THOUGHTS About The News. The 2026 Midterms.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

In response to post-midterms Facebook banter. <>I don’t think the election campaign per se is clean at all. As of today, per NY Times, voter turnout is 44 percent. Could be 2nd lowest in history, behind 2014's 40 percent. That's not even half of the voter population. Clearly but not sweeping, Blue won or winning. What I see: A growing passion for "newbies" in U.S. politics. A rebrand of the Left, mainly. More of personality "pitch" over policy platforms. Refer to the resumption of the Barack Obama campaign playbook.

      Hint: Bernie Sanders' Dem-Soc template is no different from Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed’s socialist pitch. But Bern failed. Meanwhile, the Blue women in the past weren't as successful but today, they are. Essentially, the shift is within Blue, not in Red's mass base.

      But the run-up behavior is no different from the past. Filthy. Both sides. Yet Blue ran a dirtier campaign vs Donald Trump in 2024 that didn't work out. This time, the rebrand trick worked. But it's still dirty. Anyhow, Red’s voters are also divided but I reckon, the disgruntled faithful, chose not to vote at all. So back to the board. Two wars are still ongoing. But my real bright news was 2 days ago, per Associated Press: “Trump says U.S. will halt $4 billion in annual aid to Israel after talks with Netanyahu.”

      Anyhow, U.S. elections are just sideshows to the REAL more significant upcoming elections in Europe. It is Europe that needs drastic leadership change. China intently quietly watches (as ever) but I don't think the CCP is so hot about how America votes. Whoever wins, Chinese business carries on. Unless Blue goes back to Joe's disastrous BBB, then we have a new drama episode.

      Let me post this again: <>The highest year-over-year inflation rate during Donald Trump's presidency was 3.7 percent. Average: 2.46 percent. <>The highest inflation rate during the presidency of Joe Biden reached 9.1 percent year-over-year in June 2022. Average: 4.95 percent. Ergo: Blue effectively “erased” these numbers over the run-up theatrics of you-know. Voters were “influenced” by the rebrand of the product more than old-school scrutiny of political programs or leadership policies first. ☮️🗽☮️

Yahoo Finance: “Dow jumps around 1,300 points, S&P 500 and Nasdaq gain as markets react to midterms.” Would that mean, good stuff for the economy? Not necessarily. A jump in the Dow Jones Industrial Average etcetera reflects positive investor sentiment and corporate expectations, but it is not the same thing as the overall economy. Anyhow, America isn’t mired in economic murk as does the EU per se, so this Wall Street activity is pretty much a play within/around the corporate world. 

       Meanwhile, the war in Iran influences global economic trends more than the political intramurals in the U.S., which is pretty much a reflection of America’s divide. Both Left and Right in the U.S. confront fissures that add to an ever-growing population of anxious/stressed out humanity but this is an American Fact, rather than a universal truth. Irrelevant of the fear pitch, the U.S. economy is fine, at least compared with the 2009 recession or Joe Biden’s economy. 💸🏢💸

AFP: “Elon Musk jokes about GOP election defeat after spending record amount on party.” Elon spent at least $474 million on this election, marking the largest amount ever spent by a single individual donor in a U.S. election cycle. But that amount is “coffee money” to his trillion$ of course. Anyhow, overall individual Democratic candidates widely outraised Republican opponents in key individual midterm races. That’s always been the trend since Barack Obama days, regardless that Red’s party committees and Super PACs maintained a separate structural cash advantage. Political money is a complex bitch, I reckon. 

       Clearly, America is more high on “I beat you this time!” zeal over what'd become of certain policy playbooks. My major thought: Would the Left’s progressives be more decisive in dealing with the wars in Ukraine and Iran? First, they need to ease out War secretary Pete Hegseth off the military joint. Let’s see. 🏛🗽🏛

USA Today: “Pete Hegseth faces possible impeachment vote. And he's not the only one.” Of course, that points to Donald Trump. Impeachments in the U.S. is a political marquee feed, a highlight of Washington’s Hollywood-styled drama. American politics is more personality-oriented than it is about gut-level policies. When did that start to happen?

      American politics has actually always been driven by personality and character attacks, but the modern transition into a deeply media-driven, "personality-first" spectacle occurred in two distinct phases: The 1820s and the 1960s, when the “murk-throw” gained influential mojo as the first major televised presidential nominee debates in American history took place: JFK versus Richard Nixon. But those years were relatively sedate compared with the 21st century’s political behavior, in the advent of internet journalism and Social Media obsession. Mockery, insult, shaming overpowered “standard,” fiscalizing criticisms.

