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Have things reached the point where it’s time to leave the U.S.?

By David Kirp
April 12, 2025

sfchronicle.com/opinion/openfo…

(The Statue of Liberty, seen at sunrise in February, symbolically welcomed millions of immigrants to America since it was dedicated in 1886.
Currently, thousands of Americans are contemplating leaving the country because of President Donald Trump.)

Gary Hershorn/Getty Images 2/
Ever since the voters handed Donald Trump the keys to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in November,
- I’ve thought a lot about leaving the United States.

Until the election,
I took it for granted that this was my permanent home.

But since a plurality of the electorate voted for Trump, I have been asking myself whether I should stay or I should go.

I’m not alone.

The possibility of decamping, at least until the 2026 midterm election, is on many people’s minds.

By some accounts, online searches related to emigration skyrocketed by 1,514% after Trump’s victory
visaguide.world/news/1514-surg…

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Supreme Corruption
Inside Clarence Thomas’s secret billionaire-funded trip to Russia—and the growing threat to American democracy.

By: Don Knight
Apr 12
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In 2003, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas boarded a luxury yacht bound for Russia. This wasn’t just any trip. 2/
Fully bankrolled by billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow,

Thomas sailed through the Baltics, enjoyed extravagant accommodations, and capped it off with an exclusive helicopter ride to Yusupov Palace—the infamous site of Rasputin’s assassination.

The yacht docked in St. Petersburg, Vladimir Putin’s hometown, at a time when the Russian president was consolidating power and laying the groundwork for his authoritarian regime.

And Thomas? He never disclosed the trip.

Despite clear financial disclosure laws requiring Supreme Court justices to report gifts, travel, and perks of this magnitude, the lavish excursion was kept quiet.

And it wasn’t a one-off.

- Clarence Thomas has accepted an estimated $4.2 million in gifts—luxury vacations, private jet flights, resort stays, tuition payments for a family member, and more—making him the most heavily gifted justice in modern American history.

Nearly all of it was unreported.

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Why Trump Immediately Surrendered to Putin and Xi

There is only one global conflict. Trump already chose the wrong side. Now it’s up to us to stop him. 2/
Many argue that the United States must pivot its attention to the looming conflict in the Pacific, preparing to counter China’s rise and assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

But this framing misses the point entirely.

There is not a China conflict, a Russia conflict, or a Middle East conflict.
There is only one conflict—a systemic, global confrontation between the liberal democratic order and a revisionist axis of autocratic powers.

This conflict spans multiple theaters:
Ukraine. Taiwan. The Arctic. The Red Sea. Sub-Saharan Africa. Latin America. These are not isolated events. These are fronts.

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Global Trade War Does Not Diminish Pressure on Russia to End Its War

By: Pavel K. Baev
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Executive Summary:

• Russia faces significant economic strain due to declining oil and gas revenues, disrupted supply chains, and falling stock markets, which are exacerbated by global trade disruptions and internal demographic challenges that impact military recruitment.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin sent envoy Kirill Dmitriev to Washington to explore cooperation with the United States, but Moscow maintains its rigid ceasefire conditions, risking harsher sanctions and intensified international isolation despite short-term diplomatic engagements.

• Russia’s geopolitical position continues to weaken as much of Europe maintains unity in its support of Ukraine and in its view of Russia’s responsibility for delaying and breaking the peace talks. 2/
Russia is one of the few countries not directly affected by the new U.S. trade tariffs.

The effects on its economy, however, are still profound, while the political consequences are open to interpretation.

The revenues from oil and gas exports have been declining since the start of the year, and the current drop in oil prices is expected to lead to a further and deeper contraction (Kommersant, April 4).
kommersant.ru/doc/7638045

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The beatings will hurt: how the EU and Hungarians are trying to stifle Viktor Orban
obozrevatel.com/ukr/novosti-mi… 2/
Hungary's demonstrative withdrawal from the International Criminal Court is another gesture by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ,
obozrevatel.com/ukr/person/vik…
primarily aimed at the European Union, which recognizes the ICC and its policies and demands the same from its members.

