Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

War is raging in Iran. Amid the fog of propaganda, it is increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction, to distinguish AI-generated material from actual bomb strikes, and to see behind the carefully woven veil of media spin and national interests. Yet, we attempt here to make sense of the latest moves on the geopolitical chessboard.

One immediate consequence of the Strait of Hormuz blockade is a fatal ripple effect in the energy sector. Companies such as QatarEnergy are forced to reduce gas and oil production. Refineries are shutting down, and tankers can no longer transport output. The physical logistics of the energy market are faltering – with consequences far beyond the region.

Markets are responding nervously. Both spot and futures prices continue to climb. At the close of New York trading, WTI crude stood at around $93 per barrel, nearly a twenty percent increase since the U.S.-Israeli intervention against Iran’s Ayatollah regime.

From a European perspective, the implications are clear. The highly energy-dependent continent is increasingly politically adrift. For many governments, a lot is at stake if prices are not swiftly brought under control. Rising energy costs, growing production expenses, and mounting burdens on households and businesses threaten a new economic stress test for Europe.

For a week, Brussels has been in frenetic motion. Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission stages media-friendly exercises that amount to little more than political shadowboxing: attempting to solve a shortage problem that cannot be eliminated through domestic production. Member states are currently discussing  joint purchasing consortia and familiar tools such as subsidies and cost offsets for energy-intensive industries – the usual toolkit, deployed repeatedly in the past. In other words, much of it boils down to massive debt accumulation intended to temporarily alleviate the effects of the Hormuz blockade. 

Looking to Germany, one sees how vulnerable Europe’s energy architecture remains. The rapid decline of gas storage levels underscores the importance of a robust strategic reserve.

In this context, the European decision to mandate a strategic oil reserve equivalent to at least ninety days of average consumption was farsighted. The timing and scale of reserve deployment remain uncertain.

A note on the disproportionately high gasoline prices in Germany: this is precisely the effect when a high-taxing fiscal state claims roughly 65 percent of the retail price. In an energy crisis, this structure paradoxically makes the state a short-term beneficiary of rising prices.

The Europeans’ inability to act was epitomized by German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider of the not-so-social Social Democrats. Faced with rising fuel costs, he bluntly recommended that Germans switch to electric cars. This cynical stance – coming from the security of a well-padded, subsidized political bubble – makes the attitude so unbearable. Those who drive the country economically – millions of commuters dependent on cars for their livelihood – are dismissed entirely.

Naturally, the expansion of renewable energy and the continued commitment to the green transition remain central points on the EU agenda. They simply cannot escape their closed, ideologically narrow argumentative framework.

Other options remain politically taboo. The exploration of domestic gas reserves in Europe or the long-term maintenance of coal-fired power – even in Germany – is still not seriously considered. The pressure on political decision-makers has evidently not yet reached a level sufficient to return to a pragmatic, rational energy policy.

From the U.S. perspective, the Hormuz blockade and the planned political power shift in Tehran fit into a larger strategic concept. Control over oil and gas flows from Venezuela, combined with the U.S.’s record domestic production, could create a significant problem for China, which is existentially dependent on imports from these regions.

Should the U.S. achieve its political objectives in Tehran, a massive shift of power would tilt in its favor. Together with the oil states more closely bound to its power structure, it could dominate the global energy market and substantially strengthen its position relative to Beijing.

This is of critical significance for future negotiations with China. It concerns not only energy but also access to rare earths, curbing Chinese influence in the Western Hemisphere, and the so-called fentanyl war, where the last word has certainly not yet been spoken.

Another observation is worth noting. In this reorganizing geopolitical power constellation, which is largely determined by access to energy and strategic resources, Europe has largely lost its strategic agency. Between the U.S., Russia, and China, it barely emerges as an independent actor.

Europe has thus accomplished a remarkable feat: politically caught between all stools – and now standing as a dependent price-taker in energy markets, with its back to the wall.

The Strait of Hormuz crisis has also shaken a previously overlooked market: maritime insurance. Following Tehran’s threat to close the strait, several tanker attacks occurred off the coast. Insurance premiums soared, and major providers – a market dominated by the City of London – immediately withdrew. Risks were too high, and coverage in the event of a claim could no longer be guaranteed.

This was the decisive moment: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) would step into the gap. State-backed war and political risk coverage at “very reasonable” prices, as he put it, would provide relief. This creates a government-supported competitor to Lloyd’s. The U.S. is not only supplying insurance capacity but combining it politically with U.S. naval escorts – gunboats.

