State Rep. Francesca Hong has conceded after an upset win by opponent and Democratic nominee for governor David Crowley Tuesday night.
Archiv: looking to the future...
Iran’s leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is
On one side, the ultra-hardliners who oppose any negotiations with the United States are pressing for total victory in the war. Known as the “Paydari” movement – Persian for “stability” – they are hard-core ideologues who want to enforce the Islamic Republic’s control over society.
On the other, those who support President Masoud Pezeshkian and powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf — who doubles as Iran’s chief negotiator — see military pressure as a way to win a negotiated deal with the United States. This camp is also spurred by concern over the economic toll Iran is suffering from the war and the need to adapt to social change in the country.
Slamming Trump’s Cuba Report as ‘McCarthyite Attack’ on Free Speech, Dems Vow to Fight Back
President Donald Trump’s escalating claims that Cuba and its supporters poses a threat to US security have been denounced as “laughable” and “crazy,” but progressive lawmakers are warning that the State Department’s report alleging that the country of roughly 10 million people aims to “conquer” the United States and is backing “left-wing terrorism on American soil” represents a genuine attack on Trump’s perceived political enemies.
“Trump appears hell-bent on taking America back 70 years to the height of Cold War McCarthyism, when hawkish foreign policy was paired with unsubstantiated accusations of communist subversion and political repression against dissidents at home,” said a group of Democrats led by progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Peace and Security Taskforce. “We condemn this report’s attack on Americans’ constitutional rights to free speech and assembly.”
US accuses Cuba of sweeping spy campaign, aiding American left
(July 21, 2026)
Containing little new information, the report, titled „Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism,“ comes as US President Donald Trump pushes to end communist rule of the island while amping up anti-leftist rhetoric at home.
A months-long pressure campaign has seen Washington effectively impose an oil embargo on Cuba, while issuing economic sanctions against key state-run companies and even indicting the former president, Raul Castro.
State Dept. again deems Cuba a threat amid talk of U.S. push for regime change
(July 20, 2026)
A new report claims Havana influenced “the George Floyd riots to the rise of Antifa” and accuses the Democratic Socialists of America of Cuba ties.
Senate Democrats Block Advancement of $1.1 Trillion NDAA Over Iran War
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked the advancement of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, citing President Trump’s war with Iran, which continues to rage following the collapse of the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding.
The NDAA would provide the Pentagon with over $1.1 trillion in funding as part of the White House’s plan for a $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027, a nearly 50% increase from this year. The bill also includes an amendment, Section 1217, to further merge the US and Israeli militaries under a plan being pushed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A procedural vote of 50-46 fell well short of the 60 votes that it needed to advance the NDAA. Every Democrat, except two who weren’t present for the vote — Senators Jon Fetterman (PA) and Alex Padilla (CA) — voted against advancing the sprawling military spending bill.
How Section 219, the US-Israel Military Merger, Would Thwart American Democracy
(July 13, 2026)
The House provision, which has a Senate version known as Section 1217, would also forbid the president of the United States from limiting intelligence collaboration with Israel over its human rights abuses. If the President ever wants to limit such collaboration, he or she must tell Congress and can only cite American national security as a basis.
In other words, these bills would connect the US and Israeli militaries in unprecedented ways and make it exceedingly difficult for any future president to unwind this partnership with a foreign government.
Congressional Proposal Could Deepen US Complicity
(June 16, 2026)
Buried in the US$1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act is a provision that would deepen US military cooperation with Israel while walling that cooperation off from further congressional oversight.
Section 219 (formerly section 224) creates the role of an “executive agent” focused on folding Israeli technology into US weapons programs, and vice versa, including in missile and air defense technologies as well as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyberwarfare, and autonomous systems. Once implemented, the provision would speed efforts to embed Israeli technologies into US weapons systems in ways almost never codified into law, even for allies. As the protracted experience with unwinding Turkish participation in the F-35 program shows, practically, integration binds the United States to rely on producers in ways that become next to impossible to walk back later, even if lawmakers want to.
