.
What Is to Be Done?
The black hole of depravity known as Hunter Biden's Laptop dilates ever wider as the rickety "Joe Biden" regime chugs towards its event horizon of disgrace and collapse, throwing off the jetsam of our nation's remnant honor in its toxic vapor trail. The memos and emails on the device could not be clearer: "Joe Biden" and his grifting family sold out their country. The mentally incompetent husk of a crooked old pol is owned by every foreign interest in his decaying orbit, and owned as well by the foul and perfidious "intel" mafia lodged like a cancerous mass eating away at what used to be known as the American government. Face it: this false "president," installed by malignant forces allied with his Party of Chaos, is a menace to our nation.
https://www.sott.net/article/466186-What-Is-to-Be-Done

.
The ruble, the dollar and the price of gold - who is really winning the economic chess game?
Russia has just made some moves that are going to change the global financial system forever. When the conflict in Ukraine originally erupted, the U.S. immediately attempted to crash the value of Russia's currency. Those attempts were successful for a few days, but now the value of the ruble relative to the U.S. dollar is almost all the way back to where it was before the start of the war. This has absolutely stunned many of the experts, because they thought that U.S. sanctions would absolutely cripple Russia. So what happened? Well, it turns out that the Russians have made some very savvy moves that have turned the tables on the Biden administration. For one thing, Russia has started to demand payment in rubles when it sells natural gas to non-friendly nations. A lot of countries in western Europe are quite upset about this, but they really have no choice, because they are exceedingly dependent on Russian gas. So from this point forward, Western powers are actually going to be...
https://www.sott.net/article/466187-The-ruble-the-dollar-and-the-price-of-gold-who-is-really-winning-the-economic-chess-game

.
The day Dostoyevsky discovered the meaning of life in a dream
"And it is so simple... You will instantly find how to live." One November night in the 1870s, legendary Russian writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky (November 11, 1821-February 9, 1881) discovered the meaning of life in a dream — or, at least, the protagonist in his final short story did. The piece, which first appeared in the altogether revelatory A Writer's Diary (public library) under the title "The Dream of a Queer Fellow" and was later published separately as The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, explores themes similar to those in Dostoyevsky's 1864 novel Notes from the Underground, considered the first true existential novel. True to Stephen King's assertion that "good fiction is the truth inside the lie," the story sheds light on Dostoyevsky's personal spiritual and philosophical bents with extraordinary clarity — perhaps more so than any of his other published works. The contemplation at its heart falls somewhere between Tolstoy's tussle with the meaning of life and Philip K. Dick's...
https://www.sott.net/article/466188-The-day-Dostoyevsky-discovered-the-meaning-of-life-in-a-dream

.
Russian Ruble relaunched linked to gold and commodities and what it means
With Russia's central bank having just profoundly altered the international trade and monetary system by linking the Russian ruble to both gold and commodities, the journalists at RT.com in Moscow asked me to write a Q and A article on what these developments mean, and the ramifications of these changes on the Russian ruble, the US dollar, the gold price and the global system of currencies. This article is being published on the RT.com website. Regular readers will recall that I have contributed to quite a few RT.com articles before, such as about Australian gold (see BullionStar here), US Treasury gold (see BullionStar here), Poland's gold (see RT site here), China's gold (see RT's Spanish site here), why buy physical gold (see RT site here), and gold price manipulation (see RT site here). However, since RT.com is now blocked and censored in many Western locations such as the EU, UK, US and Canada, and since many readers may not be able to access the RT.com website (unless using a...
https://www.sott.net/article/466189-Russian-Ruble-relaunched-linked-to-gold-and-commodities-and-what-it-means

.
Taking off the gloves: Ex-president Medvedev calls for Russia to abandon food trade with West
Dmitry Medvedev says that Russia could cease exports to "unfriendly countries" Amid Western sanctions, Russia might stop selling and buying food from "unfriendly countries," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has revealed. Medvedev, who is currently the deputy chair of the country's Security Council, published a list of suggestions related to Russia's food security and exports on Telegram on Friday. The post notes that Russia is a "major grain producer, on a par with India and China," and when it comes to wheat, the country has been the "largest exporter in recent years." He also pointed out that agro-industrial exports reached over $37 billion last year.
https://www.sott.net/article/466190-Taking-off-the-gloves-Ex-president-Medvedev-calls-for-Russia-to-abandon-food-trade-with-West

