Podcasts about Ukraine

Jesse Kelly does a dive deep into the rapid evolution of battlefield lethality – from the explosive drone swarms dominating Ukraine's skies to precision-guided munitions that allow strikes with pinpoint accuracy, and the massive artillery barrages that still grind down defenses through sheer volume. Discover how affordable drones, smart missiles, AI targeting, and next-generation American systems are dramatically increasing kill rates while reshaping strategy for great-power conflicts. What does this new era of hyper-lethal warfare mean for the future of combat? Let's find out. I'm Right with Jesse Kelly on The First TV PureTalk: Cut your wireless bill to $20/month—switch to PureTalk now at https://PureTalk.com/JESSETV Choq: Visit https://choq.com/jessetv for a 17.76% discount on your CHOQ subscription for life Masa Chips: Ready to give MASA a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to http://masachips.com/JESSETV and using code JESSETV.Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EUROPEAN FREEZE AND THE MYTH OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND Colleague Simon Constable, Journalist and Author. A deep freeze hits Southern Europe while commodity prices like copper rise. Simon Constable reports on the UK's bleak economic mood and dismisses the feasibility of British or French "boots on the ground" in Ukraine. He notes that depleted military manpower makes such guarantees declarative rather than substantial. NUMBER 151918 UKRAINE

SHOW1-8-2026THE SHOW BEGINS IN DOUBTS ABOUT THE SARCASTIC INVENTION, THE DON-ROE DICTRINE..SPHERES OF INFLUENCE AND THE RETURN OF THE MONROE DOCTRINE Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Anatol Lieven argues that "spheres of influence" have returned, with the US reasserting the Monroe Doctrine in the Western Hemisphere and threatening to seize Greenland. Unlike traditional alliances, this approach risks alienating fellow democracies. Lieven contrasts this with Russia's territorial ambitions in the former Soviet Union and China's historic regional goals. NUMBER 1COLD WAR TACTICS: THE SEIZURE OF A RUSSIAN TANKER Colleague Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Lieven discusses the US Navy's detention of a Russian-flagged ship in the North Atlantic, viewing it as a dangerous escalation akin to piracy. This move humiliates Moscow and aims to control oil supplies. Lieven warns that if European nations mimic these seizures, Russia may retaliate violently, risking a direct war. NUMBER 2THE SUPREME COURT AND THE MYTH OF THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE Colleague Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. Richard Epstein challenges the view that the Roberts Court blindly supports a "unitary executive." He argues the Court is correctly questioning the constitutionality of independent administrative agencies, like the FTC, which insulate officials from presidential removal. Epstein contends that relying on case counts ignores the specific legal merits regarding separation of powers. NUMBER 3TRUMP V. ILLINOIS: LIMITING PRESIDENTIAL POWER OVER THE NATIONAL GUARD Colleague Richard Epstein, Civitas Institute. Discussing a recent unsigned Supreme Court order, Epstein notes the Court upheld a decision preventing the President from deploying the National Guard without a governor's consent. This ruling contradicts claims of judicial bias toward the executive, affirming that the President cannot simply declare an emergency to override state sovereignty. NUMBER 4ONE YEAR LATER: ANGER AND STAGNATION AFTER THE PALISADES FIRE Colleague Jeff Bliss, Pacific Watch. A year after the Palisades fires, Jeff Bliss reports that residents remain angry over government inaction. Rebuilding is stalled by the Coastal Commission's strict regulations, and fuel loads in canyons remain high due to environmental restrictions on brush clearing. The fires, driven by Santa Ana winds, highlight systemic bureaucratic failures in Los Angeles. NUMBER 5#SCALAREPORT: AI AND ROBOTICS DOMINATE CES Colleague Chris Riegel, CEO of Scala.com. Reporting from CES, Chris Riegel highlights the dominance of AI and robotics, from household droids to military applications. While the tech sector booms with massive infrastructure spending, Riegel warns of a "K-shaped" economy where Main Street struggles with softening demand, masking the wealth concentrated in artificial intelligence and data centers. NUMBER 6LANCASTER COUNTY: AMISH SPENDING AND DATA CENTER GROWTH Colleague Jim McTague, Author and Former Barron's Editor. Jim McTague reports that the Lancaster County economy remains robust, evidenced by heavy Amish spending at Costco and thriving local businesses like Kegel's Produce. Despite some local protests, data centers are being built on old industrial sites. McTague sees no need for Fed rate cuts given the stable local economy. NUMBER 7THE NUCLEAR ESCROW: MANAGING PROLIFERATION AMONG ALLIES Colleague Henry Sokolski, Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. Henry Sokolski warns that allies like Poland, Turkey, and South Africaare considering nuclear weapons due to eroding trust in US guarantees. He proposes a "nuclear escrow" account: storing refurbished warheads in the US for allies to deploy only during crises, providing leverage without permanently stationing targets on foreign soil. NUMBER 8THE SIEGE OF 717 AND THE VOLCANO OF THERA Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. In 717 AD, Arab forces besieged Constantinople but failed due to the city's massive walls and "Greek fire." Professor Watts explains that a subsequent volcanic eruption in Thera was interpreted as divine punishment for the empire's sins, leading to a spiritual crisis and the rise of iconoclasm to appease God. NUMBER 9THE STUPIDITY OF SUCCESSORS: MANUEL AND ANDRONICUS Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Manuel Komnenos favored grand gestures over systemic stability, weakening the Roman state. His successor, Andronicus, was a nihilistic sadist whose tyranny and family infighting destabilized the empire. Watts details how the refusal to punish rebellious family members created a culture of impunity that eventually led to a violent overthrow. NUMBER 10THE CRUSADES: FROM COOPERATION TO CONFLICT Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. Relations between East and West collapsed during the Crusades. While the First Crusade cooperated with Rome, the Second and Third turned hostile, with Crusaders seizing territory rather than returning it. Watts notes that the theological schism of 1054 and cultural distrust entrenched this division, setting the stage for future betrayal. NUMBER 111204: THE SACK OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE END OF CONTINUITY Colleague Professor Ed Watts, Author of The Romans. The Fourth Crusade, diverted by Venetian debt, sacked Constantinople in 1204, burning the city to quell resistance. Watts argues this marked the true end of the ancient Roman state. The meritocratic system collapsed, and elites like Nicetas Choniates lost everything, severing the 2,000-year political continuity of the empire. NUMBER 12VENEZUELA: THE REGIME SURVIVES MADURO'S EXIT Colleague Mary Anastasia O'Grady, Wall Street Journal. Despite Maduro's removal, the Venezuelan regime remains intact under hardliners Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello. Mary Anastasia O'Grady notes that repression continues, and European oil companies are hesitant to invest. The regime feigns cooperation to avoid US intervention, but genuine recovery is impossible without restoring the rule of law. NUMBER 13RUSSIA'S OIL CRISIS AND REGIONAL DEFICITS Colleague Michael Bernstam, Hoover Institution. Russiafaces a financial crisis as oil prices drop below $60 per barrel. Michael Bernstam explains that increased global supply forces Russia to sell at deep discounts to China and India, often below cost. This revenue loss prevents the Kremlinfrom paying soldiers, sparking severe regional budget deficits. NUMBER 14EUROPEAN FREEZE AND THE MYTH OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND Colleague Simon Constable, Journalist and Author. A deep freeze hits Southern Europe while commodity prices like copper rise. Simon Constable reports on the UK's bleak economic mood and dismisses the feasibility of British or French "boots on the ground" in Ukraine. He notes that depleted military manpower makes such guarantees declarative rather than substantial. NUMBER 15ARTEMIS 2 RISKS AND THE SEARCH FOR LIFE IN SPACE Colleague Bob Zimmerman, BehindtheBlack.com. Bob Zimmerman urges NASA to fly Artemis 2 unmanned due to unresolved Orion heat shield damage, arguing safety should trump beating China. He also dismisses concerns about lunar methane contamination and highlights a new study suggesting ice caps could allow liquid water lakes to exist on Mars. NUMBER 16

