EU and Canada pursue a values-based alliance

Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff

“Canada clearly has no intention of allowing itself to become the United States’ 51st state. But it might be willing to consider becoming the 28th state to join the European Union. Sort of. On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, invited the U.S.’s northern neighbor to join the 27-nation bloc – the world’s third-largest economy – as an ‘associate member’. Her reasoning? ‘We share one ocean, one set of values, one way of seeing the world’, Ms. von der Leyen declared. ‘We believe that power does not belong to the strongest, the richest or the loudest – but to all of us. That democracies have the freedom to choose with whom to work.’ Such a partnership, she was careful to note, is ‘not against anyone else, but for our common strength’.” (09/16/26)

https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0916/EU-and-Canada-pursue-a-values-based-alliance

Bank of England Holds Rates Steady but Warns of Higher Inflation

Source: New York Times

“As the war in the Middle East continues to push up energy prices and foster heightened fears about inflation, the Bank of England held interest rates steady on Thursday. The decision to not raise rates this month makes it an outlier among other large global central banks. Policymakers at the central bank held rates at 3.75 percent, where they have been since late last year. The decision was announced a day after data showed inflation in Britain had risen to 3.1 percent in August, the fastest pace of price growth since March, driven by higher gasoline and diesel prices. It also follows the decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates on Wednesday, its first increase in more than three years. But officials at the Bank of England said the protracted conflict in the Middle East was increasing the probability that they would need to raise interest rates soon.” (09/17/260

https://archive.is/01z3h

Trump loves to throw around taxpayers’ money

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jackie Calmes

“Trump has turned much of historical Republican orthodoxy on its head, including on immigration, trade and policy toward Russia. But his utter disregard for annual deficits — a record $2 trillion for this fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 — and his shameful profligacy with taxpayers’ money is something Americans haven’t seen in their lifetimes, in either party. Worse, Trump implies otherwise, that he is fiscally responsible, and he does it with lies that are so easily refuted, so often contradicted by his own words, that it’s a marvel that even such a chronic prevaricator as himself can utter them.” (09/17/26)

https://archive.is/S1O8K

“F— Around and Find Out”: Krasner Referred to US Attorney for Criminal Investigation

Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley

“Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner has long been to the law what Philly fans are to football: they are simply willing to do things that others will not do. While Philly fans are known for taking their demonstrations to shocking levels, Krasner has long denounced adversaries as Nazis and pledged to arrest federal immigration officials. However, a federal judge has finally had enough of the anger and antics that have long been the special brand of Philadelphia’s top prosecutor. For full disclosure, Krasner and I went to college together at the University of Chicago in the same class in the 1980s. Since then, we have debated and disagreed on fundamental legal and ethical principles.” (09/17/26)

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/09/17/f-around-and-find-out-krasner-referred-to-u-s-attorney-for-criminal-investigation/

Sweden PM Kristersson to Resign After Left-Leaning Opposition Wins Narrow Majority in Election

Source: US News & World Report

“Sweden’s left-leaning opposition won a narrow majority in the country’s national election, a complete vote count showed Thursday. The Swedish Election Authority said the four opposition parties won 176 seats in the 349-seat parliament in Stockholm, the Riksdag, in Sunday’s election. The four parties that make up or support the outgoing conservative-led government took 173 seats. Shortly after the final results were announced, center-right Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he would resign as the head of government in a letter to the parliament’s speaker posted on X.” (09/17/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-17/complete-vote-count-in-swedish-election-shows-a-narrow-majority-for-the-left-leaning-opposition

By Nearly Every Metric, the US Is Losing the Iran War

Source: Foreign Policy
by John Haltiwanger

“The United States has had military successes in the war, but, overall, the conflict has been a strategic disaster for Washington. The fighting has exposed serious vulnerabilities for the U.S. military and left its forces spread thin, cost the United States an estimated $38.1 billion so far, and caused a global energy crisis. The war is extremely unpopular with American voters, and a growing number of Republicans in Congress are voting in favor of ending the conflict; one GOP congressman has even moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war. But for all of those costs, the United States has achieved very little in Iran—and in some cases, things have gotten worse.” (09/17/260

https://archive.is/6sN0M

Fast Conservation

Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by Sophie Gilbert, Danielle Bissett, & Tim Male

“Rome was not built in a day, but a beaver dam can be. Nature’s engineers can build durable dams very quickly, and maintain them over time too, slowing down (not blocking) and storing water, allowing sediment to settle, and even mitigating wildfire risk. … It can take years for people to build a so-called beaver dam analogue, not because it’s complicated—it’s not; some practitioners call it ‘putting sticks in a creek,’ which is pretty accurate—but because it requires a slew of permits from different agencies that can take years.” (09/17/26)

https://www.perc.org/2026/09/17/fast-conservation/