America Is in Decline

newsweek.com A new Gallup poll showed that just 33 percent of Americans are satisfied with the nation's position in the world today. This is down from 65 percent in 2000. As Donald Trump…

68% of Warren Buffett's $372 Billion Portfolio Is Invested in Just 4 Stocks

finance.yahoo.com Wall Street is a bona fide long-term wealth creator, and few money managers know this better than Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A)(NYSE: BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett. Since…

US ally triples intercepts of Chinese and Russian military aircraft

newsweek.com Japan's air intercepts of mostly Chinese and Russian military aircraft more than tripled last month as the quasi-allies ramped up springtime maneuvers in the region,…

Nippon Acquisition of US Steel Is No Threat To National Security

aier.org Japanese steelmaker Nippon agreed in December 2023 to acquire US Steel at a 40 percent premium to its stock price. It’s no surprise shareholders welcomed the proposal. But…

Mike Johnson’s Game of Chicken

vanityfair.com Mike Johnson is a lot of things—a right-wing zealot and a shameless enabler of Donald Trump among them. But it looks like he's finally grown something of a backbone, teeing…

UK firms may be barred from funding emerging tech in hostile countries

theguardian.com Ministers are considering blocking British investors from funding emerging technologies in hostile countries if they believe the technology could pose a threat to UK…

How would we know if World War Three had started?

theweek.com The notion of a "first" world war only came into being retrospectively, upon the outbreak of the second. For nearly 20 years the 1914-18 conflict with its many millions of…

Kim Jong Un's New Way to Express Anger at the South: Turn the Lights Out

wsj.com North Korea has dismantled streetlights on some of the few inter-Korean roads, highlighting a new type of hatred.

Trump Snags Another Top Republican: Oh No, Not You Too, Sununu

vanityfair.com It’s hard enough to accept that we had someone who, I would argue, is a mob-boss-like madman as president of the United States. And it’s hard to swallow that almost 75…

Former Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith Seeks Sentence Reduction for Assisting North Korea with Blockchain Technology

cryptonews.com Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith, who was sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2022 for assisting North Korea in utilizing blockchain technology, has filed a request…

Ukraine was in trouble already

businessinsider.com A Ukrainian soldier fires towards the Russian position in the direction of Avdiivka as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk. Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images…

Railgun under scrutiny for alleged use by North Korean threat actors

cryptobriefing.com Railgun, a crypto privacy protocol once labeled a “prime alternative to Tornado Cash” by blockchain security firm Elliptic, has denied allegations that U.S.-sanctioned…

China's top banks deal painful blow to Russia

newsweek.com More Chinese banking giants have restricted transactions from Russia, dealing a blow to an already isolated Moscow. The world's third-largest bank by market capitalization,…

US And Asian Allies Propose New Panel To Monitor Sanctions Imposed On Kim Jong Un's North Korea

benzinga.com In a significant move to maintain international pressure on Kim Jong Un‘s North Korea, the United States, South Korea, and Japan are pushing for the creation of a new body…

Privacy Protocol Railgun Denies Any Link to Lazarus Group

cryptonews.com Railgun has publicly denied any connection with the sanctioned North Korea‘s Lazarus Group using its platform for illicit activities. In a social media post addressing the…

US, China defense chiefs talk to bridge trust gap

newsweek.com U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Chinese opposite number for the first time in nearly 18 months as both countries continued a series of recent engagements…

WATCH LIVE: Pentagon holds briefing after Austin has first talk with Chinese counterpart since 2022

pbs.org Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder will hold a news briefing on Tuesday as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks with China’s national defense minister, in the latest in a…

U.S. Must Arm Ukraine To Fight Growing Axis of Authoritarianism

newsweek.com "If there is no U.S. support ... it means we will go back, retreat, step by step, in small steps." These were the stark words of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as…

The US ambassador to Japan says boosting arms industry ties is key to a stronger security alliance

apnews.com The U.S. ambassador to Japan urged Tokyo on Tuesday to take a greater role in developing, producing and supplying weapons “to enhance our collective security" amid conflict…

North Korea is buying Chinese surveillance cameras in a push to tighten control, report says

seattletimes.com A report from the website 38 North says that North Korea is putting surveillance cameras in schools and workplaces in a technology-driven push to monitor its population even…