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—after days of heated rhetoric and even talk of military action, tensions between President Trump and Colombia appear to be easing, with the two leaders now planning a White House meeting. Later in the show—to the surprise of absolutely no one, Russia rejects the latest peace proposal for Ukraine, dismissing Western security guarantees and hardening its stance against NATO. Plus—signs of panic in Tehran, as the Iranian regime shuts down internet access nationwide amid expanding protests. And in today's Back of the Brief—President Trump proposes a dramatic sixty-six percent hike in defense spending, while also pushing new limits on defense contractor executive pay. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB.  ZBiotics: Visit https://zbiotics.com/PDB for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,415. Today, the world responds to Putin's latest outrage that has seen a nuclear-capable ballistic missile fired by Russia hit Ukraine just 50km from Nato's border, with one leading European politician saying the pressure on Putin must now be “turned up to the maximum and made unbearable.” We hear from the man who recently interviewed Oleksandr Kamyshin, a key aide to President Zelensky and get Francis's final thoughts from Hungary. Later, we interview the commander of Operation Interflex, the British-led military effort to train Ukrainian recruits.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Lily Shanagher (Foreign Reporter). @LilyShanagher on X.Tom Mutch (Journalist). @Tomthescribe on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.With thanks to Colonel Andrew Boardman (Commanding Officer of Operation Interflex).SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:United24Media: Ukraine's Drone Strikes Hit Up to 100,000 Russian Troops in Late 2025—2026 Plans Aim Higherhttps://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/ukraines-drone-strikes-hit-up-to-100000-russian-troops-in-late-2025-2026-plans-aim-higher-14798LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this all–new “quick response pod,” Paul checks in from a cold New York City and connects the chill in the air to the brutally cold reality on the ground in Ukraine after a new wave of Russian attacks on civilians and infrastructure. On his birthday, he reflects on sacrifice, leadership, and the inspiration he draws from people fighting for freedom in Ukraine, Iran, across America, and around the world—and calls on listeners to speak out, push back, and look out for each other. Paul also tees up two powerful new conversations: a fresh report from inside Kyiv with counteroffensive reporter Tim Mak on wartime innovation and technology, and the return of actor and patriot Ron Perlman—star of Hellboy, Sons of Anarchy, and more—bringing his trademark fire back to the show. He shares big news about Independent Americans cracking the top 40 on the Apple Podcasts news charts, thanks the vigilant community that helped get it there, and doubles down on why independent media, integrity, and truth-telling matter more than ever in the face of Putin, Trump, and anyone trying to shut people up or shut them down. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.    -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Ways to listen: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to WATCH: YouTube • Instagram  Social channels: X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our episodes. Danny and Derek return from their holiday retreat at Bohemian Grove to bring you news from around the world. This week: Delcy Rodríguez assumes Venezuela's presidency following Nicolás Maduro's U.S. rendition (1:31), as questions mount over the indictment (3:51) and Washington moves toward de facto control of Venezuelan oil exports (6:36); Saudi-backed forces push back Southern Transitional Council gains in southern Yemen, with STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fleeing to the UAE and facing treason charges (11:10); Israel bans 37 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (15:33), and advances the E-1 settlement project in the West Bank (17:49); protests spread across Iran amid currency collapse and renewed sanctions (21:05); Thailand and Cambodia's December ceasefire largely holds despite a reported accidental mortar incident (25:33); U.S. airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria raise questions about targets and objectives (27:52); Israel becomes the first country to recognize Somaliland, prompting regional backlash and speculation about military basing and Gaza resettlement plans (30:44); European leaders discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as part of potential peace negotiations with Russia (36:00); Trump escalates rhetoric and planning around annexing or purchasing Greenland (37:54); the Trump administration pushes for a $1.5 trillion U.S. military budget (42:12); and Trump orders a U.S. withdrawal from dozens of UN and international institutions, particularly those related to climate governance (44:30). Don't miss ⁠our re-posted episode on American policing with Stuart Schrader⁠. Also check out ⁠our episode on Venezuela with Greg Grandin⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been another shooting by border patrol agents, this time in Portland, Oregon. Meanwhile, the investigation into the fatal shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by an ICE agent is raising concern. Five Democrat-led states are suing the Trump administration over the freezing of billions of dollars in funding. Russia has attacked Ukraine with one of it's most advanced weapons. Plus, new research on what happens after you stop taking weight loss drugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Minnesota officials are fighting to join an investigation into an ICE agent shooting and killing 37-year-old. Renee Good ...  The Supreme Court could rule on several key cases today, including President Trump's tariffs ... Russia hits Ukraine with a hypersonic ballistic missile as attacks intensify ... Anti-government demonstrations spread inside Iran.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Danny and Derek return from their holiday retreat at Bohemian Grove to bring you news from around the world. This week: Delcy Rodríguez assumes Venezuela's presidency following Nicolás Maduro's U.S. rendition (1:31), as questions mount over the indictment (3:51) and Washington moves toward de facto control of Venezuelan oil exports (6:36); Saudi-backed forces push back Southern Transitional Council gains in southern Yemen, with STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fleeing to the UAE and facing treason charges (11:10); Israel bans 37 humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders (15:33), and advances the E-1 settlement project in the West Bank (17:49); protests spread across Iran amid currency collapse and renewed sanctions (21:05); Thailand and Cambodia's December ceasefire largely holds despite a reported accidental mortar incident (25:33); U.S. airstrikes in northwestern Nigeria raise questions about targets and objectives (27:52); Israel becomes the first country to recognize Somaliland, prompting regional backlash and speculation about military basing and Gaza resettlement plans (30:44); European leaders discuss security guarantees for Ukraine as part of potential peace negotiations with Russia (36:00); Trump escalates rhetoric and planning around annexing or purchasing Greenland (37:54); the Trump administration pushes for a $1.5 trillion U.S. military budget (42:12); and Trump orders a U.S. withdrawal from dozens of UN and international institutions, particularly those related to climate governance (44:30).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What is the Scottish First Minister's secret for getting Donald Trump's attention?Nick is in Edinburgh to sit down with John Swinney, at the start of a year of big elections across the UK, including for the Scottish Parliament.He has been at the top of SNP-led government's for almost all of the last 19 years. He is now asking for another five years, with the hope of securing a new independence referendum.In this conversation, Swinney talks about how he charmed Donald Trump, reflects on a dangerous world, and opens up about the pressures on his family life.Producer: Daniel Kraemer Research: Flora Murray Sound: Fiona Fairmaner Editor: Giles Edwards

Iran is cut off from the Internet as anti-government protests spread. Federal agents shoot two people during a traffic stop in Portland as protests intensify nationwide over the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. And Russia fires an intermediate‑range ballistic missile in strikes on Ukraine. Recommended Read - Meta created ‘playbook' to fend off pressure to crack down on scammers, documents show Find our Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.  You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to reach out to us? Want to leave a comment or review? Want to give us a suggestion or berate Anthony? Send us a text by clicking this link!A war budget doesn't come with a press release that says “war.” It shows up as numbers that don't make sense for peace, and as a mood you can feel in the news cycle. We trace that mood back to two big ideas that shaped the post–Cold War mindset: the liberal belief that institutions can tame power, and the realist insistence that nations ultimately act for themselves. Using Francis Fukuyama's End of History and Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations as guideposts, we sketch how the old order frayed and why cultural blocs—religion, memory, language—may reshape the map more than trade agreements ever did.From there, we dig into Ukraine as a harsh teacher: drones over doctrine, trenches over glossy strategy decks, and the stubborn reality of industrial bottlenecks. Can the U.S. rebuild munitions capacity fast enough? What happens when defense contractors get pushed from buybacks to production and the state edges toward a “command economy” posture without formally declaring it? We explore how sovereignty, logistics, and frontier tech like AI become national-security terrain—and why markets shift when mission logic takes over.Europe's identity crisis threads through it all. A continent that once exported Christianity now struggles to define itself amid demographic change and civilizational tension. We consider what realism predicts for Europe, Russia, and the U.S., and how domestic fractures—censorship battles, CBDC talk, and culture-war fatigue—complicate strategy at home. Yet there's a human counterpoint here: we share details for our Italy pilgrimage, why we're keeping it small, how we'll pray together, and a moving note from a Protestant listener reconsidering Mary through biblical typology. It's geopolitics with a soul, grounded in faith, community, and the stubborn hope that meaning outlasts headlines.If this conversation challenged your assumptions or clarified the stakes, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Then tell us: which lens explains the world better right now—liberal order or realism?Support the showTake advantage of great Catholic red wines by heading over to https://recusantcellars.com/ and using code "BASED" for 10% off at checkout!********************************************************Please subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKsxnv80ByFV4OGvt_kImjQ?sub_confirmation=1https://www.avoidingbabylon.comMerchandise: https://avoiding-babylon-shop.fourthwall.comLocals Community: https://avoidingbabylon.locals.comFull Premium/Locals Shows on Audio Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1987412/subscribeRSS Feed for Podcast Apps: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1987412.rssRumble: https://rumble.com/c/AvoidingBabylon

2026-01-08 | UPDATES #093 | Leonid Ivashov “goes off script” in late 2025 — not a dissident or part of the systemic opposition, but a regime insider, offering an elite-military critique of the Ukraine war and Putin's imperial project. His judgement is not positive and is not complimentary. The “1,400 days” blast: a system general describes strategic failure and state rotThis is something rare in Putin's Russia: a senior, establishment-bred military voice penned a fierce critique of Putin's war and its management that is being circulated — Leonid Ivashov is saying the quiet part out loud. This normally means tea, window or altitude cancer. Late in December, a set of quotes attributed to retired Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov has been widely reposted — especially via X and secondary reposts — framed as his assessment after roughly 1,400 days of Russia's full-scale war. One widely shared compilation was reposted on Saturday, 27 December 2025.----------SOURCES: https://diplomatizzando.blogspot.com/2025/12/general-leonid-ivashov-strongly.htmlhttps://art-of-arts.livejournal.com/1126865.htmlhttps://svpressa.ru/politic/article/456495/https://news.rambler.ru/army/51098930-leonid-ivashov-sdelayte-tak-chtoby-lyudi-perestali-gibnut-perestali-stradat/ (republishing Svobodnaya Pressa, 15 July 2023)https://cepa.org/article/russia-and-the-rocketmen/https://altanalyses.org/en/2022/02/07/general-leonid-ivashovs-draft-appeal-is-an-all-out-attack-on-vladimir-putin/https://izborsk-club.ru/author/ivashovhttps://izborsk-club.ru/22165https://izborsk-club.ru/15124----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Silicon Bites Ep283 | 2026-01-08 | The tanker seizure drama has apparently opened the flood gates of Z-patriots rage and tears. They bemoan the humiliation of their navy and demi-god Tsar, the weakness of the Russian navy, and the lack of counter response, and above all the shifting perception that Russia will not be carving up this world with Trump, as they had thought, but that he may be carving slices off their power, influence and geopolitical reach. This is genuine panic and rage by Russia's nationalist imperialists, and it's delicious to behold. Let's unpack it.If you want a snapshot of Russia's decline into strategic humiliation, you could look at the battlefield map in Donbas, but for a fresher dose of prime humiliation, look at the loss of their tanker this week to US forces, that conducted a joint UK-US operation. Because this week, the United States — backed operationally by the United Kingdom — ran down a sanctions-busting “grey fleet” vessel that literally tried to cosplay sovereignty mid-flight from Venezuela, changing identity, switching flags, painting a Russian tricolor on the hull while being pursued. None if that helped, and it was nonetheless seized.----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SOURCES:Michael Naki - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEs10co9JVI&t=1326sUK Ministry of Defence press release (Jan 7, 2026): operational support details + Healey quotes (GOV.UK)Reuters exclusive (Jan 7, 2026): timeline, seizure near Iceland, submarine shadowing, no confrontation, second tanker (Reuters)Financial Times (Jan 8, 2026): legal/flagging dispute framing, “ghost fleet” context TIME (Jan 8, 2026): UK support overview, RAF + RFA Tideforce reference, contextThe Wall Street Journal (Jan 7, 2026): shadow fleet scale + escort reporting The Times (Jan 8, 2026): additional operational colour (attributed) The Guardian (Jan 7, 2026): additional reporting, context and reactions (used cautiously) ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Political resistance is as old as injustice itself, fighting with tools that span from civil disobedience (boycotts, strikes, sit-ins) to armed struggle, challenging tyranny, colonialism, racism, and inequality through both nonviolent or violent means.  Historically it has evolved from ancient community defiance to modern national movements like Black Lives Matter, utilizing culture, direct action, and grassroots organization. Key nonviolent strategies include passive noncooperation (e.g., sit-ins and boycotts) and active confrontation (e.g., U.S. Civil Rights Movement), with recent studies highlighting effective nonviolent strategies, like those seen in the Eastern European revolutions.  We will look at the history of political resistance in the United States and make some recommendations for the current tumultuous times. About the Speakers Dr. Michael Baker recently retired from a 40-year career in general, vascular, and trauma surgery. He also served 30 years in the uniform of his country and retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of rear admiral, having earned numerous awards including a Combat Action Ribbon and 3 Legion of Merit Awards. He currently teaches history, political science, and military affairs for the Osher LifeLong Learning (OLLI) Programs at UC Berkeley, Dominican University, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Channel Islands—and is on the Board of Governors of Commonwealth Club World Affairs. He teaches Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) to physicians in the United States, at military bases around the world, and most recently returned from his fifth tour in Ukraine teaching ATLS to physicians in that war-torn nation. Jack Funk graduated with a BA in political science from UC San Diego in 1977. He received his JD from Berkeley School of law in 1980. Following law school, he worked as a trial attorney in the Contra Costa County Public Defender's Office for 30 years. He has retired from the practice of law. He is currently president of the Martinez Education Foundation, which raises money to support schools in Martinez, and is also the chair of the Retiree Support Group of Contra Costa County, which is an organization created to protect retiree rights and interests. Since February of this year, he has been working with the Diablo Valley Resistance, which is focused on activities that push back against the Trump political agenda. An East Bay Chapter and Humanities Member-led Forum program. Chapters and forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, and they cover a diverse range of topics.  Organizer: Michael Baker  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Остап Яриш, медіарадник Razom for Ukraine, на Radio NV про останні заяви Трампа про Росію та гарантії безпеки для України, ратифікацію гарантій в Конгресі та наслідки операції у ВенесуеліВедучий – Олексій Тарасов

