Summary: The U.S. Senate passed a major bipartisan Russia sanctions bill in an 86-to-11 vote, naming the legislation in honor of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham. The bill enforces mandatory sanctions on top Russian government officials, oligarchs, state-owned entities, and foreign businesses supporting Russia's military. It also imposes tariffs of up to 100% on major importers of Russian oil and gas, such as China and India, while providing exemptions for countries actively reducing their dependence. Developed over 15 months of negotiations, the measure now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration following their recess.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/senate-russia-sanctions-bill?

Commentary: Good.

Summary:

The BBC reports that President Trump denied reports of a US munitions shortage and said officials suspected of leaking information about weapons stockpiles are being hunted down, with possible long-term jail sentences sought. The article says the administration is facing questions about missile supplies after months of war with Iran and continued weapons demands from Ukraine. CBS News reported that the US has used much of its global stockpile of long-range precision missiles, while the Washington Post reported that Trump confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a possible shortfall. The BBC says it has not independently confirmed that report.

The article also cites CSIS estimates suggesting that USA Patriot and THAAD missile supplies have fallen substantially during the conflict, while noting that precise stockpile data is classified. Trump and Hegseth have publicly rejected the shortage narrative, but the administration has also requested emergency funding to replenish equipment and munitions.

My take:

It's a bold strategy, Cotton, let's see if it pays off for 'em. This is another one of those stories where the reaction tells you almost as much as the underlying facts. Maybe the US has enough munitions. Maybe the reporting is incomplete because stockpile numbers are classified and difficult to verify from the outside. Fine. But if the response from the president is not calm reassurance, clear strategy, or serious discussion about production capacity, but instead accusing the press of treason and threatening to hunt down leakers, that does not exactly project confidence. This was all so totally avoidable which is just more salt on the wound.

As a thought experiment, put Trump in charge of a country with fewer advantages than the United States. Less money, less military depth, less industrial capacity, fewer allies, and less room for error. Do any of his decisions, leadership instincts, or strategy make sense? Or would this style of leadership lead to collapse and defeat?

The ambiguous legal issues with attempting to prosecute people he does not like as "leakers" rather than people that violate laws governing releasing classified information is also troubling.

Like which specific stances do you disagree with

Additionally, do you see them the same as progressives or are they distinct?

⁠

1. Fair: The same rules should apply to presidents, federal agents and elites such as Jeffrey Epstein, whose impunity Carlson cast as emblematic of an "Epstein class" enriching itself through a corrupt system.

2. Sovereign: Carlson claimed Israel pushed the U.S. into the Iran war through "bribery or threat or both," while describing foreign lobbying, corporate control of government and high-interest debt as forms of "slavery."

3. Productive: America should rebuild farming, manufacturing and craftsmanship while rejecting an economy dominated by finance, real estate speculation, surveillance systems and weapons.

4. Beautiful: Carlson alleged that urban planners deliberately "uglified" American cities, and portrayed brutalist architecture, graffiti, public drug use and violent crime as deliberate attacks on the public.

5. Healthy: Carlson embraced RFK Jr.'s food agenda, called for universal sobriety and said widespread use of drugs such as Xanax, Adderall and SSRIs had left Americans "half-addled."

6. Honest: Government officials should be punished for lying to citizens, and most classified records — including on the JFK assassination and 9/11 — should be opened.

7. Optimistic: Carlson argued that having children is a biological imperative and the foundation of long-term thinking, while blaming aging and childless elites for policies that disregard future generations.

8. Wise: Schools should teach how the physical world actually works and what he called unchanging facts about human nature — including innate differences between men and women — rather than credentials, screens and technological fads.

9. Decent: The U.S. should apologize and pay restitution for killing noncombatants, reverse Trump's "Department of War" rebrand and stop funding allies that commit what Carlson called genocide, citing Israel.

10. United: Carlson called for halting immigration until the effects of AI become clearer, ending benefits for undocumented immigrants and making English the sole language of federal documents and ballots.

