December 28, 2025

What Russia's Economy Will Look Like in 2026 - The Global Gambit - Pyotr Kurzin

Russia is heading toward a far more unsettled moment than the Kremlin is prepared to admit — and 2026 may be when the pressure becomes impossible to ignore.

In this clip, we look ahead to what is likely to define Russia internally over the next year: rising inflation driven by sustained money printing, continued pressure on the ruble, and a growing sense of public fatigue after years of war and economic strain.

We explore why economic hardship is becoming harder to conceal, how everyday life is being affected by currency devaluation, and why political discontent is increasing even without a clear tipping point for mass protest. As veterans return from the war in Ukraine, social tensions are likely to intensify — adding another layer of stress to an already fragile system.

This episode focuses on the internal dynamics shaping Russia’s future: economic pressure, shifting public sentiment, and the growing risk of elite and political infighting as resources tighten and patience wears thin.

December 28, 2025

China Industry Collapsing - Joe Blogs

The official figures published by China's National Bureau of Statistics show that China’s economy is still growing strongly and any slowdown is considered to be temporary. However a very different picture is starting to emerge.

In this video, I break down the latest data showing that China’s industrial profits have fallen by around 13% year-on-year, one of the sharpest declines in years. For an economy built on manufacturing and industry, that’s a major red flag.

We then look at what’s been happening to producer prices, which have now been falling for roughly three years. Persistent producer price deflation is a clear sign of overcapacity, weak demand, and intense pressure on company margins.

I also examine domestic demand, using retail sales data to show how consumer spending has softened over the past 12 months, before turning to exports, which are also losing momentum as global demand weakens and supply chains continue to diversify away from China.

Finally, I look at new research from the Rhodium Group, an independent economic research firm founded in 2008, which argues that China’s official growth figures have likely been overstated for several years. According to their analysis, China’s true growth rate may be closer to around 3%, with growth in 2026 potentially slowing further to between 1% and 2.5%.

Taken together, the data suggests China isn’t just experiencing a short-term slowdown — it’s going through a painful economic right-sizing that could have major implications for global markets, trade, and investment.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:15 INDUSTRIAL PROFITS
4:51 PRODUCER PRICES
7:06 RETAIL SALES
9:41 EXPORTS
10:50 GDP
12:30 RHODIUM
16:02 SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

December 28, 2025

Let's talk about Trump semiconductor tariffs and the reshoring fantasy.... - Belle of the Ranch

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about Trump's semiconductor tariffs and the reshoring fantasy.

If you remember back in August, Trump laid out his plan to bring jobs and semiconductor production back to America by using tariffs. His exact words in the Oval Office were, "We're going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors, but the good news for companies like Apple is if you're building in the United States or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge."

So, in other words, we'll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors. But if you're building in the United States of America, there's no charge. That's super clear, right? It's honestly one of the most clear economic policies Trump has ever outlined. Clear numbers, clear targets, clear goals, 100% tariff or build in the US.

So what happened when this promise intersected with reality? It collapsed faster than Kennedy Center ratings. The administration filed the plan recently. “Appropriate responsive action includes taking tariff action now on semiconductors from China with an initial tariff level of 0%. Increasing in 18 months on June 23rd, 2027 to a rate to be announced no fewer than 30 days prior to that date.”

That's right, 0% tariffs until 2027. and that eventual rate is to be determined later. This is being read by most as just an attempt to put some distance between his promises and the eventual capitulation. There might eventually be some more semiconductor production in the US, but it'll be limited and it'll be mainly automated and jobless.

This will end up working out a lot like Trump's visa restrictions meant to open up tech jobs in the US for Americans. What happened while he was tightening the rules and instituting massive fees? 32,000 jobs were reportedly created in India. The big tech companies added 32,000 jobs to the workforce there this year and they're currently hiring 3 to 5,000. The big tech companies being discussed in the reporting are Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google.

This isn't the 1930s and the age of battleships. People don't have to work where the company is based. Come on. We have doctors conducting surgeries on patients via a robot in another city. Instant communication between various parts of the world means it's generally more cost effective for a company to build a workforce overseas. The big tech companies are building out the workforce there. And it's not just the jobs themselves, but the facilities they work at being present there will boost the local economy. The cleaning services, the landscaping, the office supplies, and so on. It's all over there.

It's worth noting that we don't have a direct statement saying Trump's policies caused these decisions, and odds are we'd never get one. But the workforce based in India grew by 18% year-over-year. It's going to be hard to tie that growth to anything else other than maybe better education. Trump's policies once again have a clear loser, the American economy.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

December 28, 2025

Something Is Going Seriously Wrong For Russia At Pokrovsk - Jason Jay Smart

Russia’s winter offensive was supposed to crown Kupiansk as its greatest victory; instead, the city has become the site of Moscow’s most humiliating collapse. Ukrainian forces have not only halted the Russian advance but have shattered the northern flank of the entire Donbas front. This is not just a tactical retreat—it is a strategic disaster for the Kremlin. Kupiansk is the logistical heartbeat of the region, the rail hub that feeds ammunition and fuel to the Russian war machine. By retaking it, Ukraine has effectively choked off the supply arteries for every Russian unit attempting to push south, forcing generals in Moscow to rethink their entire campaign.

