THE GUATDIAN: Peter Kyle signs cooperation deal on competition and says it is not a case of being nostalgic for pre-Brexit past
The British public are “not nostalgic” for the pre-Brexit past but are pragmatic and want to move forward and “deepen” ties with the EU on trade and the economy, the business secretary, Peter Kyle, has said.
Signing an agreement in Brussels to cooperate closely on competition issues, Kyle said he thought the deal was “a real vindication of the reset and the relationships that have emerged between the EU and the UK” since Labour came to power.
He said it marked an alignment on strategies on issues such as mergers and acquisitions, the result of frequent conversations the two sides were now having.
The European Commission executive vice-president Teresa Ribera said it was “a privilege” to sign the deal, which was “reinforcing the current good cooperation” with the UK. » | Lisa O’Carroll | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Let’s get down to brass tacks here! We should never have left the European Union in the first place. Doing so was ridiculous. Only someone who understood no economics would ever have proposed such an absurd idea!
Ergo, this country needs to rejoin the European Union at the very earliest convenience. However can this country hope to achieve economic growth, cut off from the biggest single market the world has ever known?
We Brits are Europeans, and we belong in the European Union. Anyone who argues differently is ignorant of the facts.
The successful politician of the future will be the person who will take us back into the European Union as full members. Everyone wants to join the European Union, from Ukraine to Iceland. We Brits should be no different. — © Mark Alexander
The Shrewd Economist
Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
February 25, 2026
Germany’s Leader Delivers a Blunt Warning to China on Trade
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Chancellor Friedrich Merz laid out his complaints in a frank message to his hosts on a trip to Beijing that China had designed to showcase their relationship.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany arrived in China on Wednesday with an outstretched hand and a list of complaints for his hosts, asking for closer diplomatic ties but also relief from economic policies that he said were impeding “fair competition.”
Mr. Merz, who took pains before the trip to say he would not be “lecturing” Beijing, laid out his critiques in a speech at a meeting of the Advisory Council of German-Chinese Business, to an audience that included Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest ranking official.
The chancellor was more blunt and more specific in his criticism than other western leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain and Canada, who have recently trekked to Beijing to reset relations with China amid the turmoil caused by President Trump.
Mr. Merz called on China to reduce subsidies for its domestic manufacturers, to allow the value of its currency, the renminbi, to strengthen, and to ensure continued exports of raw materials, such as critical minerals — all of which would benefit German industry. Doing so, he said, would allow Germany and China to forge a tighter bond.
“In view of the uncertainties caused by customs policy that we see around the world,” Mr. Merz said, addressing Mr. Li directly, “we can now set a different example in our bilateral relations, through the reliability and security of the economic relations between our two countries.” » | David Pierson and Jim Tankersley | David Pierson reported from Hong Kong, and Jim Tankersley from Berlin. | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany arrived in China on Wednesday with an outstretched hand and a list of complaints for his hosts, asking for closer diplomatic ties but also relief from economic policies that he said were impeding “fair competition.”
Mr. Merz, who took pains before the trip to say he would not be “lecturing” Beijing, laid out his critiques in a speech at a meeting of the Advisory Council of German-Chinese Business, to an audience that included Premier Li Qiang, China’s second-highest ranking official.
The chancellor was more blunt and more specific in his criticism than other western leaders, including the prime ministers of Britain and Canada, who have recently trekked to Beijing to reset relations with China amid the turmoil caused by President Trump.
Mr. Merz called on China to reduce subsidies for its domestic manufacturers, to allow the value of its currency, the renminbi, to strengthen, and to ensure continued exports of raw materials, such as critical minerals — all of which would benefit German industry. Doing so, he said, would allow Germany and China to forge a tighter bond.
“In view of the uncertainties caused by customs policy that we see around the world,” Mr. Merz said, addressing Mr. Li directly, “we can now set a different example in our bilateral relations, through the reliability and security of the economic relations between our two countries.” » | David Pierson and Jim Tankersley | David Pierson reported from Hong Kong, and Jim Tankersley from Berlin. | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Labels:
China,
Friedrich Merz,
Germany
«Notre pays gagne de nouveau» : au Congrès, Donald Trump célèbre ses succès et défie les démocrates
LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Le discours sur l’état de l’Union du président a célébré les héros américains et les succès de son administration, sans s’égarer dans des digressions ou des provocations.
