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Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 184-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 43,687 on turnover of 22.7-billion N-T. The market recorded its third largest ever point decline on Monday as investors reacted to plunge on Wall Street last Friday as big artificial intelligence-related stocks fell. MND calls China Coast Guard patrols 'provocative' Defense Minister Wellington Koo is describing Chinese Coast Guard patrols in waters east of Taiwan as being a "provocative act." The statement comes after four Chinese ships, including three coast guard vessels, sailed into Taiwan's restricted waters 30-nautical miles southwest of the island's southern most tip on Sunday. The Coast Guard Administration dispatched seven if its vessels the area to warn away ​the Chinese ships. According to the defense minister, China's actions were a form of cognitive warfare, that was aimed at claiming Taiwan's eastern waters as belonging to Beijing - which shows serious disrespect for Taiwan's national sovereignty. MOJ seeking death for etomidate trafficking Justice Minister Cheng Ming-chien says his office is taking steps to reclassify etomidate, which is also known as "zombie vape." According to Cheng, the Narcotics Review Committee will hold talks next week, at which the drug could be upgraded from a Category 2 narcotic to Category 1 due to its potential for abuse. Cheng says if the committee agrees to reclassify the drug, those convicted of manufacturing, transporting or selling etomidate could face life in prison or the death penalty. The statements come after the National Police Agency recently reported that large numbers of people have been arrested for driving under the influence of etomidate in recent years. Premier Cho Jung-tai last week told reporters that authorities will be stepping up border inspections targeting the so called "zombie vapes." Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Facilities Ukrainian forces have struck oil facilities in Russia and occupied Ukraine as part of their campaign to impose economic costs on Moscow. Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed the attacks on Monday. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has confirmed that Roman Abramovich acted as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, delivering messages from Russian President Putin. Russia's Defense Ministry reported shooting down 310 Ukrainian drones overnight. Meanwhile, Ukraine's General Staff said Ukrainian forces targeted Russia's Krasnodar Krai region and Crimea, sparking fires at oil facilities. Russian drone strikes injured civilians in several Ukrainian regions, including Kharkiv and Odesa. US Federal judge blocks Trump's $100,000 visas for high skilled workers A federal judge has blocked President Trump's policy of imposing (推行，強制實行) a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas - which are used to bring highly skilled workers to the United States. Toni Waterman has the details. Germany Presidential Office Popup Art Show A pop-up art show featuring contemporary works is set to open at the German president's official residency this week before renovations (整修，裝潢) begin. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his support for the show on Monday, emphasizing (強調) the importance of free art in democracy. The exhibition will run for two weeks starting Friday and is organized by Berlin's Academy of Arts. Interest has been high, with the ticket website crashing last month. The show includes works by artists like Katharina Grosse and Wolfgang Tillmans. Visitors can also interact with artists through performances and discussions. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 即日起至6月底， 透過台南住商不動產買房， 就有機會參加【買屋抽黃金】活動， 幸運得主將於7月公開抽出✨ 把成家的重要時刻， 變成雙倍黃金祝福。 台南住商不動產， 不只陪你安心成家， 還讓黃金一起到家！ 馬上預約看房 https://sofm.pse.is/974guv -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

For review:1. Raúl Castro, Cuba's low-profile former president and revolutionary guerrilla, appeared in public for the first time since being indicted by the United States for his alleged role in the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft, official video released Saturday showed.2. The United States and Iran exchanged fire overnight Friday amid a fragile ceasefire as American officials stepped up preparations for potential nuclear negotiations, including consultations this week with experts who could help determine the fate of Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile.The US military said it carried out strikes on Iranian radar sites in what it described as a defensive action after Iran launched four attack drones toward the Strait of Hormuz.3. The United States will make Iranian assets available to Gulf allies to support rebuilding and repairs for future damage caused by Iran, a source familiar with the matter says.The US will also consider using those assets to support repairs for past damages, the source says, adding that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has directed a team to assess costs for damage already inflicted on Gulf allies by Iran.4. A plan developed by Israel and the Mossad intelligence agency to topple the Iranian regime could still succeed if given time, but it has not been carried out to completion due to the United States' decision in April to halt the war against the Islamic Republic, a former senior Mossad official told Channel 12 on Saturday. In any event, he insisted, the regime will fall sooner or later.5. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Iran Friday of using Lebanon as a “bargaining chip” in negotiations with the United States, and called on both Hezbollah and Israel to embrace diplomacy in a bid to end the fighting between them.6. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he does not see any point in meeting Volodymyr Zelensky after the Ukrainian leader requested face-to-face talks over ending the war between the two nations.7. In a rare moment of bipartisanship in the US Congress, the House tonight passed a package of Russian sanctions and military aid for Ukraine.House members voted 226-195 to pass the Ukraine Support Act, which authorizes $8 billion in military finance loans to Ukraine and extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027.8. Russia could attack a NATO country within four years according to western intelligence assessments, UK PM warned on Friday.9. The U.S. will sell Australia three in-service Virginia-class submarines, pivoting from the planned acquisition of one new and two in-service Virginias, the countries announced.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is accusing Russia of choosing war over peace, after Russian President Putin rejected his request for an in-person meeting. Putin spoke at an annual economic forum in St. Petersburg, a city on edge after several Ukrainian airstrikes earlier this week. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

US President Trump said that Iran talks are going well. He reiterated that almost all of Iran's leadership has been wiped out; Brent Aug'26 +0.4%.Washington has demanded that Tehran deliver its response before the end of the week, and stated no progress in negotiations between Iran and the US, Al Hadath reports, citing Israeli Channel 12. Washington warned Tehran, “either an agreement or a military strike”.Ukrainian President Zelensky sent a letter to Russian President Putin, which said that the choice is yours; "Enough of war, Ukraine proposes to end this war".APAC stocks were mostly lower, subdued by tech-related pressure stateside; European equity futures are indicative of a slightly lower open.DXY is slightly lower, awaiting the key US NFP report; G10s trade lacklustre, whilst USD/JPY lingers around 160.00.Looking ahead, highlights include French Balance of Trade (Apr), BoE DMP (May), EU Employment Change Final (Q1), GDP 3rd Estimate (Q1), Italian Retail Sales (Apr), Canadian Jobs Report (May), US Jobs Report (May).Speakers include RBA's Hauser, BoE's Bailey & Dhingra.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

President Trump holds Situation Room meeting ⁠Tuesday with top national security advisers on options for military ‌action in IranNot too long after President Trump visited - Russian President Putin is in ChinaTuesday primaries in six states - what were the big takeaways from the results?  Lawyers for the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk ask to seal evidence and parts of a key hearing 

For review:1. US CENTCOM Commander: CENTCOM Forces have redirected 42 x commercial vessels attemtiong to violate the Strait of Hormuz blockage.2. President Trump told Axios he's going to keep Iran under a naval blockade until the regime agrees to a deal that addresses U.S. concerns about its nuclear program.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a plan for a "short and powerful" wave of strikes on Iran in hopes of breaking the negotiating deadlock, three sources with knowledge said.3. The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday announced it had located and destroyed two major Hezbollah tunnels in the southern Lebanon town of Qantara, which it said were constructed by the terror group with “direct guidance” from Iran.The tunnels were built over a decade, reaching depths of some 25 meters.4. US Secretary of War appears in hearing before the US House Armed Services Committee.5. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he discussed a possible ceasefire in the four-year war in Ukraine in a phone call with Russian President Putin.He spoke after the Kremlin reported the two leaders discussed a temporary Ukraine ceasefire to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II next month.6. The UK Ministry of Defence will resume tests and acceptance of Ajax fighting vehicles after a safety review cleared the program to move forward. 7. Australia has announced further boosts for its army with the acquisition of more Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for long-range strike and Thales Bushmaster wheeled armored vehicles.8. The first of the new Columbia-class of ballistic missile submarine is tracking for a 2028 delivery due to improvements in workforce efficiency and the supplier base, General Dynamics officials said Wednesday (District of Columbia - SSBN-826).

New details on motive in Correspondents' Dinner shooting. King Charles' state visit to proceed. Iran's foreign minister is meeting with Russian President Putin as US talks stall. GA wildfires double in size. Plus, a Michigan woman is set to donate her husband.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, at 6pm GMT. - Iran offers to reopen Hormuz Strait if blockade lifted; Rubio says US will not tolerate tolls - Iran FM, Russian President Putin meet; Moscow to “do everything it can to help secure peace” - ‘Iran can't hold straits hostage,' UK minister tells Arab News - Lebanon seeks to stabilize fragile truce, bridge internal divisions amid Israeli strikes - Lebanon president Aoun tells Hezbollah: Taking country to war is ‘treason'   Check out the latest updates on https://arabnews.com

