Tucker, Country 404, House Slaves, Pirate Scholz, Perfidious Albion, Aliens, Hegemon, Hand of God, North, South and more: Ben Tóth’s latest talking point outline will have you locked and loaded!

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 404

TUCKER TO MOSCOW

– 404: Tucker appears on Myrotvorets / Peacemaker kill list ( screenshots )

– 404: Ukraine sergeant – Cyrillo – calls Tucker Carlson ‘Enemy of Humanity’ for Russia visit ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Exclusive: Tucker Carlson could face sanctions over Putin interview – MEPs ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Tucker Carlson joins long line of ‘useful idiot’ journalists helping tyrants ( Politico EU )

– EUK: Hungary vows to veto sanctions against Tucker Carlson ( Balázs Orbán’s X > Breitbart )

– USC: Tucker Carlson is in Russia to interview Putin. He’s already doing the bidding of Kremlin ( CNN )

– USC: The American face of authoritarian propaganda – Anne Applebaum ( The Atlantic )

– USC: US Intelligence Community confirms Tucker‘s ‘killer’ interview with Putin ( CBS )

– USC: Tucker Carlson could be ‘prosecuted’ for Putin interview, lawyer warns – Espionage act! ( Newsweek )

__________AFTER___________

– EUK: Putin threatens World War Three if US deploys troops in Ukraine ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Tucker Carlson: Putin takes charge as TV host gives free rein to Kremlin ( BBC )

– EUK: How Tucker Carlson became Putin’s useful idiot – Gideon Rachman ( FT )

– EUK: To ‘counter Russian narrative’ France to flood world with fake news, like we did in Africa – Nicolas Richaud

– USC: Putin walks away with propaganda victory after Tucker Carlson’s softball interview ( CNN )

– USC: US rejects Putin’s latest call for Ukraine negotiations ( NYT )

– USC: Prime minister insists Canadians ‘won’t be fooled’ by Putin‘s propaganda ( CBC )

– ASO: Why Russian president Vladimir Putin and Tucker Carlson need each other right now ( ABC )

– ASO: ‘Serious global conflict’: Putin threatens US with war in Tucker Carlson interview ( NZ Herald )

– RUC: The State Duma advised Roskomnadzor to unblock X / Twitter ( Vedomosti )

404 BATTLEFIELDS

– 404: Should this Ukrainian city fall to Russia, ‘it will be America’s fault’ ( Telegraph )

– 404: Outmanned and outgunned: the challenges facing Ukraine‘s new army chief ( Politico )

– 404: Ukrainian reporters sound alarm on Avdiivka battle, say Russian forces push closer ( NVo Ukraine )

– 404: Ukraine rations munitions as cut to US aid looms, Russia inches forward ( WSJ )

– 404: Russian artillery gunners are getting cocky as Ukraine runs out of ammo ( Forbes )

– 404: Ukraine needs more troops. Hardened professionals from Colombia are helping ( AP )

– 404: Ukraine has already lost. And not only on the battlefield ( ElDestape Argentina )

– 404: Front-line Ukrainian infantry units report acute shortage of soldiers ( WaPo )

– 404: Ukrainian parliament approves mobilization bill on first reading ( Ukro Pravda )

– USC: Ukraine’s creative use of weapons carries promise and risk – officials – US Patriot Il-76 admission! ( NYT )

– USC: White House recognized the military nature of Russian targets in Ukraine ( Kirby > Ria )

– EUK: Paris summons Russian ambassador over French deaths in Ukraine ( Politico )

– RUC: US ‘involved’ in deadly Ukrainian attack on Russian bakery – Nabenzya at UN ( RT )

404 POWER STRUGGLE

– 404: The Ukraine war has changed, so Elensky must reinvent himself – Galeotti ( Times feature )

– 404: Elensky admits he is thinking of sacking Aluzhny, and other officials ( RAI Italy interview )

