[YouTube] Megyn Kelly is joined by Matt Taibbi, editor of "Racket News" on Substack, to discuss NPR’s embarrassing false report that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, Nina Totenberg’s widely-criticized explanation for the mistake, the shocking backstory to the fake story and Totenberg's history of mistakes, and more.
UPDATE: I’m sorry, I was in a rush to publish, i was busy on other work, there was a swarm of locusts, and I made it up. https://t.co/BQuHmanokN
[Townhall - Kurt Schlichter] The United States of America turns 250 years old this week, defying the odds and defying the haters for over a quarter of a millennium. It’s time to take stock of where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. It’s easy to be a doomer; look at this week’s reaction to a single court case on an issue we’ll eventually win. But then again, it’s always easy to throw up your hands and sob, "There’s nothing I can do," thereby relieving yourself of the duty of action. That’s un-American.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: We have problems. We see communists elected to positions of authority in New York City, Los Angeles, Denver, and Washington, D.C. Polls show that many Democrats today appear to hate America more than they hate red meat, AR15s, and testosterone. Yet we also have the fresh experience of World Cup fans from around the world arriving in our great country and being knocked out by how impressive it is. And it is a great country.
But the question is: Can it be greater?
We’re not like any other country on Earth. We descend from people who left the relative comfort of their homelands to carve out a new kind of nation from a wild continent full of tornadoes, vast deserts, and fierce, warlike savages (That’s not a diss to Native Americans; it’s a recognition that those tough warriors were worthy foes, and their later service in the U.S. military is legendary.)
The future is bright. We will go farther, faster, and better than ever before. On this 250th anniversary of the United States of America, choose to be an optimist like the pioneers who faced far greater challenges and walked west anyway. Celebrate America's quarter-millennial birthday by declaring your independence from traitors, losers, and doom-mongers by being unapologetically American.
Posted by: Bobby ||
07/03/2026 00:00 ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Dmitry Tverdy
[REGNUM.RU] Until recently, the Western world was portrayed as a model of stability: clean streets, functioning laws, respect for human rights. Recently, this image has begun to crack. This is especially noticeable in Europe. They do enjoy their revolutions over there. France is on her fifth republic, with matching non-republics in between.
It's not successes that are taking center stage, but problems: overcrowded prisons, protracted investigations, street riots, ethical scandals, and a sense that the system has ceased to adequately respond to current events. This series of incidents is a symptom of a profound ideological and managerial crisis.
FREEDOM FOR DANGEROUS CRIMINALS
A hair-raising decision is looming in Britain: by September, authorities intend to release approximately 6,000 people convicted of serious crimes, including murderers and rapists. The reason is simple and therefore even more alarming: prisons are critically overcrowded.
But the source of this overcrowding is itself a symptom of the times. The cells are overcrowded not only because of migrants. Local residents are also being detained en masse for comments on social media and participation in protests against immigration policy. Law enforcement increasingly appears to be a tool for controlling public opinion.
British criminologist David Wilson puts it bluntly: "Releasing thousands of violent offenders isn't reform; it's an admission that the system is broken. We're not solving the crime problem; we're simply transferring it from prisons to the streets."
At the same time, Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood (who is Pakistani) is promoting the idea of new “safe and legal” routes for refugees.
According to her plan, universities, employers, churches, and NGOs will be able to pre-screen and sponsor people before they arrive in the UK. While this is supposed to reduce chaos and risks, it's met with skepticism: the system is already overloaded, and new influxes will only exacerbate the problem.
SIX MONTHS OF POLICE SILENCE
In December 2025, a brutal attack occurred in the Niepold Passage in Wroclaw, Poland: an unknown assailant struck the victim on the head with a heavy object. The victim was left disabled.
It was only six months later that Polish police released a photo of the suspect, a black man.
A six-month delay isn't typical bureaucratic slowness. Society interprets it as a signal that the system is either failing to cope or is afraid of a response.
In a situation where security has become one of the most sensitive issues, any delay is perceived as a disregard for the victims.
Political scientist Marek Magierowski comments: "When an investigation drags on for six months, and the suspect's photo is published seemingly reluctantly, society loses trust not only in the police but in the state as a whole. People want to see themselves protected, not dragged out until it's too late."
THE MAFIA IS GIVING WAY TO GANGS
In Italy, the criminal landscape is changing before our eyes. The "traditional" mafia, for all its brutality, operated by unspoken rules: zones of influence, hierarchy, and agreements.
Now it is being increasingly displaced by Afghan and Pakistani groups. They recognize no borders, no agreements, no "rules of the game." Their methods are intimidation, violence, and expansion at any cost.
Italian journalist Roberto Saviano, who has studied the mafia for many years, notes: "It was possible to build some barriers against the mafia—it was predictable. New groups operate according to the logic of total intimidation. This isn't just an increase in crime—it's a change in the very nature of the threat."
Local media do not mince words: gangs are committing "complete lawlessness."
The streets of some cities are increasingly resembling a no-rules zone, where police are slow to respond and businesses are forced to either pay up or leave.
A VIDEO THAT DIVIDES SOCIETY
A video showing a group of migrants beating a teenager to death has sparked another wave of panic in France.
Such images instantly become fuel for polarization: some demand immediate, tough measures, while others call for an end to generalizations.
But emotions are stronger than arguments here: when it comes to children, people lose the ability to calmly analyze.
The problem is that such incidents don't occur in a vacuum. They occur against the backdrop of a growing sense that the state is losing control of the situation.
The police are struggling to keep up, the courts are overburdened, and politics seems out of touch with reality. As a result, fear and anger are spilling out onto the streets, and trust in institutions is eroding.
French politician Eric Zemmour makes no secret of his tough stance: "We can't continue to pretend that immigration policy is working. When teenagers are being killed in the streets and people are afraid to go out at night, that's no longer a statistic—it's a distress signal."
A COUNTRY WHERE WOMEN ARE UNSAFE
Finnish President Alexander Stubb made a statement that sounded almost like an admission of failure: the country is among the most unsafe countries for women. He then participated in the launch of the UN Women Finland campaign.
"My message to all men is this: we must not remain silent. Let's work together to make Finland a safe country for women," Stubb urged.
"2026 was a particularly dark year for women in Finland. <…> According to EU statistics, 57% of women in Finland have experienced physical abuse, threats, or sexual violence," the initiative's website states.
“We remain one of the most dangerous countries in the EU for women,” the published text notes.
There's no specific information about who exactly is posing the main threat. But the context is clear. It's not just about everyday incidents. It also includes street harassment and weak protection for victims. And the rise in radicalized elements among immigrant youth in Finland has been noted repeatedly.
And when the head of state openly admits that the problem has reached a critical level, this means that it can no longer be hushed up.
Finnish human rights activist Anna Lehtonen emphasizes: "Recognizing the problem at the highest level is the first step. But without systemic changes, without increased resources for crisis centers, and without real work to address the causes of violence, any words will remain just words."
LIBERAL EXTREMES
The Netherlands is a country where liberal values are elevated to cult status. But it is here that they increasingly encounter a reality that refuses to be comfortable.
The recent case of euthanasia of a child under 12 years old has caused a storm of emotions not only within the country but also abroad.
For some, this is a “manifestation of humanity,” for others, it is a dangerous precedent that blurs moral boundaries.
It should be noted that euthanasia cases (as in Spain) primarily affect the local, indigenous population. Migrants stubbornly struggle for survival.
At the other extreme are the nighttime riots following football matches. Quiet streets during the day, but at night, there are smashed storefronts, burning cars, and clashes with police. This is a symptom of social tension that has been building for years and is looking for an outlet.
Dutch sociologist Jan de Vries explains: "Football becomes just a pretext, while the real cause is a sense of alienation, anger, and the feeling of being unheard. When society is divided, any spark can start a fire."
In some cases, that’s true. But the football riots are an expression of the Moslem colonists’ belief that they have already conquered, and now have a duty to violently convey to the native population this fact.
