Greene County Democrat

Category: World News

  • Newswire: Citing a “Grave National Security Crisis”, the NAACP pushes 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

    Newswire: Citing a “Grave National Security Crisis”, the NAACP pushes 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

    NAACP poster on Trump

    by Hazel Trice Edney

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – The NAACP is among those leading the call on the  President’s cabinet, including Vice President Vance, cabinet secretaries,  or another body that could be assembled by Congress, to “invoke the 25th Amendment” of the U. S. Constitution in order to have President Donald Trump removed from office amidst what appears to be the loss of his mind to the extent that he could endanger masses of innocent lives in a “grave national security crisis”.

    The call, coming from the NAACP, Democratic members of Congress, activists, and other political observers, has grown louder since Trump, joining with Israel, waged war against Iran – with no declaration of war by Congress.

    In addition to concerns about Trump’s history of what appears to be pathological lying, talk of the use of the 25th Amendment especially hit the fan on Easter Sunday morning, April 6. That was when Trump posted a profanity-laced threat to Iran on the day that is considered among the highest and holiest days on the Christian calendar as people prepared to worship in commemoration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    With all curse words spelled completely out, Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform, “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH. Praise be to Allah.”

    He was demanding that Iran open the Strait of Hormuz, which is a primary passageway for about 20 percent of the global oil supply, according to the New York Times.

    The next day, he threatened all of Iran – even innocent citizens – if there was no deal by 8 pm: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that ‌to ⁠happen, but it probably will,” he wrote on Truth Social.

    The NAACP responded Monday with an emailed note to its members, signed by its president/CEO Derrick Johnson:

“The stability of our nation is hanging in the balance,” Johnson wrote. “In recent weeks, we have witnessed alarming signs of President Trump’s deteriorating health and increasingly delusional behavior. The rhetoric and actions coming from the highest office in the land have reached a level of instability that we cannot ignore. His behavior is not only alarming but dangerous.”

    The NAACP email continued, “This is no longer just a matter of political disagreement. It’s a grave national security crisis. A leader unable to think clearly or act decisively jeopardizes our military readiness, erodes public trust, and threatens the safety of millions of Americans. We cannot wait for further chaos. We must protect the fabric of our democracy right now.”

    The organization then listed three demands:

    • “Invoke the 25th Amendment: The Vice President and the Cabinet must step forward immediately to ensure the continuity of governance.”
    • “Remove the threat: We must address this presidential incapacity to protect our nation from further uncertainty.”
    • Congressional action: “Once the Vice President and the Cabinet step up, Congress must follow through and act with the urgency this situation demands to uphold the principles of our Constitution.”

    Section 4 of the Constitution’s 25th Amendment states as follows:

    “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
    “Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.
    “Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.”

    It is not likely that there would be enough will to remove Trump from office given the dedication that the Republican majorities have maintained toward him. Besides, this week, Congress remained on Easter recess and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has not criticized Trump’s conduct, nor his war with Iran. The primary criticism is coming from Democrats.

    Still, the NAACP is adamant about what it feels must be done:
    “There’s no sugarcoating it,” Johnson concluded in his email. “President Trump has shown himself to be unfit, unwell, and unhinged. Together, we can force our leaders to prioritize the health and safety of our nation before it’s too late.

  • Newswire: Inflation hits highest one month spike in four years due to Iran War

    Newswire: Inflation hits highest one month spike in four years due to Iran War

    Gas station sign in California, showing high gas prices

    By Joe Jurado, NewsOne

    While Iran and the United States have agreed to a two-week ceasefire that’s looking shakier by the day, the impact of the war is still being felt by the global economy. Last month, inflation rose at its sharpest in four years, largely driven by higher gas prices. 

    According to NBC News, inflation rose to 3.3% in March, up 0.9% from the month before. Gas prices increased by 21.2%, their largest single-month increase since 1967. I gotta be honest, folks, I’m getting real tired of living through historically bad economic changes. While a ceasefire was declared last Tuesday, there hasn’t been a meaningful drop in gas prices. Anecdotally speaking, I’ve seen gas prices drop a whopping 10 cents from $4.99 to $4.89 in Arizona. 

