Unwind chaos on the brain with Ben Tóth’s talking point outline covering the global zeitgeist.

I’ve already printed out my copy. Watch the show he co-hosted this week,

Blowback: Exposing Imperial Decline

https://www.youtube.com/@BlowbackExposingImperial-hh8ig

Outline

BATTLEGROUND EURASIA

404 – Military, economic, political collapse

– 404: Elensky – straight from Münich – arrived near Kupyansk, 15h brigade command ( photos )

– 404: Ukraine says local law-enforcers behind Maidan protester deaths – not Russians ( Bloomberg )

– 404: Ukrainian businesses fear new mobilization law could paralyze economy ( Reuters )

– 404: Russia claims full control of Avdiivka after Ukrainian retreat ( Guardian )

– 404: ‘The road to Avdiivka is filled with Ukrainian corpses’ – several troops fell behind retreat ( CNN feature )

– 404: Ukraine withdrawing from Avdiivka, where outnumbered defenders held out for 4 months ( AP )

– 404: Ukraine used US chemical weapons against Russian troops – MOD ( Sputnik )

– 404: The reasons for the war setback – Julian Röpcke – Zalu-Zele conflict – more conquests ahead ( Bild )

– 404: Ukraine‘s military is shifting to a defensive strategy that failed Nazi Germany in WW2 ( Business Insider )

– 404: Elensky in need: Even the British are now warning of Russia‘s victory by 2026 ( Berliner Zeitung )

– 404: Russia raises its flag in Avdiivka, then presses the advantage on a vulnerable Ukraine ( CNN )

– 404: Five places Russia is fighting to break through Ukrainian Lines ( NYT )

– 404: Ukraine’s bloody decade: A visual history of 10 Years at War ( WSJ )

– 404: Regime change is coming – to Kiev, by Stephen Bryen ( Asia Times )

context: Azov defied Syrski’s orders, angry phone calls from München to Kiev

MÜNICH – Doom, gloom and panic

– 404: ‘How long will the world let Russia be like this?’ Elensky asks world leaders in Munich ( Guardian )

– 404: Ukraine‘s FM suggests how Europeans could find money for munitions for Ukraine* ( Ukro Pravda )

– 404: Ukrainian foreign minister discusses peace prospects with China‘s Wang Yi ( Reuters )

– 404: China‘s Wang says time isn’t right to talk Russia-Ukraine Peace – dismisses idea of summit ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Munich contemplates the ‘end of peaceful times’ ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Russian victories shake global leaders’ faith in Ukraine war prospects ( FT )

– EUK: ‘Wind is blowing against the West’ we have to win battle of narratives – Borrell ( RT )

– EUK: The free world stands together – Bild’s Freedom Night in Munich ( Bild )

– USC: As Putin threatens, despair and hedging in Europe – US wavers, step up defense ( NYT )

– USC: MSC: Western Officials downplay Russian gains in Ukraine war after Avdiivka loss ( FP )

– USC: ‘There’s only Plan A’: Defense leaders fear failure in Ukraine ( Politico )

– USC: Can Ukraine still win? military experts debate possible outcomes ( New Yorker )

– USC: ‘Putin can still be crushed’: Russia’s invasion two years on – US embassy ( Telegraph )

– USC: Lindsey Graham: Time to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism ( Politico US )

– RUC: Lindsey Graham included on Russian register of terrorists and extremists ( Izvestiya )

MÜNICH – Trump!

– 404: Elensky offers Trump a tour of Ukraine’s front line ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Would Trump really leave NATO? Europe is trying not to panic ( Times UK )

– USC: Trump didn’t quit NATO, but a potential second term alarms allies ( WaPo )

– USC: Europe’s security elite braces for Trump, searches for back-up plans ( WaPo )

MÜNICH – Navalnaya

– USC: Navalny’s Widow pledges to carry on Opposition Leader’s Work ( NYT )

– EUK: EU Vows to hold Putin accountable at Navalny widow meeting ( ‘Moscow’ Times )

– EUK: EU human rights sanctions regime to be renamed after Navalny – Borrell ( Brussels Times )

– EUK: Navalny‘s widow to speak to EU foreign ministers Monday ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Putin poisoned Navalny with novichok, claims widow ( Times UK )