      Meanwhile, not necessarily in agreement with the (new) Left's reasons, but I concur with the removal of Mr Hegseth. I do believe the hawkish Pete is the significant dent in Mr Trump's essentially dovish military playbook. 🏛🗽🏛

Yahoo: “Vance blames Republican losses on Iran war: 'The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone'.” Somehow, the writings on the wall kind-of sent this message: “Blue is divided on war, Red is divided on war.” But how the Iran war “affected” the U.S. economy isn’t so significant compared with how the war played up in “influencing” voter attitudes. Only 44 percent went out to vote (per NY Times), which is the second lowest midterms turnout since 2014’s 40 percent.

      Although U.S. election zeal isn’t so hot, historically. Only half of eligible voters vote. So think-tanks work around such a slim variable, which makes “rebranding” effective as aided by a media that is more into flashy dramatics for clicks over info-dissemination. You see, the U.S. has always been at war overseas since the 1800s. No big deal. But the discourse hasn’t been this loud and rowdy until the internet or Social Media was born.

      Approximately 74 percent of the U.S. population (around 253 to 254 million people) actively use social media. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are so high on voting. People would rather sit at home and argue politics, I guess. Perhaps voter interest would only spike if, indeed, the U.S. is down in economic murk. That crisis is more European (nowadays), rather than American.  ☮️🗽☮️

Washington Post: “World leaders question if GOP midterm losses will weaken or embolden Trump.” / Yahoo: “Trump is back on the cover of Time.” The media makes Donald Trump so powerful or significant, that elections elsewhere in the world are credited to his “influence.” Which is absurd to me. It is highly offensive of other people’s ability to choose a leader or decide on a leadership, per their own realities. Yet if you ask me what superpower really shakes the universe? It is China.

      For instance, Beijing’s 4 state-owned banks dominate the FDI and lending roost, hugely diminishing the IMF and World Bank’s historical clout. The BRICS trade bloc has considerably weakened G7. Look again at Europe.

      So Mr Trump is overplayed, and in doing so, we are taken out from the lowdown of geopolitics. Which benefits Xi Jinping. The Chinese have always been indifferent to Hollywood-styled highlight reel politics, anyways. They just wanna do business. And as long as the world keeps on buying, the CCP is cool. 🏛🗽🏛

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Associated Press: “Immigration enforcement officials search Ilhan Omar's home in a pre-dawn raid.” Jarring situations such as this bring me back to "raids" during dictatorship years in the Philippines, including the military raid in our editorial office (We Forum) in Manila in 1982. But that was the Philippines pre-21st century, and a world so far away from America, and in/around a different political circumstance–from how it is these days in the U.S.

      The reason why I tell my fellow Filipinos who “ride” or take sides with today’s “divide” in the U.S., that most of what’s going on here isn't our reality. Etc etcetera.

      Anyhow, I trust the government’s intel on this particular Ilhan Omar raid. The Left these days or the “hate-Trump” din wasn’t how dissent then. While the gargantuan schism moves the deranged to turn to violent ways out there, the eerie (maybe unknowing?) anti-government howls somehow adversely affect how Washington deals with current political tensions overseas.

      For example, the anti-Trump narrative, in a way, emboldens Iran’s hardline leadership and coaxes Volodymyr Zelensky to defy or ignore any calls for peace negotiation. It’d seem the Left’s only agenda is to remove Donald Trump as POTUS. (Visual: Vox.) 🏛🗽🏛

ABC: “Off-duty ICE agent shot by 72-year-old man after allegedly attacking him and his daughter.” Add the New York City incident. Expectedly, there are two or three “versions” or angles of this news. Public reaction depends on which side you are cozied with. 

       First of all, and I repeat, the hostility of this side (of the divide) on law enforcement or the Trump administration per se is sheer loss of common sense. Disrespect of the law is an understatement. The angry protester who hurls invectives at an ICE agent or shatters a government van’s tail-light believes they are being just or sane. Or it’s their civil/human right to berate a cop or ICE. This is not civil disobedience rage. This is political hate or hate for one person. Hate that easily blinds reason. 

       As for me, regardless if I am Left or Right or whatever, I’d “simplify” matters. When an officer of the law tells me to stop or oblige, no prob, I will comply or yield, stay put, show hands–and then call my lawyer later. Done. Meanwhile, two mass shootings, not related to ICE, again happened yesterday–in Pennsylvania and Georgia. 🗽🏃‍♀️🏃

CBS: “DOJ seeks to charge ex-Trump aide who gave key testimony on January 6 attack.” I once served as an aide for a public official (in the Philippines) and sat down and discussed similar matters with some politicians in the U.S. (New York and California).