Donald Trump s’est montré particulièrement discipliné pour son premier discours sur l’état de l’Union de son second mandat. Devant le Congrès et les principaux représentants de l’État fédéral réunis mardi soir au Capitole, le président américain a prononcé une allocution efficace, souvent enlevée, rythmée par des annonces et des hommages à des héros américains, tout en évitant largement les digressions, les récriminations et les provocations qui font souvent ressembler ses discours officiels à des diatribes de campagne électorale. « Notre pays gagne de nouveau, et gagne tellement que nous ne savons plus quoi faire ! Mais vous allez gagner encore et encore !», a lancé Trump alors que l’équipe américaine de hockey sur glace apparaissait dans la galerie qui surplombe la tribune, les joueurs arborant leur médaille d’or remportée en battant le Canada aux Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Milan-Cortina.
Pendant plus d’une heure et quarante minutes, Trump a présenté d’autres médailles. Certaines, réelles, à des héros ou des victimes de crimes. D’autres, virtuelles, destinées à sa propre administration. « Lorsque je me suis exprimé pour la dernière fois dans cette chambre il y a 12 mois, je venais d’hériter d’une nation en crise, avec une économie stagnante, une inflation à des niveaux records, une frontière grande ouverte, un recrutement désastreux dans l’armée et la police, une criminalité endémique dans le pays, et des guerres et le chaos partout dans le monde », a dit Trump, « mais ce soir, après seulement un an, je peux dire avec dignité et fierté que nous avons accompli une transformation sans précédent et un revirement historique. C’est en effet un retournement historique ! » » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mercredi 25 février 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Donald Trump s’est montré particulièrement discipliné pour son premier discours sur l’état de l’Union de son second mandat. Devant le Congrès et les principaux représentants de l’État fédéral réunis mardi soir au Capitole, le président américain a prononcé une allocution efficace, souvent enlevée, rythmée par des annonces et des hommages à des héros américains, tout en évitant largement les digressions, les récriminations et les provocations qui font souvent ressembler ses discours officiels à des diatribes de campagne électorale. « Notre pays gagne de nouveau, et gagne tellement que nous ne savons plus quoi faire ! Mais vous allez gagner encore et encore !», a lancé Trump alors que l’équipe américaine de hockey sur glace apparaissait dans la galerie qui surplombe la tribune, les joueurs arborant leur médaille d’or remportée en battant le Canada aux Jeux olympiques d’hiver de Milan-Cortina.
Pendant plus d’une heure et quarante minutes, Trump a présenté d’autres médailles. Certaines, réelles, à des héros ou des victimes de crimes. D’autres, virtuelles, destinées à sa propre administration. « Lorsque je me suis exprimé pour la dernière fois dans cette chambre il y a 12 mois, je venais d’hériter d’une nation en crise, avec une économie stagnante, une inflation à des niveaux records, une frontière grande ouverte, un recrutement désastreux dans l’armée et la police, une criminalité endémique dans le pays, et des guerres et le chaos partout dans le monde », a dit Trump, « mais ce soir, après seulement un an, je peux dire avec dignité et fierté que nous avons accompli une transformation sans précédent et un revirement historique. C’est en effet un retournement historique ! » » | Par Adrien Jaulmes | mercredi 25 février 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Labels:
Congrès américain,
Donald Trump,
États-Unis
Why the Longest-ever State of the Union Address Was the Most Inconsequential
THE GUARDIAN: Amid Trump’s lies and xenophobic rants, people struggling to pay bills and make ends meet are unlikely to be moved
He wanted to give the king’s speech. Donald Trump entered the US House chamber on Tuesday like a medieval monarch, with Republicans lined up eager to touch his royal robes (or, in two cases, grab a selfie with him). But within moments, the illusion was shattered.
As the US president strolled by, soaking up adulation, Democratic representative Al Green of Texas held aloft a handwritten sign: “Black people aren’t apes!” – a reference to Trump recently sharing a racist video depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama.
