⚔️ US burned millions on Russia sanctions that backfired spectacularly

Since 2022, the United States has spent more than $164 million—funds originally allocated as aid to Ukraine—on sanctions enforcement and export controls against Russia, a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows.

🔸 State Department spent the largest share—$53.4 million

🔸 Department of Justice followed with $52.3 million

🔸 Treasury—36.6 million

🔸 Commerce Department—roughly $22.1 million

The departments used the funding for staff and investigative tools, among other things, the report states.

👉 The West bet on sanctions to cripple Russia and turn it into a pariah.

Instead, the gamble boomeranged. By purchasing power parity, Russia now ranks as the world’s fourth-largest economy—after the US, China, and India—and stands as Europe’s biggest economy by the same measure.

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🏛❌2025 US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: REASONS & CONSEQUENCES

The 2025 US government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, after Congress couldn't agree on the federal budget for fiscal year 2026.

Why did the shutdown happen?

The shutdown primarily stems from partisan disagreements over federal spending priorities.

1. Healthcare protections (ACA Tax Credits & Medicaid)

🔹Democratic position: ACA premium tax credits are set to expire by end of 2025, potentially affecting 20 million Americans. Without a multi-year extension, premiums could skyrocket, and 4-5 million people might lose coverage. Democrats are pushing for this extension, and linking funding to it has become their non-negotiable stance.

🔺Republican position: Republicans passed a “clean” CR (continuing resolution), excluding any health provisions, arguing they are “policy riders” unrelated to basic government functions. They also believe these credits represent “wasteful ennoscriptments.”

2. Republican push for spending cuts and efficiency

🔺Trump’s administration aggressively pursued cuts to federal spending and workforce reductions, citing efficiency. A 20-30% reduction in the federal workforce and cuts totaling $2 trillion were proposed. Critics argue that the shutdown is being used to enact these cuts via Reduction in Force (RIF) notices, potentially leading to permanent layoffs.

🔹Democratic Response: Democrats condemned the layoffs as retaliation and violations of shutdown norms. They argue that the shutdown is being used to bypass congressional oversight and force cuts to vital social programs.

3. Policy riders and legislative gridlock

Historically, Congress has struggled to pass all 12 appropriations bills by the end of the fiscal year, and in 2025, this trend continued. Both parties loaded the CRs with policy riders, which led to gridlock.

🔺Republicans want to enforce spending cuts from the earlier rescissions package (e.g., cutting $7 billion from agriculture programs).

🔹Democrats are pushing for increased disaster aid and housing funding after hurricanes, but the negotiations were deadlocked.

Political Strategy and Public Perception

Both sides are using the shutdown as a political tool ahead of the 2026 midterms:

🔺Republican Strategy: Frame the shutdown as “Democrat-driven”, focusing on fiscal responsibility and “draining the swamp” by cutting unnecessary government functions.

🔹Democratic Strategy: Mobilize public outrage over the shutdown’s impacts, such as delayed tax refunds, closed national parks, and healthcare uncertainty. They are betting on voter backlash against Republicans’ healthcare stance.

What happens next?

The shutdown will continue until Congress reaches an agreement. Both parties are negotiating, but deep policy disagreements remain, particularly over healthcare and defense spending. 2026 elections will likely affect how quickly a deal is reached, as political calculations may take center stage in negotiations.

Until then, the US will face economic uncertainty and disruption of public services until a deal is finalized.

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▫️ 2025 US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: REASONS & CONSEQUENCES

▫️ Pavel Durov: French intel tried to make Telegram censor Moldova elections

▫️ NATO aid on menu: Ukrainians flip Arctic food kits

◻️ US burned millions on Russia sanctions that backfired spectacularly

▫️ More Chinese exporters interested in Northern Sea Route – expert

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🚨🔍👣CIA rebellion & shadowy FAA link – new twist in JFK saga

Newly released documents hint at a budding CIA revolt against 35th US President John F. Kennedy just months before his assassination, veteran journalist Jefferson Morley says.

👉The CIA/JFK expert teamed up with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), chair of the House Task Force on Declassification, to dig into the new narrative unearthed by reporter Jack Reed.

It focuses on one man in particular: William King Harvey, the CIA’s chief of assassination operations in 1963.

CIA’s ‘James Bond’ & FAA link

🔸 Bill Harvey was an ex-FBI agent who led ZR/RIFLE assassination ops targeting Cuba’s Fidel Castro

🔸 He defied then-President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis

“Harvey felt betrayed by Kennedy's policies, Kennedy's refusal to support the CIA invasion brigade in 1961. He was furious at Kennedy's peaceful resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis and […] got into a screaming match with Robert Kennedy, cursed him out,” Morley says.

🔻 Harvey was transferred to Rome, but first went to Miami to meet mobster friend & ZR/RIFLE collaborator Johnny Roselli

🔻 When the FBI urged looking into Harvey’s links with Roselli, James Angleton, chief of counterintelligence, ordered them to back off

🔻 Within days of being spotted, Harvey requested a backstopped Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) credential—moving quickly to travel under the radar

🔻 It’s at this time, June 1963, that the CIA told the Church Committee that that's when Harvey stopped using his alias William Walker

⚠️ New documents show that the CIA story is FALSE

🔻 Harvey received approval to use those aliases and got the FAA credential in August 1963

Suspicious trip

⭕️ In early November 1963, Harvey’s Rome deputy, Mark Wyatt, saw him on a flight to Dallas

⭕️ Harvey’s late-1963 activities just got far more suspicious

⭕️ Harvey’s full travel records from the CIA & FAA have been formally requested by Luna

