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Sunday, February 9, 2025

Saudi Arabia blasts Netanyahu's call for Palestinian state on its land | Middle East Eye

Saudi Arabia blasts Netanyahu's call for Palestinian state on its land | Middle East Eye

Vance Says ‘Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control’ Trump’s ‘Legitimate Power’ - The New York Times

Vance Says ‘Judges Aren’t Allowed to Control’ Trump’s ‘Legitimate Power’ - The New York Times

There Is Nothing Green About the ‘Green’ Agenda | RealClearEnergy

There Is Nothing Green About the ‘Green’ Agenda | RealClearEnergy

Arab Futures - 1 - Six changes Tarek Osman

Arab Futures - 1 - Six changes Tarek Osman

Trump Administration’s USAID Takeover May Have Broken the Law — ProPublica

Trump Administration’s USAID Takeover May Have Broken the Law — ProPublica

5 Easy Ways the Church Can Better Connect with Homebound Members - Topical Studies

5 Easy Ways the Church Can Better Connect with Homebound Members - Topical Studies

U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test - The Washington Post

U.S. intelligence, law enforcement candidates face Trump loyalty test - The Washington Post

Exclusive | Trump stripping the security clearances of numerous antagonists — including NY AG Letitia James, DA Alvin Bragg

Exclusive | Trump stripping the security clearances of numerous antagonists — including NY AG Letitia James, DA Alvin Bragg

RECEIVING THE WORD: A Lesson from Football - Come Into The Word with Sarah Christmyer | Bible Study | Lectio Divina | Journals | Retreat

RECEIVING THE WORD: A Lesson from Football - Come Into The Word with Sarah Christmyer | Bible Study | Lectio Divina | Journals | Retreat

Football and the ‘Aura around Divinity’ - The Catholic Thing

Football and the ‘Aura around Divinity’ - The Catholic Thing

Sunday Sermon - Bishop Barron

Sunday Sermon

Whose Universities are Better – China vs. the US? Nature Magazine might upset the conventional wisdom, by Hua Bin - The Unz Review

Whose Universities are Better – China vs. the US? Nature Magazine might upset the conventional wisdom, by Hua Bin - The Unz Review

Here’s How Much Six Hospital Systems Made On Child Sex Cha nge Procedures Before Trump’s Order Forced Their End | The Daily Caller

Here’s How Much Six Hospital Systems Made On Child Sex Cha nge Procedures Before Trump’s Order Forced Their End | The Daily Caller

Bomb the area, gas the tunnels: Israel’s war on Gaza’s underground

Bomb the area, gas the tunnels: Israel’s war on Gaza’s underground

The Biggest, Most Corrupt News Organization You Have Never Heard of

The Biggest, Most Corrupt News Organization You Have Never Heard of

Kurdish officials fear Islamic State revival as US aid cuts loom | Islamic State | The Guardian

Kurdish officials fear Islamic State revival as US aid cuts loom | Islamic State | The Guardian

US Democrats call for more aggressive tactics against Trump and Musk: ‘We’re going to be the opposition’ | US politics | The Guardian

US Democrats call for more aggressive tactics against Trump and Musk: ‘We’re going to be the opposition’ | US politics | The Guardian

The Covid Dossier: A record of military and intelligence coordination of the global Covid event.

The Covid Dossier: A record of military and intelligence coordination of the global Covid event.

New Data Center Developments: February 2025

New Data Center Developments: February 2025

OPEC to Trump: We Set the Price, Not You | OilPrice.com

OPEC to Trump: We Set the Price, Not You | OilPrice.com

Report Reveals World's Fourth Largest Lake Now a Deadly Desert : ScienceAlert

Report Reveals World's Fourth Largest Lake Now a Deadly Desert : ScienceAlert

us tech firm job cuts: Is 2025 a year of layoffs? Why Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and other US tech giants have cut jobs? Explained - The Economic Times

us tech firm job cuts: Is 2025 a year of layoffs? Why Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and other US tech giants have cut jobs? Explained - The Economic Times

Rancho Palos Verdes landslide area shifts 4 inches closer to the ocean each week, according to NASA - ABC7 Los Angeles

Rancho Palos Verdes landslide area shifts 4 inches closer to the ocean each week, according to NASA - ABC7 Los Angeles

For the U.S. to reclaim tech supremacy, it must embrace decentralization and open source AI | Fortune

For the U.S. to reclaim tech supremacy, it must embrace decentralization and open source AI | Fortune

China lashes out at US 'coercion' after Panama declines to renew infrastructure agreement - ABC News

China lashes out at US 'coercion' after Panama declines to renew infrastructure agreement - ABC News

In Ukraine, USAID aids US hegemony - by Aaron Maté

In Ukraine, USAID aids US hegemony - by Aaron Maté

Naval Academy Revokes DEI To Align With Trump’s Executive Orders – American Liberty News

Naval Academy Revokes DEI To Align With Trump’s Executive Orders – American Liberty News

Directive From New Interior Secretary Weakens Public Land Protections to Push Fossil Fuels - Inside Climate News

Directive From New Interior Secretary Weakens Public Land Protections to Push Fossil Fuels - Inside Climate News

Edward Fishman's 'Chokepoints' Review: A Guide to U.S. Sanctions and Their Future

Edward Fishman's 'Chokepoints' Review: A Guide to U.S. Sanctions and Their Future

Oil for Migrants: Did the Trump Administration Just Reset US Diplomatic Relations With Venezuela? | naked capitalism

Oil for Migrants: Did the Trump Administration Just Reset US Diplomatic Relations With Venezuela? | naked capitalism

The Demon of Ethnic Cleansing Has Been Let Out of the Bottle in Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com

The Demon of Ethnic Cleansing Has Been Let Out of the Bottle in Israel - Israel News - Haaretz.com

Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 on X: "#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciates the condemnation, disapproval and total rejection announced by the brotherly countries towards what Benjamin Netanyahu stated regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land and the Kingdom values the https://t.co/ebj2sVHx4w" / X

Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 on X: "#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciates the condemnation, disapproval and total rejection announced by the brotherly countries towards what Benjamin Netanyahu stated regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land and the Kingdom values the https://t.co/ebj2sVHx4w" / X A remarkably forceful Saudi Arabian statement on Palestine [Clearly provoked by the continuing efforts of the Israeli government and its fellow travelers in the United States to portray the Kingdom as willing to "do a deal" with Israel.]

Musk’s DOGE goals: Slash government, control data and lean on machines - The Washington Post

Musk’s DOGE goals: Slash government, control data and lean on machines - The Washington Post

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World - Guest Post -by Llewellyn King