– 404: Elensky says ‘reset’ of Ukraine’s top officials is coming ( Telegraph )

– 404: President Elensky pledges to shake up Ukraine‘s leadership ( FT )

– 404: Elensky wants new top team ‘who think we can win’ ( Times )

– 404: Elensky appoints Oleksandr Syrsy as commander of Armed Forces, thanks Aluzhny for service ( address )

– 404: Zaluzhny is out, the ‘butcher’ is in ( Politico EU )

– 404: Elensky‘s ugly fight with general exposes split in Ukraine ( Bloomberg )

– 404: Elensky awards Hero of Ukraine awards to Aluzhny, Budanov ( video )

404 FUNDING

– 404: Ukraine worries about losing its biggest weapon: US military aid ( NYT )

– 404: Ex-Ukraine ambassador Melnyk: Need €160B a year from Europe ( Berliner Zeitung )

– 404: US funding failure will have serious battlefield consequences, says Ukraine ( Guardian )

– EUK: Reagan ‘must be turning in his grave’: Poland’s Tusk slams Republicans over Ukraine aid ( Politico )

– EUK: Ukraine’s €50b package will ensure her survival, won’t change the situation on the front ( Polskie Radio )

– EUK: The EU‘s €50b for Ukraine is basically nothing – with Republicans thwarting $60b EU bill to grow ( Politico )

– EUK: German opposition to reform EU fund risks delaying arms to Ukraine ( FT )

– EUK: Ukraine to win? Only one in ten ( Germans ) believe in it ( Wirtschafts Woche )

– USC: International group: Russia must pay Ukraine for environmental damage ( VOA / CIA )

– USC: The US has been a bulwark for Ukraine. What happens if support collapses? ( NYT )

– USC: Bipartisan border, Ukraine deal looks fails in US Senate – despite President’s speech ( Reuters )

– USC: Trump’s already back, America has ditched Ukraine. What does Europe do now? ( Politico )

– USC: Trump‘s betrayal of Ukraine – US aid becoming “increasingly unlikely” this year – Gideon Rachman ( FT )

– USC: With border deal doomed, Chuck Schumer plans test vote on Ukraine and Israel Aid ( NYT )

– USC: Biden will veto standalone Israel aid bill backed by GOP – White House ( Guardian )

– USC: US House rejects Republican-led effort to pass Israel-only aid bill ( Reuters )

– USC: ‘No alternative’ to US aid to Ukraine, says White House ( FT )

– USC: Peace in Ukraine – What a Ukraine peace deal might look like? ( NYT )

Context : money from Congress is the difference between a bad deal and a better one.

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THE HOUSE SLAVES

INTERNAL FIGHTS

– EUK: The Swedish Nord Stream investigation is closed – no ‘specific subjects’ ( Zeit )

– EUK: Sweden closes investigation of Pipeline blasts, stays silent on cause ( NYT )

– EUK: The EU isn’t about to collapse. It’s worse than that – economic political disaster zone ( Telegraph )

– EUK: The rise of agricultural populism – politicians balance farmers and climate action ( FT )

– EUK: Italian farmers to cross the Rubicon with Rome blockade ( Politico )

– EUK: This time, the far-right threat is real – next EU parliament looks pro-Russia less green ( Politico )

– EUK: Ursula von der Leyen scraps pesticide reduction bill, in gift to farmers ( Politico )

– EUK: Serbian party comes up with initiative to join BRICS ( TASS )

– EUK: Bulgaria arrests state security officer for spying for Russia ( Politico )

– EUK: Switzerland asks China to join meeting on ending war in Ukraine ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: EU to take action against Hungary’s ‘sovereignty’ law – violating EU law ( Guardian )

– EUK: Vote in Hungarian parliament on Sweden‘s admission to NATO fails on February 5 ( TASS )

– USC: US lawmakers call on Hungarian leader Orbán to immediately approve Sweden’s NATO membership ( AP )

