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Todd Blanche’s accidental honesty

Todd Blanche’s accidental honesty

Quinta Jurecic writes: The most stunning exchange of Todd Blanche’s confirmation hearing to serve as attorney general came in response to an amiable question. Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana, a Republican who appears favorably inclined toward Blanche, asked the nominee whether he considered himself to be the president’s friend. Blanche, who is currently leading the Justice Department in an interim role, responded: “I’m his lawyer.” Then, perhaps, realizing his mistake, he corrected himself. “Was his lawyer,” he said. “And now…

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Why Rubio wants to ‘dismantle’ the international criminal court

Why Rubio wants to ‘dismantle’ the international criminal court

Kenneth Roth writes: With the pointless war of choice in Iran going poorly, the Trump administration has declared a virtual war on the international criminal court (ICC). Secretary of state, Marco Rubio, vowed on Monday to “dismantle” the court as a supposed threat to US sovereignty. His rationale is laced with sophistry. The administration’s real goal is to secure impunity for war crimes, even those committed on the territory of ICC member states. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed and…

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Hegseth testosterone screenings indicative of ‘homoeroticism,’ says House Democrat

Hegseth testosterone screenings indicative of ‘homoeroticism,’ says House Democrat

The Hill reports: Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.) on Thursday said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s testosterone screening requirement for U.S. service members is indicative of “homoeroticism.” Hegseth announced this week that the Pentagon will give the screenings to service members 30 years and older, regardless of gender. Should treatment be recommended following the test, they will have the choice to receive testosterone replacement therapy. “I think it’s indicative of the fact that there are so many people in this administration that…

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‘Climate free fall’: Why the biggest risk to our economies is yet to be recognized

‘Climate free fall’: Why the biggest risk to our economies is yet to be recognized

Anders Levermann writes: I have studied climate tipping points for more than 20 years, and I’m increasingly concerned that scientists have overlooked the most dangerous aspect of these for societies. The potential collapse of major parts of the Earth system — from ice sheets to ocean circulations — will profoundly alter the warming planet and tip it irreversibly into a different state. But the greatest risks might not lie at that endpoint. How we get there — how the tipping…

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Former DOJ pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer, fired by Blanche, says he places ‘Trump interests ahead’ of country

Former DOJ pardon attorney Elizabeth Oyer, fired by Blanche, says he places ‘Trump interests ahead’ of country

  A former pardon attorney at the Department of Justice said Todd Blanche fired her after his appointment as deputy attorney general. Elizabeth Oyer said he did so after she refused to “rubber stamp a political favor for a friend of the president” as well as restoring gun rights for a convicted domestic abuser, too. “Mr. Blanche has repeatedly placed President Trump’s interest ahead of the interests of the country,” Oyer said.

‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Inside Trump’s remaking of American elections

‘Death by a thousand cuts’: Inside Trump’s remaking of American elections

Politico reports: President Donald Trump seemingly has a plan for the nation’s election apparatus: Dismantle the existing system with a series of cuts, firings and threats, rather than a sledgehammer blow. Just last week Trump eviscerated the relatively obscure Election Assistance Commission, alarming state election officials across the country who warned it could undermine cybersecurity resources for states and localities. That was just one of the moves the White House has made since Trump returned to office. The president has…

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ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say

ICE officer in Maine shooting has history of violent behavior, family and records say

The Associated Press reports: The Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot a Colombian man in Maine this week is an Army veteran who has struggled with serious mental health issues since early childhood and never should have been given a badge and gun to patrol American streets, several of his close relatives told The Associated Press. David Brouillette has a history of terrifying and violent behavior, according to those relatives. They accuse him of attacking women in his life…

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Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if U.S. hits power network, sources say

Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if U.S. hits power network, sources say

Reuters reports: Iran has asked Yemen’s Houthi movement to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the United States strikes Iranian power infrastructure, three sources told Reuters on Thursday, posing a potent new threat ​to global energy supplies. The idea has been discussed within the Islamic Republic’s leadership, and the message has been conveyed to Iran’s Houthi allies, two senior Iranian ‌sources and a regional source familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The…

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JD Vance accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ U.S. public opinion to prolong Iran war

JD Vance accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ U.S. public opinion to prolong Iran war

BBC News reports: US Vice-President JD Vance has accused some members of the Israeli government of trying to influence Americans’ opinions to prolong the Iran war. In an interview published on Wednesday, Vance told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people within the Israeli government, there are others “who are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to Vance’s comments. White House…

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Trump blatantly tries to manipulate markets by selling fast access Truth Social to Wall Street firms

Trump blatantly tries to manipulate markets by selling fast access Truth Social to Wall Street firms

The New Republic reports: The thin veil that has historically clouded government corruption is in the trash—under the current Trump administration, blatant ethical misconduct is in. Truth Social executives announced Thursday that the company would sell Wall Street firms premier access to Donald Trump’s market-rattling online posts, granting traders an advantage over the general public with regard to anticipating stock market fluctuations due to the president’s social media habits. The product, marketed as “Truth API,” apparently aims to make fast…

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How the World Cup helped America see itself afresh

How the World Cup helped America see itself afresh

Surbhi Gupta and Danny Postel write: The owner of Parkwood Deli in Midland Park, New Jersey, Roger Schnorrbusch — known to his nearly 830,000 TikTok followers as “the deli guy” — has been serving sandwiches for over two decades. A viral personality due to his hyped-up, theatrical videos featuring him whipping up a chicken parmesan sandwich or an eggplant parm stacked with hot peppers, his videos rack up thousands of views, and customers come in from as far as California…

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A forever war in the making

A forever war in the making

Ali Vaez writes: The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran halted their war and provided a framework for talks over Iran’s nuclear program. Less than a month after it was signed, it has failed, and a document intended to halt a war has instead become a reason for resuming it. The immediate dispute concerns who controls the Strait of Hormuz, but more is at stake. The collapse of even this minimal understanding could remove the last barrier…

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In seismic shift, more than 100 House Democrats vote to end Israel aid

In seismic shift, more than 100 House Democrats vote to end Israel aid

Politico reports: Nearly half of House Democrats voted to cut off aid to Israel Wednesday, underscoring a seismic shift in political support for the longtime U.S. ally. The amendment to a State Department spending bill would have eliminated $3.3 billion in funding, and thanks to strong Republican support for the Jewish state, it failed 314-104 . But the vote served as a moment of reckoning for House Democrats who have had to confront years of voter outrage about Israel’s handling…

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One-state solution gains growing support among Jewish Americans

One-state solution gains growing support among Jewish Americans

JTA reports: For much of the modern history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the phrase “one-state solution” was a fringe idea, especially among Jewish supporters of Israel. The proposal that Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs would live under one government was largely seen as the very antithesis of Zionism, which asserts the legitimacy of Jewish nationalism and the right to establish a Jewish-led state in Jews’ ancestral homeland. That is changing — at least in some corners of the Jewish world….

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