This week we talk about Orbán, Hungary, and reformers.We also discuss Fidesz, Tisza, and illiberalism.Recommended Book: I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason ParginTranscriptHungary is a Central European country that was formed in the aftermath of WWI as part of the Treaty of Trianon, which—due to it having fought on the losing side of that conflict—resulted in the loss of more than 70% of its former territory, most of its economy, nearly 60% of its population, and about 32% of ethnic Hungarians who were left scattered across land that was given to neighboring countries when what was then Austria-Hungary was broken apart, initially by Hungary declaring independence from Austria, and then by those neighbors carving it up, grabbing land at the end of and just after the war, all of them pretty pissed at Hungary for being part of the Central Powers, quadruple alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria.Today, Hungary is surrounded on all sides by other nations, including those who gobbled up some of their territory, back in the day. They've got Slovakia to their north, Ukraine to their northeast, Romania is to the east, and Serbia is to the south. Croatia and Slovenia are to their southwest, and Austria, which used to be part of the same nation as Hungary, is to their west.In 2026, Hungary has a population of a little over 9.5 million people, and the vast majority of those people, around 97.7%, are ethnic Hungarians, the next-largest ethnic group is Romani, weighing in at just 2.4%.During WWII, Hungary was on the Axis side of the conflict, once again ending up on the losing side of a world war, and was eventually occupied by the Soviet Union, which converted the nation into a satellite state called the Hungarian People's Republic. Hungarians tried to revolt their way out of the Soviet Union's grip in 1956, but it didn't work. In 1989, though, during the wave of other regional revolutions that tore the Soviet Union apart, Hungary peacefully transitioned into a parliamentary democracy, and it joined the EU in 2004.What I'd like to talk about today is post-Soviet, Third Republic Hungary, the country's conversion into an ultra-conservative, ultra-corrupt state, and how a decade and a half of democratic backsliding might be eased, at least somewhat, by new leadership that just won an overwhelming majority in Hungary's recent elections.—In the 1990s, Hungary began its transition from state-run authoritarianism under the Soviets into the type of capitalism-centered democracy that was being spread by the US and its allies during the Cold War.In Hungary, like many other post-Soviet nations, this transition wasn't smooth, and the country experienced a severe economic recession that sparked all manner of social upsets, as well.Hungary's Socialist Party did really well in elections for a while, in large part because of how badly capitalism seemed to doing, and all the downsides locals now associated with it, but the Socialists went back and forth with other governments, especially the liberal conservative Fidesz (FEE-dez) party, each government taking the reins for four years before being voted out, replaced by the opposition, which was then voted out four years later and replaced by their opposition.In 2006, there was a big to-do about a report that the then-Prime Minister, in charge of the Socialist Party, had admitted behind closed doors to having lied to win the last election. “We lied in the morning, we lied in the evening, and we lied at night,” he said during that closed-doors speech, and the divulgence of this led to nationwide protests and a period, which continues today, in which no left-wing party could attain power, only conservative governments standing a chance of running things in Hungary.In 2010, the Fidesz party, led by Viktor Orbán, won a supermajority in parliament, and the following year, parliament approved a new constitution that brought a huge number of significant changes to the government and the nation's laws. This adoption was criticized for basically being a nation-defining document that enshrines the party's Conservative Christian ideology into law, permanently, despite that ideology not reflecting the views of the country at large; just over 40% of Hungary identifies as Christian. This new constitution also significantly cut or curtailed the rights of formerly independent institutions, removing basically all checks on the government's power, and making it nearly impossible to push back against anything they might want to do, moving forward.Under Orbán, Hungary saw significant democratic backsliding, meaning the country was converted from a functioning democracy into something that looked like a democracy from the outside, with elections and a press and such, but with actual functionality closer to that of Russia, which also holds elections, but those elections are tightly controlled by the government, the outcomes preordained by locking up those who challenge the existing power structure and falsifying votes when necessary. The press, too, in Russia and Hungary, is severely limited in what it can report, those who fail to toe the party line locked up or otherwise punished, and most of these formerly and supposedly journalistic entities owned by close friends of the country's leader.This sort of setup is often called a kleptocracy or mafia-state, that hides behind the veil of democracy, because the people up top basically just do whatever they want, perpetually enriching themselves at the expense of their countrymen, and they get away with it because all the forces of government and opposition that might stand in their way are systematically removed, all while they continue to pretend that this is what the people want.Both Hungary and Russia also publicly embrace illiberal governance, at least to some degree, meaning they loudly promote top-down systems of governance, and both of their top-down systems are vehemently anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT rights, anti-women's rights, and pro-fellow illiberal states—which in this case means Hungary and Orbán tend to be close buddies with other oppressive nations, like Russia, like Iran, and like China.Orbán has thus overseen the transition of Hungary from a liberalizing, open, post-Soviet nation into a different sort of totalitarian state, his version wearing the guise of western democracy instead of Stalinesque communism, but actually functioning as a private kingdom of sorts for Orbán and his friends, all of whom became wealthy by carving up state assets and making deals that favor them, just that group of oligarchs, and all of this happening at the expense of the Hungarian people and its institutions and resources.That context established, let's talk about what happened recently, during the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary elections.On April 12, 2026, Hungary held elections to fill all 199 seats in the country's parliament. 100 seats are necessary to achieve a majority, and thus to form a government and run things.Orbán's party, Fidesz, was seeking a fifth consecutive term, partnering with the Christian Democratic People's Party in the hopes of elbowing out a newer competitor, the conservative, center-right Tisza (TEE-sah) party.This election had been promoted as the most important in EU history, as while he was in control of Hungary, Orbán had been pushing the nation further and further into Russia's orbit, allegedly even sharing classified information from private EU meetings with Russia's government. He consistently also stood in the way of EU efforts to help support Ukraine, blocking billions of dollars of funding for Ukraine's defensive efforts against Russia's continuing invasion of its neighbor; if one EU member country says no, some bloc-wide efforts can be shut-down in perpetuity. And Orbán was a consistent ‘no' for anything that was bad for Russia, or anything that was good for the EU, in the liberal democracy sense of good. He also regularly demanded what amounted to bribes to get his vote for just about anything, and was thus a consistent obstructionist for even normal government business within the bloc.This new Tisza party, which is a Hungarian abbreviation for what translates as the Respect and Freedom Party, was established in 2020, then rose to prominence when a former Orbán ally and Fidesz member, Péter Magyar left Fidesz and joined with Tisza.Tisza ran on populist principles and the overthrow of Orbán, who has been increasingly unpopular as he's continued to heavy-handedly reinforce his own hold on power, rigging election maps so that nothing but the most overwhelming imbalance in votes against him would ever lead to a loss.Unfortunately for him, that's exactly what happened in this 2026 election: nearly 80% of potential voters turned out to vote, which is the highest since 1989, when communism originally collapsed throughout Europe. And Tisza, the new opposition party led by a former Orbán loyalist, who left Fidesz during a scandal during which the government oversaw the pardoning of people responsible for covering up child sexual abuse, Tisza took 141 of 199 seats, giving them the supermajority they need to not just form a government, but to change the constitution.This is being seen as a massive victory for the EU, and a serious defeat for Russian President Putin, who will likely be losing a lot of influence in the region, but also his proxy within the EU, which allowed him to forestall and halt all sorts of anti-Russian and pro-Ukrainian efforts.It's also being seen as a possible shot across the bow of illiberal and illiberalizing governments around the world, including others within Europe, but also that of the United States, which has seem similar democratic backsliding under two non-consecutive Trump administrations. The same forces that led to Orbán's loss, like a successful anti-corruption message communicated by his opposition, collapsing on-the-ground economic realities for the majority of Hungarian citizens, and a wave of support for the opposition, especially amongst young people, could lead to more toppled governments and strongman leaders in the coming years.There are still quite a few unknowns and potential pitfalls here, though.Magyar, though now the leader of a different party, was formerly in Orbán's camp; this could represent a changing of the guard up top, someone else holding the reins and enriching himself and a different group of friends, rather than a wholesale change that serves those at the bottom. It wouldn't be the first time we've seen an authoritarian replaced by a seeming freedom-fighter who then became an authoritarian, because all those former incentives remained in place when they stepped into office.It's also been posited that Putin might lean more heavily on Bulgaria as Hungary steps out of his sphere of influence; one pro-Russian, anti-Ukrainian, anti-EU European Union nation replaced by another, the obstructionism continuing, but with different people on the Russian payroll.As I'm recording this, polls from elections in Bulgaria that happened this past weekend seem to favor Bulgaria's former president, who is pro-Russian and anti-Ukraine, though his administration seems to be filled with pro-EU representatives. It could be that he plays nice with the West while still opposing support for Ukraine, or it could be he waits to see which way the large-scale winds blow before deciding how to lean; he's been pretty vague about how he'll govern, and the people of Bulgaria seem like they'll be happy just to have a functioning government after a long period without. So this guy could represent a foot in the door for Putin, but he could also be a reformer; he could also be a bit of both.It's also possible Orbán, who admitted defeat in the face of his opponent's overwhelming parliamentary victory, will try some kind of last minute maneuver to stay in power, claiming that the vote was rigged against in him some way, for instance—a classic authoritarian move that has been repeated by these sorts governments over and over, including in modern history, and at times, unfortunately, successfully.Show Noteshttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/15/hungarys-magyar-urges-president-to-quit-vows-to-overhaul-state-mediahttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g40npz37lohttps://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/04/18/bulgaria-election-radev-russia-orban/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-18/hungary-s-tisza-party-widens-election-majority-in-fresh-tallyhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/opinion/hungary-election-orban-loses-trump-maga.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/18/hungary-peter-magyar-donald-tusk-poland-europehttps://apnews.com/article/hungary-eu-unlock-funds-orban-5a208f4094d4d66a47de9fc10b9d194fhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/hungary-putin-orban-russia-ukraine-b2959920.htmlhttps://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/04/hungary-orban-loss/686832/https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5784063/hungarian-americans-orban-defeat-trump-authoritarianism-democrats-republicanshttps://www.iiss.org/online-analysis/online-analysis/2026/04/hungarys-election-significance-and-implications/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/17/eu-officials-hungary-talks-peter-magyar-governmenthttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-hungarys-vote-to-oust-viktor-orban-could-have-global-implicationshttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/hungary-just-voted-out-viktor-orban-heres-what-to-expect-in-europe-and-beyond/https://geopoliticalfutures.com/hungarys-landmark-election/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/could-bulgaria-replace-hungary-as-putins-proxy-inside-the-eu/https://ecfr.eu/article/four-principles-for-an-eu-hungary-reset/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/world/europe/hungary-election-results-orban-magyar.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/hungary-election-orban-magyar-trump-1a4eb0ba6b94e0c80c3cd18bd36254abhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Trianonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_diasporahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungaryhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Law_of_Hungaryhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/19/world/europe/bulgaria-elections-what-to-know.html This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

