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Wednesday 27 May 2026 Good day to all. If you value this blog and its daily newsfeed, please consider making a donation to sustain it at the Paypal button, Bitcoin or Bitcoin Cash links to the side of this post. If you wish to donate in another manner, please write to me at wendyATwendymcelroy.com. Your contribution will be well used and greatly appreciated. Thank you!...especially to those who have supported this blog for so long and so staunchly. ![]() ![]() From Victory Girls Blog: Can Spencer Pratt Get Elected In Los Angeles? The Los Angeles mayoral race is now in viral territory thanks to Spencer Pratt, and Democrats have no clue how to stop him. [Ed: I think he will be elected.] From Fast Company: Dog Complex: Analyzing Freud’s Relationship With His Pets. For all of his work interpreting human consciousness, the famed psychologist rarely delved into our obsession with pets. AI and the Pope. From Reuters: Pope Leo Makes Plea to the World on AI. Pontiff's first papal encyclical draws comparison to the Tower of Babel. [Ed: calling for more gov. regulation. This Pope really oversteps his job description.] From Politico: Silicon Valley takes its AI pitch to the pope. As Leo XIV prepares his first encyclical, technology firms and Western diplomats have worked to make their case inside the Vatican. From Zero Hedge: Brussels Eyes Wealth Taxes As Europe’s Fiscal Crisis Spirals. "Brussels is lending support to advocates of a wealth tax with a half-baked study. Capital gains, private wealth, and even emigrants are now falling onto the radar of the European tax authorities." From Video Rebel's Blog: The War in the Mideast is Over If We Want It. [Ed: I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this analysis, but it is certainly interesting.] Ebola. From the Guardian: Ebola Outbreak Is Becoming 'Overwhelming'. Conflict, underfunded clinics hinder response in Congo. [Ed: as I mentioned yesterday, this would cause patients to flee into the general population and other to think twice about going in the first place.] From Zero Hedge: CDC Adds Another Airport For Screening Of Travelers Who Might Have Ebola. People traveling from Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan can go to Atlanta or Houston, in addition to Virginia... From Reason: Ayn Rand Is Alive in Ankara. Objectivism in Turkey has risen and fallen in recent decades, but is newly rejuvenated. [Ed: this delights me.] Graham Platner. From the New York Post: Lefty Senate candidate Graham Platner makes unthinkable gaffe, flubs Bernie Sanders’ name twice in fiery ‘Fight the Oligarchy’ rally. [Ed: called him Standers.] From Mediaite: Red Sox Network Pulls Graham Platner Ad From Airwaves [Ed: bashes team ownership in the spot.] From WFIN: Platner doesn’t apologize to Purple Heart recipient, voters when confronted on post mocking soldier. [Ed: I don't think this fellow will be elected. The Dems should not be backing him.] From Indian Express: Pregnant dog saves people from fire at Russian health centre, suffers severe burns in the process. The dog, Matilda, barked loudly to alert the four residents, who were evacuated in the nick of time from the burning wooden building by firefighters and taken away in ambulances. Coming Elections. From AP: Paxton Scores Huge Win in Texas. He easily defeats Sen. John Cornyn in GOP primary after Trump endorsement. [Ed: it chokes me to admit it, but...the power of a Trump endorsement.] AI. From Tony Seruga on X: How The Deep State Weaponizes AI To Control The Narrative. No more paper trails, subpoenas, or exposed biases - just seamless manipulation... [Ed: well, this also benefits the individual who wants privacy.] Crypto & Digital Currency & Fiat. From the International Man: The Iran War Could Trigger Gold's Return as Money. AND Fear Is Not an Investment Strategy [Ed: Doug and his associates are the most savvy source of finance info around, IMO.] From Thomas Kolbe: The Digital Euro As Europe's Backdoor Capital Control System. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel dismissed criticism and concerns surrounding the digital euro. [Ed: it is important to know the difference between crypto (freedom) and digital currency (possible state control).] From Reuters: SCOTUS Delivers Big Setback to Meta. Court says Vermont's social media addiction lawsuit against company can proceed. From Paw Nations: Adorable Pekingese Is ‘Employee of the Month’ at This UK Shop, and We Can See Why Iran War. From Zero Hedge: Iran Vows 'Swift, Decisive' Revenge After Overnight US Port Attack, As Sides Seek Deal Allowing Each To 'Sell Their Narrative'. ...while Rubio signals optimism on peace deal in 'days'. From Common Dreams: 'Giant Turd': Progressive Dems Continue To Rage At DNC 2024 Autopsy. Never once do they stop & ask whether the thing they're selling is bullshit... Now if only the dogs were piddling on it... ![]() Tuesday 26 May 2026 And, yet, they never consider eliminating welfare programs ![]() ![]() From the Epoch Times: With Commercial Real Estate Still Challenging, Lenders Offload Troubled Loans At A Loss. Many lenders don’t want to foreclose because they don’t want to become landlords, according to a corporate real estate adviser. From YouTube: Strong Until the Vet Touches Him. [Ed: really funny.] Everyday Economics. From Real Clear Markets: My Retirement Accounts Fail In The World I Actually Live In. [Ed: a must read. The system of Accredited Investors also shuts individuals who not already wealthy from participating in most stock opportunities.] From Zero Hedge: $150 Humanoid Robot House Cleaning Service Threatens To Undercut Maid Services. "Called "Gatsby," the new service deploys humanoid robots to homes for a flat service charge of $150." [Ed: soon, buying the cleaning robots will be within reach.] From the Washington Times: Oil prices dip as markets anticipate potential U.S.-Iran peace deal Ukraine-Russia. From Dances With Bears: This is How President Vladimir Putin Answers the Questions on Every Russian Voter's Mind in the Election Campaign--Why Count on Trump Bribes to Finish the War When Zelensky Bribes Keep the War Going? [Ed: Helmer always has fascinating insights into Russian opinions and political trends.] From BBC: Russia: We Told Rubio to Get Americans Out of Kyiv. Moscow vows fresh strikes on 'decision-making centers' in the capital From Peta Pixel: Photographer Spends Night on Freezing Mountain to Capture Rare Triple Galaxy Arch [Ed: hat tip to my good friend Phyllis. Incredible photograph.] From the Daily Economy: What Hayek Tells Us About the Limits of War Planning. F.A. Hayek’s insights challenge the idea of rational war: outcomes depend on dispersed, tacit knowledge no planner can fully access or control. AI. From the Epoch Times: Two Billboards In New York Capture The Conflict Of Our Time From Politico: What to know about the AI models that are jolting Washington. Researchers who have tested Anthropic’s Mythos and OpenAI’s GPT-5.5 say their hacking capabilities are a “game-changer.” [Ed: this and war applications are the most dangerous aspect of AI, in my opinion.] From Medium: The Entire AI Boom Might be Built on Fake Revenue. [Ed: no, but far too much of it is.] From Wired: A Hacker Group Is Poisoning Open Source Code at an Unprecedented Scale. User-friendly archive here. [Ed: hat tip to Brad who comments, Yikes. Now *this* is a cyberattack that worries me.] From the Good News Network: Dog Saved from Pound Rescuers New Owner from House Fire: ‘A genuine treasure’ From Bearing Arms: Minnesota Dems Melt Down After Gun Ban Vote Fails. [Ed: "melt down" is not too strong a term.] AND Why Gun Control Is a Bad Issue for Democrats To Focus On. From the Babylon Bee: 'I Am Your Father,' Reveals Trump To Horrified Mark Hamill Iran. From Zero Hedge: Iran Says U.S. Peace Talks Hit "Consensus" On Many Issues, But No Final Deal Yet. "It is true that a consensus was reached on many of the topics discussed..." From Son of the New American Revolution: 250,000,000 Reasons Why Trump is Backing Away From a Deal with Iran. From antiwar: Sen. Lindsey Graham Backs Trump’s Suggestion To Tie Any Iran Deal To Expanding Abraham Accords From Zero Hedge: US Launches "Self-Defense Strikes" Near Hormuz, Killing Several Iranian Personnel. "U.S. Central Command continues to defend our forces while using restraint during the ongoing ceasefire" From CBS News: Here's what the draft memo for a proposed deal with Iran includes. [Ed: important enough to stand alone.] Garden Grove Chemical Threat. From USA Today: Chemical tank no longer at risk of exploding, California official says "A cracked tank at GKN Aerospace's Garden Grove facility containing 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate forced the evacuation of about 40,000 residents..." From Los Angeles Times: Garden Grove chemical crisis: Live evacuation maps, closures and updates. From Cato Institute: DHS Quits Granting Green Cards—Almost Entirely. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Friday that it will cease granting green card applications except in extraordinary circumstances." From the Mises Institute: Mises’s Theory of Nations Applied to Immigration and Borders Ebola. From Al Jazeera: Attacks on Ebola centres intensify in eastern DRC amid outbreak fears. [Ed: the attacks make people who are suspected of infection flee into the population and discourages people from using the centers in the first place.] From Medical Express: Ebola outbreak in the DRC: Four reasons it will be hard to contain. From Daily Economy: Exit Taxes Won’t Save Failing States. Some state lawmakers are focused on making leaving costly, while ignoring the reforms that could make staying attractive. From Pupvine: Missouri Woman Picked Up Her Dog From The Groomer Then Realized It Was Not Oscar Fraud. From the New York Post: Whistleblower on Minnesota COVID fraud demands Rep. Ilhan Omar testify on $250M scheme. AND AG Letitia James has some explaining to do on Medicaid. From MSN: White House freezes $1.3B Medicaid funds to California over fraud claims. Largest Medicaid deferral: The administration withheld $1.3 billion from California’s home care program, calling it the biggest Medicaid funding deferral ever over fraud concerns. [Ed: uncovering and preventing fraud is a powerful election issue for the GOP.] AND US government overpaid welfare and Medicare recipients by $186 billion last year after a shocking surge From the Epoch Times: Trump Indicates He'll Sign Bill Making Daylight Saving Time Permanent. The president said the move could be a ‘very nice’ victory for the GOP. The Media. From Zero Hedge: Colbert Blames Trump, But Massive Profit Losses Killed His Show. Stephen Colbert thought that becoming a propaganda machine for the far-left establishment would protect him, but Hollywood still loves money... "Colbert's show was losing around $50 million per year. His bloated production crew of 200 people and ludicrous salary of $20 million per season created an annual filming cost of over $100 million." From Mediaite: CBS Stops Its Copyright Claims on Stephen Colbert’s Special Public Access Show After Heavy Backlash — Allowing it to Be Freely Shared Online From Mediaite: Graham Platner Declines to Apologize for Celebrating Video of American Soldier Being Shot [Ed: Graham Platner is the presumptive Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Maine. Susan Collins must be happy, even tho she is still polling behind.] From the BBC: How Pickles the dog found the World Cup trophy ![]() Monday 25 May 2026 I highly recommend Gene Sharp's 3-vol work, The Politics of Nonviolent Action. ![]() ![]() Russia-Ukraine. From Naked Captalism: Russia Launches Largest Missile Attack Against Kiev of War [Ed: probably n retaliation to Ukraine's attack on a school dormitory, which killed 21 people the last I checked.] From the Guardian: Russia Uses Oreshnik Missile in Pounding Overnight Barrage. Ukrainians watch homes burn in attack that reportedly killed 4, injured 80. From Daily BB News: That Sunday, when Graham headed to the woods for one of his regular walks.... Space X and Space. From Universe Today: SpaceX’s Next-Gen Starship Passes Its First Flight Test Despite Snags. [Ed: I have not watched the videos available on this launch but Brad tells me they are spectacular.] From Portfolio Armor: Trading Spaces. "Space names soar as SpaceX gets ready to IPO, just like we told you they would." From Phys.org: China set for latest space launch, with Hong Kong astronaut aboard. Cuba. From Scheer Post: Tens of Thousands Rally in Havana Against US Aggression as Cuba Prepares Citizens for War From Lew Rockwell: Nobody Sincerely Believes Cuba Threatens the United States From Jonathan Turley: The Spanberger Flea Circus: Virginia Governor Signs Anti-Ice Executive Order Devoid of Meaning. [Ed: Dem states v. GOP Feds.] Israel. From Andolu Agency: Israel pounds Gaza, Lebanon in daily breaches of ceasefires. "Tel Aviv's latest breaches of ceasefire injure 2 in Gaza Strip, kill at least 5 in Lebanon."