Sandra Navidi: „Der amerikanische Traum ist tot“

Autorin Sandra Navidi erzählt, wie Trump die USA ruiniert und wieso sie heute nicht mehr nach Amerika auswandern würde

Es beginnt wie der amerikanische Traum. Vor rund 25 Jahren startet die deutsche Anwältin Sandra Navidi in Manhattan eine Karriere, die sie später in die exklusiven Sphären der US-Finanzbranche führen sollte. Doch bereits kurz nach ihrer Ankunft in New York erlebt sie, wie die Anschläge auf das World Trade Center die Gesellschaft verändern. Einige Jahre später ist sie in der Wall Street angelangt und findet sich im Epizentrum der Finanzkrise wieder. Doch nichts davon erschüttert ihr Bild vom Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten so sehr wie die Ankunft von Donald Trump im Weißen Haus. In diesem Interview blickt die mittlerweile deutsch-amerikanische Unternehmerin und Autorin auf ihren Werdegang zurück. Sie erzählt, wie Trump die USA ruiniert und wieso sie heute niemandem mehr raten würde, nach Amerika auszuwandern.

Interview: Zsolt Wilhelm, Produktion: Laura Schmidt
STANDARD-Podcast LIVE:

Bernie Delivers a Hard Rebuke of Stephen Miller on the Senate Floor

Jan 30, 2026 | Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke out against the military occupation of Minneapolis.

Bernie Sanders is the man who should be the president of the USA. Bernie Sanders is a sensible, decent man. America would be a much better, kinder, milder , fairer country if he were. — © Mark Alexander

Thom Hartmann: The Fall of American Economic Power: Is Trump the Turning Point?

Jan 30, 2026 | Under Trump, tax giveaways to the wealthy and soaring debt replaced economic stability and sacrificed the nation’s future for short-term political gain.

Wieso zerstört Trump die USA? | Sandra Navidi

Sept 21, 2025 | Die Ermordung des rechten US-Aktivisten Charlie Kirk hat die politische Spaltung in den USA nur noch weiter verschärft. Könnte es unter Präsident Donald Trump gar zu einem erneuten Bürgerkrieg kommen? Und kann die Demokratie in den Vereinigten Staaten noch gerettet werden?

Darüber spricht US-Expertin Sandra Navidi in dieser Videoversion des STANDARD-Nachrichtenpodcasts "Thema des Tages".

Navidi ist deutsch-amerikanische Autorin und Unternehmerin. Ihr Buch "Die DNA der USA" über die Entfremdung der US-Gesellschaft wurde zum Bestseller.

Moderation: Zsolt Wilhelm
Produktion: Tobias Holub

"Hostile Takeovers": as US Claims Venezuela's Oil, Trump Seeks "Vassal States" across the World

Jan 30, 2026 | In the aftermath of the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, Venezuela has agreed to submit a monthly budget to the Trump administration, which will release money from an account funded by oil sales. It's a deal for the interim government led by Delcy Rodriguéz that historian Greg Grandin calls "governing under the blade." In a further shift away from the nation-building foreign policy of the past several decades of US power, "what the United States is planning for Venezuela is basically to run the country as a vassal state," he says. "This is an arrangement with transactional details that we've never seen before."

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Trump Could Be ‘the End’ of America, I’m Returning to Politics to Save It | Denver Riggleman

Jan 30, 2026 | "We've never had a president like this. Not this insane, not based on this sort of fascist, authoritarian leaning stuff...I have decided I am going to run again."

Former Republican Rep. and member of the Jan 6 Committee Denver Riggleman says Trump's use of federal agents and upturnign of the world order could be "the end" of the United States.


Trump should have been locked up long ago! — © Mark Alexander

Trump Is Wrong — A Declining Dollar Isn't Great, But Major Trouble

Jan 29, 2026 | Steve Forbes explains why President Trump's support for a declining dollar is not only wrongheaded but dangerous, and why a strong currency is key to our nation's domestic and international safety.

Canada Separatists Accused of ‘Treason’ after Secret Talks with US State Department

THE GUARDIAN: Alberta activists’ covert meetings with US officials revealed, outlining group’s increasingly emboldened efforts

Covert meetings between separatist activists in the Canadian province of Alberta and members of Donald Trump’s administration amount to “treason”, the premier of British Columbia said on Thursday.

“To go to a foreign country and to ask for assistance in breaking up Canada, there’s an old-fashioned word for that – and that word is treason,” David Eby told reporters.

“It is completely inappropriate to seek to weaken Canada, to go and ask for assistance, to break up this country from a foreign power and – with respect – a president who has not been particularly respectful of Canada’s sovereignty.”

The revelations that far-right activists met US state department officials first emerged in a Financial Times report outlining the efforts a group of increasingly emboldened separatists are taking in their attempt to secede from Canada. » | Leyland Cecco in Toronto | Thursday, January 29, 2026

Imagine wanting to leave a first world nation for a third world one, where ill health in old age might bankrupt you, where approximately 20m people must live in trailer parks because they can no longer afford traditional housing, where up to 3 million Americans sleep in their vehicles because they cannot afford anything else, where between 530,000 and 650,000 American families file for bankruptcy at least partly because of medical debt. (That represents over 60% of all personal bankruptcies!) Noting, of course, that up to 32 million Americans simply cannot afford the astronomical costs of any health insurance at all, so they have to live without it. Then, further, approximately 35% of Americans, over 90 million people, live with inadequate health insurance, because they simply cannot afford the quality care needed! (Noting, of course, that in Canada, essential healthcare is provided free at the point of delivery.)

But apart from all the costs and negatives, Canada is an extremely beautiful country; it’s a haven for those seeking civilization on the frenetic American continent.

And these Albertans want to leave all that for the uncertainty of life in America? Unbelievable! They must be the Canadians who will profit from the casino that is Trump’s America, and who wish to assist Trump in breaking up Canada to realize Trump’s wet dream of making Canada the 51st state! — © Mark Alexander

Before the Great Recession, “The Warning” | Full Documentary

Jan 27, 2026 | Long before the economic meltdown in the U.S. that led to the Great Recession, one woman tried to raise the alarm about the threat to the financial system.

“The Warning” unearthed the hidden history of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression in the United States. Brooksley Born spoke for the first time on television about her failed campaign to regulate the secretive, multitrillion-dollar derivatives market whose crash helped trigger the financial collapse in the fall of 2008.

“We didn’t truly know the dangers of the market, because it was a dark market,” said Born, who was the head of an obscure federal regulatory agency — the Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC]. Born not only warned of the potential for economic meltdown in the late 1990s, but also tried to convince the country’s key economic powerbrokers to take actions that could have helped avert the crisis.

The documentary also revealed an intense battle among high-ranking members of former President Bill Clinton’s administration and uncovered a concerted effort not to regulate the emerging, highly complex, and lucrative derivatives markets, which became a ticking time-bomb within the American economy.