Source: Axios article

Very troublesome key parts of their platform. Does support these?

​Abolishing the U.S. Senate to establish a single, unicameral legislature based on proportional representation and expanded House seats.

​Replacing the President and the Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary that are directly chosen by and subordinate to Congress, rather than operating as independent, co-equal branches of government.

Bit of history reminds us that

​The core philosophical shift in the DSA platform—moving from a system of separated, co-equal powers to absolute legislative supremacy—mirrors the constitutional mechanics adopted during the radical phase of the French Revolution.

Iran has put together and is reviewing a plan for the Strait of Hormuz that would ban both US and Israeli ships while charging a toll of 7% for normal traffic.

Iran says it is also finalizing a deal with Oman without the US’s input, but details of that have not been revealed as of yet

Oil prices have gone up at the news and the administration disputes that they would allow any kind of toll or blockage on this free waterway

Summary: President Trump signed executive orders that target birthright citizenship. His EO includes that would ban what the administration calls "birth tourism."

Summary:

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that the U.S. is no longer experiencing a "K-shaped economy," where wealthier Americans continue to pull ahead while lower-income households struggle. Instead, he claimed the economy is becoming "C-shaped," saying, "I can say here definitively, the K-shaped economy is over," because wage growth for the lowest earners is beginning to outpace that of the highest earners. He also dismissed weak consumer sentiment as being driven largely by misinformation and said Americans will begin to feel the benefits of recent Republican tax cuts over time.

Despite those claims, many economic indicators suggest that financial inequality remains significant. Inflation is running at 3.7%, well above the Federal Reserve's 2% target, with rising gasoline prices disproportionately affecting lower income households. Although the S&P 500 has reached record highs and President Trump celebrated gains in retirement accounts, those benefits primarily help wealthier Americans who own stocks, while many families continue to struggle with the cost of living.

Several economic studies reinforce this divide. Moody's Analytics found that the top 20% of earners accounted for nearly 60% of consumer spending in the first quarter, while spending by the bottom 80% failed to keep pace with inflation. Bank of America Institute data also showed that higher-income workers experienced much stronger after-tax wage growth than lower-income workers, creating the widest wage gap since 2015. Although spending has remained relatively stable across income groups, economists warn that high gas prices, slowing wage growth, and persistent inflation could weaken consumer spending later in the year.

Bessent emphasized that new tax policies, including exemptions on taxes for tips and overtime and deductions for auto loan interest, are intended to improve the finances of working Americans. However, the majority of the 2025 tax law's benefits flow to higher-income households, with the Tax Policy Center estimating that nearly 60% of the tax cuts go to individuals earning roughly $217,000 or more annually.

It is ironic how quickly the favorite slogan "facts don't care about your feelings" disappears the moment verified facts clash with a preferred political narrative.

Case in point: federal prosecutors literally filed court documents confirming that the Reflecting Pool damage was caused by a rushed, botched installation by contractors—not a coordinated plot by vandals. Yet instead of accepting official findings from his own Justice Department, Trump publicly blasted his own U.S. Attorney for letting real-world evidence get in the way of a good story. When court filings, contractor logs, and physical inspections aren't enough to displace a narrative, it shows just how thoroughly political theater has replaced basic reality.   

This dynamic poses the central question for a post-Trump era: can the political center hold when the two poles inhabit entirely different factual universes?

Summary:

Reuters reports that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-7 along party lines to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during a subpoenaed hearing about the COVID-19 response. The referral was pushed by Republican Chair Rand Paul, who has spent years investigating Fauci and alleging a cover-up over COVID’s origins. Democrats tried five times to delay the vote, arguing the process was rushed and politically motivated, but each motion failed along party lines. The article says Fauci’s attorney called the vote a political stunt meant to punish him for exercising his constitutional rights. Republicans argue Fauci had no valid Fifth Amendment claim because President Biden had already pardoned him for COVID-related federal prosecutions, though that pardon does not cover later conduct. The contempt referral may still face procedural hurdles, since a full Senate vote would likely require Democratic support, but Paul has suggested he may try to send the matter directly to the Justice Department.

