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'No Hire, No Fire' Economy Exposed As Continuing Jobless Claims At Lowest Since Sept 2024 The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits for the first time decline from 210k (upwardly revised from 200k) to 209k (slightly above the 205k exp), but remaining near those multi-decade lows and showing no signs of labor market stress. Unadjusted claims plunged as the seasonal pain ebbed away... Source: Bloomberg Even more impressively, continuing jobless claims tumbled to 1.827 million Americans - the lowest since Sept 2024... Source: Bloomberg All of which confirms Powell's labor market "stabilization" view. So with jobless claims data showing a 'strong and improving' labor market, while The Conference Board showing a labor market signals 'jobs are hard to get'... Source: Bloomberg ...is this a classic indicator of the 'no fire, no hire' economy? Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 08:40
US Heating Bills Expected To Spike Nationwide As Gas, Electricity Costs Continue To March Higher As Americans brave a brutal cold snap, households are facing higher heating bills this summer. According to a report released last week by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), heating prices are expected to rise by 9.2% in the 2025-2026 winter vs. one year ago. According to the NEADA analysis, electricity costs are expected to rise $12.2%, or $133 this winter, while gas prices are projected to rise 8.4% or $54. Heating oil costs are expected to remain flat, while propane should be down 1.4%, or $18 this winter. Several factors are at play pushing retail electricity prices higher. "Higher interest rates have increased the cost of financing power plants and transmission projects. Rising natural gas prices are pushing up electricity generation costs. At the same time, electricity demand is growing rapidly, driven in part by the expansion of data centers," reads the report cited by Fox Business. "Aging grid infrastructure and regional capacity constraints are adding further system costs," the report continues. "In addition, reduced federal incentives for renewable energy have slowed new clean energy investment." NEADA notes that more than 210 electric and natural gas utilities have either raise rates or proposed to do so within the next two years, which amounts to roughly $85.5 billion - and continues a trend seen in recent years of average monthly residential electricity bills rising faster than average inflation. Low and moderate-income households are of course hit the worst, as they spend between 6% and 10% of their income on energy, roughly 3-5x what higher-income households pay. Additionally, about one-in-six households are behind on utility bills, with Americans collectively owing about $23 billion to electric and gas utilities. NEADA estimates that up to 4 million households faced utility disconnections last year, an increase of about 500,000 from 2024. -Fox Business According to the NEADA report, "Even modest rate increases can force families to choose between paying utility bills and covering essentials such as food, rent or medicine." h/t Capital.news Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 08:20
SAP Shares Plunge Most Since 2020 As Cloud Backlog Miss Amid AI Worries SAP SE shares in Europe plunged the most since late 2020, as Wall Street analysts told clients the enterprise software company's 2026 guidance appeared underwhelming relative to elevated expectations. The 25% growth in the current cloud backlog on a constant-currency basis was not enough to spark investor enthusiasm. As a result, shares in Frankfurt plunged 11% to 174.88 - the largest intraday decline since Oct. 26, 2020. Shares are now at their lowest level since mid-2024. Klein told investors during third-quarter earnings in October that 25% growth would be viewed as a "disappointment." He has shifted SAP away from traditional on-premise software licenses toward cloud-based subscription offerings. The move was initially applauded by investors and helped propel the stock to a record high last year. More recently, however, the rise of AI-powered programming tools has sparked new concerns about what this new competitive space could mean for enterprise software vendors. Here is Goldman analyst Sean Johnstone's first take on SAP's earnings and outlook. SAP (not good enough and not sure call will have done enough to quell CCB debate esp. give ServiceNow NOW was down despite a beat & raise): The debate will be on the topline despite the Q been largely inline with the operating beat driven by lower SBC helped by a low stock price. The CCB number was at best inline but includes adjustments – it needed to be 27% esp. given hype that SAP had closed a whole load of large deals and yet its 26% adjusted for "Large transformational deals with high cloud revenue ramps in outer years and termination for convenience clauses required by law negatively impacted fourth quarter constant currency current cloud backlog growth by approximately 1 percentage point." So CCB was included the adjustment was 26%. On call CFO saying that CCB decel in 2026 will be less than they saw in 2025 that was 400bps but on call not clear in quantum of this years decline. As a function of what they reported in 4Q, current consensus is 100bps decel. TCB – at 30% vs. last years 40% and gap to CCB has shrunk from DD to MSD. Q4 broadly in-line, small miss Cloud Gross profit missed at 74.6% vs, street 75.2%, Opex is inline with street, SBC is below (driven by low stock price) and drives an operating income & EPS beat and FCF beats by 2% Guidance: On CCB – no number but said to "slightly decelerate". Street has is circa 24% for 2026 so 100bps decel and debate will be in this enough esp as Cloud revenue guide is 23-25% vs. street at 25% and most expected 24-26%. Cloud and software guide 12-13% street as 13%. on EBIT 11.9-12.3 (street is inline). EBIT growth 14-18% street ai 17%. FCF of circ 10bn vs. street at 9.5bn. Plus E10bn buyback. Net/net the debate is all on the revenue outlook & CCB while EBIT and FCF are broadly unchanged. Given the reaction to ServiceNow that beat would expect SAP to be under pressure. At what level does this get defended /trough 160-170 at 5x recurring… Commentary from others on Wall Street (courtsey of Bloomberg): JPMorgan (overweight) Given investors' negative sentiment around software sector, growth numbers are ultimately what investors are zoomed in on, "and purely off this we would expect a negative share price reaction," says analyst Toby Ogg Guidance for the current cloud backlog to "slightly decelerate in 2026" from the 4Q exit rate implies expectations may drift lower on this metric Still, 2026 free cash flow guidance of ~€10b was above expectations Jefferies (buy) The company had implied before that a 25% current cloud backlog growth would be disappointing, and "investors are likely to come to the same conclusion," says analyst Charles Brennan One detail worth noting is SAP's customer NPS score declined 3 y/y to 9 versus guidance for a slight increase; while the firm attributes the decline to on-premise clients, for SAP to succeed over medium term it needs to bring customers along the journey FX is guided to be a 3.5 percentage point of headwind to FY26 Ebit growth, likely bigger than what consensus is modeling SAP's miss on current cloud backlog expectations suggests a forward-looking growth problem this year. Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 07:45
Decline Rewritten: The Changing Face Of American Shopping Malls Authored by Panos Mourdoukoutas via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Shopping malls, long an economic and cultural fixture of American life, are facing sustained pressure but are not disappearing altogether. A sign at the Mall of America is pictured in Bloomington, Minn., on Feb. 2, 2006. Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images Instead, the sector is undergoing creative destruction, as traditional mall formats give way to new concepts that reflect shifting consumer behavior and market conditions, according to recent industry data. A research report by Capital One Shopping (COS) outlines the magnitude of the challenge facing the mall sector, citing rising mall closures that remain vacant for an average of nearly four years, as well as vacancy rates that are 112 percent higher than the overall retail vacancy rate. COS also estimates that as many as 87 percent of large shopping malls could close over the next decade. Adaptation Over Terminal Decline At the same time, COS data indicate a reversal of earlier trends. From 2021 through 2025, mall openings exceeded mall closures, suggesting adaptation rather than terminal decline. In 2025 alone, 9,410 new mall stores opened, nearly double the number that closed. Additional evidence of revival appears in a recent article published by Growth Factor. Author Clyde Christian Anderson reported that indoor mall foot traffic in March 2024 rose 9.7 percent year over year, open-air shopping center traffic increased 10.1 percent, and outlet mall traffic climbed 10.7 percent—each exceeding pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. “The numbers don’t lie. After years of decline, shopping malls are experiencing their strongest performance since before the pandemic. This isn’t some temporary holiday bump or seasonal fluke. We’re looking at sustained growth that’s reshaping how we think about physical retail spaces,” Anderson wrote. Anderson also noted a structural shift in traffic patterns between 2019 and 2022, with increased weekday visits reflecting changes in work habits and consumer routines. “The data tells a compelling story of adaptation rather than decline. Malls are evolving into experiential destinations that blend shopping, dining, entertainment, and community spaces. The rise of work-from-home culture has shifted traffic patterns, with more visitors arriving during weekdays and earlier in the day,” he said. A Key Feature Retail expert Amrita Bhasin points to one feature that drives traffic to shopping malls and retail centers: private clubs. “Private clubs typically appeal to younger people seeking opportunities to socialize and dine in person,” she told The Epoch Times. “By bringing them to a mall, these people have to pass by stores and may be more likely to shop as a result. Young people are especially interested in wellness, fitness, and health-related private clubs, as this is a growing trend.” According to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the origins of the American shopping mall date back to 1907, when Baltimore’s