Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) stopped by Hannity Wednesday night to discuss the latest developments in Iran, including President Trump’s blockade and the state of the Iranian regime.

Kennedy says President Trump has Iran by the “yin yang,” and the regime has been “gutted like a fish.”

“Here’s what I’ve learned from our conflict with Iran. Number one, if you turn the other cheek, Iran will just stab you in the neck,” Kennedy said. “And, number two, whether you like him or not, any fair-minded person would have to conclude that President Trump has oranges the size of beachballs.”

“The whole world knows now that America will fight, especially our enemies, and the regime in Iran.”

Kennedy added that “We could come home tomorrow and [say that] we’ve won.”

A $60k charge for your own court transcripts? That’s what concert pianist Jayson Gillham is up for in his case against the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, on top of the $45k for a 15 day trial. What’s the scam with the claim that justice is open to all?

What’s the scam with the Federal Court? Is justice blind or bought?

by Michael West

As reported here, the Federal Court charged Simon Turner, the coal miner suing BHP, almost $2k for half a day of transcripts in his own case, his own evidence. The scam is, as with Gilham, the transcription service has been privatised so the money goes to a foreign multinational – VIQ Solutions – for a digitised AI service which the Court could have provided itself.

US think tanks play a central role in shaping military strategy and future conflicts, embedding a long-standing logic of war that allies are expected to support.

The national security establishment in the United States is a wonder to behold – the days when it was thought sufficient to describe it as the military-industrial complex have long gone. Comprehensively described it is now a complex made up of the military, the Congress, defence industries, universities, think tanks, and prediction markets, a Wurlitzer of interconnected organisations with discrete functions all of which are directed towards the objective of maintaining US supremacy through force, most often expressed as war. Force and war are in their shared DNA.

The interim report by the Royal Commission established after the Bondi massacre recommends changes, with the broader issues of ‘social cohesion’ yet to be addressed. Stephanie Tran and Kim Wingerei report.

The interim report of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has been released. The report contains 14 recommendations, five of which remain confidential.

The Bondi massacre interim report is out. Don’t mention the G word

by Stephanie Tran and Kim Wingerei

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for an end to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and said that "if the relevant conditions are met, Germany stands ready to contribute militarily to guarantee the freedom of maritime routes." 

Merz was speaking amid a visit to a military training ground in Münster in Lower Saxony on Thursday with Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. 

He said that he had lobbied at a European Council meeting in Cyprus to "increase the sanctions pressure on Iran, because if Hormuz remains blocked, that has massive economic consequences for all of us."

The English King is weighed down by medals but never fired a shot, apart from at a hapless grouse. Trump marched the ten thousand men to the top of the hill, can't bring them down again. And elbows the Fake Queen...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_t2fOUx-eQ

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Things did not go according to plan. Iran struck back against US bases and Gulf energy infrastructure, blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, and with its government still intact, now insists that any peace deal leave its nuclear program off the table. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s approval rating is in freefall and his NATO ‘allies’ have deserted him while struggling to deal with the economic fallout at home.

60 days later: The US-Israeli war on Iran so far

Donald Trump’s misadventure in the Persian Gulf has become a quagmire

During the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II, Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida developed a set of postwar foreign and security policies that came to be known as the Yoshida Doctrine. Masataka Kosaka has defined the doctrine as follows: (1) Japan ensures its national security through an alliance with the United States; (2) Japan maintains a low capacity for self-defense; and (3) Japan spends resources conserved by the first and second policies on economic activities to develop the country as a trading nation.1 

The Yoshida Doctrine as a Myth

BY Yoneyuki Sugita*

The Japanese Journal of American Studies, No. 27 (2016)

The Chinese government has agreed to co-operate with ‌Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says, suggesting China could ‌loosen curbs on exports imposed amid supply disruption from the Iran war.

“We believe this is an ‌important step, but it is the first step,” Wong told reporters in Beijing, adding that the aim of her trip was to press for Chinese co-operation “in particular for the provision of liquid fuels”.

Wong is in China as part of a three-country tour that also includes Japan and South ‌Korea, with ‌Australia seeking to ⁠keep ties with China on a steadier footing while co-ordinating ​with regional powers on energy security.

Australia, which imports most of its fuel, has faced localised shortages since the Middle East conflict that began in February.

Within hours of an armed gunman’s attempt to enter the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, attended by top administration officials and hundreds of journalists, President Donald Trump did what he does best: use the assassination attempt to defend his ballroom project.

Trump turns the WHCD shooting into a pitch for the White House ballroom

On Tuesday, King Charles III delivered a speech to Congress full of the stuff President Trump opposes. 

During his remarks, Charles mentioned that the Magna Carta—the foundational legal document signed by England’s King John in 1215—was cited multiple times in U.S. law, noting that it brought about limits on executive power.  

RUSSIA buried UK, French, Polish, and Swedish officers ALIVE under the Rubble of the Hotel ‘UKRAINE’

MARGINALLY SAD: RUSSIA BURIED UK, FRENCH, POLISH, AND SWEDISH OFFICERS ALIVE UNDER THE RUBBLE OF THE HOTEL ‘UKRAINE’

Against this backdrop, it is especially worthwhile to pay attention to the Russian attack on an object located in the northwestern part of the city of ‘Sloviansk’. In particular, we are talking about the Hotel ‘Ukraine’. It is authentically known that this hotel was hit by an Iskander ballistic missile. It is noteworthy that 15 minutes later, this hotel was also hit by 3 Geranium kamikaze drones. All this indicates that the Russians were purposefully hunting for someone……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD_86vrN6E0

The Trump administration is intensifying its pressure on ABC, days after Donald Trump called for the network to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

A UK House of Commons Defence Committee report pointing out the unlikelihood of successful AUKUS delivery has just been published. What’s the scam?

The scam is the Australian Government continuing to insist on spending hundreds of billions on a faltering submarine-building program while cutting billions from the NDIS.

The 65-page report – a year in the making – found that delivering SSN-AUKUS will be a lengthy and complex undertaking requiring a sustained financial commitment from the UK government across several electoral cycles. The report stated, “It is deeply concerning that there are signs that

the investment pipeline that underpins that commitment has already faltered.