Links 7/20/2026

Subscribe to Post Comments

72 comments

1. Bugs July 20, 2026 at 7:29 am

   Oh the snail is so cute! We had a pet one that we raised. Found him in a head of lettuce, about the size of ladybug. He grew to full size like the fellow in the photo and could eat a slice of apple in about an hour, just grinding away at it. We eventually set him free next to a very humid retaining wall in the park that was frequented by his comrades.

   Reply ↓
   1. Lupana July 20, 2026 at 9:11 am

      Our daughter kept a pet snail, creatively named Mr Snail. We have pictures of her driving him around in Matchbox cars. They are really quite cute although we learned not to say that to people who take their gardens seriously.

      Reply ↓
2. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 7:33 am

   “Holy Smokes! Tariffs, Sanctions, and Threatening Letters, Oh My!”

   So it is not only Trump threatening Canada over this smoke but also Republican congress-critters. I don’t think that it is being appreciated the damage being cause to US – Canada relations. After all the crap that Trump and his hard core MAGA supporters has dumped on Canadians the past two years, I think that it will take a least a generation before things go back to normal – assuming that they do. It is not just Canadians boycotting American booze or refusing vacations down to the US, I think that a lot of resentment is being built up which is continuously being fueled by Trump & co. This crack against Canadian smoke drifting into the US is just the latest. What does he expect Canada to do? Line the border with fans to blow the smoke back into Canada? And nobody is game to bring up climate change as a cause with Trump. Relations with Canada are now well and truly broken.

   Reply ↓
   1. thoughtfulperson July 20, 2026 at 9:41 am

      Very true. Clearly the blame game response in this case is a type of climate crisis denial and insanity! No doubt much smoke over the years has also flowed South to North (u.s. to Canada) as it is right now from OR/WA and MN fires – not to mention pollution from human activities. Rather than trying to deny reality and cast blame, a sane response would be to get to work reducing emissions, among other things.

      Reply ↓
   2. Es s Ce Tera July 20, 2026 at 11:22 am

      I was just pondering another implication.

      1) Given that for the insurance industry (and in general) such things as forest fires, thunderstorms, lightning, rain, floods, tornados, etc., are typically considered acts of nature or God and also typically outside of human control, and
      2) given the president is very clearly arguing and claiming forest fires are within human control and therefore cause, and
      3) given legislative and executive acts will ensue from said rearrangement, such as tariffs and whatnot, offically and legally reversing of the typical causality of such events, such that these are acts of humans rather than nature or God, or at least controllable by humans if not caused by the same, can we therefore infer:
      C1) that Trump is on course to claim human caused climate change, natural events can be human controlled, and
      C2) these events should insured and spoken of accordingly?

      Reply ↓
3. .Tom July 20, 2026 at 7:52 am

   Péter Magyar has invited chess grandmaster Judit Polgár to serve as interim president of Hungary. An interesting move that, when I searched her name yesterday, was reported in a number of Israeli English language news sites. Hungary under Orbán was ostentatious about its alignment with Israel, Netanyahu and his government. I have no idea where Magyar and Polgár are. What do you know?

   Reply ↓
4. flora July 20, 2026 at 7:53 am

   File under Democrats Suck:

   From Jimmy Dore show with guest host Due Dissidence guy Russell and Katie Halper.

   Dem Establishment Launches “Sexist” & “Antisemite” Smears In Michigan Dem Primary! w/ Katie Halper

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSoIQFpcYw

   Reply ↓
   1. flora July 20, 2026 at 8:04 am

      Because goodness knows that Medicare for All and raising the minimum wage would hurt women …. not. / ;)

      Reply ↓
   2. hunkerdown July 20, 2026 at 9:17 am

      I usually answer “Don’t talk to me with Israel’s d down your throat. It isn’t nice.”

      Reply ↓
   3. In Cold Chud July 20, 2026 at 11:13 am

      It makes sense that misogyny/sexism has become the accusation that requires no evidence, and against which there is no defense, at least when spoken by the right people.

      Racism doesn’t really work anymore, now that the liberal project is openly just Western (i.e., white) global hegemony.

      Plus there’s a neat tie-in with the fact that when we bomb, sanction, and coup everyone, then loose Western finance capital on them, it’s for women’s rights.

      Reply ↓
      1. flora July 20, 2026 at 11:28 am

         It’s certainly not a class argument, not an economics argument. It’s an essentialist idpol argument. Very convenient for keeping the status quo.

