US EditionDaily Briefing
Russia claims record land capture in 2025; Pentagon Pizza Index spikes; Chinese taxes on condoms and birth control
30 Articles •
Aldrich Ames, Most Damaging CIA Traitor, Dies at 84
Left 36%
Center 53%
11%
What happened: Aldrich Ames, a CIA counterintelligence officer who spied for the Soviet Union and Russia from 1985 until his 1994 arrest, died Monday at age 84 in a Maryland federal prison. He had pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, admitting he received $2.5 million from Moscow for betraying the identities of at least 10 Western intelligence assets, at least nine of whom were executed.
Why it matters: Ames compromised more than 100 U.S. intelligence operations in one of the most damaging breaches in American history, sending numerous Soviet agents to their deaths and crippling CIA operations. Despite repeated red flags including failed lie detector tests, unexplained wealth, and alcohol problems, the CIA promoted him to increasingly sensitive positions, representing a major institutional failure with long-term consequences for counterintelligence practices.
90% of sources are High Factuality
18 Articles •
Taiwan Conflict Could Cost China $10T, Report Finds
Left 42%
C 16%
Right 42%
The details: A German Marshall Fund report released this week finds that both limited and major military conflicts over Taiwan between 2026 and 2030 would impose substantial costs on China across economy, military capability, social stability, and international standing. The study models scenarios ranging from a weeks-long quarantine resulting in dozens of casualties to a months-long major war ending in PLA defeat with 100,000 Chinese military casualties, 100,000 Taiwanese casualties, 5,000 US deaths, and 1,000 Japanese deaths.
Why it matters: The report shifts focus from defender vulnerabilities to aggressor costs, warning that a failed Taiwan campaign could destabilize Xi Jinping's rule and undermine China's global standing. Economic losses could range from $2 trillion to nearly $10 trillion, trigger permanent capital flight and manufacturing relocation, degrade China's military power projection capabilities, spark domestic unrest especially among single-child families, and result in diplomatic isolation through sanctions and severed international ties.
94% of sources are Original Reporting
22 Articles •
NASA's Artemis II to Roll Out to Launch Pad Within Two Weeks
Left 50%
Center 42%
8%
The latest: NASA rolled out its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II, targeting a launch as early as February. The 10-day mission will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around the moon for the first crewed deep-space flight in over 50 years.
Why it matters: This mission tests critical life-support and safety systems needed for future lunar landings and Mars exploration, marking America's return to deep space amid geopolitical competition with China's 2030 lunar ambitions. Success would validate technology for establishing permanent lunar bases and advancing scientific understanding of the moon's formation and our solar system's early history.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Right Sources
86% of sources are Original Reporting
116 Articles •
Iran's Supreme Leader Reportedly Plans Moscow Escape Amid Protests
Left 27%
C 18%
Right 55%
What happened: Intelligence reports reveal Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has a contingency plan to flee Tehran to Moscow with up to 20 aides and family members if security forces defect or fail to suppress ongoing protests. Nationwide demonstrations sparked by economic collapse have spread to at least 78 cities since late December, with at least 17 people killed and nearly 1,000 arrested as security forces use live fire and tear gas.
Why it matters: A leadership collapse in Iran could trigger major regional instability, potentially threatening 20 percent of the world's oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz and escalating Middle East tensions. President Trump has threatened military action if protesters are killed, following last week's capture of Venezuela's Maduro, while Iran's currency has lost half its value this year, driving inflation with food prices up 72 percent.
95% of sources are Original Reporting
34 Articles •
Trump Media Begins Site Selection for First Commercial Fusion Plant
L 13%
Center 70%
R 17%
The details: Trump Media and TAE Technologies have started planning site selection for a 50 megawatt fusion power plant, with construction expected to begin in 2026 pending merger approval. The companies are seeking U.S. locations with at least 20 acres, grid access, proximity to metropolitan areas, and supportive local governments.
Why it matters: The initial 50 megawatt plant could power approximately 15,000 homes and represents a major step toward commercial fusion energy in the U.S. If successful, the technology promises clean, affordable electricity without radioactive waste or meltdown risks, potentially lowering energy costs and supporting power-intensive industries like artificial intelligence.
