USA - Do you feel like no matter how hard you work, it’s harder and harder to get ahead? There’s a good explanation for that. The government intentionally and dramatically underreports the true cost of living, and that fake low number is what most employers use when they set the wages they pay. So your paycheck isn’t growing nearly as fast as it needs to in order to stay ahead of inflation.

USA - When the media lies, the media normalizes deceit, and the word “liar” loses its sting. Lying becomes part of the New Normal. When government lies as well — Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, Assad’s use of chemical weapons, Iranian nukes, Russian invasions, Russiagate — lying becomes ubiquitous. Truth becomes so discordant that truth is discarded. Truth-tellers become dissident “conspiracy theorists” who are guilty of trying to shake the population’s confidence in the ruling lies. They are censored, and if they persist they risk becoming labeled “domestic terrorists” and “enemies of democracy.” Orwell’s 1984 is our reality.

EUROPE - Polish MEP Ryszard Legutko, of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party, said the EU Parliament voting to make the bloc an “LGBTIQ freedom zone” was “absurd.” Earlier this week, the European Parliament voted by 492 to 141 to declare the political bloc a “zone of freedom” for “LGBTIQ” people, which was described as an act against allegedly increasing homophobia in conservative EU member-states like Poland. After calling the debate “absurd,” Legutko went on to accuse the EU Parliament of “only [being] interested in its ideology. They want to assert all of this at any price, they are denying freedom in this manner,” EU Observer reports. “Western Europe is engaging in ideological propaganda. At kindergarten age, you want to introduce ridiculous stories about gender,” Legutko lamented. Despite criticism from media and politicians outside of Poland, polls have revealed that the majority of the Polish public back the government’s position on LGBT ideology, with a June 2020 poll revealing that 62 per cent of the public are against same-sex marriages.

USA - An ethnic studies curriculum proposed for California schools includes a script for chants to ancient Aztec gods of human sacrifice and war, according to a report. Rufo reveals part of the curriculum includes teachers leading students in chants to Aztec gods — including Tezkatlipoka, the god of cannibalism and human sacrifice — asking them to grant the speakers power to be social justice warriors. The chant ends, Rufo says, “with a request for ‘liberation, transformation, [and] decolonization,’ after which students shout ‘Panche beh! Panche beh!’ in pursuit of ultimate ‘critical consciousness.’” It’s clear the curriculum intends to replace the Christian God and its extension of white supremacy with indigenous gods, Rufo argues. “It is, in a philosophical sense, a revenge of the gods,” he writes.

GERMANY - German companies are increasingly dependent on business with China and are shifting their activities to the People's Republic at a growing rate, as current economic data and a recent survey of German companies reveal. China is not only one of the very few countries to which German companies could continue to export in 2020 as much as in the previous year, but it is also the only major economy to which they could already export this January more than during the same month the previous year. The fact that exports to the People's Republic are a vital support for the German economy is particularly significant because Germany's domestic consumption remains sluggish due to the pandemic. Already five DAX companies, such as VW, Daimler, Infineon, are generating their largest share of sales in China more than on their German domestic market. To protect themselves against the risks of US economic warfare, German companies doing business with China are increasingly relocating their activities to the People's Republic. Efforts to encourage their withdrawal from China have failed.

GERMANY - Among Germany's ruling elites, demands for imposing new sanctions on Moscow and stirring up Russia's younger generation are increasing. "The objectives we have in relationship to Russia are very big" explained Gabriel Felbermayr, President of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), "we want … regime change." The recent protests by the Russian dissident Alexey Navalny's followers, which had been coordinated from Berlin, were not enough to endanger "the regime's stability" according to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). One could, however, count on the young generation ("generation Putin") that includes many young people who are very critical of the government, an assistant of the Green Party-affiliated Heinrich-Böll-Foundation suggests. Navalny is particularly appealing to younger people; he embodies "a new type of politician." The man, German elites acting in the manner of colonial rulers, would like to bring to power in Russia is only supported by a small minority in the Russian population.

GERMANY - The conflict with Russia is gaining in importance in Berlin's military planning in comparison to previous foreign deployments in the global south. This becomes evident in the position paper ("Reflections on the Bundeswehr of the Future") published last week by the German Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Eberhard Zorn. Initially, since the 1990s, the Bundeswehr had focused its capability profile on foreign deployments primarily in the Middle East and Africa and since 2014 it has increasingly been shifting its focus towards the strategic requirements of the great power conflicts with Russia and China. In the meantime, the situation has "escalated," according to the position paper. Germany's role as a strategic military logistics "hub" eastward should therefore be enhanced. With the Bundeswehr's growing focus on the power struggle with Russia, the current position paper is but an initial impetus - further steps will follow over the next few months

USA - A leading US journalist has accused Democrats of promoting an "unfit candidate" to the US's top political post and of "betraying their responsibilities" to the American people. Dominic Green, deputy editor of The Spectator’s US edition, pointed to the behaviour of the new US President Joe Biden in his limited public appearances. He claimed Mr Biden "looks and sounds frail", suggesting the 78-year-old may not be well enough to efficiently manage the demanding role. Mr Green believes he has become "so embarrassing to watch" that it felt "cruel to mention it". The 46th US President - and oldest in history - recently caused concern during a visit to Houston at the beginning of March. While delivering a speech, Mr Biden appeared to lose focus and become disorientated. At one point the US President said: "What am I doing here?" In an op-ed for the Daily Telegraph, Mr Green writes: "Compare how he moves and sounds now to how he was a year ago, let alone five years ago." Biden looks and sounds frail.

