Supreme Court Backs Police Entry Without Warrant in Emergencies Montana officials defended the actions of law enforcement officers who did not have a warrant when they responded to a possibly suicidal Army veteran. - "In response to the ruling, the Constitutional Accountability Center, which had filed a brief in support of Mr. Case’s position, expressed concern that the court’s decision would do nothing to prevent officers from using emergency aid as a pretext for home intrusions." [ed. note: a unanimous, naïve decision]
Authoritarianism Is Climate Policy: The Trump administration’s imperialist, repressive rampage is a classic response to escalating crisis. - "The new EPA policy, which explicitly rejects lives saved as a lesser concern than business profits, exposes this line of thinking. You’ve heard it before, though. Fighting climate change would be too costly, so the narrative goes. Costly to whom? Not fighting climate change is already very costly to everyone else, whether in terms of affordability or lives lost."
Trump’s Fantastical Geopolitics: The White House’s aggressive posture is already pushing other countries to seek strength in numbers. - "The most glaring example of this involves Trump’s recent escalation of claims to Greenland, which threatens to remake the image of the United States into that of a rogue nation. His language vowing to get it one way or another, easy or hard, echoes gangland dialogue from Hollywood more than it does traditional diplomacy. And it threatens to finally break Washington’s relationship with Europe, transforming it from an increasingly wary alliance to something much more situational and potentially distant.
...
"Another example, both more obscure and surprising, comes with the news that Saudi Arabia, an oil power that Trump has courted heavily, has been in talks to acquire Chinese-made fighter jets for its air force, and has struck a strategic mutual defense pact with nuclear-armed Pakistan. Under the current president, Washington has shown a willingness to sell the Saudis virtually whatever weapons their hearts desire, including the United States’ most advanced fighter airplane. The problem is that Trump’s erratic and aggressive behavior has made them nervous like everyone else.
"The urge to hedge is an ominous sign for a United States that is in the midst of an extremely foolhardy geopolitical paradigm shift—one that weakens its commitments and interdependence with long-standing allies in Europe and Asia in favor of the fantastical notion that by dominating the Western Hemisphere, America will be just fine, if not even better off."
Teen killed in Maryland parking lot where he went to trade coat for gun: Two suspects, 16 and 20, were ordered held without bond this week in Montgomery County District Court.
Why your power bill is spiking faster than a nearby data center’s: As electricity prices climb, an unusual disconnect is emerging between what regular people pay — and what data centers pay. - "According to a report from Harvard University earlier this year, utilities often sign special contracts with data center customers that place them outside standard pricing agreements. 'I’m not even sure if data centers are paying the 'commercial' price,' said Peskoe, one of the authors of the report. 'We were finding across states the way data centers were coming online in many states was through these secret contracts.'"
Trump’s promised manufacturing boom is a bust so far: Manufacturing employment has declined every month since April, when the president said tariffs would bring factories “roaring back.”
Vance’s Greenland meeting ends with ‘fundamental disagreement’: Diplomats from Denmark and Greenland agreed to set up a “high-level working group” after the White House talks, but said there was little consensus so far.
Senate blocks Venezuela war powers bill after Vance breaks deadlock: The vote failed after two Republicans withdrew their previous support under intense pressure from the Trump administration.
Native Americans are being swept up by ICE in Minneapolis, tribes say: Tribal leaders say Indigenous people have been stopped, questioned, harassed and, in some cases, detained solely on the basis of their skin color or names.
Who used the Maduro raid to earn $400K? The pool of suspects is alarming.: A bet on government action by a government actor is always a bet against the public interest.
Illinois finally abandons its ban on new nuclear plants: Gov. JB Pritzker (D), eyeing 2028, reverses his opposition and follows progressive public opinion.
The agony of knowing your millions don’t buy respect: “Members Only,” a Netflix reality series about Mar-a-Lago-adjacent socialites, is not good. But it reveals the insecurities of the very rich.
‘Some Foreign Influence Will Be Hard to Reverse’ China will remain a player in Latin America long after Maduro. - "The defining paradox of Trump's confrontation with China is that, since returning to the White House a year ago, he has worked to dismantle many of the same institutions the U.S. used to advance its cause in the 20th century."
A Different Type of ‘Muscle Memory’: Repeated exercise, or wasting, can change the way key genes work.
Denmark’s Army Chief Says He’s Ready to Defend Greenland: Danish forces are moving to the island to show NATO—and Trump—that they’re serious about security. - "Rasmus Jarlov, a Danish lawmaker, told me that the Trump administration has yet to articulate a single objective on Greenland, aside from acquiring it. 'That's the challenge we have,' Jarlov said. 'And, of course, since they already have full access, it's a little hard to improve.'
"'But," the lawmaker added with a laugh, 'we're willing to try.'"
Trump Is Risking a Global Catastrophe: His irrational fixation on Greenland could lead to widespread conflict.
Jeff Bezos Needs to Speak Up" The raid on a Washington Post reporter’s home is deeply troubling. - "In his second term, Trump has learned to apply this pressure more pointedly. He has made it plain that owners of large media firms should expect much friendlier regulatory treatment if they bring to heel the journalists they employ. What makes this tactic so deviously effective is that many influential media outlets are just a tiny portion of their owners' business interests. The Ellisons own CBS News, but CBS News is a speck in their financial portfolio. Losing audience share for 60 Minutes because the show relinquishes its independence would be an insignificant financial setback, but losing the administration's approval for the Ellisons' merger bids would be catastrophic."
Putin’s Explosive Message to Trump: The Oreshnik missile that struck Lviv carried a political payload. - "As evidenced by new sanctions on Russian oil, the seizure of Russian tankers, and the continuing flow of American weapons to Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly overplayed his hand with the president of the United States. What's worse for Putin - and possibly for the world - is that this Trump is on the warpath. Most of his recent press conferences have included references to bombing or regime-changing one country or another (the list now includes a NATO country, too). This is not the real-estate or cryptocurrency Trump. This is Trump with guns-a leader whose doctrine boils down to 'ICE for Americans. Delta Force for everyone else.'"