– EUK: Navalny’s wife pleads for world to punish Putin at Munich Security Conference ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Yulia Navalnaya: the reluctant politician continuing her late husband’s work ( Guardian )

– EUK: Wife, Protector and Now Political Heir: Yulia Navalnaya Rallies Russians ( NYT )

– EUK: EU demands ‘international investigation’ into Navalny’s death ( RT )

– USC: X social network suspends Yuliya Navalaya‘s account ( X )

MÜNICH – Weapons

– 404: Ukrainian troops withdraw from Avdiivka as ammunition shortage bites ( Reuters )

– 404: Ukraine gets long term German and French security guarantees ( Bloomberg )

– 404: Ukraine doesn’t have enough artillery to battle Russia. A key withdrawal shows that ( WaPo )

– EUK: Armament scandal shatters Pistorius‘ ministry – Germany paid 3x market prices ( Bild )

– EUK: Sweden: Military support for Ukraine: Will cost more than first calculated ( SVT SE )

– EUK: Denmark to donate its ‘entire artillery’ to Ukraine: Prime minister Frederiksen ( Andalou )

– EUK: Denmark urges Europe not to hide behind production problems, supply weapons to Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: Czech Republic ready to send 800,000 artillery shells to Ukraine if ‘funding is found’ ( Euromaidan Press )

– EUK: Fear and loathing in Munich – GR-FR-CY veto ammo purchase from outside of EU ( Politico EU )

– EUK: EU Commission wants anti-drone defenses at Brussels HQ ( Politico EU )

– USC: Biden administration is leaning toward supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles ( NBC )

– USC: The United States plans to train 12 Ukrainian F-16 pilots this fiscal year ( mil.ua )

MÜNICH – Money, thievery

– 404: Ukraine PM calls for fresh sanctions on Russia after Navalny‘s death ( Reuters )

– EUK: EU extends sanctions against Russia over occupation of Ukrainian regions until February 2025 ( Kyiv Ind )

– EUK: Europe seeks to sway Trump camp on NATO, Ukraine aid ( Reuters )

– EUK: Germany says failure to back Ukraine Aid could hurt US Economy – Pistorius ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: As the Ukraine war enters a third year, Putin waits for Western support for Kyiv to wither ( AP )

– EUK: Lithuanian president Nauseda said that sanctions against Russia are ineffective ( RT )

– EUK: EU Needs €100 Billion Joint Bonds to Defend Europe, Estonian PM Says ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: EU takes a step closer to using frozen Russian assets profits for Ukraine ( Euractiv )

– EUK: Bulgaria will allocate €60,000 to Ukraine for EU membership reforms ( Bourgas )

– EUK: Time to punish Putin by using Russian assets – after death of Navalny ( Times UK )

– EUK: Seize frozen Russian assets before US election, says Estonian PM ( FT )

– EUK: EU Should sell joint bonds to boost European Defense, Estonian PM Says ( Bloomberg )

– USC: DOJ to give Ukraine $500K worth of forfeited Russian funds ( The Hill )

– USC: ‘Ukraine Has Minerals’– US republicans propose loan instead of Aid – Graham ( Kyiv Post )

– USC: US troops will be on the front lines against Russia without further Ukraine aid – sen. Coons ( CNBC )

– USC: Europe is panicking about Ukraine aid. Biden’s team should tell the truth ( WaPo )

– USC: With American aid to Ukraine stuck in limbo, others must step up says Canadian DM ( CBC )

– USC: Despite Navalny, it will be weeks before US House considers Ukraine aid ( Reuters )

– USC: Biden urges Republicans to pass Ukraine aid package after Alexei Navalny’s death ( Telegraph )

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ASSANGE

– EUK: Julian Assange: court considers last-ditch bid to fight US extradition ( Guardian )

– ASO: Julian Assange: Australian politicians call for release of WikiLeaks founder ( BBC )

KUZMINOV

– 404: Main Directorate of Intelligence confirms death of Russian pilot Kuzminov ( RBC Ukraine )

– EUK: A Russian pilot who hitched a helicopter to Ukraine was found dead ( ABC Spain )

– EUK: The man murdered in Villajoyosa is the Russian pilot who defected in 2023 ( EFE )

