Saturday, January 31, 2026

US Students, Businesses, and Hollywood Lead 'National Shutdown' Strike against ICE and CBP | DW News

Jan 31, 2026 | US businesses and schools went on strike on Friday to protest federal immigration tactics. The strikes are meant to force a 'national shutdown' to put pressure on the Trump administration to pull immigration enforcement ages from US cities.

La vraie histoire des Pahlavi, ces Chahs d’Iran détestés hier, acclamés aujourd’hui

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Les Pahlavi ont régné sur l’Iran de 1925 à 1979 et laïcisé le pays à marche forcée, avant d’être chassés par la révolution islamique. Plonger dans leur histoire permet de comprendre leur popularité inattendue chez les jeunes Iraniens.

«Vive le Chah!». On ne s’attendait pas à ce que des dizaines de milliers d’Iraniens de 20 ans, qui n’ont pas connu le régime des Pahlavi, tombé en 1979, défient le pouvoir des Mollahs en se réclamant de leurs anciens souverains. La réévaluation de ces rois et de leur bilan par la jeunesse iranienne actuelle doit retenir l’attention. Qui étaient donc les Pahlavis qui ont créé l’Iran moderne?

Le fondateur de la dynastie est né en 1878 dans un village isolé d’une région montagneuse de l’Iran qui borde la mer Caspienne, le Mazandaran. Son clan domine la bourgade et mène une vie très rude. Orphelin, hébergé par un oncle officier, Reza Khan s’engage dans l’armée dès 14 ans. L’année suivante, l’adolescent pauvre et encore analphabète réussit à rejoindre l’unité d’élite fondée et encadrée par des officiers russes, la «Division cosaque», qui assure la garde de la famille royale. Autodidacte, blessé à plusieurs reprises lors de combats, doté d’autorité, l’homme se fait un nom et progresse: lieutenant à 21 ans, colonel à 37. En deuxièmes noces, l’ambitieux épouse la fille d’un général. Son premier fils, Mohammad Reza, le futur Chah d’Iran, que les Occidentaux ont bien connu, naît en 1919, de même que sa sœur jumelle. Le premier des Pahlavis aura, au cours de sa vie, onze enfants issus de quatre mariages. » | Par Guillaume Perrault | samedi 31 janvier 2026

Réservé aux abonnés

”This ICE Video Is Beyond Out of Control.”

Farron Cousins explains.

The Insidious Truth Behind Trump's 'Board of Peace' w/ Yanis Varoufakis

January 31, 2026

Three Million Pages, Zero Accountability | The Epstein Files Explained

Jan 31, 2026 | The U.S. Department of Justice has released millions of pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein — calling it full compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. But dig into the details, and a different picture emerges. In this video, we break down what’s actually in the Epstein files, what remains redacted or withheld, and why critics across the political spectrum say this looks less like transparency and more like carefully managed disclosure. While the DOJ insists it is not protecting Donald Trump — and maintains that some allegations involving Trump may be fabricated or unverified — the scale of the redactions and missing materials raises serious questions about institutional accountability.

Mut und Improvisation, Sommer 1940 - Juni 1941 | Widerstand – Die Résistance (1/4) Reupload | ARTE

Jan 29, 2026 | Die vierteilige Dokureihe erzählt die Geschichte der französischen Résistance anhand der Schicksale von zwei Dutzend heldenhaften Frauen und Männern. In dieser Folge: Am 10. Mai 1940 beginnt der Westfeldzug der deutschen Wehrmacht. Ziel der Operation ist die "Zerschlagung Frankreichs" und die Niederwerfung Großbritanniens. Ab Juni 1940 bilden sich die ersten Résistance-Netzwerke.

Kaum hatte Marschall Pétain am 17. Juni 1940 um Waffenstillstand nachgesucht, meldete sich via BBC von London aus Charles de Gaulle zu Wort. In seinem später berühmt gewordenen Appell vom 18. Juni rief er dazu auf, den Krieg gegen Deutschland fortzuführen. Die Anfänge der Résistance gingen dann letztlich auf das individuelle Engagement einiger Weniger zurück, die sich nicht mit der Niederlage abfinden wollten. Es entstanden verschiedenen Gruppe, die ihre Aktionen koordinieren wollten. Germaine Tillion und Boris Vildé gründen das Netzwerk Musée de l’Homme. Im Norden formieren sich einige Gewerkschafter um Christian Pineau zu der Gruppe Libération Nord.

In der freien Zone im Süden Frankreichs schließen sich Ende 1940 beziehungsweise Anfang 1941 die ersten Widerstandsbewegungen zusammen. Um Emmanuel d’Astier de La Vigerie bildet sich eine Gruppe namens La dernière Colonne, der auch der Philosoph Jean Cavaillès und das Ehepaar Aubrac angehören. Henri Frenay und Bertie Albrecht gründen eine Initiative, aus der später die Gruppe Combat hervorgehen wird. Mit der Verbreitung von Flugblättern und improvisierter Untergrundzeitungen rufen sie die Bevölkerung zu passivem Widerstand auf.

Die deutschen Besatzer bemühen sich von Anfang an vor allem um die Sicherheit ihrer Truppen. Ihre Taktik wird sich im Verlauf des Krieges nicht ändern: Sie versuchen, die Résistance-Gruppen zu unterwandern und zu zerschlagen. Der französische Marineoffizier Henri Honoré d’Estienne d‘Orves, der für France libre eine Funkverbindung nach London herstellt, wird im Januar 1941 von einem deutschen Agenten verraten, verhaftet und im August 1941 erschossen. Das Netzwerk Musée de l’Homme wird ebenfalls ausgehoben.

