Image is of Trump’s initial set of reciprocal tariffs. Source is CNN and Reuters.
It’s difficult to keep up with the news around the tariffs; they get instated, then dropped, then reinstated… for example, on Friday, Trump said that certain electronics like smartphones would be exempt, causing markets to rally a great deal, but now the Commerce Secretary has said that they might not be exempt? The state of play right now, if you haven’t been keeping up this week, is that the US recently announced a 90-day global pause on implementing the tariffs he had planned (that is, 25% on certain Canadian and Mexican goods, and at least 10% on every other nation) but nonetheless increased tariffs on China to 145%.
Meanwhile, China has been - quite remarkably - standing their ground, increasing tariffs on the US to 125%, and putting restrictions on rare earths. Xi Jinping has been in Vietnam and has made statements against a tariff war there, saying that it would have no winners. Meanwhile, a Chinese spokesperson has essentially said that China can endure the tariff war due to the increasing demand from its domestic market in combination with its growing economic ties with other countries.
Last week’s thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.
Please check out the RedAtlas!
The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
AP: Thousands gather in London to support trans rights following UK ruling over definition of woman
Including this wonderful bit of cognitive dissonance:
Trans groups are worried that Wednesday’s landmark decision would undermine their rights, even though the U.K.'s highest court said transgender people remain protected from discrimination. The head of Equality and Human Rights Commission said the ruling will mean transgender women will be excluded from women’s toilets, hospital wards and sports teams.
Of course, the BBC has the real news: Westminster statues vandalised at trans protest
cw slur
Basically some removed rights activists wrote “removed rights <3” in chalk (not even spray paint) on a suffragette statue, also the statue of a “South African Statesman” got improved with a pro-trans message but you can see why some outlets like the Telegraph are leading with the first one
Are there any places that provide English-language news on Burkina Faso? I keep seeing stuff on tiktok and ngl some of it is unsourced and possibly bogus
A sitting US Congressman personally firing on the Russian military.
There has to be some law against this (not that it will be applied). MAGAs have been crying “Logan Act” because of van Hollen’s visit with Abrego Garcia, meanwhile a Republican elected official is personally committing acts of war against a sovereign nation.
Milei is accused of possessing material with child sexual abuse and networks question whether he is a pedophile
In some good news, it appears that the Easter temporary ceasefire in the Russia - Ukraine war is largely holding on both sides, at least for now, 10 hours into the 30 hour ceasefire, according to accounts of activities from Russian and Ukrainian sources. So despite reports that Ukraine did not accept Russia’s unilateral ceasefire, the activity on the battlefield says otherwise. There has been a large reduction in frontline activity, a bit of fighting still went on, but on the whole the temporary ceasefire is holding. AMK Mapping, someone who has been following the conflict for years and produces reliable reporting and maps, and also translates Ukrainian and Russian sources into English, has noted a drastic decrease in reported frontline activity compared to the usual.
AMK Mapping twitter report on frontline activity over the past 10 hours
Exclusive: Israel still eyeing a limited attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities By Erin Banco Reuters NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - Israel has not ruled out an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months despite President Donald Trump telling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. was for now unwilling to support such a move, according to an Israeli official and two other people familiar with the matter. Israeli officials have vowed to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and Netanyahu has insisted that any negotiation with Iran must lead to the complete dismantling of its nuclear program. .S. and Iranian negotiators are set for a second round of preliminary nuclear talks in Rome on Saturday. Over the past months, Israel has proposed to the Trump administration a series of options to attack Iran’s facilities, including some with late spring and summer timelines, the sources said. The plans include a mix of airstrikes and commando operations that vary in severity and could set back Tehran’s ability to weaponize its nuclear program by just months or a year or more, the sources said. The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Trump told Netanyahu in a White House meeting earlier this month that Washington wanted to prioritize diplomatic talks with Tehran and that he was unwilling to support a strike on the country’s nuclear facilities in the short term. But Israeli officials now believe that their military could instead launch a limited strike on Iran that would require less U.S. support. Such an attack would be significantly smaller than those Israel initially proposed. It is unclear if or when Israel would move forward with such a strike, especially with talks on a nuclear deal getting started. Such a move would likely alienate Trump and could risk broader U.S. support for Israel. Parts of the plans were previously presented last year to the Biden administration, two former senior Biden