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Anniversary of Charlie Kirk's assassination on September 10, 2025.

From Economic Affairs: In defence of small freedoms. Apologists should stop defending government intervention on the grounds of its supposed triviality. [Ed: excellent points.]

From Lovely Animal World: Mom Set Up Camera When Teddy Bear Keeps Disappearing and Captured The Footage.

AI. From Politico.EU: ‘Gambling with our lives’: AI researcher quits Anthropic with dire warning about safety. “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade,” staffer says in resignation post after leaving the tech giant. [Ed: I tend to think this is hysteria but that doesn't mean the reaction should be dismissed. It might raise good questions.] From QTR Fringe Finance: We May Only Get One Chance To Stop AI. A departing AI researcher warns AI could leave humanity with no way to regain control...and he's right. [Ed: I wish I did not respect QTR's opinion, but I do...generally.] From Slashdot: AI Solved the "Navier-Stokes" math problem.

From Reason: A SCOTUS Petition Argues That the Second Amendment Requires Carry-Permit Reciprocity. Meanwhile, the top court of Massachusetts considers whether the state can deny carry permits to applicants who are deemed "unsuitable." [Ed: interesting argument. It has a chance of prevailing.]

Iran. From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Iran Hits US Bases and Targets Vessels After Tanker Strikes, Pushing Oil Over $100 a Barrel; Ansar Allah-Saudi Conflict Intensifies; UK Leads 12 Nations West Bank Settlement Sanctions.

From the Post Millennial: Hunter Biden reveals new moneymaking scheme: run for president. Hunter Biden, who previously expressed interest in being Gavin Newsom's running mate, may have his sights set on a bigger prize after wooing a billionaire supermarket mogul. [Ed: well, if there is $ in it for the Biden-redux, then I'm beginning to believe he'll run.] From Zero Hedge: Hunter Biden's LAPTOP Memecoin Crashes 99% In First Hour After Launch... The token, which we previewed here, issued on Ethereum layer-2 network Base, traded below $2.00, after opening at $199.50, according to CoinGecko data. [Ed: lovely.]

U.S.-Canada. From CBC: U.S. to block import of Canadian motorcycles, most alcohol in retaliation against counter-tariffs. New bans set to take effect on Sept. 29 as tit-for-tat trade war escalates. [Ed: ban on dairy goods as well. Plus more Canadian goods added to the 50% tariff list.] From American Thinker: The Great Tariff Mystery. "But none of that rescues the proposition that tariffs somehow make Americans richer by making imported goods more expensive." When taxing an imported product begins creating politically uncomfortable consequences, the solution repeatedly turns out to be…taxing it less. From Platypus Economics: A Deal With the United States Used to Be a Deal. The tariffs Ottawa and Washington traded today are small change. What we're actually spending is Canada's belief that we're a country worth building a factory next to. [Ed: a must read.]

From 12Tomatoes: Hero Dog Saves Injured Hiker By Keeping Him Warm Until Help Arrives

Israel. From Haaretz: Netanyahu Denies Oct. 7 Warning Call, Plans Libel Suit. Israeli leader denies he got call from UAE president on Hamas attack, preps complaint against Haaretz Benjamin Netanyahu is turning to the courts over one of the most explosive questions surrounding the Oct. 7 attack: what he knew, and when... From Middle East Eye: US Officials Threaten Retaliation Against UK Over Israeli Settlements Sanctions. US government also privately urging UK government not to go ahead with the ban...

From AP: For First Time Since 9/11, an Old Airport Tradition Returns. TSA brings back gate access for some people without plane tickets 25 years after attacks. "The program, called Gateside by TSA PreCheck..." [Ed: don't get excited. It may be just another way for gov. to get your personal data.]

Fraud in Various Forms. From India Express: US suspends Cognizant’s Green Card filings: What it means for Indian workers. The Chennai-founded IT major has been barred from filing new PERM applications as US authorities investigate alleged fraud in employment visa programmes.

From Reason: Why Conservative Republicans Are Worried About License Plate Cameras. Recent comments by Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis reflect a bipartisan backlash against warrantless surveillance.

DSA. From the New York Post: Abdul El-Sayed condemned US response to 9/11 that ‘scarred millions’ in resurfaced podcast comments. [Ed: whether or not you agree with some of his comments, they will definitely hurt him in the election, if fairly counted.]

