Reading

Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 05:00
The Supremes are now officially a rogue, radical court David Kurtz at TPM says it well: The most consequential decision yet from the six-justice Roberts supermajority was sandwiched between President Biden’s debate pratfall Thursday night and this morning’s Supreme Court decision on former President Trump’s immunity from criminal prosecution. So before it gets wiped clean from the front pages, I want to just take a moment before the immunity decision comes down to re-cast the current court. The Supreme Court’s decision Friday to overrule Chevron will have vast consequences, many of then unseen or hard to detect, but one of the things we were discussing internally Friday as we assessed the Supreme Court’s term and its four years with a 6-3 conservative supermajority is how the defining characteristic isn’t conservatism at all but the accrual of power to the judiciary at the expense of the executive and legislative branches.
Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 04:57
Palestinians must start discussing radical solutions to end Israeli occupation, apartheid and settler-colonialism. The bitter reality for Palestinians in Gaza is that we are alone, beleaguered, under siege, and abandoned even by those who are supposed to be our brethren. Nearly nine months of barbaric massacres have claimed the lives of more than 37,000 Palestinians, Continue reading »
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Tue, 02/07/2024 - 04:55
We are told that the high intensity phase of Israel’s war in Gaza is coming to an end. As world leaders contemplate new wars and a compliant media gets busy with freshly minted threats, there are fewer stories on Gaza. Let us not be lulled into believing that, for those besieged in Gaza, the worst Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 04:54
The Australian Labor Party will debate recognition of the State of Palestine at the upcoming NSW Labor State Conference, scheduled for 27 and 28 July at Sydney Town Hall. This State Conference will provide another forum for Labor members to consider, discuss and push for recognition of the State of Palestine in spite of pressure Continue reading »
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Tue, 02/07/2024 - 04:51
China and the Philippines are battling over control of contested waters in the Pacific. So far there has been no shooting, but there have been casualties. And the Biden administration has committed Americans to go to war if even one Filipino dies—or so Manila apparently believes. That would be madness, of course. The Philippine archipelago Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 04:50
When a baby born on April 1, 2023 reached 14 months and became a toddler this month, it had never lived through a month that wasn’t the hottest on record. The National Atmospheric and Oceanic Agency has announced that May 2024 was the hottest May on record. But even more worrisome, it was the 14th consecutive hottest Continue reading »
Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 03:00

Middle-aged Andie Walsh lives in a Chicago suburb with her underemployed and estranged husband, Mike, whom she can’t afford to divorce, because they both stupidly pursued creative careers instead of going into finance. That means their retirement savings are in the triple digits, he wears only dirty white tank tops, and she still drives the pink Karmann Ghia she had in high school.

Andie has a best friend named Phillip “Duckie” Dale. An eccentric outsider, Phillip used to wear vintage clothing but now wears Kirkland Signature khakis because they’re more roomy on his dad bod. He’s in love with Andie but keeps it a secret because his multiple SSRIs dull most of his emotions.

Duckie and Andie belong to the local pickleball league, where the arrogant “richie” members constantly bully them. Specifically, hotshot Steff McKee, who always wears a white blazer and open-necked dress shirt because he misses Miami Vice and wishes that toxic masculinity still ruled. He’s the league champion, even though he has a bad case of emphysema from smoking for forty years.

Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 02:00
The January 6th case will not be tried before the election, but we knew that. The Supremes decided that presidents are immune from prosecution for their “official acts” and sent the J6 case back to the district court to decide which charges may apply. They explicitly said that his attempts to force the Department of Justice to lie for him and say that they found evidence of fraud when they did not are official acts. So I think it’s fair to say they believe the definition of “official” is extremely broad. It will take a bit to digest this but it’s clear that it’s pretty bad. If you don’t believe me, read this excerpt from Justice Sotomayor’s dissent: “When [the president] uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.
Created
Tue, 02/07/2024 - 00:30
Meanwhile, back at the presidential contest While waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its final rulings of this godawful session, I’m reading a post from Mike Lux: As the late, great Stan Lee would advise, “‘Nuff said.” Except: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● For The Win, 5th Edition is ready for download. Request a copy of my free countywide GOTV planning guide at ForTheWin.us.
Created
Mon, 01/07/2024 - 23:09

The Yemeni Armed Forces and Islamic Resistance in Iraq have launched joint military operations against Israel, marking a new phase in regional support for Palestine. Exclusive details reveal the intricate coordination and strategic alliance behind these operations.

The post Exclusive: Yemen and Iraq Unite Against Israel in Coordinated Attacks appeared first on MintPress News.

Created
Mon, 01/07/2024 - 23:00

Been There, Smelled That explores the aromas of places around the world. Travel writer Maggie Downs investigates some of the world’s most potent smells, looks at how odor cultivates a connection to place, and presents how humans engage with smells, from scents that have endured generations to the latest innovations in aroma-making.

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It was possible I’d never had pizza before. Not really. Certainly nothing that smelled or tasted like the dish that sizzled on the table before me.

It was a November night in Rome. The weather was mild but chilly enough that it felt good to duck inside a restaurant, trading the gasoline fumes of the clogged street for the aromas of a wood-fired oven. The scent of rising dough was warm and comfortable, like leaning into the neck of a lover.