Whatever the barbarians may be plotting, the fact that matters is that China is already deep into the next phase, where it is expected to replace the US as the world’s primary consumer market...

While troop numbers matter, they do not tell the full story...

"He will lose his finger."

The problem is the power in Washington, not who holds it at the moment... 

"Energy is the chokehold to kill the regime."

...it added money to programs that the branches themselves did not request - or, in some cases, explicitly asked to cancel.

"When a supposed ‘peaceful’ protester brings a weapon (such as a loaded handgun) and brandishes it, there are going to be severe consequences and repercussions..."

US resilience, EU shakeout, UK politics, & Japan's 'wild west'

Days after Bessent boasted at Davos that US sanctions aimed to cripple the economy so people would take to the streets.

"This is legitimately one of the biggest storms I can recall tracking." 

Transportation Secretary threatens to strip the Golden State of all commercial licensing power as federal-state standoff escalates...

Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport's main terminal. 

The US Government will welcome the extra demand for short-term debt, but the cost could be a fundamental reshaping of the banking system...

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is considering running for president in 2028, said the move keeps his state "at the forefront of public health preparedness..."

"...have never before seen a single individual so completely dominate this vast bazaar of the powerful, the wealthy, the famous, and the self-important..."

But of course...

Patel refocused the FBI to prioritize crime-fighting and threat-detection operations...

...one intractable takeaway seems clear & uncontroversial; Europe, and others within & outside of NATO, need to ensure greater independence - of defense, of energy, of industry, of policy, and intent.