US President Trump posted "Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonourable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!"Iran reiterated that no talks will happen until attacks stop and no delegation is heading to Pakistan, despite the expectation of talks to take place on Saturday. Further, an informed source stated Tehran rules out the option of negotiating with Washington until a complete ceasefire is established in Lebanon, and has strongly asserted this position.Ukrainian President Zelensky's top aide/negotiator Budanov reportedly sees Ukraine nearing a deal with Russian President Putin, Bloomberg reported. Crude edges higher heading into high-stakes US-Iran talks on Saturday.European bourses set for a third consecutive weekly gain, SW FP plummets following weak guidance; US equity futures flat.DXY muted, EUR and HUF look to Hungarian election.Fixed benchmarks tread water heading into US CPI and US-Iran peace talks.Looking ahead, highlights include Canadian Jobs Report (Mar), US Inflation (Mar), University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Prelim. (Apr), Credit Ratings updates including Moody's on France, S&P on the UK & Scope Ratings on Hungary.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

For review:1. US special forces conducted a daring raid deep into enemy territory to safely rescue a wounded US airman who was shot down over southwest Iran, with US President Donald Trump triumphantly declaring “WE GOT HIM,” on Sunday, ending a 36-hour race to find the aviator before he could be captured by pursuing Iranian forces. 2. In an expletive-laden post on his Truth Social account on Sunday, US President Donald Trump warned that the US would attack power plants and bridges in Iran starting Tuesday — when his latest ultimatum for Tehran to make a deal ends — if the Islamic Republic failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 3. Iran fired four salvos of missiles at northern and southern Israel on Sunday, with one projectile hitting an industrial zone, as the Islamic Republic damaged critical infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. 4. Russian President Putin and Turkish counterpart President Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said.  5. NATO Secretary General Rutte will meet President Trump next week on a visit to Washington, as the US president lashes out at the alliance over the Iran war, NATO said Friday. 

For review:1. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 30 rejected the Kremlin's proposal for holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow but signaled readiness for a meeting in a more appropriate format.2. It was Vladimir Zelensky who insisted on a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, not the other way around, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled at a news briefing, commenting on statements from Kiev about its desire to host a Russia-Ukraine summit.3. Speaking at the White House on Thursday, President Trump said he asked Russian President Putin not to fire on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, “and the various towns for a week and he agreed to do that.”4. Satellite images show activity at two Iranian nuclear sites bombed last year by Israel and the United States that may be a sign of Tehran trying to obscure efforts to salvage any materials remaining there.5. US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed he has had dialogue with Iran, as The New York Times reported he was considering potential raids by American troops on facilities within the Islamic Republic.6. US President Donald Trump said Friday he had given Iran a deadline to make a deal, as Washington moved significant military assets to the Middle East ahead of a potential strike on the Islamic Republic.7. New Zealand has decided against accepting US President Donald Trump's invitation to join his Board of Peace, New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says.8. The US State Department has approved more than $6.5 billion in potential military sales to Israel in three separate contracts, the Pentagon says.The US State Department approved a potential sale of Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and related equipment for an estimated cost of $1.98 billion, and another sale of AH-64E Apache Helicopters for $3.8 billion, the Pentagon says in separate statements.A third military contract was also awarded for $740 million to provide Namer armored personnel carrier power packs & integrated logistics support.9. The Syrian government and Kurdish forces declared a ceasefire deal on Friday that sets out a phased integration of Kurdish fighters into the state, averting a potentially bloody battle and drawing US praise for a “historic milestone.”10. Norway selected Hanwha Aerospace's Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system over prominent Western competitors for its ground-based long-range precision fires system. The 19 billion Norwegian kroner (around $2 billion) deal includes 16 launch systems and an unspecified “larger number of missiles” across three range variants, including the 500-kilometer (310-mile) range. 11. The Senate passed the $838.7 billion fiscal 2026 defense spending bill today, after Democrats and the White House reached a deal to largely avert a government shutdown.

Russian President Putin just issued a full throated warning to the United States and Israel against attacking Iran. Putin said any attack would be a grave mistake and come with devastating consequences. 

