Authored by Tsvetana Paraskova via OilPrice.com,

The UK could need up to $63 billion of investment in the power distribution network nationally to support additional demand and generation through 2050, double the current pace of additional investment, said the National Infrastructure Commission, the government’s independent infrastructure advisor.  

The UK will likely need investments of between $47 billion (£37 billion) and $63 billion (£50 billion) by 2050 as a “step change” is required in investment in Great Britain’s local electricity networks. 

This investment would be essential to achieve the government’s growth mission and lower long-term energy costs for consumers, the commission said in a report on Friday.  

The required investment levels would be at least a doubling of current annual allowances for load related expenditure, on top of business as usual investment, such as end of life asset replacement, the commission added.

The National Infrastructure Commission’s report says that with demand for electricity set to double by 2050, the current pace of additional investment in electricity distribution networks must also double to ensure the system can cope with rising demand and connect both new sources of renewable power and new electricity demands to the grid faster.  

Investments, however, are constrained by legislation. 

Current regulation by the energy regulator Ofgem “is too complex and doesn’t encourage distribution network operators (DNOs) to make the proactive investments needed to boost network capacity and provide resilience to future climate impacts,” the commission’s analysis found. 

In the report, the government’s infrastructure advisor calls for “a more proactive approach to both energy regulation and system planning.” 

Ofgem is currently seeking feedback on proposed changes to the grid connection policy from a first-come first-served approach to prioritizing projects where generation capacity is needed the most and projects are at a more advanced stage of development. 

The regulator looks to reform the current connections regulation which has become inadequate as some early-queued projects have fallen behind schedule while more advanced projects are waiting for years to connect to the grid. 

Hedge fund manager Kyle Bass is once again sounding the alarm over Chinese ownership of land across the United States, calling it one of the Chinese Communist Party’s “insane battlefield asymmetries.”

Bass, founder of Hayman Capital Management, made the comments during a wide-ranging interview with Chris Powers on The Fort podcast.

“We afford them what I call battlefield asymmetries that we should not afford to them,” Bass told Powers. “It doesn’t matter who you are in China; you can come to the U.S., you can buy 10,000 acres of farmland in Iowa, you can buy farmland in Texas, or you can buy 100,000 acres of land between our most active airbase and the border, which happened here in Texas. You can’t believe that these things are happening.”

.@Jkylebass to @fortworthchris: China Has ‘Insane Battlefield Asymmetry’ in U.S. Land Ownership

“We afford them what I call battlefield asymmetries that we should not afford to them. It doesn’t matter who you are in China; you can come to the U.S., you can buy 10,000 acres of… pic.twitter.com/PoCf3m1Iyt

— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) February 24, 2025

Bass, who is also the founder of Conservation Equity Management, a Texas-based private equity firm focused on environmental sustainability, highlighted the stark contrast between U.S. policies and China’s restrictions on foreign land ownership, emphasizing the lack of reciprocity between the two superpowers.

“If you and I want to go buy land in China, do you know how successful we’d be? Zero—we would not; they wouldn’t, they don’t allow it. Reciprocity is really important; every single one of our internet search engines and social media companies is banned in China, and yet when TikTok gets banned here, or actually just got an order to be forcibly sold to an American company, they lose their mind,” the investor said.

Bass further criticized how China exploits the openness of American society while maintaining a tightly controlled system at home.

“When every single one of ours is banned over there, they manipulate everything that we do, and we are an open society; they are a closed society,” Bass explained. “They navigate, manipulate every single crack and crevice in our openness to take advantage of us.”

Bass also addressed how China counters U.S. efforts to regulate land purchases by framing opposition as on so-called discrimination:

“When you ask about them buying land, it’s absolutely insane that they can buy land in size over here, and then what they do when you start being more vociferous, or you even start to draft legislation to prevent it – they get like local real estate agents that are Chinese, Chinese Americans, or naturalized Chinese citizens, and they say, ‘You are just a racist; how can you tell a Chinese family in America that’s become Americans they can’t buy a house?’ They create false equivalencies and functional racism, and they throw it all at the screen, and they were trying, you know, now they have you on your back feet; it’s just insane what they do.

Chinese land purchases in the U.S. have become a growing concern among lawmakers and national security experts. The Trump White House has signaled an effort to ban China from buying U.S. farmland, particularly near military installations. According to a 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Canada holds 33% of foreign-owned U.S. agricultural and nonagricultural land, while China holds just 1%. However, the USDA acknowledged significant public concern regarding Chinese land holdings.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has emphasized that banning Chinese land ownership is a priority. “One of the very, very top of the list perhaps is the Chinese purchase of our farmland. A lot of that land is around some of our military outposts,” Rollins said in a recent interview.

Concerns over national security have already prompted action in Texas, where lawmakers blocked a Chinese company from constructing a wind farm in Val Verde County. The Blue Hills Wind Farm was slated for the Devil’s River area, about 200 miles northwest of San Antonio, raising alarms over potential risks to critical infrastructure and national security.

Property owners and conservationists were the first to object to the project, citing environmental concerns and the risks of a foreign entity connecting to the Texas power grid.

Bass has been at the forefront of exposing such threats, exposing a Chinese landowner with alleged ties to the CCP, Sun Guangxin, who had planned to build the wind farm. Bass captured images of an airstrip on Sun’s ranch, alleging that Sun is a former general with strong connections to the Chinese Communist Party.

“When you’re able to plug directly in, you’re able to map it, you’re also able to upload malware, you can do all kinds of horrible things to our grid,” Bass warned.

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

The German government has resumed flights for Afghan refugees from Pakistan after a temporary suspension during the election campaign. On Tuesday, 155 Afghans arrived in Berlin, marking the first group to be transported since the election results secured power for the legacy parties CDU and SPD, who are expected to form a coalition government.

Flights for Afghan refugees were paused ahead of the election due to concerns over immigration and political optics. The decision followed a series of high-profile crimes committed by Afghan nationals, which fueled fears that further arrivals could strengthen the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) had officially cited logistical issues as the reason for canceling two charter flights in the weeks leading up to the election.

Now, with the election concluded, approximately 3,000 Afghans currently waiting at reception centers in Islamabad are expected to be transported to Germany in the coming weeks.

According to Die Welt, Germany has accepted more than 48,000 Afghans since August 2021, with almost 36,000 classified as “particularly endangered” by the federal government. Reports indicate that the cost of these relocations has amounted to several hundred million euros.

The decision to suspend flights during the campaign followed a string of violent crimes involving Afghan nationals across Germany. 

Two weeks before the election, an Afghan migrant drove a vehicle into a left-wing Ver.di demonstration in Munich, injuring at least 28 people, including a toddler. Police confirmed that the attacker, 24-year-old Farhad Noori, was a rejected asylum seeker with a history of theft and other offenses. His asylum claim had been denied in 2020 after authorities deemed his account of persecution in Afghanistan to be fabricated.

The January 2024 fatal stabbing of a toddler and a 41-year-old man in Schöntal Park, Aschaffenburg, by a 28-year-old Afghan national who targeted a group from daycare, sparked national outrage and reignited calls for a suspension of new arrivals and expedited deportations back to the country now governed by the Taliban.

Other recent attacks involving Afghan nationals include the trial of a 19-year-old Afghan asylum seeker in Frankfurt who attacked a Ukrainian woman with a box cutter in broad daylight. Due to mental health concerns, he is unlikely to face prison time.

In June last year, a terror attack in Mannheim saw an Afghan migrant stab multiple people, including a police officer who later died from his injuries. Just days later, another Afghan national attacked police officers with a kitchen knife on the island of Rügen.

Germany’s evacuation of Afghans has been subject to scrutiny, particularly regarding security risks. In 2021, then-Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer (CSU) revealed that at least 20 of the Afghans evacuated by the Bundeswehr had failed security screenings. Among them were convicted rapists and individuals previously deported from Germany due to security concerns. Reports also indicated that some evacuees had ties to counter-terrorism watchlists.

The resumption of flights signals Germany’s continued commitment to Afghan resettlement, despite ongoing concerns over security and public safety. However, political debates surrounding migration and integration are likely to persist, especially as the AfD and other conservative factions push for stricter immigration controls.

🇩🇪‼️ Is this the quickest U-turn in political history?

After the CDU campaigned on strict immigration measures to take votes away from the AfD, chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz told a press conference the day after the election that “none of us want to close the borders.”… pic.twitter.com/Ngxt98ag3r

— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) February 24, 2025

The CDU, however, which talked tough during the election to sway voters away from the AfD, appears to have U-turned on its proposed radical approach, with chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz telling press on Monday that “no one wants to close the borders.”

Read more here…

Authored by Andrew Korybko via substack,

Any claims of Russia “backstabbing” or “selling out” China are absurd and driven by a desire to sow discord…

The “New Détente”, which refers to the ongoing efforts between Russia and the US to enter into a rapprochement in the New Cold War similar in spirit to what they agreed to half a century ago during the Old Cold War, is no longer speculation after the US’ pivot towards Russia at the UN. The US joined Russia in vetoing a resolution from the General Assembly that condemned Russia for its special operation and then Russia sided with the US in supporting the latter’s more neutral one in the Security Council.

This diplomatic choreography was clearly coordinated between Putin and Trump to show the entire world that they’re committed to the “New Détente”. In parallel with what was unfolding on the world stage, each leader also spoke highly about the future of their economic ties, with Trump hyping everyone up to expect “major economic transactions” while Putin hinted at cooperation in the aluminum and rare earth industries. This followed their representatives discussing Arctic energy cooperation in Riyadh.

It was foreseen in early January that “Creative Energy Diplomacy Can Lay The Basis For A Grand Russian-American Deal”, which readers can learn more about from the preceding hyperlinked analysis. The two dozen compromises suggested near the end have already been agreed upon in part as proven by the US withholding Article 5 guarantees from NATO countries’ troops in Ukraine, ruling out its membership in NATO, discussing energy cooperation with Russia, and flirting with other forms of sanctions relief.

Unlike what some have claimed, Trump isn’t trying to pull a so-called “Reverse Nixon” by incentivizing Russia to turn against China like his predecessor half a century ago incentivized China to turn against the erstwhile USSR, which is unrealistic to expect in any case. Rather, as explained in the analysis about creative energy diplomacy, the purpose is to incentivize Russia into placing limits on its resource and eventually military cooperation with China in order to erode its strategic advantages vis-à-vis the US.

From Trump’s view, this will avert the scenario of Russia turbocharging China’s superpower rise and thus even the odds of reaching a grand deal with the People’s Republic that’ll be more in the US’ favor, while Putin sees this as managing the global balance of power. From his perspective, Russia is incentivizing the US into relieving pressure upon it and unofficial paying reparations for the proxy war via investments into its resource industry and economy as a whole, all while redirecting the US’ military focus elsewhere.

The Kissinger-inspired pragmatism behind this arrangement is predictably opposed by each country’s most zealous supporters, both at the civil society and state levels, but more on the US’ side than Russia’s. Furthermore, even though China officially supports the emerging Russian-US rapprochement, it’s likely still very suspicious of this process but is playing it cool for now in order to not attract negative attention. These trends must be managed by both parties in order for their envisaged “New Détente” to succeed.

Trump is ignoring his powerless opponents at the civil society level and European state one while purging his much more powerful opponents at the domestic (“deep”) state level through Musk’s DOGE, with the outcome of Trump’s efforts in turn shaping what Putin will ultimately do. Since nothing tangible has been achieved thus far, the Russian leader doesn’t seem to be doing anything other than sending positive signals, but that could change if Trump agrees to the compromises that Putin requires for cutting a deal.