    The misguided Iran war has created a series of headaches for the Trump administration. Trump ran on lowering prices, and AP reports that there are growing concerns that if gas prices continue to stay so high, it would have dramatic downwind consequences for the American economy. There was already a cost-of-living crisis before the Iran war, and the inflated gas prices could result in families struggling to afford other necessities, such as rent. Once the essentials become a struggle to afford, it would slow spending in other sectors, slowing the economy and potentially leading to further unemployment. 

    “It’s painful in the near term,” Michael Pearce, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, told AP. “It’s going to get more painful in April,” as a result of further gas price increases lifting inflation even higher. 

    AP reports that there are growing concerns that if gas prices continue to stay so high, it would have dramatic downwind consequences for the American economy. There was already a cost-of-living crisis before the Iran war, and the inflated gas prices could result in families struggling to afford other necessities, such as rent. Once the essentials become a struggle to afford, it would slow spending in other sectors, slowing the economy and potentially leading to further unemployment. 

    From AP: Consumer sentiment plunged to a record low in April, according to a survey released Friday by the University of Michigan, largely because of the Iran war and concerns over higher gas prices. Their Index of Consumer Sentiment fell to 47.6, from 53.3 in March.

    “Many consumers blame the Iran conflict for unfavorable changes to the economy,” said Joanne Hsu, the university’s director of consumer surveys.

    High prices had angered American voters before the war and the spike in prices for oil and everything that entails, from the pump to the grocery store, could make it more difficult for the president’s party to hold on to seats in both the House and the Senate in next year’s midterms.

    Polling by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research last month found that about six in 10 Republicans are at least “somewhat” concerned about affording gas in the next few months.

    Another point of concern regards the Strait of Hormuz, which has become a focal point in the conflict. While ships were able to flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz before the war, Iran has locked down access and is considering charging a toll for entry. This would obviously lead to a permanent increase in prices, as that cost would definitely be passed down to the consumer. 

    One of the downwind effects of the Strait’s closure is rising food prices. While food costs remained relatively neutral throughout March, much of the world’s fertilizer supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz. Should Iran and the U.S. fail to agree on a permanent ceasefire resolution, it would likely lead to food scarcity, which would obviously increase prices. Those increases would also be compounded by rising fuel costs, as the nation’s food supply is largely transported via diesel trucks. 

  • Newswire: Pentagon official threatens Vatican and Pope Leo XIV over Iran War criticism

    Newswire: Pentagon official threatens Vatican and Pope Leo XIV over Iran War criticism

    Pope Leo XIV

    By Zack Linly, NewsOne

    On a regular basis, members of the Trump administration, especially President Donald Trump himself, prove they are not the champions of free speech that they purport themselves to be, and now their glaring constitutional hypocrisy has Pentagon officials threatening the Vatican and Pope Leo XIV — who is no fan of the president — just because the pope joined most of the world in criticizing Trump’s disastrous war on Iran.

    According to a detailed report by the Free Press, on Easter Sunday, while Trump was threatening to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants and unleash “Hell” on the nation, Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, delivered his State of the World speech, during which he urged world leaders to lay down their weapons, choose peace and relieve themselves of the “desire to dominate other.” The global leader of the Catholic Church also condemned “the imperialist occupation of the world” and warned that God rejects the prayers “of those who wage war” — which seems to be a direct rebuke of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been hosting a monthly Christian worship service at the Pentagon since the Iran war began, and has been praying to his god that “every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation.”

    So, according to the Free Press, Leo’s speech angered some officials at the Pentagon, resulting in Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s U.S. representative, being summoned to a closed-door Pentagon meeting, where he received a stern lecture from Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who reportedly told Pierre: “The United States has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side.”

    Besides the fact that these so-called Christian leaders of a so-called Christian nation are out here threatening to unleash the U.S. military on the world’s highest authority on all things Christ, just because the pope said things that are Christ-like, we really should be more concerned that Trump officials keep boasting about how they can do anything they want because they have the most powerful military.

