Supreme Court Justices ‘Sound Likely to Uphold TikTok Ban’

According to reports, the Supreme Court justices “sound likely” to uphold the TikTok ban, which is scheduled to go into effect on January 19.

President-elect Donald Trump has asked the Supreme Court to delay the ban, which will begin one day before his inauguration unless it is sold to a new non-Chinese owner.

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has indicated it is not open to a forced sale.

On Friday, the Supreme Court heard over two hours of arguments about whether banning the app would violate Americans’ freedom of speech.

The justices, including conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, seemed skeptical of the claims and said, “The law doesn’t say TikTok has to shut down. It says ByteDance has to (sell TikTok).”

“It doesn’t’ say, ‘TikTok, you can’t speak,’” liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson added, according to a New York Daily News report.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh appeared to accept that the ban is an effort to prevent Chinese indoctrination of young Americans.

“That seems like a huge concern for the future of the country,” Kavanaugh said.

Trump’s nominee to be solicitor general, John Sauer, filed an amicus brief with the court in December.

The brief argued, “President Trump is one of the most powerful, prolific, and influential users of social media in history.”

“Consistent with his commanding presence in this area, President Trump currently has 14.7 million followers on TikTok with whom he actively communicates, allowing him to evaluate TikTok’s importance as a unique medium for freedom of expression, including core political speech. Indeed, President Trump and his rival both used TikTok to connect with voters during the recent Presidential election campaign, with President Trump doing so much more effectively. As this Court instructs, the First Amendment’s ‘constitutional guarantee has its fullest and most urgent application precisely to the conduct of campaigns for political office.'”

The brief continued, “Furthermore, President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government—concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged.”

“This Court should be deeply concerned about setting a precedent that could create a slippery slope toward global government censorship of social media speech,” Sauer wrote in the filing. “The power of a Western government to ban an entire social-media platform with more than 100 million users, at the very least, should be considered and exercised with the most extreme care—not reviewed on a ‘highly expedited basis.'”

Trump vowed to “save” the app during his presidential campaign.

The president-elect met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month to discuss the matter.

“You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok because I won youth by 34 points and there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with it,” Trump said during a press conference earlier this month.

Congress passed the ban earlier this year in response to widespread opposition to Israel spreading like wildfire on the app. It was signed into law by Joe Biden in April.

TikTok has over 170 million users in the United States alone.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/supreme-court-justices-sound-likely-uphold-tiktok-ban/

Denmark open to boosting US military presence in Greenland – Axios

The incoming American president has shown interest in annexing the Danish overseas territory

Denmark has privately reached out to President-elect Donald Trump’s team, showing readiness to discuss the boosting of US military presence in Greenland, Axios reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Trump has ruffled some feathers in Copenhagen when he repeatedly suggested that the US should acquire the self-governing Arctic island from Denmark. He refused to rule out the use of force, but offered little specifics on how his government would convince Denmark to relinquish control over Greenland.

Copenhagen is interested in avoiding a public clash with Trump, and has reached out to the incoming president’s team for clarification of his statements, the outlet said.

The Danish government made it clear that Greenland is not for sale, but also conveyed its willingness “to discuss any other US request regarding the island,” Axios said.

American forces have been stationed on the island since World War II. The US maintains a military base on Greenland, and has a defense agreement with Denmark, under which it can build additional military sites.

Greenland played an important military role during the Cold War, hosting US ballistic missile early-warning infrastructure.

Trump, who takes office on January 20, has said that the ownership of the island is an “absolute necessity” for American national security.

Both Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s pro-independence leader, Mute Egede, have ruled out selling the overseas territory to Trump. Earlier this week, Frederiksen said that she had pitched negotiations to Trump’s team, reaffirming that Copenhagen and Washington share the goal of “strengthening the security of the Western alliance.”

Egede has stated that he is also ready to talk to the US president-elect. The island’s prime minister reaffirmed his committment to independence at a joint press conference with Frederiksen on Friday.

“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American,” he said. He added that Greenland will continue to work with the US.

https://www.rt.com/news/610749-denmark-us-military-greenland/

>>22337738

Greenland wants independence – PM

The Greenlandic people do not want to be either Danish or American, Prime Minister Mute Egede has said

Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede has reiterated the island’s ambition to gain independence from Denmark, stating that the Greenlandic people do not want to be either Danish or American.

Egede delivered the remarks on Friday during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen.

Greenland’s leader expressed a readiness to “talk” with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has repeatedly signaled a desire to acquire the world’s largest island, claiming Washington’s ownership of the Danish overseas territory was an “absolute necessity” for its national security.