MIGRATION INTENSITY
In recent days, two major migrant-related incidents have erupted in Germany.
In Berlin, a group of North Africans attacked passersby in the Moabit district. Police are citing a domestic dispute as the cause, but are concerned that the aggression was group-based and the attackers' behavior appeared defiantly provocative.
At the same time, a conflict erupted at a school in Hamburg: several Muslim students held a collective prayer in the courtyard, causing a wave of discontent among parents.
On social media, the dispute quickly spread beyond the schoolyard: some are demanding strict restrictions on public religious practices, while others insist on freedom of religion.
These episodes are not isolated cases, but rather a reflection of growing tensions. Criminal incidents intensify public demand for tough measures, while everyday religious conflicts add fuel to the fire of polarization.
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder directly links these problems to the failures of immigration policy and demands urgent action: "We can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact that certain areas are becoming lawless zones. We need real tools to deport violators and strengthen border controls—otherwise, trust in the state will be completely undermined."
If the authorities fail to find a balance between security and rights, the conflict will only escalate.
WHEN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT
American political scientist Francis Fukuyama warned in an interview: "When a state loses its monopoly on violence, even in isolated areas, it's a sign of a profound crisis of legitimacy. Society begins to seek protection where it shouldn't be."
The most dangerous thing about the current situation in Europe isn't even the incidents themselves, but how society is reacting to them. Polarization has reached such a level that people are no longer listening to each other.
Some see migrants as a threat, others as victims of circumstance. Some demand harsh measures, others demand the protection of rights and freedoms.
There is no right to assault and batter others, to rape, to riot, to rob, to kill. All these things are crimes and should be punished, no matter how justified under the miscreant’s home culture.
As a result, every tragedy becomes an excuse for renewed verbal warfare on and off social media, rather than a search for solutions.
Trust in the media is declining: everyone chooses sources that confirm their point of view. Trust in politicians is even lower; their words are increasingly perceived as empty promises. Even basic concepts—"security," "justice," "human rights"—are imbued with different meanings depending on the camp.
This is precisely the crisis of ideological understanding: society is losing its common language. Without it, any reforms are doomed: even good ideas will be rejected simply because they were proposed by the "wrong" camp.
Europe faces a choice that cannot be postponed. Either admit that the old models are unworkable and embark on a profound overhaul—from immigration policy to the police and the courts—or continue to patch up the holes, risking losing control of the situation.
For now, the second path prevails: tactical measures, grandiose statements, attempts to smooth things over. But problems that are put off tend to return with a vengeance. And then the question will no longer be how to improve the system, but whether it can be preserved.
Today's incidents—from overcrowded prisons to nightly pogroms—are not random news. They are alarm signals that cannot be ignored.
Indeed. The Russian can see it — why will not the European politician?
Because security isn't just the absence of crime. It's also the confidence that the system will protect you and that your voice will be heard. And this confidence is precisely what's dwindling in Europe.
[The Federalist] In his brilliant dissenting opinion eviscerating the majority’s legal gymnastics on birthplace citizenship, Justice Samuel Alito warned the court not to "adopt an erroneous interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment simply out of fear of the consequences of ’rocking the boat’ or as a reaction to current immigration policy."
But fear and politics, it seems, drove the specious legal reasoning of the "conservatives" who joined the court’s three liberals in killing President Donald Trump’s executive order ending squatter rights citizenship. A reluctance to "rock the boat" of more than a century of bad law permeates the thinking of Chief Justice John Roberts, author of the 5-4 ruling declaring unconstitutional the campaign promise Trump kept on the first day of his second term in office.
Such cowardice in guarding the Constitution has too often marked Roberts’ tenure as the chief of the nation’s high court. From his similar constitutional contortionist act in 2020 Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California to his ridiculous reinvention of the established understanding of a "tax" in playing savior to Obamacare, Roberts has sacrificed judicial courage at the twin altars of comity and continuity.
