Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“There was another IDF massacre in Gaza on Saturday, reportedly killing dozens of Palestinians. Israel as usual claimed it was responding to a ceasefire violation by Hamas, but of course there’s absolutely no evidence for this to be found. AP reports that according to the IDF the strikes were launched after a Hamas fighter ‘shot at troops in southern Gaza’, but that ‘no soldiers were hurt’ in this alleged attack. Not so much as a scratch. So I guess we’re just expected to take Israel’s word for it. Now check out these western media headlines about the massacre and notice the disgusting spin they are placing on the narrative to normalize the continued slaughter of Palestinians.” (11/23/25)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/11/23/you-dont-hate-the-mass-media-enough/

Source: CounterPunch
by Mel Gurtov

“Analysis of why countries go to war sometimes argues that leaders are motivated by problems at home. They attack another country to divert attention from an economic crisis, an unlawful act, or — as in the Robert De Niro movie, Wag the Dog — a sex scandal. … as Pres. Trump considers what to do with his Caribbean armada and Venezuela’s ‘narco-terrorist’ leader, Nicolas Maduro, we may be witness to another wag-the-dog event: US military pressure on Venezuela that could lead to a direct attack if Maduro doesn’t step down. The case for Trump to be highly motivated to act out of self-interest is strong.” (11/21/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/11/21/wag-the-dog-in-venezuela/

Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden

“The speeches of John Fitzgerald Kennedy comprise a core component of the Kennedy lore. His inaugural address, with its demand to ‘ask not,’ is perhaps the best known of any presidential inaugural address—ranking alongside Lincoln’s second and FDR’s first. And while the artistry of Kennedy’s inaugural is not in question, the speech has overshadowed more thoughtful efforts by the 35th President to lay out his vision for a more peaceful world. Only eight months into his presidency, Kennedy showed that he was breaking with the Cold War consensus of the prior 15 years. That autumn, in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Kennedy unveiled his program for a ‘general and complete disarmament.'” (11/22/25)

https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/of-speeches-and-statecraft

Source: The Hill
by Nicole Hemmenway

“I am one of the millions of Americans who live with chronic pain — it burns, shoots, and sears through my body every single day. I have spent decades trying nearly every treatment modern medicine offers, but one of the few options that has worked for me — and millions of other Americans — has been hemp products. They are non-intoxicating, rigorously tested, and they enable me to function. They help me walk, sleep, show up for my family and lead an organization. Simply live. But now, because of a secretive, backroom deal, Congress is taking them away for no apparent reason. … The bill to reopen the government caps intoxicating THC content in any hemp product at 0.4 milligrams per container — an arbitrary limit that will most likely end the hemp industry. This provision won’t just eliminate hemp products — it will eliminate hope for millions.” (11/22/25)

https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5617536-chronic-pain-hemp-congress/

Source: New York Post
by Andrew Chakhoyan

“Say what you will about President Trump’s methods, but his wish to end Russia’s war is genuine. The problem is Moscow doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, it wants Ukraine in pieces. A panicking Vladimir Putin dispatched Kirill Dmitriev with a ‘peace plan’ so absurd it would shame a mid-level propagandist. Every time the White House offers an olive branch, the Kremlin torches it and commits more heinous war crimes. Washington floated a leaders’ summit in October, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov wiped his shoes with it, demanding Ukraine stop resisting and the West ignore kidnapped kids and beheaded prisoners. Well, Trump pulled the plug on Budapest, signaling he might punish the Kremlin, and a panicking Vladimir Putin dispatched Kirill Dmitriev with a ‘peace plan’ so absurd it would shame a mid-level propagandist.” (11/22/25)

https://nypost.com/2025/11/22/opinion/the-ukraine-peace-plan-distracts-from-the-real-issue-why-russias-desperate-to-keep-fighting/