1. Interesting twist.....these 'new' powers that the federal police were seeking, via the Interior Ministry....ran into a problem....the chief of the Justice Ministry (Buschmann, FDP Party) said 'NO, you don't need extra power to spy on people'.
In fact, in his public statement....he brought up the Basic Law (the German Constitution) and how such a request was absolute 'taboo'.
2. German Ministry of Health will apparently order 15-million doses of Covid vaccine.
If you asked me on public acceptance? Where I've seen this topic brought up in small groups....it's mostly upwards to three-quarters of Germans who don't seem to have confidence in the previous vax deal or the effective nature (more so to this issue).
3. The search for Burkhard Garweg, the Red Army Faction guy? It continues on.
In the last day or two....some Federal cops thought they had him on some train in the Berlin area. An individual was grabbed and detained for a number of hours. Later, the cops admitted....this guy was NOT Garweg, and the guy expressed a fair amount of shock over what he had to go through....to prove he was not the RAF guy.
4. Ukraine Zelensky knowing about the plan to blow up the Nord Stream pipe? Well...the way that the Germans now tell the story....Zelensky was told about a dozen hours before the explosion occurred, and he might have had a few drinks as they told him the 'story'.
If any of this is true....then it was not a personal matter, and the Ukraine bears some responsibility. But I doubt that this guy noted in the charges....ever leaves the Ukraine.
5. On the Kursk invasion business.....local Russians are telling German journalists (on the scene)....that there wasn't much of a reaction. A few shots fire....mostly conscripts in a retreat situation.
6. Curious deal....the EU has a emissions standard....heavily imposed on the transport sector. Presently, with calculations done....unless something occurs (EU-wise)...Germany now faces billions (yearly) in fines. The start-up of this fine business? 2030.
How the calculation looks presently, with trends projected? Minimum of 9-billion Euro....max of 55-billion Euro.
Consequences? One of three 'paths':
- The German gov't could hand the fine down to trucking companies....meaning cost for delivery will escalate (I'd take a guess by double, but maybe even triple). Course, truckers would hand the bill to consumers. My math skills at this level? I'd be guessing each adult in Germany would pay something like 500 Euro extra a year.....purely for truck fines.
- The German gov't could go to the EU and say this doesn't work. I don't think they have the guts to do this.
- The German gov't could demand massive truck mandates/regulations....probably costing more than 55-billion Euro a year and creating massive chaos in the delivery industry. Politicians often think they know how to evolve commerce and force change.
My humble view? Maybe the EU will be gracious enough to take the 55-billion (yearly) and just write a check to each consumer...a refund of what each person put in....as a 'gift' from the wonderful EU for protecting the environment.
(Might be simpler to encourage Germans to leave in mass for Thailand or Philippines....cutting the population and evil truck pollution)
7. US approved sale of 600 Patriot missiles to Germany. Roughly five billion dollars of value.
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