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Tag: 2026

  • 175 House Democrats Decry Omar Raid as Dangerous ‘Attempt to Influence an Election’

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    Article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

    Homeland Security Investigations agencts search the home of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on October 12, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

    While Congresswoman Ilhan Omar calls out the “fascist” Trump administration’s recent raid on her home in fundraising emails as she seeks reelection in a solidly Democratic Minnesota district, over three-quarters of the progressive’s fellow Democrats in the US House of Representatives came together on Monday to condemn the “weaponization of federal law enforcement against her.”

    As part of what the White House and US Department of Justice (DOJ) have confirmed is an ongoing criminal investigation, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents executed a search warrant on Omar’s Washington, DC home on October 12, and “were seen carrying out boxes of documents from the home, and reportedly obtained her DNA, personal phone, and passport,” notes House Democrats’ letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

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    Capitol Hill U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar

    ‘Part of the Fascist Playbook’: Ilhan Omar Condemns Trump DHS Raid on Her Home

    President Donald Trump has a long history of attacking the Somali-American lawmaker with “baseless lies and smear campaigns,” and during this probe, Mullin, Vice President JD Vance, and White House adviser Stephen Miller and his wife, Katie Miller, have piled on. The letter calls the warrant “a dramatic escalation of an almost decade-long campaign of attacks on Congresswoman Omar.”

    The persecution of @repilhan.bsky.social just days before an election is vile and politically-motivated.I'm leading 175 House Democrats in denouncing this. When we retake power, we have to seriously look at how we can stop these abuses of power — starting with the power of the purse.

    — Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (@jayapal.house.gov) 2026-10-26T20:12:24.695285356Z

    “This weaponization of law enforcement to harass a sitting member of Congress 22 days before an election is unprecedented and unacceptable,” argued the Democrats, led by Reps. Greg Casar (Texas), Yvette Clarke (NY), Robert Garcia (Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (Wash.), Jamie Raskin (Md.), and Bennie Thompson (Miss.), who are all congressional committee ranking members or caucus chiefs.

    The four-term congresswoman is running again in Minnesota’s 5th District, which earlier this year was targeted in Trump’s Operation Metro Surge. That was part of his mass detention and deportation agenda, which has involved sending armed immigration agents into various communities, where they have killed, injured, and violated the rights of US citizens and noncitizens alike.

    Early voting began in Minnesota just days after the raid. The members of Congress wrote that “news of the search warrant, whether properly predicated or not, could affect voters’ decisions, which is exactly why federal law enforcement should not engage in such conduct when voters are casting their ballots. This type of interference strips Minnesotans of their right to a free and fair election guaranteed to them under the Constitution.”

    “Your actions are clearly driven by a pre-determined political outcome rather than an objective pursuit of justice,” the lawmakers told Blanche and Mullin. “Your probe into the congresswoman reportedly concerns her late father’s filing of immigration paperwork after she fled Somalia’s civil war at age 8, making her a US citizen at age 17. This does not justify a pre-dawn raid on her home for paperwork her father filed when she was a minor.”

    Citing previous cases in which Trump’s second administration “has prioritized retribution over its responsibility to apply the laws without fear or favor,” the lawmakers added that “your unprecedented attempt to influence an election through federal law enforcement will also fail but the attempt itself is incompatible with our democracy.”

    We stand with @repilhan.bsky.social against Trump's baseless attacks and the continuing weaponization of the federal government.

    — The Progressive Caucus (@usprogressives.bsky.social) 2026-10-26T19:16:27.464Z

    “Political disagreements never justify intimidation, and no president should use the power of the federal government to threaten, silence, or intimidate political opponents,” the Democrat stressed. “You have already disgraced the offices you hold, and we demand you refrain from taking any further actions that could affect the outcome of the upcoming election.”

    Democrats are aiming to reclaim majorities in both chambers of Congress in the November 3 elections—and if they do, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who could become the next speaker, made clear last month that party members “are preparing a vast oversight agenda” and “we haven’t ruled anything out,” including impeachment.

    Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
    Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

    Article by Jessica Corbett republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

  • The Nasty Surprise Hidden in Burnham’s Budget

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    Andy Burnham brings absurd comedy to politics
    Andy Burnham brings absurd comedy to politics

  • Official Price Tag of Iran War Jumps to $47 Billion as Trump Says It Will End ‘Whenever I Want It To’

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    Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

    US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth before speaking at Anduril Industries in Sparrows Point, Maryland, on October 6, 2026.(Photo by Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

    The president’s comments and the official cost estimate came amid reports that the US military is preparing for a new onslaught against Iran after the midterm elections.

    US President Donald Trump told a crowd of his supporters on Tuesday that his illegal war of choice in Iran will end “whenever I want it to” as the conflict’s official price tag reportedly jumped to $47 billion—a figure that independent analysts believe to be a dramatic underestimate.

    “It can be over whenever I want it to be over,” Trump said of the historically unpopular war during a rally in Texas, a week before the midterm elections. “But we have to have it end properly, with… a total statement [that] they will never have a nuclear weapon.” (Iran has already said repeatedly that it would never develop nuclear weapons, including in the opening pages of the Obama-era agreement that Trump shredded during his first White House term.)

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    Trump’s remarks came as The Hill reported that the federal government’s official estimate of the Iran war’s cost has jumped $3 billion since last month, rising to $47 billion.

    “The biggest chunk of the cost is munition replacement at $29 billion,” The Hill reported, citing a US Central Command estimate that the outlet obtained on Tuesday. “Nearly $12 billion is obligated for incremental costs of military action and another $6.1 billion to replace equipment losses, according to the estimate. Air Force’s support for deployed personnel, airlift, base, communication support, and transportation in theater costs $7.6 billion. The estimate does not include the cost to damaged US military bases in the Middle East.”