Ukraine: 6,000 apartments in Kyiv left without power after latest Russia strikes  Sudan marks grim milestone of 1,000 days of war: OCHA, UNICEF  UN chief insists global body will continue vital work despite U.S. withdrawals 

Fighting for you from the Foxhole of Freedom—   Number One— With the explosive GDP—the third increase in a row and at 5.4%-- it means all the nay sayers have been proven wrong—and we are going to see the Dow pass 50,000!   Number Two— Vladimir Putin—ever the rogue dictator—says if security forces are stationed in Ukraine if and when the war ends will be legitimate military targets—let that sink in—he really wants a wider war—   Number Three— Its all on the table today—Free Speech Free for All Friday—powered by the Patriot Mobile Common Sense Hotline—877-310-9966—That's 877-310-9966—

Fighting for you from the Foxhole of Freedom— Number One— With the explosive GDP—the third increase in a row and at 5.4%-- it means all the nay sayers have been proven wrong—and we are going to see the Dow pass 50,000! Number Two— Vladimir Putin—ever the rogue dictator—says if security forces are stationed in Ukraine if and when the war ends will be legitimate military targets—let that sink in—he really wants a wider war— Number Three— Its all on the table today—Free Speech Free for All Friday—powered by the Patriot Mobile Common Sense Hotline—877-310-9966—That's 877-310-9966—

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had wanted to kick off the new year with a strong domestic start, tackling the cost of living crisis head on, in the hopes of improving his dire poll ratings. Instead, he has found himself firefighting on the international front, trying to navigate Donald Trump's foreign policy frenzy.How will Starmer manage his ‘special relationship' with the US president in light of recent events? Where do Trump's latest actions leave Nato, especially with regard to Ukraine? And what does all this global uncertainty mean for the Labour leader's agenda at home?Host George Parker discusses the balancing act facing the government with the FT's deputy opinion editor Miranda Green, chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and acting Whitehall correspondent David Sheppard.Follow George, Miranda, Robert & David Want more? Strategic supplication is Europe's only Trump policyFrance and UK commit to deploying troops under proposed Ukraine peace dealUK armed forces warn of £28bn defence funding shortfallGreenland's future must be decided by island and Denmark, Starmer warns Trump‘Not in my name': Labour's new towns battleAnd sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter, Inside Politics, for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue-(mostly)-in-cheek analysis. Get 30 days free.Political Fix was presented by George Parker, and produced by Lulu Smyth and Julia Webster. Flo Phillips is the executive producer. Sound engineering by Simon Panayi. Manuela Saragosa is the FT's acting co-head of audio.What did you think of this episode? Let us know at politicalfix@ft.comClip from UK Parliament Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drones are no longer the future of war. They're now a defining weapon in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and beyond—altering the course of conflicts and reshuffling the balance of military power. The pace of change has caught many by surprise, with state and non-state groups racing to mass-produce, diversify, and protect their rapidly evolving drone arsenals.Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/every-war-is-now-a-drone-war?Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman  

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—the Trump administration's endgame in Venezuela is coming into focus, as Washington moves to push rival powers out of the country and reassert U.S. influence over Caracas's security services and oil sector. Later in the show—dramatic scenes out of Iran, where protesters have reportedly renamed a street after President Trump and issue a stark plea as security forces move to suppress nationwide demonstrations. Plus—new developments in Ukraine peace talks, as Kyiv points to what it calls concrete progress on security guarantees during high-level meetings in Paris. And in today's Back of the Brief—Greenland is back on the White House agenda, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling lawmakers President Trump wants to purchase the Arctic territory. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief PDS Debt: You're 30 seconds away from being debt free with PDS Debt. Get your free assessment and find the best option for you at https://PDSDebt.com/PDB  ZBiotics: Visit https://zbiotics.com/PDB for 15% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new year has only just begun, and already we have seen an event with massive significance for the world of energy. The US operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opens a new era for a country that holds – according to some definitions – the world's largest oil reserves.So far there has been little impact on oil markets. But what are the implications going to be for energy in the months and years to come? To discuss how this volatile situation might evolve, host Ed Crooks is joined by regular guest Amy Myers Jaffe, Director of NYU's Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, and an expert on oil earlier in her career. History never repeats itself, the saying goes, but sometimes it rhymes. Amy draws a parallel between Venezuela today, and Iraq after the US-led invasion and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. There are some similarities in the position of the two oil-rich countries, which were both dragged down by mismanagement and sanctions. But Amy argues that Venezuela's oil system is in far worse shape, with looted equipment, chronic power and fuel shortages, and damage that may not be reversible.Melissa Lott, another Energy Gang regular, also joins the show, and raises the question of what regime change in Venezuela might mean for the energy transition. Melissa is a partner at Microsoft, but appearing on the show in her usual role as an independent commentator and energy expert. Then it's on to the other places, people and technologies that are likely to make a big impact on energy this year. Ed is watching the Gulf Coast buildout of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants. It is a boom so big that Wood Mackenzie expects US LNG exports to roughly double from 2023 levels by around 2030, with more growth beyond.The gang assesses the likely consequences of surging LNG supplies: downward pressure on global gas prices, and potential financial strain for exporters. There is also the possibility that a peace deal in Ukraine could make the oversupply even worse, by allowing more Russian gas to flow west into European markets. Next up, it's people to watch in 2026. Melissa names the US energy secretary Chris Wright, and Ed picks new FERC chairman Laura Swett. As the US power grid, and its energy system more generally, face mounting challenges because of the growth in data centers needed for AI, effective policy and regulation will be critical. Amy chooses China's President Xi Jinping: the country's next five-year plan could reshape the global competition for energy dominance.On technologies to watch, battery storage is a hot topic. Melissa and Ed discuss the supply chains needed to meet growing demand, and innovative products such as Form Energy's iron-air batteries, which are being deployed in a first-ever commercial project that will be fully operational this year. Amy's choice is humanoid robots. They're expensive and still imperfect, but are they going to rule the future? They are already being trialled for repetitive factory tasks. Amy says her Roomba can't cope with a spilt bowl of cereal. But will new flexible AI-guided robots be able to do the job properly?Follow the show so you don't miss an episode this year – it's going to be a busy one.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Day 1,414. Today, as yet another Russian shadow fleet tanker makes the news, but this time after an explosion by a suspected Ukrainian drone in the Black Sea forced it to divert to Turkey, we hear live from Ukraine where overnight strikes left two regions without power as temperatures plummet below zero. We report how the value of defence company shares have surged after comments by Donald Trump - but not if they're based in the US - and we hear from Ukraine's International Legion about proposed changes that have left some soldiers in “total bewilderment”. ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Lily Shanagher (Foreign Correspondent). @LilyShanagher on X.With thanks to Anna Conkling, Freelance journalist & contributor to the news app Noosphere. @ConklingAnna on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Noosphere - news apphttps://www.noosphere.app/author/anna/'Everyone's in shock' — Ground Forces reorganization leaves International Legion soldiers in limbohttps://kyivindependent.com/everyones-in-shock-ground-forces-reorganization-leaves-international-legion-soldiers-in-limbo/Ukraine now has the fortress belt it wishes it had in 2022https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/01/07/ukraine-now-has-the-fortress-belt-it-wishes-it-had-in-2022LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ICE Murder in Minneapolis. Trump, Venezuela, and the Global Fight for Democracy from Kyiv. Never Trust a Chickenhawk. Iran Protests Continue to Grow and Spread. Knicks Bounce Back, America Can Too. In this all-new Independent Americans bonus pod, Paul Rieckhoff takes you from the streets of Minneapolis to the freezing front lines of Kyiv with fearless war correspondent Tim Mak. Together they connect Trump's Venezuela “snatch and grabs,” ICE's killing of Renee Nicole Good, and Russia's winter assault on Ukraine to show why Ukraine is still the front line for freedom—and why this moment is a global test for democracy, American credibility, and the future of war.​ Reporting live from Kyiv, Tim details Russia's deliberate targeting of Ukraine's power and heat infrastructure, what it feels like to live and report through blackouts and missile strikes, and how oil prices and Russian tankers are fueling Putin's war machine. Paul and Tim dig into how Ukrainians really see Zelensky, the Americans serving in Ukraine's International Legion, Trump's unchecked power over the U.S. military, and Tim's work on The Counteroffensive and The Arsenal—human-centered, frontline journalism designed to cut through the numbness of modern news. If you care about Ukraine, American leadership, or stopping authoritarianism abroad and at home, this urgent, unflinching conversation from Kyiv is a call to action for every independent American. Because every episode of Independent Americans with Paul Rieckhoff breaks down the most important news stories--and offers light to contrast the heat of other politics and news shows. It's independent content for independent Americans. In these trying times especially, Independent Americans is your trusted place for independent news, politics, inspiration and hope. The podcast that helps you stay ahead of the curve--and stay vigilant. -WATCH video of this episode on YouTube now. -Check out Tim Mak's Counteroffensive. -Learn more about Paul's work to elect a new generation of independent leaders with Independent Veterans of America. -Join the movement. Hook into our exclusive Patreon community of Independent Americans. Get extra content, connect with guests, meet other Independent Americans, attend events, get merch discounts, and support this show that speaks truth to power.  -Check the hashtag #LookForTheHelpers. And share yours.  -Find us on social media or www.IndependentAmericans.us.  -And get cool IA and Righteous hats, t-shirts and other merch now in time for the new year.  -Check out other Righteous podcasts like The Firefighters Podcast with Rob Serra, Uncle Montel - The OG of Weed and B Dorm.  Independent Americans is powered by veteran-owned and led Righteous Media.  And now part of the BLEAV network!  Ways to listen: Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Amazon Podcasts  Ways to WATCH: YouTube • Instagram  Social channels: X/Twitter • BlueSky • Facebook    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tensions are escalating in Minneapolis as protestors and law enforcement clash over the fatal shooting of a woman. President Donald Trump has commented on how long the US intends to take "control" of Venezuela. A shooting outside a church in Salt Lake City has left two people dead. Russia  is threatening to target any Western troops sent to Ukraine. Plus, Elon Musk's xAI is facing huge backlash over its Grok chatbot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the global order under increasing strain, 2026 is shaping up to be a tipping point for geopolitics. From political upheaval in the United States to widening conflicts abroad, the risks facing governments, markets, and societies are converging faster—and more forcefully—than at any time in recent memory.To break it all down, journalist Julia Chatterley moderated a wide-ranging conversation with Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, and a panel of Eurasia Group experts, to examine the findings of their newly-released Top Risks of 2026 report.One theme dominates the discussion: the United States itself. From an accelerating political revolution at home to a more aggressive projection of power abroad, Washington has become the single biggest driver of global risk. That shift is playing out vividly in the Western Hemisphere, where dramatic developments in Venezuela signal a renewed US willingness to shape political outcomes closer to home.Along with Ian Bremmer, the Eurasia Group panel included Gerald Butts, Vice Chairman; Risa Grais-Targow, Director, Latin America; Cliff Kupchan, Chairman; and Mujtaba (Mij) Rahman, Managing Director, Europe. Their discussion also digs into the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, rising instability among US allies in Europe, intensifying US-China competition, and the growing geopolitical consequences of artificial intelligence—all against the backdrop of a world with fewer guardrails and weaker global leadership.As Bremmer argues, these risks are not isolated. They are symptoms of a deeper transformation: a GZERO world, where power is unconstrained, alliances are fragile, and no single country can—or will—stabilize the international system.Host: Julia ChatterleyGuests: Ian Bremmer, Risa Grais-Targow, Cliff Kupchan, Mujtaba (Mij) Rahman, Gerald Butts Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The US wants to control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely' but the ‘catastrophic' state of the Latin American nation's crude facilities presents several hurdles. Plus, President Donald Trump banned institutional investors from buying single-family homes, and the UK and France pledged to deploy troops to Ukraine as part of sweeping US-backed security guarantees.Mentioned in this podcast:US seeks to control sales of Venezuelan oil ‘indefinitely'The ‘catastrophic' state of Venezuela's oil facilitiesDonald Trump moves to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homesFrance and UK commit to deploying troops under proposed Ukraine peace dealCredit: CNBC TelevisionNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today's FT News Briefing was hosted and edited by Marc Filippino, and produced by Fiona Symon, Victoria Craig and Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Michael Lello. The FT's acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show's theme music is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the $20 MILLION Rosemont Seneca payment from a Russian oligarch to Hunter Biden?

