25 May 2026
Weekly vigil at ICE’s Philly Headquarters.
Video
During a Senate hearing concerning the war against Iran: “Senator Coons shot back that he was worried that ‘you’ve achieved a series of tactical successes but are on the verge of a strategic loss.’”
SecDef Hegseth: (incredulously) “Here we are in a committee of the United States Senate and here you are talking about a strategic loss.”
Senator Murphy followed up by stating that there is simply no straight-up military solutions to the problem. Hegseth tries to make it sound as though Iran was feeling all the pressure and that the US felt none. Hegseth went on to be very certain that time was on the side of the US. But as the narrator points out, Iran is an autocracy and can probably hold out quite a bit longer than the US can. In the US, citizen discontent with high gasoline prices, general inflation and farmers’ inability to obtain fertilizer can affect how the US conducts military strategy. Also, US economy is doing poorly in GDP growth.
Weekly demonstration in front of Senator McCormack’s office
Congressperson Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) states that, in the case of Ukraine-Russia, “There is no broad suppot for an endless war.” Yes, I agree. No one likes endless war (Okay, folks like arms manufacturers and mercenaries do, but most people don’t). But what are the alternatives in this case? Russia would like to turn Ukraine back into a colony of Russia. But Ukrainians are like “Nope. Been there, done that, NO desire to turn the clock back!” Russia thinks Ukrainians are family members and families should not be broken up! The Trump Administration has been trying since Januart 2025 to find a middle ground that both sides can work with (or an option that leans heavily towards pleasing Russia), without success. s a pro-Ukrainian liberal, I’d like to see a solution like that of the US in Vietnam in 1975, Russia simply leave. Failing that, endless war is the one remaining options.
Russia has threatened to destroy Kyiv in such a complete manner that they’re demanding that all foreign embassies must promptly evacuate. Nearly 50 countries have condemned Russia and have refused to evacuate. The US has remained silent.
Update SecState Rubio has joined the other nearly 50 nations in insisting on keeping the US Embassy open.
Russians have been launching very heavy aerial assaults. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has requested that the US step up and supply them with what they need to defend themselves. No word yet on the US answer.
Update: Trump held a two-hour Cabinet meeting. Not a single reporters asked him about Zelenskyy’s letter .
Baack in January of this year, Trump felt optimistic about his new “Board of Peace” and that it might even replace the UN at some point. So how’s that doing? Ehh, not so great.
Now, more than four months later, the World Bank fund established for the project remains empty and has not spent a single dollar on rebuilding the war-ravaged enclave [Gaza], according to the Financial Times.
“Zero dollars have been deposited,” one source told the publication.
Hamas has refuses to disarm. Probably because: “Israel’s military campaign against the Hamas leadership continues.” Unilateral disrmament has never been a preferred solution to continued violence.
As Trump’s Board of Peace can’t provide any funds to administer Gaza and as Israel has been illegitimately collecting money that was meant to go to the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Trump Administration has been considering using that money to run Gaza. The PA would essentially pay for their own occupation. The PA has not been invited to join the Board of Peace, so any funds the Board spends would be done without any PA input. Without any access to the money that belongs to the PA, the West Bank (administered as a completely separate entity from Gaza) is falling into fiscal crisis. The US-Israel war with Iran has disrupted what little work anyone was performing to help Palestinians.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank produces the revenue. The American occupation of Gaza spends it. The Palestinian population pays twice: once through the original confiscation of customs sovereignty under the Paris Protocol, and again through the conversion of that confiscation into a transfer payment to an external administrator.
Is Trump continuing his “vengeance tour” by going after E. Jean Carroll? Wel-l-l…it’s complicated. The case is going after someone who took part in Carroll’s case beforehand and it may ultimately include Carroll herself. But no, Carroll herself is not presently targeted.
The same piece contains the very good news that Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion slush fund has been placed on hold pending a thorough examination!
State Representative Chris Rabb wins Democratic primary in order to get promoted up to US Representative! This is very good news as Rabb represents something better than just business-as-usual.
Several months ago, the Trump Administration started bombing boats on the high seas under the theory that this would seriously impede drug trafficking. Oops! The illegal bombing of boats that murdered people with a complete lack of due process did nothing to even slow down drug trafficking! Important evidence: “street prices for cocaine have remained at what they were before the strikes”
About a week ago,
Severe thunderstorms moving through Central Texas Tuesday night left thousands without power as strong winds snapped trees, caused flooding and triggered severe weather warnings across the region.
What is to be done about this kind of situation? Well, wind and solar power do not require miles-long cables! A 70-mph wind can cause great damage to the cables that normally carry power from coal or oil-fired power plants. Falling trees mean little or nothing to solar power cells and the cables from a windmill are short enough they can be entirely sheltered underground. If you want to get a personal power system
1000W 12V Wind Turbine Generator Solar Panel Kit: 400W Windmill & 5pcs 120W Mono Solar Panel & Hybrid Charge Controller for Home RV Camping Boat Cabin Off Grid System
It runs about $800 and you never need to buy fuel for it!
Which is why the Trump Administration’s war on renewable energy is so very short-sighted! The GOP is attaching payments to wind farms
It’s the GOP’s latest contribution to President Donald Trump’s effort to sentence the offshore wind industry to what I called earlier this month a death by a thousand cuts.
I’ve been opposed to the filibuster since the early days of the Obama Administration when Republican senators just horribly abused it, but just in case anyone wants to review why it’s so terrible, this blogger has some really strong arguments.
Seems the President was trying to arrange a “Great American State Fair” that would feature performers from all walks of life. Unfortunately for the scheduled performers, they learned that it would be a highly partisan event. They’ve been dropping out left and right.
Also, “The World Cup is coming and the world isn’t showing up!” The guys who wear red hats are a large part of the reason why.
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