THEFT AND SANCTIONS

– EUK: EU readies more Russia sanctions ahead of Ukraine war anniversary ( FT )

– EUK: Belgium proposes plan to G7 for using frozen Russian assets to benefit Ukraine ( Ukro Pravda )

– EUK: G7 draws up plans to backstop debt-raising for Ukraine with Russian assets ( FT )

– EUK: EU cautious on idea of using Russian frozen assets as collateral ( Reuters )

– EUK: How the Rockefellers and Billionaire donors pressed Biden on LNG Exports ( WSJ )

– EUK: Trump team targets EU for punishing trade steps – digital taxes ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: EU braces for Transatlantic trade battle with Trump ( Bloomberg )

FEAR MONGERING

– EUK: Putin’s posturing on NATO’s doorstep raises alarm – in Baltics ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Living in shadow of Putin‘s Russia feeds fears on NATO‘s border ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Poland preparing for threat of war with Russia, defense minister says ( DPA POL )

– EUK: Polish former General proposes expelling all Ukrainians of military age from EU ( Gazeta PL )

– EUK: If Putin wins – could war spread to the rest of Europe? ( Le Point FR magazine COVER )

– EUK: Latvia reintroduces conscription to deter Russia from invading Europe ( Telegraph )

– EUK: Russia is more dangerous than two years ago ( DW )

MILITARY INDUSTRIAL

– 404: Turkey’s drone maker Baykar begins to build plant in Ukraine ( Reuters )

– 404: EU‘s foreign policy chief Borrell arrives in Kiev, underlines support ( Reuters )

– 404: ‘You don’t need help with drones’ – Borrell to Ukraine in Kiev ( RT )

– EUK: Portuguese FM João Gomes Cravinho reiterates readiness to give F-16 training in Kiev ( videos )

– EUK: Greece will not supply S-300 missiles to Ukraine – spokesperson ( Parapolitika GR )

– USC: US Army aims to double 155mm shell production by October – but needs Ukraine aid bill ( Defense One )

– USC: US CMV-22B Osprey “Not operationally suitable” according to test report – remains grounded ( Warzone )

– RUC: Russia is deploying Starlink in Ukraine – deliveries via Dubai – Reports ( Newsweek )

– EUK: Netherlands pledges six extra F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine – above 18 already pledged ( Politico )

PIRATE SCHOLZ / GERMANY

– EUK: Scholz to seek to shore up support for Ukraine, NATO on US trip ( Reuters )

– EUK: Germany’s Scholz – in Washington – urges EU, US to do more on Ukraine Aid ( Kyiv Post )

– EUK: A Russian victory in Ukraine would imperil us all – Olaf Scholz – in Washington! ( WSJ )

– EUK: German VC Robert Habeck gives bizarre ‘victim’ interview to ARD on Russia, China, USA ( ARD )

– EUK: After Habeck,Lindner ( Finance min ) now also says Germany ‘is no longer competitive’ ( Focus )

– EUK: Even Olaf Scholz is admitting Germany‘s government is in trouble ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: A mounting crisis of confidence confronts Olaf Scholz ( Economist )

________________________

– EUK: German firm BASF to pull out of Xinjiang after Uyghur abuse claims – NED / Open societies ( Guardian )

– EUK: Germany’s days as an Industrial Superpower are coming to an End ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Bye, Germany! Our economy is moving abroad more and more ( Bild )

– EUK: Why the left-wing politician wants to free Germany from Washington’s grip. ( New Statesman )

– EUK: Mein Opa und die Nazis – My grandpa and the Nazis – Baerbock had no idea of new documents ( Bild )

– EUK: German companies are cutting production surprisingly significantly ( Handelsblatt )

– EUK: Tractor chaos, neo-Nazis and a flatlining economy: why has Germany lost the plot? ( Guardian )

