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29.11.2025 - 18:53 [ Trinidad Express ]

Resisted by Grenada, radar spotted in Tobago: As 4th US aircraft flies in

Yet another US Marine aircraft was detected overnight heading into Tobago, the fourth of its kind over the course of the past week, as imagery on the island appeared to depict a powerful air defence US radar system at the ANR Robinson international Airport.

The sightings come after Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday confirmed the US military presence on the sister isle, backtracking on previous claims that previous military aircraft sighted on the island were only there to help the country with a “roadway.”

29.11.2025 - 18:24 [ CNC3.co.tt ]

Prime Minister defends silence on US Marines in Tobago ‘I withheld work on radar details to protect national security’

On Wednesday, when a C-17 Globemaster with the words Air Force emblazoned on its side was spotted at Tobago’s airport, a picture of the aeroplane was circulated widely on social media, with several citizens questioning its purpose.

Later that day, outside the Red House, the Prime Minister explained that the aircraft had brought in US marines to assist in constructing a roadway. At the time, she said that, to her knowledge, there were no longer any marines in the country. However, US marines were later seen at a popular hotel in Tobago. The day after, the Prime Minister clarified that following further inquiries, she had been informed that marines were still in Tobago and were assisting with work on the runway, roadway, and radar system at Tobago’s airport.

01.11.2025 - 15:39 [ Independent.co.uk ]

300 of America’s wealthiest citizens ask Congress not to carry out tax breaks for them. Here’s why

(March 26, 2025)

The letter was organized by the Responsible Wealth Project in coordination with Americans for Tax Fairness and Voices for Progress, according to reports.

The group sent out a similar letter to Congress in 2022. A group of wealthy Americans also sent a letter to presidential candidates in 2020 urging them to tax the ultra-wealthy more for the benefit of most Americans.

01.11.2025 - 15:18 [ Bloomberg.com ]

American ‘Oligarchy’ Decried by Biden Gained $1.5 Trillion in His Term

(January 16, 2025)

The very richest Americans are among the biggest winners from President Joe Biden’s time in office, despite his farewell address warning of an “oligarchy” and a “tech industrial complex” that threaten US democracy.

The 100 wealthiest Americans got more than $1.5 trillion richer over the last four years, with tech tycoons including Elon Musk, Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg leading the way, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The top 0.1% gained more than $6 trillion, Federal Reserve estimates through September show.

01.11.2025 - 15:04 [ Barrons.com ]

U.S. Net Wealth Is Over $135 Trillion. Here’s Where That Money Resides.

(Sept 13, 2023(

At the Private and Public Sector Entity Levels. (In trillions of U.S. dollars)

PRIVATE SECTOR:
Households 121.9
Nonprofits 8.6
Noncorporate businesses 17.2
Total U.S. Private Sector 147.7

PUBLIC SECTOR:
Federal government – 21.3
State and local government 11.5
Total U.S. Public Sector – 9.8
Instrument discrepancies – 1.1

TOTAL U.S. WEALTH 136.8

25.06.2025 - 17:37 [ TheAtlantic.com ]

Buy, Borrow, Die: How to be a billionaire and pay no taxes

(March 17, 2025)

Step one: buy. The average American derives most of their disposable income from the wages they earn working a job, but the superrich are different. They amass their fortune by buying and owning assets that appreciate.
(…)
Instead of selling their assets to make major purchases, the superrich can use them as collateral to secure loans, which, because they must eventually be repaid, are also not considered taxable income.
(…)
According to a provision of the tax code known as “stepped-up basis”—or, more evocatively, the “angel of death” loophole—when an individual dies, the value that their assets gained during their lifetime becomes immune to taxation.
(…)
“Only morons pay the estate tax,” Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive and the then–chief economic adviser to Donald Trump, memorably remarked in 2017.

15.01.2025 - 00:06 [ RAIR Foundation USA ]

The EU’s Coup Against Democracy: Thierry Breton Threatens to Invalidate German Elections (Video)

(January 12, 2025)

The backlash was swift and vocal. Critics across Europe condemned Breton’s remarks, seeing them as a dangerous precedent in the EU’s approach to member states’ sovereignty. Observers noted that Breton’s comments revealed an alarming willingness to override the will of voters if outcomes do not align with EU preferences.

Many linked these actions to the EU’s broader push to control narratives, highlighting efforts to censor platforms like X in Europe to prevent dissent and scrutiny. The underlying motive, critics argue, is to silence opposition and maintain control, but such efforts may ultimately backfire as the truth surfaces despite their attempts to suppress it.