It is rather shocking to me that a man as clever as Alan Greenspan was considered to be was such a devotee of Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand was an émigrée from the Soviet Union. She had very extreme, laissez-faire ideas which were verging on the anarchic. That Alan Greenspan, known as ‘The Wizard’ because of his superior understanding of economics, couldn’t see through Ayn Rand’s cranky theories is enigmatic, to say the least. — © Mark Alexander

The Real Reason Donald Trump Wants Greenland | 60 Minutes Australia

Jan 27, 2026 | Greenland has always been a fascinating place- at the top of the world, remote and mysterious - but it has now become the centre of a global race for rare earth minerals. Donald Trump wants Greenland so badly he’s offered to buy it or threatened to simply take it. But, in pole position to reap the rewards of this resource rich territory is Australian mining company Energy Transition Minerals, which claims it has uncovered the world’s largest rare earths deposit.

US dollar Sinks to Its Lowest Level in Four Years

THE GUARDIAN: Dollar drops against basket of currencies after Donald Trump brushed off concerns over slide

The US dollar has fallen to its lowest level in four years after Donald Trump brushed off concerns over the currency’s fall, sending investors fleeing to traditional havens including gold and the Swiss franc.

The dollar dropped by 1.3% against a basket of currencies after the president’s comments on Tuesday, marking its fourth day of declines, then slipped by a further 0.2% on Wednesday morning.

“No, I think it’s great,” Trump said of the weaker dollar, during a visit to Iowa to promote his record on the economy. Asked whether he was concerned about the currency’s slide, he told reporters: “I think the value of the dollar – look at the business we’re doing. The dollar’s doing great.”

The greenback has tumbled by 10% over the past year, while Tuesday’s fall was the largest one-day drop since last April, when Trump announced his sweeping tariff plans, marking a global market sell-off.

The dollar has now touched its lowest level since February 2022, after unpredictable US policymaking, including Trump’s recent threats to take over Greenland and impose further tariffs on European allies, unleashed fresh geopolitical shocks. » | Joanna Partridge | Wednesday, January 28, 2026

If America must go on suffering under Trump’s voodoo economics, it could well soon be on life-support! I have said it before, and I will say it again: Trump doesn’t understand even the basics of macro-economics. Egocentric, megalomaniacal, rapacious businessmen usually don’t. Especially businessmen skilled and talented enough to be able to bankrupt FIVE, arguably even SIX, casinos! For Americans, the future looks bleak. — © Mark Alexander

Donald Trump Backs Separatist Movement of Canadian Province

Jan 26, 2026 | “These kinds of conversations by leading figures in the White House are problematic.”

Overt comments by US representatives in support of a separatist movement in the Canadian province of Alberta are “unbecoming and troublesome,” says former deputy premier of Alberta and founder of the 'Forever Canadian' petition, Thomas Lukaszuk.

U.S Warns Cuba as China Steps In, Challenging U.S. Influence

Jan 27, 2026 | U.S Warns Cuba as China Steps In, Challenging U.S. Influence

This video explains why China has publicly pledged fresh support for Cuba as tensions with the United States rise again. It breaks down Beijing’s criticism of U.S. pressure, calls to lift sanctions, and Cuba’s defensive preparedness, while exploring how shifting power dynamics in the Caribbean and Latin America are drawing major global players into renewed diplomatic rivalry with potential regional consequences.

How Hitler Built a War Economy on Debt and Plunder | SLICE | Full Documentary

Jan 23, 2026 | As soon as he came to power in 1933, Hitler wanted to go to war. Warfare was central to Nazi ideology; the strong had to crush the weak. To go to war, he needed weapons and an army, but Germany had neither. A far cry from the fake images of prosperity, years of adversity had worn the country down. It was a medium-size power like Iran or South Africa today.

The Nazis launched themselves into an extraordinary operation of financial manipulation and managed to revive the economy by producing enormous quantities of weapons. That was the Nazi economic miracle of the 1935-1936 period: an overheated economy that needed a war to continue its mad race. In 1939, Hitler embarked on a war financed on credit, enormous credit using spoliation and upcoming appropriation as collateral.

Documentary: Blood Money Inside the Nazi Economy EP1 : A World War on Credit Directed by Gil Rabier Production: GoGoGo Films (2021)


WIKIPEDIA: Hjalmar Schacht’s Mefo bills »

‘Mother of All Deals’: EU and India Sign Free Trade Agreement

THE GUARDIAN: Deal expected to ease access for European cars and wine, in return for Indian exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals

India and the EU have finalised a landmark free trade agreement, which the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, hailed as the “mother of all deals”.

The agreement comes after almost two decades of on-off negotiations between India and the EU, which vastly accelerated in the past six months and were finally concluded late on Monday night.

The deal is expected to open up India’s vast and traditionally tightly guarded market to the 27 nations in the bloc, with a focus on manufacturing and the services sector. It is expected to ease market access for key European products, including cars and wine, in return for easier exports of textiles, gems and pharmaceuticals.

The agreement is expected to double EU exports to India by 2032 by eliminating or cutting tariffs in 96.6% of traded goods by value, and will lead to savings of €4bn (£3.5bn) in duties for European companies, the EU said.

“Europe and India are making history today,” von der Leyen said in a statement after landing in Delhi, where she met with the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday. “We have concluded the mother of all deals. We have created a free trade zone of two billion people, with both sides set to benefit.” » | Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi | Tuesday, January 27, 2026

This news should help sober up the backward-thinking Brexiteers! Prepare the stocks for Farage! — © Mark Alexander

Europe Needs a Dramatic Strategic Revolution - Now: Historian Robert Kagan

Jan 20, 2026 | Investigative journalist and co-founder of the Nerve Carole Cadwalladr talks to conservative historian and former historian Robert Kagan about the critical geopolitical moment we are in. With the Trump administration moving rapidly towards dictatorship, Kagan says, European governments need to completely change tack, fast. “I feel like the administration has done everything except climb up on the roof of the White House and yell what they're going to do,” says Kagan. ”Trump is already talking about how you don't really need these midterm elections.” "Europe needs to become self-sufficient in both military and economic terms" and without drastic action, “risks becoming a collection of fiefdoms of the great empires of the world... Some of them under Russia's thumb, some under America's thumb, maybe some influenced more by China.”

The Nerve is a new, fiercely independent media platform covering culture, politics and tech. Set up by a collective of five former Guardian journalists, including the investigative reporter Carole Cadwalladr, who believe that the UK needs more truly independent journalism as we have never been more in need of an independent, fearless press. Having nerve is the key quality the world needs now.

Trump’s Wrecking Ball Pushes US Allies Closer to China

THE GUARDIAN: n the search for stability, some western nations are turning to a country that many in Washington see as an existential threat

f geopolitics relies at least in part on bonhomie between global leaders, China made an unexpected play for Ireland’s good graces when the taoiseach visited Beijing this month. Meeting Ireland’s leader, Micheál Martin, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China’s president, Xi Jinping, said a favourite book of his as a teenager was The Gadfly, by the Irish author Ethel Voynich, a novel set in the revolutionary fervour of Italy in the 1840s.

“It was unusual that we ended up discussing The Gadfly and its impact on both of us but there you are,” Martin told reporters in Beijing.

