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The first such report since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The Russian Central Bank shows pessimistic data. The invasion is already taking a toll on the economy. The Russian Central Bank has published a report on the state of the economy for the first time since the beginning of the war in Ukraine . The data is definitely more pessimistic than what Russian propaganda is trying to present. The head of the institution, Elvira Nabiullina, signed the report. The Russian Central Bank predicts a crisis The Russian Central Bank has ceased to conceal the fact that the armed...

The Chinese Communist Party wants us to believe that it has no hegemonic ambitions and that its BRI is just another multilateral advance for mankind. Ever since China launched its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), some Western analysts have portrayed it as a geopolitical offensive designed to increase China’s influence in, and ultimately control of, Eurasia. These analysts often base their portrayal on the classic geopolitical writings of Alfred Thayer Mahan, Halford Mackinder, and Nicholas Spykman, all of whom envisioned global politics as a clash between great Eurasian land powers and insular and peninsular sea powers. Over a decade ago,...

Jillian Orr hopes other students at Brigham Young University who are hiding their sexual orientation feel less alone. ...The psychology major, who is bisexual, spread out her graduation gown to reveal a rainbow flag underneath. BYU, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, restricts LGBTQ students from dating or showing signs of affection while enrolled at the university. Students who do so can be reported to school officials and are at risk of being disenrolled. For 28-year-old Orr, who was raised in the church and served an 18-month church mission in Oregon, she said she...

I love Wikipedia. I donated thousands of dollars to the Wikimedia Foundation. Before Wikipedia, all we had were printed encyclopedias -- out of date by the time we bought them. Then libertarian Jimmy Wales came up with a web-based, crowd-sourced encyclopedia. Crowd-sourced? A Britannica editor called Wikipedia "a public restroom." But Wales won the battle. Britannica's encyclopedias are no longer printed. Congratulations to Wales. But recently I learned that Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger now says Wikipedia's political pages have turned into leftist "propaganda." That's upsetting. Leftists took over the editing? Sadly, yes. I checked it out. All editing is done...

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy escaped the wrath of former President Donald Trump after the California Republican was caught on tape stating he planned to ask Trump to resign following the Jan. 6 riots — but that doesn't mean the saga is over for him yet. On Monday, McCarthy visited the southern border with other Republican lawmakers, and did a brief interview with Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin. Melugin asked McCarthy about the leaked tape, as well as the lawmaker's assertion that reporting done by New York Times political correspondents was "totally false." "I never told the president to...

Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson ripped into House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday over recently released audio recordings of the California Republican criticizing then-President Donald Trump and fellow GOP representatives in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. McCarthy promised members of his leadership team, including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and then-Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, that he would encourage Trump to resign in a Jan. 10 phone call. After the top House Republican denied having the conversation, two New York Times reporters released an audio recording of the conversation. The two reporters released...

Eagle Pass, TX - Upon taking office in January 2021, President Joe Biden halted construction on the U.S. southern border wall, which greatly helps Border Patrol and local law enforcement cut down on illegal activity. As a result the Texas National Guard, deployed last summer through Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, has stepped in to fill the gaps with fencing lined with concertina or razor wire. “When you drive a tank through a chainlink fence, if it has concertina wire on top, it’ll stop that tank because that wire will get wrapped up on the sprocket, the wheels of...

Putin launched its ‘special military operation’ against Ukraine on February 24, with the Russian president claiming his goal was to "demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine”. Since then, Moscow has claimed it had "generally accomplished" the aims of the invasion's first phase. However, Russia has failed to take control of Kyiv, and has lost previously held towns to Ukrainian forces in the weeks since the ‘operation’ began. Now, experts have said the prolonged conflict between Russia and the West-backed Ukraine is a warning to China about a potential conflict. Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology think...

Could not find any youtube videos, but this song; Chances Are' is his biggest hit.

A dozen of us were seated on either side of the long dining table. Present were writers gathered from across the nation and around the world. Beside me was a lady from Nigeria. Facing me was a Romanian. The woman next to her had flown in from Sydney, Australia. This was a celebratory supper after a long day of book signings at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival — a major literary event. The conversation among this group of lively intellects was a sparkling delight — light hearted and witty. Only for a brief while did it turn to the...

Should Russian culture should be banned or canceled to punish Russia and Vladimir Putin for their aggression against Ukraine? Dramatically, in March 2022, the Metropolitan Opera in New York decided to cut ties with all artists who were regarded as "pro-Putin." As a consequence, Met general manager Peter Gelb dropped from the cast the magnetic soprano, Anna Netrebko, whom he describes as one of the greatest singers in Met history. There was, he said, no way forward, because Netrebko had not renounced her support of Putin. In response, Netrebko replied that she was opposed to "this war[.] I am Russian...