In that scenario, Russian publicly funded media’s narratives towards the US and the New Cold War more broadly could drastically shift, which would be expected to also influence the information products of those Russian-friendly members of the Alt-Media Community who take their cues from the Kremlin. To be clear, these figures and outlets are free-thinkers, but they trust Putin and the media that’s under his authority for guidance to better understand the global systemic transition and specific processes therein.

Dissident elements might no longer be platformed by Russian publicly funded media nor invited to Russia for conferences since their views would no longer conform with the Kremlin’s so that could motivate them to rethink their opposition to the “New Détente” in furtherance of their career interests. No such potentially high-profile dissent is expected at the domestic (“deep”) state level though due to the differences between Russia and the US’ systems so such forces are expected to easily fall into line.

As regards China’s speculative suspicions of the Russian-US rapprochement, Trump, Putin, their top diplomats, and other representatives are expected to make a concerted effort to allay their counterparts’ fears about this process in order to avoid an overreaction that could worsen China’s ties with each. That said, China is known for reacting calmly even to events that it disapproves of so no significantly negative response is expected, though Chinese-friendly Alt-Media figures might be a totally different story.

It’s entirely possible that they’d either be tacitly encouraged to fearmonger about the “New Détente”, including by sensationally claiming that Russia “sold out” to the US, or might interpret everything on their own this way and sincerely believe that expressing these views somehow helps China. In any case, it can’t be ruled out that the Alt-Media Community might bifurcate into Russian-friendly and Chinese-friendly halves wherein the influential Iranian-led Resistance segment aligns with the latter out of spite.

That last prediction is predicated on how upset many of these figures are after “Russia Dodged A Bullet By Wisely Choosing Not To Ally With The Now-Defeated Resistance Axis” as Israel systematically destroyed their regional network in West Asia over the course of the latest war. That outcome could be offset though if Iran later enters into its own “New Détente” with the US, after which it too could signal to its like-minded Alt-Media allies to shift their narratives like Russia might have earlier done by then.

All the insight shared thus far is conditional on the “New Détente” succeeding, the odds of which are increasing by the day as shown by the latest Russian-US developments and their respective leaders’ statements, hence the need to forecast the impact that this could have on the information sphere. The best-case scenario is that the pro-Chinese part of the Alt-Media Community doesn’t overreact on its own or is encouraged by China to respond that way so that the US can then more easily reach a deal with it.

Putin also endorsed Trump’s bold proposal for halving their defense budgets if everything works out between them, with the Russian leader even proposing that China do so too if it’s interested. He therefore clearly wants to promote or even help broker a Sino-US deal for resolving the root causes of their own security dilemma exactly as he and Trump are trying to do with theirs. Any claims of Russia “backstabbing” or “selling out” China are accordingly absurd and driven by a desire to sow discord.

If everything evolves along the trajectory that was outlined in this analysis, then the onus will be on China and to a lesser extent on Iran whether to get with the program by negotiating their own comprehensive deals with the US or to continue to defy it at the expense of jeopardizing world peace. Russia and the US’ diplomatic choreography at the UN, and Putin and Trump’s arguably coordinated economic-resource partnership statements, show that they trust each other and truly want peace.

China and Iran have repeatedly expressed that they trust Russia, both at the national and leadership levels, so it would be a moment of truth for them whether they’d then follow its lead by entering into their own talks with the US or go the opposite way in a sign that they never really trusted Russia. Whatever they do will in turn inform Russian policymakers, Putin chief among them, of their true intentions and could thus lead to pragmatic and peaceful recalibrations of Russia’s policy towards them.

A new study from the Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness reveals the devastating consequences of Seattle’s failed policies, which have not only failed to address homelessness but have actively worsened the crisis, according to 770 KTTH.

Driven by progressive ideology rather than practical solutions, city leaders have fostered a system that attracts homeless individuals from outside the region while keeping them trapped in cycles of addiction, crime, and dependency.

Rather than tackling the root causes, these policies have invited more homelessness, turning the issue into a manufactured disaster rather than a problem to be solved.

The study reveals that nearly half of the city’s homeless population became homeless outside of Seattle or King County, drawn in by the city’s permissive policies—free tents, open-air drug use, and a refusal to enforce encampment laws. An overwhelming 86.6% were born elsewhere, and 80.2% didn’t even attend high school in the area.

The KTTH report says that rather than addressing addiction and mental health, Seattle relies on the failed “Housing First” model, which prioritizes subsidized housing over real treatment. Instead of helping, the city warehouses the homeless, trapping them in cycles of dependency.

KTTH’s Jason Rantz argues that Seattle’s homelessness crisis isn’t about a lack of funding—it’s about failed priorities. The study shows the city has abandoned emergency shelters and recovery programs in favor of “supportive housing,” leading to a 282% spike in overdose deaths between 2020 and 2023.

Nearly half of King County’s 2023 overdose deaths were among the homeless, many in these housing units.

Like San Francisco and Los Angeles, Seattle spends billions while the crisis worsens. Leaders refuse to require addiction treatment before granting housing and have let encampments overrun parks and neighborhoods. Their one-size-fits-all approach ignores addiction and mental illness, trapping people in cycles of dependency.

Real solutions exist: prioritize treatment over subsidized housing, stop incentivizing homelessness, and enforce the law, Rantz says. Despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing cities to ban encampments, Seattle refuses to act. Until it abandons failed progressive policies, the crisis will only grow—and it won’t stay within city limits.

Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com,

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a truly Orwellian society where there is absolutely no freedom of speech, absolutely no freedom of religion and absolutely no freedom of the press?  