      As staff for a serving politician (or any high-profile, media-bait personalities) you are privy to both official and “unofficial” matters surrounding your Boss. Including leisurely banter quips and golfing time jokes (ah!) And yes, including sensitive matters that pertain to the chief’s political life. Whether you like it or not, you are in the “inner circle.” Pledged and signed or not, NDA (non-disclosure agreement) in no-brainer. Of course, you decided to work with the public official et al so you had time to figure things out. Their personal background, public records, including the rumours whatsoever. In other words, you could turn down employment or not apply at all. If you are in and realize you are in the middle of wrongdoings, resign. You get my drift.

      As for my thoughts on this matter, above news? I mostly shrug this off. Experiential reaction or "been there, done that" mojo Unless the issue clearly defines “national security” or criminal act, I'd say it'd be less stressful to just hush. These days, majority of the “turns” or “whistleblowing” are politically-motivated geared to influence an upcoming election, and/or the usual anti-Trump feeds. You know what I mean. 🏛🗽🏛 

Associated Press: “Republicans want Abdul El-Sayed to be the main character of the midterms. He's on board.” Pop politics, I say. Political fad, at the moment. Anyhow, Mr El-Sayed’s “gravitas” depends on how Zohran Mamdani fares in New York City. Meanwhile, tell me, what if their names aren’t Zohran or Abdul? I am not questioning their abilities or capabilities to lead, but this makes me recall the PR spin of the name Barack Obama in those days.

      What “ails” America is more of a partisanship perspective and not really what’s going on. What’s going on, really? The eerie, hate-fueled divide is eroding America’s foundations. And I believe that gigantic fissure contributes to the slew of unabated mass shootings, at least since the 1999 Columbine horror. The revered historian Howard Zinn wrote before he died in 2010, he foresaw a great divide in the U.S. that’d rival the civil war years of the mid-1860s. (Donald Trump wasn’t even in the GOP shortlist for a presidential run at that time.)

      Who would solve America’s current issues isn’t a Muslim-styled socialist, or a Hispanic born and raised, or whatever ethnic facade there is.

      Capitalism to socialism is too simplistic and misinformed in the context of American “democracy” or culture per se (as many see it). China blurred Han Buddhism communism, following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 that ushered in Deng Xiaoping’s “open-door” playbook vis-a-vis Western-style capitalism. Look at China now. Or Nordic economies these days aren’t what, for example, Olof Palme’s soc-dem or dem-soc championed before he was taken out in 1986.

      Ergo: The 21st century is so different from other centuries, culture wise (globally) and foreign affairs have been wobbled or altered by the advent of China and BRICS, and the progress of Asia (from the late-1990s’ Asian Tigers and Baby Tigers) and the Middle East’s Arab League’s premium on economics and trade, following the Arab Spring of 2011.

      Moreover, whoever POTUS sits has to diversify or modify Washington’s traditional "template" to adapt to the changing times. And that’s what Donald Trump is doing. Of course, it is controversial, “traitorous,” or dumb to many. Essentially because Don's ways are essentially new per Washington's book. Yet I don’t think Mamdani or El-Sayed know better just because their names sound un-American. To me, they are as American as a John Smith or a Sarah Jones. 🏛🗽🏛 

MY THOUGHTS. New York Times: “America Wants to Make More Generic Drugs. India Shows Why That’s Hard.” And adds: “Cheap labor and global supply chains are among the obstacles to President Trump’s plan to bring generic drug manufacturing back home.”

       India has the world's second largest labor force and has ample of (or access to) APIs to many drugs. Hence, India is the world's largest supplier of generic medicines by volume, fulfilling about 20 percent of global demand. Ranked #2 is India's BRICS buddy. Before the 21st century, Israel was #1 via Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. The company now ranks #3. 🩺💊🩺

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Yahoo: “Woman survives 2 lethal injections in botched execution as Tennessee gov. orders probe.” Capital punishment. Death penalty. I am “selective” when it comes to this matter. All murderers (or sex offenders, notably pedophiles) and drug lords (who technically “kill” people) suffer from some sort of mental health ailment. So I don’t dig the insanity plea. Rid them off the face of the earth and lessen fears of human evil. 

       Info: As of this year, 53 countries (out of 195 recognized countries) retain the death penalty in their laws. And that’d include the U.S., although it was abolished in the Philippines in 2006. I didn’t concur. Anti-capital punishment advocates should instead direct their energy on anti-war. Wars blatantly waste (innocent/civilian) lives in massive numbers. Collateral damage or mere journalism stats. ⚖️😒⚖️

Associated Press: “U.S. forces leave Iraq with Iran's influence looming over what comes next.” I concur! Anyhow, Iran’s influence, or let’s just say Shia Muslims' “indifference” with Western standards, is a fact of human existence. But these don’t justify the magnificent presence of the U.S. military, worldwide. Yes, that’d be regardless of the ongoing tempests in Iran/Middle East and Ukraine. This eerie fact: The United States maintains approximately 750 to 800 military bases overseas spanning more than 80 countries and territories.

