Welcome to The Now

 

 Brian Berletic and Danny Haiphong talk about America's goals/involvement: Laith Marouf talks about what the war means for the future of the Middle East:

 

 

Keep in mind that the original version of this came out before Israel decided to involve Iran in Operation: Keep the Conflict Going So Netanyahu Doesn't Go To Court. 

 

 If you thought the attacks were one-time , think again: This isn't about Thunberg's age, condition or time being an environmental activist. It's about her taking a stand against innocents being starved, abused and murdered. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  And of course, there's President Trump's own rhetoric . If he was trying to "warn" Iran, that implies he new something was up. And even now, telling Iran to make a deal before things get worse indicates that he's quite aware that Israel will strike again (and it's curious that he doesn't seem to want to prevent any future strikes). Meanwhile, Marco Rubio is trying to downplay America's involvement while stocks take a hit .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  "We are facing an irresolvable paradox. The Greater Land of Israel, the Democratic State of Israel and the Jewish State of Israel cannot be reconciled. One of the sides of that Triangle has to be dropped. Either Israel will maintain its sovereignty between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean, and then it won't be Jewish or it won't be democratic, because the demographics will be the deciding factor. Or the state of Israel will limit itself to the '67 borders and will preserve its Jewishness and it's democracy."  -- Tomer Persico, PhD (Tel Aviv University) from the 2016 Documentary " The Settlers "

 

 

Via Middle East Eye : Israeli opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman has accused Israeli forces, under the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of arming “crime families” in Gaza. The accusations add weight to the claim that Israel has used Palestinian gangs to disrupt the distribution of aid in the besieged enclave. "Israel has provided assault rifles and light weapons to crime families in Gaza, on Netanyahu's orders," Lieberman, the head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former finance minister and deputy prime minister, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday.  "The weapons are being transferred to criminals and offenders and are being directed at Israel. "In my opinion, it did not pass cabinet approval. The head of the Shin Bet knows, I'm not sure the chief of staff knows. We're talking about the equivalent of Isis in Gaza," he added, referencing the Islamic State group.  He added that "no one can guarantee that these weapo...

Wonder if this will catch on : French dock workers in Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille, are blocking the shipment of military equipment bound for Israel, protesting the Israeli military's ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, France 24 reported on 6 June. The action, led by members of the CGT trade union, halted the loading of 19 pallets of bullet links—metal components used to enable rapid machine gun fire—onto a cargo vessel on Thursday. Christophe Claret, a union representative, confirmed that the shipment was identified and set aside after workers were notified of its contents. "Once dockers refuse to load a shipment, no one else can do it for them," Claret told AFP. The remaining cargo for the vessel was loaded as scheduled. The CGT issued a statement denouncing the delivery and declaring it would not be complicit in what it called "the ongoing genocide orchestrated by the Israeli government." Eurolinks, a Marseille-based defense supplier, manufactured the m...

 

  There was a time when the media liked Thunberg, but her activism started to rub people the wrong way . 

 Tell me what you think happened in this video: Well, look at how the media frames it: This is why the framing of what is happening in Gaza is important; talking about violent actions without consistently acknowledging the source of that action prevents people from getting a clear picture. For Gaza, it's rarely stated that the IDF is doing the shooting and bombing that is resulting in the deaths of children, medical staff and journalists (aka, non-combatants).  For the story of this Australian reporter, most people who won't read past the headline will think that she was not shot by the police.  This passive-aggressive method of reporting violence done by those in authority only reinforces the idea that the mainstream media is at best complicit and at worse fully aligned with the state.

 

  It's a story that needs to be told until it's as known as the Boston Tea Party.

 

 Not much that will help the non-rich: Here's one indication of how problematic the bill is: Marjorie Taylor Greene, a MAGA member and proud Trump supporter, is now against the bill, after realizing what's in it (yes; that means that she didn't read it all before voting for it). 

