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When I began Schwartzreport my purpose was to produce an entirely fact-based daily publication in favor of the earth, the inter-connectedness and interdependence of all life, democracy, equality for all, liberty, and things that are life-affirming. Also, to warn my readers about actions, events, and trends that threaten those values. Our country now stands at a crossroads, indeed, the world stands at a crossroads where those values are very much at risk and it is up to each of us who care about wellbeing to do what we can to defend those principles. I want to thank all of you who have contributed to SR, particularly those of you who have scheduled an ongoing monthly contribution. It makes a big difference and is much appreciated. It is one thing to put in the hours each day and to do the work for free, but another to have to cover the rising out-of-pocket costs. For those of you who haven’t done so, but read SR regularly, I ask that you consider supporting it.
Here is the confirmation of what I have been telling you: These catastrophic weather events are being enhanced by human caused climate change. We are going to see more of them, and their negative effects on the matrix of life will be more deadly. Yet, other than Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, do you hear anyone talking seriously about this? Neither do I.
Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm at the time of this photograph, in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Yucatan Peninsula on Oct. 8, 2024, seen from the International Space Station as it orbited 257 miles above. Credit: NASA / Getty
Hurricanes — the most powerful storms on Earth — are becoming more widespread and destructive as a warming planet increases their intensity. Hurricanes Helene and Milton are following the trend of these storms becoming supercharged and more likely to form, according to a pair of studies from the World Weather Attribution (WWA).
The researchers found that Hurricane Helene’s wind speed on the coast of Florida was about 11% stronger due to climate change, and its total rainfall increased by 10%. The high water temperatures that fueled Helene were found to be between 200 and 500 times more likely, and hurricanes the size of Helene are now 2.5 times more likely each year due to climate change, according to the report.
As for Hurricane Milton, the researchers found storms of its […]
Christofascist DeSantis and his fellow authoritarians are making it clear where the Republicans are headed. Another example occurred this morning when traitor Trump said it openly on the Fox fascist propaganda network. He told pseudo-journalists who were interviewing him that he was going up to meet with Rupert Murdoch and pressure him to not run any negative ads against him, or invite any Democrats to be interviewed on Fox. It couldn’t be more explicit. The Republican Party wants to end free speech in America, and will do so if they come into power. It is classic fascist behavior.
People hold up signs during a pro-abortion rights rally on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 24, 2024. Credit: Marco Bello AFP / Getty
An abortion rights group in Florida is suing state officials for suppressing free speech, alleging in their lawsuit that the state unconstitutionally threatened television stations that were airing its ads in favor of a ballot initiative that would overturn Florida’s extreme abortion ban.
Florida currently restricts all abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, granting only nominal exceptions in cases of rape, incest or when a person’s life is at risk — a standard that, in practice, is rarely allowed due to the ambiguous language of the statute and doctors’ fears over being prosecuted. The ballot initiative in question, sometimes referred to as Amendment 4, would expand abortion rights up to the point of fetal viability, generally regarded as 22-25 weeks of pregnancy. Regulation of abortion could occur afterward, but […]
Gold gym shoes, Superman trading cards with himself as Superman, phony Swiss watches. I don’t think traitor Trump is capable of running an honest business. He has gone bankrupt six times, has been suited by unpaid workers who knows how many times, paid millions of dollars for a phony university, and on and on. I think Trump’s scheme is to milk his Presidential campaign for as many scams as he can rig, no matter how the election comes out. I find it very disappointing that the media has not pointed out that no candidate from any party has ever been a scammer like Trump. Can you imagine even incompetents like Reagan operating like this?
Sheridan, Wyoming
Last month, Donald Trump announced that he was selling limited-edition, gaudy watches ranging from $499 to the bargain price of $100,000, bragging about their Swiss-made precision.
But a CNN investigation traced the watches’ origin to a shopping center in remote Sheridan, Wyoming, where TheBestWatchesOnEarth LLC, the company behind the timepieces, is based. There’s no indication that a watch company is located at the building listed at the address, only a daycare. Its neighbors include an H&R Block, a Wendy’s, and a “vape and hemp smoke shop.”
CNN couldn’t find the people behind the company either, because the business’s location allows it to legally hide those details from the public. The news network found that knocking on the door of the business’s supposed address didn’t answer those questions. Interestingly, the limited liability corporation behind Trump’s infamous gold sneakers is also based at the address, along with other random businesses. The watch company was registered on July 29, only two months before Trump announced the watch line.
A lobbying firm that represents Montenegro’s government […]
This is what some Protestant Christian Churches have become. It has nothing to do with Jesus’ teachings, it just uses the Bible’s words. This is a replication of what happened to portions of the Protestant Church in Hitler’s Germany.