159 Articles •
147 Nations Exempt U.S. Firms from Global 15% Minimum Tax
L 22%
Center 49%
Right 29%
What happened: The OECD amended its 2021 global minimum corporate tax framework this week to exempt large US-based multinationals like Apple, Google, and Amazon from the 15% rate. Nearly 150 countries agreed after months of negotiations and pressure from the Trump administration, which threatened retaliatory taxes before securing the carve-out through a June G7 deal.
Why it matters: The exemption protects US companies from additional foreign taxes but critics warn it will cost other countries billions in lost revenue and undermine efforts to stop profit-shifting to tax havens. Tax watchdogs say France loses $14 billion yearly to US tax avoidance, Germany $16 billion, and the UK $9 billion, with this deal increasing those losses further.
28 Articles •
Iran Offers $7 Monthly Credit to Citizens Amid Deadly Protests
L 14%
Center 36%
Right 50%
What happened: President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered a monthly subsidy increase from 3 million to 10 million rials (approximately $7) for all Iranian households starting January 10. The electronic credits, deposited to bank accounts rather than distributed as cash, aim to ease economic pressure as protests spread across 23 of Iran's 31 provinces.
Why it matters: The subsidy equals roughly 3.5 percent of Iran's average monthly wage of $200, offering minimal relief as inflation hit 52 percent in December and the rial lost over one-third of its value this past year. Officials presented the four-month program as emergency relief, but structural economic issues including sanctions and budget allocation challenges remain unresolved.
86% of sources are Original Reporting
41 Articles •
NYC Mayor Mamdani Orders Tenant Hearings, Appoints HPD Chief
7%
C 15%
Right 78%
What happened: Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order on Sunday directing city agencies to hold "Rental Ripoff" hearings across all five boroughs within his first 100 days in office. New Yorkers will testify about tenant challenges including poor building conditions and hidden fees, with findings compiled into reports to inform housing policy.
Why it matters: The hearings could directly shape city housing policy affecting up to 1 million rent-regulated apartments as the mayor pursues his campaign pledge for a rent freeze. With vacancy rates at a record-low 1.4 percent, testimony from these hearings will inform enforcement actions against landlords and potential relief measures for tenants facing rising costs.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Left Sources
93% of sources are Original Reporting
Daily Briefing
Russia claims record land capture in 2025; Pentagon Pizza Index spikes; Chinese taxes on condoms and birth control
30 Articles •
Aldrich Ames, Most Damaging CIA Traitor, Dies at 84
Left 36%
Center 53%
11%
What happened: Aldrich Ames, a CIA counterintelligence officer who spied for the Soviet Union and Russia from 1985 until his 1994 arrest, died Monday at age 84 in a Maryland federal prison. He had pleaded guilty to espionage and tax evasion, admitting he received $2.5 million from Moscow for betraying the identities of at least 10 Western intelligence assets, at least nine of whom were executed.
Why it matters: Ames compromised more than 100 U.S. intelligence operations in one of the most damaging breaches in American history, sending numerous Soviet agents to their deaths and crippling CIA operations. Despite repeated red flags including failed lie detector tests, unexplained wealth, and alcohol problems, the CIA promoted him to increasingly sensitive positions, representing a major institutional failure with long-term consequences for counterintelligence practices.
90% of sources are High Factuality
18 Articles •
Taiwan Conflict Could Cost China $10T, Report Finds
Left 42%
C 16%
Right 42%
The details: A German Marshall Fund report released this week finds that both limited and major military conflicts over Taiwan between 2026 and 2030 would impose substantial costs on China across economy, military capability, social stability, and international standing. The study models scenarios ranging from a weeks-long quarantine resulting in dozens of casualties to a months-long major war ending in PLA defeat with 100,000 Chinese military casualties, 100,000 Taiwanese casualties, 5,000 US deaths, and 1,000 Japanese deaths.
Why it matters: The report shifts focus from defender vulnerabilities to aggressor costs, warning that a failed Taiwan campaign could destabilize Xi Jinping's rule and undermine China's global standing. Economic losses could range from $2 trillion to nearly $10 trillion, trigger permanent capital flight and manufacturing relocation, degrade China's military power projection capabilities, spark domestic unrest especially among single-child families, and result in diplomatic isolation through sanctions and severed international ties.
94% of sources are Original Reporting
22 Articles •
NASA's Artemis II to Roll Out to Launch Pad Within Two Weeks
Left 50%
Center 42%
8%
The latest: NASA rolled out its Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft at Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II, targeting a launch as early as February. The 10-day mission will send astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen around the moon for the first crewed deep-space flight in over 50 years.
