of sovereign European nations from “Lisbon to the Urals.” But he was deposed in a CIA-sponsored color-revolution in 1968. De Gaulle’s opponents had already tried to assassinate him 30 times. While being forced to stay in NATO, France today does not host a single U.S. military base. Nevertheless, the EU that De Gaulle helped initiate is now run by a gaggle of imperial lapdogs.
During the 1980s-1990s, “Straussians,” known collectively as “Neocons,” joined with the denizens of the U.S. military-industrial complex like Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson, Donald Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney, along with Rockefeller/Rothschild-dominated Big Finance to take over the U.S. government. Instrumental was David Rockefeller, who founded the Trilateral Commission to extend and rule over global finance. The way had been cleared by their 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Rockefeller’s bete noir, who had tried to restore an indigenous U.S. currency and intended to pull out of Vietnam. This cabal also got rid of President Richard Nixon, who was trying to reduce the power of the CIA and favored détente with the Soviet Union. The 1980s and 1990s saw the banking elite behind Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker crash the producing economy. The nation saw the shipping of millions of American jobs to China and Mexico, deregulation of the banking industry to allow predatory policies like leveraged buyouts and stock buybacks, destruction of the consumer-friendly Savings & Loan industry, the cancerous growth of derivative speculation, the invasion of Iraq, and the plunging of a newly-looted Russia into depression after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union. The U.S. and NATO then ransacked and destroyed Yugoslavia.
After Israel pulled off the 9/11 attacks, the U.S., now in full obedience to Israel’s ambitions and cheered on by Britain under Tony Blair and later Boris Johnson, embarked on a series of wars in the Middle East, Ukraine, and elsewhere to complete what they saw as the project of total world domination... These wars are going on to this day, with President-Elect Trump seemingly no different than anyone else in bowing down to Israel...
The U.S. has also sponsored Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other Islamist terrorists to regime-change governments viewed as independence-minded. Another type of terrorist attack; namely the COVID-19 gain-of-function “pandemic” and mRNA “vax,” were meanwhile implemented by DARPA/NATO/Big Pharma, et.al., for global population reduction and control. One aim was to get rid of pensioners and other “useless eaters.”
The final battle against China now looms in order to complete the world takeover. But the U.S. wars have not been succeeding, with Russia returning to its Christian roots, BRICS being founded in opposition to U.S. dollar hegemony, and American/European society fracturing in new anti-woke civil wars. Beneath the surface is existential angst over the Zionist/Israeli death cult launching its own “final solution” against the Palestinians and other West Asian populations.
In fact, the U.S. under the control of the Neocons/Zionists and the Israel Lobby has made so many enemies abroad that the American “Homeland” itself is now the target. Targeting becomes easier by the day with the Empire’s rapidly crumbling infrastructure.
Infrastructure is crumbling because the public sector is totally at the mercy of predatory bond markets run by the billionaires and their usury-based hedge funds layered with derivatives issued by megabanks on margin. Meanwhile, the American Monetary Institute (AMI) has estimated that up to 50 percent of U.S. retail prices consist of compound interest charged by the banks for the use of money.
It should be obvious that the money is needed to fulfill an essential economic role as a societal means of exchange but was long ago “privatized” for the profits of the few. AMI has estimated further that all the financial transactions carried out by the banks could be done at cost at simple interest of one percent. The incoming Trump administration is planning a new attack on purchasing power by cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and public employment while planning to reduce taxes on behalf of the already-rich. They also plan to raise tariffs, cutting foreign nations off from dollar revenues, while expecting them to use dollars to invest in U.S. government debt. All madness. The U.S. has also sponsored Al Qaeda, ISIS, and other Islamist terrorists to regime-change governments viewed as independence-minded. Another type of terrorist attack; namely the COVID-19 gain-of-function “pandemic” and mRNA “vax,” were meanwhile implemented by DARPA/NATO/Big Pharma, et.al., for global population reduction and control. One aim was to get rid of pensioners and other “useless eaters.”
The final battle against China now looms in order to complete the world takeover. But the U.S. wars have not been succeeding, with Russia returning to its Christian roots, BRICS being founded in opposition to U.S. dollar hegemony, and American/European society fracturing in new anti-woke civil wars. Beneath the surface is existential angst over the Zionist/Israeli death cult launching its own “final solution” against the Palestinians and other West Asian populations.
In fact, the U.S. under the control of the Neocons/Zionists and the Israel Lobby has made so many enemies abroad that the American “Homeland” itself is now the target. Targeting becomes easier by the day with the Empire’s rapidly crumbling infrastructure.
Infrastructure is crumbling because the public sector is totally at the mercy of predatory bond markets run by the billionaires and their usury-based hedge funds layered with derivatives issued by megabanks on margin. Meanwhile, the American Monetary Institute (AMI) has estimated that up to 50 percent of U.S. retail prices consist of compound interest charged by the banks for the use of money.
It’s not ordinary people trying to survive that have turned the beautiful garden of planet earth into a war-torn polluted hellhole. It’s the Empire’s billionaire financiers and their military/religious minions.
Thus it is not difficult to explain the financial travails of the world’s national economies. Ever hear of “killing the goose that lays the golden egg”? Or “the parasite that has killed the host”? It’s exactly what has happened. But maybe the billionaires can blow up the whole world and escape to their bunkers before everything caves in or the peasants get across the moat with their pitchforks. What does the Talmud have to say about that? Trump’s army of Zionist advisers should know the answer.
And there is an alternative which has appeared at times throughout history. It’s called “dirigiste” economics, to use the French word. It means that the central government works with the private sector to build a physical infrastructure that benefits the entire society and that provides a publicly-guaranteed currency to fund development and provide a sound medium of exchange.
Before the Rothschilds and other usurers took over, Europe had dirigiste systems, especially France during its gran siècle. The 19th century American System of the Whigs and later the Republicans was a dirigiste system. Napoleon and later Charles de Gaulle both tried but failed to renew France’s dirigiste economy. Today, Russia, Iran, and China are building dirigiste systems, which is why they are defeating the West in Ukraine and will do so on all other fronts.