administration officials told Reuters. Almost all required significant U.S. support via direct military intervention or intelligence sharing. Israel has also requested that Washington help Israel defend itself should Iran retaliate. In response to a request for comment, the U.S. National Security Council referred Reuters to comments Trump made on Thursday, when he told reporters he has not waved Israel off an attack but that he was not “in a rush” to support military action against Tehran. “I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death,” Trump said. “That’s my first option. If there’s a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran, and I think Iran is wanting to talk.” The Israeli prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that no decision has been made yet on an Iranian strike. A senior Iranian security official said Tehran was aware of Israeli planning and that an attack would provoke “a harsh and unwavering response from Iran.” “We have intelligence from reliable sources that Israel is planning a major attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. This stems from dissatisfaction with ongoing diplomatic efforts regarding Iran’s nuclear program, and also from Netanyahu’s need for conflict as a means of political survival,” the official told Reuters. BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PUSHBACK Netanyahu received pushback from the Biden administration when he presented an earlier version of the plan. The former senior Biden officials said Netanyahu wanted the U.S. to take the lead on airstrikes but the Biden White House told Israel it did not believe a strike was prudent unless Tehran moved to accelerate its enrichment of nuclear material or expel inspectors from the country. The Biden officials also questioned the extent to which Israel’s military could effectively carry out such an attack. Former officials and experts have long said that Israel would need significant U.S. military support – and weapons – to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities and stockpiles, some of which are in underground facilities. While the more limited military strike Israel is considering would require less direct assistance - particularly in the form of U.S. bombers dropping bunker-busting munitions that can reach deeply buried facilities - Israel would still need a promise from Washington that it would help Israel defend itself if attacked by Tehran in the aftermath, the sources said. Any attack would carry risks. Military and nuclear experts say that even with massive firepower, a strike would probably only temporarily set back a program the West says aims to eventually produce a nuclear bomb, although Iran denies it. Israeli officials have told Washington in recent weeks that they do not believe U.S. talks with Iran should move forward to the deal-making stage without a guarantee that Tehran will not have the ability to create a nuclear weapon. “This can be done by agreement, but only if this agreement is Libyan style: They go in, blow up the installations, dismantle all of the equipment, under American supervision,” Netanyahu said following his talks with Trump. “The second possibility is … that they (Iran) drag out the talks and then there is the military option.” From Israel’s perspective, this may be a good moment for a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iran allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been hammered by Israel since the Gaza war began, while the Houthi movement in Yemen has been targeted by U.S. airstrikes. Israel also severely damaged Iran’s air defense systems in an exchange of fire in October 2024. A top Israeli official, speaking with reporters earlier this month, recognized there was some urgency if the goal was to launch a strike before Iran rebuilds its air defenses. But the senior official refused to state any timeline for possible Israeli action and said discussing this would be “pointless”.
Reporting by Erin Banco; Additional reporting by Parisa Hafesi in Dubai and the Jerusalem newsroom; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis
Insane
I hope trump succeeds in his quest to get Powell fired from the Fed. Insert more chaos into the dollar
Republican Governor Candidate Proposes Female Undocumented Immigrants Can Stay If They Marry “Incels” Government mandated girlfriends, jfc
While the world is distracted by media noise… China is quietly rallying Asia to shift global power. In just a few days:
- 45 economic agreements signed with Vietnam
- A 5-year strategic pact sealed with Malaysia
- Key diplomatic meetings in Thailand
- Military and strategic cooperation boosted with Indonesia
- Telegram
Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a 5-day tour of Southeast Asia to strengthen ties between nations. Last year, the countries of the ASEAN regional bloc were his main destinations, with a total of 586.5 billion dollars.
- Telesur English
US airstrikes continue on Yemen for the 36th night in a row, with 13 airstrikes reported on the sea port and airport in Hodeidah.
Multiple rounds of airstrikes in various areas of Sana’a Governorate, along with airstrikes in Ma’rib Governorate.
More rounds of airstrikes in Sana’a.
Footage of heavy airstrikes in Sana’a, along with a cruise missile strike at the end
Warning for potential graphic imagery of casualties during ongoing airstrikes:
Another statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces, announcing the shoot down of the 21st MQ-9 Reaper drone. It appears that the electro optical sensor based (with minimal radar) anti drone air defence network is difficult to suppress, despite recent US attempts in doing so.
The death knell chimes for the PSDB (Social Democratic Party of Brazil). Once the most powerful party in Brazil and perennial favorite of US Democrats. After a series of dismal elections, it announced it’s merging with another right-wing party, Podemos. How did it fall so fast?
Article
1 Like Gorbachev, Brazil’s ex-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso had a better reputation abroad than at home. In Brazil, he’s despised for his privatizations, like state mining company Vale do Rio Doce, sold to a group of cronies for the equivalent of 1/4 of its annual profits
2 In the 2000s, Cardoso’s PSDB successor, José Serra—seen here faking an injury after being hit by a paper ball—adopted an electoral strategy called “anti-PTism”: smearing PT leaders under an anti-corruption banner, with full U.S. media backing. What Serra, a former leftist who was exiled during the military dictatorship, didn’t anticipate was how PSDB’s tactics would be co opted by parties across the political spectrum, from PSOL, to the neofascist far right. Serra created a monster which spun out of control
I’m not claiming that there was no corruption among the thousands of elected PT officials, but even at the height of the anti-corruption which hunt of the 2000s, it barely cracked the 10 ten list of Brazil’s most corrupt parties, way below Serra’s PSDB.
In 2014, PSDB fielded Aecio Neves as its presidential candidate. A member of a traditional elite political family, he was dealing with dozens of corruption charges from his stint as Minas Governor, along with best known secrets in Brasilia regarding his alleged cocaine problem. Despite all the corruption, in 2014 an American celebrity “leftist” journalist in Brazil told a Brasilwire editor that there was an “unwritten rule among American journalists that Aecio had to win the election.”
After losing the election in 2014, Neves pulled a Trump move and claimed the election had been stolen. He tried to sue the electoral courts, and working with his party and its allies, the PSDB paralyzed Congress. From that point forward, Dilma Rousseff couldn’t pass a single law.
This point, between Neves paralysis of Congress and the coup against Rousseff saw the rise of a new political force. The weaponized anti-corruption rhetoric unleashed by the party was a traditional tool of fascism. The fascists appropriated it and attacked the PSDB as communists.
PSDB was never a nationally cohesive party. It was built around two big regional power bases in S. Paulo and Minas Gerais, with alliances with traditional political families elsewhere. When Neves career collapsed in a sea of corruption scandals, party focus shifted to S. Paulo.
João Doria, the millionaire playboy, ex-star of Brazil’s Apprentice reality show franchise, and the man who, as Jose Sarney’s Tourism Minister, put Brazil on the international sex tourism map, was elected mayor of S. Paulo City and prepared a run for governor
The PSDB reached its goal with Dilma Rousseff’s ouster, only to see its dreams crumble amid the rise of neofascism. Doria—who, as Nathalia Urban once noted, embodied “São Paulo’s preference for fascists who eat w/ knives and forks”—won the governorship by aligning with Bolsonaro.
As gov., Doria broke from Bolsonaro and fought the Minas Gerais PSDB faction, positioning himself for a presidential run. It flopped and wounded the party. Bolsonaristas no longer supported him. Leftists didn’t forget his alliance with Bolsonaro. Ruined, he retired from politics.
From 1994 to 2014, the top two candidates in every presidential election were from PSDB and PT. PSDB tried to destroy the PT, but ended up destroying itself. Today’s announcement of the merger, as reported here in Folha, is the end. I say good riddance.
Russia’s Putin declares unilateral Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, 19 April 2025 - Reuters
Before anyone gets too excited, this unilateral Russian ceasefire is just for this Easter Saturday evening and Sunday, starting at 15:00 UTC today 19 April (almost two hours ago), and ending on Sunday at midnight Moscow time, presumably 21:00 UTC 20 April. So just for Easter, a 30 hour unilateral ceasefire. It’s unknown how Ukraine will respond to this action, if they will continue attacking or also cease fire. There was also a large prisoner of war exchange today, at at 1:1 ratio of 246 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine.
The idea of an Easter ceasefire was first discussed in the leaked 100 day peace plan for Ukraine discussed and linked here, so it’s very interesting that at least Russia is publicly committing to this idea of an Easter ceasefire.
So Van Hollen met with Kilmar in El Salvador and Kilmar just had to go back to jail afterwards? Weren’t they outside at a restaurant?