When the first State of the Union address of Trump’s second term got under way, Republicans moved in on Green menacingly and tried to tear the sign away. But he persisted until being escorted out for the second year in a row. As he departed, there were more acrimonious exchanges with Republicans, a few of whom tried to start a chant of “USA! USA!”
It was the first but not the last time that a person of color would take a stand during the wannabe autocrat’s record 107-minute speech while others remained silent or raucously egged him on. It was a night where Trump again sought to poison US politics and divide Americans along various fault lines, none more inflammatory than race. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
He wanted to give the king’s speech. Donald Trump entered the US House chamber on Tuesday like a medieval monarch, with Republicans lined up eager to touch his royal robes (or, in two cases, grab a selfie with him). But within moments, the illusion was shattered.
As the US president strolled by, soaking up adulation, Democratic representative Al Green of Texas held aloft a handwritten sign: “Black people aren’t apes!” – a reference to Trump recently sharing a racist video depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama.
When the first State of the Union address of Trump’s second term got under way, Republicans moved in on Green menacingly and tried to tear the sign away. But he persisted until being escorted out for the second year in a row. As he departed, there were more acrimonious exchanges with Republicans, a few of whom tried to start a chant of “USA! USA!”
It was the first but not the last time that a person of color would take a stand during the wannabe autocrat’s record 107-minute speech while others remained silent or raucously egged him on. It was a night where Trump again sought to poison US politics and divide Americans along various fault lines, none more inflammatory than race. » | David Smith in Washington | Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Labels:
Donald Trump,
State of the Union
February 23, 2026
This Could Be the End of Bitcoin | Professor Steve Keen
Feb 19, 2026 | “I think that may be the beginning of the end of Bitcoin.”
Professor Steve Keen told The Tech Report’s Isaac Pound that if nothing else, the energy cost will be the end of bitcoin and the trading of Bitcoin on regulated markets through ETFs was a “mistake.”
Professor Steve Keen told The Tech Report’s Isaac Pound that if nothing else, the energy cost will be the end of bitcoin and the trading of Bitcoin on regulated markets through ETFs was a “mistake.”
Labels:
Bitcoin
Trump Lashes Out & Attacks Justices after Supreme Court Limits His Power to Impose Tariffs
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Trump’s Challenge to Free Market Capitalism
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Stakes in private companies. Handshake deals with chief executives. The president’s economic policy has drifted far from principles that long defined the Republican Party. Is it capitalism at all?
Fresh off clinching the Republican nomination for president in May 2012, Mitt Romney paid a surprise visit to the shuttered California headquarters of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer whose bankruptcy a year earlier had left taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars of federally guaranteed loans.
In Mr. Romney’s telling, the company’s failure was a textbook example of the perils of government meddling in the private sector. The free market is meant to reward companies for having the best ideas, the best technology, the best people, Mr. Romney said. Under President Barack Obama, however, companies were too often rewarded for knowing the right people.
“Free enterprise, to the president, means taking money from the taxpayer and giving it freely to his friends,” Mr. Romney said, before adding, “That is not the nature of how America works.”
Many economists at the time said Mr. Romney’s attack was unfair or exaggerated. Today, they use a different word to describe it: quaint.
Since returning to the White House last year, President Trump has gotten the government involved in the private sector in ways that Mr. Obama and other past presidents, of either major party, would never have considered.
The Trump administration has taken ownership stakes in corporations, intervened in business deals and negotiated a cut of the revenue of American companies’ overseas sales. Mr. Trump has unilaterally deployed tariffs and other policy levers to help industries he favors, like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, and to punish those he dislikes, like wind power. He has wielded the powers of the federal bureaucracy to pressure executives, sometimes in ways that blur the lines between his policy objectives and his personal business interests. » | Ben Casselman | Sunday, February 22, 2026
Fresh off clinching the Republican nomination for president in May 2012, Mitt Romney paid a surprise visit to the shuttered California headquarters of Solyndra, a solar panel manufacturer whose bankruptcy a year earlier had left taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars of federally guaranteed loans.
In Mr. Romney’s telling, the company’s failure was a textbook example of the perils of government meddling in the private sector. The free market is meant to reward companies for having the best ideas, the best technology, the best people, Mr. Romney said. Under President Barack Obama, however, companies were too often rewarded for knowing the right people.
