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Or even Marge and Louis. Some lesser known House MAGA freaks to keep your eye on: Scott Perry: Perry is the leader of the pack and has served as HFC chair since January 2022. The Pennsylvania Republican was elected to succeed the term-limited but still very active Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) in late 2021. Despite leading the House’s most conservative caucus, Perry represents a purple district and is listed as a vulnerable Republican target by the DCCC. He’s also a U.S. Army combat veteran. Notably, Perry raised some eyebrows when he initially voted in support of the Democratic-led “Respect for Marriage Act,” which would require all states to recognize interracial and same-sex marriages lawfully performed in other states. Perry later reversed his vote from “yes” to “no,” citing that he had rushed to the floor to vote on the legislation and had made the “wrong choice.” Chip Roy: Roy is the HFC’s policy chair and is the fiscal hawk of the group. He often rails against the $31 trillion national debt and congressional spending.

For a few days, China, like the rest of the world, was transfixed by the Wagner Group’s tactical advance on Moscow, threatening the stability of the Russian government and the rule of President Vladimir Putin before the challenge collapsed suddenly. The mercenary army plot was worthy of the composer Richard Wagner, for whom the Group Continue reading »

Inflation is starting to come down. The main reason cited for a further increase in interest rates is the fear of a wage-price spiral. But this is no longer likely. Instead, it is time for a pause in interest rate rises to better assess the future economic outlook. Over the last year inflation has been Continue reading »

AUKUS submarines will be highly detectable and therefore strategically useless. The loss of the tourist submersible intending to view the wreck of the Titanic captured the attention of many. Ignoring the highly questionable elements of that situation, lessons have escaped the notice of some people who should have been looking with horror at the unfolding Continue reading »

In Asian Media this week: Modi should tackle public concerns. Plus: Blinken’s Beijing visit ‘achieves little’; China fights back against de-risking pressure; Australia’s dismal Asean investment record; the laggard in the middle of G7 gender campaign; environmental harm cruise ships cause Australian media lash China over its human rights performance but shrug their collective shoulders Continue reading »

When an anti-corruption agency issues a 688-page report with findings a former premier engaged in “serious corrupt conduct” and breached the public’s trust, it puts all public officials on notice. In an extraordinary report released today, the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) found former New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian had taken steps to award Continue reading »

CPI data shows that Australia has gone from inflation to deflation; We’re not allowing immigrants to put their skills to best use; and, was $1 too much to pay for PwC’s government consultancy business?  Read on for the Weekly Roundup of links to articles, reports, podcasts and other media on current political and economic issues Continue reading »

What does the word ‘settler’ mean to you? We read it often in reference to Palestine-Israel. The recent horror of murder and violence in the Occupied areas of the West Bank (Palestinian Territory) needs to be explained; and not with vague and rhetorical reporting which too often suggests that the illegal Jewish settlers are once Continue reading »

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Carrie Xiao at PV Tech reports that in the first five months of 2023, China has installed 62.1 gigawatts of solar capacity at a cost of $13.6 billion. Year on year, it was a 140 per cent expansion. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of this advance, Continue reading »

At first Adam Smith couldn’t believe his calculations. Then it sank in.

The post A Third of North America’s Birds Have Vanished appeared first on Nautilus.

… one cruel ruling at a time Ian Millhiser takes this decision apart: Let’s not beat around the bush. The Supreme Court’s decision in Biden v. Nebraska, the one canceling President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, is complete and utter nonsense. It rewrites a federal law which explicitly authorizes the loan forgiveness program, and it relies on a fake legal doctrine known as “major questions” which has no basis in any law or any provision of the Constitution. If you were counting on loan forgiveness — and Biden’s loan forgiveness program would have forgiven $10,000 worth of loans for most student borrowers, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients — you will not receive it because of a decision the Court handed down on Friday, in a 6-3 vote entirely along party lines. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion for the Court’s majority of Republican-appointees. Justice Elena Kagan dissented on behalf of the Court’s Democratic appointees. There are legitimate policy debates to be had over the Biden plan’s efficacy, fairness, and necessity.

Preparation time: 20 minutesNo cookingServes 6 What to prepare:3 medium-ripe avocadoes1 can tuna fish (7 ozs.)2 cloves garlic, crushed1 onion, sliced (teaspoon full finely minced)2-3 spoons capersSalt, pepperPickled cucumbers (optional)Stuffed olives1 can ready-made techina (9 ozs.)1 lettuce (if in season)Black olives Peel the avocadoes, cut into halves, lengthwise, and remove pips. Set aside. Flake ¾-can […]

From its recent rulings to its billionaire donor scandals, this Supreme Court term has been defined by judicial activist Leonard Leo.

Kevin McCarthy’s not driving the clown car anymore It’s been an eventful time in both national and international politics what with the attempted Russian coup, the details of which are still not fully understood, and another Supreme Court decision destroying decades of precedent. The weather is insanely hot in parts of the country and so is the presidential primary with candidates trading insults over their weight and vowing to invade Mexico and God only knows where else. It’s hard to keep up. But it’s important to keep at least one eye on what’s going on in the US House because it’s even crazier than we anticipated. It’s very lucky that the Democrats managed to hold on to the Senate in the last election and President Biden is in the White House because I shudder to think of what would become of this country if these people had a monopoly on power. They have completely gone off the deep end.

Byline Times investigates a small but vocal "anti-anti fascist" group that is increasingly targeting the left.

A conversation on the ongoing battle to expose the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The post New NIH Emails Released: What Are Officials Trying to Hide About Covid’s Origins? appeared first on The Intercept.

Fixing London’s housing crisis has never been more urgent. Today, there are more than 75,000 homeless children in the capital. And, in the last quarter of 2022, more than 13,000 households approached London councils for help with housing. But cash-strapped councils are struggling to cope, and, in Croydon, things are only set to get worse.  […]

“The only thing that really matters is your ability to do the job” Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg may have been a little green to occupy the Oval Office when he ran for president in 2020 as the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. But, damn, he’s poised and quick on his feet. We noticed that again just the other day in his Charleston remarks on Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) trying to claim credit for infrastructure funds she voted against. The media is determined to make President Biden’s age a 2024 campaign issue and not Donald Trump’s lies, criminality and weight. So when Biden misspoke twice this week in reference to the Russian war against Ukraine and said instead “in Iraq,” it was an “aha” moment the press — especially the right-wing press — pounced on. Biden has a long history of verbal slips, but suddenly they are evidence for mental slippage.

H.R. 3099, AIPAC's latest pet project in DC, would assure American taxpayers foot the bill for a new position in the State Department, one dedicated to coaxing countries into establishing formal relations with Israel.

The post In the Service of Israel: Biden Admin Breathes New Life Into Trump’s Abraham Accords appeared first on MintPress News.

Trumpism a half century in the making A reference Rick Perlstein makes in “Reaganland” to a Senate speech made during 1978 debates over ratification of the Panama Canal treaty caught my attention recently. Sen. Thomas J. McIntyre (D-N.H.) decries the “ominous change” in American politics represented by “the bully boys of the radical New Right” and their “politics of intimidation.” Long before the Freedom Caucus, McIntyre called out Conservative Caucus “ideologues” who demand that “we must see every issue as they see it – unless there is something sinister in our motivation.” If you want to see more reactionary acrimony and personal destruction, McIntyre warned his colleagues, “stand aside and be silent.” It is instructive reading. Nearly a half century ago, movement conservatism in its nascency planted the seeds of Trumpism and MAGA extremism. “And in the fullness of time,” as the saying goes…. THE CANAL TREATIES AND THE NEW RIGHT (By Sen. Thomas J.

“Justice Samuel Alito took luxury fishing vacation with GOP billionaire who later had cases before the court.” — ProPublica

“The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action programs at the University of North Carolina and Harvard in a major victory for conservative activists, ending the systematic consideration of race in the admissions process.” — NBC News

We, the conservative justices of the Supreme Court, have ruled against Harvard and UNC, striking down affirmative action for college admissions across the country. For a detailed explanation of our ruling, feel free to read the court’s majority decision. But in a nutshell, we believe the only people who should ever get extra consideration are those who invite you to hang out on their boats.

Open Rights Group has responded to the government’s announcement that the Online Safety Bill will require “pornography companies, social media platforms and other services to be explicitly required to use age verification or estimation measures to prevent children accessing pornography”. Dr Monica Horten, policy manager for freedom of expression at Open Rights Group, said: “The […]