Roland Park Business Block introduced a small cluster of shops in a planned suburban setting. By the 1930s, malls expanded to include multiple stores under one roof and ample parking, becoming convenient destinations for suburban consumers. The model gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, as department stores and restaurant chains joined mall developments, turning them into central commercial and social hubs. Early examples include Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota; Big Town Mall in Glen Burnie, Maryland; and Randhurst Center in Mount Prospect, Illinois. As malls multiplied, competition intensified, and profit margins narrowed, pushing weaker retailers out. The situation deteriorated further during the stagflation of the early 1980s and accelerated with the rise of eCommerce in the early 2000s, as online retailers increasingly displaced brick-and-mortar stores. The Great Recession of 2008–2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point, triggering widespread department store closures that reduced mall traffic and forced many properties to shut down. Some malls never reopened, while others were converted into warehouses or logistics hubs, leaving only about one-third still operating as retail centers. An Evolving Concept The mall concept continues to evolve, as outlined by the Tourism and Society Think Tank, which describes a broad transformation driven by eCommerce, changing consumer preferences, and declining department store appeal. “The traditional image of shopping malls in the United States, a symbol of the boom in mass consumption in the twentieth century, is undergoing a profound transformation that is redefining their role in both the economy and community life,” it said. “This shift—driven by structural forces such as the rise of eCommerce, changing consumer habits, and the declining appeal of department stores—is giving rise to new models that seek to ensure the viability of these spaces in an increasingly competitive, technology-driven environment.” Redevelopment projects illustrate this shift. Burnsville Center in Minnesota is adding a skate park, an Asian-themed food hall, and a small zoo, while Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights, Michigan, is being redeveloped into Lakeside Town Center, a mixed-use destination with residences, offices, parks, restaurants, and retail. “Malls aren’t back across the board, but the best located ones are showing evidence of a strong and durable rebound while weaker ones are being remade,” Ilir Salihi, founder and senior editor of IncomeInsider.com, told The Epoch Times. Salihi cited rising traffic and occupancy rates in 2025, with some top mall owners reporting occupancy near 96 percent and higher sales per square foot. He pointed to Boise Towne Square, which posted 12.2 percent year-over-year growth after adding a high-traffic anchor tenant, generating a halo effect that attracted new retailers. “Top-tier malls in strong locations are reinventing themselves, while many mid-market indoor malls are being repurposed entirely,” Salihi said. “In places like Maryland, Lakeforest Mall has been approved for demolition and redevelopment into a mixed-use ‘mini city.’ Others are being replaced by grocery stores or apartment buildings. The result is a reshaped mall landscape rather than a uniform comeback.” Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 07:20
Slovak PM Fico Accuses Media Of Sabotaging Relations After Trump 'Psychologically Dangerous' Claim Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico unloaded on Politico on Wednesday, accusing the outlet of peddling "lies" over its reporting on alleged private conversations he supposedly held with European leaders following his recent meeting with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Jan. 17. "I STRONGLY REJECT THE LIES OF THE HATEFUL, PRO-BRUSSELS LIBERAL PORTAL POLITICO," Fico wrote on X in caps. "It is a sad look at the liberal and progressive political and media world." The whole episode is strange, with Politico standing by its report filled with bombshell claims and sourced to several unnamed diplomats. It is now boiling down to a 'he said, she said' scenario. The central claim to the report is that Fico came away from his face-to-face meeting shocked at Trump's state of mind, which left the Slovak leader shaken. Government of Slovakia handout Below are the central assertions from the Politico article: Slovakia’s prime minister told EU leaders at a summit last week that a meeting with Donald Trump left him shocked by the U.S. president’s state of mind, five European diplomats briefed on the conversation said. Robert Fico, one of the few EU leaders to frequently support Trump’s stance on Europe’s weaknesses, was concerned about the U.S. president’s “psychological state,” two of the diplomats said. Fico used the word “dangerous” to describe how the U.S. president came across during their face-to-face meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Jan. 17, according to two of the diplomats. And this from another one of Politico's unnamed sources: Fico seemed to be “traumatized” by his encounter with Trump, one of the European diplomats said. Fico characterized Trump as being “out of his mind,” a diplomat said, using the words briefed to them by their leader, who was directly involved in the conversation. The outlet further sets the scene for when Fico supposedly relayed his experience to European counterparts in the following: "The conversation between Fico and his European counterparts took place in Brussels on Jan. 22 on the sidelines of an emergency EU summit arranged to discuss transatlantic relations in the wake of Trump’s threats to seize Greenland." It continued: "Leaders used that gathering to try to calm tensions after the U.S. president walked back his threat to slap tariffs on some European countries over the issue a day earlier." But Fico in response further wrote on X that he never discussed his US visit informally with any prime minister or president, and accused the outlet of attempting "only to destroy the constructive relationships that Slovakia has with all four corners of the world." I STRONGLY REJECT THE LIES OF THE HATEFUL, PRO-BRUSSELS LIBERAL PORTAL POLITICO. It is a sad look at the liberal and progressive political and media world. The abuse of criminal law to destroy opponents, the rejection of different opinions, boundless media lies, and attempts to… — Robert Fico 🇸🇰 (@RobertFicoSVK) January 28, 2026 "No one heard anything, no one saw anything, there are no witnesses, but nothing prevented the POLITICO portal from coming up with lies," Fico wrote. The White House has also blasted the contents of the report as lies. Still, the headline has generated spin-off articles and a lot of commentary, given that Fico is seen as pro-Trump, and sympathetic to Russia, and has been an outlier in EU politics - and so the headline is very unexpected. Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 06:55
Inside Syria's Largest Oilfield After The Battle For Control Via Middle East Eye Abu Aicha patrols the desert in northeastern Syria by car and on foot, an armed man permanently at his side. Around him stretches an apocalyptic landscape: rusted pipelines, shredded buildings, scorched earth and the traces of explosions. “This is more important to protect than a bank. Oil is what brings money into a bank,” Abu Aicha tells Middle East Eye on 23 January. A former head of banking security in Deir Ezzor, Abu Aicha has been urgently reassigned to secure al-Omar, Syria’s largest oilfield – recently reclaimed by Syrian government forces after nearly a decade under Kurdish-led control. Internal security forces stand guard at al-Omar oilfield, via MEE His words reflect the strategic value long attached to al-Omar, a site that has repeatedly funded competing authorities throughout Syria’s war. For more than 10 years, al-Omar, located in the Deir Ezzor province east of the Euphrates River, formed a part of the economic backbone of northeastern Syria. It was first seized by armed opposition groups, then transformed into a pillar of the Islamic State’s war economy, before falling under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in 2017. It even supplied oil back to Damascus across front lines. Today, it is once again under state control – a battlefield where oil has repeatedly reshaped Syria’s balance of power. On 18 January, under pressure from advancing government troops, SDF commander Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement with Damascus that formally ended the Kurdish autonomous administration in the northeast and transferred control of oil and gas fields back to the Syrian state. Fighting around al-Omar lasted nearly two hours the day before. Abu Taim, a soldier from the internal security forces who took part in the clashes, recalls the urgency of the operation. “It was very important to take control of this place,” he says. “Before, we were forced to buy oil from them. These are resources that belong to the country. Now they benefit the whole country.” Among the soldiers deployed that day, many were from the region itself – Syria’s Jazira. “I lived on the other side of the line,” says Omar, 23. “I felt my land had been colonised by the SDF. Everything was transported to Hasakah. Deir Ezzor suffered economically from losing access to its own resources.” Another soldier, Mohamed Othman, 25, from Shahee in Deir Ezzor, sums up the moment: “It’s as if we were born again. It’s important because the resources belong to all of Syria, not just one group.” For some, the return carried a deeply personal meaning. “I hadn’t been here in 14 years,” says Abu Soeb Achjel quietly. Oil transport resumed just five days after the site was retaken. Abdel-Karim Haluch, a truck driver wearing a red and white turban, prepares to head west. “I’m happy to help the country,” he says. Dozens of trucks like his – each carrying up to 40,000 litres of crude oil – now travel daily from al-Omar toward refineries in Baniyas in the west and Homs in central Syria. Yet securing the field remains a daily struggle. Al-Omar spans a vast expanse of desert, where opportunistic looters still attempt to siphon oil. Abu Aicha gestures toward the sand, where motorcycle tracks cut across the site. “Each motorcycle can take up to 300 litres in five minutes,” he says, pointing to shallow pools of oil formed near damaged infrastructure. At night, patrols intensify. Vehicles suspected of theft are stopped, and sand barriers are erected around sensitive areas. “This is what preserves the future of the state,” Abu Aicha