USA - Gillian Turner at FOX News reported today that the Head of the National Guard wrote a letter opposing the National Guard’s presence in Washington DC but the Biden Administration overruled him. Gillian Turner at FOX News reported this afternoon that FOX News had obtained a letter from the chief of the National Guard that disagreed with keeping Guardsmen in the Capitol. However, this recommendation was overruled by the Biden Administration. Why are the Democrats so scared of America? Is it because they are destroying our freedom and future every day in every way?

The San Cristobal Volcano erupted, sending thick plumes of smoke and ash over the city of Chinandega in Nicaragua — ABC News (@ABC) March 12, 2021

Guatemala’s Pacaya volcano shoots streams of hot lava into the sky— Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) March 5, 2021

This is what the sky looked like in the morning in Riobamba, Ecuador after the Sangay volcano expelled an 8-kilometre-high column of ash — euronews (@euronews) March 12, 2021

Rising magma and empty coffers, following an allegation of embezzlement, has left volcano watchers in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo worried that they will not be able to provide an early warning if a volcano towering over the city of Goma erupts — Reuters (@Reuters) March 10, 2021

Significant explosive eruption at Sangay volcano, ash to 12.5 km (41 000 feet), Ecuador — The Watchers (@TheWatchers_) March 11, 2021

A volcano in Russia's Kamchatka region erupted, sending plumes of ash into the sky — Reuters India (@ReutersIndia) March 10, 2021

Indonesia's Mount Sinabung volcano sent a cloud of hot ash as high as 3.1 miles in multiple eruptions on Tuesday — Reuters (@Reuters) March 7, 2021

A volcano in Nicaragua erupted on Tuesday, showering surrounding areas in soot and cinders. Large plumes of smoke and ash were visible from San Cristobal, the country's tallest volcano — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 11, 2021

Magma chamber continues to expand, more than 35 000 earthquakes hit Reykjanes Peninsula in two weeks, Iceland — The Watchers (@TheWatchers_) March 11, 2021

ICYMI: Ash rises up to 9 km (29 500 feet) after 11th paroxysm at Etna, Italy — The Watchers (@TheWatchers_) March 11, 2021

USA - Over the past week, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory recorded over 200 small magnitude earthquakes below Mauna Loa. These and other observations of increased activity in recent weeks all point to an increased flow of magma into the volcano's shallow storage system, according to the HVO. In other words, Mauna Loa is slowly waking up. While scientists emphasize that an eruption isn't necessarily going to happen today or tomorrow, this week the HVO put out a release urging that "now is the time to revisit personal eruption plans."

USA - Severe weather, historic snowfall and flash flooding are forecast for the next few days in areas of the central United States, from the Rockies to the Mississippi River Valley. "The stage is set for a significant winter storm to impact the central Rockies and the central High Plains," the Weather Prediction Center said Friday morning. This storm system delivers its first threat over the Rockies, as intense bands of snowfall will dump feet of powder across Colorado and Wyoming.

USA - They are assuring us that we don’t have to be concerned about “inflation” because they have everything under control. Do you believe them? The value of the US dollar has been steadily declining for a long time, and most Americans have grown accustomed to having the cost of living rise at a faster pace than their paychecks do. But over the past 12 months an enormous paradigm shift has begun. Instead of devaluing our currency a little bit at a time, now our leaders are going “full Weimar”. Our money supply is growing at an exponential rate, and this is becoming a major national crisis. It took from the founding of our county all the way to 2020 for M1 to reach 4 trillion dollars. But then from the start of the pandemic to today, M1 has gone from 4 trillion dollars to 18 trillion dollars. To call that “economic malpractice” would be way too kind. The truth is that it is complete and utter lunacy, and we are all going to literally pay the price for such madness. Sadly, inflation is already starting to show up in a major way all throughout our economy. We are so close to the economic endgame, and the word “collapse” is not nearly strong enough to describe what is eventually going to happen to us.

CHINA - The consequences of the presidency of Donald Trump will be debated for decades to come — but for the Chinese leadership, its meaning is already clear. China’s rulers believe that the past four years have shown that the United States is rapidly declining and that this deterioration has caused Washington to frantically try to suppress China’s rise. Trump’s trade war, technology bans, and determination to blame China for his own mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic have all confirmed the perception of Chinese policy elites that the United States is bent on keeping their country down. To be sure, the idea that the United States seeks to stymie and contain China was widespread among Chinese officials long before Trump came to power. What many Americans see as disruptive effects attributable only to Trump’s presidency are, to China’s current rulers, a profound vindication of their darkest earlier assessments.

USA - A year ago this month, major publications across the United States partially or completely lowered their paywalls. The idea was that information about the outbreak of covid-19 had life-saving potential, and so it should be available to everyone, not just to subscribers — a fraction of news readers who tend to be the wealthiest and most highly-educated. Lowering paywalls was ethically sound. But it now raises important questions for media outlets: How long can they afford to keep their journalism free? And how will they determine which reporting is “essential” to the public?