You may think that the rules that you are currently living under are bad, but the country that I am about to discuss exercises total control over the population.  In this nation, you can only choose a haircut off a pre-approved list, and smiling on the wrong day can literally get you sent to a prison camp.  Unfortunately, once you are sent to a prison camp you will be worked day and night until you either starve or drop dead.

Of course the country that I am talking about is North Korea.  

The following are 22 really bizarre facts about the most Orwellian society on Earth…

#1 The first “Great Leader” of North Korea, Kim Il-sung, is deeply revered in North Korea.  In fact, there are approximately 40,000 statues of Kim Il-sung scattered all throughout the nation.

#2 In North Korea, it is believed that “destroying a statue is the most hideous insult to our supreme authority and our people and is an act of war no less serious than an armed invasion”.

#3 Hanging up pictures of founder Kim Il-sung is compulsory for every household in North Korea.

#4 It is against the law for citizens of North Korea to smile on the 8th of July.  If you break this law, you can be sent to a prison camp or in some cases you could even be executed…

Everyone loves a smile. But what if there were laws on when you could do it? Sound nuts? Believe it or not, it’s against the law for North Koreans to smile on July 8, the anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s death.

If Citizens do happen to break the law for this rule, they could be sent to concentration camps or even pay with their lives. The same goes for being loud, drinking, or having a birthday party. So, whatever you do, don’t smile on July 8.

#5 After he died, the body of Kim Il-sung was embalmed and it still lies in state in Pyongyang.

#6 The same thing was done to the body of Kim Jong-il when he died…

North Korea has announced that the body of late leader Kim Jong-il will lie in state permanently at a palace in the capital, Pyongyang.

His body will be displayed at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace alongside his father, Kim Il-sung.

#7 The North Korean people were told that Kim Jong-il actually bowled a perfect game the first time he ever tried bowling…

Kim Jong Il’s mythology is no less extensive. His birth was hailed as “heaven sent” by propagandists, and state media has often touted impossible feats: He scored a perfect 300 the first time he tried bowling, and shot five holes-in-one the first time he played golf. Upon his death in 2011, the skies about the sacred mountain Paektu in North Korea allegedly glowed red.

#8 The Constitution of North Korea actually guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press…

Citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, demonstration and association.

The State shall guarantee conditions for the free activity of democratic political parties and social organizations.

#9 The Constitution of North Korea also guarantees freedom of religion…

Citizens have freedom of religious beliefs. This right is granted by approving the construction of religious buildings and the holding of religious ceremonies.

#10 In 1987, North Korea began construction on the Ryugyong Hotel, which would have been the tallest hotel in the world at that time if it had been finished on schedule in 1989.  Instead, construction of the bizarre 105 story skyscraper that somewhat resembles a pyramid was suspended in 1992, and the unfinished structure was just a massive concrete shell towering over Pyongyang completely empty for the next 16 years.  Work began once again on the project in 2008, but it is still unfinished to this day…

That pointy building in the center of the capital Pyongyang is the Ryugyong Hotel, also known as “the hotel of doom.” At a height of 1,079 feet (329 meters), it is the tallest unoccupied building in the world, according to Guinness World Records. Construction on the abandoned residence began in 1987 and has stopped and started several times over three decades due to North Korea’s economic woes.

#11 One of North Korea’s greatest national treasures is the Pueblo – a U.S. naval vessel that the North Koreans captured from “the imperialist Americans” back in 1968…

USS Pueblo (AGER-2) is a Banner-class environmental research ship, placed into service during World War II, then converted to a spy ship in 1967 by the United States Navy. She gathered intelligence and oceanographic information, monitoring electronic and radio signals from North Korea. On 23 January 1968, the ship was attacked and captured by a North Korean vessel, in what became known as the “Pueblo incident”.

#12 Current leader Kim Jong-un didn’t like the rules of basketball, and so he radically changed them…

Even the country’s sports are isolated from the rest of the world. Kim Jong-un apparently didn’t like the OG way basketball was played, so decided to rewrite it. The North Korean basketball rules say that slam dunks are worth three points and field goals in the final three minutes of the game are worth eight points.

#13 Police in North Korea are often given promotions when they are able to to identify and arrest Christians…

North Korea’s secret police, the Ministry of State Security, are incentivized with promotions when they apprehend Christians and other believers.

“Those charged with Christianity often face execution or are forced to live out the rest of their lives in political prison camps,” testified Inje Hwang, an investigator with Korea Future Initiative, during a webinar hosted by USCIRF.

#14 Children in North Korea are taught that Christian missionaries suck the blood of children…

Even children are taught from a young age to be suspicious of Christianity.

“In schools, young children are taught that Christian missionaries are spies of the countries who seek opportunities to invade North Korea and they’re shown graphic images of missionaries sucking the blood of children to show how malicious they are,” said Suyeon Yoo, co-director of Korea Future Initiative. “And they are taken to state-run exhibition halls where religious adherents are presented as murderers, spies, and where Bibles are displayed as trophies taken from enemies of the state.”

#15 Christians are executed in some of the most brutal ways imaginable in North Korea.  In one case, a group of Christians was crushed to death by a steamroller…