Mamdani. From the Red State: Mamdani Blindsided by Fresh Lawsuit — The NYC Mayor Now Has to Fight in Federal Court. "The National Supermarket Association and two of its members – City Fresh Market in Harlem and C-Town Supermarket in the Bronx – are taking the mayor to court for violating antitrust laws." From Naked Capitalism: On Labor Day, Mamdani Debuts ‘Worker Power’ Office to Support Union Organizing. [Ed: it is gov. support, including money, that makes the Teachers' Union so darned powerful.]

Germany. From Politico.EU: German far right’s ‘remigration’ plans amount to ethnic cleansing, says Merz. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s comments come days after the AfD won a landslide election victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. [Ed: remigration would lead to violence, especially in the big cities where AfD is not as popular.] From Newsmax: Germany's AfD Is Not 'Far Right [Ed: true. It shares certain characteristics, like nationalism, but "far" right is being used as a smear and a scare tactic.]

From the Greater Good: Family Looks Up and Finds Their Rescue Dog Standing on a Neighbor’s Roof

Upcoming Election. From the Red State: Elon Musk Is Dusting Off One of Trump’s Most Lethal 2024 Attacks — Just in Time for the Midterms. [Ed: some races are close enough that this might tilt them.] From MS Now: Inside ‘Trumpapalooza,’ the midterm convention some Republicans would rather skip. The GOP’s midterm convention is a Trump show, and some of his candidates are staying home.

From Engadget: Google Will 'Degrade' Search In Europe to Avoid EU Fines. "These changes degrade the user experience for Europeans -- boosting online intermediaries at the expense of local businesses, and removing helpful features people rely on every day," said Nick Fox, senior vice-president of knowledge and information at Google.

Big Picture Economics. From Zero Hedge: Futures Slide As Brent Tops $100, 10Y Yields Rise Above 4.81% Ahead Of Expanded Treasury Buyback. “The risks to equity markets continue to pile up as the discount rate which they face gets higher and higher and higher. The question is to what extent can continued AI earnings growth continue to push equity markets onward.”

From Wamiz: Hiker searches mountains for lost dog, only to find him waiting patiently in the car park

From Reuters: Musk's America PAC plans $100 million-plus effort to boost Republican turnout, NYT reports. [Ed: 1st funds are scheduled to be released.]

From Schiff Sovereign: The Candlestick Makers Are Back, and This Time They’re Not Joking. [Ed: contains my favorite Bastiat anecdote.]

From the Good News Network: 12 Golden Puppies in One Litter Reunite With Mom On First Birthday: ‘It turned into a real extended family’

Russia. From Andrew Korybko: Lavrov Shared Some Interesting Tidbits About Russian Policy In His Recent Interview. [Ed: as I've said before, Lavrov is the sharpest political observer around.] From AP: Russia Orders Closure of German Consulate. Moscow says it's payback for 'unfriendly' German move. [Ed: the world seems like it is shutting down. Thanks, Trump. And not only him, I know.] From First Post: Russia threatens ‘harsh and painful’ retaliation after Hungary expels 10 diplomats. Budapest said the expulsions were linked to activities incompatible with diplomatic status as PM Peter Magyar’s government signals a shift in ties with Moscow. [Ed: the second Cold War is in full swing.]

U.S.=Canada Trade. From CBC: Trump to Canadian plane maker Bombardier: You can't sell in U.S. unless you build in U.S. President's social media post comes amid Canada's counter-tariff plans, broken trade talks. [Ed: Canada's counter tariffs went into effect last night at midnight.] From Big Go Finance: Trump Orders Canadian Goods Pulled From $50 Billion Federal Procurement Program.

From Zero Hedge: Rise Of The Machines: China's Military Prepares Humanoid Robots For Combat. "China's defense establishment is accelerating research into humanoids' military uses and planning for their eventual wartime deployment..."

Macron's Space Summit. From the Cradle: White House pressures US firms to skip Paris space summit. "The Paris summit comes as Europe looks to lessen its dependence on the US space industry." [Ed: yes, Trump has a shuttle up his butt over this one.] From Reuters: Macron summit to seek boost for European space despite no-shows. [Ed: on Wednesday and Thursday in Paris.]

From the Good News Network: Stuck in Debt, Single Mom Pays Off $25K in 5 Months by Decluttering 410 Items. [Ed: a good role model.]