         One reason I’m annoyed when Russell spits out “because Boomers!” is that in itself is not a class argument and cedes the argument to the essentialists. If Russell argued against, say Boomer oligarchs or Boomer grifters, (say for example the Cs or the Bs or the Ts and the like), I’d buy his economic argument about a certain economic class of Boomers. The rest of the Boomers are like everybody else – part of the 99% and just trying to get along.

         I mean, imagine the young US Populists in 1890 declaring Robber Barons are a problem, AND implying everyone over 65 or 70-years-old is a Robber Baron. The argument falls apart.

         Note: Russ, if you’re making a class argument then make that class argument explicit.

         Reply ↓
         1. In Cold Chud July 20, 2026 at 2:23 pm

            I’m glad you brought up the boomers.

            As someone who maintains it was never that great, I certainly can’t argue all boomers were/are privileged. Criticism of boomers usually either ignores inequalities of race and geography, or just assumes the audience knows what one means. But enough boomers acquired enough wealth–and then enthusiastically consented to neoliberalism–that a qualified statement of the criticism is valid. (One could argue Russell’s criticism is not sufficiently qualified.)

            One thing I think Russell’s criticism of boomers glosses over (which is odd, given his brand of culturally conservative leftism), is that there’s a straight line from the new-left individualism of the late 60s to the I got mine, maybe you should budget better ideology of boomers today. They didn’t have to be–and weren’t–seduced by the right; the idea of every man for himself was core to them, and in some sense beyond politics.

            It would be difficult for anyone to ride a once-in-history wave of (relatively) broad-based prosperity and accept that subsequent generations would be worse off, but, for the boomers who made it, their sense of self is often so dependent on the illusion of purely individual achievement that this recognition must be avoided at all cost.

            Reply ↓
   4. cyclist July 20, 2026 at 5:15 pm

      Nathan Robinson at Current Affairs has a really great analysis of the smear campaign against El-Sayed here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cI23DLNMw4I&ra=m .

      Reply ↓
5. raspberry jam July 20, 2026 at 8:19 am

   re: Is ambient music evil? Blackbird Spyplane

   I read this with coffee with the intent of shredding it based on the title alone (I love ambient music) and determined I agreed with the premise. Another win for the NC links!

   Regarding the premise, I’ve reached a point where I believe that the impact of AI on music and film will be analogous to advertising media’s impact on the same: the sheer banality and ease with which the streaming and generated versions can be acquired and created will render them inadmissable as artistic artifacts. The “real thing” will be anything that has a provenance beyond a shred of a doubt with proof, like a live performance, an experience. Nobody gives Oscars for hot dog ads (maybe they do in the industry but normal people don’t care about them).

   Recently I bought a fancy fountain pen – kind of retro and throwback, but I needed a blue pen for an occasion – and after using it casually a few times I also bought a stack of nice notebooks and have been doing all my composition prep drafts by hand in them. It forces me to take some time out of my day away from the screen and I find that the act of physically writing with the pen on paper completely changes my thinking style (for the better). Now I work with AI professionally, using it to create written content is one of the easiest things to do. But to be honest I generate so much text with it I skim the output now, and I suspect more normal people outside of the industry have a lower threshold than me the more the content is focused on an actual creative task or something that attempts to sustain and hook interest. The friction of writing by hand forces me back into consideration of each word and the thought itself. I imagine this same cycle will be repeated with others, for other media.

   Reply ↓
   1. DJG, Reality Czar July 20, 2026 at 9:53 am

      raspberry jam: Yes.

      Required: “I find that the act of physically writing with the pen on paper completely changes my thinking style (for the better).”

      As a writer, I have never moved away from paper. I test sentences, paragraphs, poems, and translations on paper, with black ink, natch. I take notes at meetings and events.

      The action of eye, brain, hand touching paper to register its texture, the nose taking in the scent of paper and ink, all of them together produce better writing and a more humane review of the world. It’s especially helpful to write out dialogue, as in plays, because doing so makes one hear it.

      As I mentioned yesterday, it may be that artificial intelligence just crams more data bases together and draws on the internet. And not much else.

      Reply ↓
      1. Mark Gisleson July 20, 2026 at 10:48 am

         DJG, you just never met the right keyboard ; )

         I was impressed by Blackbird Spyplane’s ability to name drop a lot of very impressive musical innovators but yes, ambient music is not quite like other music. As Eno was quoted, it’s meant to be ignored but with something there if you take the time to listen. It’s also a format vulnerable to abuse, especially AI but as with anything else, 90% of everything is crap so what’s the problem?

