Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin
“Five Weapons. One Target: Your Freedom. Washington, Webster, Paine, Madison, and more – they saw every one of them coming and warned us, but ‘we the people’ didn’t listen. It’s the top tools of tyrants: what they use against us and what’s self-inflicted.” (07/08/26)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2026/07/08/the-top-5-tools-of-tyranny/
Source: ABC News
“Facebook and Instagram parent Meta said Wednesday it will invest more than US$9.1 billion to build its first artificial intelligence data center in Canada and its largest outside the United States. The facility will be built in Sturgeon County, Alberta, and powered by a natural gas-fired plant being developed by a consortium that includes Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. … Alberta has been courting hyperscale data centers as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure surges. But the rapid growth of AI has fueled concerns about the vast amounts of electricity and water such facilities require, as well as their strain on power grids and nearby communities. Because Alberta’s electricity grid cannot support multiple large AI data centers, the province is prioritizing projects that build or secure their own power generation, as Meta plans to do.” (07/08/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/meta-plans-billions-ai-data-center-canada-largest-134599603
Source: Free the People
“We’re Taking the Culture Back | Guest: Rob Schneider.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dml6eJ0I8tg
Source: Checks & Balances
by Matthew Cavedon
“Today, about 95% of convictions come from plea bargains rather than jury trials.” (07/08/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/the-founders-fought-for-jury-trials
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“I’m usually suspicious of business-government partnerships. But some occasional and low-level efforts are inevitable and at worst anodyne. Take the Great American State Fair in the District of Columbia.” (07/08/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/07/08/the-states-fair/
Source: SFGate
“Democrats in Maine began jockeying Thursday to become the new candidate for a pivotal U.S. Senate seat after progressive nominee Graham Platner announced he will withdraw from the race after a sexual assault allegation. Democrats need to pick a candidate to replace Platner on the ballot by July 27, according to state law. Whoever is selected will have less than four months before facing longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in the general election. Potential candidates had already been teasing their interest before Platner, who denies the allegation, announced he intends to drop out. But a growing number began formally launching their campaigns Thursday. These are some of the people who have shown interest in the Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson … Nirav Shah … Dan Kleban … Shenna Bellows.” (07/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/who-will-replace-graham-platner-on-the-maine-22338941.php
Source: Rutherford Institute
by John & Nisha Whitehead
“President Trump has no problem criticizing, condemning, insulting, demonizing and threatening those who refuse to fall in line. He has branded political opponents ‘communists,’ denounced critics as anti-American, lashed out at NATO allies, threatened to cut off trade with Spain, and referred to Iran’s leaders as ‘scum’ amid the ongoing war. In Trump’s America, the president is free to call other nations bad actors, label his opponents dangerous, and treat disagreement as betrayal. But dare to criticize Trump, his administration, ICE, the police state, the war machine, the surveillance state, or the government’s steady assault on the Constitution, and you may find yourself treated as the threat. This is the hypocrisy of the moment: those in power claim an unlimited right to criticize everyone else, while increasingly denying the people the right to criticize them.” (07/08/26)
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/dissent_is_not_disloyalty_the_right_and_duty_to_criticize_the_government
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“The Maine Democratic State Committee has voted for a 600-person nominating convention, not a statewide caucus, as the method to select a replacement nominee for Graham Platner. Five hundred of the delegates will come proportionally from Maine’s counties, and then include the 100 state committee members. While a statewide caucus was previously seen by my sources as a likely outcome, the state committee went in a different direction on Wednesday night. I apologize for what was ultimately incorrect information. This could easily torch whatever remaining goodwill exists between the party and supporters brought into Platner’s campaign, and brings back all of the unsavoriness associated with perceived backroom dealing.” [editor’s note: So the three runners-up for the Governor nomination now run for the Senate seat; nothing changes unless they unseat Collins – SAT] (07/08/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/07/08/maine-democrats-poised-to-run-lighthouse-primary-senate-platner-collins/
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“US President Donald Trump formally began the process of removing Syria from his country’s list of state sponsors of terrorism on Wednesday, notifying Congress after telling Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa the move would help rebuild the war-ravaged country. The decision marks a major shift in Washington’s policy towards Damascus and is a boost for Sharaa after Tuesday’s explosions in Damascus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit. … The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on US foreign assistance, defence exports and certain financial transactions.” (07/08/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260708-trump-moves-to-remove-syria-from-us-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Says MoU ‘Over,’ Bombs Iran for Second Night, Backs Long-Range Strikes in Russia, and More.” (07/08/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2D6Iq2w-7E