    Remember when Trump was talking about “running” Venezuela and taking over Greenland, and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller defended those remarks by beating his little bird chest and declaring, “We are in charge because we have the United States military stationed outside the country,” and “we’re a superpower, and under President Trump, we are going to conduct ourselves as a superpower” as if he himself had ever served even a day in the U.S. mlitary.

    MAGA minions keep defending the Trump administration against allegations that it’s an authoritarian regime, and the administration just keeps undermining that defense by vocally vindicating its accusers.
    The truth is that Trump and his band of stooges — who have been given way more power than incompetent, imbecilic sycophants like them should ever have — have been scrambling and struggling to control the narrative around which side is “winning” regarding the conflict in Iran, and they’ve been getting increasingly frustrated with endless criticism, both globally and domestically, and the growing consensus that this war and the administration’s lack of competent leadership makes the nation look weak.

    Trump is even out here threatening news outlets for reporting statements of “victory” made by Iranian leadership that have also been reported by Iranian media, which brings us to a reminder that the Pentagon recently tried to ban every mainstream news outlet from reporting on it after all of those outlets refused to bend to its new policy that reporters cannot obtain or solicit any information that hasn’t been pre-approved by the Department of Defense. Thankfully, a federal judge stepped in and essentially told Hegseth and other Pentagon officials that they were out of their freedom-of-the-press-defying minds.

  • Newswire: Chinese man jailed after trying to smuggle 2,200 ants out of Kenya in his luggage

    Newswire: Chinese man jailed after trying to smuggle 2,200 ants out of Kenya in his luggage

    Kenyan wildlife official examine luggage of ant smuggler

    Nairobi, KenyaReuters —  A Kenyan court on Wednesday ordered a Chinese ⁠man to pay a fine of 1 million shillings ($7,746) and gave him a 12-month jail term for trying to smuggle live ants out of the country.
    The magistrate in the case said a stiff sentence was needed as a ⁠deterrent, given a spate of cases in Kenya of ant-trafficking.

    It serves markets, such as China, where enthusiasts have paid large sums to maintain ant colonies in large transparent vessels known as ⁠formicariums that allow them to study the species’ complex social structures and behaviors.

    Chinese national Zhang Kequn was arrested last month at Nairobi’s main international airport with more than 2,200 live garden ants in his luggage.

    Zhang’s lawyer said he would ⁠appeal against his sentence.
    He initially pleaded not guilty to charges including dealing in live wildlife species but ‌later changed his plea to guilty.

    “Noting the increasing and rising cases of dealing in large quantities of garden ants and the negative ecological side effects of massive harvesting, there is ⁠a need for a stiff deterrent,” magistrate ‌Irene Gichobi said.

    A Kenyan man, Charles Mwangi, ⁠was also charged in the case, accused of supplying the ants to Zhang. Mwangi has pleaded not guilty and is out on bail. His case was not before the court on Wednesday.

    Last year, four men were fined 1 million shillings each ⁠for trying to traffic thousands of ants. Wildlife experts said at the ‌time that the case signaled a shift in biopiracy from trophies like elephant ivory to lesser-known ⁠species.

  • Newswire: Trump announces ceasefire with Iran, fends off allegations that the US caved

    Newswire: Trump announces ceasefire with Iran, fends off allegations that the US caved

    by Zack Linly, NewsOne

    On Tuesday evening, after weeks of mixed messaging on our progress in the Iran war turned into threats to end the nation’s entire “civilization,” President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to announce a two-week pause on his plans to start bombing Iranian bridges, electricity plants, and factories because a ceasefire has been negotiated. And because we’ve all heard this song before, folks on social media seem to largely believe that Trump caved to end the war that is bringing his administration nothing but embarrassment and bad press. 

    Meanwhile, Trump, his Cabinet, and MAGA-friendly media outlets are working overtime to spin the narrative that it was actually Iran that caved, ignoring all evidence to the contrary — including the myriad of reports that the missile strikes have not ended.

    “Based on conversations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, of Pakistan, and wherein they requested that I hold off the destructive force being sent tonight to Iran, and subject to the Islamic Republic of Iran agreeing to the COMPLETE, IMMEDIATE, and SAFE OPENING of the Strait of Hormuz, I agree to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks,” Trump wrote Tuesday evening. “This will be a double sided CEASEFIRE! The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East. 

