🚨 Bombs away – February 01 2024

*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00pm AM. 

The Lead: Farmers Under Siege

farmers torched a statue in Brussels credit: telegraph

The farmer protests have made it to Brussels while EU leaders are meeting to hammer out a deal for Ukraine. The optics are bad. 

Leaders whose economies have been destroyed by war are trying to do more of that while the working people protest. In front of the European Parliament in Brussels, fires were lit and a statue of a steelworker was pulled down. 

What do they want? Better legislation that protects their livelihood. They want to stop being hounded with environmental legislation that targets farming and not other industry. They do not want to be taxed in order to make up budget downfalls imposed on leaders to support foreign wars.

The Telegraph reports that at least 1,300 tractors have made their way into Brussels. Some protestors have thrown eggs and stones and police have responded with tear gas. 

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is expected to give a press conference later today to unveil new measures “designed to appease” the farmers. Could it be something they actually want? 

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U.N. Court Rules Against Ukraine in Russia Allegations

credit: bbc

The International Court of Justice ruled against Ukraine’s assertions that Russia bankrolled separatists and discriminated against Crimea’s ethnic community. It also ruled that Russia did not have to pay reparations for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17.

This is being called a victory for Russia because almost all of Ukraine's allegations were thrown out. This comes on the heels of another U.N. decision last year that found no evidence of Russian "genocide" in Ukraine. Not surprisingly, the Western media ignored that story. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine is hoping for a different kind of victory, promising yet another “counteroffensive” on the battlefield in the spring. The last counteroffensive gained no territory and cost 160,000 deaths but they say they'll be ready for another one when the weather warms. In the words of The Smiths, “Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before." 

And yet…EU leaders have agreed to send €50 billion in aid to Ukraine. They had to strong-arm Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban who had said he would block additional aid to Ukraine but in the end he did not. 

News By The Numbers

credit: giphy

12,000. That is how many jobs UPS will cut due to a decline in package volume. 

5. That is how many police officers surrounded a young girl to get her to stop singing gospel songs in London in this viral video. She was told that she could not “sing church songs outside of church grounds." Scotland Yard has apologized for that, and the volunteer police officer who instigated the situation is being investigated. This is what police are bothering with? Young girls who want to sing about faith? 

3,500. That is how many jobs Deutsche Bank will cut due to a drop in profit. 

$13 million. That is how much the state of Michigan will pay for terrorizing patients at a children’s psychiatric hospital. The hospital held an unannounced active shooter drill but didn’t tell the patients, staff or the police that it was a drill. The money will be split between patients and staff who say that they were traumatized by the event. 

U.K. Creating 'Citizen Army'

credit: getty

The United Kingdom could trick students on a gap year into the “citizen army” with a new plan. According to The Daily Mail, “Outgoing Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders has reportedly suggested the idea of a course over the summer holidays which gives young adults a taste of serving in the military.”

Over the last week, citizens in the U.K. have been warned about a need for a draft for a war with Russia due to low military enrollment. Another way to boost enrollment would be this month-long boot camp after students finish their primary education to give them “a taste” of serving in the military. But could that be a Hotel California situation that “you can never leave”? 

The worry is that this month-long military summer camp would make these young people technically former members of the military. If so, The Daily Mail says that this would give the Defense Secretary “powers to recall former members of the armed forces in the case of a 'great emergency' or times where the nation is at risk under a policy called 'reserve liability’.”

So is it simply a “try it out” fun camp or is this a trick to get young people into the military? 

Oh… is that what the 'delete' button does? 

credit: getty

How did Scotland decide on pandemic measures? We may never know because former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon deleted her messages. 

In a hearing on Wednesday, Sturgeon cried when asked to recall her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. When asked about deleting messages, she said she “didn’t retain them.” When pushed, she admitted that meant…delete. 

She has been accused of imposing stricter measures on the Scottish in order to push for independence from England. She denied that but emails from 2020 show that she advised her ministers not to impose travel restrictions in Spain because “they will never approve EU membership for an independent Scotland as a result.” 

What does that have to do with a respiratory virus? Nothing. 

This was not a criminal inquiry but some lawyers said they would consider one. According to The Telegraph: “Aamer Anwar, the lead solicitor for the Scottish Covid Bereaved group, said: ‘My clients have asked me to consider asking for a criminal investigation into the actions of the former first minister and others. We will carefully consider our next steps once the evidence is completed today.'" 

What's Trending?

credit: omg media

This video is trending of a White House Cyber Official admitting that the Biden administration wants to get Vice President Kamala Harris off the ticket because she's unpopular but they just can't do it. 

Jackie Robinson is trending because someone stole and burned a statue of the beloved baseball player in Wichita, Kansas. 

Kimchi is trending because new research suggests that eating it every day could help fight obesity.

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