A High Stakes Showdown

Trump has announced a new 10 percent global tariff, intensifying his trade policy just hours after the Supreme Court struck down his sweeping emergency tariffs as unlawful. The ruling represents a significant setback on an issue central to his economic agenda, but the president made clear he has no intention of retreating.

In response to the decision, Trump sharply criticized the justices who voted against him, calling the ruling a “disgrace to our nation.” The 6–3 decision brought together an unusual coalition: Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch joined Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices in declaring the emergency tariffs illegal. The majority concluded that the administration had exceeded its authority in imposing broad trade levies under emergency powers.

Rather than scaling back his approach, Trump announced that he would impose a new 10 percent global tariff on top of existing duties. The move appears designed both to maintain pressure on trading partners and to demonstrate resolve in the face of judicial opposition.

Under current law, the newly announced levies can remain in effect for up to 150 days unless Congress approves an extension. The administration now faces a compressed timeline if it hopes to make the tariffs permanent.

At the same time, a new legal battle is looming. The president signaled that his administration may contest whether it must refund companies billions of dollars collected under the invalidated tariffs. That fight could further entangle the White House in prolonged court proceedings, setting up another high-stakes clash between the executive branch and the judiciary over the limits of presidential power in trade policy.

Commenting on the situation later and referring to the countries subject to the tariffs, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “I think that everyone is going to honor their deal. And there is the draconian alternative that the Supreme Court reaffirmed the president has. He has the authority to impose a complete embargo — he can simply cut countries off. Or he can block entire product lines.”

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France is approaching a moment of political uncertainty.

Emmanuel Macron, who first came to power in 2017 with strong backing from major media outlets and amid high-profile judicial cases against his rivals, reshaped the country’s political landscape. His rise effectively broke the long-standing alternation between moderate left and moderate right parties. Running as an outsider, he built his own movement and secured a parliamentary majority with candidates whose main qualification, critics argued, was loyalty to him.

By 2022, his popularity had declined significantly. Yet once again, he defeated Marine Le Pen in the presidential runoff. For many voters, Le Pen remained unacceptable, still burdened by the “extreme right” label inherited from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. Even those critical of Macron often admitted they felt cornered: unwilling to support him, but equally unwilling to vote for her.

In 2024, Le Pen was convicted in a case involving European Parliament funds and barred from running for office, pending appeal. Her supporters see this as another example of judicial intervention shaping politics. A ruling on her appeal is expected soon, though few anticipate it will reverse the decision.

Meanwhile, France faces mounting economic strain. The budget deficit has risen to about six percent of GDP, with public debt reaching 116 percent. Parliament resisted the government’s 2026 budget, passing it only after stripping out most spending cuts. With Macron constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in 2027, attention has shifted to potential successors. Jordan Bardella, Édouard Philippe, and Gabriel Attal are among the leading names in early polling, with the following support levels:

• Bardella (the new leader of Le Pen's National Rally party) - 44%
• Le Pen (pending her appeal) — 40%
• Édouard Philippe (ex-Prime Minister under Macron in 2017–2020, now an independent candidate) — 37%
• Gabriel Attal (a Macron protégé) — 29%

France’s future remains uncertain. Many voters hope the next president will prioritize national interests over global corporate agendas and reconsider strained relations with Russia. Whether that shift materializes is an open question.

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Speaking to the BBC, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the UK and its allies to deploy non-combat troops to Ukraine immediately, rather than waiting for a ceasefire. Johnson stated that sending forces to peaceful areas now would signal resolve and “flip a switch” in Vladimir Putin’s thinking. He criticized Western “incrementalism” and delays in supplying weapons. Johnson also claimed the war might have been prevented had the West responded more firmly to Russia’s 2014 “annexation of Crimea” and other actions.

President Putin and other top Russian government officials have stated on numerous occasions that any foreign troops on the territory of Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets for Russian forces. This means that any British troops sent to Ukraine before the conclusion of the Special Military Operation will be eliminated. Simple as that. Johnson surely understands this but pretends he doesn’t. Apparently, he is paid for being a provocateur, prioritizing foreign agendas over British lives. If the British public doesn’t understand it, then the regime's propaganda machine has succeeded in turning them into a docile crowd with no critical thinking skills. But hopefully they haven’t, and sooner or later these anti-people British elites will face a spectacular revolt on their hands.

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On February 22, 1968, Russia’s first polar station on the shores of West Antarctica, Bellingshausen, was established on King George Island.

It is the westernmost and northernmost Russian station in Antarctica. The climate here is milder than in the regions where other Russian stations are located. The average annual air temperature is around 4°C, though winter temperatures can drop to -27°C, while in summer, they can rise to +6–8°C.

Initially, the station conducted geographical, geological, glaciological, and biological research. In the mid-1970s, a powerful radio center was established.