– EUK: Rising distress in Germany signals a lot more struggles ahead – exposure to US real estate too ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: German Federal government paves the way for the nationalization of Rosneft ( Handelsblatt )

– RUC: Kremlin warns Germany over ‘expropriation’ of Russian Rosneft assets ( RT )

PERFIDIOUS ALBION

– EUK: ‘Frustrated’ businesses seek staff abroad as Britons abandon work – 900k vacancies ( Times )

– EUK: UK state pension age will soon need to rise to 71, say experts ( Guardian )

– EUK: UK workers must accept lower pay deals to help beat inflation, says Bank ratesetter ( Guardian )

– EUK: Tables w/o food, bedrooms w/o beds. Grinding child poverty in Britain calls for anger – G. Brown! ( Guardian )

– EUK: Russian oil getting into UK via refinery loophole, reports claim ( BBC )

– EUK: King Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer ( Sky )

– EUK: Britain ‘will have enough weapons’ for WW3 insists top minister as spending reaches £50b ( GBNews )

– EUK: Top secret Russian weapon jamming GPS technology on East flank of NATO ( Daily Mail )

– EUK: British Royal navy ( £3b ) aircraft carrier cancels sailing after propeller issue ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: Britain‘s warships have gym where land attack missiles should be ( Telegraph )

– EUK: British Royal Navy scrap major warship patrols around the Falklands ( Telegraph )

BATTLEGROUND WEST ASIA

THE GENOCIDE

– ISR: Israel’s next target in Gaza war is likely Rafah. Terrified people say there’s nowhere left to go ( AP )

– ISR: Israel warned against ‘catastrophic’ Rafah offensive as starvation fears grow ( Guardian )

– ISR: Israel bombs overcrowded Rafah as UN warns of ‘humanitarian nightmare’ ( Guardian )

– ISR: Israel launches deadly strike on former ‘safe’ Gaza city of Rafah ( Guardian )

– ISR: Israel has killed nearly 900 Palestinians since ICJ order to prevent acts of genocide ( Intercept )

– ISR: What Israeli Soldiers’ videos reveal: Cheering destruction and mocking Gazans ( NYT )

– ISR: Gaza’s last refuge becomes Israel’s next target ( FT main feature )

THE PRICE

– ISR: Israel hit with first ever downgrade as Moody’s cites war impact ( Bloomberg )

– ISR: New Polling shows how much global support Israel has lost ( Time )

– ISR: It’s time for Ben-Gvir to shut up – editorial ( Jpost )

– ISR: Report: With 30,000 departures, Ben Gurion Airport sees busiest day since 10-7 ( TO Israel )

– ISR: Israel insurance firms, pension funds on verge of bankruptcy – Report ( Arabi Post > IRNA )

– ISR: The ‘Guardian’ exposes how CNN slants the Gaza news ( Mondoweiss )

– USC: US admits it hasn’t verified Israel’s UNRWA claims, media ignores it ( Mondoweiss )

– USC: US public support for Israel drops, majority backs ceasefire Reuters / Ipsos shows ( Reuters )

– ASO: Japan‘s Itochu to end cooperation with Israel‘s Elbit amid Gaza war ( Reuters )

THE PEACE

– WEA: Hamas presents three-stage truce deal, demands full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza ( Cradle )

– ISR: Netanyahu says Hamas’ demands on hostage and ceasefire deal are ‘delusional’ ( CNN )

– ISR: Israel scorns America’s unprecedented peace plan – Arab security guarantees remarkable ( Economist )

– USC: Netanyahu’s delusional, deadly quest for ‘total victory’ ( WaPo )

– USC: Blinken tells Netanyahu he will think about the thousands of children killed in Gaza all his life ( TO Israel )

– USC: Blinken pursues Gaza truce as Israel presses onslaught ( Reuters )

– USC: Hillary Clinton: Netanyahu ‘has to go, is not a trustworthy leader’ ( TO ISrael )