For the now virtually invisible British Empire in financial and insurance markets, this – following massive attacks on the London-based LBMA precious metals markets – would be the next pillar of its power structure to wobble, a framework previously sustained mainly through international trade.

In short: the next geopolitical lever for the U.S. comes into view, should it capture a significant portion of this insurance business. Whoever controls the underwriting lever – who decides which risks are covered and which tankers receive a policy – wields a massive sanctioning instrument. Insurance has thus become a geostrategic tool, with Europe left on the sidelines.

* * * 

About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Private insurers are padding their pockets with billions in alleged overpayments from Medicare Advantage, and hardworking American seniors are footing the bill through higher Part B premiums, according to a congressional report obtained by the Wall Street Journal.

The report, issued by the bipartisan Joint Economic Committee, shows that controversial practices, such as adding extra diagnoses to trigger larger government reimbursements, drove up Medicare Part B premiums by $13.4 billion in 2025 alone.

That amounts to roughly 10% higher costs, or more than $200 extra annually, for the average senior on a fixed Social Security income. The impact extends beyond enrollees in Medicare Advantage plans. Traditional Medicare beneficiaries are also paying higher premiums to help subsidize the private plans’ gains.

Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), who chairs the committee, said in a statement to the Journal, “Extra spending on Medicare Advantage is not just coming out of the federal government’s budget, a portion of this comes out of you.”

Politicians scream at each other over scraps while Medicare Advantage spits out $84B in overpayments in a single year.

That’s almost $1T in misaligned incentives we could fix in one reconciliation bill that pays for real health, not for coding seniors as sicker. pic.twitter.com/aG0RHSf5Bt

— Rep. David Schweikert (@RepDavid) February 16, 2026

The Journal reports:

Medicare Advantage, which has long enjoyed support from Republicans, has faced growing bipartisan scrutiny. Among the biggest players in the business are UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Elevance Health.

Lawmakers and government investigators have been probing how insurers’ billing practices have contributed to Medicare Advantage costs. A congressional watchdog found Medicare Advantage costs the federal government more than traditional Medicare, partly because of insurers’ billing practices. The insurers are paid more to cover enrollees who have more health conditions, and they can boost their reimbursement by recording more diagnoses.

Medicare Part B, which covers doctor visits, lab tests, and outpatient services, had standard premiums around $185 per month in 2025, deducted directly from Social Security checks. Due to these alleged overpayments, however, everyone pays more for the same benefits.

Speaking to the Journal on Friday, Medicare agency administrator Mehmet Oz said that while he doesn’t believe Medicare Advantage insurers are as overpaid as has been reported, he did concede that, “we should change the rules.”

Summary:

• CNN says the IRGC had already begun laying explosive mines in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

• Reuters: AS MANY AS 150 US TROOPS WOUNDED SO FAR IN IRAN WAR

• CBS says US intelligence has begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane

• Divergent signals flying between Tehran and Washington: Witkoff says Trump “always willing to talk” to Iran, the question is whether or not it is worth it. Trump-Putin spoke Monday, and Putin-Pezeshkian spoke Tuesday. Meanwhile Tehran defiant: no ceasefire, vows maximum pain.

• Operation ‘mostly achieved goals’ – Trump says as WSJ reports officials seeking plans for offramp. Biggest airstrikes of the war.

• Tehran vows ‘eye for an eye’ if US-Israel hit infrastructure. Iran leaders on various levels sounding hawkish and not backing down.

• Oil/Energy: Iraq has shut down some oil wells, while Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia taking similar steps to curtail production. Qatar too: halted operations at several gas wells and shut down the liquefaction “trains” used to process natural gas for export.

• Qatar urges halt to attacks, quick return to diplomacy – Foreign Ministry: “Reaching the negotiating table quickly and halting attacks would serve the interests of the peoples of the region as well as international peace and security, in addition to strengthening global economic stability.”

• Pentagon claims “winning”: After ten days into Operation Epic Fury, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth lists objectives that include destroying Iran’s missile infrastructure, defense industry, navy, and ensuring Tehran is “permanently” denied nuclear weapons.

• Trump’s mixed messaging as war could end ‘soon’ while saying Iran’s military is crippled, but also warns Tehran would be hit “20 times harder” if it disrupts oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Signs of Washington officials looking for an offramp. A mere few days ago Trump stressed the US would stop at nothing short of Iran’s “unconditional surrender” – but that continues to look dubious.

