“They were lucky in 1914: They only had the Guns of August to worry about. Here in 2026, we are facing thermonuclear weapons. However, now Prince Prospero himself – in the guise of US President Donald Trump – has just presided over the latest NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Far more than the ghastly, doomed revelry in Roger Corman’s classic 1964 schlock horror movie starring Vincent Price and Hazel Court, it has been the last and greatest ‘Masque of the Red Death.'” (07/11/26)
“A long-awaited response from Sen. Mitch McConnell has been released about his June 14 hospitalization. In a press release, the Kentucky Senator shared what his doctors have confirmed about his condition, and that he was hesitant to share the news. He reports that a fall was the cause of the hospitalization. The statement comes after Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear requested an official update from Sen. McConnell himself regarding his health after weeks of silence.” (07/12/26)
“Last month, the Supreme Court held in Monsanto v. Durnell that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, in tandem with the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, bars a state jury from punishing the maker of Roundup for omitting a cancer warning the EPA has repeatedly refused to require. The decision was right on the law. The reason has less to do with weedkiller than with who, in a country of 50 states and one federal regulator, gets to write the label.” (07/10/26)
“Every political tradition faces the question of what constitutes a good life. But only liberalism struggles so visibly to offer a straightforward answer. Authoritarians promise order and national greatness. Socialists promise equality. Post-liberal writers promise meaning and belonging through restored religious and civilizational authority—a life ordered to faith, family, and place. Liberalism alone points nowhere in particular. Its answer—freedom—tells you what to protect, not what to do with it. Yet that silence is not emptiness. It reflects a wise limit: no one can know in advance the forms a flourishing life will take.” (07/10/26)
“Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s coalition suffered a crushing defeat to a key partner in a regional poll on Saturday, raising questions over the strength of the blocs’ alliance at the federal level amid talk of an early general election. While the result in Malaysia’s southern Johor state will not directly impact Anwar’s majority in parliament, it could deepen strains between Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan grouping and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition – rivals that joined forces to form a government after a hung general election in 2022. While Pakatan and BN insist their federal partnership can withstand differences at the state level, Anwar said in May he would consider calling a snap poll if internal divisions continued to widen.” (07/11/26)
“The US government has paid nearly $3m (£2.2m) in compensation to victims of so-called Havana Syndrome, a mysterious neurological condition reported by spies, diplomats and their families. The payments are the first to be made to US agency staff in relation to the illness, reports of which began emerging a decade ago by CIA officers working in the Cuban capital. Since then, American staff based elsewhere, including China, have reported ‘anomalous health incidents’. Sufferers have described symptoms such as hearing a low hum, clicks, squeals and ‘grinding metal’ while others reported intense pressure on the skull, dizziness and nausea. The US Department of Defence said it would continue to prioritise ‘the care of affected personnel’ as it announced the compensation, paid out under the Havana Act which was signed into law in 2021.” (07/11/26)
“Private fortunes outlive their owners. The gardens, architecture, ideas, and institutions they finance often become part of the public inheritance.” (07/10/26)
“Congressman Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli [squatters] for over an hour while visiting the West Bank. Khanna also said members of the Israel Defense Forces spoke with the [squatters] and moved a car to block the road. Khanna’s experience was first reported by The New York Times. A spokesperson for the congressman confirmed the details of the Times'[s] report to CBS News. The Times said a photojournalist from the publication also witnessed the interaction. When asked to comment on Khanna’s allegations, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said it had received a report of Israeli civilians ‘unlawfully blocking the vehicles of foreign nationals and members of the media.’ The IDF said troops ‘were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road.'” (07/11/26)
“Dave Ridley calls in about Jason Osbourne making libertarian waves :: Sarah in NM calls about speed control for cars in Virginia :: Virginia man raided and charged for dismantling Flock cameras :: Frederick in MI calls about nanobot infiltration of his body and other mind control :: MasterPeace zeolite :: Who or what is running the world? :: Ohio law requires drivers and passengers to ID themselves :: Mitch McConnell :: Board of Peace (bored of peace) :: 2026-07-11 :: Hosts: Stu, Riley O’Bill, Angelo.” (07/11/26)