What happens when investigating fraud becomes a crime — but committing it doesn't?

durée : 00:03:24 - Géopolitique - par : Pierre  Haski  - La Russie avait proposé à Trump, lors de son premier mandat, un troc Venezuela contre Ukraine, une « arrière-cour » contre une autre. L'ère des « sphères d'influence » a-t-elle sonné avec le retour de la doctrine Monroe sur le continent américain ? Les « empires » en rêvent, pas le reste du monde. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Max and Maria spoke with Adam Entous of The New York Times on his in-depth investigation exploring the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine in 2025. This conversation was recorded on January 7, 2026. "The Separation: Inside the Unraveling U.S.-Ukraine Partnership" by Adam Entous (The New York Times, December 2025).

How is Europe handling Trump's renewed threats against Greenland and who is behind Berlin's five-day power outage? Then: A preview of Oulu's 2026 Capital of Culture program, the work of a young Ukrainian and member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, a visit to the new Byron museum in Italy, and the strange case of the Greek monks illegally occupying a mountain monastery.

Gerald Celente joins Kerry Lutz to break down the accelerating economic and geopolitical crisis unfolding worldwide. As governments prioritize military spending during economic downturns, Celente warns that consumers — not economies — are being sacrificed. Gold and silver are surging as safe-haven assets, signaling rising fear beneath the surface. The Trends Research team argues this shift reflects growing expectations of a much larger global conflict. The discussion covers Europe's leadership failures, U.S. foreign policy, and escalating tensions in Ukraine, Israel, and Iran, exposing the widening gap between peace rhetoric and military reality. They also examine Gen Z's political awakening, growing disillusionment, and pushback against an expanding "nanny state" as opportunities shrink and debt piles up. Find Gerald here: https://trendsjournal.com Find Kerry here :https://khlfsn.substack.com and here: https://inflation.cafe    Kerry's New Book "The Armstrong Economic Code: The 5 Truths Investors Must Never Forget" is out now on Amazon!  Get your copy here:   https://a.co/d/bvYbZOz  "The World According to Martin Armstrong – Conversations with the Master Forecaster" is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. . Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/4kuC5p5

2025-12-31 | UPDATES #085 | Ukraine put its hand on the light switch of Russia's imperial capital region — and flicked it. Not metaphorically. Literally. The lights went out for a substantial number of people in Moscow. Ahead of the most important and symbolic holiday or the year, New Year's evening.On December 30, 2025, parts of Moscow Oblast — specifically Ramenskoye, Zhukovsky, and Lytkarino — reported power outages, with residents posting videos of darkened districts and street lighting gone. Meduza reported that an “automatic shutdown” occurred at a high-voltage substation, with officials and local reporting also describing a cable or equipment fire; power was partially restored within hours. (Meduza)----------SOURCES: Meduza — “Three cities of Moscow Oblast partially left without electricity” (Dec 30, 2025)https://meduza.io/news/2025/12/30/tri-goroda-moskovskoy-oblasti-chastichno-ostalis-bez-elektrichestvaReuters — “Ukraine targets Moscow with drones, Russia says” (Dec 30, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-targets-moscow-with-drones-russia-says-2025-12-30/RBC (???) — “Drones downed on approach to Moscow increased to five” (Dec 30, 2025)https://www.rbc.ru/politics/30/12/2025/695410fb9a79477082f09d87The Moscow Times — “Ukrainian Drones Strike Energy Sites and Homes Across Russia, Officials Say” (Dec 31, 2025)https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/12/31/ukrainian-drones-strike-energy-sites-and-homes-across-russia-officials-say-a91592Reuters — “Ukrainians withstand days-long power cuts in crowded ‘resilience' shelters” (Dec 30, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/ukrainians-withstand-days-long-power-cuts-crowded-resilence-shelters-2025-12-30/Reuters — “Russian drones, missiles pound Ukraine ahead of Zelenskiy-Trump meeting” (Dec 27, 2025)https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-drones-missiles-pound-ukraine-before-zelenskiy-trump-meeting-2025-12-27/----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Silicon Bites Ep281 | 2025-12-31 | “Putin Wants Ukraine to Succeed?” May be the most misguided, misinformed, and perverse phrase ever uttered by an American president, and it must have grated on Zelenskyy's ears, as he heard it in real-time, yet had to retain some sense of composure. Maybe he heard this phrase as being so at variance with reality, so contrary to history and any factual analysis, that it hit him as a pure absurdity, that could be dismissed out of hand. We just don't know.We could dismiss the phrase too, but unfortunately, I think it is indicative of something dark, which could get considerably darker in 2026 – and this is the strong narrative alignment between the US president and Russia stated objectives and ambitions. Strategic intent, and action may well follow in the wake of this narrative alignment, this convergence of worldview and transactional interests, to create substantial problems for Ukraine, in its resistance to Russian aggression in 2026, and even to the democratic world. ----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SOURCES:Reuters (Dec 28, 2025): Trump says US and Ukraine ‘a lot closer' on peace deal but thorny issues remainhttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/zelenskiy-meet-trump-florida-talks-ukraine-peace-plan-2025-12-28/Reuters (Dec 30, 2025): Zelenskiy discusses US troop presence in Ukraine with Trumphttps://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/zelenskiy-discusses-us-troop-presence-ukraine-with-trump-2025-12-30/Reuters (Dec 28, 2025): Trump says he had “very productive” call with Putin ahead of Zelenskiy meetinghttps://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-had-very-productive-call-with-putin-ahead-zelenskiy-meeting-2025-12-28/ABC News (Dec 28, 2025): Trump says Russia and Ukraine are ‘maybe very close' after Zelenskyy meetinghttps://abcnews.go.com/Politics/volodymyr-zelenskyy-arrives-mar-lago-peace-talks-president/story?id=128736611Ukrainska Pravda (Dec 29, 2025): Trump says Putin claims he “wants to see Ukraine succeed”https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/12/29/8013774/----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

2026-01-07 | UPDATES #091 | “Recommendations drive a significant amount of the overall viewership on YouTube, even more than channel subscriptions or search.” That's according to YouTube's own engineers, who stress just how central this machinery is to what gets seen, when and by whom. It's clearly laid out on a transparency post on the YouTube blog site. (blog.youtube) But I can see it clearly in the stats of my two channels as well, Silicon Curtain and Silicon Wafers. What has resonance in the algorithm gets shown more, and videos that don't fall into a vacuum of obscurity, getting low view counts, fewer comments, no revenue and few subscribers.----------SOURCES: YouTube Help Center — “YouTube's Recommendation System” (no date shown)https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16533387?hl=enYouTube Blog — “On YouTube's recommendation system” (15 Sep 2021)https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/on-youtubes-recommendation-system/YouTube Help Center — “How YouTube recommendations work” (no date shown)https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/16089387?hl=enKnight First Amendment Institute (with paper on PMC / OUP) — Engagement ranking amplifies divisive content (2023/2024–2025 publication trail)https://knightcolumbia.org/content/engagement-user-satisfaction-and-the-amplification-of-divisive-content-on-social-mediahttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11894805/Yale News — “Likes” and “shares” teach people to express more outrage online (13 Aug 2021)https://news.yale.edu/2021/08/13/likes-and-shares-teach-people-express-more-outrage-onlineEuropean Commission (CORDIS) — “Social media making us angrier, study reveals” (2021)https://cordis.europa.eu/article/id/430608-trending-science-social-media-making-us-angrier-study-revealsU.S. Surgeon General — “Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory” (2023)https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdfAP News — Oxford Word of the Year: “rage bait” (2025)https://apnews.com/article/oxford-word-rage-bait-biohack-aura-farming-205cad01227a75198aaebdea02f6409bThe Guardian — Fake anti-Labour YouTube videos viewed 1.2bn times (13 Dec 2025)https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/13/fake-anti-labour-video-billion-views-youtube-2025The Guardian — X “For You” feed experiment and polarization (27 Nov 2025)https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/27/partisan-x-posts-increase-political-polarisation-among-users-social-media-researchInterface (EU policy) — “Auditing Recommender Systems” (DSA context)https://www.interface-eu.org/publications/auditing-recommender-systems----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Silicon Bites Ep282 | 2026-01-07 | The invasion of Venezuela was widely expected and predicted. It was no less shocking for all that, but perhaps what we did not foresee, is that it would embroil the Russian shadow fleet in a confrontation with US forces in its self-declared hemisphere of sovereign influence. A rusting shadow fleet tanker in the North Atlantic — being shadowed by a Russian submarine, was boarded by US forces anyway. In the past 24 hours, the United States seized the oil tanker now known as Marinera, formerly Bella-1, after what Reuters describes as a two-week pursuit across the Atlantic — part of Washington's pressure campaign to choke off sanctions-evasion oil flows linked to Venezuela. (Reuters)----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SOURCES:Reuters (Jan 7, 2026) — “Exclusive: US seizes Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit”https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seizing-venezuela-linked-oil-tanker-after-weeks-long-pursuit-2026-01-07/Reuters (Jan 7, 2026) — “UK supported US mission to seize Russian-flagged oil tanker, MoD says”https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-supported-us-mission-seize-russian-oil-tanker-mod-says-2026-01-07/Reuters (Jan 7, 2026) — “US seizes Russian-flagged tanker tied to Venezuela as Trump widens oil push”https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-venezuela-oil-deal-angers-china-pushes-prices-down-2026-01-07/ABC News (Jan 7, 2026) — “US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker in North Atlantic and 2nd tanker”https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-seizes-russian-flagged-oil-tanker-north-atlantic/story?id=128976500The Guardian (Jan 7, 2026) — “UK helped US seize Russian-flagged tanker, defence ministry says”https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/07/uk-helped-us-seize-russian-flagged-tanker-defence-ministry-saysBloomberg (Jan 6, 2026) — “Chevron Lines Up 11 Oil Ships as Venezuela's Dark Fleet Vanishes”https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-06/chevron-lines-up-11-oil-ships-as-venezuela-s-dark-fleet-vanishes----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