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the WorldRequiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World February 7, 2025 by Llewellyn King Leave a Comment I have seen the U.S. Agency for International Development in action — in Bolivia, Botswana, Pakistan and in Eastern Europe — and I can say that it is sometimes ragged and sometimes wasteful, but overall it is a great value for the money. It is the face of America in 100 countries and its work is independent of the State Department, which has been one of its strengths. The purpose of State is to represent American policy abroad and all that it entails. The purpose of USAID is to extend a helping hand. It is the agency which shows the world through its actions our goodness, our decency, our humanity. USAID makes a difference, whether it is fighting AIDS, Ebola and malaria in Africa or helping electrify the Americas. I have chanced upon — and that is the word — USAID at work in my travels. In Bolivia, I saw a village enjoying the luxury of electricity for the first time. In Pakistan, I saw trucks of American grain going into an Afghan refugee camp — the only source of food for the inhabitants. I have heard from my family about the work in Southern Africa, about the treatment of AIDS, malaria and other diseases, where it is most needed. My father suffered from malaria, and I have a special feeling for its ravages. My wife, Linda Gasparello, has a special feeling for Egypt, where she has lived. She has noted the impact of USAID in Egypt, where it has helped build schools and train teachers, helped create jobs in agriculture and tourism, helped provide access to clean water, helped reduce child and maternal mortality, and helped eliminate polio. USAID has probably convinced more people that the United States is the good guy in the world than most diplomatic efforts or even the reporting of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Free Asia. If the work of USAID ceases, as Elon Musk has engineered, or is subsumed into State, people will die and Russia and China will fill the vacuum. They won’t fill it with the same human touch, but they will be there and we will be gone — and our good works and influence with the departure. I grew up in Zimbabwe and even before President John F. Kennedy created USAID, there was general hostility to the idea of foreign “do-gooders.” In those days, the do-gooders were volunteers and the churches. The white community worried about ideas of democracy and equality that would upset the balance of privilege in colonial society. Later, in the countries I know best (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and South Africa), that fear and resentment was transferred to the international aid community. The dethroned white ruling class spread the word that foreign aid was corrupt, wasteful, and ineffective. American conservatives signed on. Did Musk — who is irrational and pathological in his hatred of USAID and wants it abolished, and has gone a long way to achieving that aim — absorb these prejudices when he was growing up in South Africa? Musk and President Donald Trump have presented no evidence, sought no information nor commissioned a study on USAID’s efficacy. Based just on hearsay and a paranoia that the world is out to cheat America, take its money and otherwise kick sand in its face, they are dismantling one of our pillars of statecraft. It is an abiding myth among MAGA conservatives that foreign aid is a sinkhole, corrupt and indefensible. I have seen otherwise. But you can’t see if you don’t look. Remember the Marshall Plan, the expensive but so worthwhile rebuilding of devastated Europe after World War II? It is cherished here and in Europe as an act of American magnanimity and statecraft that was unique in its scope and its preparedness to use American wealth for the good of others. The plan paid off as one of the smartest investments we could have made as a country. It is an extreme example of the effectiveness of soft power. It convinced Europe of the fundamental goodness of the American project and enabled more than 70 years of openness and sharing, convincing generations that America had certain values of human concern that would always prevail even when there were disputes. In trashing USAID — and what mindless trashing it has taken! — the United States has opened the door to Russia and China to take on the good-guy mantle and to manipulate global opinion in their favor; and to make an always dangerous world into a more hostile one for the United States. Without food and medicine, staples of the USAID efforts, the poorest and most wretched will suffer unspeakably. In Africa, where Musk and I grew up, people will die. There is a ghastly irony that they will do so at the hand of the richest man in the world, acting for the richest nation in the world.

Saudi Arabia condemns Netanyahu’s remarks on Palestinian displacement to kingdom

Saudi Arabia condemns Netanyahu’s remarks on Palestinian displacement to kingdom

The only way to stop the Netanyahu-Trump plan to eliminate Palestine is to begin rebuilding Gaza now – Mondoweiss

The only way to stop the Netanyahu-Trump plan to eliminate Palestine is to begin rebuilding Gaza now – Mondoweiss

Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ | Politics News | Al Jazeera

Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’ | Politics News | Al Jazeera

You may not like Trump, but his power grab for the economic levers is right. Liberals, take note! | Leah Downey | The Guardian

You may not like Trump, but his power grab for the economic levers is right. Liberals, take note! | Leah Downey | The Guardian

Trump Orders NASA to Purge All Mentions of Women in Leadership On Its Websites

Trump Orders NASA to Purge All Mentions of Women in Leadership On Its Websites

'A surprise to most': Nobel Prize-winning economist warns US of 'unexpected decline' under Trump - Alternet.org

'A surprise to most': Nobel Prize-winning economist warns US of 'unexpected decline' under Trump - Alternet.org

How Many More Ridiculous Green Energy Projects Will Fail? – MishTalk

How Many More Ridiculous Green Energy Projects Will Fail? – MishTalk

Palestinians are owners of the land, not intruders: KSA | Al Mayadeen English

Palestinians are owners of the land, not intruders: KSA | Al Mayadeen English

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Texas A&M System Goes Nuclear | Neutron Bytes

Texas A&M System Goes Nuclear | Neutron Bytes

The Covid Dossier: A record of military and intelligence coordination of the global Covid event.

The Covid Dossier: A record of military and intelligence coordination of the global Covid event.

President’s Spending Discretion: Trump Fight Necessary | National Review

President’s Spending Discretion: Trump Fight Necessary | National Review

White House Forces Showdown Over Congress’ Power of the Purse - NewsBreak

White House Forces Showdown Over Congress’ Power of the Purse - NewsBreak

On the ICC, Putin, Netanyahu and Prosecutorial Discretion - CounterPunch.org

On the ICC, Putin, Netanyahu and Prosecutorial Discretion - CounterPunch.org

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World

Requiem for America’s Helping Hand in the World

State Department lays out plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel | AP News

State Department lays out plans for $7 billion-plus arms sale to Israel | AP News

Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems

Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems

Drew Endy Testimony - Drew_Endy_Testimony.pdf

Drew Endy Testimony - Drew_Endy_Testimony.pdf

St. John Paul II explains why we cannot live without hope

St. John Paul II explains why we cannot live without hope

Arctic Threat To US And NATO: The Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap – American Liberty News

Arctic Threat To US And NATO: The Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap – American Liberty News

What Happened the Last Time a President Purged the Bureaucracy - POLITICO

What Happened the Last Time a President Purged the Bureaucracy - POLITICO

The Most Dramatic Narrative Shift in Modern History ⋆ Brownstone Institute

The Most Dramatic Narrative Shift in Modern History ⋆ Brownstone Institute

Trump’s Cuts Devastate Washington: ‘Are We Detroit Now?’ - POLITICO

Trump’s Cuts Devastate Washington: ‘Are We Detroit Now?’ - POLITICO

Russell Vought's about to use a normally obscure role to tear down the ‘deep state’ - POLITICO

Russell Vought's about to use a normally obscure role to tear down the ‘deep state’ - POLITICO

Labour MPs slam 'barbaric' Netanyahu call for Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia | Middle East Eye

Labour MPs slam 'barbaric' Netanyahu call for Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia | Middle East Eye

Days of Hope and Gloom - Pluralia

Days of Hope and Gloom - Pluralia

Trump and the Perils of Ungoverning | Foreign Affairs

Trump and the Perils of Ungoverning | Foreign Affairs

Costas Lapavitsas, Mehmet AÄŸca - The Turkish Military Industrial Complex: A new geopolitical reality for the EU - Brave New Europe

Costas Lapavitsas, Mehmet AÄŸca - The Turkish Military Industrial Complex: A new geopolitical reality for the EU - Brave New Europe

Power Moves: How Electric Utility Monopolists Broke Their Bargain with America

Power Moves: How Electric Utility Monopolists Broke Their Bargain with America

It’s Going to be Torture as the Path to Starmer’s Inevitable Demise Is Rolled Out | naked capitalism

It’s Going to be Torture as the Path to Starmer’s Inevitable Demise Is Rolled Out | naked capitalism

Friday, February 7, 2025

Imagining the Gaza Riviera and Other Follies, by Philip Giraldi - The Unz Review

Imagining the Gaza Riviera and Other Follies, by Philip Giraldi - The Unz Review

Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti

Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti

JD Vance applauds Trump admin's defense of religion, condemns use of foreign aid to 'spread atheism' - LifeSite

JD Vance applauds Trump admin's defense of religion, condemns use of foreign aid to 'spread atheism' - LifeSite

Biden judge rules Michigan can ban Catholic counselors from helping gender-confused minors - LifeSite

Biden judge rules Michigan can ban Catholic counselors from helping gender-confused minors - LifeSite

Trump executive order creates task force to ‘eradicate anti-Christian bias’ in federal government - LifeSite

Trump executive order creates task force to ‘eradicate anti-Christian bias’ in federal government - LifeSite

New U.S. attorney to investigate 'anyone' who obstructs ICE

New U.S. attorney to investigate 'anyone' who obstructs ICE

A General Overview of the Chinese Military - Geopolitical Futures

A General Overview of the Chinese Military - Geopolitical Futures

Does DOGE Pose a National Security Risk? | Foreign Affairs

Does DOGE Pose a National Security Risk? | Foreign Affairs

Can a president refuse to spend funds approved by Congress? | Constitution Center

Can a president refuse to spend funds approved by Congress? | Constitution Center

The President’s Constitutional Power of Impoundment | The Center for Renewing America

The President’s Constitutional Power of Impoundment | The Center for Renewing America

