Shulamit Lahat

A glimpse of sun beside a partially-fallen willow tree on the bank of the river Wear.

Richly golden foliage on the banks of the river.

A woodland trail through orange and yellow leafed beech trees.

A glimpse, between the beech trees, of the river Wear flowing below Maiden Castle.

Maiden Castle circular for today’s dog walk. (Yes, there is a Maiden Castle prehistoric settlement in Durham; the Dorset one isn’t the only one). The autumn colours are glorious, but one strong winter gale will see them off. So pop out if you can and enjoy them while they last! #Durham 😊

"It was not a test of the nation’s military might or of the size of the national economy. It was a test of our moral authority. We had a duty to comfort the afflicted, even if that required afflicting the comfortable. The Trump regime has adopted the reverse metric."

The True Test of our Progress Trump has put America into reverse

Robert Reich:"True test of our progress"
"In 1937, in his 2nd Inaugural Address, FDR told America that 'the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little'
see 👇
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

Trump Administration Live Updates: White House Says It Will Make Only Partial SNAP Payments This Month

"White House Says It Will Make Only Partial SNAP Payments This Month"

"Trump approval rating falls to second-term low of 37%
New CNN/SSRS survey shows decline in president’s popularity as 68% of respondents say things going badly"
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

www.nytimes.com/live/2025/11...

The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos Live news, investigations, opinion, photos and video by the journalists of The New York Times from more than 150 countries around the world. Subscribe for coverage of U.S. and international news, poli...

The New York Times
www.nytimes.com › 2025/09/18 › trump-climate...
18 Sept 2025

"Trump has proposed to cancel the government's 16-year-old finding that carbon dioxide emissions endanger public health"

"Antarctic glacier saw the fastest retreat in modern history; it could spell trouble for sea levels"

And Trump and his lackeys are in denial of climate change and global warming...

edition.cnn.com/2025/11/03/c...

Catch the Taurid Meteor Shower—And Learn Why Scientists Are Watching It Closely Debris from Comet Encke creates two annual meteor showers, but it might also pose a small risk to Earth. Scientists are investigating

"Catch the Taurid Meteor Shower, peaking around Nov. 5 and continue through about Nov. 12 and learn why scientists are watching it closely.
Debris from Comet Encke creates 2 annual meteor showers, but it might also pose a small risk to Earth"
www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-...

Judge Luttig is blunt about who is left to defend democracy: 'It’s we the people in whom all power resides. If the Supreme Court will not come to the aid of the country, then all that’s left is for we, the people, to take back the country through elections and protests. We have no choice“

YouTube video by MSNBC Judge Luttig: 'We the People' are the final backstop for American democracy

"Former federal Judge Michael Luttig notes that, in the absence of a Supreme Court willing to confront Trump’s abuses, lower courts have taken the extraordinary step of speaking directly to the American people through their opinions"

We, the People, must act!
youtu.be/qQhg6Y3csJ4?...
Cont'd below 👇

Rabin's assassination was a test for Israel's democracy, and we failed it | Opinion ***

"Rabin's Assassination Was a Test for Israel's Democracy, and We Failed It"
Netanyahu, inciting the ultra-orthodox and ultra-national against Rabin and the Oslo Accords was as guilty of this political murder as the assassin himself.

video 👇
youtu.be/JhMF30VLZCA?...

www.haaretz.com/opinion/2025...

An Outlier in Irish Politics Has Become the Country’s President

"Catherine Connolly was elected Irish President last week with a landmark popular mandate. A left-wing lawyer and political independent, Ms. Connolly, 68, capitalized on the enthusiasm among younger voters and was compared to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders"
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/w...

As Barack Obama stumps for other Democrats, the party gets to see what it lost The wit and wisdom of the superstar ex-US president make him the best candidate – too bad he can’t run

"As Obama stumps for other Democrats, the party gets to see what it lost"

Obama is sorely missed. Some Presidents grace the office; Trump desecrates it while steadily and purposefully dismantling the country's democratic foundations -as none have ever done before
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Liberal-progressive party D66 wins election, Dutch media report Party will take lead in first round of talks to form coalition government after securing most votes

"Dutch liberal-progressive party D66 won the general election, putting its 38-year-old leader, Rob Jetten, on course to become the youngest PM in the Netherlands. Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration, anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) could no longer win"
Good job!
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

Why Kafka's drawings were locked away for decades - and how they were rediscovered The Book 'Franz Kafka: The Drawings' Reveals 150 Sketches Kept Out of Public Reach for Decades Due to a Legal Dispute Over His Estate

" 'Franz Kafka: The Drawings' reveals 150 sketches kept out of public reach for decades due to a legal dispute over his estate. Most of the drawings Kafka left behind when he died in 1924 were unknown to the public for nearly a century - hidden in a Swiss bank vault"

www.haaretz.com/jewish/2025-...

