“Economists across the political spectrum predicted that President Trump’s trade negotiations would end in disaster. Now that his Aug. 1 deadline has passed without the sky falling — and with multiple advantageous deals completed — it’s time to seriously re-evaluate the flawed arguments the experts made against his strategy. Many, it turns out, made basic errors in economic reasoning. On the left, Nobel laureate and Columbia professor Joseph Stiglitz declared in January that Trump’s policy was ‘very bad for America and for the world,’ while University of Michigan economist Justin Wolfers called it ‘impressively destructive.’ On the right, prominent free-market advocates like George Mason’s Donald Boudreaux also voiced strong opposition. Yet their arguments against tariffs revealed a fundamental misunderstanding: They decried tariffs as uniquely harmful, while ignoring that the same logic applies to all taxes.” (08/06/25)
“New evidence suggests people returned to live among the ruins of Pompeii after the ancient Roman city was devastated by a volcanic eruption. Archaeologists believe some survivors who could not afford to start a new life elsewhere returned to the site and may have been joined by others looking for a place to settle. Pompeii was home to more than 20,000 people before Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79, burying – and preserving – much of the city, before its rediscovery in the 16th century. There had been previous speculation that survivors had returned to the ruins, and archaeologists at the site said in a statement on Wednesday that the theory appears to have been confirmed by new research.” (08/07/25)
“On the last day of June, the Healey-Driscoll administration shocked community leaders, stakeholders, and residents across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with their announcement of their $360 million proposal to build upon the MCI-Framingham prison site. This came as a surprise to many politicians and constituents alike, as the administration had been nearly radio silent about any developments concerning the MCI-Framingham project since November 2024. The Healey-Driscoll administration has failed to be transparent with Massachusetts constituents regarding this plan. Information requests made by constituents and organizations about the status of this plan were ignored. This is especially concerning given the fact that many of these inquirers have been deeply involved in the Free Her Campaign — a movement and policy platform focused on criminal justice reform in the state.” (08/07/25)
“Almost a million more deaths than births were recorded in Japan last year, representing the steepest annual population decline since government surveys began in 1968. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has described the demographic crisis of Japan’s ageing population as a ‘quiet emergency,’ pledging family-friendly policies such as free childcare and more flexible work hours. But efforts to reverse the perennially low birth rates among Japanese women have so far made little impact. New data released on Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024. Japan recorded 686,061 births — the lowest number since records began in 1899 — while nearly 1.6 million people died, meaning for every baby born, more than two people died. It marks the 16th consecutive year of population decline with the squeeze being felt by the nation’s pension and healthcare systems.” (08/07/25)
“In the wake of bombshell declassified documents showing the Obama White House and deep state players manufacturing the intelligence report that jump-started the Russia collusion hoax, a new poll finds a majority of Americans believe President Barack Obama’s national security team ‘committed crimes.’ More than two-thirds (69%) of likely voters in a Rasmussen Report telephone and online survey said there must be consequences for crimes committed in the Russiagate scandal. The poll of 1,172 likely voters asked respondents, ‘Do you agree or disagree with this statement about the manipulation of intelligence in the Obama administration: “Accountability has to take place. … It is critical for the survival of our country that people who perpetrate such crimes are held accountable?”‘ And 54 percent believe it’s likely that members of former President Barack Obama’s national security team ‘committed crimes’ when they ‘manipulated and manufactured intelligence to promote a false narrative about Russia and President Donald Trump.'” (08/06/25)
“A senior FBI official who served as acting director in the first weeks of the Trump administration and resisted demands to turn over the names of agents who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, investigations is being forced out of the bureau, two people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The circumstances of Brian Driscoll’s ouster were not immediately clear, but his final day is Friday, said the people, who were not authorized to discuss the personnel move by name and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Additional ousters were possible. Spokespeople for the FBI declined to comment. The news comes amid a much broader personnel purge that has unfolded over the last several months under the leadership of current FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino.” (08/07/25)
“The Trump economy has created a lot of losers among workers and consumers, yes, but also among businesses. Retailers are dealing with high tariffs. Auto and energy manufacturers have lost tax credits. Construction, agriculture, and other industries with significant immigrant workforces are having trouble retaining employees. Even health care, thought to be totally recession-proof, is showing cracks with the looming slashing of government funding and UnitedHealth’s troubles. A combination of sluggish hiring and higher inflation could tip the country into recession and have a spiraling effect. But there are two winning sectors in the Trump economy: Big Tech and big banks. Due to positive trends and extremely favorable government treatment, banking and tech companies are absolutely soaring..” (08/07/25)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“I hate Piers Morgan. He represents so much about what’s sick about our society. He hosts a Jerry Springer-style program where he regularly brings on people who oppose genocide and people who support it so they can scream at each other and draw clicks and attention with the viral video clips it generates. He morally postures about Gaza when it’s convenient while also playing both sides, badgering guests to ‘condemn Hamas’ and shrieking at anti-genocide activists in order to frame himself as a dispassionate neutral observer of a 21st century holocaust. All while comfortably enjoying the fruits of the empire he defends.” (08/06/25)
“A frequent diplomatic success in recent years has been persuading armed militias to give up their weapons and focus on peaceful politics. Examples can be found in Northern Ireland, Colombia, the Palestinian territories, and, lately, in Turkey. On Tuesday, Lebanon headed down this road. For the first time in decades, the country’s highest executive body took up the issue of a timetable to disarm the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon’s collective identity as a nation, as well as its ability to rebuild after a 13-month war with Israel, depends on Hezbollah acknowledging that the state must have a monopoly over the use of force. Or, as President Joseph Aoun said last month, the Lebanese army ‘alone reflects the Lebanese people’s desire to see their country free, sovereign and independent.’ Since launching an attack on Israel the day after Hamas did on Oct. 7, 2023, Hezbollah has lost support among Lebanon’s Shiite community.” (08/05/25)
“You’ve seen reports about the unpopularity of the Democratic Party these days — stories with headlines like ‘Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years’. It’s true: Large numbers of voters disapprove of the party and, even though they don’t love Republicans either, trust the GOP more to handle many basic issues. On the other hand, some elements of the Democratic Party are filled with passionate intensity. We’re seeing two examples of that now. The first is in Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott called a special session of the legislature this summer to deal with the question of redistricting, which is, of course, always a contentious topic. … Rather than deal with a defeat on redistricting, which would result in more Republican congressional seats, Democrats in the Texas House decided to flee the state to block a vote.” (08/06/25)