repeats. Al-Omar today is a site held together by improvisation.Raed al-Sadoun, an engineer working on the field, describes the scale of destruction as overwhelming. “The field requires complete rehabilitation – from the wells at the source to the destroyed secondary and main stations, all the way to the transfer points,” he explains. “Each well needs to be studied individually.” The damage, he says, exceeds 90 percent. “We hope to reach more than 30,000 barrels per day from al-Omar alone,” he adds. “But the timeline depends on who carries out the work. With foreign companies operating under international standards, it would take at least a year. "With local companies, everything depends on financing and equipment – and it could take even longer.” Artificial lifting systems remain largely inoperative, leaving only a handful of wells capable of natural production. The last guy who was supposed to be on trial in Iraq became "President" of Syria. We’ve seen this movie. https://t.co/fRbrVSt7qC — Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) January 24, 2026 Al-Omar’s importance goes far beyond symbolism. According to Benjamin Fève, an economist specializing in Syria at the consultancy Karam Shaar Advisory, oil revenues were decisive for the survival of Kurdish self-rule. “In the first half of 2025, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria generated $542m in revenues,” Fève explains. Some $416m came from oil, accounting for nearly 77 percent of total revenues, he says. "These revenues financed military spending and public salaries, allowing the administration to function with around 220,000 employees and an armed force of roughly 85,000 fighters.” Without oil rent, he adds, Kurdish autonomy would not have been financially viable – just as the Islamic State’s territorial project had once depended on oil revenues. Today, Al-Omar remains a strategic asset for Damascus. “It is Syria’s largest oilfield, with recoverable reserves estimated at around 520 million barrels,” Fève says. “Despite more than $1bn in damage, production was still around 14,000 barrels per day at the end of 2025. Its light crude is crucial because it is compatible with the Baniyas refinery.” In the short term, Fève cautions, al-Omar will not dramatically boost Syria’s budget. “But in the medium term, it is the key asset to reduce imports and partially relaunch national production,” he says. For Fève, the battle for northeastern Syria’s oilfields has been a structuring factor of the conflict. “Oil did not trigger the Syrian conflict, but it financed its prolongation,” he says. “Control over oilfields allowed armed actors to capture hundreds of millions of dollars annually and build rival systems of governance.” That dynamic, he argues, made the recapture of al-Omar and other fields like Conoco, a major gas installation in Deir Ezzor province, economically decisive for Damascus in early 2026. As dusk settles over the desert, trucks continue to roll westward, soldiers tighten their patrols, and engineers work amid ruins. Even in devastation, al-Omar remains a strategic prize. Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 06:30
EU Poised To Label IRGC A Terror Org, Boosting Potential Trump Strikes On Iran The European Union may be on the verge of taking a step it has long avoided: formally branding Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organization. This as France and Spain, previously the bloc's vocal key holdouts, abruptly signaled a change of heart. Paris and Madrid's reversal injects new momentum into what has so far been a largely symbolic but politically explosive move, one Brussels has repeatedly delayed despite mounting pressure. The timing of this impending potential change could signal that Europe is collectively ready to sign off on President Trump's potential new military attacks on the Islamic Republic. It will make it 'legally' easier to wage war. via ispionline Europe has long been more restrained when it comes to US military actions abroad, but the Jan.3rd attack on Venezuela and forced removal of longtime President Maduro resulted in a muted EU response, which was widely interpreted as quiet approval. So for the EU, its leaders might be fine with Tehran being targeted next. On Wednesday, just one day before EU foreign ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels to debate the issue, the Elysée announced its change in thinking in the following: "France supports the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the European list of terrorist organizations." The IRGC stands accused by the West of directing Iran's crackdown of domestic unrest, after economic-driven protests took over town and city streets this month. Thousands died, but Iran officials have pointed to armed saboteurs being mixed in among the peaceful demonstrators, leading to mayhem and a high death toll. The United States, Canada, and Australia have already blacklisted the IRGC, while Germany and the Netherlands have for years pressed the EU to follow suit. Italy has also shifted its position earlier this week related to the recent protests. Importantly, the US had branded Maduro as head of a 'terrorist organization' (the so-called Cartel of the Suns, which had a dubious existence) just before launching regime change action against him, resulting in him facing federal charges in New York. The IRGC being branded as such in Europe would also aid in Washington's case for war against Iran, given the organization reports directly to the Ayatollah, and is effectively the most important military-security group at the top of the command chain. Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 05:45
Orbán Backs Weidel's Demands That Ukraine Pay Germany Reparations For Nord Stream 2 Sabotage Via Remix News, Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities have appealed to Interpol to issue an international warrant against Ukrainian-Israeli Timur Mindics and his business partner Alexander Zuckerman, both considered fugitives from justice and both reported to hold Israeli citizenship. The corruption scandal centers on bundles of money, a toilet made of gold, and threads leading to the Ukrainian president. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have officially submitted to Interpol the documents aimed at launching the international arrest of both Mindics and Zuckerman. The announcement was made by Oleksandr Klimenko, head of SAPO, wrote Ukrainian outlet Strana Today. Mindics is currently in Israel, which he reportedly fled to an hour before anti-corruption officers raided his apartment, leading to suspicion someone in the government tipped him off that the raid was coming. He is being tried in absentia for corruption crimes in the energy sector. The entrepreneur, who has a long history with Zelensky and played a key role in his rise to power, previously claimed that he was scapegoated in the scandal, while Zuckerman also denies the allegations. “The case is particularly sensitive, as Mindich had close ties with President Volodymyr Zelensky for many years,” writes Starna Today. During the house search, Ukrainian investigators seized bundles of cash from the fugitive businessman and also found a golden toilet in his home. Zelensky is reported to have celebrated his birthday in this apartment during the coronavirus pandemic. "A golden toilet is in one of the bathrooms of the apartment of Zelensky's business partner Timur Mindich, where, according to media reports, NABU wiretapped the president himself. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who showed a photo, as he claims, from this apartment.… pic.twitter.com/LYtCFKlTcW — Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) July 30, 2025 The investigation focuses on abuses surrounding state and semi-state energy companies. According to the authorities, inadequate procurement procedures, embezzled money, parallel management structures and “shadow” accounting were behind it. The damage caused is estimated at about $100 million and led to 70 properties being searched and numerous arrests made. Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has conducted searches at the home of the driver of Andriy Yermak, the notorious figure in the Ukrainian corruption scandal known as “Ali Baba.” Another friend of Zelensky’s, former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, was remanded into custody. Justice Minister German Galushchenko was also suspended after his house was searched. He had been serving as energy minister at the time of the events. According to NABU, the group’s goal was to gain illegal benefits from Energoatom’s contractual partners and control personnel decisions, procurement and financial flows through informal contacts. According to Die Welt newspaper, several top leaders, active and former politicians are involved in the case, as well as actors who can be linked to Moscow. Mindics’ escape triggered separate speculations. According to the German newspaper, he was seen in Kyiv a day before the house search, which may indicate that he was warned in time. Since it would have been difficult to get out of the country by car, it was also suggested that he left Ukraine by helicopter, which “in wartime conditions would only have been possible with official permission.” Read more here... Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 05:00