• Iran rejects U.S. narrative: The IRGC says its missile program remains intact and claims it is firing larger salvos with heavier warheads, while officials insist Iran, not Washington, will decide when the war ends.

• Regional escalation especially in Lebanon: Heavy IDF fighting continues with Hezbollah in Lebanon, while Gulf states intercept missiles and drones, and all the while Iranian leaders say US and Israeli regime-change efforts have failed and vow to prepare for a “long war” – even involving those who host American bases in region.

* * *

Update(1555ET): A fresh Tuesday CNN report says that Iran has already begun laying mines in the vital oil transit Strait of Hormuz waterway: 

Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important energy chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of all crude oil, according to two people familiar with US intelligence reporting on the issue.

The mining is not extensive yet, with a few dozen having been laid in recent days, the sources said. But Iran still retains upward of 80% to 90% of its small boats and mine layers, one of the sources said, so its forces could feasibly lay hundreds of mines in the waterway.

The report further says that after IRGC threats have already de facto closed the strait to nearly all international traffic (apparently unless they signal they are Chinese vessels) amid the ongoing drone and missile threat, it maintains the capability to deploy a “gauntlet” of dispersed mine-laying craft, continues CNN, including explosive-laden boats and shore-based missile batteries.

TRUMP RESPONDS to the reports, warns the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before.

Trump revised his tweet quickly, adding the following:

“Additionally, we are using the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait.

They will be dealt with quickly and violently.

BEWARE!”

He also followed with saying that the US already destroyed ten inactive mine laying boats.

CENTCOM meanwhile quickly counter-signals that it stands ready to fight back:

U.S. forces are degrading the Iranian regime’s ability to project power at sea and harass international shipping. For years, Iranian forces have threatened freedom of navigation in waters essential to American, regional and global security and prosperity. pic.twitter.com/gIBN02mowh

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 10, 2026

* * *

Update(1458ET): In an afternoon WH press briefing, Karoline Leavitt was pressured by reporters on the scope of the Iran operations, as well as whether Trump will allow the new supreme leader to rule, as well as questions on what Trump meant when days ago he laid out that the US will not stop operations until Iran’s “unconditional surrender”. She struggled on some of these, but offered little new or substantive. One new and very alarming development, however, also mentioned in the WH briefing room – and not denied by Leavitt – was the following fresh Reuters report:

As many ‌as 150 ‌U.S. ⁠troops ⁠have been wounded so far ​in the war with ​Iran, two people familiar ⁠with ⁠the matter ⁠told Reuters ​on Tuesday.

The figure ​has ⁠not been previously reported ⁠and is far higher than the Pentagon’s ⁠publicly disclosed figure of 8 seriously wounded U.S. forces.

And another big afternoon development: CBS’  Jim LaPorta reports that US intelligence assets have begun to see indications Iran is taking steps to deploy mines in Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.

LaPorta added that Iran is reportedly using smaller crafts that can carry 2 to 3 mines each. While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines of Iranian, Chinese and Russian-made variants.

* * *

Ten days of Operation Epic Fury have passed, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that the United States is “winning” against the “barbarian” Iranians, and that Tehran has been “racing” toward a nuclear bomb.

He listed in a Pentagon press briefing Tuesday morning that war objectives are to destroy missiles and the defense industrial base, to destroy Iran’s navy, and to ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon. He stressed that the goal includes to “permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons forever.“

He added: “We will not relent until the enemy is totally and entirely defeated.” This comes the day after President Trump said that he believes the war could end soon, even as Iranian officials signal they are preparing for a prolonged conflict.

“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump told CBS News. “They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force.” Hours later in afternoon remarks from Florida, Trump warned that Iran would face massive retaliation if it tried to disrupt global oil flows, saying the United States would strike Tehran “20 times harder” if it attempted to block tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Pentagon’s Tuesday morning briefing really emphasized steady destruction of Iranian missile sites – even underground ballistic launch bunkers – with heavy bunker busters. However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has rejected Washington claims that its missile program has been destroyed, saying it is launching larger volleys of missiles with warheads weighing more than one ton.

Iran has continued retaliatory strikes on Israel and Gulf allies, including in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. One person was killed in Manama and two others were killed in central Israel Monday into Tuesday.

While Israel’s military has heavily censored potential damage on the ground and the rate of Iran’s missile and drone attacks, unverified but widespread online accounts suggest it continues to get hit hard on a nightly basis.