In the face of such sound economics, all the countries that compose the Anglo-American-Zionist Empire—including especially the U.S., Britain, Canada, Germany, and Israel—are collapsing. The U.S. could create such a system today, as outlined in the NEED Act, introduced in Congress by Rep. Dennis Kucinich in 2011 and currently on the books.[iii] If you have never heard of this critically important proposed legislation, you can blame your own government representatives. https://www.globalresearch.ca/anglo-american-zionist-empire-source-world-crisis/5877240
Ellen Brown, Chanmpion of Nonprofit State & Community Banking, The Wealth Concentration Engine: Rethinking America’s Financial Plumbing
A Jan. 17 article on Quartz Markets by Catherine Baab reports that JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Bank of America returned nearly all of their 2025 profits to shareholders. Goldman Sachs returned $16.78 billion on $17.18 billion in earnings, meaning 97.7% of its earnings went to shareholders. Wells Fargo, Citigroup, JPMorgan, and Bank of America collectively returned tens of billions more. Across the six largest banks, roughly $100 billion flowed to shareholders in a single year.....We subsidize the banks’ safety, underwrite their liquidity, and reward them for sitting on assets, without requiring them to invest in communities, build public wealth, or serve any public purpose. It all seems pretty outrageous; but as it turns out, the banks are doing what U.S. corporate law requires them to do. If they don’t follow the “shareholder primacy rule,” they could actually be sued by their shareholders...
At a time when we seriously need to bring the warring factions of our economy together, these banking arrangements can appeal to all political persuasions — to conservatives who value local control, to liberals who value public investment and to independents who are tired of a financial system that seems to serve no one but itself.
Tens of billions of dollars that once went to the public now land on bank balance sheets with no public benefit attached. Banks need to return to their original purpose to serve as public utilities. When the people own the banks, or at least some of them, maximizing shareholder profit means generating profits that flow back into the public arena, available to build schools, bridges, water systems, housing and the modern infrastructure needed to compete on the international stage. https://scheerpost.com/2026/01/28/the-wealth-concentration-engine-rethinking-americas-financial-plumbing/
..The real problem is that America’s financial plumbing is not aligned with the needs of the productive economy. We have built a system optimized for shareholder extraction and short‑term returns, which favors megabanks over community banks, the already-rich over struggling families, and private profit over much-needed public infrastructure.
If the problem is in the rules that banks are required to follow, then the solution is either to change the rules or to build institutions that serve the community while operating under the existing banking framework. This can be done with public-community banking partnerships on the model of the Bank of North Dakota and with a national infrastructure bank that serves public infrastructure needs. At a time when we seriously need to bring the warring factions of our economy together, these banking arrangements can appeal to all political persuasions — to conservatives who value local control, to liberals who value public investment and to independents who are tired of a financial system that seems to serve no one but itself.
Tens of billions of dollars that once went to the public now land on bank balance sheets with no public benefit attached. Banks need to return to their original purpose to serve as public utilities. When the people own the banks, or at least some of them, maximizing shareholder profit means generating profits that flow back into the public arena, available to build schools, bridges, water systems, housing and the modern infrastructure needed to compete on the international stage. https://scheerpost.com/2026/01/28/the-wealth-concentration-engine-rethinking-americas-financial-plumbing/
Investigative Reporter Helena Glass has facts and details, ICE – Trained by Israel with Funding by the FBI, Homeland Security and DoD
“To what extent can you pursue criminals in your own country?,” Tucker Carlson speaking about ICE in Minneapolis. "I remember when ‘strategy’ within military and police operations were implemented to capture criminals, including illegal immigrants. Strategy entails using the fewest to capture the many."
There are currently 3,000 federal officers, including ICE, in Minneapolis. There are roughly 80,000 to 130,000 illegals in Minnesota, a state of 6 million. It is estimated that roughly 10% of these illegals are in Minneapolis. Thus, the WH sent 3,000 federal agents to arrest 8,000 to 13,000 illegals. To date they have arrested 3,000 “including protesters” and killed two Americans. https://www.globalresearch.ca/ice-trained-israel-funding-fbi-homeland-security-dod/5913702
Extensive: ICE Not Only Looks and Acts Like a Paramilitary Force – It Is One, and That Makes It Harder to Curb https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/ice-not-only-looks-and-acts-like-a-paramilitary-force-it-is-one-and-that-makes-it-harder-to-curb.html
Stephen Miller has long controlled too much... Trump splits with Vance over Minneapolis shooting
Donald Trump has said that he does not think Alex Pretti was “an assassin”, contradicting claims made by his own vice-president.
Stephen Miller, a long-serving aide to the US president, said the 37-year-old shot dead by a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agent on Jan 24 was an “assassin” who tried to “murder federal agents”.
“A would‑be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement, and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Mr Miller, who is the deputy chief of staff, wrote on X.
His claim was later reposted by JD Vance. Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, made similar comments.
However, answering questions from reporters on Tuesday, Mr Trump said Pretti, a nurse at a veterans hospital, was “not an assassin”. https://archive.is/ZCdYy#selection-2229.4-2229.53
The deal will fund all of the government except DHS until September. DHS, meanwhile, will receive funding for two weeks while lawmakers negotiate changes following public outrage over two shootings in Minneapolis by ICE agents.
"If Republicans don’t do s--- for two weeks, DHS shuts down and there’s little incentive for us to reopen without the guardrails on ICE," a Democratic aide told NBC News.
While the Senate is aiming to vote today, it still needs to pass through the House - which returns to Washington on Monday, before it can be sent to Trump's desk for his signature. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trumps-deal-avert-government-shutdown-hits-snags-senators-block-quick-vote
"If Republicans don’t do s--- for two weeks, DHS shuts down and there’s little incentive for us to reopen without the guardrails on ICE," a Democratic aide told NBC News.