THE REGION

– WEA: Saudi Arabia names conditions for Israel deal – 1967 borders, East Jerusalem capital ( RT )

– WEA: Lebanon rejects demands to push Hezbollah away from southern border ( Cradle )

– WEA: Iran cautions US, UK not to test the Wrath of West Asia ( FARS )

– WEA: China, Iran and Russia will hold five-day trilateral drills in Gulf of Oman ( Andalou )

– WEA: Why Iran is hard to intimidate – enough US troops to invite attacks not enough to deter them ( Economist )

– WEA: Iraq labels US ‘factor of instability’ after three killed in drone attack ( Guardian )

– AFR: Foreign Minister of Sudan meets counterpart in Tehran, Iran ( IRNA )

– ASO: India inks agreement to extend Qatar LNG deal by 20 years ( Cradle )

THE ALIENS

– USC: US says strikes against Iran-backed militias are ‘beginning, not the end’ ( FT )

– USC: US drone strike kills Iran-backed militia leader in Baghdad ( BBC )

– USC: US plans further retaliation in Mideast as Blinken heads to the region ( NYT )

– USC: Meta removes Instagram, Facebook accounts of Iran‘s Khamenei ( The Hill )

– USC: Welcome to Dearborn, America‘s Jihad capital – Steven Stalinsky ( WSJ )

– USC: Is Antony Blinken too nice to be Secretary of State? ( Politico )

– USC: Biden finds that ‘forever wars’ are hard to quit ( WaPo )

– EUK: HMS Richmond takes over from HMS Diamond in Red Sea after attacks ( UK Navy journal )

– EUK: Conflict in the Middle East is affecting a key energy lifeline for Europe ( AP )

– EUK: Red Sea tensions risk significantly higher inflation, OECD warns ( CNBC )

THE UN

– UN: Judge Julia Sebutinde elected Vice-President of the International Court of Justice ( ICJ )

– UK: Judge Nawaf Salam elected President of the International Court of Justice ( ICJ )

– UN: Nicaragua taking Germany, Canada, UK, Netherlands to ICJ for genocide ( Al Mayadeen )

– UN: UN to probe UNRWA for “neutrality” investigate “ties to terrorism” ( RT )

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THE HEGEMON

ELECTIONS

– USC: Biden confuses Macron with dead French president Mitterrand ( Le Monde )

– USC: Biden again confuses European leaders, swapping Kohl and Merkel ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Biden’s attempt to address Memory issue backfires with new al-Sisi gaffe ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Biden has more than an age problem. Voters don’t see him as Presidential. ( WSJ )

– USC: Biden’s ‘memory too poor to face trial’ over classified documents ( Times )

– USC: ‘My memory is fine’: Biden shouts at reporters as he defends his mental competence ( Telegraph )

– USC: Biden will not face charges over classified papers, says ‘memory is fine’ ( Reuters )

– USC: Special counsel won’t charge Biden in classified documents probe; cites ‘poor memory’ ( WaPo )

– USC: 59% see Biden in mental decline ( Rasmussen Reports )

– USC: Nikki Haley loses to ‘none of these candidates’ in Nevada primary ( NBC )

– USC: Trump’s lead over Biden may be smaller than it looks ( Economist )

– USC: Trump suggests 60% tariff on all Chinese imports if reelected ( CNN )

ECONOMY

– USC: We’re not eating enough Bacon, and that’s a problem for the economy ( WSJ )

– USC: US banking profits plunged 45% in final months of 2023 ( FT )

– USC: America’s economy is booming. So why are bosses worried? ( Economist )

– USC: Boeing’s Next Crisis: Aerospace Workers Demanding 40% Pay Raise ( Bloomberg )

– USC: ‘The great contraction’ hits Hollywood – Disney, Warner, Fox ad revenue 7-12% ( Reuters )

– USC: Money, power and parties collide in Miami for the Coachella of hedge funds ( Bloomberg )

