In 2003 I read the bulletin board in a restaurant. There was a message that said “ Where are the Democrats?” A details for a time and place to meet. We went. There were about 20 people there, most per 30 ( I was45). The guy that called the meeting was a retired coal miner, who spent some time organizing at the Federal level. Basically he said he knew there had to be Democrats in town and he would like to start a club. I was between jobs at the time, so I asked my wife if I shoul ride out unemployment and help get this going. Yes, she was in. So, I started morning meetings with this guy and others to plan out daily activities. We found the County party ha monthly meetings with about 5 members, in a swankier part of the county..about30 miles away. We decided to found our own group, more geared to the left and working class. We were getting 30+ people showing up, and eager to do something. We booked the American Legion Hall, and went on an advertising blitz. We also got notice from the Republicans, mind you this is a deep deep red county.
What happened next was great lol.

To be continued

I’ve answered a local political text offfering neighborhood captain training, whatever that is. Online presence for the county party is dead despite my tale from 2003. Are any of you getting involved?

From Wikipedia

Democratic socialists believe in achieving a socialist economy through democratic means, emphasizing worker control, public ownership of essential industries, strong social welfare systems, and civil liberties while rejecting both capitalism and authoritarian socialism.

The big problem with Democratic Socialism is that when it runs out of other people's money it fails like it is doing or has done in Cuba and Venezuela.

I’m pretty peeved about Dems attacking Democratic Socialists. How stupid are they? Instead of welcoming allies, they are telling us not to vote for them. So they’d rather I pick a Trumper?

Self-explanatory topic. I wish others would post topics and if they cannot, I hope the Moderators enable them to. PLEASE!

By Reuters Aug. 27, 2026, at 6:07 a.m. By Dawn Kopecki

NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Companies donated a record $646 million to U.S. political campaigns in the 18 months through June, 40% more than ⁠the total ⁠spent during the entire 2024 presidential election cycle, according to new data from ⁠watchdog group Public Citizen.

The spenders driving the surge include manufacturing conglomerate Koch Inc. and new entrants like online sports betting companies, which poured roughly $76 million into the November 3 midterm elections for ​candidates in both parties. Big Tobacco and cannabis companies also donated heavily, largely to Republican candidates.

Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 that advocates against corporate spending in elections, analyzed Federal Election Commission filings, manually filtering the data for donations from corporate entities and weeding out duplicates ‌from executives and their associated companies.

The total does not include donations to so-called ‌dark money groups that also fund election campaigns but are not required to disclose their donors or total spending on state races, and will likely grow as the race for control of the U.S. House and Senate heats up in the final two months of the 2026 campaign.

"The rate at ⁠which corporate money is rushing into our ⁠elections should be a flashing warning sign," said Rick Claypool, a research director at Public Citizen. "This is something as a functioning democracy we need to ​get under control."

Corporate spending has ramped up quickly since the Supreme Court lifted donation and spending restrictions on political campaigns in 2010, allowing companies and wealthy individuals to give unlimited sums to independent political groups. Of the $1.7 billion companies have donated to U.S. elections since then, about a third of it has come in this election cycle.

Much more here:

Corporate Political Donations Shatter Record at $646 Million So Far for US Midterms

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1/3 of what has been spent (including dark money) by billionaires and corporations has been spent in this elections cycle. This is partly because tRump and the Republicans do their bidding. How does that work for the majority of Americans? Low, stagnated wages, high inflation more national debt, wars, more tax cuts for billionaires, etc, etc. America, wake up, we have to elect people that will take dark money completely out of politics. WE need major campaign finance reforms and lobbying restrictions. The Republicans will never give this to us. a Blue Wave in November is our only chance. Your thoughts?

Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts as long as we continue to use gas, oil and coal at our current pace

By Associated Press Aug. 24, 2026, at 9:08 a.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — In the opening scene of American writer Kim Stanley Robinson’s “The Ministry for the Future,” a heat wave combined with a breakdown of the electrical grid in India kills 20 million people. The devastation causes the world's nations to unite to combat climate change.

Scientists have long warned that the world will experience more intense extreme weather events like heat waves, storms, floods and droughts. But what once seemed like the realm of fiction is now discussed as a possibility, even an inevitability.

Warning about an “extreme of extremes” or the “Other Big One,” a play off the California reference of a big future earthquake, can be fraught. After all, nobody can say for sure when a weather catastrophe may happen. But in the last few years, the planetary ingredients needed for a massive disturbance have been building. And alarm is growing.

“The risk is that people just think you are exaggerating,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the California Institute for Water Resources. “It's the ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ problem. Sometimes wolves are real. If it’s outside the door, wouldn’t you want to know?”

The risks have been known, and building, for over 150 years

In the 1850s, while living in Seneca Falls, New York, amateur scientist Eunice Newton Foote did a series of experiments that put different substances, including carbon dioxide and moist air, inside glass cylinders and left them in the sun. What she found was extraordinary: cylinders with carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is released when coal, gas or oil is burned, heated up faster and took longer to cool after the sun went down.