Tehran meanwhile has experienced some of the heaviest bombardment of the war overnight, with at least 40 people reported killed near Risalat Square. Since the start of the war, at least 460 people have been killed and 4,309 wounded in Tehran alone, according to the figures of Mehr Soroush, deputy head of the Tehran Emergency Health Department. The Iranian capital is densely packed with a size and population comparable to New York City.

⚡️ Israeli Airstrikes Hit Oil Infrastructure in Kerman, Iran pic.twitter.com/u4Drq2BgXs

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 10, 2026

Across Iran, more than 1,200 people have been killed and over 10,000 injured. Even the newly named Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, may have been injured – reportedly before he was declared head of the country, state media has suggested.

Mohammad Jamalian, a member of Iran’s parliamentary health committee, has said nine hospitals are no longer operational due to the ongoing bombardment. Pharmaceutical stockpiles remain sufficient for about six months, he has described according to Al Jazeera, while non-elective surgeries have been suspended to free hospital capacity for emergency cases.

The conflict continues to expand regionally, with the Bahrain military saying it has intercepted and destroyed 105 missiles and 176 drones since Iran began attacks on countries hosting American forces. There remains a big open question on whether Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries will send their militaries to formally enter Operation Epic Freedom. Hawkish Senator Lindsey Graham has certainly been calling for it, saying the Gulf should do much more in its own defense.

Israel’s northern front also remains active, with Israeli strikes in Lebanon having pushed the death toll there to at least 486 people as Israel and Hezbollah continue exchanging fire.

“Rally round the flag” effect in the wake of Trump’s ‘shock and awe-style’ bombs on Tehran and elsewhere…

Powerful explosions erupt live on Iranian state TV — right from Revolution Square in Tehran

The Iranians didn’t flinch, showing even more defiance and waving their country’s flags even harder pic.twitter.com/Q17UvbUqI3

— RT (@RT_com) March 10, 2026

Israeli officials are also signaling that the war is far from over, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying in a visit to IDF troops, “Our aspiration is to bring the Iranian people to cast off the yoke of tyranny; ultimately, it depends on them. But there is no doubt that with the actions taken so far, we are breaking their bones – and we are not done yet.”

As for the narrative from Tehran, leaders remain defiant – also as there’s some degree of evidence of a “rally around the flag” effect, meaning Iranians have been filmed out in the street pledging allegiance to the nation and the new Supreme Leader. Iranian officials are loudly and boldly declaring Washington and Tel Aviv failed in their initial war objectives.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei has proven that regime change efforts have collapsed. “They thought that, in a matter of two or three days, they can go for a regime change, they can go for a rapid, clean victory, but they failed… they failed to achieve their goals at the beginning, and now, after 10 days, I think they are aimless,” Foreign Minister Araghchi told PBS News Hour.

Case in point, from the speaker of the Iranian parliament right now: https://t.co/8XmCfHrk7Q pic.twitter.com/8lVJt7zQh0

— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) March 10, 2026

Araghchi also rejected claims that Iran is responsible for rising oil prices and disruptions to global shipping, describing that “This is not our plan” and that “The oil production, the transportation of oil has been slowed down or stopped not because of us, because of the attacks and aggression made by Israelis and Americans against us.”

Iran says it is still prepared for a “long war” and to fight to the end. On the question of closing Hormuz, the Iranian top diplomat claimed, “We have not closed that strait. We are not preventing them to navigate in that strait. But this is the result of the aggression by Israelis and Americans, which has made the whole region insecure, unstable.” Additionally the IRGC has said that Iran, not the United States, will determine when the war ends.

Pressed on Iranian strikes targeting oil facilities in the region, Araghchi insisted Tehran is acting in self-defense. “We are facing an act of aggression, which is absolutely illegal. And what we are doing is the act of self-defense, which is legal and legitimate.”

Amid continuing Hormuz crisis, more analysts are waking up to fact that Iran’s capability to disrupt transit through the strait has little to do with the large surface vessels that Trump has been exuberant about sinking.

Iran will use its geography and unconventional warfare. https://t.co/mwGIvPSyLE

— Mohammad Ali Shabani (@mashabani) March 10, 2026

“Well, we have already warned everybody in the region that, if the US attacks us, since we cannot reach the American soil, we have to attack their bases in the region, their facilities, their installations, their assets.”

Iran’s foreign ministry has also taken the opportunity to fire back at European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after she said the Iranian people “deserve freedom, dignity, and the right to decide their own future.”