Ukraine wakes to more devastation from Russia missiles: OCHA Niger in grip of acute malnutrition and childhood disease Human Rights Council elects an Indonesian candidate President for 2026

“The world is a very volatile place, with currently 110 conflicts globally, and yet healthcare staff in the hospitals, even here in London, are not prepared to be the only clinician who can help in a crisis or hostile setting,” says Dr. David Gough, CEO of the David Nott Foundation, which equips providers with the skills and confidence needed to function in war and other extraordinary situations. A former British Army doctor injured in Afghanistan, Gough brings lived experience as well as a background in tech to his current role at the Foundation, which itself is anchored in decades of field work amassed by its namesake, a renowned war surgeon. As Dr. Gough points out to host Lindsey Smith, the cause could be helped by augmenting medical school curricula, but in the meantime, the Foundation is filling the knowledge gap by using prosthetics, virtual reality simulations and cadavers to train a broad swath of health workers including surgeons, anesthetists, and obstetricians. Tune in to this important Raise the Line conversation as Dr. Gough reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of NGOs in doing this work, his plans to expand the Foundation's footprint in the US, and the gratifying feedback he's received from trainees now operating on the frontlines in Ukraine and elsewhere. Mentioned in this episode:David Nott Foundation If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Montana manager Jesse. The worst thing Jesse had to eat over the holidays. Prediction: Russia and Ukraine will still be fighting in 2028. Dealing with the hiccups. Dealing with a picky eater. Follow The Jesse Kelly Show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJesseKellyShowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EW FOR LATER TODAY: Professor Ed Watts details the backstory of the Goths, originally farmers in Ukraine who fled into Roman territory to escape the terrifying Huns. Admitted as refugees in 375 AD, the Goths faced starvation due to inadequate Romanresources, leading to rebellion and the eventual sacking of Rome.1734 PALATINE HILL

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—Russia lashes out over the fall of Nicolás Maduro, but the outrage may be masking a far deeper strategic loss for Vladimir Putin, as Moscow's influence in the Western Hemisphere takes a serious hit. Later in the show—the strongman is gone, but the crackdown remains, as Venezuelan authorities detain and deport members of the foreign press, raising fresh doubts about any real transition. Plus—new details on what a postwar Ukraine could look like, as the United States prepares to take the lead in monitoring a future ceasefire alongside European allies. And in today's Back of the Brief—North Korea kicks off the new year with missile launches into the Sea of Japan, claiming another advance in its hypersonic weapons program. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Beam: Visit https://shopbeam.com/MIKE and use code MIKE to get our exclusive discount of up to 40% off. BUBS Naturals: Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code PDB at https://Bubsnaturals.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this episode of The Wright Report, Bryan delivers a sweeping analysis of the national and global fallout from President Trump's decision to capture Nicolás Maduro. From Minneapolis to Caracas, and from Mexico to Greenland, Bryan explains how one operation is reshaping immigration policy, energy markets, global power dynamics, and America's definition of strength. ICE Launches Largest Immigration Operation in U.S. History: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed a massive surge of ICE officers into Minneapolis, with Venezuelans, Somalis, and other migrant groups now prioritized for removal. With Maduro no longer in power, the administration says it is safe for Venezuelans to return home. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz condemned the operation, calling it unprecedented, as Temporary Protected Status, asylum cases, and green card applications are frozen or revoked. Trump Strikes a Massive Oil Deal with Venezuela: Negotiations with Venezuela's new Marxist leadership produced a deal transferring thirty to fifty million barrels of oil to U.S. control, valued at up to two point eight billion dollars. The oil will help refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and stabilize global markets. U.S. oil companies are now being pushed to rehabilitate Venezuela's collapsed energy sector, potentially with taxpayer support, despite concerns about security and long term stability. Stability Over Democracy in Caracas: The White House decided it cannot yet work with opposition leaders like María Corina Machado or Edmundo González. Instead, Trump is temporarily backing remnants of the Maduro regime to maintain order and secure oil and mineral flows. Power struggles inside Venezuela have already turned violent, with armed gangs, checkpoints, and internal purges spreading fear among civilians. Global Strategy Tied to Oil and Power: Trump's plan aims to flood global markets with Venezuelan oil to pressure Canada, undercut Russia's finances, and entice India away from Russian energy. Bryan explains how this strategy could weaken Vladimir Putin's war funding and force movement toward a Ukraine peace deal. Shockwaves Across Mexico, Cuba, and Greenland: Mexican leaders fear they could be next as Trump escalates cartel strikes and pressures Mexico to cut oil shipments to Cuba. Cuban leaders face collapse without Venezuelan and Mexican energy. Meanwhile, Trump renewed warnings that military force remains an option to secure Greenland, citing the threat posed by China and Russia. European leaders are furious but largely powerless to stop him. A Message to China and the World: Trump warned Venezuela's remaining leaders to sever ties with China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran or face removal. Reuters reports Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello is now under direct U.S. threat. Bryan argues the broader message is clear. Trump is no longer bluffing, and assumptions that he is all bark and no bite are collapsing worldwide. Analysis and Warning: Bryan cautions that while Trump may manage Venezuela in the short term, the strategy carries serious risks. China, Brazil, or Colombia could destabilize the country through proxies or sabotage. He suggests Trump may seek a grand bargain with Beijing, trading U.S. restraint in Asia for Chinese withdrawal from the Western Hemisphere. The Political Lesson: Senator Chris Murphy admitted this week that Trump must now be taken seriously. Bryan closes by arguing that Trump is reordering global power at age seventy-nine because he believes the country is nearing collapse and this is America's last chance to reset its trajectory.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: January 7 2026 Wright Report, ICE Minneapolis surge Venezuelans, Kristi Noem Todd Lyons deportations, Trump Venezuela oil deal Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Maduro regime remnants power struggle, global oil strategy Canada Russia India, Mexico cartel pressure Cuba collapse, Greenland military option Trump, China warning Venezuela Cabello, Trump global power reset

Day 1,413. Today, we report on the details of the latest COTW summit in Paris, asking how significant was the strong US presence and input. We get an update from Francis in Hungary and, later, we have an interview with Sir Ben Wallace, Britain's former defence secretary who says it's just wishful thinking that Donald Trump would put any weight behind a backstop because Putin knows, in Sir Ben's words, that he's got a guy in the White House aligned to Russia.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Venetia Rainey (Co-host Battle Lines podcast). @venetiarainey on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnleyon X.With thanks to Sir Ben Wallace, Britain's former defence secretary. @BenWallace70 on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Putin's secret bargain to trade Ukraine for Venezuelahttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/06/putins-bargain-trade-ukraine-for-venezuela/LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Market Snapshot: A Day of Mixed Signals and Volatility In this episode of Dividend Cafe, Brian Szytel from West Palm Beach, Florida, discusses the latest market trends as of January 7th. Despite two consecutive positive days, the market experienced a slight downturn with the DOW down by nearly 1%, the S&P down by a third of a percent, and the Nasdaq inching slightly positive. Positive movements in the bond market and an increase in volatility were noted. Key geopolitical developments included potential positive news about Ukraine and discussions around Venezuelan oil and Greenland. On the economic front, the ADP private payroll and job openings numbers were slightly weaker than expected, but the ISM services number exceeded expectations. Brian provides insights into the impacts of Venezuelan oil on global prices and discusses the current state of the energy sector. 00:00 Introduction and Market Overview 01:11 Geopolitical Headlines Impacting Markets 02:10 Economic Data and Market Reactions 03:51 Venezuelan Oil and Market Implications 04:57 Energy Sector Insights 05:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com