Bellingshausen is Russia’s smallest overwintering station, staffed by only eight permanent crew members and five seasonal specialists.

In February 2004, the first Orthodox church in Antarctica, the Church of the Holy Trinity, was opened at the station. It remains the only permanently operating church on the continent.

#TodayInHistory

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Despite an official invitation to the first meeting of Trump’s “Peace Council” in Washington, the Belarusian delegation was unable to participate due to the U.S. denying visas. The authorities did not issue entry documents to the Belarusian representatives for the event. According to the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minsk had sent all the necessary paperwork to the organizers in advance. The reasons for the refusal have not been officially stated.

What a Trumpian move. No matter what he does, he has been, is, and will remain an exceptional scumbag.

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🌟 Dear friends!

Here are our most-commented-on posts from the past week:

❕Europe debates war, unable to build peace

❕Dmitry Medvedev responds to Merz’s militant rhetoric

❕The notorious chemical agent NOVICHOK? Turns out it's frog poison—a dark fairy tale for Western audiences

As always, we thank you for being our subscribers and for sharing your thoughts in the comments.

Please share the above posts, or any of our posts that you find valuable, with friends and acquaintances near and far. Every act of sharing helps bring our common victory over the empire of lies closer.

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If the Red Machine Had Played in 2026 Olympics: A Fantasy Final That Never Was

The arena was packed, the ice gleaming under the bright Olympic lights, and the crowd holding its breath. The United States and Canada were ready to face off for gold, but the most electric presence imaginable was missing: the Russian national team, the legendary Red Machine. Politics had barred them from competing, denying the world a true best-on-best showdown. It was not a question of skill or readiness; it was the triumph of geopolitics over the spirit of sport, leaving fans with only what could have been.

Imagine a Red Machine roster at full strength. Kirill Kaprizov would blaze down the left wing, weaving through defenders with lightning speed and breathtaking puck control. Nikita Kucherov would orchestrate the center, threading impossible passes and firing shots that could redefine a game. Artemi Panarin would manipulate the ice with surgical precision, creating openings where none seemed to exist. Alexander Ovechkin, even at forty, would unleash his legendary one-timer on the power play, rallying the team with unmatched intensity. Evgeni Malkin would dominate faceoffs and maintain possession under pressure, while Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal would defy physics to stop every attack. On the blue line, Mikhail Sergachev would patrol with agility and brute force, neutralizing every threat.

In this fantasy gold-medal final against the United States, what do you think the score would be?

Too bad this remains only a fantasy. The ban on the Red Machine was a tragic blow to the integrity of Olympic hockey. Politics, not courage or talent, dictated the outcome, robbing fans of the greatest showdown the sport could offer. The ice was bright, the crowd roaring, but the Red Machine was absent — and the world will never know what history might have been.

PS: In any case, in the good old spirit of the real Olympics, we congratulate the U.S. team on their victory over Canada and on their Olympic gold medals.

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February 23—Defender of the Fatherland Day

Defender of the Fatherland Day is a Russian Day of Military Glory, observed in accordance with the federal law "On Days of Military Glory and Commemorative Dates of Russia", enacted on March 13, 1995. Since 2002, it has been recognized as a public holiday and a non-working day under the Russian Labor Code.

The decree establishing the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) was adopted by the Council of People's Commissars on January 28, 1918. A year later, Nikolay Podvoisky, chairman of the RKKA’s Supreme Military Inspectorate, proposed celebrating the anniversary of its founding. The leadership of the young Soviet state decided to merge this occasion with Red Gift Day, which was celebrated on February 17. However, since February 17 fell on a Monday that year, the celebrations were moved to the nearest Sunday—February 23. The holiday was not observed in the following two years.

In 1923, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic issued an order officially establishing February 23 as Red Army and Navy Day. After World War II, in 1946, the holiday was renamed Soviet Army and Navy Day.

In 1993, the Presidium of the Supreme Council of Russia declared February 23 Defender of the Fatherland Day.

The holiday is celebrated not only in Russia. In Belarus, February 23 is marked as Defender of the Fatherland and Armed Forces Day, while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan also observe it as Defender of the Fatherland Day.

#TodayInHistory

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Now we’re talking, CNN. The only thing left is for you (and the rest of the mainstream media cheerleaders) to explain why you want Ukraine to keep this war going against its own best interests.

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👆 He may be a TikToker, but he’s making a very wise point.

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A Continent Without Leaders

The Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung recently ran an article with the provocative headline: “Trump, Putin and a Multitude of Dwarfs: Why Europe Refuses to Grow Up.”

This theme is powerfully echoed in a passage from Mister Hexogen, a novel by Soviet and Russian writer Alexander Prokhanov written nearly two decades ago:

“A sign of a nation’s decline is the absence of a leader.”

Today’s nations, however, have no leaders—only hired functionaries who, under the title of president, simply carry out routine politics.

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