– EUK: Exclusive : “Traitors don’t live long” ( Il Corrispondente ITA )

– USC: Russia‘s kill order on defected helicopter pilot has ‘No Expiration Date’ ( Newsweek )

CHYNA

– EUK: How China plans to invade Europe – with electric vehicles ( Times )

– EUK: EU launches anti-subsidy probe into Chinese train maker CRRC ( FT )

– EUK: Exclusive: German investment in China rises to record high ( Reuters )

– EUK: China will ‘interfere’ in UK general election, warns Taiwanese diplomat ( Telegraph )

– EUK: The US needs a better strategic narrative or it will cede influence to China ( FT )

HOUSE SLAVES – unsorted

– USC: ExxonMobil warns EU that red tape might push it to invest elsewhere ( FT )

– EUK: Geert Wilders: Netherlands is ‘Europe’s fool’ for taking in too many Ukrainian refugees ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Lufthansa strike hits air travel for second time this month ( Reuters )

– EUK: Europe Is being forced to reboot its car industry ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Olaf Scholz blocked Ursula VDL as Nato chief ‘because she would be too tough on Russia’ ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Ursula von der Leyen announces bid for 2nd term ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Hungary‘s government declines offer to meet US senators seeking approval for Sweden-NATO ( WaPo )

– EUK: EU to hit Apple with €500mn penalty in first ever music streaming fine ( FT )

– EUK: UK recession might be over already, says Andrew Bailey ( Times )

– EUK: Britain has raised a generation of anti-Semites. It might be too late to fix ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Nearly 5,000 Brits froze to death last year due to heating costs – EFP study ( RT )

– EUK: ‘It is shameful’: why the return of Victorian-era diseases to the UK alarms health experts ( Guardian )

context : Scabies, measles, rickets and scurvy

SPACE NUKES

– EUK: Russia’s nuclear space weapon a risk for all, says German Space Command chief ( Politico EU )

– USC: Russia is developing nuclear space weapon, destroy satellites with energy wave ( CNN )

NAVALNY – representative sample, there’s literally a flood of these

– EUK: That’s why Navalny really died – was in negotiations to be exchanged!! ( Bild )

– EUK: After Navalny’s death, the West must get tougher on Putin ( Politico EU )

– EUK: The FT View. The extraordinary courage of Alexei Navalny ( FT )

– EUK: After Navalny: ‘They will arrest the activists..  then everything will die out’ ( FT )

– EUK: Navalny’s death is an expression of Putin’s fear, not strength – Mark Galeotti ( Sunday Times )

– EUK: How did Navalny die? Kremlin spies ‘visited prison’ days earlier ( Sunday Times )

– EUK: Navalny didn’t just show enormous courage and express irrepressible hope – he embodied them ( Guardian )

– EUK: The Navalny I knew – witty, relentless, unbowed to the last ( Times )

– EUK: Bill Browder: Putin ‘wanted Navalny dead’ to send message before election ( Times )

– EUK: Putin must pay for ‘murder’ of Navalny, say world leaders ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Putin foe Alexei Navalny dies in jail, West holds Russia responsible ( Reuters )

– EUK: David Cameron: Hold Putin accountable for Navalny‘s death ( Telegraph )

– EUK: US outrage at Navalny‘s death turns into a rallying cry ( Politico US )

– EUK: What next for Putin? After Navalny’s death, many fear what leader will do next ( Guardian )

– EUK: Putin kills off the Handsome Princes ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Alexei Navalny, Russian opposition leader who galvanized huge protests against Putin ( Telegraph )

– USC: Biden says ‘Putin and his thugs’ caused Navalny‘s death ( Reuters )

– USC: Trump breaks silence on Navalny – but no mention of Putin ( Times UK )

– USC: Trump compares himself to Navalny, death reminds him of ‘unfair courtroom decisions’ ( Telegraph )

– USC: Putin Critics ‘Close to Extinction’ in Post-Navalny Era ( Newsweek )

“Every time the Ukrainian Armed Forces abandon yet another city that they cannot defend due to a lack of ammunition, don’t just think about it in the context of peace and democracy. Think about the fact that it means Russian soldiers are a few kilometers closer to your homes and your children. And if you look at it from that perspective, you will find the money.”