Three Ways Donald Trump’s USAID Overhaul Dismantles the Deep State

Three Ways Donald Trump’s USAID Overhaul Dismantles the Deep State

Trump’s Big Firing Spree Is Screwing the Working Class | The New Republic

Trump’s Big Firing Spree Is Screwing the Working Class | The New Republic

Trump’s Angry Rant at USAID Instantly Undercut by Surprise Rubio Video | The New Republic

Trump’s Angry Rant at USAID Instantly Undercut by Surprise Rubio Video | The New Republic

If USAID ends, American diplomacy will be the biggest loser

If USAID ends, American diplomacy will be the biggest loser

Netanyahu presses Senate lawmakers to pass ICC sanctions legislation

Netanyahu presses Senate lawmakers to pass ICC sanctions legislation

Analysis: Trump made his Gaza offer. Now the Gulf needs to counter | Semafor

Analysis: Trump made his Gaza offer. Now the Gulf needs to counter | Semafor

Analysis: Acting alone on Gaza won’t work. Trump Must Consult Arab Allies | Semafor

Analysis: Acting alone on Gaza won’t work. Trump Must Consult Arab Allies | Semafor

Russ Vought, champion of Schedule F and slashing agency budgets, wins confirmation to OMB - Government Executive

Russ Vought, champion of Schedule F and slashing agency budgets, wins confirmation to OMB - Government Executive

Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias – The White House

Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias – The White House

Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court – The White House

Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court – The White House

Southern California Edison Found Irregularities on Equipment Where Eaton Fire Broke Out - The New York Times

Southern California Edison Found Irregularities on Equipment Where Eaton Fire Broke Out - The New York Times

What you need to know about impoundment, and how Trump vows to use it | PBS News

What you need to know about impoundment, and how Trump vows to use it | PBS News

Artificial Intelligence Course | MIT Online Program | GetSmarter

Artificial Intelligence Course | MIT Online Program | GetSmarter

Pam Bondi Orders DOJ to Halt All Funding for Sanctuary Cities | The Epoch Times

Pam Bondi Orders DOJ to Halt All Funding for Sanctuary Cities | The Epoch Times

Rancho Palos Verdes landslides speeding up, spreading

Rancho Palos Verdes landslides speeding up, spreading

California neighborhood drifting into Pacific Ocean at alarming rate

California neighborhood drifting into Pacific Ocean at alarming rate

China Admits : Installing Solar Panels Over Deserts Permanently Disrupts the Ecosystem - Glass Almanac

China Admits : Installing Solar Panels Over Deserts Permanently Disrupts the Ecosystem - Glass Almanac

Trump’s USAID plans threaten money for American farms, businesses - The Washington Post

Trump’s USAID plans threaten money for American farms, businesses - The Washington Post

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Asian immigrants in U.S. cower in shadow of Trump deportation drive - Nikkei Asia

Asian immigrants in U.S. cower in shadow of Trump deportation drive - Nikkei Asia

EXCLUSIVE: Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem condemns Trump's Gaza remarks - LifeSite

EXCLUSIVE: Auxiliary Bishop of Jerusalem condemns Trump's Gaza remarks - LifeSite

Why Law Won’t Stop Trump: the View of a Former Deputy Inspector General - CounterPunch.org

Why Law Won’t Stop Trump: the View of a Former Deputy Inspector General - CounterPunch.org

Trump’s Move to Gut USAID Reveals the Crux of His Foreign Policy | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Trump’s Move to Gut USAID Reveals the Crux of His Foreign Policy | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Heartless Upheaval of American Foreign Aid | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Heartless Upheaval of American Foreign Aid | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Trump's gut-it-all plan for D.C.'s "Deep State"

Trump's gut-it-all plan for D.C.'s "Deep State"

Trump stuns: Top Iranians 'do not want...a nuclear weapon' | Responsible Statecraft

Trump stuns: Top Iranians 'do not want...a nuclear weapon' | Responsible Statecraft

Gene Nelson Interview

Gene Nelson Interview

The PG&E Wildfire Settlement: A Tale of Justice, Struggles, and Delayed Compensation - TechBullion

The PG&E Wildfire Settlement: A Tale of Justice, Struggles, and Delayed Compensation - TechBullion

If Trump tries to take over Gaza, Palestinians will die where they stand | Middle East Eye

If Trump tries to take over Gaza, Palestinians will die where they stand | Middle East Eye

Trump Says Israel Will Hand Gaza to US at the 'Conclusion of Fighting' - News From Antiwar.com

Trump Says Israel Will Hand Gaza to US at the 'Conclusion of Fighting' - News From Antiwar.com

Israel’s military incursions in West Bank target health care, MSF says | The National

Israel’s military incursions in West Bank target health care, MSF says | The National

What Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? - Topical Studies

What Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? - Topical Studies

Shocking NASA Imagery Shows Portions of Los Angeles Moving Into Ocean at 4"/Week

Shocking NASA Imagery Shows Portions of Los Angeles Moving Into Ocean at 4"/Week

Shocking NASA Imagery Shows Portions of Los Angeles Moving Into Ocean at 4"/Week

Shocking NASA Imagery Shows Portions of Los Angeles Moving Into Ocean at 4"/Week

The Vice President, Immigration, and a Way Forward - The Catholic Thing

The Vice President, Immigration, and a Way Forward - The Catholic Thing

US Energy Secretary unleashes 'Golden Era' - World Nuclear News

US Energy Secretary unleashes 'Golden Era' - World Nuclear News

Electricity is the next energy crisis | Utility Dive

Electricity is the next energy crisis | Utility Dive

DOE to focus on expanding baseload generation: Secretary Wright | Utility Dive

DOE to focus on expanding baseload generation: Secretary Wright | Utility Dive

LA Wildfire Toxic Cleanup Pushes a Breakneck Pace to Meet Trump Deadline - Bloomberg

LA Wildfire Toxic Cleanup Pushes a Breakneck Pace to Meet Trump Deadline - Bloomberg

Trump Moves To End Another War: US Eyes Full Withdrawal From Syria – American Liberty News

Trump Moves To End Another War: US Eyes Full Withdrawal From Syria – American Liberty News

(139) White Biblical Figures + Genetic Proof - YouTube

(139) White Biblical Figures + Genetic Proof - YouTube

White House Confirms: Politico Propped Up By Millions Of Dollars From US Government | ZeroHedge

White House Confirms: Politico Propped Up By Millions Of Dollars From US Government | ZeroHedge

Achieving Critical Mass: Trump Administration Policies that Would Strengthen Nuclear Energy - The National Interest

Achieving Critical Mass: Trump Administration Policies that Would Strengthen Nuclear Energy - The National Interest

Trumps Tariffs Could Cause a Global Crisis, by Michael Hudson - The Unz Review

Trumps Tariffs Could Cause a Global Crisis, by Michael Hudson - The Unz Review

Heart Disease Remains Top Cause of Death in US, Report Finds | The Epoch Times

Heart Disease Remains Top Cause of Death in US, Report Finds | The Epoch Times

Analysis: China's tight grip on Hong Kong led to Trump's Panama gambit - Nikkei Asia

Analysis: China's tight grip on Hong Kong led to Trump's Panama gambit - Nikkei Asia

Donald Trump’s eye-popping plan to make Gaza American

Donald Trump’s eye-popping plan to make Gaza American

Why the Trump campaign is spending heavily on ads on trans issues

Why the Trump campaign is spending heavily on ads on trans issues

Elon Musk is shredding America’s government as he did Twitter

Elon Musk is shredding America’s government as he did Twitter

Donald Trump goes to war with his employees

Donald Trump goes to war with his employees

Echoes of faith: The Martyrs of Japan

Echoes of faith: The Martyrs of Japan

Trump, an American Stalin? Massive Population Transfers were a Feature of Communist Dictatorship

Trump, an American Stalin? Massive Population Transfers were a Feature of Communist Dictatorship

The Sheer Lunacy of Trump’s Gaza Takeover Plan

The Sheer Lunacy of Trump’s Gaza Takeover Plan

What you probably don’t know about Black history and the Church

What you probably don’t know about Black history and the Church

How a white monk provided spiritual aid to Blacks' struggle

How a white monk provided spiritual aid to Blacks' struggle

The very modern wisdom of St. Augustine (Photos)

The very modern wisdom of St. Augustine (Photos)

Elon Musk Will Police His Own Conflicts of Interest: Trump Administration - Bloomberg

Elon Musk Will Police His Own Conflicts of Interest: Trump Administration - Bloomberg

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Fernando Guerra on the L.A. Wildfires – LMU Magazine

Fernando Guerra on the L.A. Wildfires – LMU Magazine Fernando Guerra on the L.A. Wildfires The wildfires of January 2025 likely are the biggest natural disaster in Los Angeles history. Fernando Guerra, director of the LMU Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, talks about the current and future impacts of the fires on the city’s people, resources, and budget. https://magazine.lmu.edu/podcasts/fernando-guerra-on-the-l-a-wildfires/

The Burn and the Rebuild – LMU Magazine

The Burn and the Rebuild – LMU Magazine Editor's Blog February 4, 2025 The Burn and the Rebuild By Joseph Wakelee-Lynch Share this story Facebook TWITTER EMAIL Clouds of smoke from the 2016 Sand Fire blew into the suburbs of Los Angeles, making it look like an apocalyptic landscape. “Place is a character in the stories we tell in our magazine.” When asked what I consider distinctive about LMU Magazine, that sentence describes a characteristic that’s among those I most value. The Society of Jesus began work in Los Angeles in 1911 at a time of explosive growth. In 1890, the city’s population was only some 50,000. By 1910, it had grown to more than 300,000, and continued growth was certain. The Jesuits wanted to build a university and parishes in Southern California. The Society had already established two universities in the Golden State’s Bay Area, the first hub of California. But in Los Angeles they saw a place with need. A commitment to minister is a commitment to place, as well as to people. When the Jesuits came to Southern California, Los Angeles was in the midst of a process of becoming. Cities are always changing, of course, and we should remember that this basin that contains L.A. was once native land, once Mexican land. For better and for worse, change has transformed this place where we live. By now, in 2025, after more than a century of growth — and immigration — this place has an identity, if not several. Perhaps like each of us who live and work here, I have a mental map of this place we call Los Angeles. The sites on my map vary from time to time, and they include prime locations like the Getty Center, Dodger Stadium, and Disney Hall. My map also has permanent pins, so to speak, in Alvarado St., Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church (“La Placita”), the Chinese American Museum, Huntington Gardens, the former Blue Whale jazz club in Little Tokyo, Pershing Square, Union Station, and Sullivan Field. These locations, where people make things, build things, create things, and pray about things, help define this place. With the wildfires of early January of this year, Los Angeles suffered a severe blow to its sense of place. Entire neighborhoods and large portions of communities were obliterated, leveled, burned down to the ground. Blocks and blocks were reduced to rocks upon rubble. Restaurants, churches, coffee shops, music stores, schools, and even open parks were destroyed. Severe is a massive understatement to describe the damage done. Fernando Guerra, director of LMU’s Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center for the Study of Los Angeles, describes the wildfires as the “costliest natural disaster in Los Angeles history.” Friends of mine who lived in Altadena lost their house, a home that was like a refuge to me. I remember a statue of St. Francis in standing in their back yard. It’s the only thing that was left standing. I not only loved my friends’ home, however. I loved driving up Lake Ave. to visit them. I inevitably found their house not by the names of streets I needed to turn onto but by visual markers I’d see along the way: this church, that coffee shop, a familiar gas station. None of them are standing, and I feel now as if Altadena is nowhere. At the turn of the 20th century, the building of Los Angeles took vision, determination, resourcefulness, commitment and sacrifice. They’ll all be needed now in the building of something new. Lives were lost. Homes, and more, are gone in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Sierra Madre. There is tragedy and catastrophe enough. For now, the immaterial yet necessary sense community also seems to be gone. We’ll need more determination, resourcefulness, commitment, and sacrifice. Community usually takes years to build. Rebuilding it will take just as long.

As Elon Musk Dismantles USAID, Foreign Leaders Rejoice - The New York Times

As Elon Musk Dismantles USAID, Foreign Leaders Rejoice - The New York Times

Trump Opens Door to Assassinations of Cartel Bosses

Trump Opens Door to Assassinations of Cartel Bosses

Trump’s moves across the federal government set up a looming legal battle - POLITICO

Trump’s moves across the federal government set up a looming legal battle - POLITICO

The Trump White House Wants A Court Challenge Over Frozen Funds | HuffPost Latest News

The Trump White House Wants A Court Challenge Over Frozen Funds | HuffPost Latest News

Both USAID And The CIA Were Behind The Impeachment Of Trump in 2019

Both USAID And The CIA Were Behind The Impeachment Of Trump in 2019

Iran welcomes Trump's foreign aid cuts as both sides hint at nuclear negotiations | The Times of Israel

Iran welcomes Trump's foreign aid cuts as both sides hint at nuclear negotiations | The Times of Israel

'They've done their homework': The unexpected power of Musk's digital assault on Washington - POLITICO

'They've done their homework': The unexpected power of Musk's digital assault on Washington - POLITICO

Why Washington is getting nervous about a shutdown - POLITICO

Why Washington is getting nervous about a shutdown - POLITICO

Why prayer is essential to fostering Christian unity

Why prayer is essential to fostering Christian unity

Gaza shows Trump’s expansionist plans extend beyond Canada, Greenland - The Washington Post

Gaza shows Trump’s expansionist plans extend beyond Canada, Greenland - The Washington Post

Three megatrends will drive a new energy era | Semafor

Three megatrends will drive a new energy era | Semafor

The US can’t be an energy island | Semafor

The US can’t be an energy island | Semafor

Chegg bets big on the AI that nearly broke it | Semafor

Chegg bets big on the AI that nearly broke it | Semafor

Russian SVR's Latest Intel: "West Preparing to Flush Zelensky"

Russian SVR's Latest Intel: "West Preparing to Flush Zelensky"

State Dept. Fires About 60 Contractors Working on Democracy and Human Rights - The New York Times

State Dept. Fires About 60 Contractors Working on Democracy and Human Rights - The New York Times

Trump shocks supporters with US 'own' and 'rebuild' Gaza plan | Responsible Statecraft

Trump shocks supporters with US 'own' and 'rebuild' Gaza plan | Responsible Statecraft

Earth's Magnetic North Pole Is Shifting Toward Siberia and Raising Questions About Unusual Movement | Smithsonian

Earth's Magnetic North Pole Is Shifting Toward Siberia and Raising Questions About Unusual Movement | Smithsonian

Earth could get a new ocean and continent a lot sooner than we thought

Earth could get a new ocean and continent a lot sooner than we thought

New Research Led by James Hansen Documents Global Warming Acceleration - Inside Climate News

New Research Led by James Hansen Documents Global Warming Acceleration - Inside Climate News

Saudi Arabia, in swift response to Trump, says no ties with Israel without Palestinian state | Reuters

Saudi Arabia, in swift response to Trump, says no ties with Israel without Palestinian state | Reuters

The people and the waterway at the center of the Panama Canal : Consider This from NPR : NPR

The people and the waterway at the center of the Panama Canal : Consider This from NPR : NPR

The Case for IRA Reform - The Breakthrough Journal

The Case for IRA Reform - The Breakthrough Journal

Pando: The murderous history of USAID, the US Government agency behind Cuba's fake Twitter clone

Pando: The murderous history of USAID, the US Government agency behind Cuba's fake Twitter clone

Trump, in Shock Announcement, Says U.S. Will Take Over Gaza After Permanently Displacing Palestinians - Israel News - Haaretz.com

Trump, in Shock Announcement, Says U.S. Will Take Over Gaza After Permanently Displacing Palestinians - Israel News - Haaretz.com

Tariffs on Trading Partners: Can the President Actually Do That? | Council on Foreign Relations

Tariffs on Trading Partners: Can the President Actually Do That? | Council on Foreign Relations

Trump's Tariffs and What's at Stake, in Nine Charts

Trump's Tariffs and What's at Stake, in Nine Charts

4 explanations for Trump’s shocking Gaza proposal - The Washington Post

4 explanations for Trump’s shocking Gaza proposal - The Washington Post

Trump administration will consider redrawing boundaries of national monuments as part of energy push | AP News

Trump administration will consider redrawing boundaries of national monuments as part of energy push | AP News

