Josh N.

Pussy Riot occupies headquarters of American tech company Ubiquiti which powers Russian war crimes Since the disabling of Starlink, Russian soldiers been panicking: “All we’ve got left now are radios, cables and pigeons.” But Ubiquiti’s hardware has emerged as the favorite replacement.  We demand that Ubiquiti: - Obey U.S. sanctions - Acknowledge Russian military use - Work with Ukraine to stop it

US senators aim to sanction Hungary over obstructing Ukraine aid Bipartisan bill from Shaheen and Tillis comes as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán holds up €90bn loan to Kyiv ft.com/content/35cdef…

At least 40% of Russia's oil export capacity is at a halt following Ukrainian drone attacks, a disputed ​attack on a major pipeline and the seizure of tankers The shutdown is the most severe oil supply disruption in the modern history of Russia reuters.com/business/energ…

The Iranian regime executed a 19 year old for demanding democracy. I stand with his memory and the thousands of other young Iranians. Those who grieve the elimination of Iranian leaders over murdered protesters is telling.

The Russian Central Bank lowered the key rate by 50bp to 15%. The Bank notes that price growth has slowed after its peak at the beginning of the year (10.2% in January–February), having exhausted one-off factors. cbr.ru/press/pr/?file…

Iran establishes ‘safe’ shipping corridor for approved and paid for transits "Iran has created a de facto ‘safe’ shipping corridor through its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, offering vetted vessels passage in exchange for approval — and in at least one case, a reported $2m payment" lloydslist.com/LL1156656/Iran…

You’d think someone like this would keep a low profile after fatally undermining the use of Russia’s frozen reserves to fund Ukraine. But that’s not how the EU works. Greek shipping oligarchs, German trans-shippers and Belgian Putin-lovers are riding high! giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/ac…

The big mistake the West made in 2022 was to not embargo Russian oil. That would have spiked oil prices further, but Russia's economy would have imploded and it likely wouldn't still be waging war in Ukraine. The lesson for today is to embargo Iranian oil. robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/embargo-iran

Iran’s rulers launched a new crackdown on domestic dissent, arresting people and threatening would-be protesters with death wsj.com/world/middle-e…

Fiona Hill: What Putin is negotiating now is President Trump handing over Ukraine to him, forcing Ukraine to capitulate, forcing new elections in Ukraine and basically demilitarizing and neutralizing Ukraine so that Ukraine turns into essentially Belarus. 1/

“Immigrants come to work for us and with us to make our lives better. They have reduced government deficits by at least $14.5 trillion over the last 30 years,” testified Cato’s @David_J_Bier before the Senate Budget Committee. Read full testimony: ow.ly/PBEJ50Ytzn1

True. Sadly.

🚨 SOS – Urgent Cutting internet during war is a war crime. Iranians have no sirens, no shelters, no warning. A digital blackout leaves civilians blind when bombs fall. That’s not security. That’s cruelty. @elonmusk @realDonaldTrump

A US judge has blocked subpoenas issued by DoJ to the Federal Reserve "There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas’ dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the president or to resign and make way for a Fed chair who will" ft.com/content/e4da6f…

"You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." Today, I have some notes on Iran and Ukraine -- and how those wars intertwine. There is also a memory of Cambodia -- our "incursion" in 1970. Anyway, see what you think. jaynordlinger.com/p/wars-incursi…

⚠️ Update: #Iran's wartime internet blackout has entered its 14th day with connectivity still at 1% of ordinary levels after 312 hours. As authentic voices are silenced and civilians are left without vital updates, a steady flow of regime-approved content fills the void.

When Democrats wanted to eliminate the filibuster in 2022, I stood my ground because I understood the consequences of turning the Senate into a glorified House with simple majority rule. Senator John Cornyn said of Democrats at the time: “They'll soon find themselves rueing the day their party broke the Senate.” The filibuster exists to make both sides work together and produce good legislation that can withstand the test of time. Eliminating the filibuster would consolidate even more power into the hands of the majority party’s leadership — and take power away from the minority and everyday Americans. When I was a U.S. Senator, there was not another person more committed to keeping the filibuster than Senator John Cornyn. He understood the incredible political pressure I faced from my former party to get rid of the filibuster and give Democrats complete power — and at the time, he understood why neither party should take our country past this point of no return. The filibuster — the soul of the Senate — has preserved the Senate’s role for nearly 250 years as the institution that cools passions, protects minority voices, and demands consensus. America was built on institutions designed to resist political convenience, not surrender to it. It’s deeply disappointing to see that Senator Cornyn is now willing to scrap the very rule he once praised and personally thanked me for defending. These extreme election-year politics that put party power over everything else are why Americans are sick and tired of the duopoly of the two-party system of Democrats and Republicans.

Russia prepares 10% cut to 'non-sensitive' spending in 2026 reuters.com/business/russi…

Iranian authority openly threatening to kill its critics on national television. I invite everyone to listen carefully to these threats broadcast on Iranian state TV. “Confiscating property is nothing… we will make your mothers mourn you.” For Iranian activists, journalists, and opposition figures, this is not rhetoric. It is a real and constant threat. Many of us have families inside Iran who are harassed and intimidated because we speak out. Those of us living abroad receive death threats regularly. Human rights organizations have documented years of intimidation, surveillance, and assassination plots targeting Iranian dissidents around the world. When a regime uses its own state media to threaten the lives of its critics, the international community should take notice.

Boris Akunin, regarding the war against Islamic Republic It is necessary and even essential to destroy evil. When medication does not work, it is necessary to take up the scalpel. But the surgeon must have a clear plan for the operation, rather than acting on the principle of "let's cut it open and see how it goes."