The real magic of Stratfor was we had conversations like this everyday. I didn't realize how special it was till it was gone. This time we kept the mics on. Thanks to @Geo_papic @PeterZeihan @mgertken for making the time. piped.video/watch?v=z9zH8CJT…

We did a podcast on sand. It's fascinating. Give it a listen. Share it with your mom. Thank you for your attention to this matter. jacob-shapiro.captivate.fm/e…

Since 2022, Russia's share of EU oil imports has fallen from 27% to 2%. @JacobShap looks at what Europe's energy pivot means for its ties with Canada. "Europe needs energy. Canada needs capital." mauldineconomics.com/the-wor… #Geopolitics #Energy #Canada #EU

The section about Taiwan in the Chinese readout has a deeper strategic calculation from Beijing's perspective: Xi Jinping is now positioning the Washington's handling of the Taiwan issue as the "foundation" of U.S.-China stability. This shows Beijing's recognition of the importance President Trump attaches to maintaining a stable relationship with President Xi, so it is seeking to position Taiwan as a prerequisite for that stability, potentially complicating Washington's deliberations about its engagement with Taipei going forward. This step reflects both Beijing's confidence in its ability to influence the trajectory of development in U.S.-China-Taiwan relations and its attempt to set up a framework that may condition future U.S.-Taiwan relations. fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xw/zyxw…

As Russell Napier told me today that the managers who have traded Brazilian equities are the only ones who will survive this new monetary system. Rising rates Rising inflation Rising equity markets.

Ruminating on this

🇲🇽 🇺🇸 México y Estados Unidos aplazaron para octubre la cuarta ronda de negociaciones del T-MEC, prevista originalmente para septiembre, informó el subsecretario de Comercio Exterior, Luis Rosendo Gutiérrez 🤝 La visita de Xi Jinping a EU y la Cumbre Ministerial de Comercio del G20 en Milwaukee explican el retraso 📉 Entre los temas primordiales a discutir están reducir el arancel de 25% al sector automotriz y de autopartes eluniversal.com.mx/cartera/m…

Canada confirms plan to diversify away from Elon Musk’s Starlink cultmtl.com/2026/09/canada-c…

He's cooking *XI: US AND CHINA SHOULD COEXIST PEACEFULLY

This will not end well

Blockchain's killer use case so far: Sustaining USD hegemony. Data from @stripe / @patrickc

That thinking - that Israelis are more than influential, and actually call the tune for both US parties - leads to charges of antisemitism that Carlson denies. But watch for yourself: 2/2 steveinskeep.substack.com/p/…

Jensen Huang: China will “get there” on advanced lithography by 2030. Elon Musk: China will address compute constraints with lithography and chipmaking in 2-3 years.

President Macron said that France plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect a refinery and crude oil pipeline in the Red Sea port of Yanbu. on.wsj.com/4hkOzj1

Russia's grain export crisis is now officially an emergency. Krasnodar, one of Russia's biggest grain-producing regions, has declared a state of emergency after drone attacks and Black Sea port shutdowns left farmers unable to sell large volumes of grain. And it's expecting a 13.4 mmt crop, up 17% YoY. The emergency is backdated to August 12, potentially paving the way for compensation and other support for farmers. Not a new disruption. Just official recognition of how bad things have become. #wheat #Russia #blacksea #oatt

First readout from China on Trump-Xi summit. English translation first then Chinese. WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks at the White House on the morning of Sept. 24 local time. Xi Jinping pointed out that the reciprocal visits between the two heads of state in less than six months are unprecedented in the history of China-U.S. relations. President Trump and I have maintained communication through various means, jointly steering the ship of China-U.S. relations. In May of this year, President Trump and I unanimously decided to build a constructive strategic and stable relationship between China and the United States. This new positioning reflects the reality of China-U.S. relations and embodies expectations for the future, representing an important step towards a correct path for the two countries to coexist. We must translate this vision into action, striving towards a direction of cooperation as the mainstay, competition with moderation, controllable differences, and a promising future, forging a correct path for the two major powers to coexist. China and the United States should and can fully achieve mutual benefit and win-win results through pragmatic cooperation, achieve mutual success through healthy competition, properly handle differences while seeking common ground and reserving differences, and build peace by accumulating mutual trust, so that a constructive strategic and stable relationship between China and the United States can better benefit the people of both countries and the people of the world. Xi Jinping emphasized that the new round of consultations between the two sides' economic and trade teams resulted in a new joint arrangement, which is good news for industries, people, and the global economy of both countries. Cooperation is a two-way street; the stability of China-US economic and trade relations requires both extending the list of cooperation areas and narrowing the list of issues. As long as we uphold the spirit of equality, respect, and mutual benefit, we can find a way to resolve problems. He hoped that both sides would meet each other halfway, adhere to a win-win approach, and promote the continued stable and positive development of China-US economic and trade relations. Xi Jinping pointed out that both China and the US are major powers in artificial intelligence. While there is competition, there is also the potential for cooperation. Both sides should leverage their respective strengths rather than be defensive towards each other. The two sides can continue to conduct dialogues on artificial intelligence, exchange views on its risks and benefits, and jointly prevent the misuse and abuse of artificial intelligence. We must maintain human control over artificial intelligence technology, uphold a people-centered and benevolent approach, and ensure that artificial intelligence serves human progress. Xi Jinping stressed that China's position on safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity is very clear. He hoped that the US would adhere to its correct position against "Taiwan independence," handle the Taiwan issue prudently, and lay a solid foundation for China-US strategic cooperation and the development of bilateral relations. President Trump stated that President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States was a great visit. Both the US and China are major powers, and President Xi and I are good friends, maintaining in-depth and close communication. Under our leadership, US-China relations will certainly improve. The two countries' economic and trade teams achieved new results in a new round of consultations, and both sides should continue dialogue to reach better agreements. Artificial intelligence concerns the future of humanity, and the US and China should maintain dialogue and strengthen cooperation on this issue. The two heads of state also exchanged views on major international and regional issues such as the situation in the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis, and the Korean Peninsula. The two heads of state confirmed their mutual support for successfully hosting the 2026 APEC Leaders' Informal Meeting and the G20 Leaders' Summit. Cai Qi, Wang Yi, He Lifeng, and others participated.

Breaking news: a minoritarian political project designed to enrich oligarchs is turning the national security state that its citizens fund against the majority of citizens

Disgraceful to ridicule a previous President in front of the leader of a geopolitical competitor. I wonder if President Trump has permanently destroyed the dignity of the office or if it can be rehabilitated.

Fascinating bloomberg.com/news/features/…

The more I read about this the more catastrophic this stock market scandal becomes; here's a list of what I could infer from Bloomberg and Financial Times: 455,758 savers are locked out of their money. That is about 1 in every 190 people in Turkey, and closer to 2 million people once families are counted. $ 18bn is frozen in 131 funds. Even pro-government columnists say it dwarfs Turkey's two worst past financial scandals, the 1982 Banker Crisis and the 2003 İmar Bankası collapse. The whole stock market fell about 6% in one day, forcing an emergency meeting of the state's Financial Stability Committee. Savers may wait six months and still not know how much they will get back. A food company stopped making food in February 2026, yet its stock kept soaring. Most of it was owned by the fund bosses now in jail. The former deputy head of the financial crimes unit, who had repeatedly warned authorities, was detained FOR DOING HIS JOB. In total, about 19 months passed between the prosecutors' warning and real action, while the funds grew by another ₺525bn. Even after arrests began, authorities waited four more days to freeze suspects' assets. By then, alleged transfers of $15m and €25m had already gone to Swiss accounts. A founder of one of the collapsed firms sat on the board of MKK, the central securities depository the public regulator consulted while writing the new rules. As I always say, Turkey needs no foreign adversaries; it always does the biggest, most damaging acts onto itself. What a heist.

Yes I had this thought this morning. What’s up with the gloves? And the overcoat?