Want larger transmission lines? Fix this regulatory… | Canary Media

Want larger transmission lines? Fix this regulatory… | Canary Media

Unrwa decries 'disinformation campaign' as Israeli ban sets in | Middle East Eye

Unrwa decries 'disinformation campaign' as Israeli ban sets in | Middle East Eye

☕️ NONE SHALL SLEEP ☙ Monday, February 3, 2025 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠

☕️ NONE SHALL SLEEP ☙ Monday, February 3, 2025 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠

Collapsing Empire: 'How US Broke Kosovo'

Collapsing Empire: 'How US Broke Kosovo'

(136) Trump announces US plan to 'own' and develop the Gaza strip - YouTube

(136) Trump announces US plan to 'own' and develop the Gaza strip - YouTube

5 Million Americans Sue the US Treasury for Violating Their Data Privacy Rights

5 Million Americans Sue the US Treasury for Violating Their Data Privacy Rights

First ‘Window of Life’ to leave unwanted babies opens in Croatia | Croatia Week

First ‘Window of Life’ to leave unwanted babies opens in Croatia | Croatia Week

Major archaeological discovery in city of Split | Croatia Week

Major archaeological discovery in city of Split | Croatia Week

EcoHealth Alliance, Dr. Daszak Sanctioned for Coronavirus… – The Vaccine Reaction

EcoHealth Alliance, Dr. Daszak Sanctioned for Coronavirus… – The Vaccine Reaction

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Trump Says US Will 'Take Over' the Gaza Strip - News From Antiwar.com

Trump Says US Will 'Take Over' the Gaza Strip - News From Antiwar.com

DOJ Seeks Information on FBI Employees Who Investigated Jan. 6 | The Epoch Times

DOJ Seeks Information on FBI Employees Who Investigated Jan. 6 | The Epoch Times

Martyrdom in Scripture: Faith, suffering and eternal hope

Martyrdom in Scripture: Faith, suffering and eternal hope

Nonprofits that provide shelter for homeless people, disaster recovery help, and food for low-income Americans rely heavily on federal funding – they would be reeling if Trump froze that money

Nonprofits that provide shelter for homeless people, disaster recovery help, and food for low-income Americans rely heavily on federal funding – they would be reeling if Trump froze that money

[Salon] Population Transfers Sanctioned by America? It’s on the Table. - GUEST POST BY DANIEL LEVY

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/opinion/israel-trump-netanyahu-gaza.html Population Transfers Sanctioned by America? It’s on the Table. Feb. 4, 2025 By Daniel Levy Mr. Levy is the president of the U.S./Middle East Project. President Trump has introduced a seemingly game-changing, if incendiary, proposal ahead of his meeting on Tuesday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, the first foreign leader he will meet since his inauguration. Three times in less than two weeks, Mr. Trump has suggested that Palestinians could be relocated from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. It is hard to exaggerate the traumatic resonance of displacement and population transfer in collective Palestinian memory. This history helps explain the Palestinian determination to remain in the newly devastated territory and the widespread outcry to this relocation proposal and its long-term radicalizing potential. If the two leaders take this idea seriously in their meeting, and, worse, if the idea comes to fruition, it will almost certainly boost hostility to Israel in the region and kick any prospects of U.S.-sponsored Israeli-Saudi normalization — a goal Mr. Trump enthusiastically seeks to pursue — deep into the long grass. The Saudi leadership recently joined many others in designating Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide and has become more forceful in conditioning normalizing ties on the creation of a Palestinian state. Aside from being morally reprehensible, a large-scale population transfer of Palestinians would very likely close the door on a three-way U.S.-Israel-Saudi deal for the foreseeable future. Having put the idea out there, Mr. Trump may think the storm that followed gives him leverage. He may assume that Arab leaders — in classic transactional terms — could give him something in return if he drops it. The idea has a potentially beneficial domestic political angle for Mr. Netanyahu. It holds strong appeal to the right-wing allies that his coalition government depends on and for whom continuing the Nakba — the expulsion and flight of Palestinians around Israel’s creation in 1948 — seems to be an ideological goal. These potential benefits will neither last long nor get them very far. Mr. Trump’s relocation idea joins a long list of Washington’s illusions about settling the conflict in the Middle East: that Israel is more likely to make peace if treated with indulgence in response to accusations of violations of international law; that resistance to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories has a military solution; and that normalizing Israel’s relations with Arab states, with which it is not in conflict, can work as an end run around dealing with Palestinian dispossession and denial of self-determination and rights. In the current environment, suggestions of depopulation, whether intended as a practical proposition or not, cannot be taken lightly. This is not only because of the history of partition and displacement. It is also because of what is happening now. Shortly after the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, as Israel expanded its military operations in Gaza, reports surfaced that the government had floated plans — later downplayed by Mr. Netanyahu — to force Palestinians out of Gaza and into Egypt. Proposals of “voluntary” mass emigration of Palestinians have also been aired in Israeli political circles, including by senior officials. Following Mr. Trump’s recent comments, Israel’s extreme nationalist finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, promised to submit an “operational plan” to the government for carrying out the relocation. He and other extremists have repeatedly promoted Israeli-Jewish settlement of Gaza. These displacement plans do not end with Gaza. The West Bank, where Israel is escalating military operations, is considered by many right-wing extremists in Israel to be the real prize, and Jordan the preferred destination for Palestinians living there. None of this offers a future of security for Israelis, either. They risk creating an even more destabilized environment for those neighbors being called on to absorb the relocated Palestinians, and the displacements would serve as a rallying cry and recruitment lure for resistance movements across the region. Of course, Mr. Trump is well known for his bluster, and it is far from clear whether he and Mr. Netanyahu will make this a priority in their meeting. But what if the goal is to actually see this through to implementation? A number of current Trump administration nominees, including Elise Stefanik, to be the ambassador to the United Nations, and Mike Huckabee, to be the ambassador to Israel, openly advocate a greater Israel that belongs to the Jews only. Can it even be done? Gaza, in many ways, is indeed the demolition site that Mr. Trump has described. Israel’s military campaign has laid waste to 90 percent of the housing stock, most public infrastructure, schools, hospitals, mosques, churches and governmental buildings. If the guns continue to stay silent and Palestinians see no horizon of hope, or even if war resumes, might an atmosphere be created that is more conducive to mass exit? Could the degree of economic aid and military dependence that Jordan and Egypt have on the United States tip the balance? Probably not. Israel has failed to defeat either Hamas or crush the determination of the Palestinian people. It is hard to find a starker contrast than that between the words uttered by the U.S. president and the resilience of the Palestinian population, as hundreds of thousands have made their way back to northern Gaza in recent days, determined to rebuild their lives. There is nothing to suggest that Arab states would either fund such an act of displacement or play any role in it, including as recipient countries, despite Mr. Trump’s claim of Egypt and Jordan, “They will do it.” Quite the opposite — all have come out staunchly in opposition, most recently this weekend at a meeting in Cairo of key Arab foreign ministers, who, in a joint statement, rejected “any efforts to encourage the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land, under any circumstances or justifications.” There is profound contradiction in hearing a president who prides himself on deportations and closing his own borders to migration being so generous in volunteering third countries as recipients of population transfers. It is even harder to make the case that removing Palestinians should become a policy priority for the U.S. government. After all, what possible core national security interest could it serve? Whatever else there is to say about plans to acquire Greenland or the Panama Canal, America, at least, would be the end beneficiary. Helping to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians? Not so much. It would only further lacerate America’s standing in the world. Daniel Levy is the president of the U.S./Middle East Project and served as an Israeli peace negotiator at the Oslo-B talks under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Taba negotiations under Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Euro-Med Rights Group: Israeli Prisons ‘Graves for the Living’

Euro-Med Rights Group: Israeli Prisons ‘Graves for the Living’