“Please spare the hypocrisy,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei wrote on X. “You’ve made a career out of standing on the wrong side of history — green-lighting occupation, genocide, and atrocities, and now laundering U.S./Israeli crime of aggression and war crimes against Iranians.”

“Where was your voice when more than 165 innocent IRANIAN little angels were massacred in the city of Minab?” he questioned. “Why don’t you say anything when hospitals, historical sites, oil facilities, diplomatic police headquarter, firefighting stations and residential neighborhoods are wickedly targeted?” He concluded that it’s been: “Silence in the face of lawlessness and atrocity is nothing less than complicity.”

Europe’s economic balance point has been slowly drifting east for decades.

This map traces the continent’s GDP-weighted “center of gravity” from 1950 to 2022, showing how Europe’s economic core has shifted from near Cologne toward Munich over time.

The visualization, via Visual Capitalist, created by The European Correspondent using data from the Maddison Project Database, reveals how decades of growth in Central and Eastern Europe have gradually reshaped the continent’s economic geography.

What Is an Economic “Center of Gravity”?

The economic center of gravity is a geographic point calculated by averaging countries’ locations weighted by their GDP. In simple terms, it marks the location where Europe’s economic activity would balance if GDP were distributed like weight on a map.

As economies grow or shrink relative to each other, the center moves accordingly. When western economies dominate, the center shifts west; when eastern or southern regions grow faster, the point moves in their direction.

This method provides a simple but powerful way to visualize long-term changes in regional economic influence.

Postwar Europe: Western Dominance

In the decades following World War II, Europe’s economic core sat firmly in the northwest. Industrial powerhouses like Germany, France, the UK, and the Benelux countries drove most of the continent’s output.

This concentration kept the center of gravity near Cologne in the mid-20th century. Western Europe’s rapid reconstruction and integration—through institutions like the European Economic Community—reinforced this geographic economic core.

Germany in particular has long played an outsized role in Europe’s economy. In fact, the country’s output rivals that of dozens of its neighbors combined.

The Rise of the East

Since the end of the Cold War, the center has gradually shifted eastward.

The collapse of the Soviet bloc opened Central and Eastern European economies to global trade and investment. Countries like Poland, Czechia, and Hungary integrated into EU supply chains and saw rapid economic expansion.

More recently, fast-growing economies in Southeastern Europe and Türkiye have added additional pull. Together, these changes nudged Europe’s economic center toward Bavaria, landing near Munich by 2022.

Germany Still Anchors Europe’s Economy

Despite this eastward movement, the center remains firmly inside Germany.

This reflects Germany’s continued role as Europe’s industrial engine. Its manufacturing sector, export strength, and central location keep it at the heart of the continent’s economic geography.

In other words, while Eastern Europe is rising, Germany’s gravitational pull still holds the balance point nearby, at least for now.

See where workers in Europe generate the most GDP per hour on the Voronoi app.

Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News,

The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs voted on Monday to adopt a harder line on asylum returns.

The committee voted 41 to 32, with one abstention, in favor of implementing a single framework for handling third-country nationals staying illegally in European Union member states.

The majority was formed by the European People’s Party (EPP) together with right-wing groups, including the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), Patriots for Europe (PfE), and the Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group.

Lawmakers from the Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens, and the Left opposed the measure.

The proposed regulation would introduce EU-wide recognition of return decisions, meaning migrants ordered to leave one member state could be deported by another. It would also expand the use of detention while deportations are organized, allowing detention periods of up to 24 months.

Furthermore, the text opens the possibility for deportation centers in third countries under agreements with EU states and introduces stricter entry bans and enforcement measures.

L’UE reprend enfin sa politique migratoire en main.

Le mois dernier, nous votions le durcissement de la politique d’asile de l’Union.
Aujourd’hui, le Parlement européen vient de voter en commission des libertés civiles sa position sur le règlement retour, qui facilitera… pic.twitter.com/UFdoDANTVJ

— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) March 9, 2026

French MEP Marion Maréchal welcomed the vote, saying, “The EU is finally taking back control of its migration policy. Today, the European Parliament has just voted in the Committee on Civil Liberties on its position on the return regulation, which will considerably facilitate the detention and expulsion of illegal immigrants or rejected asylum seekers.”

Maréchal added that the vote showed a new right-wing coalition was decisive in shaping EU migration policy.

“Once again, the right-wing coalition, including our ECR group, is the pivotal force, which also includes the EPP, the Patriots, and the Sovereignists, and has prevailed over the left.”

