A summer of turmoil and near-total war as Iran and Israel trade shots, as the conflict between the two rivals almost plunges the world into a destructive war and total shutdown of oil trade in the region. As Israel accuses Iran of nearly building a nuclear weapon the US, under President Trump, carries out a strike against nuclear facilities. The first direct American military action carried out against the Islamic Republic. Although there is a pause in fighting for the moment, a new round of fighting is likely to follow, with even worse consequences for the global economy. In the US as well, President Trump passed the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill", which will have far-reaching economic effects, such as cuts to Medicaid and SNAP services.
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Uncertainty grows as the second Trump administration becomes increasingly unhinged in its pursuit of mass deportations and tariffs that threaten to destabilize global markets. As trade partners seek stability, they look to China, which the United States considers an archrival in economic influence. Despite negotiations and a temporary cut in tariff rates, the threat of a full-blown trade war between the economic giants exists but remains somewhat distant. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalates as Israel launches a new offensive and carries out initial "aid efforts" to collect the Palestinian population and displace them to proposed countries like Libya. Further conflicts intensify as Russia conducts its largest missile attack against Ukraine and skirmishes erupt between India and Pakistan in the partitioned Kashmir region.
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The first three months of Trump's second administration have been rife with controversy and unprecedented challenges to the limits of executive authority. Reports of detentions and deportations of protected immigrants and the trafficking of migrants to El Salvador's megaprison, CECOT, raise fears as Trump openly flirts with ideas of deporting American citizens. Global markets are thrown into uncertainty as tariffs upset trade relations, which serves as an implicit extortion tactic for the US to pressure trade partners to step away from China as they grow to overtake global markets.
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The first month of President Trump's second term has brought a bureaucratic shake up in collaboration with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Long-held fears over the fate of agencies like the Department of Education, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Weather Service come to life as they face severe cuts or total abolition. Further shakes up in foreign policy call into question geopolitical commitments such as Ukraine and Taiwan.
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Opening thoughts on the new year and the inauguration of Donald Trump returning as the 47th President of the United States.
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In the aftermath of the 2024 election, many are still grappling with how a second Trump presidency could come to pass while ignoring the blundering strategy of the Harris campaign on critical policy issues. One of the most essential issues of policy is healthcare, which has sparked a new round of discourse given the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. With the apprehension of the alleged suspect Luigi Mangione, the ruling class feels disdain from the working class. It is working to enable mass surveillance and police repression instead of reforming healthcare services. Geopolitically, a new realignment in the Middle East shocks the world as the brutal 50-year dynasty of the Assad family in Syria comes to an abrupt halt after a surprise offensive from Islamist forces. The future of a new democratic Syria looks uncertain as factions negotiate a transitional government, and foreign imperialist powers continue to carve up the nation plundering natural resources.
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Impromptu response to the election results of 2024.
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With the final weeks until election night on November 5th, both candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, are pushing heavily on the campaign trail as the race has grown closer than many had anticipated.
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Reflections on the Oct 7th attacks and the year of conflict and genocide. For early ad-free access support the program on Patreon
Kamala Harris is formally nominated as the Democratic candidate amidst growing tensions amongst the voters and delegates to take a stronger stance to end the genocide in Gaza. A position she has proudly proclaimed "no changes" to the support of Israeli aggression. The possibility of regional conflict gets closer by the day as Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated in Tehran, and threats of invasion to dislodge Hezbollah from the mountains of Southern Lebanon. As Democrats rally behind the prospects of a woman of color president it also grows militaristic in its steadfast support for Israel.
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For the first time, long-boiling tensions have led to a direct drone and missile attack on the territory of Israel by Iran. The largest combined drone and missile attack in history marks a new stage of Iran asserting its regional strength, yet also signaling the reluctance of both sides for direct total war. College protests in the United States escalate as universities retaliate against students by revoking their degrees. As well as violent repression from police forces and zionist counter-protestors. Donald Trump makes history as the first former President to be charged on all 34 counts for the hush money scheme to silence Stormi Daniels during the 2016 election. Whether this prosecution disqualifies his nomination or loses support remains to be seen.
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Israel's unabated violence in Gaza has led to the killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers which is claimed as an "unintentional" tragedy. Despite the Gaza conflict killing record aid workers, journalists, and medical personnel, Israel treats claims of open atrocities as "absurd". For the first time in six months, after the estimated deaths of over 30 thousand Palestinians, President Biden has made critical remarks about Israel's conduct claiming there may be "policy changes" if no changes are made. This contrasts rumored weapon deals and the possibility of Iranian retaliation for the Israeli bombing of the Damascus consulate, regional tensions continue to escalate as Israel and Iran are on a collision course of open war. Tensions also arose between Russia and the West after a deadly terrorist attack in Moscow killed 144 civilians, with Russian security services claiming the ISIS terrorists responsible had ties to Western and Ukrainian handlers.
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The escalating genocide in Gaza continues unabated as the United States plays cover for the most egregious and well-documented human rights atrocity in recent memory. Arab powers such as Hezbollah, Ansar Allah, and other Iran-proxy militias stand as the only resistance to genocide, creating the possibility for Israel to escalate hostilities which may cause considerable damage to their economy. The war effort for Ukraine is dealt a considerable setback as the stronghold of Avdiivka falls to Russia after heavy losses on both sides. This marks the continued decline of Ukraine's military capacity since the failed summer counteroffensive, as pressure and doubt rise over the military aid from the West having any effect on the war effort.
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The wake of the October 7th attacks by Palestinian militants has unleashed a brutal campaign of genocide from the Israeli occupation forces. The indiscriminate bombings and complete blockade of humanitarian supplies have shown the inhumanity of the Zionist occupation, which continues with the explicit support of the United States in defiance of the world.
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The legacy of the Supreme Court becomes further characterized by right-wing extremism, as the overruling of Affirmative Action and Student Loan Forgiveness set the stage for decades of conservative jurisprudence. With these losses and the overruling of Roe v Wade, the question of President Biden's capacity to maintain a political platform cast doubts over his 2023 election run. With Dr. Cornel West set to run as a Green Party candidate there are worries he could become a spoiler candidate for the progressive voter base, particularly among the youth.
Former President Donald Trump faces severe charges as he has been indicted and arraigned over possessing classified documents at his Mar-A-Lago residence. Developments in the Russo-Ukrainian War have escalated as the Kakhovka Dam was destroyed leading to significant flooding, followed by the long-anticipated Zaporizhzhia counteroffensive. Wildfires in Canada burn an unprecedented amount of acres leading to a national crisis, the smoke from the wildfires was so thick leading to air pollution in cities such as New York.
Air defenses are alarmed by a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that drifted over the mainland US and was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina. Although claimed to be a weather balloon questions are raised over the possibility of future incursions. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set a new record for the Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight. Factors leading to this decision include the escalating Russo-Ukrainian war, worsening climate crises, and biothreats such as Covid-19 and the avian flu infecting multiple mammal species.