  Depending on the scenario, the Knesset is the endgame of legislature and governance in Israel . Well, Israel's conflict/genocide with Gaza, has led to the Knesset becoming more of a player : The Sephardic ultra-Orthodox Shas party will support the Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party’s efforts to introduce a bill to dissolve the Knesset over the coalition’s failure to pass a law exempting yeshiva students from military service, according to multiple Hebrew media reports Wednesday. Speaking with the Haaretz daily following a faction meeting held to discuss whether or not to support the UTJ-led move, a Shas source said that the party will push to dissolve the Knesset, a move that would strip the coalition of its majority and trigger new elections. Amid threats to his coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chairman Yuli Edelstein, who has been refusing to back down from his pledge that any law coming from hi...

It all began with a question: which absorbs iron better; cream of wheat or oatmeal ? Quaker Oats wasn't about to lose money on finding out the answer, so a plan was formed : In the late 1940s and again in the early 1950s, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists conducting research fed breakfast food containing minute amounts of radioactive iron and calcium to a number of students at the Walter E. Fernald School, a Massachusetts institution for "mentally retarded" children.[1] The National Institutes of Health, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the Quaker Oats Company funded the research, which was designed to determine how the body absorbed iron, calcium, and other minerals from dietary sources and to explore the effect of various compounds in cereal on mineral absorption. It took about 40 years for this to be revealed, and w hen it was , let's just say the tone could have been better: The state task force on human research concluded Monday that MIT nutrition...

 

 Seriously:

 

 According to Black Agenda Report's Margaret Kimberley, not exactly: The recent passing of former Congressman Charles B. Rangel at the age of 94 does not mark the end of a political era. The era which defined Black politics – that is to say, a politics which consciously and purposefully made demands on behalf of Black people – ended long ago. Rangel’s 44-year tenure spanned the founding of the Congressional Black Caucus, which became known as the “conscience of the congress,” until the Democratic Party’s takeover by corporate and neoliberal interests killed off any vestiges of Black and progressive politics. There's more about the Congressional Black Congress (CBC) and how the Democratic Leadership Conference (DLC) brought the CBC, Rangel and other Black Democrats to heel . 

  Via oilprice.com : Long reliant on gas to meet its energy needs, Singapore is now turning to regional interconnections, primarily via subsea cables, to link national grids and enable cross-border electricity trade. This shift aims to accelerate decarbonization and decouple domestic electricity prices from global gas market volatility. Research from Rystad Energy indicates that if all proposed interconnections to Singapore are realized, they could unlock up to 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable and energy storage projects worth more than $40 billion in investment across the region, spanning hydropower, solar and offshore wind. Singapore is well-positioned to become a green power hub, serving as a central node for regional interconnections with cross-border neighboring nations. Importing electricity through the regional grid presents a cost-effective solution for the island-nation and could result in emissions reductions of up to 13 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO?e) pe...

 

 

Case in point : Karine Jean-Pierre, who served as White House press secretary under former President Joe Biden, has switched her party affiliation to independent, according to a publishing company’s description of her forthcoming book. Jean-Pierre, who has worked in Democratic politics for decades, is set to release a new book that will discuss Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 election and encourage voters to look beyond the two-party political system. The description of her book, titled Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,” says she “didn’t come to her decision to be an Independent lightly.” The book, which will be released in October, will examine “the three weeks that led to Biden’s abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision,” according to a book description from Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. Of course there's book (that no one will read). UPDATE:

 Rachel Blevins discusses the "ceasefire" attempts as well as Ukraine's "devastating" attack inside Russia:

 

 " Spain is cancelling the purchase of anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Spain by a subsidiary of an Israeli company , the Defense Ministry said Tuesday, confirming Spanish media reports." "Mongolia's Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene has stepped down after losing parliamentary support following corruption claims that erupted into street protests last month, the country's parliament said on Tuesday." "Pakistani police on Tuesday said a 17-year-old TikTok star was shot dead by a man who had repeatedly contacted her online." " Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and it upgraded its annual profit and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at dollar stores and off-price retailers amid economic uncertainty." " NBA games will not be airing on TNT starting next season when the league’s new television package kicks in — an 11-year media rights deal worth at ...

