Elon Musk and corruption

The U.S. was supposed to spend $40 billion to build internet in rural America, then Elon Musk got a huge chunk of that money redirected to Starlink.

He made hundreds of millions, while countless people still don't have good internet.

We went to Louisiana where kids can't do their homework, schools can't support their students, and businesses struggle without a reliable connection.  

Remembering George Carlin

Beyond the comedy specials and the spotlight lies the true core of George Carlin’s work: a sharp, clinical examination of human hubris, institutional control, and the illusions of modern freedom.

"There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past."

— George Carlin  

Election sweeps out GOP, Musk worried, More EU craziness

• Newly elected Governor of Texas Gina Hinojosa is from Brownsville, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. Massive turnout from the Hispanic population ensured her victory against the very corrupt Republican political machine. She is the first elected Democrat Governor in Texas in many years.
• Newsweek: US Army soldiers are training to bury fellow troops in temporary graves en masse for the first time in decades, rehearsing how the US military would respond if it sustained a high number of casualties while fighting a still-blazing war. Soldiers with the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command and the 20th Engineer Brigade, based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as well as religious support personnel like military chaplains, used diggers and excavators to see how effectively they could be used to help preserve bodies intact until they could be identified and repatriated to the US. The US Army hasn't needed to do this on a large scale since the Korean War, the Army said in a statement. "This exercise allowed us to take a critical look at how we respect, honor, and systematically manage our fallen in a high-intensity conflict," Sergeant 1st Class Delbert Ruede, from the 3rd Corps Sustainment Command, said in a statement. 

• Fotros Resistance: The US military confirms they struck Qeshm Island and claim Iran first targeted a US fighter jet, which prompted the attack. Additionally, the Iranian Army spokesman has just issued a statement warning the US. Brig. General Akraminia says any renewed US aggression will be met with an immediate, devastating, and more extensive response than before. Should a new war break out, the geographical scope of the conflict will not remain confined to West Asia. In the event of renewed military adventurism, US facilities, equipment, personnel, and interests wherever they are within reach could become targets of retaliation.

• Iran’s top security chief Mohsen Rezaei says US response to Iran’s demands was unsatisfactory. He said: “The United States’ response to Iran’s rights and demands was not satisfactory. The US must fully and explicitly address all 7 of Iran’s conditions and comply with them. Only then will the Strait of Hormoz be reopened.”
• Trump: 'I am not looking to kill a large number of Iranian people, but if we have to, we’d have to.' Nearly three-quarters of Americans who voted in Tuesday’s midterm elections (74%) said that Trump’s illegal war of choice on Iran was a significant factor in their vote, a figure that opponents of US militarism said underscored the need for the Democrats to become a true anti-war party.

• Sovereignista: China possesses a system designed to interfere with Starlink satellites, operating on the same principle as Russia’s Volna-Kupol-Garant electronic warfare complex, Russian defense engineer Dmitry Kuzyakin tells Sputnik. “Starlink is an instrument of external influence that must be controlled,” Kuzyakin warned, adding that countries should be able to restrict satellite communications over their territory. The Russian system uses directed radio interference against Starlink satellites passing overhead, disrupting their connections with ground terminals within a designated area. Kuzyakin says China possesses a comparable capability, although its technical specifications remain undisclosed.
• “There is no way to sugarcoat that Democrats taking control especially over the Senate will create some major hurdles for AI and tech legislation in the Beltway over the next two years,” Elon Musk loyalist and tech analyst Dan Ives said in a note on Wednesday morning. A sulking Musk [who donated $458 million to the Republicans for the midterm elections] is already looking to move on from the humiliation, actively distancing himself from the major data center push. “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now,” he tweeted after many hours of uncharacteristic silence, referring to SpaceX’s plans to develop orbital data centers. “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time,” he added in a separate post. 