How powerful is Iran?

theweek.com "No move by any enemy against our sacred system goes unanswered," said Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, after Israel's deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria…

US allies, united against China, reignite territorial feud

newsweek.com South Korea and Japan, U.S. treaty allies that have joined hands to tackle shared national security threats in their neighborhood, this week reignited a decades-old…

US Envoy Calls On Russia And China To Stop 'Rewarding' Kim Jong Un's 'Bad Behavior:' 'Hiding The Truth Does Not Change It'

benzinga.com In a firm stance against Kim Jong Un‘s allies, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has issued a stark admonition to Russia and China regarding their support for North…

Amid Iran-Israel Tensions, China Affirms Support For Tehran, Strengthens Ties

benzinga.com In the wake of Iran’s direct assault on Israel, China has reiterated its commitment to maintaining and strengthening its relationship with Tehran. This development comes at…

Why Japan Inc is no longer in thrall to America

economist.com One of the most chilling moments in America’s post-war relationship with Japan occurred in Detroit in 1982. Two American car workers clubbed a Chinese-American man to death,…

Lockheed Martin Wins $17B Contract To Shield US From North Korea, Iran Missile Threats

benzinga.com In a significant development for the defense sector, Lockheed Martin LMT has clinched a substantial contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, marking a pivotal moment…

The issue of women and conscription

theweek.com As global tensions ratchet up defensive preparations, countries are beginning to reconsider whether conscripting only men into their armed forces will be enough. Ukraine…

Lockheed Martin Wins $17BN Interceptor Contract To Protect US Homeland

zerohedge.com Lockheed Martin Wins $17BN Interceptor Contract To Protect US Homeland With one massive war in Eastern Europe grinding past two years and with another potential major war…

The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet

time.com In the 1990s and early 2000s, technologists made the world a grand promise: new communications technologies would strengthen democracy, undermine authoritarianism, and lead…

Lockheed wins US missile defense contract worth $17 billion, sources say

aol.com Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $17 billion contract to develop the next generation of interceptors that would guard the United States against an intercontinental…

Vitalik Buterin endorses one of North Korea’s favorite coin mixers, Railgun

protos.com Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin has sent more than $300,000 to coin mixer Railgun which has also been used by North Korea’s Lazarus Group. Buterin has been using the…

Lockheed wins U.S. missile defense contract worth $17-billion, sources say

theglobeandmail.com Lockheed Martin LMT-N has been awarded a $17-billion contract to develop the next generation of interceptors that would guard the United States against an intercontinental…

"Operation Praying Man Tis" Shows The US In Geopolitical Retreat

zerohedge.com "Operation Praying Man Tis" Shows The US In Geopolitical Retreat By Michael Every of Rabobank If all you focus on is Brent oil, 10-year US Treasury yields, and the US…

Vitalik Buterin’s RailGun advocacy triggers sharp rise in privacy tokens

cryptoslate.com Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin emphasized the importance of privacy in crypto transactions amid reports that he used the privacy tool RailGun to obfuscate his…

Mark Levin Torches ‘Colonel-Jackass’ Douglas Macgregor, Arguing He Belongs in Biden Admin

mediaite.com Fox News’ Mark Levin berated retired Col. Douglas Macgregor, a former Trump administration official, over his anti-Israel posture on Sunday, implausibly arguing that he…

3 Reasons Why Other Countries Are Ditching the US Dollar

watcher.guru The US dollar seems to be standing at a precarious threshold. With concepts like de-dollarization floating in the space, the USD is now being threatened from all corners and…

The Moscow-Beijing alliance is here to stay because partnering with China is the only way Putin can sustain his conflict with the West, think tank says

businessinsider.com Reuters/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin Russia's growing partnership with China isn't going to fade, a think-tank director said. That's because Moscow's alliance with…

Links 4/13/2024

nakedcapitalism.com Survival of the nicest: have we got evolution the wrong way round? Nature (Dr. Kevin) O.J. Simpson Excited For God To Tell Him Who Real Killer Was Babylon Bee On your marks,…

How Asia’s next crypto investment wave will be ignited from Bitcoin ETFs

cryptoslate.com On January 10, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved multiple applications for spot Bitcoin ETFs. On day one, $4.6B in shares were traded, with…