China is on a charm offensive with western leaders, a path cleared by Donald Trump’s increasingly erratic and destabilising power grabs on the global stage. Although Europe breathed a sigh of relief this week when Trump withdrew the threat of using military force in Greenland and said he would not impose tariffs on opponents of his plans in the Arctic, the US no longer seems like a reliable partner.

An editorial in the Chinese newspaper the Global Times made Beijing’s pitch clear: headlined “Europe should seriously consider building a China-EU community with a shared future”, the state media article said the world risked “returning to the law of the jungle” and that China and the EU should cooperate in building “a shared future for mankind”.

No country can afford to cut ties or truly antagonise the world’s biggest economy. But in the search for stability, US allies are turning to the country that many in Washington see as an existential threat: China. » | Amy Hawkins, Senior China correspondent | Sunday, January 25, 2026

Sandra Navidi: „Trump wird die USA an die Wand fahren“

Jan 25, 2026 | Es beginnt wie der amerikanische Traum. Vor rund 25 Jahren startet die deutsche Anwältin Sandra Navidi in Manhatten eine Karriere, die sie später in die exklusiven Sphären der US-Finanzbranche führen sollte. Doch bereits kurz nach ihrer Ankunft in New York erlebt sie, wie die Anschläge auf das World Trade Center die Gesellschaft verändern. Einige Jahre später ist sie in der Wall Street angelangt und findet sich im Epizentrum der Finanzkrise wieder. Doch nichts davon erschüttert ihr Bild vom Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten so sehr wie die Ankunft von Donald Trump im Weißen Haus. In diesem Interview blickt die mittlerweile deutsch-amerikanische Unternehmerin und Autorin auf ihren Werdegang zurück. Sie erzählt, wie Trump die USA ruiniert und wieso sie heute niemandem mehr raten würde, nach Amerika auszuwandern.

Interview: Zsolt Wilhelm, Produktion: Laura Schmidt

Trump Threatens Canada With Tariffs as Post-Davos Fallout Continues

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump said he would impose tariffs if Canada made “a deal with China,” though there is no sign that those countries are discussing a broad trade agreement.

President Trump on Saturday threatened Canada with steep tariffs if it “makes a deal with China” and insulted Prime Minister Mark Carney, his latest swing at the country since Mr. Carney pushed back against his policies in a highly publicized speech in Davos, Switzerland, this week.

“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% Tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.,” Mr. Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He referred to Mr. Carney as “Governor Carney,” a reference to Mr. Trump’s repeated insistence that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.

There is no indication that Canada and China are in discussions about a broad trade agreement. Mr. Trump may have been reacting to Mr. Carney’s state visit to China last week, during which he agreed to lower tariffs on some Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for China doing the same for some Canadian agricultural products. The closely watched visit was billed as a crucial reset in the two countries’ relationship, but the trade agreement itself was modest.

Canada gave Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, a detailed preview of the agreement with China before it was signed, a senior Canadian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to divulge details about communication between the two administrations. Mr. Trump appeared to praise Mr. Carney after the deal was announced. (“Good for him,” he said.) » | Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Reporting from Toronto | Saturday, January 24, 2026

«La Chine va dévorer le Canada tout cru» : Donald Trump menace son voisin de «droits de douane à 100%» en cas d’accord commercial avec Xi Jinping

LE FIGARO : Une annonce qui intervient, alors que le premier ministre canadien a fait savoir, la veille, qu’un accord commercial préliminaire allait être signé avec le président chinois, prévoyant une baisse de droits de douane.

Il n’est pas content, et il le fait savoir. Le président américain Donald Trump a déclaré ce samedi 24 janvier qu’il imposerait des droits de douane de 100% sur toutes les importations canadiennes, si le pays nord-américain concluait un accord commercial avec la Chine. «Si le gouverneur Carney pense qu’il va faire du Canada un “port de débarquement” pour que la Chine envoie des marchandises et des produits aux États-Unis, il se trompe lourdement», s’est-il ainsi exprimé sur son réseau Truth Social. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | samedi 24 janvier 2026

Despite Trump’s Words, China and Russia Are Not Threatening Greenland

THE NEW YORK TIMES: U.S. and European officials say they are unaware of any intelligence that shows China and Russia are endangering the island, which is protected by the NATO security umbrella.

Fourteen years ago, a Chinese icebreaker called the Snow Dragon made a long and surprising voyage.

Over three months in the summer, the scientific research vessel crossed from the Pacific to the Atlantic, traversing nearly 5,400 nautical miles of the Arctic Ocean, a first for China. The crew discovered that melting ice meant the ship could travel through the remote region without great difficulty, the expedition leader told reporters after docking in Iceland.

“To our astonishment,” said the leader, Huigen Yang, “most part of the Northern Sea Route is open.”

American and European officials took notice at the time and began keeping a close watch on China’s moves in the Arctic.

But while China has talked about expanding trade and access to shipping lanes and natural resources in the Arctic, it has developed only a small footprint there over the years. And even as China and Russia compete with the United States in many parts of the world, they do not present a threat to American interests in or near Greenland, say experts on those two superpowers and current and former U.S. officials, including intelligence analysts.

Those findings contrast sharply with assertions by President Trump, who has repeatedly cited security as the reason he wants to acquire Greenland. In a speech on Wednesday at an annual forum in Davos, Switzerland, he said Greenland was an “enormous, unsecured island” that was a “core national security interest of the United States of America.” » | Edward Wong | Edward Wong reports from Washington on U.S. foreign policy and is a former Beijing bureau chief for The Times who has a written a book about China. | Saturday, January 24, 2026

Does anyone really believe the poppycock that Greenland’s security is momentarily endangered by Russia or China?

Trump wants Greenland for ONE main reason, and for one MAIN reason only: He wants to ENRICH HIMSELF and PROFIT. That’s all he ever seems to want to do anyway. I don’t believe that Trump is working for the good of the American people; rather, I believe he is working for the good of himself, his family, and his cronies. Where there is money involved, he’s there! Trump is not far away.

Trump is a climate change denier. But, ironically, it is because of climate change that so many treasures are going to be made available for mining/ The more the earth warms, the greater the treasures made available for exploitation: rare earths, gold, minerals, and significant oil and gas reserves, and much else besides, yet unknown. It’s a treasure trove that would benefit Trump, the usurper. That’s why he wants Greenland, and for little else. Had it not been for climate change, I doubt that Trump would even have uttered the word Greenland!

Fact is, a known crook has been re-elected to the White House, and that crook is using his presidency as a cash cow. That’s the long and the short of it. However, he must not be allowed to have ANY sovereignty over Greenland. Greenland and its vast riches belong to the Greenlanders and the Danes and to nobody else. — © Mark Alexander

‘Repatriate the Gold’: German Economists Advise Withdrawal from US Vaults

THE GUARDIAN: Shift in relations and unpredictability of Donald Trump make it ‘risky to store so much gold in the US’, say experts

Germany is facing calls to withdraw its billions of euros’ worth of gold from US vaults, spurred on by the shift in transatlantic relations and the unpredictability of Donald Trump.