[Salon] The United States you know is gone - Guest Post by Mason Richey

https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2025/02/197_391507.html Guest Column The United States you know is gone 2025-02-04 By Mason Richey The new administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has moved quickly to disrupt — and in some cases dismantle — the normal functioning of the U.S. government. Many governance mechanisms are being undermined and critical civil service personnel are being fired. Indeed the very notions of the rule of law and constitutional separation of powers are under assault in Washington. We are witnessing the U.S. become autocratic. No one should be surprised. As a candidate, Trump promised to be a “dictator” on Day 1. Trump’s endgame is unclear, and whether he succeeds at his authoritarian takeover is still uncertain, but the U.S. has finally crossed the Rubicon it began fording on Jan. 6, 2021. The political character of the U.S. is now fundamentally changed. U.S. allies and partners should recognize this dynamic, as, like all states, U.S. foreign policy is greatly determined by its domestic political foundation. What is the Trump administration doing? Why? And how will these actions affect other countries? The Trump administration’s blitzkrieg of improper tariff imposition, legally dubious executive orders, malfeasant personnel decisions and flat-out constitutional violations in seizing executive power covers a large range of activities. To begin with tariffs, Trump’s imposition of near-universal import tariffs against China, Canada and Mexico (with the latter two tariffs temporarily suspended) was authorized using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). This statute has never been used for tariffs, but only for sanctions in the context of U.S. national security emergencies. Trump’s justification for using the IEEPA — cross-border fentanyl smuggling and undocumented migrant flows — is highly dubious. There is no evidence that Canada has any significant role in either of those activities, even if one grants the claim for Mexico and China. Moreover, the IEEPA statute’s reporting obligations require demonstrating a direct connection between the emergency and the remedy, which is not supported in these cases. Trump’s executive orders from Jan. 20 are too numerous to fully recount, but three stand out. One, the ending birthright citizenship — enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — has already been temporarily blocked by a federal judge as “blatantly unconstitutional.” A second executive order freezing certain federal spending likely violates congressional budgetary power, and has already been enjoined by a federal judge. The executive order also likely violates both administrative law and the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. Thirdly, the executive order establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, has created a shadow-government entity currently operating with little transparency yet expansive power to alter government spending and the federal workforce. DOGE’s future existence is also under scrutiny in federal court. Trump administration personnel decisions have also seemingly violated federal law. Trump purged senior civil servants from the Justice Department for political reasons (and thus in violation of the standard of misconduct or poor performance). He dismissed 18 inspectors general — whose job, ironically, is to monitor government malfeasance — also in apparent violation of civil service law. Even one of Trump’s political allies, Sen. Lindsay Graham, admitted that these firings were illegal. With Trump’s blessing, DOGE, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management have promulgated a deferred resignation plan for U.S. government employees that violates the Antideficiency Act and U.S. budgetary law. Trump and Musk have used DOGE to force open access to U.S. Treasury payment systems and databases. The stated — and likely illegal — reason is to stop payments to certain federal contractors, while the opportunities for corruption and sensitive data breaches are high. For ideological reasons, the DOGE team is also reportedly abolishing the U.S. Agency for International Development. This is also unconstitutional, as the agency was founded by an act of Congress. Both of these DOGE actions are likely to result in federal lawsuits. Why is Trump doing this? There are several interconnected reasons. First, some Trump “victories” — like the now suspended tariffs against Canada and Mexico — will be superficial and symbolic, but give him a chance to spin them as substantive for political gain. Second, the Trump White House believes there are policy outcomes it cannot get through constitutional processes: immigration disincentives, tariff receipts (e.g., from China) to offset tax cuts and defunding certain government programs. Third, Trump’s administration views chaos and cruelty as essential to demoralizing federal employees so they will quit, allowing for a radical downsizing of government and its remaking for the benefit of Trump and the "Make America Great Again" agenda. Lastly, the common element of these measures is jurisprudential. Trump’s team has chosen illegal and gray-area measures because they know they will end up before the Supreme Court, which they believe will advance a controversial doctrine known as the “unitary executive theory” that would grant vast additional powers to the president at the expense of Congress. Trump would become an American Viktor Orban. What does all this mean for allies and partners? The Trump administration is gutting the rule of law domestically, which means it will have no qualms about violating the rules-based order internationally. Washington is no longer a values partner, and the damage it is doing today will echo for years, perhaps generations. The sooner allies — such as Korea — understand this and calculate accordingly, the sooner they can adapt to surviving in a new world of predation. Mason Richey is a professor of international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, president of the Korea International Studies Association and editor-in-chief of the Journal of East Asian Affairs.

TRUMP’S POWER GRAB - Seymour Hersh

TRUMP’S POWER GRAB - Seymour Hersh

Musk’s digital coup in Washington: Effects and prospects – Globalities

Musk’s digital coup in Washington: Effects and prospects – Globalities

Another Great DEI Move by Trump Will Ban Men from Female School Sports – MishTalk

Another Great DEI Move by Trump Will Ban Men from Female School Sports – MishTalk

Inside Europe, border checks are creeping back

Inside Europe, border checks are creeping back

Elon Musk is shredding America’s government as he did Twitter

Elon Musk is shredding America’s government as he did Twitter

When Officials Bend Knee to Duplicitous Presidents

When Officials Bend Knee to Duplicitous Presidents

White House begins migrant flights to Guantanamo Bay

White House begins migrant flights to Guantanamo Bay

Trump to meet with Netanyahu at White House with war in Gaza as backdrop - The Washington Post

Trump to meet with Netanyahu at White House with war in Gaza as backdrop - The Washington Post

Susan Collins Throws Support Behind Tulsi Gabbard - America's News Desk

Susan Collins Throws Support Behind Tulsi Gabbard - America's News Desk

Panama To Withdraw From Major China Scheme - New Conservative Post

Panama To Withdraw From Major China Scheme - New Conservative Post

Washington bill would jail priests for not breaking Seal of Confession: ‘No exemption’ - LifeSite

Washington bill would jail priests for not breaking Seal of Confession: ‘No exemption’ - LifeSite

Bishop Strickland: Collapse of the family at the root of our moral, spiritual decline - LifeSite

Bishop Strickland: Collapse of the family at the root of our moral, spiritual decline - LifeSite

In 'Enormous Loss for the American People,' Trump Fires CFPB Head Rohit Chopra | Common Dreams

In 'Enormous Loss for the American People,' Trump Fires CFPB Head Rohit Chopra | Common Dreams

Trump’s America First Policies Tackle Real Global Threats – American Liberty News

Trump’s America First Policies Tackle Real Global Threats – American Liberty News

Trump Releases Video Of US Airstrike On ISIS, Sends Unmistakable Message To Terrorists – American Liberty News

Trump Releases Video Of US Airstrike On ISIS, Sends Unmistakable Message To Terrorists – American Liberty News

Will Advanced Chinese Tech Detect And Sink US Submarines? – American Liberty News

Will Advanced Chinese Tech Detect And Sink US Submarines? – American Liberty News

Trump’s Sweeping Changes For America And Beyond – American Liberty News

Trump’s Sweeping Changes For America And Beyond – American Liberty News

Is It Time For Recess Appointments? – American Liberty News

Is It Time For Recess Appointments? – American Liberty News

The Paradox of Trump’s Critical Minerals Crusade - Heatmap News

The Paradox of Trump’s Critical Minerals Crusade - Heatmap News

Trump environmental rules: what his executive order means | Vox

Trump environmental rules: what his executive order means | Vox

Trump’s Hedge Fund Guy Is Now Overseeing the U.S. Treasury, IRS, OCC, U.S. Mint, FinCEN, F-SOC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Trump’s Hedge Fund Guy Is Now Overseeing the U.S. Treasury, IRS, OCC, U.S. Mint, FinCEN, F-SOC, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

The Coming War on Dissent | The New Republic

The Coming War on Dissent | The New Republic

What tariffs is China imposing on the US – and why are they significant? | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera

What tariffs is China imposing on the US – and why are they significant? | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera

Exclusive — ‘Powering the Great American Comeback’: The Legend of Zeldin Comes to the EPA

Exclusive — ‘Powering the Great American Comeback’: The Legend of Zeldin Comes to the EPA

NATO chief says European defence without US ‘will not work’ | NATO News | Al Jazeera

NATO chief says European defence without US ‘will not work’ | NATO News | Al Jazeera

Setting fire to a million acres of California could cut smoke by half | New Scientist

Setting fire to a million acres of California could cut smoke by half | New Scientist

