Category Archives: Hard Facts

German of the day: Preisgestaltung

June 19, 2026 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means pricing policy.

U.S. Launches Trade Investigation Against Germany Over Drug Prices – Washington accuses Berlin of underpaying for innovative drugs. If the investigation yields corresponding results, punitive tariffs could even be imposed.

The U.S. has launched a trade investigation against Germany regarding drug pricing. According to several media reports, Washington intends to examine whether innovative drugs are systematically underpaid on the German market, causing U.S. patients to bear a comparatively high share of research and development costs.

Which population?

June 17, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

The German population, as in actual Germans, in Germany?

Most definitely. And it’s been doing so for years.

Germany news: Population shrinks for first time since 2020 – A dip in net migration meant it could not cancel out Germany’s low birth rates in 2025.

Germany’s population shrank by roughly 110,000, or 0.13%, last year.

German of the day: Skandalöse Lügen

June 16, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means scandalous lies.

Elon Musk is taking legal action against ZDF – Now Elon Musk (54) is striking back! The tech billionaire (in German, trillion is Billion – don’t ask) and SpaceX CEO has announced on his platform X that he is taking legal action against ZDF. This comes in response to a serious allegation made by the public broadcaster: In a program, Musk was linked to the riots in Northern Ireland and accused of calling for a “hunt for migrants.”

Sex doll discovered at German president’s residence

June 14, 2026 By in Hard Facts, High Art Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

I always felt there was something creepy about that guy.

Now I know why.

Sex doll art sparks debate at German president’s residence – Beyond a headline-grabbing bronze, contemporary artworks draw attention to political power at an exhibition held at Bellevue Palace before the state building closes for renovation.

I want a new drug

June 10, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Can’t have it.

Unless…

Trump’s drug pricing war comes for Germany – U.S. and German officials are meeting in secret to talk about drug prices.

U.S. embassies across the continent are being mobilized to deliver a message to European capitals: American patients are paying too much for medicines — around three times more than Germany for new drugs — and Europe better chip in.

German of the day: Herablassend

June 9, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

That means condescending.

After UN fiasco: Former African president harshly criticizes Baerbock – “condescending.”

On the sidelines of a summit of African leaders in Nairobi, Botswana’s former President Mokgweetsi Masisi spoke to Bild in strong terms: “Perhaps Ms. Baerbock should have focused on doing her job in German diplomacy instead of trying to dictate to Nigerians where to build their toilets and telling Africans how to deal with elephants.” Masisi added: “Perhaps Germany would then have received more votes from Africa for the UN seat.”

Big Bang Theory

June 8, 2026 By in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , Leave a comment

And practice.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has already ruled out a “big bang” of reforms out of consideration for the SPD and a frightened public. However, the verbal de-escalation ahead of the coalition committee meeting should not obscure the extent of the need for action and, above all, who must take the initiative to help Germany emerge from the economic crisis: the SPD, led by Labor and Social Affairs Minister Bärbel Bas, as well as the labor unions. But it won’t work without the cooperation of CSU leader Markus Söder, who is at times very much a social democrat.