Schumer warns of bitter funding fight over GOP cuts plan

Source: Fox News

“Senate Republicans are set to consider a multibillion-dollar package of cuts from the White House, but the top Senate Democrat warned that doing so could have consequences for a later government funding showdown. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned on Tuesday that the Senate GOP’s plan to move forward with a $9.4 billion rescissions package would ‘have grave implications’ on Congress, particularly the forthcoming government funding fight in September. ‘Republicans’ passage of this purely partisan proposal would be an affront to the bipartisan appropriations process,’ Schumer wrote in a letter to fellow Senate Democrats. ‘That’s why a number of Senate Republicans know it is absurd for them to expect Democrats to act as business as usual and engage in a bipartisan appropriations process to fund the government, while they concurrently plot to pass a purely partisan rescissions bill to defund those same programs negotiated on a bipartisan basis behind the scenes,’ he continued.” (07/08/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bait-switch-schumer-warns-bitter-funding-fight-over-gop-cuts-plan

Steve Trinward

No-Play Partisanship

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“In the Great Lakes State, the governor is entrusted to call special elections when a legislative seat is left vacant. Last November, the senator representing the 35th state senate district was elected to the U.S. Congress, leaving her state senate seat officially vacant. … When the Legislature convened in early January, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, had yet to call the election. … In the past, Whitmer has averaged just 17 days to set a special election, in one case calling it within 24 hours of the vacancy … when it helped Democrats. … It’s now July, 186 days counting and still no representation for Michigan’s 35th state senate district.” (07/08/25)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/07/08/no-play-partisanship/

Thomas L. Knapp

Russia: Gas tanker leaks ammonia after suspected sabotage

Source: Financial Times [UK]

“Russian authorities are investigating a sixth suspected explosion this year on a tanker serving a Russian port after an ammonia leak linked to an apparent explosion on a gas tanker at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga on Sunday. The incident on the Eco Wizard, owned by Greece’s StealthGas, came nine days after a blast on the Greek-owned crude oil tanker Vilamoura in the Mediterranean. There has been speculation that the explosions are linked to Ukraine, although the Ukrainian authorities have declined to comment and there are rival theories, including links between many of the affected vessels and Libya. The Vilamoura’s owners revealed in a statement on Sunday that examination of the vessel in port in Piraeus had confirmed the vessel was damaged by an external source, which it described as an ‘unidentified explosive device.'” (07/08/25)

https://archive.is/LS4Cb

Thomas L. Knapp

Race-obsessed leadership in America’s third-largest city is destroying children’s futures

Source: Fox News
by Corey Brooks

“The one thing I have learned over and over as a pastor on the South Side of Chicago is that when you challenge a child, he or she often thrives. They may stumble or misstep here and there and sometimes it takes a day or even several months, but when they ‘get it’ the smiles on their faces tell you everything. There is nothing more amazing than a child discovering that he or she is more powerful or smarter than they originally believed. And for the rest of their lives, they carry within themselves the knowledge that they are stronger than their fears. That is why I believe the gift of merit is the greatest gift a child can receive. It saddens me that the leaders of Chicago and elsewhere do not believe in this simple lesson. They believe more in race than merit.” (07/08/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/race-obsessed-leadership-americas-third-largest-city-destroying-childrens-futures

Steve Trinward

Section of South Florida roadway could be renamed “President Donald J. Trump Boulevard”

Source: SFGate

“A busy stretch of South Florida roadway could soon be called ‘President Donald J. Trump Boulevard.’ The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would rename a 4-mile (6.4-kilometer) stretch of Southern Boulevard that runs from Palm Beach International Airport to the president’s home at the Mar-a-Lago resort. Legislation passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year directs the Florida Department of Transportation to erect a sign along the stretch of Southern Boulevard honoring Trump. The legislation also calls for another section of the road be renamed ‘PBSO Motorman Highway,’ in honor of three motorcycle deputies with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office who were killed in a crash last year. The law requires local approval to take effect.” (07/08/25)

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/section-of-south-florida-roadway-could-be-renamed-20759840.php

Steve Trinward

Crossing the Valley of Death, Part 2: FDA Reform

Source: Hoover Institution
by Ted Cho & Brian Miller

“The second of two policy briefs exploring the ‘valley of death’ between FDA approval and Medicare coverage, this brief focuses on improving FDA processes to expand access to innovation. It explores three key reforms: product reviewer job redesign through the use of AI to support clinical and scientific evaluation; regulator-prompted clinical trial reform; and center-level organizational restructuring to expand the frontline workforce while reducing administrative overhead.” (08/08/25)

https://www.hoover.org/research/crossing-valley-death-part-2-fda-reform

Thomas L. Knapp

US regime revokes “terrorist” designation for Syrian president’s former group HTS

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“The United States will revoke its designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) as Washington softens its approach to post-war Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government last year. The decision, which takes effect on Tuesday, comes as part of US President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and support its reconstruction after more than a decade of devastating conflict. … HTS had been designated as a ‘terrorist’ group by the US since 2018 due to its former ties to al-Qaeda. The group emerged out of the al-Nusra Front, once al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria, but formally severed those ties in 2016 after HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa declared the group’s independence.” (07/07/25)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/7/us-revokes-terrorist-designation-for-syrian-presidents-former-group-hts

Thomas L. Knapp