“The unhinged hostility to Donald Trump’s successful [sic] crime [sic] crackdown in Washington, DC, puts Democrats inexplicably on the wrong side of their own voters. What on earth are they thinking? Law and order is quite literally an 80-20 issue. You don’t need a pollster to say so, but 81% of Americans of all political persuasions say crime is ‘a major problem,’ according to a new AP-NORC poll released last week. The other 19% must be either criminals or blue-city politicians — or both.” [editor’s note: At least the occupation troops picked up some litter and raked some leaves in between abducting drunk sandwich throwers and marching around tourist areas to be seen – TLK] (08/31/25)
“This week’s Air Canada flight attendants’ strike brought the country’s largest airline to a halt with picket lines set up at airports across the country. After the federal government attempted to send the attendants, represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees’ (CUPE) Air Canada Component, back to their jobs, the workers refused, becoming the first union to resist this kind of order from the federal government, which has issued a spate of them in the past year. The union’s refusal to back down led to new negotiations with Air Canada, and a tentative agreement was announced the following day. Alison Braley-Rattai, a professor of labor studies at Brock University, told PressProgress the government’s pattern of sending workers back to their jobs, combined with the particularities of the flight attendants’ struggle, created ‘a perfect storm.'” (09/01/25)
“Geographers often debate what is ‘the heart of Europe’ – some say Slovakia, others say Lithuania. Ask diplomats, however, and they might say Europe’s heart lies in the hugs, handshakes, and harmony between the leaders of France and Germany, the founders of the European Union. On Thursday and Friday, the two countries showed how personal bonds – built on a remarkable reconciliation between Paris and Berlin after World War II – can help Europe face its current challenges. First, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at his seaside home on the Mediterranean for a tie-free, one-on-one working dinner. The next day, the duo presided over the 25th joint cabinet meeting between the EU’s two most powerful economies. The cozy get-together, their second since Mr. Merz’s election earlier this year, resulted in a number of new initiatives on security, trade, industry, and energy.” (08/29/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Western civilization is not worth saving. I think that’s been pretty well established by now. That’s one of the silliest things about the way rightists are always babbling about how we need to protect our way of life from immigrants or Islam or ‘the trans agenda’ or whatever. They’re beginning with the assumption that this train wreck of a society is worth saving at all. I am not saying that westerners should die. I am not saying that all the ideals and values that westerners purport to hold are worthless. I am saying that this civilization, as it actually exists, is an indefensible disaster.” (08/29/25)
“Uncharacteristically for him, President Donald Trump is being too modest in asserting his power over the Federal Reserve. He has fired Lisa Cook ‘for cause,’ citing a clearly pretextual alleged mortgage infraction — when as a constitutional matter, he should be able to fire her, or Chairman Jerome Powell, for any reason he deems appropriate. The independence of the Federal Reserve largely rests on its status as a constitutional anomaly, exercising executive authority without being subject to the same rules as the rest of the executive branch.” [editor’s note: I wonder if Lowry can point me to the constitutional provision empowering the president to fire … well, anyone. It seems to be missing from my copy. He can appoint people to certain posts, sometimes requiring Senate permission, but firing isn’t mentioned – TLK] (08/31/25)
“We all want to live in healthy, safe, and thriving communities. We expect our tax dollars to serve the common good, and we want to trust that government represents our interests. But today, the federal government falls far short of this goal; only 22% of Americans trust it. Local governments, in many places but not all, continue to deliver for their residents. They are leading the fight against climate change without federal support. They took charge in their immediate and ongoing responses to Covid-19. And they continue to resist, creating sanctuary cities to protect immigrant communities threatened during the first Trump administration. Today, local governments prepare for a difficult future shaped by the policies of the current Trump administration, including the unnecessary deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles and Washington, DC.” [editor’s note: Trust in government reduces prosperity – TLK] (08/31/25)
“The District of Columbia is our nation’s capital, where foreign leaders go to meet our presidents at the White House. On the way, these leaders do not see a shining city on a hill as they peer through the windows of their motorcades. Instead, they see a crime-infested dump riddled with drug addicts, disturbed homeless people milling zombie-like around their tents and gangs of thugs in stolen cars who yearn to target innocent residents. The D.C. legal system is an utter disaster. Richard Nixon won approximately 20% of the D.C. vote in 1972 in his landslide over George McGovern, the most ‘success’ any Republican presidential candidate has had since D.C. has been part of the Electoral College. In his three presidential elections, Donald Trump topped out at a whopping 6.6% of the vote in 2024, and the lowest performance by a Democrat was Hillary Clinton’s 90.9% in 2016.” (08/31/25)
“Sometimes, events turn on the bravery of ordinary people. On Thursday, hundreds of employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrated outside their agency, all risking their jobs, to give a grateful send-off to three senior officials who had finally had enough and resigned in protest. The three were Dr. Daniel Jernigan, who headed the center that oversees new diseases and vaccine safety; Dr. Debra Houry, the agency’s chief medical officer; and Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, an infectious disease specialist who led the center that reviews respiratory illnesses such as COVID and issues vaccine recommendations. These senior scientists were the heart of the CDC. All objected to statements by new members of the agency’s vaccine advisory panel, which made clear that they would try to reduce access to several vaccines.” (08/29/25)
“Death touches everyone – in the game of life, it’s undefeated. If you’re lucky, you get to live a lot of your life before it touches you, but it comes, and it never stops coming until you’re the one people are mourning. That may sound morbid, but it’s true. And no, I’m not dying – I mean, I am dying, we’re all dying, but I’m not about to die, at least as far as I know. But one of my family’s pets is, and that is really horrible. It will be the first time my children will be old enough to comprehend, and it has prompted me to think about many things. First, pets truly are the best. This cat was a 6-week-old girl when I got her 14 years ago; I’ll always remember the little head popping up from inside the carrying box when I got back to my apartment from the animal shelter in Baltimore.” (08/31/25)
Source: In These Times
by Dania Rajendra & Rebecca Vilkomerson
“Less than two minutes into Zohran Mamdani’s Democratic primary victory speech, he welcomed a former rival to the stage. ‘I want to thank Brad Lander,’ he said. The crowd took the cue and chanted, ‘Brad! Brad!’ Mamdani and Lander wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders, and the upstart candidate for New York City mayor continued, ‘Together, we have shown the power of the politics of the future, one of partnership and of sincerity.’ They raised their clasped hands, then embraced each other in a real, long hug. Mamdani and Lander wrapped their arms around each other’s shoulders, and the upstart candidate for New York City mayor continued, ‘Together, we have shown the power of the politics of the future, one of partnership and of sincerity.’ They raised their clasped hands, then embraced each other in a real, long hug.” (08/31/25)