“Free enterprise, to the president, means taking money from the taxpayer and giving it freely to his friends,” Mr. Romney said, before adding, “That is not the nature of how America works.”
Many economists at the time said Mr. Romney’s attack was unfair or exaggerated. Today, they use a different word to describe it: quaint.
Since returning to the White House last year, President Trump has gotten the government involved in the private sector in ways that Mr. Obama and other past presidents, of either major party, would never have considered.
The Trump administration has taken ownership stakes in corporations, intervened in business deals and negotiated a cut of the revenue of American companies’ overseas sales. Mr. Trump has unilaterally deployed tariffs and other policy levers to help industries he favors, like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, and to punish those he dislikes, like wind power. He has wielded the powers of the federal bureaucracy to pressure executives, sometimes in ways that blur the lines between his policy objectives and his personal business interests. » | Ben Casselman | Sunday, February 22, 2026
Labels:
capitalism,
Donald Trump
February 22, 2026
What Russia Was Like Before the Revolution?
Feb 17, 2026 | Before the Bolsheviks, before Lenin and Stalin, before the Soviet Union even existed, Russia was a different world. It was the last absolute monarchy in Europe, ruled by a Tsar who claimed divine right, where peasants still lived in conditions barely changed since medieval times, and where revolutionary ideas were spreading among workers, intellectuals, and soldiers exhausted by war. Understanding pre-revolutionary Russia is essential to understanding why the revolution happened at all.
This video explores what life was actually like in Imperial Russia before 1917. We examine the rigid class system: the tiny aristocracy living in luxury, the growing middle class in cities, and the vast majority—peasants who had only been freed from serfdom in 1861 but still lived in poverty, illiteracy, and desperation. We look at Tsar Nicholas II's autocratic rule, the brutal secret police (Okhrana), and a government that violently suppressed dissent while refusing meaningful reform.
We explore the industrialization that was transforming cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, creating a new working class crammed into slums, working 12-hour shifts in dangerous factories for barely enough to survive. We examine the growing revolutionary movements—Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, anarchists—who debated how to overthrow the system, and the 1905 Revolution that nearly succeeded before being crushed.
We also look at World War I's catastrophic impact: millions of Russian soldiers killed or wounded, food shortages in cities, inflation destroying what little wealth people had, and a government completely unprepared for modern war. By early 1917, Russia was collapsing—and the revolution became inevitable.
This is about understanding the powder keg that exploded into revolution, the old world that was dying, and why so many Russians were ready to tear it all down.
This video explores what life was actually like in Imperial Russia before 1917. We examine the rigid class system: the tiny aristocracy living in luxury, the growing middle class in cities, and the vast majority—peasants who had only been freed from serfdom in 1861 but still lived in poverty, illiteracy, and desperation. We look at Tsar Nicholas II's autocratic rule, the brutal secret police (Okhrana), and a government that violently suppressed dissent while refusing meaningful reform.
We explore the industrialization that was transforming cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, creating a new working class crammed into slums, working 12-hour shifts in dangerous factories for barely enough to survive. We examine the growing revolutionary movements—Social Democrats, Social Revolutionaries, anarchists—who debated how to overthrow the system, and the 1905 Revolution that nearly succeeded before being crushed.
We also look at World War I's catastrophic impact: millions of Russian soldiers killed or wounded, food shortages in cities, inflation destroying what little wealth people had, and a government completely unprepared for modern war. By early 1917, Russia was collapsing—and the revolution became inevitable.
This is about understanding the powder keg that exploded into revolution, the old world that was dying, and why so many Russians were ready to tear it all down.
Labels:
Russia
Bernie Sanders Unleashes Fury on Musk & Billionaire Class, Demands Wealth Tax Now
Bernie Sanders is the man who should be president. Now this man really would make America great again! If only the American voter could be more clear-eyed! Were Bernie Sanders made president, we’d see a nation emerge which is far more at ease with itself, and it would be, of course, eminently fairer. An America governed by Bernie Sanders wouldn’t put a stop to the accumulation of wealth—nobody should want to do that—but an America governed by Bernie Sanders would endeavour to give every American a chance to succeed in life. Let us pray that Americans will one day see the light! — © Mark Alexander
Labels:
Bernie Sanders,
billionaires,
wealth tax
February 21, 2026
Why Poland Is Becoming Europe’s New Superpower
Labels:
Poland
Trump: Alternatives Will Be Used to Impose New Tariffs | DW News
Labels:
Donald Trump,
tariffs
February 20, 2026
China sendet Glückwünsche: Nordkorea erlebt seltenen Kongress der Staatspartei
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Auf dem Parteitag in Pjöngjang betont Nordkoreas Machthaber wirtschaftliche Ziele. Die Volksrepublik China sieht eine „neue historische Periode“ der engen Beziehungen zwischen beiden Ländern.