While the Senate is aiming to vote today, it still needs to pass through the House - which returns to Washington on Monday, before it can be sent to Trump's desk for his signature. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trumps-deal-avert-government-shutdown-hits-snags-senators-block-quick-vote
Tucker Carlson Accuses Tim Walz And Jacob Frey Of Orchestrating A 'Color Revolution' And Civil War https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tucker-carlson-accuses-tim-walz-and-jacob-frey-orchestrating-color-revolution-and-civil
Russia spares Ukraine in the week of worst winter weather and UAE peace talks: Trump Gets Putin To Halt Strikes On Kiev For One Week In Call
Iran retaliated for the attack by launching drones and missiles towards Israel. The first few salvos did little damage but during the last of the 12 days of war Iranian missile were steadily hitting sensitive targets within Israel. The U.S. and Israel were low on air defenses and needed to cease the conflict.
The Iranian response to another attack will be immediately, precise and effective. During the first few days U.S. air defense will help to avoid the biggest damage. But after a week or two concerns about ammunition availability will likely lead to a decrease of missile interceptions. Israel’s vulnerabilities – harbor installations, chemical industry etc – are well know and easy to hit. U.S. ships within range of Iran are likewise endangered.
The arising conflict is unlikely to be as short as the recent 12 day campaign. It could easily escalate into attritional warfare. Unlike Iran Israel has nukes and may be willing to use them. But given Iran’s size and large population it is likely to end up severely damaged, but as a winner.
What Trump wants is another symbolic victory. He has started, like usual, with a gigantic threat in the hope to receive a minor concession that will allow him to chicken out. I doubt that Iran is in the mood to give him whatever he is asking for.
That leaves him the choice to chicken out without winning or to bet the house and his presidency on escalation.
May he chose wisely. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/01/trump-wants-to-win-but-iran-is-no-easy-target.html
Iran Closes Jask Naval Base for Live Fire as U.S. Deploys Rivet Joint Spy Plane https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Iran-Closes-Jask-Naval-Base-for-Live-Fire-as-US-Deploys-Rivet-Joint-Spy-Plane/
Awaiting further details: FBI Raids 'Ground Zero' Fulton County Election Office In 2020 Voter Fraud Probe https://www.zerohedge.com/political/fbi-raids-ground-zero-fulton-county-election-office-2020-voter-fraud-probe
"Because of the extreme cold…I personally asked President Putin not to fire on Kiev and the cities and towns for a week," Trump told reporters during a cabinet meeting. According to Trump, Putin "agreed to do that," adding that "we’re very happy" with the outcome.
Trump does not have an appetite for large-scale ‘slug fests’ because he knows:
The US does not have the endurance for it, neither militarily nor from the standpoint of public approval
He loves clean, surgical operations that generate maximum PR-boosting headlines for the least amount of effort—in short: efficiency
One of the reasons for that is because Trump obviously acts unilaterally without appropriate approvals. But when the actions ostensibly “succeed” as they were claimed to have done in Venezuela, few complain. They are carried out swiftly before Congress can muster a response, and then the “glory” of the aftermath quickly sweeps away and silences any dissenters, painting them as unpatriotic sourpusses.
The longer a given conflict gets dragged out, the worse the optics get and the more time for serious political ramifications and legal pushback. And that’s not even counting if things should go wrong and America actually begins taking casualties or losses of some kind.
As such, Trump now plans to intimidate Iran into submission with another big show of force. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/covering-his-tracks-trump-hard-pivots#poll-440997
Russia has not officially announced an energy ceasefire, but Trump said Putin promised him a week, and Zelensky now says they may postpone the coming talks in Abu Dhabi (since pressure is off). Uncommitted Russia can re-escalate. Energy Truce or Big Political Game Ternovate has Fallen Military Summary And Analysis 2026.01.30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz-8F8B32MU
"Ready For De-Escalation": Zelensky Ready To Accept Energy Ceasefire If Putin Will
Shortly after President Donald Trump said Thursday afternoon that Russia had agreed to pause strikes on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities for a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said overnight that Ukraine is prepared to halt drone and missile attacks on Russia's critical energy infrastructure, provided Putin honors a weeklong truce and refrains from launching missiles or drones at Kiev.
"If Russia does not strike our energy infrastructure — generation facilities or any other energy assets — we will not strike theirs," Zelensky told reporters in Kiev. "We want to end the war and we are ready for de-escalation steps." https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/ready-de-escalation-zelensky-ready-accept-energy-ceasefire-if-putin-will
Tensions Between Kiev & Budapest Ramp Up As Ambassadors Summoned Over Election Interference Claims
"If Russia does not strike our energy infrastructure — generation facilities or any other energy assets — we will not strike theirs," Zelensky told reporters in Kiev. "We want to end the war and we are ready for de-escalation steps." https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/ready-de-escalation-zelensky-ready-accept-energy-ceasefire-if-putin-will
Expensive US gas replaces cheap Russian gas. EU 'Celebrates' Replacing One Massive Energy Dependency With Another One https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/eu-celebrates-replacing-one-massive-energy-dependency-another-one
Budapest claims Ukraine is seeking to influence Hungary’s April vote to bring down Orbán's government in favor of the opposition Tisza Party https://rmx.news/article/tensions-between-kyiv-and-budapest-are-ramping-up-as-ambassadors-are-summoned-over-election-interference-claims/
They will escalate their war against Russia at sea, deploying their navies to enforce trade blockades, ship sabotage and seizures, and the closure of sea lanes, and to launch “pre-emptive” attacks before their targets can defend themselves. This is sea war to achieve regime change on land.
Trump’s current targets are Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, North Korea, China, and India.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate Committee hearing on Wednesday that if these targets attempt to deter the US escalation by raising their guard, the US Navy will shoot first.
“It’s wise and prudent,” Rubio said, “to have a force posture within the region that could respond and potentially, not necessarily what’s going to happen, but if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region." https://johnhelmer.net/trumps-global-sea-war-is-the-new-strategy-for-regime-change-venezuela-iran-cuba-russia-china-india/
The Impudence! Czech coalition rules out higher defense spending, says 2% of GDP is enough
Coalition party leaders said the government would prioritize the needs of Czech citizens over increased defense spending https://rmx.news/article/czech-coalition-rules-out-higher-defense-spending-says-2-of-gdp-is-enough/ John Helmer, Trump's Global Sea War Is The New Strategy For Regime Change -- Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, Russia, China, India
The Trump Administration and its NATO allies are clear: They will escalate their war against Russia at sea, deploying their navies to enforce trade blockades, ship sabotage and seizures, and the closure of sea lanes, and to launch “pre-emptive” attacks before their targets can defend themselves. This is sea war to achieve regime change on land.