    We received a 10 point proposal from Iran, and believe it is a workable basis on which to negotiate. Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated. On behalf of the United States of America, as President, and also representing the Countries of the Middle East, it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution.

    Now, to anyone who isn’t a MAGA sycophant, dedicated to spinning Trump’s confused social media posts into golden nuggets, it looks like Trump stumbled across an excuse to back off from his tough talk and save a little face in the process.

    After all, Trump has been claiming for weeks that  Iran is “begging” for a deal, and that the administration “had very, very strong talks,” and “points of agreement,” only for the Iranian government to deny the “talks” are even happening. Trump previously told reporters that a 15-point proposal to end the war was sent to the Iranian government, and that it “gave us most of the points,” only for the Iranian government to completely reject Trump’s terms shortly after.

    Now, Trump is saying Iran’s 10-point counter-proposal to the U.S. is a “workable basis on which to negotiate,” which really makes it seem like he was the one “begging for a deal,” especially since the contents of Iran’s 10-point plan seem to largely benefit Iran.

    I mean, Iran even included a $2 million toll on ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz that no one had to pay before Trump decided to help the Israeli government launch an unprovoked war on Iran. What exactly are we winning here?

    That’s a lot of tough talk, only for Trump to eagerly announce that he is open to Iran’s demands, which, again, came after the nation rejected his.

    And that’s why Trump and his administration are scrambling to force-feed Americans the narrative that it’s a mutual deal that both nations will benefit from, and he’s out here launching investigations against any media outlet that says otherwise.In fact, Trump had another one of his social media meltdowns after CNN reported, “Iran claims victory, says it forced US to accept 10-point plan,” and that the Iranian Security Council said in a statement, “The enemy, in its unfair, unlawful, and criminal war against the Iranian nation, has suffered an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat.”

  • Newswire: U.S. is one of three countries to vote against U.N. resolution calling slavery a ‘crime against humanity’

    Newswire: U.S. is one of three countries to vote against U.N. resolution calling slavery a ‘crime against humanity’

    by The Associated Press

    UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs.”

    The resolution also urges “the prompt and unhindered restitution” of cultural items — including artworks, monuments, museum pieces, documents and national archives — to their countries of origin without charge.

    The vote in the 193-member world body was 123-3, with 52 abstentions. Argentina, Israel and the United States were the three members voting against the resolution. The United Kingdom and all 27 members of the European Union were among those that abstained.

    While the United States opposes the past wrongdoing of the transatlantic slave trade and all other forms of slavery, it “does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred,” deputy U.S. ambassador Dan Negrea said before the vote.

    “The United States also strongly objects to the resolution’s attempt to rank crimes against humanity in any type of hierarchy,” he said. “The assertion that some crimes against humanity are less severe than others objectively diminishes the suffering of countless victims and survivors of other atrocities throughout history.”

    In the United States, support for reparations gained momentum in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. However, the issue has been a difficult one and has been caught up in a broader conservative backlash over how race, history and inequality are handled in public institutions.

    Unlike U.N. Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding but are an important reflection of world opinion.

    “Today, we come together in solemn solidarity to affirm truth and pursue a route to healing and reparative justice,” Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, a key architect of the resolution, said before the vote.

    “The adoption of this resolution serves as a safeguard against forgetting,” he said. “Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery.”

    Mahama noted that the vote was taking place on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, honoring the memory of about 13 million African men, women and children enslaved over several centuries.

    Diplomats applauded and some cheered the adoption of the resolution.

    The history of slavery and “its devastating consequences and long-lasting impacts” must never be forgotten, said British acting U.N. Ambassador James Kariuki, speaking on behalf of mainly Western nations, including some that enslaved Africans.

    Western nations are committed to tackling the root causes that persist today, he said, pointing to racial discrimination, racism, xenophobia and intolerance. He said “the scourge of modern slavery” also must be addressed — trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation and forced criminality.