[Ed: and, in response...] From DW: Cheap attack drones break through Israel’s Iron Dome. [Ed: drones have changed the face of war, and not for the better. But, then, war rarely changes for the better.] From Scheer Post: “I Am a Jew”: Jeffrey Wernick’s Moral Reckoning With Netanyahu’s Israel. "Invoking the words of Jewish prophets, Ahad Ha’am, Martin Buber, Albert Einstein, and Hannah Arendt, Jeffrey Wernick delivers a blistering moral indictment of the Israeli state’s transformation from refuge to domination — and warns that silence in the face of injustice is complicity. [Ed: a must read. Transcript of the YouTube included.] From Al Jazeera: France bans far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir over abuse of activists From singularity hub: Data Centers Now Consume 6% of US Electricity—and the Backlash Has Begun. "Strong opposition kicks in when data center demand surpasses 5% of a country's power supply." Privacy. From KFOR News 4: Disney sued over facial recognition at parks. From Clean Technica: Mozilla Foundation Condemns Data Collection By Cars From International Economic Law and Policy Blog: Guest Post: The Role of GATT Article XII in Interpreting and Applying Section 122. [Ed: article argues that the statutory provision used recent tariffs does not, in fact, support those tariffs.] Everyday Finances. From the Epoch Times: Zombie Home Foreclosure Numbers Increase In 38 US States. Georgia had the largest quarterly increase in such properties, followed by North Carolina and Indiana. From Mish Talk: Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Hit a Four-Year High, and Headed Up. [Ed: if there is an Iran deal and the Strait opens up, then this price will go down.] From Reason: Abigail Spanberger Vetoes Mandatory Collective Bargaining, Defying Virginia Unions. The surprising move saves taxpayers from a steep bill—for now. Redistricting, From AP News: Democrats vow a redistricting counterpunch but are facing hurdles Republicans don’t. From the State: SC Senate pushes redistricting debate to after start of in-person early voting. [Ed: SC is hardly alone in rushing toward redistricting ASAP.] From Dogman Ray: Just another rescue? Iran. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: – Pushing The Can Down The Road (Again)? [Ed: Trump knows he must get out of this war well before the midterms.] From Zero Hedge: Rubio Hints At US-Iran News "Later Today" As Talks To Reopen Hormuz Gain Steam. [Ed: Later today referred to Sunday.] From Mish Talk: Trump Announces an Iran Deal that Appears to Be a Complete Capitulation. [Ed: this is my read.] From the New York Post: Iran agrees to give up ‘nuclear dust’ stockpile in deal with Trump: report Increasing Calls for Violence. From Campus Reform: Hakeem Jeffries’ brother invokes John Brown's violence while discussing white supremacy 'in the White House'. Hasan Kwame Jeffries promotes John Brown’s philosophy of violence against white supremacy. [Ed: Dems now want violence, and they are not subtle about doing so.] From the Washington Examiner: Democrats don’t want to talk about their growing terrorist-supporting wing From the Victory Girls Blog: Jeffries Tries to Define What is/is not Acceptable anti-Semitism in Democrat Party From Doog Lovers: The Surprising Moment a Stray Puppy Found Refuge in a Nativity Scene AI. From Phys.org: New AI system uses cameras and thermal sensors to steer ships clear of gray whales in the San Francisco Bay. From Futurism: Barnes and Noble CEO Says Sure, Why Not Sell AI-Generated Books and Set Our Reputation On Fire? "I have actually no problem selling any book." From Zero Hedge: Newsom Declares Emergency In Orange County; EPA Head Says Chemical Tank Will "Likely Fail". “We’re being told that the tank will fail, but there are different scenarios as to what that means, the most catastrophic scenario being an explosion that results in other tanks to explode..." ![]() Wednesday 13 May 2026 This cartoon pretty much captures it. I don't think the GOP would have used redistricting as a strategy until/unless the Dems so aggressively and dishonestly pursued it in Virginia. How the hell did they think it would not backfire? They violated the clear wording of Virginia's state Constitution and outraged at least 1/2 the state's population. ![]() Redistricting. From Charleston City Paper: S.C. GOP divided over risks of redrawing congressional districts. From the Epoch Times: Jeffries Calls On Half-Dozen Democratic States To Start 'Aggressive' Redistricting. ...panic mode? [Ed: NY, NJ, CO, Oregon, MD., ILL.] From