Source: In These Times
by Brad Swanson
“Donald Trump has long called global warming a hoax, but his sweeping anti-climate agenda has stunned even many of his supporters. Since returning to the White House, he’s withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Treaty, rolled back critical greenhouse gas regulations, and opened up millions of acres of previously protected public land for oil and gas drilling. In response, big oil and gas companies have abandoned, without the slightest resistance, the showy public commitments they had previously made to climate transition. For example, BP has slashed green energy expenditures by 70 percent, Equinor has cut back its renewable capacity targets by almost 40 percent, and Chevron has reduced its carbon-reduction capital expenditures to about 5 percent of its total capital expenditures.” (05/05/26)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/is-ethical-capitalism-possible-myth-esg-criticism-climate-change
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Spain has granted permission for a luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and anchored off the coast of Cape Verde to sail to the Canary Islands. Spain’s Ministry of Health said in a statement late on Tuesday that the World Health Organization (WHO) had explained that Cape Verde in West Africa was unable to receive the 147 crew and passengers of the MV Hondius. ‘The Canary Islands are the closest location with the necessary capabilities,’ it said. ‘Spain has a moral and legal obligation to assist these people, among whom are also several Spanish citizens.’ … A Dutch couple and a German national have died of the rare disease, which is usually spread from infected rodents through urine, droppings and saliva, on board the ship in early April. A British national, who was evacuated from the ship, is in intensive care in South Africa, officials said.” (05/06/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/6/spain-agrees-to-let-hantavirus-hit-cruise-ship-dock-in-canary-islands
Source: Libertarian Institute
“TEXIT w/Daniel Miller.” (05/05/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/texit-w-daniel-miller/
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by John Coleman
“Recent reports suggest the Trump administration is now considering new oversight for advanced AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Few details have been finalized, but officials are reportedly discussing an executive order to create a government–industry working group. Another idea under consideration is a process for reviewing models before or around their release. As these talks move forward, they risk setting a troubling precedent for free expression.” (05/05/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/quiet-push-control-ai-speech
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Donald Trump announced he is pausing ‘Project Freedom,’ the US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz, so he can finalise a deal with Iran, but added that his blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place. Trump’s abrupt change of plan was declared in a social media post, saying he was pausing the effort for ‘a short period’ to give space for US efforts to finalise a settlement with Iran to end the war. … Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, signalled Iran has yet to fully respond to the US attempt to reopen the waterway. … Hapag-Lloyd AG, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, said in a statement that its risk assessment ‘remains unchanged’ and that transits through the strait ‘are for the moment not possible for our ships.'” (05/06/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/06/trump-project-freedom-strait-of-hormuz-ships-iran-ceasefire
Source: Reason
by Fiona Harrigan
“Congress hasn’t voted to declare war since 1942, yet the legislative branch constantly refuses to rein in presidents.” (05/05/26)
https://reason.com/2026/05/05/congress-and-the-executive-enabled-illegal-war-in-iran/
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Trump’s Iranian Tar Baby.” (05/05/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhdVguLSy68
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Russian drone and missile attacks have killed at least 27 people in Ukraine, officials said, days before a two-day unilateral ceasefire by Moscow was due to take effect. Ukrainian officials said Russian glide bombs killed at least 12 people in southeastern Zaporizhzhia on Tuesday, hitting a car repair shop and residential buildings …. Further northeast, six people were killed, and 12 others were wounded in the city of Kramatorsk, the last hub under Ukraine’s control in the embattled Donetsk region. Four more people were killed in the city of Dnipro. Russian strikes also hit Ukrainian state-run gas facilities in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions overnight, killing three employees and two rescue workers, according to Serhiy Koretskyi, the CEO of Naftogaz.” (05/06/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/5/russian-attack-kills-five-at-ukraines-naftogaz-gas-facility
Source: The Daily Economy
by Romina Boccia
“US public debt has reached 100 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) for the first time since the aftermath of World War II. Just because we have been here before, and we managed, doesn’t mean we will do so again. This time is different in important ways that are underappreciated by both policymakers and the public. In 1946, the United States emerged from a global war with high debt, but also with a young population, strong growth prospects, and a political commitment to fiscal restraint. Today, America faces the opposite: an aging population, structurally rising entitlement spending, and persistent deficits with no credible plan to rein them in.” (05/05/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/us-debt-crosses-100-of-gdp-for-first-time-since-1946-and-this-time-its-different/
Source: WFYI News [US state media]
“Indiana Senate Republicans who opposed congressional redistricting were largely defeated during Tuesday’s primary election, with only one race so far called for an incumbent after President Donald Trump’s call to oust them. The results come after months of political threats, and an estimated $9 million in spending to back primary challengers against the incumbents. … In November, Trump vowed that any Republican who voted against redrawing the state’s congressional boundaries, ‘potentially having an impact on America itself, should be PRIMARIED.’ In spite of Trump’s threats, Indiana Senate Republicans rebuffed him, siding with Senate Democrats to kill the redistricting bill 31-19.” (05/05/26)
https://www.wfyi.org/statewide/2026-05-05/trump-backed-challengers-defeat-indiana-senators-who-blocked-redistricting-push