“While Interviewee 17 was in the North Korean Army, his unit was dispatched to widen the highway between Pyongyang and the nearby port city of Nampo. They were demolishing a vacated house in Yongkang county, Yongkang district town, when in a basement between two bricks they found a Bible and a small notebook that contained 25 names, one identified as pastor, two as chon-do-sa (assistant pastors), two as elders, and 20 other names, apparently parishioners, identified by their occupations. The soldiers turned the Bible and notebook over to the local branch of Department 15 of the Korean Workers Party (KWP), but the Party officials said it was up to the military police unit, Bowisaryungbu gigwanwon, to investigate. Tracked down at their place of work through the listing of occupation in the notebook, the 25 persons were picked up without formal arrest by the military bowibu. The interviewee was not aware of any judicial procedures for those seized. In November 1996, the 25 were brought to the road construction site. Four concentric rectangular rows of spectators were assembled to watch the execution. Interviewee 17 was in the first row. The five leaders to be executed – the pastor, two assistant pastors, and two elders – were bound hand and foot and made to lie down in front of a steamroller. This steamroller was a large construction vehicle imported from Japan with a heavy, huge, and wide steel roller mounted on the front to crush and level the roadway prior to pouring concrete. The other twenty persons were held just to the side. The condemned were accused of being Kiddokyo (Protestant Christian) spies and conspiring to engage in subversive activities. Nevertheless, they were told, “If you abandon religion and serve only Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, you will not be killed.” None of the five said a word. Some of the fellow parishioners assembled to watch the execution cried, screamed out, or fainted when the skulls made a popping sound as they were crushed beneath the steamroller. Interviewee 17 thought, at the time, that these church people were crazy. He thought then that religion was an “opiate,” and it was stupid for them to give up their lives for religion. He heard from the soldiers who took away the other twenty prisoners that they were being sent to a prison camp.”

#16 It has been estimated that over 150,000 people live in six giant North Korean concentration camps…

All the fanciful and funny myths about North Korea’s dictators cover up a disturbing truth, however: Some 154,000 North Koreans live in prison camps, according to South Korean government estimates. (Other international bodies put the number at closer to 200,000). There are six camps, surrounded by electrified barbed wire. Two camps allow for some “rehabilitation” and release of prisoners, according to “Escape from Camp 14: One Man’s Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West” (Viking, 2012). The rest are prisons for life.

#17 The conditions that prisoners must endure in North Korea are absolutely deplorable…

Extrajudicial executions, rape, forced abortions, jail without trial, torture, starvation rations that leave prisoners so hungry some turn to eating insects.

These are just some of the abuses commonplace in North Korean prisons and other detention facilities, according to former detainees whose testimony forms the basis of a new report released by a human rights watchdog this week.

#18 A song entitled “No Motherland Without You” was written specifically for Kim Jong-il, and it is one of the most popular songs in North Korea.  It is regularly sung by the North Korean military.

#19 Most Americans don’t know that the North Koreans have developed a nuclear missile that can “reach anywhere in the U.S. mainland”…

North Korea said Monday leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to develop more powerful means of attack, days after the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in more than four years.

The statement suggests North Korea might perform additional launches or even test a nuclear device soon as it pushes to modernize its arsenal and increase pressure on the Biden administration while nuclear diplomacy remains stalled. Last Thursday, the North performed its 12th round of weapons tests this year, launching the newly developed, long-range Hwasong-17, which analysts say was designed to reach anywhere in the U.S. mainland.

#20 North Korea has successfully tested an undersea drone that is reportedly similar to Russia’s Poseidon doomsday weapon…

According to KCNA, the test was personally overseen by dictator Kim Jong-un, who wanted to warn the U.S. and South Korea they are causing a “nuclear crisis” with their “intentional, persistent, and provocative war drills.”

North Korea’s state Rodong Sinmun newspaper published a photo of Kim standing next to a large torpedo, which may or may not have been the undersea drone. The article also included photos that purportedly showed the drone maneuvering underwater and then kicking up a pillar of water, depth-charge style, when its test warhead detonated.

#21 Kim Jong-un has repeatedly threatened to nuke South Korea.  Here is just one example…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons to destroy South Korea if attacked, state media reported Friday, after South Korea’s president warned that if the North used nuclear weapons it would “face the end of its regime.”

The fiery rhetoric isn’t new, but comes at a time of tension on the Korean Peninsula and just weeks after North Korean state media released images of Kim visiting a uranium enrichment facility, which produces weapons-grade nuclear materials.

#22 Kim Jong-un has also threatened to “thoroughly annihilate” the United States…

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to “thoroughly annihilate” the United States and South Korea if provoked, state media reported Monday, after he vowed to boost national defense to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation.

Even knowing all this, I would love to visit North Korea someday.

But those that visit are certainly not guaranteed to get out alive.

A woman named Yeonmi Park knows what daily life in North Korea is like, because she was born there.  By the age of 13, she had literally witnessed people drop dead from starvation right in front of her eyes.  Thankfully, she was able to escape North Korea for a better life.

In 2016, Park transferred from the university that she was studying at in South Korea to Columbia University here in the United States.  Initially she was very excited to be able to study in this country, but once she started attending classes she quickly realized that “even North Korea isn’t this nuts”…

A North Korean defector said she viewed the US as country of free thought and free speech – until she went to college here.

Yeonmi Park attended Columbia University and was immediately struck by what she viewed anti-Western sentiment in the classroom and a focus on political correctness that had her thinking “even North Korea isn’t this nuts.”

It is so easy to mock North Korea, but the truth is that much of the rest of the world has been going down the same Orwellian path.

Hopefully there will be some positive changes now that a new administration is in power here in the United States.

But in most nations, basic freedoms are being eroded at a staggering rate.

Liberty is such a precious thing, and once it is lost it can be exceedingly difficult to ever get back.

Just ask the people of North Korea.

*  *  *

Michael’s new  book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com.

Update (2210ET): DNI Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday that 100 individuals in the intelligence community have been identified as having “contributed to and participated in” the sick internal chat group who will be fired and have their security clearances revoked.

“There are over 100 people from across the intelligence community that contributed to and participated in this – what is really just an egregious violation of trust. What to speak of, like, basic rules and standards around professionalism. I put out a directive today that they all will be terminated and their security clearances will be revoked,” Gabbard told Fox News‘ Jesse Watters.