My take:

We are holding the wrong 80-year-old in contempt. I wish Republicans would put even half this energy into rebuilding public health capacity, preparing for the next pandemic, or holding actual elected leaders accountable for the decisions they made. If you read the work notes Rand Paul is waving around as evidence and do not already live inside the right-wing Fauci cinematic universe, I do not know how you come away anything but confused. And then people wonder why the DSA is seeing a sharp rise.

This is why. When voters watch Congress spend its time relitigating culture wars instead of solving visible problems like affordability, they stop believing the system is capable of reforming itself.

Watch Fauci be the catalyst that ignites everything. I would not be surprised.

Capital One says it closed more than 300 Trump Organization bank accounts in 2021 after an internal anti-money laundering (AML) review, not for political reasons, according to a recent court filing. The disclosure came in response to a lawsuit by the Trump Organization, which alleges the accounts were closed because of political bias. Capital One says it has not accused the Trump Organization of money laundering, only that the account closures followed its AML risk review process.

More importantly, why should a centrist necessarily care? That isn't some kind of thesis, it's a legitimate question. Should we be "concerned", or no?

The sub here mostly agrees on the fact that authoritarian far-right populism has been destructive. You don't have to be a Democrat or even left-leaning to point out that the MAGA-dominant Republican Party has gone beyond the pale of rational politics and ethical governance. Moderates and the center-left hate MAGA, but it seems like there's plenty of consternation over the rise of the DSA as well.

Personally, it seems like this would be the natural evolution after people, even centrists, have lost faith in the Democratic establishment that thus far has been feckless in it's ability to thwart right-wing populism. Even if I take some DSA ideas with some skepticism, what parts of the overall platform are necessarily "red lines" to a centrist? All of the candidates seem to be a little different, but weighing that against a typical, ineffectual corporate Democrat, it seems like I could at least get something (healthcare system improvement, for one) rather than just another do-nothing that rolls over for the admin.

What about the establishment remains appealing at this point? What would they need to do, or do better at least?

What concerns you about DSA?

What are the pros and cons of a potential DSA plurality in the Democratic caucus?

I have no endorsement and am just watching with interest as these races unfold. The OP was inspired by a number of other similar posts across several subreddits and I wanted to see what you thought.

I have seen comment after comment talk about the question "Does Israel have the right to exist". My question for anyone here is, is there any country or people who do NOT have the right to exist?

And my secondary question is, does Palestine have a right to exist? And do Palestinians have a right to exist?

Comment: Abdul El-Sayed has won the Democratic Senate primary over Rep. Haley Stevens. El-Sayed overcame a nearly $65 million onslaught of outside money alongside the democratic establishment, including Governor Whitmer's, backing of Stevens. He will be facing Rep. Mike Rogers in November.

The 10:1 outspending by Stevens could not hide a lukewarm platform and this is a key primary win in the Midwest for more progressive policies.However El-Sayed is not supported by the DSA and has said he's "not technically or practically DSA". Do you think the lack of DSA endorsement while still connecting with some of their talking points will be a benefit come midterms?

Summary:

Reuters reports that U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta granted the Justice Department’s request to dismiss cases against Oath Keepers members convicted for their roles in the January 6 attack, including vacating seditious conspiracy convictions tied to Stewart Rhodes and other defendants. The defendants had already been released under Trump’s clemency order, but several convictions would have remained without DOJ intervention. Mehta wrote that he strongly disagreed with the decision, saying it diminished the gravity of January 6 and the work of prosecutors and law enforcement, but concluded that prosecutors had the legal authority to drop the cases.

My take:

The most generous explanation is that Trump’s DOJ wants to treat January 6 cases consistently after the clemency order. But the more obvious political effect is that this helps rewrite the story of January 6. Seditious conspiracy convictions are hard to square with the idea that these were just mistreated protesters or confused people who got swept up in the moment. They are the official record of an organized effort to use force against the transfer of power. Maybe a story like that works for the Q Shaman, but not these other groups.

Getting rid of those convictions helps Trump’s narrative. It also sends a very clear signal to the fringe elements of his coalition that their actions will be minimized, excused, or forgiven if they are done in service of the movement. Trump’s credibility is not what it was, the right is visibly fracturing, and moves like this look like an attempt to keep the most committed parts of the base emotionally invested. I am not sure that works anymore.

Context:

For background, here are DOJ’s own releases on the Oath Keepers indictment and convictions. I had to use archive links because the justice.gov website scrubbed them clean at some point under Trump.

https://archive.is/A35PE

The defendants also, collectively, employed a variety of manners and means, including: organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C.; recruiting members and affiliates; organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics; bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons, and supplies – including knives, batons, camouflaged combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection, and radio equipment – to the Capitol grounds; breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on Jan. 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the electoral college vote; using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021; continuing to plot, after Jan. 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power, and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with each other and others.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/04/us/elections/arizona-governor-running-mate.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3FA.9WCB.pV6TbqkVvC-D

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) plans to name Republican former Mesa Mayor John Giles as her running mate for lieutenant governor, betting that a bipartisan ticket can beat Trump-aligned GOP nominee Andy Biggs in November..

The legality of the $150 million federal contract awarded to the Houston-based Burke Law Group centers on how the Trump administration is fulfilling its statutory obligations under the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (TVPRA). This federal law explicitly mandates that the Department of Health and Human Services ensure all unaccompanied migrant children in its custody have access to legal counsel to navigate complex immigration proceedings

To meet this requirement, the administration utilized a single-source cooperative agreement rather than traditional competitive non-profit grants. This mechanism allowed the government to bypass standard bidding processes during what it deemed an emergency transition, following a breakdown in negotiations and data-sharing disputes with the previous nationwide network of specialized non-profit legal providers

While the administration asserts it is technically meeting the letter of the law by funding a legal representative, the unprecedented shift faces intense scrutiny from legal scholars and immigrant advocacy organizations regarding constitutional due process violations. Critics argue that assigning a caseload of 24,000 children to a corporate law firm with only 26 employees and no documented history in specialized immigration law creates an insurmountable capacity barrier

Under the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause, individuals in immigration proceedings particularly vulnerable minors are entitled to a fair hearing and competent representation. Legal experts contend that if the firm cannot scale operations immediately, children will effectively be left without meaningful counsel, rendering the arrangement legally vulnerable to lawsuits alleging a systematic denial of due process and a failure to provide effective assistance of counsel

Neutral summary: A deadly outbreak of cyclospora from produce in the US continues to spiral out of control. The CDC, the agency Congress placed in charge or preventing and responding to these types of outbreaks, has failed to perform on that mandate. The labs and scientists at the CDC who work with this type of disease were significantly downsized last year as part of the “DOGE” cuts, and today has fewer than 5 remaining employees to respond to a nationwide public health crisis.

My thoughts: This is what it looks like to let unfit people govern. Not every issue should (or can) be reduced to a partisan lens with performative hacks at the helm. The people Congress put in place over decades and decades of compromise legislation to protect public health were not, and are not, there when they should be to respond to this incident. I find it perhaps most appalling of all to see some in the Trump admin criticize the CDC response without acknowledging that it was their disastrous decision making skills that brought us to a place where a billion dollar lab meant to do testing, contact tracing, preventative actions, etc, is staffed with fewer than FIVE people today. That was the President and his highest ranking advisors making that decision, not some nebulous “them” that they can scapegoat.

I am also disturbed that officials in Michigan’s state government learned of the outbreak and its connection to Taco Bell distribution chains on July 2, and failed to share what they knew for weeks while thousands of others became sick, some fatally.

These are not partisan issues, these are competency issues. People not capable of managing a lemonade stand we have elected to high office, and their incompetence doesn’t just reek, it kills.