Dokureihe, Regie: Patrick Rotman (F 2020, 55 Min) Video verfügbar bis zum 09/07/2026


Epstein Files: Andrew Invited the Paedophile Financier to Buckingham Palace

Jan 31, 2026 | “In Andrew’s case, it adds to all the suspicions about him.”

Newly released Epstein files suggests that, after the convicted paedophile financier was released in 2010, his friendship with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor re-emerged and seemed to be “stronger than ever”, says royal correspondent Rupert Bell.


Trump’s Four-step Dictatorship Plan

Jan 21, 2026 | Media outlets are scared to tell the truth about President Trump's unprecedented power grabs. It's time to stop being cautious and start being honest about what's happening. From threatening Greenland to using ICE as his personal paramilitary, here are four major steps toward autocracy that Trump is already taking.

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:


ICE Expands Power of Agents to Arrest People Without Warrants

THE NEW YORK TIMES: An internal memo changed the standard from whether people are unlikely to show up for hearings to whether they could leave the scene.

Amid tensions over President Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota and beyond, federal agents were told this week that they have broader power to arrest people without a warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo reviewed by The New York Times.

The change expands the ability of lower-level ICE agents to carry out sweeps rounding up people they encounter and suspect are undocumented immigrants, rather than targeted enforcement operations in which they set out, warrant in hand, to arrest a specific person.

The shift comes as the administration has deployed thousands of masked immigration agents into cities nationwide. A week before the memo, it came to light that Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of the agency, had issued guidance in May saying agents could enter homes with only an administrative warrant, not a judicial one. And the day before the memo, Mr. Trump said he would “de-escalate a little bit” in Minneapolis, after agents fatally shot two people in the crackdown there.

The memo, addressed to all ICE personnel and signed on Wednesday by Mr. Lyons, centers on a federal law that empowers agents to make warrantless arrests of people they believe are undocumented immigrants, if they are “likely to escape” before an arrest warrant can be obtained. » | Hamed Aleaziz and Charlie Savage | Reporting from Washington | Friday, January 30, 2026

Friday, January 30, 2026

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

Donald Trump is Having Secret Meetings with Canadian Insurrectionists to Fund a Coup

Jan 30, 2026 | Jesse talks about the secret meetings that Donald Trump’s State Department and White House officials are having with separatist groups from the western Canadian province of Alberta. Trump is attempting to interfere in Canadian affairs and destabilize our Northern neighbor and one of our longest peaceful allies!


Related article and my comment on this here.

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


At ‘Melania’ Premiere, the President Sees ‘Glamour’ and Others See Graft*

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Amazon paid Melania Trump’s production company $40 million for the movie and then paid another $35 million to promote it.

President Trump, Melania Trump and the top ranks of the Trump administration descended on the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts on Thursday night for the premiere of “Melania,” a documentary the first lady executive produced.

“It’s glamorous, very glamorous,” the president explained as his wife posed for pictures against huge, glowing sans serif letters spelling out her name.

“We need some glamour,” Mr. Trump added.

But what some saw as glamour, others saw as a blatant act of corporate corruption. Amazon paid $40 million to the first lady’s production company for the film rights and then ponied up another $35 million to promote it. The film’s marketing budget is 10 times what another big documentary would generally get.

As Mr. Trump traipsed before shouting reporters and photographers along a red carpet setup — the carpet was actually black, in keeping with his wife’s preference for black-and-white everything — he was asked if the whole affair wasn’t really just an attempt by Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, and his executives to get in good with the Trump government. “I don’t know, really. I’m not involved,” he said. “It was done with my wife. I think it’s a very important movie. It shows life in the White House. It’s a big deal, actually.” » | Shawn McCreesh | Reporting from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington | Friday, January 30, 2026

* In the US, graft is the word used to describe the unscrupulous use of political authority for personal gain. For example, re-directing public funds to private interests.

Steve Schmidt: Trump and the Collapse of Decency

Jan 30, 2026 | Last night, Melania Trump held the premiere of a movie no one wants to watch. Steve Schmidt condemns Trump’s sycophants for celebrating a blatant act of corruption while they continue assaulting constitutional rights.


Related links here and here.

Mikhail Pletnev - Chopin: 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 in D-Flat Major "Raindrop Prelude"

December 5, 2025

Why America Is 'In Deep Trouble' - Ex US Foreign Policy Adviser

Jan 30, 2026 | But Robert Kagan, who has advised successive administrations in the White House on foreign policy, says “middle powers” like European states and the UK must make “hard choices” in order to “survive as independent sovereign states in a world dominated by predatory empires”.

Nathalie Tocci, Professor of Practice at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, Europe, and a senior fellow at Bocconi University’s Institute for European Policymaking, says Trump’s threats over Greenland and the way he “backed down” int he face of Europe’s threats should be a “watershed moment”.

"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."


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Auschwitz: Lessons for Today's US America + Germany | Berlin Briefing Podcast

Jan 30, 2026 | On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated, revealing the scale of Nazi atrocities. 81 years later, the lessons of the Holocaust remain urgent. In this Holocaust Remembrance Day episode, our Berlin Briefing panel asks: What warning signs of authoritarianism should we be watching for today? Together, they explore rising hate crimes in Germany and the US, the politicization of antisemitism, and the broader dangers of state power targeting vulnerable communities. Nina Haase (DW Berlin Briefing host), Shani Rozanes (DW Israel and Middle East expert), Ines Pohl (DW Washington Bureau Chief), and Michaela Küfner (DW Chief Political Editor) highlight how these threats go beyond antisemitism alone — and why it's not just Holocaust survivors who say that remembering Auschwitz is essential to protecting democracy now.


Related video here.