         Ambient music helps fill a space without crowding anything in it. It’s perfect for elevators (and constantly evolving, truly amazing how much classic rock has been ambienned ; )

         Reply ↓
         1. Joe Renter July 20, 2026 at 11:24 am

            I enjoy ambient music. Many sub variants in this category. There is one group I especially enjoy that is more on the electronic side. They released an album recently, the first one in many years. Look up “ Boards of Canada ” two brothers from Scotland. I have spent countless hours enjoying their work. They are sublime.

            Reply ↓
      2. .Tom July 20, 2026 at 1:57 pm

         I love real stationary and have lots near me but I was very lucky to have access to word processors with spell check as early as I did. I was right at the beginning of the transition. Everyone else in my class hired typists to get their graduating dissertation and lab work in shape. I don’t believe I could have managed without the word processor. My English needed so much work, above all spelling. Thanks to my parents who jumped on the home computer thing very early, as my father wanted them to actually compute things and my mother was a computer programmer before I was born.

         Reply ↓
      3. Gavin July 20, 2026 at 10:05 pm

         AI should be called a “pattern matching job aid”.. it’s not intelligent and never will be.

         Reply ↓
   2. earthmagic July 20, 2026 at 12:18 pm

      Ambient music lets the thoughts flow without interruption.

      My favorites are Adrian von Ziegler, BrunuhVille, and the Elder Scrolls soundtracks Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim by Jeremy Soule (who has his controversies)

      Lowering your blood pressure for awhile can’t be a bad thing!

      Reply ↓
   3. .Tom July 20, 2026 at 1:46 pm

      I think I would have a hard time defending myself against an accusation of being an ambient musician. (Interesting to imagine those court proceedings and the trial.) But what Blackbird Spyplane is talking about is a real problem and one I have railed about for some years myself. It’s been worrying how some music I have cared about for decades has gotten mixed up with the recent trends towards self annihilation, although it was pleasing that James Kirby was its mascot for a while. I note with heavy heart the fashion for Max Richter and that DG is boosting their new Sam Shepherd.

      I think it would be useful to look more closely at categories and labels. It may be better to abandon “ambient” as a label for anything we want to defend, find new descriptions and labels for the good stuff and either go on the offensive or leave well enough alone.

      Reply ↓
   4. JP July 20, 2026 at 3:41 pm

      If you typed as slowly and painfully as I do you would also be forced to consider each word to the point of losing the thought.

      Reply ↓
   5. Alphonse July 20, 2026 at 6:16 pm

      I was expecting something quite different. I do suspect there’s a way in which background music (not the ambient genre per se) is – well, evil is a strong word – bad.

      People seem desperate to fill themselves up, as though there were a drain in the psyche that requires a constant flow of water avoid desiccation and emptiness. By water I mean stimulation. Everywhere I go I see phone zombies (phonies) with air pods. Why go for a walk in the park if you’re only going to stare at your phone? Why jog in the city if you’re only going to listen to music?

      How can you be at peace with yourself if you never know yourself at peace – only as a medium through which words pass to tell you what to think, through which music passes to tell you how to feel? This latter is especially bad in movies. Like a rollercoaster on rails there is no room for one’s own thoughts, one’s own reactions.

      Maybe I’m being unfair. Yves suggests that extroverts doom us. Maybe it’s the nature of most people to need constant stimulation to be alive. But what I see is that they are conditioned to need it and turn desperate without it. Alcohol, narcotics, music, extreme sports, travel, parties: anything to avoid being alone with the self. Restaurants, shops, even outdoor spaces play music to hypnotize the public, render them suggestible. It is all constructed.

      The sound of raindrops, the twinkling of leaves, the thick sound of sunshine, the muffled sharpness of fresh snow, the lonely echo of concrete – the senses connect us to reality. My tinnitus has worsened (thanks Pfizer). It is now difficult for me to experience these things, but I would say these quiet sensations have been among the most transcendent moments of my life. Music, never.

      To be fair, ambient music would be best in this respect, particularly due to a lack of lyrics. And I have a beef with music. As a youth music was at the heart of tribalism and the cruelty of the same-age hothouse of school. The older generation treated music as sacrament and rebuke to those who came after. I always had a preference for music without lyrics, but I soaked up the myth of the War according to which classical music was the path to Hitler (I thought the bias was mine – I later learned it was a powerful cultural message). Forced music class tainted music in general for a long time. Music has never been an essential part of my life.

