What ICE Can Do!
Judge Andrew Napolitano wrote on February 12 the following on Ron Paul Institute:
“… the president has used ICE to fulfill his promise of aggressive enforcement of immigration laws while cutting constitutional corners — even to the point of arresting Americans, immigrants and aliens without arrest warrants; arresting infants, killing two Americans who posed no threat to ICE killers and then lying about it…
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that even though it is a crime to lie to the government, it is not a crime for the government to lie to any person. This… judge-made rule that has no basis in history, constitutional text or morality has led to a host of false confessions and trick home invasions as federal agents have lied their way into folks’ thinking and into their living rooms…
“Entering the United States illegally is a federal crime. When the government seeks to arrest a person it suspects has committed any federal crime, unless its agents have witnessed the crime being committed, the Fourth Amendment requires the government to present evidence of probable cause against the person to a federal judge and seek a warrant specifically describing the place to be searched or the persons or things to be seized.
“Entering the US legally and remaining here beyond the time limits imposed at the time of entry is not a crime and thus cannot be the basis for an application for an arrest warrant, as no judge would sign such a warrant.
“In the Fifth Circuit [Court of Appeals for Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi], the feds no longer need an arrest warrant. A panel of two judges ruled last weekend that ICE agents can authorize each other to arrest whomever they suspect of being in the US without authorization and do so without an arrest warrant or presentation of evidence… [In] the Fifth Circuit… ICE can effectively arrest whomever it wishes, without evidence, without a judicial warrant, without knowing the name of the person arrested and without bail.”
Incredible.
Trump’s De-Naturalization Plans
NBC wrote on February 17:
“The Trump administration is dramatically expanding an effort to revoke U.S. citizenship for foreign-born Americans as it works to curb immigration… The goal of emphasizing naturalized citizens is to supply the office of immigration litigation with 100 to 200 possible cases per month…
“The Justice Department has already told attorneys to focus on denaturalization cases…
“Trump has long been preoccupied with the notion of citizenship — who gets to be an American and who doesn’t — and has expressed displeasure with immigrants from what he calls third world nations. He is separately seeking the power to strip citizenship from those born to foreigners in the U.S., though ‘birthright citizenship’ appears in the Constitution….
“Trump’s Truth Social message to Americans on Thanksgiving Day last year was that he would remove anyone who wasn’t a ‘net asset’ to the U.S. ‘or is incapable of loving our Country, end all Federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens of our Country, denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.’”
To fully grasp Trump’s plans, let us emphasize that we are speaking of naturalized citizens.
Further Attacks on Boats in the Caribbean
Deutsche Welle wrote on February 13:
“The United States military said on Friday that it had struck another vessel suspected of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean, killing three people… The Trump administration has carried out at least 38 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September…
“Friday’s attack takes the death toll from such operations to at least 133, as per official figures. But the US has offered little evidence to back its claims of killing ‘narcoterrorists.’ Critics have also voiced concerns over the legality of the deadly strikes in international waters.”
Newsbreak added on February 17:
“The U.S. military said Tuesday that it carried out strikes on three boats accused of smuggling drugs in Latin American waters, killing 11 people…”
Epstein Was Murdered?
The New York Post wrote on February 13:
“A renowned pathologist who was at Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy is demanding a fresh investigation, insisting newly released info only confirms his belief that the notorious pedophile was murdered. Dr. Michael Baden, who was New York City’s chief medical examiner in the 1970s, was so alarmed by what he saw in the August 2019 exam that he publicly declared ‘the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide.’ ‘That was my opinion at that time, and I still stand by it,’ the famed pathologist told the Telegraph in an interview published Friday.
“‘The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide.’ In fact, Baden insisted, documents released in the Epstein files reinforce his belief that the medical examiner rushed to call the death a suicide.”
The Daily Mail added that Baden said: “‘The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide.’”