 

  "Trumps Always Chickens Out" is the phrase people on Wall Street are using to describe President Trump's handling of tariffs, and not surprisingly he took offense to that. For someone who has half the American politicians scared, about a fourth neutered and the rest bidding their time while the rest of the world looks on in confusion, you would think Trump would act less like a sore winner. You would think. Sadly, no amount of victories or accolades or attention is enough; all it takes is one slight (real or imagined) to invoke his inner victim.  

 Well...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "real estate mogul/crime boss" tactic doesn't really work on other nations, especially one who being lead by someone who earned political capital by going up against such types :

 Jimmy Dore's rightfully skeptical .

 Margret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report interviews Medhurst about being targeted by the UK and Austria authorities, and how his criticism of Israel's role in Gaza may be a factor .

 

 

 

  #ZeusX!

 

 

 Although the House has (narrowly) passed the " give rich people what they want bill " the libertarian Rep from Kentucky has stayed steadfast: Libertarians have been put on the GOP back-burner in favor of MAGA ( although some claim that the two overlap ). This back-and-forth can only increase the tension between the two camps, fraying an already strained alliance. 

 

  The Cradle : Pepe Escobar on the winners and losers of the India-Pakistan war. Scheerpost : 14,000 Gaza babies will perish in 48 hours if the blockade remains... Mint Press News : ...and the "relief" being allowed through may not be what people think.  Black Agenda Report : Washington DC's black mayor is pushing the City Council to reverse referendums and ballot initiatives that would benefit not only African-Americans, but the working class as a whole. Prism Reports : a university with over 60% Latinx, immigrant and international students would be the last place you'd think would work with ICE, but Florida International University has done just that. 

 Learn more about the person behind the "burned babies" and "mass sexual assaults" myths:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The Cradle : US Intelligence is using the Iraq playbook for Iran. Prism Reports : Is Wikipedia our best option for archiving? Scheer Post : Should we be concerned about the motives behind loosening the Syria sanctions?  Mint Press News : Ibrahim Traore is making the West nervous.

 

  Via Reuters : China's BYD (002594.SZ), opens new tab became the most popular vehicle brand in Singapore so far this year, outselling Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab for the first time, government data showed, as the fast-growing electric vehicle maker steps up efforts to boost overseas sales. In the first four months of 2025, BYD sold 3,002 cars, or 20% of total vehicle sales in Singapore. Toyota and BYD's main EV rival Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab sold 2,050 and 535 units each during the same period. Toyota used to hold the crown in the wealthy Asian financial hub where the population of cars is kept steady by an expensive certificate system, selling 7,876 cars in 2024, versus BYD's 6,191 sales. BYD's robust sales growth in Singapore underscores its efforts to focus on overseas markets amid bruising price competition in China. Reuters reported this month that China's No.1 automaker aims to sell half of its vehicles outside the Chinese market by 2030, a massive in...

 Interesting that it takes the most MAGA of MAGA to recognize this as problematic.  Highlights! Not only is there a connection between Qatar and Hamas, but Israel supported it .  Despite the denials, it's possible for President Trump could take the plane for his presidential library. Yes, Pam Bondi was a lobbyist for Qatar at one point , earning $115,000 a month. 

 

 

  From a capitalist perspective, how is having children profitable?

 

 

  Highlights: China's weapons (specifically their aircraft) was on full display in the recent Pakistan-India conflict, and is clearly light years ahead of what the West is offering. America's addiction to the Military Industrial Complex has cost it the ability to keep up in military production (China's already testing 6th generation planes while the US equivalent is still on the drawing board). The Trump White House has no true North Star in dealing with the global economy (when China visited the US recently, the administration had not real "ask"). China has won/is winning the Trade War (US tariffs on China to drop from 145% to 30%, China lowers their tariffs to 10%, resetting the tariffs to pre-"liberation day" numbers).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Novara Media has more: