"The protests were the largest since a wave of demonstrations rocked the country after Mahsa Amini, 22, died in police custody following her arrest for not wearing the hijab correctly. At the time, Iranian police responded with force, imposing an internet shutdown and violently cracking down on demonstrations with teargas and gunfire.

Analysts say the Iranian government has reduced its domestic repression since the 12-day war with Israel during the summer, as it seeks to shore up support after suffering significant blows to its image as an impregnable regime.

The "morality police", for example, have at times relaxed the strict application of social edicts in Tehran."

;;

"The erosion of purchasing power is exacerbating an already dire economic situation in Iran, making food and other daily needs increasingly unaffordable.

According to Iran's government statistics centre, food prices are up 72% and medical goods 50% compared with this time last year. At the same time, the government has said it will increase taxes in the Iranian new year, which starts on 21 March."

Jonathon Turley, lmao... what Alan Dershowitz wasn't available to comment on, 'European censorship'?

- Boomers end in '64-ish. Thiel and Musk are definitely Gen X. Like Kavanaugh. They're early Gen X.

Like I said.

They and their billionaire friends gave us Trump with their bribe investments for Media buys, were we to be playing JPW's game.

Which we aren't.

Here's a good New Year's quote for all of us to keep in mind:

"Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people,"

(often attributed to Socrates, encouraging focus on concepts, progress, and intellectual growth rather than gossip or trivial happenings. While widely shared as Socratic wisdom, the exact wording isn't in Plato's dialogues, with some tracing the sentiment to historian Henry T. Buckle or Eleanor Roosevelt.)

#10

Apparently, as you obviously have no actual retort other than one big whine.

Musk and Thiel and most of DJT's biggest donors are your Gen. Own it.

But I'm not going to play your stupid kid's game.

- corkandsniff

That was very grown up! Good job (pats head).

Generational blame games are Distractions to the point of what's happening now... sorta like rwing distractions about Trans and Immigrants.

Perhaps you should blame Boomers for stopping the War in Vietnam (that killed at least 4 million people outright, and is still killing people today with chemicals), running Tricky Dick out of Office, JFK, The Great Society, and Women's Rights.

The Greatest Gen, who won WWII and elected FDR 4 times and gave us the New Deal... also dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. No Gens are perfect... well, except maybe yours.

One could blame your Gen for there being little good music anymore. Or Tic-Toc, ffs.

Also for Trump if you want to look at swing voters... although they are flocking back to center now.

Boomer accomplishments

"The Baby Boomer generation (born 1946-1964) significantly advanced social justice, spearheading the Civil Rights Movement, second-wave Feminism (fighting for reproductive rights & workplace equality), and the anti-war movement (Vietnam), leading to lasting policy changes and increased social freedoms.

They also drove technological adoption (personal computers, internet), shifted consumer culture with their large numbers, championed environmentalism, and fostered an era of public service and volunteering, although their legacy also includes significant national debt and debates over economic inequality."

#10

It IS curious. I don't know about Pee Tapes, but Vlad does have access to all of the money
laundering deals DJT did for Russian Oligarchs over the years.

Not to mention that Former KGB spy Yuri Shvets claimed Russia cultivated Trump for over 40 years, exploiting his ego and desire for flattery, making him a useful tool, even if not a classic spy.

Chinese Death Tolls 20th century

"The 20th century saw catastrophic death tolls in China from war, famine, and political purges, with the deadliest events being the Great Chinese Famine (1958-1962) (15-55 million dead), the Taiping Rebellion (mid-19th century, spilling into early 20th) (20-30 million), and immense casualties from the Sino-Japanese War/WWII, the Chinese Civil War, and the Cultural Revolution (hundreds of thousands to millions), making it one of the most lethal periods in world history, driven by man-made disasters, famine, and conflict."

more

"Russia's losses in Ukraine rise faster than ever

Over the past 10 months, Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been growing faster than any time since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, BBC analysis suggests.

As peace efforts intensified in 2025 under pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration, 40% more obituaries of soldiers were published in Russian sources compared with the previous year.

Overall, the BBC has confirmed the names of almost 160,000 people killed fighting on Russia's side in Ukraine.

The real death toll is believed to be much higher, and military experts we have consulted believe our analysis of cemeteries, war memorials and obituaries might represent 45-65% of the total.

That would put the number of Russian deaths at between 243,000 and 352,000."

Some Trumpers appear to be on the verge of figuring out that Trump45 and Trump47 aren't just Spinoff TV series from The Apprentice... and that the lead actor might really be having an impact on their lives and their country.

Not in a good way; he's a reflection of their prejudices, racism, bigotry, misogyny, and a number of other irrational fears.

"Trump sides with Russia on claims that Ukraine targeted Putin residence

Russia on Monday accused Ukraine of trying to attack President Vladimir Putin's residence in northern Russia, which President Trump said he was "very angry" about, even as Kyiv has denied it happened.

