“Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, or the Space Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.” ~ Posse Comitatus Act
Patriarch Bartholomew Addresses Environmental Protection at Stony Brook
Stony Brook University honored the Patriarch. And the Patriarch honored the environment, in particular the seas, which have been over history, so central to Greek life. It’s an uplifting message, all round.
The National Herald, Sep 21, 2025
Defense Department Delays Cleanup of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Nationwide
The new timeline could slow cleanup in some communities by nearly a decade. The chemicals, widely used in the military, are linked to cancers and other health risks.
Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, Sep 23, 2025
The Dirty Move Republicans Could Pull to Keep the House
Election-denying Trump allies could use a rare procedural maneuver to overturn a Democratic midterm win in 2026. The Federal Contested Elections Act makes gerrymandering seem quaint!
Prof. Steve Posner, The Bulwark, Sep 24, 2025
New Mexico governor sent the National Guard to her biggest city
No guns, no Humvees and no arrests. This deployment looks very different from the way Trump has used soldiers in places like D.C. or Los Angeles. And local police say it’s working. This is how blue states do it.
Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, Sep 26, 2025
Bury My Heart at … the Department of War
While waiting to hear Secretary Hegseth’s excuse for ordering all top-ranking officers back to hear his speech (or whatever), historian HCR adds context with the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. Former DOD Secretary Austin ordered a review of the medals bestowed on the men who slaughtered 230 unarmed Lakotas (mostly women and children). That was a political story. Hegseth, who’s a bit of a political story himself, has ordered the medals restored.
Heather Cox Richardson, Letters from an American, Sep 26, 2025
Comey Indictment, Kimmel Affair: Trump May Have Gone Too Far
Sarah Longwell and legal expert Andrew Weissman discuss the implications, (il)legal moves of Trump’s DOJ being ordered to take out his political (way back when) irritant. In 20+ years at DOJ, Weissman says, he never saw a grand jury fail to return an indictment. This one did, at least one count. Sloppy work by the new prosecutor. 54 min video for subscribers.
The Bulwark, Sep 28, 2025
Fact Check: Truth about Trump’s Claim to Ending 7 Wars
He got a couple of ceasefires by tying them to trade deals. Once or twice he found the conflict zone on a map. And apart from that, his wars were mostly border squirmishes. So much for the greatest peace maker of all time.
Associated Press, Sep 24, 2025