      While I don’t think music is bad, I do think its constant presence is. At the core of our malaise I suspect is a break with the real, the mutual rendezvous with the world through the senses. When we are constantly cradled in a hypnotizing flow of the Machine we lose touch with the actual contours of reality.

      As an aside, I begin to wonder about digital experience. Reality is whole, continuous, analogue: digital creates only an illusion by quick succession of discrete slices. To our conscious mind it is all the same: but to the unconscious?

      Reply ↓
6. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 8:43 am

   “Uncle Sam’s Ultimatum: Why Washington is forcing KDP and PUK to unite their Peshmerga forces?”

   The Turks are going to love that. Did Washington promise Erdogan that they would only be used to invade Iran with? Or maybe even sent to go fight Hezbollah on behalf of Israel? Did Erdogan actually believe that? It seems that the Kurds and Washington are a bit like Sideshow Bob and rakes-

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WZLJpMOxS4 (35 secs)

   Reply ↓
   1. DJG, Reality Czar July 20, 2026 at 10:04 am

      Rev Kev: I read that article, which is skeletal. I kept wondering, What purpose does this serve? The U S of A has always found supporting rogue militias to be quite convenient. So what gives?

      I suspect that the U S of A is trying to force together some kind of unified Iraqi army, with the goal of invading Iran. Because the U S of A controls Iraqi oil revenue, we know the Usonians aren’t doing this to reinforce Iraqi sovereignty.

      Yves Smith mentioned some daffy plans in one of the excellent daily war bulletins. I did some research. In the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq invaded by the southern route, from southern Iraq into southwest Iran — Khuzestan.

      The mountains are too high and too treacherous between Iraqi Kurdistan and Iranian Kurdistan. Strategically, an invasion won’t work along this route. Culturally, you’d have Kurds invading Kurds.

      So what strategic genius in the U.S. “intelligence agencies” came up with this nonstarter? Or am I missing something?

      Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 10:08 am

         Maybe Trump is demanding that the Pentagon come up with an invasion plan. So to get him off their backs, they come up with this. Doesn’t matter if it will work or not as they have something to show Trump now.

         Reply ↓
         1. DJG, Reality Czar July 20, 2026 at 10:20 am

            From the Simplicius article today, U.S. Troop Casualties Piled on the Pyre:

            US Congressman Riley Moore was shocked at the “precision” with which Iran was able to strike the US sites in Jordan in particular, concluding that Russia and China must be helping:

            With strategists like this, who haven’t noticed the “precision” that Iranian forces have used in the Gulf as they targeted and wrecked U.S. bases and support, one wonders. I guess someone like Hegseth thinks it is time to sacrifice some more Kurds.

            Reply ↓
7. Carolinian July 20, 2026 at 8:56 am

   Since it has been a topic around here no link on the World Cup finale?

   Reply ↓
   1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 9:07 am

      Here is the essential link- :)

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjrrVrmdK0M&list=RDmjrrVrmdK0M&start_radio=1 (58 secs)

      Reply ↓
   2. Tom Stone July 20, 2026 at 9:59 am

      I am pleased that Spain won the World Cup, they earned it despite officiating that was an embarrassment and and a team from Argentina that learned about sportsmanship by listening to Donal Trump.

      Reply ↓
      1. alfred venison July 20, 2026 at 10:33 am

         At least they left their chainsaws at home.

         Reply ↓
   3. Ignacio July 20, 2026 at 10:29 am

      May I comment? Spain won the championship with superior football played by an extremely well organized team. Only 1 goal against in all the championship. Not a boring tiki-taka but control of the game creating opportunities for Spain while negating these for the rivals. I have enjoyed it and though everyone in Spain knew about this capacity it was not granted that it would prevail in such a clear way.

      Reply ↓
      1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 10:36 am

         Congrats to Spain, Ignacio, for a well-deserved win. I imagine that the partying is still going on. What a time to be in Spain.

         Reply ↓
8. t July 20, 2026 at 9:36 am

   Every time I read about ICE, Palantir, DOGE data theft, and other crimes, I find myself having fantasies of extensive forensic audits.

   This is what they’ve done to me – spend my spare time thinking about audits!