The White House said it was considering “a range of options” to acquire Greenland and that using military force is “always an option”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First off — Happy New Year. To kick off the year, this week's episode of the Wealth Formula Podcast is a solo one from me. I spend the episode walking through my outlook for 2026 and sharing a few predictions for how I think this cycle is going to play out. Lately, I keep hearing the same question phrased in different ways. The economy feels tight, but markets are holding up. Growth is coming in stronger than expected, inflation is easing, and yet a lot of the signals people usually rely on just don't seem to be lining up. That disconnect is really the starting point for this episode. Rather than reacting to headlines or making short-term calls, I wanted to step back and talk through the mechanics of what's actually driving this environment — and why it looks so different from the cycles most of us learned about. A lot of it comes down to debt, policy constraints, how capital moves today, and the growing influence of technology. When you start looking at those pieces together, some of the things that feel confusing begin to make a lot more sense. This isn't meant to be alarmist or overly optimistic. It's simply an attempt to frame the environment clearly so you can think about it more intelligently — especially if you're deploying capital or deciding whether it makes sense to sit on the sidelines. If you've felt like the economy and the markets aren't really speaking the same language right now, I think you'll find this episode useful. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com.  You need to be out of the dollar and into the investor class because that that widening gap between those who have, who own things, who own assets and those who do not is gonna continue to widen. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Wealth Formula Podcast, and today I am going to do something a little bit different. I’m gonna kind of give you. My perspective, maybe predictions I dare say about, uh, the upcoming year in 2026, how I look at it, what I think, uh, uh, is likely outcome and why. Not that I am any smarter than any of you on this stuff, but I’ve actually kind of sat down and, and thought about, you know, the things that are going on in the macroeconomic. Side of things and, um, put some stuff together and, uh, hopefully you’ll enjoy it. We’ll have, uh, that right after these messages. Wealth formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net, the strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from. Your own bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you’ve borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps paying you compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it at result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your invest. Get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique. It’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its backbone. Turbocharge your investments. Visit Wealthformulabanking.com. Again, that’s wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back everyone, and, uh, happy New Year to you. I forgot to even say that in the intro. How rude of me. Hopefully you had a great holiday, you had a great Christmas, and you’re bringing in the new year with a vision of health and wealth and PO prosperity and all that stuff. So anyway, let’s talk a little bit about, uh, you know what I am. Kinda looking at for 2026. Now, when you think about, well, what are these predictions and what could they be and all that, um, interest rates, inflation markets, you know, uh, let’s set the foundation for how I’m thinking about it, because everything else really kind of builds on it. And the most important thing to understand is that debt. Is really now I think the main character in the economy. I know we, people have been talking about this for a very long time, but I think, I think the debt issue is really, really becoming something that cannot be ignored, and I’ll get into that in a while. Obviously, I’m not saying that inflation and interest rates don’t matter. They matter enormously. Uh, those are the things that people actually feel, right? Higher prices, higher mortgage rates, higher insurance costs. What I’m saying is that the level of debt now determines really how decisions on those things are made from policy makers. You know, how do they respond to inflation and interest rates, recessions market stress. What debt does is it actually kinda limits the range of choices around how policy makers react to all these things. So once you see that, the behavior of the economy starts to, I think, make a lot more sense. So let’s start with. Sovereign debt, and I’m gonna start really basic here because the question is, you know, what exactly is sovereign debt? Okay. And sovereign debt is the money a government owes, okay? In the US it exists because the government consistently spends more than it collects in taxes, and that gap is called the deficit. When that happens year after year, you have an accumulation of debt. Now, when debt is low, it’s, it’s pretty manageable, right? But when debt gets very large, it starts to influence policy decisions, and that’s where we are right now. Uh, here’s the key mechanic that I think most people don’t really think about, right? Governments don’t pay off debt the way you and I, you know, pay off our debt, like mortgage or whatever. They always refinance it, right? So when the US government borrows money, it issues bonds. That’s how it does, those bonds have maturity dates, and when you buy a bond, you’re, you know, you’re loaning the government money. So when a bond matures, the government owes that principle back to you. Right? So that’s, that’s kind of how well we talk about, we talk about debt, but the government doesn’t save money over time to pay off that bond. Like, I mean, that’s the way you would think about it for you and me, right? I mean, at some point you’re like, ah, I really need to pay off this debt. I’m just gonna pay it off with this money that I saved. Instead, what they do is when a bond comes due, it issues a new bond and uses the money from that new bond to pay back the old one. Okay. Now, if that sounds familiar, uh, to you, it’s because it’s pretty much what we would call in plain English refinancing, right? Now imagine though, the government issued a bond a few years ago when interest rates were near zero. That bond matures today, interest rates are much higher, right to pay off the old bond. The government issues a new one at today’s higher rates. So the debt doesn’t disappear, it just becomes more expensive to carry, right? I mean, it’s just like you got a mortgage, you know you had a, a great rate, but you only got it for seven years and all of sudden you gotta refinance it. Gosh, all of a sudden that rate went really higher and your payments are much higher, and the debt payments going up, you know, for the government, what adds to that deficit? It’s a really, really vicious cycle. Now, take that process and multiply it across trillions of dollars of debt. Now you can start seeing why interest rates matter so much in a high debt system. Now, what makes this especially important right now is that for over the last several years, the US issued a very large amount of short-term debt. Short-term debt matures quickly, and that means large portions of government debt. Come due every year and have to be refinanced at whatever the interest rate exists at the time. So even if deficit stock growing tomorrow, which they won’t, the government would still need smooth functioning financial markets just to keep refinancing what it al what already exists now. This is why the economy has become so sensitive to interest rates, liquidity and confidence. Higher interest rates increase the cost of refinancing, right? We’ve mentioned that already. And that pushes deficits higher and forces even more borrowing. So I mentioned liquidity. What is that? Well, liquidity is about how easily money moves through the system. When liquidity is good, bonds are easily absorbed. Banks lend markets function normally, and when liquidity dries up, refinancing becomes fragile. That stress. Stress in the market spreads quickly. And then finally, confidence I mentioned too. Why does confidence matter? Well, confidence matters because investors need to believe that the system is gonna hold together. When confidence weakens, guess what happens? Well, what would happen if you think about it with a loan, a higher risk loan? While investors demand higher yields like refinance, it becomes even more expensive. And problems compound fast. Now, this is why Pol policymakers are extremely uncomfortable with high borrowing costs, reduced lending, falling asset values, and deep recessions. Recessions, by the way, don’t make debt easier to manage. They make it harder by reducing tax revenue and worsening debt ratios. Now that brings me to a, something that I am feeling sort of back and forth with. Um. You know, a listener who sent me some commentary about, you know, the fear of going back to 1970s, eighties style interest rates. But the thing is that I just don’t think that comparison works, and here’s why. Okay, so in the 1970s, the US had far less debt. Interest rates could go very high without threatening the government’s ability to refinance itself. Now today, with debt much larger relative to the economy, very high rates don’t just fight inflation. They stress the entire financial structure, right? You can’t just say, oh, we’re gonna make super high rates because the cost of all that debt the government has is gonna be extraordinarily expensive. Now, that doesn’t mean that rates can’t rise. It means policymakers have far less tolerance for how high and how long rates can stay elevated. It’s a completely different system from the 1970s and eighties. So I think trying to put things into that context is probably not, um, not a, a good way to think about it. So why am I fo focusing on this right now? Uh, instead of a few years ago, because again, we stu we didn’t suddenly become a high debt economy this year. So what changed? Well timing a massive amount of debt that was issued at very low interest rates, as I mentioned before, is now maturing and being refinanced at much higher rates, and that shift is no longer theoretical. It’s happening in real time. Last year, much of that low uh, rate, debt was still in place. Interest costs hadn’t fully reset, but going into 2026, they have no, I, I keep talking about, you know, how much we’re paying an interest, right? Because again, that’s a big difference between now and the 1970s when you could have, you know, you didn’t have as much debt so you could pay more interest on it. Right now, the US is now spending roughly a trillion dollars a year just on interest. Her perspective, right? I mean, what’s a trillion dollars? Uh, what does that even mean for the normal person? Well, for Perce perspective, that’s the defense budget. $1 trillion. It’s more than Medicare, more than most major federal programs. And the thing is that money doesn’t do anything, right. It doesn’t create growth. It just services past borrowing. And this is the point where debt stops being background noise, kind of an annoyance that people just say, well, we’ll kick it to the next generation. It start starts actively shaping, uh, policy decisions because it’s, it’s a thing that you gotta pay for. You gotta keep paying for it. So the takeaway I want you to carry forward is simple. We now live in a system where policymakers don’t have the luxury of letting things break when debt is low. Governments can tolerate deep recessions like you saw in the seventies and eighties and long recoveries. When debt is high, they can’t because even small shocks can just really get outta control quickly. And that’s the framework I think, uh, that I’m using as we move into interest rates, inflation, and what all this means for markets going into 2026. So let’s talk about interest rates. You’ve heard me say that I think that interest rates are gonna come down. Um, they’re gonna continue to tick down a little bit. I don’t think a lot, but I do think there’ll probably be at least one more rate cut. I think, you know, you’re probably gonna have some, um, uh, some lowering in the 10 year and, and the bond market in general. Uh, but interest rates are not gonna go back to 2010, right? They just aren’t. And. The 2010s were not normal. There were a very specific period created by very specific conditions, right? Inflation was persistently low, uh, but just wouldn’t go up. Globalization, uh, push prices down. Capital was abundant. Debt levels, well, they were high, but they’re rising, but they hadn’t become what they are now. And because of that, central banks could hold rates near zero without much consequence. That environment, unfortunately, does not exist now. So today, debt is much higher. Inflation risk is real again, and investors expect to be compensated for lending money long term. So even when rates decline from current levels, they do not return, uh, they will not return to where people, uh, anchor them psychologically. If they’re thinking about the 2000 tens, they’re gonna settle higher. Within the 2000 tens baseline, you see policymakers are kind of stuck if rates, uh, say too high for too long. We mentioned this before. Refinancing government debt becomes increasingly expensive. Interest costs rise, deficits, widen, and then you get that financial stress that’s spreads through the credit markets. But if rates are pushed too low for too long, borrowing accelerates. And that’s. When inflation resurfaces and confidence in the currency weakens, so then that’s the tug of war. So policymakers, uh, you know, they, they can no longer choose between high rates and low rates. They’re gonna be choosing how to manage, uh, the trade-offs, right? So what’s gonna happen is that you’re gonna see that rates are gonna move within a range. Uh, they come down when something breaks, they move back up when inflation pressures recurrent. Um, that’s why volatility matters more than the exact. Level of rates going forward, in my opinion. So we’re, we’re not returning to free money. We are also not headed to a permanent 1970 style high rate world. What we are doing is entering a time where borrowing costs matter. Again, refinancing is not guaranteed, and rate swings are part of the system, and that naturally leads to the question of inflation. So once you understand why rates. You know, don’t go back to the 2010. The next question becomes, uh, well, if policymakers can’t keep rates high for long and they can’t push them back to zero either, then what are they actually trying to ac accomplish? Well, the answer is that, that the goal is kind of shifted for decades. Economic policy was focused on disinflation, um, you know, pushing inflation lower and lower. Over time, uh, and inflation was actually treated as a failure, and that made sense. In a world with lower debt in a high debt world, that logic sort of breaks down, right? Deflation, which is actually falling prices, increases the real value of debt. Think about that for a moment. Like just in terms of. You know, you have a mortgage and you know, sometime, you know, your parents might have like a 30 year mortgage or something like that, that they’ve had for 25 years. They’ve been paying it off and it’s great. But the bigger