14.01.2025 - 22:31 [ FreedomBunker.com ]

Democracy Dies In The EU: Romania Edition

/December 26, 2024)

The weeks running up to the election: a campaign called #BalanceAndIntegrity begins on TikTok. Roughly 130 influencers follow a similar script to make videos describing qualities of a future unnamed president. Some of the influencers do, however, write in the comments of the video: “Călin Georgescu.”

Nov. 24: The presidential election. Georgescu — a relative unknown who runs on a Christian conservative, economic populist and non-interventionist policy towards Project Ukraine — surprisingly comes out on top. Disaffected working class voters back him strongly as he wins more than 2 million votes (23 percent) in the first round. As no candidate achieved an absolute majority, a second round was to be held on Dec. 8.

Nov. 28: Romania’s Supreme Country Defense Council (CSAT) announces that “cyber attacks with the aim of influencing the correctness of the electoral process” took place and, separately, that “a candidate for the presidential elections benefited from a massive exposure due to the preferential treatment that the TikTok platform granted him by not marking him as a political candidate.”

14.01.2025 - 20:03 [ RomaniaJournal.ro ]

Ex-Commissioner Breton: ‘What Was Done in Romania May Be Needed in Germany’

(January 10, 2025)

“Let’s stay calm and enforce the laws in Europe, when they risk being circumvented and if not enforced, could lead to interference. They did it in Romania and, obviously, it will have to be done, if necessary, in Germany as well,” he concluded, referring to the cancellation of the first round of the presidential elections in December.

14.01.2025 - 19:58 [ European Conservative ]

Former Censorship Tsar Admits EU Role in Annulling Romanian Election

‚We’ll also have to do it in Germany, if necessary,‘ Thierry Breton confessed—as up to 100,000 people took to the streets of Romania.

27.12.2024 - 19:08 [ Caitlin Johnstone ]

Israel Is Killing Civilians In Gaza On Purpose, And It’s Not Even Debatable

There’s nothing wrong with being politically homeless at this point in history. Humanity as a whole is still wildly confused and dysfunctional in this particular slice of spacetime, and even the very best political factions are dominated by highly neurotic people who take no responsibility for their psychological state and internal clarity. If you’ve found a political party or faction you trust then that’s great, but if you haven’t then it is perfectly fine to stand as an individual while throwing your support behind worthy causes and movements on a case-by-case basis as they emerge without permanently hitching yourself to anyone else’s wagon.

We’ve still got a long way to go in maturing as a species, and it might be a while before a unified political faction arises that you can trust to consistently move in the highest interest.

16.12.2024 - 20:50 [ New York Times ]

German Government Collapses at a Perilous Time for Europe

The collapse of the government, just nine months before parliamentary elections had been scheduled, was an extraordinary moment for Germany. The elections, now expected on Feb. 23, will be only the fourth snap election in the 75 years since the modern state was founded, reflecting a new era of more fractious and unstable politics in a country long known for durable coalitions built on plodding consensus.

28.10.2024 - 03:55 [ Clifton West / CornelWest2024.com ]

Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils Still Leaves Evil.

Dr. Cornel West may not win the vote in this upcoming Presidential election but the truth is on his side. He has been vilified by the Democrats and attempted to be exploited by the Republicans due to his threat to the current power structure and each party’s personal gain.

What is the worth of a govt that exists only to lie to its people for the purpose of securing, exerting, and expanding its own power?

28.10.2024 - 03:41 [ theHill.com ]

Democrats look to quash threat from Green Party’s Jill Stein

(October 18,2024)

Kennedy, who has become a top surrogate for Trump since dropping out, posed a specific threat to Democrats in that he had a famous name attached to their party but aligned politically with the right on many issues. Stein, however, is to the left of most progressives and, in Democrats’ estimation, comes with her own unique baggage.

That lingering, eight-year-old resentment has prompted an uptick of activity across the party, with Harris’s allies strategizing multiple ways to cut off any support she has in states where 1 and 2 percent support could be decisive.

28.10.2024 - 03:25 [ New York Times ]

Voters Are Deeply Skeptical About the Health of American Democracy

Three-quarters of voters in the United States say democracy is under threat, though their perception of the forces imperiling it varies widely based on partisan leanings. And a majority of voters believe that the country is plagued by corruption, with 62 percent saying that the government is mostly working to benefit itself and elites rather than the common good.

28.10.2024 - 02:39 [ Japan Today ]

Japan‘s ruling bloc loses lower house majority

The dismal results underscored deepening distrust in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party due to a slush funds scandal, signaling a seismic shift in the support that enabled it to return to power in 2012 after a spell in opposition.

The coalition would still fall short of a majority in the powerful lower house even if Ishiba accepts back into the LDP former party lawmakers who ran as independents after being denied LDP endorsement over the scandal. The party fell short of 200 seats in the 465-member chamber.

