UPDATE: The Democratic Party’s most trustworthy policy-nerd, David Dayen, headlined on July 3rd, “Republicans Are Cutting Medicare. Not Only Medicaid, Medicare. Passage of the Big Beautiful Bill will force mandatory sequestration that will mean half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts.” And he reported that, Because of a statutory requirement to automatically impose […]
Regions
The Crisis Of American Influence
Many Americans were unhappy with the actions of their president. They include the Republican’s closest ally, Elon Musk. His concerns are caused by the adoption of a new budget in the United States, which, according to the businessman, turned out to be too huge, and cuts in financing in other […]
The Housing Crisis And High Taxes Will Not Disappear
The election promises were, as always, quite serious. Merz promised everything he could promise. Some of his statements remained unsubstantiated. It is impossible to realise in a short time what the chancellor wanted to do. Gradually the realisation came that the only source of income for the country was the […]
Mercouris Explains Possibility Of Russia And China Becoming Iran’s Protector
https://theduran.com/iran-israel-round-2-diplomacy-and-war-preparations/ Trump’s decision to bomb Iran on June 12th committed America to Israel’s regime-change war against Iran. The debate now in Iran is whether or not to accept the full protection — including their nuclear umbrellas — that Russia and China have offered to Iran. Trump’s decision could thus turn […]
Behind The ’12-Day War’
Operations “The Rising Lion” and “Midnight Hammer” were demonstrations of force mobilizing considerable resources. They lasted no more than 12 days in total. Their results are unknown, but much has been learned about those who planned them. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which relied on AI software rather than the […]
Pentagon Finalizes Its Budget: What And How Will The Funds To Be Spent On In 2026
At the end of June, the US Department of Defense made an official budget request for fiscal year 2026, worth of $961.6 billion. “This historic defense budget prioritizes strengthening homeland security, deterring Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, revitalizing the US defense industrial base, and maintaining our commitment to being good […]
The EU’s Short-Sighted Policy Towards Russia: The Path To Long-Term Confrontation And The Weakening Of Europe
The European Union, led by figures such as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Foreign Affairs High Representative Kaja Kallas, is embroiled in a protracted confrontation with Russia, damaging its own economy and political influence on the world stage. The war in Ukraine has become a catalyst for a […]
The Latest Trouble In Russian-Azerbaijani Relations Might Be Part Of A Turkish-US Powerplay
Turkiye sees an opportunity to turbocharge its rise as a Eurasian Great Power along Russia’s entire southern periphery in ways that autonomously align with American grand strategic interests. Russian-Azerbaijani relations are in trouble as a result of two scandals. The first concerns the recent police raid against suspected ethnic Azeri criminals in […]
Putin–Macron Call: Diplomatic Pivot Or Strategic Maneuver?
On July 1, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron resumed a high-stakes dialogue after nearly three years. In a substantial two-hour phone call, they addressed the wars in Ukraine and Iran, signaling a calculated diplomatic reset. For President Putin, agreeing to speak with Macron—a figure […]
Operation Midnight Hammer: Were Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Damaged?
The aftermath of Operation Midnight Hammer, a strike by the US Air Force on three nuclear facilities in Iran authorised by President Donald Trump on June 22, was raucous and triumphant. But that depended on what company you were keeping. The mission involved the bombing of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment […]
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