A Donald Trump-themed AR-15 is being raffled at the Rod of Iron Ministries’ annual Freedom Festival in Pennsylvania. Credit: Lisa Marie Paine / AP
There have been two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump this election cycle, but that is not stopping the Rod of Iron Ministries from holding a raffle for a Trump-themed AR-15 at its annual Freedom Festival this weekend.
People are encouraged to register early for the Freedom Festival to receive free tickets and the chance to win a “Trump AR-15.”
The festival is put on by the Rod of Iron Ministries, a group headquartered outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania, that allows its congregants to bring their weapons to church. The group offers courses for pistol and rifle marksmanship, home defense shotgun and the “art of the draw.”
Newsweek reached out to a representative of the Freedom Festival for comment.
Sunday services, which the group calls “Sanctuary Church,” focus on scripture while also supporting “the right to bear arms and focuses on where God’s word, politics, morality and culture intersect,” according to the website.
Sahil Kapur, National Political Reporter - NBC News
Stephan:
We are three weeks away from learning whether a majority of American voters want the United States to remain a democracy or to become an authoritarian nation ruled by a male dominant White supremacy oligarchy. Personally, I feel like I am living in Germany in 1933 waiting to see whether Hitler comes to power. It is not at all clear to me who is going to win this election, but I have already learned something very sad about America.
Traitor Trump advocating and end to American democracy Credit: NBC News
Donald Trump is ramping up his rhetoric depicting his political rivals and critics as criminals, while dropping a long trail of suggestions that he favors outlawing political speech that he deems misleading or challenges his claims to power.
In a speech Friday in Aurora, Colorado, the Republican presidential nominee blasted the immigration system and lobbed a rhetorical grenade at his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She’s a criminal. She’s a criminal,” said Trump, who was found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in his New York hush money trial. “She really is, if you think about it.”
It’s a pattern of messaging that has long been part of Trump’s stump speeches but has escalated significantly in his 2024 candidacy. In the final stretch to the Nov. 5 election, the former president has developed a tendency to claim that speech he disapproves of is illegal, even if it is protected by the First Amendment.
A questionable cut of a “60 Minutes” Harris interview? “Totally illegal,” Trump wrote on X, saying it makes Harris […]
John B. Alexander, Contributing Writer - Daily Kos
Stephan:
John Alexander lays it out, and I agree with him. The clock is ticking and you will see what kind of country you will be living in based on what happens on the 5th of November.
Credit: Amazon
America is a unique concept based on trust and confidence. Once trust and confidence are lost, the failure of the system is inevitable. At this time there is an existential threat to the continuance of our nation as it has survived for 246 years. That concerted effort is led by Donald Trump, and his MAGA sycophants who are willing to destroy the nation to support a cult of personality. The ultimate narcissist, Trump is prepared to burn the country down in pursuit of his personal ambition to return to power.
There are no words to describe how shamelessly egocentric this move is, and at the expense of the minions who blindly follow his persistent lying. Even though many of the lies are provably wrong, and evidence prominently published, Trump supporters adamantly reject the facts in favor of his traducements. Trump rightfully believes that repetition on his version of events is sufficient to satisfy his generally unsophisticated base. With aplomb Trump invokes Joseph Goebbels dictum for inculcating the “Big Lie.”
There are several glaring current examples that have exacerbated the situation. These are events that Trump, and […]
Here is an aspect of the election I have not seen anyone else discussing. What Mark Stern is writing is historically accurate, and I want to point that out. In my view the Electoral College should be abolished.
The MAGAt Republicans in the House, led by Mike Johnson, perhaps the worst Speaker of the House in my lifetime, are not willing to end their attempt to retain power and actually help ordinary Americans. This story should tell every voter in a state impacted by the hurricanes Helene and Milton that if they want relief they better vote only for Democrats.
An aide to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), seen here on Capitol Hill earlier this year, said Congress would act on disaster relief “upon its return in November.” Credit: Francis Chung / Politico
Hurricane Milton’s rampage is not swaying House Republican leaders who oppose returning to Washington to approve billions of dollars for disaster assistance.
President Joe Biden on Thursday said lawmakers should return to Capitol Hill “immediately” from their preelection recess, echoing pleas from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the afflicted states.
But despite questions about the solvency of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster fund, House Speaker Mike Johnson and top appropriators insist the agency can manage just fine — for now — with the $20.3 billion that Congress freed up for it late last month. That money is for the fiscal year that ends next Sept. 30.
Biden urges Congress to return for emergency storm response fundingSharePlay Video
“To be clear: Congress will act again upon its return in November to address funding needs and ensure those impacted receive the necessary resources,” Athina Lawson, a spokesperson […]
