“A couple of weeks ago, at the dedication ceremony for his presidential library, Barack Obama made a speech in which he addressed the Founding Fathers. ‘In forming our union,’ he said, ‘the founders fell terribly short of the Declaration’s promise, leaving slavery intact, allowing states to restrict the franchise to white men who owned property.’ Fortunately for us, however, ‘in drafting a Constitution and a Bill of Rights, they did have the foresight, the genius, to provide us with a framework that allows each generation to make our union more perfect.’ Needless to say, not everyone was thrilled with Obama’s comments. Conservatives on Twitter/X thought he had insulted or taken a ‘swipe’ at the Founders. Fox News said that he had ‘knocked’ them, noting the supposed irony of the statement coming ‘just days before America celebrates its 250th anniversary on the 4th of July.'” (06/29/26)
Source: Common Dreams
by Supriya Lopez Pillai & Nwamaka Agbo
“Governance is how we hold power responsibly and equitably. Government is just one way we organize it—and what is abundantly clear is that good governance is not always done by a government. Since congressional Republicans passed the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, 3.5 million people have lost benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That includes more than 800,000 children who are now at risk of going hungry. It is just one of many ways in which the current administration has either actively harmed or abdicated responsibility for families and communities. This is a precarious moment, but it is not a moment for despair. In communities long abandoned by the public sector, mutual aid networks have emerged as models of resilience that show how people can govern effectively when love and care, rather than hate and scarcity, are placed at the center of how community members care for each other.” (06/29/26)
“The failure of America’s education system has been one of the greatest disasters, maybe the greatest, in the nation’s history. We handed most educational institutions over to the government, which means they would be run by politicians, who care for nothing but their own power and self-aggrandizement and control of others. Freedom is not what government wants; indeed, it is the very antithesis thereof. America’s Founders recognized that some government is necessary to protect our rights against monsters who would try to take them from us. Thus, government, which is, by definition, the collectivization (or nationalization) of force to secure us against evil, has a purpose to play in a nation. But since the government largely controls the power, it is very dangerous to liberty. Our Founders understood that, which is why they tried to limit the power and role of government in American society.” (06/29/26)
“The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a governor of the US central bank, in a ruling seen as affirming the Federal Reserve’s independence. In a 5-4 decision, justices from the country’s top court said the administration had not provided Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook sufficient ‘due process’ for her to contest her removal. The decision sends the matter back to lower courts, where the administration will have to prove its allegations that Cook has committed mortgage fraud if it wishes to proceed with the firing and where Cook would have a chance to challenge the accusation. Cook has denied the allegations, which Fed defenders say are a pretext to allow Trump to assert more control over the bank.” (06/29/26)
“A bill to update the antitrust laws in the nation’s most populous state faces a critical legislative hearing this week. At a time when California is among the states being relied upon as a substitute for proper antitrust enforcement, which is moribund at the federal level thanks to Trump administration corruption, advocates say the state must have a full suite of tools to succeed. Monied interests are working diligently to stop the bill, but it gained important momentum late last week when a key senator signed on. The office of state Sen. Ben Allen, who is running for statewide office to become California’s insurance commissioner, told the Prospect that ‘the Senator is very likely going to be supporting the bill.’ Allen was one of a handful of Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats whose position on the bill was uncertain as of last week.” (06/29/26)
“With the window for finding survivors shrinking fast, Venezuelans combed Monday through more ruins of buildings toppled by last week’s powerful back-to-back earthquakes, and a 4.6 magnitude aftershock rumbled through the disaster zone in the northern state of La Guaira. Relief organizations say the first 72 hours after a natural disaster is the most crucial time period for rescues, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water. Five days after the twin quakes struck northern Venezuela, attention turned to the humanitarian crisis that was taking shape in devastated regions. The death toll stood at more than 1,700 people, according to the government. Major questions loomed about whether the cash-strapped government under acting President Delcy Rodríguez — who came to power in January after the Trump administration seized former President Nicolás Maduro — will be able to coordinate the effort needed to care for thousands of people who have been left homeless.” (06/29/26)
“There’s a moment in our film ‘The American Revolution’ when the historian Jane Kamensky, now president of Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, reflects on the lasting meaning of the war: ‘Everybody, on every side, including people denied even the ownership of themselves, had the sense of possibility worth fighting for.’ That line captures something essential about the Revolution that can get lost beneath the familiar portraits and marble monuments. The Revolution was not only a war for independence but also an argument about possibility — who counted, who belonged, and whether so-called ordinary people could claim ownership over their own lives and their own future. In 1776, citizenship itself was a radical idea. Most human beings in history had been subjects.” (06/29/26)
“Ford says it has hired back some human engineers after AI failed to match their skills and experience. In a bid to reap the benefits of the tech, which developers claim can cut costs and boost productivity, the US carmaker adopted it across some parts of its operations including for quality checks. But, according to Bloomberg, its executives said the firm has rehired more than 300 “veteran” quality inspectors in recent years to make up for the pitfalls of automated systems. ‘Artificial intelligence is a fantastic tool, but it’s only as good as the information you use to train it,’ Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, told reporters. ‘Over prior years, we didn’t pay as much attention as we should have to the experience of our most knowledgeable engineers that have been with us through many product cycles,’ he added.” (06/29/26)
“The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider a Republican push to enforce strict Arizona voting laws passed in the swing state after the 2020 election. The high court has allowed some similar rules to take effect as lawsuits play out, including Arizona’s proof-of-citizenship requirement for state and local elections and a Virginia purge of voter rolls that the state said was aimed at keeping noncitizens from voting. The appeal was filed by the Republican National Committee after lower courts found the measures violated federal voting laws, and it was joined by GOP President Donald Trump’s administration. ‘The RNC is proud to lead this effort, and we will keep fighting nationwide to defend election integrity and ensure only eligible citizens cast a ballot’, said Chairman Joe Gruters. The high court is expected to hear arguments in the fall and likely hand down an opinion after the midterm elections.” (06/29/26)
“On the last day of testimony in the federal ’Prairieland’ trial — wherein nine activists faced charges related to a protest outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center — the government called its star witness back to the stand. Kyle Shideler, director of counterterrorism research at the right-wing think tank Center for Security Policy, had been key to the prosecution’s case that ‘antifa’ is a violent, criminal organization bent on overthrowing the U.S. government. Shideler, an imposing figure with a cleanly shaven head and full beard, had attended nearly the entire trial, even sitting in the overflow room during jury selection. At the stand, Shideler read aloud the government’s definition of antifa, as well as an excerpt from President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring antifa a domestic terrorist organization — issued in September, less than two weeks after the assassination of right-wing pundit and activist Charlie Kirk.” (06/26/26)