.
'Assault on women's sports': Joe Rogan says Lia Thomas might be 'woke straw' that 'breaks' society's back
Podcaster Joe Rogan didn't beat around the bush when he said Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male who identifies as a female, is an "assault on women's sports." During The Joe Rogan Experience podcast Thursday, Rogan and his guest comedian Yannis Pappas talked about how things are kind of backward these days and how a person can't say something that's not popularly accepted without hiding behind some "kind of anonymity." The host agreed, but noted how he's starting to see a "pushback," and that Thomas is an example of people having reached a breaking point when it comes to transgender individuals competing in sports. The exchange begins at the 1:25:31 minute mark in the show.
https://www.sott.net/article/466191-Assault-on-womens-sports-Joe-Rogan-says-Lia-Thomas-might-be-woke-straw-that-breaks-societys-back

.
Russian forces hand back Chernobyl to Ukraine - IAEA
Russian forces have begun leaving the defunct Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the site of the major 1986 disaster, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. Russia seized the facilities, in February, at the start of its military campaign in Ukraine. The IAEA added that Russian forces also left the nearby city of Slavutych, where many of the plant's staff live. The agency cited Ukraine as saying that some Russian troops were still present on site, but it was "presumed" that they were preparing to exit as well. "Ukraine today informed the IAEA that the Russian forces that have been in control of Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) since 24 February had, in writing, transferred control of the NPP to Ukrainian personnel and moved two convoys of troops towards Belarus," the Vienna-based agency reported on Thursday, using the Ukrainian name of the plant.
https://www.sott.net/article/466192-Russian-forces-hand-back-Chernobyl-to-Ukraine-IAEA

.
Russia wants security guarantees for all European states - Lavrov
Russia wants security guarantees for all European nations, not just itself and Ukraine, the country's foreign minister told journalists on Friday. During peace talks with Moscow, Kiev has confirmed it is prepared to become a non-aligned country in exchange for legally binding security guarantees. Following talks with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in New Delhi, Sergey Lavrov emphasized that other countries should also get such guarantees based on "those documents that have been adopted for many years in the OSCE framework, and which have proclaimed the principle that no country will strengthen its security at the expense of others' security." Lavrov expressed cautious optimism regarding the ongoing negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, noting that Kiev and its Western supporters now appear to agree to Ukraine's future neutral status, with no aspirations to join NATO. Yet Russia's military offensive in Ukraine is not "just about Ukraine, its neutrality," but...
https://www.sott.net/article/466193-Russia-wants-security-guarantees-for-all-European-states-Lavrov

.
Hong Kong fires back at US and UK
Hong Kong officials have called on the foreign powers to stop meddling in China's domestic affairs after the US and UK governments released reports pointing at an alleged deterioration of political freedoms in the city. "We strongly oppose the unfounded and ridiculous allegations against the Hong Kong special administrative region's government made by foreign countries through various reports," the global financial hub's authorities said in a statement on Friday. "The government urges foreign countries to stop interfering into the internal affairs of China through Hong Kong affairs." Earlier on Thursday, London and Washington published two separate reports with a similar conclusion, claiming Hong Kong is facing an erosion of political rights and freedoms under Beijing's rule. "Actions by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities continue to systematically undermine the rights and freedoms promised to the people of Hong Kong," says the British report.
https://www.sott.net/article/466194-Hong-Kong-fires-back-at-US-and-UK

.
Can the EU afford to threaten and punish China?
Since the conflict in Ukraine began, there has been a concerted effort to try and establish greater 'transatlantic' control over Western Europe's foreign policy, or to speak more explicitly, to put it in line with that of the United States. America's foreign influence operations on the continent are huge, ranging from an army of funded think tanks, to allied journalists, to of course politicians. It is little surprise that the situation with Russia has weaved into the longstanding effort to get Europe to also conform to America's preferences on China, also, and dismantle the 'Merkel legacy' of engagement with Beijing . This makes the China-EU summit, on Friday, such a critical juncture. It is inevitable that newspapers such as the Financial Times have sought to frame this event in solely negative narratives for Beijing, running a story titled: 'Russia's invasion of Ukraine forges new unity of EU purpose on China' and forecasting that a tougher stance on China which will attempt to...
https://www.sott.net/article/466195-Can-the-EU-afford-to-threaten-and-punish-China