   Reply ↓
9. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 9:47 am

   “Israel clears legal path for Ben Gvir’s plan to surround Palestinian detainees with crocodiles”

   Brought to you by the Only Democracy in the Middle East. At this stage, the whole country is turning itself into a snuff film.

   Reply ↓
   1. Tom Stone July 20, 2026 at 10:03 am

      Rev, Rev, this is the most Moral genocide in the history of the World, being conducted by the Most Moral Army in the World!
      Even the dogs being used to rape prisoners are doing it in the most Moral manner possible.

      Reply ↓
10. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 9:58 am

    The stupid, it burns:

    https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5975378-senate-filibuster-save-america-bill/

    Senate conservatives allied with President Trump are open to attaching the president’s top legislative priority, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, to a stopgap measure funding the government past Sept. 30, but it is getting strong pushback from GOP colleagues who worry it will lead to a shutdown.

    Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide, said a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government “definitely” could be chosen as another vehicle to move the SAVE America Act.

    “The House can put it on a CR, send it over to the Senate and dare Democrats to shut down the government because they don’t want to have basically provisions of the SAVE America Act enacted into law,” he said. “It’s something that has widespread support if you look at the polling.”

    The number one rule about government shutdowns (other than they always hurt the least powerful) is that you cannot achieve policy change through a shutdown. Newt Gingrinch tried in the 90’s and failed; the GOP tried to cancel Obamacare policies and failed, and the Donkeys tried to shutdown ICE and get changes to the policies on detentions and failed. Zero policy changes. Never gonna change.

    Yet these GOP sub-mongoloids are going to run the same garbage up the flagpole. It’s almost as if they want to lose in a landslide.

    Reply ↓
11. TomDority July 20, 2026 at 10:02 am

    “Ukraine accelerates privatisation drive with sale of strategic industrial assets” Intellinews
    ” in efforts to revive large-scale privatisation”
    I was perplexed about what that kerfuffle was all about…….

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 10:12 am

       Welcome to Fire Sale Ukraine! Everything must go!

       Reply ↓
       1. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 10:57 am

          You’re on a roll today, Rev.

          In my mind I can hear the voice over from those “Crazy Eddie” commercials that used to run in the NY metro area in the 70’s and 80’s. If you’re not familiar being down under, Crazy Eddie ran a retail electronic business out of New Jersey.

          “Crazy Zelensky’s prices are insane!! Everything must go! Slightly used Patriot missile battery, 50% off! Scratch-n-dent prices! Port equipment with minor fire damage – buy 2, get one free!

          Critical minerals mining facility – we’re practically giving it away!

          Cray Vlad’s prices are insane!! [reverb/echo effect; fade out]

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIfUnfZSrM

          Reply ↓
          1. Dr. John Carpenter July 20, 2026 at 11:24 am

             And if you know anything about the real life Crazy Eddie, he and his family would be peas in a pod with the grifters in charge.

             Reply ↓
12. DJG, Reality Czar July 20, 2026 at 10:17 am

    Simplicius: U.S. Troop Casualties, More on the Pyre.

    Yes, interesting. For months, we have been having reports of U.S. troops killed in Ukraine and Iran. Yet we never get further detail, except for that incident in Syria in December 2025 in which two soldiers and their interpreter died in an altercation with Isis. The evacuations to German hospitals from Ukraine and Iran are never confirmed, never verified.

    There was this incident as the Biden administration wound down into insignificance:

    https://www.war.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3659809/3-us-service-members-killed-others-injured-in-jordan-following-drone-attack/

    So what is the U.S. government doing to cover up the deaths? I realize that the U.S. government doesn’t want a repeat of Cindy Sheehan asking about Casey Sheehan or the Pat Tillman case and the disturbing questions and evidence that the Tillman family brought up. One might learn the consequences of war, and we wouldn’t want that.

    So is it threats to military pensions to survivors? Not returning bodies? Intimidating visits by the “intelligence agencies” and their creeps?

    Reply ↓
    1. tegnost July 20, 2026 at 11:24 am

       So what is the U.S. government doing to cover up the deaths?

       I’ve been thinking it’s a lot of lockheed contractors and the like who don’t need to be reported, but something like that would be hard to hide also.

       Reply ↓
       1. Jeff H July 20, 2026 at 3:52 pm

          I recall hearing an off-handed comment by some presenter back around 2018 that there was a curious increase in training fatalities at some western US airbase. I didn’t really research it but it sounds like a good cover story.