15.10.2024 - 03:59 [ RealClearolitics.com ]

Kamala Harris Proposes Presidential „Bipartisan Council Of Advisors“ To Preserve „Healthy Two-Party System“

VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS: I am gonna actually announce — we have press in the room — that I have decided, not only will I have a Republican in my cabinet — I was talking to my team about it — I want to create some structure around the following, which is: I love good ideas, wherever they come from. I love good ideas! Right?

So part of what I intend to do and put some structure around is creating a bipartisan council of advisors, who can then give feedback on policy as we go forward.

Because here‘s the thing I also understand, and feel strongly about. In order for us as America to maintain our status as the strongest democracy in the world, we need a healthy two-party system. We have to have a healthy two-party. We have to! It‘s in the best interest of all of us.

22.09.2024 - 20:10 [ JillStei2024.com ]

Jill Stein on Supreme Court decision keeping Greens off Nevada ballot: “another win for Democrats’ war on democracy”

(September 20, 2024)

“The Nevada Green Party submitted more than 29,000 signatures for ballot access, almost three times the required number, yet the Nevada Secretary of State, the Democratic Party, and the supreme courts of both Nevada and the United States believe they should be disenfranchised because the Democratic Secretary of State provided us with incorrect petition forms. This is a slap in the face to democracy, to the rule of law, and to the millions of voters in Nevada who are being denied a real choice in the presidential election.

“To quote our legal brief to the Supreme Court, ‘there is only one Due Process Clause. [The Nevada Green Party] contends that it violates that Clause for the government to tell someone to stand on a carpet and then pull that carpet out from under them.’

10.09.2024 - 02:00 [ Caitlin Johnstone ]

Rainbow Flag Genocide Vs MAGA Hat Genocide

Can’t wait til things calm down in the middle east so I can stop getting accused of being an antisemite and go back to the old wholesome accusations of being a Russian agent.

05.05.2024 - 07:15 [ Middle East Eye ]

Gaza is the greatest test liberalism has faced since 1945. And it is failing

Pro-Israeli lobbies have hijacked most western liberal democracies.

The whole world is now privy to the shameless pimping of western politicians previously documented in Congressman Paul Findley‘s 1985 book They Dare to Speak Out and reinforced by the 2007 book The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy, by political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt.

As an anonymous commentator wrote: “People think Gaza is occupied, but in reality, Gaza is free but the whole world is occupied.”

30.03.2024 - 19:45 [ Times of Israel ]

In surprise close call, Lapid holds on to party leadership by a mere 29 votes

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid beat out opponent MK Ram Ben Barak by the skin of his teeth in Thursday afternoon’s Yesh Atid primary, the party’s first leadership contest since it was founded by Lapid in 2012. (…)

Ben Barak had not presented a strong challenge to the longtime leader, stating repeatedly that he does not differ materially in his policy outlook from Lapid and is mainly running in order to promote the “democratization” of the party, which has been under the same leadership for over a decade.

02.10.2023 - 08:26 [ Reuters ]

Pakistan sets election for January, likely minus Imran Khan

(September 21, 2023)

The election commission has already questioned the impartiality of the caretaker government led by Kakar, who comes from a pro-military party, saying it appears to be aligned with the opponents of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

As it stands, former premier Khan, the main opposition leader, cannot fight this election after he was barred from public office for five years after a corruption investigation.

09.09.2023 - 15:52 [ associated press ]

Russia holds elections in occupied Ukrainian regions in an effort to tighten its grip there

The voting for Russian-installed legislatures in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions has already begun and concludes Sunday. It has been denounced by Kyiv and the West.

“It constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, which Russia continues to disregard,” the Council of Europe, the continent’s foremost human rights body, said this week.

31.08.2023 - 17:52 [ Spokesman.com ]

Gabon soldiers seize power in OPEC member in latest coup

Gabon’s dollar bonds due June 2025 and November 2031 were the worst-performing in emerging markets on Wednesday. The 2025 notes fell 8.55 cents to 84.74 cents on the dollar as of 11:48 a.m. in London. Shares in French mining group Eramet SA, oil and gas producer Maurel & Prom SA and a listed unit of TotalEnergies SE, which all have operations in Gabon, sank in Paris trading.

08.08.2023 - 11:26 [ Center for Strategic and International Studies ]

What Does Niger Have to Do with the AUMF?

(October 26, 2017)

Q1: Several members of Congress have shared that they weren’t aware of U.S. military presence in Niger. What is the appropriate role of Congress in the oversight of foreign troop deployments?

