Trump Is Doing What FDR Could Not

Source: Foreign Policy
by Julian E Zelizer

“To understand the hold that Trump has on his party, it is useful to look back to the 1938 midterms, when Franklin D. Roosevelt — one of the most consequential presidents in U.S. history — failed to keep his party on the same page. When Roosevelt tried to purge the Democratic Party of conservative Southern legislators who were holding back his New Deal, the president found himself on the losing end of the battle, empowering the very forces he was trying to stop. … The irony, though, is that, despite his defeat in 1938, Roosevelt ultimately helped build a far more enduring Democratic coalition. … Trump, by contrast, has tied his party to a deeply unpopular leader and agenda.” (06/08/26)

https://archive.is/MNRZF

First-ever bear sighting in Japanese city triggers suspensions at 94 schools

Source: New York Post

“The Japanese city of Utsunomiya has suspended all 94 of the primary and middle schools ​that it operates on Monday after its ‌first-ever bear sighting, a municipal official said. The city of half a million residents, about 100 km (60 miles) north of Tokyo, said ​the bear was first seen in a residential ​area near a park on Saturday evening. It ⁠remains at large after the last sighting early ​Monday morning about half a kilometer from a ​middle school. Bear attacks, including in urban areas, have been on the rise in Japan, prompting the government to set up a ​task force this year to reduce casualties.” (06/08/26)

https://nypost.com/2026/06/08/world-news/first-ever-bear-sighting-in-japanese-city-triggers-suspensions-at-94-schools/

The Bulldozer Revolution: A Blueprint For American Meddling in Eastern Europe

Source: Libertarian Institute
by Patrick Pillow

“By the summer of 2000, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević appeared firmly entrenched in power. A decade earlier, he had risen to prominence by harnessing Serbian nationalism as Yugoslavia began to fracture. Over time, he consolidated control over political institutions and much of the media while leading Serbia through wars, sanctions, and NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign. Yet beneath the surface, public frustration was growing. The economy was struggling, unemployment remained high, and many Serbians had grown weary of international isolation and authoritarian rule. When Milošević changed election rules in July 2000 to allow the presidency to be decided by popular vote, he likely expected another victory. Instead, the move created an opportunity for a united opposition.” (06/08/26)

https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-bulldozer-revolution-a-blueprint-for-american-meddling-in-eastern-europe/

Kenya: Police Attack Protesters With Chemical Weapons, Arrest Ex Chief Justice at National Park Protest

Source: US News & World Report

“Riot ⁠police fired tear gas to disperse ​scores of protesters rallying on Monday against ‌plans to build on ‌part of a national park in ⁠Kenya’s ⁠capital. Officers moved in and arrested at least nine ​people, including former Chief Justice David Maraga, outside the main entrance of Nairobi National Park, Reuters ​reporters said. The Kenya Wildlife Service has defended ⁠the project, ⁠saying it will ⁠expand ​an animal orphanage on the site, Africa’s only ​wildlife reserve ⁠within a capital city. Protesters — who waved placards marked with ‘Nature is not vacant land’ and other slogans — say the plans, including ⁠a parking area for more than 1,000 vehicles, will ⁠encroach on one of Kenya’s most famous protected areas.” (06/08/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-06-08/kenya-police-fire-tear-gas-arrest-ex-chief-justice-at-national-park-protest

Lookin’ Out Your Backdoor

Source: The American Conservative
by Bill Kauffman

“Say the powers-that-be determine to site something truly noxious == a radioactive waste dump, a halfway house for child molesters, a data center — in your neighborhood. (These almost inevitably will be government projects or enabled by corporate welfare and subsidies to developers.) You protest. Instead of meeting your sincere remonstrations with arguments, you will be sneeringly called a NIMBY — a Not in My Backyard obstructionist. This epithet can be disorienting. Not in My Backyard? Well, yeah—not in my backyard. What’s wrong with caring about my backyard?” (06/08/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/lookin-out-your-backdoor/

At least 32 dead after major earthquake strikes southern Philippines

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“At least 32 people have died after a magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Mindanao island in the southern Philippines, officials say. The quake hit at 07:37 local time on Monday (Sunday 23:37 GMT), triggering tsunami alerts in the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and Australia. Some of those were cancelled hours later. Videos and images showed buildings collapsing, including a clip of a Jollibee fast food restaurant reduced to rubble, and landslides have been recorded in some areas. More than 100 people have been injured across several provinces, almost two dozen are missing, and 10,000 residents have been pre-emptively evacuated, authorities have said.” (06/08/26)

https://archive.is/VkUuE