Tomorrow USA

The only way to stop a bad guy with a ballot... is a good guy with a ballot.

[tomorrowusa]

House passes war powers resolution directing Trump to end hostilities with Iran

The vote marked a rare bipartisan rebuke of the war, but is mostly symbolic. Democrats have been unable to pass a war powers resolution in t

The US House just voted 215 to 208 to end hostilities with Iran. ☮️

A bipartisan majority in the Republican-led House voted on Wednesday to end the war with Iran, the clearest rebuke yet of President Trump's handling of the conflict and the subsequent economic fallout. The war powers resolution passed by a vote of 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats in support. The resolution had originally been set for a vote two weeks ago, but Republican leaders sent House members home early for a May recess when it appeared the largely Democratic-backed measure had enough Republican votes for passage. However, the extended break didn't shift GOP support to kill the measure.

A caveat about its effect...

The vote is mostly symbolic. Democrats, despite multiple attempts, have been unable to pass a war powers resolution through the Republican-led Senate. Even if the measure passed in Congress, it would almost certainly be vetoed by President Trump, whose administration has questioned the constitutionality of the War Powers Act. Still, Senate Democrats have been inching closer. Last month, they won support on a procedural measure to set up a war powers vote after a handful of Republicans broke ranks to join them. A final vote has yet to be scheduled.

The NY Times reports...

Republican Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky crossed party lines to vote with Democrats in favor of the resolution. Representative Jared Golden, Democrat of Maine, who had previously opposed similar measures, switched his position to support it. Though the few defections were notable, almost every Republican voted against the resolution. Most of them have accepted the Trump administration’s claim that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, the legal threshold under the War Powers Resolution of 1973 for the president to order attacks on a foreign adversary without the permission of Congress.

If Trump were smart (SPOILER: he's not), he'd not fight this resolution. He has essentially lost the war. This would give him a relatively face-saving excuse to cut his losses. Instead he will double down and again make squealing toddlers seem reasonable and mature.

If nothing else, this vote is a slap in the face to Trump which makes him look like an even biggeer loser.

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ Another proposed design for the Trump $250 bill.

This design highlights the historic first of Trump being the only president to be convicted of a sex crime.

People who have two large vehicles and one small vehicle would use up one of those banknotes when filling up all three at the same time. So maybe there should be a picture of a gas station on the reverse side.

[tomorrowusa]

« Russian military setbacks have often led to radical changes of political direction in Moscow. Defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905 contributed to popular unrest and moves towards a constitutional monarchy. Failure in the first world war formed the backdrop to the Russian Revolution. The removal of Nikita Khrushchev as leader of the Soviet Union in 1964 was closely related to his perceived failure in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The endless Afghanistan war was an important part of the malaise that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

[ … ]

It is certainly tempting for exiles and outsiders to allow their judgment of Putin’s future to be swayed by wishful thinking. The obstacles to his removal remain formidable.

And yet it is increasingly clear that Putin has put his country on an unsustainable course in Ukraine. And to borrow a phrase that is popular in financial markets — "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." »

— Gideon Rachman at The Financial Times. (archived)

Prolonged military engagements which prove to be a drag on the country can cause instability.

Although Italy was on the winning side in WWI, the war drained the country and within a few years Mussolini rose to power. Germany, which was a big loser in that war, saw the fall of the Kaiser and eventually the rise of the Nazis.

Russia has neither a democratic system nor a free press. So change there is likely to be abrupt when it does happen.

Putin is flailing and is targeting Ukrainian civilians in the remote hope of terrorizing Ukraine into capitulation. But Ukraine has been systematically destroying Russia's oil infrastructure with advanced military drone technology which Ukraine pioneered. Fossil fuels are the main source of income for Russia. With the oil industry in ruins, the economy shrivels up.

This English language newscast from Ukraine shows what is now typical overnight destruction of Russian refineries and military facilities deep inside Russia by Ukraine. NOTE: Ukrainians often use the words occupiers and aggressors to refer to Russia. Ukrainians sometimes also colorfully use the word sanctions to refer to their military strikes on Russian infrastructure.

Something not mentioned in that vid is a deal between Sweden and Ukraine to provide the Ukrainian military with Gripen fighter jets armed with Meteor missiles. This is particularly bad news for Putin.

The slow collapse of Russia's oil industry and reduced ability to attack Ukraine from the air will put additional stress on the Putin régime.

Russia has already lost over 1.35 million dead, wounded, and missing in this war and has little to show for it. This is somewhat like the pre-revolutionary situation in Russia in 1916 during World War I.

The possibility that something will snap in Russia increases daily.

[tomorrowusa]

Trump-backed Rep. Randy Feenstra loses Iowa governor primary

It’s a blow for the president, who has seen most of his chosen candidates this cycle sail to victory or advance to runoff elections — until

A Trump-backed candidate lost the Iowa Republican primary for governor on Tuesday. Trump's influence on GOP primary voters is not as persistent as he'd like people to think it is.

Rep. Randy Feenstra lost the GOP primary for Iowa governor on Tuesday, a shocking upset after he earned President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement. Feenstra, who was narrowly defeated by rival Zach Lahn, conceded and called to congratulate him before results were official. The three-term representative outspent Lahn, a businessperson and former GOP operative, by nearly $1 million and leaned heavily into his MAGA credentials during the primary. The loss is a blow for Trump, who has seen most of his chosen candidates this cycle sail to victory or advance to runoff elections — until now. He backed Feenstra just four days before the primary, a last-ditch attempt to bolster his loyal GOP ally in a race that became increasingly competitive in the final stretch. Feenstra had asked for Trump’s endorsement earlier this year and began calling himself a “Trump conservative” in ads even before receiving the president’s backing.

Another GOP candidate named Adam Steen ran a distant third.

Regardless, Lahn will be facing the most popular Democrat in the state who just won his primary unopposed.

Lahn will face off with Democrat Rob Sand in November in the marquee race, with Iowa Democrats eager to win the governor’s mansion for the first time since 2006. Sand, the Iowa state auditor, is the lone Iowa Democrat to hold statewide office.

Rob Sand is seen as the favorite in the general election. He had been leading Feenstra in hypothetical matchups in polls by 8 to 12 points. Not sure if things would change much in a Sand v. Lahn race.

In general, this could be the best year for Dems in Iowa in 20 years.

[tomorrowusa]

« His presidency crumbling, Donald spent Saturday complaining on the internet.

Listen to this: 6 hours, 52 posts, the president attacked the Pope, he posted his own face on Mount Rushmore and a made-up Trump peace prize. He announced three times America's back, and he assured an increasingly concerned public he's in excellent health. And when not posting, he's been trying to rob us. Have you seen it?

He sued the US government he commands for $10 billion. Then he settled the suit with himself to create a $1.8 billion slush fund so he can cut checks to cronies and Jan. 6 foot soldiers. The same men who sacked the Capitol to seize the presidency for Donald Trump, who beat police officers with flag poles, built a gallows on the Capitol lawn, and hunted the vice president to lynch him – Donald Trump's brown shirts. He pardoned them, and now he wants you to pay them.

He's trying to put his face on the money. Did you see that? He's building a monument to himself. But see, Atlanta, he's doing these things now because no one will honor him when he's gone – because he's a failed president and a national disgrace. »

— Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) speaking at a rally in Atlanta on Sunday May 31st.

Looking at the math, Trump's 52 posts in 6 hours = one post every 6 minutes and 55 seconds. This is not normal for a president – or most humans for that matter.

What Sen. Ossoff mentioned at the end of that excerpted quote is accurate. All the things Trump names after himself and the other goofy name changes (i.e.: Gulf of America) will be reversed. The Trump name is toxic and becoming increasingly so.

Even his first name is getting less popular. In 2014, Donald ranked #419 in popularity among newborn baby boys in the US. By 2025, it had fallen to #690. Look at Germany where almost nobody is named Adolph any more. Who wants to be associated with a nightmare?

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ It's difficult to say on any given time what the situation is at the Strait of Hormuz.

So far, there's no broad consensus on exactly what to call this war. But the cartoon suggests that Schrödinger's Conflict is one possible choice. Though I think of it as the Drama Queens War because of Trump & Hegseth on one side and the often hyperbolic Iranian leadership on the other side.

[tomorrowusa]

According to Donald Trump, if you pass this simplistic cognitive test, you can then claim that you have "extreme intelligence".

The CBC's Andrew Chang walks us through the Montreal Cognitive Assessment which the Orange One brags that he "aced".

Truly intelligent people seldom brag about being smart. The more you know, the more you realize how much you really don't know.

A person who claims to be a "stable genius" is probably neither.

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ The ICE-AI Industrial Complex could always combine ICE prisons with data centers to save space.

Seriously, ICE is in the market for personal data.

Trump's immigration enforcers look into buying ad data. Industry insiders fear what comes next.

Immigration enforcement has become an excuse for a MAGA surveillance state.

[tomorrowusa]

« This is ridiculous, that a president should be able to appropriate money to himself, Congress's job, and then give it out to people who beat police officers on January 6th.

