Thursday’s Daily Stack
We’re off tomorrow and Monday. Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Hour One: What Would Trump Be Doing Differently If Putin Were Giving the Orders?
Article: “What Would Trump Be Doing Differently If Putin Were Giving the Orders?“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Trump’s Use of the National Guard in American Cities/A>“ by American Oversight.
Article: “Chairman Arrington Statement on CBO Long-Term Budget Outlook“ by Jodey Arrington.
Article: “FBI and IRS Concretize Implementation of NSPM-7“ by Charity & Security Network.
Article: ““?U.S. Urgently Pulling THAAD and Patriot Air Defense Systems From South Korea — Essentially a Gift to Kim Jong Un“ by Defense Express.
Article: “Tarrant County’s November elections will have 92 fewer places to cast ballots than 2022.“ by Cecilia Lenzen.
Article: “Are We Seeing the Last Gasp of the GOP’s Two Santa Claus Scam?“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “US Brain Drain Threatens Scientific and Biopharmaceutical Leadership“ by Sandra Barbosu.
Article: “Trump Jr. Warns Republican Lawmakers to Back Off Prediction Markets“ by Hafiz Rashid.
Article: “Trouble at the Pentagon“ by Liz Wolfe.
Article: “‘Orcas’ with likely inside info win big on Trump Jr.-funded Polymarket“ by Stavroula Pabst.
Article: “RFK Jr. guts the US childhood vaccine schedule despite its decades-long safety record“ by Jake Scott.
Article: “Trump silences the Voice of America: end of a propaganda machine or void for China and Russia to fill?“ by Valerie A. Cooper.
Article: “Depleted U.S. Stockpiles Raise Strategic Risks“ by The Soufan Center.
Site: “Vote.org“.
Article: “President Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House.“ by Hina Shamsi.
Article: “Pentagon urges faster US weapons production amid stockpile concerns“ by Al Jazeera Staff and AP.
Article: “$1 Trillion in Medicaid Cuts—$1 Trillion in Tax Giveaways for the Richest 1 Percent: The One Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s Budget Math“ by Micah Johnson, Andrea Ducas.
Article: “Masked and Unidentifiable: The Risks of Federal Law Enforcement Operating Without Identification“ by Allie Preston.
Article: “Trump fires labor statistics chief after weak jobs report“ by Neil Irwin.
Article: “Trump speech intensifies pressure campaign against broadcasters“ by Sara Fischer.
Article: “Pentagon turmoil deepens as Hegseth consolidates control“ by Zachary Basu.
Article: “European allies say Russia is helping Iran more than the U.S. has acknowledged, sources say“ by Margaret Brennan.
Article: “Nearly 80% of interceptors for a key missile defense system depleted, sources say“ by Zachary Cohen, Jim Sciutto, Haley Britzky.
Article: “‘Very outdated’: Trump’s directive to revert to steam catapults on new aircraft carrier baffles naval experts“ by Kaanita Iyer.
Article: “Sanctions evasions using crypto increased by 700% in 2025: Chainalysis“ by Olivier Acuna.
Article: “CBO’s February 2026 Budget and Economic Outlook“ by Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Article: “Restocking US missile interceptors will take years. China and Russia are watching.“ by Anna Mulrine Grobe.
Article: “Where Are Ed. Dept. Programs Moving? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions“ by Mark Lieberman.
Article: “Trump’s ‘America First’ stamp on foreign bribery enforcement“ by Alice Johnson.
Article: “Donald Trump Jr.’s firm leads $1 billion funding round for Polymarket“ by Lauren McCarthy.
Article: “A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net“ by Anna Claire Vollers.
Article: “The Administration’s Drug Boat Strikes Are Crimes Against Humanity“ by Charlie Trumbull.
Article: “G7 to grill Rubio as Europe accuses Russia of aiding Iran in Middle East war“ by Malay Mail.
Article: “Marco Rubio Downplays Bombshell Report on Russia Helping Iran: ‘Putin’s Got His Own Set of Problems’“ by Ahmad Austin Jr.
Article: “‘Gross’: Bessent Sparks Fury By Chiding Ukraine For Attacking Russia“ by Alex Griffing.
Article: “13 US troops killed, more than 380 wounded in Operation Epic Fury“ by Patricia Kime.
Article: “Trump gutted the agency built to stop election interference“ by Laura Barrón-López and David Rohde.
Article: “Nobody’s cashing in on the presidency quite like Donald Trump Jr.“ by Paul Waldman.
Article: “Full steam in reverse: Trump orders US Navy back to old-style aircraft catapults“ by Navy Lookout.
Article: “‘Mom, are we OK?’ Children worry their families can’t afford food after Trump’s SNAP cuts“ by Elizabeth Chuck.
Article: “Justice Department moves to toss conspiracy convictions for Jan. 6 rioters“ by AP.
Article: “CPB says it is shutting down after being defunded by Congress, targeted by Trump“ by AP.
Article: “Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts“ by Annie Waldman and Brandon Roberts.
Law: “Foreign Corrupt Practices Act“ (1977).
Article: “Gloria Steinem, groundbreaking feminist campaigner, dies aged 92“ by Sian Cain.
Article: “USAID Budget Breakdown: How Agency Is Funded And Where Do The Dollars Go | Explained“ by Kirti Chauhan.
Article: “How Trump’s DHS deports people to prisons in countries they don’t know“ by Eduardo Cuevas and Jennifer Borresen.
Article: “Trump denies disaster aid for 4 Democratic-led states“ by .
Article: “Trump approves disaster relief funds for 7 red states after denying aid to blue states“ by Steve Benen.
Article: “Bessent Blames Ukraine for High Energy Prices“ by Alan Rappeport.
Article: “Scott Bessent“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “What is Moore’s Law?“ by Max Roser, Hannah Ritchie, and Edouard Mathieu.
Trump Lies That Medicare for All Would Cost ‘Entire Budget of the Whole Country’
Article: “Trump Lies That Medicare for All Would Cost ‘Entire Budget of the Whole Country’“ by Jake Johnson.
Article: “Public policy and health in the Trump era“ by Prof Steffie Woolhandler et al.
Trump threatens to starve poor kids if states don’t help with mass deportation
Article: “Trump threatens to starve poor kids if states don’t help with mass deportation. This is not a joke.“ by Miles Taylor.
Article: “Republican state party leaders grumble about the timing, cost and planning of Trump’s midterm convention“ by Matt Dixon.
Article: “Pete Hegseth“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Pete Hegseth Calls For ‘No Quarter’ For US Enemies In Apparent Violation of International Law“ by Jennifer Bowers Bahney.
Article: “Pete Hegseth gives Senate new price tag for Iran war“ by Amanda Castro.
Article: “‘Pete Hegseth was responsible’: Colombian fisherman’s family files formal murder complaint“ by Travis Gettys.
Article: “Trump says boat crews are narco-terrorists. The truth is more nuanced, AP finds“ by AP.
Article: “Trump’s plan to sell off a part of Yosemite is what oligarchy looks like“ by Rebecca Solnit.
Article: “The Trump regime dirty Yosemite secret land scheme“ by Lynda Carson.
Article: “Bulldozers roll into Big Bend National Park to build Trump border wall“ by Trevor Hughes.
Article: “‘We’re at war’: Locals protest border construction inside Big Bend National Park“ by Jay Gray.
Article: “Big Bend, California“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “28 Environmental Laws Suspended to Build a “Smart Wall” in Big Bend National Park“ by Sky Chatuchinda.
Article: “Billionaire Leon Black refuses to appear for Epstein deposition“ by Joey Cappelletti.
Article: “Gloria Steinem, Feminist Icon & Ms. Magazine Co-Founder, Dies at 92“ by Democracy Now!.
Article: “No, the World Would Not Be a Better Place If Women Ran It“ by Laura Hollis.
Article: “Knives Out in Times Square: Sympathy for the Devil Is a New Hallmark of the Left“ by Tim O’Brien.
Article: “America’s quiet socialist takeover is spreading from town halls to classrooms“ by Rosemary Becchi.
Article: “Trump’s Renaming Lake Ontario Is Smart Politics, and Democrats Can’t Help But Prove It“ by Johnathan Jones.
Article: “Truth and Reconciliation Commission“ by Desmond Tutu, Britannica.
Article: “The Nuremberg Trials“ by United States Holocaust Museum Holocaust Encyclopedia
Book: The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán.
Video: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Global Democracy (Gil Duran, “Nerd Reich”).
Article: “PM Magyar hits back at critics of Hungary’s new asset recovery office, his own supporters among others: ‘They are harming the country’.“ by Hetzmann Mercédesz.
Book: The Dual State: A Contribution to the Theory of Dictatorship by Ernst Fraenkel.
Article: “Ernst Fraenkel (political scientist)“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “The “Dual State” Theory Was Invented to Describe Nazis. The Supreme Court Could Take Us There.“ by Pema Levy.
Hour Two: Ukraine Briefing
- Phil Ittner, Veteran War Correspondent based in Kiev, Ukraine & host of the ‘On the Edge‘ podcast @PhilipIttner Youtube
Article: “Massive Russian missile attack on Kiev, surrounding areas kills four“ by TRT World.
Article: “Russian strikes on food warehouses pose threat of shortages in Ukraine“ by Anastacia Galouchka.
Article: “Russia’s New Jet-Powered Shaheds Put Ukraine’s Defenses to the Test“ by SOFX Staff Writer.
Article: “Vance calls end of Ukraine aid ‘one of the proudest’ achievements of Trump administration“ by Martin Fornusek.
Article: “Kiev is preparing for new Russian attacks. Authorities are asking residents to stock up on water and food.“ by Raluca Ioana Draghici.
Article: “Vance pressed on whether Iran war will be resolved before US midterm elections“ by Charlotte Hadfield, Kieran Kelly, Oliver O’Connell, Tom Bateman.
Article: “The Budapest Memorandum: America’s Forgotten Promise to Ukraine“ by Jerry Simoneaux.
Article: “Scott Bessent blames Ukraine for gas prices — a former Ukrainian official says the Iran war matters ‘significantly more’“ by Joseph Zeballos-Roig.
Article: “Germany identifies Russian suspects behind Leipzig airport drone attack, say reports“ by Maira Butt.
Article: “Russian stuff blowing up: Explosion rocks Russian missile plant in Perm“ by quaoar.
Article: “Ukraine Invasion Day 1,652: new alert system for drones and missiles“ by annieli.
Article: “Flock Safety“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Axon Enterprise“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Trump bought Axon stock before ICE sought $220M Taser contract“ by Cris Tolomia.
Article: “Epstein Could Have Made $100 Million On A Secret Police Tech Investment“ by Thomas Brewster.
Heads Up! Wayne Allyn Root: Trump posted “my columns about national security emergency for elections three times in the last two weeks. Why is he doing that if he doesn’t plan to actually sign that declaration?”
Article: “Wayne Allyn Root: Trump posted “my columns about national security emergency for elections three times in the last two weeks. Why is he doing that if he doesn’t plan to actually sign that declaration?”“ by Media Matters.
Article: “Trump ‘Laying the Groundwork for Election Meddling’ With DHS Hunt for Noncitizen Voters “ by Jessica Corbett.
Article: “Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 to cut 92 polling locations ahead of 2026 midterms“ by Standing Record.
Article: “Trump Administration Begins Blitz to Find Elusive Voter Fraud Ahead of Midterms“ by Nick Corasaniti and Hamed Aleaziz.
GOP hypocrisy alert! Trump Throws Taxpayer Cash at a Bowling Alley
Article: “Pinhead president throws taxpayer cash at White House bowling alley“ by Lisa Needham.
Article: “Spain sending troops as thousands enter enclave of Ceuta from Morocco“ by Sarah Rainsford, Alicia Curry.
Article: “Ceuta“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Spain says disinformation on Ceuta crisis was spread by Russia and Israel“ by Reuters.
Article: “‘In Ceuta, they are eating the cats’: Fake images and a persistent rumour“ by France 24.
Article: “Country Joe and the Fish“ by Wikipedia.
Audio: Superbird (Tricky Dick) - Country Joe and the Fish.
Article: “What really happened to the 1,500 immigrant children the Trump administration ‘lost’?“ by Emily Shugerman.
Article: “Trump to declare martial law? What is Insurrection Act of 1807 and rumours circulating about it“ by Navashree Nandini.
Article: “Trump’s 50% Canada tariffs take effect, testing USMCA protections“ by David Beckam.
Article: “‘We got attacked’: Carney says retaliatory tariffs on U.S. to take effect next month“ by The Canadian Press.
Site: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Site: NAACP.
Site: Indivisible.
Article: “Rupert Murdoch“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Anthropic AI used fake profiles to target people in hack then hid the evidence“ by Kali Hays and Imran Rahman-Jones.
Article: “The Dirty Game Republicans are Playing with Desperate People’s Lives“ )’open border’by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “MS St. Louis“ by Wikipedia.
Hour Three: Trump’s illegal, unauthorized, unnecessary war is the worst strategic defeat in U.S. history - and - The main national security threat we face in not in Russia, China, North Korea or even Canada, but in the White House
- Joe Cirincione, national security analyst & author / former adviser to the State Dept. Substack: Strategy & History @joecirin.bsky.social
Article: “Six Months of Failure“ by Joe Cirincione.
Article: “Economic D-Day policy flops, as Trump and Bessent suffer another embarrassment“ by Steve Benen.
Article: “As US strikes Iran, a look at American bases & assets that are now vulnerable to potential retaliation“ by FP News Desk.
Article: “Exclusive: Iranian girls killed by ‘double-tap’ strikes on Minab school“ by MEE.
Article: “Pentagon Considers Relocating Gulf Bases to Israel“ by Democracy Now!
Article: “Here’s why conditions on the USS Lincoln fell apart“ by Bruce Golding.
Article: “Hurray for the Bond Market“ by WSJ.
Article: “Donald Trump floats renaming ‘under control’ Strait of Hormuz after himself“ by Berk Uyal.
Article: “Black Colorado ranchers say they’re “shaken” after surviving drive-by shooting amid years of racial tension“ by Oumou Fofana.
Site: “El Paso County Sheriff“.
Article: “Constitutional Sheriffs“ by SPLC.
Site: KPFK.
New Trump Scam Alert! - Trump gold coins dubbed a ‘scam’ as US mint selling $100 for $154
Article: “Trump gold coins dubbed a ‘scam’ as US mint selling $100 for $154“ by Yelena Mandenberg.
Is the End of Home Insurance Coming?
Article: “Why more homeowners across the U.S. are turning to an insurance that offers less coverage“ by Brianna Sacks and Kevin Crowe.
Article: “January 6 United States Capitol attack“ by Wikipedia.
Article: “Former state Rep. Lon Burnam eyes lawsuit after arrest during meeting on voting site cuts “ by Alex Nguyen.
Book: “The Prophet’s Way“ by Thom Hartmann.
Article: “Ed Markey defeats Seth Moulton in Massachusetts’ Democratic primary for Senate“ by Neal Riley, Aaron Parseghian, Louisa Moller.
Site: “No Kings“.
Article: “Kamala Harris on red-state Dems keeping her at arm’s length: ‘Whatever they need to do to win’“ by Alec Hernandez. “I’m focused on ‘26. And to be very serious about this: ‘28 doesn’t matter if we don’t win ‘26.”
Article: “Donald Barr“ by Wikipedia.
Book: Space Relations: A Slightly Gothic Interplanetary Tale by Donald Barr.
Article: “Bush Pardons 6 in Iran Affair, Aborting a Weinberger Trial; Prosecutor Assails ‘Cover-Up’“ by David Johnston.
Article: “There’s finally a timeline for when Mitch McConnell might return to Senate“ by David Moye.