While panic-mongers focus on the calculated withdrawal from Siversk, the real story is happening here: Ukraine is trading rubble for survival, sacrificing empty towns to secure the industrial hubs that will decide the war’s outcome. This victory exposes the critical exhaustion of Russia’s manpower and artillery reserves, proving that Putin’s "infinite" resources are a myth. The failure to hold Kupiansk destroys Moscow’s leverage in any future peace negotiations. If the front lines freeze today, Russia is left with broken brigades and lost leverage, while Ukraine holds the keys to the east. The dream of a Russian Donbas is collapsing under the weight of its own failed logistics.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Pokrovsk Is Not Finished
01:00 Russia’s Northern Wedge Explained
02:05 The Wedge Starts to Crack
03:00 Three Points Decide Everything
03:45 Sukhetsky Falls Into Contested Ground
04:30 Rudinsky And The Coal Belt Hold
05:25 Suvorovaya The Killing Field
06:15 Why Pokrovsk Rail Still Matters
07:05 Coal, Steel, And Ukraine’s Survival
08:10 Russia’s Real Objective Revealed
09:00 Peace Talks And Frozen Lines
10:00 What Happens If Russian Lines Break
10:40 Final Assessment Pokrovsk Holds

December 28, 2025

Rudy Giuliani's Cheat History! The Best Town Hall Protest? - Have I Got News For You US

NEW never-before-seen clips from HIGNFY Season 3 with guests: David Gelles, Mae Martin, Joy Reid, Lewis Black, Gianmarco Soresi, Julia Ioffe, Jennifer Welch & Max Chafkin.

Rudy Giuliani revealed WHAT family secret at a press conference? You want THIS man at all of your town hall meetings, Rosie O'Donnell's happy hobby and Lewis Black is the spokesperson of which country? All of this and more!

December 27, 2025

It's Over: China's Run Out of Options; Global Tech War; New China Arms Race - China Update

00:00 Introduction
00:12 The End of China’s Infrastructure Investment Growth Model
04:08 Tech War: National Venture Capital Fund
07:37 Cold War: Arms Industry

December 27, 2025

Russia launches assault on Kyiv ahead of Trump-Zelensky meeting - CNN

Russia carried out one of this year’s longest sustained attacks on Ukraine overnight, the day before Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is due to meet his US counterpart Donald Trump in Florida, as efforts continue to end the nearly four-year war in Eastern Europe.

0:00 CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak previews the upcoming Trump-Zelensky meeting in Florida
3:30 CNN correspondent Nada Bashir reports from London
5:30 Brad Smith speaks with CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger

December 27, 2025

Estonia braces for the worst, 600 defense lines ready to be tested - RFU News

Today, the biggest news comes from Estonia.

Here, the Russian threat is growing, as the aggressor intensifies efforts to provoke Estonia through additional incursions. However, Estonia is preparing for the worst and is rapidly fortifying its border to put an end to the Russian ambition.

Russia has been bogged down in Ukraine for almost 4 years, which has constrained its options, leaving it largely reliant on hybrid tactics to use against Western countries. Estonia, one of Russia’s smallest neighboring countries, has been repeatedly targeted through a range of provocations, including airspace violations, sabotage activities, and GPS jamming incidents at sea and in the air. However, the latest incident was more severe, involving three Russian border guards crossing into Estonian territory and being filmed staying there for approximately 20 minutes. The incursion occurred in an enclave across the Narva River, connected to the Russian mainland. For context, the Russo-Estonian border was drawn to follow the Narva River, as many others are, but as rivers meander, the border no longer reflects the river over time. Russia exploits these changes and seeks to encroach on Estonian sovereign territory to further inflame tensions.

While Russian provocations seem minor on the surface, they follow the exact same playbook as in Ukraine, starting minor, but gradually increasing in intensity, with a now well-known end goal, and outright border violations have now already occurred. As a result, Estonia has already viewed the Russian threat as credible and has begun constructing the long-planned border fortifications along its eastern border. The defenses include fencing, anti-tank ditches, minefields to be filled in as threat levels rise, reinforced concrete bunkers, and supporting infrastructure further to the rear. These fortifications would hinder Russia’s ability to mount a surprise attack, as any such attack would fail without heavy preliminary strikes.

