“Within hours of American munitions striking Iranian soil, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a statement that the Western press largely treated as a diplomatic footnote, but it was a signal that what happens in the skies over Tehran has a direct impact on the ground in Ukraine. President Zelenskyy explicitly endorsed the strikes, called Iran ‘Putin’s accomplice’, noted that his country has absorbed over 57,000 Iranian-supplied drone attacks, and took aim at Moscow: ‘Whenever there is American resolve, global criminals weaken. This understanding must also come to the Russians.’ Zelenskyy’s framing of the war in Iran through the lens of Ukraine’s war is not incidental. Whatever Washington’s stated objectives, the president, who has lived through the Ukraine conflict since the 2022 invasion, understands that Iran has been an active accomplice in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the United States has now acted against that accomplice.” (03/09/26)
“Hungary’s government will introduce a price cap on gasoline and diesel at fueling stations beginning at midnight local time, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on Monday. The move came against the backdrop of soaring global oil prices as the Iran war, now in its second week, ensnares countries and infrastructure critical to the production and movement of oil and gas. In a video posted on social media, Orbán said ‘the international oil price explosion has reached Hungary as well’, and that the government would cap the price of gasoline at 595 forints ($1.75) per liter and diesel at 615 forints ($1.81) per liter. He added that the capped price would only apply to vehicles with Hungarian license plates and registration documents, and that Hungary would free up its oil reserves to ensure adequate supply.” (03/09/26)
“Twenty-three people have been rescued by helicopter crews in Ontario, Canada, after the ice shelf they were standing on broke, sending the group floating into Lake Huron. Ontario Provincial Police said on social media that the rescue began around noon (16:00 GMT) on Sunday after ‘winds and current moved the ice shelf away from shore’ approximately 2km (1.2 miles). The rescue involved two helicopters making multiple trips to pluck people off the shelf as it continued to fracture into more pieces in the Owen Sound, about 200km north-west of Toronto. One member of the group said that he only realised the ice he was fishing on had detached from shore when he noticed that his GPS showed him moving. Members of the rescued group described harrowing moments, with several of them becoming partially submerged in the cold waters as they sought out the thickest ice on the floe, or sheet.” (03/09/26)
“Why did President Donald Trump launch Operation Epic Fury? He’s provided a stream of reasons: forcing regime change; destroying Iran’s missile capabilities (to eliminate what he called ‘imminent threats’); ‘annihilating’ the Iranian navy; ensuring that Iran cannot further develop nuclear weapons; and blocking Iran’s support of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Regardless of the reason (if one truly exists), such military action is at odds with Trump’s stated ‘America First’ foreign-policy strategy, ostensibly prioritizing unilateralist and noninterventionist behavior. Trump has routinely made a point of withdrawing from prominent international treaties and organizations (the Paris climate accords and North American Free Trade Agreement) in an effort to isolate American interests. Why, then, did Trump join Israel in going to war with Iran? What can history tell us about the possible outcomes of this decision?” (03/09/26)
“Two men who brought explosives to a protest outside New York City’s mayoral mansion said they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group, a court complaint said. Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi are awaiting arraignment Monday on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. Kayumi blurted out, as he was being arrested Saturday, that ‘ISIS’ was the reason for his conduct, the complaint said. Balat, 18, later told authorities that he had pledged allegiance to the extremist group, and Kayumi, 19, asserted that he was affiliated with the Islamic State group, the complaint said. Officers asked Balat whether he was aiming to accomplish something akin to the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, when when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more.” (03/09/26)
“Except for the wise people of Arizona and Hawaii, who have year-round standard time, Americans were once again forced to ‘spring forward’ and lose an hour of sleep on Sunday morning. This practice, known as daylight saving time, gives Americans more time in the evening to enjoy sunlight. This helps owners of golf courses, tennis courts, and other outdoor entertainment venues. Conversely, it also forces parents to drive their children to school in the dark. With the time change, accidents increase, as do health-related issues. Losing an hour of sleep disrupts our ‘body clocks’. As William Shughart, II writes in the Miami Herald, daylight saving time misaligns ‘our human body clocks with morning sunlight, thereby disrupting circadian rhythms and causing the spikes in heart attacks, strokes, depression and other health problems observed in the days following the one-hour spring and fall time shifts’.” (03/09/26)
“Sen. Cory Booker [D-NJ], facing a re-election campaign in 2026, announced a new tax-cut bill, the Keep Your Pay Act, that would eliminate federal income taxes on the first $75,000 of income for most households and expand key tax credits for working families. Booker’s plan increases the standard deduction to $75,000 for married couples filing jointly, with proportional relief for single filers and heads of household, reducing federal income tax on the median American family by an estimated 85%. ‘New Jerseyans are working harder than ever, but they’re struggling to get by because they’re facing out of control costs and an economy that is stacked against them — so we need big ideas to start making the American Dream possible for everyone again,’ he wrote in a statement unveiling his bill. ‘No income tax on the first $75,000 families earn would be a game changer for working people.'” (03/09/26)
“Gen Z has shredded a long-held dynamic in the cannabis industry. For centuries, cannabis flower has been the king of marijuana. And since legalization, flower has always been the most popular product at legal pot shops in California. But that dominance is now all over, largely thanks to Gen Z. Cannabis vapes surpassed flower in June and are consistently the top-selling product category in California, according to state data. California shoppers spent over 10% more on cannabis vapes than flower last month, and more than 170% more on vapes compared to edibles, according to state data. This growth is being driven primarily by Gen Z, who have an overwhelming preference for the handheld vapes and are the first generation to prefer vape pens over any other type of cannabis product, according to data shared with SFGATE by cannabis analytics company Headset.” (03/09/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Watching Amazon Prime while the Iranians burn. / Stuffing our mouths with cheesysugarbacon / while the sky turns black over Tehran. / Laughing without smiling. / Laughing with full mouths and empty eyes / while their water mixes with oil and blood. / ‘Hoho this will hurt Trump in the midterms’ / the liberal chortles, masturbating furiously / while ruined parents pull ruined schoolbags / out of ruined schools. / Frolicking on lawns with hamburgers in both fists / doing patchouli tai chi / in clothes made by slaves / as black rain waters gardens / of severed limbs and blown-out eyeballs. / This is our culture. / This is our religion. / Praying to Pornhub while children scream, / telling ourselves it will all be worth it / when Iranian women can do OnlyFans / to pay for boob jobs and butt lifts / and go to Capitalist Heaven when they die….” (03/09/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The US soldiers who are getting killed in the war with Iran were not heroes. They did not die defending their country. They did not die fighting to protect Americans. They died advancing the geostrategic agendas of oligarchs and empire managers which benefit ordinary Americans in no way. It’s important not to valorize these people for two reasons. Firstly, it assists US military recruitment by falsely portraying these imperial stormtrooper careers as noble and heroic. Secondly, it falsely frames the war they died in as a righteous cause which is making the world a better place, rather than as a war of aggression against a nation that posed literally zero threat to their homeland. These are not harmless little white lies. They are extremely destructive propaganda narratives which facilitate acts of mass military slaughter on real human beings. Don’t assist the warmongers in circulating these lies.” (03/07/26)