Fire Engulfs Former Volkswagen Factory, Which Now Makes Chinese Brand, South Of Moscow Fire crews extinguished a fire that broke out early Wednesday at the former Volkswagen plant in Russia's Kaluga region, now repurposed as part of Moscow's post-sanctions auto ecosystem. There's been little in the way of a cause mentioned in international reports, amid an investigation, though skeptical headline consumers will note there's been a tit-for-tat covert sabotage campaign long underway between Russia and Ukraine-Europe in the context of the war, now about to enter its fifth year. Social media screenshot. According to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry, the blaze erupted at a foam recycling workshop inside the Tenet automobile facility, which currently assembles Chinese-made vehicles, and no casualties were reported. It remains that automaking is an industry prone to accidents and fires, for which typically there are sophisticated and high-tech fire alarm systems at the ready. It's likely to result in a temporary shutdown of operations. The sprawling plant is a symbol of Russia's pivot away from Western manufacturers, amid the US-EU sanctions campaign, and efforts to isolate the Russian economy globally. Tenet executives recently unveiled plans to seize at least 10% of Russia’s projected 1.4-million-vehicle market, also at a moment most Western automakers are completely absent from Russia, as international firms made an exit over the several years of Putin's 'special military operation' in Ukraine. Chinese firms have sought to fill the vacuum, amid several bilateral deals between Moscow and Beijing, longtime 'frenemies' which are improving relations as both have come under Washington's punitive actions. According to an early 2025 report: The ex-Volkswagen auto-manufacturing plant at Kaluga is launching auto manufacturing of cars under Russia’s Tenet brand, according to regional governor Vladislav Shapsha. Volkswagen exited the Russian market in 2023, selling the business to their Russian dealership, Avilon, who paid an estimated US$135 million for VW’s Russian business. Volkswagen reportedly invested more than US$800 million to build the Kaluga plant. Avilon subsidiary AGR Holding LLC and China’s Defetoo, have signed a joint venture technological partnership to manufacture Tenet branded cars. Defetoo are part of China’s Chery auto manufacturer. The Tenet vehicles will be reworked, Russian versions of the Chinese brand. Ukrainian and Russian social media have featured images of what's clearly a large inferno, but Western headlines have been slow to pick up on the emergency: A large fire is ongoing at the former Volkswagen plant in Russia’s Kaluga region. The plant currently assembles Chinese Chery models locally and markets them under the Tenet label. pic.twitter.com/8SzzZEi8TE — Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) January 28, 2026 In cases of industrial or military site fires or explosions inside Russia, Kremlin authorities are not always quick to blame Ukraine or the West - given they have an interest in showing the domestic populace that the state and its security are firmly in control of the situation. Still, a lot of incidents have been happening of late, sometimes as a result of Ukrainian long-range drones. Meanwhile in Ukraine, civilian as well as military infrastructure continues to get hammered, resulting in tragedies... 🇺🇦🇷🇺 A Ukrainian soldier pulls a baby to safety from a train in Kharkiv after Russian suicide drones hit it, killing 3 people. Source: @visegrad24 pic.twitter.com/1SEZSbX2St — Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 28, 2026 Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 04:15
Orbán Backs Weidel's Demands That Ukraine Pay Germany Reparations For Nord Stream 2 Sabotage Via Remix News, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán backed Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leader Alice Weidel, who is demanding compensation from Ukraine for the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and tens of billions of euros in German financial support. Orbán responded to the German politician’s statement with a short but clear sentence on X, writing, “Alice Weidel is right!” .@Alice_Weidel is right! https://t.co/qX69UicBof — Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) January 26, 2026 The Hungarian prime minister also posted Weidel’s speech, where she stated: “If this party comes to power, we will demand compensation for the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, as well as the return of about 70 billion euros in financial and military support provided to Kyiv.” Germany has provided tens of billions to Ukraine, all during a time when the country is facing surging company bankruptcies, budget cuts, and even cities all on the verge of bankruptcy. The enormous sums of money sent to Ukraine, especially in the light of massive corruption scandals facing the country, have led the AfD to be highly critical of Germany’s continued support. Now, the AfD considers recouping this money as essential. In light of a number of arrests of Ukrainian operatives, who have been charged with sabotaging the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the alliance between Germany and Ukraine looks increasingly problematic. “We will seek compensation. The Ukrainians and Zelensky have been paid by us to blow up our own pipeline. The country that has done this to us cannot be our friend, and this must be publicly acknowledged,” stated Weidel, emphasizing that Ukraine cannot be considered a friendly state. As Weidel said, the recovery of tens of billions of euros in support and the restoration of Nord Stream are inevitable. Weidel previously accused European leaders of double standards and believed that while Moscow faces serious accusations, similar criticism is not leveled against the United States. In her opinion, Donald Trump’s policy resembles Vladimir Putin’s actions on several points, notably in relation to Greenland. Read more here... Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 03:30
Turkey Says It Foiled Iranian Intelligence Plot At US Incirlik Base Various Turkish and Middle East sources are reporting that Iranian intelligence attempted to spy on the major US airbase at Incirlik, and that a cell of Iranian agents has been busted. The report, originally in Turkey's Sabah newspaper on Wednesday, said that Turkish intelligence and Istanbul police detained six people across five provinces. The report claims the cell was led by Iranian intelligence codenamed "Haji" and another codenamed "Doctor". A Turkish asset is alleged to have hired people to take photos and videos of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, which has been jointly controlled by Ankara and Washington for decades, and which plays host to American tactical nuclear weapons as part of a broader NATO nuclear-sharing program. Incirlik Air Base, near Adana, Turkey, via Reuters. Incirlik Air Base played a vital role in US and allied covert operations to oust Assad in Syria, and has over the past decade been featured in global headlines, especially connected with the CIA's 'Timber Sycamore' regime change operation aimed at Damascus. The Iranians were of course closely allied with Assad during the lengthy proxy war, and have since retreated from Syria, also as Lebanon's Hezbollah has been removed from the country. The region is on edge amid a US naval and air force build-up in the Gulf, and as President Trump threatens action against Tehran. If a major conflict were to break out, US officials fear that Iran could hit regional US bases in retaliation. They have closely watched threats out of Tehran officials, including the latest from Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who warned earlier this month: “In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territories and all American military centres, bases, and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said during a parliamentary session. "We do not consider ourselves limited to responding after the act and will take action based on any objective signs of a threat," he added. Sabah reported that one among the some half-dozen people belonging to the alleged Iranian intelligence cell is an Iranian citizen. They've been detained by Istanbul Criminal Courts of Peace on charges of "obtaining confidential state information for political or military espionage purposes." Curious timing indeed... Turkish intelligence reported the uncovering of an Iranian spy network that targeted the Incirlik air base, the largest US Air Force base in Turkey. Is it today that the Turks decided to publish this?🤨 pic.twitter.com/GJrQQZrP3F — Gennady Simanovsky (@GennadySimanovs) January 28, 2026 As for what specific intel or photographs they were able to capture, such details are undisclosed at this point. The story has since been picked up by The Washington Post and other US media. The government of Turkey is actually against any potential new Washington regime change war in Iran. For one, it could unleash a wave of refugees, as far eastern Turkey actually borders the Islamic Republic. The two countries share a nearly 350-mile border, and have lately tried to keep relations stable, even amid Washington's threatened action. Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 02:45
UK Government To Create 'British FBI', Roll Out Nationwide Facial Recognition Cameras Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The British Home Secretary unveiled plans in Parliament on Jan. 26 for a new National Police Service (NPS), which is modeled on the FBI and will take over the fight against terrorism and organized crime in the United Kingdom. Undated image of Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood speaking in the House of Commons in London, England. UK Parliament/PA At the weekend, Shabana Mahmood described the NPS as a “British FBI” and said it would alleviate the burden on local police forces, allowing them to concentrate on issues such as shoplifting and street robbery. The NPS will replace the National Crime Agency, which covers England and Wales, but it will also have a UK-wide role. On Monday, the Home Office published a 106-page White Paper that sets out in detail the new police structure and how it would be supported by state-of-the-art technology. The document says the government would invest 115 million pounds ($157 million) over the next three years “to enable the rapid and responsible adoption of AI and automation technologies by the police.” A new National Centre for AI in Policing, known as Police.AI, would be created. There are also plans to roll out facial recognition cameras nationwide to help police catch wanted criminals on watchlists. The number of facial recognition camera vehicles would be increased from 10 to 50. “A hundred years ago, fingerprinting was decried as curtailing our civil liberties, but today we could not imagine policing without it,” Mahmood said. “I have no doubt that the same will prove true of facial recognition technology in the years to come.” An undated image of a police officer viewing a camera feed from inside a live facial recognition vehicle at an undisclosed location in England. Andrew Matthews/PA There is currently no dedicated statute governing police use of facial recognition in England and Wales. Earlier this month, Eleanor “Nell” Watson, a leading researcher and adviser on artificial intelligence ethics and transparency, criticized the increased deployment of surveillance technology. “The UK is constructing infrastructure for a surveillance society while telling itself it is merely catching criminals,” she told The Epoch Times via email. Mahmood also announced plans to scrap the existing 43 police constabularies in England and Wales, which would be reorganized into a dozen regional forces. “Policing is not broken, as some might have us believe,” she told the House of Commons