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The [CB] could not stop Trump’s economic system. The foundation is now set and the economy is about to take off. Lower interest rates, higher GDP, low inflation, housing market getting a push. In the end this will allow Trump to remove [CB] system. Trump is now shutting down the [DS] WW. The money flow is coming to an end and they can’t pay their terrorist organizations, he is doing this so these terrorists countries can not do us harm. DHS has now countered the left and they need to make an appointment to visit the ICE facility. Trump team sent out a message to the people. Hold the line, trust the plan and that the patriots are in control. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/RealEJAntoni/status/2010001125358088511?s=20  ABSOLUTE FORTUNE — and has $200 BILLION DOLLARS IN CASH. Because of this, I am instructing my Representatives to BUY $200 BILLION DOLLARS IN MORTGAGE BONDS. This will drive Mortgage Rates DOWN, monthly payments DOWN, and make the cost of owning a home more affordable. It is one of my many steps in restoring Affordability, something that the Biden Administration absolutely destroyed. We are bringing back the AMERICAN DREAM that was destroyed by the last Administration. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!     these Historic, Country saving achievements prior to the issuance of their most important (ever!) Decision. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2010062619403809183?s=20 Tariff authority decision still awaited from Supreme Court A group of states and small businesses challenged Trump’s tariffs under the 1977 law, winning in two lower courts before the administration appealed to the Supreme Court. Tariff authority by second-term Republican President Donald Trump was not decided by the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, meaning the federal government can continue to collect the revenue for now. Source: justthenews.com Political/Rights  https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2010374266106085458?s=20 https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/2009615236031205397?s=20 https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2010196295118655688?s=20 https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/2010164530375184643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2010164530375184643%7Ctwgr%5E86d6cd806b4b479cdf3cf46922840ff768925d5d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fterichristoph%2F2026%2F01%2F11%2Fkristi-noem-just-quietly-put-a-boot-on-the-necks-of-democrats-who-want-to-cause-chaos-at-ice-facilities-n2198003 DOGE https://twitter.com/Cernovich/status/2010170780500537562?s=20 Geopolitical https://twitter.com/nettermike/status/2009843044028428714?s=20  suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation. The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react. Interviewer: So what happened next? How was the main attack? Security Guard: After those drones appeared, some helicopters arrived, but there were very few. I think barely eight helicopters. From those helicopters, soldiers came down, but a very small number. Maybe twenty men. But those men were technologically very advanced. They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before. Interviewer: And then the battle began? Security Guard: Yes, but it was a massacre. We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed… it seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn’t do anything. Interviewer: And your own weapons? Didn’t they help? Security Guard: No help at all. Because it wasn’t just the weapons. At one point, they launched something—I don’t know how to describe it… it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. Interviewer: And your comrades? Did they manage to resist? Security Guard: No, not at all. Those twenty men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us. We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was. Interviewer: So do you think the rest of the region should think twice before confronting the Americans? Security Guard: Without a doubt. I’m sending a warning to anyone who thinks they can fight the United States. They have no idea what they’re capable of. After what I saw, I never want to be on the other side of that again. They’re not to be messed with. Interviewer: And now that Trump has said Mexico is on the list, do you think the situation will change in Latin America? Security Guard: Definitely. Everyone is already talking about this. No one wants to go through what we went through. Now everyone thinks twice. What happened here is going to change a lot of things, not just in Venezuela but throughout the region. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2010081288804499739?s=20  Trump To Meet Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Next Week President Trump plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado next week during her planned visit to the United States. This development comes despite his earlier reluctance to back her for the country’s top leadership role. Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in a taped interview that aired Thursday night that he understands Machado is “coming in next week sometime” and looks forward to saying hello to her.  Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/ElectionWiz/status/2010085234415714622?s=20 https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/2010189173937058174?s=20 https://twitter.com/AutistDivision/status/2009937092608983066?s=20  https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2010217195415236641?s=20 https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/2009953358581485759?s=20 while still buying Russian oil; sermonizing about democracy while condemning Maduro's ouster; ignoring protests in Iran while fretting over the return of a king… all contradictions that conveniently sustain NGO growth and EU rent-seeking. Like it or not, Trump is dismantling your grift and rewriting the world order. You don’t have any logical reason to oppose it, except you hate that your era of dependence on US taxpayers is finally ending. So all you can do is appeal to emotions and invent a war out of thin cloth. War/Peace Russia Strikes Back Using Hypersonic Missiles Against Kiev Following Drone Attack on Putin's Residence Someone launched the drones from Ukraine and targeted them at Putin's residence to send a message.  There is considerable debate online about it, but if President Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy are speaking truthfully, the most likely suspect who launched the drones was British intelligence inside Ukraine.  Then again, if the CIA was factually involved, everyone would have to deny it. In retaliation for the December 29th attack, yesterday Russia fired a hypersonic Oreshnik missile and counterattack drones directly into the heart of Kiev, Ukraine. The use of the Oreshnik missile comes just hours after Russian President Putin asserted publicly that Ukraine, Europe and NATO have no defenses against the hypersonics. President Zelenskyy said the Russian attack involved 242 drones, 13 ballistic missiles, one Oreshnik missile and 22 cruise missiles. However, as with all things Zelenskyy, this dramatic claim seems to be slightly exaggerated. Russia claims they targeted key electricity infrastructure as well as the production facilities for building drones in Kiev which are collocated in residential areas. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2010095248115110236?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2010049768551264499?s=20 My first thought was that they know some form of terrorist attack or riots in the Jewish community are coming, and they are trying to disassociate before the violence. Or maybe it's just polling related. Or maybe related to Iran. I have no idea. But they are up to something. https://twitter.com/PSPreparedness/status/2010100027234951486?s=20   and all the panic and angst has worn off by Monday morning, so the MSM can't fully capitalize on the emotions of the public. It's genius actually. If you have to do something that might be considered controversial, just do it right before the NFL slate, and the public barely even notice. https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/2010374728012255474?s=20   Thiel has been a huge Trump supporter from the beginning and is playing a key role in this WAR. His “trilogy” strategy is a purposeful plan, to remove the cabal control over our national security, by investing in new companies that are focused on advanced technologies for our military. The military industrial complex is being FORCED to compete with these new companies aligned with Trump. Which companies? 1) Palantir > expertise in data intelligence. 2) Anduril > autonomous weapons systems. 3) General Matter > next generation energy infrastructure. These three companies are the tip of the spear, when it comes to future warfare. Trump is funding their technological advancements and they are playing critical roles in our defense and the country's future. It's not a coincidence that Trump has recently criticized the big defense contractors. “Ah, the military industrial complex (MIC), that great behemoth blob that eats your tax dollars as a fat kid eats fried foods. Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to trim some of its fat and crack down on a notorious practice among defense companies: stock buybacks.” “Trump on the defense contractors focusing on Wall Street instead of production: “Defense contractors are currently issuing dividends and massive stock buybacks, at the expense of investing in plants and equipment. This will no longer be allowed or tolerated!” “All United State Defense Contractors, and the Defense Industry as a whole, BEWARE: While we make the best Military Equipment in the World (No other Country is even close!), Defense Contractors are currently issuing massive Dividends to their Shareholders and massive Stock Buybacks, at the expense and detriment of investing in Plants and Equipment,” Trump said. “From this moment forward, these Executives must build NEW and MODERN Production Plants, both for delivering and maintaining this important Equipment, and for building the latest Models of future Military Equipment,” the president went on. “Until they do so, no Executive should be allowed to make in excess of $5 Million Dollars which, as high as it sounds, is a mere fraction of what they are making now.” A stock buyback is when a company uses its own cash to buy its own shares on the public market to reduce the total number of shares and juice the shares' value.” https://dailycaller.com/2026/01/09/donald-trump-defense-contractors-military-stock-buybacks-dividends-tax-dollars-ceo-salaries/ This has been a huge scam on Wall Street for a long time. A company uses their cash or debt in order to buy back their own companies stock, which drives up the price. Their bonus and salary are based on that stock price, not their company's performance or whether or not they are fulfilling their contracts. That crooked scam is ending. They will build plants, hire more workers and complete their obligations on time and on budget or lose government contracts. Trump has the ability as Commander in Chief, to take over these defense contractors because of “national security.” And that leverage will be applied. The Commander in Chief has extraordinary power during WAR and national emergencies. The military industrial complex is now being dismantled. But have you heard what else, Thiel is deeply involved in? Thiel is also helping to transform our financial system too. This transformation is focused on “stablecoins.” It's another trilogy strategy. Thiel is building a comprehensive ecosystem, based on “compliance,” infrastructure, and financial control. Have you heard of these companies? 1) Bullish Exchange > front end trading platform for a “stablecoin” ecosystem. 2) Erebor Digital Bank > backend infrastructure for “stablecoin” transactions. 3) Ubyx > “stablecoin” clearing protocol. Trump is pushing “stablecoins” because of NATIONAL SECURITY. Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010342980796690483?s=20 https://twitter.com/iAnonPatriot/status/2009681913359810771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2009681913359810771%7Ctwgr%5Eccea6570c033b6b5bee351e0f564d3e416a9cf4b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fwatch-zohran-mamdanis-crazy-tenant-advocate-explain-how%2F   paying 30% of that.” Insanity. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/2010259767172968606?s=20 https://twitter.com/C_3C_3/status/2010175725727596607?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010375277784817698?s=20  without dispersion or integration created incentives for closed networks to govern access to benefits, and state officials then ran cover when those networks were exploited criminally as they benefited from the fraud… BREAKING: Biden Judge Blocks President Trump's $10 Billion Welfare Funding Freeze in Five Blue States  A federal judge on Friday blocked President Trump's $10 billion welfare funding freeze in five blue states. US District Judge Arun Subramanian, a Biden appointee, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and blocked Trump's halt on funding for childcare and social services. On Tuesday, President Trump sent letters to California, Colorado, New York, Minnesota and Illinois to inform them of the federal cuts. Trump made the cuts to the welfare programs due to widespread fraud in the state's programs. Politico reported: Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2010065814444228955?s=20 https://twitter.com/LauraPowellEsq/status/2009751394224660594?s=20  put their bodies” between agents and arrestees. They do warn that there are “legal risks,” but apparently they don't realize illegally interfering with law enforcement carries an inherent risk of being physically harmed. https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2009382634174996728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2009382634174996728%7Ctwgr%5E2f0d8426f34a59a7d74ee8d9f4b3e1f8b235f1af%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fterichristoph%2F2026%2F01%2F08%2Fthe-truth-comes-out-about-renee-nicole-good-n2197928 https://twitter.com/AlphaNews/status/2009679932289626385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2009679932289626385%7Ctwgr%5E941ba16dee719e06e4a6e020baea59d5b6f5f8fc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2026%2F01%2F09%2Fdems-breathtakingly-despicable-gaslighting-on-new-footage-in-ice-shooting-n2197970  Curt Broomfield This was written by someone, not me. I am a father not a mom. But sums it up pretty well, what was she thinking?I'm a mother, so I'm going to comment right now. I will say this exactly the way a mother thinks it, raw, direct, and without pretending this is complicated.A 37-year-old woman. Three kids. Middle of a work week. The father of those children is dead. She is the parent left. The one job she has above every cause, every protest, every headline, is getting home to her kids.And what is she doing instead?She's out of state (other reports claim she lives there), in the street, in her car, blocking federal agents who are doing their job. Not alone! Her partner is right there filming her like this is some brave little documentary moment. Around them: sirens blaring, people yelling, pure chaos, manufactured chaos, so agents can't do their lawful duty.Her window is down. She hears the orders. She understands the orders. She ignores the orders.Then she puts the car in reverse.Still doesn't comply.Then she puts it in drive, NOT park! She moves forward into the agent.That's not “confusion.”That's not “panic.”That's decision after decision after decision.Now put yourself in the agent's shoes for half a second. A driver is already in an unlawful act! refusing commands in a hostile, chaotic scene, and now that driver uses a vehicle to move toward you. You get a split second. You don't get the luxury of “Maybe she's just stressed.” You have to assume the worst, you have to think of protecting other people like the partner at the window, because if you assume the best and you're wrong, you don't go home or someone else.So the agent fires after she makes an intentional and aggressive move toward him, because he has no idea what her intentions are, and she just demonstrated she's willing to escalate.Now… imagine her three kids. At school. Sitting there like any other day. Not knowing their mother is out playing street-hero games for criminals in the middle of a work week, with the two adults responsible for them!She didn't think about them.She didn't think, “If I get arrested, who picks my babies up?”She didn't think, “If I get hurt, who raises them?”She didn't think, “If I die, they have nobody.”She thought about protecting criminals.She thought about interfering with federal agents.She thought about the camera.She thought about the crowd.She thought about the moment.There is no amount of evidence, money, tears on TV, or news spin that can make this make sense.As a mother: NOTHING about this makes sense.At minimum, she knew her actions could get her arrested. At minimum. And she still chose it. She chose strangers. She chose chaos. She chose lawlessness.Make it make sense, because the only thing I see is three kids who just got abandoned by the only parent they had left, not by accident… but by a series of deliberate choices.  https://twitter.com/mattvanswol/status/2010336379721425112?s=20  me. One month. Again, the only reason they don't want you dead yet is because they don't know your name. https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/2010106701459128396?s=20  . All their nutbaggery will be dealt with in short order. https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2009740735449358474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2009740735449358474%7Ctwgr%5E13f340292b82005d5b6478d71551e8979c328155%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Finfamous-former-j6-capitol-police-officer-sparks-fury%2F   lawless agency that's killing Americans.” Fanone is trying to incite the murder of federal law enforcement for doing their jobs. Arrest this man. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2010045509776576779?s=20   nice effort in their eyes, but not good enough because we all saw the video. They need SOMETHING where the dead protestors are blameless. They are DESPERATELY seeking an image like the one below. Keep this in mind in the days and weeks ahead. Chicago Police Superintendent Reminds the Public ICE Is Law Enforcement and Has Authority Over Citizens Instagram and other social media posts have spread false claims that ICE agents are not law enforcement, have no authority over citizens, and that citizens or even illegal aliens should resist them. These posts also falsely claim that people are not required to comply with ICE orders, that ICE lacks arrest power without a warrant, or that ICE cannot arrest a citizen. All of this is untrue. These misconceptions are fueling resistance to ICE, including escalating violence and chaos. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said during a press conference the day after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in self-defense that ICE personnel are sworn law enforcement officers and must be treated as such. Snelling said that when federal agents are boxed in by vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe they are being ambushed and that the situation could quickly become deadly. “If you box them in with vehicles, it is reasonable for them to believe that they are being ambushed,” he said, adding that officers are justified in using force in self-defense under those conditions. He warned the public not to interfere with law enforcement operations, stressing that boxing in any officer is illegal and dangerous. “You are breaking the law when you do that, and you are putting yourself in danger,” Snelling said. He added that officers are justified in viewing individuals who persistently follow them as potential threats. Source: thegatewaypundit.com President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2009964353471295520?s=20  https://twitter.com/Notwokenow/status/2010148771066245157?s=20 https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2010176946127417389?s=20 https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/2010094428208472352?s=20 https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/2009391453181759637?s=20 https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/2007933111729021305?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

