Embed from Getty Images After 738 Days, Hostages are Freed. 7+3+8 = 18, Life! SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — Here in alphabetical order are the reactions from a variety of perspectives to Hamas freeing its hostages; the prospect of peace in the Middle East; and the role of U.S. President Donald J. Trump in achieving this blue-ribbon moment. American Jewish Committee: After 738 … [Read more...] about Reactions to a Historic Day in the Saga of the Middle East
ICE AND CHILDREN
Supreme Court redistricting ruling could upend decades of voting rights law — and tilt the balance of power in Washington
Black Louisiana voters and civil rights advocates ask U.S. Supreme Court justices to uphold a fair and representative congressional map in Louisiana v. Callais on March 24, 2025. Jemal Countess/Getty Images Sam D. Hayes, Simmons University On Oct. 15, 2025, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in one of the most anticipated cases of … [Read more...] about Supreme Court redistricting ruling could upend decades of voting rights law — and tilt the balance of power in Washington
HOSTAGES FREED (CARTOON)
Jewish Organizations, Prominent Individuals, Comment on Israel-Hamas Peace Deal
SAN DIEGO (SDJW) — Following in alphabetical order are comments issued by Jewish and pro-Israel organizations and members of Congress about the Israel-Hamas peace deal. —American Jewish Committee –American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes the agreement reached by Israel and Hamas, brokered by the United States, to begin the first phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace … [Read more...] about Jewish Organizations, Prominent Individuals, Comment on Israel-Hamas Peace Deal
Lawsuit challenges legality of Trump’s firing civil service employees during shutdown
You can't tell it from the headlines from traditional media, but President Trump's announcement that he is going to fire thousands of civil servants during the government shutdown is not a done deal. It's illegal (there is a process for firing civil servants); a law he signed in his first term provides back pay during the shutdown (he had two); and a federal judge "demanded … [Read more...] about Lawsuit challenges legality of Trump’s firing civil service employees during shutdown
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Facts and Circumstances’: An Update.
UPDATE: And the Nobel Peace Prize goes to..."a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,” the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado (above). According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, “As the leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most … [Read more...] about The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Facts and Circumstances’: An Update.
As Israel prepares to celebrate hostages’ return, UN readies immediate life-saving aid to Gaza.
While President Donald Trump prepares to join Israelis to celebrate the release of hostages after two years of horrific Hamas captivity, the United Nations humanitarian community is preparing to immediately alleviate the unimaginable misery of Gaza’s people. “We and our partners are prepared to move—now” to deliver food, water, medical and shelter assistance to people in … [Read more...] about As Israel prepares to celebrate hostages’ return, UN readies immediate life-saving aid to Gaza.
Trump offers Argentina $20 billion lifeline
“The U.S. Treasury is prepared, immediately, to take whatever exceptional measures are warranted to provide stability to markets [by buying Argentine pesos],” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessen announced on Truth Social Thursday. Along with intervening to prop up the sagging peso, which has lost more than 27 percent of its value against the dollar this year, the U.S. has also … [Read more...] about Trump offers Argentina $20 billion lifeline
Conservative pundit out of touch with ICE operations in Chicago
Beltway pundits set my teeth on edge when they repeat Trump Administration talking points mindlessly. Let's take Rich Lowery at the National Review today, for example. When I say mindlessly, I refer to repeating ICE assertions that are questionable or false. The word should have gone out long ago: Don’t riot outside ICE facilities. Don’t ram cars into ICE vehicles... … [Read more...] about Conservative pundit out of touch with ICE operations in Chicago
Trump immigration crackdown spikes food costs: US Labor Department
If you've been shocked at your recent grocery store bill, hold on to your hats. Prices are going up, according to the Trump Administration's Labor Department. [S]ouped-up immigration enforcement has devastated the agricultural workforce and created a significant “risk of supply shock-induced food shortages,” according to a document filed in the Federal Register last … [Read more...] about Trump immigration crackdown spikes food costs: US Labor Department
US news orgs response to Trump’s governing via Truth Social: ho-hum as he calls for Illinois, Chicago arrests
If we needed another example of how traditional news organizations in the United States report on President Trump's unorthodox practice (with questionable legality) of governing via a digital network that he owns and profits from, we got it Wednesday morning when he called for the arrest of Brandon Johnson, the Chicago mayor, and JB Pritzker, the Illinois governor. Both … [Read more...] about US news orgs response to Trump’s governing via Truth Social: ho-hum as he calls for Illinois, Chicago arrests
Trump is the anti-Lincoln
Congress passed the second Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, requiring law enforcement to "arrest people suspected of escaping enslavement on as little as a claimant’s sworn testimony of ownership." Proposed by southern slaveholders, the Act was widely opposed in the North. Protesters who chose to assist slaves who had escaped to a free state were "subject to a fine not exceeding … [Read more...] about Trump is the anti-Lincoln
In Gaza’s open wound, Hamas clings on as Israelis sink into division and global isolation. UN chief echoes Trump’s hope for lasting peace.
October 7 was a day of global mourning at this century’s most heinous act of terrorism in 2023, when Hamas and allied factions killed over 1250 Israeli and other nationals and abducted 250 women, children, men and the elderly into the Gaza strip. “The recent proposal by United States President Donald J. Trump presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic … [Read more...] about In Gaza’s open wound, Hamas clings on as Israelis sink into division and global isolation. UN chief echoes Trump’s hope for lasting peace.
GOP uses fake photo to portray Portland as a war zone
President Donald Trump is well known for his lies as well as copyright infringement. The Guardian reports that the Oregon GOP isn't far behind. “President Trump on Sunday deployed 300 California National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon after a judge ruled that the Oregon National Guard could not be deployed to keep federal facilities and personnel in Portland safe,” … [Read more...] about GOP uses fake photo to portray Portland as a war zone
NYC Bar Association classifies Trump’s attacks on boats in the Caribbean as murder
On Friday, the Trump Administration used military personnel to sink yet a fourth Venezuelan small boat, again killing all aboard, in his "war on cartels." Trump sank the first boat on September 3. The President has claimed, but has provided no evidence, that the boats were smuggling drugs into the United States. Trafficking drugs is not a capital offense. Congress has not … [Read more...] about NYC Bar Association classifies Trump’s attacks on boats in the Caribbean as murder
What is soft secession and has its time arrived?
"Soft secession" is increasingly bandied about in the social media sphere as an idea whose time has come. But what is it, exactly? That depends on who you ask, because there is no generally accepted definition. One thing all thoughts have in common: this is not 1861 with violence at the center of the movement. Instead, it is a series of cooperative state actions that … [Read more...] about What is soft secession and has its time arrived?
END OF US DEMOCRACY
Supreme Court opens with cases on voting rights, tariffs, gender identity and campaign finance to test the limits of a constitutional revolution
The U.S. Supreme Court building at dawn in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images Morgan Marietta, University of Tennessee The most influential cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this term, which begins on Oct. 6, 2025, reflect the cultural and partisan clashes of American politics. The major cases in October and … [Read more...] about Supreme Court opens with cases on voting rights, tariffs, gender identity and campaign finance to test the limits of a constitutional revolution
UN rights group demands compensation for enslavement and the transatlantic trade in Africans.
Africans and people of African descent must receive restitution and compensation for the harms done in the past through enslavement, trade in enslaved persons, the transatlantic trade in Africans, colonialism, and other grave human rights violations. A new United Nations report said those violations left enduring legacies that continue to shape every aspect of their lives. … [Read more...] about UN rights group demands compensation for enslavement and the transatlantic trade in Africans.