Europe is waking up: Those who do not have a right to stay will be deported.

Tonight’s vote in the European Parliament solidifies a historic deal among right wing groups.

The era of deportations has begun! pic.twitter.com/rLz7RkJnWH

— Charlie Weimers MEP 🇸🇪 (@weimers) March 9, 2026

Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers said the vote could lead to stronger enforcement of deportation decisions.

“Soon, more deportations of those who do not belong in Europe will become a reality,” he said.

In an ECR press release following the vote, Weimers cited figures from the European Commission that revealed only 20 percent of failed asylum seekers, “who receive a return decision, are actually returned.”

“For too long, the European debate has focused on ineffective procedures rather than achieving results. A return system that works in practice is essential for maintaining public trust in Europe’s asylum system,” he added.

Taka radość po przegłosowaniu na komisji PE przepisów pozwalających skuteczniej odsyłać nielegalnych imigrantów z UE! 😊

Zaraz potem rozpoczął się jazgot skrajnej lewicy, która nie mogła się z tym pogodzić. Słychać wycie? Znakomicie 😎

“Rozporządzenie ustanawiające wspólny… pic.twitter.com/xEWAwW53J9

— Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik (@EwaZajaczkowska) March 9, 2026

Polish MEP Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik also celebrated the result. “Such joy after the European Parliament committee voted in favor of regulations allowing for more effective return of illegal immigrants from the EU,” she said.

“The ‘Regulation establishing a common system for the return of third-country nationals staying illegally in the EU’ is another victory for the right wing in the European Parliament. Citizen safety is paramount,” she added.

The measure will now move toward a vote in the full European Parliament before negotiations can begin with the European Council.

Read more here…

Despite continued disruption at the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, maritime traffic has not fully collapsed.

More ships transiting the Strait with transponders turned off https://t.co/PpEsenCVCE

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 10, 2026

On Tuesday afternoon, reports that a U.S. warship had escorted an oil tanker through the critical chokepoint helped push Brent crude futures down toward $81/bbl, reinforcing the view that paralysis on the waterway has, for now, begun to ease.

But even with signs that the critical maritime chokepoint is seeing a modest pickup in activity, this does not imply that normalcy will return this week. In fact, Bloomberg cites ship-tracking data showing uncertainty remains high, with at least 25 tankers diverted toward Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea export hub at Yanbu.

Saudi Aramco is maxing out its east-west pipeline to Yanbu, which can carry 7 million barrels per day. CEO Amin Nasser said flows should reach capacity within days as tankers divert to the energy export hub in the Red Sea. The UAE is implementing a similar workaround in Fujairah, where exports have jumped to about 1.6 million bpd this month from a recent average of about 1.1 million bpd.

“We should reach capacity in a couple of days,” Nasser said. “It’s all building on the repositioning of tankers from the east to the west.”

Bloomberg notes the conflict has already knocked about 6% off global oil output as traditional Hormuz transits remain disrupted.

Earlier, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that the Hormuz chokepoint will “either be a strait of peace and prosperity for all” or a “strait of defeat and suffering for warmongers” as President Trump threatens retaliation against Tehran for disrupting the flow of oil.

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

In public debate, the introduction of joint European bonds, Eurobonds, has so far often been dismissed as a fantasy. That the European Taxpayers’ Association has now issued a clear warning against joint debt issuance should give critics of the Commission pause. Are the plans for standardized EU bond issuances possibly more advanced than we have realized?

The TAE is the umbrella organization of national European taxpayers’ associations, a private law foundation, independent, market-liberal, and a critical observer of the fiscal power plays of the Brussels central authority. When it speaks out decisively on fiscal issues, it does so for a reason.

The seemingly advanced plans of the EU Commission have apparently convinced the TAE to dedicate a campaign to the issue of European financing. Under the program title Stop EU Taxes. Stop EU Debt, it presents a fiscal policy agenda that would be welcome in party politics among economically liberal parties.

The TAE fundamentally warns against the European Commission’s lack of democratic mandate and sees the danger of Brussels’ powerful central body arrogating ever more tax powers to itself, thus, one could paraphrase, growing into a kind of state above the states. From this, the advocates of European taxpayers derive their demand: There must be no joint debt issuance within the EU.

No matter how the budgetary situation in the European member states develops: That the EU’s two main pillars, Germany and France, will record budget deficits of at least five percent this year is a national problem. And it must be resolved there, in the national capitals. It is unacceptable to distribute money to the public with one hand while taking it from European taxpayers with the other through higher taxes or future debt indirectly via inflation.