on Monday, “Last year, the police made over three-quarters of a million arrests, five percent more than the year before.” She said knife crime was down and murder rates in London were at their lowest recorded level. ‘Epidemic of Everyday Crime’ “However, across the country, things feel very different. Communities are facing an epidemic of everyday crime that all too often seems to go unpunished, and criminals know it,” Mahmood said. “Theft has risen by 72 percent since 2010, phone theft is up 58 percent.” The current 43 police forces in England and Wales were set up in 1974, but Mahmood said the world has changed dramatically. “Criminals are operating online and across borders with greater sophistication than ever before, be they drug smugglers, people traffickers or child sexual abusers,” Mahmood said. “The world has changed dramatically since policing was last fundamentally reformed over 50 years ago. Policing remains the last great unreformed public service.” There were plans to merge police forces 20 years ago, but the idea was dropped by the Labour government of then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Labour won a general election in Britain last year, and Mahmood was installed as home secretary, tasked with sorting out Britain’s police and prisons. “Consolidating the current model will make the police more cost-efficient, giving the taxpayer more value for money, while also ensuring a less fragmented system that will better serve the public and make them safer,” the Home Office said in the paper. Criticism of ‘Mega-Forces’ The opposition Conservatives’ shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, criticized the plan to reduce the number of police forces from 43 to 12 and said it would create forces that would be too big. “Such huge forces will be remote from the communities they serve. Resources will be drawn away from villages and towns towards large cities,” Philp said. He added that the Metropolitan Police, Britain’s largest police force, had the worst crime-solving rates. “That goes to show that large scale does not automatically deliver better results, and therefore we will oppose the mandated merger of county forces into remote regional mega-forces,” Philp said. “Over the weekend, the Home Secretary was trailing this proposal as a British FBI,” Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Pete Wishart said. “While it might indeed be their FBI, British, it most definitely is not, as it applies only to England and Wales.” “In Scotland, we are immensely proud of our culture and ethos of policing by consent and the fact that we have the lowest crime rates in the whole of the UK. The last thing we want is this creeping Americanization,” Wishart added and demanded to know what powers the NPS would have in Scotland. Mahmood said NPS would cover the whole of the UK. “In England and Wales, it will have full operational powers and will be able to carry out its law enforcement activities,” she said. “But in Scotland and Northern Ireland, it will carry out operations only with the agreement of the legally designated authority.” Tyler Durden Thu, 01/29/2026 - 02:00
Why The US Was Right To Leave The WHO Authored by Jeffrey A. Tucker via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Commentary The United States has pulled its membership in the World Health Organization (WHO), and many other nations are rethinking their participation. Of course, this could change with some future administration. The institution itself is not going anywhere. This is why it is crucial to understand the case for why the United States needed to pull out and cut all funding. Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock Get out and stay out. It’s also critically important that other nations join us and leave this organization. To top it all off, the WHO has become a pillar of duplicity even now. Over the weekend, WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “While WHO recommended the use of masks, physical distancing and vaccines, WHO did not recommend governments to mandate the use of masks or vaccines and never recommended lockdowns.” This claim is easily refuted. The evidence that WHO backed lockdowns begins on Jan. 29, 2020, when Tedros praised the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping in particular to the skies for its “amazing” response to COVID-19, which included welding people inside their homes and arresting and likely killing people for disobeying the authorities. Nothing like this had happened in the modern era in any country. The WHO was completely on board. A few weeks following this celebratory news conference, the WHO organized a trip to Wuhan and several other cities in China. This junket involved the UK, EU, and the United States. This trip included Clifford Lane, a top aide to Dr. Anthony Fauci, and several other Americans. On the way back from this multi-city trip, they drafted the report that praised China’s response to the virus in terms that contradict every principle of public health. This is before there were any lockdowns in the United States or the UK. This Feb. 28, 2020, report, is still on the WHO website: “Achieving China’s exceptional coverage with and adherence to these containment measures has only been possible due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action in the face of this common threat. At a community level this is reflected in the remarkable solidarity of provinces and cities in support of the most vulnerable populations and communities.” It goes on: “At the individual level, the Chinese people have reacted to this outbreak with courage and conviction. They have accepted and adhered to the starkest of containment measures—whether the suspension of public gatherings, the month-long ‘stay at home’ advisories or prohibitions on travel. Throughout an intensive 9-days of site visits across China, in frank discussions from the level of local community mobilizers and frontline health care providers to top scientists, the Joint Mission was struck by the sincerity and dedication that each brings to this COVID-19 response.” Or as WHO spokesman Dr. Bruce Aylward said following his Wuhan mission in February 2020, “Copy China’s response to Covid!” This exhortation was praised by the Chinese Communist Party. Incredibly, the WHO was so influential on the world that 194 nations followed the model and did exactly that. They issued stay-at-home orders and shut business, churches, and schools. Not only did the WHO support lockdowns, it urged them on the entire world in the name of public health, as a method of following the Chinese plan. Indeed, this report was the basis of the lockdowns that came to the United States and UK. It provided the cover necessary for imposing this unprecedented violation of rights. When the lockdowns next came to Northern Italy, the WHO celebrated those, too. A spokesman for the WHO and director of WHO Europe, Hans Kluge expressed his “full support for the measures adopted by Italy to address the novel coronavirus emergency and the World Health Organization’s willingness to offer every means of full cooperation!” The lockdowns came to the United States and most nations in mid-March 2020. Already the disaster was unfolding all around us within a week or two. A month later, the WHO urged nations not to open up too soon. They sent out communications demanding universal track-and-trace policies with testing, full protective equipment, social distancing, and a massive propaganda campaign of fear and loathing. In other words, while the WHO recognized that people were going crazy in lockdowns and would not stand much more of this, it refused to recognize the need for freedom but rather doubled down on tyranny, surveillance, and control as the right way to manage a virus. A month later, the WHO warned against lifting lockdowns because this would only result in more infections and danger. It posted on social media: “Further guidance was published that outlines the key questions countries should ask prior to the lifting of lockdowns: Is the epidemic under control? Is the health system able to cope with a resurgence of cases that may arise after relaxing certain measures?” Later that month, the WHO said lockdowns are actually wonderful because they address the problem of climate change. “The pandemic has given us a glimpse of what our world could look like if we took the bold steps that are needed to curb #ClimateChange and #AirPollution,” it quoted Tedros as saying, in a social media post. By mid-summer, the WHO said that lockdowns were great but not enough, and that all government should be engaged in universal contract tracing to control the virus that everyone would get anyway. By October 2020 and following the Great Barrington Declaration, the WHO once again endorsed lockdowns. “We recognize that at certain points, some countries have had no choice but to issue Stay-At-Home orders and other lockdown measures, to buy time,” the WHO posted, quoting Tedros, on Oct. 12, 2020. This was not accidental messaging, but rather stated WHO policy throughout. The moment that the vaccine was rolled out, following the November 2020 election, the WHO actually changed its definition of herd immunity to exclude the possibility of natural immunity. It previously said that herd immunity is reached through vaccination or exposure from infection. The WHO suddenly eliminated the second point and said that vaccines are the only path. What this note at the World Health Organization did was delete what amounts to the entire million-year history of humankind in its delicate dance with pathogens. You could only gather from this that all of us are nothing but blank and unimprovable slates on which the pharmaceutical industry writes its signature. In addition, the editorial change at WHO ignored and even wiped out a century of medical advances in virology, immunology, and epidemiology. It was thoroughly unscientific—shilling for the vaccine industry in exactly the way that the conspiracy theorists say that the WHO has been doing since the beginning. By the time that the virus weakened to become no more dangerous than a cold, the WHO was still at it. “We’re concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of the vaccine, and because of Omicron’s high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible, and no longer necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth,” it stated. This was worse than bad health and policy advice. The WHO allowed itself to be used as a handmaiden of totalitarian controls across the globe. Many nations had trusted this organization and followed advice. This was a disaster for health and for freedom. The United States simply cannot be a member of such an organization. The WHO once served a valuable function, and those functions are still necessary. That said, each nation alone needs to embrace its own health sovereignty based on its own needs. There is, in short, no such thing as global or world health. This is why every nation should leave the WHO, which proved itself to be completely compromised by its celebration of the CCP and then its promotion of a dangerous product. It has no credibility remaining to its name. Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 23:25
