France's worst bout of civil unrest in years has plunged President Emmanuel Macron's final months in office deeper into turmoil, exposing the powerlessness of a leader struggling to contain social anger with little money to spend, scant political capital and an increasingly fragile grip on public order.
The Wall Street Journal editorial board laced into President Donald Trump over his recent "assistance" to Russia -- accusing him of sticking "a shiv in the back" of Lindsey Graham's legacy. In a scathing editorial late Sunday, the Journal slammed the president for waiving tariffs against the top buyers of Russian energy.
Federal authorities charged more than two dozen foreign nationals Monday in California as part of a statewide sweep targeting people who officials say have illegally registered or voted in U.S. elections.
Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen in what a Democratic congressman said was a "brutal attack" during a confrontation with protesters in California.
More evidence that we're living in Bizarro world: The Justice Department said it was investigating whether the major TV networks violated antitrust law by agreeing not to participate in pool coverage of the White House. Apparently, pulling out of an arrangement to share and coordinate coverage -- i.e. the pool -- is over-sharing. In other words, breaking up a shared agreement is more antitrusty (that's a word, isn't it?) than a shared agreement.
@#9
fwiw ...
obtuse
www.wordnik.com
...
from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
adjective Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.
adjective Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity.
adjective Not distinctly felt.
adjective Not sharp, pointed, or acute in form; blunt.
adjective Having an obtuse angle.
adjective Botany Having a blunt or rounded tip.
...
disingenuous
www.wordnik.com
...
from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
adjective Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.
adjective Pretending to be unaware or unsophisticated; faux-naf.
adjective Usage Problem Unaware or uninformed; naive.
...
And back to the thread topic...
@#10 ... Actually, he's a Republican operative ...
There now seem to be some issue around that ...
WaPo Bashed for 'Journalistic Malpractice' After Failing to Report That Voter Who Tangled With El-Sayed Is GOP Operative
www.mediaite.com
... The Washington Post is facing criticism for an article about a viral video featuring a "young man" questioning Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed but omitting the fact that "Tommy" was a Republican operative.
The incident in question happened during one of El-Sayed's campaign events over the weekend, in which an attendee who identified himself as "Tommy" asked about the Muslim Brotherhood, a talking point pushed by the Republican nominee, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI). ...
Reathel Bean & The Doonesbury Break Crew - Rap Master Ronnie (1984)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Intro]
[Voice]
Ready when you are, Mr. President
[Reagan]
Well, okay, everybody ready? Uh, Nancy?
[Nancy]
Ready dear
[Reagan]
Jim, Mike, Cap?
[Men]
Yes
[Reagan]
Okay, right, let's do it
[Voice]:
Ok, Reagan campaign message for minority voters, take 37
Can it off, Mr. President
[Reagan]
5, 6, 7, 8, uh.. 9..
Ah!
Oh yeah, Lord have mercy
Now let me here a little bass now Nancy
So good, So fine
You're cooking now mama
[Nancy]
Thank you dear
[Reagan]
Al. Smokin'
We're in a grove now
[Man]
That's groove sir
[Reagan]
Groove, we're in a groove now
Slip me a little keyboard cap
Al, you're God
Now that be fine
[Verse 1]
Okay people, gotta get down
Brother Ron Reagan has hit the ground
Gotta believe he's the dude of the hour
Got the glory, got the power
Ronny can communicate, the cat can rap
I even let Nancy sit on Mr.T's lap
Loves the needy, loves them dearly
Love to read graffitti if they'd only print it clearly
He can break
[Men]
Huh!
[Reagan]
He be trying to make the big box beat
Trying to get those voters on their feet
Get their consent, all I need is 10 percent
[Hook]
Say we want Ron
The guy's pure sex
He's the man
Who signs your monthly welfare checks
Ha ha ... ha ... ha haha!
[Verse 2]
[Al]
Ronny's the boss, he wears the pants
[Nancy]
But that man of mine sure loves to dance
[Al]
Got an open mind on civil rights
[Reagan]
My youngest son grew up in tights
[Men]
Check him out!
[Reagan]
He's heavy
[Men]
Ronny be a legend. Ronny be unique
[Reagan]
Hard to even function with such mystique
He gets down
[Men]
Huh!
[Reagan]
Loves to take to town those dancing feet
He be getting brothers off the street
Hey! Least I've tried
If only more were qualified
[Reagan]
Uh, Ed
Take it easy, Ed
For Gosh sakes, Ed
Debby Boone gave me that album personally
Ed...
[Men]
Everybody's scratchin'
Scratchin' for a wage
Scratchabacha scratch
From the want ad page
Good time scratching
Ronny got a plan
And if that don't hatch
Catch as catch can
...
[Men]
Ronny be a fighter, Ronny will defend
[Reagan]
Lieutenant Bob Goodman is a personal friend
[Men]
Ronny he be tough, Ronny always win
[Reagan]
Don't need cardboard for my shoulder spins
He can freeze
[Men]
Huh!
[Reagan]
He be trying to save those suckers' souls
Trying to get those mothers to the polls
Get their consent. I'll settle for just two percent
[Hook]
Say we, want, Ron
The cat's ok
He's the man
Who's got more juice than Jessie J
Say we, want, Ron
The guy's pure sex
He's the man
Who signs your monthly welfare checks
Ha ha ... ha ... ha ha ha!