It continued: “According to the official post-mortem, three distinct fractures were identified on the financier’s neck: one on the left hyoid and one in the thyroid cartilage on the right side, and one on the left. The 92-year-old said he has never seen hanging by suicide with three neck fractures throughout the 50 years he spent reviewing post-mortem reports for prisoner deaths in all New York state and local jails….
“Discrepancies found in the three million files related to the disgraced financier released on January 30 have further fuelled speculation surrounding Epstein’s cause of death. For example, a federal statement announcing his death surfaced in the newly released documents, but it carries a date (August 9) that appears to precede the moment he was officially found dead inside his New York prison cell (on August 10).”
MSN added:
“Some of the world’s most powerful people have been found to have questionable ties with the late sex offender, after the US government released millions of new files from its investigation.”
Epstein was awaiting his trial for conspiracy and sex trafficking. The suggestion has been made that one of the powerful people might have been responsible for his murder so he could not testify.
Trump Still Determined to Occupy Greenland
The Guardian wrote on February 13:
“Pushed further on Greenland and if the US interest is now over, [Prime Minister of Denmark Mette] Frederiksen says ‘unfortunately not.’ ‘I think the desire from the US president is exactly the same,’ she says, adding Trump remains ‘very serious about controlling the territory… Can you put a price on it, if Trump keeps pushing?, she gets asked. ‘Of course not. Can you put a price on a part of Spain, or a part of the US, or a part of anywhere else in the world?,’ she responds…
“‘And the Greenlandic people have been very clear: they don’t want to become Americans,’ she says… Frederiksen gets asked how likely is it that she will need to have to defend Greenland from the US… she says that essentially, ‘if one Nato country attacks another Nato country, then Nato ends; it’s game over.’”
European “Rapid Reaction Force”?
Politico wrote on February 13:
“European countries need to create a ‘rapid reaction force’ of up to 100,000 troops to replace American soldiers currently stationed on the continent, EU Defense Commissioner [and former Lithuanian prime minister] Andrius Kubilius said…
“Last month, he said: ‘We need to start to invest our money in such a way that we would be able to fight as Europe, not just as [a] collection of 27 national ‘bonsai armies.'”… However, he acknowledged that even such a force would face difficulties as it would be controlled by member countries, making rapid and coherent action very difficult… To get around the problem of leadership, Kubilius suggested creating a European Security Council, made up of five or six big EU countries… as well as smaller EU countries on a rotating basis…”
No More German Appeasement?
Deutsche Welle wrote on February 13:
“The Munich Security Conference kicked off on Friday with a speech by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who did not hold back in calling out a ‘rift’ between Europe and the United States under President Donald Trump… Merz… fired a departing shot for Europe to stop wanting the old America back and instead focus on building up its own security and trade strength…
“… after the Greenland standoff, the Europeans have dropped appeasement as a strategy to deal with Trump.”
The Guardian added on February 13:
“The US acting alone has reached the limits of its power and may already have lost its role as global leader, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, warned Donald Trump…”
Merz’s Statements in Munich
En.ilsole24ore wrote on February 13:
“In Munich, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz once again listed the many initiatives taken in Germany to strengthen NATO and to enable the country to defend itself if necessary, explaining once again that Berlin’s goal is to have the strongest conventional army in Europe. [He also said:]
“‘… a gap has opened up between Europe and the US… The cultural struggle of the MAGA movement is not ours… We do not believe in tariffs and protectionism, but in free trade. We remain loyal to climate agreements and the WHO because we are convinced that only together can we solve global challenges’…
“Merz… announced that he has ‘entered into confidential talks’ with the French president on the subject of European nuclear deterrence… [He continued:] ‘Russia’s gross domestic product amounts to about two trillion euros. That of the European Union is almost ten times higher. Yet Europe today is not ten times stronger than Russia… Our military, political, economic and technological potential is enormous. But for a long time we have not exploited it to the necessary extent.’”
Merz to Trump
Bild wrote on February 13:
“…what Chancellor Friedrich Merz said today in Munich is historic for the Federal Republic… Merz is offering US President Donald Trump nothing more than to take up the fight… Trump is relying on a hard line. Merz wants to counter that… Merz is calling for a new Europe – with Germany (and others) as a leading power…
“If everything is as Merz describes it, then he has to deliver. He has to become faster, tougher, and better. He has to become a leader of Europe… Many have given speeches before… It’s time to become the chancellor for whom this speech was written.”
Interesting observation.
Rubio’s “Deceptively Friendly Speech”
ntv wrote on February 13:
“US Secretary of State Rubio’s appearance [in Munich] does indeed seem remarkably harmless—but not if you listen more closely… [Rubio is] a career politician… Rubio is considered the diplomat in Donald Trump’s inner circle—probably the only one. And he has mastered the art of jovial interaction. Highlighting common ground, getting personally involved: Rubio refers to his Spanish ancestors…
“Rubio speaks with great appreciation about Europe, where the ideas were born ‘that sowed the seeds of freedom and changed the world.’ He makes sweeping references from Beethoven to the Beatles, and the Sistine Chapel even fits in. Moreover, German farmers and craftsmen transformed the empty plains in the heart of the USA into an agricultural powerhouse, and incidentally, the quality of the… American beer dramatically improved…
“Rubio sounds good; he sounds exactly the kind of American that people in Europe like: intelligent, educated, charming, witty, and full of appreciation. In the same charming tone, however, the US representative also mentions that they [Europeans] have imposed an energy policy on themselves ‘that is impoverishing our people’; he calls it ‘climate cult,’ while the competition is exploiting coal, oil, and natural gas…
“A world without borders—for Rubio, not a vision, but ‘a foolish idea,’ he says in the heart of Schengen Europe. Mass migration threatens ‘the continued existence of our societies, the continuity of our culture, the future of our peoples’…
“Rubio’s conclusion: … The US wants to take a different path, not alone, but rather with ‘our friends from Europe.’ ‘We belong together,’ says Rubio… JD Vance, Trump’s vice president, … would probably have put a bag over his head in the same spot rather than say that. But Rubio also makes it clear: In this new relationship, the USA calls the shots…
“With everything the US Secretary of State said on Saturday morning, it’s worth looking at what Rubio didn’t mention: NATO: 0 times; Customs: 0 times; Greenland: 0 times; Volodymyr Who?
“Rubio’s invocation of friendship and partnership would be self-defeating if he were to honestly address even one of these transatlantic points of contention. But his actions speak for themselves: After attending the MSC, Rubio is traveling to Hungary and Slovakia. There, he will visit the two heads of government who play the most destructive role within the European Union and are relatively close to Russia’s dictator Vladimir Putin, within the limits of their power. During his stay in Munich, Rubio made sure that the NATO flag was not visible in the background of official photos.”
The relationship between the USA and Europe will NOT improve, but continue to deteriorate, in spite of the nice and “highly praised” words by “diplomat” and “career politician” Marco Rubio.
Rubio’s Misunderstood Speech
BBC wrote on February 14:
“… many leading European figures in the audience jumped on the warmth of [Rubio’s] words, rising to their feet to applaud the US Secretary of State. They were clearly relieved he hadn’t threatened or berated Europe as the US Vice President JD Vance famously did at last year’s MSC. But for those listening closely, Rubio’s speech was loyal to themes close to the heart of the Trump administration and hard for many European leaders to swallow: anti climate action, sceptical of globalisation, multilateralism, migration and pro the building of a new era of Christian western civilisation.
“Rubio was clear: the US wasn’t interested in allies clinging to the old status quo. It wanted to forge a new path, ideally alongside Europe, but only if it shared the same values. This US offer of close partnership was conditional and absent of a sense of compromise… ‘A bit like a (psychologically) abusive partner,’ said one European diplomat, speaking candidly on condition of anonymity. ‘He reminded Europe how wonderful the (transatlantic) relationship used to be, but he then switched to coercion: If you want things to be good between us in the future, you have to do as I say!’”
Rubio’s Soft Tone
The Tagesschau wrote on February 14:
“As soft as the tone was in large parts of the speech, Rubio remained firm on the substance. The carefully packaged core message was: Our offer of a continued close partnership only applies if you follow our worldview… It is the worldview of the ‘Make America Great Again’ movement…
“Rubio may have thought and spoken differently as a US senator, but he has completely fallen in line with Trump… Marco Rubio by no means backed down in Munich.”
Dangerous Applause
t-online wrote on February 14:
“Anyone who listened closely could see… that Rubio’s supposedly friendly speech was not a speech of alliance between equal partners… Rubio’s dangerous message: If others don’t follow the rules, why should we?…
“That such a speech received so much recognition from Europe’s politicians in Munich is worrying. Their reactions demonstrate once again their strategic nervousness, their own lack of direction, and their willingness to continue turning a blind eye to the truth.”
Poisoned Declaration of Love
Die Welt wrote on February 16:
“The chairwoman of the European Parliament’s defense committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), warned against interpreting the speech as a sign of easing transatlantic tensions. ‘It was a poisoned declaration of love,’ Strack-Zimmermann [said]…
“‘There was absolutely nothing reassuring about this speech.’”
Nuclear Bomb—Merz Unleashes a Dangerous Genie
Focus wrote on February 16:
“The genie as a question: Do we need our own nuclear missiles to defend ourselves against Russia? Because we can no longer rely on the Americans?
“The CDU Chancellor is filled with the idea of a ‘strong and sovereign Europe.’ One that will even become ‘a global political force.’ Which only works if Germany is protected by the most dangerous of all weapons: nuclear missiles. ‘I have begun initial talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about nuclear deterrence.’ With this statement, the Chancellor has unleashed the genie…”
“This is where Jens Spahn comes in. The CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader occasionally thinks for himself. And he says this, quite matter-of-factly: ‘If there were elections tomorrow, Farage would win in the UK and Le Pen in France. I don’t know if I want to rely on either of them.’ Which begs the question: So, in Germany, should we rely on Donald Trump rather than [on] Nigel Farage and Le Pen?… Spahn says Europe needs its own independent nuclear defense. And Weber says: ‘We need a European nuclear weapon.’…
“The European atomic bomb – that’s only possible in a European defense community. Ergo, in a European federal state. That is, after the de facto dissolution of Germany as a sovereign nation-state… On the digital platform X, Barron Trump, the US president’s influencer son, reacted: ‘This is what a true ally sounds like, when weak leaders start whispering about cutting ties with America.’ It reads as if he’s referring to Merz.”
Focus wrote on February 18 that Merz does not support a “German” atomic bomb, but that he can envision that Germany would participate in using one.
Germany’s Rearmament and AI
Modern Diplomacy wrote on February 16:
“A recent survey indicates that one in three of the German populace is in favor of greater use of artificial intelligence in its society. And this includes a military use—AI-controlled killer bots… roughly one-third of Germans embrace the use of autonomous AI-powered weapons systems in war instead of human decision-makers…
“Moreover, the idea of obtaining nuclear weapons is no longer taboo for German politicians and the military… Berlin should receive access to French and British nuclear weapons and lead the charge on the issue of their modernization, [Jens] Spahn said in September. ‘Germany needs nuclear weapons,’ Alternative for Germany party lawmaker Kay Gottschalk stated in January. Former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has urged Berlin to take the lead in the EU’s nuclear rearmament…
“Perhaps Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a point when he remarked last year, ‘With their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are transforming into a Fourth Reich.’”
Technically, it will be the Tenth Reich (or the Seventh Reich, depending on how one wants to count).
Media Freedom?
The Ron Paul Institute wrote on February 16:
“Big media and big government are in bed together and they hate the fact that we can communicate with each other without their filters and influence. They long for the days when they could shovel down our throats just what they wanted us to hear and believe… We must remember just a few years ago during COVID that all it took to have your platform wiped off the face of the earth was to dare question the ‘wisdom’ of Anthony Fauci…
“In Europe, free speech is under attack by totalitarian measures like the Digital Services Act, which creates a police state in the name of ‘protecting’ citizens from ‘disinformation.’ Of course, ‘disinformation’ is simply information that governments or elites don’t want to get out. You can go to jail for an X post in Europe, while violent criminals are set free.
“Make no mistake – many in the US would love to have such a system in place to protect speech they like and punish speech they don’t like… The truth is, ‘cancel culture’ exists in both the left and the right and everywhere in-between.”
EU Accession for Ukraine?
Report 24 wrote on February 13:
“The Ukrainian president wants a lot: Currently, he is demanding a ‘precise date‘ for Ukraine’s EU accession on Twitter. This must be enshrined in a ceasefire agreement or peace treaty…
‘It is important that Ukraine does everything possible to be technically ready for EU accession by 2027,’ Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter on February 11… He demands: ‘I want a concrete date.’ This should then be fixed in a future ceasefire or peace agreement…
‘Zelenskyy’s constant demands are clearly not well received. The comments on his tweet were sometimes quite harsh…'”
Euro-Bashing?
The Guardian wrote on February 15:
“The EU’s foreign policy chief has denied claims levelled by the US that Europe is facing civilisational erasure, rejecting what she condemned as ‘fashionable euro-bashing’ by Washington… She challenged the US criticism of media freedom in Europe, pointing out that her own country, Estonia, ranked second in the world press freedom index and the US 58th…
“Kallas, a fierce opponent of Russia, has repeatedly clashed with the Trump administration. She said she did not think the EU was ready to give Ukraine a date for membership, suggesting accession as early as 2027 is unrealistic.”
Core Europe
ntv wrote on February 10:
“MSC [Munich Security Conference] Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger [calls for]… a core Europe, greater military strength, and coordinated diplomacy – also towards the USA.”
Israel Preparing For War
Ynet wrote on February 13:
“Israel is preparing to defend its home front if Iran talks collapse — including a scenario in which Tehran launches a massive missile barrage as a last resort…
“Iran views its missile array as a primary tool of deterrence and decisive force, intelligence assessments conclude it will not relinquish it even under U.S. pressure in negotiations. That hard line places the region on what officials describe as a collision course — either signing an agreement that leaves Israel exposed to a significant threat, or sliding toward all-out war….”
Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has emerged as an interesting opposition figure to the current Tehran regime. He has repeatedly pleaded for better relationships with Israel and he has been reminding the audience of King Cyrus who built the Third Temple. He continues to speak of the “Cyrus Accords” to follow the 2020 Abraham Accords.
Putin Murdered Navalny
Daily Mail wrote on February 13:
“Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was killed by the Russian state, the Foreign Office has revealed. Navalny’s death was the result of poison from a South American dart frog toxin called epibatidine. The politician died aged 47 while in a remote Arctic penal colony two years ago. He had been sentenced to decades of imprisonment on dubious embezzlement charges…
“The toxin epibatidine is said to be 200 times stronger than morphine and is used by some indigenous tribes in South America in darts or blowguns during hunts. It attacks nerves, causing numbness and paralysis. It is not clear how the frog poison was allegedly administered to Navalny…
“The UK and its allies Sweden, France, Germany and the Netherlands said the ‘barbaric’ act – using a neurotoxin that is classed as a chemical weapon – could only have been carried out by Vladimir Putin’s government.”
The fact that Navalny had been murdered by the Russian government under mass murderer Putin was clear from the outset.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.