With these demands, the TAE firmly stands on the subsidiarity principle consistently advocated by its largest member organization, the German Taxpayers’ Association. Budgetary policy is a national matter. Excessive centralization of political power leads to inefficiencies, opacity, corruption, and systematic mismanagement by an increasingly powerful central apparatus that ultimately cannot even control the flow of its own funds.

The warning of the taxpayers’ association may, however, come too late. The European Commission operates under the motto: “Never let a crisis go to waste.” Following this spirit, the first true joint European bond was issued during the lockdown five years ago. Under the program name NextGenerationEU, the European Commission raised approximately €800 billion on the capital markets, backed by Germany as the main rating anchor, which with a national debt of 65 percent continues to stabilize European capital markets.

On an EU level, a whole arsenal of crisis financing instruments has been established. The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) intervenes in acute crises, issuing bonds itself, and would be applied in a looming sovereign debt crisis just like the so-called SURE bonds set up to mitigate regional unemployment.

We are facing a slow, erosive process in which the EU is increasingly penetrating the capital markets, always with the guarantee of major economies and European taxpayers behind it. EU Green Bonds are a particularly vivid example: Here, the ideology of the green transformation merges with the practical implementation of joint debt issuance. Capital is directed into channels of a green crony economy that has already heavily damaged the overall economic structure.

And it came to pass as expected: The warning from taxpayer representatives was more than justified. Large parts of the borrowed debt were immediately funneled into the public budgets of Italy and Spain to mitigate precarious national fiscal conditions. Spain provides the clearest example: President Pedro Sánchez’s socialist government finances large portions of its state budget through these programs, enabling massive public sector employment growth. Much like in Germany, Spain’s labor market is shifting from the struggling private sector to the public sector, which acts as a final safety net for a gradually eroding middle class.

As if European statism were not already the costliest and economically most disastrous project of our time: productive forces are further stifled by this debt program, and the capital market is virtually drained by the public sector. Moreover, access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses becomes increasingly difficult when fewer funds are available.

This phenomenon can be observed across nearly all levels of European economic policy. What has unfolded under the program name Green Deal as a green transformation within a massive redistribution mechanism unfortunately establishes incentives that also attract productive private capital. Who would not prefer a government- or institution-guaranteed minimum return that exceeds market rates and is risk-free, as in the case of renewable energy investments?

The TAE does not state it explicitly, but if the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen continues to expand its fiscal powers, this path could accelerate Europe into economic third-class status.

Every major past crisis offered Brussels the opportunity to expand and consolidate its fiscal power. Whether the Dotcom bubble 25 years ago or the sovereign debt crisis fifteen years ago, which was quasi drowned by former ECB President Mario Draghi in fiat credit – all these events eventually culminated in the first European joint bond, the so-called NextGenerationEU.

It was the great original sin. A political bastard of the lockdown era. What else could this period have produced but further problems? We must assume, with Europeans’ response patterns in mind, that the looming EU sovereign debt crisis will inevitably feed into the Eurobond project.

It will spawn additional political bastards, such as the digital euro, designed as a capital flow control to prevent flight. A digital identity for monitoring public discourse is likely to be implemented. A minimum tax regime is also planned to finally eliminate tax competition in the EU. Welcome to Brussels, welcome to the hyperstate that will produce nothing but debt, behavioral control, and inflation.

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About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Authored by Hans Zeiger via RealClearEducation,

The second week of March is Civic Learning Week. It’s an annual observance marked by civics advocates with webinars, social media campaigns, and a big conference known as the National Forum, organized by the nonprofit iCivics. This year’s National Forum will take place in Philadelphia, as more than 600 civics leaders, educators, and students will gather to consider the theme of “Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250.”

Indeed, this year’s Civic Learning Week is an even bigger deal than usual, as we celebrate the nation’s quarter-millennium anniversary. Civics should be the top item on our national agenda.

Civic education should matter to every American. It is more than a set of facts that eighth graders should know for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (only 22 percent of eighth graders were proficient in civics, and 13 percent were proficient in history in the most recent scoring). Rather, civic education is best understood as a lifelong commitment to the study and practice of America’s distinctive political tradition of self-government.  

For all that should give us reason for worry in our country, the good news is that momentum is quickly growing in the movement for what the Princeton-based Institute for Citizens and Scholars calls “civic preparedness.” At all levels of education, institutions and philanthropists are partnering to support a renewed focus on civics.