Dymitro Kuleba, Foreign Minister of Ukraine

BATTLEGROUND WEST ASIA

THE GENOCIDE

– ISR: Israeli warplanes bomb targets deep inside Lebanon ( videos, NNA Lebanon )

– ISR: Israel to restrict Palestinian nation’s access to al-Aqsa Mosque during holy month of Ramadan ( PressTV )

– ISR: Israel to expand gas exports to Egypt ( Reuters > Cradle )

– ISR: Israel’s Economy Contracts Nearly 20% After Outbreak of War ( Bloomberg )

– ISR: Rebuffing Biden, full cabinet rejects Palestinian state recognition as ‘prize for terror’ ( TO Israel )

– ISR: Nearly 75% of journalists killed in 2023 dies in Israel‘s war on Gaza: CPJ ( Al Jazeera )

– ISR: Fighting, fuel shortages knock out Gaza‘s second-largest hospital ( Reuters )

– ISR: Qassam Brigades hits Zionist Hermes 900 recon drone over Gaza ( PressTV )

– ISR: As Ramadan approaches, Israel threatens war on Lebanon ( Cradle )

– ISR: Israeli public prioritizes ‘Defeating Hamas‘ over ensuring hostages return – Poll ( Haaretz )

– ISR: IDF chief in message to troops: ‘Unlike our enemy, we maintain our humanity’ ( TO Israel )

context: please don’t take souvenirs, or film revenge videos, LOL

REACTIONS

– EUK: 26 EU countries warn Israel against ‘catastrophic’ Rafah offensive ( Reuters )

– WEA: Iran to US: Stop hypocrisy on Israel’s offensive against Rafah ( PressTV )

– WEA: Indian workers refuse to handle weapons cargoes for Israel ( PressTV )

– WEA: Israel was behind attacks on major gas pipelines in Iran, officials say ( WSJ )

– WEA: Arab League designates 60 Israeli organizations as terror entities ( PressTV )

– USC: Blinken hints at ‘extraordinary’ opportunity for Israel-Saudi peace ( Jpost )

– USC: US envoy says Israel has not presented evidence that Hamas diverted UN deliveries ( AP )

– USC: US to increase aid to Armenia to reduce its energy dependence on Russia and Iran ( AzerNews )

– USC: USAID Invests $5m in Armenia‘s Energy Independence: A Strategic Shift Towards Renewables ( Bloomberg )

– UN: The UN Security Council is voting on a Gaza cease-fire, with the US certain to veto ( AP )

– UN: US pushes for UN to support temporary Gaza ceasefire, oppose Rafah assault ( Reuters )

– UN: US moves to stop Israel’s invasion of Rafah at UN ( Telegraph )

– UN: UN court to weight consequences of Israel occupation: 52 countries to give evidence ( Arab News )

– UN: Top UN court to hold hearings on legality of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian-claimed lands ( AP )

– AFR: South Africa to prosecute any citizens fighting in Israeli Army ( MintPress )

– AFR: African Union condemns Israel‘s offensive in Gaza, calls for immediate ceasefire ( PressTV )

– AFR: African Union says Israel‘s observer status suspended ( Al Jazeera )

LULA FACTOR

– LAT: Brazil‘s Lula compares Israel to Nazis, Gaza war to Holocaust ( Jpost )

– LAT: Brazil’s president declared persona non grata – Israeli foreign minister ( TASS )

– LAT: Brazil Pulls Ambassador in Israel in Escalating Diplomatic Row ( Bloomberg )

THE RED SEA

– EUK: EU launches Red Sea naval mission – Aspides – to protect shipping from Houthi attacks ( Al Jazeera )

– EUK: British ship Rubimar sunk after being attacked by Houthis in the Arabian Gulf of Aden ( Sky )

– USC: Houthis say they shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper Drone Off coast of Yemen ( NYT )

– USC: US conducts strikes against Houthi underwater vessel for the first time since Red Sea attacks began ( CNN )

– USC: Pentagon acknowledges Yemeni forces deploy underwater drones in Red Sea for first time ( PressTV )

– USC: US navy’s battle against Yemen ‘largest since WWII’ ( US admiral > Cradle )

– GLO: Container lines ‘struggling’ with port congestion and ship shortages ( FT )

