Oh, honey . . . if Democrats could *really* rig elections, why aren't they in power in the White House, Senate, House, and Supreme Court right now? You're such a simple thing.

The US government is now one of if not the most corrupt government on earth.

What a difference the Hungarian election has made!

Ukraine’s Plan to Starve the Russian War Machine Negotiations have stalled. Trump keeps changing his policies. Ukrainians, backed by Europeans, are taking matters into their own hands. ​​​

Back in September, I wrote about Ukraine's long-range drones. Now that they are regularly and accurately striking Russian refineries and oil infrastructure, I think it's worth reading again, for those who missed it. Gift link:
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

It’s more that they declared an unprompted economic war on us. But, yes, the insults don’t help.

Midweek Update #7: The Most Corrupt War In US History Trump Is Passing The Initiative To Iran; Oil Markets, Watch Out If They Lose Their Optimism

Hi all, just sent out free midweek update on USA-Iran. Normally bad superlatives are used about war--the worst, the most destructive, etc. These are rarely warranted. However in this case we have one superlative, we are witnessing the most corrupt war in US history. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

People like Pete Hegseth believe that China manufactures the flu as a weapon.

He then tells China, potentially our biggest military enemy, that he is ensuring that US troops *will* be made vulnerable to the flu.

When you're too stupid to reconcile your conspiracy theories.

CSIS says US has used as many as 1400 Patriot missiles against Iran, while Ukraine received roughly 600 of them since the start of the Russian invasion. Talk about misplaced priorities.

In February 1777, General George Washington ordered the first mass immunization campaign in American history by mandating that his troops be inoculated against smallpox. He protected the Continental Army from an epidemic that was deadlier than British forces.

249 years later, we have this idiot.

And yet they elected Trump twice.

Russia Needs a Sustained $100 Barrel to Bridge Its War Budget Gap, Sweden Reveals Russia's wartime economy shows signs of strain. Despite oil price boosts, defense spending strains finances.

⚡️ Russia needs a sustained $100 per barrel oil price for at least a year to bridge its war budget gap, according to Sweden’s Military Intelligence and Security Service.

united24media.com/latest-news/...

Russian economy faces 'financial disaster,' Sweden's spy chief warns as Moscow hides true deficit Stockholm believes that Moscow is "living on borrowed time," Sweden's military intelligence chief Thomas Nilsson said.

⚡️ Russian economy faces 'financial disaster,' Sweden's spy chief warns as Moscow hides true deficit.

Stockholm believes that Moscow is "living on borrowed time," Sweden's military intelligence chief Thomas Nilsson said.

It’s a mark of how completely normalised the corruption & depravity have become that we barely bat an eyelid at the thought of two *property developers*, one Trump’s nepo baby son-in-law, being sent to represent the USA in peace negotiations with Iran. Sometimes it all hits you afresh.

KALLAS: Russia keeps attacking other countries. How many frozen conflicts surround Russia? In the last 100 years, Russia attacked at least 19 countries, some of them multiple times. None of these countries ever attacked Russia.

President Stubb:

“I would prefer in the long run to see Ukraine in NATO. You know, I know for political reasons some people have problems with that. But let's think about it really serious. The Russian threat is not going away. So what then gives us comfort? In my mind, it's Ukraine.”

📹: CBC News

“After years of hesitation and timidity, and a reluctance to do anything that might result in tension with the USA, the Germans are moving to stronger and more complete support for Ukraine. Do not underestimate this.”

Howard Lutnick tells Canada ‘they suck’ and vows to wind back trade deal with US Fraught talks set to resume to end dispute that is costing America more than $1bn a month

If the administration’s goal is to turn Canada from friend to foe, it’s doing a pretty good of it.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

To understand why the USA is where it is today, all you need to do is see that Trump cannot tolerate even the mildest, insightful criticism from the Pope, but Trump will allow Putin to humiliate him deeply and constantly, while still craving Putin’s approval.

Syzran Oil Refinery in Russia.

While America eases sanctions, Ukraine must intensify their own 🔥

Ukraine Has Written Off the United States Zelensky has stopped pretending that Trump might be an ally.

