Read this…if you dare.
I’ve long admired the work of Jeremy Scahill. There are reporters. There are investigative reporters. Then there are war correspondents. They are a different breed and Scahill is one of my favorites. So when he announced, along with Ryan Grim, that they were leaving The Intercept to launch Drop Site News, it took me all of five minutes to subscribe. His inaugural piece does not disappoint.
From the article:
“I interviewed a variety of Hamas sources on background for this story and two—Basem Naim and Ghazi Hamad—agreed to speak on the record. I also spoke to a range of knowledgeable Palestinians, Israelis, and international sources in an effort to understand the tactical and political aims of the October 7 attacks. Some people will inevitably criticize the choice to interview and publish Hamas officials’ answers to these questions as propaganda. I believe it is essential that the public understand the perspectives of the individuals and groups who initiated the attack that spurred Israel’s genocidal war—an argument that is seldom permitted outside of simple soundbytes.”
Drop Site: On the Record with Hamas
Do you want to fight or fuck?
Sean O’Brien made headlines when he squared off against asshole Senator Markwayne Mullin in a dick measuring contest during a heated hearing. Despite his quarrel with hostile Republican lawmakers and a position as head of one of the most influential labor unions in the country, O’Brien has accepted an invitation to speak at the Republican National Convention.
From the article:
“But his open flirtation with former President Donald J. Trump has divided the union’s leadership, rankled some of its 1.3 million members and set up a showdown over the Teamsters’ eventual endorsement that has undermined President Biden’s standing with organized labor just when he needs it the most.”
New York Times: How a Teamster Leader’s Flirtations With Trump Have Divided the Union
All is not lost. But it’s harder than ever to find.
When it comes to understanding Supreme Court decisions I typically wait for legal scholars and writers to interpret and translate them. Legalese is difficult to parse and SCOTUS decisions are highly charged. Relying on the pundit class for insight into case law is folly. So while this article explains how the current court is fighting a longstanding right-wing battle to dismantle the administrative state, it offers a silver lining on the big issues that progressives should bear in mind.
From the article:
“Nevertheless, the major national policy proposals coming from the Left today could not — even at the best of times — be achieved through executive action or agency regulations. Because of Congress’s dominant role in the constitutional structure, especially its control over the federal purse strings, things like universal health care, expanded labor rights, serious efforts to address climate change, and wealth redistribution would all require legislation. And the constitutionality of such legislation, if it is ever passed, will not be directly imperiled by the court’s war on the administrative state.”
Jacobin: SCOTUS Wants to Kill the Administrative State
