“The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on Monday to decide whether states can continue to count late-arriving mail ballots — an election issue targeted by President Donald Trump. All 50 states require ballots to be cast or postmarked on or before Election Day, but 14 states have grace periods for receiving and counting regular mailed ballots, ranging from a day to several weeks after the election. A final ruling will almost certainly come by late June, early enough to govern the counting of ballots in the 2026 midterm congressional elections. Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked whether the court’s legal principle that decisions shouldn’t disrupt upcoming elections would stay their hands if the justices forbade states from counting mail ballots received after Election Day.” (03/23/26)
“Iran’s efforts to close the Strait of Hormuz have made gas prices rise to the point where they may threaten President Donald Trump’s affordability agenda. Whether the closure is short or long, consumers are feeling the pain just as the latest economic figures show an economy that is sputtering and can use a boost. But the President can help absorb the disruption and deprive Tehran of its goal to push our economy into reverse by cutting a deal on planned global tariff increases. The Strait of Hormuz has been a key bottleneck for oil exports from the Gulf region with roughly one-fifth of global oil flows being impacted by the threat of Iranian missiles, mines, and drone strikes through the narrow waterway. The economic situation is becoming increasingly precarious as energy stockpiles worldwide quickly dwindle and prices rise in response to the choked-off supply that is not easily substituted.” (03/23/26)
“By any measure, Homo sapiens is one of the most violent animals on Earth. At any one time today, humans are engaged in over 100 armed conflicts and wars across the world, many with a resource component—oil, diamonds, gold, timber, territory, water. In the 20th century alone, over 130 million people were killed directly in war, 210 million if including government killings in non-war situations. The United Nations now reports that the world is entering ‘a new era’ of increasing violence and conflict, and that ‘unresolved regional tensions, a breakdown in the rule of law, absent or co-opted state institutions, illicit economic gain, and the scarcity of resources exacerbated by climate change, have become dominant drivers of conflict.’ Such extraordinary intraspecific violence seems to be unique to humans.” (03/23/26)
“Germany is continuing to struggle with a shortage of skilled workers, as elderly staff retire, and there are not enough young candidates to fill their roles. To try to alleviate the problem the country is increasingly turning to workers from India. For Handirk von Ungern-Sternberg, it started with an email that dropped into his inbox in February 2021. It had come from India. The gist of the message was: ‘We have lots of young, motivated people looking for vocational training and we’re wondering if you’re interested.’ Von Ungern-Sternberg was working for the Freiburg Chamber of Skilled Crafts in southwest Germany, a trade body that represents skilled workers, from bricklayers and carpenters, to butchers and bakers, and the companies that employ them. The email arrived at an opportune moment.” (03/23/26)
“Italian voters rejected a judicial reform backed by conservative Premier Giorgia Meloni, delivering a stinging setback to the right-wing government one year ahead of national elections. The ‘No’ camp won around 54% of the vote against the government‑backed ‘Yes’ campaign, which secured about 46%, according to almost final Interior Ministry data. Turnout over the two‑day ballot, which began Sunday, was considerably higher than expected at almost 59% following a polarizing campaign. The vote galvanized the center‑left opposition while exposing fractures within the right‑wing coalition that supports Meloni. The defeat of the referendum risks weakening Meloni’s leadership both at home and abroad. It may also complicate her efforts to defend her controversial alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump and his increasingly unpopular war on Iran. The referendum centered on long-debated reforms aimed at reshaping the structure of Italy’s judiciary.” (03/23/26)
“For many years, Congress has maintained a bipartisan consensus on warrantless surveillance. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has allowed the U.S. government to surveil foreign nationals abroad since its passage in 2008, and as the Prospect has reported time and time again, domestic intelligence agencies have amassed troves of communications data, including from American citizens, through the program. The National Security Agency (NSA) and FBI do not need a warrant to access this data, regardless of whether it comes from a foreign national or U.S. citizen. Section 702, which must be reauthorized by Congress periodically, is set to expire on April 20. The House is expected to vote on it in the coming weeks. Historically, lawmakers’ attempts to meaningfully reform the program have failed.” (03/23/26)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I saw a clip of Fox News war propagandist Sean Hannity solemnly reading a tweet by Atlantic Council fellow Jamie Metzl which said, ‘It is profoundly disturbing that a growing segment of the far left appears to be almost rooting for Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime, and other forces fundamentally opposed to the US and our allies. This seems to reflect a corrosive strain of anti-Americanism dressed up in post-colonial theory that risks blinding us to the moral realities of our world and the nature of our adversaries.’ These assholes really thought they could commit a genocide in full view of the entire world for years and then expect everyone cheer for them to win. Of course we’re seeing more ‘anti-Americanism.’ You don’t get to commit horrific atrocities year after year and then cry when the world starts to hate you.” (03/21/26)
“Since Ahmed al-Sharaa came to power in Damascus last January, a question has hovered in the air: Has Syria truly changed, or merely changed hands Seeking sanctions relief, investment and a measure of international legitimacy, the new leadership, despite its past association with Al Qaeda, has signaled moderation. The symbols of the old regime are gone. The suffocating omnipresence of the Assad state has receded. Cafes have reopened, checkpoints have thinned and Syrians speak more freely. Yes, there have been killings of members of the Druze and the formerly dominant Alawite minorities, which the government denies direct involvement in. But even this mixed picture is no small achievement. The Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime was not simply authoritarian; it was claustrophobic, built on surveillance, coercion and inherited power. Its collapse created space.” (03/21/26)
“One of the first things I do every morning, even before I get out of bed, is check the news to discover if something good happened while I was asleep. I rarely find any such news. Just about all that is reported is crime, war, hatred, Democrats, Washington, D.C., California, New York City, the Middle East, Congress, China, Trump is Hitler, transgenderism, promiscuity and decadence, ad nauseam, ad infinitum. Every time I see a picture of Gavin Newsom, AOC, Nancy Pelosi, or Chuck Schumer, I want to puke. And since I’m only allowed 1,000 words for this article and want to say other things, I’ll leave it at that, and let the reader add to the list of barbaric and barfable objects as he/she wishes. But I don’t really wonder why I’m so cynical and have chronic depression. However, this morning, I got a boost in the other direction.” (03/21/26)
“Over 1,000 Detroit moms rushed to a ‘no-strings-attached’ cash aid program tailored to new and expectant mothers, the city’s mayor announced on Tuesday. ‘Seeing more than 1,000 Detroit mothers enrolling so quickly tells you everything: families are ready, and Detroit is delivering,’ Mayor Mary Sheffield said in a written statement. Detroit officials distributed around $1 million to more than 1,000 mothers as part of the city’s Rx Kids program, which launched the application process on Feb. 9. The cash assistance program is a statewide initiative that’s intended to issue $1,500 cash to new and expectant mothers in the Motor City as well as $500 per month after a child’s birth for at least six months. The program is considered the largest cash aid program for prenatal and infant care in the country.” (03/22/26)