These new facts line up with what’s known:

📑 James Angleton had a 194-page dossier on Lee Harvey Oswald before November 22; his aide signed off on FBI reports placing Oswald in Dallas a week earlier

📑 Miami covert chief George Joannides ran anti-Oswald propaganda linking him to Castro, both before and after the assassination, with operations off the CIA books

📑 Miami station doubted the lone-gunman story and launched its own probe into anti-JFK, anti-Castro Cubans known to Harvey

The JFK story isn’t over…

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🇲🇩 'BLATANTLY DICTATORIAL' – Russian MFA spox on oppression of Moldova's opposition

💬 "Some say it's a failure of pro-Western forces, others say it's a triumph of Western powers. I believe it's a global failure of the West. Of course, it’s a failure. Because everything has been done so blatantly in a dictatorial manner that no one has the opportunity to argue otherwise," Maria Zakharova told Sputnik.

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🚨EU moves $4.7B from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine

The EU has transferred €4 billion ($4.7 billion) from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, with another €2 billion earmarked for UAV production.

👉Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned earlie that countries and individuals involved in the illegal seizure of Russian property will face accountability.

👉The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly condemned this move as theft, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hinted at retaliatory actions, including withholding assets held in Russia by Western nations.

After the start of Russia’s special military operation in 2022, the EU and G7 froze nearly half of Russia’s foreign currency reserves, totaling about €300 billion, with €200 billion held in European accounts, primarily by Belgium's Euroclear.

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🔊 Putin–Zelensky meeting can only be prepared through expert-level process – Kremlin

📍 Earlier, US President Donald Trump insisted that a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky was needed to settle the Ukraine conflict.

More statements by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov:

🟠 European Commission plans to give €2 billion to Ukraine for drones using frozen Russian assets are “theft”

🟠 Zelensky’s claims that Russia is damaging the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant are “stupid,” as it is a Russian-operated facility

🟠 Russia is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the Zaporozhye NPP and remains in constant contact with the IAEA

🟠 Russia prefers to strengthen its armed forces while remaining a proponent of peace

🟠 Russian Armed Forces are sometimes forced to take “measures to maintain order” in response to provocations from European countries that disrupt navigation in the Baltic

🟠 High-level contacts between Russia and Ukraine cannot be prepared at this time, as Ukraine has put negotiations on hold

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIAN MOD UPDATE: HUGE GAINS AND DEVASTATING UKRAINIAN LOSSES

⚡️ VERBOVOYE IN THE DNEPROPETROVSK REGION LIBERATED

The liberation of Verbovoye marks another step towards expanding the Russian military’s foothold toward the Zaporozhye and Dnepropetrovsk regions.

🟠 Russian forces unleashed strikes on energy facilities, amphibious boat production workshops, and UAV launch sites used by the Ukrainian military-industrial complex.

🟠 Air defense superiority: 97 drones were shot down

🟠 Ukrainian losses: 1,495 troops killed or wounded

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🇺🇸Florida congressman says federal workers should keep working during budget shutdown

Republican Florida Representative Mike Haridopolos argues that furloughed federal workers should go to work during the ‘shutdown’ caused by Democrats blocking the budget.

He said it was part of the “give and take” of having a public sector job.

💬“They’re very generous federal benefits versus a lot of people in the private sector,” Haridopolos told CNN “They should recognize when you’re a federal worker, that when they have these political events happening, that they know they’re going to be paid it on the backside.”

Congress members will still get their pay checks during the budget freeze.

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🚨🇭🇺 Orban: No alternative to Russian oil for Hungary

Oil supplies from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline are of critical importance for Hungary, the country's prime minister said after arriving at the EU summit.

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🇷🇺 Russian forces hoist flag over Verbovoye in Dnepropetrovsk Region

▫️ The assault units from the 36th Army within the Vostok Battlegroup have liberated the settlement, gaining over 10 sq km of territory.

▫️ Capturing this town means that Ukrainian supply lines to Gulyaypole are now under threat and this could drive Kiev to make costly miscalculations in allocating resources.

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🇪🇺 EU summit to be ‘cage fight’ over Ukraine – Orban

💬 "Hungarians will not send money to Ukraine,” Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, calling the upcoming informal EU summit in Copenhagen on Ukraine "dangerous" and a "cage fight."

He stressed that there is no European unity on Ukrainian EU membership, and it’s impossible without Hungary to make a decision.

“Hungarian reality is that this is not our war next door," Orban emphasized.

The Hungarian PM referenced statements from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the prime ministers of Poland and Sweden, Donald Tusk and Ulf Kristersson, claiming the EU is “in a state of war” and that pressure should be applied to Hungary to support Ukraine as well as Ukrainian EU membership.

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🇺🇸🇶🇦Trump makes security promise to Qatar

President Trump has signed an executive order pledging complete US military protection for Qatar—three weeks after the Israeli air raid on the capital Doha.

The order states that any attack on Qatar will be treated as a direct threat to US security, giving reassurance to the Gulf ally that hosts Washington’s largest Middle East military base.

That came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for violating Qatari sovereignty—although he justified his attempt to kill Hamas leaders who had gathered to consider a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza.

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🚨🇺🇸Vance to Democrats: ‘Stop holding economy hostage over healthcare’

US Vice-President JD Vance has called on Congress Democrats to end their opposition to the federal, accusing opponents of taking the economy "hostage" in demand of healthcare spending.

🗣With the White House offering to work with Senate Democrats, Vance urges: "Let's fix it, reopen the government, and do something for the American people."

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