Wednesday on the News Hour, why European leaders say Russian President Putin invented an assassination plot and what it means for any Ukraine peace deal. We join a scientific expedition in the icy seas around Antarctica to understand a massive, melting glacier. Plus, how a U.S.-backed road and rail project in an unstable region could unlock trade with Central Asia. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Looking at a weird GDP data point. Calling BS on Russia/Ukraine peace talks. Gold and Silver – WOW! Closing out the year – a good one too! PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - CTP Cup - All systems go! 9 participants! - Lots to be excited about and anxious too - Looking at a weird GDP data point - Calling BS on Russia/Ukraine peace talks Markets - Gold and Silver - WOW! - Closing out the year - a good one too! - Buyers are still hot to buy any dip - "Diet" pills coming Bitters Making Progress  - Chocolate -Dark Cherry -Infusions - https://highdesertbotanicals.com NYE Celebration - Cities across America ring in the new year by dropping unexpected objects: - Amelia Island, FL drops a giant shrimp. - Nashville drops a 400lb musical note with 28,140 LEDs. - Boise, ID, drops a glowing potato. - Key West, FL, drops an eight-foot ruby-red heel—complete with a drag queen inside! - In Spain, revelers gulp down 12 grapes—one for each midnight chime—to bring luck for each month - Denmark - Danes toss old dishes at friends' doors—large piles of broken crockery at dawn are seen as tokens of good luck. What a year! - So many themes in 12 months - AI, Tariffs, War and Trade War, Fat drugs, Deglobalization - Data centers, semiconductors, and supporting infrastructure like power and cooling systems. - Approx: DJIA +13.5%, SP500 +17%, NASDA +21%, BTCUSD -7.6%, Gold +64%, SLV +145%, $DXY -9.5%, EEM +30% - 2026 - Opportunities and Auld Lang Xiety (Tech still looks frothy in certain names) Top New Year's Resolutions - Exercise More - Eat Healthier - Save More Money/Get Out of Debt - Be Happy/Improve Mental Health - Lose Weight - Spend More Time with Family & Friends - Learn a New Skill/Hobby - Get Organized Active Management (Funds) - Same report annually - A small group of tech super stocks accounted for an outsize share of returns in 2025, extending a pattern in place for the better part of a decade. - Around $1 trillion was pulled from active equity mutual funds over the year, marking an 11th year of net outflows, while passive equity exchange-traded funds got more than $600 billion. - The concentration of gains in a few stocks made it harder for active managers to do well, with 73% of equity mutual funds trailing their benchmarks this year, the fourth most in data going back to 2007. - BUT, there are some areas that it makes sense for active management ---- Equity vs Fixed income and reasoning --- Efficient markets, boots on the ground Fat Pill - The FDA has approved the first-ever GLP-1 pill from Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk. - Novo Nordisk said the starting dose of 1.5 milligrams will be available in early January in pharmacies and via select telehealth providers with savings offers for $149 per month. - The approval gives Novo Nordisk a head start over chief rival Eli Lilly, which is racing to launch its own obesity pill. - Packaged food makers and fast-food restaurants may be forced to overhaul more of their products next year as newly approved, appetite-suppressing GLP-1 pills become available in January PowerBall - A ticket sold in Arkansas scored a $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot after Wednesday night's draw — one of the richest lottery prizes in U.S. history, landing just in time for Christmas. - The payout soared after last Monday's drawing produced no winners, with last-minute ticket sales pushing the jackpot to $1.817 billion. That makes it the second-largest U.S. lottery prize ever and the biggest Powerball of 2025, the lottery website said on Thursday. - The winning numbers — 4, 25, 31, 52, 59 and the Powerball 19 - Odds: one in 292.2 million. Silver - Amazing year! - Sunday night futures - >$83 then turned hard lower| - Down 7% on Monday - Range $83 - $71 (15%) for the day - Some rumors about a bank collapse due to wrong way position on Silver - forced liquidation and covering.... ----- Hard to believe that a bank was short that much silver - but..... SoKo Breach - South Korean online retail giant Coupang said it will offer 1.69 trillion South Korean won ($1.17 billion) in compensation to 34 million users affected by a massive data breach disclosed last month. - That is about 4% of Coupang's annual revenue - but a big chunk of their profit - $34 per user NVDA Deal - Nvidia has yet to issue a public announcement or disclosure regarding its $20 billion Groq deal that CNBC was first to cover on Wednesday. - Groq described the deal as a “non-exclusive licensing agreement,” a tool that's been used by tech giants of late in part to avoid regulatory scrutiny. - Analyst: “Antitrust would seem to be the primary risk here, though structuring the deal as a non-exclusive license may keep the fiction of competition alive,” Bernstein's Stacy Rasgon wrote in a report. - Groq will remain an independent company (?) GDP Consumption - Something is a bit off.... - With the marketplace costs increasing, this may be more than a one-off expenditure Q3 GDP Surge Russia/Ukraine - Less that an hour after the White House claimed great movement toward peace - Russian President Putin told President Trump that Russia will revise its negotiating position, raising questions over prospects for peace deal - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Ukraine tried to attack Russian President Putin's residence - Does anyone even listen to the crap coming out of the White House anymore? - Did you hear Lutnick trying to explain the 600% reduction in costs for pharmaceuticals? Math wizards! - - For 2026, my wish is that they continue to work on the job at hand and just shut up Just for fun - Who is biggest drinker of spirits? - While there's no single official "heaviest drinker," legendary wrestler Andre the Giant is widely cited as having unmatched capacity, famously downing 119 beers in one sitting (or even up to 156 in other accounts) Oil - Crude oil futures down about 9.5% YTD - Much of the drop due to pick up in production (supply/demand) - Still a floor with as Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela etc - What will it take to move up? Best Auto Stock for 2025? - GM! Better than ford, Tesla and others (up 55%) - best year from coming out of bankruptcy in 2009 - Ford up 35% - Mary Barra, CEO selling into the strength - $73 M sold this year (Position down 73% from what she held last year) - - - Barra has contended for years that stock undervalued. With all of these say what does that say now? --- Would she ever say shares are overvalued? More fun stats - A peer?reviewed 2025 study estimates AI data centers (including indirect usage from electricity generation) consumed 312–765 billion liters of water annually. That's more than all bottled water consumed worldwide each year - Direct (on-site) water is used for cooling servers via systems like cooling towers or liquid loops. Indirect (off-site) water stems from electricity generation—particularly from thermal and nuclear plants, which require significant cooling resources - ??? Estimates suggest a single standard AI prompt (about 100 words) is linked to around 1.5 liters of water—accounting for the entire chain of consumption. (This is total usage from cooling powr consumption, electricity generation) - Global AI workloads consumed 50–60 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2025—roughly the annual electricity use of a medium-sized country like Switzerland. - By 2030, AI-related electricity demand could reach 300–500 TWh annually, according to energy analysts—comparable to the entire electricity consumption of countries like France. Over to Iran - President Trump tells reporters that if Iran is building up its nuclear program, the U.S. will have to "knock them down" again --- Wait - I thought we destroyed all of their nuke aspirations??? - - - AND - Iran's currency hit a record low, triggering wave of protests, according to Bloomberg Fed News - Top Fed Chair Candidate Odds Narrow Again, With Hassett at 43% and Warsh at 35% - President Trump still angry at Powell 0threating to sue for incompetence Odd - Tesla Inc. published a series of sales estimates indicating the outlook for its vehicle deliveries may be lower than many investors were expecting. - The carmaker posted estimates showing analysts on average expect the company to deliver 422,850 cars in the fourth quarter, down 15% from a year earlier. - Tesla is on course for its second consecutive drop in annual vehicle sales, with the company compiling an average estimate for 1.6 million deliveries, down more than 8% from a year earlier. - These are estimates published by analysts - Tesla put on its own site - WHY? End of Year Stat - The U.S. national debt is climbing at a rapid pace and has shown no signs of slowing down despite the growing criticism of massive levels of government spending. - The national debt, which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors, rose to $38,386,384,190,622.68 as of Dec. 30, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department. - That is an increase of about $5.8 billion daily - ~$18 per person in the US per day increase ($7,300) - or about the monthly price of leasing a small Mercedes - Each person in US owes approx $128,000 Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN 2025 Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! CTP CUP 2025 Participants: Jim Beaver Mike Kazmierczak Joe Metzger Ken Degel David Martin Dean Wormell Neil Larion Mary Lou Schwarzer Eric Harvey (2024 Winner) FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

In our news wrap Friday, nine pharmaceutical companies agreed to cut prices on many drugs they sell to Medicaid and sell them directly to consumers through the 'TrumpRx' website, Russian President Putin says he remains committed to achieving goals in Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to its demands for peace and Australia announced a gun buyback plan following the Bondi Beach mass shooting. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In our news wrap Friday, nine pharmaceutical companies agreed to cut prices on many drugs they sell to Medicaid and sell them directly to consumers through the 'TrumpRx' website, Russian President Putin says he remains committed to achieving goals in Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to its demands for peace and Australia announced a gun buyback plan following the Bondi Beach mass shooting. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Editors Jimmy Lovaas and Theresa Seiger discuss the Brown University shooting and manhunt, plus more on Russian President Putin's annual press conference, a meeting on the Thai-Cambodia border conflict, an important deadline for the French parliament, and Pakistan selling a majority of its national airline.Our next episode will be out Jan. 8, 2026.Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more. These stories and others are also available in our free weekly Forecast newsletter.This episode includes work from Factal editors Theresa Seiger, David Wyllie, Vivian Wang, Alex Moore and Hua Hsieh. Produced and edited by Jimmy Lovaas. Music courtesy of Andrew Gospe. Have feedback, suggestions or events we've missed? Drop us a note: hello@factal.comWhat's Factal? Created by the founders of Breaking News, Factal alerts companies to global incidents that pose an immediate risk to their people or business operations. We provide trusted verification, precise incident mapping and a collaboration platform for corporate security, travel safety and emergency management teams. If you're a company interested in a trial, please email sales@factal.com. To learn more, visit Factal.com, browse the Factal blog or email us at hello@factal.com.Read the full episode description and transcript on Factal's blog.Copyright © 2025 Factal. All rights reserved.