Kim Jong Un 'Desperate' to Control Narrative in North Korea: US Official

newsweek.com North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's public moves to stop pursuing eventual unification with the South is rooted in a "desperate" effort to control the flow of information in…

MDA awards Lockheed $4.1B contract to upgrade battle command system

defensenews.com The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $4.1 billion to continue to field, maintain and upgrade its battle command system,…

Japan's Kishida Tells Congress US Support Is 'Pivotal' on Global Stage

youtube.com Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the world needs the US to maintain its key role on the global stage, warning that Ukraine would lose hope and much of Asia would…

Vinod Khosla and Palantir's Jacob Helberg call on Senate to ban TikTok: It's 'a weapon of war'

cnbc.com Investor Vinod Khosla and Palantir advisor Jacob Helberg penned an open letter Thursday calling on Senators to pass a bill that would force the divestiture of…

Least Popular Countries to Travel to According to Baby Boomers: Ranked

247wallst.com Many people have a travel “bucket list” of their dream destinations, but if you ask, you’ll find out they also have an “anti-bucket list” of places they would never visit.…

Full text of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida's speech to U.S. Congress

asia.nikkei.com The following is the full text of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's speech at the U.S. Congress on Thursday. Mr. Speaker, Madam Vice President, Honorable Members of…

Satellite images show Russia-North Korea arms trade

newsweek.com New satellite imagery may give a snapshot of the deepening partnership between Moscow and Pyongyang. A pair of cargo ships believed to have facilitated illicit munitions and…

Von Greyerz: Gold & Silver Are Entering Their Exponential Phase

zerohedge.com Von Greyerz: Gold & Silver Are Entering Their Exponential Phase Authored by Egon von Greyerz via VonGreyerz.gold, "The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of…

Which Bay Area names are on the invite list for the U.S.-Japan state dinner?

siliconvalley.com California might show up in a big way at President Joe Biden’s state dinner with the prime minister from Japan on Wednesday. Aside from a fancy California roll, several…

Ransomware attacks are the canaries in the cyber coal mine

thehill.com The hotel and entertainment company MGM was the target of a massive ransomware attack last September that disrupted operations for days and reportedly cost it $100 million…

Kim Jong Un threatens North Korea's enemies with "death blow"

newsweek.com A bullish Kim Jong Un toured North Korea's top military institute on Wednesday and reaffirmed his goal of creating the "world's strongest army," state media said, amid sky…

Factbox-How South Korea election may reshape Yoon's policy agenda

aol.com South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged to renew his administration after his party suffered a big defeat in legislative elections, with the result increasing the risk…

Would America dare to bring down a Chinese bank?

economist.com If any politician has the demeanour to ease tensions with Beijing, it is Janet Yellen. America’s treasury secretary comes across as a twinkly eyed professor, rather than a…

China's Xi Meets With Russian Foreign Minister In Show Of Solidarity Against West

zerohedge.com China's Xi Meets With Russian Foreign Minister In Show Of Solidarity Against West Authored by Dorothy Li via The Epoch Times, Chinese communist regime leader Xi Jinping met…

With Abortion Statement, Trump Picks States' Rights Over Human Rights

newsweek.com It is thanks to President Donald Trump that 18 states have pro-life laws protecting unborn children at 12 weeks or sooner. His administration achieved what many deemed to be…

Is Microsoft Stock a Buy Ahead of U.S Elections in 2024?

investorplace.com Let's dive into how the election could shape Microsoft's buy thesis Drastically emerging as a strong and dominant player in the AI race, Microsoft stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one…

How green onions could swing South Korea's election

theweek.com Yoon Suk Yeol is "hardly the first" politician to appear out of touch with ordinary voters amid a cost-of-living crisis – but in the run-up to South Korea's key national…

The Morning Risk Report: Treasury Asks Senate for New Powers to Curb Crypto Crime Financing

createsend.com Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo on Tuesday testified to the Senate’s Banking Committee that his agency has seen cryptocurrency used by Hamas, North Korea and the…

Treasury: ‘Malign Actors’ Use Crypto To Get Around Regulators

pymnts.com Cryptocurrency is increasingly becoming a safe haven for “malign actors” such as terror groups. That’s according to testimony Tuesday (April 9) by U.S. Treasury Deputy…