UK should consider resuming talks on EU defence pact, Starmer says

Free speech news

The Trump regime arrested four journalists, including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, today. This blatant suppression of the First Amendment is part of a larger plan: to control not just what we do, but what we see and access. Watch. https://youtu.be/rEH7sF6pA4s?si=Gk1jawFu20cRuJ1-

President Trump said he is “decertifying” all aircraft built in Canada and threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian aircraft sold to the United States, an escalation of trade tensions between the countries that could impact air travel.

EU sanctions more Putin propagandists www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

Trump's FBI raided an election office in Georgia, a state central to his baseless 2020 voter fraud conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, he's continuing to let actual fraudsters and politically-connected crooks off the hook. This is what weaponizing government looks like.

In the hours after FBI agents seized 2020 election ballots from an elections facility in Georgia on Wednesday, President Trump posted a series of thoroughly discredited conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, and the 2016 election too. abcnews.go.com/US/trump-pos...

Czechia: Feud between president and government intensifies

Apple & Google removed ICE tracking apps in their app stores. TikTok reportedly suppressed videos criticizing ICE & the shooting of Alex Pretti. Meta blocked Facebook groups tracking ICE & links to a database of agents that the government wants to keep secret. Big Tech is enabling Trump's regime.

Reform has always lied when they said they were the party of the working class. They're all millionaires! They don't care about you!

The destruction of the civil service can destroy democracy, too the next episode of the AUTOCRACY IN AMERICA podcast has dropped: www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/202...

Three-hundred Catholic leaders called on the Senate not to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

The Chinese communist party also controls dissent through the use of facial recognition tools and other surveillance technology www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...

The City of Philadelphia has introduced legislation to limited ICE in the city. The Federal Agents can not be masked, must have ID visible, must have arrested warrants signed by federal judges. They can't attack people. If they can't do this, they will be arrested. youtu.be/i5Yvg_HHfbE?...

Donald Trump renewed false election fraud claims on Truth Social while amplifying posts tied to an FBI raid at a Georgia election office.

China is supplying Russia with machinery and components used to build hypersonic missiles like Oreshnik, The Telegraph reported. The equipment helps Moscow bypass sanctions and expand weapons production that threatens Europe. #Russia

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Ukraine cannot join the EU by January 1, 2027, stressing that meeting the Copenhagen criteria takes years and rapid accession is not realistic. #Ukraine

He treats it like a family photo www.thetimes.com/article/e9fd...

Chief Justice John Roberts turns 71 today. Two decades ago, I warned the Senate that confirming Roberts to the Supreme Court would be a disaster for working people. I'm sad to say I was proven right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir5kmPdRJLw

For Europe, “the price tag for underwriting Ukrainian rearmament will be steep,” write Eric Ciaramella and @sophiabesch.bsky.social. “But the alternative—a Ukrainian military perpetually in survival mode—would be far costlier.”

FT reports that US is bullying Ukraine to withdraw from the Donbas territory it controls US links security guarantees for Ukraine to peace deal ceding territory - giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... via @FT

Please. This is absurd. Europe can certainly deter Russia and defend itself if its focused and determined. Perpetuating a sense of European helplessness may help Rutte bureaucratically but its 1. wrong 2. prevents action. 3. willfully blind: the US ain't coming to defend Europe.

Round of applause for our conspiratorial populists then… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I know I keep writing about this,but the level of delusion is staggering. How do so many people think Reform will 'save the country' when it’s led by defected Tories from the worst cabinet in UK history?It’s not change, just same failures,new logo,and people cheering like it’s a revival,not a rerun.

Unfortunately, Europe has very little choice but to continue dreaming about it, thinking about it and planning for it.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "People have had enough. This is the third shooting in less than 3 weeks. The MPD went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone ... this is not sustainable."

Sixteen years ago, the Supreme Court decided that corporations are people under the First Amendment. Today, sold-out politicians block progress on all fronts to appease their corporate donors. Citizens United is among the worst decisions in history. It corrupts our system every day.

CJEU, new judgment: Poland 🇵🇱 cannot get a refund of the fine it had to pay for its non-compliance with interim measures concerning its alleged breach of EU environmental law, even though it later reached a settlement with the complainant (the Czech Republic 🇨🇿)

Trump drops tariff threat against Europe and touts ‘future’ Greenland deal ft.trib.al/YkhTlaC

Elon Musk is donating $10 million to a Republican primary candidate in Kentucky. That’s more money than the vast majority of Americans will ever see — much less donate. Big Money is the root of our dysfunction.

From a decade ago, March 2016. And now here we are. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/don...

🚨🚨As much as I love the European Court of Justice, I think it is a massive geopolitical own goal by @europarl.europa.eu to send the #Mercosur agreement for review by @eucourtofjustice.bsky.social on the compatibility with the EU Treaties. 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

Mark Carney's speech really is terrific: full text is here and very much worth your time.

Odd. www.ft.com/content/e2ae...

Big news concerning Mercosur. This will delay it for up to 2 years.I presume that the commission will now apply it provisionally. www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

Starmer says he does not think Cookie Monster would eat your biscuits.

Amid Trump’s aggressive push to shore up the U.S. critical mineral supply, a village in Alaska has become a test case for just how far Washington is willing to go, and how much Native communities stand to lose.

Tell you what. Not a great time to be a mid-sized nation going it alone

You do not have to be a cheerleader for Starmer to think it reassuring we have a grown up and serious PM and government at present. Picture Johnson or Farage in No 10.

European Union nearing free trade agreement with India. www.rte.ie/news/2026/01...

Kaja Kallas said Western divisions only help China and Russia. She urged allies to stay focused on stopping Russia’s war in Ukraine. #StandWithUkraine

Finland is sending its 31st defence aid package to Ukraine worth €98 million, raising its total support to €3.1 billion, the Defence Ministry announced. The decision was approved by President Niinistö on January 16. #Ukraine

Donald Trump has invited Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to join his new “Peace Council” on Gaza. Minsk says it is ready to participate. Kremlin spokesman Peskov earlier confirmed Putin also received an invitation to the same forum. Polish President Karol Nawrocki has also been invited #Gaza.

FT reports that EU leaders in Davos have sidelined Ukraine to focus on Greenland and Trump’s new tariffs. A planned meeting on Ukraine will now address Europe’s trade response and doubts about US reliability under Trump. Putin could not be happier with Trump right now. #Davos

A madman strategy isn't a madman strategy if you're actually mad. Discuss.

Interesting piece by the NYT looking at the criminal and constitutional law issues zwhether the ICE agent who shot Renee Good can be successfully prosecuted. www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

So much for the argument that the trade “deal” agreed with Trump provided certainty for the EU. Nothing will provide certainty with him in charge. Perhaps the European Parliament that still has to ratify the “deal” will take a stand and show that the EU is no pushover? www.cnbc.com/2026/01/16/t...

"Until Minneapolis, I would have told you that as bad as Trump is, he’s not capable of ordering ICE agents to shoot people...at random, and that as bad as ICE is, they’d refuse such orders. Now I no longer believe either of those things." Read @mjtoma.bsky.social: newrepublic.com/post/205379/...

The inevitable result of Trump‘s whimsical attitude to trade relationships: a pivot to more predictable partners. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/16/w...

PM Mark Carney: “The future of Greenland is a decision for Greenland & Denmark exclusively — it’s their decision We are NATO partners with Denmark — our obligations on Article 5, Article 2 of NATO stand, & we stand full square behind those”