Trump’s current targets are Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, Russia, North Korea, China, and India.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a Senate Committee hearing on Wednesday that if these targets attempt to deter the US escalation by raising their guard, the US Navy will shoot first.
“It’s wise and prudent,” Rubio said, “to have a force posture within the region that could respond and potentially, not necessarily what’s going to happen, but if necessary, preemptively prevent the attack against thousands of American servicemen and other facilities in the region." https://johnhelmer.net/trumps-global-sea-war-is-the-new-strategy-for-regime-change-venezuela-iran-cuba-russia-china-india/
Not "Demonstrators", mind you: Iran Executes Suspected Israeli Spy In High-Stakes Act Of Defiance https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-executes-suspected-israeli-spy-high-stakes-act-defiance
Simplicius, Covering His Tracks? Trump Hard-Pivots Once More to Iran
Weeks ago Trump had backed off from striking Iran because his closest advisors and intel analysts convinced him that such a strike would not have “weakened the regime” enough to overthrow the Ayatollah and other key leaders. This is mostly due to the fact that the “uprising” psyop was a stillborn failure which did not quite kick off as expected, despite massive Mossad and CIA interference and provocations. Trump does not have an appetite for large-scale ‘slug fests’ because he knows:
The US does not have the endurance for it, neither militarily nor from the standpoint of public approval
He loves clean, surgical operations that generate maximum PR-boosting headlines for the least amount of effort—in short: efficiency
One of the reasons for that is because Trump obviously acts unilaterally without appropriate approvals. But when the actions ostensibly “succeed” as they were claimed to have done in Venezuela, few complain. They are carried out swiftly before Congress can muster a response, and then the “glory” of the aftermath quickly sweeps away and silences any dissenters, painting them as unpatriotic sourpusses.
The longer a given conflict gets dragged out, the worse the optics get and the more time for serious political ramifications and legal pushback. And that’s not even counting if things should go wrong and America actually begins taking casualties or losses of some kind.
As such, Trump now plans to intimidate Iran into submission with another big show of force. https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/covering-his-tracks-trump-hard-pivots#poll-440997
Moon of Alabama, Trump Wants To Win But Iran Is No Easy Target
The last U.S. attack on Iran came as a surprise while negotiations were still ongoing. It was accompanied by an assassination campaign and local teams on the ground who sabotaged Iranian air defense equipment. It is unlikely that such a surprise can be again achieved. Iran retaliated for the attack by launching drones and missiles towards Israel. The first few salvos did little damage but during the last of the 12 days of war Iranian missile were steadily hitting sensitive targets within Israel. The U.S. and Israel were low on air defenses and needed to cease the conflict.
The Iranian response to another attack will be immediately, precise and effective. During the first few days U.S. air defense will help to avoid the biggest damage. But after a week or two concerns about ammunition availability will likely lead to a decrease of missile interceptions. Israel’s vulnerabilities – harbor installations, chemical industry etc – are well know and easy to hit. U.S. ships within range of Iran are likewise endangered.
The arising conflict is unlikely to be as short as the recent 12 day campaign. It could easily escalate into attritional warfare. Unlike Iran Israel has nukes and may be willing to use them. But given Iran’s size and large population it is likely to end up severely damaged, but as a winner.
What Trump wants is another symbolic victory. He has started, like usual, with a gigantic threat in the hope to receive a minor concession that will allow him to chicken out. I doubt that Iran is in the mood to give him whatever he is asking for.
That leaves him the choice to chicken out without winning or to bet the house and his presidency on escalation.
May he chose wisely. https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/01/trump-wants-to-win-but-iran-is-no-easy-target.html
Battle-Stations: Iran Activates Emergency Contingency Plan As Trump Boasts Of "Beautiful" Armada Nearby https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-weighs-precision-strikes-iranian-officials-govt-weakest-1979
After you, Marco: Rubio Says We Must "Preemptively Prevent" Iran From Attacking US Forces Already In Region https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/war-drums-gulf-us-armada-patrols-saudi-arabia-uae-deny-airspace-access
Mysterious; no follow-up details: Iran nuclear facility hit by reported explosion as Trump threat lingers
A reported explosion has rocked the Parchin military complex in Iran, which has been at the center of the country's alleged development of nuclear weapons. https://www.the-express.com/news/world-news/197396/iran-nuclear-facility-hit-reported-explosion-amid-trump-pondering-military-strike Gen. Binder met with senior US defense and intelligence officials on Tuesday and Wednesday, while Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman - brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - is expected to hold talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff later this week.
Behind closed doors, Trump is said to be considering targeted strikes on Iranian security forces and leadership figures in a bid to trigger internal unrest, Reuters has reported. Secretary Rubio yesterday floated before a Senate hearing the idea that the US must "preemptively prevent" Iran from attacking American forces already in the region, in an interesting display of war logic.
But CNN says stalled US-Iran talks over Tehran's nuclear and missile programs have only hardened Washington’s appetite for escalation - raising the odds that diplomacy is giving way to force once again, or rather, placing the diplomatic bar so high that it would be next to impossible for Iran to comply.
Currently, Trump officials are reportedly insisting that Iran be stripped of any missile capability capable of striking Israel. Israel, meanwhile, would retain its full missile arsenal - including the undeclared nuclear weapons that everyone in the world knows about - capable of hitting Iran. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/saudi-israeli-officials-swarm-dc-trump-weighs-iran-strike-options
Behind closed doors, Trump is said to be considering targeted strikes on Iranian security forces and leadership figures in a bid to trigger internal unrest, Reuters has reported. Secretary Rubio yesterday floated before a Senate hearing the idea that the US must "preemptively prevent" Iran from attacking American forces already in the region, in an interesting display of war logic.
But CNN says stalled US-Iran talks over Tehran's nuclear and missile programs have only hardened Washington’s appetite for escalation - raising the odds that diplomacy is giving way to force once again, or rather, placing the diplomatic bar so high that it would be next to impossible for Iran to comply.
Currently, Trump officials are reportedly insisting that Iran be stripped of any missile capability capable of striking Israel. Israel, meanwhile, would retain its full missile arsenal - including the undeclared nuclear weapons that everyone in the world knows about - capable of hitting Iran. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/saudi-israeli-officials-swarm-dc-trump-weighs-iran-strike-options
The U.S. and Israel want to redraw the face of the Middle East, as Netanyahu has explicitly stated, to ensure the continuation of Israel’s colonial project, move energy flows away from China, and gain leverage over oil prices. Iran stands in the way of that project—not simply as a hostile state, but as a systemic obstacle to a reordered region.
For much of the past decades, the Middle East had a bipolar order. On the one hand, American/Israeli hegemony; on the other, Iran as the region’s only coherent counter-system to that hegemony. Through the so-called Axis of Resistance—linking Tehran with Hezbollah, Syria, Palestinian militias, and affiliated forces across Iraq and Yemen—Iran imposed a form of negative order...
..The U.S. has expressed a desire to disengage from the region—not to abandon it, but to reduce its physical engagement while offshoring control costs to allies. As a result, over the past two years, Israel together with the U.S. and other allies have conducted a systematic campaign to degrade the Axis and dismantle much of its regional proxy capacity. What remains is a collection of weakened local actors operating under financial strain, intense surveillance, and tightening escalation ceilings, alongside an Iranian state under acute pressure.
The strongest pressure on Iran, aside from last year’s “12 Days War,” has been economic, through sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economic capacity, placing serious stress on both the state and the population. This is what led to the initial protests on December 28, which were subsequently co-opted by foreign agents, most likely Mossad, as they stated. In a rare moment of honesty, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent acknowledged that sanctions were responsible for the collapse of the Iranian currency and called it a form of “statecraft.” Rather, it constitutes a form of economic warfare...
..The U.S. has expressed a desire to disengage from the region—not to abandon it, but to reduce its physical engagement while offshoring control costs to allies. As a result, over the past two years, Israel together with the U.S. and other allies have conducted a systematic campaign to degrade the Axis and dismantle much of its regional proxy capacity. What remains is a collection of weakened local actors operating under financial strain, intense surveillance, and tightening escalation ceilings, alongside an Iranian state under acute pressure.
The strongest pressure on Iran, aside from last year’s “12 Days War,” has been economic, through sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economic capacity, placing serious stress on both the state and the population. This is what led to the initial protests on December 28, which were subsequently co-opted by foreign agents, most likely Mossad, as they stated. In a rare moment of honesty, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent acknowledged that sanctions were responsible for the collapse of the Iranian currency and called it a form of “statecraft.” Rather, it constitutes a form of economic warfare...
..Iran’s leadership has concluded that “if Tehran does not ‘sort out’ the U.S./Israel problem in the immediate future, the Islamic Republic of Iran will collapse under the crushing weight of sanctions, currency devaluation, inflation, socio-economic unrest, and the system’s internal contradictions. Iran needs a complete solution to its U.S./Israel problem.”
This may compel Iran’s leadership to seek out conflict and attempt to cause maximum damage. “Iran’s most powerful tool is its ability to wage economic warfare—to wit, jack up oil and gas prices and crash U.S., U.K., and EU equity markets and the dollar,” writes Macfarlane.
Faced with this most plausible scenario, the question is why the U.S. has chosen the path of escalation. The justifications do not hold. If Iran’s nuclear program was already “obliterated,” then escalation cannot plausibly be about non-proliferation. Iran had previously accepted monitored enrichment until Trump withdrew, and it was attacked while negotiations were ongoing.
Nor does the protest justification stand. Initial demonstrations were triggered by economic mismanagement and reversed policy decisions. What followed those initial protests was a two-week destabilization and propaganda campaign, reportedly directed by Mossad and the CIA and amplified by Western media with inflated casualty figures. This does not constitute a credible humanitarian rationale for war.
Israel’s lobbyists in Washington cannot be underestimated, but they should not be overestimated either. Over the past year, Israel has faced an unprecedented situation: not that the U.S. has withdrawn or diminished its support, but that Netanyahu was no longer certain how far that support could be extended. This can be inferred from the numerous trips to the U.S. since Trump became president. The Israeli lobby must have sold this attack not only as beneficial for Israel, but also as beneficial for the U.S. Given Trump’s transactional approach, ideology alone cannot explain the decision.
Iran Ready To Resume Nuclear Talks With US, Prepared For 'War Or Diplomacy'
This may compel Iran’s leadership to seek out conflict and attempt to cause maximum damage. “Iran’s most powerful tool is its ability to wage economic warfare—to wit, jack up oil and gas prices and crash U.S., U.K., and EU equity markets and the dollar,” writes Macfarlane.
Faced with this most plausible scenario, the question is why the U.S. has chosen the path of escalation. The justifications do not hold. If Iran’s nuclear program was already “obliterated,” then escalation cannot plausibly be about non-proliferation. Iran had previously accepted monitored enrichment until Trump withdrew, and it was attacked while negotiations were ongoing.
Nor does the protest justification stand. Initial demonstrations were triggered by economic mismanagement and reversed policy decisions. What followed those initial protests was a two-week destabilization and propaganda campaign, reportedly directed by Mossad and the CIA and amplified by Western media with inflated casualty figures. This does not constitute a credible humanitarian rationale for war.
Israel’s lobbyists in Washington cannot be underestimated, but they should not be overestimated either. Over the past year, Israel has faced an unprecedented situation: not that the U.S. has withdrawn or diminished its support, but that Netanyahu was no longer certain how far that support could be extended. This can be inferred from the numerous trips to the U.S. since Trump became president. The Israeli lobby must have sold this attack not only as beneficial for Israel, but also as beneficial for the U.S. Given Trump’s transactional approach, ideology alone cannot explain the decision.
If similarities to Venezuela are to serve as a guide, then the U.S. is after control of the oil. It could accept a submissive regime in Tehran after extracting its public prize, while controlling oil flows and revenues. By controlling Iranian oil together with Venezuelan oil, the U.S. would control the largest share of oil reserves in the world. This would provide leverage against China and allow the U.S. to counteract OPEC+ price movements at a time when Saudi Arabia needs high prices and Trump needs low prices to rein in domestic energy costs ahead of the midterms. The strength of the dollar may also be part of the equation.
