The applause that disrupted nothing — yet still led to an arrest

Source: Isabelle Brito

“The city commission of Emporia, Kansas, has endured countless hours of public criticism. What it could not endure was a few seconds of clapping. At its July 22 meeting, citizens contested a proposed data center, briefly applauding between public comments as one speaker left the microphone and another approached. Commissioners sometimes ignored the applause and other times warned the audience to stop. But their warnings soon expanded to cover even more muted reactions like finger-snapping and a woman in the back of the room silently waving her hands. When high school physics teacher Lux Claridge clapped five times for a speaker, a commissioner told officers to remove the next person who clapped. But instead of waiting for another round of applause, officers immediately ordered Claridge to leave.” (07/31/26)

https://www.fire.org/news/applause-disrupted-nothing-yet-still-led-arrest

OH: Lawyer for pol’s ex-wife files for restraining order as abuse allegations swirl

Source: CBS News

“The ex-wife of Republican Rep. Max Miller asked a court Thursday to issue a restraining order blocking the two-term Ohio congressman from contacting her lawyer, as her allegations that he assaulted her — which Miller denies — continue to plague his contentious reelection campaign. Miller pledged on Sunday to stay in the race as he vehemently denied the recent allegations that have swirled against him. … In court filings, ex-wife Emily Moreno alleged that Miller has repeatedly had physical and verbal altercations with her attorney, Andrew Zashin, after recent court hearings in an ongoing custody battle. The pair already have court-ordered restraining orders against each other. They share a young daughter after a brief marriage that began in 2022 and ended in June 2025. … Miller represents a Republican-leaning district in the Cleveland area and is running for a third term. Moreno is the daughter of Republican Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno.” (08/02/26)

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/max-miller-ex-wife-emily-moreno-allegations-restraining-order-lawyer/

What happens when the US drives away the world’s best talent?

Source: Los Angeles Times
by Veronique de Rugy

“There are many ways to measure the health of a country. One way is growth of gross domestic product. Another is economic productivity. But there’s a less conventional measure worth watching: Do the world’s most talented and ambitious people want to immigrate here? Throughout most of America’s history, the answer has been an emphatic yes. Scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists and strivers from around the world have chosen the United States because they believed they could build something, discover something or start a business while making a better life in this country. We should worry about the day when that is no longer true. Unfortunately, the Trump administration seems determined to make that day arrive sooner rather than later.” (07/31/26)

https://archive.is/vtCkK

IL: Cop who murdered Sonya Massey denied medical release from prison

Source: The Guardian

“A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won’t get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the [b]lack woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided on Friday. Sean Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to the 2024 shooting, and his attorney noted in January that the cancer had advanced to his liver and lungs. The three-member Illinois prisoner review board voted unanimously on Friday to deny Grayson’s application for early medical release, panel spokesperson Liz Mitchell said in an email. Grayson, who is white, was convicted in October of second-degree murder for Massey’s killing, a case that sparked protests over systemic racism and a US justice department review.” (07/31/26)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/31/sonya-massey-shooting-prison

The Gentlemen of Antwerp

Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson

“Donald Trump is cheap in every sense of the word: cheap in that he is an infamous deadbeat who cheated his creditors; cheap in the sense of tacky; cheap in that he is the sort of man whose virtue, such as it is, can be overcome at no great expense — a cheap date. Trump is a $40 fake Rolex made copious flesh. … the CEO of Rolex, Jean-Frédéric Dufour, bought the whole Swiss watch industry a better deal on tariffs with a desk clock that was not even solid gold but merely gold plated, along with a 1-kg bar of gold engraved with the word ‘PRESIDENT’—in case Trump, who seems to believe that there is something called the Islamic Republic of Japan and who conflates Vladimir Putin with Volodymyr Zelensky, finally forgets which office it is he holds.” (07/31/26)

https://thedispatch.com/article/trump-moral-bribes-diamonds/

ID: Armed citizen opens fire on In-N-Out gunman

Source: New York Post

“A heroic armed citizen tried to take out a gunman as he opened fire on an Idaho In-N-Out, according to heart-stopping video and witnesses. Harrowing footage shows a man with a handgun exchanging fire with the shooter outside the restaurant in Twin Falls. Two people were killed and seven wounded. The gunman is believed to have killed himself, according to police. The actions of the good Samaritan may have saved lives by distracting the gunman long enough for diners and workers at the crowded burger joint to get away, according to Lane Koehn, who took the video from his car.” (08/02/26)

https://nypost.com/2026/08/02/us-news/hero-armed-citizen-opened-fire-on-idaho-in-n-out-gunman-during-deadly-shooting/