Trump whines over “unpatriotic” vote to shut down his illegal Iran war

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“US President Donald Trump has hit back at lawmakers who voted to send him a rebuke over the war in Iran, labelling the group ‘unpatriotic.’ On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives passed a measure that seeks to halt Trump from taking further military action. In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote: ‘Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Who would do such an unpatriotic thing.'” (06/04/26)

https://archive.is/jwv4e

Blackstone restricts flagship fund withdrawals as private asset fears reemerge

Source: CNBC

“Blackstone is restricting withdrawals from its flagship Blackstone Private Credit (BCRED) fund following a spike in investor redemption requests. The asset management giant capped investor withdrawals from the $79 billion non-traded business development company at 5% of shares, after redemption requests hit 10%, or about $4.5 billion, during the second quarter.” (06/04/26)

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/04/blackstone-caps-withdrawals-private-credit.html

The 26-Year Assault Is Over

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“Gary, Indiana, initiated its action against a laundry list of gun makers, distributors and dealers in August 1999. The suit accused them of culpability for crimes committed with the weapons they had brought into the marketplace. At the time, making and marketing guns was legal; still is. So the suit was manifestly absurd from the outset. Perhaps cities contemplating litigation against baseball bat makers and steak knife vendors will accept the lesson.” (06/04/26)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/06/04/gun-rights-survive-26-yr/

A Free Market Approach to Healthcare: Lower Costs and Better Outcomes

Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“[T]he big story that fans of free markets everywhere should be focused on is the money we pay for things like drugs and medical equipment. This year we’ll spend close to $750 billion on drugs and other pharmaceutical products. We’ll spend over $50 billion on various therapeutic devices used at home. Hospitals and other providers will spend over $130 billion on medical equipment. … Insofar as drugs or scans are expensive, it is almost certainly due to patent monopolies or related protections.” (06/04/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/06/04/a-free-market-approach-to-healthcare-lower-costs-and-better-outcomes/

Feds: Airport suspect packed explosive device for flight, caught with cryptic message on phone

Source: Fox News

“A California man is facing federal charges after authorities say he attempted to pass through security at Sacramento International Airport with an explosive device in his carry-on luggage while preparing to board a flight to North Carolina. Kimani Osayande Jones, also known as Kimani Osayande Jackson, 49, of Sacramento, was charged by criminal complaint with unlawfully possessing explosive material in an airport …. Authorities allege that a search of his carry-on backpack revealed an M-type explosive device, a torch lighter capable of igniting it, a knife, scissors, a scissor blade, an aerosol can and zip ties. … Federal prosecutors said Jones was also carrying five cellphones. According to the complaint, all five phones had tape covering their front-facing cameras. One phone allegedly had a 15-minute timer ready to start, while another displayed a message from an unidentified number stating, ‘we will be awaiting your call.'” (06/04/26)

https://www.foxnews.com/us/airport-suspect-packed-explosive-device-flight-caught-cryptic-message-phone-feds

Expanding the Abraham Accords Would Help Netanyahu, Not America

Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

“[T]he so-called Abraham Accords, long touted as a major achievement from Trump’s first term, are a pious fraud. Though depicted as a kind of peace deal, they have nothing to do with peace, since none of the participants—so far Bahrain, Kazakhstan, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates (Sudan signed on but fell into civil war before ratifying the agreement)—have been at war with Israel. Nor has the lack of Israeli embassies across the Persian Gulf and North Africa prevented any nation from engaging in back-channel security cooperation. … expanding the Abraham Accords would act as a Hail Mary political pass to Netanyahu, who faces a difficult reelection campaign. It would both offer a dramatic success to the Israeli prime minister and act as a de facto endorsement by the American president. Indeed, Trump appears to believe his ability to shift votes is as great in Israel as in U.S. primary contests.” (06/04/26)

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/expanding-the-abraham-accords-would-help-netanyahu-not-america/

Trump’s art of the deal meets Iran’s long memory of foreign exploitation

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Tanya Goudsouzian & Ibrahim Al-Marashi

“Washington may view these talks as a standard business transaction, but history has taught Tehran that a compromise with the West is a trap.” (06/04/26)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-deal-negotiations/