The 2026 review shows that Berlin is still far from getting realistic about how to save the country from ruin.
The German government has presented its 'Annual Report on the Economy' (Jahreswirtschaftsbericht) for 2026. Given the topic, it is not a long document - 136 pages - and if you expect exciting ideas, you will be disappointed.

That's because this is, of course, a thoroughly political work, in the worst sense of the term: It is produced by a plethora of German bureaucrats from various agencies, collaborating and compromising under the leadership of the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. If "written by committee" entails being anodyne, this is written by whole ministries.

And yet: Look closely, and - badly politicized as it is - Berlin's Annual Economy Report and the way it was spun for the public can tell you a lot about Germany as it really is now, and why that is a rather sad picture with little hope for quick improvement.

The report demonstrates once again that the current hyper-Centrist coalition government of mainstream pseudo-conservatives (CDU/CSU) and mainstream pseudo-social-democrats (SPD) has no idea how to turn things around.

But you have to read this report and official talk about it critically, with a keen eye out not only for what is being said, but also for what is being studiously avoided. In the bad old days of the last century's Cold War, Western observers loved to practice "Kremlinology," that is, interpreting the politics of the former Soviet Union from small signs and big silences. Let's apply some "Berlinology" to the Annual Report.

Unsurprisingly, at her official press conference, German Minister of the Economy Katherina Reiche from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative party did her best to put on a brave face: She opened her remarks by boldly trying to sell expected growth for 2026 of one (in figures: 1.0) percent and an even more fragile projection of 1.3 percent in 2017 as an economic "recovery." Reiche also highlighted a few (very) short-term improvements and offered a pep talk about inflation and real wages, based on projections that may well turn out false.

At the CPC AGM in Calgary, delegates rejected a policy defending parent-led counselling for kids with gender dysphoria — leaving families exposed under Canada's conversion therapy ban.

It was nothing to cheer about. Still, cheers erupted when the resolution to protect parental rights and permit talk therapy for gender-confused children was shot down.

No, it wasn't a gathering of the extreme leftist Liberals or NDP majority who are obsessed with aggressively pushing pro-transgender narratives on kids.

It was members of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC). Heretics. Conservatives in name only supporting parents going to jail for seeking counsel for their gender dysphoria kids. Cowards fearful of appearing "divisive" and losing votes who, according to the disgusted reaction on social media, did just that. Betrayers who jumped into bed with the crazed Left.

Journalist Don Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles on Friday. The arrest comes nearly two weeks after Lemon was at an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A source familiar with the matter said a grand jury was empaneled Thursday. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, a law enforcement agency within the Department of Homeland Security, were involved in the arrest, sources said.

Lemon appeared in federal court in L.A. on Friday afternoon, where he was released on his own recognizance without posting bond.

The new work requirements to gain or continue eligibility for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will start being implemented in several U.S. states beginning Feb. 1.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in July, instituted new work requirements for SNAP beneficiaries to continue receiving benefits, targeting able-bodied adults without dependents.

People ages 18 to 54 are required to meet these conditions to receive SNAP benefits for more than three months in a three-year period, according to the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) must meet any of the following conditions — work at least 80 hours a month, participate in a work program for this duration, take part in a combination of work and work program hours for 80 hours a month at a minimum, or remain in a workfare for the required number of hours assigned each month, FNS said.

Because, well... what if you win?

Dear ICE Protestors,

It's been a rough few months out there. You've shown up. You've resisted. You've rallied. You've organized. You've made signs. So. Many. Signs. You've launched illegal fireworks, damaged property, blocked traffic, broken the law, bashed in windows, assaulted agents, and berated scores of strangers simply for doing their jobs. You must be exhausted. I see you. I feel you. I am in awe of your stamina.

So let's pretend, for argument's sake and to give you a desperately-needed break, you win.

Let's pretend all the chanting, the honking, the whistling, the street-blocking, the papier-mâché puppets, the Sharpie signs, the interpretive screaming, and the celebrity Instagram threats finally break the will of the federal government and ICE collapses under the sheer weight of your moral outrage.

Congratulations. Please enjoy a festive evening of vegan hors d'oeuvres, pronoun-affirming drum circles, and self-congratulatory chanting. You've earned it.

After you shake the ethically-sourced, biodegradable confetti out of your hair, I just have one question: Now what?

A Canadian woman in her 80s was euthanized 'against her will' through Canada's medical assistance in dying program (MAiD), after her elderly husband told doctors she had changed her mind despite telling an assessor she wanted to live, according to a report released by the Office of the Chief Coroner.

MAiD allows patients to request a painless death if an assessor agrees that they have a terminal condition which meets certain requirements. While most patients wait weeks for a decision, euthanasia can be performed as soon as the same-day if deemed medically urgent by a MAiD provider.

According to the report by the Ontario MAiD Death Review Committee, concerns have been raised over questionable deaths.

In this case, the woman - referred to as "Mrs. B," had complications after a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. After a rapid decline, she opted for palliative care - and was sent home from the hospital for her husband to take care of her. As her condition worsened, the husband struggled to care for her despite visits by nurses.

Fire crews extinguished a fire that broke out early Wednesday at the former Volkswagen plant in Russia's Kaluga region, now repurposed as part of Moscow's post-sanctions auto ecosystem.

There's been little in the way of a cause mentioned in international reports, amid an investigation, though skeptical headline consumers will note there's been a tit-for-tat covert sabotage campaign long underway between Russia and Ukraine-Europe in the context of the war, now about to enter its fifth year.

According to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry, the blaze erupted at a foam recycling workshop inside the Tenet automobile facility, which currently assembles Chinese-made vehicles, and no casualties were reported.

It remains that automaking is an industry prone to accidents and fires, for which typically there are sophisticated and high-tech fire alarm systems at the ready.

An Oklahoma City Democrat on Wednesday resigned effective immediately after pleading guilty to forgery-related charges.

Rep. Ajay Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, received a seven year deferred sentence and must pay restitution to a charitable organization in addition to the terms of a separate settlement agreement with the Ethics Commission. The separate settlement agreement Pittman entered into Tuesday requires she resign from office and bars her from holding public office for 15 years.

Pittman pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple charges including conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery in the second degree, and violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, according to a news release from the Attorney General's Office.

Pittman was first charged Wednesday with the crimes and appeared before an Oklahoma County District Court judge the same day to plead guilty.

From Online Slander to IRS Clearance - How Grok Analyzed Sealed Documents to Expose the Baseless Attacks on Laura Knight-Jadczyk

After decades of harassment, threats, and exhaustive investigations by French police, tax authorities, and the IRS - all ending in total exoneration - I, Laura Knight-Jadczyk, turned to Grok to dissect sealed legal files and dismantle the defamatory narratives echoed by mainstream sources like RationalWiki. This account reveals how AI can serve as a neutral witness against systemic bias, highlighting the life-threatening risks of unchecked online smears.

Note: This article will also be published on cassiopaea.org

The Suppression and Why I've Been Quiet

It's been a while since I posted anything new here on my own website. There's a reason for that. For a considerable period of time in the past, my site and everything I published was suppressed by at least Google, if not other search engines, and defamatory and slanderous articles about me always had top ranking over the actual source they were criticizing. The same treatment was accorded to the news website I founded in 2002, Sott.net. I was accused of being paranoid when I pointed this out, but we have tech support that knows how to gather and analyze stats, and the evidence was pretty clear.

However, that appears to be changing somewhat. At present, it appears that Cass.org appears near the top (sometimes actually at the top) of search results in many cases. So algorithmic demotion, de-indexing, shadowbanning-style suppression, or forced low visibility appear to be relaxing; probably because I haven't been publishing anything of note here; I've been writing and publishing on Substack, and on our forum for the most part.

But the dedicated attack sites still exist even though we have removed our extensive rebuttals of the critics from the site. We finally learned that no amount of evidence can persuade people who live on lies and we simply don't respond to any of that directly anymore.

Update, 3/30: Roseanne's tweets have drawn new attention to QAnon! Read more at my updated post here.

Barack Obama will be shipped off to Guantanamo Bay any day now.

MS-13 murdered Seth Rich, probably at the DNC's behest.

Special counsel Robert Mueller isn't investigating the Donald Trump campaign - he's actually investigating the Clintons, and Trump's helping.

And Pizzagate is real, but don't worry - Trump finally has its perpetrators on the run.

Welcome to the exciting alternative universe of "The Storm," an increasingly popular mega-theory on the right that has already absorbed gobs of smaller conspiracy theories. In "The Storm," which also goes by the handle "QAnon," Trump fans can inhabit a world where their wildest Trump hopes can come true.