Welcome, fellow Conspirators!
And thank you for being dedicated to promoting and supporting the ethics of freedom and peace! Tonight, we not only explored major (sometimes very alarming) news, we also closed the program with two short story live-reads! One, co-written by Charles Dickens, and the other by GG. :) Here are some of the stories we explored tonight…
WAR
THE NDAA - The GOP-dominated House passed the “compromise” “National Defense Authorization Act”, and it now goes back to the Senate for final passage. Thomas Massie was justly and highly critical of the bill, and Massie (R-KY) was not the only Republican to vote against the NDAA. He was one of 18 GOP-ers who opposed the bill (alongside 94 Democrats), citing general concerns among fiscal conservatives that it did not sufficiently curb overseas commitments. The full list of Republicans who voted “NO” includes: Andy Biggs (AZ), Lauren Boebert (CO), Josh Brecheen (OK), Tim Burchett (TN), Eric Burlison (MO), Eli Crane (AZ), Warren Davidson (OH), Byron Donalds (FL), Paul Gosar (AZ), Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Morgan Griffith (VA), Andy Harris (MD), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Thomas Massie (KY), John Rose (TN), Chip Roy (TX), Keith Self (TX), and Greg Steube (FL). On the Dem Side, here is that list (which I will put into slightly smaller font, for space:
Alma Adams (NC), Pete Aguilar (CA), Jake Auchincloss (MA), Becca Balint (VT), Nanette Barragán (CA), Joyce Beatty (OH), Ami Bera (CA), Don Beyer (VA), Sanford Bishop (GA), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Cori Bush (MO), Salud Carbajal (CA), Tony Cárdenas (CA), André Carson (IN), Troy Carter (LA), Greg Casar (TX), Judy Chu (CA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL), Katherine Clark (MA), Yvette Clarke (NY), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Steve Cohen (TN), Jim Costa (CA), Jasmine Crockett (TX), Angie Craig (MN), Sharice Davids (KS), Danny Davis (IL), Madeleine Dean (PA), Diana DeGette (CO), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Suzan DelBene (WA), Mark DeSaulnier (CA), Debbie Dingell (MI), Veronica Escobar (TX), Adriano Espaillat (NY), Dwight Evans (PA), Lizzie Fletcher (TX), Bill Foster (IL), Lois Frankel (FL), Maxwell Frost (FL), John Garamendi (CA), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL), Sylvia Garcia (TX), Robert Garcia (CA), Dan Goldman (NY), Jimmy Gomez (CA), Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), Al Green (TX), Raúl Grijalva (AZ), Jahana Hayes (CT), Brian Higgins (NY), Jim Himes (CT), Steven Horsford (NV), Chrissy Houlahan (PA), Jared Huffman (CA), Glenn Ivey (MD), Jonathan Jackson (IL), Jeff Jackson (NC), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Hakeem Jeffries (NY), Hank Johnson (GA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA), Bill Keating (MA), Robin Kelly (IL), Ro Khanna (CA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL), Ann Kuster (NH), Greg Landsman (OH), Rick Larsen (WA), John Larson (CT), Barbara Lee (CA), Summer Lee (PA), Ted Lieu (CA), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Stephen Lynch (MA), Seth Moulton (MA), Gwen Moore (WI), Joe Morelle (NY), Jerry Nadler (NY), Grace Napolitano (CA), Richard Neal (MA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ilhan Omar (MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY), Frank Pallone (NJ), Bill Pascrell (NJ), Donald Payne Jr. (NJ), Scott Peters (CA), Brittany Pettersen (CO), Dean Phillips (MN), Mark Pocan (WI), Katie Porter (CA), Ayanna Pressley (MA), Mike Quigley (IL), Delia Ramirez (IL), Jamie Raskin (MD), Deborah Ross (NC), Raul Ruiz (CA), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD), Linda Sánchez (CA), John Sarbanes (MD), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA), Jan Schakowsky (IL), Adam Schiff (CA), Brad Schneider (IL), Kim Schrier (WA), David Scott (GA), Robert Scott (VA), Terri Sewell (AL), Brad Sherman (CA), Mikie Sherrill (NJ), Elissa Slotkin (MI), Adam Smith (WA), Darren Soto (FL), Melanie Stansbury (NM), Haley Stevens (MI), Marilyn Strickland (WA), Eric Swalwell (CA), Emilia Sykes (OH), Rashida Tlaib (MI), Shri Thanedar (MI), Bennie Thompson (MS), Mike Thompson (CA), Dina Titus (NV), Norma Torres (CA), Lori Trahan (MA), David Trone (MD), Lauren Underwood (IL), Juan Vargas (CA), Marc Veasey (TX), Nydia Velázquez (NY), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL), Maxine Waters (CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ), Jennifer Wexton (VA), Susan Wild (PA), Nikema Williams (GA), and Frederica Wilson (FL).
The utterly unconstitutional continuation of a standing army authorizes $900.6 billion in defense spending—about $8 billion more than the Trump administration’s initial request—and includes a mix of bipartisan priorities alongside provisions that sparked debate, particularly among conservatives concerned about foreign aid, “woke” initiatives, and industry influence. Some of the most contentious elements include:
Cuts to IVF Coverage and DEI Programs: The bill eliminates in vitro fertilization (IVF) benefits for military families and targets diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, framing them as “woke ideology” distractions from core defense readiness.
Stripping Right-to-Repair Provisions: Despite broad bipartisan support, language requiring defense contractors to share repair and maintenance instructions with the military was quietly removed, drawing criticism that industry lobbying prevailed over transparency and cost savings.
Reduced Protections for Civilian Union Rights: A bipartisan House provision safeguarding collective bargaining rights for Department of Defense civilians was stripped in conference, frustrating labor advocates.
Increased Aid to Ukraine and Europe: The NDAA boosts U.S. support for Ukraine and European defense (including $8 billion more than requested), which some Republicans viewed as a rebuke to Trump’s foreign policy priorities and an overcommitment abroad.
BIOSECURE Act Inclusion: A modified version bans federal contracts with certain Chinese biotech firms, raising national security concerns but also worries about supply chain disruptions for life sciences companies.
Blocking Aircraft Retirements: The bill rejects the Air Force’s plan to divest A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft in 2026, preserving jobs and capabilities but clashing with modernization efforts.
Massie spelled out many of the Amendments he tried to attach to the NDAA, but Johnson worked against all of them.
Here is Massie, commenting about his effort, and Johnson’s devious work in the Rules Committee to stop the Amendments: LINK
ISRAEL - Dropsite News on X notes: “ICC prosecutor Karim Khan says Britain threatened to cut funding and leave the Rome Statute if the court pursued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Guardian reports. In a filing defending his decision, Khan added that a senior British official argued the warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant were disproportionate. He also described pressure from US officials, including warnings of ‘disastrous consequences.’ Khan said the plan to issue warrants long predated sexual misconduct allegations that later surfaced, which he argues were weaponized to undermine him. He added that his case preparation was meticulous and based on expert legal review, not personal interest.” Here is the Guardian LINK
-Recall that in 2003, the US worked to suspend aid to 35 nations that voted to have the ICC cite the US over its Iraq and Afghanistan crimes. LINK
-Last Spring, the US sanctioned Khan himself. Incredible. LINK
-The US recently “sanctioned” each individual member of the ICC LINK
-And this is how Francesca Albanese is being harmed by US direct sanctions against her as the UN Chief Rapporteur on Gaza LINK
VENEZUELA (Scott Ritter has choice words) - The Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is calling for a full international investigation into the criminal act of Trump to seize the VZ oil tanker. LINK
-Max Blumenthal points out that Trump releasing the convicted drug dealer and former Honduran Prez, Hernandez, emboldened real MS-13 gang members to begin operations there, anticipating greater political support from the Honduran pro-drug, pro-ZEDE regime to come. LINK
SOMALIA - Remember Wednesday, when, on Liberty Conspiracy, we played Trump advisor Stephen Miller claiming that Somalis who flee to the US leave their home nation because they just cannot manage it? Remember that we noted that the US has bombed Somalia over 100 times this year, working on behalf of the established ruling group? Well, that ruling group, as AntiWar reports, has also been working on the ground with US forces, killing people through the use of death squads. LINK
UKRAINE-BREAKING******** - News reports indicate that the “leadership” of the EU is going to move to seize Russian assets THROUGH A TRICKY “WRITTEN” VOTE, doubling the criminality of the already criminal political institution. : The EU Council’s “written procedure” is a quick-move-mechanism for adopting decisions rapidly when time is short or “consensus is clear,” as outlined in Article 12 of the Council’s Rules of Procedure. It’s commonly employed for routine administrative or technical matters—such as approving minor budget adjustments, extending non-controversial sanctions, or procedural housekeeping—rather than high-stakes foreign policy shifts. The move passed, so, now, EU “leaders” will convene to finalize details on using these assets to underwrite a “reparations loan” of up to €165 billion for Ukraine, covering its military and civilian needs through 2026–2027. This would involve loaning Ukraine profits from the assets (e.g., windfall interest, which yielded €3.7 billion in 2024) or potentially the principal itself, repayable only if Russia provides “reparations”.