U.S. Energy Dominance: A Decade in the Making | OilPrice.com

U.S. Energy Dominance: A Decade in the Making | OilPrice.com

The US can lead the global energy revolution with a modern SuperGrid

The US can lead the global energy revolution with a modern SuperGrid

Exxon Enters the Electricity Business, Takes a Swipe at Nuclear | Barron's

Exxon Enters the Electricity Business, Takes a Swipe at Nuclear | Barron's

Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant | Arab News

Arab League calls scientists to develop AI as technology becomes dominant | Arab News

Scientists discover the formation of Earth’s sixth ocean - The Brighter Side of News

Scientists discover the formation of Earth’s sixth ocean - The Brighter Side of News

Sea power: U.S. Navy plans to spend $1 trillion over 30 years to fortify fleet

Sea power: U.S. Navy plans to spend $1 trillion over 30 years to fortify fleet

DeepSeek might not be such good news for energy after all

DeepSeek might not be such good news for energy after all

1.7 billion liter water project that set Israel’s flow of progress

1.7 billion liter water project that set Israel’s flow of progress

The Electricity Front of Russia’s War Against Ukraine - War on the Rocks

The Electricity Front of Russia’s War Against Ukraine - War on the Rocks

Whose Reform? Which Special Interest? - The Catholic Thing

Whose Reform? Which Special Interest? - The Catholic Thing

China’s Weird Chip Surplus, Explained

China’s Weird Chip Surplus, Explained

Why Rare Earths Are Achilles’ Heel for U.S., Europe: QuickTake - Bloomberg

Why Rare Earths Are Achilles’ Heel for U.S., Europe: QuickTake - Bloomberg

Herniated Disk: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches | The Epoch Times

Herniated Disk: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Natural Approaches | The Epoch Times

As part of West Bank offensive, Israel conducts largest demolition in years – Mondoweiss

As part of West Bank offensive, Israel conducts largest demolition in years – Mondoweiss

Ukraine war briefing: Trump demands rare earths from Kyiv in exchange for aid | Russia | The Guardian

Ukraine war briefing: Trump demands rare earths from Kyiv in exchange for aid | Russia | The Guardian

Monday, February 3, 2025

Trump Pauses Tariffs on Mexico and Canada After Speaking With Leaders - News From Antiwar.com

Trump Pauses Tariffs on Mexico and Canada After Speaking With Leaders - News From Antiwar.com

Southeast Asia in the crossfire of the US–China trade war | East Asia Forum

Southeast Asia in the crossfire of the US–China trade war | East Asia Forum

U.S. Energy Independence—Let's Recycle Our Nuclear Waste

U.S. Energy Independence—Let's Recycle Our Nuclear Waste

Has DeepSeek Popped The “Mini Nuke” Bubble For AI Power?

Has DeepSeek Popped The “Mini Nuke” Bubble For AI Power?

USAID’s History Of Regime Change, Destabilization, And Censorship Justifies Its Closure By Trump

USAID’s History Of Regime Change, Destabilization, And Censorship Justifies Its Closure By Trump

Musk’s Fight Against Ideological Capture – American Liberty News

Musk’s Fight Against Ideological Capture – American Liberty News

The Panama Canal Treaty Declassified | National Security Archive

The Panama Canal Treaty Declassified | National Security Archive

Trump's FEMA overhaul push garners Republican support, expert concerns

Trump's FEMA overhaul push garners Republican support, expert concerns

Wealth divide will steepen as climate change spikes insurance costs: Report

Wealth divide will steepen as climate change spikes insurance costs: Report

Court restores protections for critically endangered whales off New England

Court restores protections for critically endangered whales off New England

EPA tells 1,000 employees they could be fired ‘immediately’

EPA tells 1,000 employees they could be fired ‘immediately’

Archbishop Viganò: Trump’s victory marks beginning of counter-revolution against Deep State, Deep Church - LifeSite

Archbishop Viganò: Trump’s victory marks beginning of counter-revolution against Deep State, Deep Church - LifeSite

Archbishop Viganò: Trump’s victory marks beginning of counter-revolution against Deep State, Deep Church - LifeSite

Archbishop Viganò: Trump’s victory marks beginning of counter-revolution against Deep State, Deep Church - LifeSite

Prince Turki Al Faisal: Mr Trump, it’s time for America to recognise Palestine | The National

Prince Turki Al Faisal: Mr Trump, it’s time for America to recognise Palestine | The National

Breaking: Emails Obtained by CHD Reveal Government’s Failure to Monitor COVID Vaccine Injury Reports • Children's Health Defense

Breaking: Emails Obtained by CHD Reveal Government’s Failure to Monitor COVID Vaccine Injury Reports • Children's Health Defense

Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements – The White House

Putting America First In International Environmental Agreements – The White House

Deconstructing a continuing green scheme | News, Sports, Jobs - Observer Today

Deconstructing a continuing green scheme | News, Sports, Jobs - Observer Today

Trump Declares Economic War on Just About Everyone That Matters. Is a Smash-Up a Feature and Not a Bug? Update: Mexico One Month Pause. Who Blinked? | naked capitalism

Trump Declares Economic War on Just About Everyone That Matters. Is a Smash-Up a Feature and Not a Bug? Update: Mexico One Month Pause. Who Blinked? | naked capitalism

Monopoly Round-Up: What Did Trump Just Do on Tariffs?

Monopoly Round-Up: What Did Trump Just Do on Tariffs?

Christianity as the True Psychology - The Catholic Thing

Christianity as the True Psychology - The Catholic Thing

Inside a Bold New Experiment to Do Away With Homelessness - Business Insider

Inside a Bold New Experiment to Do Away With Homelessness - Business Insider

Musk calls USAID 'beyond repair' as he moves to shut down aid agency | Seeking Alpha

Musk calls USAID 'beyond repair' as he moves to shut down aid agency | Seeking Alpha

Exxon CEO: Natural Gas Timeline for Data Centers Faster Than Nuclear - Business Insider

Exxon CEO: Natural Gas Timeline for Data Centers Faster Than Nuclear - Business Insider

East Palestine, Ohio: A town failed by the EPA - Washington Examiner

East Palestine, Ohio: A town failed by the EPA - Washington Examiner

A Climate Dumpster Fire - The Breakthrough Journal

A Climate Dumpster Fire - The Breakthrough Journal

(128) Al Qaeda rules Syria… US and NATO whitewash their terrorist proxies as the new government - YouTube

(128) Al Qaeda rules Syria… US and NATO whitewash their terrorist proxies as the new government - YouTube

Elon Musk May Have Your Social Security Number

Elon Musk May Have Your Social Security Number

Musk Moves With Lightning Speed to Exert Control Over the Government - WSJ

Musk Moves With Lightning Speed to Exert Control Over the Government - WSJ

As Elon Musk Begins Shutting Down Payments to Federal Contractors, a Strange Money Trail Emerges to His Operatives Inside the U.S. Treasury’s Payment System

As Elon Musk Begins Shutting Down Payments to Federal Contractors, a Strange Money Trail Emerges to His Operatives Inside the U.S. Treasury’s Payment System

Confucius, DeepSeek, and Why China would Win a War with The United States, by Ron Unz and Mike Whitney - The Unz Review

Confucius, DeepSeek, and Why China would Win a War with The United States, by Ron Unz and Mike Whitney - The Unz Review