.
Russia accuses Ukraine of seeking British help to whitewash war crimes
Ukraine has asked Britain, and other Western nations, to help after it came under pressure due to the alleged the mistreatment of prisoners of war, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said on Friday. Moscow believes Ukraine is in damage control mode after footage of the alleged torture of Russian soldiers in Ukrainian custody became public. The Ukrainian government has informed Britain that "it has no intention to abide by the Geneva conventions when treating Russian prisoners of war," the SVR claimed. In particular, Kiev informed London that it was not going to "offer enough food and medical assistance" to Russian captives at a time "when many Ukrainians lack them," the statement said. The SVR claimed it was part of a larger Ukrainian effort to deal with the negative publicity it faces over the mistreatment of prisoners. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have criticized Kiev for its policy of exposing Russian soldiers to public...
https://www.sott.net/article/466196-Russia-accuses-Ukraine-of-seeking-British-help-to-whitewash-war-crimes

.
BEST OF THE WEB: President Putin's full remarks at the oil for ruble announcement
The video that we could obtain, was only a snippet and that is posted here. The full address is worth taking a look at, as Mr Putin in no uncertain terms told the west and Europe what they are doing. I caution that this is a machine translation, so, fine parsing of words may not be productive. This is the gist of what Mr Putin said. As the Kremlin website is more down than up, this machine translation came via a poster on Moon of Alabama. We thank you for grabbing it, karlof1. — — — — — - Today I have signed an Executive Order that establishes the rules for trade in Russian natural gas with so-called unfriendly states. We offer counterparties from such countries a clear and transparent scheme. To purchase Russian natural gas, they must open ruble accounts in Russian banks. It is from these accounts that payment will be made for gas delivered starting tomorrow, from April 1 of this year. If such payments are not made, we will consider it a failure to fulfill obligations on the part...
https://www.sott.net/article/466197-President-Putins-full-remarks-at-the-oil-for-ruble-announcement

.
Ukraine silent after oil depot in Russia attacked by helicopters, Governor accuses Kiev
The fire at an oil facility in Belgorod Region, Russia was caused by a Ukrainian air raid, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Friday morning. The incident was reported amid Russia's military campaign in the neighboring country. Gladkov said the terminal was struck by "two Ukrainian military helicopters that have entered the territory of Russia while flying at low altitude." The exact details of the incident are yet to be clarified. The governor said two workers received non-life threatening injuries. The authorities began evacuating people from nearby areas. Videos from the scene show a large fire raging at the facility.
https://www.sott.net/article/466198-Ukraine-silent-after-oil-depot-in-Russia-attacked-by-helicopters-Governor-accuses-Kiev

.
Serbian minister warns of 'new Maidan' in Europe
Serbia is holding presidential, parliamentary and local elections on April 3. Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin has stated that the country's pro-western political parties will challenge the vote results and try to organize a 'Maidan'. The 2014 violent unrest in Ukraine, known as the 'Maidan Revolution', ousted President Viktor Yanukovych. "Immediately after the elections, I expect that pro-Western political parties, already financially and politically encouraged, will plan to challenge the election results, which will end in an attempt to overthrow the government," Vulin said in an interview with Sputnik radio earlier this week. "Western political analysts have been saying that Serbia needs a new Maidan," he added.
https://www.sott.net/article/466199-Serbian-minister-warns-of-new-Maidan-in-Europe

.
Impossible to replace Russian gas with 'expensive' US fuel - Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, on Friday, that there are countries which will not be able to substitute Russian gas with the more expensive American alternative. Speaking to local radio station Kossuth, ahead of this weekend's parliamentary election, Orban said Russian gas is his country's only option, as Hungary is landlocked and won't be able to directly receive liquified gas from the US. Orban reiterated that Hungary condemns Russia's attack against Ukraine, and that he understands the efforts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as his country is in trouble and he is looking out for Ukrainian interests, but stated that Hungary "can't help the Ukrainian people by destroying itself." "This war is not our war, we can't win here, but we can lose everything. The question is will we have an economy left by the end of it or not."
https://www.sott.net/article/466200-Impossible-to-replace-Russian-gas-with-expensive-US-fuel-Hungary

.
Authentic war-reporting from Ukraine
This will be background and analysis that will help a viewer to understand and evaluate the reliability and truthfulness of the following video from the independent American journalist Patrick Lancaster in Ukraine [see below]. This video presents evidence which some viewers might find extremely puzzling, if they don't already know the relevant background, the history, which has led up to it, and which will here be documented via direct links to the evidence. In fact, anyone who clicks onto the links in this article will see the evidence for themselves, which explains what is currently happening in Ukraine. It's written ONLY for individuals who want to do that. (Anyone who is already satisfied with what they think or believe to be the explanation behind the war in Ukraine will likely not find this article to be of interest — especially because taking the added time to click onto and consider the evidence that's supplied in any of the links here would likely not be something they'd...
https://www.sott.net/article/466201-Authentic-war-reporting-from-Ukraine

.
Deep breathing strengthens your brain and boosts attention span
Researchers at Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience and the Global Brain Health Institute found that focused breathing affects levels of noradrenaline, a natural brain chemical messenger. Noradrenaline gets released into the bloodstream when you are curious, focused, or emotionally aroused. It enhances your attention to detail and improves overall brain health by promoting the growth of new neural connections. When you're stressed, you produce too much noradrenaline, making it difficult to focus. When you're feeling lethargic, you produce too little of it, which also makes it hard to focus. The researchers measured the study participants' breathing patterns, their attention span, and activity in an area of the brainstem called the locus coeruleus — where noradrenaline is made. They found that those who focused well on a demanding task had better synchronization between their breathing patterns and attention, as opposed to those who had poor focus and inconsistent breathing...
https://www.sott.net/article/466202-Deep-breathing-strengthens-your-brain-and-boosts-attention-span

.
Pastor Artur Pawlowski is going home to his family
Last Friday, Sarah Miller, Artur's legal counsel, successfully appealed for him to be granted bail on charges stemming for his visit to the Coutts blockade. This week, she successfully negotiated terms on the pastor's additional charges so that the may return home to his family under strict bail conditions. Pastor Artur Pawlowski has been incarcerated for 50 days for daring to visit and preach to protesters at the Coutts, Alberta border blockade. He is facing a historically unprecedented charge under the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, a charge which was not even levied against those who were actively blockading the roads. Authorities, however, sought to use the Act against Pastor Artur despite the fact that he was only at the border for a few hours in total and at no time did he obstruct any infrastructure.
https://www.sott.net/article/466203-Pastor-Artur-Pawlowski-is-going-home-to-his-family

.
Via clever tactics, Putin gets his way on rubles for energy demand
Some reports say Putin backed down on his demand for rubles for energy. Those reports are essentially wrong. Understanding Putin's Clever Tactic Russian president Vladimir Putin demanded rubles for energy. His concern was that new EU sanctions that would freeze euro-denominated accounts of Russian energy suppliers. One of Putin's fear stems from the fact that payments for gas shipped in April get paid later in the month or in May, depending on the contract. A second fear is European sanctions on Gazprombank. The EU said no to his demand. Yet, the gas will still flow. This prompted misguided reports that "Putin backed down."
https://www.sott.net/article/466204-Via-clever-tactics-Putin-gets-his-way-on-rubles-for-energy-demand

.
Poll Shows Putin Ratings Climb Among Russians Since Ukraine Invasion
A new Russian opinion poll shows that President Vladimir Putin has gotten a boost in ratings since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Levada Center said in a survey released on March 30 that more than 80 percent of Russian respondents support his actions. The poll was the first Levada has conducted since the conflict began on February 24. The survey also showed 83 percent of Russians backing Putin, up from 71 percent in early February. The survey was conducted on March 24-30 in face-to-face interviews with 1,632 Russians across the country. The margin of error was 3.4 percentage points. The findings match up with those of Kremlin-backed, state-funded pollsters, which also showed Putin's approval ratings at above 80 percent.
https://www.sott.net/article/466205-Poll-Shows-Putin-Ratings-Climb-Among-Russians-Since-Ukraine-Invasion

.
Florida GOP threatens to strip Walt Disney World of its right to build anything it wants inside its theme park as feud over 'Don't Say Gay' bill escalates
Some Republican legislators in Florida are considering punishing Walt Disney World for taking a public stand against the so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill by repealing a 55-year law that allows the company to govern itself. Florida House Rep. Spencer Roach tweeted on Wednesday that lawmakers held two meetings this week to discuss revoking the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which he said 'allows Disney to act as its own government.' Spencer, a Republican, added: 'If Disney wants to embrace woke ideology, it seems fitting that they should be regulated by Orange County.'
https://www.sott.net/article/466206-Florida-GOP-threatens-to-strip-Walt-Disney-World-of-its-right-to-build-anything-it-wants-inside-its-theme-park-as-feud-over-Dont-Say-Gay-bill-escalates