Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Your Brain on Rage

Source: CounterPunch
by Tom H Hastings

“I was riding my bike to work, a fun 7-mile commute in a city with bike lanes and a general respect for those who bicycle. Still, a bike vs auto or truck? No chance for the bike rider. … Sure enough, a truck veered right into my lane, the skinny bike lane only separated from auto traffic by a line of paint. I shifted to my extreme right, almost up against the curb. Another couple of inches and the truck would have ended me. In the moment I yelled and gave him a rude gesture with a middle finger. Um … I teach peace, I train deëscalation, and yet … It was the dreaded amygdala hijack, the rising up of the most primitive part of the brain, the limbic lizard brain, taking control when extreme fear activates it.” (06/24/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/06/24/your-brain-on-rage/

Thomas L. Knapp

North Korea: Kim unveils 5,000-ton destroyer, touting nuclear capabilities

Source: France 24 [French state media]

“North Korea has commissioned a 5,000-ton destroyer that leader Kim Jong Un touts as a symbol of the country’s growing naval and nuclear capabilities, state media reported on Wednesday, as Pyongyang seeks to expand its ability to project military power at sea. North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim told a commissioning ceremony on Tuesday at the western port of Nampo that warships such as the Choe Hyon show that the nuclear armament of his navy is progressing as planned. … After years of spurring ballistic missile development, Kim has shifted his focus more towards naval capabilities, including the ongoing construction of a nuclear-powered submarine. Naval capabilities were also a key focus when Kim outlined his five-year military goals at February’s Workers’ Party congress, which included calls for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches.” (06/24/26)

https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260624-kim-jong-un-unveils-5-000-ton-destroyer-touting-nuclear-capabilities

Thomas L. Knapp

SCOTUS Unanimously Ruled That the Second Amendment Trumps Anti-Drug Sentiment

Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum

“The Supreme Court has a history of facilitating the war on drugs by whittling away at civil liberties, to the point that critics have long perceived a ‘drug exception’ to the Bill of Rights. But last week, when the justices unanimously upheld the gun rights of cannabis consumers, they made it clear that there is no drug exception to the Second Amendment.” (06/24/26)

https://reason.com/2026/06/24/scotus-unanimously-ruled-that-the-second-amendment-trumps-anti-drug-sentiment/

Thomas L. Knapp