Germany holds the world’s second biggest national gold reserves after the US, of which approximately €164bn (£122bn) worth – 1,236 tonnes – is stored in New York.

Emanuel Mönch, a leading economist and former head of research at Germany’s federal bank, the Bundesbank, called for the gold to be brought home, saying it was too “risky” for it to be kept in the US under the current administration. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Saturday, January 24, 2026

HANDELSBLATT: Druckmittel für Trump? Bundesbank gerät in Zwickmühle: Wie sicher ist das Bundesbank-Gold in New York? Die Bundesbank schließt einen Abzug aus. Doch aus dem Umfeld der Notenbank und dem Bundestag kommen Forderungen, diese Haltung zu überdenken. »

Trump Walks Back Greenland Tariffs Threat, Citing Vague ‘Deal’ over Territory

THE GUARDIAN: US president claims ‘framework’ of agreement in the works after ‘very productive’ meeting with Nato secretary general

Donald Trump has walked back his threat to impose sweeping US tariffs on eight European countries, claiming he had agreed “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland.

Four days after vowing to introduce steep import duties on a string of US allies over their support for Greenland’s continued status as an autonomous Danish territory, the president backed down.

The US will not hit Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland with tariffs of 10% from 1 February after all, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Over the weekend, he had also threatened to lift the tariffs to 25% from 1 June.

The threat had prompted widespread apprehension; criticism from senior European politicians, who declared they “will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed”; and warnings from economists. » | Lauren Aratani in New York and Andrew Roth | Wednesday, January 21, 2026

American Democracy on the Brink a Year after Trump’s Election, Experts Say

THE GUARDIAN: Scale and speed of president’s moves have stunned observers of authoritarian regimes – is the US in democratic peril?

Three hundred and sixty-five days after Donald Trump placed his hand on the Bible and completed an extraordinary return to power, many historians, scholars and experts say his presidency has pushed American democracy to the brink – or beyond it.

In the first year of Trump’s second term, the democratically elected US president has moved with startling speed to consolidate authority: dismantling federal agencies, purging the civil service, firing independent watchdogs, sidelining Congress, challenging judicial rulings, deploying federal force in blue cities, stifling dissent, persecuting political enemies, targeting immigrants, scapegoating marginalized groups, ordering the capture of a foreign leader, leveraging the presidency for profit, trampling academic freedom and escalating attacks on the news media.

The scale and velocity of what he has been able to accomplish in just a year have stunned even longtime observers of authoritarian regimes, pushing the debate among academics and Americans from whether the world’s oldest continuous democracy is backsliding to whether it can still faithfully claim that distinction.

“In 2025, the United States ceased to be a full democracy in the way that Canada, Germany or even Argentina are democracies,” Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, the prominent Harvard political scientists and authors of How Democracies Die, and the University of Toronto professor Lucan Way, wrote in Foreign Affairs last month. They argued that the US under Trump had “descended into competitive authoritarianism”, a system in which elections are held but the ruling party abuses power to stifle dissent and tilt the playing field in its favor. » | Lauren Gambino | Wednesday, January 21, 2026

'The Rupture Has Already Taken Place': Will World Leaders Stand Up to Trump? | DW News

Jan 21, 2026 | US president Donald Trump's threats to take over Greenland are dominating the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Asked how far he was willing to go to acquire the Danish territory, Trump said (quote) “You’ll find out.” Trump is now headed to the annual meeting of global leaders - after an electrical issue forced Air Force One to turn back to a base near Washington. The journey continued with some delay aboard a second jet. One of Trump's political rivals is already in Davos. California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom - a likely presidential candidate in 2028 - accused world leaders AND the European Union of being soft on the US president.

"Donald Trump zündet eine Bombe nach der anderen" - ntv-Wirtschaftstalk in Davos | ntv

Jan 20, 2026 | Wie sollte sich die Weltgemeinschaft gegenüber den Machtansprüchen der USA positionieren? Darüber diskutiert ntv-Wirtschaftschefkorrespondent Ulrich Reitz mit Manager Joe Kaeser, Finanz-Expertin Sandra Navidi, SAP-Vorstand Thomas Saueressig und dem Vorsitzenden von Heidelberg Cement, Dominik von Achten.

Canadian PM Mark Carney Special Address at Davos WEF 2026

January 20, 2026

Full Remarks: Macron Rejects Trump’s Attempt to Pressure Greenland, Defends European Sovereignty

Jan 30, 2026 | French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a special address at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, following bilateral meetings.

The speech addresses major economic and geopolitical priorities, France's G7 agenda, EU competitiveness, and responses to current transatlantic dynamics.

‘Greenland Is Non-negotiable’: EU Commission Chief Ursula Gives Direct Message to Trump from Davos

Jan 20, 2026 | European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen took to the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos to send a clear message to US President Donald Trump: ‘the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland is non-negotiable’. Watch her full speech here.

Donald Trump Is Destroying the Global Economy. This Is How | Ann Pettifor Interview

Jan 18, 2026 | Ann Pettifor is an economist and author of The Global Casino: How Wall Street Gambles with People and the Planet.

Ann swung by to speak to Ava about the global financial system and how it has been rigged to only support the mega-rich, the powers at the heart of the system ensuring the it never alters to support those who need to be supported, and how the current US President is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the skewed system.

In Davos, the Rich Talk about ‘Global Threats’. Here’s Why They’re Silent about the Biggest of Them All

THE GUARDIAN: Economic inequality is at the heart of all humanity’s major problems, but the wealthiest refuse to confront a system that benefits them

This week, hundreds of government leaders, heads of state, and business executives are gathering at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. They will be discussing solutions to the world’s biggest risks and problems.

But everything suggests that, once more, what will not be addressed at their meeting is the biggest threat to humanity and the planet: neoliberal capitalism.

All forms of capitalism are characterised by extensive private ownership of companies as well as the primacy of the profit motive. But the specific neoliberal form of capitalism that has risen to dominance from the late 1970s onwards has additional features: the privatisation of companies previously in public ownership; a shift in power from workers to capital owners; and reduced taxes on entrepreneurs and the richest.

The transition from mixed economies under social democracies to neoliberal capitalism has led to a notable increase of wealth concentration at the top, which is now eroding (and in some places even destroying) our democracies. The absence of a sustained discussion of neoliberal capitalism in elite circles is illogical, since it is the main cause of the other problems that will be discussed at Davos. » | Ingrid Robeyns | Monday, January 19, 2026

• Ingrid Robeyns is an economist and philosopher, and holds the chair in ethics of institutions at Utrecht University. Her most recent book is Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth

Grönland: Trump droht mit neuen Zöllen gegen europäische Staaten

Jan 18, 2026 | In seinem Bestreben, Grönland einzuverleiben, droht nun US-Präsident Donald Trump acht europäischen Staaten mit Strafzöllen, darunter Frankreich, Deutschland und Grossbritannien. Einschätzungen dazu von Fredy Gsteiger, dem SRF-Experten für internationale Sicherheitspolitik.