IHeartDogs: Army Veteran “Gets His Life Back,” Thanks To His Service Dog & iHeartDogs Starmer. From CNBC: UK MPs are turning on PM Starmer — Now analysts say he's unlikely to last the year. From Anadolu Agency: British Premier Starmer faces revolt as first minister quits, Labour MPs demand exit timeline. More than 70 Labour MPs urge Starmer to resign or set out plans to step down after local election losses. [Ed: as I write this, itis now more than 80.] From Jonathan Turley: Socialist Storytime: AOC Spins Anti-Capitalist Fable About the Founders AND “You Just Can’t Earn a Billion Dollars”: AOC Declares Billionaires to be a Capitalist Myth. [Ed: and so people like Musk have not earned their money and it is proper to take it away from them. Dangerous BS.] Iran War. From Zero Hedge: UAE Secretly Carried Out Attacks On Iran, Making It An Active Combatant. Reportedly happened in early April, just before Trump announced a ceasefire... [Ed: the ceasefire is a political PR farce. 'tho I am sure Trump is not happy to be entangled in this war.] From Middle East Eye: War on Iran: Senior royal says Saudi Arabia avoided Israeli plan to 'plunge region into ruin'. Prince Turki al-Faisal wrote that had Israel succeeded, thousands of Saudis would have 'been lost in a battle in which we had no stake'. From Consortium News: An Armed Robbery of the World’s Energy Supply. From Bearing Witness: Starving Gaza. Two and a half years since the war on Gaza began, life is far from returning to normal. World Food Programme data and evidence from the ground show that access to food remains severely limited. Isn't the war over? And how did we get here? [Ed: a terrible read. But a must read.] Affordable Housing Act. From Affordable Housing Finance: Survey: Voters Want Congress to Pass Housing Plan From NOTUS: Trump Pushes House Republicans to Change Their Minds on a Senate Housing Bill. The package has been stalled on the House side for several weeks. From Reason: Why the Bipartisan War on Housing Investors Won't Make Housing More Affordable. Politicians on the left and right are increasingly blaming large investors for raising home prices. Here's why they're wrong. [Ed: read this as an antidote to the preceding 2 articles.] From People: Boston Man Jumps Into Chilly Charles River to Save His Geese-Chasing Goldendoodle from Drowning. Real estate agent Hans Nagrath said the near-freezing waters tired him out quickly, but he still got Benny the dog safely to shore Food. From Stimson: Sudan: How One of the Most Severe Humanitarian Crises Became Marginalized in the Global System. From Sky: How the Iran war is impacting food production lines across Europe. "The war in Iran has already affected flights and the cost of fuel, but it could soon affect food prices too." From the Independent: California Farmers to Destroy 420,000 Peach Trees After Del Monte Collapses. [Ed: this is a terrible destruction of wealth.] From DailyBB News: Viral Treat Box Keeps Beloved Dog’s Memory Alive in Newport Beach Trump and Xi. From CNBC: Trump invites Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Larry Fink and other CEOs to join China trip for Xi summit. Ukraine-Russia. From Dances with Bears: Capitals Uncovered Episode 95 Presents the Evidence that President Putin Didn't Say the Ukraine War is Coming to an End. Plus the Evidence that He and Xi Have Gone Soft Together on Trump's Permanent Warfighting Goals. [Ed: a must read.] From the Babylon Bee: 'I Am Your Father,' Reveals Trump To Horrified Mark Hamill AI. From Zero Hedge: 'Could Resonate Globally': Korea Sparks Market Chaos With 'AI Tax' Threat. ...gives me pause about the fragility building into this rally. [Ed: dangerous to tax one of the few engines of growth in the world.] From the Walrus: I Spent Months with an AI Companion. It Was Worse than Being Alone. I hated the mindless reassurance and generic empathy. From Kotaku: Graduation Speaker Looks Completely Shocked When Students Loudly Boo AI. The University of Central Florida commencement speaker didn't know how to read the room. [Ed: I am much more positive about AI...but, then, I hear my generation is.] From the Daily Signal: House Oversight Committee Asks Ethics Committee to Probe Ilhan Omar From Greater Good: Rescuer Arrives For Four Abandoned Dogs And Finds Thirteen Lives Fighting To Survive In The Orchard Go to page >> | |||||
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