The U.S. and Israel are out to “change the face of the Middle East,” each for its own reasons—some of which collide. Arab countries, emerging from decades of American hegemony that suppressed their ambitions and rivalries, are confronting a new reality that requires redrawing alliances. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been preparing for this moment almost since its inception. The question is whether it will stand. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/why-iran-must-be-broken-to-build-the-u-s-israeli-vision-for-a-new-middle-east.html
Erdogan Urges Trump To Let Him Mediate Iran Crisis, Amid Fears Of Refugee Explosion https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/erdogan-urges-trump-let-him-mediate-iran-crisis-amid-fears-refugee-explosion
The U.S. and Israel are out to “change the face of the Middle East,” each for its own reasons—some of which collide. Arab countries, emerging from decades of American hegemony that suppressed their ambitions and rivalries, are confronting a new reality that requires redrawing alliances. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been preparing for this moment almost since its inception. The question is whether it will stand. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/01/why-iran-must-be-broken-to-build-the-u-s-israeli-vision-for-a-new-middle-east.html
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi has on Friday while in Turkey said that his country is ready to engage in negotiations on the nuclear front, as long as they are fair and good-faith. "The United States has repeatedly requested negotiations with us through various intermediaries and continues to renew these requests. We have no problem with engaging in negotiations," he said.
He then emphasized, "However, negotiations cannot begin with threats. They must set aside their threats." He noted too that the "US has never been loyal... it hasn't shown good intentions, but despite this, Iran remains ready for all diplomatic processes." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-ready-resume-nuclear-talks-us-prepared-war-or-diplomacy
He then emphasized, "However, negotiations cannot begin with threats. They must set aside their threats." He noted too that the "US has never been loyal... it hasn't shown good intentions, but despite this, Iran remains ready for all diplomatic processes." https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-ready-resume-nuclear-talks-us-prepared-war-or-diplomacy
US-Iran military confrontation imminent (HIGH confidence - 5+ sources)
Trump confirms “huge fleet heading towards Iran”
Russia evacuating staff from Bushehr nuclear plant
US Delta force en route to staging location in southern Azerbaijan
MC-130J Commando II flown from UK to Azerbaijan (special ops aircraft)
Tehran converting metro stations into war shelters https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-01-30/comments
US Blocks Maliki Bid, Sends Sharp Warning to Iran
Another infant dies of cold in Gaza https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/01/27/356653/
Settlers damage property, hundreds of trees in southern al-Khalil https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/01/27/356677/
IOF demolishes four homes near Jenin, uproots olive trees in Bethlehem area https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/01/27/356655/
Investigation reveals Israeli campaign to flatten Gaza town of Beit Hanoon
Al Jazeera’s Sanad unit analysed satellite images, finding that Israel razed homes in the weeks since the ceasefire began.
After the Headlines Fade: Gaza, Abandoned While the Genocide Persists https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2026/01/26/after-the-headlines-fade-gaza-abandoned-while-the-genocide-persists/
Netanyahu: No Gaza rebuild before Hamas disarms, Israel will keep ‘security control’ over Gaza
In press conference, PM also celebrates return of final slain hostage, addresses threat of Iran attack, urges against early elections, claims innocence on Qatargate, ducks responsibility for Oct. 7 https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-no-gaza-rebuild-before-hamas-disarms-israel-will-keep-security-control-over-gaza/
Map shows what would happen to Gaza under the US ‘master plan’
The plan treats Gaza as vacant beachfront property, proposing glass towers and industrial zones over historic sites. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/27/map-shows-what-would-happen-to-gaza-under-the-us-master-plan
20,000 patients await border opening for treatment, including 4,500 children https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/01/27/356682/
Former US soldiers turned Palestine advocates make a run for Congress
Both Greg Stoker and Anthony Aguilar built up a following exposing US-backed Israeli atrocities in Gaza https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/former-us-soldiers-turned-palestine-advocates-are-now-running-congress
Trump Officials Held Secret Meetings With Prominent Canadian Group Seeking To Secede https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-officials-held-secret-meetings-prominent-canadian-group-seeking-secede
Fearing US Reprisals, Mexico Halts Oil Shipment To Cuba https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/fearing-us-reprisals-mexico-halts-oil-shipment-cuba
Langley Plants The Flag: CIA Takes Point In Post-Maduro Venezuela https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/langley-plants-flag-cia-takes-point-post-maduro-venezuela
Cuba will be failing pretty soon: Trump - ‘They got the oil from Venezuela. They're not getting that anymore,' says US president https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/cuba-will-be-failing-pretty-soon-trump/3812665
Chinese Contract At Panama Canal Ruled Unconstitutional In Win For Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine'
Bad economy? Births Plummet In China As Population Growth Stalls
Trump confirms “huge fleet heading towards Iran”
Russia evacuating staff from Bushehr nuclear plant
US Delta force en route to staging location in southern Azerbaijan
MC-130J Commando II flown from UK to Azerbaijan (special ops aircraft)
Tehran converting metro stations into war shelters https://no1sdailydigest.substack.com/p/daily-digest-2026-01-30/comments
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bid to return to power has stalled abruptly after the US delivered blunt warnings against the formation of a government seen as entrenching Iranian influence, raising the prospect that his nomination could collapse altogether. https://english.aawsat.com/world/5234453-us-blocks-maliki-bid-sends-sharp-warning-iran
Al Jazeera’s Sanad unit analysed satellite images, finding that Israel razed homes in the weeks since the ceasefire began.
The Israeli army is working to flatten the remains of homes in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoon, despite the ongoing ceasefire that began in October.