[Outro]
That's my [?]
Trust me though
[?]
[Voice]
One more time Mr. President
Bring it on home, sir
[Reagan]
Okay
Light my fire black people, light my fire
Give me your sweet jelly roll
Turn on your love life
Papa got a new safety net for you
Yeah, Fritz, Jelly beans
[?]
That be all
...
@#39 ... Trump had fuentes in the white house for a dinner. ...
Shhhh ... you are not supposed to mention that.
But if you want a laugh, there's this ...
White House slams Trump's dinner with Nick Fuentes, saying bigotry and hate have 'no place in America' (2022)
www.foxnews.com
... Trump has said Fuentes came with Ye and that he does not know who he is ...
Wow, so Pres Trump's security team allowed someone into the White House to dine with Pres Trump without any knowledge of who that person might be?
And, speaking of Brain Dead, I am reminded of this CBS TV series that ran in 2016 ...
BrainDead
en.wikipedia.org
... BrainDead is an American political satire science fiction[1][2][3] comedy-drama television series created by Robert and Michelle King.[4] The series stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Laurel Healy, a documentary film-maker who takes a job working for her brother Luke (Danny Pino), a U.S. Senator, after the funding for her latest film falls through.
Assigned as his new constituency caseworker, she discovers that Washington, D.C. has been invaded by extraterrestrial insects which are eating the brains and taking control of people, including members of Congress and their staffers.
Much of the internal comedy of the series was that, in the altered reality of Washington, D.C. politics, only a few people noticed. ...
One quite interesting aspects of that series was that the speeches of then 2015/2016 candidate Trump were often playing on TVs in the background of the main action.
So, BrainDead... a premonition?
@#37 ... El Sayad campaigned with Hassan Piker. ...
Media Downplays Dr. Abdul El-Sayed's Ties to Hasan Piker as Michigan Senate Race Heads to General Election (August 2026)
political.org
... Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the newly minted Democratic nominee for Michigan's U.S. Senate seat, is drawing intensifying scrutiny over his repeated campaign appearances with far-left Twitch streamer and podcaster Hasan Piker -- a figure who once declared that "America deserved 9/11" and has publicly praised Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong.
Critics argue that broadcast media has largely glossed over the extent and significance of that relationship as the race now moves toward the November general election against Republican nominee Mike Rogers. ...
@#21
An interesting aspect of this current protests is that Ms Le Pen's party seems to be gaining in popularity.
Riots grip France as Marine Le Pen gains ground ahead of 2027 election
www.thenews.com.pk
... We are living through a profound crisis of trust, of authority that poses a threat to democracy, said Marine Le Pen'
In a major update, France is facing renewed unrest as riots grip parts of the country while polling gains traction for Marine Le Pen ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Marine Le Pen, frontrunner for the 2027 presidency censured the upheaval as a failure of governance while her polling jumped to 31-37% in first-round intentions even leading a potential runoff against Jean-Luc Melenchon 69-31%.
Her allies demanded President Macron's resignation and she conceded that Islam aligns with the state on the condition that Sharia is rejected. The chaos exposes the severe polarization in France six months ahead of the April election with international voices like Elon Musk calling it the nation's last chance.
Marine Le Pen on her social platform X, stated, "You saw yesterday our cities, our streets, our country, battered, mistreated, ransacked."
"We are living through a profound crisis of trust, of authority that poses a threat to democracy. This observation must alert us: our country is caught in a vise, or even taken hostage, between violence and powerlessness." ...
But, back to France ...
How France's worst rioting in years erupted and how the government responded
apnews.com
... Rioters clashed with police, set cars on fire, stormed public buildings and engulfed a historic city hall in flames in France's worst civil unrest in years as violence and looting swept through major cities during nationwide protests.
About 2,400 people were arrested over the weekend, and authorities said thousands of businesses were damaged or looted. The rioting overshadowed demonstrations against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools in which hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully.
President Emmanuel Macron denounced "unrestrained violence" by "insurrectionist elements from radical far-left groups, joined by numerous criminals."
More protests could be in store. High school and university student organizations called for more demonstrations Thursday and Saturday. The National High School Student Coordination group urged young people to "take to the streets" and backed continued blockades and demonstrations.
A group of activists seeking to revive the 2018 "yellow vest" movement against perceived social injustices also announced nationwide demonstrations planned for Saturday under the slogan "Macron must go." ...
@#18
JD Vance blindsided at NC rally by Epstein heckler standing right behind him
www.rawstory.com
... A protester standing directly behind Vice President JD Vance confronted him at a North Carolina rally, shouting, "Release the Epstein files!"
Vance was speaking Monday when the man stood up in the crowd behind the stage, according to a video FactPost shared on X.
Trump 47 Committee Inc., a political action committee aligned with President Donald Trump, hosted the event at Hyder Warehouse in Hendersonville, WBTV reported.
Vance was there to boost Republican Jennifer Balkcom in North Carolina's competitive 11th Congressional District race two weeks before the midterm elections, according to WLOS.
The FactPost video shows Vance, one hand on the podium, turning around to face the man as he yelled.
" ... a protester directly behind Vance gets up and yells release the Epstein files!'" independent journalist Aaron Rupar wrote on X.
"Vance suggest[s] he's an illegal immigrant," Rupar added in the same post. ...
More from the article ...