thing to notice is the amount of money that they borrowed is actually very small in real world dollars because it’s, you know, 25 years later. See, inflation is bad when it’s, you know, you’re dealing with it, but inflation is. Good at one other thing, which is it’s good at eroding debt. It will make, uh, the amount of the value of the, you know, the actual money that you owe on debt lower over time. So that’s why you can’t have deflation, right? You can’t have deflation because that increases the real value of the debt. It discourages spending, slows growth and makes refinancing harder. So in today’s system, deflation is way, way more dangerous than moderate inflation. And so because of that inflation really isn’t something that I think is quite as important that has to be eliminated at all costs. That, you know, you have to be right at 2%, which is, you know, kind of what the, the fed his, his target is, right? Instead, what you gotta do is you gotta manage it. Of course, that doesn’t mean you want runaway inflation. What they wanna do is have enough inflation to keep nominal growth positive and prevent debt burdens from become heavier again. Why? What do I mean by that? You gotta have enough inflation to erode the debt that we have, right? So this is why that 2% inflation target should be understood. As, you know, kind of aspirational, but not absolute because having a little higher inflation, yeah, it hurts people. It’s, uh, it hurts people on a day-to-day basis, but actually helps with that. So even at, uh, you know, inflation sell a bit higher than, than, than the, you know, 2% fed target say it’s 4%, it’s actually eroding, uh, you know, it is eroding purchasing power, but it’s also eroding debt. It’s, it’s stabilizing debt dynamics. From the system’s perspective, of course that’s helpful. But for us, we’re paying for things on a day-to-day basis to see the cost of eggs and all that. It’s, it’s frustrating, right? And that tension between system stability and personal cost, it’s one of the defining features of the economy heading into 2026. So when you see policymakers tolerate inflation, uh, longer. Then you think they should or step in quickly When markets kind of wobble, it’s not confusion or incompetence, it’s actually constraint because debt limits the available choices. Rates are managed within a range. Inflation is guided and not eliminated. Now put those together and you get the environment we’re moving into, which is an economy where markets can look. Resilient, even while people feel stretched, right? I mean, that’s kinda what we’re feeling. Everybody’s like, oh, these markets are doing fantastic, you know? But then, you know, you look at consumer confidence, it goes down. It’s been going down every month. This is an environment where asset prices recover faster than wages, and we’re understanding how policy reacts becomes a real advantage. So that’s kind of my macro setup for 2026. Um, you know, with that framework, we can start looking into the first prediction I’ll make. And again, these are not, you know, crazy predictions. Uh, they are just generalized things that I think you’re gonna see. So, like the first one is that the markets will stop being reliable proxy for the economy. You could argue that’s already happened, right? Markets in the economy kind of stopped correlating. We saw it after the financial crisis, right? We saw it very clearly even during COVID. The decoupling itself is not new. What’s new is that that decoupling is no longer temporary. It’s become the baseline that’s become the new normal. Uh, for most of modern history people had a fairly reliable mental model, right? You probably do. If you grew up in the eighties and nineties, uh, as a kid or whatever, when the economy felt bad, layoffs, we growth falling in con incomes, markets usually reflected the pain. Right. Sometimes there was a gap. Sometimes markets recovered a little earlier, but eventually things kinda re converged. The economy healed. We just caught up in the markets and lived experience kinda lined up. Now that’s the model that most people still have in their heads, and that’s why so many people feel so confused right now. I mean, I feel confused by it. So what’s changed going into 2026? You know, it, it is, it’s structural Now. We’re no longer living in a system where policy intervenes only during emergencies. We are, uh, in a system where policy is always on, debt is permanently high, rates are actively managed, inflation is tolerated rather than eliminated. And as a result of that, markets aren’t really necessarily responding primarily to how. The economy feels to people they’re responding. Uh, you know, it’s responding to refinancing needs. Liquidity management. Uh, confidence preservation. That’s a very different signal. COVID is the clearest example of that ship, but it’s, it’s important to understand it correctly. So in 2020, the economy was literally shut down, right? Unemployment exploded. Uh, small businesses were collapsing, right? Like, this is COVID and yet markets bottom quickly. We saw that and then bam. All time highs, even though life kind of felt terrible for a lot of people. And that wasn’t because the economy was healthy, it was because policy overwhelmed fundamentals. And at the time that felt extraordinary. It felt very different. Like this doesn’t make any sense. What’s different now is that we’re still using the same playbook but with out in obvious crisis. So intervention is no longer reactive. It’s, you know, uh, it’s preventative. So what do I predict for 2026? Well, markets are gonna stop being a reliable proxy for economic health. Uh, you, you people can just stop talking about that. Like it, like it, it means anything anymore. Markets going to increasingly reflect how constrained policymakers are and how much liquidity is in the system, and how aggressively risk is being managed. They’re not gonna, the markets are not gonna tell you. About affordability, wage pressure, or whether life feels easier or harder for people. Right. Those are completely gonna, those are, it’s just a standard thing now that those are uncorrelated and the gap is not, uh, abnormal anymore. It’s. The operating environment. So what do you do with that information? Well, for an individual investor, this environment requires a real mindset shift, right? You can’t rely on your gut anymore. You can’t say, man, I feel like this economy doesn’t feel good. So the market’s gonna look at the, I mean, you, you, you know, a lot of people feel like the economy doesn’t feel good to them because of inflation, because of what happened with interest rates and all that stuff, right? But look it, you’ve got. Record breaking, uh, stock market numbers. You can’t rely on your gut anymore. Your gut is telling you the economy feels bad. For many people, that’s absolutely true. Costs are high. Again, things feel tight, and the instinct is to wait to sit in cash. To assume markets would reflect that pain, but that instinct used to work. And in this system it doesn’t because markets are no longer pricing in how the economy feels. They’re pricing policy response. Liquidity and constraints. So if you wait for the economy to feel good before you act, it’s gonna be way too late. So instead of asking, does the economy feel weak, you need to start asking different questions. You need to ask how constrained policymakers are, how quickly liquidity will return if markets wob on it, and where capital tends to flow first when policy steps sit. In other words. You gotta start really thinking about investing, right? Like you gotta, like right now. Now I’ve talked, I’ve beat this over many times before, but you know, you have, if you’re, if you’re saving money right now and you’re looking and you are wondering what to do, look for things that are on sale now. I spent real estate’s on sale right now. Right? Get your money into the markets one way or another. That’s what I would say. Whatever it is that you want to invest in. Don’t let your money just erode because this lack of correlation is, it’s a really, really important thing and it’s, it’s gonna continue to happen and you know what else is gonna happen Because of that, you’re gonna see an increasing widening up the wealth gap. People whose income is tied primarily to wages are, are gonna experience that inflation directly, right? Their money’s trapped in the real economy where costs rise faster than income. But investors on the other hand, have an opportunity to participate in the markets that are supported by this sort of unnatural infrastructure that I just mentioned, right? As asset prices are gonna continue going up. Now, I’m not here to judge whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’m just telling you how it’s functions. So the investor class increasingly benefits from asset appreciation, right? Early access to liquidity. While lower income groups often can participate in that upside. Even as their cost of living rise, because they’re not in the markets, they’re not, they don’t own assets. So again, you have to stop, you know, using how the economy feels is your primary investing signal. If you wanna protect and grow your wealth in this environment, you need to understand how policy reacts, how you know liquidity moves, how assets behave when the system is under constraint. And in other words, uh, you know. Frankly, you just need to be part of the winning class, which is the investor class. Alright, so that’s kind of, uh, hopefully that made sense to you. Here’s another prediction for you, and this is probably more related to some of the things that we talk about usually, but I’ll say that multifamily and commercial real estate are going to finish their washout, and the window is gonna start to really close again. I’ve talked about this. Before, you’ve probably heard me say this, but let’s talk about multifamily and commercial real estate again, because you know, this audience doesn’t need just theory. You’ve already lived through the pain or the past two years you’ve seen deals blow up, capital calls go out, refinancings fail. So the real question going on in 2026 is not whether real estate breaks. It’s already, it already did. It already did. The real question is how much longer this phase lasts and what replaces it. My view is that 2025 into early 2026, um, represents the final phase of this unwind in the beginning of stabilization. I’m not predicting an immediate boom, not a return to 2021 by any means, but the end of obvious distress. So what’s happened already from 2022 to 2024? Multifamily and commercial real estate absorbed the fastest rate shock in modern history. Many of you lived through that. I lived through that. It’s painful. Debt costs doubled or tripled. Cap rates moved hundreds of basis points. You know, bridge debt structures broke, uh, refinancing assumptions collapsed. Now, a lot of the deals, I mean, I would say most of the deals, uh, uh, that, you know, kind of imploded, uh, shared the same DNA, you know, peaking price, uh, purchases, uh, during peak prices in 2021, early 2022. Uh, you know. Floating rate thin or negative cash flow based on, you know, the rates at the time. Maybe it was positive business plans that were really dependent on refi and rent growth. Um, those deals though, have largely already defaulted, recapitalize, or, you know, they’re being quietly handed back. And that matters because markets don’t keep breaking the same wave forever. If, if you’re seeing right now and if you’re in our investor club, you are. 30% discounts on a regular basis. Right? On a regular basis compared to the peak. Don’t assume that’s gonna last. That this is the key point I wanna make very clearly. If you’re looking at multifamily or commercial deals today that are trade trading at that 30% below where they were a couple years ago, you should not assume that window stays opening. Definitely because the level of discount there, uh, the level of discount exists because. Dried up liquidity, uh, because of that violent rate reset, uh, uncertainty. But here’s the thing, markets don’t stay frozen forever and as soon as pricing stabilizes, even at higher cap rates, which are going to be higher than they were, because you’re not gonna see interest rates down at zero, capital is gonna start to move again. And stabilization doesn’t require rates to go back to zero. It just requires some level of predictability. So here’s the sequence of what happens first, you know, the distress slows, uh, you see less and less defaults, and then slowly but surely cap rates stop expanding, right? That alone brings back buyers. Then as rates drift mo lower and volatility declines, lenders reenter selectively, debt becomes a billable again. It’s not cheap. It’s definitely usable and that brings more liquidity. When I say liquidity, in this context, I’m talking about just more deals getting done. And once liquidity returns, cap rates don’t stay wide forever. They compress, right? It’s competition. And again, when they compress, they’re not gonna go back to 2021 levels, but enough to meaningfully lift asset values from distressed pricing. This can happen faster than people expect, right? People underestimate the fact that there is an enormous amount of capital sitting on the sidelines right now in money market funds, short term treasuries, private capital, waiting for clarity. That capital isn’t, you know, permanent. The moment investors believe that rates of peak, that prices of stabilized downside risks is contained, that money starts to chase yield. When it does the transition from, nobody wants this, everyone wants exposure again, can happen surprisingly fast. In other words, I’m not saying I think this will happen in 26, but the shift from a market that is on sale, which I’ve described it as to a market that is starting to look a little frothy, can really be just a couple of years. And in that situation, I’d rather be a net seller, right? You wanna be accumulating. During this phase of for sale so that you can sell in froth. So what this means is that the market is, you know, uh, is not a market to wait for everything to feel perfect, because by the time it does, the obvious discounts are gonna be gone. And if you wait for perfect clarity, you’re gonna be competing, you competing with institutional capital, with large private funds and, and, and yield hungry money coming outta cash. The opportunity is not assuming distress lasts forever. It is. It’s in recognizing when the market is transitioning from forced selling, which is what is happening even now to price discovery. So ultimately, the prediction is this multifamily and commercial real estate, that that washout is completed in 2026 and the window created by distress really starts to close. Deep discounts don’t persist. Once market stabilized, which I think is what’s gonna happen, and then I think you’re gonna start to see a shift. You’re gonna start to see more deals, more liquidity, and that’s gonna return faster than people expect. In other words, this is gonna be the end of, you know, sort of this bargain basement, you know, panic pricing. And once real assets stabilize and liquidity returns, attention inevitably turns, uh, to the currency, those assets are priced in. Which brings us to the prediction number three. That dollar, okay, the dollar doesn’t collapse, but it does continue to erode. It slowly leak, right? Let’s talk about the dollar, ’cause you hear about this all the time, right? A nausea, you hear the, the weakening of the