          Reply ↓
13. Ken Murphy July 20, 2026 at 10:43 am

    Happy Moon Day, everyone!

    Still humanity’s greatest achievement.

    Reply ↓
    1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 10:52 am

       Thanks for the reminder. Our greatest achievement but it was a near run thing. What was it? Less than 30 seconds of fuel left when Armstrong finally touched down?

       Reply ↓
       1. LifelongLib July 20, 2026 at 7:47 pm

          “30 seconds of fuel left…”

          So they say, but I’ve always wondered if Armstrong wasn’t joyriding a bit.

          Reply ↓
          1. The Rev Kev July 20, 2026 at 8:01 pm

             Nah. Where he was supposed to land turned out to be no good so he had to keep on skimming along trying to find an alternative place to land while their propellant ran down. You read the transcripts of that mission and note that the 30 second call was given for remaining propellant. If Armstrong had not managed to find a place to settle down, they would have had to abort to go back and rendezvous with Collins and it would have been the crew of Apollo 12 that would have been the first on the Moon. It was a near run thing.

             Reply ↓
14. Anon July 20, 2026 at 10:55 am

    Regarding Troy Jackson picking up the majority of delegates in the post-Platner Maine primary do-over, there is an interesting story there, and the appearance is that Jackson did some high level political maneuvering to get around the obstacles in the process. Like many who lean left, I was prepared for some Dem party shenanigans to install the biggest dud possible in the role, but that’s the opposite of what happened: after the weekend, Jackson looks like the clear favorite. Curious to find out if Platner’s ground operation was responsible for making Jackson the frontrunner.

    Reply ↓
    1. tegnost July 20, 2026 at 11:20 am

       On the bright side, the specter of global communism reportedly has bill maher proclaiming that he will vote for j.d. Would that all the corporatist super delegations join him as he parts the seas and leads the way to the promised land.

       Reply ↓
       1. Lefty Godot July 20, 2026 at 12:19 pm

          Just glancing at the headlines on the usual right-wing sites this AM, I can guess that the Iran War is not going well–lots of angst and meltdowns about: Communism! DSA! Marxists! Anything and everything that focuses on the usual Democrat villains and ignores what’s going on overseas. What’s next? More Antifa hyperventilation?

          Reply ↓
    2. lyman alpha blob July 20, 2026 at 12:02 pm

       There definitely were some shenanigans. They held a caucus over the weekend to choose delegates who will then choose a candidate. If they can do that, they could have simply held a caucus and let the people choose directly. They chose not to. On top of the 500 delegates chosen over the weekend, the state party also included 101 superdelegates not chosen by the people, just in case the people chose wrong again. Also, my understanding is that delegates are not obligated to vote for the candidates they were pledged to, and their votes will not be made public.

       But the Bangor Daily News reports that Jackson won an overwhelming majority of the delegates –

       “Jackson won at least 367 of the 403 delegates awarded through Sunday afternoon.”

       At this point, even if another candidate wins the remaining 97 delegates and the superdelegates all break toward that same candidate, Jackson still has way more than needed to override any ratf**kery. His two main opponents, Bellows and Shah, have already seen the writing on the wall and dropped out. I believe some of the minor ones have as well. I’m quite sure the state party did not want the guy endorsed by Platner to win this, but he curb stomped them all. Schumer may still have some tricks up his sleeve – after all he was the one who urged Janet Mills to join the fray against Platner even though Platner already had a healthy lead against Collins in the polls, and put out all the nasty oppo against him. But if Jackson is somehow not the nominee next week, it will be readily apparent that any last vestige of “democracy” is gone. I don’t think Mainers will take kindly to that at all. They are still plenty pissed about Platner getting shivved in the first place, despite the national media trying to paint him as some kind of monster,

       Reply ↓
       1. Anon July 20, 2026 at 1:02 pm

          My wife was ranting about this all weekend (we’re both Maine voters, but I’m registered independent). There were about 500 people running as delegates in my county, and Dem voters were supposed to read all of those delegate statements? I heard people saying they were going to use AI just to figure out which delegate to vote for… and my heart goes out to the poor people running as delegates, who spent time crafting these thoughtful statements that very few people ended up reading (I had dinner with one last night).
          This delegate-convention type scenario definitely favors Dem insiders and party hacks, but Jackson outflanked them. He did it by releasing a list of 150 delegate nominees (in my county) who committed to voting Jackson–no personal statements, none of that other malarkey. And he did that in every county–presumably with the help of Platner’s people. So while voters who wanted Shah or Bellows were wading through personal statements, and Shah’s and Bellow’s campaigns were disorganized (multiple reports of Bellows recommending delegate nominees who had already committed to Shah and vice versa), Jackson swooped in with a crystal-clear strategy that easily led to him winning. Jackson supporters just voted right down the ticket. Kudos to Jackson voters who were able to organize themselves out of the pickle the state party put them in. I find it hard to imagine the party trying to push Jackson aside after this, but at the same time, I wouldn’t put it past them.

