Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Nicolas JS Davies
“For decades, Washington has sold the world a deadly lie: that ‘regime change’ brings freedom, that US bombs and blockades can/somehow deliver democracy. But every country that has lived through this euphemism knows the truth: it instead brings death, dismemberment, and despair. Now that the same playbook is being dusted off for Venezuela, the parallels with Iraq and other US interventions are an ominous warning of what could follow. As a US armada gathers off Venezuela, a US special operations aviation unit aboard one of the warships has been flying helicopter patrols along the coast. This is the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR, the ‘Nightstalkers’) the same unit that, in US-occupied Iraq, worked with the Wolf Brigade, the most feared Interior Ministry death squad.” (11/12/25)
“The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to verify the status of Iran’s near weapons-grade uranium stockpile since Israel struck the country’s nuclear sites during the 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Wednesday by The Associated Press. The IAEA said that the status of the near weapons-grade material ‘needs urgently to be addressed.’ According to the IAEA’s last report in September, Iran maintains a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, IAEA director general Rafael Grossi warned in a recent interview with the AP. He added that it doesn’t mean that Iran has such a weapon.” (11/12/25)
“What do President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani have in common? Not much, except this: young adults love them. In fact, both men owe their electoral victories in part to Gen Z, my generation. Seventy-eight percent of voters ages 18 to 29 turned out for Mamdani on Nov. 4, according to one breakdown, including 67% of young men and 84% of young women. Just a year earlier, many in this same demographic were heading to the polls to cast their votes for Trump. The president won 46% of Gen Zers last year, including 56% of young men and 40% of young women, significantly improving his standing among this group compared to 2020 and 2016. If this wild swing from right to left has given you whiplash, I don’t blame you. But there is some method to the madness.” (11/12/25)
“More than 150 illegal [sic] migrant [alleged] sexual predators have been [abducted] in Florida as part of a massive sweep dubbed ‘Operation Dirtbag,’ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem revealed on Wednesday. The [alleged] sex offenders were among more than 230 illegals [sic] rounded up in the Sunshine State after being wanted for crimes including drug offenses and even murder. Others who were arrested had prior convictions for child molestation and sexual assault, according to the Department of Homeland Security.” (11/12/25)
“Back in 1793, a penny could get you a biscuit, a candle or a piece of candy. These days, many sit in drawers or glass jars and are basically cast aside or collected as lucky keepsakes. But their luck is about to run out. The U.S. Mint in Philadelphia is set to strike its last circulating penny on Wednesday as the president has canceled the 1-cent coin as the cost of making them became more than their value. President Donald Trump has ordered its demise as costs climb to nearly 4 cents per penny and the 1-cent valuation becomes somewhat obsolete. The U.S. Mint has been making pennies in Philadelphia, the nation’s birthplace, since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. Today, there are billions of them in circulation, but they are rarely essential for financial transactions in the modern economy or the digital age.” (11/12/25)
“The Department of Homeland Security suddenly moved up the implementation of a rule change that gives the Federal Protective Service, the agency charged with protecting federal buildings, more power to charge people with crimes for a variety of activities on or near federal property. The regulation, which went into effect on Nov. 5, prohibits a wide range of activities, including creating a loud or unusual noise, distributing informational materials and flying drones. It makes it illegal for people to wear masks to conceal their identities if they break any federal or state law or local ordinance. It forbids obstructing access to federal property or impeding operations there and specifically calls out photography and videography. Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee’s U.S./Mexico Border Program, said he’s concerned that vague definitions in the regulations will give officers too much discretion.” (11/12/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Pentagon contractor Elon Musk, currently the richest person alive, has posted a video clip showing off how people can use his AI video generation tool Grok Imagine to create the image of a woman’s face saying ‘I will always love you.’ The AI-generated clip looks fake and creepy, and everything about Musk’s post is downright depressing. But it’s not quite as fake, creepy and depressing as the capitalist dystopia which birthed it. … The underlying argument for continuing with the capitalism experiment even though it’s destroying our ecosystem is that these megabillionaires will save us all with green energy and carry humanity’s surplus population out into the stars to colonize the galaxy, which is a terrible vision for the future in and of itself. But that isn’t even happening.” (11/11/25)
“It’s been a while since I’ve written for TomDispatch, and there’s a reason for that. About 16 months ago, I experienced a catastrophic car crash. An SUV veered across the double yellow line of the highway I was traveling on and hit my little Chevy Spark head-on — on the driver’s side. I’ve been told that I’m lucky to be alive. I was left with multiple injuries and have been on the slow road to recovery. I’ve always seen myself as a person who pushes forward to overcome obstacles. Since the collision, however, doing so has become more complicated, because I’m learning that recovery is a long road, filled with detours I couldn’t have predicted. Time and again, my expectations have been turned upside down. I’ve had to take deep breaths, sit back, and pay close attention.” (11/11/25)
“The shutdown’s uselessness is demonstrated by the fury of those who want it to keep it going (and indeed are still delaying the Senate’s final floor vote). ‘People want us to hold the line,’ thundered Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bx-Queens), furious that eight of her Senate colleagues crossed the aisle to get the government working again (at least until January). Who to blame for the sanity caucus quashing the six-week tantrum? Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Brooklyn) of course. Sure he voted to keep the shutdown going, but he’s friends with the ‘traitors’ and failed to make them obey the demands of the Trump-deranged.” (11/10/25)
“While the media has covered extensively Democratic successes in the 2025 off-year elections, there is one story that has been dramatically undercovered. This is the fact that the 2025 Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races show that Democrats can win over Trump voters. Granted, these are not dramatic slices of the Trump coalition, but they are enough in these hyper-polarized times to win elections. According to CNN polling, in New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill in her race for governor was able to win 7% of those who had voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Interestingly, the Virginia exit polling data shows that Rep. Abigail Spanberger won the identical (7%) of Trump voters.” (11/11/25)