The problem is that the Justice Dept.'s "monitoring" will probably involve more than just passive observation.

Scientists watch rings forming around a solar system world for the 1st time This marks the first time astronomers have observed the formation of a ring system.

"Scientists watch rings forming around a solar system world for the 1st time. What's special about Chiron's rings is that they're still forming; this marks the first time astronomers have ever seen a ring system under formation."

www.space.com/astronomy/so...

Justice Department Will Monitor Elections in California and New Jersey

Justice Dept. Will Monitor Elections in CA and NJ; they will watch polling in 2 states led by Democrats, where key races or issues are on the ballot"

The problem is that the Justice Dept.'s "monitoring" will probably involve more than just passive observation.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/u...

🔊 Listen Now: Making Music from the Sounds of War State Of The World From NPR on NPR One | 4:27

"The constant threats of war have changed many things about life in Ukraine, including the way the night time sounds. We meet members of a youth orchestra outside Kyiv who are marking the new sounds of their country with a sonic poem"

Creativity survives

one.npr.org?sharedMediaI...

Trump downplays efforts by some Israeli lawmakers to annex West Bank ***

"Trump downplays efforts by some Israeli lawmakers to annex West Bank, saying Israel is 'not going to do anything with the West Bank'
This ludicrous comment shows Trump's utter lack of insight into who Netanyahu is and what has driven him obsessively for over 30 years
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

Trump Opens Pristine Alaska Wilderness to Drilling in Long-Running Feud

"Trump Opens Pristine Alaska Wilderness to Drilling; an unspoiled expanse of 1.56 million acres which is a critical habitat for polar bears, caribou, migratory birds and other wildlife."

Environmental responsibility has never been one of Trumps concerns.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/c...

Trump Says He’s Cutting Off Trade Negotiations With Canada

"Trump says he's Cutting Off Trade Negotiations With Canada; which again throws relations with one of the U.S.’s closest trading partners into turmoil; and this move was motivated by an ad he deemed fraudulent [by Reagan]"
The man has lost all reason and perspective!
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/u...

Since Trump is already demolishing the Constitution and most government agencies, we can probably expect that even the rest of the White House will not be spared now...

Since Trump is already demolishing the Constitution and most government agencies, we can probably expect that even the rest of the White House will not be spared...

Exclusive | U.S. Lifts Key Restriction on Ukraine’s Use of European Long-Range Missiles The move coincides with a Trump push to pressure Moscow into talks on ending the war and to withhold U.S. Tomahawk missiles from Kyiv.

"U.S. Lifts Restriction on Ukraine’s Use of EU's long-Range Missile; coinciding with Trump's pressuring Moscow into talks on ending the war."

More defiance by Trump towards his pal Putin, like the sanctions on Russian oil companies - but hardly a permanent split.

www.wsj.com/politics/nat...

U.S. Imposes Substantial New Sanctions on Russian Oil Giants The measures against Lukoil and Rosneft come as negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine have stalled.

"U.S. Imposes Substantial Sanctions on Russian Oil Giants, Lukoil and Rosneft, as negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine have stalled - as Trump's frustration grows over the war in Ukraine"
Trump is finally vexed enough by his "handler" to oppose him - it won't last
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

North Carolina Republicans advance map to secure another seat in Congress State house set to pass map to turn 10-4 Republican split into 11-3 – and state law does not give governor a veto

"The US Supreme Court is considering a challenge to the Voting Rights Act that could effectively end protections from gerrymandering for Black voters"

Trump and cohorts are working overtime to secure a hostile takeover in next year's midterm elections.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Far from the madding crowd....

www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

Ingrassia withdraws nomination after racist texts The 30-year-old lawyer nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel was slated to appear before senators on Thursday. His move comes after POLITICO reported comments he made in a text chat.

"Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination to lead the Off. of Special Counsel, after he sent a slew of racist texts to fellow Republicans in a group chat, causing several GOP senators to criticize the 30-year-old lawyer, dooming his bid"
Wake-up time for Republicans?
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

Opinion | Americans should worry about Trump’s extraordinary choice to bail out Argentina With the government paralyzed and Americans’ pocketbooks reeling, the White House is giving a $20 billion bailout to an ideological ally of Trump and Elon Musk.

"Americans should worry about Trump's choice to bail out Argentina, once again putting Americans last. With the [US]govt. paralyzed and Americans’ pocketbooks reeling, Trump is giving a $20 billion bailout to an ideological ally of Trump and Elon Musk"
Time to wake up!
www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

You - falsely - assume that all Americans who move to Ireland are either wealthy or retirees. That simply is NOT the case. And whatever economic strata they belong to, they will still contribute to the Irish economy, by paying taxes, by buying health-insurance and Irish goods, etc...