          Reply ↓
       2. pjay July 20, 2026 at 1:45 pm

          I don’t get very excited about anything related to electoral politics anymore. There have been way too many instances of Lucy pulling the football away when I allow myself even a minute of optimism. That said, I admit that this news made me feel good – about the best to be hoped for out of the Platner situation so far. I hope Maine voters feel the same.

          On a related note, the Michigan primary story tells a similar tale. Progressive candidates raise significantly more money from regular voters, but this is offset by massive Super PAC money. Will Michigan Democrats respond to this obvious elite manipulation?

          Reply ↓
15. Mark Gisleson July 20, 2026 at 11:11 am

    Politico’s article on Iowa’s ag pollution left out something very important: How much of that pollution comes into Iowa from states upstream? For all its blue blather Minnesota farmers put a lot of fertilizer and herbicides into their streams which by coinkydence flow into Iowa whose rivers flow into Missouri whose rivers flow into Arkansas and finally Louisiana and the all-but-dead Gulf of Mexico (America?)

    Ag pollution requires GOVERNMENT action. No privatization here, no sirree! Step one? Ban all corporate farming. Period. Most of the problem just solved, not kidding. No actual farmer wants to live next to a manure lagoon, no one enjoys teaching their kids to never drink out of the creek that runs between the driveway and south 40.

    Iowa Republicans used to be outstanding conservationists. Purge Big Biz from Big Ag and both Iowa Dems and Republicans would push for better conservation laws.

    You can be pro-environment, or you can be pro-corporate. You can’t be both.

    Reply ↓
    1. flora July 20, 2026 at 12:41 pm

       Great point. Thanks.

       Reply ↓
    2. Late Introvert July 20, 2026 at 3:35 pm

       It’s money, always. Farmers make about $3 for every $1 they spend on chemicals. And Minnesota has a tourist economy based on lakes, so they definitely do a better job with buffer strips than Iowa does.

       Reply ↓
    3. Adam Eran July 20, 2026 at 5:27 pm

       Yep. The problem: regenerative farming (non mining the soil like this) has yields that are reportedly 30% lower than industrial ag. This means lower short-term profits, which every MBA will declare taboo.

       Reply ↓
16. Christian B July 20, 2026 at 11:48 am

    RE: “The San Andreas fault has gone ominously silent. Scientists fear when it finally snaps Los Angeles Times”

    Since I frequently park my van in Palm Springs, CA in the winter this is always on my radar. I had to read more about earthquakes in the area to ease my nerves and possible know when to leave.

    This part is important:

    It’s not certain why it’s been so quiet between earthquakes, said Scharer. Another study, published in 2023, suggested the lack of sudden, major floodwaters funneling into Lake Cahuilla, the larger historical predecessor to the Salton Sea, may have something to do with it.

    I was surprised to find out the impact that rainfall had on producing earthquakes in the region. This year with El Nino coming on super strong, I fear it may trigger “the big one” with the deluge of rain they are predicting for SoCal. I am afraid a deluge of water coming into the very low Salton Sea could be a trigger.

    Reply ↓
17. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 12:25 pm

    I’m curious on others opinions on the abject failure of the GOP to even go through the motions of caring about higher prices. They are still trying to tee up a reconciliation bill which would only need 50 votes in the Senate, and if they stopped the stoopid games with the SAVE act, they could easily attach some “stimmy checks” to be direct deposited into folks bank accounts in time for the mid-terms.

    It’s such an obvious play that worked before (2008, pandemic) that the fact nobody is even making noise about it raises questions. Like, have we reached the point where they don’t even have to buy off the electorate, because AIPAC already did that?