[ … ]

He wants to put his name on our money, on our passports, on our park passes. And when it's not, when the courts stop him, he acts like a petulant child and literally says in a rant that 'I'm gonna take my marbles and go home'. »

— Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) on ABC News This Week on May 31st.

Dementia Donny turns 80 this month. But his behavior would be considered inexcusable for a 10-year-old. And so far the Republican 119th Congress has rubber stamped his anti-constitutional whims.

We have a chance this autumn to sweep the Trump enablers out of Congress. Election Day is 155 days from today. Waiting until September to start working to oust Capitol Hill Republicans is three months too late. If you live in or near a GOP held congressional district or state, now is the time to begin assisting with their involuntary retirements.

[tomorrowusa]

Georgia town’s novel strategy to fight ICE jail plan impresses legal experts

Town of Social Circle’s complaint invokes ‘public nuisance’ law that scholars say could have impact for other localities

A community in Georgia is trying a number of legal moves to keep an ICE prison from setting up shop in the area. The most interesting is to have the ICE facility declared a "public nuisance".

A small Georgia town’s federal lawsuit opposing the Trump administration’s plans to turn a warehouse into one of the largest immigration detention centers in the US has the potential to create a wide impact as it uses novel legal arguments, experts said. The town of Social Circle’s complaint goes further than other recently filed lawsuits around the same issues, which assert that the US federal government has not carried out environmental impact assessments for proposed detention centers, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa). The town’s lawsuit goes on to allege that the homeland security department and ICE have also violated the federal Administrative Procedures Act (APA) – which “requires reasoned decision-making by federal agencies, including consideration of adversely affected interests and any reasonable alternatives”, according to the complaint. Additionally, the complaint asserts that locating what ICE has called “megacenters” in the small town of about 5,000 residents would violate Georgia’s “public nuisance” law – meaning it would “harm their health, safety, and wellbeing”.

You know how Trump cons people into thinking he's such a great deal maker? The Trump administration paid $99 million more for this property than what it was worth. SAD!

(Attorney Adam) Lauridsen pointed to the town’s interactions with the agencies after it became clear that the federal government had purchased a warehouse for $128m in early February – nearly five times its assessed value of $29m last year, (City Manager Eric) Taylor told the Guardian shortly after the sale went through.

More proof that Trump is a sucker and loser. It would be nice if we could remove Trump by simply declaring him to be a public nuisance.

Seriously, we need to give more attention to local government. Taking care to have the right sort of people leading our municipalities and counties will help us when somebody wants to put an ICE prison, a data center, or a toxic waste dump next door.

[tomorrowusa]

« The (Texas) primary also shows us that this is unlike political parties in the past — political parties in the past, where you had an unpopular president, which is the key to how things are going to go in a midterm. The president would understand that his party needed to put some distance, needed to show some independence from him in order to hold on to their seats in a rough year. Not in this party. In this party, Trump has managed to spray his musk over every single candidate, so that they cannot escape it. »

— The Bulwark editor Mona Charen in conversation with E.J. Dionne and Robert Siegel at the New York Times.

I can imagine a new MAGA scent being marketed as Musk of Trump. All Republican candidates get complimentary 2-liter bottles of it.

Trump is not interested in electing Republicans. He's only interested in controlling the ones who remain after a likely GOP catastrophe in November.

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ Every $250 bill would become a wanted poster featuring Trump – the only president ever convicted of sex crimes.

And thanks to inflation (AKA: Trumpflation), $250 banknotes would be in much wider circulation.

[tomorrowusa]

Because Trump-backed Ken Paxton won the GOP primary runoff in Texas last week, Republicans will likely be forced to divert resources to hold that previously safe seat.

It's not enough to be merely loyal to Donald Trump, the Orange One demands slavish obsequiousness from Republicans. That has meant that deeply flawed candidates like Crooked Ken Paxton are carrying the GOP banner going into the November elections.

Even without the dead weight of Crooked Ken around its neck, Texas Republicans were going to have a harder time than usual this year.

Part of inflation (AKA: Trumpflation) is soaring beef prices. BBQ restaurants in Texas are going out of business at a quickening rate. Trump tariffs and labor shortages (the Trump war on immigrants) are among the causes.

'This is as bad as it gets’: Staggering climb in cost of beef forces beloved Texas barbecue joints to close

To stay on Trump's good side, Crooked Ken will have to defend Trumpflation while trying to deflect attacks on his own miserable record as a public official.