      When factoring in the hundreds of domestic bases and military installations located within the 50 states and U.S. territories, the total number of sites managed by the Department of Defense is 4,790 worldwide. Yet, when these numbers are frequently debated because the Pentagon's official Base Structure Report typically omits classified facilities, temporary deployment locations, and smaller "lily pads" (or forward-operating sites). This: The U.S. controls roughly 75 percent to 85 percent of all foreign military bases globally.

      Major concentrations include Germany (over 120 sites), Japan (nearly 100 sites), South Korea (around 80 sites), and Italy (over 45 sites). In my tiny home country, the Philippines, there are 9. America stations approximately 165,000 to 173,000 active-duty military personnel across its overseas bases. If National Guard, reserve forces, and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians are included, the total overseas presence rises to more than 221,000 personnel.

      Do I need to type up China and Russia’s military posture, globally, in comparison? (Go ahead, Google it!) Anyhow, although some countries share in the upkeep (of these bases and installations), maintaining this global network costs U.S. taxpayers roughly $55 billion to $80 billion annually. ☮️☮️☮️

Associated Press: “Homeland Security uses $20 million in taxpayer funds for pro-Trump ads.” Pragmatically speaking (from an oldie and ex-journalist): I don't really believe that other POTUSes somehow didn't use taxpayer money or federal budgets in similar expenses. Come on! Apparently, this new drama is a response to (or distraction from) Mr Trump's plan to cancel $810 million in congressionally approved spending.

      Those budgets are meant for: <>Refugee etcetera services, which is roughly $567 million (for Department of Health and Human Services), as grants to NGOs that support refugees, asylum seekers, and the like. So as ICE removes the “shady” undocumented, more money is allotted to the majority of the 1 million average that crossed the border, from 2021 to 2024 (including those already in the program). With this generosity, expect more migrants to breach the border.

     And so, other taxpayer money goes to: <>Migrant education programs, about $25 million. Kids of poor U.S. citizens, who couldn’t afford school supplies and basics? Sorry, no dough for you. <>And other interconnected federal projects. Also, the funding for "gender reassignments," or whatever they're called, among minors. I ask: Upgrade of school security? Enhancement of mental health care? (Yes, but a separate budget for children/teens who identify as trans etcetera.)

      Meanwhile, why don't lawmakers or politicians instead question/ed military spending and military aid (especially to Ukraine and Israel)? Of course, they won’t. And so on and so forth. 🏛🗽🏛

USA Today: “Trump to begin sending $500 ACA refund checks to 1 million Americans.” Sure, the Left or the virulent Trump-haters would thumb this down, pronto. Most would toss you a ChatGPT-aided response to beef-up their supposedly intelligent, well-informed discourse. Then they’d interject or end their retort with the classic rude words or super-down low invectives (sic). 

       Anyhow, if you’re one of the 1 million (of the 349.6 million) Americans, enjoy! Some major cities in the U.S. actually have less than 1 million residents: San Jose, Austin TX, Jacksonville, Forth Worth, Columbus, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Seattle, Denver. Many are rich over there but the majority are poor. So $500 buys/pays a lot! (Visual: STAT News.) 🏛🗽🏛

NBC: “Inside Diddy’s prison life with massages, Hennessy, nude photos and contraband phones.” My reflexive response: "Duh." High-profile, super-rich convicts or criminals, and including drug cartel chiefs, get these privileges. The most important: Protection from the obvious and “better” treatment from prison staff. These are illegal, of course, yet we just shrug our shoulders. Open secrets. 

       Meanwhile, drugs are big business in jails, or “business” per se thrives there. Drug bosses also “run” their trade outside from the inside. Ergo, most inmates end up worse individuals rather than reformed, in case they get out or paroled. Etc etcetera. 🤨😞🤨

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Reuters: “Trump, Greenland and Denmark to sign deal in bid to end Arctic standoff.” The trilateral security agreement signed today between the U.S. President Donald Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen granted the United States significantly expanded military access and permanent control over the security of Greenland.