The Kremlin's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow's negotiating position to end its war in Ukraine was under review after it claimed Kyiv tried to attack the presidential residence in the Novgorod region overnight with 91 long-range drones. Lavrov said all drones were destroyed by Russian air defenses, with no injuries or damage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said Russia's claims were "a complete fabrication intended to justify additional attacks against Ukraine" and undermine peace talks, according to a post to the social platform X.

But Trump later on Monday appeared to take Russia's side.

"I don't like it, it's not good. I heard about it this morning. You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it. Early in the morning he said he was attacked. That's no good, it's no good," Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., of the claimed strike.

"It's a delicate period of time. This is not the right time," Trump added, likely referring to ongoing peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. "It's one thing to be offensive, because [Russia is] offensive, it's another thing to attack [Putin's] house. It's not the right time to do any of that. ... I was very angry about it."

Asked if there's evidence of the attack, Trump replied: "Well, we'll find out. You're saying maybe the attack didn't take place? That's possible, I guess, but President Putin told me this morning."

"Countries that impose both an annual property tax and some form of unrealized capital gains tax include Denmark and Norway, primarily through specific mechanisms such as exit taxes or lump-sum fund taxes."

"Marjorie Taylor Greene, now just days away from stepping down as a congresswoman for Georgia, has said in her latest mea culpa interview that she "was just so naive" for believing that Donald Trump was a man of the people.

Greene said the Epstein files represented "everything wrong with Washington" and said it was a story of "rich, powerful elites doing horrible things and getting away with it. And the women are the victims".

After meeting with victims, she claimed, Trump called her and yelled "my friends will get hurt" if the files were released.

In the interview, Greene said that she had been wrong to accuse Democrats of treason. She acknowledged that she is now a political outcast from both sides of the political divide."

This vid goes over the original NYT article @6 mins in:

-Property and unrealized capital gains are not.

But should be, which is the point.

1. The JCT calculation excluded the increased value of investments: Billionaires and other hyper-wealthy people can use their unrealized capital gains to pursue lives of luxury and buy key sectors of our economy without ever having to report it as taxable income.

It stands to reason that those gains should be included in the calculation of their income.

According to the Federal Reserve's 2019 Survey of Consumer Finances, the top earning 0.01% of households had on average $124 million of unrealized capital gains, that is in addition to the $26.3 million of reported income that JCT estimates for the same year.

If all of the top 0.01% income is counted, their effective tax rate goes down dramatically.

A White House study determined that the average tax rate of the nation's 400 wealthiest families between 2010-18 was just 8.2% when unrealized capital gains are included. Using this metric is a more realistic definition of income for the super-rich."

The meme that the Elite will just take their money and go elsewhere if taxes are too high... is largely a myth.

"It also comes after Beijing expressed anger at a remarks by Japan's Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, who said her country could respond militarily if China were to move to take control of Taiwan by force.

"This exercise serves as a serious warning to Taiwan independence' separatist forces and external interfering forces, and is a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard national sovereignty and maintain national unity," Shi said.

China's Communist Party claims self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory, despite never having controlled it."

;;

Watch out, Greenland... DJT will need to keep up with Xi!

Trump's economy is a work of fiction | Sheneman cartoon
Updated: Dec. 28, 2025,

#32

This is all just proof that Trump is for the workin' man!

- It's the guy making $185K per year.

Yes, but Mad Mises launders his money through German sausage futures.

So, Major B... are you happy about the Fact that many millionaires and billionaires pay less percentage of taxes on their income than you do?

Here's Trump talking more about his Putin Love and Russia, Russia, Russia, and the 'Rigged Election' after the Meeting than about the Meeting.

It's sickening, and an embarrassment to sane people everywhere; Zelenskyy looks like he want to throw-up.

Watch Zelenskyy's Face as TRUMP HUMILIATES HIMSELF

Adam Mockler

#10

Pretty much.

That whole side of the family was nuts. His little bro, my Dad, lied about his age at 16 to get into the Air Force because he was afraid he would miss all the fighting in WWII.

He missed the fighting anyway; he trained as a Navigator and served in the Berlin Airlift flying the Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) and the larger, four-engine C-54 Skymaster.

I may be old-ish... but not THAT old.

Corky was my Dad's nickname. Because he was cool enough to have a nickname, lol.

His Brother's name was LC for Loyal Columbus. Anyone that wanted to keep their teeth called him, 'Bud'. I last saw him in his 80's, and he was still one big, mean Injun-looking mf'er.

But he loved his racing pigeons. I went to his house near Dallas one day, and when I pulled up there were Police cars there, and cops standing around by the pigeon coops and the cyclone fence that surrounded them.

They were talking and laughing near a gap under the fence that was bent upwards, so I asked what was going on. They told me that my Uncle Bud, who was in his 40's at the time, had caught 3 good-sized men trying to steal some of his prize racers.

I was looking at the bottom of the fence where there was about a foot of gap now, and they said that's where the last of them tried to crawl under the fence to get away from him.

He was quite the character.

The mean right uppercut comes after the left jab... just ax' JeffyBelle.