In the fall, the U.S. Department of Education awarded more than $153 million to university-based and nonprofit initiatives to design and implement civics literacy programs in K-12 classrooms and to hold seminars for the nation’s teaching force on “primary documents, constitutional study, historical field experiences, civil discourse, and American achievement.” This represents a welcome federal commitment to civic education in the run-up to the 250th celebration. Among the grantees are ambitious new civics programs at public universities like Arizona State University, Florida State University, and Utah Valley University, along with civic-focused private universities like Pepperdine University and American University. The National Endowment for the Humanities has similarly prioritized investments in public and educational programs for the nation’s 250th birthday. 

In addition, major foundations and other philanthropic funders are stepping up to invest in civics. The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently reported on $56 million in philanthropic commitments to civics from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Stand Together, and the Bezos Family Foundation. Stand Together is supporting the Civic Star Challenge, a collaboration between iCivics and the Bill of Rights Institute to encourage student projects emphasizing themes from the Declaration of Independence. The Carnegie Corporation is supporting the Teaching America250 Teaching Awards at the Jack Miller Center, where I serve as president, to provide $5,000 awards for teacher-led projects focused on the Declaration of Independence in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This is one among several projects we are tackling for the 250th at the Jack Miller Center, where we have been building a network of university professors who are focused on teaching America’s founding principles and history for two decades.

For America’s 250th, we are providing direct support to scholars in the Jack Miller Center network to help them organize campus conversations about the Declaration of Independence. These will include lecture series, reading groups, and debates— aimed at fitting the unique needs of campus communities. So far, we have committed to campus programs in 33 states and DC. We are partnering, for example, on a weeklong series of events at Arizona State University on the values of the Founding, a year-long undergraduate reading group on key primary sources of American political thought and their relation to the Declaration at Purdue University Fort Wayne, and an academic panel on the Declaration at the University of Georgia, at which students will question scholars regarding the Declaration while playing various historical figures. We look forward to building more partnerships with campuses and scholars in the months to come.   

We’re also doing what we can to bring the civics movement together as we get ready to convene hundreds of leaders and educators for the National Summit on Civic Education, May 18-19, as we consider “The Words that Changed the World” on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. We’ll talk about the enduring impact of the Declaration and its importance for the future of American education.

As we celebrate America’s 250th, let’s all do our part to educate ourselves and the young people in our lives about the ideas that animate our country and fill our lives with opportunity. Let’s make civics the cause of the year.

CBS News sources confirmed that over the eleven-day course of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. lost eleven General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. At roughly $30 million apiece, the losses likely cost taxpayers more than $330 million.

The report is based on information from two U.S. officials, who said that losses of the drones, which are designed for long-endurance surveillance and precision strike missions, have reached eleven so far.

There has been OSINT coverage on X of these MQ-9s in action over Iran, as well as alleged footage of crashes.

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper was reportedly shot down by IRGC Aerospace forces today Over Hormozgan Province, Iran. pic.twitter.com/g0ER9J19R7

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 7, 2026

Footage from on the ground near the Southern Iranian city of Shiraz captured an MQ-9 Reaper with the U.S. Air Force firing an AGM-114 “Hellfire” Air-to-Surface Missile against a ballistic missile launcher that had revealed itself and was preparing to launch against Israel or… pic.twitter.com/RocAHQSD9F

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) March 1, 2026

Footage of a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper UAV engaging an Iranian missile launcher with an AGM-114 Hellfire via @hey_itsmyturn. pic.twitter.com/vwjePW6ivU

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 1, 2026

MQ-9s have a flight endurance of 27 hours and can operate at altitudes of 50,000 feet with an airspeed of 240 knots. Payload capacity is 3,850 pounds, including external storage pods for weapons and sensors.

The best available figure for how many of these drones U.S. forces operate comes from the Air Force’s FY2026 budget documents, which show there are 424 in total. The loss of eleven drones would represent about 2.6% of the overall inventory.

Related:

• U.S. Military-Industrial Complex Agrees To Quadruple Bomb Production As Operation Epic Fury Rages On

At the start of the week, U.S. CENTCOM revealed that U.S. forces struck around 5,000 IRGC targets, including 50 naval ships. CENTCOM stated that it targeted the Iranian military’s command-and-control centers and other hubs, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile sites, warships and submarines, anti-ship missiles, military communications facilities, and plants for ballistic missile and drone manufacturing.