THE HEGEMON

THE ECONOMY

– USC: ‘Courage to serve’ : expedited citizenship for immigrants who enroll in military ( Washington Examiner )

– USC: SpaceX forges closer ties with UW Spy and Military Agencies ( WSJ Exclusive )

– USC: Bad property debt exceeds reserves at largest US banks ( FT )

– USC: Largest US banks set to log sharp rise in bad loans ( FT )

– USC: The Economy is booming, Data Show. Wall Street Thinks Otherwise. ( WSJ )

– USC: Goldman, hedge funds step up activity in physical uranium as prices spike ( Reuters )

– USC: The brutal reality of plunging Office Values Is Here ( Bloomberg )

– USC: How War in Europe Boosts the US Economy ( WSJ )

THE ELECTION

– USC: Out of office: Biden laps it up with weekends in Delaware ( Times UK )

– USC: White House Medical Unit flouted rules for years, reports find ( WaPo )

– USC: Biden’s brother used his name to promote a hospital chain. Then it collapsed. ( Politico US )

– USC: Federal agencies scramble to finish Biden’s rules — and protect his legacy from Trump ( Politico )

– USC: Nancy Pelosi lashes out at ‘grotesque’ Donald Trump – ‘cannot win’ ( Newsweek )

– USC: Trump-supporting truckers vow boycott to ‘shut New York City down’ after $355M fraud ruling ( NYP )

– USC: Antony Blinken‘s family is the latest target of Washington’s ugliest protest trend ( Politico )

CENSORSHIP

– USC: Kremlin runs disinformation campaign to undermine Elensky, documents show ( WaPo )

– USC: Canada, US, UK endorse framework to fight foreign information manipulation ( CBC )

Context: developed by US, ‘supporting independent media’, go beyond ‘monitor-and report’ aproach

PERIPHERY: SOUTH

– LAT: Poverty in Argentina hits 20-year high at 57.4%, study says ( Reuters )

– LAT: Ecuador reverses plan to sell Russian weapons to US ( RIA )

– LAT: Russia to resume Ecuador Banana Imports after arms deal row ( AFP )

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THE HEARTLANDS

RUSSIA

– RUC: Medvedev arrives in Grozny, Chechnya ( videos ), Lavrov arrives in Havana ( videos )

– RUC: Lavrov arrives in Caracas, Venezuela on 2nd stop of Latin American tour ( MFA )

– RUC: Biden offered prime time Russian TV slot – Dmitry Kiselev sends open letter ( RT )

– RUC: The Kremlin has never been richer – thanks to a US strategic partner – India ( CNN )

– RUC: Putin gifts Kim Jong-un a Russian-made car – Aurus Senat armored limo ( KCNA > Telegraph )

CHINA

– RUC: Chinese scientists create a plasma stealth device to take military aircraft off the radar ( SCMP )

– RUC: China’s homegrown passenger jet makes international debut ( CNN )

– USC: US bid to loosen China’s grip on key metals for EVs Is stalling ( Bloomberg )

– USC: In quantum tech entanglement with China, US may ‘already be behind’ as it blocks access ( SCMP )

– USC: Navy envisions ‘hundreds of thousands’ of drones in the Pacific to deter China ( Defense One )

– USC: Stellantis CEO says Chinese EVs are ‘possibly the biggest risk’ to him and Elon Musk’s Tesla ( Fortune )

– USC: The Taiwan Catastrophe – what America and the World would lose if China took the Island ( Foreign Affairs )

PERIPHERY: SOUTH

– ASO: Australia unveils plan for largest navy buildup since World War II ( CNN )

– ASO: India’s Most Powerful Politician in Generations Can’t Win Over its Farmers ( WSJ )

– ASO: Indian farmers reject government offer and say they will carry on marching to New Delhi ( AP )

– ASO: Japan‘s SDF to soften hairstyle rules as recruit shortage worsens ( Japan Times )

– ASO: Support for Japan PM Kishida‘s cabinet hits record low 14% – Mainichi Poll ( Mainichi )

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APPENDIX : Legend

USC = United States + Canada

EUK = Europe + United Kingdom | 404 = Ukraine

WEA = West Asia, formerly Middle East | ISR = Israel

ASO = Asia + Oceania

AFR = Africa

LAT = Latin America