       So would this diffuse an intense diplomatic crisis within NATO triggered earlier in the year when Mr Trump repeatedly “threatened to acquire or seize the mineral-rich, semi-autonomous territory by economic or military force,” which was mostly a media rabble-rouse? Don’t today’s self-righteous journalists re-check history? Same with the U.S. acquisition (via purchase) of several territories elsewhere, this new Greenland pact is the same as other arrangements inked many years ago before there was a Trump in White House.

       A complex deal that I remember was Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Destroyers-for-Bases Agreement” with Great Britain in 1940. Prior to entering WWII, the U.S. sought to fortify its eastern maritime border. FDR rejected purchasing Caribbean territories outright to avoid anti-colonial backlash. Instead of transferring sovereignty, the U.S. traded 50 mothballed destroyers to the British in exchange for 99-year rent-free leases to establish naval and air bases in GB or UK territories (including Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the Bahamas). You may also google details of the U.S. lease of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1903. And so on and so forth. 🏝️🇺🇸🏝️

Reuters: “After Trump reportedly calls off airstrikes, Houthis push for control of Yemen highlands.” As I noted in previous posts, the (historical) conflicts in the Middle East are a complex beast, that attempts from global leaderships find it so hard to contain them. You see, the Zaydi Shia Houthis (like Iran) are not the majority in Yemen; the country’s population is 65 percent Sunni. The Shias are more adversarial with the West/U.S. but major anti-U.S. groups, such as al-Qaeda, ISIS and Hamas, are essentially Sunni hardliners. Complicated, ain't it?

      While the Zaydis are a minority nationwide, they have historically been the majority in the mountainous northern and western regions of Yemen. Pretty much like the Taliban (which is Sunni) in Afghanistan. They control the countryside. The Taliban draw their membership and leadership primarily from ethnic Pashtuns, who make up the largest ethnic group or a plurality in Afghanistan.

      President Trump and Xi Jinping will be meeting on Thursday in Washington, D.C. on an obviously high-stakes bilateral summit. The Middle East crisis is a no-brainer top agenda. These facts: China and/or the BRICS bloc are the top trading partners of the countries concerned: Iran and Yemen. Yemen's main trading partners are the UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt: All BRICS. (Afghanistan’s top business buddies: India, Iran, China. BRICS.) ☮️☮️☮️

The Hill: “Jeanne Shaheen holds up $2.8 billion Israel arms sale that includes 40,000 bombs.” Since its birth in 1948, the U.S. has been handing huge military aid to Israel, and I don’t think this will ever end. Israel ranks #1 among U.S. arms aid recipients. So I don’t get why lawmakers are whining now. Because we are talking of Donald Trump? Hey, before he left White House in 2016, Barack Obama signed a historic 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) providing Israel with $38 billion in military assistance. (That’d be $3.8 billion a year. An obvious upgrade)

      Aid and sale? The core difference is that a military sale is the commercial or government-brokered transaction of transferring weapons, while military aid is the financial assistance provided by the U.S. government to pay for those or related defense items. In practice regarding Israel, these two concepts heavily overlap because U.S. military aid frequently funds U.S. arms sales. Weird, isn't it? Washington hands out American taxpayer money (as aid) then the receiving country spends it to buy U.S. weapons. (American-owned corporations dominate the Top 10 largest arms manufacturers in the world.) 🏛🗽🏛

Politico: “News outlets that Trump banned from the White House announce lawsuit.” If this happened in pre-Trump years, I’d join the protest, being a journalist myself. I mean, we weren’t even banned from covering press conferences by the dictatorship then. Why? It’s no brainer. Journalists are no different from ordinary people with the primal reflex for common decency and professional respect. But the media’s demeanor has gone down in these years. 

       Quantitative content analyses and public polling show that media coverage of Donald Trump has been significantly more negative and adversarial than that of his recent presidential predecessors. Content studies by organizations like the Media Research Center report that major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) featured overwhelmingly negative coverage—exceeding 90 percent during distinct periods like his first 100 days in office. 📰💻📰

Yahoo: “Cindy Crawford's son Presley Gerber dies at 27.” Presley died from a drug overdose, while staying at a rehabilitation facility in California. The young man, who worked primarily as a fashion model and runway star, had been in a decade-long battle with substance abuse, depression, and mental health struggles. I am very personal about (illegal) drugs. I say to those who get hit in the crossfire, mostly street pushers/couriers, don’t mess with it–just don’t. 

       Hence, I am all-go regarding the government’s pursuit of drug cartels. The U.S. is the single largest market for international narcos monsters. Millions of regular and heavy drug users spend tens of billions of dollars each year on illicit substances. Major groups like the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) supply massive quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. These crime organizations generate an estimated $19 billion to $29 billion annually from drug sales in the United States alone. ✝️☮️✝️

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Yahoo Sports: “A $184 U.S. Open lunch shows just how expensive sports fandom has become.” Not really so surprising to me. Pro sports is business. And as athletes get more (globally) popular, enhanced by their commercial endorsements and internet presence, you’d see them “influencing” stuff outside the playing court. Then fans come to see them compete.