• The US & its Arab proxy countries have installed additional air defense systems since the last war, in preparation for the new war with Iran. 3 Patriot air defense batteries have been installed in Kuwait. 3 Patriot air defense batteries have been deployed in the UAE. Iran shot down its 56th MQ-9 drone over the Strait of Hormoz at 4:30 AM.  Iran’s air defenses also shot down its 15th American MQ-1 drone above Qeshm Island by a new, advanced air defense system, says the IRGC. 
• An alliance of leftwing European political parties, co-founded by former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, has lost access to its bank account. The Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25) said on Tuesday that its account was “closed suddenly and without warning” on 8 October, and the group has lost access to tens of thousands of euros. The organisation has not named the bank, citing legal reasons, but spokesperson Erik Edman said the account was held in Belgium. This is 'democracy' in the EU? 
• Simplicius: The fact is, Trump’s undoing came from the classic folly of ignoring his electorate while switching to the biddings of his globalist donor class. This class’s only role is to push war, as war is the eternal tool of survival for the bankster cartel. And thus, the wisdom of the crowd was replaced with the behest of the bagmen. This has been a growing trend in political leaders across the world. Last week, Italian defense minister Guido Crosetto shocked audiences when he told an interviewer that he doesn’t care if the public disagrees with Italy’s military support for Ukraine, as their opinion doesn’t matter. Not long after, Germany’s reviled Chancellor Merz likewise explained that his historically low approval rating is owed to the fact that he doesn’t care what the German public thinks of him, an odd remark for someone allegedly elected to represent the public mandate. Merz says, “If I weren’t involved in this conflict, my personal approval ratings would be better. But I have no intention of becoming the nation’s darling.” The most important remaining questions revolve around what will the new Democrat control mean for the Ukraine war. Will the Dems now sabotage Trump’s peace efforts and attempt at rapprochement with Russia, funneling renewed money and support to a fatally-wounded Ukraine?

• Michael Salla: President Trump yesterday issued a Proclamation that declares  America is destined to lead humanity to the farthest reaches of outer space and "forging an interplanetary civilization." Amid great uncertainty about when and how much will be disclosed about UFOs and extraterrestrial life, one thing is certain. Humanity is now on track to become an interplanetary civilization through Trump's space initiatives such as US Space Force, US Space Command, the Artemis Accords, and Operation Olympic Defender. Pax Americana wishes to move 4th Reich tyranny into our solar system and beyond. 

• Yves Engler: The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Russia must be reinstated to international hockey competitions. The court overturned a ban imposed following Russia’s [military operation into] Ukraine in 2022. The Russian Ice hockey federation said they plan to participate in the World Junior Hockey tournament in Alberta, which begins in six weeks. On Tuesday Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will ignore the court ruling and deny entry to Russian and Belarusian athletes so long as there’s a war in Ukraine. Yet Canada opposes Israel’s exclusion from sports or song competitions. Amidst the genocide IOF veterans have competed in the Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada played Israel in tennis in Halifax and the Israel Premier Tech cycling team competed at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Additionally, notes Ben Thompson, Israelis competed at Skate Canada International, World Skydiving Championships, Artistic Swimming World Cup and Maccabi Games in Canada. A former IOF soldier also played an MLS match in Montreal.

• Deb Haaland was elected as Governor of New Mexico. She is the first Native American to ever become a state governor. She served as US Secretary of the Interior from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the US representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021. Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe. 

Bangladesh workers need fair wages

After days of protests, garment workers in Bangladesh have won a timeline for a wage review. But they still don't know how much their pay will increase.

These workers make clothes for global brands like Zara, H&M and Walmart. Yet garment workers in Bangladesh earn some of the lowest wages in the industry.

Will it be enough to satisfy rising costs of living? 

Oligarchies in action: Turning government into a corporate slave

There's a set of MAGA lobbyists in DC who can get you anything you want from the White House, legal or not.

Ticketmaster, Paramount, crypto companies — they're all exploiting this pay-to-play system.

We talked to a DOJ whistle-blower who saw it up close.  

Your election recovery song

By Jesse Welles 

"Whirlwind"

It's a democratic hoax, folks

Have you even seen the DOW?

People wanna talk about this Jeffrey

Ain't he dead now, anyhow?

They're saying the 401ks are slaying

Okay then, none of us even have 'em

Enjoy the last dregs of a nation

While the future lays abandoned

Is the S&P 500 a race?

I'm sure the NASDAQ's just fantastic

I'm gonna need a bag for all this bullshit

Gimme paper

Gimme plastic

The rules are elastic

I'll have what they're having

While they're wreaking havoc

A Floridian Lobotomy

Hey Marco, Susie, Waltz, Dr. Oz and Pam Bondi

No one has each other's backs

Like the parasitic class

You gotta admire the fire, the passion they have

To cover each others' ass

Closer and closer to non-disclosure disclosure

The law is just a fence

For the elite to jump over

No one said that life was fair

But does it have to be this evil?

Diabolical, illogical

It'll leave you feeling feeble

It ain't five-dimensional chess

It's dementia doing its best

Ring a ding-ding

You got the mad king

And he's mean when he's depressed

Lame duck run amok

Things ain't looking up

Spend the rest of the term

Tryna make a buck

He'll be in Qatar in no time

Sublime with no tie

Just ties to Russia, Kompromat, and Salt Life

And pushing it to Kushner

New Gaza's on the desk

If you wanna make everything great again

You've gotta pave over the dead

Here lies no one

Here lies something to forget

Cosmic justice is a whirlwind

It's a promise, not a threat

Closer and closer to non-disclosure disclosure

The law's just a fence

For the elite to jump over

No one said that life was fair

But does it have to be this evil?

