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Former Supreme Court Justice Kennedy warns ‘democracy is at risk’

Former Supreme Court Justice Kennedy warns ‘democracy is at risk’

Politico reports: Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy warned Thursday that acrimonious political discourse and threats to judges are eroding the ability of the United States to serve as an example of democracy worldwide. “Many in the rest of the world look to the United States to see what democracy is, to see what democracy ought to be,” Kennedy said during an online forum about threats to the rule of law. “If they see a hostile, fractious discourse, if they…

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Mitochondria can sense bacteria and trigger your immune system to trap them – revealing new ways to treat infections and autoimmunity

Mitochondria can sense bacteria and trigger your immune system to trap them – revealing new ways to treat infections and autoimmunity

Neutrophils (yellow) eject a NET (green) to ensnare bacteria (purple). Other cells, such as red blood cells (orange), may also get trapped. CHDENK/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA By Andrew Monteith, University of Tennessee Mitochondria have primarily been known as the energy-producing components of cells. But scientists are increasingly discovering that these small organelles do much more than just power cells. They are also involved in immune functions such as controlling inflammation, regulating cell death and responding to infections. Research from my…

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What Democrats must learn from Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in New York

What Democrats must learn from Zohran Mamdani’s historic win in New York

  Like Zohran Mamdani, Kat Abughazaleh is a Gen-Z Democrat running against the status quo and believes the Democratic establishment must evolve and embrace Mamdani’s win to stay relevant. Bhaskar Sunkara writes: [Andrew] Cuomo’s attempt to reinvent himself in New York City politics was flawed from the outset. His candidacy was perceived by many voters as an arrogant power grab, a rehabilitation project rather than a serious commitment to addressing the city’s challenges. He neglected to engage seriously with New…

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Wall Street panics over the prospect of a socialist becoming the mayor of New York City

Wall Street panics over the prospect of a socialist becoming the mayor of New York City

The Wall Street Journal reports: On Wednesday morning, the world’s epicenter of capitalism woke up to find it might soon have a socialist mayor. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s stunning win over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic primary for mayor shocked Wall Street. Some of the world’s most influential and powerful financiers were left grasping to understand what Mamdani’s victory would mean for their industry—and whether they would leave the city. “It’s officially hot commie summer,”…

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The attacks on Zohran Mamdani show we need a new understanding of antisemitism

The attacks on Zohran Mamdani show we need a new understanding of antisemitism

Masha Gessen writes: In recent years, the United States has had an alarming number of antisemitic episodes, from swastika graffiti to marchers chanting “Jews will not replace us” to attacks at synagogues. But in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, it has become increasingly difficult to separate instances of antisemitism from times when people and institutions are accused of antisemitism with little or no basis. In short order, Representative Elise Stefanik and several of her Republican…

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Trump’s masked henchmen challenge local police, sowing fear across LA and the rest of America

Trump’s masked henchmen challenge local police, sowing fear across LA and the rest of America

The Los Angeles Times reports: Increasingly aggressive immigration raids carried out by masked federal agents, sometimes using unmarked vehicles, are creating problems for local law enforcement agencies. Police have little or no insight into where the federal enforcement actions are taking place but often have to deal with the aftermath, including protests and questions from residents about what exactly happened. In some cases, local cops have been mistaken for federal agents, eroding years of work to have immigrant communities trust…

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Since most Republicans view immigration itself as a threat, they care little who is actually a criminal

Since most Republicans view immigration itself as a threat, they care little who is actually a criminal

Philip Bump writes: When Trump took office in January, there were 10.3 immigrants with criminal convictions arrested and detained by ICE for every one with no record. Now, there are 1.2 criminals detained for every immigrant with no record. Partly as a result of this aggressive approach, approval for Trump’s handling of immigration has plunged. Among the Republicans who selected him as their 2024 presidential nominee and overwhelmingly backed his candidacy, though, support remains strong. In fact, as PRRI President…

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Europe is now divided by pro- and anti-Trump political parties

Europe is now divided by pro- and anti-Trump political parties

Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard write: When U.S. President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, he launched a political revolution that is fundamentally transforming the political identity of entire countries. In just six months, the U.S. shifted from championing liberal democracy and free trade to promoting illiberalism and protectionism. Now, that revolution has arrived in Europe, and it’s forcing the bloc to alter its view of the world — along with its place in it. After talking to…

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Machines that teach us how to think, produce minds no more creative than machines

Machines that teach us how to think, produce minds no more creative than machines

Kyle Chayka writes: In an experiment last year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more than fifty students from universities around Boston were split into three groups and asked to write SAT-style essays in response to broad prompts such as “Must our achievements benefit others in order to make us truly happy?” One group was asked to rely on only their own brains to write the essays. A second was given access to Google Search to look up relevant information….

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Initial U.S. intel assessment suggests Iran’s nuclear program only set back by months, at most

Initial U.S. intel assessment suggests Iran’s nuclear program only set back by months, at most

CNN reports: The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by four people briefed on it. The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central…

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In the Iranian regime ‘everyone is now a hardliner’

In the Iranian regime ‘everyone is now a hardliner’

The Economist reports: On June 23rd Iran’s regime ignored President Donald Trump’s warnings and attacked American military bases in Qatar and Iraq. Missiles could be seen over skyscrapers in Doha, Qatar’s capital. While the damage and casualties appear minimal, the war has reached the Gulf, whose glimmering cities offer an alternative vision of the Middle East and whose energy the world needs. The strikes outside Iran come alongside a sudden, ominous power shift inside it. Military hardliners are grabbing power…

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Emil Bove, now a federal court of appeals nominee, proposed defying court orders, former DOJ colleague says

Emil Bove, now a federal court of appeals nominee, proposed defying court orders, former DOJ colleague says

Politico reports: A top Justice Department official who has been nominated for a federal judgeship suggested to colleagues that the administration would defy court orders in order to carry out President Donald Trump’s aggressive plan for mass deportations, according to a whistleblower letter submitted by another attorney who was present. The official, Emil Bove, proposed ignoring court orders as administration lawyers strategized in March over expected legal challenges to the president’s plan to assert wartime powers to rapidly deport some…

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Stephen Miller’s conflict of interest: a financial stake in ICE contractor Palantir

Stephen Miller’s conflict of interest: a financial stake in ICE contractor Palantir

Project On Government Oversight reports: Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s powerful deputy chief of staff and homeland security advisor, is more than just the architect of the administration’s hardline immigration policies: He has a personal financial stake in them. Miller disclosed from $100,001 up to a quarter million dollars of stock in Palantir, a tech company woven into the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and used by other federal agencies such as the Pentagon. That stock ownership is previously unreported; this new information…

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The Supreme Court just stripped thousands of immigrants of their right to due process

The Supreme Court just stripped thousands of immigrants of their right to due process

Ian Millhiser writes: In a short, one-paragraph order, the Republican justices ruled on Monday evening that President Donald Trump may effectively nullify a federal law and an international treaty that is supposed to protect immigrants from torture. The Court’s order in Department of Homeland Security v. D.V.D. does not explain the GOP’s justices’ reasoning, although Justice Sonia Sotomayor responds to their silent decision in a 19-page dissent joined by her two Democratic colleagues. The Court’s order is only temporary, and…

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