[Rudaw] Over the past two decades, Iraq has exported oil worth $1.45 trillion, with the entirety of those revenues returned in US dollars. However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... its total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) currently stands at only $273 billion. Had it not been for systematic corruption and waste, instead of sitting at the top of the rankings of the most corrupt, non-transparent, and least free economies in the world, Iraq would now be among the G20 group and the ranks of global economic superpowers.
This massive volume of Iraqi oil revenue is equivalent to one-fourth of the entire financial scale of a country like India—a country whose total GDP reaches $4.15 trillion, with a population of 1 billion 470 million people (nearly 30 times that of Iraq), making it the sixth-largest economy in the world.
In reality, a large part of this collapse is caused by a "foggy strategy" in data management, which has paved the way for corruption. For instance, the Ministry of Finance publishes reports containing discrepancies in the trillions. Furthermore, the two-month lag in data reporting between the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Oil regarding revenues creates a golden opportunity for billions of dollars to vanish, allowing numbers and their discrepancies to be easily concealed.
"Operation Dawn," which began on Sunday to pursue corrupt officials in the Green Zone and the provinces, raises various questions: Is this sudden move a radical strategic shift, or is it merely a financial necessity driven by liquidity shortages and accumulated debts? Has the system reached a dead end, unable to sustain monthly expenditures of 9 to 10 trillion dinars while its revenue is only 2 to 3 trillion, all while the unemployment rate stands at 16 percent (reaching 30 percent in some provinces), projects remain incomplete, and basic services fail to reach the population?
In this report, relying on data, we attempt to answer three key questions: What is the relationship between the budget law, what the Ministry of Finance reports, and corruption? Why is it that whenever corruption is mentioned, our minds immediately go to oil and electricity, making the energy sector the epicenter of corruption? Will "Operation Dawn" rescue Iraq from this economic situation, or is it a temporary phase, after which things will return to normal once the oil money blocked by the Strait of Hormuz returns?
CORRUPTION AND THE ELASTICITY OF EXPENDITURES AND REVENUES
The discrepancy between Iraq's annual budget law and the actual revenues and expenditures published by the Ministry of Finance constitutes a major part of the corruption that has gripped the system. The Iraqi Parliament approves a law that outlines revenue sources and expenditure targets, but when the end of the year arrives, the actual numbers reveal a quiet and massive discrepancy that is rarely discussed.
For example, in 2023, total expenditures in the budget law were set at 198 trillion Iraqi Dinars (IQD) (149 trillion for operational and 49 trillion for investment), while total revenues were estimated at 134 trillion IQD, meaning an imaginary deficit of 64 trillion IQD. However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... looking at the Ministry of Finance's year-end report, we find that total expenditures were only 142 trillion IQD (118 for operational and 24 for investment) and total revenues were 135 trillion IQD. In other words, everything was different, and the actual deficit was only 7 trillion IQD.
This lack of clarity and elasticity continued in subsequent years. In 2024, despite it being a three-year budget (2023—2025) which was supposed to remain stable, Ministry of Finance data shows that total expenditures reached 150 trillion IQD (125 for operational and 25 for investment) and total revenues were 140 trillion IQD (127 from oil and 13 from non-oil). Last year (2025), total expenditures decreased to 141 trillion IQD (119 for operational and 22 for investment), and revenues dropped to 124 trillion IQD (109 from oil and 15 from non-oil). Meanwhile,
...back at the desert island, Bert climbed the cocoanut tree, looking for ships. He saw none. He looked in the other direction and saw Irene, vigorously scrubbing her backside... within these figures, public employee expenditure (salaries) made a massive leap from 47 trillion IQD in 2023 to 60 trillion IQD in 2025.
If we look past the budget numbers and focus solely on non-oil revenues (taxes and customs duties), the massive gaps become even clearer. According to the Ministry of Finance report, non-oil revenues were 9.7 trillion IQD in 2023, over 13 trillion IQD in 2024, and nearly 15 trillion IQD in 2025, bringing the three-year total to 37.7 trillion IQD (approximately $29 billion).