In Nordkoreas Hauptstadt Pjöngjang tagt seit Donnerstag der neunte Kongress der regierenden Partei der Arbeit Koreas. Es ist das erste Treffen dieser Art seit fünf Jahren. Der Parteitag soll über mehrere Tage grundlegende politische Leitlinien in den Bereichen Verteidigung, Diplomatie und Wirtschaft festlegen.
China reagierte umgehend mit einem Gratulationsschreiben des Zentralkomitees der Kommunistischen Partei. Darin beglückwünscht Peking der Arbeiterpartei Koreas dazu, die nordkoreanische Wirtschaft entwickelt und die Lebensbedingungen der Bevölkerung verbessert zu haben und wünscht dem Volk des Nachbarlandes „anhaltenden Erfolg beim sozialistischen Aufbau“, wie die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua berichtete. » | Peter Steiniger | Freitah, 20. Februar 2026
In Nordkoreas Hauptstadt Pjöngjang tagt seit Donnerstag der neunte Kongress der regierenden Partei der Arbeit Koreas. Es ist das erste Treffen dieser Art seit fünf Jahren. Der Parteitag soll über mehrere Tage grundlegende politische Leitlinien in den Bereichen Verteidigung, Diplomatie und Wirtschaft festlegen.
China reagierte umgehend mit einem Gratulationsschreiben des Zentralkomitees der Kommunistischen Partei. Darin beglückwünscht Peking der Arbeiterpartei Koreas dazu, die nordkoreanische Wirtschaft entwickelt und die Lebensbedingungen der Bevölkerung verbessert zu haben und wünscht dem Volk des Nachbarlandes „anhaltenden Erfolg beim sozialistischen Aufbau“, wie die staatliche Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua berichtete. » | Peter Steiniger | Freitah, 20. Februar 2026
February 19, 2026
‘These Billionaires Are Going to Learn…’: Bernie Sanders Fiery Speech in California | US News
Feb 19, 2026 | US News: In a fiery speech in Los Angeles on 18 February, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders criticizes ‘grotesque’ levels of economic inequality. Billionaires are “treading on very, very thin ice,” He warned imploring California voters to fight “grotesque” levels of economic inequality by approving a proposed tax on the state’s richest residents.
The Vermont senator railed against the “greed”, “arrogance” and “moral turpitude” of the nation’s “ruling class”, calling it “fairly disgusting” that some ultra-wealthy tech leaders have fled California – or are threatening to do so, if the proposed wealth tax becomes law.
The Vermont senator railed against the “greed”, “arrogance” and “moral turpitude” of the nation’s “ruling class”, calling it “fairly disgusting” that some ultra-wealthy tech leaders have fled California – or are threatening to do so, if the proposed wealth tax becomes law.
February 18, 2026
The Real Story behind Cuba’s Collapse
Cuba is in crisis. As severe fuel shortages disrupt daily life across the island, US President Donald Trump has declared Cuba is "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to US national security. The US president has cutting off the flow of Venezuelan oil to the island and threated to slap tariffs on any nation supplying Cuba with fuel.
With no diesel to power collection trucks, rubbish is piling up across Havana. Extended blackouts are hitting homes, schools and hospitals, deepening what many describe as the country’s most serious humanitarian emergency in years.
President Trump has urged Cuban leaders to “make a deal,” escalating pressure as conditions worsen. So how far will Washington push Havana, and what could come next?
With no diesel to power collection trucks, rubbish is piling up across Havana. Extended blackouts are hitting homes, schools and hospitals, deepening what many describe as the country’s most serious humanitarian emergency in years.