This was preceded by repeated disruptions of voting on important EU decisions, an unauthorized visit by Russian dictator Putin, criticism of official Brussels beyond the bounds of common sense, and the gradual suppression of European democratic norms in Hungary.

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Anti-Trump protests spread across European cities

Hundreds of protestors – including Americans living abroad – have taken to the streets across major European cities in a show of defiance against Donald Trump’s administration.

On Saturday, demonstrators rallied in Frankfurt as part of the “Hands Off” protest organized by Democrats Abroad, Reuters reports.

In Berlin, demonstrators stood in front of a Tesla showroom and the US embassy in protest against Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Some held signs calling for “an end to the chaos” in the US.

theguardian.com/world/live/202…


2/
In Paris, demonstrators, largely American, gathered around Place de la République to protest the US president, with many waving banners that read “Resist tyrant,” “Rule of law,” “Feminists for freedom not fascism” and “Save Democracy,” Reuters reports.

Crowds in London also gathered in Trafalgar Square earlier on Saturday with banners that read “No to Maga hate” and “Dump Trump.”

Protestors also gathered in Lisbon on Saturday with some holding signs that read “the Turd Reich.”

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Trump’s Hidden Agenda
Will tariffs be the president’s most costly con yet?

By: Dan Rather and Team Steady
Apr 4
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The big story today is Donald Trump’s tariffs and their deleterious effects on the global economy.

Markets are tanking. Economists are reeling.

The head of the Federal Reserve is saying these tariffs are likely to raise inflation and slow economic growth.

Some big names on Wall Street are talking about our teetering on the front edge of a recession.

The rest of us are scratching our heads. What’s the end game?

(Traders on the NY Stock Exchange reacting as stocks plummet (credit: Getty Images). 2/
Trump claims the tariffs are simply a way to raise capital — and, he predicts, force goods to be made in the United States, which would make them tariff-free.

Economists will tell you that’s not how tariffs work.

Tariffs are a tax,
paid for by anyone buying anything from another country — everything from iPhones to avocados.

In other words, just about everything will cost more.

He’s implied that we will collectively share this prospective pile of cash.

History says we won’t.

Sometimes you don’t need “60 Minutes” or Woodward and Bernstein to tell you something isn’t right.

With a few years of reporting experience, I’ve learned not only to follow the facts, but also to listen to my gut.

- My gut is telling me we are being lied to.

Something’s very off with Donald Trump’s tariff pitch.

Wednesday, Day 1 of the Trump tariffs, was dubbed “Liberation Day” by the president.

In less than 48 hours, it has come to mean that millions of Americans are being “liberated” from their retirement funds.

Check your 401(k). Dread ‘em and weep. The S&P 500 lost 10% of its value in just two days.

Sure,
the markets aren’t buying Trump’s claims, and economists think what’s happening is insanity, but there seems to be something more insidious at play here.

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"Article 5 remains relevant": it became known that Trump plans to attend the June NATO summit

Leaders of the Alliance's member countries will meet in The Hague, Netherlands, in June.

Trump assured NATO leaders that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty remains in force. Recall:
- It stipulates that an attack on one member of the Alliance is considered an attack on all, and each country undertakes to provide assistance, including military assistance. 2/
This was announced by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław @sikorskiradek, Onet reports .
wiadomosci.onet.pl/swiat/radoslaw…

"From what we hear, he (Trump - Ed.) will be present at the NATO summit in The Hague," he said.

Also, according to the minister, Trump assured NATO leaders that Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty remains in force. Recall:
- it provides that an attack on one member of the Alliance is considered an attack on all, and each country undertakes to provide assistance, including military assistance.

Sikorsky recalled that this principle of collective defense was applied only once - after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the USA

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The danger of a major offensive is on one section of the front: interview with Major Hetman

war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/nebezpeka-… 2/
The Russian occupation army's preparations
war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/rosiya-got…
for an offensive this spring in one of three directions – Sumy, Kharkiv or Zaporizhia – have been known since last year.