Will DeepSeek deep-six the US economy? - Asia Times

Will DeepSeek deep-six the US economy? - Asia Times

How Taxpayers Funded Largest Illegal Migration in History | RealClearPolicy

How Taxpayers Funded Largest Illegal Migration in History | RealClearPolicy

Slash The Fat: 16 Agencies To Terminate ⋆ Brownstone Institute

Slash The Fat: 16 Agencies To Terminate ⋆ Brownstone Institute

The Biodefense Oligarchy and Its Demographic Defeats ⋆ Brownstone Institute

The Biodefense Oligarchy and Its Demographic Defeats ⋆ Brownstone Institute

[Salon] Israel’s medevac scandal - ArabDigest.org Guest Post

Israel’s medevac scandal Summary: many thousands of Palestinians in Gaza more than half of them children are in urgent need of medical care abroad; citing security concerns the Israel government and the IDF have slowed approvals to a trickle. On 30 January Dr Rik Peeperkorn was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme. Dr Peeperkorn is the World Health Organisation’s Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories in Gaza and the West Bank. He told the presenter Evan Davis that twelve to fourteen thousand patients in Gaza were in urgent need of medical evacuation. Roughly half of that number were related to injuries caused by IDF ground and aerial fire. Injuries included amputations, spinal damage and severe burns requiring multiple operations. Many of those WHO is seeking to medevac are children. Dr Peeperkorn said that since the closing of the Rafah crossing on 6 May 2024, of the many thousands in urgent need of medical attention there had been only 458 evacuations with roughly half of those being children. Of those who were allowed out 40% were suffering from cancer and congenital abnormalities, one third with traumatic war injuries and the remainder with blood diseases and other illnesses. He described the procedures of attempting to secure Israeli permission as “very slow and overly complex.” The process put in place by the Israeli authorities is “critically impacting patients who cannot afford to wait.” He said approval rates need to be drastically increased for patients and companions (i.e. a spouse, parent or sibling accompanying as a carer.) “There can never,” he said “be denials for child patients.” He noted that in the month from late November to late December 2024 WHO had submitted 1200 medevac requests. Of that number only 29 had been approved for treatment abroad. In a particularly cruel twist 99 children were approved but with their accompanying companion denied permission making it impossible for the children to travel. At that point in the interview one might reasonably have expected some sort of forceful interjection from the presenter. After all these are patients, among whom are children, in desperate need of acute medical treatment which they cannot receive in the largely destroyed health care system in Gaza. Rather than drawing attention to the inhumanity inherit in what Israel is doing Evan Davis chose to focus on the issue of security clearance: I’ve actually understood, I was wondering what argument Israel would be using in denying security clearance to a child WHO want to evacuate but the issue is around the companion is it? That has been the sticking point and what has been Israel’s argument for denying security clearance? To which Dr Peeperkorn replied that for both patients and companions “the reasons are not disclosed to us”. Given the BBC’s mantra of balanced coverage it surely was incumbent on PM to put the question asked of Dr Peeperkorn directly to the Israelis. That is: why, given the urgent need and the huge numbers involved, is Israel not quickly granting medevac permissions particularly to children and their carers? Instead Evan Davis skipped along to the next interview about a Van Gogh painting bought for $50 at a garage sale. Over 96% of children in Gaza aged 6 to 23 months and women are not having their minimum nutrient requirements met [photo credit: @hadjalahbib] The denial of medevac requests is part of a larger campaign that has included restrictions on medical volunteers wanting to enter Gaza. Last summer the Israelis banned medical aid workers of Palestinian origin from being allowed into the Strip. Medical supplies were restricted to personal medications and no medical equipment was allowed in. The most recent statistics available show that in addition to the nearly 48000 killed (with the expectation that at least another 10000 are buried under the rubble) there are more than 110,000 wounded. The Israeli destruction of hospitals has been so profound that there are just 18 partially functioning throughout the enclave with only one of those still operating in North Gaza. The massive destruction visited on the Strip has created a breeding ground for disease. 91% of Gazans are facing acute food insecurity. Over 96% of children aged 6 to 23 months and women are not having their minimum nutrient requirements met. 290,000 children under five and 150,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women require feeding and micronutrient supplements. 60,000 children require treatment for acute malnutrition. Huge swathes of residential housing have been destroyed leaving families living in vast tent cities in the midst of winter flooding. There is an acute shortage of potable water. The education system has been wrecked. The numbers are numbing and obscure the reality which - with Donald Trump back in the White House - has deteriorated further even as the shaky six week ceasefire still holds. One of Trump’s first executive orders was to reinstate his ban on humanitarian aid to Palestine much of which has been funnelled through USAID and which under President Biden had been restored. UNRWA the organisation best placed to deal with the health catastrophe has been banned by Israel and as we noted in our 28 January newsletter that move is backed by Washington. Trump also pulled the US out of WHO. In the midst of Trump’s frenzied attack how do we put those numbing numbers into context? Perhaps the only way, the best way, is to think not of numbers but of the people behind them. Back in October of last year Arab Digest recorded a podcast with Hasan Ramadan a teacher from North Gaza living in a tent with his family in a refugee camp in the south. With Israeli drones circling overhead he told us: My main hope right now is to survive along with my family. This is the first priority and hope for me. The other thing is to have suitable conditions for me and for my family, especially for my kids. A good life with good food, water and housing. Will you have to leave Gaza to get safety for your family? Gaza now is completely destroyed. You can say it's 90% destroyed. For my family, they can't enter into the living conditions in such an area because we don't have a home. Our home was destroyed. We are without education (schools). I think life here is unbelievable and terrible. I'm thinking really hard to leave Gaza, to go to another country so that I can live there along with my family and for my kids to have proper education, proper housing, proper food, proper drinking water.

Analysis: OPEC+ won’t bow to Trump Amena Bakr | Semafor

Analysis: OPEC+ won’t bow to Trump Amena Bakr | Semafor

[Salon] Trump tariff hike will leave no party unscathed: China Daily editorial Guest Post

Trump tariff hike will leave no party unscathed: China Daily editorial chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-02-02 The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that China firmly deplores and opposes the move by the United States to impose additional tariffs on all Chinese imports, and it will take "necessary countermeasures" to defend its legitimate rights and interests. The remarks by a ministry spokesperson on Sunday came after the US decided on Saturday to impose a 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China. The White House said the 10-percent tariff is on all imports from China and on top of existing tariffs. The tariff hike will come into effect on Tuesday. The US side cited the fentanyl issue in the US as the justification for the move. But as the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said this is just a pretext. "The additional tariffs are not constructive and will only harm the counternarcotics cooperation between the two sides in the future." As the spokesperson pointed out, China has conducted counternarcotics cooperation with the US side in a broad-based way. At the request of the US, China officially put all fentanyl-related substances under control on humanitarian grounds in 2019, making it the first country in the world to do so. The move played a vital role in preventing the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and abuse of these substances and has won full recognition from the international community including the US. The US administration should objectively and rationally view the country's fentanyl crisis, which is a domestically driven problem for the US. The tariff hike also severely violates World Trade Organization rules, and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement released on Sunday that China will file a lawsuit with the WTO regarding the wrongful practices of the US in imposing tariffs on Chinese goods. It also stated that China will take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests. China has repeatedly stated that there is no winner in a trade war or tariff war, but it has been left with no choice but to respond to the US move. It will only be a matter of time before Beijing unveils its countermeasures toward the latest tariff move of the US side. The tariff hike will not contribute to resolving the issues plaguing the US. Economists at the Peterson Institute for International Economics have predicted that the tariff hikes imposed on imports from Canada, Mexico and China will be passed on to consumers, resulting in higher prices for a wide range of goods. It is especially so with Chinese imports, as the US cannot find alternatives of huge amounts of Chinese imports that stretch widely across the US' consumer markets and industries. Despite the protectionist measures the US has taken against China over these years, the trade volume between China and the US still hit $688.28 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent. It speaks volumes of the mutual benefit the two countries gain from the trade and economic cooperation. The US tariff hikes only harm the economic and trade cooperation between the world's two largest economies. A review of the series of protectionist measures the US has initiated against China since the first Trump administration launched its trade war against China, clearly indicates tariff measures are not conducive to the interests of either side, nor to the rest of the world. Beijing urges Washington to correct its wrong practices, maintain the hard-won momentum of China-US drug control cooperation, and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations. Economic and trade relations between China and the US have been and should continue to be of a win-win nature. The two economies have strong structural complementarity and their links are crucial parts of the global industry and supply chains. The Trump administration has said that the two countries have a shared responsibility to work together to resolve some common challenges faced by the world, that should include the well-being of the global economy. The two sides, as agreed by the two heads of state in their exchanges last month, recognize it is natural for countries to have divergences and disputes with each other, but they should seek to resolve them through appropriate means in a responsible way. Beijing therefore urges the US to meet China halfway, face the problems that have emerged, have frank dialogues, strengthen cooperation, and manage differences on the basis of equality and mutual respect. That's what they should do to prove the Sino-US relations have a new beginning rather than returning to the old trail that will only take a heavy toll on the mutually beneficial relations between the two countries.

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Opinion | Why DeepSeek caught so many in the West by surprise | South China Morning Post

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