(…)
Section 219 also calls for “data fusion.” In defense doctrine, data fusion means combining feeds from many sensors and intelligence sources into a single targeting picture. The United States would be absorbing Israeli data, which may have been collected under problematic mass surveillance programs. Moreover, section 219 would be reinforced by section 622 of the intelligence appropriations bill, which mandates intelligence sharing and would further promote combining US intelligence streams with Israeli ones that could then be used by the Israeli military for targeting.
Die neue Arbeiterklasse
(May 23, 2026)
Der Mensch trat später noch einmal auf, fast wie ein letzter Zeuge der alten Ordnung. In einem Zehn-Stunden-Wettkampf gegen Figure 03 sortierte der Praktikant Aimé Gérard 12.924 Pakete; der Roboter kam auf 12.732. Der Mensch gewann, aber nur um 192 Pakete. Seine durchschnittliche Zeit lag bei 2,79 Sekunden pro Paket, die Maschine bei 2,83 Sekunden. Das ist kein Triumph mehr. Das ist ein Vorsprung von vier Hundertstelsekunden.
Brett Adcock schrieb danach sinngemäß: „Glückwunsch an Aimé. Er sagte, sein linker Unterarm sei im Grunde gebrochen.“ Und dann der Satz, der wie ein Geschäftsplan klingt und wie ein Epitaph für eine Arbeitswelt: „Das ist das letzte Mal, dass ein Mensch jemals gewinnen wird.“
F.03 Livestream: Day 9 (Hour 192-200)
May 23, 2026
Replay of the F.03 Livestream that started May 13, 2026 at 10AM PT.
Democratic socialists eye 2028 White House race
(June 25, 2026)
The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are eyeing a 2028 presidential bid in the wake of recent electoral successes across the country.
DSA Co-chair Ashik Siddique told The Hill in a Thursday interview that the organization has more than 100,000 members and 200 chapters across the country. “We want people to be talking proactively about what they would want to see in a presidential campaign,” he said. The organization is looking to see how voters would engage and what would motivate them, he added.
„Es gibt keine Gesellschaft mehr. Was es gibt, ist eine transnationale Sicherheitselite, die damit beschäftigt ist, die Welt mit Ihren Steuergeldern unter sich (und ihresgleichen) aufzuteilen.
Die Kriegstreiber in diesem Land und anderen Ländern haben ein Bündnis geschlossen, um Geld aus den USA, der EU, aus jedem NATO-Staat heraus- und zu den eigenen (Finanz-)Eliten zurückzuschleusen, indem sie es im Blut der Menschen waschen, das in den Kriegen in Afghanistan, dem Irak, Somalia, dem Jemen, Pakistan vergossen wird.“
Jüngere werden vielleicht erschrecken, und vielleicht auch Vergessliche unter den Älteren, weil die Sätze, die Julian Assange 2011 auf der Antikriegsdemonstration in London gesagt hat, Sätze sind, die er gestern gesagt haben könnte. Sie beschreiben nämlich ein Muster: das Muster westlicher Wertekriege und ihrer drei wiederkehrenden Wesensmerkmale: Die Werte, mit denen sie legitimiert werden, gibt es nämlich nicht – jedenfalls nicht bei denen, die vorgeben, sie mit vorgehaltener Waffe zu vertreten. Und: Sie – ausnahmslos Angriffs- & Profitkriege – werden von der als „Verteidigungsbündnis“ vermarkteten NATO „antizipiert“, orchestriert & exekutiert und ziehen die weitere Vermögenskonzentration in den Händen Weniger nach sich, womit sie – ausnahmslos, aber nicht ausschließlich – der Profitmehrung professioneller Kriegsprofiteure dienen.
Immer dasselbe – in zeitlichen Schleifen, auratischen Wellen, historischen Episoden. Dasselbe eine Muster, wieder und wieder: dieselben knarzenden Argumentationsschemata & Narrationsabsolutismen. Dieselben Behauptungen, Tatsachenverdrehungen, Selbstvergewisserungen.
Dazu der immer selbe Raub an der Gesellschaft und den Menschen, die sie tragen. Dieselbe soziale Verarmung, dieselbe geistige Leere und dieselbe ethische Verelendung. Und immer dasselbe Elitenbereicherungs-, „Sicherheits“-, „Feindes“- & Tötungsmuster. Wieder und wieder und wieder.
