QUESTION: Hi Martin, I appreciate everything you do to clear away the mist and show what is truly happening in the world. You are one of the few voices of reason out there. In New Zealand, since the mosque shootings in Christchurch, things have become very tense and this is due, in large part, to […]

QUESTION: Martin, Compared to Roman timeline, what year would you say we are in 2019? M ANSWER: It is hard to say. My concern is what comes after Trump. We seem to be between the peak, which was during 180 AD and the dawn of Maximinus I (235-238 AD) who declared that all wealth simply […]

ASIA: As we reported yesterday, there are a lot of conspiracies emerging that China will be selling off their treasuries to punish the U.S. for their latest tariff hikes. Many analysts believe this is unlikely due to the massive risk of increasing worldwide interest rates and the probability of backfiring on China. Another question raised […]

ASIA: No real surprises coming off the news of Friday and over the weekend. China announced they will be increasing tariffs on approximately $60 billion worth of U.S. goods up to 25% on June the 1st. Earlier in the day, US President Trump tweeted that if China were to retaliate it would continue to escalate […]

ASIA: As mentioned in yesterday’s MT, the U.S. raised tariffs on China after the most recent deadline of 12 midnight eastern had passed. Trump earlier this week said that he was frustrated by the lack of progress (regression) in negotiations, while today he stated there is no rush to the ongoing talks now that the […]

ASIA: China and the U.S. entered the day with just one day left to agree to a trade deal before the U.S. imposed tariffs on $200 billion dollars’ worth of Chinese goods goes up from 10% to 25%. Chinese Premier Liu is in the U.S. meeting with trade negotiators in an attempt to resolve differences, […]

The House Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt for refusing to turn over an unredacted version of the Russia report after an acrimonious session underscoring the country’s widening political divide. Naturally, the vote was 24-16 along party lines. House Democrats are using the legal process to get tax returns […]

ASIA: China stated they will take required countermeasures if the US raises tariffs to 25% on 200 billion’s worth of Chinese goods. “The Chinese side deeply regrets that if the US tariff measures are implemented, China will have to take necessary countermeasures,” the ministry said. The Bank of Japan march minutes indicated that the board […]

ASIA: US trade representative Robert Lighthizer has accused China of backtracking on agreement within trade talks but has insisted a deal with China is still possible. Vice Premier Liu will be visiting Washington this week. More in US section below. In other news, China will not take part in three-way nuclear talks with the US […]

Nero’s Domus Transitoria (Transit House) has finally opened to visitors after 10 years of renovations. Even I have never visited this place despite all the times I have been to Rome. You must descend underground to view the rooms and gardens of the residence, covered over the centuries by other buildings and debris. This was the first […]