DOOMSDAY TICKING: A WAKE UP CALL - 2.10.2026

This Sunday on Fareed Zakaria GPS we confront a sobering reality: global nuclear stability is unraveling at an alarming pace. The landmark New START treaty — which for over a decade capped U.S. and Russian deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 each and provided vital transparency measures — officially expired on February 5, 2026, leaving no binding limits on the world’s two largest arsenals for the first time in more than 50 years.

This lapse comes at a moment when great power competition is intensifying. Russia has modernized most of its strategic forces and deployed large numbers of tactical weapons outside previous limits. China’s arsenal, while smaller, is rapidly expanding and may approach parity with other powers within a decade. Efforts to bring Beijing into future arms control talks have so far stalled.

With the symbolic Doomsday Clock nearer to midnight than ever and fears of a new arms race rising, this GPS broadcast is essential viewing. The world needs urgent leadership to rebuild arms control frameworks and reduce the risk of miscalculation or catastrophe. The clock may not read “80 seconds to midnight,” but the trend is unmistakable: unchecked nuclear competition endangers us all. 

Settler Violence undermining Trump’s Peace Initiative - 2.10.2026

The Netanyahu government’s handling of the West Bank—particularly its tolerance of violent settlers—has reached a point of open recklessness. These actions not only endanger Palestinians on the ground but now openly jeopardize the Trump administration’s own stated peace initiative.

Senior figures within the Trump administration have expressed fury at continued violence against Palestinians, especially attacks by settlers that Israeli authorities fail to prevent or prosecute. Such lawlessness directly undermines any credible peace effort and exposes the initiative as unworkable so long as impunity prevails.

Encouraging or excusing settler violence does not enhance Israel’s security. It erodes the rule of law, fuels instability, and places unarmed civilians at risk. Worse, it cynically invokes Jewish identity while violating Judaism’s core moral teachings, which uphold the sanctity of life and explicitly forbid violence against the innocent.

Faith cannot be used as cover for brutality, and diplomacy cannot survive selective justice. If peace is to mean anything, it must begin with accountability, restraint, and equal protection under the law—without exception.

PBS NEWSHOUR INTERVIEW LACKED BALANCE AND RIGOR - 2.8.2026

I have long respected PBS NewsHour for thoughtful, rigorous journalism, which is why I was deeply disappointed by the recent interview conducted by co anchors Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. The exchange presented a highly one sided narrative of the conflict in Israel and Gaza, highlighting the “victory” of rescuing trapped Israelis while entirely overlooking the catastrophic suffering of Palestinians.

Tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza have faced starvation, bombardment, and death, and Palestinians in the West Bank continue to endure violence and human rights abuses. Yet these realities went unaddressed in the interview. Allowing Ambassador Huckabee to speak without challenging critical points or exploring the broader humanitarian crisis was a failure of journalistic responsibility.

Public media must hold power to account and provide balanced, comprehensive reporting — especially on complex international conflicts. PBS NewsHour fell short in this instance, and its viewers deserve better.

AMERICA’S DEMOCRACY AT RISK - 2.6.2026

The Atlantic’s December cover story, “The Coming Election Mayhem,” highlighted on Fresh Air with Terry Gross, warns that Donald Trump reportedly plans to refuse conceding the midterm elections and may even interfere with ballot counts. This is not speculation—it is a clear threat to the integrity of our democracy.

The peaceful transfer of power is the cornerstone of our Constitution. Any attempt to subvert elections endangers every future vote and erodes public trust in our institutions.

Americans, the media, and civic leaders must act now. We must demand full transparency, robust oversight, and accountability to ensure elections are free, fair, and secure. Democracy cannot survive passively—it requires vigilance from every citizen.

Power Without Consequence: How Institutions Failed Epstein’s Victims - 2.5.2026

The Justice Department’s refusal to pursue new investigations into Jeffrey Epstein’s powerful co-conspirators is more than a legal failure—it is a profound moral betrayal. Representative Ro Khanna is right to demand accountability. Once again, the names and faces of victims are exposed, while those with wealth, influence, and status remain protected from jail cells and courtrooms.

Why does power still function as immunity? Why are the worst crimes imaginable—the rape and trafficking of children—treated with caution when the accused belong to elite circles? A justice system that shields the powerful while re-traumatizing survivors has lost its claim to legitimacy.

Even more disturbing is the silence of moral authorities. Where is the Pope’s voice? Where is the collective outrage of the Christian community, whose teachings demand protection of the vulnerable and justice for the abused? When churches remain quiet while predators walk free, their silence echoes louder than any sermon.

Faith without moral courage is empty. Justice without equality is a lie. Until every Epstein co-conspirator is fully investigated and prosecuted, our institutions—legal and religious alike—stand exposed as complicit in protecting the powerful at the expense of the innocent.

Israeli mass murder continues - 2.4.2026

The latest Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, which killed at least 21 Palestinians on February 4, are not an isolated tragedy—they are part of a sustained campaign of terror against a trapped civilian population. Homes, neighborhoods, and families are being erased with chilling regularity, while the world is urged to look away or accept the violence as inevitable.

There is nothing inevitable about bombing civilians. There is nothing defensive about turning Gaza into a graveyard. These strikes come after months of mass death, displacement, and starvation inflicted on Palestinians who have nowhere to flee and no protection from the skies above them. Children, the elderly, and the wounded continue to pay the highest price for political decisions made far from the rubble.

International law is clear: collective punishment and indiscriminate attacks are war crimes. Yet accountability remains absent, replaced by hollow statements of “concern” and unconditional military support. Silence, in this moment, is not neutrality—it is complicity.

If the mass killing of Palestinians is allowed to continue without consequence, the very idea of human rights becomes meaningless. Justice delayed is justice denied, and Gaza cannot survive more delays.

Democracy Under Federal Siege - 2.3.2026

Democracy in America is facing a grave and escalating threat. Fulton County’s decision to sue over the FBI’s seizure of election ballots is not just a local legal dispute—it is a national alarm. Federal power is being weaponized in a dangerous attempt to relitigate a settled election and undermine public faith in the vote.

Donald Trump, still unable to accept his 2020 defeat, is openly urging Republicans to “nationalize” elections, a move that would strip states and counties of their constitutional authority. This is not reform; it is centralization by force. It is an effort to place elections under partisan federal control after voters rejected him at the ballot box.
Even more troubling is the use of taxpayer funds to pursue this obsession. Instead of protecting election workers and strengthening democratic institutions, federal resources are being diverted to chase conspiracy theories and intimidate local officials who followed the law.

History teaches us that democracy rarely collapses overnight. It is eroded step by step—through pressure, intimidation, and the normalization of abuse of power. The events in Fulton County represent one such step.

If elections can be seized, second-guessed, or federally overruled to satisfy one man’s grievances, then no future election is truly secure. Defending democracy now is not optional—it is critical.