A WORLD GONE MAD
A Progressive Liberal News Podcast
Veteran Television, and Radio Broadcaster Jeff Alan Wolf offers his Observations on the issues (many issues) of the week with a fearless liberal bent. His solid delivery, and dry common sense approach sets him apart from other liberals that populate Talk and Commentary Podcasts”
Jeff Does NOT Pull Punches.
He does NOT Make comments that are “SAFE”.
He tells the Truth.
(He Tells It As He Sees It)
He Is Very OPINIONATED!
He says the things Out Loud YOU’RE
already thinking.
Jeff is Unfiltered, Unspun, A little Unhinged, but offers a lot of Common Sense.
This Podcast could make you MAD.
This Podcast could make you SMILE.
Regardless, it WILL make you THINK!
A WORLD GONE MAD
The World on Fire: Trump's Foreign Policy Rattles Markets and Allies
The global economic landscape trembles as gold prices shatter records, reaching an unprecedented $3,000 per ounce. Financial experts describe this precious metal as the "panic asset of choice," reflecting deep investor anxiety about President Trump's erratic trade policies and mounting geopolitical tensions. The immediate consequences are already visible in consumer sentiment, which has plummeted to its lowest level since November 2022, marking a stark reversal from post-election optimism.
Meanwhile, international relations continue deteriorating on multiple fronts. The Pentagon reportedly explores military options for the Panama Canal, prompting firm sovereignty declarations from Panamanian officials. Canada transitions leadership as Mark Carney replaces Justin Trudeau amid growing tensions with its largest trading partner. Perhaps most concerning are Trump's repeated claims about annexing Greenland "for international security," which have forced the territory's Prime Minister to rally party leaders in strengthening their rejection of such designs.
Americans themselves appear increasingly skeptical of their president's foreign policy approach. Nearly 60% believe Trump's handling of the Ukraine-Russia conflict is unlikely to bring long-term peace, with views breaking sharply along partisan lines. This polarization extends to perceptions of international allies and adversaries, revealing a nation deeply divided in its worldview. Amidst these human conflicts, scientists offer a welcome distraction with their discovery of the source behind mysterious radio pulses from within our Milky Way – a reminder that even as earthly affairs grow increasingly chaotic, the universe continues revealing its secrets to those patient enough to observe and analyze its patterns.
What do you believe is driving this global instability? Is it primarily leadership decisions, economic factors, or something deeper in our social fabric? Share your thoughts and subscribe to continue exploring these critical developments together.
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
There is chaos in the world, can't you see? And we need to stand up and preserve our democracy. Well, this is a world on fire. This is a world gone mad. Season 2, episode 76. This is A World Gone Mad.
Speaker 1:I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe and I give my commentary on national and world news and politics. Have I got news for you? Gold prices hit $3,000 for the first time as investors pushed the panic button. Gold prices reached $3,000 an ounce for the first time in history Friday, boosted by demand for safe haven assets, as investors fret about President Donald Trump's tariffs and geopolitics. Trump's tariffs and geopolitics. Jason Hollins, managing director at Evelyn Partners, a UK wealth manager, described the yellow metal as the panic asset of choice and said the latest rise in prices reflected the extreme uncertainty facing the global trade system at the moment from the Trump administration's erratic and aggressive approach to tariffs and corresponding retaliatory measures. Trump's administration's trade policy has also been marked by flip-flopping and delays, with the resulting uncertainty paralyzing businesses, which are unsure whether to hire and invest. It's all adding up to growing worries about a possible economic slowdown globally.
Speaker 1:The war in Ukraine is another factor in gold's reign. Russia's rejection of the US proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine has reignited geopolitical instability, said Victoria Kosak, a research analyst at Sukten Financial, a trading firm. On Thursday, russian President Vladimir Putin questioned the US brokered proposal setting forth tough conditions and demanding concessions from Kyiv, despite saying he supported a truce in theory. The drawn-out wars underpined gold prices over the longer term too. Yet another tailwind for gold prices is a recent weakening of the dollar, said Hollins and Evelyn Partners. Gold is priced in dollars, so a weaker greenback has made the metal more appealing to buyers outside of the US. I should have bought gold when it was very cheap 20 years ago, but you know, woulda, coulda, shoulda. How about you, the listeners? Do you own gold?
Speaker 1:Pentagon considering military options for Panama Canal access. The Pentagon is reportedly exploring a military option for the Panama Canal. That's right to ensure ongoing US access to the strategically important waterway. Following a request from the White House, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a document described as an interim national security guidance by the new Trump administration called on US forces to look at military options to safeguard access to the Panama Canal.
Speaker 1:Responding to reports of possible US military action, panama's government said it would remain firm in defending its sovereignty amid the news of US President Donald Trump and that he's considering options aimed at reclaiming the strategic canal. With respect to these statements, I have nothing more to say that Panama remains firm in defending its territory, its canal and its sovereignty. Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez Hachat told reporters on Thursday Let it be clear the canal belongs to the Panamanians and will remain so. He added. Tensions between the US and Panama have again spiraled over Trump's repeated threats to take back the Panama Canal, and the bullying way from Donald the dictator continues. I want this toy and I'm going to get it, no matter what, and I don't care who or what I hurt.
Speaker 1:Mark Carney sworn in as Canada's PM after Trudeau steps down. Mark Carney has been sworn in as Canada's prime minister succeeding Justin Trudeau as the country faces questions about its sovereignty from US President Donald Trump and a trade war with Canada's largest trading partner, the United States. Carney, a former central banker who has never held public office in Canada, is stepping in to confront the challenges facing the country, including leading the Liberal Party into an election to be held later this year. Now Carney was sworn in after Trudeau stepped down earlier Friday. After nearly a decade in power, trudeau announced his resignation in January. As polls showed, his Liberal Party would likely face defeat in an upcoming election, but the party's fortunes have since improved amid growing Canadian antipathy toward Trump and his policies. Now, in a farewell message posted on Exxon Friday, trudeau said thank you, canada, for trusting in me, for challenging me and for granting me the privilege to serve the best country and the best people on earth. Let's see what the new Prime Minister, mr Carney, has and if he'll stay strong against Donald Trump. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:American consumer sentiment plunges on trade war fears. The Trump bump in consumer sentiment is now a Trump slump. Americans continue to grow worried over President Donald Trump's escalating and haphazard trade war. According to the University of Michigan's latest consumer survey, released Friday, consumer sentiment fell 11% this month to a reading of 57.9, a preliminary reading showed down from last month's reading of 64.7 and reaching its lowest level since November 2022. That's a sharp retreat from December after the US presidential election, when sentiment rose to its highest level in months, the Trump administration's rollout of its long-promised tariffs has been both erratic and contentious. Earlier this month, trump imposed 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, only to delay those duties again after pleas from business leaders, then after US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports went into effect Wednesday, the European Union and Canada responded swiftly with their own tariffs. That's caused uncertainty to intensify in recent weeks, rattling Wall Street, making it difficult for companies to plan ahead, according to recent business surveys. Now it also sowed inflation fears and business surveys. Now it also sowed inflation fears. America's expectations for inflation in the year ahead climbed to 4.9% this month, from a 4.3% the highest level since November 2022, and marking three consecutive months of unusually large increases of 0.5% points or more, according to a release. Many consumers cite the high level of uncertainty around policy and other economic factors. Frequent gyrations in economic policies make it very difficult for consumers to plan for the future, regardless of one's policy preferences. Joanne Su, the survey's director, said in a release Consumers from all three political affiliations are in agreement that the outlook has weakened since February. She said, and of course this is happening. The whiplash policies of Donald Trump are eroding the confidence level of the majority of Americans in our country and each day it's just going to get worse in our country, and each day it's just going to get worse.
Speaker 1:A radio burst was pulsing from the Milky Way. Astronomers traced its source. Over the past decade, scientists have detected a puzzling phenomenon Radio pulses coming from within our Milky Way galaxy that would pulse every two hours like a cosmic heartbeat. The long radio blasts, which lasted between 30 and 90 seconds, appeared to come from the direction of the Ursa Major constellation, where the Big Dipper is located. Now astronomers have zeroed in on the surprising origin of the unusual radio pulses a dead star called a white dwarf that is closely orbiting a small, cool red dwarf star.
Speaker 1:Red dwarfs are the most common type of star in the cosmos. The two stars, known collectively as ILTJ1101, are orbiting each other so closely that their magnetic fields interact, emitting what's known as a long-period radio transient or an LPT. Previously, long radio bursts were only traced to neutron stars, those of the dense remnants left after a colossal stellar explosion. But the discovery described in a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature Astronomy shows the movements of stars within a stellar pair can also create rare LPTs. We have for the first time established which stars produce the radio pulses in a mysterious new class of long-period radio transients, said lead study author Dr Iris de Reuter, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Sydney in Australia. The unprecedented observations of such bright long radio bursts from this binary star system are just the beginning. Astronomers say the discovery could help scientists better understand what type of stars are capable of producing and sending radio pulses across the cosmos and, in this case, reveal the history and dynamics of two entwined stars. I've always loved astronomy and discovering the mysteries out there and sometimes figuring out those mysteries every now and then.