Wir, die wir alt genug sind, uns (mit Assange) an die letzte Welle westlicher Wertekriege zu erinnern, können den erinnerungslosen Jüngeren heute nur eines sagen, nämlich: dass sie sich einmal erinnern werden. Wenn sie, nachdem (in 15 Jahren) die nächste Welle westlicher Wertekriege losgebrochen sein wird, ihrerseits auf erinnerungslose Junge treffen.
Assange hatte schon damals und hat noch heute recht. Wir müssen eigene Netzwerke und Bündnisse schließen, um unsere Werte gegen den eigennützigen Zynismus der Kriegstreiber zu behaupten. In diesem Land und anderen Ländern.
Heute vor 2 Jahren war Julian Assange nach 14jähriger politischer Verfolgung & Haft endlich wieder frei.
Norway: International law is worth defending, even when allies break it
In an interview with Middle East Eye‘s Expert Witness podcast in Oslo, four months into the devastating war, Andreas Kravik said the war on Iran, launched on 28 February, had no basis in law.
„In our interpretation of the law, it is not a legal operation,“ Kravik said. „We think that is a violation of the UN Charter, and we have said so in no unclear terms.“
Kravik, a public international lawyer and the foreign ministry‘s former chief of legal affairs, said a state could lawfully use force against another only with authorisation from the UN Security Council, in self-defence against an immediate threat, or with the consent of the state concerned. None applied in Iran‘s case.
„There is no authorisation here from the UN Security Council… and there was no consent from Iranian authorities,“ he said. Norway had carried out its own legal assessment, he added.
this is the biggest blunder in American history. Mark my words
(December 9, 2023)
What Astrophysics Has Taught Me About Changing the World
None of us is helpless. Our actions—as well as the actions we don’t take—make a real, tangible impact. So, ask yourself: in which direction will you push the world today?
Pezeshkian hails Pope’s ‘moral stance’ against US-Israeli war on Iran
In a message addressed to the leader of the world’s Catholics, Pezeshkian stated that the “destructive approach” of the United States and Israel, along with their “illegitimate attacks,” are not directed solely against Iran.
He argued that they are an assault on the rule of law at the global level, international law, human values, and the teachings of divine religions, adding that the costs of this dangerous approach will inevitably be borne by the entire international community.
Trump Says Gas Prices Might Not Drop by Midterms, Underscoring G.O.P. Peril
(April 12, 2026)
Mr. Trump had long downplayed a sharp spike in gas prices driven by the war in Iran by casting it as a “short-term increase” that would subside within weeks. But on Sunday, Mr. Trump told Fox News that while he hoped gas and oil costs would drop before the midterms, prices “should be around the same” in November — and might be “a little bit higher.”
Beyond Westminster’s chaos, a new grassroots left is taking shape
A flavour of what may be its future was seen in a Your Party meeting I attended in Dewsbury, in West Yorkshire, three weeks ago. As Your Party-leaning candidates reported on their experience and intentions, one theme emerged clearly: the centrality of community-level organising and support, like that Corbyn’s community-skills programme advocated for seven years ago.
Could this grow into something substantial? Ordinarily, maybe not, but there are three years to the next general election, and it is obvious that Your Party is playing it long. The Labour Party is unlikely to seriously challenge neoliberal economics within that time, but Your Party most certainly will.
Decades of Congressional Inaction Contributed to Illegal US-Israeli War on Iran
(May 11, 2026)
Members of Congress must now decide whether they will honor their oaths to uphold the Constitution, or hand all power without accountability to the executive branch, effectively sanctioning an imperial presidency. The stakes are as high as ever, and not only limited to the current war with Iran, but also the future of democratic governance in the United States.
To every decent human being—regardless of religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, or any other distinction,
To Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, and all others of faith,
And to those who follow no formal religion but hold deeply to the universal values of peace, justice, and human dignity:
The U.S. – Israel launched this war of aggression on 28 February 2026, for a second time in less than a year, while Iran-U.S. were engaged in diplomatic negotiations.
This is not merely a war over land, resources, or geopolitics. This is a war that will determine the very meaning of ‚good‘ and ‚evil‘ in our time and for future.