A1: At best, the Constitution is ambiguous about the congressional role in the use of military forces abroad. Under Article I, the Congress is given the power to create a military and to declare its use in wartime. Yet Article II names the president as commander in chief and thus establishes a system whereby the executive and legislative branches share the power to use force. Furthermore, since the mid-twentieth century, the range of military activities outside the strict definition of declared war has broadened dramatically. Although the War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify the Congress about combat deployments in a timely manner, notification of deployments under conditions where combat is not anticipated, nor war-like engagements intended, is up to the president’s discretion.

15.07.2023 - 08:20 [ Patriotic Millionaires ]

It’s the inequality, stupid

(June 15, 2023)

Economic inequality has exploded in the US since Bill Clinton took office. (It started to tick up after Clinton’s predecessor Ronald Reagan came on the scene, but Clinton’s tenure witnessed a continuation of this trend.) Today, there are 735 billionaires in the US, three of whom – Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and Jeff Bezos – hold wealth more than 1 million times (!) the median American household wealth. Meanwhile, nearly 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 1/3 of workers make less than $15 an hour, and roughly 38 million Americans live below the poverty line.

09.07.2023 - 11:50 [ New York Times ]

To Foreign Policy Veteran, the Real Danger Is at Home

Mr. Haass recently published a book called “The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens,” outlining ways Americans can help heal their own society, like “Be Informed,” “Remain Civil,” “Put Country First” — all admittedly bromides and yet somehow often elusive these days. (…)

Putting his foreign policy hat aside for now, he said he wants to expand the message from his book and help refocus the country on the core values embodied in the Declaration of Independence as the 250th anniversary of the document approaches three years from now.

29.05.2023 - 22:25 [ Ansa.it ]

11 Italians among KFOR troops hurt in Kosovo clashes

Tensions rose over newly elected mayors in the region on Monday.

30.03.2023 - 10:05 [ New York Times ]

‚super‐Europe’

(Nov. 9, 1978)

While the dollar was falling and rising, the Europeans were negotiating a new form of monetary union: the creation of a kind of deutschemark zone in Western Europe. This was no coincidence.

Just as the sovereignty of the nationstate is personified by the ability to create money, so the form and status of international money is an expression of changing power relationships. The events of the last few weeks merely confirm America‘s decline and the growing importance of Western Europe, dominated by West Germany.

27.03.2023 - 20:52 [ CNN ]

No indictment for Netanyahu

(20. April 1997)

Netanyahu told CNN‘s Walter Rodgers he was „glad that the truth came out,“ and said the entire incident was „blown out of proportion and twisted out of shape.“

„It‘s politics,“ he said in an interview shortly after the attorney general released his report. „Of course there were people out to get us. But this is going nowhere. It‘s done. It‘s finished.“

15.02.2023 - 21:38 [ theGuardian.com ]

‚Team Jorge‘ unmasked: the secret disinformation team who distort reality – video

A covert team of Israeli contractors who claim to have manipulated more than 30 elections around the world using hacking, sabotage and automated disinformation on social media have been exposed in a new investigation. The unit is run by Tal Hanan, a former Israeli special forces operative who now works privately using the pseudonym ‚Jorge‘. In more than six hours of secretly recorded meetings, Hanan and his team explained how they could gather intelligence on rivals, including by using hacking methods to access Gmail and Telegram accounts

15.02.2023 - 09:34 [ theGuardian.com ]

Revealed: the hacking and disinformation team meddling in elections

The investigation reveals extraordinary details about how disinformation is being weaponised by Team Jorge, which runs a private service offering to covertly meddle in elections without a trace. The group also works for corporate clients.

Hanan told the undercover reporters that his services, which others describe as “black ops”, were available to intelligence agencies, political campaigns and private companies that wanted to secretly manipulate public opinion. He said they had been used across Africa, South and Central America, the US and Europe.

15.02.2023 - 09:13 [ Haaretz ]

Hacking, Extortion, Election Interference: These Are the Tools Used by Israel‘s Agents of Chaos and Manipulation

Team Jorge, this investigation believes, works with a residential proxy provider, in order to provide its avatars with local digital identities in the form of real IPs that cannot be found by social media sites.

Team Jorge also seems to work with a cellular provider that serves AIMS in a similar manner, likely giving avatars their local numbers and supplying the infrastructure needed to grant them SMS verification.

The deliberately misleading technical infrastructure also serves to hide such actors. The process creates another layer of plausible deniability between, in this case, Team Jorge, the client and the campaign’s content, and helps them further mask the truth. Or, as Hanan put it in one presentation: „My signal is from Indonesia, the WhatsApp from Hong Kong, Telegram from Germany. And none of them are my numbers.“