Reading

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Thu, 09/05/2024 - 07:00
The excellent Bolts Magazine is doing something called “Ask Bolts” allowing readers to ask questions of experts on various issues facing the electorate: Elections law expert Josh Douglas is the author of The Court v. the Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights, a new book that is set for release next week. The book dives deeply into high-profile cases that have undercut U.S. democracy in recent decades, from Citizens United to Shelby County.  Now he has agreed to answer questions from Bolts readers. What do you want to know about how the Supreme Court has affected voting rights in recent decades? Ask him anything about how the court has upended the way states run their elections, how the damage can be repaired, and how the justices may end up further shaping democracy in 2024. And remember: No question is too in the weeds for Bolts! We’ll pitch them to him by May 10 and write up his responses Click over to fill out the form if you have questions and hopefully we’ll see the answers!
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 05:00
But does he have a stiff gait? If not, I don’t think there’s any problem. After all, look at Trump. The story is that Jr said that during a deposition in 2012 claiming he couldn’t afford to pay child support. He also said he had mercury poisoning. He’s running as the healthy young 70 year old guy.
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:59
Israel has begun a ground assault on Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the brutal war on Gaza. International observers say the attack on Rafah, now the most densely populated place on Earth, will mean mass killings of civilians, writes Seraj Assi in the Jacobin. “Rafah is now a city of children, Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:57
Washington’s attempts to attack and impair the workings of the ICC on Israel’s behalf merely serve to further isolate a declining America. It would be an understatement to describe the relationship between the United States and the International Criminal Court as anything other than dysfunctional. Of the 124 countries that have signed the Rome Charter Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:55
Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr sues New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters for defamation over AUKUS comments. The defamation action comes as a chagrined Peters took what looked like a step back from AUKUS in recent speeches. The undiplomatic discord between Australia’s former Foreign Minister Bob Carr and New Zealand’s current Foreign Minister Winston Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:53
A lobby group representing the $600 billion property industry is determining state housing policy in NSW. On the 29th April, when the NSW Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) changes were gazetted, the Property Council’s media release praised the government but complained it wasn’t enough. They also stated that: “The Property Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:52
Politicians are increasingly using the word to justify bad policy initiatives and fend off criticism of their decisions. I doubt if you’re waiting with bated breath for next Tuesday night’s federal budget, but since it’s the big set-piece event of my year I’ve started limbering up. I’ve set my bulldust detector to ping every time Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 04:50
Like the previous Vietnam generation of baby boomers, US university students are waking up to the atrocities their government commits or helps its client states to commit around the world. In a classic scene that has become a popular internet meme in the first Matrix movie, Morpheus, the rebel leader, offers his protégé Neo the Continue reading »
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 03:30
This makes my head hurt. Today Biden will be in Wisconsin announcing a major new Microsoft data center on the spot where Trump promised to bring a new Foxconn plant that never opened. Trump will probably take credit for the Microsoft plant and people will probably believe him even though he’s been out of office for 3 and a half years. Why?
Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 03:00

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Created
Thu, 09/05/2024 - 02:00
One of the most inane of all MAGA Republican claims is the insistence by militant right wingers and insurrectionists that they are pacifists. Take, for instance, Marjorie Taylor Greene: Or Trump who often brags that he had no wars while he was president (unless you count Afghanistan and Syria and large numbers of drone strikes in various places.) They aren’t the only ones. And I think we can all agree that these are not people anyone would normally describe as flower children regardless of the fact that NY Times columnist once fatuously described the bellicose Trump as “Donald the Dove.” These are the most contentious people in politics and they only get away with proclaiming such nonsense because they have mastered the tactic of getting people to believe up is down and black is white. In recent days we’ve seen this ridiculous argument deployed by members of congress to justify their refusal to provide military aid to Ukraine as if fights off the Russian invasion of their country. Some, like Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance have asserted that Ukraine can’t possibly win so it’s a waste of time anyway.