    Cyprus’ deputy U.N. ambassador, Gabriella Michaelidou, speaking on behalf of the E.U., echoed the U.S. and U.K. on concerns about “the use of superlatives” that imply “a hierarchy among atrocity crimes.”

    Michaelidou also cited the E.U.’s concern about the resolution’s “unbalanced interpretation of historical events” and legal references that are inaccurate or inconsistent with international law, including “suggestions of a retroactive application of international rules which was non-existent at the time and claims for reparations.”

    The resolution “unequivocally condemns the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans, slavery and the transatlantic slave trade as the most inhumane and enduring injustice against humanity.”

    In approving the resolution, the General Assembly affirms the importance of addressing the historical wrongs of slavery that promotes “justice, human rights, dignity and healing.”

    The resolution calls on U.N. member nations to engage in talks “on reparatory justice, including a full and formal apology, measures of restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction, guarantees of non-repetition and changes to laws, programs and services to address racism and systemic discrimination.”

    It encourages voluntary contributions to promote education on the transatlantic slave trade and asks the African Union, the Caribbean Community and the Organization of American States to collaborate with U.N. bodies and other nations “on reparatory justice and reconciliation.”

  • Newswire: 14 ICE detainees have died in custody; Mexican President and authorities question recent deaths

    Newswire: 14 ICE detainees have died in custody; Mexican President and authorities question recent deaths

    By Laura Strickler, Colleen Long and Daniella Silva, NBC News

    So far this year, 14 people have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, including a Mexican man who was found unresponsive last week at a facility outside Los Angeles, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security.

    As of mid-February, ICE was holding more than 68,000 immigrants, among the highest numbers ever, according to federal data. The figure fluctuates as immigrants get deported and others are taken into custody.

    In 2025, ICE reported 33 total in-custody deaths and in 2024 there were 11.

    As the Trump administration has sought to drastically increase space to detain immigrants as part of its mass deportation campaign, holding facilities have struggled with disease and overcrowding.

    Homeland Security recently changed contractors at its largest immigrant detention center at Fort Bliss outside El Paso, Texas, just seven months after it opened.

    The tented facility known as Camp East Montana has had a troubled history, starting with a fatal construction accident and three detainee deaths in less than six weeks, one of which was ruled a homicide. There have also been outbreaks of both tuberculosis and measles.

    The Trump administration has said it is shifting its deportation strategy to increase its focus on arresting and deporting immigrants who have criminal records, following the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers during deportation operations in Minnesota.

    On March 25, Jose Guadalupe Ramos-Solano, who was in federal custody in California after he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance and theft, was found by security to be unresponsive in his bunk. ICE said in a statement that staff performed CPR and other life-saving procedures, and he was taken to Victor Valley Global Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

    Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her daily press conference Monday that Mexico would take stronger measures to protest following the reported death, focusing particularly in the Los Angeles region.

    “There are several actions we are going to take to protest the death of another Mexican, one of our fellow citizens, in the United States.”

    Ex-FBI agents on Trump cases cite Todd Blanche’s remarks in suit over ‘illegal’ firings

    Ramos-Solano was arrested by ICE on Feb. 23 and sent to the Adelanto detention center. He received a physical evaluation during his intake screening and was found to have diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension. ICE said he received routine medical care in custody, including daily medication for his conditions.

    Ramos-Solano’s cause of death was not immediately made public, and Homeland Security officials didn’t respond to questions about his cause of death.

    At the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles on Monday, members of Ramos-Solano’s family wept as they spoke out against his death and demanded answers.

    “What happened to my dad was very inhumane,” said Gloria Ramos, the daughter of Ramos-Solano. “I think my family and I deserve to know the truth of what happened to my dad.”

    The man’s son, Jorge Ramos, paused often as he spoke, becoming overcome with emotion.

    “He was a good dad. He was a good person. He was not a criminal. He was a hard worker,” he said.

    An official with Mexico’s foreign ministry attended the news conference and denounced the number of deaths in ICE custody this year.

    “Four Mexican nationals have died, apparently due to medical complications, highlighting a pattern of persistent structural deficiencies,” Vanessa Calva Ruiz, the director general of consular protection and strategic planning said. “The recurrence and frequency of these deaths are absolutely unacceptable.”

