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May 25, 2026
Speaker Mike Johnson Optimistically Declares 'The Kitchen Table Issues Are Going To Determine The Midterms'
(Mediaite) Johnson: “We put in all those conditions in the economy to let it take off like a rocket, and we were doing that at the beginning of the first quarter, and then the Iran skirmish began. So, when this settles down, gas prices come back down to earth, that means your grocery prices come down again because of transport costs and all the rest. It’s going to be a big factor. The kitchen table issues are gonna decide the midterms.”
Go to discussionOutgoing lawmaker vows to 'name names' in Epstein files: 'I've got seven more months'
(Raw Story) Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who last week lost his re-election bid after serving seven terms, vowed on Sunday that during his remaining seven months in office, he would publicly identify individuals linked to Jeffrey Epstein whose names, critics have said, had been unlawfully redacted in Justice Department files. “I’ve got seven more months to keep going against the grain,” Massie told NBC News’ Kristen Welker during an appearance on the network’s “Meet the Press.”
Go to discussionLemon urges reporters covering Trump: 'Have some dignity and a backbone'
(The Hill) Independent journalist Don Lemon on Thursday called on news reporters covering President Trump to “have some dignity and a backbone,” using former late-night host Stephen Colbert as an example. Lemon, on his podcast “The Don Lemon Show,” said that “all of the late-night shows are going dark” to praise Colbert ahead of the final episode of “The Late Show.” Then he turned his attention to the Washington Press Corps.
Go to discussionMemorial Day is the day that we honor our military veterans who laid down their lives for our nation
They are not “suckers and losers” like once said by a draft dodger who avoided the military by lying his way out of fighting for the very same freedoms he has today. Thus, these men and women never wavered from harm. They left families behind to protect their own country without hesitation or fear. I salute each of them for their courage, sacrifice and dedication to serve as the bravest people that ever existed. Unfortunately they paid the ultimate price for our freedom and that mustn’t be forgotten.
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Why Trump Lost to Iran
(The Atlantic) Trump’s vision of the presidency is authoritarian and kleptocratic: Issue orders, grab money, luxuriate in flattery, erect monuments to oneself. That’s no way to lead a nation through the hazards and difficulties of war. Now the war is ending on disadvantageous terms for the United States. Trump’s old methods will be turned to a new task: trying to deceive the American people and the world into believing that the war he lost was really a big win, the biggest ever, so big you cannot believe it. He’s likely to discover that, indeed, nobody does believe it.
Go to discussionPope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical
(NY Times) Pope Leo XIV on Monday set out a sweeping vision for corporate executives, politicians and individuals who will shape and be shaped by the future of artificial intelligence, warning leaders to safeguard humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects. Leo’s declaration came in the form of a papal encyclical, an open letter to “all people of good will” that ran to roughly 42,300 words in its English version. It outlined his desire to protect human dignity and agency in an age in which technology threatens to replace humans in many professional and social roles.
Go to discussionRepublican lawmaker says Hegseth 'makes Kristi Noem seem like a 5-star recruit' in blistering takedown
(The Independent) Republican Sen. Thom Tillis slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s handling of the Iran war, saying that he makes “Kristi Noem seem like a 5-star recruit.”. The North Carolina lawmaker, who is retiring at the end of his current term, spoke out Sunday against Hegseth’s handling of the ongoing war with Iran and the reported peace deal that the Trump administration claims is nearly reached.
Go to discussionTrump clears path for industry cronies to 'mow down' staff at key watchdog agency: report
(Raw Story) A Sunday report in The New York Times revealed how the Trump administration is using a key government agency to shut down any efforts to regulate online betting markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. According to the Times, the administration has stacked the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with industry insiders who have systematically “mowed down” staffers at the agency who have expressed interest in providing oversight on prediction markets.
Go to discussionOil market at 'tank bottoms' in Asia, and Europe isn't far behind, warns market veteran Jeff Currie
(CNBC) Oil markets are nearing minimum operating levels in Asia, with Europe likely next and the U.S. potentially facing shortages by July, said veteran market strategist Jeff Currie on Monday, underscoring the global energy shock due to the Iran war. Headline global inventory figures can be misleading as much of the oil stored worldwide cannot be used immediately, said Currie, Carlyle’s chief strategy officer of energy pathways and co-chairman of Abaxx Markets.
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