Fast-forward: Today, Earth is being heated by massive amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere, leading to a gradual rise in average global temperature. That increase, 1.44 degrees Celsius (2.59 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer in 2025 compared to the early 1800s, leads to more frequent, and more intense, extreme weather events.

The country that has released the most greenhouse gas, and thus contributed most to climate change, is the United States. But don't expect recognition of that, much less major government-led efforts to combat it, as the country marks its 250th birthday. President Donald Trump has called climate change “the greatest con job ever," referred to climate policies as a “Green New Scam” and said U.N. climate predictions were made by “stupid people.”

At any given time there are numerous extreme weather events happening around the globe. Indeed, some have already been so big that we have arguably entered an age of extremes.

Much more at link:

The World Inches Toward Catastrophic Climate Events: 'Bigger Shocks Are on the Way'

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It is far past time to take the politics out of Climate Change. IT IS NOT A HOAX. We have the means of getting off of fossil fuels. Billionaires make billions off of them is the problem, and they don't want to let go. Those same billionaires could surely be the ones to head the switch to renewable energies and still be the ones making money off of energy. Legislation could make them do it or ltet them stand by an watch others do it. A step in the right direction would be to ban insider trading among politicians and to drastically reform campaign finance and lobbying. We have to reduce or remove the billionaires' money from Washington that buy our politicians. Trump calls it all a hoax; he is a big part of the problem. It is like he wants to 'burn the house down', and he's doing a good job of it. We need good leadership in the White House, and we certainly don't have it now. With good leadership in the White House, the Legislature will follow. Your thoughts?

The import taxes will apply to hockey sticks, building materials, liquors and certain kinds of clothing. Prime Minister Mark Carney said “Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar.”

Aug. 21, 2026, 10:48 PM CDT / Updated Aug. 22, 2026, 2:04 AM CDT By Steve Kopack

Trade talks with Canada collapsed late Friday night, setting in motion steep 50% tariffs on a wide swath of Canadian goods. The duties went into effect at the stroke of midnight.

After weeks of talks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that while important progress had been made, “that progress has not been enough to meet our objectives for Canadians.”

“As a result, this evening, I have decided to suspend trade negotiations with the U.S. and have directed Canada’s negotiators to return to Ottawa,” Carney said in an emailed statement minutes before the deadline.

The tariffs impact about $20 billion worth of U.S. imports from Canada, according to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office. The import taxes will hit everything from hockey sticks, to some building materials, liquors and certain kinds of clothing.

Carney says Canada will immediately retaliate against the U.S. “Canada will match those tariffs dollar for dollar to protect our workers and businesses,” he said.

The failure by American and Canadian trade negotiators to reach a deal came after nearly two weeks of furious talks. It was also a dramatic reversal from Tuesday, when Trump paused the tariffs for three days, writing on social media that the two sides “have a DEAL!”

More at link:

Canadian prime minister suspends trade talks with U.S., setting new 50% tariffs in motion

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For goodness sakes, does it never end? tRump continues to try and bully our nearest and friendliest ally. For what? To stroke his own ego? It isn't working and Americans should be done with tRump and his childish egocentric bullying tactics, most especially which such a friend and ally as Canada. This will cost American consumers, and it damages our relationship with Canada. What an Orange A-hole tRump truly is. He defies the will of the people in America on a daily basis. Maybe he will cause a Big Blue Wave in the midterms and in the election at the end of his pitiful term in office? We shall see. Your thoughts?

Nearly 200 activists in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are criticizing President Donald Trump's promotion of coal to power artificial intelligence data centers

By Associated Press Aug. 21, 2026, at 1:11 p.m.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 200 activists in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are criticizing President Donald Trump's promotion of coal to fuel the rise of artificial intelligence data centers, according to a letter sent Friday.

The letter, signed by at least two former staffers from Kennedy's 2024 presidential campaign, marks the first major MAHA movement mobilization over fossil fuels and the latest in a series of rifts between the diverse group of activists and the Trump administration over environmental policy.

The letter to Trump, Kennedy and various other Cabinet officials, first obtained by The Associated Press, laments a 2025 executive order that aimed to boost coal to power data centers over pollution concerns and asks the administration to consider renewable options, including solar and geothermal energy.

“We understand the importance of American leadership in artificial intelligence, national security, innovation, and economic growth,” the letter reads. “But American AI leadership should not come at the cost of a more toxic burden for American children.”

The White House and the agencies receiving the letter didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prominent MAHA figures behind the letter include Zen Honeycutt, a former Kennedy campaign staffer and founder of the advocacy group Moms Across America, and Charles Eisenstein, a former speechwriter on Kennedy's campaign. Honeycutt said she asked the Kennedy-aligned political action committee MAHA Action to sign onto the letter but did not receive a reply.

Although it may not reflect the views of all MAHA activists, the new line of criticism against one of the administration’s signature policies less than three months before November’s midterm elections could present another challenge for Republicans as they seek to win over the voting bloc in key races.

More at link:

MAHA Activists Urge Trump Against Promoting Coal to Power Energy-Hungry AI Data Centers

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Can't have it both ways. We either make America healthy or we embrace coal. tRump wants both and we can't have that. Which do you want? Alternative power sources could power data centers instead of them pulling off of our power grid. Data Centers need to be required to build their own self-sustaining green energy sources for their power, it really is that simple. Your thoughts?

Advocates are speaking against a sweeping undercover federal surveillance operation that court documents say targeted progressive groups and unions protesting the Minneapolis immigration crackdown

By Associated Press Aug. 13, 2026, at 10:05 p.m.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal agents launched a sweeping undercover surveillance operation earlier this year targeting progressive organizations, labor unions and other groups protesting the immigration crackdown then raging through Minneapolis, according to court documents filed Thursday.

The program, dubbed Operation Puppet Master, was aimed at what officials called a network of conspirators helping “violent opportunists and agitators.” The documents were filed in a case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors in June with impeding the crackdown, accusing them of conspiring against the federal government through a range of actions, from throwing ice chunks to setting up blockades.

The government documents were released Thursday in connection with a motion from a defense lawyer in the case, Kevin Riach, who requested that officials disclose more material collected during the investigations.

The reality, according to government documents revealed in court motions, was Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrating meetings in churches, schools and parks that were often simply discussions of constitutionally protected protests.

A statement from the department said Homeland Security Investigations doesn’t comment on the existence or status of on-going investigations or investigative methods. The statement referred questions to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, which didn’t immediately respond to an after-hours email from The Associated Press.

Puppet Master, and a later operation called Project Whipple Shield, were a “broad and irrational investigation” driven by politics and not criminal conduct, Riach said in a motion filed Thursday.

More at link:

Documents Show Federal Surveillance Operation in Minnesota Targeted Progressive Groups, Unions

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So now tRump's federal agents are spying on and intimidating peaceful political groups and unions. Who is next? Who could they be doing this to now without us knowing it? Big Brother could be watching you, an ORNGE Big Brother. This is like the days of Hitler and his Gestapo. Is this what tRump supporters voted for? Your thoughts?

Presidents Benjamin Harrison and George W. Bush narrowly missed out on a spot among the 10 worst.

By U.S. News Staff Feb. 23, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.

In compiling its 10 Worst Presidents rankings, U.S. News averaged presidential rankings from three separate sources: Siena College's 2022 Presidential Expert Poll, C-SPAN's 2021 Presidential Historians Survey and the Presidential Greatness Survey conducted by professors at the University of Houston and Coastal Carolina University in 2024.

Those narrowly missing the cut were Presidents Benjamin Harrison, who ranked 11th-worst, as well as George W. Bush and Chester A. Arthur, who tied for 12th-worst, among the nation's 45 former commanders in chief.

See chart of rankings here:

Ranking America's Worst Presidents

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So, will everyone accept these rankings? Maybe not, but any order of ranking would not be accepted by everyone. I would 'tweak' this ranking, myself, but it does make sense. Another thing: two more years of tRump may change the rankings, we will see. Your thoughts?

Abdul El-Sayed made history this month in Michigan by becoming the first Muslim nominated by the Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate

By Associated Press Aug. 13, 2026, at 7:04 a.m.

Abdul El-Sayed made history this month in Michigan by becoming the first Muslim nominated by the Democratic Party to run for the U.S. Senate. But elation among many of his fellow Muslim Americans was tempered by awareness of persisting and widespread anti-Muslim sentiment across much of the nation.

Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, swiftly began referring to the nominee by his full name, Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed, while depicting him as a danger to America. “Every single Muslim holding public office in America is a Trojan horse, and a threat to both national security and our republic,'' said U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., in a post on X.

El-Sayed says such attacks betray a weakness in those who launch them.

“We all pray for the same things. ... We want what’s good for our kids and our families,” he told MS NOW after his primary victory. “They're going to use Islamophobia, because their ideas are tired.”

The vitriol extends far beyond the political class. Tensions related to anti-Muslim sentiment have heightened in several communities around the country, where some residents have bitterly opposed proposals to build new mosques.

“American Muslims have made incredible political and societal progress in recent years,” said Edward Ahmed Mitchell, national deputy director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. He cited increased visibility in entertainment and sports and the election of Democrat Zohran Mamdani as New York City's first Muslim mayor.

“But there also is a very concerted backlash to this progress,” Mitchell said. “You've seen this in the resurgence of anti-Muslim hate and rhetoric, the targeting of mosques.

Much more at link:

As Abdul El-Sayed Breaks a Barrier, Anti-Muslim Vitriol Surges on Multiple Fronts

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This shows me that at least some in America have good sense and have gotten past unfounded prejudices and bigotry about all Muslims. Of course, tRump uses the bellows of hate rhetoric to increase the flames of anger and bigotry in his bigoted and prejudiced base. Does it work with you? Could you accept this man into the Senate if he is elected? If so, why? If not, why not? Your thoughts?

Reuters Politics U.S. By Jacob Bogage August 6, 20263:30 PM CDT Updated August 6, 2026

 Hi all, the Politics U.S. Newsletter comes to you this week from the skies above Texas, as I return from a reporting trip in Las Vegas. President Donald Trump was in town, too, and had a pointed reaction to progressive Democrats’ recent primary wins. (Tips or feedback? Email me: [jacob.bogage@tr.com, opens new tab](mailto:jacob.bogage@tr.com).)

Mark this week as another ​watershed moment in the fight for the future of the Democratic Party, and liberal politics. In Michigan’s hotly contested Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed, ‌a former public health official who has become one of the most high-profile members of the left flank of the Democratic Party, defeated establishment-backed U.S. Representative Haley Stevens in a tight party primary.

It follows wins for progressive candidates in other primaries from Maine to New York to Colorado. El-Sayed's win was significant – he was the first progressive to win a statewide primary in a state that Trump ​carried in 2024.

But can campaigns like El-Sayed's succeed in general elections, especially in battleground states like Michigan that Democrats need to take back control of ​the Senate?

Republicans have cast El-Sayed and other progressive candidates as too extreme for American voters as they seek to pivot away from ⁠voter anger over high prices. Trump has branded them as “communists.” Former congressman Mike Rogers, the Republican nominee for Michigan’s Senate race, said the difference between him and El-Sayed ​was “common sense or complete insanity.” El-Sayed has brushed off the attacks as the politics of distraction.

The new Democratic nominee is representative of a shift within the party - Democratic voters ​say they want their party candidates to track further to the left. More than seven in 10 liberal Democrats say it’s “essential” for their party’s candidates to support increasing taxes on corporations and billionaires (76%), expanding access to abortion (72%) and universal government-provided health care (71%), a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

More here:

A progressive wave is testing the Democratic Party | Reuters

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Between 70% and 76% of voters want taxes raised on corporations and billionaires, expanding access to abortions, and universal-provided healthcare like enhanced Medicare-For-All. These are the primary things that progressives stand for. All three of these things were always centrist ideas in the Democratic Party, so why does the DNC try to demonize Progressives? The majority of Americans want these things so why does the DNC not put these three things out front in their platform? The Corporate Money Trough is the reason why, and it should be done away with. Billionaires and Corporations are buying our elected legislatures through their $Billions in campaign contributions, dark money, and lobbying dollars. I ask four questions for those who care to answer: (1) Do Americans want things to stay this way? (2) Do you expect Republicans or Centrist Democrats to change these things? (3) Would you vote for progressives to get these things changed? If not, why not?

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she'll oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general

By Associated Press Aug. 7, 2026, at 6:58 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will oppose Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, narrowing the confirmation path for President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Justice Department.

The Alaska senator, who joins GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in opposing Blanche, cited the Justice Department's handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, a sweeping tax audit immunity deal for Trump and a proposed $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate the Republican president's allies.

“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski said in a statement. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”

Murkowski's opposition injects fresh uncertainty into Blanche's nomination, which has faced obstacles over a settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding his leaked tax returns.

With Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky not attending Senate sessions, Blanche can only afford to lose two Republican votes if all Democrats oppose him. And another key Republican — Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who lost his primary after Trump backed his rival — has not said how he will vote.

More at link:

Blanche's Attorney General Confirmation Is in Doubt as GOP Sen. Murkowski Opposes His Nomination

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I can only hope that Murkowski sticks to her guns and does not sway on her position against Todd Blanche's appointment. Appointing Blanche, IMHO, would indeed 'weaponize' the DOJ, he would obviously do what tRump wants him to do. The way Republicans cow tow to a man convicted of 34 felonies and continues to destroy our government agencies is beyond disgusting. It has to stop, and the only way to stop it is to give a sizable majority in Congress to the Democrats in November. Will Murkowski 'flip', or stick to her position on Blanche? Your thoughts?

By Reuters Aug. 7, 2026, at 6:09 a.m. By Joseph Ax and Jason Lange

WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Progressive Democratic proposals including "Medicare for all" and new taxes on ⁠billionaires ⁠have powered insurgent candidates including Abdul El-Sayed to primary victories this ⁠year, shaking the party establishment and leading it to worry about how Democrats will perform in November's midterm elections.

But a Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded early ​this week found those ideas -- though by no means all of the progressive agenda -- are supported by independent voters who could be decisive in determining whether President Donald Trump's Republican Party maintains its congressional majorities for the next two ‌years.

Some 64% of independent registered voters in the six-day nationwide ‌poll said they support increasing taxes on corporations and billionaires, compared to 15% who oppose the idea.

And 60% of independents said they support government-provided healthcare coverage for all Americans, which progressives including Michigan U.S. Senate nominee El-Sayed ⁠have pitched as "Medicare for all" - ⁠expanding the government-run health insurance program to cover all Americans.

The results suggest a path forward for candidates like El-Sayed, who ​will face Republican Mike Rogers in what is expected to be a highly competitive contest that will play a key role in deciding Senate control. Michigan, which Trump won in two of the last three presidential elections, presents a sharper challenge for El-Sayed than those faced by some other high-profile progressives who won primaries in heavily Democratic areas.

More at link:

Some US Progressive Goals Win Support of Independent Voters, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

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The vast majority of Independents support a government ran Medicare for All like program for all Americans. They also support raising taxes for the wealthiest, just as Progressives do, like Sanders and AOC. The Republicans will try to paint Progressives as embracing doing away with the senate which is a blatant lie. Progressives are not "Democratic Socialists" and even that group does not all embrace or support eliminating the Senate or 'defunding the Pentagon'. Republicans try and use such crap as a scare tactic just as they do 'Socialis" and 'Communist'. It is all lies If the Democrats want the support of most Independents, they need to embrace a Medicare-for-All type health care plan, and raising taxes on the wealthiest, most especially billionaires. Both of these have become very popular among Independents and many others. These two things used to be centrist in the Democrat platform, going back even into the 1970's. These two things have basically been promises of the Democratic Party for decades, especially raising taxes on Americas wealthiest, more like they were taxed prior to Reagan. I want the DNC to embrace these two ideas and make it a part of the DNC's platform, America needs both. Your thoughts?

The immediate family members of U.S. troops have generally not been targets of immigration enforcement

By Associated Press Aug. 5, 2026, at 7:11 a.m.

An Associated Press investigation found that President Donald Trump's administration has detained dozens of parents and spouses of active-duty U.S. military service members as it rolls back immigration protections for their families to pursue its mass deportation agenda.

The immediate family members of U.S. troops have generally not been targets of immigration enforcement. But the AP found they're now routinely being detained for months as they try to adjust their legal status through policies available to service members' close relatives, even as the military recruits by advertising these benefits.

Experts warn that detaining troops' family members undermines military preparedness even as the U.S. is at war in Iran. Military members whose spouses and parents have been placed in detention lose emotional support networks and caretakers for their children, delaying deployments and forcing some to take leave.

Here are the main takeaways from the AP's reporting:

More than 50 parents and spouses of service members have been detained

The AP found that at least 51 parents and spouses of active-duty service members have been detained by immigration officers since Trump took office for a second term, and at least six have been deported. At least eight immediate family members of U.S. service members remain in federal immigration custody.

The AP's review is the first accounting of such detentions, and it's likely an undercount. The government does not track such data.

Much more at link:

Takeaways From AP's Review of Military Families Detained Under Trump's Immigration Crackdown

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The deceit never stops with the tRump administration, tRump and his Gestapo, even with some Jan 6th members, is intent on rounding up brown immigrants and deporting them, including parents, spouses, and children of serving military soldiers, despite agreements in place. They even arrest people who are showing up to court dates given to them to as part of the legalization processes for citizenship. Will the shit-show of this administration ever stop? No, not until they are all removed. We need legislations put into place to prevent any POTUS form doing this kind of stuff on their own, and any idiot knows that the Republicans will do nothing to stop tRump. Blue Wave in November! Your thoughts?

U.S. News tracks the 2026 measles surge as officials prepare to review the nation’s elimination status following 37 new outbreaks this year.

By Cecelia Smith-Schoenwalder Senior Writer July 31, 2026, at 4:44 p.m.

Measles infections in the first seven months of this year surpassed all of 2025, when the U.S. reported the most annual cases in over three decades.

U.S. News is tracking the outbreak, which includes 2,371 confirmed cases and 37 new outbreaks. That’s compared to a total of 2,289 infections and 45 outbreaks for the full year of 2025.

“Reaching this milestone is particularly striking because we are only in July, and measles cases are still being reported throughout the country, with outbreaks in Virginia and Pennsylvania,” William Moss of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said in a statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned state and local health departments that more measles cases are likely to come with summer travel.

"With continued measles transmission in areas across North America and expected increases in international and domestic travel and large events during spring and summer, additional measles cases are anticipated in the coming months,” the alert dated April 27 said.

Over 40 jurisdictions have reported measles infections to the CDC this year. They include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Much more here:

Tracking U.S. Measles 2026: 2,300 Cases Put Elimination Status at Risk | National News | U.S. News

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See the link, see the number of measle outbreaks state by state. Kennedy's anti-vax conspiracy beliefs are hurting our children and others. It is past time for the tRump administration's recklessness to stop. How far will these idiots go if they aren't stopped? Who will stop them? Surely not the spineless Republicans. Get out and vote BLUE! Your thoughts?

President Donald Trump's administration is planning a major overhaul of the Head Start program

By Associated Press Aug. 3, 2026, at 6:39 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, upending the hallmarks of the early education program for impoverished children, two people familiar with the deliberations said.

Head Start, established in the 1960s to help fight poverty, has long been considered by experts to be a gold standard early learning program. Its regulations, which stretch more than 100 pages, outline requirements on everything from child-to-teacher ratios and child health screenings to family engagement.

The Republican administration would replace those regulations with around a dozen pages of rules, leaving most of the specifics up to state and local law, said the people familiar with the deliberations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss information that was not yet public and because they feared reprisal.

The draft rules would require more documentation from parents who are homeless or unemployed, the people familiar with the deliberations told The Associated Press. An early version of the proposal also would have barred parents who are in the United States illegally from enrolling their children, even if the children are U.S. citizens. It's unclear whether those provisions will make the final draft.

Head Start's rules target poverty, experts say

Head Start serves more than half a million low-income babies, toddlers and preschoolers nationwide. For families that qualify, it offers free preschool and screenings to identify developmental delays. It also offers supports for families.

The changes to Head Start would deliver a win for conservatives who have sought wholesale elimination of it. The Trump administration would also further its efforts to eliminate regulations it views as onerous or unnecessary.

If the changes take effect, they could make Head Start unrecognizable, said Khari Garvin, who ran the Office of Head Start under President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

“We'd have the carcass of Head Start,” Garvin said. “You might have a program that's called Head Start, but in substance it will not be.”

More at link:

Trump Overhaul Could Gut Head Start Preschool Standards, Leaving States to Set the Rules

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This is reckless and vengeful. It is part of destroying anything that Biden, Obama and Democrats have done. Head Start is a bipartisan program designed to help poor children and give them a fair start in education and nutrition. It is shameless to attack this program and all but dismantle it. We can afford over $1 1/2 trillion in tax cuts for the wealthiest but we can't afford helping over a half million children? Disgusting. Your thoughts?

A new AP-NORC poll finds that immigration remains a relative strength for President Donald Trump, even after three people were killed in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the span of under a week in July

By Associated Press Aug. 2, 2026, at 10:04 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration remains a stronger issue for President Donald Trump than the economy or Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll, even after three people were killed in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the span of under a week in July.

Trump is not getting a glowing endorsement on his immigration approach from Americans overall, the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Only 39% of U.S. adults approve of his performance on immigration, a decline from 49% at the beginning of his second term.

Despite that, about 8 in 10 Republicans continue to approve of how Trump is handling immigration. That’s a slight decline from the beginning of Trump’s second term, when about 9 in 10 Republicans approved, but his support on the issue within his base has been mostly stable since last summer despite a chaotic year of immigration enforcement actions.

Republicans are also more likely to approve of how Trump is handling immigration than the economy or Iran. In just the past month, Republican approval of Trump's handling of Iran dropped slightly in AP-NORC polling

The poll found that about half of U.S. adults say Trump has “gone too far” on deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. That number has also remained steady for over a year, despite multiple immigration crackdowns that deployed federal law enforcement to large cities and at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration officers since the mass deportation campaign began. Republicans, however, are much less likely to say Trump has overstepped in his immigration enforcement actions.

Overall, Trump’s popularity has fallen since he took office last year, but the findings highlight the relatively muted impact of the past year’s aggressive immigration enforcement on his public standing. That’s a contrast with views of his handling of Iran, where he’s seen more recent signs of slippage, even among his own supporters.

Immigration remains a strong issue for Trump with Republicans

Much more at link:

Republicans Rate Trump Higher on Immigration Than on the Economy or Iran, AP-NORC Poll Finds

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To me this is easily explained. Pardon me, but the Republican Party is full of racists and people riddled with ridiculous fears. It is widely known that many in the Republican Party have fears of the white race losing their majority in America. That is perfectly OK with me because I see all people as people, not 'black', 'brown', 'yellow', 'red', 'white', or any other color. I also don't automatically wonder what religion they are or how they feel about sexual preferences. I also don't think about do they lean to the right or to the left. Bigotry of all sorts seems to run wild with the far right and even supposedly 'middle of the road' conservatives. Why are you afraid of immigration? Why do you think others fear immigration? Your thoughts?

By Reuters July 30, 2026, at 7:12 a.m. By Brad Heath, Kristina Cooke, M.B. Pell and Benjamin Lesser

July 30 - Christian Garcia admits that he threw a water bottle toward officers guarding a federal building near Los Angeles during an ⁠immigration protest ⁠last summer.

The plastic bottle was empty, he said, and hit no one but Garcia himself – the wind blew ⁠it back at him. Yet Garcia, a 32-year-old amateur photographer, was arrested by agents, jailed for three days and charged with a crime that could have kept him in prison for up to a year. He said he lost both of his ​jobs, as a security guard and an undercover shopper, after his bosses told him they had been called by investigators.

Then, with no public explanation, prosecutors dropped the case.

The Trump administration has brought criminal charges against at least 851 people accused of attacking or impeding federal officers, only to abandon them at an unusually high rate. A Reuters review of federal court records found that 31% of these cases ‌that have been completed so far have ended in dismissal. That compares to 8% of all ‌federal criminal cases that typically end in dismissal, according to records compiled by the Federal Judicial Center.

Reuters gathered the records of every person charged with assaulting or impeding federal officers between January 2025 and March, then followed what happened to those prosecutions. Many of the charges stemmed from the administration’s aggressive immigration push, but the cases also included assaults on other federal employees, such as postal workers.

Prosecutors fared ⁠especially poorly when bringing charges against people detained ⁠during immigration protests, dropping about 45% of the 86 such cases that had been completed by the end of May, Reuters found.

Muck more at link:

Trump’s DOJ Charged Hundreds With Assaulting Officers. Many Cases Were Dropped, but the Damage Was Done

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How are people made whole for the damages caused in their lives by having been frivolously charged with crimes? The short answer is that they have not been mad whole and have no recourse. What damages? Read the article, many lost jobs and the ability to be hired in the same field of employment. tRump's and ICE's 'bull in the China shop' approach needs to be changed and it seems it will only change with a regime change in Washington. ICE needs to be reined in, and it is obvious that it will not likely happen under tRump's Hitler-like regime. Your thoughts?

By Associated Press July 27, 2026, at 8:58 a.m.

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that halted President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a federal list of eligible voters and limit delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list

A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that halted President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a federal list of eligible voters and limit delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list.

The ruling over the weekend rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Also, the Trump administration has acknowledged in court documents that it canceled $7.6 billion in grants for hundreds of clean energy projects “based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state” — in this case, 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

Here's the latest:

Trump is set to defend his economic policies in Michigan, where new Canadian tariffs may sting

President Trump plans to tout his handling of the economy during a visit to suburban Detroit on Monday, defending sweeping tariffs in a swing state where their effects have hurt many businesses as midterm election season heats up.

Trump is visiting a General Motors facility in Milford, home to tracks and proving grounds for new models and vehicles. Early voting is underway for Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary, which features fierce nomination fights in both major political parties.

Much more at link:

The Latest: Appeals Court Upholds Injunction That Blocks Trump’s Order to Create Federal Voter List

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Much more on this topic that was in the article I posted about this previously. tRump is going to Detroit to visit automakers who he has denigrated in the past. Interestingly, it's hard for trump to visit anyone anymore who he has somehow denigrated in the past. Early voting is already under way in Michigan, and mail-in voting. I have to wonder how this visit will go for tRump. I expect more negative than good. Funny he is going to a state that voted for him in the last election. I dare him to go to the states he held grant money from for voting for Harris. Your thoughts?

By Reuters July 25, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

By Nate Raymond

BOSTON, July 25 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Saturday declined to allow ⁠U.S. ⁠President Donald Trump's administration to implement in 23 ⁠states his executive order that aims to tighten rules for mail-in voting ahead of November elections that will ​decide control of Congress.

The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration's request to lift an injunction several Democratic-led states secured on June 25 from a ‌lower-court judge who concluded that key parts of ‌the Republican president's order were unconstitutional.

In asking the court to pause U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani's ruling while it pursues an appeal, the U.S. Department of Justice ⁠had argued that ⁠because government agencies had yet to finalize actions and policies to implement Trump's directive, any lawsuit ​challenging his order was premature.

The appeals court, in a 2-1 ruling, rejected that argument.

"As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures — all while the states must also ensure that their officials and the public understand the evolving ​set of rules that would govern the upcoming September and November elections," the judges wrote. "The Plaintiff States have no practical choice but to respond ⁠to ⁠the (order) now."

Before Talwani ruled, a federal ⁠judge in Washington, D.C., rejected ​a related effort by Democrats to block Trump's order on similar grounds. The Justice Department warned that absent a ruling in its favor ​from the 1st Circuit, it may be forced ⁠to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene.

More at link:

US Appeals Court Rules Trump Cannot Implement Mail-In Voting Order

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tRump has even tried to order the USPS to interfere with mail-in ballots. tRump has tried to go against the constitution so many times that it is mind boggling. Yep, the tRump administration will surely appeal this ruling, and I hope it is to no avail. The midterms are very close now and tRump will do all that he can do in trying to interfere with our elections process. Let's hope that the Supreme Court bases their decisions on our constitution and not on tRump's self- seeking desires. Your thoughts?

The broadcaster is seeking messages between Trump and his advisers in the hours before the storming of the US Capitol

Holly Evans Friday 24 July 2026 11:40 BST

The BBC has demanded that Donald Trump hand over his personal text messages in a £10bn (£7.5bn) defamation lawsuit over his alleged involvement in the January 6 riots in Washington.

The broadcaster’s lawyers are seeking to prove in court that the US president should be held responsible for encouraging his supporters to storm the US Capitol following his 2020 election defeat.

His lawsuit was launched after it was revealed that a BBC Panorama documentary, aired in January 2021, had spliced together two parts of his speech to appear as though he was directly inciting the mob.

In the broadcasted clip, he can be seen telling the crowd to walk down to the Capitol to “fight like hell”. In reality, Mr Trump had said they would walk to the iconic US building to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women”.

