Reading

America is our “great and powerful friend” so it matters a great deal how reliable our firmest strategic partner is. Is the US heading for a degree of political dysfunction that could blow back into its steadfastness as a leading player and an Australian ally in a multipolar Indo-Pacific?  Introduction “Things fall apart; the centre Continue reading »

On the eve of the Vilnius summit Foreign Affairs published an article by long term, and recently reappointed, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg entitled ‘A Stronger NATO for a More Dangerous World: What the Alliance Must Do in Vilnius—and Beyond’. Foreign Affairs is the bible of the American foreign policy establishment, being the journal of the Council Continue reading »

The commissioning of the new USS Canberra in Sydney amid accompanying fanfare and blanket Australian media coverage provided ample testimony to the extent that we are increasingly being taken for granted by the US civil and military leadership. The Canberra is one of the final run of 35 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) built for the Continue reading »

An attempt by a branch of the ACT Labor Party to protest the tripartite AUKUS security pact was blocked over the weekend in what members believe is a consequence of Anthony Albanese wanting to quell dissent on the issue, writes Phillip Coorey in the Australian Financial Review Amid significant unrest among rank-and-file members – primarily Continue reading »

Prescription co-payments are imposed by the Federal Government for subsidised drugs. Australians pay $1.6 billion a year in co-payments. Why do we continue to have financial barriers to accessing these drugs? Co-payments are $7.30 or $30 per prescription for Pensioners and Health Care Card Holders, or the remainder respectively. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland abolished Continue reading »

One of the emerging political challenges of the 2020’s in Australia is the contest for the votes of renters. This contest has changed the political complexion of previously safe conservative seats and led to a major policy confrontation between the Greens and the Labor Party. Some interesting research has emerged which suggests, contrary to the Continue reading »

One side seems to prefer dealing with former leaders rather than current ones. The other likes to talk, while piling on coercive measures. If what passes for diplomacy between China and the United States is any indication these days, we are all in real trouble. One side seems to prefer dealing with former leaders rather Continue reading »

In a new article titled “Ukraine’s Lack of Weaponry and Training Risks Stalemate in Fight With Russia,” The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Michaels reports that western officials knew Ukrainian forces didn’t have the weapons and training necessary to succeed in their highly touted counteroffensive which was launched last month. Michaels writes: “When Ukraine launched its Continue reading »

The Walt Disney Company is removing TV shows and movies from its streaming platforms and then claiming massive losses and potential tax write offs.

Preparation time: 25 minutesCooking time: 20-25 minutesTo serve: 4 You will need1 lb. minced beef1 large or 2 medium-sized onionsseasonings½ teaspoon mixed herbs1 heaped teaspoon chopped parsley1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 potatoflourtoasted breadcrumbshamburger bunstomatolettucewatercress Sauce:1 tablespoon corn oil½ small onion, chopped¼ oz. cornflour½ lb. tomatoes, peeled and sliced½ pint water1 oz. chopped lean ham1 oz. soft […]

Choose one: “Destruction of Ukranian w:BMP-3 IFV by Russian troops in Mariupol” or “A destroyed Russian BMP-3 near Mariupol, 7 March 2022”. [A]

Less than a day after owner Elon Musk changed the company’s logo from a decade-old internationally recognized symbol with sky-high brand awareness value to the letter ‘X,’ workers had moved in to start dismantling the building’s giant Twitter sign. The only problem was that Musk hadn’t secured the correct permits for the crane now blocking the street, according to a witness at the scene. Officers with the San Francisco Police Department quickly arrived and started “shutting it down,” he tweeted. The half-finished removal operation left only the sign reading just “er.” I think that says it all. After Donald Trump and Elon Musk, I wonder if we might be coming to the end of the “Genius Businessman will save us” era. Nah… Americans just love the idea that being rich means you must be smart. It’s hard to imagine them giving that up even in he face of such humiliation.

Kit Klarenberg delves deep into the web of manipulation, deception, and the weaponization of psychiatry exacted upon dissenting Americans, especially those of color, by the CIA under the guise of medical research.

The post New Files Reveal MKULTRA’s Terrifying Reach: Ethnic Bioweapons, Mind Control, and Disturbing Experiments appeared first on MintPress News.

“X is the future state of unlimited interactivity—centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking—creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine.” — Linda Yaccarino, CEO of Twitter, which has now rebranded to X.

Here at the Louvre, we’re proud of our storied 230 years of history, and rightfully so. But we don’t rest on our considerable laurels. We’re constantly innovating, disrupting, and activizationizing words that signify things in a dynamic and optimal way, unlocking new synergies that provide users with a transformative experience that will recalibrate their very perceptions of quantum possibility—to the nth degree.

Last September, Abe Newman, Jeremy Wallace and I had a piece in Foreign Affairs’ 100th anniversary issue. I can’t speak for my co-authors’ motivations, but my own reason for writing was vexation that someone on the Internet was wrong. In this case, it was Yuval Harari. His piece has been warping debate since 2018, and I have been grumpy […]

Issue 49 of the Nautilus print edition combines some of the best content from our March and April 2023 online issues. It includes contributions from emergency physician and writer Clayton Dalton,  science journalist Rachel E. Gross,  astrophysicist Sean Raymond, author Danna Staaf, and more. This issue also features a new illustration by Sam Chivers.

The post Print Edition 49 appeared first on Nautilus.

Rob Delaney said, “My melodious voice? My broad shoulders and dancer’s undulating buttocks? I decide how those are used!”

The post As Actors Strike for AI Protections, Netflix Lists $900,000 AI Job appeared first on The Intercept.

Conservative MP Dame Caroline Dinenage has asked the tabloid’s editor Victoria Newton about this newspaper's investigation into the influential TV presenter

You’ll note that New Hampshire voters pick Vivek Ramaswamy as their dream president over Ronald Reagan too… He posted this rambling screed from Congressman Mike Davis: They all sound like him now. This is what he spends most of his time posting, however: I guess this is what’s known as campaigning in the Republican Party these days.

Last fall as we were all girding ourselves for the impending “Red Tsunami” and contemplating what it was going to do to the remains of the Biden agenda, I wrote that we should be prepared for Revenge of the MAGA cult and recognize that it was inevitable that the Republicans were going to try to impeach Joe Biden. At that time Georgia Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene had already filed five impeachment resolutions against him and it was well known that Donald Trump would not be very happy if the new Republican majority didn’t issue payback for the two impeachments on his record. One of the resolutions she filed on Biden’s very first day in office claimed that he had tried “to influence the domestic policy of a foreign nation and accept benefits from foreign nationals in exchange for favors.” That was, of course, based upon the bogus Ukraine scandal that prompted Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Nothing would be more satisfying to Trump than for Biden to be impeached for doing what Trump did when he attempted to blackmail the President of Ukraine into smearing Biden.

“The Labour Party has made it clear: First Past the Post is flawed and deeply damaging to our democracy,” one campaigner said.

Elections watchdog raises concerns as party spending limits could rise by 52% - while ministers keep donations to under £11,000 anonymous.

The all-circus, no-bread party Polling suggests (as I wrote earlier) that Americans really don’t get that things are looking up for them economically. Inflation is down — down by 44% — from last September. Unemployment is at record lows in many states, the lowest in 54 years in February. What Republicans cannot afford is for voters to notice. So it’s culture wars a-go-go (Politico): Republican policy riders seeking to limit diversity efforts, drag shows, Pride flag displays and promotion of critical race theory are rife throughout the House’s dozen proposed annual spending bills, including those that would fund the national parks, pay for roads or maintain U.S. embassies abroad. The cascade of social issues turning up in the must-pass bills is noteworthy for how it’s pervaded this year’s appropriations process — and for how the GOP concerns have spread far beyond top-tier conservative causes such as limiting abortions and gender-affirming care.