Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USA. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Cuba Receives Humanitarian Aid from Mexico as Trump’s Blockade Bites
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Environmental Protection Agency repealed the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gases threaten human life and well being. It means the agency can no longer regulate them.
President Trump on Thursday announced he was erasing the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, ending the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
The action is a key step in removing limits on carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases that scientists say are supercharging heat waves, droughts, wildfires and other extreme weather.
Led by a president who refers to climate change as a “hoax,” the administration is essentially saying that the vast majority of scientists around the world are wrong and that a hotter planet is not the menace that decades of research shows it to be.
It’s a rejection of fact that had been accepted for decades by presidents of both parties, including Richard Nixon, whose top adviser warned of the dangers of climate change and the first President George Bush, who signed an international climate treaty.
And it is a knockout punch in the yearslong fight by a small group of conservative activists as well as oil, gas and coal interests to stop the country from transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward solar, wind and other nonpolluting energy. » | Lisa Friedman | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, February 12, 2026
President Trump on Thursday announced he was erasing the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, ending the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet.
The action is a key step in removing limits on carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases that scientists say are supercharging heat waves, droughts, wildfires and other extreme weather.
Led by a president who refers to climate change as a “hoax,” the administration is essentially saying that the vast majority of scientists around the world are wrong and that a hotter planet is not the menace that decades of research shows it to be.
It’s a rejection of fact that had been accepted for decades by presidents of both parties, including Richard Nixon, whose top adviser warned of the dangers of climate change and the first President George Bush, who signed an international climate treaty.
And it is a knockout punch in the yearslong fight by a small group of conservative activists as well as oil, gas and coal interests to stop the country from transitioning away from fossil fuels and toward solar, wind and other nonpolluting energy. » | Lisa Friedman | Reporting from Washington | Thursday, February 12, 2026
Europa ersetzt die USA: Deutschland wird zum größten Zahler für die Ukraine
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Deutschland übernimmt die Hauptlast der Ukraine-Hilfen in Europa. Sahra Wagenknecht wirft der Bundesregierung vor, deutsche Steuerzahler zum „Kriegsfinanzier Nummer eins“ zu machen.
Die USA haben sich im vergangenen Jahr nahezu vollständig aus der finanziellen und militärischen Unterstützung der Ukraine zurückgezogen. Europa ist eingesprungen. Besonders stark fällt dabei das Engagement Deutschlands ins Gewicht. Nach aktuellen Haushaltsplanungen soll die deutsche Ukraine-Hilfe im kommenden Jahr auf rund 11,5 Milliarden Euro steigen.
Trotz des Rückzugs der Vereinigten Staaten blieb das Gesamtvolumen der internationalen Hilfen 2025 relativ stabil. Das zeigt der aktuelle „Ukraine Support“ des Institut für Weltwirtschaft Kiel (IfW). Demnach gleichen europäische Staaten die ausbleibenden US-Mittel weitgehend aus. Die Finanzierung konzentriert sich jedoch zunehmend auf wenige große Zahler – allen voran Deutschland. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 11. Februar 2026
Die USA haben sich im vergangenen Jahr nahezu vollständig aus der finanziellen und militärischen Unterstützung der Ukraine zurückgezogen. Europa ist eingesprungen. Besonders stark fällt dabei das Engagement Deutschlands ins Gewicht. Nach aktuellen Haushaltsplanungen soll die deutsche Ukraine-Hilfe im kommenden Jahr auf rund 11,5 Milliarden Euro steigen.
Trotz des Rückzugs der Vereinigten Staaten blieb das Gesamtvolumen der internationalen Hilfen 2025 relativ stabil. Das zeigt der aktuelle „Ukraine Support“ des Institut für Weltwirtschaft Kiel (IfW). Demnach gleichen europäische Staaten die ausbleibenden US-Mittel weitgehend aus. Die Finanzierung konzentriert sich jedoch zunehmend auf wenige große Zahler – allen voran Deutschland. » | Alexander Schmalz | Mittwoch, 11. Februar 2026
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Iran Tells US Not to Let Netanyahu Thwart Nuclear Talks before Trump Meeting
THE GUARDIAN: Tehran’s intervention comes as the Israeli prime minister heads to a hastily arranged White House encounter
Tehran has told the US not to allow Israel to destroy the chance of reaching an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme amid speculation that Benjamin Netanyahu intends to use a hastily arranged White House meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday to divert negotiations.
Iran’s intervention came as the Israeli prime minister flew to Washington to plead with Trump not to negotiate a deal with Tehran if it excludes limiting the country’s ballistic missile programme, dropping its support for proxy forces in the region and curtailing human rights abuses at home.
Netanyahu is deeply concerned that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, are prepared to strike a deal confined to limiting the scope of Iran’s nuclear programme, which in Israel’s view would do nothing to rein in the long-term threat Tehran poses to the region.