The ammunition hub, in the Belgorod region, was reportedly hit by Ukrainian assets and can be seen on fire through images captured shortly after the incident. Further attacks were also suspected with reports of explosions in the regions of the Voronezh and Kursk. Ukraine has not confirmed the strikes - but video appears to show anti-air missile being fired in the area. The explosions are near the border of Ukraine and should it be confirmed as a Ukrainian strike, could be one of the first hits on Russian territory by Kyiv. Russian forces have advanced to eastern Ukraine following a...

But Democrats should be careful what they wish for, as McCarthy’s potential demise isn’t necessarily a good thing when considering the alternative. Yes, his behavior is despicable and cowardly. But here’s the thing: In the rare moment of candor in which a leaked recording has permitted the world to listen in, McCarthy at least seemed to have the ability to recognize when something is way off. At least he exhibited some modicum of human sensibility, enabling him to recognize gross injustice and culpability, if only to quickly sweep it under the rug for political expediency. snip But it could be...

Sometimes a mask is so completely torn away that only the willfully and ideologically blind or the stupid cannot see what the real game is. Frank Bruni of the New York Times kindly provided those who desire to see with such an opportunity with his own Two Minutes Hate against Florida's protection of 5- to 9-year-olds from groomers. The gist and heart of Bruni's tirade is that in this latest incarnation of the culture war, too much emphasis has been put on "parental rights." Public schools, he emphasizes, don't exist "as some bespoke service attending to the material wants and...

At a recent focus group of Republican voters from swing states, the only surprise came about 80 minutes into the two-hour Zoom session, when participants were questioned about the power of Donald J. Trump's primary endorsements. Until then, the group had shown nothing but enduring loyalty and admiration for the former president. They echoed his views on immigration and critical race theory, questioned the integrity of the 2020 election and wished he were still president. Yet when asked how much Trump's much-heralded and intensely coveted endorsements would influence their vote in upcoming GOP primaries, they all hedged. "If I was...

The Kremlin has threatened to strike British military targets in retaliation for the UK's support of Ukraine, as Vladimir Putin's invasion stretches into its 63rd day. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested that Moscow could target territory of Nato countries which have been supplying arms to Kyiv, to defend itself from Vladimir Putin's forces. Britain has been an outspoken ally of Ukraine, and has supplied weapons including anti-tank weapons and Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles. On Tuesday a defence minister said the UK supports Ukraine's right to strike Russian territory using Western supplied weapons - a line which the Kremlin said...

Recently, equity, diversity, and inclusion have been the core tenets of left-wing political orthodoxy. So, with the news that Elon Musk would be leading a group of investors purchasing Twitter, one would think this would be celebrated by many on the Left. After all, an immigrant from Africa who received an Ivy League education and became a business owner and now leads one of the world's largest social media and tech companies should be the symbolic "dream" for Democrats and liberals. Yet, many have demonstrated a disturbing lack of enthusiasm. Hardly anybody on the Left seems happy about the African...

Germany has agreed to send 50 anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine to aid its fight against Russia, Berlin's defense ministry said, as the European Country continues to distance itself from its former anti-militarization policies. Berlin for decades has maintained a strong stance against investing in its military and providing military assistance to other nations stemming from its involvement from the Second World War. However, Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 marked a "turning point" for Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. Since the invasion, Germany has announced lethal weapons for Ukraine and an historic expansion to the country's defense spending of...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy marked the 36th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster with a speech condemning Russia's "completely irresponsible actions" around nuclear power plants during its invasion and calling for "global control" of the Kremlin's nuclear capabilities. [cut] Zelenskyy noted that International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi met with him in Kyiv to commemorate the Chernobyl disaster and pledge his support. "We discussed all the dangers created by Russia and ways to possibly influence the situation to protect Europe and the world from completely irresponsible actions of the Russian Federation," the president said. He then called...

WORLD—According to sources, an eccentric immigrant entrepreneur from South Africa just accomplished more for free speech than Republicans have in decades of controlling the government, wielding Federal power, and spending trillions of dollars. "Wow! Who is this guy? He's really making us look bad here," said one Republican Senator. "This Twitter deal is such a huge step forward for freedom of expression! Wow! Imagine if other conservative wealthy people did stuff like that instead of funding our reelection campaigns? Um, wait—I didn't mean that. Scratch that. Are you recording this?" Experts concur that Twitter being purchased by a private entity...