Albania: Police attack protesters with chemical weapons

Source: Associated Press

“Albanian police clashed with protesters Thursday as an anti-government demonstration — part of protests triggered by plans for a luxury development linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner — turned violent. Police fired tear gas and pepper spray at protesters who were pelting them with rocks, eggs and other objects. Authorities said 12 police officers were injured and 18 protesters were detained. The gathering was part of daily protests, dubbed the ‘flamingo revolution’, that began more than a month ago in opposition to plans for a luxury coastal development project linked to Kushner. While the protests stemmed from environmental issues related to the development project, they have morphed into more general political demonstrations voicing opposition against the government and Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama.” (07/02/26)

https://apnews.com/article/albania-kushner-trump-development-protest-tourism-clashes-063288405ee82156e32e6bde500d0569

Steve Trinward

EU top court rejects Google’s appeal against record €4.1 billion bribe demand

Source: France 24 [French state media]

“The EU’s top court upheld Thursday a record €4.1 billion ($4.7 billion) fine the bloc slapped on Google for anti-competitive practices related to its Android operating system. The European Court of Justice dismissed the US tech giant’s second attempt to overturn the penalty imposed by the European Commission in 2018 – which remains the EU’s highest ever antitrust fine. … The commission, the 27-nation bloc’s antitrust regulator, had accused Google of abusing the popularity of its Android operating system to restrict competition.” (07/02/26)

https://www.france24.com/en/business/20260702-eu-top-court-rejects-google-s-appeal-against-record-%E2%82%AC4-1-billion-antitrust-fine

Thomas L. Knapp

The Supreme Court Isn’t Trump’s Lackey

Source: Persuasion
by Charles Lane

“President Trump has a lot of obsessions. If you had to name the ones he cares about the most, the list would probably include imposing tariffs on imports, getting the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates (even if it means ousting board members who disagree), abolishing mail-in voting, ending birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, and—last but not least—fighting personal lawsuits brought against him since his first administration. And yet on every one of these fixations, the Supreme Court in its just-completed term dealt Trump a defeat.” (07/01/26)

https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-supreme-court-just-affirmed-its

Thomas L. Knapp

Oh, Canada – how sad

Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton

“Canada Day is the Dominion’s national day and a statuatory federal holiday. It celebrates, not freedom from rule by the British Crown, but the anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. (On 1 July, 1867), merging the ‘United Canadas’ (Ontario and Quebec), Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. The Confederation remained within the British Empire. Until 1982, when Canada got its own Constitution (by the Canada Act) and severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the UK Parliament in London, it was called Dominion Day. Although it is often informally referred to as ‘Canada’s birthday’ (parroting US ideas of Independence Day), it is not: Instead of an eight-year war and a peace treaty, it took a long time to reach the country’s full sovereignty.” (07/01/26)

https://thepriceofliberty.org/2026/07/01/oh-canada-how-sad/

Thomas L. Knapp

John Brennan sues to preserve probe records

Source: Axios

“Former CIA Director John Brennan sued the Trump administration Tuesday, seeking a court order requiring officials to preserve records related to investigations into him. If Brennan is later charged, preserved records could be central to any claim that the prosecution amounted to unconstitutional political retaliation. Brennan contends the investigation is part of Trump’s broader push to punish political adversaries — especially critics like Brennan, who has publicly clashed with Trump for years.” (07/01/26)

https://archive.is/an6kV

Thomas L. Knapp