– USC: Americans being priced out of their love affair with cars ( Newsweek )

– USC: A record number of Americans can’t afford their rent. Lawmakers are scrambling to help ( AP )

HAND OF GOD

– USC: Hundreds of thousands are without power as intense rain pummels California ( NYT )

– USC: Californians face ‘devastating’ insurance hikes ( newsweek )

– USC: 5 Marines aboard helicopter that went down outside San Diego are confirmed dead, military says ( AP )

THE NORTH

– USC: PM Trudeau, not speaker Rota invited Nazi veteran to Elensky reception ( Globe and Mail )

THE SOUTH

– LAT: Former Chilean President Sebastian Pinera killed in helicopter crash ( CNN )

– LAT: Javier Millei cries uncontrollably visiting Wailing Wall in Israel ( videos )

– LAT: Nayib Bukele re-elected in a landslide as President of El Salvador ( TeleSUR )

– LAT: Gangsters in El Salvador are terrified of Nayib Bukele, but who will protect people from him? ( Economist )

– LAT: Bolivia wins $450m Chinese loan to build country’s first Zinc refinery ( TeleSur )

THE HEARTLANDS

RUSSIA

– RUC: Xi and Putin reject US ‘interference’ and pledge industrial co-operation ( FT )

– RUC: The surprising resilience of the Russian economy – faster growth than ALL G7 countries ( FT feature )

– RUC: EU leaders’ statements about Ukraine out of touch with reality – Russian envoy Logvinov ( TASS )

– RUC: US fails to catch up with Russia on hypersonic systems – Russian Foreign Ministry ( TASS )

– RUC: US bought record $1.2b worth of Uranium from Russia in 2023 – US Statistics ( Ria )

– RUC: Only 854 companies of 3,708 left Russia ( Novayagazeta EU )

CHINA

– RUC: China‘s consumer prices suffer biggest fall since 2009 as deflation risks stalk economy ( Reuters )

– RUC: China on cusp of next-generation chip production despite US curbs ( FT )

– RUC: China: NATO pushing the Russia-Ukraine conflict toward a ‘world war’ ( GT )

– RUC: The West hasn’t grasped the scale of the disaster facing China ( Telegraph )

– RUC: Spies or scientists? China opens Antarctic base on America’s doorstep ( Times UK )

– RUC: China on the cusp of next-generation ( 5nm ) chip-production despite US curbs ( FT )

ASIA WARSPEAK

– USC: China named as hypothetical enemy for 1st time in Japan-US exercise ( Kyodo )

– USC: How primed for War is China? Risk signals for conflict are flashing red ( FP )

– USC: Vietnam Overtakes China as largest exporter of goods made with Uyghur forced labor ( VOA / CIA )

– USC: US Army Special Forces train Taiwan troops near China‘s coast – Kinmen Is.10 km off-coast! ( Newsweek )

ASIA PERIPHERY

– ASO: In shock result, allies of jailed ex-leader Khan win most seats in Pakistan election ( CNN )

– ASO: India mulls new oil projects with Russia – Oil India Limited official Ranjit Rath ( Tass )

– ASO: Tesla sold only one car in Korea in January – earlier it wanted a factory there ( Bloomberg )

– EUK: North Koreans working in China ‘exploited like slaves’ – I thought everyone was?? ( BBC )

– ASO: Japan: Contaminated water leak occurs at water purification equipment at Fukushima ( UNI )

– ASO: Japan: Like it or not, Hong Kong is still Asia‘s leading financial center ( Nikkei! )

AFRICA

– AFR: Senegal’s fury over delayed election adds to West Africa unrest ( Bloomberg )

– AFR: Senegal faces political crisis as President Macky Sall delays polls ( Reuters )

– USC: Senegal was Africa’s poster child for democracy. Where did it all go wrong? ( CNN )

– EUK: How South Africa slid from rainbow nation to hotbed of corruption ( Times )

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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