Our Rulers Take So Very Much And Give Us So Very Little

Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“Sure plutocrats are killing our biosphere, but hey, at least they’re creating technology that lets you avoid the cognitive discomfort of writing your own words and thinking your own thoughts. Sure the empire is butchering human beings at horrifying scale around the world, but on the bright side it’s creating refugees who will move to your country and bring you treats that you can order from an app on your phone. Sure imperialist extraction is robbing the resources and exploiting the workers of the global south at extortionate fees, but on the other hand you get to wear a new outfit every day because the clothes you ordered online are dirt cheap thanks to transcontinental slave labor.” (04/30/26)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/30/our-rulers-take-so-very-much-and-give-us-so-very-little/

Steve Trinward

VA: Supreme Court leaves order temporarily blocking redistricting certification in place

Source: The Hill

“The Virginia Supreme Court will allow a lower court order temporarily blocking the commonwealth from certifying the results of a redistricting referendum to remain in place, dealing a blow to Democrats who sought to challenge the ruling. The high court on Tuesday denied a motion by Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) to appeal last week’s ruling from a Tazewell County circuit court judge that found the referendum unconstitutional. Judge Jack Hurley Jr. sided with the Republican National Committee (RNC) in February in a lawsuit seeking to block the April 21 referendum, arguing against its timing and the phrasing of the ballot question. But the state Supreme Court stepped in and allowed it to continue, stating last month that while there were issues of ‘grave concern’ regarding the process undertaken by the Virginia General Assembly, it declined to offer an opinion on the matter.” (04/29/26)

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5854983-virginia-supreme-court-redistricting/

Thomas L. Knapp

Europe’s Shrinking Feeling

Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jake Scott

“Europe’s current situation cannot be attributed entirely to events in the Middle East, either: while these have acted as a catalyst, they have exposed underlying problems with the European Union’s energy policies, and the disjointed nature of the member nations’ own energy sectors. The green transition, spearheaded by the European Green Deal and pursued with regulatory intensity and considerable haste, systematically dismantled the continent’s baseload capacity for energy provision and production long before replacement infrastructure was ready.” (04/29/26)

https://fee.org/articles/europes-shrinking-feeling/

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump survived the dinner — the free press may not survive his attacks

Source: The Hill
by Kim Wehle

“Saturday night’s harrowing incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner has prompted predictable coverage of the newsy basics: the shooter’s identity, his possible motives, the Secret Service’s evacuation of the Trumps, JD Vance, and other officials. The coverage also included President Trump’s subsequent remarks, including his telling reporters, ‘I’m not a basket case. I really take it as it is. I do it for the country,’ and calling CBS News’[s] Norah O’Donnell ‘a disgrace’ and ‘horrible people’ for asking him about the suspect’s writings. The fact that nobody was physically hurt is obviously a good thing. But the body blows to the First Amendment might never heal.” (04/29/26)

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5852601-trump-press-freedom-threats/

Thomas L. Knapp

What Should Post-Communist Cuban Schools Do?

Source: Independent Institute
by Williamson M Evers

“What should education in Cuba look like after Communism? Assuming a decisive break with Communism — as happened, for example, in the Baltic States, Czech Republic, and Poland — the country will need to replace nationalization with pluralism, ill-advised pedagogy with scientific methods, and indoctrination with liberalization.” (04/29/26)

https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/29/what-should-post-communist-cuban-schools-do/

Thomas L. Knapp

American Press Freedom on the Brink

Source: CounterPunch
by Clayton Weimers

“Every year, RSF scores and ranks 180 countries and territories based on their level of press freedom. The Index evaluates five indicators: political context, legal framework, economic context, sociocultural context, and safety. The United States has declined in each of these indicators and steadily fallen on the Index over the past decade, dropping in rank from 49th in 2015 to 57th in 2025. It may be tempting to blame Trump entirely for the perilous state of journalism in the country, but that steady decline in press freedom over the past decade spans multiple administrations, with both parties holding power in Washington. Such a prolonged decline points to structural deficiencies that cannot be attributed to a single issue, person, or administration.” (04/29/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/29/american-press-freedom-on-the-brink/

Thomas L. Knapp