      A recent example is the so-called “Alex Eala Effect,” fueled by the Filipino diaspora wherever the 21-year old star plays. Resale ticket prices for Ms Eala's US Open prime-time match at Louis Armstrong Stadium surged by 132 percent to 134 percent within 12 to 24 hours of the schedule announcement. The lowest available secondary market "get-in" price shot up from under $200 (starting around $146–$180) to nearly $400 (peaking around $464) almost immediately after her first-round matchup against Mary Stoiana was confirmed. The interesting fact is, Filipino fans pay hard-earned cash just to see Alex, never mind that many don't really know tennis as a sport.

      Meanwhile, who wants to see Naomi Osaka’s next pre-game costume? Serena and Venus may still play, not for wins (nothing to prove anymore) but the Williams sisters generate fan turnout. I just hope the WNBA focuses on the game over partisan politics or culture war, which only turns off followers of women basketball. (Cartoons: Reddit.) 🏀💲🏈

Basketball talk. Apparently, the derogatory line “white men can’t jump” doesn’t apply. Whites have been “out-dunking” blacks in recent years. In last month’s inaugural “Dunkman World Championship,” founded by Shaquille O’Neal, a white 21-year old high-leaper from Texas, Cam Hazzard, won the event.

      Cam won over not against a black dunker, but an old Chinese, Dengxing Chen from Hangzhou, China. The 40-year old journeyman beat the popular Mac McClung, who has won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest three times. Mac is the only player in NBA history to win the competition three consecutive times (a three-peat), taking home the title in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He is white. Jordan Southerland, a black kid, won 3rd in Dunkman. ⛹️🏀⛹️

GMA: “Military turns to immigrant recruits as ICE detains some troops’ relatives.” Left-wing media is indeed hot and high on angling their “news reports” as an “influencing” brainwash as though readership per se is gullible, stupid, or clueless. Historically, immigrants have always been recruited to the U.S military. You may ask my (Filipino) kin who are U.S. soldiers, past and present. They may have different reasons but not the “...ICE details some troops’ relatives” rationale or media narrative. 

       Let’s take the case of Puerto Rico, which became an “unincorporated U.S. territory” (from Spain) under the Treaty of Paris in 1898. Hence, Puerto Ricans were automatically U.S. nationals, but not full citizens. They only became American citizens through an act of Congress just weeks before the U.S. entered World War I. Or after President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act (1917). The U.S. entered the war on April 6, 1917, and soon passed the Selective Service Act, which made thousands of newly minted Puerto Rican citizens eligible for the military draft.

       I can discuss more, as an immigrant relative of ex-U.S. Marine Filipinos. But none of the reasons fall under whatever immigration program ICE imposes on undocumented migrants. That is an entirely different issue from military recruitment. But as I said, this requires a longer discussion. (Photo: Reserve & National Guard.) 🗽🏃‍♀️🏃

BBC: “Saudi Arabia shuts key oil pipeline after drone attack launched from Iraq.” / Reuters: “Houthi advance in Yemen puts U.S. in a new bind.” How’d a POTUS forward a peace-focused policy in the Middle East, the most conflicted region on Planet Earth? Or how would a President of the U.S. be able to evade a war or continue it? 

       Jimmy Carter is frequently cited by public opinion polls and historians as one of America's most dovish modern presidents. Yet he has the blood of 1979’s Operation Cyclone in his hands. That program prolonged Afghanistan as America’s longest war. Barack Obama is frequently written as the most dovish modern U.S. president alongside Mr Carter. I don’t think so. During his two terms in office, Mr Obama was the first two-term POTUS to have the nation at war under his command for his entire eight years in tenure. 

       Obviously the anti-NATO Donald Trump, who favors trade over military in his foreign affairs playbook, isn’t seen that way. That’d be regardless of his peace overtures in Ukraine and relatively cordial relations with traditional rivals China and Russia. And I insist that his hand was forced on Iran, and with bogeyman Israel in Middle East tempests, it is historically near-impossible to impose a generally dovish tact in ME. ☮️☮️☮️

USA Today: “Some police departments reconsidering Flock after report uncovers alleged misuse.” Flock cameras are automated license plate reader (ALPR) systems that capture and log vehicle details for public safety. To me, that is improved law enforcement SOP; Flock helps solve crimes, period. Critics got issues, of course. Expectedly, the ACLU raised concerns about mass tracking without warrants. Incidents involving police or personnel “misusing” the data have triggered national pushback and vandalism against the hardware.