New Footage Appears To Show Alex Pretti Spit At ICE, Break SUV Tail Light In Prior Minneapolis Confrontation The killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last Saturday sparked national outrage - particularly when it comes to the 2nd Amendment and his right to carry while protesting. The incident resulted in two federal agents involved in the shooting being placed on leave, and the ouster of US border patrol chief Gregory Bovino as the face of the Trump administration's mass deportation drive. While the circumstances of his death are still under investigation - many believe this gun went off after an agent took it off his body, spooking the shooter or shooters - he was known to federal authorities, and had suffered a broken rib during a violent confrontation with agents about a week before his death, CNN reported Tuesday. Now, new footage appears to show Pretti armed and spitting at ICE agents before he smashes the taillights of their black SUV during a wild confrontation roughly a week before his death. Screenshot via The News Movement The video, verified by the BBC, captures what appears to be Pretti screaming at federal agents while they were driving away during a Jan. 13 protest. As their SUV leaves, he kicks the taillight - breaking it, causing agents to exit the vehicle and tackle him to the ground. The agents continue to hold him down until he retreats and joins a crowd shouting at agents, as his gun is visibly tucked into the back of his pants. Screenshot via The News Movement Watch: Video of Peaceful Alex Pretti helping old ladies cross the street and doing volunteer work at the orphanage OR Swearing like a drunken sailor, spitting and destroying property pic.twitter.com/FChuxZ7Zwy — Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) January 29, 2026 Prior to the protests, Pretti's parents specifically warned him against engaging. "We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so, you know, that go ahead and protest, but do not engage, do not do anything stupid, basically," said Michael Pretti. "And he said he knows that. He knew that." While this changes nothing about an American's 2nd Amendment rights, it certainly changes the narrative insofar as whether ICE agents identified Pretti prior to his death and considered him to have an elevated risk profile. So the “hero nurse” was actually a crazy psycho spitting on ICE agents and attacking their vehicle. Guy should have been charged for this. Might still be alive if he had been. He was looking for trouble for weeks. https://t.co/owRNNIvTRD — Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 29, 2026 Well this aged incredibly poorly https://t.co/TBRPcVurG6 — Ian Miller (@ianmSC) January 28, 2026 Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 23:00
The Campaign Against ICE Is All About Open Borders Authored by Kevin M. Spivak via RealClearPolitics, Most of the recent vitriolic opposition to ICE is a feint by unrepentant open-borders progressives. They won the first round when Joe Biden was elected president, lost the second when Donald Trump returned to office, and are back for a rematch. Democratic leaders portray ICE agents as violent Gestapo thugs and murderers. They claim ICE kidnaps good people off the street, rips apart their families and communities, and deprives them of due process. They give lip service to deporting the “worst of the worst,” but they lead sanctuary cities that release hardened criminal illegal aliens and incite protesters to harass and prevent ICE from arresting rapists, child predators, and killers. For most, the venom has little to do with how ICE performs its mission and everything to do with preventing the Trump administration from undoing Biden’s brazen deluge of illegal migrants. But for the protests, ICE would be nearly invisible to most Americans, who abhor these violent confrontations. Instead, two Americans have tragically died in Minneapolis. Democratic leaders deflect when challenged with the fact that disruption and mistakes would be greatly reduced if sanctuary cities turned over criminals already confined. Minnesota alone refuses to comply with 1,360 detainers for illegal aliens in its jails, including 500 previously ordered to be deported by federal judges. The Democratic establishment sees mass immigration as the path to secure permanent rule, with much of the radical left expecting immigrants to force America to abandon its traditional values. A refresher on how the Biden administration unlawfully admitted at least 12 million unvetted migrants underscores the radical left’s deep commitment to open borders. It also explains why Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Alan Frey flirt with insurrection by inflaming rage-filled protesters who accost ICE agents, invade churches, and protect criminals. On his first day in office, Biden stopped construction of Trump’s border wall and ended the “Remain in Mexico” policy. He dismantled virtually all Trump immigration policies, exempted most illegal immigrants from deportation, granted protected status to about 1 million illegals, boosted refugee admissions, issued green cards to immigrants who required public benefits, allowed Title 42 authority to lapse – increasing illegal immigration by nearly one million migrants each year, distributed free cell phones and housing subsidies to entice even more illegal immigration, and, in the dead of night, flew hundreds of thousands of migrants from the southern border into American cities and towns. In 2024, just five of 203 Democrats in the U.S. House supported legislation requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and the Biden Justice Department sued Virginia to prevent it from removing noncitizens from its voter rolls. Trump won his second term on a platform of closing the borders and deporting illegal aliens, particularly those admitted by Biden or who had committed other crimes. Polls show majority support for deporting all illegal immigrants, and 78% support (including 69% of Democrats) for deporting criminal illegal aliens. Despite Minnesota’s refusal to cooperate, ICE has already arrested 3,000 illegal aliens in Operation Metro, including migrants convicted of murder, aggravated assault, domestic abuse, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes. Claims that ICE’s mandate is unlawful or unconstitutional, or that it requires permission from sanctuary cities, is nonsense, repudiated by the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, 250 years of jurisprudence, and well-settled federal law. So far, Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez has refused to grant the temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop ICE sought by Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul in a frivolous lawsuit that inverts the 10th Amendment into a right for states or even cities to veto federal laws they dislike. Though, in a separate lawsuit, she ordered ICE not to arrest or tear-gas peaceful demonstrators who are not obstructing ICE or who are “safely” following from an “appropriate” distance. That virtue-signaling order, now stayed by the Eighth Circuit pending an appeal, largely summarizes existing law. It likely would not have applied to Renee Good or Alex Pretti. Contrary to Democratic spin, Good was part of a group that sought to derail ICE operations. She had been stalking ICE, and obstructed its vehicles with her SUV. Instead of complying with instructions to step out of her SUV, she abruptly accelerated, hitting an ICE agent hard enough to cause internal bleeding. As her SUV leapt forward, the agent fired, killing her. Good either intended to strike the agent, or she acted recklessly by hitting the accelerator on a snowy, icy road in an SUV surrounded by agents. The legally relevant question for the agent is whether he reasonably believed that he or others were in “imminent danger” of death or serious injury. It is unclear why a Border Patrol agent fatally shot Pretti on Saturday, during yet another protest. Video shows that he intervened between an agent and a woman. To the administration, he was an “armed domestic terrorist.” To Democrats, he was a “murdered nurse.” Both include some truth and premature conclusions. What is known is that he was doing something he should not have been doing because Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. shamelessly ignored America’s sovereignty to admit tens of millions of illegals, and now Democratic leaders and the progressive media are willing to sacrifice people like Good and Pretti on the corrupt altar of open borders. Polls show that the all-out Democratic campaign to vilify ICE; disturbing video of militarized law enforcement officers in gas masks and fatigues; a growing toll of injuries and fatalities, regardless of fault; adverse court decisions, though many are reversed on appeal; and the administration’s caustic rhetoric are eroding support for ICE and Trump’s deportation program, and may imperil Republican control of the House. The administration requires support from the public to keep ICE and the public safe, and for ICE to be effective. Democrats sense weakness, and will do everything they can to prevent that. The administration must be the adult in this situation. It must soften its language. ICE should avoid militarized operations and more clearly focus on deporting criminal aliens, and unvetted illegal aliens admitted during the Biden administration. Although it’s time for a reset, backing down is not an option. Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 22:35