Why it matters: This mission tests critical life-support and safety systems needed for future lunar landings and Mars exploration, marking America's return to deep space amid geopolitical competition with China's 2030 lunar ambitions. Success would validate technology for establishing permanent lunar bases and advancing scientific understanding of the moon's formation and our solar system's early history.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Right Sources
86% of sources are Original Reporting
116 Articles •
Iran's Supreme Leader Reportedly Plans Moscow Escape Amid Protests
Left 27%
C 18%
Right 55%
What happened: Intelligence reports reveal Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has a contingency plan to flee Tehran to Moscow with up to 20 aides and family members if security forces defect or fail to suppress ongoing protests. Nationwide demonstrations sparked by economic collapse have spread to at least 78 cities since late December, with at least 17 people killed and nearly 1,000 arrested as security forces use live fire and tear gas.
Why it matters: A leadership collapse in Iran could trigger major regional instability, potentially threatening 20 percent of the world's oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz and escalating Middle East tensions. President Trump has threatened military action if protesters are killed, following last week's capture of Venezuela's Maduro, while Iran's currency has lost half its value this year, driving inflation with food prices up 72 percent.
95% of sources are Original Reporting
34 Articles •
Trump Media Begins Site Selection for First Commercial Fusion Plant
L 13%
Center 70%
R 17%
The details: Trump Media and TAE Technologies have started planning site selection for a 50 megawatt fusion power plant, with construction expected to begin in 2026 pending merger approval. The companies are seeking U.S. locations with at least 20 acres, grid access, proximity to metropolitan areas, and supportive local governments.
Why it matters: The initial 50 megawatt plant could power approximately 15,000 homes and represents a major step toward commercial fusion energy in the U.S. If successful, the technology promises clean, affordable electricity without radioactive waste or meltdown risks, potentially lowering energy costs and supporting power-intensive industries like artificial intelligence.
159 Articles •
147 Nations Exempt U.S. Firms from Global 15% Minimum Tax
L 22%
Center 49%
Right 29%
What happened: The OECD amended its 2021 global minimum corporate tax framework this week to exempt large US-based multinationals like Apple, Google, and Amazon from the 15% rate. Nearly 150 countries agreed after months of negotiations and pressure from the Trump administration, which threatened retaliatory taxes before securing the carve-out through a June G7 deal.
Why it matters: The exemption protects US companies from additional foreign taxes but critics warn it will cost other countries billions in lost revenue and undermine efforts to stop profit-shifting to tax havens. Tax watchdogs say France loses $14 billion yearly to US tax avoidance, Germany $16 billion, and the UK $9 billion, with this deal increasing those losses further.
28 Articles •
Iran Offers $7 Monthly Credit to Citizens Amid Deadly Protests
L 14%
Center 36%
Right 50%
What happened: President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered a monthly subsidy increase from 3 million to 10 million rials (approximately $7) for all Iranian households starting January 10. The electronic credits, deposited to bank accounts rather than distributed as cash, aim to ease economic pressure as protests spread across 23 of Iran's 31 provinces.
Why it matters: The subsidy equals roughly 3.5 percent of Iran's average monthly wage of $200, offering minimal relief as inflation hit 52 percent in December and the rial lost over one-third of its value this past year. Officials presented the four-month program as emergency relief, but structural economic issues including sanctions and budget allocation challenges remain unresolved.
86% of sources are Original Reporting
41 Articles •
NYC Mayor Mamdani Orders Tenant Hearings, Appoints HPD Chief
7%
C 15%
Right 78%
What happened: Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order on Sunday directing city agencies to hold "Rental Ripoff" hearings across all five boroughs within his first 100 days in office. New Yorkers will testify about tenant challenges including poor building conditions and hidden fees, with findings compiled into reports to inform housing policy.
Why it matters: The hearings could directly shape city housing policy affecting up to 1 million rent-regulated apartments as the mayor pursues his campaign pledge for a rent freeze. With vacancy rates at a record-low 1.4 percent, testimony from these hearings will inform enforcement actions against landlords and potential relief measures for tenants facing rising costs.
Blindspot: Low Coverage from Left Sources
93% of sources are Original Reporting