    When such damage—which has been far more extensive than the Pentagon has acknowledged publicly—and other factors are included, the price tag balloons. Stephen Semler, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, estimated in July that the US spent more than $103 billion in the first four months of the war, which has killed thousands of people and sent gas prices soaring.

    In the US, consumers have spent an extra $146 billion on gasoline and diesel since the war’s beginning in February, according to a running tracker maintained by the Watson School of International and Public Affairs at Brown University.

    Trump said Tuesday that the unauthorized war’s end would come “very quick,” despite evidence that his administration is preparing for yet another round of heavy bombings in Iran after the midterm elections.

    “The US has told several Gulf Arab countries to be prepared for a short, intense military campaign after the US midterm elections,” The Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday, citing unnamed people briefed on the conversations. “The communications through diplomatic and military channels are among a growing number of indications that the US and Israel are readying to launch a new round of heavy combat operations against Iran, risking a major escalation in hopes of degrading Tehran’s strength and pushing it toward negotiations.”

    “US forces in the region have been restocking their munitions, and bomber aircraft and jet fighters are preparing for strikes,” the Journal added. “An additional aircraft carrier strike group and Marine expeditionary unit are also poised to join an armada of roughly 20 other warships operating in the Middle East next month, although some ships could rotate out.”

    Article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

    Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would Lock Him Up, small Orca says he thinks that his meds have been changed.
    Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would Lock Him Up, small Orca says he thinks that his meds have been changed.
    Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
    Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.

  • From grey water to cool spaces: 10 climate crisis policies Britain needs right now

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    See the original Guardian article at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/12/urgent-climate-policies-uk-should-implement-now

    A burned field of wheat in Eton Wick, Windsor, in July. Experts say the UK should regenerative agriculture approaches to increase food resilience. Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock

    Rejecting North Sea drilling licences and protecting nature are just some measures Andy Burnham must implement to ready country

    From record-smashing temperatures, wildfires, hosepipe bans and thousands of premature deaths, the climate crisis has left its mark across the summer of 2026.

    Tackling the root cause – the burning of fossil fuels – and ending the crisis will take years. So will fixing the UK government’s calamitous failure to protect lives and livelihoods against the long-predicted affects of global heating.

    But the climate emergency is right here, right now, and here are 10 policies that Andy Burnham’s government should consider announcing urgently.

    1. Reject drilling licences for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil and gasfields

    This would be a vital and confidence-boosting sign that the UK is committed to putting a rocket-booster under the clean, green and very fast-growing economy of the 21st century, not the fossil-fuelled one of the last. It would also give diplomatic weight to the UK as it works internationally to cut emissions and end the climate crisis.

    The supposed benefits of approving the North Sea oil and gasfields are mostly fantasy. They will have no impact on UK energy prices – oil and gas are commodities whose price is set by international markets. As the UK Energy Research Council says: “Assertions that drilling the North Sea will provide energy resilience and affordability in the face of current fuel price shocks are a delusion.”

    As for jobs, the licences would support very few – again, unlike the growing green economy. Some also argue North Sea production is less carbon intensive than imports, but that ignores the far cleaner record of our main gas importer, Norway, as well as the methane emissions from LNG, and in any case the differences are small compared with CO2 savings of using renewable energy and storage instead of gas.

    2. Increase windfall tax on fossil fuel giants to pay for adaptation measures

    …

    3. Make grey water reuse mandatory in new buildings and incentivise rainwater harvesting

    …

    4. Bring the water industry under national control

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    5. Invest in proper equipment for firefighters

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    6. Implement a maximum workplace temperature

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    7. Fund cool spaces in every community

    …

    8. Launch a national retrofit programme

    Homes in the UK are among the draughtiest and least energy-efficient in Europe. This means they are often too hot in summer and too cold in winter, leading to high bills and spiralling carbon emissions.

    Efforts to persuade the private sector to take on the challenge of making homes fit for the changing climate have failed. But a report earlier this year suggested councils could take the lead on a retrofitting programme backed by national government. Under the plan, councils would train and employ their own retrofitting workforce and, starting with key public services such as hospitals and care homes, then work through council and social housing before moving on to privately owned homes. The report said it would not only make the country’s homes and public services more climate resilient, but it would also tackle the cost of living, create secure jobs and stimulate growth. They added it would also be a more efficient way of spending the public funds already allocated for insulation.

    9. Plant more trees and protect existing nature

    …

    10. Encourage regenerative agriculture approaches to increase food resilience

    …

    Guardian’s article is at https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/12/urgent-climate-policies-uk-should-implement-now

    Andy Burnham addresses the climate crisis by considering banning disposable barbecues.
    Andy Burnham addresses the climate crisis by considering banning disposable barbecues.
    Nigel Farage urges you to ignore facts and reality and be a climate science denier like him and his Deputy Richard Tice. He says that Reform UK has received £Millions and £Millions from the fossil fuel industry to promote climate denial and destroy the planet.
    Nigel Farage urges you to ignore facts and reality and be a climate science denier like him and his Deputy Richard Tice. He says that Reform UK has received £Millions and £Millions from the fossil fuel industry to promote climate denial and destroy the planet.
    Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
    Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.

    dizzy:

    11. Make private jets and superyachts history

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    12. Tax the rich so much that they’re not able to destroy the planet

    The rich hugely drive climate breakdown. Tax them out of existence.

    13. Recognise Carbon Capture and Storage as a false solution and abandon it

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    14. End all fossil fuel subsidies

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    15/8/26 9.50pm

    15. Abandon nuclear power

    Nuclear is far too expensive, too centralised and takes far too long. Renewables is the way to go and will create far more employment for more people.

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