Diabolical, illogical

It'll leave you feeling feeble

Space missile defense has a big problem

Is a space-based missile defense system possible? The Trump administration has committed billions to build one. Experts speak to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists about the only proposal made public.

Read Lisbeth Gronlund and David Wright's full breakdown of "Brilliant Swarms" on the Bulletin's website.

Truckers in Southern Italy desperate and blocking roads

In Southern Italy, thousands of truck drivers and farmers took to the streets to protest high diesel prices, causing transport bottlenecks and supply bottlenecks.

Behind the protests are the war in Iran, the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, the burden of excise taxes, and the economic difficulties of Southern Italian businesses.

But why does diesel cost so much? And above all, why did Southern Italy come to a standstill?

How long can the Italian government continue to help fund US & Israeli war$ instead of taking care of their own people?

It's a fascinating video study of how the current global fossil fuel crisis is having major impact on the Southern Italy region.

Bangladesh garment workers protest for higher wages as hundreds of factories shut

Thousands of garment workers have taken to the streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh, demanding higher wages as rising inflation puts pressure on household budgets.

Protests have led to clashes with police, the deployment of border guards and the temporary shutdown of more than 500 factories.

In a live report from Dhaka, Al Jazeera correspondent Tanvir Chowdhury describes the unrest. Human rights lawyer Taqbir Huda discusses why workers say the government's wage board has failed to account for rising living costs, and examines the role of Western fast-fashion brands in driving down production prices and putting pressure on workers.

Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury reports from Dhaka.

Trump on AI and 'lots of jobs'

Does MAGA really believe in the AI boom, or is Trump just majorly invested in it?  

Trump's war on fishing boats in the Caribbean & East Pacific

Since September 2025, the US military has carried out more than 60 strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing more than 220 people.

In a military campaign called Operation Southern Spear, President Donald Trump's administration has claimed to wage war against “narcoterrorism”. Yet the government has released little information about who was killed, the evidence against them or how targets were selected.

In Killing at Sea, Fault Lines investigates the administration's claims about Operation Southern Spear by uncovering the stories of those targeted and the evidence used to justify lethal military force.

Through the stories of families left searching for answers, alongside witness accounts, physical evidence and interviews with legal experts, Fault Lines asks whether the strikes are lawful, whether they have disrupted the drug trade and what accountability exists for those killed.

From fishing communities in the Caribbean to Washington, DC, Killing at Sea examines a military campaign conducted largely beyond public view—and asks who is being killed in the US’s new war at sea, and why.  

German youth protest against war, Ukie troop levels fall, EU crash

• Germany’s students are taking to the streets as protesters flood Hamburg to oppose the country’s new military-service system and warn that it could eventually pave the way for a return of conscription. The demonstration took place as the Bundeswehr conducted its major “Red Storm Charlie” civil-military exercise across Hamburg, creating a striking contrast between military preparations and growing opposition among young people. Protesters carried banners reading “Russia is not our enemy,” “Win the peace, not the war,” and “You won’t fight your war on our backs.”
• Yemen military: The Saudi warplanes carried out 75 airstrikes and missile attacks over the past 24 hours, targeting civilian sites in the governorates of Saada, Taiz, Amran, Ibb, Dhamar, Lahj, Al Hudaydah, and Al Jawf, using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that took off from the Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, while the missile aggression was launched from Jizan. The attacks resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. This brings the total number of Saudi aggression airstrikes and missile attacks against our country since the beginning of the escalation to 3,830.

• “Tech billionaires are not your constituents.” Lexington, Kentucky resident delivers brilliant warning to City Council. 

• According to an Iraqi media outlet, a network of oil smugglers, with connections to influential parties in northern Iraq (Kurds), Syrian armed groups, and international intermediaries, is transferring Iraqi and Syrian oil through Turkish territory to Israel. 
• The Pentagon has raised the official US death toll from the Iran war from 21 to 23, bringing total American casualties to 888: 23 killed and 865 wounded. Slowly the numbers continue to creep up. Will more casualties come soon?

• Iran’s top security chief, Mohsen Rezaei: [Regarding negotiations with the US & Vance letter] "No new decision has been made at the government level. Of course, there is currently a debate over whether, if war breaks out again, we should maintain our previous doctrine or change it. However, no new decision has been officially adopted by the government. But the Iranian people have demands and are looking for a logical explanation. After all, they see that the enemy has attacked all our nuclear facilities. On what grounds did they do so? We cooperated fully with all IAEA inspections. We responded positively to their requests and helped them carry out inspections. They had cameras at all our sites. So, naturally, when people see all of this, their question to us is: Why do you want to continue down the same path?”

• Simplicius: Panic erupted in Poland on Oct 30 as a judicial “coup” was declared after the Constitutional Tribunal building was blocked off by police while the Tusk-aligned senior judge Anna Korwin-Piotrowska proceeded to unlawfully suspend the Nawrocki-aligned Tribunal president Bogdan Swieczkowski. The entire saga centers on the struggle between the Brussels-aligned Tusk government and President Nawrocki’s nationalist opposition party, which is hated by the globalists because it seeks to preserve Polish sovereignty in the face of the totalitarian EU system attempting to subvert it. Recall that the key issue underlying this entire conflict between the globalist and nationalist factions is that the Brussels mafia-aligned globalists believe that EU law supersedes Polish law. The nationalist opposition faction, on the other hand, believes that the Polish constitution is supreme to that of EU law, as any normal person would agree should be the case. The entire struggle comes down to this one critical and existential juncture. The EU-NATO plan to drag Poland into the war on Russia now that Ukraine has been defeated. Former president of Poland Andrzej Duda put it best in comparing Tusk’s actions to what is now commonly regarded as the “European” way. 

• Alastair Crooke: Fiscal pressures are apparent everywhere, in Europe and beyond, eating deep into other forms of public expenditure, such as education and medical provision. At the same time, great swathes of Europe’s industrial heartlands have been laid waste. Unemployment, particularly among the young, has exploded. Germany alone has shed close to half a million industrial jobs in the past six years. Neither Europe, nor the US, is today generally price competitive. Energy inflation has put many global export markets beyond reach. The political class throughout the western world have legitimacy poll numbers circling the drain. Popular despair and anger are growing. Resentment seethes. It has exploded first in France, but others will experience it next. The crisis is coming to late fruition. Iran and AnsarAllah have snapped shut their energy trap on Trump. There are no easy or obvious exits to this. In fact, if mishandled through US or Israeli military escalation, war will compound the western economic crisis dramatically, as Iran retaliates against Gulf energy infrastructure. And given the long timelines involved in any re-building of highly complex oil infrastructure, it is certain that a structural fuel shortfall will ratchet into escalating damage to global supply lines. The same applies for AnsarAllah’s attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure. Equally, there is no way western liberal welfare economies can survive prolonged war on Iran and the Houthis. Europeans are staring at the economic abyss. Is the West ready to compound the risk of violent revolution simply to escape having to capitulate to Iran or Russia?  Trump’s War Overreach may be the Straw that Breaks the Back of the West’s Financialised Architecture.     

• Dmitry Medvedev: "The Russia-Africa Summit concluded. Regardless of the barking from Western media and various Russophobic commentators, it was a perfectly orchestrated symphony of relations between the two continents. After all, our country is, in essence, an entire continent. All the meetings with African colleagues – both those of our Head of State and my own – demonstrated their sincere desire to develop ties with Russia, which, unlike Europe, has never engaged in the colonization of African countries. Therefore, the malice of Western degenerates is understandable: according to experts, Europe owes African countries 15 quadrillion (yes, 1.5 × 10¹⁶!) dollars for years of colonial genocide and plunder." 

• NBC News: Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was hospitalized Saturday after a stroke, a spokesperson for the senator said Sunday. Murphy, an outspoken critic of President  Trump, said Thursday at an event in Washington for the Middle East Institute that Trump’s plan to possibly resume the war with Iran after the midterms is “insane.” Earlier this fall, Murphy was one of over a dozen lawmakers whose offices received letters containing suspicious substances.
• SouthFront: Ukraine’s leadership is wrestling with a problem that no speech or summit can solve: finding enough soldiers. The issue surfaces in the news at irregular intervals, but it never goes away, and the latest government proposal suggests that the search for a solution is becoming more desperate. 

• Tucker Carlson: Under pressure from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Trump administration may be within days of launching a nuclear strike on Iran. The target would be Pickax Mountain in central Iran, where Israeli intelligence claims the Iranian government has restarted its nuclear enrichment program. No conventional weapon in the American arsenal can penetrate 300 feet of solid granite to destroy the tunnels where enrichment is supposedly taking place. The only military option is a nuclear strike. Netanyahu has been pushing hard for one. “Bibi calls Trump about it every day,” says an informed observer.