Speaker 1:Most Americans disapprove of Trump's approach to the Ukraine war and doubt it will yield peace. Americans are skeptical that President Donald Trump's approach to the war between Russia and Ukraine will bring peace to the region. According to a new CNN poll conducted, most Americans view Trump's handling of the conflict negatively and 50% say that six times fast. 50% say his approach to the war is bad for the United States. Us diplomats are currently working to persuade Russia to agree to a temporary ceasefire in the war that has dragged on for more than three years since Russia's invasion. While the Biden administration strongly backed Ukraine and unambiguously blamed Russia for the conflict, trump has blamed Ukraine for causing the war, called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator, drawing complaints from European allies and domestic critics. Now the latest poll finds that 59% of Americans think it's not too likely or not at all likely that Trump's approach will bring long-term peace between Russia and Ukraine, while 41% say it's at least somewhat likely.
Speaker 1:More broadly, nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the US relationship with Russia. 59% and 55% disapprove of his handling of the situation in Ukraine. Half of Americans think that Trump's approach to the war between Russia and Ukraine is bad for the US, compared to only 29% who think it's good for the US. 20% say it does not make a difference. This mirrors Americans' broader views of Trump's foreign policy move so far in his second term. While 30% say his decisions have about Trump's approach to foreign policy, including 15% 1-5, who see his foreign policy decisions as having hurt America's standing in the world, 18% who say his approach to the war between Russia and Ukraine is bad for the US and 28% who believe his approach is unlikely to result in a long-term peace between the two countries. Democrats are more unified around negative views of Trump's foreign policy choices.
Speaker 1:The public's view of Trump's handling of the war breaks sharply along partisan lines. 84% of Republicans are proving how Trump is handling the situation in Ukraine, compared with just 10% of Democrats. Nearly two-thirds of Democrats say the US is doing too little to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, while roughly half of Republicans say the US is doing too much. Democrats and Republicans also differ in how they view the two countries. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to view Ukraine as at least friendly 82% of Democrats say so, compared with 64% of Republicans and to view Russia as an enemy 54% Democrats compared with 36% for Republicans.
Speaker 1:Americans' generally warm views of Ukraine and Israel don't always translate to a desire for the US to support their war efforts. A quarter of those who viewed Ukraine as at least friendly say that the US is doing too much to help the nation in its war with Russia, and 29% of Americans view Israel as at least friendly say that the US is providing too much assistance to them in its war with Hamas. Overall, 34% say that the US is doing too much for Israel in its war against Hamas, with 47% saying the US is doing the right amount and 19% too little. In January 2024, 29% said that the US was doing too little for Israel. Look, polarizing in whatever respect you want, along partisan lines. This is what our country's like right now Republicans and Democrats, completely not aligned in any area, completely on opposite ends of the field. I don't believe Trump's bully tactics in the long run will be advantageous to Ukraine or Israel. Trump's tactics certainly align with Putin in Russia. Like they say, birds of a feather.
Speaker 1:Greenland's Prime Minister summons party leaders after Trump doubles down on annexation. The outgoing Prime Minister of Greenland on Thursday said he would summon party leaders to strengthen their rejection of US President Donald Trump's plan to annex the island territory, following his most recent comments on the issue. Now, in an Oval Office news briefing with NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta earlier Thursday, the president expressed confidence the US takeover of Greenland will happen. Responding to a question from a journalist about his vision to annex the territory, trump said I think it'll happen. We need that for international security, not just security, trump said international. Ruda did not comment directly on Trump's statement, saying he did not want to drag NATO into the issue. However, he did acknowledge the importance of securing the Arctic region. We know things that are changing there and we have to be there. Greenland's Prime Minister, matt Edgdon, hit back at Trump's comments in a post on Facebook, saying the US president has once again aired the thought of annexing us. Reuters reported Enough is enough, he said. Edgerton said he had requested to summon party leaders to intensify the rejection of Trump's plan.
Speaker 1:See, donald, sounds just like Putin. I'm going to take what I want and if you don't like it, tough shit. This is a good one and I'm going to really drill into this one. So pay attention, fact check. Trump falsely claims I invaded Los Angeles. His water release didn't go to Los Angeles. President Donald Trump keeps telling a story about how he sent a fire plague to Los Angeles. The critical water he says California leaders foolishly refused to provide, according to Donald. But the story which Trump delivered in an especially colorful form at the White House on Thursday is not true. This is a perfect example of Donald the pathological liar and what he does for the past all his life.