Latest in @theatlantic.com The Ukrainians are now longer pretending that Donald Trump's USA is their friend. Their honesty is important as they seem to understand how much Trump is helping Putin and how important it is that Europe stick together. Gift Link. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Fluoride in U.S. drinking water does not reduce IQ, a new study finds Claims that fluoride in drinking water causes cognitive delays in kids are driving U.S. policy. A new study finds no evidence to back them.

Claims that fluoride in drinking water causes cognitive delays in kids are driving U.S. policy. A new study finds no evidence to back them, reports Elie Dolgin. www.sciencenews.org/article/fluo...

Shaheen, Schumer, Warren Statement on Trump Administration Extending Sanctions Relief for Russian Oil | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate...

After saying the sanctions waiver for Russia would not be extended, the administration extends it on Friday night. Outrageous and shameful. Putin continues to be a major winner from the Iran War.

www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/re...

Ukraine's Deep-Strike Drone Campaign Against Russian Oil Infrastructure How Ukraine is systematically degrading Russian energy export capacity — and what it means for the war

Maybe not an inflection point, but a remarkable moment. "By some estimates, Ukraine launched more long-range drone strikes than Russia [in March], employing over 7,000 systems, some reaching as deep as 1,500 kilometers into Russian territory." missilematters.substack.com/p/ukraines-d...

“Something Called the Just War Doctrine” — Speaker Johnson Lectures Pope Leo XIV on Augustine The Speaker, an evangelical with no theological training, told Pope Leo XIV he misunderstands the doctrine his patron saint invented while the pope walked through the ruins of Augustine’s cathedral.

NEW: Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters today that Pope Leo XIV doesn't understand “something called the just war doctrine.”

Pope Leo is an Augustinian friar who spent twelve years leading Augustine’s religious order.

Augustine invented the doctrine.

Coercing Iran: Why Trump’s Hormuz Blockade Has a Short Fuse | Council on Foreign Relations The Trump administration’s calculation seems to be that the rest of the world is already feeling the economic pain from the Iran war—now it’s Iran’s turn.

While enforcing an undeclared blockade on Cuba, the U.S. allowed a Russian tanker to reach the island, apparently because Trump did not want a confrontation with Russia. Is he now prepared to risk a confrontation with Beijing if the U.S. Navy stops tankers ferrying oil to China? on.cfr.org/4sCcnm1

When Trump talks about a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a way to "kill Iran's economy,"we need to remember who stands behind Iran's resilience.Above all,it’s China,not only as a buyer of oil,but as a strategic partner that benefits from Iran remaining a destabilizing force in the Middle East⤵️

The surprising vaccine side effects that can improve long-term health People often focus on the bad side effects of vaccines, but they can have some great side effects too, says columnist Michael Le Page. They don’t just protect us from contagious diseases but can also lower the risk of dementia and heart attacks

The vaccine side effects that the disinfo dummies don’t mention:

- Shingles vaccines reduce dementia

- Flu and RSV vaccines have cardiovascular benefits

- COVID mRNA vaccines “boost the immune response to tumours along with immunotherapy”

www.newscientist.com/article/2516...

Ukraine to cede land 'unworthy' of Hungary's 1956 resistance, Magyar says "If someone says this — no matter how long Fidesz politicians have said similar things — you should ask them what would happen if Russia attacked Hungary: which Hungarian county would they give up?" P...

⚡️ Asking Ukraine to cede land 'unworthy' of Hungary's 1956 resistance, Magyar says.

"If someone says this... you should ask them what would happen if Russia attacked Hungary: which Hungarian county would they give up?" Peter Magyar said in response to a question from a Kyiv Independent reporter.

Ursula von der Leyen on the results of the elections in Hungary:

We should also look at the lessons learned inside the European Union.

I think moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages as we've seen in the past.

Péter Magyar opens his first press conference as incoming Hungarian PM:

"Formerly, press conferences worked in a way that the propaganda media could ask questions that were written for them by the govt... Therefore, we will now give the floor to those Hungarian outlets who are still independent."