Donald Trump Is Using ‘Blackmail’ Tariffs as ‘Economic Coercion’ over Greenland | Edward Fisher

Jan 18, 2026 | “This really comes down to Trump’s desire to be seen in history as somebody who expanded the map of the United States.” Donald Trump is using tariffs as a form of economic coercion to pressure NATO allies over Greenland, but market backlash may ultimately limit how far the strategy can go, says former State Department and Treasury Department official Edward Fisher.

'Remove Tariffs, Other Barriers': Ursula Corners Trump Hours After US Slaps Tariffs on EU Nations

Jan 18, 2026 | European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a pointed message on global trade, calling for the removal of tariffs and other trade barriers just hours after the United States imposed new tariffs on EU nations.

EU Trade Chief: EU-South America Trade Pact Will Help 'Offset' Impact of US Tariffs | DW News

Jan 18, 2026 | The EU's trade chief says the bloc's new deal with South America’s Mercosur states will help "offset the negative consequences from the increased tariffs imposed by the United States."

Maros Sefcovic spoke to DW in Paraguay after signing the EU’s biggest ever trade deal, which officials hailed as a geopolitical milestone. But the ceremony was overshadowed by threats from US President Donald Trump to slap new tariffs on several European countries opposing his push to acquire Greenland.

Sefcovic said EU leaders were consulting on a joint response. "First and foremost, we again stayed very, very, clear on our principles for us, territorial sovereignty, integrity and international law are absolutely key principles," Sefcovic said, warning fresh US tariffs could trigger a "very dangerous downward spiral."

Sefcovic told DW formally approving an EU-US trade deal struck last year will be "very complicated" after Trump's latest announcements.

Danes, Greenlanders Protest Trump Plan as EU Leaders Show Outrage over Tariff Threat | DW News

Jan 18, 2026 | US President Donald Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on eight European countries until they allow the US to BUY Greenland.

Trump posted on Truth Social that "starting on February 1st, all of the above-mentioned countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America."

European leaders have warned against what they call a dangerous downward spiral if the levies are implemented, with the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas replying in a post, "China and Russia must be having a field day. They are the ones who benefit from divisions among allies.

If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity." Meanwhile, thousands of people took to the streets in the Greenlandic and Danish capitals on Saturday against Trump's bid to take over the island.

«Il est impératif de prendre des mesures énergiques» : Donald Trump ouvre une crise transatlantique sur le Groenland

LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Le président américain impose des droits de douane aux Européens pour forcer le Danemark à lui céder le territoire.

Les visées de Trump sur le Groenland ont ouvert une crise dans les relations transatlantiques. Le président américain a répondu au refus du Danemark de lui céder son territoire arctique en annonçant samedi son intention de frapper de droits de douane ce pays et les alliés européens coupables de l’avoir soutenu. « La paix mondiale est en jeu ! », a écrit Trump. « La Chine et la Russie veulent le Groenland, et le Danemark ne peut rien y faire. Il dispose actuellement de deux traîneaux à chiens pour se protéger, dont un ajouté récemment. Seuls les États-Unis d’Amérique, sous la présidence de DONALD J. TRUMP, peuvent jouer dans cette partie, et avec beaucoup de succès ! Personne ne touchera à cette terre sacrée, d’autant plus que la sécurité nationale des États-Unis et du monde entier est en jeu ».

Mais envoyer des renforts au Groenland ne vaut que s’ils sont américains. Trump s’en est pris aux alliés de l’Otan qui ont déployé la semaine quelques détachements symboliques, les accusant de menacer la paix. « Pour couronner le tout », a écrit Trump, « le Danemark, la Norvège, la Suède, la France, l’Allemagne, le Royaume-Uni, les Pays-Bas et la Finlande se sont rendus au Groenland dans un but inconnu. Il s’agit d’une situation très dangereuse pour la sécurité et la survie de notre planète. Ces pays, qui se livrent à ce jeu très dangereux, ont pris un risque qui n’est ni tenable ni durable. Il est donc impératif, afin de protéger la paix et la sécurité mondiales, de prendre des mesures énergiques pour que cette situation potentiellement périlleuse prenne fin rapidement et sans équivoque». » | Par Adrien Jaulmes, correspondant à Washington | samedi 17 janvier 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

Trump Announces 10 Percent Tariff on European Countries in Standoff Over Greenland

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The president escalated his drive to take charge of the Danish territory, targeting eight countries with tariffs.

President Trump announced in a social media post on Saturday morning his latest strategy to get control of Greenland: He is slapping new tariffs on a bloc of European nations until they come to the negotiating table to sell Greenland.

Greenland is a territory of Denmark, which will be hit with a 10 percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States beginning on Feb. 1, Mr. Trump wrote in a social media post. Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands and Finland, fellow NATO members that have expressed solidarity with Denmark in its refusal to yield to Mr. Trump’s demands, will also be subject to the 10 percent tariff. If those nations do not relent, he added, the rate will increase to 25 percent on June 1, “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

The threat comes as the Supreme Court weighs overturning the legal authority that the president would likely use to impose these tariffs. The court is set to rule in the coming weeks on Mr. Trump’s use of an emergency law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which the president has used to threaten tariffs at a whim against numerous countries over the past year.

If the court rules against Mr. Trump, the president may not be able to impose tariffs like this. He would have to rely on other legal authorities that require him to carry out investigations, or meet other standards. » | Shawn McCreesh and Ana Swanson | Shawn McCreesh reported from Palm Beach, Fla., and Ana Swanson from Washington. | Saturday, January 17, 2026


There are tantrums and there are tantrums! Trump’s tantrums take the biscuit! A spoilt child will get his way, unless the parents are firm. And firmness is what is called for in European politicians at this time. This man MUST NOT be allowed to have his way, WHATEVER THE COST. Greenland MUST stay in Denmark’s possession. — © Mark Alexander

Michael Lambert: Who Ruined Britain? - The 20 People I Hold Most Responsible

Jan 17, 2026 | Britain is in a terrible state — economically, politically, and socially. This did not happen by accident.

In this video, I list and comment on the 20 people (and groups) who I believe have been most responsible for Britain’s decline over the past decade.

These are my opinions, based on years of observing British politics, media, business and government — and I fully expect many viewers to disagree with parts of this list.

Groenland : Donald Trump menace de droits de douane les pays qui ne soutiennent pas son projet

LE FIGARO : Le président des États-Unis a redit son intention d’acquérir ce territoire de l’Arctique, malgré la fin de non-recevoir du Danemark

Donald Trump a menacé vendredi de droits de douane les pays qui ne soutiendraient pas son plan pour acquérir le Groenland, au moment où plusieurs pays européens ont annoncé y envoyer des militaires en soutien au Danemark. » | Par Le Figaro avec AFP | vendredi 16 janvier 2026

The Real Iran Is a Beautiful, Peace-loving, and Flourishing Iran

15 Jan 2026 | To all of our friends around the world.

Under the yoke of the Islamic Republic, Iran is identified in your minds with terrorism, extremism, and poverty. The real Iran is a different Iran. A beautiful, peace-loving, and flourishing Iran. It is the Iran that existed before the Islamic Republic, and it is the Iran that will rise again from its ashes the day the Islamic Republic falls.