-This video covers the fundamentals of the cash storage. LINK
-New revelations have come to light that Kier Starmer worked behind the scenes to convince UK banking interests to support seizing Russian assets, much like what the heads of the EU wand Euroclear in Brussels to do to Russian assets deposited there. The UK-based banks rejected this idea. Here is Chay on it, and more LINK
UK banks rejecting a government plan to redirect £8 billion ($10.6 billion) in frozen Russian assets toward Ukraine loans, citing risks of Russian lawsuits, as detailed in a December 11, Financial Times report.
Frozen since Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion, these assets—part of $300 billion globally immobilized by the West—have seen G7 discussions on using interest profits for aid, with the EU approving €3 billion in 2024 but hesitating on full confiscation due to legal precedents like the 1980s Afghan assets case.
This resistance signals deepening tensions in Western sanctions strategy, where banks prioritize liability protection over policy, potentially deterring foreign investment and enhancing appeal of non-Western financial hubs amid eroding rule-of-law perceptions.
-RUSSIA BEGINS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ASSET SEIZURE BY EU LINK
from the article: “The Bank of Russia announced on Friday that it will be filing a lawsuit with the Moscow City Arbitration Court. It will seek compensation for damages stemming from its ‘inability to manage monetary assets and securities’ placed with the depository. The precise amount of the claim has not been disclosed.”
-Russian Government Claims on USAID and Yermak Importing Spent Nuclear Material to Ukraine: Recent statements from Russian military officials, including Major General Andrey Rtishchev of Russia’s Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, allege that Andriy Yermak (head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office) personally oversaw the import of spent nuclear fuel from Poland and Romania into Ukraine. These claims, made TODAY during a briefing, suggest the material could be used for a “dirty bomb” under a false flag operation, raising radiation safety concerns. and LINK …. Rtishchev today also claimed that USAID facilitated drug testing (potentially including chemical/biological agents) on Ukrainian citizens in over 30 facilities. This echoes earlier 2022 claims during the invasion.
-This former Biden Admin official claims that if NATO had simply promised not to expand into the Baltic and Iron Curtain nations, Russia would not have invaded Ukraine? She is close. Essentially, NATO (through most of its members, esp the US) DID PROMISE NOT TO EXPAND into those nations, then it EXPANDED. Additionally, the US engaged in the overthrow of Yanukovych in late 2013, installing the pro-Nazi Yatsenyuk, aligned with Tyahnybok, and that regime began a ten-year slaughter in the Donbass, all of which induced Russia to act. Thus, one might appreciate some of this woman’s sentiment, but also note that it’s a bit of sleight-of-hand, at the same time. LINK
-Let’s recall Boris Johnson’s role in extending this war. LINK
NEPAL COUP - THE US BACKED IT (i.e. directed it) LINK and LINK!
IMMIGRATION POLICE STATE
-Kilmar Abrego Garcia yesterday was released from custody by ICE, but now, a fake “administrative judge” in the “immigration court” (within the executive branch, not the judicial branch) has, ex-post-facto, issued a NEW deportation order. LINK
-AND… This man, who for five years has had a work visa, was kidnapped at the airport while traveling for Thanksgiving to see his brother. LINK
That’s it for now, all! MANY, MANY thanks for supporting freedom, and for sharing the links! And remember, you can back us here by becoming a paid subscriber if you would like, and feel free to watch Liberty Conspiracy LIVE on Gardner’s X @gardgoldsmith and on Rumble! Spread the word! Thanks, again! Please feel free to SHARE the links, and join us every M-F at 6 PM on Rumble, and my X @gardgoldsmith — and you also can donate to help the Liberty Conspiracy, itself! Just visit PayPal to help out! You also can mail GG at:
Gardner Goldsmith
PO Box 581
Amherst, NH, 03031