“But the thing here Jesse is – you’ve got to take a step back, because this is barely scratching the surface. When you see what these people are saying, and thanks to Chris Rufo for putting this all online – they were brazen in using an NSA platform intended for professional use, to conduct this kind of really, really horrific behavior. And they were brazen in doing this because, when was the last time anyone was really held accountable? Certainly not over the last four years. Certainly not over the last 10 maybe 20 years, and we look at some of the biggest violations of the American peoples’ trust in the intelligence community. So, today’s action in holding these individuals accountable is just the beginning of what we’re seeing across the Trump administration – which is carrying out the mandate the American people gave him.”

Watch:

BREAKING: Director of National Intelligence @TulsiGabbard says that the 100+ intelligence officials involved in the deep state sex chat will have their security clearances revoked. She says they were brazen in using a @NSAgov platform to have these horrific chats, because there’s… pic.twitter.com/COm8UiFcxZ

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) February 26, 2025

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Update (1530ET): The National Security Agency (NSA) is now investigating federal employees within the intelligence community for allegedly misusing an internal agency messaging board to discuss all sorts of (transgender-heavy) sexual fantasies under the guise of DEI, officials tell Fox News.

Chat logs from the National Security Agency’s (NSA) “Intelink” messaging platform, obtained by researchers from the conservative Manhattan Institute reportedly via sources within the NSA, revealed employees from various intelligence agencies discussing their experiences with gender-reassignment surgery, artificial genitalia, hormone therapy, polyamory and pronoun usage. Some of these agencies reportedly include the Defense Intelligence Agency, U.S. Naval Intelligence and the NSA.

After the interlink chat logs went viral following a report by journalist Chris Rufo, an NSA spokesperson told Fox that it was “actively investigating” the secret chats.

“NSA hosts the Intelink service for the Intelligence Community. As the service provider, NSA takes very seriously the allegations in this reporting, and, if accurate, they would be violations of longn-standing Intelligence Community policy,” the spokesperson said. “The Intelligence Community places great trust in those personnel that we authorize to access U.S. Government systems, and in return we expect full compliance with all laws, policies and regulations which govern our work.”

Newly minted Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also weighed in on the chats, calling the behavior “unacceptable,” and saying that “those involved WILL be held accountable.”

This behavior is unacceptable and those involved WILL be held accountable. These disgusting chat groups were immediately shut down when @POTUS issued his EO ending the DEI insanity the Biden Admin was obsessed with. Our IC must be focused on our core mission: ensuring the safety,… https://t.co/CnpWYyhyNk

— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) February 25, 2025

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Update (1210ET): In response to the report on secret ‘kink’ chat rooms within the US intelligence community, former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Gen. Mike Flynn (Ret.) warned: “There are massive amounts of sickening chat rooms and groups the USIC maintains and many on government unclassified and classified systems.“

What’s more – these groups, which as you can see below, were full of mentally ill trannies, and “people communicating with each other in their own little code words who are in opposition to the @realDonaldTrump administration,” Flynn continued, suggesting that they represent “a massive CI (counterintelligence) problem and they need to be immediately shut down.”

Flynn suggests that “decent CI people” investigate them “to determine if subversive behavior is occurring, and if so, prosecute those conducting it AND then expose them.”

There are massive amounts of sickening chat rooms and groups the USIC maintains and many on government unclassified and classified systems. In them are people communicating with each other in their own little code words who are in opposition to the @realDonaldTrump…

— General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) February 25, 2025

If @GenFlynn says shutting down these chat networks will eliminate a key element of organized counter-resistance, then I believe him! @elonmusk

— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) February 25, 2025

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While the left clutched pearls over one of Elon Musk’s DOGE employees who went by the name ‘Big Balls’ online a few years ago, they’ve been dead silent over a bombshell report from Chris Rufo revealing secret NSA “sex chats” that involved at least one CIA employee that go back two years – featuring discussions involving “sex, kink, polyamory, and castration.” And butthole zapping.

Both current and former NSA employees “provided chat logs from the NSA’s Intelink messaging program,” revealing all sorts of insane shit.

One popular chat topic was male-to-female transgender surgery, which involves surgically removing the penis and turning it into an artificial vagina. “[M]ine is everything,” said one male who claimed to have had gender reconstruction surgery. “[I]’ve found that i like being penetrated (never liked it before GRS), but all the rest is just as important as well.” Another intelligence official boasted that genital surgery allowed him “to wear leggings or bikinis without having to wear a gaff under it.”

These employees discussed hair removal, estrogen injections, and the experience of sexual pleasure post-castration. “[G]etting my butthole zapped by a laser was . . . shocking,” said one transgender-identifying intel employee who spent thousands on hair removal. “Look, I just enjoy helping other people experience boobs,” said another about estrogen treatments. “[O]ne of the weirdest things that gives me euphoria is when i pee, i don’t have to push anything down to make sure it aims right,” a Defense Intelligence Agency employee added. –City Journal

Yeah…

Oh my…

These trans employees discuss hair removal, estrogen treatments, and breast implants. “Getting my butthole zapped by a laser was . . . shocking,” said one trans-identifying DIA official. “Medical science is gonna give me tits one way or another,” said a Navy intel employee. pic.twitter.com/qXLtq0nk45

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 24, 2025

Both the CIA and NSA have confirmed the authenticity of the report…

BREAKING: The CIA has released a statement on the trans sex chats, claiming it “will be taking immediate action on this matter.” pic.twitter.com/iK33aLidai

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 25, 2025

BREAKING: An NSA spokesman has confirmed the authenticity of the secret sex chats and claims that the agency is taking administrative action against employees who “abused this system.”

This story is ongoing. More revelations coming tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/q822rMWjx6

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 24, 2025

Reminder that the Biden CIA was actively recruiting people with mental illnesses https://t.co/YnIGjef2ay pic.twitter.com/nFkoeIT0T9

— Lomez (@L0m3z) February 25, 2025

What in the cinnamon toast fuck?

Well … at least we know what they did last week 🤣🤣 https://t.co/C6vZeUTGSg

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2025

Update:

Nobody:

NSA chat logs: https://t.co/pET6gaSO9m pic.twitter.com/tAzkpzmZO5

— Dixon Uranus (@RealDixonUranus) February 25, 2025

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There’s been ‘shock’ and disappointment among European as well as former US government officials at how the United Nations General Assembly vote went on Monday.

In something unprecedented while the Ukraine war has been on, now having reached the three-year mark, the United States voted alongside Russia to veto European attempts to strengthen language related to a resolution on the conflict’s anniversary.

In total 18 countries voted against the Ukrainian-drafted resolution at the UN General Assembly that condemned Moscow and called for a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.

Many observers thought the US would at least simply abstain; instead it opposed the motions alongside nations like Russia, Israel, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, and Hungary.

The European-backed resolution, which was ultimately adopted with 93 votes in favor, expressed “concern over the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” and underscored its “devastating and long-lasting consequences for Ukraine, regional stability, and global security.”

It urged “de-escalation, an immediate ceasefire, and a peaceful resolution to the conflict” while demanding Russia’s “complete and unconditional withdrawal” from Ukrainian territory.

The explanation of US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea was very revealing, and marks a significant shift in perspective compared to the prior Biden admin. As journalist and war observer Dave DeCamp explains:

In remarks to the UN, US Ambassador Dorothy Shea referred to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an “escalation of the Russia-Ukraine war” and said the conflict started “11 years ago,” referring to the war that broke out in Ukraine following the US-backed coup in 2014 that ousted former President Viktor Yanukovych.

The language from Shea marks a significant shift from the Biden administration, which always referred to the war as an “unprovoked” Russian invasion despite the history of US and NATO involvement in Ukraine.

Shea said that the many UN resolutions that have demanded a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine have failed to end the conflict. “Since the start of the war 11 years ago, the United Nations has repeatedly condemned Russia’s blatant violations of the UN Charter. Multiple resolutions of the General Assembly have demanded that Russia withdraw its forces from Ukraine,” she said.

“Those resolutions have failed to stop the war. It has now dragged on for far too long, and at far too terrible a cost to the people in Ukraine, in Russia, and beyond,” Shea added.

The White House position appears to be less concerned with endlessly wrangling over blame, and more with finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. 

“Generations of Ukrainians and Russians have died unnecessarily as the war has brought the world closer to a nuclear confrontation,” Amb. Shea continued. “The longer it continues, the greater the suffering for both nations. This war must end now.”

Several reports have in the wake of the vote collected quotes expressing outrage over the “shameful” vote…

• Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt described it on X, formerly Twitter, as a “shameful moment in US history.”
• Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul was among those who condemned the American vote as “one of the most shocking foreign policy events of my lifetime.”
• Another former diplomat, Steven Pifer, ex-U.S. envoy to Kyiv, posted on X: “how appalling was US vote on UN resolution on just, lasting peace to settle Russia Ukraine war?”
• Republican Senator John Curtis (R-UT) said on X that he was “deeply troubled by the vote at the UN today which put us on the same side as Russia and North Korea.”
• Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley did not criticize the U.S. vote directly but posted on X that “we must choose a side, and it should never be the side of dictators.”

But in the end, as the Trump administration tries to pursue a truce deal in Eastern Europe, the US had simply introduced its own resolution at the UNGA that called for peace in Ukraine, but the whole showdown and divide resulted after European countries added an amendment that inserted anti-Russian language.

Update (2040ET): House Republicans were finally able to pass Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) budget bill Tuesday evening despite a mid-day revolt from conservative hardliners.

Passing along party lines by a vote of 217-215 with the exception of Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) who voted no with the Democrats, the passage of the package was a key step to move President Trump’s agenda forward, though there are still several hurdles to clear – primarily the Senate.

Going into the vote, GOP Reps. Massie, Spartz (R-IN), Davidson (OH), and Burchett (TN) were expected to be the final holdouts – however they all flipped to a yes except for Massie.

Trump also gave the vote an 11th hour boost, working the phones to convince the holdouts to flip.

The House’s resolution lays out a $1.5 trillion floor for spending cuts across committees with a final target of $2 trillion, as well as a $4.5 trillion ceiling on the deficit impact of any GOP plan to extend Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, The Hill reports. It also includes $300 billion in additional spending on the border and defense, as well as a $4 trillion debt limit increase.

In addition to the fiscal conservative holdouts, GOP leaders also had to win over moderates concerned about potential cuts to Medicaid in the ultimate Trump agenda bill. The resolution directs the Energy and Commerce Committee — which has jurisdiction over Medicaid — to find at least $880 billion in cuts, a figure that some lawmakers said could not be reached without significant slashes to the social safety net program. -The Hill

Now, of course, the House must reconcile with the Senate – which passed its own budget resolution last week using a different strategy.

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House Republicans took a major step toward enacting former President Donald Trump’s policy vision on Tuesday, advancing a budget resolution that could set the stage for a high-stakes showdown within the GOP. But with hardline conservatives digging in their heels, the bill’s fate remains uncertain.

In a narrow 217-211 vote along party lines, the House approved the procedural rule for the budget resolution, clearing the way for a final vote. The GOP’s spending blueprint aims to push Trump’s domestic agenda—border security funding, energy policy shifts, and tax cuts—through Congress.

But the measure is hanging by a thread, as a group of conservative deficit hawks is refusing to budge. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) acknowledged the uncertainty, telling reporters, “There may be a vote tonight, may not be. Stay tuned.”

Rebel Republicans Threaten to Tank Budget

At least four GOP lawmakers—Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Victoria Spartz (IN), Warren Davidson (OH), and Tim Burchett (TN)—have vowed to oppose the final resolution, enough to sink the measure unless Johnson can win over last-minute holdouts.

Massie, an outspoken budget hawk, didn’t mince words. “I was a lean no before this meeting, now I’m a no,” he told reporters Tuesday, slamming the budget’s spending numbers as reckless.