What has been unleashed upon our peace-loving nation is not just another conflict. On one side stand those who delight in violating every law of war and basic human decency—those who murder for sport, who slaughter children to torment their families, who fire newest missiles at women’s sports halls simply to test their destructive power.
This is a war between those who boast of torpedoing unarmed vessels “for more fun,” and those who go to extraordinary lengths to protect innocent lives.
This is a war between professional liars who fabricate justifications for atrocity, and a proud people who defend their homeland and human dignity relying solely on their own strength and resolve.
This is a war between those whose decisions are shadowed by moral compromise, and those who act with a clear conscience.
This is a defining struggle for the future of humankind. It will decide whether civilization’s hard-won achievements—human rights, the rule of law, and basic morality—will survive or be swept away.
We must choose:
Do we accept a world ruled by modern slave masters—arrogant, domineering, and unaccountable—who govern through coercion, lies, and extortion?
Or do we stand for a world grounded in respect, justice, peace, and human dignity?
Humanity’s conscience is not yet dead. But in times like these, silence is complicity with evil.
If you reject the path of barbarism and domination, then find the moral courage to speak, to act, and to stand on the right side of history—before the world descends into an abyss of lawlessness and subjugation.
The choice is yours.
And history will remember.
Arab parties clash over delayed Joint List agreement, but deny breakdown in talks
(April 5, 2026)
While acknowledging that there was a “heated meeting,” the source added that “such disagreements are natural” and said that another meeting will take place in the coming weeks.
MK Odeh: Will do Everything to Prevent Smotrich-Netanyahu-Ben Gvir from Continuing in Power
Smotrich’s comments drew immediate condemnation from the opposition, with Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas asserting that “human life holds no value in his eyes”. MK Ayman Odeh, the chairman of Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary faction, also slammed Smotrich, declaring on X that “what the racists and Kahanists say is not important, what matters is what we will do.” “And we, the Arab citizens, together with the democratic Jews, will do everything, simply everything, to prevent Smotrich-Netanyahu-Ben Gvir from continuing to another term,” Odeh wrote.
Pentagon declines to reaffirm NATO‘s collective defense, says up to Trump
The remarks by Hegseth at a Pentagon briefing were extraordinary, given that collective defense lies at the heart of the NATO alliance, which was formed in 1949 with the primary aim of countering the risk of Soviet attack on allied territory.
Trump interview: I am strongly considering pulling out of Nato
Singling out the UK, the US president rebuked Sir Keir Starmer for refusing to get involved in the American-Israeli war against Iran, suggesting that the Royal Navy was not up for the task.
“You don’t even have a navy. You’re too old and had aircraft carriers that didn’t work,” he said, referring to the state of Britain’s fleet of warships.
Asked whether the Prime Minister should spend more on defence, Mr Trump added: “I’m not going to tell him what to do. He can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t matter. All Starmer wants is costly windmills that are driving your energy prices through the roof.”
Trump advisers fear GOP midterm losses as gas prices spike
On Tuesday, gasoline prices in the U.S. topped $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022, according to AAA. Several officials concede there will be Republican losses in the midterms if they don‘t turn around the trending numbers.
A Republican source says the House will be difficult for the GOP, but Republicans expect to retain control of the Senate.
The First Humanoid Robot Arrested by Police
One night in Macau, a citizen was taking a walk with his humanoid robot (Unitree G1).
A passing woman yelled at him (perhaps frightening her), essentially saying, „Why bother with this when there are so many other things to do? Are you crazy?“
and then,The police subsequently took the humanoid robot away.
Robot ‘arrested’ after elderly woman startled and sent to hospital in Macau
According to authorities, the woman, who was on her phone at the time, was startled when she suddenly noticed the robot behind her near the Lok Yeung Fa Yuen residential complex in Patane last Thursday.
Video circulating online shows the woman angrily confronting the robot before two officers arrive. One officer is seen placing a hand on the robot’s shoulder as they escort it away.
President-From-Hell Trump Brings Us Ever Closer to a Point of No Return
Someday, this president may be known as the End-Times president, since he and his Republican confederates (and I use that word advisedly) seem remarkably intent on ensuring that this planet will indeed become a hellhole for our children and grandchildren.