However, there are objective reasons why a large-scale offensive operation cannot be expected.

This is the lack of necessary resources in the occupying country of Russia, primarily not human, but technical and military equipment resources.

For this reason,

the enemy, even if he attempts a breakthrough on a new section of the front, will not be able to advance far into Ukrainian territory

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Putin won't be able to shoot himself like Hitler or escape. Interview with German Obukhov on ways to remove the dictator

war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/putin-ne-z… 2/
In the very center of Moscow, on Lubyanka, near the FSB building, an Aurus Senat limousine from the Kremlin fleet was blown up .


What was it?obozrevatel.com/ukr/novosti-ro…

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Putin is desperately short of soldiers, but he has a "sniffle" for attacks. Interview with Ivan Stupak

war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/putinu-kon… 2/
The aggressor country Russia may be preparing a new offensive
obozrevatel.com/topic/vojna-v-…
in Ukraine within the next few weeks, sources report.

However, the enemy does not have many objective opportunities.

After all, if we talk about breaking through the "corridor" between Crimea and Transnistria, then this is a task from the category of fiction, taking into account both the distance - more than 200 kilometers - and the available resources of Russia, in particular due to the huge losses of ships

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Ukrainians will ‘never forgive’ Russia — @ZelenskyyUa

The Ukrainian people will “never forgive” Russia for invading their country and committing numerous war crimes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on March 31
english.nv.ua/nation/ukraini… 2/
The president made the statement during a speech in Bucha, on the third anniversary of the town’s liberation from Russian occupation.
english.nv.ua/nation/inside-…

The event was also attended by a delegation of European MPs. Bucha has become the symbol of Russia’s barbaric aggression against Ukraine, with Russian troops killing hundreds of unarmed civilians during its weeks-long occupation in early 2022.

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The Kremlin is trying to dictate the terms of peace in Ukraine, Trump threatened Russia with sanctions: ISW (@TheStudyofWar ) assessed the situation 2/
US President Donald Trump has expressed his readiness to impose additional sanctions
obozrevatel.com/ukr/topic/sank…
- targeting Russian oil and secondary sanctions against its buyers if dictator Vladimir Putin does not make progress on a temporary ceasefire.

That is,
if the Kremlin does not agree to a general ceasefire by Russian troops against Ukraine on the front line in the near future.

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… Trump said today “there are methods” that would allow him to run for a 3rd term.

He was asked by NBC about the fact that he has not yet publicly agreed that the Constitution bars him from running again.

Trump on whether he will attempt it:

“A lot of people want me to do it But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, it’s very early in the administration.” 2/
… He was asked if he was actually serious about this since the Constitution is pretty clear:

“I’m not joking. But it is far too early to think about it.”

When asked if someone has advised him specifically on how he could legally do it, Trump responded:

“There are methods which you could do it.”

… Trump also claimed that he was “very angry” and “pissed off” at Putin’s latest comments that he will not negotiate a ceasefire or peace agreement until a provisional government is installed in Ukraine because he doesn’t want to negotiate with Zelensky.

Trump said the talks are now “not going in the right location.”

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Portrait of a Nation:

"How Ordinary Russians’ Lives Have Changed in 3 Years of War"

- Away from the front lines, millions of Russians have borne the brunt of deepening political repressions, sweeping economic sanctions and uncertainty about the future

themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/24/por… 2/
Monday marks three years since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which had already been at war with Moscow-backed separatist forces in its east since 2014.

Three years on, the invasion has cost Ukraine more than $100 billion in infrastructural damage,
operationalsupport.un.org/en/ukraine-war…
the lives of more than 11,973 civilians
news.un.org/en/story/2024/…
— including 622 children — and tens of thousands of soldiers.
kyivindependent.com/over-46-000-uk…

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America Was the Jerry Springer Show All Along

How decades of outrage, reality TV, and cheap applause made Trump inevitable

By:
Jason Egenberg
Mar 30
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It wasn’t supposed to be this easy.

- That a nation once galvanized by JFK’s moonshot and Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream could be seduced by a man who sells steaks with his face on the box and spells policy in all caps like a high schooler trying to hit the word count—that wasn’t supposed to happen.

But it did. 2/
And if you want to know why, you don’t need to look any further than a bald man with cue cards and a stage full of people who came to fight. Literally.

Jerry Springer didn’t invent America’s taste for spectacle.

- But he weaponized it.

And he televised it.

And he syndicated it.

And he made it profitable.

He gave America its first taste of what happens when dignity becomes optional, decency is rebranded as elitism, and shame walks offstage holding a paternity test and wearing a microphone.

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Putin is very afraid of death, but death can be different: an interview with Olga Kurnosova about the dictator's fears

war.obozrevatel.com/ukr/putin-duzh… 2/
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

has named three fears of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin .obozrevatel.com/ukr/person/vol…

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Elon Musk: Existential Threat to the United States of America

Elon Musk’s unchecked rise to government power is no longer just about bureaucratic efficiency or his so-called drive for technological progress.

New revelations show that Musk’s administration, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is not only operating without oversight but has actively created a dangerous fusion of private interests, law enforcement, and potential foreign influence.

- If left unchallenged,

Musk’s power grab threatens to destabilize the very foundations of American democracy.
bitsrail.com/articles/2025/… 2/
The KGB Connection:

Has Musk Opened the Door to Foreign Control?

Reports have surfaced that a key DOGE staffer—known internally as “Big Balls”—is the grandchild of a former KGB spy.

This raises profound national security questions, as this individual has been granted full administrative access to U.S. government systems without the traditional clearance process.

Instead of being vetted through standard security channels, DOGE staff have been handpicked from Musk’s personal network of loyalists, many of whom lack any government service background.

This is not just reckless;

- it is an unprecedented breach of national security that effectively hands control of critical American infrastructure to potential foreign adversaries.

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The Executive Order That Could Destroy Democracy—And Why We Must Stop It

By:
Jason Egenberg
Mar 27
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The Power Grab
It’s the day after the Executive Order, and I’m pacing my living room floor like an anxious Aaron Burr. President Trump just did something that would make Alexander Hamilton throw his quill across the room.

On March 25th, President Trump signed an executive order (or proposed an executive order) that redefines “overreach” in a way that makes a F-35 fighter jet look modest

The order, in short, requires documentary proof of citizenship—specifically, a U.S. passport—to register or update voter registration for federal elections. Not a suggestion, not a request. A requirement. From the executive branch. By decree. 2/
When Kansas implemented a proof-of-citizenship law in 2013, more than 30,000 eligible voters were blocked from registering—many because they didn’t have passports or couldn’t locate birth certificates.

The law was championed by Kris Kobach, who claimed to be preventing noncitizen voting.

- But in court,

his own witnesses admitted there was virtually no evidence of that happening.

One federal judge called the law a

“mass denial of a fundamental constitutional right.”

That was one state. Now imagine it happening nationwide.

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Elon Musk Is Building a New World Order — Out of Chaos

“He doesn’t want your vote — he wants the algorithm. Inside the billionaire’s post-democratic power grab.”

By:
Jason Egenberg

Mars 22 2/
Let me start with the thesis, since subtlety isn’t what the moment calls for:

- Elon @elonmusk ’s worldview is chaos theory dressed in an Armani blazer.

It’s a worldview that says if the system is a house of cards, the man who brings the fan gets to sell the blueprint for a new one.

Elon Musk isn’t merely disrupting industries — he’s hacking civilization.

He doesn’t just move fast and break things.

He moves fast, breaks things, tweets a meme of Pepe the Frog riding a Dogecoin rocket, and waits for the stock price to rise.

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"Everyone is silent because they are afraid they will be destroyed!" Republican senator publicly addressed Trump
obozrevatel.com/ukr/novosti-mi… 2/
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has criticized US

President Donald Trump for his sharp foreign policy reversal, saying she is appalled by the current administration's handling of Ukraine and NATO allies, while instead moving toward rapprochement with Russia.obozrevatel.com/ukr/location/s…