So let me be clear about how a free Iran will act toward its neighbors and the world, after the fall of this regime. In security and foreign policy, Iran’s nuclear military program will end. Support for terrorist groups will cease immediately. A free Iran will work with regional and global partners to confront terrorism, organized crime, drug trafficking, and extremist Islamism. Iran will act as a friend and a stabilizing force in the region. And it will be a responsible partner in global security.

In diplomacy, relations with the United States will be normalized and our friendship with America and her people will be restored. The State of Israel will be recognized immediately. We will pursue the expansion of the Abraham Accords into the Cyrus accords bringing together a free Iran, Israel, and the Arab world. A new chapter will begin, grounded in mutual recognition, sovereignty, and national interest.

In energy, Iran holds some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world. A free Iran will become a reliable energy supplier to the free world. Policy-making will be transparent. Iran’s actions will be responsible. Prices will be predictable. In transparency and governance, Iran will adopt and enforce international standards. Money laundering will be confronted. Organized corruption will be dismantled. Public institutions will answer to the people. In the economy, Iran is one of the world’s last great untapped markets. Our population is educated, modern, with a diaspora that connects it to the four corners of the world. A democratic Iran will open its economy to trade, investment, and innovation. And Iran will seek to invest in the world. Opportunity will replace isolation.

This is not an abstract vision. It is a practical one. Grounded in national interest, stability, and cooperation. To achieve this, now is the time to stand with the Iranian people.

The fall of the Islamic Republic and the establishment of a secular, democratic government in Iran will not only restore dignity to my people, it will benefit the region and the world. A free Iran will be a force for peace. For prosperity. And for partnership.

Canada and Denmark's Shocking Greenland Deal Leaves US Reeling

Donald Trump’s Trump Greenland Threats have detonated a diplomatic crisis inside NATO—and Canada just drew a bright red line in Paris. In this video, we break down how Trump Greenland Threats to take Greenland “by force” triggered a unified European response, pushed Denmark to warn NATO itself could collapse, and prompted Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney to publicly side with Denmark—then back it up with a concrete move: a Canadian consulate in Nuuk, Greenland.
You’ll hear why Carney’s language mattered, how NATO allies coordinated their message that Greenland’s future belongs to Greenlanders and Denmark alone, and why this moment could reshape Arctic security cooperation for years. We also explain the strategic stakes—from Pituffik (Thule) Space Force Base to Arctic shipping lanes and critical minerals—and why Trump Greenland Threats may be doing Russia and China a massive favor.

If you care about NATO, Arctic geopolitics, and how presidential rhetoric can fracture alliances, this is the story you can’t ignore.


Trump should be sectioned. FT! FA! — © Mark Alexander

USA gegen Dänemark: Marschiert Trump jetzt in Grönland ein? | Weltspiegel

15 Jan 2026 | Grönland – die größte Insel der Welt- weit abgelegen und dennoch im Mittelpunkt der Weltpolitik. US-Präsident Donald Trump sorgte für weltweites Aufsehen mit dem Vorschlag, Grönland zu kaufen – und schloss sogar einen militärischen Einsatz nicht aus. Dänemark und die grönländische Regierung wehren sich vehement gegen den US-Plan: „Grönland steht nicht zum Verkauf!“, betont die dänische Ministerpräsidentin Mette Frederiksen. Warum geraten die Arktis und vor allem Grönland zwischen die Fronten von USA, Russland und China?

US-Präsident Trump will sich strategisch wertvolle Rohstoffe und Seewege zu sichern. Grönlands strategische Lage zwischen den USA und Russland macht die Insel zu einem begehrten Militärareal, auf dem alte Verträge den Amerikanern erlauben, Stützpunkte wie die Pituffik Space Base zu betreiben. Gleichzeitig arbeiten Dänemark und Grönland daran, ihre Verteidigungskapazitäten auszubauen und kontrollieren zunehmend die Küstenregionen.

Und wie reagieren die Menschen vor Ort, deren Zukunft auf dem Spiel steht? In Nuuk, der grönländischen Hauptstadt, spürt man die Anspannung. Die grönländische Bevölkerung reagiert mit Protesten und Misstrauen auf Trumps Behgehren und die drohende Einflussnahme. Viele Menschen fürchten um ihr normales Leben und ihre Selbstbestimmung. Noch erhält Grönland jährlich hunderte Millionen Euro von Dänemark und strebt einen verantwortungsvollen Weg zur Unabhängigkeit an – eine Zukunft, die sich viele nicht durch äußere Mächte bestimmen lassen wollen.

Seizing Greenland Risks ‘Monumental’ Fallout, Ex-Iceland President Warns

15 Jan 2026 | Any U.S. attempt to seize Greenland by force would trigger “monumental consequences” for the Western alliance and the global order, Iceland’s former President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson said, as President Donald Trump sharpens rhetoric on controlling the Arctic territory.

Another Trump Lie!

Nobody stole your oil, Mr Trump!

Global Central Banks Offer ‘Full Solidarity’ to US Fed’s Powell amid Trump Threats

THE GUARDIAN: Nine governors including Bank of England’s Andrew Bailey and ECB’s Christine Lagarde say independence is critical

Global central banks have issued an extraordinary joint statement offering “full solidarity” to the US Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, in the face of the latest threat to his independence from Donald Trump’s White House.

“The independence of central banks is a cornerstone of price, financial and economic stability in the interest of the citizens that we serve. It is therefore critical to preserve that independence, with full respect for the rule of law and democratic accountability,” the statement said.

It was signed by nine central bank governors including the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, and the chair of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. It was coordinated by the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, which added its chair and general manager to the signatories.

Other signatories to the unprecedented statement include the central bank governors of Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Brazil, South Korea and Canada. More names are expected to be added later on Tuesday.

They pay testament to Powell’s “integrity” and “unwavering commitment to the public interest”, calling him a “respected colleague who is held in the highest regard by all who have worked with him”. » | Heather Stewart, Economics editor | Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Charles Moore - Margaret Thatcher: A Free Market Legacy | Full Length

11 Aug 2016 | ieaTV recently interviewed Margaret Thatcher’s authorised biographer Charles Moore to discuss the former Prime Minister’s legacy. In the video above, Moore provides great insights as to how Margaret Thatcher’s stance on the market economy developed and how she popularised it. He seeks to outline her approach to foreign affairs, in relation to the EU, the US and her broad approach to the Cold War. He then assesses the legacy of Thatcherism and Margaret Thatcher’s own reputation.

Margaret Thatcher: Peace & the EU

23 Apr 2024 | The European Community, now called the European Union, was started for one reason alone: to create lasting peace and security between its members following the most devastating war the world had ever known.

Don’t take my [Jon Danzig’s] word for it. This is what UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, said to the European Parliament on 9 December 198:

“70 years ago Europe had just experienced, on the battlefields of Verdun and the Somme, the bloodiest fighting, the most tragic waste of a generation, that the world has ever known. “The Second World War was to bring further heartbreak and destruction. “Our Community was conceived and constructed to ensure that this experience would never be repeated, to bring about a lasting peace within Western Europe, to replace antagonism with friendship and cooperation, to deepen and broaden Europe’s democratic tradition.” Mrs Thatcher added: “And let us never forget that the aftermath of war produced two great ideas which have shaped our destiny ever since. “One was the NATO Alliance, the other the European Community.”