From the Daily Sceptic: Greenland's Icecap Grew This Year. Greenland's icecap is doing just fine... It's still much larger than it has been for most of the last 10,000 years and if it is shrinking at all, it is doing so no faster than a century ago. [Ed: I hope the climate change hysteria has reached a tipping point. I hope...]

From Faith Pot: Dog Knocks on Neighbor’s Door Every Day to See Her Best Friend and Brings a Whole Neighborhood Together

From Zero Hedge: UBS Calls Brazil Election "Extremely Close" - Bolsonaro Win Would Cement LatAm's Political Shift. "The second round appears even tighter. Lula currently polls at 49.6% of voting intentions versus 50.4% for Flávio." [Ed: the recent corruption scandal with his family is really hurting Lula. Bolsonaro would be quite an ally for Trump.]

Water. From LeMonde: Water is at heart of economic tensions between Mexico and the US. "Mexico had no choice but to give up part of the water from the San Juan River, which was supposed to supply the city of Monterrey, the country's second-largest city with 5.4 million residents." From Climate Central: As the Colorado River Shrinks, States Prepare for a Future With Less Water. [Ed: expect there to be intrastate water wars as well as national ones. Informative.] From 2OceansVive: Cape Town water crisis fears as City warns of restrictions within weeks. [Ed: this is a global problem that is crisis-adjacent.]

Israel. From First Post: Israel shuts British Consulate in Jerusalem, announces countermeasures over UK sanctions. The move comes after London announced sanctions targeting West Bank settlements, with Israel accusing the UK of escalating its anti-Israel stance.

Cost of Living. From the Guardian: Deadly escalation in Black Sea attacks prompts fears of even higher food prices. [Ed: stock up, if you can. If you haven't already.] From the Daily Sabah: Extreme poverty grips 94% of Cubans as food crisis deepens: Report

From Doog Lovers: How a Courageous Rescue Dog Named Kane Saved His 86-Year-Old Owner from a Frightening Attack in Manchester

Ukraine. From Moon of Alabama: The ‘Longstanding Tradition’ of Defense Corruption in Ukraine. [Ed: The Ukraine War is a scam run by elites who are running out of cannon fodder.]. From the Libertarian Institute: All That’s Wrong In Ukraine.

Debts Must Be Paid. From Prepp Group: The Reckoning of 2028: Civilization’s Ledger Is Bleeding Red, and the Global Economy Is Closer to Collapse Than Anyone Wants to Admit. [Ed: a must read. And, yes, Japan is the nation to watch.] From Euroactiv: Not Japan or the US: France risks becoming the next debt crisis. [Ed: I'm still watching Japan.]

Migration-Immigration. From Politico.EU: Ceuta crisis forces Europe’s migrant-rights groups to rethink their playbook. The old appeals to solidarity are no longer working.

From the Daily Economy: When Government Separates Choices from Consequences. From tariffs to “free” public services, government policies routinely transfer the costs and consequences of individual choices onto someone else. [Ed: by the excellent Donald Boudreaux.]

Kirkaversary. From Post Millennial: Leftist TikTokers mock Charlie Kirk killing, make 'playlists' and 'baskets' for 'Kirkaversary'. [Ed: I don't think they realize how politically alienating this is to 95% of the people. Yah! I want to vote and party with sadist blood-thirsty ghouls! And, no, I'm not a Kirk person...tho' I was appalled by his murder.] AND UC Irvine prof says someone should 'do the funniest thing' as Nick Shirley speaks at Harvard 'before the Kirkiversary'.

Oil. From Reuters: Strikes in Saudi Arabia Seen as Major Escalation. Expect energy prices to keep climbing after Iran-allied Houthis struck Saudi oil sites. [Ed: crude prices climbed back near $100 a barrel on Tuesday morning.] From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Iran Working to Speed Retaliation Tempo as It Fires on Tankers, at US Warships and Ansar Allah Escalates Against Saudi Oil Facilities; Brent Flirts With $100 as Trump Hand Waves. [Ed: they key word is "escalates".]

From Jonathan Turley: “You Better Get Ready for … War”: Socialists Call for “War in the Streets” and the End of Capitalism. [Ed: good news,..I'm down a gravel road in Canada. More good news...winter is coming and that's not the season of riots. Bad news...wow, will there be a statist backlash if it happens.]

From the Hill: Trump Shares Map With New Name for New Mexico. Democrats call 'New America' a distraction tactic. [Ed: I think the Dems are correct; Trump is trolling.] From Variety: South Park Gets a Trump-Style Renaming. Creators satirize Trump's America-first renaming push in new season [Ed: the show will now be called "South America".]

Germany. From the Telegraph: Volkswagen car plant to become Israeli weapons factory. [Ed: I'm not sure which side of the Looking Glass I'm on.]

From People: A Puppy Was Born Deaf. Then, Two Hearing Specialists Took Her In and Changed Her Life

Oh Canada. From Reason: If Canada is 'Ripping Off' the U.S., Why Is It Falling Behind? Americans have been widening the prosperity gap with our neighbors for years. [Ed: Canada is not ripping U.S. off. One of the items Trump bases this claim upon is the unrequested defense protection allegedly provided by the States, simply by Canada being in proximity. A hospital down the street may as well charge me health care simply for its existence. At least the hospital makes me safer, probably--a statement cannot make about U.S. defense and foreign policy.] From Zero Hedge: Canada's Tariff Strategy Designed To Interfere With U.S. Midterm Elections From Newser: Canada's Retaliatory Tariffs Will Kick in at Midnight. Carney's office says he's not planning to call Trump. [Ed: that's last night. They are in effect today.]

From Jonathan Turley: The Passing of Luna Turley. [Ed: his beloved Goldendoodle.]

Arctic Cold War. From Andrew Korybko: Norway’s Seizure Of A Russian Research Vessel Brings The New Cold War To The Arctic From EnergyNews.pro: Norway Seizes Russian Ship as Naftogaz Demands Forced Sale [Ed: Naftogaz is Ukrainian state-owned energy group.]

Tony Greenstein. From Cage International: Unanimous acquittal of Tony Greenstein affirms supporting Palestinian liberation is not a crime, [Ed: a bit dated, but this is the first I've heard of this intriguing UK trial.] From antiwar: How Britain Tried To Rig the Trial of a Genocide Opponent – and Lost. [Ed: the superior article.]

From the Mises Institute: Get your free copy of this month’s free book, Murray Rothbard’s Economic Depressions: Their Cause and Cure.

Yemen. From Al Mayadeen English: Saree: Continued Saudi aggression against Yemen will not go unpunished. Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Yahya Saree says Saudi Arabia will face consequences for its aggression, as Yemeni forces down a Saudi CH4 drone over al-Jawf and strike a military convoy at al-Wadi'a. From AFP: Toll from Yemen clashes passes 300 as civilians flee homes."...toll from days of fighting between government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels." [Ed: sounds like they are fleeing from their own gov.]

From Being Stray: A Pit Bull Story that Needs Repeating

AI Coming After Your Retirement Funds? From Gadget Review: Larry Fink Says U.S. Will Need Roughly $10 Trillion Over the Next Decade to Build Out AI Infrastructure. Fink forecast $10 trillion in AI infrastructure spending drawing on retirement savings — but never called it mandatory. [Ed: be forewarned. Be prepared.] From Moneywise: Larry Fink says Americans’ retirement savings need to fund $10 trillion AI infrastructure demands. Protect your wealth. [Ed: from early August to show that this discussion is not a slip of the lips but an ongoing discussion.]

From the Hill: Hunter Biden: ‘I may have to’ run for president in 2028. [Ed: oh please, oh please, it would be so much fun!]

From Naked Capitalism: Germany’s Long Winter Begins. [Ed: fascinating insight into the catastrophic lay-off of 50,000 workers by Volkswagon.]

Iran. From Zero Hedge: Iran To Draw New "Restricted Zone" In Hormuz As Saudi Aramco Facility Hit Again, Oil Climbs. Brent crude reaches 6-week high... "...expected to include maps of the new shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, likely to begin from where the US blockade of Iran starts and extending into areas of the Gulf."

From Garden and Gun: How a Lab Made Peace with a Lovestruck Siamese. A hunting dog adjusts to life in the city with two rowdy felines

From Mark Gerard Keenan Substack: The Green Energy Paradox: Saving Nature by Destroying It. "Now, apparently, we are going to save nature by digging up enormous quantities of it."

