Politics

"In 2017 we enter a period of geopolitical recession," warns Eurasia Group president Ian Bremmer, adding that international war or "the breakdown of major central government institutions" isn't inevitable, though "such an outcome is now thinkable." In the company's 19th annual outlook, Eurasia fears that U.S. unilateralism under Donald Trump, China’s growing assertiveness and a weakened German Chancellor Angela Merkel will make 2017 the "most volatile" year for political risk since World War II.

The Rockefeller family, an unfathomably wealthy banking and oil dynasty, has been hijacking governments, media organizations, universities, non-profits, and other power centers to expand its control over the economy and the energy sector in particular, according to a recently released investigation by a watchdog group. The Rockefeller dynasty has largely created, bankrolled, and weaponized what is known as the “green” movement “as a means to expand their empire over the past three decades,” the report found.

Controversial legislation to subject the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy powers to outside scrutiny is getting new life in Washington. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have re-introduced legislation to “Audit the Fed,” after a similar effort stalled in the last Congress. The Hill reports that the proposal, which has been vocally opposed by Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, faces its best odds ever of becoming law.

If the choice was between Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, Republicans would rather the Russian strongman was their President, a new poll reveals. The poll is from online pollster YouGov for the Economist, and it shows the Putin vs. Obama contest isn’t even close. Putin’s favorable rating among Donald Trump voters has risen to 35 percent. Obama’s favorable rating, meanwhile, is just 9 percent among Republicans.

A few weeks ago we highlighted an epic climate change rant offered up by California's governor, Jerry Brown, who vowed to fight Trump, saying "we've got the scientists, we've got the lawyers and we're ready to fight" (see "Caught On Tape: CA Governor Brown Goes On Epic Climate Change Rant; Vows To Defy Trump").  And while Brown touted his army of lawyers, apparently he needed just one more which prompted the retention of former Obama Attorney General, Eric Holder.  Per the New York Times: