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And on a Thursday afternoon, God created the #Revelation Slack Channel.

God
Time to get this party started! Or more like ENDED?! #LFGtotheEndofDays

God
I know we’re all excited to finally bring about the end of all things on Earth. Tagging in key stakeholders now.

God added @antichrist @famine @war @palehorse @conquest @AngelGab @Jesus

Death
OMG DEAD. Love working with this team!

Gabriel
Toot toot, motherfuckers!

God
Gonna go ahead and sunset channel #bringabouttheend and #climatechange since they have both come to their natural conclusions.

Famine
Are you sure about #climatechange? Feel like there’s still some loose ends to wrap up there. That team has some exciting stuff happening in Iceland we might want updates on.

God
Agree, they are doing incredible work but I’m not sure we need so many unique #endofthings

The NY Times headline writers are romanticizing Trump as an “outlaw” like Butch Cassidy (the Paul Newman version.) The article paints a different picture. And it’s just plain creepy: Over the past week, Donald J. Trump rallied alongside two rap artists accused of conspiracy to commit murder. He promised to commute the sentence of a notorious internet drug dealer. And he appeared backstage with another rap artist who has pleaded guilty to assault for punching a female fan. As Mr. Trump awaits the conclusion of his Manhattan trial — closing arguments are set for Tuesday and a verdict could arrive as soon as this week — he used a weeklong break from court to align himself with defendants and convicted criminals charged by the same system with which he is at war. The appearances fit neatly into Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign, during which he has said he is likely to pardon those prosecuted for storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and lent his voice to a recording of the national anthem by a choir of Jan. 6 inmates.

For several weeks, Tbilisi has been rocked by violent crackdowns on protesters opposed to a Kremlin-style bill targeting journalists and civil society. Today it passed into law

Last year I wrote a fairly long article on why everything was being privatized: Western elites are in a duel where those who lose are squeezed out of the actual elite. They may still be rich, but they don’t have power. This duel is particularly dire in the US and the UK, but affects all Western countries to some extent and Anglo countries severely.

Since the real economy isn’t growing as much as it used to (and certainly less than measured), they have to steal from the commons and from government.

Writer and academic Tim Anderson discusses the waning power of the U.S. in the Middle East and the rise of a formidable alliance led by Iran, Syria, and Yemen. Explore the region’s transformation and future prospects in this eye-opening interview with Alan MacLeod.

The post America’s Decline in the Middle East and the Axis of Resistance, With Tim Anderson appeared first on MintPress News.

Lots of reasons why it’s a good idea I’d like to reinforce Simon Rosenberg’s advice on The Importance of Voting on Day 1 of early voting. Digby referenced it on Sunday. You are going to vote anyway. Voting in person on Day 1 of early voting has several advantages. First, once you’ve voted you will quickly “stop getting canvassed and called!!!!” Second, once you are scratched off the list, campaigns will turn their dollars, attention and efforts to turning out voters needing more of a nudge than you. And they’ll have more lead time for reaching more of them. Rosenberg notes: Voting on Day 1 has other benefits. A heavy early turnout leads to stories about “hey everyone is voting” putting social pressure on people to go vote, which also increases turnout. Voting early in big numbers also becomes a very public affirmation that our democracy and election system is working as intended, which creates a greater incentive for people to vote and makes it far harder for the Republicans to cheat, disrupt or contest the election.

Andrew Feinstein, renowned anti-arms trade campaigner and former Mandela ally, runs against Starmer, condemning his "authoritarian" leadership and stance on Israel. Watch the explosive interview with Lowkey here.

The post Election Bombshell: Keir Starmer Faces Unexpected Challenge from Veteran Activist Andrew Feinstein appeared first on MintPress News.

Corporate profits have received much more scrutiny in recent years. High inflation provoked on-going debates about the role of profit margins with terms like “greedflation” and “price gouging” levelled at corporations. People recognized that, at minimum, corporations are profiting from inflation. Analysis of 4,550 publicly-listed corporations found that 33% had record operating profits in 2021 or 2022.[1] Further, corporations with [...]

The academic year that just ended left America’s college campuses in quite a state: with snipers on the rooftops and checkpoints at the gates; quads overrun by riot squads, state troopers, and federal agents; and even the scent of gunpowder in the air. In short, in the spring semester of 2024, many of our campuses came to resemble armed camps. What’s more, alongside such brute displays of force, there have been congressional inquisitions into constitutionally protected speech; federal investigations into the movement for divestment; and students suspended, evicted, and expelled, not to speak of faculty disciplined or simply dismissed. Welcome to Repress U., class of 2024: a homeland security campus for the ages. But don’t think it all only happened... Read more

Source: Repress U., Class of 2024 appeared first on TomDispatch.com.

Judgment’s coming There’s no telling what the Manhattan jury in the Donald Trump falsified records trial will do. Summations are due to start today. Right-wing media outlets claim there is no there there. Leftier services make it clear that the evidence against Trump is solid. Neither set of pundits gets a vote in the jury room. CNN‘s Stephen Collinson: The summations mark the climax of a trial that started more than a month ago. They are expected to last all day Tuesday and could stretch into the following day. After Judge Juan Merchan instructs jurors on the law, Trump and the rest of the country will be held in suspense to see whether he will become the first ex-president and presumptive GOP nominee to be convicted of a crime after allegedly falsifying financial records to hide a hush money payment to an adult film star in 2016. The verdict will reverberate far beyond the courtroom and Trump’s personal life since the case has become intertwined with his bid to reclaim the White House. The stakes are especially high since this is likely to be the only one of four pending criminal trials expected to go to a jury before November’s election.

Open Rights Group has welcomed the announcement that the Data Protection and Digital Information (DPDI) Bill will be dropped as a result of the dissolution of parliament prior to the General Election. Executive Director Jim Killock said: “The DPDI Bill contained many dangerous proposals that would have harmed the data protection rights of people in […]

I can tell what you’re all thinking. Those guys in the other locker room are bigger than us. Stronger. Faster. Hell, they even got prettier cheerleaders. Moms who bake better cookies. Uncles who’re more conscious of their prejudices and are doing the work to listen and learn.

But you know what we got that they don’t? The thing that’s gonna turn this game in our favor?

Anyone? Because I’m stumped. And without some secret weapon up our sleeve—or an injury so tragic that it results in immediate cancellation and, later, a candlelit vigil—I’m positive we’re gonna get demolished.

Here’s a metaphor. There’s an elderly person you’ve known for years.  Not a close relative, no, but someone whose career you’ve followed.  You feel tremendous respect for them, maybe some affection. They’re getting old and frail, but they’ve kept active.  Now and then you might see an article or something, and you’ll think, huh: still […]

In today's BCTV Daily Dispatch: IWTV, The Acolyte, Doctor Who, The Big Bang Theory, True Detective, FUBAR, Star Trek: Discovery, and more!

The people and companies behind the controversial hydrogen lobby winning tens of millions in funding - including one key player also making huge donations to Conservatives

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, I worked as a Test Operative for a French food services and management delivery company contracted by the Conservative government to deliver mass virus testing at public expense. In car parks around Greater Manchester, I put swabs up noses and down throats. When the shifts were busy — […]

This will be the MP's third appearance at the conference and comes after Liz Truss was heavily criticised for her interview with Bannon

In their new book The Wolves of K Street, Brody and Luke Mullins explore how corporate power came to dominate American politics.

Adam Crozier came close to losing his job at The Telegraph in 1987 after changing advertising records to "enhance" his reputation

Scientists are studying the dreamlike states produced by anaesthesia – and their potential benefits for people with PTSD

- by Shayla Love

Read at Psyche

Margaret Cavendish’s boldness and bravery set 17th-century society alight, but is she a feminist poster-girl for our times?

- by Francesca Peacock

Read at Aeon

Alton School is closing due to a "continued decline in pupil numbers" and years of financial challenges, yet the closure is being reported in connection with Labour plans to introduce a 20% VAT levy on private school fees