Speaking before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said he would “present to the president our approach around our principles on the negotiations”. He is expected to provide Trump with fresh intelligence about Iran’s military capabilities, including new long-range ballistic missiles. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday. February 10, 2026
Tehran has told the US not to allow Israel to destroy the chance of reaching an agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme amid speculation that Benjamin Netanyahu intends to use a hastily arranged White House meeting with Donald Trump on Wednesday to divert negotiations.
Iran’s intervention came as the Israeli prime minister flew to Washington to plead with Trump not to negotiate a deal with Tehran if it excludes limiting the country’s ballistic missile programme, dropping its support for proxy forces in the region and curtailing human rights abuses at home.
Netanyahu is deeply concerned that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, are prepared to strike a deal confined to limiting the scope of Iran’s nuclear programme, which in Israel’s view would do nothing to rein in the long-term threat Tehran poses to the region.
Speaking before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said he would “present to the president our approach around our principles on the negotiations”. He is expected to provide Trump with fresh intelligence about Iran’s military capabilities, including new long-range ballistic missiles. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Tuesday. February 10, 2026
Monday, February 09, 2026
Europe’s ‘Painful’ Realisation It Must Be Bolder with US Set Out in Security Report
THE GUARDIAN: Need for greater military autonomy also accepted, says report for Munich Security Conference, which takes place this week
Europe has come to the painful realisation that it needs to be more assertive and more militarily independent from an authoritarian US administration that no longer shares a commitment to liberal democratic norms and values, a report prepared by the Munich Security Conference asserts.
The report sets the scene for an all-out ideological confrontation with the Trump White House at the high-level annual meeting of security policy specialists, which starts on Friday.
In a now infamous speech to last year’s MSC, the US vice-president, JD Vance, claimed European elites were suppressing free speech and “opening the floodgates” to mass migration. The address marked the moment Europe realised the Trump administration would no longer be a reliable trading and security partner.
Since then European leaders and Donald Trump’s team have waged a series of running battles over topics including the US push to force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, and a series of protectionist US measures ranging from tariff barriers to inward investment bans.
The divide was starkly set out in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who warned of a rupture between the US and its western allies.
Vance’s assessment of Europe’s decline was reinforced in the latest US national security strategy, which accused European leaders of overseeing “civilisational erasure”. More recently, Trump disparaged the courage with which European members of Nato fought in Afghanistan, remarks that caused deep offence among Europe’s military leaders. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, February 9, 2026
Europe has come to the painful realisation that it needs to be more assertive and more militarily independent from an authoritarian US administration that no longer shares a commitment to liberal democratic norms and values, a report prepared by the Munich Security Conference asserts.
The report sets the scene for an all-out ideological confrontation with the Trump White House at the high-level annual meeting of security policy specialists, which starts on Friday.
In a now infamous speech to last year’s MSC, the US vice-president, JD Vance, claimed European elites were suppressing free speech and “opening the floodgates” to mass migration. The address marked the moment Europe realised the Trump administration would no longer be a reliable trading and security partner.
Since then European leaders and Donald Trump’s team have waged a series of running battles over topics including the US push to force Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia, Trump’s threats to seize Greenland, and a series of protectionist US measures ranging from tariff barriers to inward investment bans.
The divide was starkly set out in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month by the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, who warned of a rupture between the US and its western allies.
Vance’s assessment of Europe’s decline was reinforced in the latest US national security strategy, which accused European leaders of overseeing “civilisational erasure”. More recently, Trump disparaged the courage with which European members of Nato fought in Afghanistan, remarks that caused deep offence among Europe’s military leaders. » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Monday, February 9, 2026
Sunday, February 08, 2026
Greenland: Between Denmark and Trump | ARTE.tv Documentary
Dec 24, 2025 | Trump wants Greenland to become part of the USA, a future that Greenlanders reject. But what do they want for their homeland? Many in Greenland desire to move beyond being an autonomous territory within Denmark's orbit to become a fully independent sovereign state.
Greenland: Between Denmark and Trump | ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until: 24/11/2030
Greenland: Between Denmark and Trump | ARTE.tv Documentary
Available until: 24/11/2030
Saturday, February 07, 2026
Chris Hedges on Trump, Epstein and the Decline of American Democracy | UpFront
Feb 7, 2026 | One year into Donald Trump’s return to office, a wave of hard line actions - from volatile ICE raids to growing concern over political pressure on the media - has raised alarm about the expansion of the president’s power.
Then with US midterms approaching, attention is turning to whether there is any meaningful challenge to Republican grip on Congress.
So what happens next? This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with journalist and author Chris Hedges about Trump’s second presidency and whether US democracy is on the decline.
Then with US midterms approaching, attention is turning to whether there is any meaningful challenge to Republican grip on Congress.
So what happens next? This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks with journalist and author Chris Hedges about Trump’s second presidency and whether US democracy is on the decline.
