The latest casus belli is the brutal carnage of 26 innocent tourists by terrorists in a verdant meadow in Kashmir on a balmy April 22 evening. Islamabad has denied any involvement but is already rattling nuclear threats and seems well prepared for conventional war. For Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, enough is enough. As a resolute pacifist, Modi may try to avoid … [Read more...] about Casus belli for the Pakistan-India war.
Pope Donald vs. Pope Leo XIV
Donald Trump proved that he is all crass and no class when the White House posted online an image of him as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Granted, Trump is defintely a pope to his current supporters if not their messiah. Now that Pope Leo XIV has arrived on the global scene, it should be interesting to watch how Trump reacts to him. In his 08 May 2025 report for … [Read more...] about Pope Donald vs. Pope Leo XIV
The Chinese shadow over Pakistan and India’s nascent war
President Donald Trump could soon face the ignominy of seeing American F-16 fighters flying alongside arch rival China’s J-10 and JF-17 warplanes piloted by Pakistanis against his Indian partners. The risk of ignominy arises because Trump designated India as a “Major Defense Partner with Strategic Trade Authorization-1” during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February visit to … [Read more...] about The Chinese shadow over Pakistan and India’s nascent war
Reaction to Cardinal Robert Prevost Being Named Pope Leo XIV
The reaction to the news that U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago will become Pope and will now be known as Pope Leo XIV was swift in the news media and on social media. The consensus is that he is progressive to moderate. Social media was raging with political takes on his selection. Some GOPers and MAGA members clearly felt he wasn't the kind of Pope they wanted - a … [Read more...] about Reaction to Cardinal Robert Prevost Being Named Pope Leo XIV
Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’
Parishioners attend a memorial Mass in honor of Pope Francis at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles on April 21, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images Maureen K. Day, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Shortly after 6 P.M. in Rome, the longed-for sight appeared above the Sistine Chapel: white … [Read more...] about Even with Pope Leo XIV in place, US Catholics stand ‘at a crossroads’
Pope Leo XIV faces limits on changing the Catholic Church – but Francis made reforms that set the stage for larger changes
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday, May 8, 2025. AP Photo/Andrew Medichini Dennis Doyle, University of Dayton Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States has been picked to be the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church; he will be known as Pope Leo XIV. Attention now … [Read more...] about Pope Leo XIV faces limits on changing the Catholic Church – but Francis made reforms that set the stage for larger changes
The recent Canadian election and the lesson for America
This week many Americans got their first look at new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Although Carney seems to have an impish sense of humour, for the most part he comes across as the banker he is and as a serious and highly intelligent guy with an impressive resume. More than anything, he's a manager. A funny thing happened in the last federal election in Canada. A few … [Read more...] about The recent Canadian election and the lesson for America
TRUMP SHARPIE EDIT TO THE CONSTITUTION
News flash: Prime Minister Carney’s meeting with President Trump wasn’t awful
Press reports from Canada suggest satisfaction with yesterday's meeting between Prime Minister Carney and President Trump. As the Globe and Mail reported, there were no breakthroughs but also no blowups. Given recent events, that's considered a win. Most notable is the personal politics of the encounter. Trump made no secret of his dislike of former Prime Minister Justin … [Read more...] about News flash: Prime Minister Carney’s meeting with President Trump wasn’t awful
DOGE Aide Who Helped Gut CFPB Was Warned About Potential Conflicts of Interest
DOGE Aide Who Helped Gut CFPB Was Warned About Potential Conflicts of Interestby Jake PearsonProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.Last month, a Department of Government Efficiency aide at the nation’s consumer watchdog agency was told by ethics attorneys that he held … [Read more...] about DOGE Aide Who Helped Gut CFPB Was Warned About Potential Conflicts of Interest
Could Trump put “his military” on the streets of America?
If you are like me, you spend far too much time sitting around with your friends talking about just how bad things could get with Trump. These chats are frequently accompanied by some embarrassment that we are talking like this. So much seems both ridiculous and plausible at the same time, but here we are. Living in Toronto as I do, I have had conversations about what U.S. … [Read more...] about Could Trump put “his military” on the streets of America?
America’s Refugees: An Uncertain Future (Updated)
UPDATE: Reuters: “A federal appeals court rejected on Monday [May 5] a request by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to allow it to revoke the temporary legal status of hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans living in the United States.” Hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans are living in the … [Read more...] about America’s Refugees: An Uncertain Future (Updated)
TRUMP’S LET THEM EAT CAKE MOMENT
Trump’s first 100 days show him dictating the terms of press coverage – following Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during a meeting in the Oval Office on May 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. Mark Wilson/Getty Images Adam G. Klein, Pace University Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stood before a captivated audience of conservative activists from the U.S. and laid out his vision … [Read more...] about Trump’s first 100 days show him dictating the terms of press coverage – following Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán’s playbook for media control
Good to know it’s “highly unlikely” Trump will attack Canada
It must tickle the guys who write South Park that their running gag about war between Canada and the U.S. has morphed from hilarious bit to actual front page news. Both the storyline from the long-running show and Trump’s musings are goofy, but only one is funny. Speaking as a Canadian, we are not amused; we have never been amused. In a lengthy interview on NBC’s Meet the … [Read more...] about Good to know it’s “highly unlikely” Trump will attack Canada
Could Trump’s attempt to control the media work?
Two stories today stand out as indicative of the continuing war Trump is waging on the media. The first, reported widely, is that he signed an executive order late Thursday to end public funding of PBS and National Public Radio. The measure is being taken to, as the order says, stop "biased and partisan news coverage." According to a statement released by the White House on … [Read more...] about Could Trump’s attempt to control the media work?
Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS – unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build
Cast members of the children’s television show ‘Sesame Street’ pose with Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Grover, Ernie, Bert and Oscar the Grouch in 1969. Hulton Archive/Getty Images Josh Shepperd, University of Colorado Boulder The Trump administration’s drive to slash government spending on everything from the arts to cancer research also … [Read more...] about Trump and many GOP lawmakers want to end all funding for NPR and PBS – unraveling a US public media system that took a century to build
ICE throws citizens out of their home in their underwear during botched, rainy raid
One evening last week, about 20 armed ICE agents broke into an Oklahoma City home whose four female residents are citizens; sent them to stand outside in the rain in their underwear; took their phones, computers and cash; and failed to leave any record of who they were or how the residents were to retrieve their property. The family, a mother and three daughters, recently … [Read more...] about ICE throws citizens out of their home in their underwear during botched, rainy raid
Trump Dump
All rights reserved. Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti https://toons.to/go/daviddonar … [Read more...] about Trump Dump
What’s in a hug? A lot, and nothing
Embed from Getty Images Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who many consider a likely candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, has been trying to square the circle in her relations with President Trump. Early reports are that it's not going well, at least judging by some critics. On the one hand, keeping in mind the massive role the federal government can play in … [Read more...] about What’s in a hug? A lot, and nothing