At the same time, Egede reiterated Greenland’s strive for independence, stating its people wanted neither Copenhagen nor Washington to rule over them.

“Greenland is for the Greenlandic people. We do not want to be Danish, we do not want to be American,” he stated.

“The desire for independence, the wish to be in one’s own house, is probably understood by all people in the world,” Egede stressed, adding that an independence vote “will come soon.”

The prime minister said he believed Trump’s refusal to rule out the use of force to acquire Greenland was “serious,” but promised to continue working with the US in the future.

From the early 19th century to the 1950s, Greenland was a territory under full control of Denmark. During World War Two, it was occupied by the US after Denmark proper was captured by Nazi Germany. Currently, the island hosts a US military base and the infrastructure for an early warning system for ballistic missiles.

In recent decades, meanwhile, the island has grown increasingly autonomous and was granted home rule in 1979, ultimately getting the right in 2009 to declare independence if a referendum passes.

https://www.rt.com/news/610747-greenland-pm-independence-bid/

>>22337752

Trump’s team bribed homeless Greenlanders – Danish state media

Socially vulnerable locals were allegedly offered a free meal in exchange for supporting the incoming president’s plan to take over the island

Donald Trump’s eldest son and his team bribed homeless and socially vulnerable people in Greenland to record a ‘MAGA’ group video and appear in photos during a trip to the island this week, the Danish state broadcaster DR News has claimed.

Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland on Tuesday on what he has called a “personal day trip” during which no meetings with government officials were planned. The visit followed US President-elect Donald Trump’s voicing his intention to acquire the Danish-controlled territory.

The younger Trump later shared posts on X of himself surrounded by people wearing the iconic red ‘MAGA’ caps with the caption ‘Greenland loves America and Trump.’ A video clip showed people enjoying lunch with Trump Jr. at the Hotel Hans Egede in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and expressing their wish for the island to become part of the US.

DR News has since reported that the people filmed in the video were offered a free meal in exchange for taking part in the publicity stunt.

The outlet said it has spoken to several people in Nuuk who reportedly recognized some in the group as being homeless.

“All they have to do is put on a cap and be in the Trump staff’s videos,” one of the Nuuk residents was quoted as claiming. “They are being bribed, and it is deeply distasteful,” the resident stated.

Several employees at the local Brugseni Nuuk store also confirmed to the outlet that Trump Jr.’s people walked around the street in front of the store, handing out MAGA caps and inviting people to a free lunch at the hotel, the sources said.

The incoming president has voiced his intention to acquire Greenland, claiming the island is an “absolute necessity” for US national security, and that he would not rule out using either military force or economic measures to this end.

The world’s largest island, which sits between the Atlantic and Arctic oceans, Greenland is already home to a large US military base. The territory was granted home rule by Denmark following a referendum in 1979.

Greenland’s government has firmly rejected Trump’s plans, calling them “an absurd idea.” Denmark has also opposed the proposal.

https://www.rt.com/news/610706-trump-team-bribed-greenlanders/

Putin honors soldier from viral Ukraine knife fight

Corporal Andrey Grigoryev has been awarded the title ‘Hero of Russia’ for his actions in combat

President Vladimir Putian has awarded the title ‘Hero of Russia’ to a soldier who defeated a Ukrainian service member in a brutal knife fight that went viral online.

Andrey Grigoryev was decorated for “bravery and heroism” in combat, according to the presidential decree published on Saturday.

A corporal with the 39th Motorized Rifle Brigade, Grigoryev overpowered a Ukrainian soldier during a battle near the village of Trudovoye in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic.

Although the incident took place in the fall of 2024, the dramatic bodycam footage of the hand-to-hand combat was only recently posted to social media.

Although the opponent was physically stronger and had managed to wound Grigoryev, the Russian soldier kept on fighting.

“It was clear to me that I was not going to surrender, that I would take at least one person to the grave [before dying myself]. This motivation helped me a lot to concentrate,” Grigoryev told RT earlier this month.

Grigoryev was born in Russia’s Siberian Sakha Republic and worked as a driver and a mechanic before enlisting in the army in April 2024. He is married with five children.

Sakha Governor Aysen Nikolayev met with Grigoryev on Saturday and gave him a new knife as a gift. “After that fight, Andrey had spent several days behind enemy lines. They neutralized several enemy soldiers, armored vehicles, and blew up an ammunition depot,” Nikolayev said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/610748-putin-decorated-knife-fight-soldier/

Zelensky ‘a beggar and blackmailer’ – EU state’s PM

The Ukrainian leader needs to stop asking other people for money, Slovakia’s Robert Fico has said

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has lashed out at Vladimir Zelensky, declaring that the Ukrainian leader’s “begging and blackmailing” needs “to stop.” Relations between Bratislava and Kiev soured when Ukraine cut off the flow of Russian gas earlier this month.