  • Newswire: First 6 days of War on Iran cost US $11.3 Billion, Pentagon says, But we can’t afford SNAP, right?

    Newswire: First 6 days of War on Iran cost US $11.3 Billion, Pentagon says, But we can’t afford SNAP, right?

    “They got money for war, but can’t feed the poor.” – Tupac Shakur

    According to the Pentagon, the first week of the war against Iran that President Donald Trump involved the U.S. in voluntarily, not out of any discernible necessity, has cost the nation upwards of $11 billion.
    The New York Times reported that Pentagon officials revealed the estimated price tag for the first six days of this war of choice to lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, saying the cost of the war had already exceeded $11.3 billion.
    What’s worse is that the estimate doesn’t include all costs, and it’s much higher than previously projected.


    From the Times: The estimate did not include many of the costs associated with the operation, such as the buildup of military hardware and personnel ahead of the first strikes. For that reason, lawmakers expect the number to grow considerably as the Pentagon continues to calculate the costs that accumulated just in the first week.

    Still, it appeared to be the most comprehensive assessment Congress had received so far amid mounting questions about the objectives, scope, and time frame for the war. The New York Times and The Washington Post reported earlier that defense officials had said in recent congressional briefings that the military used up $5.6 billion of munitions in the first two days of the war.

    That is a far larger amount and munitions burn rate than had been publicly disclosed. The Center for Strategic and International Studies had estimated that the first 100 hours of the operation cost $3.7 billion, or $891.4 million each day.

    Not long ago, the U.S. government was shut down for roughly a month and a half, largely because one particular party thought we couldn’t afford to extend health care subsidies. MAGA Republicans are still trying to convince the nation that cutting SNAP benefits is an absolute necessity, lest they bankrupt the U.S. Trump has been telling U.S. citizens to cut back on their spending because his promise to bring down the price of goods turned out to be big, beautiful bullsh-t.

    But we can afford a war of choice that has cost a billion dollars nearly a dozen times over in the first week.

    Oh, well — at least our strikes on Iran aren’t killing innocent school children or anything like that.

    Meanwhile, the Trump administration just keeps boasting about how it is “DEVASTATING” Iran with constant missile strikes. The tweet below was posted by the White House on the same day it was revealed that a preliminary investigation showed the U.S. was likely responsible for a missile striking an Iranian elementary school, reportedly killing 175 people, the overwhelming majority of whom were children.

    “We won’t stop until the military objectives are met,” the White House tweeted.

    Apparently, the administration means what it says, no matter the cost, whether we’re talking about the cost of lives or additional billions in spending that we’ve been told the nation can’t afford to spend on education, food security, healthcare, or anything else that would actually put “America first.” (And that’s their slogan, not all ours.)


    Seriously, if there was any nation in need of an actual regime change, it’s currently the good, old U.S. of A.

  • Newswire : On 61st Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, worries about the future of voting rights and calls to action

    Newswire : On 61st Anniversary of Bloody Sunday, worries about the future of voting rights and calls to action

    A diverse group of people, including several public figures, gathered on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, singing and celebrating while holding signs advocating for voting rights.

    People crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge on Sunday and  Spiver Gordon, Greene County civil rights veteran and foot soldier next to Congresswoman Sewell on bridge