Friday, February 06, 2026
USA geben Blockade auf: UN genehmigt neue Hilfen für Nordkorea
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Nordkorea war lange Zeit von Unterstützung der Vereinten Nationen ausgeschlossen. Nun sollen die Sanktionen gelockert werden.
Die Vereinten Nationen haben erstmals seit längerer Zeit wieder humanitäre Hilfslieferungen nach Nordkorea genehmigt. Wie die südkoreanische Tageszeitung Korea Herald unter Berufung auf einen Beamten des südkoreanischen Außenministeriums berichtet, erhielten 17 humanitäre Hilfsprojekte die notwendige Ausnahmegenehmigung des zuständigen UN-Sanktionsausschusses.
Möglich wurde dieser Schritt durch einen Kurswechsel in Washington: Die Regierung von US-Präsident Donald Trump trägt die Lockerungen nun mit. In der Vergangenheit hatten die Vereinigten Staaten entsprechende Ausnahmen verhindert. Die Befürchtung war, dass das Regime von Machthaber Kim Jong-un die Lieferungen für eigene Zwecke missbrauchen könnte. » | Lea Brüggemann | Freitag, 6. Februar 2026
Die Vereinten Nationen haben erstmals seit längerer Zeit wieder humanitäre Hilfslieferungen nach Nordkorea genehmigt. Wie die südkoreanische Tageszeitung Korea Herald unter Berufung auf einen Beamten des südkoreanischen Außenministeriums berichtet, erhielten 17 humanitäre Hilfsprojekte die notwendige Ausnahmegenehmigung des zuständigen UN-Sanktionsausschusses.
Möglich wurde dieser Schritt durch einen Kurswechsel in Washington: Die Regierung von US-Präsident Donald Trump trägt die Lockerungen nun mit. In der Vergangenheit hatten die Vereinigten Staaten entsprechende Ausnahmen verhindert. Die Befürchtung war, dass das Regime von Machthaber Kim Jong-un die Lieferungen für eigene Zwecke missbrauchen könnte. » | Lea Brüggemann | Freitag, 6. Februar 2026
Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Why the US Is Almost Always At War | DW Documentary
Nov 21, 2025 | Throughout its 250-year existence, the United States has almost always been at war. From its beginnings right through to the present day, the country's armed forces have shaped both American identity and the political decisions of its leaders.
The United States of America has been at war throughout most of its 250-year existence. From the War of Independence right through to contemporary armed conflicts, the nation's armed forces have not only shaped American identity but also influenced the political decisions of its leaders. The documentary takes a deep dive into this complex history and analyzes the "hot" and "cold" wars that have shaped US history in order to draw important lessons for the future.
The film explores how successive generations of US Americans viewed and experienced each conflict. It also examines the enduring impact of these wars on American society and reveals how military engagement was utilized to hone the image and the role of the US on the global stage. Around 30 high-profile experts, military personnel and politicians examine the military history of the United States, explaining its successes and failures, as well as its impact on the world and the everyday lives of Americans.
The film looks to the past to gain a keener understanding of how today's military decisions will affect tomorrow's world — as well as their far-reaching impact on democracy and society. And with US President Donald Trump now in office for a second term, it asks what role the army plays in Trump's world view.
The United States of America has been at war throughout most of its 250-year existence. From the War of Independence right through to contemporary armed conflicts, the nation's armed forces have not only shaped American identity but also influenced the political decisions of its leaders. The documentary takes a deep dive into this complex history and analyzes the "hot" and "cold" wars that have shaped US history in order to draw important lessons for the future.
The film explores how successive generations of US Americans viewed and experienced each conflict. It also examines the enduring impact of these wars on American society and reveals how military engagement was utilized to hone the image and the role of the US on the global stage. Around 30 high-profile experts, military personnel and politicians examine the military history of the United States, explaining its successes and failures, as well as its impact on the world and the everyday lives of Americans.
The film looks to the past to gain a keener understanding of how today's military decisions will affect tomorrow's world — as well as their far-reaching impact on democracy and society. And with US President Donald Trump now in office for a second term, it asks what role the army plays in Trump's world view.
Monday, February 02, 2026
Woher kommt Trumps Hass auf Europa? Martin Schulz & Christoph Heusgen Spitzengespräch | DER SPIEGEL
Sunday, February 01, 2026
Is Trump Destroying the Western Alliance? Will Europe Ally with China?
Friday, January 30, 2026
Donald Trump is Having Secret Meetings with Canadian Insurrectionists to Fund a Coup
Related article and my comment on this here.
Auschwitz: Lessons for Today's US America + Germany | Berlin Briefing Podcast
Related video here.
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
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
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Anne Applebaum Says Europe Is Starting to Hedge against the US
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
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.
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.
Powerful Winter Storm Expected to Batter the US for Days | DW News
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