Violating borders in small ways as they did is the first step in a larger Russian campaign, with the eventual end goal of an actual attack that could unfold under two distinct scenarios, as outlined by the European Council on Foreign Relations. First, Russia could concentrate approximately 40,000 troops along the Estonian border and attempt a rapid seizure of Narva, a city with a large ethnic Russian population, which could be exploited as a political pretext like the narratives used in the Donbas. This would allow them to advance along the Ida-Viru county chokepoint and test NATO’s reaction for their readiness to go to war with Russia over an Estonian border city. While Estonia could mobilize approximately 43,000 troops, giving them a slight numerical advantage, this would not happen fast enough to prevent an initial Russian advance or hold out against additional Russian reinforcements. However, if NATO responds decisively with military force, reinforcements from neighboring Allied states would rapidly deploy to Estonia, and allied aviation could begin operations and establish local air superiority within hours. This would quickly turn any Russian invasion into a strategic disaster. Either way, the border defenses being built by Estonia are crucial in order to prevent Russians from creating any military standoff scenario along the Ida-Viru chokepoint.

Secondly, the ECFR states that Russia could pursue a more hybrid approach to keep the conflict just under the threshold of war, combining an information campaign centered on alleged discrimination against the Russian-speaking population with cyberattacks on state infrastructure and the instigation of unrest in Narva. In parallel, small detachments of special forces or airborne troops could appear in the city as green army men to exploit any instability in a single decisive operation, as Russia did in Crimea in 2014. Russian information operations are already attempting to generate dissent and facilitate the staging of an uprising in border territories. However, after any staged uprising, Russia would still need to send enough green army men and armored support across the border to prevent a coordinated response from foiling the operation. In this, camera-mounted fences and patrol routes alone would stop Russian efforts to covertly infiltrate operatives across the border via forested areas ahead of time, as even cut gaps in the fencing would open manhunts given the possible consequences.

December 27, 2025

Let's talk about a million more files, Trump, and implications.... - Belle of the Ranch

Well, howdy there Internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about a million more files, Trump, and implications.

On Christmas Eve, the administration dropped the news that there could be a million more Epstein related files that they need to review, redact, and release eventually. DOJ said in a statement, "We will release the documents as soon as possible. Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks."

Congress was not happy. Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who was behind the law requiring the release, promised to keep the pressure up and posted, "DOJ did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline."

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said, "A Christmas Eve news dump of a million more files only proves what we already know. Trump is engaging in a massive cover up. The question Americans deserve answered is simple. What are they hiding and why?"

Well, if the delay and the disclosure of new files upset Congress, Trump's post on the subject isn't going to make them feel better. Trump took to social media to say, "Now 1,000,000 more pages on Epstein are found. DOJ is being forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired Hoax. When do they say NO MORE, and work on Election Fraud, etc. The Dems are the ones who worked with Epstein, not the Republicans. Release all of their names, embarrass them, and get back to helping our Country! The Radical Left doesn't want people talking about TRUMP & REPUBLICAN SUCCESS. only a long ago dead Jeffrey Epstein - Just another Witch Hunt!!!”

Trump seems to be forgetting that he campaigned on this and that his base is probably the most interested group. Seeing Trump call it a hoax isn't going to sit well. And a group that has been reading into every word Trump has said for years will certainly take a moment to wonder what he means by the Dems are the ones who worked with Epstein, not the Republicans. Release all of their names. embarrass them. Even non-conspiracy theory types would forgive believing the subtext of that is a directive to highlight Democrats and protect Republicans. This coming after documents, including flight logs and emails, suggests that Trump was a passenger on Epstein's plane far more often than his base knew, is creating another PR disaster for the administration.

Matthew Bartlett, a GOP strategist and former Trump appointee, complained about the messaging, saying, "It's just been confusing and compounding. It's perpetuated this news cycle, continues to give the White House and administration a massive headache of their own making, and I don't see any remedy anytime soon."

It's hard to argue with that. It's unlikely that any distractions Trump can cook up will shift the focus for long. Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.

December 27, 2025

Justice Department drops shocking Epstein news - Brian Tyler Cohen

Legal Breakdown Ep. 644 - Justice Department announces another million Epstein files.

Summary of Epstein Files Update

The Department of Justice has discovered 1 million additional Epstein-related documents at the Southern District of New York US Attorney's Office, despite FBI Director Kash Patel previously claiming in July that an "exhaustive search" had uncovered all 700,000 documents.

Key Points:

Legal Violation: The DOJ is now in violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required all documents to be released publicly by December 19th. However, the law has no enforcement mechanism or penalties attached.

Document Significance: These newly discovered documents are believed to be highly relevant, as they come from the office that actually prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Previously released materials revealed prosecutors had identified 10 co-conspirators who have never been held accountable.

Controversial Response: The DOJ has enlisted federal prosecutors from South Florida (Trump's home state) to review the documents and suggest redactions, rather than using nearby offices in DC, Maryland, or Virginia—a decision the speakers find suspicious.

Redaction Concerns: The speakers note that 16 files visible on day one were later redacted, including some containing Trump's picture, raising questions about whether redactions are being used to protect Trump rather than serve transparency.

The speakers express skepticism about the DOJ's competence and motives, though they remain somewhat optimistic that having more prosecutors involved may prevent complete suppression of damaging information.