dollar. Um, this is one of those topics that where people tend to jump to extremes. You know, on one side you hear the dollar is about to collapse. On the other side you hear the dollar’s strong and everything’s fine. I think, um, the truth is somewhere in, in the middle. And my prediction for 2026 is simple. Um, again, the dollar doesn’t really explode. It doesn’t get replaced. It can just continues to erode slowly but surely. And that’s how reserve currencies actually behave when debt gets high. Right. So why no collapse, right? Because you got like people out there, uh, worried about the collapse of the US dollar. The US dollar is gonna remain dominant, not because it’s perfect, but because there’s no real alternative at scale. There just isn’t. Okay? There’s no other currency with markets as deep, as liquid and as widely used for trade debt and collateral. So, you know, reserve currencies, you know, you hear about the, the worry about us being the reserve currency. Well, reserve currencies don’t disappear overnight. They erode gradually, but they don’t disappear overnight. And that erosion shows up not as a crash, but again as persistent inflation, right? It’s rising, you know, real asset prices, which is again, where you wanna be, and a slow loss of purchasing power over time. Again, that brings us back to the whole issue of debt we were talking about, right? So in a highly indebted system, policymakers are not incentivized to aggressively defend the currency at all costs, right? So very high interest rates might strengthen the dollar in the short term, but they also make debt harder to service and financial stress worse, right? So instead of choosing strength or collapse. Um, you know, policy drifts towards tolerance, right? Inflation is allowed to run a little hotter than people expect, because again, it’s gonna erode that debt. The currency weakens slowly, therefore, rather than violently, right? Again, currency weakening. It’s that, it, it’s so entwined with this idea of inflation because debt becomes easier to manage in real terms. And one of the things I hear, and I’ve been sort of in these conversations back and forth with, um. At least one of you out there, uh, in, in emails is that, you know, I hear, uh, that, that, that there’s a, a serious problem for interest rates because of, you know, China, uh, selling US treasuries. And because of that you might get the collapse of the dollar. In fact, in this conversation, it was not only about China, but also Europe. Which, you know, I hadn’t actually heard anybody mention that before, but I guess that’s out there in the ecosystem and some of the newsletters. Now, all that sounds scary, but it really misunderstands how the system actually works. What exactly happens when someone or a country sells treasuries? Well, they don’t dis, they, they don’t just destroy the dollars. What they’re doing is they just swap $1 asset for another, right? The dollars don’t even lead the system. They change hands. So this idea of China selling off all it t trade, well, China’s been, uh, reducing its treasury holdings for years and the dollar hasn’t collapsed. The market absorbed it because treasuries are the deepest, most liquid market in the world. And then this idea of Europe, of of Europe actually dumping treasuries because, you know, they’re not happy with Donald Trump and what he’s doing in Ukraine and all that, that would be an absolute nightmare for, for Europe. That would hurt their own economy. That’s the last thing that an indebted government wants. So foreign selling, yeah, sure it’s gonna move yields, but it, it’s not gonna implode the dollar. But the reality of the, uh, erosion of the dollar is real. I don’t think anybody questions that anymore, and I think that is another reason that you need to be buying. Real assets. You need to be buying equity. You need to be on the side of the investor class. Okay? That’s, that’s how you combat all of this. So the real takeaway here ultimately is that, you know, it isn’t, uh, to abandon the dollar, right? It isn’t. It’s, it’s just to stop pretending that holding cash is neutral. It’s not, it, most of your wall suits and assets that, that can’t adjust. You know, they can’t grow as, you know, as, as asset prices grow, then you’re making a bet on currency stability that literally no one believes is, is going to be the base standard anymore. Everybody knows, every economist, every country, every everywhere knows that these currencies are eroding. You don’t freak out about the dollar, but don’t, don’t, don’t be like heavily in dollars. Start getting into the markets. Alright, well, you know, I’m talking a lot about esoteric macro stuff, but let’s kind of get into some stuff that you might think is fun, more fun maybe. Okay. You, a lot of you are into Bitcoin. Well, I think that, you know, Bitcoin is gonna continue to mature. And the next look, leg up looks like, you know, because of more adoption, not because of hype, which isn’t maybe not as, as, as fast and violent, but it’s, it’s, it’s a lot more predictable. For those of you who are still unfortunately listening to the likes of Peter Schiff about Bitcoin, you gotta stop doing that because Bitcoin is not tulips. Right? A lot of people still talk about it like it’s a fad that could just vanish. We’re long past that phase. Bitcoin is, is, is a $2 trillion asset and in the history of the world, there has never been a $2 trillion asset that went to zero. Is it volatile? Yeah, it is. It can absolutely continue to be wildly volatile, but you’re not going to zero. And my prediction is not overly crazy. It’s just that. Bitcoin is going to continue to increase in price, but it’s not become, not because of speculative, uh, you know, because it’s a speculative trade anymore, right? I think it’s because of adoption. Uh, adoption is going to become the real meaningful driver of market capitalization. So what do I mean by that? It just means more people are seeing it as a real asset, and it has to become, when it becomes a real asset class, everyone has to have some of it. Every major institution has to have some of it because it’s an its own asset class. And when they do that, it just drives up the entire market capitalization of that asset. And when you have an asset that has a finite amount, which in the case of Bitcoin, there will never be more than 21 million Bitcoin. You have constant adoption, constant slow, but persistent growth in market capitalization, the asset has to become more expensive. Now, what do I mean by this adoption? Well, places that you would never think in a million years, a few years ago, that that would be buying Bitcoin or you know, ETFs, B to Bitcoin ETFs are doing. So Harvard. Harvard is a great example. Because it’s not, it’s not crypto influencer, right? It’s actually one of the most conservative, brand sensitive pools of capital in the world. But their endowment management, uh, disclosed roughly 443, uh, million dollars in its position in BlackRock, uh, BlackRock, iShares Bitcoin, Bitcoin Trust, which is ibi for those of you who, who, uh, don’t know, that’s how you can just go to your New York Stock Exchange and, and buy. Bitcoin ETFs with ibit. Now, whether you love this whole Bitcoin idea or hate it or whatever, that’s a signal that is increasingly treated like a portfolio asset. It’s not a fringe experiment, and it’s not only universities. Uh, institutional comfort is it’s just there, right? Um, custody, uh, custody regulated vehicles, positioning, size, risk controls, those kinds of things are all become part of the Bitcoin uh, environment. Many countries are already holding meaningful amounts of Bitcoin. Uh, even the US has, there’s a, there is a formalized Bitcoin reserve. Now we aren’t actively buying it, but here’s an interesting thing with Bitcoin, you can, when it is, uh, the way that the US is accumulating Bitcoin is through seizures. Alright? Bad guy gets caught. His boats, his house and his Bitcoin get, uh, confiscated. So the US will sell the house, they will sell the gold, they will sell the boats, but they will keep the Bitcoin. What does that tell you? You know? And, and there’s a lot of nations that are actually openly holding and, and buying Bitcoin. I mentioned the US China. This always seems to be, uh, you know, anti Bitcoin. Well, they actually own quite a bit the UK, Ukraine, Bhutan, El Salvador. Bottom line is there’s a big change in narrative, right? That this is a real asset. So this is something that, you know, even if it’s 1% of a major, uh, institution’s assets or less than that, or whatever, it’s part of it. And that adoption alone can move prices from, from here. And that’s what I think a lot of people miss because they’re like, well, you already had a big move and you know, instead a hundred, it’s 80 or 90 or a hundred, whatever. It’s, it’s not going much better, bigger than that. Well, Bitcoin is, is actually really small relative to global pools of capital. So at this stage, adoption alone. Not even the crazy mania of the past can make a non-trivial increase in market capitalization and therefore a mark, you know, a non-trivial increase in the actual price of Bitcoin. All it’s gonna take, and you’re gonna see this, you’re gonna see more endowments, you’re gonna see more sovereign wealth pool, pensions, mod model portfolios, all they guys daisy side, when you know, even with a small allocation. It doesn’t take too much to overwhelm the available float because Bitcoin is scarce and a lot of it’s held tightly. So as far as Bitcoin goes, what do I think is gonna happen? I believe all time highs are gonna get challenged. They’re gonna get broken again in 2026, not because again, everyone’s suddenly becoming a crypto maximas, but because adoptions could just gonna continue to grow. The wild card, I should say, is that the US moving from, we hold. What we seized in terms of Bitcoin to actively acquiring reserves could be enormous catalyst. And there is a lot of talk about this right now. Um, if the market ever believes that the US is a consistent buyer, even in a constrained budget neutral way, that changes the psychology fast. And in that scenario, I think 200,000 plus, uh, $200,000 plus Bitcoin by the end of 2026 becomes very plausible. Zooming out. I’ve said this before, you may think I’m crazy, but again, because of adoption, I think that Bitcoin is at a million dollars five to seven years from now. So what does that mean for you? Well, I mean, I think at the end of the day, if you don’t own some, you might want to, I’m not gonna give you financial advice, but again, just like Harvard’s doing it, you know, major, major endowments are saying, well. You know, maybe we’ll just buy, like, you know, 2% of that, 2% of our, our, uh, endowment will be made of something like that, right? Uh, you know, it’s just even a very small amount, but exposure to it makes a lot of sense. So I think that is something to highly consider if you are still on zero when it comes to Bitcoin. All right, now here’s my last, uh, prediction. You may have heard me talking about this before as well, that AI becomes a deflationary force that policy makers finally wake up to. And I think this is actually one of the most important and misunderstood economic developments, um, that is currently already out there. But I think it’s, it’s gonna be really recognized. By the end of 2026. Okay. Artificial intelligence is gonna stop being just a tech story, and it’s gonna become a macroeconomic story. I think that by the end of 2026, artificial intelligence is clearly, uh, you know, it’s clearly, um, going to be boosting corporate earnings while beginning to materially reshape the labor force. Um, and what’s gonna happen is that central banks and policymakers are gonna start treating it. Is a genuinely deflationary force over the next several years, and they’re gonna try to have to figure out what to do about it. And again, going back to our earlier conversation, because deflation is really a real problem for a country with an enormous amount of debt. So let’s get a little bit into the whole deflationary uh, conversation. So artificial intelligence at its core is a productivity machine, right? It allows companies to produce more. Without, with fewer inputs, fewer hours, fewer people, fewer stakes and productivity always shows up in profits before it shows up in everyday life. Right now, lower cost per transaction, faster execution, fewer people doing the same amount of work, widening margins without price increases. That’s the tell. That’s when profits rise without raising prices, something deflationary is happening underneath the surface. The biggest impact there is the labor market, right? It’s gonna be impossible to ignore. And this is where the conversation really shifts because artificial intelligence doesn’t need to eliminate jobs outright to matter. It only needs to reduce the number of people required to do it, right? So you’re thinking the labor markets, you’re gonna see a lot of this. You’re gonna see more slowing in hiring. Um, even while productivity expectations rise, and I think by late 2026, the public conversation is gonna change from will artificial intelligence affects jobs someday to why aren’t companies hiring the way they used to? And of course, that’s when people are gonna start paying attention and they’re gonna notice it’s deflationary because it’s going to be because artificial intelligence is gonna push down the cost. Of services, administration, customer support, research, and eventually decision making itself. That’s why it’s, it’s deflationary, it’s structural, right? Just think of all those things you can do for so much cheaper. That is what deflation is, right? And again, we mentioned before deflation is not something central banks are comfortable with because of debt and because debt heavy systems rely on nominal growth. Deflation makes debt heavier in real terms as opposed to what we said before, which is that inflation actually erodes debt. And that is a, a very, very challenging problem. And by 2026, I think you’re gonna hear a lot about this, you know, policy problem that we have. Which is innovation versus, you know, deflation. You make a lot of money, but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide finance. Financial protection to your family if something happens to you. The concepts here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealthformulabanking.com. Alright, well, so that’s basically it for my, uh, predictions. And I know I’ve kind of. Off on many different tangents, so hopefully it’s useful to you at least to start thinking and doing some of your own research. Bottom line is this, I mean, as, as a investor, what can you do? I think the big story here is understanding that, um, you need to be out of the dollar and into the investor class because that that widening gap between those who have. Who own things, who own assets, and those who do not is gonna continue to widen. And so, you know, my best, uh, won’t call it advice, but my own belief is that it is a, it is a very good time to look around and look for assets that are underpriced because I think everything is going to expand and it’s gonna ex expand. Uh, and you don’t wanna be caught, you know, on the, uh, dollar side of that equation. So. That’s it for me this week on Wealth Formula Podcast. Happy New Year. I’ll see you next week. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheel Wright and Ken McElroy. Visit wealthformularoadmap.com.

The Yaron Brook Show