President Trump has urged Cuban leaders to “make a deal,” escalating pressure as conditions worsen. So how far will Washington push Havana, and what could come next?
Labels:
Cuba
Kuba vor dem Kollaps: Regierung schuldet spanischen Firmen Hunderte Millionen Euro
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Spaniens Unternehmen bleiben in Kuba auf Hunderten Millionen Euro sitzen. Die Schulden treffen eine Insel im wirtschaftlichen Ausnahmezustand.
Die wirtschaftliche Krise in Kuba trifft zunehmend auch ausländische Unternehmen. Nach Recherchen der spanischen Zeitung El País schuldet die kubanische Regierung spanischen Firmen mindestens rund 300 Millionen Euro. Ein Teil der Summe besteht aus offenen Forderungen, ein weiterer aus Geldern, die zwar erwirtschaftet wurden, das Land aber nicht verlassen dürfen.
Grundlage sind Daten der spanischen Wirtschafts- und Handelsvertretung in Havanna. Demnach belaufen sich die offiziell ausgewiesenen Schulden auf 255,9 Millionen Euro. Hinzu kommen weitere Beträge, darunter 39,5 Millionen Euro an einbehaltenen Dividenden, 23,6 Millionen Euro aus Handelsgeschäften sowie 11,3 Millionen Euro auf speziellen Konten, auf die Unternehmen keinen Zugriff haben. Zusammengerechnet ergibt sich ein Volumen von bis zu 330 Millionen Euro, das faktisch blockiert ist. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 18. Februar 2026
Die wirtschaftliche Krise in Kuba trifft zunehmend auch ausländische Unternehmen. Nach Recherchen der spanischen Zeitung El País schuldet die kubanische Regierung spanischen Firmen mindestens rund 300 Millionen Euro. Ein Teil der Summe besteht aus offenen Forderungen, ein weiterer aus Geldern, die zwar erwirtschaftet wurden, das Land aber nicht verlassen dürfen.
Grundlage sind Daten der spanischen Wirtschafts- und Handelsvertretung in Havanna. Demnach belaufen sich die offiziell ausgewiesenen Schulden auf 255,9 Millionen Euro. Hinzu kommen weitere Beträge, darunter 39,5 Millionen Euro an einbehaltenen Dividenden, 23,6 Millionen Euro aus Handelsgeschäften sowie 11,3 Millionen Euro auf speziellen Konten, auf die Unternehmen keinen Zugriff haben. Zusammengerechnet ergibt sich ein Volumen von bis zu 330 Millionen Euro, das faktisch blockiert ist. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 18. Februar 2026
Labels:
Kuba
The Mega-Rich Are Turning Their Mansions Into Impenetrable Fortresses
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Anxiety over high-profile violence has the wealthy spending big on armed security, bunkers and even moats to keep themselves safe from intruders
British music producer Alex Grant was living in an under-construction mega-mansion in Los Angeles when, one morning shortly after 9 a.m., an armed intruder burst into the home. “He came in and we had a tussle,” recalled Grant, formerly known as Alex Da Kid. Grant managed to call his manager, who phoned the police. Soon, officers and helicopters were on the scene.
He briefly considered abandoning the project after the 2017 break-in but ultimately finished the 24,000-square-foot home, which has eight pools, a car elevator and a nightclub. But, he doubled down on security features, installing a guard house, tall gates and a security system with retina scanners that alert the homeowner to movement in the home. “Later, I found out he had these knives on him,” said Grant, who recently listed the mansion and a neighboring house for $85 million after moving to New York.
In an era of high-profile violence—including the suspected abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mother from her Arizona home just over a week ago—the wealthy are investing heavily in their personal security, particularly when it comes to their homes.
Security measures once reserved for presidents and royalty—safe rooms, biometric access controls, laser-powered perimeter defenses—are now mainstream items in luxury homes. Executive-protection teams and armed guards patrol gated enclaves and suburban estates, while tech startups are rolling out predictive threat-detection systems built for the ultra-wealthy. The shift reflects a hardening view among the affluent: Traditional policing and communal safety are no longer enough, so security is being privatized, customized.
This new emphasis is reflected in sales data. Roughly 45% of luxury homes sold in 2025 included a reference to privacy or security, according to Coldwell Banker Realty, up from 38% in 2024. » | Katherine Clarke and E. B. Solomont | Wednesday, February 11, 2026
British music producer Alex Grant was living in an under-construction mega-mansion in Los Angeles when, one morning shortly after 9 a.m., an armed intruder burst into the home. “He came in and we had a tussle,” recalled Grant, formerly known as Alex Da Kid. Grant managed to call his manager, who phoned the police. Soon, officers and helicopters were on the scene.
He briefly considered abandoning the project after the 2017 break-in but ultimately finished the 24,000-square-foot home, which has eight pools, a car elevator and a nightclub. But, he doubled down on security features, installing a guard house, tall gates and a security system with retina scanners that alert the homeowner to movement in the home. “Later, I found out he had these knives on him,” said Grant, who recently listed the mansion and a neighboring house for $85 million after moving to New York.
In an era of high-profile violence—including the suspected abduction of Savannah Guthrie’s mother from her Arizona home just over a week ago—the wealthy are investing heavily in their personal security, particularly when it comes to their homes.
Security measures once reserved for presidents and royalty—safe rooms, biometric access controls, laser-powered perimeter defenses—are now mainstream items in luxury homes. Executive-protection teams and armed guards patrol gated enclaves and suburban estates, while tech startups are rolling out predictive threat-detection systems built for the ultra-wealthy. The shift reflects a hardening view among the affluent: Traditional policing and communal safety are no longer enough, so security is being privatized, customized.
This new emphasis is reflected in sales data. Roughly 45% of luxury homes sold in 2025 included a reference to privacy or security, according to Coldwell Banker Realty, up from 38% in 2024. » | Katherine Clarke and E. B. Solomont | Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Labels:
home security,
the super rich
Cuba Crisis: Trump Fuel Blockade Causes Blackouts and Waste in Streets
Feb 17, 2026 | Cuba is facing a growing crisis as severe fuel shortages disrupt daily life across the island.
Rubbish is piling up in Havana with no diesel to power collection trucks, while extended blackouts are affecting homes, schools and hospitals.
Electric bikes and tricycles have replaced classic cars as Cubans struggle to get around. The shortages are linked to reduced oil shipments from Venezuela and intensified US sanctions.
President Donald Trump has urged Cuban leaders to “make a deal,” warning that the situation is a serious humanitarian threat.
With regional allies hesitant to step in, many Cubans are left facing an uncertain and increasingly difficult future.
Rubbish is piling up in Havana with no diesel to power collection trucks, while extended blackouts are affecting homes, schools and hospitals.
Electric bikes and tricycles have replaced classic cars as Cubans struggle to get around. The shortages are linked to reduced oil shipments from Venezuela and intensified US sanctions.
President Donald Trump has urged Cuban leaders to “make a deal,” warning that the situation is a serious humanitarian threat.
With regional allies hesitant to step in, many Cubans are left facing an uncertain and increasingly difficult future.
Labels:
Cuba
February 17, 2026
‘Washington Is a Kleptocracy’ — How Close Is US Democracy to Collapse?
Feb 17, 2025 | “Washington today is a kleptocracy… [America is] much closer to the end of democracy than most other Western democracies.
In part two of this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi Hasan continues his conversation with Financial Times’ editor and columnist Edward Luce to unpack foreign policy under Trump 2.0 and dive into whether or not Trump will actually use military force to annex Greenland.
Luce also explains the ’Trump effect’ on countries like Canada and the UK, trade deals with China and if Britain can take a leadership role outside of the EU. They also discuss how American democracy is on the brink of collapse.
In part two of this ‘Mehdi Unfiltered’ interview, Mehdi Hasan continues his conversation with Financial Times’ editor and columnist Edward Luce to unpack foreign policy under Trump 2.0 and dive into whether or not Trump will actually use military force to annex Greenland.
Luce also explains the ’Trump effect’ on countries like Canada and the UK, trade deals with China and if Britain can take a leadership role outside of the EU. They also discuss how American democracy is on the brink of collapse.
Disaster Capitalism: How the Rich Think; They Live in Another World
Labels:
the superrich
How JPMorgan Financed Jeffrey Epstein
Labels:
Jeffrey Epstein,
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