In "Great Power Imperialism or Democratic Global Governance?", Larry Wittner, Emeritus Professor of History at SUNY Albany, explores the political ramifications of the bromance between Donatd Trump and Russian President Putin. Wittner talks to Mark Dunlea of Hudson Mohawk Magazine about Europe, Ukraine, Venezuela, South America, and the rise of the neonazi movement. https://columbusfreepress.com/article/great-power-imperialism-or-democratic-global-governance

ThePrintAM: WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN PM MODI-RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN MEET?

Patrick Bishop and Roger Morehouse discuss a familiar feeling of "deja vu" as the latest US peace mission to Moscow—led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—ends with no substantial progress. They argue that Russian President Putin is deliberately "stringing Trump along" to keep the outside world waiting while Russia continues to make incremental gains on the ground. The hosts also dive into a revealing Wall Street Journal article suggesting a "chilling" motivation behind the American peace efforts: charting a path to bring Russia's $2 trillion economy "in from the cold," positioning American businesses to beat European competitors to the dividends.  They also examine the widening corruption scandal in Ukraine and joining them to discuss this is friend of the show Askold Krushelnycky, who helps them look at the negative impact of the scandal on Zelensky's standing at home and abroad, and why Putin cannot afford to stop the war short of a total victory. Finally, the hosts answer a listener's questions including one about Ukraine's "remarkably bold" and "symbolic" drone attacks on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse discuss a familiar feeling of "deja vu" as the latest US peace mission to Moscow—led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—ends with no substantial progress. They argue that Russian President Putin is deliberately "stringing Trump along" to keep the outside world waiting while Russia continues to make incremental gains on the ground.The hosts also dive into a revealing Wall Street Journal article suggesting a "chilling" motivation behind the American peace efforts: charting a path to bring Russia's $2 trillion economy "in from the cold," positioning American businesses to beat European competitors to the dividends. They also examine the widening corruption scandal in Ukraine and joining them to discuss this is friend of the show Askold Krushelnycky, who helps them look at the negative impact of the scandal on Zelensky's standing at home and abroad, and why Putin cannot afford to stop the war short of a total victory.Finally, the hosts answer a listener's questions including one about Ukraine's "remarkably bold" and "symbolic" drone attacks on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.comProducer: James HodgsonX (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump admin is reportedly preparing to hold a high-level meeting to decide whether to provide licenses to allow NVIDIA (NVDA) to export the H200 to China, according to FT.US President Trump said the meeting between Russian President Putin, Special Envoy Witkoff and Kushner was a reasonably good meeting and "we'll see what happens".Trump's aides and allies were said to be discussing the possibility of Treasury Secretary Bessent also leading the NEC, according to Bloomberg; Bond investors reportedly warned the US Treasury over picking NEC Director Hassett as Fed chair, according to FT.USD/JPY pared gains after hawkish BoJ sources via Reuters suggested the central bank is likely to raise interest rates in December.APAC stocks were mostly higher following the positive momentum from Wall Street; European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.6% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.2% on Wednesday.Looking ahead, highlights include Swedish CPIF, EZ Retail Sales, US Challenger Layoffs, Jobless Claims, Revelio Public Labor Statistics, Chicago Fed Labour Market Indicators (Final), Durable Goods, Factory Orders, Atlanta Fed GDP, BoE DMP. Speakers include BoEʼs Mann, ECBʼs Lane, Cipollone & de Guindos, Fedʼs Bowman. Supply from Spain, France & UK. Earnings from Kroger & Dollar General.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Today, we're talking about Congress investigating reports that the Pentagon committed a war crime in the Caribbean; deadly monsoons in Southeast Asia; a U.S. delegation meeting with Russian President Putin to negotiate peace in Ukraine; and other top news for Wednesday, December 3rd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Looking to support us? You can choose to pay ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out The Pour Over's Gift Guide!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Check out our sponsors! We actually use and enjoy every single one. Cru Safe House Project Life Application Study Bible CCCU Upside Mosh LMNT Theology in the Raw Not Just Sunday Podcast She Reads Truth The Pour Over's Newsletters: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pour Over⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Decaf⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠News Health⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Praying the News

Two days before Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump pardons two turkeys, named Gobble & Waddle, jokes that former President Joe Biden's turkey pardons are invalid due to his use of an autopen, and says food prices are coming down; Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announces she will not run for a fourth term in 2026; Attorney General Pam Bondi says the federal law enforcement surge in Memphis, Tennessee has been a success in drastically reducing crime;   Ukrainian President Zelensky says Ukraine has accepted the 'essence' of a U.S. plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war, while President Trump says "I think we're getting very close to a deal" and that he will be sending special envoy Steve Witkoff to meet with Russian President Putin in Moscow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hugh Hallman, Attorney, Educator, and former Mayor of Tempe, joins Seth in studio for the full hour to talk about the latest in the Russo-Ukrainian War and the media’s misreporting on a proposed summit between President Trump and Russian President Putin. Who are the guiding lights of Americans?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US-Russia Summit in Budapest Amid Ukraine Escalation Fears. Anatol Lieven discusses how US President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict following a productive call. The meeting, hosted in Viktor Orbán's Hungary, aims to reduce extreme tensions and avoid direct clashes between Russia and NATO. Discussion points include potential territorial compromise in Donbas and concerns over deploying Tomahawk missiles, which Russia views as a major escalation. 1884 BUDAPEST

US-Russia Summit in Budapest Amid Ukraine Escalation Fears. Anatol Lieven discusses how US President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict following a productive call. The meeting, hosted in Viktor Orbán's Hungary, aims to reduce extreme tensions and avoid direct clashes between Russia and NATO. Discussion points include potential territorial compromise in Donbas and concerns over deploying Tomahawk missiles, which Russia views as a major escalation. 1686 BUDAPEST

CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 29224 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE ESCALATION OF RHETORIC IN THE UKRAINE WAR,.. FIRST HOUR 9-915 US-Russia Summit in Budapest Amid Ukraine Escalation Fears. Anatol Lieven discusses how US President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict following a productive call. The meeting, hosted in Viktor Orbán's Hungary, aims to reduce extreme tensions and avoid direct clashes between Russia and NATO. Discussion points include potential territorial compromise in Donbas and concerns over deploying Tomahawk missiles, which Russia views as a major escalation. 915-930 US-Russia Summit in Budapest Amid Ukraine Escalation Fears. Anatol Lieven discusses how US President Trump and Russian President Putin agreed to meet in Budapest to discuss ending the Ukraine conflict following a productive call. The meeting, hosted in Viktor Orbán's Hungary, aims to reduce extreme tensions and avoid direct clashes between Russia and NATO. Discussion points include potential territorial compromise in Donbas and concerns over deploying Tomahawk missiles, which Russia views as a major escalation. 930-945 China's Tech Espionage and the Difficulty of Reverse Engineering Advanced Chip Tools. Chris Riegel discusses how TSMC and ASML technology face constant threats from Chinese industrial espionage. ASML's chipmaking tools are highly complex, making reverse engineering nearly impossible. Europe is waking up to the risks; recently, the Dutch government seized China-owned chipmaker Nexperia. China is estimated to be two to three years behind US high-end chip technology and requires access to advanced ASML tools to catch up. 945-1000 Hostage Situation and Political Realities in Gaza Ceasefire. Cliff May explains how the Gaza ceasefire focuses on the return of hostages, with 19 (including two Americans) still unaccounted for. Hamas is suspected of withholding hostages to retain bargaining power and resist relinquishing political control in phase two of the peace plan. Rhetoric about regional forces disarming Hamas is dismissed. May notes that in the Middle East, there are only permanent battles, viewing the current truce as a hudna, allowing jihadists to regroup and rearm. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 US Escalates Pressure on Maduro Following Machado's Nobel Prize. Evan Ellis discusses how, following the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition leader María Corina Machado, the US escalated pressure on Venezuela. President Trump authorized CIA operations, coupled with naval deployments and B-52 overflights, to pressure the Maduro regime. The goal is triggering a tipping point where Maduro's inner circle calculates that leaving is preferable to facing US action. Separately, Peru's President Boluarte was ousted due to corruption and the nation's struggle with extreme urban violence and illegal mining. 1015-1030 US Escalates Pressure on Maduro Following Machado's Nobel Prize. Evan Ellis discusses how, following the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition leader María Corina Machado, the US escalated pressure on Venezuela. President Trump authorized CIA operations, coupled with naval deployments and B-52 overflights, to pressure the Maduro regime. The goal is triggering a tipping point where Maduro's inner circle calculates that leaving is preferable to facing US action. Separately, Peru's President Boluarte was ousted due to corruption and the nation's struggle with extreme urban violence and illegal mining. 1030-1045 US Escalates Pressure on Maduro Following Machado's Nobel Prize. Evan Ellis discusses how, following the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition leader María Corina Machado, the US escalated pressure on Venezuela. President Trump authorized CIA operations, coupled with naval deployments and B-52 overflights, to pressure the Maduro regime. The goal is triggering a tipping point where Maduro's inner circle calculates that leaving is preferable to facing US action. Separately, Peru's President Boluarte was ousted due to corruption and the nation's struggle with extreme urban violence and illegal mining. 1045-1100 US Escalates Pressure on Maduro Following Machado's Nobel Prize. Evan Ellis discusses how, following the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition leader María Corina Machado, the US escalated pressure on Venezuela. President Trump authorized CIA operations, coupled with naval deployments and B-52 overflights, to pressure the Maduro regime. The goal is triggering a tipping point where Maduro's inner circle calculates that leaving is preferable to facing US action. Separately, Peru's President Boluarte was ousted due to corruption and the nation's struggle with extreme urban violence and illegal mining. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Iran's Women-Led Uprising: Origins, Brutality, and Defiance. Nilo Tabrizy discusses how the Iranian women-led uprising, detailed in For the Sun After Long Nights, was triggered by the 2022 murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police. The slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) is the rallying cry. The regime's brutality is severe, suppressing protests through executions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acts as an octopus, maintaining control across society. Defiance continues today, demonstrated by women actively ignoring state-mandated dress codes. 1115-1130 Iran's Women-Led Uprising: Origins, Brutality, and Defiance. Nilo Tabrizy discusses how the Iranian women-led uprising, detailed in For the Sun After Long Nights, was triggered by the 2022 murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police. The slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) is the rallying cry. The regime's brutality is severe, suppressing protests through executions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acts as an octopus, maintaining control across society. Defiance continues today, demonstrated by women actively ignoring state-mandated dress codes. 1130-1145 Iran's Women-Led Uprising: Origins, Brutality, and Defiance. Nilo Tabrizy discusses how the Iranian women-led uprising, detailed in For the Sun After Long Nights, was triggered by the 2022 murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police. The slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) is the rallying cry. The regime's brutality is severe, suppressing protests through executions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acts as an octopus, maintaining control across society. Defiance continues today, demonstrated by women actively ignoring state-mandated dress codes. 1145-1200 Iran's Women-Led Uprising: Origins, Brutality, and Defiance. Nilo Tabrizy discusses how the Iranian women-led uprising, detailed in For the Sun After Long Nights, was triggered by the 2022 murder of Mahsa Amini by the morality police. The slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" (Zan, Zendegi, Azadi) is the rallying cry. The regime's brutality is severe, suppressing protests through executions. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acts as an octopus, maintaining control across society. Defiance continues today, demonstrated by women actively ignoring state-mandated dress codes. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 US Military Pressure Campaigns Maduro Amid Silence from Regional Allies. Mary Anastasia O'Grady explains how Venezuela's illegitimate leader, Maduro, faces escalating pressure from the US, including a Navy flotilla, B-52 flights, and authorized CIA operations. The goal is to compel Maduro and his generals, who profit from transnational crime, to flee. The silence from traditional allies like Russia and China suggests they lack political justification to defend Maduro's record. However, Mexico's president offered no comment regarding Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, reflecting leftist sympathies. 1215-1230 Tariffs Harm Consumers, Reduce Hiring, and Cause Customs Backlogs. Veronique De Rugy explains how tariffs are costing American consumers and businesses over 80% of the expense, leading to higher prices and reduced corporate margins. The tariff policy is harming the job market, causing 40% of CEOs to pause hiring and investments. Customs authorities are overwhelmed by the volume of small packages now requiring assessment, causing significant backlogs and lost goods for consumers. Special interests are expanding the tariff application to derivative products, such as peanut butter packaged in metal containers. 1230-1245 Russia Debates Orbit and Costs for Post-ISS Space Station. Anatoly Zak explains how Roscosmos faces a debate over the orbit of its new space station: a low-inclination 51-degree orbit or a more expensive near-polar orbit. The polar orbit offers strategic Arctic observation but increases radiation risk and reduces payload capacity. Economic realities may push Roscosmos toward the cheaper 51-degree orbit, possibly using existing ISS infrastructure, to ensure an operational station for cosmonauts by 2031. 1245-100 AM Russia Debates Orbit and Costs for Post-ISS Space Station. Anatoly Zak explains how Roscosmos faces a debate over the orbit of its new space station: a low-inclination 51-degree orbit or a more expensive near-polar orbit. The polar orbit offers strategic Arctic observation but increases radiation risk and reduces payload capacity. Economic realities may push Roscosmos toward the cheaper 51-degree orbit, possibly using existing ISS infrastructure, to ensure an operational station for cosmonauts by 2031.

White House Budget Office Director Russell Vought announces on X that federal worker layoffs have begun, with the federal government shutdown now 10 days old and expected to continue through the weekend; Conservative commentator Benny Johnson says the Democratic Party is 'mainstreaming violence as a political tool', as he appears with Attorney General Pam Bondi to announce federal charges again a man who mailed a death threat to him and his family; Senate defeats an amendment from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to limit President Donald Trump's power to deploy National Guard troops to Chicago and other cities in the name of supporting law enforcement to fight crime and ICE agents carrying out immigration raids; Venezuela's opposition leader wins the Nobel Peace Prize, and the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee is asked about President Trump's visible campaign for the award; First Lady Melania Trump says she has a regular communication channel with Russian President Putin, and it has helped reunite children separated from their families in the war in Ukraine; former Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), former Congressional Black Caucus Chair, has died. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we talk about Article 4, big sticks, and spheres of influence.We also discuss Moldova, super powers, and new fronts.Recommended Book: More Everything Forever by Adam BeckerTranscriptThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was originally formed in 1949 in the wake of World War 2 and at the beginning of the Cold War.At that moment, the world was beginning to orient toward what we might think of as the modern global order, which at the time was predicated on having two superpowers—the US and the Soviet Union—and the world being carved up into their respective spheres of influence.NATO was formed as the military component of that protection effort, as the Soviets (and other powers who had occupied that land in the past) had a history of turning their neighbors into client states, because their territory provides little in the way of natural borders. Their inclination, then, was to either invade or overthrow neighboring governments so they could function as buffers between the Soviet Union and its potential enemies.The theory behind NATO is collective security: if anyone attacks one of the member nations, the others will come to their aid. Article 5 of the NATO treaty says that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, and while this theoretically would be applied against any would-be attacker, it was 100% created so that the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies knew that if they attacked, for instance, Norway, the other NATO nations—including, importantly, the United States, which again, was one of just two superpowers in the world at that point, all the other powers, like the UK and France having been devastated by WWII—would join in their defense.NATO, today, is quite a bit bigger than it was originally: it started out with just 12 countries in Europe and North America, and as of 2025, there are 32, alongside a handful of nations that are hoping to join, and are at various points along the way to possibly someday becoming member states.What I'd like to talk about today are recent provocations by the Soviet Union's successor state, Russia, against NATO, and what these provocations might portend for the future of the region.—In early 2014, Russia invaded—in a somewhat deniable way, initially funding local rabble-rousers and using unmarked soldiers and weapons—the eastern portion of Ukraine, and then annexed an important Black Sea region called Crimea. Then in early 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, massing hundreds of thousands of military assets on their shared border before plunging toward Ukraine's capitol and other vital strategic areas.Against the odds, as Ukraine is small and poor compared to Russia, and has a far smaller military, as well, Ukrainians managed to hold off the Russian assault, and today, about 3.5 years later, Ukraine continues to hold Russia off, though Russian forces have been making incremental gains in the eastern portion of the country over the past year, and Russian President Putin seems convinced he can hold the Donbas region, in particular, even if peace is eventually declared.At the moment, though, peace seems unlikely, as Russian forces continue to grind against increasingly sophisticated and automated Ukrainian defenses, the invading force, in turn, bolstered by North Korean ammunition and troops. Ukraine's exhausted soldiery is periodically and irregularly bulwarked by resources from regional and far-flung allies, helping them stay in the game, and they're fleshing out their locally grown defense industry, which has specialized in asymmetric weaponry like drones and rockets, but Russia still has the advantage by pretty much any metric we might use to gauge such things.Over the past three weeks, concerns that this conflict might spill over into the rest of Europe have been heightened by Russian provocations along the eastern edge of the NATO alliance.Russia flew drones into Poland and Romania, fighter jets into Estonia, and aggressively flew fighters over a Germany Navy frigate in the Baltic Sea. Article 4 of the NATO treaty was invoked, which is the lead-up invocation to an eventual invocation of Article 5, which would be a full-fledged defense, by the bloc, against someone who attacked a NATO member.And that's on top of Russia's persistent and ongoing efforts to influence politics in Moldova, which held an election over the weekend that could serve as a foot in the door for Russian influence campaigns and Russia-stoked coups within the EU, or could become one more hardened border against such aggressions, depending on how the election pans out. The final results aren't in as of the day I'm recording this episode, but there are fears that if the pro-Russian parties win, they'll turn the country—which is located on Ukraine's borders, opposite Russia—into another Russian puppet state, similar to Belarus, but if the pro-Russian parties don't do well, they'll try to launch a coup, because Russian disinformation in the country has been so thorough, and has indicated, in essence, if they lose, the process was rigged.All of which is occurring at a moment in which NATO's most powerful and spendy member, by far, the US, is near-universally pulling out of international activities, the second Trump administration proving even more antagonistic toward allies than the first one, and even more overt in its disdain for alliances like NATO, as well. It's probably worth noting here, too, that part of why things are so hectic in Moldova is that the US government has stopped pressuring social networks to tamp down on overt misinformation and propaganda from Russia-aligned groups, and that's led to significant fog of war for this most recent election.Considering the US's recent unreliability, and in some cases complete absence regarding NATO and similar alliances and pacts, it's perhaps prudent that NATO member states have recently agreed to up their individual spending on defense, all of these states meeting or exceeding their pre-2025-summit goal of 2% of GDP, that target increasing to 5% by 2035.This is notable in part because it's something Trump demanded, and that demand seems to have worked and probably been a good idea, but this is also notable because of what it represents: a cessation of leadership by the US in this alliance.The US has long been the big stick wielded by its European allies, and this administration basically said, hey, you need to make your own big sticks, you may not have access to our weapons and support anymore. And while it will still take a while to both get their funding up to snuff and to spend those funds appropriately, outfitting their defenses and shoring up their numbers, this would seem to be a step in that direction—though there's simmering concern that it might be too little, too late.That concern is mostly held by Russia-watchers who have noted a big pivot by Russia's leadership, and in the Russian economy.Over the past 3.5 years since it invaded Ukraine, that invasion taking a lot longer than they thought it would, Russia has shifted into a total war stance, its entire economy becoming reliant on its continued invasion of Ukraine.Should that invasion end or ebb, or should it continue to fail to give the Russian government enough successes, so it can brag about how well it's doing to its citizenry and oligarchs, it would probably need another target—another front in the war that it can open to justify the continued churning-out of weapons and soldiers, and the continued spending of a huge chunk of its GDP toward the military. Lacking that churn, it's economy would be in even worse straits than it's in, today, and lacking that cause, it's possible support for the government could collapse.It's also been posited that it could be a disaster Putin's regime if too many Russian veterans, wounded and traumatized from their time on the front lines in Ukraine, were to arrive back in Russia all at once. That's the sort of situation that could lead to an uprising against the government, or bare minimum a lot of turmoil that they don't want to deal with. Having another front, another battle to send them to, would solve that problem; it would be an excuse to keep them fighting external enemies, rather than looking for internal ones.Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, recently said that NATO and the EU have declared a “real war” against Russia by participating in the conflict; by providing arms and financial support for Ukraine.This is, of course, a silly thing to say, though it is the kind of statement an aggressor makes when they want to make themselves sound like the victim, and want to justify moving on to victimize someone else. You attacked us for no reason! We are thus completely within our rights to defend ourselves by attacking you; we are in the right here, you're the bad guys.This could be just saber-rattling, and it usually is. Lavrov says things like this all the time, and it's almost always state-sanctioned bluster. The drone and jet flyovers, likewise, could be meant to send a signal to the EU and NATO: back off, this is not your fight, but if you continue supporting Ukraine, we'll make it your fight, and we think we can beat you.It's also possible, though, that these actions are meant to test NATO defenses at a moment in which the US is largely absent from the region, China and Russia have never been tighter, including in supporting each other's regional goals and militaries, and in which Russia seemingly has many reasons, mostly internal, to expand the scope of the conflict.Show Noteshttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pistorius-russian-jet-flew-over-142629311.html?guccounter=1https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/world/europe/russian-fighter-jets-estonia-nato.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/business/russia-disinformation-trump.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/world/europe/poland-drones-russia-nato.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_to_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukrainehttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygjv0r2myohttps://thehill.com/policy/international/5522862-lavrov-nato-eu-russia/https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/27/europe/putin-hybrid-war-europe-risks-intlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/world/europe/russia-europe-poland-drones-moldova-election.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-poland-drones-sanctions-rafale-429ff46431a916feff629f26a5d0c0dahttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-has-no-plans-invoke-natos-article-4-foreign-minister-says-2025-09-26/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/09/27/More-drones-spotted-Denmark/4031758983759/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-defense-kyiv-ec284922b946737b98a28f179ac0c5a0https://apnews.com/article/poland-airspace-drones-russia-airport-closed-cf7236040d8c7858104a29122aa1bd57https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-fa2d5d8981454499fa611a1468a5de8bhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-1232774279039f9e5c5b78bd58686cb9https://apnews.com/article/british-intelligence-mi6-russia-war-443df0c37ff2254fcc33d5425e3beaa6https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/nato-article-4-russia/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/world/europe/moldova-election-russia-eu.htmlhttps://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49187.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATOhttps://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52044.htm This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