Throughout her premiership, and previously as an MP, and then leader of the Opposition, Mrs Thatcher was a strong supporter of the European Community project. In particular, she helped to design and promote the EU’s crown jewel: its Single Market, which has transformed and enriched the continent of Europe. …

What's behind Germany's Strategic Pivot toward the Global South? | DW News

12 Jan 2026 | India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is on a two-day visit. Merz is traveling with a large business delegation as Germany seeks to deepen economic and security ties. Key talks include a potential submarine deal and recruiting skilled Indian workers to help solve Germany’s chronic labor shortage.

Jared Yates Sexton on a Post-neoliberal Vision for America, When the Scourge of Trumpism Is Over

12 Jan 2026 | Jared Yates Sexton joins Anthony Davis to discuss the collapse of neoliberalism and the rise of authoritarian capitalism in the United States. How decades of wealth redistribution, weakened democracy, and global exploitation have created the conditions for Trump’s rise and how neoliberalism evolved into oligarchic control, why cost-of-living pressures fuel political anger, and the dangers of normalizing cruelty, white nationalism, and repression. Together, they examine the urgent need for a hopeful, material alternative vision for America’s future - only on The Weekend Show.

ANTHONY DAVIS can be supported on Patreon here.

It cracks me up when I hear pundits and politicians alike repeat the mantra that America is the richest country in the world. Don’t these people know that America is on its ARSE? America’s NATIONAL DEBT is approximately $38.4 TRILLION. So, how can it possibly be the “richest country in the world”? The country, like most of its citizens, is living on TICK, on CREDIT that other countries like China kindly offer the PROFLIGATE Americans TO BAIL THEM OUT. The notion that America is the richest country in the world is, quite frankly, A LOAD OF BOLLOCKS. — © Mark Alexander

Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The investigation, which is said to center on renovations of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington, signals an escalation in the long-running clash between President Trump and the chair.

The U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation into Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, over the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters and whether Mr. Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the project, according to officials briefed on the situation.

The inquiry, which includes an analysis of Mr. Powell’s public statements and an examination of spending records, was approved in November by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump who was appointed to run the office last year, the officials said.

The investigation escalates Mr. Trump’s long-running feud with Mr. Powell, whom the president has continually attacked for resisting his demands to slash interest rates significantly. The president has threatened to fire the Fed chair — even though he nominated Mr. Powell for the position in 2017 — and raised the prospect of a lawsuit against him related to the $2.5 billion renovation, citing “incompetence.”

Mr. Trump told The New York Times in an interview last week that he had decided on who he wants to replace Mr. Powell as Fed chair. He is expected to soon announce his decision. Kevin A. Hassett, Mr. Trump’s top economic adviser, is a front-runner for the top job. While Mr. Powell’s term as chair ends in May, his term as a governor runs through January 2028. Mr. Powell has not disclosed whether he plans to stay on at the central bank beyond this year.

Mr. Powell, in a rare video message released by the Fed, acknowledged on Sunday that the Justice Department had served the central bank with grand jury subpoenas days earlier. He described the investigation as “unprecedented” and questioned the motivation for the move, even as he affirmed that he carried out his duties as chair “without political fear or favor.” » | Glenn Thrush and Colby Smith | Sunday, January 11, 2026

Latin America Reacts to Trump’s Interventionism

January 11, 2026 | Jack Nicas, our Mexico City bureau chief, walks us through the ways Latin American leaders are reacting to Trumps recent attack on Venezuela
Watch the NYT video here. | By Jack Nicas, Rebecca Suner, James Surdam and Edward Vega

Trump Administration Suspends $129m in Benefit Payments to Minnesota

THE GUARDIAN: USDA notified state’s governor of decision, citing inquiries into alleged fraud by local non-profits and businesses

The Trump administration announced it is suspending $129m in federal benefit payments to Minnesota amid allegations of widespread fraud in the state.

The secretary of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins, shared a letter on Friday on social media that was addressed to Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, notifying them of the administration’s decision and citing investigations into alleged fraud conducted by local non-profits and businesses.

“Despite a staggering, wide-reaching fraud scandal, your administrations refuse to provide basic information or take common sense measures to stop fraud. The Trump administration refuses to allow such fraud to continue,” Rollins wrote. » | Sara Braun | Saturday, January 10, 2026

‘History Will Tell’: As US Pressure Grows, Cuba Edges Closer to Collapse amid Mass Exodus

THE GUARDIAN: Disillusioned with the revolution after 68 years of US sanctions and a shattered economy, one in four Cubans have left in four years. Can the regime, and country, survive the engulfing ‘polycrisis’?

Hatri Echazabal Orta lives in Madrid, Spain. Maykel Fernández is in Charlotte, in the US, while Cristian Cuadra remains in Havana, Cuba – for now. All Cubans, all raised on revolutionary ideals and educated in good state-run schools, they have become disillusioned with the cherished national narrative that Cuba is a country of revolution and resistance. Facing a lack of political openness and poor economic prospects, each of them made the same decision: to leave.

They are not alone. After 68 years of partial sanctions and nearly 64 years of total economic embargo by the US, independent demographic studies suggest that Cuba is going through the world’s fastest population decline and is probably already below 8 million – a 25% drop in just four years, suggesting its population has shrunk by an average of about 820,000 people a year.

There are a number of root causes for this exodus, but most experts agree that the blockade, decades of economic crisis, crumbling public services, political repression and widespread disillusionment with the revolution have merged to become a “polycrisis”.

The unrest further undermines Cuba at a time when the Trump administration is stepping up its offensive across Latin America, heavily reinforcing US military deployment in the Caribbean, raiding Caracas to capture the Venezuelan president, and stepping up threats against the governments of Panama, Colombia and Cuba. » | Andrei Netto in Havana | Photographs by Natalya Favre | Saturday, January 10, 2026

Boycott All American Products!

MARK ALEXANDER: Donald Trump and his cronies think that they can ride rough shod over the rest of the world. Trample others into submission. They think that all that they are able to survey belongs to them! It does not. Simply put, these shysters are thieves. They must not be allowed to get away with this. Trump is no better than Putin.

Because our European leaders are weak—and I include my own country’s leaders in this negative assessment—we cannot hope to be able to stop the US militarily if Trump decides to invade Greenland. But what Europe can do is boycott American goods and services. Europe has mighty purchasing power. It has in excess of 440m consumers Europe-wide, and that excludes UK consumers. America needs the European market, and it needs European consumers to buy their goods and services.

Because of Trump’s increasing and unceasing threats to take over Greenland, I propose that in the name of solidarity with Greenlanders and Danes that we boycott all American goods and services wherever and whenever possible. And avoid all trips and vacations in and to the United States. We can all do this regardless of where we live or come from. Trump needs to be taught a lesson.