    Reply ↓
    1. Henry Moon Pie July 20, 2026 at 1:19 pm

       Perhaps there are simply too many balls in the air right now–polycrisis is a useful term–that there’s no longer the ability to keep the “ball of public opinion” in the air. Things are deteriorating pretty fast from an emptying SPR to the 10-year above 4.6%, climate change creating chaos from floods to droughts to smoky fires, and that’s before we get to the lunatics and fools in the White House depleting conventional military power almost to the point of being defenseless against a peer attack outside of nukes. The elites are too busy scrambling around trying to save their own asses to worry in the least how the public feels.

       Reply ↓
       1. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 1:26 pm

          Thanks. I wonder as well whether keeping the masses placated is even a going concern. For some bizarre reason, the GOP (at least the MAGA part) is obsessed with the SAVE Act, despite knowing full well it will never become law (at least in this Congress.) The votes aren’t there. Even the Mitch McConnell Schrodinger Senator works against them – if he isn’t dead, he will vote against it. If he’s dead, there is still no affirmative vote because they’re running out the clock on the special election.

          Mish over at Mishtalk has covered this dynamic.

          My other thought is that the Donald is so prideful and egoistic that the act of having to send stimmy checks out would be seen as a humiliation to him. It would be admitting that inflation has made a comeback. He’s gonna stick with the Big Lie.

          BTW, I paid $4.09/gallon for Go-juice in my area yesterday. Up a good 20-30 cents since prior fillups.

          Reply ↓
18. Tom Stone July 20, 2026 at 3:00 pm

    I would love to see gas below $5 per gallon, however that’s part of the price of living in California.
    $5.89 per gallon, cash, at the nearest Gas station.
    I expect $8 to $10 per gallon by the end of 2026 here in Santa Rosa.

    Reply ↓
19. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 7:07 pm

    Ok, folks, this is getting serious. If we don’t hear from Wukchumni soon, I am gonna have to buy a ticket to Burning Man and ride a bike around the playa with a big sign saying “Missing: Have you seen this Naked Capitalism regular? Description: Male, 60’s, height/weight/race unknown. Has comic wit and a keen sense of word play.”

    Reply ↓
    1. Michael Fiorillo July 20, 2026 at 7:26 pm

       Yes, have been wondering the same… may he be content and in good health.

       Reply ↓
       1. ChrisFromGA July 20, 2026 at 7:39 pm

          I’d be remiss also not to mention IMDoc … we haven’t heard from him in a while, either.

          Reply ↓
          1. Dog Lady July 20, 2026 at 10:41 pm

             Also, Ann. I miss Ann.

             Reply ↓
             1. ChrisFromGA July 21, 2026 at 8:28 am

                The last post I recall from her seemed quite despondent over the Canadian government seizing some of her land to build a pipe line. Hoping she’s alright.

                Lena hasn’t posted in a while, either.

                Reply ↓
          2. ambrit July 21, 2026 at 1:11 am

             IMDoc is still around but seems to be taking a break from heavy internet engagement.
             He might also be busy preparing for the disaster looming on the horizon.
             As for Wuk, I hope he didn’t decide that now would be a good time to hike some trails in the Zagros Mountains.
             Stay safe.

             Reply ↓
20. Tom Stone July 20, 2026 at 7:13 pm

    Call the three rivers volunteer fire department if you want to find out what happened to Wuk,mention Czechia, the all cats no cattle ranch and his fixation on pruning trees up and grass down.
    They will know who he is and likely know what happened to him.

    Reply ↓
21. Alice X July 20, 2026 at 11:58 pm

    Laying it out once again, she reveals undersides under appreciated.

    Caitlin Johnstone:

    Trump Is NOT A Reluctant War President

    Reply ↓
22. Ben Panga July 21, 2026 at 12:19 am

    File under: ‘Boeing still cooked’

    Delayed Boeing jets only fit for baked bean tins, Emirates boss says

    Boeing has been dealt a fresh blow after Emirates said it would refuse to take delivery of 10 aircraft, claiming that the much-delayed jets would be better off being turned into baked bean tins.

    The Dubai airline has ordered a total of 270 new 777X planes from Boeing at $440m (£330m) apiece, with the first jet built in 2019. But repeated delays stemming from design modifications has meant Emirates is still waiting for the planes seven years later.

    Sir Tim Clark, the president of Emirates, said the initial batch of 10 of the jets required such a patchwork of changes to update them that they were not fit for purpose.

    “We’re not taking that batch and that’s it,” he told The Telegraph at the Farnborough International Airshow. “As far as we’re concerned, what they do with them is up to them.”

    Reply ↓