Speaker 1:The 2 billion plus gallons of water Trump had released from two dams in California's Central Valley Agricultural Hub in late January and early February did not actually go to Los Angeles. In reality, the water was directed to a dry lake basin elsewhere in the Central Valley, more than 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Not one drop of the water released in the Tulare Basin by the Army Corps of Engineers at the direction of the White House made it to Southern California, said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow in the Water Policy Center at the Public Policy Institute of California Think Tank, the only way that water got to LA is if an Angeleno driving by got mud on their tires, said Brent Haddad, an environmental studies professor at the University of California, santa Cruz. That's because the dams Trump had opened by the US Army Corps of Engineers have no automatic link to the California-run state water project that serves Southern California. The federally run Central Valley project doesn't reach Los Angeles and ends around Bakersfield. Tala Gallagos, a spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom, noted on Thursday Water policy experts and local water authorities widely described Trump's order to release the water from the dams as wasteful, harmful to farmers, poorly planned, and said it could have been catastrophic if the Army Corps of Engineers had released the 5 billion plus gallons Trump initially made clear he wanted to flow, which experts said could have caused deadly flooding.
Speaker 1:Cnn asked the White House for comment about why the president keeps telling this bullshit story about the water releases flowing to Los Angeles and why he also falsely claimed Thursday, as he has before, that some of California's water comes from Canada. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly responded by denouncing CNN, criticizing Newsom's fire preparedness efforts and asserting that Trump released the water to save people from more tragedy. Gallagher said the federal administration appears to have some issues with basic geography. I invaded Los Angeles. Here's what Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday, while sitting beside NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda. I broke into Los Angeles. Can you believe it? I had to break in. What a moron. I invaded Los Angeles and we opened up the water and the water is now flowing down. They have so much water they don't know what to do. Trump said they were sending it out to the Pacific for environmental reasons. That story doesn't make sense, even using invaded as a figure of speech. Nothing about the water releases actually involved Los Angeles.
Speaker 1:The Army Corps of Engineers branch that manages the dams from which the water was released was shocked by the White House release order. Two sources with knowledge of the matter told CNN's Ellen Nielsen. A memo obtained by the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times showed that the Army Corps knew the water could not be delivered to Southern California directly and would remain in the Tulare Lake Basin without special coordination with California's Water Department. To employ a rarely used connection to the state's water system. California's Water Department made clear it could not get involved on such short notice. The memo said the White House noted to CNN that the connection exists and was used in 2023. California's Water Department said then that this was the first time it was used since 2006. Regardless, it wasn't used this time, so Trump's repeated claims that the water flowed to Los Angeles remain untrue.
Speaker 1:Trump had the water released from the dams after complaining baselessly that Los Angeles had not been sent enough water for wildfire prevention on firefighting efforts, because California's Democratic leadership wanted water kept in the northern part of the state to help an obscure fish species. The Los Angeles area had more than enough water to fight the January wildfires, though there were some localized water shortages in particular neighborhoods amid the extreme demand of the battle, and experts emphasized the fires and the fish had nothing to do with each other. When the Army Corps of Engineers began releasing the water on January 30th, firefighters happened to be reaching 100% containment. On the January wildfires in Los Angeles, fire officials said that 100% containment was reached on January 31st. The unrelated federal water releases continued until February 2nd.
Speaker 1:Don't you just love the continuing methodology of Donald Delusional saying something that he did when we know he didn't. Yet he doubles down and claims he made a huge difference in the matter. Pinocchio looks like a pussy compared to Donald. And finally, senators joined Chuck Schumer and agreed to the Republicans' partisan continuing resolution to fund the government. So 10 Democrats joined the Republicans to avoid a government shutdown, and a lot of citizens of our country are pissed off at this and I honestly don't say that there was a proper answer one way or the other. I honestly don't say that there was a proper answer one way or the other, but I thought personally myself, whether I was right or wrong, might as well vote against the resolution from the Republicans, because it couldn't get any worse than it already was.
Speaker 1:Send me your comments, wolfpack listeners, and please check out my sub stack. I just re-energized. You can find the sub stack under Jeff Allen Wolfe, the WOLFSTEN, or you can contact me and I'll send you a direct link. I'll be back again Monday. This is A World Gone Mad. I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe sitting in a room talking to myself. Stay hopeful. This is a world gone mad. Mad, mad, mad. Yeah.