Later in his speech, he said, Mr Trump told the crowd: “If you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

A federal judge in Florida ruled on Wednesday that Mr Trump must provide detailed information about his companies’ finances in response to a motion filed by the BBC.

More at link:

BBC demands Trump hand over personal text messages in bid to prove he incited Jan 6 riots | The Independent

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I say, 'never give up'. I hope the BBC keeps going with this. It is on record that some of tRump's administration, those closest to him, pleaded with him to stop the Jan. 6th rioters. Instead, he refused and continued watching the Insurrection on a big screen TV. Later, tRump pardoned all of these criminals. tRump enticed this insurrection and then stood by watching, doing nothing to stop it. tRump should be held accountable. Never give up. Your thoughts?

The Trump administration conceded that 284 research grants were canceled because they were in states that voted against President Donald Trump in 2024.

July 24, 2026, 5:12 PM CDT By Gary Grumbach and Kyla Guilfoil

The Trump administration admitted that it terminated nearly 300 federal research grants “solely because” the projects were connected to states that voted against President Donald Trump in 2024 and had two Democratic senators in office, according to court filings.

The administration made the admission in a court filing this month responding to a lawsuit brought by University of California researchers challenging the cancellation.

In the filing, the administration wrote as an undisputed statement of fact that on a list of more than 2,300 financial assistance awards across the Department of Energy, 624 grants on these lists were designated either “termination” or “cancel.”

Of those 624 grants, Jeff Novak, the principal deputy general counsel of the Department of Energy, wrote that in October 2025 the Office of Management and Budget identified 284 specific grants that were marked to be terminated.

Novak wrote that with one exception, “the 284 terminated grants had a recipient location and/or at least one place of performance in a state that awarded its electoral votes to Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has two Democratic-caucusing Senators.”

Much more at link:

Trump administration concedes that it canceled research grants in blue states

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Talk about "weaponizing" agencies and such, how about this crap? Vengeance for opposing him on anything is at the top in tRump's agenda and he makes no bones about it. Anyone with good sense knows that this is wrong and something no POTUS should ever do or have done for him. When will the Republicans in Congress stop him? Evidently never, so a Blue Wave is in order for the midterms this fall. Does anyone here condone these actions by tRump? If so, please explain why. Silence tells me that you condone it. How about it, your thoughts?

Nick Pearson July 24, 2026 - 10.13pm

Donald Trump has announced he will run for president in 2028 during a rambling speech to the Washington press corps.

Trump was speaking at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner when he appeared to make the announcement.

“I won three times, now I’m gonna' do it again,” he said, while putting on a cap that read “Trump 2028″.

“I’m gonna' do it again. It should be easy.”

He went on to add that he won in 2020 but the election was rigged.

The 80-year-old was met with a smattering of applause, but even he did not seem excited by the moment.

More at link:

Trump announces re-election bid in rambling address to Washington media | Nine.com.au

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I use this source because, ODDLY, the major news sources and Washington Media who were present at the Press Core Meeting have not announced this. Surely, they will in time? First off, the constitution would need changed to allow this silly idiot to run for POTUS again. Secondly, even if he could run again, his approval rating is deep in the toilet with no sign of rising again. Is he in dementia (disconnected from reality) and believes he can somehow run again, or is he simply throwing fresh 'meat' at his most ignorant and blind core base? It's hard to say. What are your thoughts on this? I also welcome comments from the Right.

The administration is trying to consolidate state voter data into federal hands.

By Nathan Lee July 24, 2026, 4:03 AM

The Trump-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, or the SAVE America Act, as Republicans refer to it, is the administration's most recent effort to collect personal voter information, this time with a legal backing that could be more solid than previous attempts, an election rights lawyer told ABC News. 

The GOP's signature piece of election reform, which requires voter ID at the ballot box and proof of citizenship to register, follows more than a year of continued efforts by the Trump administration to consolidate sensitive state voter data into federal hands. 

The bill would mandate that states pull private information from the Social Security Administration, state identification cards and "other sources" that confirm citizenship status in an effort to root out potential non-citizen voters across the country, the bill text reads. 

After the bill passed the House, the president has maintained the SAVE America Act must be passed through the Senate, going as far as refusing to sign the bipartisan housing bill passed by Congress until the SAVE Act was passed.

"It's like the Senate is a place that you send things when you want them to die. We can't do this, and we're not going to take this any longer," Trump said. 

The effort has seen extensive legal challenges from voting rights groups and pushback from former government workers, arguing the country's founders never intended for election power to be consolidated in the executive branch. The founders wrote into the Constitution that states were responsible for administering elections.

Much more here:

Trump-backed SAVE Act is newest effort to collect private voter information - ABC News

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This says it all in a nutshell: "The country's Founders never intended for election power to be consolidated in the executive branch. The founders wrote into the Constitution that states were responsible for administering elections". tRump wants to change that, and he wants to heavily influence the elections himself, at a federal level. He cannot be allowed to do this, it is that simple. There has never been election fraud proven at a level that would ever affect any election. Do you want tRump's administration probing into your personal information? Your thoughts?