McDonald’s in Japan had to stop giving out limited-edition Pokémon cards in Happy Meals because too many customers were buying them, grabbing the cards, and blasting the food straight into the trash.
Photo credit: McDonalds Japan
In Case You Missed It.
🇷🇸 Dozens were injured in Serbia as clashes broke out between government supporters and anti-government protesters—led mainly by university students demanding early elections—in Serbia’s largest escalation amid months-long unrest.
🚁 Ukraine claimed a drone strike on Russia’s Unecha oil pumping station in Bryansk Oblast—part of the vital Druzhba pipeline network—causing a large fire at the facility, though oil flows to Europe reportedly remain uninterrupted for now. Hungary condemned this, warning that this attack endangered Hungary’s energy security.
☠️ At least 26 refugees and migrants died when two boats sank off Italy’s Lampedusa island, and while 60 survivors were rescued, search efforts continue amid fears more may be missing.
🛡️ A rare win for climate preparation: new flood barriers in Juneau, Alaska, held back record-breaking glacial floodwaters from the Mendenhall Glacier, sparing the city from major damage despite an unprecedented surge. Proof that when towns prepare for disaster, it pays off.
💵 The U.S. national debt has soared past a staggering $37 trillion—years ahead of projections—as a result of pandemic-era borrowing and sweeping tax and spending legislation, raising alarm among experts over rising interest costs and shrinking household and business financial capacity.
*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 5:00 AM.
Lead: Coalition of the Idiots
Photo credit: Emmanual Macron
European leaders made a big show of a conference call on Wednesday to support Ukrainian President Zelensky – just in case President Trump makes him stop the war. It could have been an email.
They are preemptively coming up with excuses not to accept whatever deal is brokered between President Trump and President Putin in Alaska on Friday. Like it matters what they say.
The Telegraph reports that President Trump is planning to make a minerals deal with President Putin. The valuable rare earth minerals in Eastern Ukraine now belong to Russia and President Trump undoubtedly wants the U.S. to have favorable access to them. In exchange, the President could offer Russia a good deal to access Alaska’s natural resources.
Alaska produces major commodities—zinc, silver, gold, lead, coal, and oil—and still has untapped oil and gas reserves tied up in lawsuits from climate activists.
Does Russia need this? Not really. They already have plenty of their own, but if the price is right, maybe they won’t say no to more, especially if it comes with a peace deal.
From Hostages to Holy Land: Netanyahu’s War for “Greater Israel”
What does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mean when he says that he is “very much” committed to the vision of “Greater Israel”?
It seems inevitable that Israel will soon have full control over Gaza and will move Israelis into the territory as they are making arrangements with other countries to take Palestinian refugees. Is the expansion of Israel into Gaza and the West Bank what he means or is there more?
Historically, Greater Israel was the dream of Israeli expansion into Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, based on a biblical interpretation. Is that what Netanyahu and his Zionist government mean now? They want to control, not only Gaza but all surrounding areas too?
In 2023, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich spoke at an event with a map of “Greater Israel” that included the territory that is now Jordan. He has spoken before about a future of Jerusalem that expands to Damascus, meaning Syria.
Are these signals that Israel has no intention of halting its territorial expansion? We thought the war in Gaza was about the hostages—now it looks more like a divinely ordained land grab.
From Collusion to Clapper: Is Intelligence Bracing for Indictments?
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), has declassified documents revealing that James Clapper—when he held her job under the Obama administration—told the intelligence community to fall in line and promote the Russian collusion story, even when the intelligence committee itself had doubts.
Michael Rogers, then Director of the National Security Agency, emailed colleagues saying the NSA was not “fully comfortable” with the Russian narrative and admitted they had no “underlying intelligence” to support it. He even called it a “joint product related to Russian attribution.” A joint product? Like a work of fiction?
Clapper’s reply: everyone needed to be “on the same page” in the “highest tradition of ‘that’s OUR story, and we’re stickin’ to it.’”
That is NOT what someone in intelligence should ever say. Intelligence means… access to actual facts. It’s a damning email, though anyone who’s studied Operation Crossfire Hurricane already knew what these jokers were up to.
This does raise questions about the people in intelligence that were super NOT down with this lie. Clearly there were still adults in the room. What happened to them? Clapper would later try to get Rogers fired but how did they silence the rest? I want to hear more from them.
And What about Clapper and his merry band of liars?? Why does intelligence keep spoon-feeding us these declassified revelations? Are they softening the ground for indictments?
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News By The Numbers
Photo credit: IMDB
1 billion. That is how many views Miley Cyrus now has on her We Can’t Stop video. This is her fifth video to hit that number.
$7,500. That is how much AT&T customers could claim if their personal data was compromised in a data breach.
What’s Trending?
Photo credit: X
Coney Beach is trending because a children’s ride called Wacky Worm derailed causing at least 14 injuries.
Claire’s is trending because it has entered administration in the UK and Ireland, the rough equivalent of bankruptcy in the U.S., putting about 2,150 jobs and more than 300 high-street stores at risk—though shops remain open while administrators look at restructuring or selling the business. Maybe they wouldn’t be in such trouble if they didn’t charge $15 for a scrunchie!
Bitcoin is trending because the price has skyrocketed this week past a record $122,000 per coin.
Americans Cut Back on Booze
Photo credit: AI-generated image (ChatGPT/OpenAI)
Fewer Americans are drinking alcohol these days, and if they do, they do so with far less frequency.
The numbers are quite impressive. A Gallup poll found that only 54% of Americans report drinking alcohol, compared to 62% in 2023. Only 24% say that they’ve had a drink in the past 24 hours and 40% say that their last drink was more than a week ago. Average intake is 2.8 drinks per week, down from 3.8 last year.
Why the change? Many say it’s because alcohol is bad for you—which it is—but I suspect there’s another factor: it makes you feel 💩 the next day, and that 💩 feeling only gets worse with age.
Just when they tell us that Americans have no willpower! Go us!
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