Putin Hosts Syria's Sharaa As Russian Forces Exit North In Tandem With US Drawdown Syria's self-declared President Ahmad al-Sharaa is in Moscow on Wednesday, where he has met with President Vladimir Putin, at a moment Russia's long-running presence in Syria is in question. Sharaa, formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, who founded Syrian al-Qaeda and began fighting the ousted President Assad under the flag of ISIS, is trying to shore up international recognition for his rule. "Russia has supported Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and has also played a historic role in the stability of the region," President Putin stated during the meeting. "I would like to emphasise the need to preserve Syria's unity and territorial integrity." He hinted that ending the American occupation of the oil and gas rich northeast is paramount. "The return of eastern Syria to Damascus’s control is an important step," Putin said. via Reuters But while Russian forces are still present at historic bases on the coast, there are signs of a final Russian withdrawal from the country underway, also as US troops appear to be making a slow exit: Days before the scheduled meeting, Russian forces began a phased withdrawal from Qamishli Airport in northeast Syria, relocating personnel and equipment to the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia, according to a security source cited by Shafaq News last week. ...The final stage involved the relocation of what the source described as an “elite team,” marking the departure of the last Russian contingent stationed at the airport. The redeployment was carried out in coordination with both Syrian and US sides, according to the same account. AP journalists who visited the base next to Qamishli airport reported it was guarded by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, who said Russian troops had been “evacuating bit by bit” over several days. Conflict has been engulfing the same region, as Syrian forces loyal to Sharaa attack Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces. While the US trained and weaponized the SDF for years, Washington appears to be throwing its Kurdish allies under the bus once again. ISIS/Daesh hits the Kremlin. After being normalized in Washington and Brussels. Realpolitik may take precedence, but the optics are dreadful. pic.twitter.com/LGODGRvxqw — Pepe Escobar (@RealPepeEscobar) January 28, 2026 Kremlin spokesman Peskov had previously said ahead of Sharaa being hosted in Moscow that "the presence of our soldiers in Syria" would be discussed. According to Al Jazeera: Moscow had been worried about the possibility of a “populist anti-Russia” government emerging in Damascus when Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the London-based RUSI think tank, told Al Jazeera. “They feared he [al-Sharaa] would squeeze them out, but the Russians have been pleasantly surprised, even if they’ve had to downgrade their ties from before,” Ramani added. Indeed Moscow has sought to keep its lone deep water port and Mediterranean base at Tartus, and this appears to be happening. But there has been a military and equipment draw-down, and now the Russian operations are said to be 'humanitarian-focused'. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa: “Russia has supported Syria’s territorial integrity and unity, and has also played a historic role in the stability of the region.” Russian President Putin: “I would like to emphasise the need to preserve Syria’s unity and territorial… pic.twitter.com/96lFJuMNPN — Levent Kemal (@leventkemaI) January 28, 2026 Russia seems to be hinting that it is OK with a draw down so long as the Americans exit the region too. One irony in all this is that Assad and his family are currently living in exile from their homeland at a posh Moscow apartment, keeping a very low profile. Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 22:10
Free Speech Isn't Free and It Cost Charlie Kirk Everything Authored by Kristan Hawkins via RealClearPolitics, The First Amendment protections for free speech have inspired people worldwide and laid the foundation not just for American society but also for entire industries – from social media to this very publication. But as someone who travels the country both speaking and setting up events on college and university campuses, I can tell you that “free speech” isn’t free. Nobody knows that better than those of us mourning Charlie Kirk’s passing. At this time last year, Students for Life of America honored Charlie as our “Defender of Life” at our sold-out National Pro-life Summit, and this year at the National Pro-Life March, our signs and messaging will create a sea of thousands of young people celebrating his legacy. But in the wake of his murder, I continue to reflect on the high cost of free speech for those of us who refuse to abandon college and university campuses. Manipulative schools have worked hard to develop financial and logistical obstacles to student speech – from special, additional, and often last-minute insurance to requirements for bomb-sniffing dogs. And everything comes with a price tag. To practice “free” speech, we start with time-consuming permits with the endless, additional, and sometimes arbitrary requirements that come with a cost. Special event insurance can run from $800 to $5,000, though in Washington, D.C., it can easily run close to $15,000 or higher. We were actually quoted a $20,000 fee in required event insurance to chalk pro-life messages in Miami. And if you need to rent a bomb-sniffing dog – because why not – it usually runs $650. My Kevlar vest set me back $1,000. And police, on campus or off, with or without weapons, county, city, or state (which has a range), commonly add $1,200 per event. Private security, if needed, has a price of about $600 per professional. Equipment rental for security wands or metal detectors may be needed. And we can’t forget that a commitment to free speech is a decision to keep lawyers on retainer, especially for the last-minute “requirements” from school administrators. Even before the tragedy that ended my dear friend’s life, security costs for our Students for Life events had risen about 25%, putting the average cost of a campus event at $4,000. That’s a lot of money for a passionate student to raise, and we work with them to make it happen. But not everyone can afford free speech. Students for Life’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement just released our 2026 Survey USA poll, looking at the abortion views of registered youth voters. They understand that free speech comes at a high cost. Asked about whether colleges and universities should prioritize and financially support free speech, more than nine in 10 (93%) said yes, with 33% saying it’s extremely important. But they are worried about those engaging on campus. Almost half (49%) of registered youth voters think violence on college campuses and in public spaces has increased, and more than nine in 10 (92%) are concerned about violence directed at those using their free speech rights, with one in four extremely concerned. Their fears are probably heightened by the 2025 Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) annual College Free Speech Rankings survey, which reported that one in three students thought it was acceptable to use violence to stop speech. Previously, the most common attacks on free speech have been: A Vandals Veto seen in destroyed messaging and outright theft of displays and signs, and lately in a trend of protestors eating rubber fetal models brought to illustrate the size of babies in the womb. A Heckler’s Veto, in which schools cancel or move events when extremist groups or a disgruntled student oppose a speaker. A Slow-Walk-to-Nowhere when a pattern of delays for approval of events or clubs creates a virtual veto of student speech. A Not-Even-Separate-but-Equal Accommodation as schools refuse similar support for pro-life students as given to others. A Religious Gag Rule in which schools may allow students to speak as long as they stay silent about faith. A Required “Trigger Warning” in which the school signals through signs posted in the areas where pro-life speech is taking place that such speech is controversial and offensive, to be possibly avoided or protested. A Power-of-the-Purse Veto involving biased use of student fees. A Threat-of-Violence Veto, making school administrators unwilling to allow any speech that might be confrontational. And a Big Brother’s Threat of Doxxing move. But now we deal with a supersized Virtual Poll Tax on some students’ speech. Our team has endured bomb threats, vandalizations, stolen and damaged property, physical attacks, urine throwing, stalking, student doxxing, and general cruelty, all of which can raise the emotional cost of public speech. Threats of rape and murder are common, and we keep a file, just in case. Such opposition is surely designed to discourage those who wish to participate in the free marketplace of ideas. Silence Dogood, believed to be a pseudonym of Benjamin Franklin, wrote, “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” But it’s not free. And without better support, many will be priced out of the public arena. Kristan Hawkins is president of Students for Life of America and Students for Life Action, with more than 1,600 groups on middle and high school, college and university, medical and law school campuses in all 50 states. Follow her @KristanHawkins or subscribe to her podcast, The Kristan Hawkins Show. Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 21:45