Germany. From the Gateway Pundit: HERE WE GO AGAIN: Germany’s AfD ROBBED of Victory as Mail-In Ballots Flip Results in Saxony-Anhalt. [Ed: I'd like a better source, but intriguing.] From Politico.EU: Musk celebrates, Tusk despairs: How the world reacted to the AfD’s election win. Love-in blossoms between the U.S. tech entrepreneur and the German far right. From Rabobank: Welcome To The World That Now Exists. We ended last week with the Dutch thinktank acknowledgement that "The world as we knew it no longer exists.” We start this week knowing many are going to be profoundly uncomfortable with the new world that replaces it...

All Things Ukraine. From Politico.EU: Poland’s anti-Ukrainian turn spills into violence. The number of crimes against Ukrainians in Poland is rising as right-wing Polish politicians ramp-up anti-Ukraine rhetoric. [Ed: several EU nations are closing their borders to Ukrainian migrants or otherwise turning hostile.] From Andrew Korybko: Why Won’t China Cut Ukraine Off From Drone-Related Sales?

Indonesia Volcanoes. From Intellinews: Indonesia on fire as four volcanoes erupt in 24 hours. From Fiji Village: Volcanic eruption leaves over 340,000 passengers stranded in Indonesia. [Ed: # of stranded varies from story to story but it is always a huge #.]

From Zero Hedge: 153 Million US And Canadian Driver’s Licenses Are Being Sold On A Russian Cybercrime Forum [Ed: no real defense against this, except checking mail, email, bills with a bit more suspicion.]

Israel. From Al Mayadeen English: 6 killed as IOF pound South Lebanon, destroy hospital, strike vehicles. Israeli occupation forces intensified attacks on southern Lebanon, pounding Nabatieh and surrounding areas, killing civilians, injuring journalists, and completely destroying Ghandour Hospital. From Biljana Vankovska: The Israelization of International Relations: A View from a Small Country. [Ed: I love these cultural glimpses behind the curtain.}

From Dog Time: Canine hero from Afghanistan nominated for Crufts honor.

German Saxony-Anhalt Elections: From Anadolu Agency: Germany's right-wing AfD set for victory in Saxony-Anhalt with record vote. Anti-immigrant AfD party set to win election with record 44% of vote in eastern state, as Chancellor Merz’s conservative CDU falls to historic low of 17.8%. [Ed: not clear whether another party will join in a coalition gov.] From the BBC: Germany's far-right AfD set for big win in eastern state, just short of majority.

From Euronews: Indonesia volcano erupts, cancelling hundreds of flights and stranding thousands

Tariffs. From Politico: Another potential headache for US data centers — Trump tariffs. The possibility of new duties is rattling the tech industry, which is already grappling with a shortage of high-end semiconductors. [Ed: could make development of data centers very difficult.]

From Garden and Gun: The Dog Who Lived Forever. How a long-lost companion became the stuff of legend

Lindsay Clancy Trial. From the Hill: When ‘12 Angry Men’ becomes one angry man. [Ed: by Jonathan Turley.] From Power Line: The Clancy Trial: Cultural Watershed, Legal Farce. [Ed: I give up. A mother murders 3 toddlers with her bare hands and she is the victim.]

From the Mises Institute: The Real Elites Vs. The Ruling Elites. Those who become "elites" through the initiation of violence, and through the looting of others, have always been frauds and imposters...

Ukraine-Russia. From Kyiv Post: Ukraine, US Plan Winter Aid and Post-War Guarantees in Kyiv. [Ed: according to Zelensky--pound of salt, here--the war will continue into winter with U.S. support.] From Naked Capitalism: The Newly Violent GUR-SBU Rivalry Is Ukraine’s Most Important Domestic Political Dynamic. [Ed: important.] From the Peacemaker: Schrödinger’s Russia and the Last Ukrainian. Propaganda watch with Kit Klarenberg

From Trending Politics: Massive Protests Erupt In Spain Following Illegal Alien Invasion. [Ed: this could topple far-left PM Sanchez, which would be a good thing.]

AR15s. From the SCOTUS blog: Court announces cases it will hear in December, including challenges to the constitutionality of bans on AR-15s. From Reason: Do You Have the Right To Possess an AR-15? The Supreme Court Will Soon Decide. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a pair of cases involving rifle restrictions imposed by Connecticut and Cook County, Illinois. [Ed: at the request of the Trump admin.] From Cato Institute: Viramontes v. Cook County Brief: The Second Amendment Protects AR-15s

From the Daily Mail: Extraordinary journey of the beloved dog with a deadly illness who walked 111 miles home after getting lost on the Appalachian Trail.

