Ugh, why does every new series consist primarily of boring lectures on the new morality interspersed with gay and/or trans sex scenes? @fancypants_s https://t.co/AWByMrPNG3
— Patti Jo (@TheSupeHero) January 16, 2026
h/t Patti Jo
Author: Blazingcatfur
Drug Gangs, Child Gunmen and Antisemitic Abuse — Welcome to Marseille
What mass migration without integration has produced in France’s second city, and what it now tells us about Europe’s future
Marseille has become a case study in how disorder embeds itself when authority retreats unevenly. This is not about perception or media framing. It is about sustained violence, parallel authority, and the normalisation of behaviour that would once have triggered national alarm.
In 2023, Marseille recorded its deadliest year on record for drug-related violence, with more than 50 killings directly linked to narcotics trafficking. Prosecutors and investigators described the city as operating under a regime of “narcobanditry,” in which criminal networks control territory, regulate access, and enforce discipline.
WTF?
This is what AI was made for 😂 pic.twitter.com/x424CPTb77
— Clown World ™ 🤡 (@ClownWorld) January 18, 2026
Canada needs to keep its eye on Marco Rubio
U.S. President Donald Trump’s Venezuelan adventure has generated a great deal of ink about the so-called Donroe doctrine. Commentators are eager to impose some form of coherence on a wide-ranging and often contradictory series of foreign-policy actions. But the subject resists.
The rhetoric of isolationism clashes with the covert action of a Delta Force raid to capture a foreign leader on foreign soil. The label of “president of peace” is not exactly consistent with gangster statecraft that threatens to acquire Greenland by any means necessary. Nor does it sit comfortably alongside the gutting of the State Department and foreign aid, the casual lobbing of tariffs, and what has become the habitual mistreatment of NATO allies.
Related …
BREAKING: In September, Mark Carney officially became the Chair of Trudeau’s Task Force on Economic Growth.
In October, Carney met with the Deputy Director of the People’s Bank of China.
Just two weeks later, news broke that Brookfield secured a quarter billion dollar loan from… pic.twitter.com/caXKPlSFsg
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) March 25, 2025
A Look Back at New York City’s First Flirtation with Socialism
Before Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America, there were Vito Marcantonio and the American Labor Party.
Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s 112th mayor and a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has shown no signs of wavering in his commitment to socialism. In his inaugural address, he proudly proclaimed that he would “govern as a democratic socialist.” Mamdani’s win follows other recent Big Apple victories for DSA members and DSA-friendly politicians, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and State Senator Julia Salazar.
This isn’t New York City’s first dance with socialists. Though few readers may remember Vito Marcantonio and the American Labor Party, they were—like Mamdani and the DSA today—a force to be reckoned with in 1930s and 1940s New York.
Canada weighs sending soldiers to Greenland as show of NATO solidarity with Denmark
Canada has drawn up plans to send a small contingent of soldiers to Greenland for military exercises with other NATO allies in the face of threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to acquire the semi-autonomous island controlled by Denmark, two senior government officials say.
The officials told The Globe and Mail that the Canadian Armed Forces is awaiting final political approval from Prime Minister Mark Carney before the soldiers are flown to Greenland.
Insurrection: Bombshell Email Shows How Minneapolis City Employees Are Instructed to Work Against ICE
On Friday, before their three-day holiday weekend kicked off, City of Minneapolis employees got their marching orders on how to continue to undermine Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions.
Can you call it an “insurrection” yet?
Why U.S. military coercion is unlikely, though Canada should take proactive steps
Should Canadians be prepared for the United States to use military coercion to achieve its goals?
Economic coercion is the more viable choice for President Donald Trump if he presses his objectives in Canada, since he has the means to apply that pressure without the unpopular move of sending in troops, said University of Windsor political science Prof. Jamey Essex
Hollywood Death Spiral: Bank to Foreclose on Historic TV Studios After Loan Default
A bank is set to take over ownership of an historic Los Angeles TV and film studio because the current owner has defaulted on the $1.1 billion loan, as Hollywood continues its collapse.
Goldman Sachs is reportedly on the verge of taking control of the famous Radford Studio Center in Studio City, California, because Hackman Capital Partners (HCP) can’t seem to come up with the cash to stay current on its mortgage, according to The Wrap.
‘Looking like a supplicant is undignified’: Michael Kovrig on Carney’s China trip
Former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig — who was detained by China for more than 1,000 days between 2018 and 2021 — says Prime Minister Mark Carney’s tone and messaging during his trip to China were “worrisome.”
In a bid to reset relations with China and counter trade threats from the United States, Carney became the first Canadian prime minister to travel to the Asian country in eight years this week.
Thread by @andrewmichta on Thread Reader App
The announcement by Canadian PM @MarkJCarney of a reset in Canada-China ties accompanied by a trade deal of dramatic proportions will likely go down in history as a major political blunder. But don’t listen to me: Premier Doug Ford of Ontario already denounced the deal. 1/9
Anger, however justified, should never be the principal driver of policy. This is true both about our Canadian brethren, and true about our European allies. We are living through a rocky transformation of the international system, but the geopolitical realities remain
Pub landlord told painting a St George’s Cross needs planning permission
A pub landlord has been forced to apply for permission to keep a St George’s cross painted on the front of his pub.
Jerry Kunkler first painted the red cross on the white exterior of the Moonrakers Inn in Pewsey, Wilts, for the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, and repainted it in 2022 for the World Cup in the Middle East.
But after it featured in a Reform UK promotional video, a local complained it looked like “the headquarters of the National Front”.
From surge in patriotism to fewer US trips – Trump’s impact on Canada
In the year since US President Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term, he has brought with him significant global shifts.
Like many countries, Canada – America’s closest neighbour to the north – has felt the impact and seen a change in the long-standing relationship with its close security ally and trading partner.
Trump has imposed tariffs on several key Canadian sectors and has warned of more to come. He has also referred to Canada as “the 51st state” — a jab that has been met with a mix of anxiety and an uncharactaristically fierce display of patriotism.
🤯 “China quietly mobilized thousands of fishing boats twice in recent weeks to form massive floating barriers of at least 200 miles long, showing a new level of coordination that could give Beijing more ways to impose control in contested seas. The two recent operations unfolded… pic.twitter.com/jTvEQmsDJV
— Michael Kovrig (@MichaelKovrig) January 17, 2026
White House press secretary tells CBS ‘we’ll sue your ass off’ if it edits Trump interview
Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, was recently recorded warning CBS News to broadcast a new interview with the president in full and without edits – or “we’ll sue your ass off”.
Trump “said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,’” Leavitt told CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil after he had interviewed the president, according to an audio exchange first reported on by the New York Times. The 13-minute exclusive segment aired on Tuesday, months after CBS’ parent company Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16m over its editing of an unrelated interview ahead of the 2024 election that vaulted him to a second presidency.
🚨 NEW AUDIO: Karoline Leavitt just threatened CBS News over Trump’s interview:
“Air it in full… or we’ll sue your ass off.”
The White House is now openly trying to bully the media into compliance.
This isn’t “transparency.” It’s intimidation. pic.twitter.com/8pMBBJzYhC
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 18, 2026
Terry Newman: Was Mark Carney really the best choice to negotiate with Trump?
Canadians have not heard much about why negotiations with the United States seem to have gone nowhere. One has to ask: was Mark Carney really the best choice to negotiate with Donald Trump? All signs point to “absolutely not.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Beijing this week, meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other high-ranking Communist party officials. After landing in China on Wednesday, Carney posted a video of himself waving before descending the steps of his plane to enjoy the red-carpet treatment.
We’ve secured a new trade agreement with China — unlocking more than $7 billion in export markets for Canadian workers and businesses.
Watch my full remarks ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0Nyrilm1DM
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) January 17, 2026
Germany’s Military Recruitment Drive Has a Gen Z Problem
BERLIN—The country on the front line of Europe’s rearmament effort is struggling to meet its military recruitment goals. The problem isn’t pacifism, but young people posing a new variation on the age-old question: “What is in it for me?”
European nations have stepped up military spending and begun preparing for a potential conflict with Russia. As a part of the effort, countries such as Germany and France have sought to get young people thinking about military service again.
Germany has introduced a new military service, initially on a voluntary basis. Some 700,000 men and women born in 2008 started receiving questionnaires this month about their fitness and willingness to serve. Only men are obliged to answer, and they will have to report for medical evaluation, whether they want to serve or not.
Related – German weapons failing in Ukraine