President Donald Trump aggressively addressed the United Nations General Assembly saying the global body has done nothing to end wars raging around the world while the United States has ended seven in seven months. He also called climate change concerns a 'hoax' and railed against immigration and open borders. The President heavily criticized Russian President Putin for not ending his war on Ukraine, and even went as far as saying NATO countries should shoot down Russian aircrafts that violates their airspace. FOX's John Saucier speaks with Michael Allen, former Senior Director at the National Security Council under President George W. Bush, who says the United Nations and Europe needed to hear the criticisms. Click Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To Follow 'The FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something big is happening and the BRICS nations are holding an emergency meeting right now in Brazil to deal with it. Russian President Putin and China's Xi Jin Ping are attending this meeting and the focus we're told is the BRICS response to Trumps tariffs and sanctions and most importantly the threat to their new multipolar order. Remember just last week in China Putin, Modi and Xi layed out their new plans for a multipolar world order. They're basically done with the US dollar, the SWIFT system, and much more. 

The latest from Afghanistan after a catastrophic earthquake struck the eastern part of the country. The BBC reports on the worst-hit areas, and the Taliban’s plea for help. ProPublica’s Bob Garrett tells us how the fight over gerrymandering in Texas became the battleground for Trump’s latest legal strategy. Russian President Putin, Indian Prime Minister Modi, and Chinese President Xi met at a summit in China, signaling to the West a newfound solidarity between the countries. Politico’s Phelim Kine breaks down why the photo op isn’t all that it seems. Plus, Rudy Giuliani is to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as he leaves the hospital following a car crash, 1.2 million immigrants disappear from the U.S. workforce, and the millionaire who snatched a hat at the U.S. Open. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

Preview: Putin vs Trump. Colleague Victoria Coates comments that Russian President Putin has perhaps two weeks to respond to POTUS direction to a summit with Kyiv's Zelensky. More later. 1952

Correspondent Jaclyn Lee reports on the dangerous heat fueling growing wildfires as firefighters battle massive blazes in California and Oregon; Washington Correspondent Jay O'Brien has the latest on President Trump weighing the deployment of more troops to other U.S. cities, suggesting that Chicago, New York and Baltimore could be next; Foreign Correspondent Marcus Moore reports on Ukraine marking its Independence Day with a major strike, as Russia's Foreign Minister says there are no plans for a meeting between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin; and more on ABC World News Tonight with David Muir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday, the Department of Justice announced it's launching a much-needed and super important investigation into Washington D.C.'s crime statistics. The DOJ said it's looking into whether the stats have been QUOTE: "manipulated" to make the crime rate seem lower. Why, might you ask, is the DOJ using time, money, and resources to look into this? Probably because it's searching for a way to justify President Donald Trump's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of National Guard troops to the district. However, it has been roughly two weeks since Trump's takeover, and we have some questions. Is DC's crime problem really that bad? And is it better now after federal intervention? We spoke with journalist Josh Barro. He's also co-host of the podcast "Serious Trouble".And in headlines, the Trump administration decides it doesn't want feedback from its federal employees, the White House says arrangements for a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin are underway, and Oklahoma is making sure teachers from California and New York aren't "woke".Show Notes:Check out Josh's post – https://tinyurl.com/2rrxxrsfCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Ukrainian Member of Parliament Kira Rudik weighs in on a potential summit between President Trump, Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. KXAN's Josh Hinkle and NBC News' Ben Kamisar report on the developments in Texas, where Republicans are poised to pass new redistricting maps that could determine which party controls the House of Representatives. NBC News' Daniele Hamamdjian reports on the first stages of Israel's planned offensive on Gaza City.

President Trump said he's begun arranging a meeting between Ukrainian President Zelensky and Russian President Putin after a summit today with Zelensky and European leaders. The Ukrainian president, at a news conference, said he's ready for a meeting in "any format.” Anderson talks about all this with former U.S. ambassador to the UN and former national security advisor Susan Rice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we're talking about President Trump's plans after meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska; a deal between local D.C. police and the DOJ on the crime crackdown in the capital; the nationwide gerrymandering battle; and other top news for Monday, August, 18th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Share what TPO has meant to you here Join over 1 million readers with our free newsletter here Looking to support us? You can choose to pay here Check out our sponsors! We actually use and enjoy every single one. Cru LMNT Surfshark Holy Post CSB's Back to School Gift Guide CCCU Upside HelloFresh Mosh

Leaders from across Europe descended on Washington in a remarkable show of support for Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who came to the White House to meet President Trump. The hastily arranged summit followed Friday’s Anchorage meeting between Trump and Russian President Putin. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) weigh in on President Trump's summit with Russian President Putin. Sara Fagen, Jonathan Martin, Andrea Mitchell and Ned Price join the roundtable. 

Reuters White House correspondent Steve Holland discusses the high-stakes meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin in Alaska — and what it could mean for President Zelenskyy's Ukraine. Dan Frosch with the Wall Street Journal breaks down why so many American children live in, or precariously close to, poverty. The largest tech companies in the U.S. are ramping up AI spending. The Washington Post’s Gerrit De Vynck details the staggering amount of cash being spent. Plus, the battle over gerrymandering in Texas and California moves ahead, how DOGE exaggerated its cost-cutting figures, and NASA explains why the summer feels extra sticky. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

President Trump and Russian President Putin will meet in Alaska in a historic summit on the war in Ukraine. Former Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, discusses summit strategy with Anderson.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we're talking about plans for a meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin in Alaska; an NFL preseason game that ended early due to a player injury; separate shootings in Georgia and New York; and other top news for Monday, August 11th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Join over 1 million readers with our free newsletter here Looking to support us? You can choose to pay here Check out our sponsors! We actually use and enjoy every single one. Cru Surfshark Holy Post CSB's Back to School Gift Guide CCCU Upside HelloFresh Mosh

Friday on the News Hour, Israel moves to take over Gaza City in the latest escalation of the war with Hamas. President Trump says he will meet with Russian President Putin soon, as a deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine passes. Plus, recent natural disasters highlight FEMA's changing role under the Trump administration. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Five soldiers are shot at Fort Stewart in Georgia, with the shooter in custody. NBC News reports on a potential upcoming meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin. Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones (D) discusses how Democrats are responding to an effort by Texas Republicans to redraw the state's congressional map in their favor.  

Glenn speaks of the importance of Memorial Day and remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we could experience freedom. Glenn speaks on the national disgrace of America's treatment of our veterans. Glenn acknowledges the loss of "Duck Dynasty" star and BlazeTV host Phil Robertson. Glenn plays a montage of Phil doing what he did best: sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and handing out wisdom. Glenn discusses the "big, beautiful bill" and the hurdles it has as it moves to the Senate. Glenn and Stu discuss President Trump's latest statement on Russian President Putin as Putin's aggression toward Ukraine worsens. Israel's former Special Envoy for Combatting Anti-Semitism Noa Tishby joins to discuss where progressives get it wrong when it comes to Israel and the Middle East. Glenn speaks on the worsening AI advancements, as it's begun to self-preserve itself from shutdowns. Is Google Veo 3 the most realistic AI so far? Glenn and Stu discuss the FBI announcing it will further investigate some open-ended scandals from the Biden administration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices