- France: “Massive attack” on fast train network
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“France’s national rail operator SNCF on Friday said the country’s high-speed TGV rail network has been struck by ‘malicious acts,’ including arson attacks that have disrupted the transport system. The incidents come only hours before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics. ‘This is a massive attack on a large scale to paralyze the TGV network,’ SNCF told the AFP news agency. The operator added that many routes would have to be canceled and the situation would last ‘at least all weekend while repairs are conducted.’ By mid-morning, the company said some 800,000 passengers were affected.” (07/26/24)
https://www.dw.com/en/france-massive-attack-on-fast-train-network/a-69771241
- Australia/New Zealand/Canada: Regimes call for ICJ response from Israel, Gaza ceasefire
Source: Reuters
“Australia, New Zealand and Canada on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and asked Israel to respond to a United Nations court which last week ruled its occupation of Palestinian territories and [squats] there were illegal. … The leaders also said Israel needed to hold extremist [squatters] accountable for ongoing acts of violence against Palestinians, reverse its [squatting] program in the West Bank and work towards a two-state solution. … Israel’s foreign ministry last week rejected the ICJ opinion as ‘fundamentally wrong’ and one-sided, and repeated its stance that a political settlement in the region can only be reached by negotiations.” (07/26/24)
- Poll: Disgraced former president edges out empty pantsuit in key swing states, ties in Wisconsin
Source: The Hill
“Former President Trump is narrowly leading Vice President Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, in several battleground states, and the two are tied in Wisconsin, according to a new set of polls. The survey released by Emerson College Polling and The Hill on Thursday found Trump leading Harris by 5 points in Arizona, 49 percent to 44 percent; by 2 points in Georgia, 48 percent to 46 percent; by 1 point in Michigan, 46 percent to 45 percent; by 2 points in Pennsylvania, 48 percent to 46 percent; and tied with her at 47 percent in Wisconsin. In every state except Arizona, the polling falls within the survey’s margin of error, meaning Trump and Harris could actually be tied in most of the battleground state match-ups.” (07/25/24)
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4790684-kamala-harris-polls-donald-trump-wisconsin/
- Iraq: US-occupied airbase comes under rocket attack
Source: PressTV [Iranian state media]
“An airbase housing the US’s occupation forces in western Iraq has come under fresh attack amid continued regional uproar against Washington’s unstinting support for the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip. Several rockets were launched against the Ain al-Assad Airbase, which is located in the Arab country’s Anbar Province, on Thursday, Iraqi security officials said. ‘Four rockets fell in the vicinity’ of the outpost, one security source said. Another said an attack had occurred with ‘a drone and three rockets’ that fell close to the base’s perimeter.” (07/26/24)
- US economy surprises with strong 2.8% growth rate in second quarter
Source: Axios
“The U.S. economy grew at a 2.8% annualized rate in the second quarter—a faster rate than economists expected as consumer spending increased and businesses built up inventories, the Commerce Department said on Thursday. The new data raises confidence the economy has achieved a ‘soft landing’ — healthy economic growth alongside cooling inflation. Economists expected an annualized growth rate of 1.9% last quarter. The economy grew at a 1.4% rate in the first three months of the year.” (07/25/24)
- TX: Alleged Sinaloa cartel leader busted in sting operation
Source: CNN
“An alleged Mexican drug kingpin suspected of flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl and who evaded authorities for decades is in US custody after he was apparently lured across the border by federal agents. Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, 76, the alleged co-founder and leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, was arrested in El Paso, Texas on Thursday, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Another alleged cartel leader, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 38, was also arrested, he said. … Zambada and Guzman Lopez boarded a plane purportedly en route to inspect a property in Mexico, the sources said, adding that at least one of the men was unaware they were headed to the US. FBI agents arrested the two alleged drug kingpins after they landed in El Paso.” (07/26/24)
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/25/us/sinoloa-cartel-ismael-zambada-custody-report/index.html
- Obamas endorse empty pantsuit for Democratic presidential nomination
Source: Los Angeles Times
“Former President Obama, one of the most well-respected voices in the modern Democratic Party, and former First Lady Michelle Obama officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday to be their party’s White House nominee in the fall. Citing Harris’[s] work as a prosecutor, California attorney general, U.S. senator and vice president, the Obamas said in a statement and video announcing their endorsement that she was the best qualified to take President Biden’s place in the wake of his announcement that he would not seek reelection.” (07/26/24)
- Myanmar: Regional Military HQ Captured, Rebels Say, in Blow to Junta
Source: US News & World Report
“A rebel army in Myanmar said on Thursday it had seized control of a major regional military headquarters near the border with China, in what could be the biggest recent defeat for a ruling junta that is battling to contain a widening revolt. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) said it had taken the strategic city of Lashio in northern Shan State, about 120 km (75 miles) from the Chinese border, after 23 days of fighting with government troops. … Reuters could not independently verify the group’s claim and a spokesperson for Myanmar’s junta did not respond to calls seeking comment.” (07/25/24)
- Spicy dispute over the origins of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos winds up in court
Source: Seattle Times
“Who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos? A former PepsiCo executive is suing the company, saying it destroyed his career after questioning his claim that he invented the popular flavor of Cheetos snacks. … In 1991, Montanez asked for a meeting with PepsiCo CEO Roger Enrico to pitch his spicy Cheetos, confident they would be a hit with the Latino community. Enrico granted the meeting, liked the presentation and directed the company to develop spicy Cheetos, according to the lawsuit. … he retired from PepsiCo in 2019 to become a motivational speaker full time. He published a memoir in 2021 and his life story was made into a movie, ‘Flamin’ Hot,’ in 2023. But according to the lawsuit, PepsiCo turned on Montanez in 2021, cooperating with a Los Angeles Times piece that claimed others in the company were already working on spicy snacks when Montanez approached them, and that they – not Montanez – came up with the name, ‘Flamin’ Hot.'” (07/25/24)
- Belgium: Seven arrested in terrorism raids
Source: ABC News
“Authorities in Belgium carried out 14 raids across the country on Thursday and detained seven people for questioning over suspected terrorist activities. The raids came a day before the opening of the Olympic Games in neighboring France. ‘All the people concerned are suspected of participating in the activities of a terrorist group, of financing terrorism and preparing a terrorist attack,’ the Federal prosecutor’s office said in a press release. Spokesperson Arnaud d’Oultremont told The Associated Press that investigators had ‘not yet identified the suspects’ concrete objectives.'” (07/25/24)
- NY: Transit & environmental advocates sue Hochul over decision to halt Manhattan congestion toll
Source: SFGate
“Transit and environmental advocacy groups in New York filed lawsuits Thursday challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to block a plan to reduce traffic and raise billions for the city’s ailing subway system through a new toll on Manhattan drivers. The groups argue in two separate state Supreme Court suits that the Democrat violated the state’s laws and constitution when she indefinitely paused the fee, citing economic concerns. The program, which was set to begin June 30, would have imposed on drivers entering the core of Manhattan a toll of about $15, depending on vehicle type. The fee was projected to generate some $1 billion annually for transit improvements. The Riders Alliance, the Sierra Club and the New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, in their lawsuit, said Hochul’s decision violated the part of the state constitution that guarantees New Yorkers the right to ‘clean air and water, and a healthful environment.'” (07/25/24)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/transit-and-environmental-advocates-sue-ny-19596615.php
- Google DeepMind AI system reaches milestone in global math contest
Source: Semafor
“Researchers at Google DeepMind have trained a new type of AI system capable of solving complex math problems from this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad, reaching a score equivalent to a silver medalist for the first time, the company said on Thursday. The IMO is the world’s hardest math competition for high school students. Teams of six of the brightest young mathematicians around the world are given six problems, which they each have to try and crack over two days. They can earn a maximum of 7 points for each problem, with a perfect score totaling 42 points. The USA Math team won first place this year with five out of six teenagers bagging at least 29 points, the minimum required to win a gold medal. Google DeepMind’s latest system, dubbed AlphaProof, wasn’t too far behind.” (07/25/24)
- Prosecutor: Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Was Trying to Carry Out Fatwa
Source: Time
“A man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a frenzied knife attack in western New York was motivated by a Hezbollah leader’s endorsement of a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death, prosecutors said Wednesday in announcing new terrorism charges. The three-count indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo offered for the first time a potential motive for the 2022 attack on ‘The Satanic Verses’ author. Hadi Matar, a U.S. citizen from New Jersey, was attempting to carry out a fatwa, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Kruly said. According to the prosecutor, Matar believed the call for Rushdie’s death, first issued in 1989, was backed by the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by the group’s secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah.” (07/25/24)
https://time.com/7003307/salman-rushdie-attacker-terrorism-fatwa/
- Crooks likely had Gab account he used to “support” Biden
Source: New York Post
“The gunman who tried to assassinate former President Donald Trump appears to have used the controversial alt-right favored social media platform Gab to spread messages ‘in support of President Biden,’ according to the platform’s founder. Gab CEO Andrew Torba said he learned Wednesday that Thomas Matthew Crooks ‘may have had an account on our platform’ after getting ‘an emergency disclosure request from a law enforcement agency.’ The account @epicmicrowave — which the CEO stressed he has been ‘unable to confirm’ was definitely Crooks’[s] — ‘posted on the site nine (9) times total,’ Torba tweeted just 30 minutes after getting the law enforcement request. ‘While the account made very few posts on the site, the majority of them were in support of President Biden,’ said the CEO of the platform launched in 2016 as a completely free-speech alternative to Twitter.” (07/25/24)
https://nypost.com/2024/07/25/us-news/trump-gunman-thomas-crooks-used-gab-to-support-biden-ceo/
- Colombia: Ten-year-old boy on soccer field killed in drone strike
Source: CBS News
“A 10-year-old boy died Wednesday in a drone attack targeting soldiers in Colombia, the first death of its kind in the country that has struggled to rein in guerrilla violence. The defense ministry’s press office said it was the first drone death in Colombia and blamed the attack on a group of dissident guerrillas who broke away from the FARC armed group when it signed a peace deal with the government years ago. ‘Young Dylan, age 10, was killed following the launching of grenades by drones targeting’ soldiers in the restive southwest department of Cauca, the regional military commander, General Federico Mejia, said in a video on social media. The grenade fell on a soccer field in the town of El Plateado, a stronghold of the Central General Staff (EMC) rebel group which broke away from FARC. The explosion also left six wounded, according to the army.” (07/25/24)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boy-killed-colombia-first-lethal-drone-attack/
- Hungary: Regime quietly takes €1 billion loan from Chinese banks
Source: Politico
“Hungary borrowed €1 billion — the largest loan ever taken out by Budapest — from three Chinese banks this spring, data from the government’s debt agency website revealed. The loan, provided by the China Development Bank, the Export-Import Bank of China and the Hungarian branch of the Bank of China, was fully drawn on April 19 and must be repaid within three years. Budapest itself did not announce the agreement. It was first reported on Thursday by Hungarian business publication Portfolio, then confirmed by the government agency. The sizable borrowing comes as Budapest is deepening its ties with Beijing. Chinese companies, such as the electric car maker BYD or the technology giant Huawei, have so far invested a total of some €16 billion in the country, according to Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjarto.” (07/25/24)
https://www.politico.eu/article/budapest-hungary-took-1-billion-loan-chinese-banks-peter-szijjarto/
- New Bill Would Crack Down on Private Equity in US Healthcare
Source: Common Dreams
“Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Pramila Jayapal on Thursday introduced legislation that would tighten the rules on private equity firms in the healthcare industry. The Health Over Wealth Act would increase the powers of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to monitor and block private equity deals in the healthcare industry. It would require private equity firms buying healthcare providers to set up escrow accounts large enough to fund five years of operations, and would require more transparency on debt, executive pay, and other financial data, while prohibiting the ‘stripping’ of assets. ‘Private equity firms and greedy corporate executives are using the healthcare system as a piggybank,’ Markey (D-MA), chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, said in a statement.” (07/25/24)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/bill-private-equity-healthcare
- FCC pursues new rules for AI in political ads, but changes may not take effect before the election
Source: SFGate
“The Federal Communications Commission has advanced a proposal that would require political advertisers to disclose their use of artificial intelligence in broadcast television and radio ads, though it is unclear whether new regulations may be in place before the November presidential election. The proposed rules announced Thursday could add a layer of transparency in political campaigning that some tech watchdogs have called for to help inform voters about lifelike and misleading AI-generated media in ads. ‘There’s too much potential for AI to manipulate voices and images in political advertising to do nothing,’ the agency’s chairwoman, Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, said Thursday in a news release. ‘If a candidate or issue campaign used AI to create an ad, the public has a right to know.’ But the FCC’s action is part of a federal turf war over the regulation of AI in politics.” (07/25/24)
- Canada: Wildfire reaches resort town of Jasper as Alberta battles over 170 blazes
Source: Washington Post
“Wildfire reached the Canadian alpine resort town of Jasper on Wednesday evening, where thousands have fled their homes after an evacuation order earlier this week. Firefighters are ‘working to save as many structures as possible and to protect critical infrastructure,’ Jasper National Park said in a post on social media, as more than 170 wildfires burn across the western province. … As of Wednesday afternoon, 59 of the fires were classified as ‘out of control’ and more than 17,500 people were estimated to be under evacuation orders, according to the Alberta government. This summer’s outbreak of blazes comes after an unprecedented wildfire season in Canada last year, during which more than 45 million acres burned and smoke affected air quality in the country as well as large swaths of the United States.” (07/25/24)
- TX: FBI arrests 50 in alleged bail bond scheme
Source: Houston Chronicle
“The FBI and area law enforcement carried out a massive bust early Wednesday, arresting 50 Houston-area residents as the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a series of wire fraud indictments stemming from an alleged fraudulent bail bond scheme. The arrests came after a first-of-its-kind investigation that had been in the works for at least two years, according to a news release. Staff involved with the investigation said AABLE Bonds falsified financial documents to secure temporary release for individuals who would not have otherwise met the requirements. … Authorities said AABLE Bonds recruited individuals who co-signed bond agreements and falsely stated they were employed or had incomes that met the threshold necessary to serve as a co-signer. According to the news release, these fraudulent documents resulted in at least 11 individuals receiving bonds they were not qualified for.” (07/24/24)
- India: Debt-ridden labourer digs up diamond worth $95,000
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“An Indian labourer’s fortunes have changed overnight after he found a massive diamond in a mine in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. The 19.22-carat diamond is expected to fetch about 8m rupees ($95,570; £74,000) in a government auction. Raju Gound said he had been leasing mines in Panna city for more than 10 years in the hope of finding a diamond. Panna is famed for its diamond reserves and people often lease cheap, shallow mines from the government to hunt for the precious stone. … ‘These mines can be leased for about 200-250 rupees [for a specific period],’ Anupam Singh, an official at the state government’s diamond office, told the BBC. In 2018, a labourer from Bundelkhand found a diamond worth 15m rupees in a mine in Panna. However, such discoveries are rare. Mr Singh said that while many people have found smaller stones, Mr Gound’s find was notable because of its size.” (07/25/24)
- China: Central Bank Unexpectedly Cuts Interest Rate as World Markets Sag
Source: New York Times
“China’s central bank on Thursday cut a key interest rate, in Beijing’s second move this week to try to offset a weakening economy and a housing market crisis. The unexpected action came as stock markets fell sharply across most of Asia in early trading, in an echo of Wall Street’s sharp drop the day before. … As markets opened in China on Thursday, the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, reduced its interest rate for one-year loans to commercial banks to 2.3 percent, from 2.5 percent. It was the biggest cut to that rate since a similar reduction in April 2020, when the Chinese economy was struggling because of a nearly national lockdown in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.” (07/25/24)
- House votes to rebuke Kamala Harris over regime’s handling of border policy
Source: SFGate
“House Republicans are moving quickly to emphasize Vice President Kamala Harris’s role in the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, passing a resolution Thursday that condemns her performance in the job. The resolution, which is purely symbolic, echoes an attack line that Republican Donald Trump has taken against Harris since she rose to become the likely Democratic presidential nominee. All House Republicans and six Democrats in tough reelection races voted for the resolution. President Joe Biden tasked Harris early in his administration with addressing the root causes of migration. Border crossings eventually became a major political liability for Biden when they reached historic levels. Since June, when Biden announced significant restrictions on asylum applications at the border, arrests for illegal crossings have fallen. It remains to be seen whether the border will become a political liability for Harris as it was for Biden.” (07/25/24)
- Russia: Putin meets with Assad
Source: ABC News
“Russian President Vladimir Putin met President Bashar Assad of Syria in the Kremlin, video distributed by the Kremlin press service on Thursday showed. Putin told Assad he was concerned that tensions are rising in the Middle East, but neither leader provided further details on their talks. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.” (07/25/24)
- Jeep, Dodge-maker Stellantis reports 48% drop in first-half net profit on weak US sales
Source: CNBC
“Auto giant Stellantis on Thursday reported a steep drop in first-half net profit, citing reduced volumes, temporary production gaps and lower market share in North America. The company, which owns household names including Jeep, Dodge, Fiat, Chrysler and Peugeot, reported first-half net profit of 5.6 billion euros ($6.07 billion), down 48% from the same period of 2023. … Stellantis’[s] results come hot on the heels of second-quarter earnings from U.S. automakers General Motors and Ford Motor. GM on Tuesday raised several key financial targets after comfortably beating Wall Street’s earnings expectations, while Ford on Wednesday reported a dip in adjusted profit, disappointing investors.” (07/25/24)
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/25/stellantis-h1-earnings-2024.html
- I’d Rather See A Flag On Fire Than Wrapped Around a Politician
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“The standard defense of flag-burning, affirmed by the US Supreme Court, treats flag-burning as ‘speech’ that enjoys the protection the First Amendment. Well, OK, I get that. Whether it’s technically ‘speech’ or not it’s at least expressive conduct, and I’m all for freedom of non-violent expressive conduct. But to me, what it’s really about is property rights. If you own a piece of cloth — even a piece of cloth with a particular pattern on it that makes it into what my friend and fellow political writer Kent McManigal calls a ‘Holy Pole Quilt,’ possessing quasi-religious-relic qualities to certain cultists — it’s yours. Not Donald Trump’s. Not Kamala Harris’s. Yours. You don’t get to ride in their limousines; they don’t get to tell you what to do with your flag.” (07/25/24)
- JD Vance can’t go back in time — and neither can the rest of us
Source: Washington Post
by Megan McArdle“For one of the youngest vice-presidential candidates ever nominated, J.D. Vance sounds a little crotchety. His convention speech last week pined for an America that the 39-year-old himself never knew — a land before drugs and deindustrialization ravaged the Rust Belt, when housing was cheap and families were intact, and proud American craftsmen made the world’s best products with their own hands. Of course, there’s nothing wrong in wishing for things you don’t remember — if they were really good, as many things were during the United States’[s] manufacturing boom: There were job opportunities, families formed easily and people felt support from society. I have sympathy for Vance’s desire to ‘put people to work making real products for American families.’ The problem is that Donald Trump cannot bring those days back. And I suspect Vance is too smart to truly believe the former president could.” (07/25/24)
- The Administrative State is Leviathan, and Leviathan is Us
Source: EconLog
by Edward J Lopez“[Philip] Hamburger attributes the rise of the administrative state to an American form of classism, whereby Progressive elites foist their good intentions and faith in government on everyone else via the state’s monopoly on force. This certainly jibes with a disturbing 2023 Rasmussen poll showing stark contrasts between elite and mass opinion on economic, social, and political issues. Yet, we would be remiss to neglect the forces of populism.” (07/25/24)
https://www.econlib.org/the-administrative-state-is-leviathan-and-leviathan-is-us/
- The Trump/Vance Unilateralist Delusion
Source: Foreign Policy
by Stephen M Walt“At least rhetorically, both Trump and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance reject the failed strategy of liberal hegemony that neoconservatives and liberal interventionists have promoted over the past 30-plus years. They are equally contemptuous of the foreign-policy ‘Blob’ and its stubborn adherence to outdated orthodoxies. … a few realists I know and like seem almost giddy about Vance’s inclusion and the prospect of a Trump victory. Given Vance’s views on Ukraine and a few other issues, you might think I’d be jumping on the bandwagon, too. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends …. The central problem is that Trump and Vance are operating with an outdated picture of America’s place in the world and its ability to get its way unilaterally. They may reject neoconservatism, but they believe the United States can do whatever it wants and that other states will simply bend to its will.” (07/24/24)
- Netanyahu’s Speech Was As American As It Gets
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before Congress was everything you’d expect: packed full of lies and propaganda spin, yet simultaneously very illuminating and revealing. The Israeli prime minister received no fewer than 58 standing ovations while speaking before both houses of Congress and spewing the most despicable lies you could possibly imagine in his conspicuously American accent. Depending on how politically aware you are, this spectacle could be perceived as either deeply un-American, or as American as it gets. Netanyahu repeated evidence-free atrocity propaganda about what happened on October 7, falsely asserting that Hamas ‘burned babies alive’ and killed two babies in an attic. He falsely claimed that Hamas ‘butchered 1,200 people,’ pretending it’s not a well-established fact that many of the 1,139 Israeli deaths that day came from both indiscriminate IDF fire and deliberate targeting in implementation of the Hannibal Directive.” (07/25/24)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2024/07/25/netanyahus-speech-was-as-american-as-it-gets/
- Biden’s parting deluge of deceit deserves damning
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard“In a mere 11 minutes on Wednesday night, President Biden settled any doubts about whether he was fit for another four years of the presidency. Uncle Joe wrestled with the teleprompter like a slacker high school boy blindsided by trigonometry questions on the math SAT test. By the end of the Bidens brief spiel, most judges declared that the teleprompter had won by technical knockout. A few weeks ago, Biden declared that it would take ‘the Lord Almighty’ to get him to end his re-election campaign. Did the Lord make an unannounced visit to Biden’s Delaware vacation home?” (07/25/24)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2024/07/25/bidens-parting-deluge-of-deceit-deserves-damning/
- Trump’s Mass Deportation Plans Won’t Make America Safe Again
Source: The UnPopulist
by Alex Nowrasteh“In fact, they will increase crime rates in the country.” (07/25/24)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/trumps-mass-deportation-plans-wont
- Break up the Department of Homeland Security
Source: Orange County Register
by Susan Shelley“It was October 2001, a month after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security in the White House. ‘The mission of the office will be to coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks,’ Bush announced. The following year, Congress enacted the Homeland Security Act, consolidating 22 federal agencies into one Cabinet department. … How’d that work out? Not well at all. Although Bush promised that these structural changes would eliminate ‘overlapping responsibilities,’ what we’ve got is a system that has no brakes on bad decisions from the top.” (07/25/24)
- Netanyahu’s Dishonest Propaganda Speech
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison“Yesterday Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a dishonest and obnoxious speech to a joint session of Congress. As expected, the prime minister obsessed over Iran and exaggerated the threat from Iran and its proxies. He absurdly claimed that Israel was fighting on behalf of the ‘civilized’ world against ‘barbarism.’ In reality, Israeli forces have been committing countless war crimes and the Israeli government deliberately starves the entire population of Gaza. It was crude propaganda that insulted the intelligence of anyone that heard it, and to their lasting discredit most of the audience lapped it up and cheered.” (07/25/24)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/netanyahus-dishonest-propaganda-speech
- Where in the US is the EITC’s bang per buck biggest?
Source: Niskanen Center
by Jacob Bastian“Understanding how government programs affect people in different places is crucial in helping policymakers determine how and where to target public assistance. For example, to maximize the positive impact of government policies on social welfare, policymakers could focus transfers on areas where assistance yields the greatest benefits. One relatively new metric for measuring the impact of policies on social welfare is the Marginal Value of Public Funds (MVPF). The MVPF for any policy change is the ratio of the benefits provided to recipients per dollar to the policy’s net cost to the government per dollar.” (07/25/24)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/where-in-the-u-s-is-the-eitcs-bang-per-buck-biggest
- Andy Beshear Shredding [sic] JD Vance in the Virtual VP Debate
Source: The Nation
by John Nichols“There is a good case to be made that the best way to defeat Donald Trump and J.D. Vance is to simply let Vance keep talking. The Republican vice presidential nominee has a way of expressing himself that could charitably be defined as ‘cringeworthy.’ Consider the recently resurfaced 2021 interview Vance did with Tucker Carlson, in which the man who is now Trump’s running mate expressed his view that the problem facing America is elected leaders who have not given birth — including the woman who is now the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party: Vice President Kamala Harris. ‘We’re effectively run in this country, via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too,’ Vance argued.” (07/25/24)
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/andy-beshear-jd-vance-vice-president/
- JD Vance Is Just the Latest GOP Grifter to Try and Con America
Source: The Hartmann Report
by Thom Hartmann“Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Tuesdday blasted JD Vance for being a ‘grifter’, because Vance claimed he was some sort of a hillbilly who grew up in rural Appalachia when, in fact, he grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati. Governor Walz, on the other hand, grew up in a town of 400 people with ’24 kids in my graduating class’ where ’12 were cousins.’ In Vance’s autobiography Hillbilly Elegy he trash-talks his poor relatives, essentially accusing them of not being successful in life because of moral defects like laziness and addiction; he doubled down on these memes in his Republican National Convention speech, pointing out his own mother’s drug use. In fact, they’re victims of Republican policies that make the rich richer and keep poor people poor; his mother’s addiction is a symptom, not a cause.” (07/25/24)
- Why Americans Get So Giddy About Their Presidential Election
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger“Every four years, the American people get giddy and excited over their presidential election. There is a reason for that. In the run-up to the election, the presidential candidates cater to them, are nice to them, and offer them lots of benefits in the hope of garnering their votes. But everyone knows that come November 6 — the day after the election — the situation will return to normal, with an abusive ruler in charge and the serfs deferentially and obediently serving him or her for the next four years.” (07/25/24)
https://www.fff.org/2024/07/25/why-americans-get-so-giddy-about-their-presidential-election/
- Republicans Really Wish Trump Hadn’t Picked J.D. Vance
Source: The New Republic
by Edith Olmsted“Some Republicans are starting to seriously regret Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance. It’s been only one week since Vance was nominated at the Republican National Convention, and already his own party members are expressing severe doubts about Trump’s pick. The former president’s allies have acknowledged that nominating Vance was the product of Trump’s absolute certainty that he would be able to defeat Joe Biden in November. While Vance wouldn’t do much for swing voters or independents, he would likely shore up support among Trump’s base. But ever since Biden passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s new presumptive nominee, Republicans have begun to sour on Vance.” (07/25/24)
https://newrepublic.com/post/184251/republicans-trump-jd-vance-mistake-biden-kamala-harris
- The “Pro-Worker” GOP Is Anti-Worker
Source: Reason
by Veronique de Rugy“Members of the new right wing of the Republican Party have proclaimed themselves the champions of the working class. I am sure they mean it, despite many of them being among the elite of the elite. And because so many are lawyers — including those like vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance who come from an elite Ivy League school — we can forgive them for failing to understand that their economic policies would hurt, not help, the working class. … In Washington, D.C., apparently, nothing says ‘power to the people’ quite like funneling taxpayer money to large corporations. But let’s not forget the piece de resistance: tariffs. How better to help ordinary Americans than by raising their cost of living?” (07/15/24)
https://reason.com/2024/07/25/the-pro-worker-gop-is-anti-worker/
- Kamala Harris coronation is a betrayal of democratic values
Source: New York Post
by Andrew Stein“In 1968, I ran as a Democrat in my first primary election, as I sought to become a New York state Assemblyman. I fought four more tough primary races against fellow Democrats David Dinkins and Robert Wagner Jr. as we vied to become Manhattan borough president, and yet another in 1985 against Ken Lipper to become City Council president. In every primary I had to work my butt off to prove myself to my party and my constituents. Those races made me a better public servant and a better man. That’s what the democratic process is for — and what the Democratic Party is all about …. If they actually wanted to live up to their name, Democratic leaders would insist on an open convention where delegates could freely select a presidential nominee in Joe Biden’s place.” (07/24/24)
https://nypost.com/2024/07/24/opinion/the-kamala-harris-coronation-betrays-democrats-values/
- Defining What A Recession Is
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak“Most economic commentators consider a softening in economic statistics such as gross domestic product (GDP) as indicative of a likely economic recession ahead. According to most experts this weakening, as a rule arises because of a decline in the overall demand for goods and services. On this way of thinking, the key driver of the economy is the increase in demand that gives rise to the increase in the supply of goods and services i.e. demand creates supply. … Is it however, valid that recessions are about the weakening in the overall demand as depicted by the weakening in the GDP?” (07/25/24)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2024/07/defining-what-a-recession-is/
- Ceremonial Execution
Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman“The Secret Service badly messed up in the job of protecting ex-president and candidate Trump …. Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle conceded that her agency had failed, offered only partial and unconvincing explanations, eventually resigned under pressure. She is being at least temporarily replaced by Ronald Rowe, the agency’s deputy director. At first glance it makes sense. Someone messed up and the head of the organization, as the person with most control over what the agency does, is the most likely candidate. The organization still exists and will need someone to run it, the deputy director is the most qualified person, at least in the short run, since he already knows the people and policies of the organization. The problem is that, if Cheatle, as the most powerful person in the organization is the most likely person responsible, Rowe, presumably the second most powerful, is the second most likely.” (07/25/24)
- The High Cost of Political Capture
Source: Law & Liberty
by Brent Orrell“Politics doesn’t just make strange bedfellows; it can also make self-dealing ones. A new study of the economic impact of the $787 billion 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is trying to tell us about the need to close the gap between intentions and outcomes by moving decision-making and accountability closer to the communities the federal government is trying to assist. In their recent paper, Joonkyu Choi, Veronika Penciakova, and Felipe Saffie found that politics significantly hindered ARRA’s effectiveness. Their study reveals that firms that contributed to winning political candidates were more likely to receive ARRA grants and these firms subsequently created fewer jobs.” (07/25/24)
https://lawliberty.org/the-high-cost-of-political-influence-in-federal-spending/
- Suicide Squad: Osama Bin Laden’s Enduring Triumph
Source: TomDispatch
by Nick Turse“At the end of the last century, hoping to drive the United States from Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam’s holiest sites, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden sought to draw in the American military. He reportedly wanted to ‘bring the Americans into a fight on Muslim soil,’ provoking savage asymmetric conflicts that would send home a stream of ‘wooden boxes and coffins’ and weaken American resolve. ‘This is when you will leave,’ he predicted. After the 9/11 attacks, Washington took the bait, launching interventions across the Greater Middle East and Africa. What followed was a slew of sputtering counterterrorism failures and stalemates in places ranging from Niger and Burkina Faso to Somalia and Yemen, a dismal loss, after 20 years, in Afghanistan, and a costly fiasco in Iraq. And just as bin Laden predicted, those conflicts led to discontent in the United States.” (07/25/24)
- Donald Trump Is Becoming Increasingly Unhinged on Immigration
Source: The Bulwark
by Linda Chavez“It’s worth looking at Trump’s outrageous invasion fantasies in depth — and the media, in general, does little to counter the craziest of them. He repeats them so often they become a mantra: We’re being invaded by would-be Hannibal Lecters. X country (fill in any Latin American, Caribbean or African nation you like) is sending criminals, murderers, rapists, and insane asylum inmates to our southern border, and the Biden administration is letting them in to wreak havoc, steal jobs, ‘killing hundreds of thousands of people a year.’ The media fact-checks Trump with anodyne comments that immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than the American born — which is certainly true but doesn’t fully call out the danger of Trump’s dark obsession.” (07/25/24)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/can-trump-tell-immigration-fact-from-fiction
- Trump threatens Zuck with jail for Meta’s bias. Here’s how to lower the temperature
Source: The Hill
by Mark Weinstein“Following the unprecedented events of President Biden stepping aside (announced via posts on social media), and the attempted assassination of former President Trump, social networks have been overwhelmed with heated misinformation. Flowing from all sides of the political spectrum, as well as from adversarial state actors, much of this content is posted and boosted by bot and troll accounts. Adding fuel to the fire, on July 9, former President Trump threatened to send Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to prison if he’s elected. It’s no coincidence that just three days later Meta announced it would remove all previous restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. … Curiously, there’s a flipside. On July 13, X’s owner Elon Musk announced his endorsement of Trump to his 190 million followers worldwide (nearly half of whom are bots or fake accounts, as reported by TIME Magazine in 2022). … Should Zuckerberg or Musk be imprisoned for their respective platform’s political biases?” (07/25/24)
https://thehill.com/opinion/4791892-social-media-bias-political-bias/
- Immutable Rules Made Mutable in the New Age
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Thomas Buckley“Even just a few years ago, there was a certain certainty about the world, about society. Now there is only probability and it’s as if civilization has been forced to shift from a Newtonian worldview to a quantum consideration. That feeling of most everything being a bit – or a great deal – off now is driven by the constant need to judge chances of truth. A head constantly swiveling never rests. The world has moved from analog to digital and now to metaphorically quantum in its presentation and how people must interact with it. It is now an ‘-ish’ world and that loss of even a semblance of regularity is responsible for much of current angst. People simply cannot ‘get comfortable’ in a world that is not reliable or relatable.” (07/25/24)
https://brownstone.org/articles/immutable-rules-made-mutable-in-the-new-age/
- Bring Kevin Spacey Back to the Movies
Source: RealClearPolitics
by Froma Harrop“Last summer, Spacey was acquitted in a London court of nine counts of sexual misconduct. Nonetheless, New York Magazine opened its reporting on the case by referring to the acquitted as ‘Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey.’ And The New York Times ran a piece citing charges against Spacey, Louis C.K. and others accused of sexual misconduct with the headline: ‘Now What Do We Do With Their Work?’ The possibility that Spacey or the others were innocent of the charges did not seem relevant. … The courts have freed Spacey of the charges. Now free Kevin Spacey to act.” (07/25/24)
- Economic Observations of Beach Parking
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Michael Munger“The city of Wrightsville Beach (WB), on the North Carolina coast, operates municipal lots that charge for parking. It happens there are two lots near the beach condo where we spend a month every summer. One is large (about 85 parking spaces), and the other is small (19 spaces). The current charge is $6 per hour, or $30 for the day … When the large lot fills up, a line forms …. this constitutes a kind of ‘surge pricing,’ because the cost of a parking spot is the sum of the fixed money price — $6 per hour — and the ‘congestion tax’ of waiting in a longer or shorter line. … But when the smaller lot fills up, cars waiting for a spot disperse around the lot, with four cars each parked in an area that commands four or five parking spaces.” (07/25/24)
https://www.aier.org/article/economic-observations-of-beach-parking/
- A simple, selfless dissent for integrity
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“One of this year’s most influential people on TikTok and YouTube does not see himself as an influencer. He is Thích Minh Tuệ, a middle-aged man who adopted a humble, ascetic life a few years ago and began to walk barefoot up and down Vietnam. He lived in forests with few clothes and accepted alms from strangers, practicing a Buddhist way of frugal simplicity. In May, he became an internet phenomenon. Admirers began to post videos of him along his pilgrimage, inspiring millions. While disavowing any attempt at virtue signaling, he nonetheless was widely seen as an exemplary model, especially in comparison with the lavish lifestyles of top officials. Vietnamese were particularly irked when the minister of public security was caught on camera eating gold-encrusted steak at a London restaurant three years ago. In June, at the strong advice of police, Thích Minh Tuệ disappeared from public view.” (07/24/24)
- The Greatest Biden Lies Of All Time
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter“Of all the great liars – Baghdad Bob, Teddy Kennedy, Bill Clinton, etc. – President Joe Biden has to rank at or near the top, and would certainly make the Mt. Rushmore of bovine post-digested food secretion artists in history. There is nothing he hasn’t lied about, from his own childhood and academic accomplishments, to how and where his own son died. That shows a dedication to the craft unrivaled in modern times and a shamelessness that would make a Kardashian blush. All of Joe’s life has been a lie, so that Democrats are extending that lie to his legacy should surprise no one. ‘He’s done more in 4 years than most Presidents do in 8’ is as absurd as it is hilarious.” (07/25/24)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2024/07/25/the-greatest-biden-lies-of-all-time-n2642480
- The Return of Right-Wing Cancel Culture
Source: Quillette
by Josh Allan“It is dispiriting to watch some of the staunchest critics of woke politics engaging in their own brand of cancel culture.” (07/25/24)
https://quillette.com/2024/07/25/the-return-of-right-wing-cancel-culture-trump-assassination/
- Bombers Off the Coast
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob“No wonder Taiwan is going ahead, despite a typhoon battering the island, with its annual war games.
China threatens. And threatens. And threatens. As discussed yesterday, it is unclear just how committed a Trump 47 administration would be to protecting Taiwan. President Joe Biden, on the other hand, has repeatedly pledged to engage U.S. military forces in defense against China. But since he is physically and cognitively unable to run for the presidency, are we safe letting Joe hang out at the White House for the next six months performing the ‘lesser’ job of being America’s commander-in-chief? That position might suddenly take on a less sleepy character.” (07/25/24)https://thisiscommonsense.org/2024/07/25/bombers-off-the-coast/
- What’s Behind Israel’s War Against UNRWA?
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ramzy Baroud“Targeting a school during a war could be justified as, or at least argued, to have been a mistake. But striking over 120 schools, and killing and wounding thousands of civilians sheltering inside, can only be intentional, with each attack a horrific war crime in its own right. Between 7 October last year and 18 July, Israel has done precisely that, targeting with total impunity UN infrastructure in the besieged Gaza Strip, including schools and medical centres. According to the estimates of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), at least 561 internally displaced Palestinians sheltering in UNRWA buildings have been killed and 1,768 have been wounded since the start of Israel’s war. … Israel does not attempt to mask or justify its attacks on the agency as it did during previous Gaza wars.” (07/25/24)
https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2024/07/24/whats-behind-israels-war-against-unrwa/
- The Controversy Surrounding Microdosing Chocolate Bars
Source: Independent Institute
by Raymond J March“California-based company Diamond Shruumz was once one of the premier providers of microdosing products in the US. Providing ‘artisanal chocolates … designed for creative souls,’ Diamond Shruumz offered chocolate bars, ice cream cones, gummies, and other sweets with trace amounts of psilocybin- the psychedelic found in magic mushrooms. Now, Diamond Shruumz is under intense scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration. Over the past two months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected 74 reports of illnesses across 28 states associated with consuming Shrummz’s edibles. Reportedly, 38 hospitalizations and possibly one death are also linked to these products (this would arguably be the first confirmed death caused by psilocybin in US history). Unsurprisingly, Diamond Shruumz’s products are being recalled. Until an investigation is complete, the FDA is urging patients to avoid these products and report retailers who still sell them. ” (07/25/24)
https://blog.independent.org/2024/07/25/the-controversy-surrounding-microdosing-chocolate-bars/
