TomDispatch

The Empire Crumbles: The Big Picture | Common Dreams Systems scientists have been warning for decades that the current growth-based world economic order is unsustainable, and that it will inevitably become smaller and more simplified. What is surprising...

Richard Heinberg at Common Dreams on how the unraveling of the old order globally is accelerating so suddenly—and doing so largely thanks to just one man (and you know exactly who that is! shorturl.fm/v2yEX

MAGA Outgrows Isolationism A mere 15 years ago, during an epoch that now seems as distant as the Paleozoic era, an American president attempted to use military power to prevent a dictator from slaughtering his own citizens. Bar...

From TomDispatch this morning: Donald Trump may be the first American president to treat international law as if it were as fictional as intergalactic law -- John Feffer, "MAGA Outgrows Isolationism, And Yet America First Means America Alone"
tomdispatch.com/maga-outgrow...

MAGA Outgrows Isolationism A mere 15 years ago, during an epoch that now seems as distant as the Paleozoic era, an American president attempted to use military power to prevent a dictator from slaughtering his own citizens. Bar...

From TomDispatch this morning: Donald Trump may be the first American president to treat international law as if it were as fictional as intergalactic law -- John Feffer, "MAGA Outgrows Isolationism, And Yet America First Means America Alone" tomdispatch.com/maga-outgrow...

Eight Decades Later, It Remains One World or None On February 5th, with the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or New START, the only bilateral arms control treaty left between the United States and Russia, we are guaranteed to fi...

The grim but predictable culmination of a truth that has haunted us for nearly 80 years: humanity has long been living on borrowed time - Eric Ross,"Eight Decades Later, It Remains One World or None, The End of New START and the Enduring Nuclear Nightmare"
tomdispatch.com/eight-decade...

Michigan accuses big oil of being ‘cartel’ that fuels climate crisis and high energy costs In first-of-its-kind complaint, state accused four fossil fuel majors and US oil lobbying group of climate disinformation

The Guardian's Dharna Noor reports on Michigan taking the big oil companies to court over climate change. How appropriate! shorturl.fm/vcB2r

Nick Corasaniti of the New York Times offers a scary look at Donald Trump's urge to "nationalize" (or perhaps Trumpify) our future elections. shorturl.fm/qsXyy

The grim but predictable culmination of a truth that has haunted us for nearly 80 years: humanity has long been living on borrowed time - Eric Ross,"Eight Decades Later, It Remains One World or None, The End of New START and the Enduring Nuclear Nightmare" tomdispatch.com/eight-decade...

Where is the outrage over five-year-old Liam Ramos’s detention? | Francine Prose Do the people imprisoning kids like Liam Ramos have no children of their own? Do they have no decency, compassion or basic humanity?

Francine Prose at the Guardian on the Trumpian nightmare of five year-old Liam Ramos. What a genuine horror -- and, as she points out, there are all too many other Liam Ramoses. shorturl.fm/tWUfE

Trump’s $1.5 Trillion “Dream Military” What constitutes national security and how is it best achieved? Does massive military spending really make a country more secure, and what perils to democracy and liberty are posed by vast military es...

From TomDispatch this morning: William J. Astore, "Trump's $1.5 Trillion 'Dream Military,' Or What National Nightmares Are Made Of"

tomdispatch.com/trumps-1-5-t...

Trump’s $1.5 Trillion “Dream Military” What constitutes national security and how is it best achieved? Does massive military spending really make a country more secure, and what perils to democracy and liberty are posed by vast military es...

From TomDispatch this morning: William J. Astore, "Trump's $1.5 Trillion 'Dream Military,' Or What National Nightmares Are Made Of" tomdispatch.com/trumps-1-5-t...

Could Trump Really “Take Over” the Midterm Elections? The short answer is no, but he will try. Here’s his strategy.

Robert Reich has a grim column on how Donald Trump (and crew) could screw with our election system before this November to get something more like the vote he wants. shorturl.fm/Wl8s3

How Trump Became the Biggest Crook in the History of Democracy The penny-ante bribes of his first term have given way to billions in graft.

The Nation's Jeet Heer suggests that Trump is corrupt on a scale that dwarfs anything ever seen in an advanced democracy and if he goes unpunished, it could be the epitaph of American democracy. shorturl.fm/Gpv1z

The US Bombed Somalia 25 Times in January - News From Antiwar.com Update: US Africa Command told Antiwar.com on February 2 that its forces have launched 26 airstrikes in Somalia so far this year US forces launched at least 25 airstrikes in Somalia in January as the ...

The missing war -- essentially covered only by Dave DeCamp: to start the new year, the U.S. launched 26 airstrikes in Somalia in January and, if not for DeCamp, who would even know? shorturl.fm/QF4wt

Is Trump winning or losing his war on offshore wind power? The US president tried to kill offshore wind projects – now four are back under construction

As Hilary Beaumont reports in the Guardian, Trump has lost a series of court battles to stop East coast offshore wind projects, but he's still harming future wind power in this country, big time. shorturl.fm/w11Vt

The Young Organizers Survival Corps Here's a small suggestion from the two authors of this piece (us): don’t be young in Donald Trump's America if you can help it. Being young in America right now means you’ll have to contend

From TomDispatch this morning: Liz Theoharis and Sam Theoharis -- "The Young Organizers Survival Corps, Can the Young Wrest This Nation from the Clutches of Full-Throated Authoritarianism?"
tomdispatch.com/the-young-or...