Big Picture Economics. From Macro Butler: The Sovereign Chain Gang. How every asset you own became handcuffed to a government promise. From Zero Hedge: Biggest 'Go Woke, Get Broke' Story Of A Generation: S&P Nukes Nike From Elite Blue-Chip Index.

From the Washington Examiner: Big Brother is going to college: The federal plan to track students for life. "In the name of making higher education more transparent, Congress is attempting to codify an unprecedented data-collection scheme. Instead of fixing our education system, it would be a disastrous, unnecessary breach of privacy."

From CNN: Without Charlie Kirk, Turning Point is building a future for his movement — and for JD Vance. [Ed: this could be a powerful boost to Vance's Presidential aspirations.]

Iceland. From the European Council on Foreign Relations: A no to the EU, not to Europe: What Icelanders actually voted on. "Icelanders voted no because of old, domestic reasons: fish, the currency and comfort with the status quo. The result was not a victory for the far-right—but the heated campaign is a warning sign for Icelandic political life." From Global Research: Iceland Was Right to Say No to the EU. From DW: NATO drills highlight Iceland's role in Arctic defense.

Climate Change...Again? From the National Review: Apocalypse Not: The World Is Not Going to End, Again. [Ed: on "the sky is falling" bill Gates.]

From Best Friends: Oklahoma shelter dog wins 5K race, gets adopted

From Cato Institute: President Trump’s 32nd Equity Stake Takes the Ownership Spree to Venezuela. "For more than a year, Cato scholars have warned that the Trump administration is turning the federal government into a shareholder in favored companies." [Ed: I have been making the same point for quite some while. The explicit monetary/ownership link between gov. and corps. is getting closer to the classic definition of fascism. And I don't throw that word around cavalierly.]

Freedom of the Press. From Daily Citizen: Nick Shirley Sues California for Squelching Freedom of the Press. [Ed: the legal representation seems to be America First Legal, working with John W. Howard of JW Howard Attorneys, An interesting case to follow.] From AP: Judge refuses to block Pentagon from firing Stars and Stripes staffers over CBS interview.

From the Washington Times: U.S. tourism groups want to win Canadian visitors back. A testy trade war isn't helping [Ed: every time a prominent U.s. politician takes a nasty swipe at "Canadians", it is reported in headlines up here and it is taken quite badly. Needless hostility is being generated.] From the Daily Economy: Made in (North) America: Canada Is Not Our Enemy. The US factories that rely on Canadian steel, parts, energy, and expertise want President Trump not to make those inputs more expensive — and American producers less competitive.

From Just the News: From nepotism to phantom camps: Congress scrutinizes LA homeless authority's spending record. Since 2021, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority has received more than $1 billion in federal funds, including $220 million just in 2024.

Iran. From Simplicius: Trouble in the Pentagon as Leaked Report Paints Iran Conflict as “Unsustainable” Called by some the “revolt of the generals”, a leak has exposed that a handful of senior US commanders have formally dissented against Hegseth while warning that US’s Middle East plans are unsustainable. From Al Jazeera: Iran touts military response as US maintains blockade, hits tankers. Tehran says the time for proportionate retaliation is over after a US strike on Iranian tankers inside the blockade line. [Ed: the tit-for-tat stage of the war is over. Escalation.] From the Washington Post: US energy secretary says Iran nuclear deal 'may not' happen anytime soon. [Ed: reader friendly.]

From Reason: Trump Is Expanding Executive Power. Democrats Are Already Eyeing the New Tools. Some Democrats are licking their chops over other economic powers that Trump has claimed for the presidency. [Ed: the party in power never seems to consider the gift they are handing to the oppostion...when the opposition next wins out.]

From the DoDo: Puppy Who Can’t Stand On Her Own Learns To Run

Maria Bartiromo. From the Hill: Bartiromo Lawyer: She Wasn't Fired From Fox. Attorney disputes reports amid questions over abrupt split. [Ed: she is one of my favorite broadcasters, despite her clear loyalty to Trump.]