- Time to retire the phrase “Military Industrial Complex”
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Dan Grazier“Sorry Ike: it’s a bit too dated and no longer the right moniker to describe what we’re up against.” (07/25/24)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/military-industrial-complex-2668809022/
- Markets Shrugged
Source: Cato Institute
by Scott Lincicome“The real world’s muted reaction to intense political upheaval is mostly cause for optimism.” (07/24/24)
- Why the ICJ Ruling on Israel’s Occupation of Palestine Matters
Source: Middle East Eye
by Richard Falk“The International Court of Justice overwhelmingly decided last week that Israel is no longer legally entitled to act as the occupying power in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, noting that its further presence in these territories is unlawful. The decision took the form of an ‘advisory opinion’ in response to two ‘legal questions’ put to the ICJ by the United Nations General Assembly in 2022. Israel declined to take part in the court proceedings except by way of a written statement objecting to the whole process as improper, arguing that Israel’s consent was needed before its governmental conduct could be legally evaluated by the ICJ, even in a process labelled as ‘advisory.'” (07/25/24)
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/icj-decision-world-stand-israel-occupation
- The Bipartisan Reform Opportunity Staring Kamala Harris in the Face
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen“Cold-eyed political types looking for a Democratic victory in November argue that Kamala Harris has to deal with the stereotypical first impression from voters, coded largely by race and gender, that she’s too liberal. Because Harris hasn’t given people much to go on about her own beliefs, she has an opportunity to define herself through popular stances that would contrast with that automatic, if not completely correct, opinion of her as a far-left liberal. One place where Harris does have an advantage over Donald Trump is on the traditionally strong Democratic topic of health care. She also could advance proposals to get out from under some of the inflation perceptions that stuck to Joe Biden. Lurking at the intersection of reducing costs and health care is a thoroughly bipartisan policy that could be championed and even passed right now.” (07/25/24)
https://prospect.org/health/2024-07-25-bipartisan-reform-kamala-harris-pbms-drug-prices/
- Just Asking Questions, 07/25/24
Source: Reason
“Alex Thompson: Why Did Biden Drop Out?” (07/25/24)
https://reason.com/podcast/2024/07/25/alex-thompson-why-did-biden-drop-out/
- Nonzero, 07/25/24
Source: Bloggingheads.tv
“Will Kamala Make America Great Again? | Robert Wright, Derek Davison, Daniel Bessner.” (07/25/24)
- NPR Politics Podcast, 07/25/24
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“Will Vice President Harris stakeout a different position on Israel’s war in Gaza?” (07/25/24)
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/24/1197964844/podcast-kamala-harris-israel-gaza
- The Bulwark Podcast, 07/25/24
Source: The Bulwark
“A.B. Stoddard: Focus Only on Winning.” (07/25/24)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/ab-stoddard-focus-only-on-winning
- Rising, 07/25/24
Source: The Hill
“Jessica Burbank and Robby Soave react to President Biden’s farewell speech.” (07/25/24)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/4792419-rising-july-25-2024/
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 07/25/24
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“Possibly the most difficult question that any of us can ask ourselves at this moment of unrest and uncertainty, is whether it’s all theater and we’re just an audience. Kit Knightly says, don’t believe everything you’re hearing.” (07/25/24)
- Capital Record, episode 180
Source: National Review
“A Conflict Environment.” (07/25/24)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/a-conflict-environment/
- Conflicts of Interest, episode 643
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Biden and Netanyahu Tell Huge Lies to the American People.” (07/15/24)
- Politico Playbook Daily Briefing, 07/25/24
Source: Politico
“Joe Biden’s long goodbye.” (07/25/24)
- The Charles CW Cooke Podcast, episode 66
Source: National Review
“The Libertarian [sic] Case for Drug Prohibition.” (07/25/24)
- Show-Me Institute Podcast, 07/25/24
Source: Show-Me Institute
“The Chiefs and Royals Restart the Border War with Patrick Tuohey.” (07/15/24)
- Advisory Opinions, 07/25/24
Source: The Dispatch
“Can Kamala Take the Money … Legally?” (07/25/24)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/can-kamala-take-the-money-legally/
- 1 big thing, 07/25/24
Source: Axios
“Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei: A brand new presidential race.” (07/25/24)
https://www.axios.com/2024/07/25/mike-allen-and-jim-vandehei-a-brand-new-presidential-race
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 07/25/24
Source: Antiwar.com
“Netanyahu Slams US Protesters as Congress Cheers, Ukraine Signals Readiness for Talks, and More.” (07/25/24)
- Economics, Applied, 07/24/24
Source: Hoover Institution
“Coffee Shops and Business Formation.” (07/24/24)
https://www.hoover.org/research/coffee-shops-and-business-formation
- Freakonomics Radio, episode 598
Source: Freakonomics
“Is Overconsolidation a Threat to Democracy?” (07/24/24)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-overconsolidation-a-threat-to-democracy/
- The Tom Woods Show, episode 2521
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Iran in the Crosshairs Again?” (07/24/24)
- System Update, episode 303
Source: System Update
“Netanyahu’s Speech To Congress; Project 2025: Untangling Fact From Fiction with Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts; PLUS: Max Blumenthal on Israel.” (07/24/24)
- Free Talk Live, 07/24/24
Source: Free Talk Live
“Free Talk Live :: Cannabis Cop Kamala :: What does Kamala Believe in? She doesn’t seem sure :: LA Sheriff’s ‘gangs’ go after reporter reporting on them :: The Murder by Police of Sonya Massey:: Are all resigned to the Surveillance State? Caller wants us to fight back, and we agree :: 2024-07-24 Hosts: Chris R., Lori, Riley.” (07/24/24)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/free-talk-live-2024-07-24
- Freedom Works with Paul Molloy, 07/24/24
Source: Freedom Works
“Annelle Sheline, Quincy Institute ‘Netanyahu Visit to DC.'” (07/24/24)
https://internetradiopros.com/freedomworks/?name=2024-07-24_zfw07242024.mp3