Democrat flips reliably red Texas district in victory that stuns Republican party Taylor Rehmet’s win adds to Democrats’ record of overperforming in special elections so far this cycle

A sign, as the Associated Press reports, of what might prove to be a good election year (in the House and Senate) for Democrats in a country losing its urge for Trumpification. shorturl.fm/8Pqjv

As Sachi Kitajima Mulkey of the NYTimes reports, yes, the ice on Greenland is indeed melting, and if it were to all melt sooner or later, sea levels could rise by a staggering 23 feet, submerging coastal cities around the world. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/c...

The Young Organizers Survival Corps Here's a small suggestion from the two authors of this piece (us): don’t be young in Donald Trump's America if you can help it. Being young in America right now means you’ll have to contend

From TomDispatch this morning: Liz Theoharis and Sam Theoharis -- "The Young Organizers Survival Corps, Can the Young Wrest This Nation from the Clutches of Full-Throated Authoritarianism?" tomdispatch.com/the-young-or...

Thousands of new ICE watchers hit the streets after two killings Minnesotans outraged by the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti have signed up in large numbers to monitor and protest ICE with other activists.

Annie Gowen at the Washington Post on what it's like to protest in a Minneapolis filled with thousands of ICE agents. shorturl.fm/uvq2q

From TomDispatch this morning: Liz Theoharis and Sam Theoharis -- "The Young Organizers Survival Corps, Can the Young Wrest This Nation from the Clutches of Full-Throated Authoritarianism?"
tomdispatch.com/the-young-or...

It is beyond naive for Democrats – and Europe – to think Trump’s retreats are real. He never backs down for long | Jonathan Freedland Whether it’s Minneapolis or Greenland, the US president will do just enough to get through a damaging news cycle, then carry on as before, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian on the fact that Trump never truly retreats, he just backs off for a time when things get too tough for him. shorturl.fm/g4VgL

Why Trump's Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Ring Fatally Hollow The pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved so much better. They deserved the support of a democratic United States that could sincerely urge the rule of law and habeas corpus (allowing people to le...

From TomDispatch this morning: Juan Cole, "Why Trump's Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Ring Fatally Hollow, How the Ghost of Renee Nicole Good Haunts His Response to Iran's Protest"
tomdispatch.com/why-trumps-d...

What to know about the third No Kings protests happening in March Demonstrations will be held across the US against ICE’s reign of terror with flagship event in Twin Cities

There is now to be a third No King's march/rally in -- yes -- March, as the Guardian reports! Count on me to be one of the potentially 9 million Americans attending. shorturl.fm/2IM8p

The People Are Winning the Battle Against ICE The brave protesters in Minneapolis are doing everything that Democrats and even the law have failed to do.

Elie Mystal at the Nation on what we're seeing in Minneapolis: The People versus ICE (i.e. federal terrorists) and the people, he believes, are actually winning. shorturl.fm/muswd

US Holding War Games Across the Middle East - News From Antiwar.com US troops across the Middle East are engaging in war games to demonstrate their readiness. The US has engaged in a significant military buildup in the region, and President Donald Trump is considering...

As Kyle Anzalone reports, Trump is building up American forces in the Middle East for a possible assault on Iran... sigh... Just what the world needs right now... shorturl.fm/ME6or

2026 Doomsday Clock Statement - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists It is 85 seconds to midnight.

Be depressed, very depressed -- the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists just set its Doomsday Clock at 85 seconds to midnight, "the closest it has ever been to catastrophe." Sigh... And here's the text that goes with that announcement. shorturl.fm/tgMHH

Outcry in Italy as U.S. Says ICE Agents Will Join Olympics Delegation

Here's a way to bring good cheer to the coming Winter Olympics in Italy -- send ICE agents! Good idea, Donald and crew (as reported by Motoko Rich of the New York Times). www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/w...

Reading Obituaries Having reached a certain age and long been fascinated by obituaries, I sometimes think about both Donald Trump's and my own. At 79, he's just slightly less than two years younger than me, though of

From TomDispatch this morning: Donald Trump is hard at work trying to ensure not only that he’ll get a major obituary on his death, but that humanity will, too -- Tom Engelhardt, "Reading Obituaries, And Murdering Time in the Age of Donald Trump"
tomdispatch.com/reading-obit...

America feels like a country on the brink of an authoritarian takeover | Francine Prose This is the news we should be paying attention to. At least for the moment, everything else is a distraction

At the Guardian, Francine Prose has a column on how there is only one true story at the moment (and it's not the weather, grim as it may be): it's that our country is on the brink of an authoritarian takeover. shorturl.fm/7F2Cp

Kushner’s WEF Speech Pitches ‘Glitzy Gaza’ Rebuild - News From Antiwar.com Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner on Thursday pitched an ambitious plan to transform war-ravaged Gaza into a Mediterranean resort hub, telling global business and political elites at the World ...

Alan Mosley on Jared Kushner's all too glitzy version of a future Gaza (Possibly without Palestinians). shorturl.fm/sloKW