      My take: Police surveillance is a fact of life. Haven’t you dealt with that, already? “Persons of interest,” especially those with “records,” invite more prying eyes from cops and detectives. Is that new at all? I don’t think so. More so, cellphone cams (by everybody) are hugely "misused" and abused.

      Whatever that is “clicked/saved” is posted online or on Social Media, for whatever reason. Not necessarily to document a “crime,” but mostly for a juvenile shenanigan or other individually-conjugated mischief that seeks Social Media presence or “hits.” So again, I ask, what’s the big deal with Flock? 📷👀📸

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

Politico: “Trump keeps escalating his trade threats. This time, Europe isn't biting.” In these Donald Trump years, anything and everything is super-underscored, bloated, exaggerated as darts of insult against him. Anyhow, what is so big a deal with tariffs? Tariffs are as old as organized trade itself, dating back to the Bronze Age in the 3rd and 2nd millennia BCE. Early merchant records from ancient civilizations show that local rulers and city-states imposed levies, taxes, or tolls on traveling caravans and imported goods.

       Meanwhile, the destructive tariff wars of the 1930s led to modern cooperative agreements like the World Trade Organization to lower trade barriers globally. But when China joined the WTO in 2001 and the BRICS bloc was born in 2009, as Asia and the Middle East flourished, thereby balancing G7’s global trade dominance, tariff chess moves pumped up the economic joint big time. So what’s the fuss about, eh? 💸🏢💸

USA Today: “Trump says he's 'not happy' that oil giants Exxon and Chevron are reporting massive profits.” Of course, a Trump quote is “exploited” per the demonization/insult grade, although The D’s “not happy” quip conjures multiple meanings. Anyhow, who’s happy with Big Oil’s massive dough, uh huh? This current war in Iran or tempest in the Strait of Hormuz is used to manipulate oil prices and stuff, as we all know it. They know when to start the drama, resume/continue, and when to stop. 

       This: Top U.S. oil and gas corporations generate hundreds of billions in annual revenue. Leading producers like ExxonMobil report trailing 12-month revenues around $326 billion, while Chevron brings in approximately $185 billion. Other major domestic energy refiners and producers like Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum, and Valero Energy pull in between $120 billion and $136 billion each year. ⛽️💰⛽️

Reuters: “U.S. has used 'virtually all' of its long-range missiles during the Iran war, sources say.” Do you believe that? LOL! I don’t. You see, the top 3 largest arms manufacturing companies in the world are U.S.-owned: Lockheed Martin,  RTX Corporation, and Northrop Grumman. At #5 is General Dynamics. Boeing and L3Harris Technologies are #6 and #10.

       Meanwhile, the current (2026) U.S. military budget totals approximately $1 trillion, combining about $838.7 billion in base defense appropriations with an additional $150 billion from reconciliation legislation. America’s military spending has been exponentially increasing since the 1950s. So no more missiles? I don’t think so. ☮️☮️☮️

AFP: “The rush of migrants into Spain's Ceuta enclave is over. The political fallout isn't.” / BBC: “Spain attacks the 'selfish' response of some EU countries to Ceuta migrant crossings.” Politics politics politics! Remember, the EU/Turkey deal to help ease the migrant surge in 2016 was stopped by European politics. Current remedial moves to fix the record number of border crossings in the U.S. from 2021 to 2024 is eerily complicated by politics. Yet if we view the immigration/asylum or refugee issue as more a humanitarian matter and crime imperative (per human trafficking), I am certain governments and NGOs can forward solutions. 

       Meanwhile, less war means less people fleeing a country. More trade talks on the table means less military alternatives in the field. A nation with a better economic life means less domestic strife. Etc etcetera. Sadly, as I always reiterate, the media’s narratives are a huge contributory factor to the escalation of hostilities rather than as a bridge to more negotiations, compromises and mutual peace. (Photo: Euractiv.) 🏃‍♀️🏃🏃‍♀️

CNN: “Russia's new target: Ukrainian civilians filling up at gas stations.” Wild. But I definitely don’t believe it. The sort of news or media rabble-rouse that dubiously, desperately “influences” readership to look this way. Yup, just a few days after Volodymyr Zelensky visited White House albeit with less fanfare this time. Anyhow, figure this one out: Prior to the meeting, the Trump administration planned to stretch the delivery of $400 million in authorized Ukraine security assistance across several years, delaying final spending until fiscal year 2029. This rollout timeline contrasts with congressional authorization and separate legislative efforts by lawmakers attempting to fast-track aid.

