“The New York Police Department arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian protestors on Columbia University’s campus on Wednesday evening—prompting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to announce on X that the federal government is reviewing the visa status of those involved in the action. On Wednesday afternoon, masked protestors, many wearing keffiyehs, gathered in Columbia’s Butler Library. Video of the protest posted to social media shows demonstrators inside the library chanting ‘free Palestine!’ Columbia has been under intense scrutiny from the Trump administration in recent months over the school’s alleged failure to protect Jewish students. Critics say the administration is weaponizing antisemitism to attack Palestinian rights advocates. In March, the school faced backlash for making policy changes in line with demands from the Trump administration following the administration’s decision to freeze $400 million in federal grants for the school.” (05/08/25)
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office says the state has essentially eradicated hemp-derived THC products from alcohol sellers after it instituted an emergency ban in September. In a Thursday news release, Newsom announced that state officers have found almost 100% of businesses visited by inspectors were in compliance. Newsom issued the immediate ban on hemp-derived THC last year, saying the widespread sales pose a public health risk. Hemp-derived THC is an intoxicating compound found in cannabis plants but sold outside of the state’s regulated dispensaries, often in drinks or vape cartridges. Many stores were still selling hemp THC products after the surprising ban went into effect, according to an SFGATE investigation at the time. Store owners said they were unaware that it had become illegal to sell intoxicating hemp vape pens and drinks. That now appears to have changed, according to the release.” (05/08/25)
“Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Washington to meet with President Trump riding the crest of his historic win, the fourth straight election victory for the Canadian Liberals. That put him in the pole position to deal with his south-of-the-border version of the global trade crisis. Carney had strengthened his hand in March by delaying a visit to the United States, traditionally the first stop for a newly elected prime minister, to fly to Europe, where British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron were enthusiastic hosts. Prior to the trip, he spoke by phone with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He’s also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the annual G7 summit in Canada next month. What probably captured the full attention of the man in the Oval Office, however, was Carney’s pièce de résistance, a Buckingham Palace audience with Charles III.” (05/08/25)
“One hundred thirty three cardinals will gather again on Thursday under the vaulted ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, which are decorated with Michelangelo’s frescoes, including ‘The Creation of Adam,’ where they’ll cast their second set of ballots to make one among them the next leader of the Catholic Church’s more than 1 billion members worldwide. A successful candidate to replace Pope Francis, who died April 21, will require a two-thirds majority of the voting cardinals. The first ballot on Wednesday failed, resulting in a plume of black smoke — fumata nera in Italian — from the chapel’s chimney. White smoke — fumata bianca — will signify that a new pope has been elected, as will the ringing of the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica.” (05/08/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Israeli snipers routinely, deliberately shoot children in the head throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel created an AI system for the IDF to target suspected Hamas fighters when they go home to their families and mockingly called it ‘Where’s Daddy?,’ because they are killing the fighters’ children. Israel has targeted healthcare facilities and ambulances in Gaza hundreds upon hundreds of times. They’ve been documented entering the hospitals they attack and systematically destroying individual pieces of medical equipment in order to make them unusable. IDF soldiers constantly post photos and videos to their social media accounts showing themselves mockingly dressing in the clothes of dead and displaced Palestinian women and playing with the toys of dead and displaced Palestinian children.” (05/07/25)
“Isn’t the most remarkable (and least remarked-upon) aspect of the Pete Hegseth Defense Department reality show the fact that no one has appeared worried that the nation’s security might actually be threatened by this? That no one has seemed particularly concerned about any danger resulting from the vast U.S. military arsenal ostensibly being placed in the hands of someone who had obviously not read the job manual? But then why would they? Did anyone seriously think China’s Ministry of State Security was dashing off memos advising the country’s leaders to invade the United States because control of its armed forces had somehow fallen into inept hands? Or that something like that was going on in Russia … or Denmark … or Canada … or any other of our enemies, old or new? Apparently not.” (05/07/25)
“Five months after their liberation from a dictatorship, most Syrians seem glad for one thing. Their country, despite predictions of it splintering into religious and ethnic parts, is still a country. For half a century, the authoritarian Assad family justified its harsh rule as the only way to keep a diverse Syria intact. Yes, Israel has now taken control of chunks of Syrian territory. Other powers from Iran to Turkey to Russia want to direct the future of this pivotal Middle East nation toward their own interests. And twice in the last two months, serious violence by the country’s dominant Sunni Muslim Arabs has erupted against two minorities, the Druze and the Alawites. Still, ‘If we look at the full picture,’ Syria analyst Ghassan Ibrahim told Arab News, the absence of large-scale sectarian violence since the Dec. 8 liberation is ‘something promising, but requires a lot of work.'” (05/07/25)
“Increasing taxes on high income earners helped raise revenue without hampering the wealth of the millionaire class in Massachusetts and Washington, according to a new policy brief from the Institute for Policy Studies and State Revenue Alliance. A common counter to raising taxes on the rich is that they will simply flee their home states to jurisdictions with friendlier tax codes. While some tax migration is inevitable, the wealthy that move to avoid taxes represent a tiny percentage of their own social class. The top one percent are incentivized not to move because of family, social networks and local business knowledge. Our findings support the case against tax flight: The number of individuals with a net worth of at least seven-figures continued to expand in both Massachusetts and Washington after tax hikes.” (05/07/25)
“At least 60,000 passengers have been stranded at airports across Russia because of a massive Ukrainian drone attack, local officials say. Russia’s Association of tour operators (Ator) says 350 flights have been affected since Tuesday evening in Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi and several other cities. The Russian defence ministry says 524 Ukrainian drones were destroyed in the past 24 hours — a record number if confirmed. No casualties were reported. Ukraine says an overnight Russian drone and missile attack killed two people in Kyiv. The barrage of strikes came as a self-declared Russian three-day ceasefire was set to begin on Wednesday night, ahead of a World War Two victory parade in Moscow on 9 May. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected the truce idea as ‘theatrical play,’ reiterating its call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which is also supported by Ukraine’s allies in Europe and the US.” (05/07/25)
“Attorney General Pam Bondi and Justice Department civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon just put one ‘Soros DA’ on warning; let’s hope they keep it up. The target: Hennepin County, Minn., District Attorney Mary Moriarty’s directive seemingly ordering up selective prosecutions, according to race. Sounds too crazy to be true, but the woke warrior copped to it in (so to speak) black and white: Her so-called ‘Negotiations Policy for Cases Involving Adult Defendants’ says ‘racial identity … should be part of the overall analysis,’ and prosecutors ‘should be identifying and addressing racial disparities at decision points, as appropriate.’ In other words, a literal two-tiered justice system based on skin color, with whites and Asians presumably getting the short end of the stick.” (05/07/25)