Al Jazeera’s digital investigations team Sanad analysed satellite images taken between October 8 – two days before the ceasefire began – and January 8, and found evidence of the operation, which some Palestinians fear may be a step towards the establishment of illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/26/investigation-reveals-israeli-campaign-to-flatten-gaza-town-of-beit-hanoon
Al Jazeera’s digital investigations team Sanad analysed satellite images taken between October 8 – two days before the ceasefire began – and January 8, and found evidence of the operation, which some Palestinians fear may be a step towards the establishment of illegal Israeli settlements in Gaza. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/26/investigation-reveals-israeli-campaign-to-flatten-gaza-town-of-beit-hanoon
In press conference, PM also celebrates return of final slain hostage, addresses threat of Iran attack, urges against early elections, claims innocence on Qatargate, ducks responsibility for Oct. 7 https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-no-gaza-rebuild-before-hamas-disarms-israel-will-keep-security-control-over-gaza/
The plan treats Gaza as vacant beachfront property, proposing glass towers and industrial zones over historic sites. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/27/map-shows-what-would-happen-to-gaza-under-the-us-master-plan
Both Greg Stoker and Anthony Aguilar built up a following exposing US-backed Israeli atrocities in Gaza https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/former-us-soldiers-turned-palestine-advocates-are-now-running-congress
Imposing Taiwan-invasion costs on China: U.S. Military Now Coordinating Large Missile Forces on Taiwan Aimed at Chinese Industrial Heartlands https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-military-large-missile-forces-taiwan
The Supreme Court of Panama has just issued a final decision to void the contract renewal for Hong Kong's CK Hutchison's subsidiary to operate two Panama Canal ports, in a much anticipated landmark case driven by claims of unconstitutionality and financial irregularities. The top court has found irregularities in the 25-year extension of the concession granted in 2021. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chinese-contract-panama-canal-ruled-unconstitutional-win-trumps-donroe-doctrine
Chinese Hackers Reportedly Breached Phones At "Heart of Downing Street"
Chinese state-linked hackers reportedly accessed mobile phones “at the heart of Downing Street” as part of a long-running cyber-espionage campaign targeting telecom networks worldwide, according to Fox News.
U.S. intelligence agencies believe the breaches began as early as 2021, though they were publicly revealed in 2024 after American officials warned allies about widespread intrusions into global telecommunications systems. The campaign targeted several countries, including the U.S. and members of the Five Eyes alliance. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-hackers-reportedly-breached-phones-heart-downing-street
U.S. intelligence agencies believe the breaches began as early as 2021, though they were publicly revealed in 2024 after American officials warned allies about widespread intrusions into global telecommunications systems. The campaign targeted several countries, including the U.S. and members of the Five Eyes alliance. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/chinese-hackers-reportedly-breached-phones-heart-downing-street
The number of new babies born in China dropped to 7.9 million in 2025, the lowest number in more than seven decades.
This marked a 17 percent decline from one year before, when it was 9.5 million.
As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, according to the National Statistics Bureau of China (NBS), the country’s birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people in 2025.
This is the lowest level since 1949, when the Communist Party took power. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/births-plummet-china-population-growth-stalls
This marked a 17 percent decline from one year before, when it was 9.5 million.
As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, according to the National Statistics Bureau of China (NBS), the country’s birth rate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people in 2025.
This is the lowest level since 1949, when the Communist Party took power. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/births-plummet-china-population-growth-stalls
Trump’s stated reasons for taking Greenland are wrong – but the tactics fit with a plan to limit China’s economic interests https://asiatimes.com/2026/01/trumps-greenland-gambit-has-a-hidden-china-angle/
A senior Greenlandic official dismissed President Trump’s desire for the U.S. to gain sovereignty over the land on which its military base sits.
Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister of industry, raw materials, mining, energy, law enforcement and equality, told USA Today on Sunday that the president’s proposal is a “red line.” https://thehill.com/policy/international/5708168-greenland-official-rejects-trump/
Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s minister of industry, raw materials, mining, energy, law enforcement and equality, told USA Today on Sunday that the president’s proposal is a “red line.” https://thehill.com/policy/international/5708168-greenland-official-rejects-trump/
The UK government has pledged to introduce a digital ID system for all UK citizens and legal residents by the end of the current Parliament (so no later than 2029). The integration of digital ID into government services, though already under way, has hitherto been largely voluntary. However, is is becoming steadily less optional, as the government has said it will now be required as a precondition for work in the U.K, and a version of it (GOV.UK One Login) is already being imposed unilaterally upon company directors throughout the U.K.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has suggested in a recent interview (19/11) that digital ID is completely optional and will simply make government services more accessible and convenient. But this is a rather disingenuous sales pitch. On the one hand, Starmer himself insists that digital ID will be required as a precondition to work legally in the U.K; on the other hand, like any new technology, there will be a transition period, but voluntariness is unlikely to last forever. https://davidthunder.substack.com/p/government-controlled-digital-id
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones has suggested in a recent interview (19/11) that digital ID is completely optional and will simply make government services more accessible and convenient. But this is a rather disingenuous sales pitch. On the one hand, Starmer himself insists that digital ID will be required as a precondition to work legally in the U.K; on the other hand, like any new technology, there will be a transition period, but voluntariness is unlikely to last forever. https://davidthunder.substack.com/p/government-controlled-digital-id
Convicted felon Ghislaine Maxwell claimed in December that at least 25 men with ties to Jeffrey Epstein entered “secret settlements” to serve charges over their alleged role in the late sex offender’s crimes. Maxwell made the claim in a petition for a writ of habeas corpus filed on Dec. 17 in the U.S. Southern District of New York...
..The petition references four alleged “co-conspirators” and 25 additional men who were never indicted despite, according to Maxwell, being similarly implicated in the crimes. She said the government’s purported failure to charge those individuals showed she was selectively prosecuted. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ghislaine-maxwell-cites-dozens-men-alleged-epstein-secret-settlementsVideo of Trump & Epstein at a party in the good old days: They would literally set off a nuke before releasing any files. https://x.com/BackupJeffx/status/2015935083056672864
Technicalities preclude death penalty under Federal jurisdiction. No Death Penalty For Luigi Mangione, Biden Judge Rules https://www.zerohedge.com/political/no-death-penalty-luigi-mangine-biden-judge-rules
Vox leader Santiago Abascal accused Sánchez of "hating the Spanish people" and wanting to "replace them" https://rmx.news/article/spanish-nationalists-rage-as-socialist-sanchez-agrees-mass-amnesty-for-500000-illegal-immigrants-by-royal-decree-bypassing-parliament/
Colas & Dr. Pepper contain phosphoric acid: Dr. Mercola, The Real Reason Your Arteries, Kidneys, and Bones Age Too Fast
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Phosphate on Bone Health
Q: What makes phosphate additives more harmful than natural phosphorus found in whole foods?
A: Industrial phosphate additives are absorbed almost completely and rapidly, unlike natural phosphorus from meats, plants, or dairy, which is digested slowly. This rapid absorption overwhelms the body’s natural mineral regulation systems, leading to long-term harm.
Q: How does excess phosphate affect the heart and arteries?
A: Chronic phosphate overload causes calcium deposits to form in artery walls (vascular calcification), stiffening blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. Research links high phosphate levels to a 44% higher risk of cardiovascular death and accelerated aging.
Q: In what ways does phosphate harm the kidneys and bones?
A: Phosphate surges strain the kidneys’ filtration capacity, contributing to chronic kidney disease, even in healthy individuals. High phosphate also disrupts calcium balance, weakening bones and increasing fracture risk, especially among heavy soda drinkers.
Q: Why is phosphate overload so hard to detect?
A: Phosphate doesn’t produce immediate symptoms and isn’t fully measured on standard nutrition labels or blood tests. Most ultraprocessed foods and drinks contain hidden phosphate under ingredients with “phos” in their names.
Q: How can people reduce phosphate intake and protect their health?
A: Choose whole, unprocessed foods — fresh meats, whole dairy, and water or tea instead of sodas. Reducing phosphate-rich processed foods lowers blood pressure, supports kidney recovery, improves mineral balance, and slows premature aging. https://www.globalresearch.ca/reason-arteries-kidneys-bones-age-too-fast/5913980
Q: What makes phosphate additives more harmful than natural phosphorus found in whole foods?
A: Industrial phosphate additives are absorbed almost completely and rapidly, unlike natural phosphorus from meats, plants, or dairy, which is digested slowly. This rapid absorption overwhelms the body’s natural mineral regulation systems, leading to long-term harm.
Q: How does excess phosphate affect the heart and arteries?
A: Chronic phosphate overload causes calcium deposits to form in artery walls (vascular calcification), stiffening blood vessels and increasing blood pressure. Research links high phosphate levels to a 44% higher risk of cardiovascular death and accelerated aging.
Q: In what ways does phosphate harm the kidneys and bones?
A: Phosphate surges strain the kidneys’ filtration capacity, contributing to chronic kidney disease, even in healthy individuals. High phosphate also disrupts calcium balance, weakening bones and increasing fracture risk, especially among heavy soda drinkers.
Q: Why is phosphate overload so hard to detect?
A: Phosphate doesn’t produce immediate symptoms and isn’t fully measured on standard nutrition labels or blood tests. Most ultraprocessed foods and drinks contain hidden phosphate under ingredients with “phos” in their names.
Q: How can people reduce phosphate intake and protect their health?
A: Choose whole, unprocessed foods — fresh meats, whole dairy, and water or tea instead of sodas. Reducing phosphate-rich processed foods lowers blood pressure, supports kidney recovery, improves mineral balance, and slows premature aging. https://www.globalresearch.ca/reason-arteries-kidneys-bones-age-too-fast/5913980
Florida testing found SweeTarts, Snickers, Skittles, Kit Kat, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Trolli, and Tootsie Roll among the worst offenders. https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/60-of-popular-childrens-candies-contain
BREAKING: Arizona Bill Seeks to Designate mRNA Injections as Biological Weapons of Mass Destruction
Manufacturing, possession, or distribution of mRNA injections would be prosecuted as terrorism, carrying penalties of up to life imprisonment if a violation results in death. https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-arizona-bill-seeks-to-designate
Isaac Newton's Lost Papers - And His Search For God's Divine Plan
Manufacturing, possession, or distribution of mRNA injections would be prosecuted as terrorism, carrying penalties of up to life imprisonment if a violation results in death. https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/breaking-arizona-bill-seeks-to-designate
Trying to break the news that Autism is from vaccination brain-injury: In Bold Move, Kennedy Appoints 21 New Members to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee https://www.themahareport.com/p/in-bold-move-kennedy-appoints-21
Meryl Nass MD re-posts: The Most Socialist System in America Is the One Feeding Us—and It’s Failing/ Mollie Englehart in the Epoch Times, Brownstone and The Defender https://merylnass.substack.com/p/the-most-socialist-system-in-america
Despite the fact that Newton never published the vast majority of his theological writings, what he did publish during his life left little doubt as to his belief in the intelligent design of the universe by a divine creator. Although Newton almost completely avoided the topic of theology in his most famous scientific work, the “Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy,” when he published the second edition of the work in 1713, he included an addendum known as the “General Scholium,” around half of which is devoted to his theological conception of the universe.
“The Supreme God is a Being eternal, infinite, absolutely perfect,” he wrote. “And from his true dominion it follows that the true God is a living, intelligent, and powerful Being. ... He is not eternity and infinity, but eternal and infinite; he is not duration or space, but he endures and is present ... by existing always and every where, he constitutes duration and space.”
So even during his lifetime, Newton’s belief in a divine order and a supreme creator was well known. What was not well known, though, was the vast extent of his scriptural scholarship and writing. His unpublished papers consisted of more than 6 million words, approximately one-third of which were devoted to scriptural study and theology. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/isaac-newtons-lost-papers-and-his-search-gods-divine-plan
“The Supreme God is a Being eternal, infinite, absolutely perfect,” he wrote. “And from his true dominion it follows that the true God is a living, intelligent, and powerful Being. ... He is not eternity and infinity, but eternal and infinite; he is not duration or space, but he endures and is present ... by existing always and every where, he constitutes duration and space.”
So even during his lifetime, Newton’s belief in a divine order and a supreme creator was well known. What was not well known, though, was the vast extent of his scriptural scholarship and writing. His unpublished papers consisted of more than 6 million words, approximately one-third of which were devoted to scriptural study and theology. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/isaac-newtons-lost-papers-and-his-search-gods-divine-plan
Seeking Truth (pictured in snowy Austin garden with Jenny)