       I don't know what transpired in last week’s Don/Volo chat, but I guess, Kyiv got a new rationale to get the $400 million, faster. You see, since February 2022, the U.S. Congress has made available roughly $195 billion in total appropriations related to the conflict in Ukraine. The question that hangs in my mind: If Z gets the money, would this mean the end of the war? (Note as well that Ukraine has made it known that it is putting more money into its “drone and robot warfare” business. No war doesn’t mean no arms manufacturing, uh huh?) 🇷🇺☮️🇺🇦

THOUGHTS About The News.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

USA Today: “Why Nolan Wells's unexplained death resonates far beyond Mississippi.” Or the tragedy, or how it is bloated as a race-howled tragedy, resonates on this side of the divide? Before any finality in a centralized police investigation is out, the media has already trumpeted that the black youth was a victim of foul play, allegedly perpetrated by white kids. Same news trajectory angle of so many past cases. Seldom do we read a white individual wasted by a black cop etcetera. It’d seem only African-Americans and Latinos get the "raw end of the law" or the “short end of the stick.” So I understand the indifference of law enforcement to really pursue a case that has already been “decided” by the media and this side of the political debate. 

       Meanwhile, whatever happened to the Nancy Guthrie missing case? The 84-year-old mother of Today show co-host Savannah Guthrie hasn’t been found following her February 1, 2026, disappearance and suspected abduction from her Tucson, Arizona home. I guess we will just have to wait for the Netflix true-crime version to “know” the lowdown? Anyhow, we will never know because many things blur the truths, such as your fact and their fact, and my fact? ☮️🗽☮️

BBC: “Saudi Arabia and Houthis exchange fire as U.S. disables a tanker in the Strait.” / Associated Press: “11 killed in new Russia-Ukraine strikes as Zelensky warns of bigger attack.” Of course the convenient road is to point at Mr Trump as the “cause” of these wars. Yet we both know the Middle East is the most conflicted region on earth. Years before the West’s discovery of oil in 1908, the ensuing “arms for oil” bilateral deals, conflicts following birth of Israel in 1948, Suez Crisis, spread of Arab/Muslim terrorism, Sunnis vs. Shiites etc etcetera. 

       Regardless of Iran’s membership to the BRICS trade bloc in 2024, with UAE and Egypt, which it harbored adversarial relationships for years, there’s still so many issues that surround these situations. Meanwhile, the Ukraine crisis could have been stopped months after 2022, before it escalated to this hell, especially that there was already a Euromaidan tempest or fighting in Donbas from 2014. 

       Clearly, Don’s current work is a continuation of what other POTUSes left him. Anyhow, the eerie divide in both the government and society at large in the U.S., and the hate-Trump howl irrelevant of what policy that he applies, make things worse. ☮️☮️☮️

Reuters: “Tehran tests Trump's recent pause with drone strikes on neighboring countries.” Maybe this is a conspiracy theory, but I insist, my take is based on historical facts. There is a higher, hawkish power that keeps this war raging. Of course, Iran has been in war for most of its existence but the war in the 21st century has evolved into a complex bitch that, it’d seem Tehran’s entry to the BRICS trade bloc isn’t helping. Etc etcetera. Meanwhile, Defense chief Pete Hegseth has got to go. He is apparently a hawk, which doesn’t really meld with President Trump’s foreign affairs playbook. But POTUS gets the heat, of course. ☮️☮️☮️

The Independent: “4 men shot trying to break up a fight between a man and woman in San Francisco.” Then, it was instinctive to me to break up a fight. I did it several times–in New York City, Los Angeles, Asheville. Not anymore. While I knew then that I could be “sued” for my chivalrous interference, whether I was on the right (or wrong), I still did it anyway. Not anymore, I guess? These days, you could be shot for peacefully or calmly "meddling" in a fight. ☮️🗽☮️

Deseret News: “Teen takeovers are causing chaos in U.S. cities. Experts see a deeper problem.” Teen takeovers are large, flash-mob-style gatherings organized via platforms like TikTok and Snapchat. I don’t go out as much anymore so I haven’t seen one. Reports say that these convergences start to overwhelm U.S. cities, sparking extensive property damage, violence, retail disruption, and harassment of bystanders. 

       The spark or trigger here is apparently the resulting (or simultaneous) online/Social Media feed. Although violent hooliganism (sic!) isn’t new among sports fans, I tend to blame the internet as well as the provocation that escalates the celebration into mayhem. Meanwhile, experts argue that “teen takeovers” signal deeper systemic issues in youth development. Of course, but do we need to justify the chaos with youth’s innate recklessness? 🤨😞🤨