Donald Trump and his band of bullying crooks mustn’t be allowed to get away with this thievery. Let us bring the American economy to its knees. And if we cannot, at least let us try. Greenland’s future depends on it. Don’t forget! If Trump succeeds with Greenland, which country will be next?

© Mark Alexander
All Rights Reserved

Stephen Miller Offers a Strongman’s View of the World

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump’s trusted adviser is casting his hard-right gaze abroad, saying the world must be governed by “force.”

Stephen Miller has spent the bulk of his White House career furthering hard-right domestic policies that have resulted in mass deportations, family separations and the testing of the constitutional tenets that grant American citizenship.

Now, Mr. Miller, President Trump’s 40-year-old deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, is casting his hard-right gaze further abroad: toward Venezuela and the Danish territory of Greenland, specifically.

Mr. Miller is doing so, the president’s advisers say, in service of advancing Mr. Trump’s foreign policy ambitions, which so far resemble imperialistic designs to exploit less powerful, resource-rich countries and territories the world over and use those resources for America’s gain. According to Mr. Miller, using brute force is not only on the table but also the Trump administration’s preferred way to conduct itself on the world stage.

“We live in a world in which you can talk all you want about international niceties and everything else, but we live in a world, in the real world, Jake, that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper of CNN on Monday, during a combative appearance in which he was pressed on Mr. Trump’s long-held desire to control Greenland.

“These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time,” he said.

This aggressive posture toward Greenland — and in turn, the rest of the world — is a perfect encapsulation of the raw power that Mr. Trump wants to project, even against Denmark, the NATO ally that controls Greenland. The moment also illustrates how people like Mr. Miller have ascended to the inner circle of a leader who has no interest in having his impulses checked, and how they exert their influence once they arrive there.

The moment also shows just how differently Mr. Trump has operated in his second term from how he did in his first. » | Katie Rogers | Katie Rogers is a White House correspondent who has covered both Trump administrations. She reported from Washington. | Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Dimon’s $770 Million Windfall Shows How Banking Is Great Again

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Trump administration is lifting regulations, and deal making is heating up. For Jamie Dimon, being JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive was more lucrative in 2025 than ever.

For nearly 15 years, Jamie Dimon, the bank chieftain, has carried around what might as well be a talisman when he sees regulators, elected officials and journalists.

At just the right time in meetings, he breaks out a single-page printout that he calls a “spaghetti chart.” On it, Mr. Dimon’s underlings have crammed, in tiny type, a comically complicated flowchart meant to represent the various laws and regulations to which his company, JPMorgan Chase, is subject.

The theatrics have finally worked.

The Trump administration is not just taking apart regulations but attacking whole regulatory agencies that date back to the 2008-9 financial crisis and were meant to keep banks from giving in to their worst impulses. Regulators have also made it easier for banks to peddle in risky assets again, like cryptocurrency, and President Trump paused enforcement of foreign anti-bribery rules.

The deregulatory bonanza alone makes it the best time in a generation to be a banker.

But there’s more! Falling interest rates and a permissive set of antitrust overseers are helping reverse a lull in the lucrative business of arranging mergers and acquisitions, as the $100 billion bidding war between Netflix and Paramount for Warner Bros. Discovery shows. Once imperiled real estate loans look steadier, thanks to the rebound of in-office work. Stocks are near record levels, the bond market had its best year since 2020, and gold and silver have soared — all of which feeds the trading businesses that keep Wall Street’s profit machine humming. » | Rob Copeland | Rob Copeland covers Wall Street and banks. | Monday, January 5, 2026

How Are Marlboro Cigarettes Made in a Factory? Produced Planet

Mar 31, 2025 | Come along with Produced Planet as we take you through the process of how Marlboro cigarettes are made.

FTSE 100 Breaks 10,000 Mark for First Time, Capping Stellar Year for UK Market

THE GUARDIAN: Blue-chip share index, created in 1984, has risen by more than 20% over past 12 months

The UK’s blue-chip share index has broken through the 10,000-point level for the first time, as global shares are lifted by a late “Santa rally”.

The FTSE 100 jumped on Friday morning to a high of 10,046, a new peak for the index, before easing slightly back.

The milestone marks a stellar 12 months for the “Footsie”, which rose by 21.5% over the course of 2025. » | Graeme Wearden | Friday, January 2, 2026

Saudi Arabia, between Repression and Transformation | DW Documentary

Jan 1, 2026 | Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MBS, is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia. For almost a decade, he has been radically transforming the country — at a breathtaking pace. Where is the modernizer and despot steering the kingdom?

Saudi Arabia is the world's leading exporter of crude oil. But Crown Prince MBS wants to prepare the country for the post-oil era. Two-thirds of the country's population is under 30 years old, and the crown prince is taking radical measures to turn the previously strictly conservative society on its head.

The documentary shows how contradictory Mohammed bin Salman's ambitions for his "Vision 2030" are, as it takes a look behind the scenes of the transformation.

On the one hand, there is the "Neom" project, which aims to create a futuristic new megacity in the desert. Tourism is to be expanded, major music and sporting events are to be brought to the country, and an extravagant lifestyle is being promoted.

At the same time, an authoritarian style of government continues to prevail, dissidents are sometimes brutally suppressed, and women's rights are still not fully granted - even if the influence of the ultra-conservative religious leaders of Wahhabism is no longer as strong as it once was.

Australian Beef Industry ‘Extremely Disappointed’ after China Hits Imports with 55% Tariff

THE GUARDIAN: Levy on beef exceeding quotas to begin immediately as Beijing seeks to protect domestic industry

Australian beef producers said they were “extremely disappointed” after China announced a 55% tariff on imports that exceed quota levels in a move to protect a domestic cattle industry slowly emerging from oversupply.

China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday the total import quota for 2026 for Australia and other countries such as Brazil and the US covered under its new “safeguard measures” is 2.7m metric tons, roughly in line with the record 2.87m tons it imported overall in 2024.

The new annual quota levels are set below import levels for the first 11 months of 2025 for Australia as well as its top supplier, Brazil.

“The increase in the amount of imported beef has seriously damaged China’s domestic industry,” the ministry said in announcing the measure after an investigation launched last December.

The measure takes effect on 1 January for three years, with the total quota increasing annually. » | Martin Farrer and Dan Jervis-Bardy | Thursday, January 1, 2026

Jahreswechsel mit neuer Währung

Jan 1, 2026 | Bulgarien hat zum Jahreswechsel den Euro eingeführt und sich damit vom Lew verabschiedet. Das Land ist nun das 21. Mitglied der Eurozone. Die Regierung erhofft sich Vorteile für Handel und Tourismus. © REUTERS, DPA

Sen. Bernie Sanders' AI Warning

Dec 28, 2025 |CNN's Jake Tapper sits down with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to discuss the impact AI is having on the world and whether Congress should do more to regulate it.

Bernie Sanders is the man who should be president, not Trump. If Bernie Sanders were president, we would see a very different, fairer America. There wouldn’t be tax cuts for the superrich, and there would be universal healthcare, free at the point of delivery. Bernie Sanders would bring the USA into the civilised free world. — © Mark Alexander