California Man With Underground Bunker, Weapons Cache Arrested In CHP Raid Reminder to Californians; you do not live in a free state, and they don't play around. Michael Jay Kamfolt, pictured in a red sweatshirt and hat, at a No Kings protest on Feb. 17, 2025 in Redding, California. Photo by Annelise Pierce. Last week the California Highway Patrol (CHP) announced that they arrested Michael Jay Kamfolt, a 40-year-old conservative activist who has an underground bunker containing a cache of 'illegal weapons,' ammo, and body armor. After receiving tip about an illegal marijuana grow operation, CHP Air Operations conducted a flyover of the property located in the city of Anderson, located around 150 miles north of Sacramento in Shasta County. Authorities conducted a month-long investigation of the property owned by Kamfolt, after which CHP executed a search warrant at the location on Jan. 20. And while they didn't find any weed being grown, officers recovered 13 firearms - including three AR-style assault rifles, one of which was a "ghost gun" without a serial number, along with a sawed-off shotgun and two firearms that had been reported stolen, one in 2016 and the other in 1978. A 'ghost gun' can be assembled at home, which is usually milled out of a hunk of aluminum or 3D printed. The bunker, equipped with power, ventilation, a concrete floor with built-in drainage, and the necessary supplies to grow weed, also contains a home gym, armchair, television, and workbench with a Bennington flag. Investigators also found roughly 10,000 rounds of ammunition - an amount not uncommon among enthusiasts and preppers, including armor piercing rounds, 30 high-capacity magazines, and four soft-body armor vests. "During the search, officers discovered an underground bunker accessible through a 100-foot-long culvert," reads a press release. 'The bunker was equipped with power, ventilation, a concrete floor with built-in drainage and the necessary supplies to cultivate marijuana." Kamfolt was arrested and booked for the following: 30605(a) PC – Possession of an Assault Rifle 30600(a) PC – Manufacturing of an Assault Rifle 33215 PC – Manufacturing of a Short Barreled Rifle 32625(a) PC – Possession of a Machine Gun 32625(b) PC – Converting a firearm into a Machine Gun 23920 PC – Possession of an Altered Firearm Serial Number 24610 PC – Manufacturing and Possession of an Undetectable Firearm 496(a) – Possession of a Stolen Firearm 29180(b) PC – Manufacturing of a “Ghost Gun” 30315 PC – Possession of Armor Penetrating Ammunition 32310(C) PC – Possession of High Capacity magazine He was held in the Shasta County Jail overnight. Bail was set at $50,000 and he is no longer in custody according to county jail records. According to county records available so far, Kamfolt is not facing federal charges. Some of his alleged offenses — such as owning a machine gun — are only illegal in certain states such as California, while other allegations, like obliterating an identifying marker on a firearm, also violate federal gun laws. Kamfolt was also active in local politics: In November of 2024, the day before the presidential election, Kamfolt visited the county election office with Supervisor Crye who said he’d just met Kamfolt that day. Speaking to a reporter, Kamfolt expressed his support for Crye’s work in the community and his interest in the importance of this particular election. He said he wanted to observe for himself that it was being facilitated correctly. At the time, former Registrar of Voters Tom Toller was running the election office. A few days later, Kamfolt made an appearance at a county board meeting alongside members of the local Cottonwood Militia. The group showed up after community member Jenny O’Connell-Nowain was arrested for allegedly disrupting the meeting. She was protesting statements by Supervisor Patrick Jones about another election official, former Assistant Registrar of Voters Joanna Francescut. Earlier this month, O’Connell-Nowain was found guilty of disrupting that meeting by a Shasta County jury. -Shasta Scout "This operation went far beyond an illegal grow," said CHP Northern Division Chief John Pinoli. "The combination of a hidden bunker and an alarming cache of illegal firearms and ammunition highlights the threat posed to public safety." Again, Californians - your state doesn't play around. Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 21:20
Century Aluminum To Construct First US Aluminum Plant In More Than 40 Years Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Illinois-based Century Aluminum Co. has entered into a joint development agreement with Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) to construct the “first new primary aluminum production plant in the United States since 1980,” Century said in a statement on Jan. 26. Employees work with aluminum ingots at a factory in Huaibei, Anhui province, China, on Feb. 9, 2022. STR/AFP via Getty Images Primary aluminum production involves smelting alumina to produce new aluminum metal. This differs from secondary production, in which existing aluminum is recycled. “The new plant, to be built in Inola, Oklahoma, as previously announced by EGA, is expected to produce 750,000 tonnes of aluminum per year, larger than previously envisioned and more than doubling current U.S. production. The Inola plant will create 1,000 permanent direct jobs at the facility and 4,000 jobs during construction,” Century stated. “About 85 percent of the aluminum needs of American industries are currently met by imports. The new smelter will expand the domestic supply of this critical mineral and grow the American aluminum workforce, revitalizing U.S. aluminum expertise and know-how.” According to data from the International Aluminum Institute, China was the largest producer of primary aluminum in 2025, accounting for an estimated 44.2 million metric tons out of the 73.78 million metric tons of global output. Commenting on Century’s plan to build a U.S. aluminum smelter, White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai said in a Jan. 26 post on X, “President Trump’s tariffs are working.” Trump’s Tariffs In March 2025, the Trump administration’s 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports came into effect. In June, the tariff rate doubled to 50 percent. At the time, the Aluminum Association, a group representing the U.S. aluminum industry, had struck a cautious tone on the tariffs, saying they would neither increase domestic aluminum output nor support mid- and downstream industries. In a post on June 5, 2025, the Council on Foreign Relations warned that if aluminum and steel prices were to rise, it could negatively affect industries such as automotive, appliances, electrical, oil and gas, and machinery. President Donald Trump justified the tariffs in February 2025, a month before the 25 percent tariff took effect, saying they were essential to bolster domestic production, bring jobs back to the United States, and stop other nations from taking advantage of the United States. “Our nation requires steel and aluminum to be made in America, not in foreign lands,” he said at the time. “This is a big deal, the beginning of making America rich again.” In August 2025, the federal government announced tariff hikes on more than 400 products, subjecting them to the 50 percent steel and aluminum import tariffs. The move affected 407 product categories, including furniture, railcars, and compressors. Jeffrey Kessler, undersecretary of commerce for industry and security, said at the time that the action “expands the reach of the steel and aluminum tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention—supporting the continued revitalization of the American steel and aluminum industries.” Aluminum Plant Construction of the Inola plant is set to begin by the end of the year, and production is scheduled to kick off by the end of the decade, Century stated. The plant will be constructed at the industrial park at Tulsa Port of Inola, located on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which connects to the Mississippi River system, providing efficient bulk freight movement. Once construction is completed, the Inola plant will be the largest ever primary aluminum production plant in the United States. The plant is expected to drive forward the development of an aluminum-focused industrial hub in the state, which would result in thousands of additional jobs, Century stated. Under the deal, EGA, the world’s largest “premium aluminum” producer, will own 60 percent of the joint venture, and Century will hold the remaining 40 percent. The plant will use EGA’s “state-of-the-art” EX technology, its next-generation aluminum smelting technology. Jesse Gary, CEO of Century Aluminum, said that key industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, and national defense stand to benefit “greatly” from the venture. “Our partner EGA brings world-class smelting technology and construction expertise that are fast-tracking our collective efforts to realize President Trump’s vision of rapidly increasing domestic primary aluminum production,” he said. “We are once again proving that President Trump’s leadership is working to spur investment and innovation to revitalize the U.S. aluminum industry, which is essential to our nation’s defense and the economic vitality of working-class communities across the country.” Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 20:55
GM CEO Warns Of 'Very Slippery Slope' As Canada To Import Cheap Chinese EVs Shortly before Davos, Canada and China announced a 5-point 'strategic partnership' which includes slashing tariffs on Chinese EVs from 100% to 6.1% for the first 49,000 units, in exchange for China cutting tariffs on Canadian canola from 85% to 15% until at least the end of the year. After Donald Trump stomped his feet and threatened to slap a 100% tariff on Canadian exports, PM Mark Carney assured the US that the deal with China was simply 'rectifying' some 'issues' that developed over the last several years. Yet, the reduced EV tariffs remain... In response, General Motors CEO Mary Barra told employees at an all-hands meeting that the EV deal is a risk to North American auto manufacturing, WSJ reports. Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of the General Motors Company (GM), speaks during the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 2, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images "I can’t explain why the decision was made in Canada," Barra told employees, warning "It becomes a very slippery slope," and noting that Chinese automakers benefit in China from high tariffs imposed on importers, plus technology restrictions that prevent other companies from entering their market. Under the agreement between China and Canada, at least half of the EVs imported would be required to have a price of $35,000 Canadian dollars (US$26,000), according to Carney's office. Canada will also work with Chinese automakers to ensure timely vehicle certifications, and that they meet the country's motor-vehicle safety standards. Illustration via insideevs.com Canada, meanwhile, is a major market for Detroit automakers. In 2025, Ford, GM and Jeep owner Stellantis sold over 700,000 vehicles combined in Canada. One factor which makes this easy is that Canada's emissions standards closely mirror those of the US. That said, Canada's auto industry has been burnt, badly by Trump's tariffs on vehicles and parts made there, causing US automakers to scale back manufacturing as a result. Last year GM made the decision to stop making slow-selling electric vans at an Ingersoll, Ontario factory, while Stellantis has canceled plans to build the electric Jeep Compass in Ontario - and will instead make them in Illinois. Chinese automakers, meanwhile, have been rapidly gaining global market share in recent years, but continue to be effectively barred from entering the massive US car market due to triple-digit tariffs on Chinese vehicle imports. Meanwhile, they're making roughly 25% of new Chinese cars in Mexico. We hear they're pretty cool too. h/t Capital.news Tyler Durden Wed, 01/28/2026 - 20:30