From Pupvine: Frightened Stray Won’t Let Anyone Near Him On A Georgia Street Until Rescuers Make A Surprising Move

Big Picture Economics. From CNN: Volkswagen to slash half its vehicle lineup and 50,000 jobs in cost-cutting effort. From Mish Talk: Trump Threatens to Cancel Trade with World Unless the Fed Cuts Rates. [Ed: a must read.] From National Review: Trump Says More Insane Things About the Federal Reserve.
From Zero Hedge: Alarm Bells Ring As Global Food Prices Hit 2022 Highs, Perfect Storm Stokes New Inflation Shock. Barclays and JPMorgan have been warning...

China. From Al Jazeera: China’s Xi urges new Middle East security framework during rare Egypt visit. Chinese, Egyptian leaders discuss the US-Israel war on Iran, which has prompted regional powers to rethink defence. [Ed: rare for Xi to visit anywhere outside of China in person.] From the New Arab: China wants to help Egypt build out a local AI industry. The US isn’t happy. The White House is trying to rally US tech firms to counter Huawei's bid, which would give China's AI industry a foothold in the region for the first time. [Ed: this would be a game changer.

From the Guardian: Reform UK suspends two senior officials after undercover report on donations. Revelations are further blow to Nigel Farage before conference speech, with Labour reporting party to police. [Ed: Farage is bungling things badly.] From Channel 4: Exclusive: Nigel Farage filmed undercover celebrating secret new foreign donations. [Ed: refer to previous comment.]

From Dog Beast: An Old Man Wakes Up From Coma After Hearing His Dog Barking

Upcoming Election. From Governing: Map: The States With the Highest Rates of Mail Voting. From Jonathan Turley: “Hurry Up and Die”: Michigan Democrat Joins Other Radicals in Scrubbing Social Media of Past Statements.

From Reason: The Right to Trial is Vanishing. Could Bolder Juries Save It? A new campaign by the Cato Institute aims to educate jurors on their right to vote their conscience against unjust laws and sentences. {Ed: jury nullification.]

Ukraine-Russia. From Black Mountain Analysis: The Geopolitical Trap: Structural Incentives Prolonging the War in Ukraine. From Moon of Alabama: Inside The Fight Of MI6 And CIA Proxies Over Who Is To Lead Ukraine [Ed: between the UK and US.] From RT: Trump envoys Witkoff and Kushner land in Moscow. The pair are expected to travel to Kiev after talks in the Russian capital as Washington pushes for a settlement to the Ukraine conflict. [Ed: Trump is already talking about getting back $ sent to Ukraine. Nonsense talk but it sets a mood.]

From Charles Hugh Smith Substack: Our Tragicomic Parody of a Functional Economy.

From Best Friends: Oklahoma shelter dog wins 5K race, gets adopted

Germany's Upcoming Election. From Politico.EU: Friedrich Merz will lose Sunday’s regional election — whatever the result [Ed: election today.] From CNN: Germany’s far-right AfD is poised for power – and split on whether to cozy up to Trump. [Ed: they will align with Trump. I'd bet on it, and I am very careful with $.]


An outright win for the far right in Saxony-Anhalt will hurt Merz. But things will also be messy if his party has to form coalitions with left-wingers to box out the AfD.

From France24: Shady surgeons and Nigeria organ harvesting. Senegal Begins Countdown to Africa’s First Default Since 2023 Streamline. [Ed: video.]

AI. From Reuters: "A swarm of rogue OpenAI agents hijacked a German website this spring and transformed it into a bulletin board for other AI agents, according to ?new research published Friday and two people familiar with the matter," [Ed: how many more do we not know about?] From Marcus on AI: Pause OpenAI, now, Quite simply, they can no longer be trusted. [Ed: a must read.] From Men's Journal: When Robots Attack: Humanoid Goes After a Store Customer. A humanoid robot goes on the attack after it has an interesting “confrontation” with a real human.

Iran. From YNet News: Jordan keeps quiet under Iranian missile fire and this may be why. King Abdullah has long cultivated ties with Washington to bolster Jordan’s security; now, under repeated Iranian missile attacks, the kingdom is showing restraint as its strategic role also makes it a target.

From Naked Capitalism:'Why ‘Entitlements’ Cuts May Succeed

From Dog Heirs: Neglected Dog Finds New Life and an Unexpected Bond With Two Bear Cubs