[tomorrowusa]

Most people don't fully comprehend the speed at which Ukrainian technology has been developing.

Berlin-based tech channel TechAltar describes the astonishing rate at which Ukraine has been technologically adapting to the threat posed by Russia. As a result of its quick pace, Ukraine has been gaining the upper hand against a flailing Putin.

Ukraine operates what the blogger refers to as "an Amazon for drones" called Brave1. Frontline troops can use it to order weapons to suit their specific local needs from a constantly updated array of options.

Ukrainian military technology has become highly respected and sought after. It's now being exported to Persian Gulf countries to help defend against Iranian attacks.

Ukrainian technology has played such a successful role in the war that the 35-year-old Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, was made Minister of Defense in January.

The speed of tech development in Ukraine says a lot about its adaptability. Similar to (but likely faster than) South Korea after the Korean War, Ukraine is on track to become a major technological and economic power in the years to come.

[tomorrowusa]

Judge blocks renaming, closure of Kennedy Center

The ruling is a stinging blow for Trump, who has made clear his personal stake in the rebranding and remodeling of the Kennedy Center.

Eagerly awaiting photos of workers removing the Orange One's name from the Kennedy Center. 😁

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said the rebranding of the institution that honors President John F. Kennedy as the “Trump-Kennedy Center” violated the clear language of federal law that requires the building to honor “President Kennedy and President Kennedy alone.” The order to revert to the original, longstanding name came as part of a broader ruling that also overturned a plan announced in March to close the center for two years for renovations. Cooper, an Obama appointee, said repairs to the campus can proceed and an outright closure in the future might be lawful if the center’s board is more thoroughly consulted. [ ... ] Cooper’s ruling against Trump’s plans came in a lawsuit brought by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who serves as an ex officio member of the center’s board. She argued in the lawsuit that the Trump administration’s moves illegally deprived her of her power to vote on the closure and remodeling plan, and frustrated board members’ legal duty to maintain a presidential memorial and present arts programming.

Hopefully this will be just the first of many reversals of Trump namings which we'll be seeing.

BTW, this court ruling came on the 109th anniversary of the birth of John F. Kennedy.

[tomorrowusa]

One-hit blunder: America 250 musicians are dropping like flies

Seven of the nine artists booked to perform at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall have already dropped out.

Nobody wants to perform at Freedom 250 (AKA: Trumpstock). SAD!

Being associated with the Trump name also associates you with inflation, a failed undeclared war, and the worst corruption in US history.

Trump's Mall party could theoretically end up being just Vanilla Ice and Kid Rock doing MAGA duets. Ewww! 🤮

It looks like seven of the nine artists booked to perform at the Great American State Fair on the National Mall have already dropped out. A day after the lineup—which is part of the America 250 celebration—was announced, several acts said that they were duped into performing and will no longer attend after learning that the event is tied to President Donald Trump. Country singer Martina McBride bowed out on Thursday night via a social media post. “I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th,” she wrote. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.” Former Poison frontman Bret Michaels also backed out late on Thursday, citing safety concerns. “Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of,” Michaels wrote. The backlash began immediately after the lineup was first announced on Wednesday. “It’s A No For Me,” singer Morris Day wrote on Instagram that same day, after he and his funk band The Time were unveiled as part of the celebration. Similarly, Milli Vanilli singer Jodie Rocco told The Associated Press that the band will also not be performing. “My sister and I were shocked to see our name, ‘Milli Vanilli’, as one of the performers,” she said. The Commodores also shared the news Thursday that they will no longer be performing. “Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” they wrote on Facebook. “We support the betterment of all Americans.” C+C Music Factory also dropped out, with “Gonna Make You Sweat” lead rapper Freedom Williams saying in a video that he had no idea that the event was tied to Trump. “I don’t fuck with Trump,” he said, adding that his agent only told him that the performance was in Washington, D.C. “He didn’t mention Trump,” he said. “I ain’t gonna be able to do that.” Rapper Young MC also joined the exodus on Thursday.

Donald Trump is toxic. Capitol Hill Republicans have been rubber stamping his insanity for the past 16 months. Voters need to treat Republicans in the Midterm Elections the way the performers mentioned above have reacted to being in Trump's Mall party.

[tomorrowusa]

^^^ Trump uses the US Treasury like an ATM for himself and his corrupt pals while impoverishing the rest of us.

And of course Capitol Hill Republicans do nothing to stop Trump's bizarre and erratic whims. But we can stop his minions in Congress on November 3rd. Midterm Election Day is just 158 days from today. Campaigns don't win without personal involvement by a large number of people. The more people who help, the greater the victory.