Progressive search for action

43+ min ago (197+ words) Republicans appeared to undercut President Donald Trump in a key part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, according to a new report. The recently released NDAA, a 3,000-page bill that directs more than $900 billion in spending on various defense programs, reflects "bipartisan concerns" that the Trump administration could significantly reduce the number of American troops in Europe, Politico reported on Sunday. The report adds that the language "stands in stark contrast" to Trump's isolationist national security strategy. In response, Republicans added language to the bill, which Politico described as a "compromise," requiring the Department of Defense to meet specific metrics before troops can be withdrawn. "Republicans, led by Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) and House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-AL), broke with the Trump administration, arguing that troop reductions " such as a recent decision to remove…...

1+ hour, 47+ min ago (886+ words) Trump 2.0 continually impresses everyone for its craziness. The latest venture into the absurd was Trump's preemptive pardon of Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who had been indicted on charges for accepting bribes from foreign actors. The pardon is not especially surprising, since Donald Trump finds a corrupt politician as irresistible as he might have found an attractive woman in his younger days. The Trumpian absurdity part of the story is that Cuellar immediately turned around and said that he wants the prosecutors investigated. In Donald Trump's America the greatest crime is enforcing the law against a Donald Trump ally. Who knows where Cuellar's request will end up? Most immediately, he apparently went to Jim Jordan, the head of the House Judiciary Committee with his case. This likely means some serious hyperventilation and screaming, but not much else. It's not just…...

1+ hour, 51+ min ago (789+ words) Contract talks, which began in February, collapsed in April after delegates of Starbucks Workers United (SWU)organized under Workers United (WU), an affiliate of the SEIUrejected a contract offering a below-inflation 2 percent raise for baristas. This is the second strike in a year called by SWU. Around 5,000 workers struck for five days last Christmas before being sent back to work without any concessions from management. On December 1, New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Senator Bernie Sanders appeared at a picket line in Brooklyn to declare their solidarity. Their visit coincided with the announcement of a $35 million settlement for 15,000 New York City Starbucks workers, the result of litigation showing the company violated fair scheduling laws more than half a million times in three years. None of this changes the basic reality confronting workers. Even the few workers who will receive…...

1+ hour, 58+ min ago (565+ words) Shortly after American-born Robert Prevost was elected Pope, J.D. Vance and his wife stopped in to visit with the new pontiff. In addition to a Chicago Bears shirt, Vance brought the American Pope two books by St. Augustine. This gift represented a bond between the two men: Vance chose St. Augustine as his patron saint when he converted to Catholicism, and the Pope was previously head of the worldwide Augustinian order. Because Vance's vampire boss says the Pope may be the Antichrist. Billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel is probably best known for three things: Company names stolen from The Lord of the Rings, trying to drain the blood of young people so he can live forever, and foisting J.D. Vance on America. But there's another side to Thiel. In those lectures, Thiel puts his finger on some very suspect people. People like…...

2+ hour, 4+ min ago (973+ words) The Labor government announced on Thursday that it is providing the Ukrainian government with $95 million to help it prosecute the war with Russia that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the worst European conflict since World War II. The package is the first by the Labor government since it was reelected in May, and is among the biggest provided by an Australian government to Kiev since the US and NATO deliberately provoked Russia's reactionary invasion in March, 2022 and the war that followed. The latest spend is striking for its militarist thrust. When the war began, Australian governments, first the Liberal-National Coalition and then Labor, downplayed their involvement, presenting assistance as humanitarian or as indirect military support. That pretext has been dispensed with. Of the $95 million, it appears that not a cent is earmarked for humanitarian relief. The vast…...

2+ hour, 23+ min ago (353+ words) Bongino's response was astounding. He looked down, as if embarrassed, and replied: "Yeah, that's why I said to you this investigation's just begun." But after hemming and hawing about the confidence he and FBI Director Kash Patel have that they arrested the right person, he got real. "Listen, I was paid in the past, Sean, for my opinions," he explained. "That's clear. And one day, I'll be back in that space. But that's not what I'm paid for now. I'm paid to be your deputy director, and we base investigations on facts." Bongino then quickly pivoted to attacking reporters at the day's press conference, suggesting that he and others on the right are willing to "evolve" when they learn contradictory facts, while mainstream journalists probably "still believe in this collusion fairy tale hoax." He offered some obsequious praise for Trump,…...

2+ hour, 23+ min ago (516+ words) Boston Church's 'ICE Was Here' Nativity Display The nativity scene at St. Susanna's Parish in Dedham, Mass., replaces the Holy Family with anti-ICE signs protesting U.S. immigration policies. Posted by Corky at 11:31 PM | 9 COMMENTS | permalink | Comment on This Entry | The Archdiocese of Boston said the anti-ICE nativity display outside of a Catholic church in Dedham should be removed, calling it "divisive political messaging."[image or embed] "St. Susanna Parish in Dedham is standing by its nativity scene this year, ignoring a request from the Archdiocese of Boston. The nativity scene replaces the Holy Family with an anti-ICE sign protesting U.S. immigration policies. The sign reads, "ICE was here," which is meant to imply that Jesus, Mary and Joseph were taken by immigration agents, according to WBUR. video about 3 min in: #1 | Posted by Corky at 2025-12-06 08:56 PM | Reply #2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-12-06 08:58 PM | Reply…...

2+ hour, 28+ min ago (942+ words) The Australian Labor government's ban on social media use by those under the age of 16 is set to be rolled out on December 10. The ban is not a child welfare measure but a direct intervention by the state to dictate how ordinary people will be allowed to use the internet. While the immediate effect is to bar under16s, the ban's enforcement mechanisms will have consequences for the entire population. Implementing an ageverification regime necessarily requires that every user be identified through biometric checks, face scans, or government and bank databases. The nominal purpose of the world-first policy according to the government is supposedly to "protect" children's mental health. But the primary causes of distress, particularly among young people, are the government's own policies of austerity, housing unaffordability, militarism and the climate catastrophe." Some mental health advocates, moreover, have warned that the…...

2+ hour, 46+ min ago (470+ words) Summers' behavior in his interactions with Epstein was appalling, but his response to the disclosure has been within normal bounds. Within hours of the emails' release, he released a statement acknowledging guilt. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein." Why has there been no similar accountability for another of Epstein's pen pals " Steve Bannon? Trump's consigliere, strategist, propagandist and former senior counselor at the White House was on very friendly terms with Epstein. He exchanged hundreds of emails with the convicted felon and conspired to whitewash his public image. Do you have friends who can send a private jet to retrieve you when your flight has been delayed? Epstein apparently did that for Bannon in 2018. On a trip to…...

2+ hour, 46+ min ago (470+ words) Summers' behavior in his interactions with Epstein was appalling, but his response to the disclosure has been within normal bounds. Within hours of the emails' release, he released a statement acknowledging guilt. "I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein." Why has there been no similar accountability for another of Epstein's pen pals " Steve Bannon? Trump's consigliere, strategist, propagandist and former senior counselor at the White House was on very friendly terms with Epstein. He exchanged hundreds of emails with the convicted felon and conspired to whitewash his public image. Do you have friends who can send a private jet to retrieve you when your flight has been delayed? Epstein apparently did that for Bannon in 2018. On a trip to…...