“If the Republican plan passes under the rosiest assumptions, which aren’t even true, we’re gonna add $328 billion to the deficit this year, we’re gonna add $295 billion to the deficit the year after that, and $242 billion to the deficit after that, under the rosiest assumptions” Massie warned, adding “Why would I vote for that?”

With the GOP’s razor-thin House majority, Republicans can only afford to lose one of their own votes if Democrats remain united in opposition. That slim margin is making Johnson’s job even tougher as he tries to broker a compromise.

A Balancing Act Between Conservatives and Moderates

For weeks, GOP leadership has been wrangling members from both ends of the ideological spectrum. Conservative hardliners have been pushing for deeper spending cuts, while moderates are concerned about slashes to programs like Medicaid.

Some moderates, however, appear to be coming around. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), who had previously raised concerns, signaled on Tuesday that he was softening his stance. “I’m in a better place [than] where I was yesterday,” he told reporters after meeting with leadership.

The budget resolution sets a floor of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, a target of $2 trillion in reductions, and a $4.5 trillion cap on the deficit impact of extending Trump’s 2017 tax cuts. It also carves out $300 billion for border security and defense, alongside a controversial $4 trillion increase in the debt limit.

Johnson and his leadership team have been scrambling to shore up support, but the opposition from Massie and other fiscal hawks presents a serious roadblock. If the measure fails, it would be another embarrassing setback for House Republicans, who have struggled to unite behind a cohesive spending strategy.

The House is scheduled to take a final vote on the budget resolution around 6 p.m. Tuesday – but that timeline is now in limbo. With tensions running high, all eyes are on whether Johnson can twist enough arms to push Trump’s budget vision through.

Stay tuned.

The political left, regardless of whatever country they are in, is notorious for creating emotional drama for the purposes of propaganda.  They are also notorious for accusing their ideological opponents of committing the exact kind of crimes they are actually guilty of.  Their fundamental strategy is to take the words of their opponents and twist them into a fantastical narrative of villainy.  Add a professional agitator personality like Donald Trump into the mix and you have a recipe for pearl clutching on an epic scale.  

Trump’s calls for tariffs on Canada and Mexico have elicited a highly dramatic response, with both government’s pretending as if the policy is an act of war.  Specifically, his prodding assertions that Canada should become the “51st state” have Canadian officials in an uproar.  

Podcaster Joe Rogan recently noted that when he asked Trump about the controversy, Trump stated that “It was a joke at first, and then he started to think it might be a good idea”.  Whether one agrees with this or not, anyone with any sense understands that it’s highly unlikely for a number of reasons that Canada will ever become part of the United States.  It is fun to play with the premise, though.

For Canadian leftists the idea is not a joke.  They are treating it as a precursor to US invasion.  

Chrystia Freeland, a Canadian MP, Deputy Prime Minister and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Board of Trustees, is running with the manufactured outrage.  Freeland announced her candidacy for Prime Minister this week and defined her campaign platform almost exclusively as an anti-Trump platform.  She claims that her run as PM was inspired by fears that Donald Trump intends to “invade Canada”, a threat she intends to courageously stand against.

“I met a little 4 year old girl, she asked me, whether if I could prevent Trump from invading our country. And that’s why I’m standing to be the Liberal Party leader, and to become the next Prime Minister of Canada.”

Chrystia Freeland’s opening statement at the French debate. pic.twitter.com/xu4wqDYph9

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 25, 2025

First and foremost, whenever leftist candidates conjure a story from thin air they often claim an “innocent child asked them a frightening question” which inspired them to take action.  In all likelihood the four-year-old girl Freeland talks about doesn’t exist other than in her own mind.  Second, Freeland is jousting at windmills because no one in the Trump Administration has suggested such an invasion.  

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” he doesn’t think the president has “any plans to invade Canada.”  His remarks follow multiple reports that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a closed-door meeting of business leaders last week that the Trump administration “keeps talking about absorbing us and making us the 51st state.” 

Freeland says Trump represents ‘the greatest threat to Canada since WWII’.  Oddly, Freeland’s own family was a part of that threat.  Her Grandfather on her mother’s side, Michael Chomiak, was a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator who ran a propaganda newspaper called Krakivski Visti.  

The Ukraine Archival Records held by the Province of Alberta has a large file on Chomiak, including his own details about his days editing the newspaper Krakivski Visti. Chomiak noted he edited the paper first in Crakow (Cracow), Poland and then in Vienna. The reason he edited the paper in Vienna was because he had to flee with his Nazis colleagues as the Russians advanced into Poland.   

Globe and Mail reported that, “Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland knew for more than two decades that her maternal Ukrainian grandfather was the chief editor of a Nazi newspaper.”  Despite this fact, she has often cited her grandfather as inspiration for her political career.  Freeland has been called out on multiple occasions for revising her family history and painting her grandfather as a “refugee fleeing the Nazis”.  The information on her grandfather was initially labeled “Russian disinformation”, but it turned out to be true.

Freeland is not necessarily culpable for the actions of her ancestors, but as a close member of the authoritarian Davos crowd within the WEF, it looks like Freeland is making her Nazi grandfather proud.  Freeland argued during the Liberal leadership French Debate that free speech similar to that in the US should not be tolerated when it comes to negative views on open immigration.

“We can’t allow the kinds of comments about immigrants that we’re hearing coming out the U.S. at the moment. We can’t have that in Canada.” Chrystia Freeland at the Liberal leadership French Debate. pic.twitter.com/VcRdRNSulb

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 25, 2025

It should also be noted that Freeland was a rabid supporter of draconian forced vaccination mandates during the pandemic scare in Canada.  It would seem that Canadian citizens have a lot more to fear from Chrystia Freeland as PM than they do from Donald Trump.