    By Kim Chandler, Associated Press and other sources

    SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Sixty-one years after state troopers attacked Civil Rights marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, thousands gathered in the Alabama city this weekend amid new concerns about the future of the Voting Rights Act.
    The March 7, 1965, violence that became known as Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the landmark legislation that dismantled barriers to voting for Black Americans in the Jim Crow South.
    The anniversary was celebrated in this city that served as crucible for the voting rights movement, with events through the weekend ending with a commemorative march across the bridge Sunday. But the commemoration came as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could limit a provision of the Voting Rights Act that has helped ensure some congressional and local districts are drawn so minority voters have a chance to elect their candidate of choice.
    “I’m concerned that all of the advances that we made for the last 61 years are going to be eradicated,” said Charles Mauldin, 78, one of the marchers beaten on Bloody Sunday.
    Former and current Democratic officeholders, civil rights leaders and tourists descended on Selma to pay homage to the pivotal moment of the Civil Rights Movement and to issue calls to action. Speakers warned of the looming court decision and criticized the Trump administration’s actions on immigration and efforts to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion.
    Standing at the pulpit of the historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, said that like the marchers on Bloody Sunday, they must press forward.
    “Years after Bloody Sunday, the progress that stemmed from that sacrifice is now being rolled back right in our faces,” the governor said. Moore is the nation’s only Black governor currently in office.
    “We are choosing this fight because those who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge deserve better than us cowering while the freedoms that we inherited and they fought for, are being ripped away,” Moore said.
    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, speaking at a rally at the foot of the bridge, said racism is on the rise in America and “Trump’s Supreme Court is gutting the Voting Rights Act.”
    “Let’s march forward today with the knowledge that we are the inheritors of the faith that brought marchers to the bridge 61 years ago. It is now on us to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice,” Pritzker said.
    The annual commemoration in Selma is a mix of a civil rights remembrances, church services and a street festival filled with vendors and food trucks. It is also part political rally with an eye on November’s midterm elections and a longer view to the 2028 presidential race.
    The commemoration included a tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate who regularly attended the annual Selma march. He died on Feb. 17 at age 84.
    Yusef Jackson said his father’s legacy will be carried forward. “In November, we will go back to the polls and take our government back, setting our country on the right path,” Jackson said.
    The looming court decision cast a shadow over the festivities. Justices are expected to rule soon on a Louisiana case , Calais vs Louisiana, about the role of race in drawing congressional districts. A ruling prohibiting or limiting that role could have sweeping consequences, potentially opening the door for Republican-controlled states to redistrict and roll back majority Black and Latino districts that tend to favor Democrats.
    U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures won election in 2024 to an Alabama district that was redrawn by a federal court to give Black voters a greater voice. His district will likely be targeted if the state gets the opportunity to redraw lines. He said what happened in Selma and the subsequent passage of the Voting Rights Act “was monumental in shaping what America looks like and how America is represented in Congress.”
    In 1965, the Bloody Sunday marchers led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams walked in pairs across the Selma bridge headed toward the state capital of Montgomery. Mauldin, then 17, was part of the third pair behind Williams and Lewis.
    At the apex of the bridge, they could see the sea of law enforcement officers, including some on horseback, waiting for them. But they kept going.
    “It wasn’t that we didn’t have fear, it’s that we chose courage over fear,” Mauldin recalled.
    Spiver Gordon, Greene County civil rights leader said this anniversary was a little bitter-sweet, since three close friends, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Joanne Bland and Rev. Bernard Lafayette, had all passed in the three weeks leading up to this 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
    A crowd of several thousand filed behind elected officials on this Sunday for the march across the bridge, this time protected by state law enforcement officers.

  • Newswire : After a president-filled celebration, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family gathers for an intimate homegoing

    Newswire : After a president-filled celebration, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family gathers for an intimate homegoing

    Private family funeral for Rev. Jesse Jackson

    By The Associated Press

    CHICAGO — A day after former presidents, sitting governors and local Chicago residents alike attended a vibrant, televised celebration for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the family and friends who knew him best hosted a more intimate gathering Saturday to grieve the civil rights leader at his organization’s headquarters.

    The private memorial service at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s headquarters on the South Side of Chicago includes only a few hundred attendees, most of whom are family members, allies and confidants. The homegoing is meant as a capstone to a week of services held across the country

    “I foresee tomorrow will represent everything that Rev. Jackson stood for,” the Rev. Chauncey D. Brown, a pastor to a Chicago-area church and mentee of Jackson’s, said Friday.. “It will include dignitaries and icons, as well as many from where the true power lies, with the people in the streets.”
    Some members of the public who gathered outside the PUSH headquarters were allowed to enter the chamber.
    “Over the last two weeks, we’ve been focusing on connecting to people that Reverend worked with across the years,” said Rev. Janette Wilson, a longtime senior advisor to Jackson and executive director at Rainbow PUSH Coalition. “When you look at his work, it is so vast in the economic and political arenas.”
    Since his death last month, Jackson’s family and allies have honored the late reverend with commemorations, community service and demonstrations they say continue his work.
    Mourners were first allowed public visitations at the Rainbow PUSH headquarters in February, giving Jackson’s longtime neighbors a chance to say goodbye to the civil rights leader.
    The late reverend then lay in state at the South Carolina Capitol. Jackson grew up in segregated Greenville, South Carolina. As a high schooler, he led fellow students into a protest that desegregated a local library, starting a lifetime of civil rights activism.
    Services honoring Jackson in Washington, D.C., were postponed after a request for him to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol was denied. House Republican leadership cited the precedent that only former presidents and senior generals regularly receive the privilege.
    Jackson’s mentees also honored his legacy by organizing on issues such as voting rights, economic inequality and political organizing in the weeks after his passing. Rainbow PUSH hosted a forum for community organizers and clergy whom Jackson mentored to discuss his impact on their careers.
    Wilson said that the best way to honor Jackson is to continue advocating for progressive, inclusive solutions to the pressing economic and political challenges of the day. She cited policies that addressed the impending socioeconomic effects of artificial intelligence, improved public schools and a focus on youth mental health as areas he was contemplative on at the end of his life.
    She also said that Jackson never shied away from being political.
    “We’re in a global moment where peace in the world is in jeopardy, where we just have bombs being dropped carelessly, killing children, innocent victims of political actions,” said Wilson of the ongoing war in the Middle East. “When the government cuts SNAP benefits and you have millions of children and families who will be food insecure, I think you have to tell them that we’re fighting for you.”
    Services honoring Jackson in Washington, D.C., were postponed after a request for him to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol was denied. House Republican leadership cited the precedent that only former presidents and senior generals regularly receive the privilege.
    Jackson’s mentees also honored his legacy by organizing on issues such as voting rights, economic inequality and political organizing in the weeks after his passing. Rainbow PUSH hosted a forum for community organizers and clergy whom Jackson mentored to discuss his impact on their careers.
    Wilson said that the best way to honor Jackson is to continue advocating for progressive, inclusive solutions to the pressing economic and political challenges of the day. She cited policies that addressed the impending socioeconomic effects of artificial intelligence, improved public schools and a focus on youth mental health as areas he was contemplative on at the end of his life.
    She also said that Jackson never shied away from being political.
    “We’re in a global moment where peace in the world is in jeopardy, where we just have bombs being dropped carelessly, killing children, innocent victims of political actions,” said Wilson of the ongoing war in the Middle East. “When the government cuts SNAP benefits and you have millions of children and families who will be food insecure, I think you have to tell them that we’re fighting for you.”
    The headquarters also greeted nearly 100 progressive activists from Minnesota. The assembled groups represented civil, labor and immigrants’ rights groups who were recently thrust into the national spotlight after President Donald Trump’s administration’s enhanced immigration enforcement operation in the state sparked protests.
    “It’s really empowering, at least for me, to see the coalition coming together and to understand the history of civil rights and human rights and immigrants’ rights,” said Yeng Her, the organizing director at the Immigrant Defense Network, one of the organizations that has protested the Trump administration in Minnesota.
    The Jackson family invited the activists to Chicago to learn more about Jackson’s strategies and find resources for their own organizations. Organizers met Rainbow PUSH alumni and some of Jackson’s children.
    The gathering was a prelude to both the private service for Jackson’s family and another commemoration.
    On Sunday, members of the Jackson family and many of Jackson’s mentees will travel to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the “Bloody Sunday” protest marches when civil rights activists were beaten by police on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965.
    Jackson himself often attended the same anniversary march.
    “Reverend always thought three-dimensionally,” said Jimmy Coleman, a longtime aide to Jackson and native of Selma.
    “Selma has always stood for the basics of what civil rights is, what we are debating in policy. He was always focused on what we needed in terms of policy in any given political moment, and that’s what the march represents,” said Coleman.