However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... the major issue arises here: according to data from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), during those three years, $204 billion (or 265 trillion IQD) left the country through the currency auction window to import goods. Even if the average import tax was calculated at just 20% (which in reality ranges between 15 percent and 35 percent ), the revenue from import taxes on goods alone should have been 53 trillion IQD, not the meager total non-oil revenue of 37.7 trillion IQD recorded over the three years!
THE ENERGY SECTOR: BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT AND ONGOING DARKNESS
The energy sector is the backbone of the Iraqi economy. As pointed out by the World Bank Group, this sector accounts for half of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 88 percent of state revenues, and 90 percent of exports. Between 2015 and 2025, more than 72 percent of Iraq's total investment funds went to the Ministry of Oil, dismantling 113 trillion IQD ($87 billion), in addition to 9.7 trillion IQD in operational expenditures. Meanwhile,
...back at the desert island, Bert climbed the cocoanut tree, looking for ships. He saw none. He looked in the other direction and saw Irene, vigorously scrubbing her backside... the electricity sector's share of investment expenditure was 8.16 trillion IQD, alongside 62 trillion IQD in operational expenditures (meaning an annual average of 5.6 trillion IQD) going to electricity. With the amount spent on electricity, Iraq could have built 7 to 9 nuclear reactors with a generation capacity of 1,400 MW each (similar to South Korea's) or 13 to 18 reactors with a capacity of 1,200 MW (like China's). Yet, people still suffer from a lack of power, caught between the official grid and private neighborhood generators.
When these expenditures are placed side by side, it turns out that the Ministry of Oil absorbed 60 percent of the total investment expenditures of all of Iraq. Strikingly, most of these funds were spent in the final three months of the year, rather than being spread throughout the year! Despite these colossal expenditures and the provision of $12 billion in annual energy subsidies according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data, citizens still live under the smoke and noise of private generators, longing for 24-hour electricity.
On the other hand, for a decade, five different cabinets have promised to increase oil production to 6 or 7 million barrels per day, but production levels remain stagnant between 4 and 4.7 million barrels (with exports between 3 and 3.7 million barrels). The recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz demonstrated how strategy-less Iraq is, considering that 99% of its exports and 82 percent of its annual revenues stem from oil, tying the country's fate directly to that strait. Meanwhile,
...back at the desert island, Bert climbed the cocoanut tree, looking for ships. He saw none. He looked in the other direction and saw Irene, vigorously scrubbing her backside... according to a World Bank report, the "West Qurna 2" field ranks first globally in resource waste by flaring 2.7 billion cubic feet of associated gas annually. The total associated gas flaring in Iraq reached 23.6 billion cubic meters in 2025, even as the country imports gas annually to fuel its power stations.
According to a report by the Energy Institute (EI), Iraq's oil reserves stand at 145 billion barrels (75 times that of Syria) and its gas reserves exceed 124 trillion cubic feet, yet daily oil production in 2025 was only 4.36 million barrels. Therefore, when we hear that $11 million and 4 billion IQD were found in the home of the former Ministry of Oil Undersecretary for Distribution Affairs, and $10 million and 3 billion IQD in the home of Adnan Joumaili (former Undersecretary for Refining Affairs), it shouldn't come as a surprise; they work in a ministry allocated trillions of dinars monthly.
GHOST PROJECTS AND CONTRADICTORY DEBTS
Every year, dozens of mega-projects and new agreements are signed in Iraq, but the number of projects that actually enter execution and reach completion is very small. According to the Ministry of Planning, by the end of December 2023, the total number of documented projects stood at 2,559. The total funding required for these projects is 167 trillion IQD, but only 21 trillion IQD has been allocated. This has left 89.9 percent of the projects (approximately 2,301 projects) stuck in an incomplete "work in progress" status.
One of the most prominent examples is the "Baghdad Metro" project, which has been discussed since 2007 and was explicitly mentioned in the budgets of 2007, 2013, 2020, 2022 (when $2 billion was allocated), and 2023 (allocated 913 billion IQD), yet remains nothing but a design on paper. Another story is the new headquarters of the Central Bank of Iraq, the symbol of the country's financial status; its design was completed by Zaha Hadid in 2012, its foundation stone was laid in 2010, and construction resumed in 2018 with a planned completion date of 2023. However,
a clean conscience makes a soft pillow... work is still ongoing, despite massive modifications made to the original design during execution.
Another side to the numbers in Iraq and the lack of precision—despite their publication—has created a situation that has persisted for two consecutive decades. For example, the Iraqi Prime Minister stated in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that "Iraq's total debt is 208 trillion IQD." This figure vastly contradicts Central Bank data, which states that by the end of April 2026, Iraq's total domestic debt stood at 95.6 trillion IQD (consisting of 10.8 bonds, 20.2 loans, 8.8 treasury bills, and 55.6 trillion IQD in Ministry of Finance obligations to the Central Bank). Even if external debt is added—which Ministry of Finance data published in May 2026 estimated at around 13 trillion IQD—the grand total would be 108.6 trillion IQD. Here lies the serious question: How did the country's debts jump from 108 trillion to 208 trillion IQD in just two months?
CONCLUSION
The anatomy of corruption in federal Iraq has permeated every nook and cranny, largely enabled by inaccurate figures. Therefore, "Operation Dawn" must not be reduced to merely publishing a few photos of stacks of 50,000-dinar, 25,000-dinar, or 100-dollar bills. This shouldn't echo the "Theft of the Century" case—which involved $2.5 billion or 3.7 trillion IQD from public revenues and taxes—and remains unforgettable in the public memory. That case was effectively swept under the rug by returning 317 billion dinars, showcasing sacks of cash as a major achievement, while the primary suspect was ultimately released!
Iraq's revenues and expenditures are comparable to those of the region's large and wealthy countries. It even possesses a larger budget than several countries with similar natural resource profiles (such as Algeria). Yet, in terms of quality of life, global rankings for basic services, and job creation, it lags behind everyone, matching underdeveloped nations.
With the revenues and expenditures Iraq has had over the past two decades—and continues to have—the unemployment rate should have been well below double digits, rather than seeing one out of every three young people unemployed in certain provinces. According to the Iraqi Statistical Bureau, youth unemployment (ages 15 and above) has reached 16.8%, and in some provinces, it is drastically high: Anbar at 29.5 percent, Muthanna at 29.2 percent, Maysan at 25 percent, Najaf at 24 percent, and Basra (Iraq's oil capital) at 20 percent. The sudden exposure of tens of millions of dollars and billions of dinars hidden away in bags, air conditioning units, and bedding in the homes of officials—funds that should have gone toward infrastructure and investment projects—is nothing compared to the vast sums that have vanished and remain unmentioned.
Ultimately, declining revenues, rising expenditures, an increase in dinar liquidity in the market, and a shortage of cash dollars at the Central Bank may have squeezed the new government, prompting this campaign. This current crisis is unlike the one in 2020; it cannot be patched over by devaluing the dinar.
Today, Iraq suffers from high domestic debt, printed currency soaring to 115 trillion IQD, foreign reserves dropping to 113 trillion IQD, and a government liquidity crunch. This explains why the Prime Minister remarked, "Whoever returns the money receives amnesty," because 90 percent to 92 percent of Iraq's money exists outside the banking system, hidden away in bedding and air conditioning units. We must wait and see just how far Operation Dawn will extend in reclaiming these stolen assets, whether in dollars or dinars.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/03/2026 00:00 ||
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[YouTube] This is a follow up to my main channel video on the history of the IBM 8514/A GPU and how it influenced the computer industry. This video is a look at one particular feature this card had available for dual monitors and how AutoCAD could use it.
#1
Excuse me, Spats, but aren't there any more modern computers that can run autocad programs without all that fuss? And, if not, where can I get an old IBM PS2 with a 386 CPU running DOS?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
07/03/2026 12:47 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
We’re not like any other country on Earth. We descend from people who left the relative comfort of their homelands to carve out a new kind of nation from a wild continent full of tornadoes, vast deserts, and fierce, warlike savages (That’s not a diss to Native Americans; it’s a recognition that those tough warriors were worthy foes, and their later service in the U.S. military is legendary.)