“I’m not here to hold hands with Zelensky, and I’ll admit, I’m sick of him sometimes,” Fico said at a meeting of the Slovak parliament’s foreign affairs committee on Friday.

“He roams Europe begging and blackmailing, asking others for money,” Fico continued, adding: “This needs to stop.”

Fico has long been a critic of Western aid to Kiev, arguing that Ukraine cannot hope to defeat Russia on the battlefield and must instead seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Immediately after taking office in 2023, Fico halted military aid to Ukraine and vowed to veto the country’s potential accession to NATO.

Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban have both angered Zelensky by defying the EU consensus and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During a meeting in Moscow last month, Fico offered to host peace talks in Slovakia, an offer that Putin said he is “not against.”

With relations already strained, Ukraine deepened its spat with Slovakia when it refused to extend its transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom beyond the end of 2024, effectively cutting off the flow of Russian natural gas to some EU countries, namely Austria, Italy, and Slovakia. Landlocked Slovakia depends on Russian gas to meet about 60% of its demand.

Fico has demanded compensation from Kiev, and has vowed to retaliate, potentially by cutting off electricity supplies and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Slovakia exported 2.4 million megawatt-hours of electricity to Ukraine in the first 11 months of 2024, according to data from the Slovak grid operator.

“Neither Slovakia nor the EU is at war, we have no reason to tolerate Zelensky’s adventures, especially looking at the aid Slovakia and the EU are providing to Ukraine,” Fico said in a video address posted on Facebook on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Slovak PM warns of looming EU collapse

Despite receiving assurances from Moscow that Slovakia would continue to receive Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, Fico said that he would travel to Brussels to meet with Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen “to wake him up from his sweet sleep, because we have a ‘bloody’ serious problem.”

Fico and Jorgensen met on Thursday to discuss the effect of the gas cutoff on energy prices, and agreed to hold further consultations.

https://www.rt.com/news/610743-slovakia-fico-zelensky-beggar/

>>22337785

Slovakia threatens to block Ukraine aid over gas transit dispute

Prime Minister Robert Fico has vowed to exercise Slovakia’s veto power within the EU on Ukraine-related issues

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that Bratislava may block humanitarian and financial aid to Kiev if the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine is not resolved. Fico made the statement after talks with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen on Thursday.

Fico cited potential losses from the blocked transit as the reason for his threat.

“If this problem is not resolved, the government of the Slovak Republic will take strict reciprocal measures in the near future,” Fico told reporters in Brussels.

“There is nothing – not international law or sanctions – that prevents the transit of gas through Ukraine,” he added, as quoted by Reuters.

Slovakia has seen the complete cessation of Russian gas flows via Ukraine, a route that previously provided Bratislava with significant transit fees and also provided the gas for its domestic consumption.

According to Fico, Slovakia stands to lose $515 million annually in transit fees and could face an additional $1 billion in increased gas prices due to the disruption.

The prime minister outlined potential retaliatory measures, including exercising Slovakia’s veto power within the European Union on Ukraine-related issues.

He also threatened to suspend humanitarian aid to Ukraine, scaling back support for Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia, and halting emergency electricity supplies to the country.

READ MORE: EU state slams Ukraine for ‘betrayal’

Fico’s remarks follow recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, during which the Slovak leader secured assurances of direct gas supplies to Slovakia despite the transit halt.

A meeting initially scheduled between Slovak, Ukrainian, and European Commission officials to address the gas transit issue was canceled after Ukraine declined to participate. Slovakia and the European Commission have since agreed to form a working group to assess the crisis and explore potential EU interventions.

Ukraine has not yet publicly responded to Fico’s latest statements. When the Slovak PM first threatened to cut off electricity to Kiev last month, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said he didn’t think that Bratislava would go through with the threat.

READ MORE: EU state’s PM vows retaliation over Kiev’s gas ‘sabotage’

Slovakia, which has a contract with Russia’s Gazprom, requires between 4 billion and 5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas annually to meet its energy needs. Prior to the transit halt, it had been receiving around 3 billion bcm from Russia through Ukraine. In response to the disruption, SPP, Slovakia’s state-owned gas company, is now sourcing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from international suppliers, including BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Eni, and RWE.

https://www.rt.com/news/610682-slovakia-threatens-block-ukraine-aid/

>>22338077

WTF???

What does ATF stand for?

They investigate ARSON and FIRES?

Bullshit

>>22338153

notable