Trump is a danger to consumers and benevolent energy sources.

(Click here)

The Rhode Island Block Island Offshore Wind Farm is probably the most studied environmental project (click here).

Why would any president order wind farms to be delayed if not dismantled? Corruption. There is no other answer. The economic delay of the offshore energy is litigable. The federal authorities engaged in racketering and need to be sued for it's interference.

Today, Trump's administration is offering grants for ONSHORING energy. 

Why?

The American people have already spent money on such energy infrastructure as offshore wind farms. Why spend more? The courts are already saying interference by Trump is illegal. So, now he will simply spend more money to fund an industry already served. 

These are more minor attempts at energy efficiency. There is no reason to substitute these projects for projects like offshore wind farms that provide energy to power some of the most inefficient uses of power. Every little bit helps, but, these are not substitutes for real power generation.

May 7, 2026

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) (click here) Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation today announced $52 million for 20 projects across 15 states to enhance the competitiveness of American industry and support the onshoring of American manufacturing. Selected projects will accelerate the development of secure, affordable energy technologies in trade-exposed industries to reduce reliance on imports while driving economic growth and supporting job creation for American families and businesses across the country....

Michigan Medicine is the state's premier health network. It isn't going anywhere, however, Blue Cross and Blue Shield might be.

By Jack Springgate
May 7, 2026

 
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (click here) is telling members who go to Michigan Medicine to start looking for other providers.

The insurance company's contract with the healthcare system ends on June 30, and negotiations for a new one have been unsuccessful so far.

University of Michigan Hospital patients like Larry Prout Jr., who's had more than a hundred lifesaving operations there, say his family is facing major out-of-network medical costs or giving up their 20-year relationship with University of Michigan doctors if Blue Cross Blue Shield and Michigan Medicine can't agree to a new contract by the deadline.

"I don't know what we would do. Stay at Michigan Medicine, and that's all we would have to do, and just figure it out," said Larry Prout Jr.'s mother, Kathryn Prout....

The profits the insurance companies are making is obscene. Blue Cross and Blue Shield can complain all they want, but, they are offering very minimal payments to the health care providers. This year alone the copays have increased at least five times higher than last year. Blue Cross, Blue Shield has moved Schedule one medications under the Affordable Care Act to schedule three or four. These are well established medications that are no longer protected by patent rights. This is nothing short of profiteering at the expense of it's subscribers. No doubt if BCBS were going to pay more to Michigan Medicine the subscribers would be the first to feel it. 

It is time to seek out better coverage, not abandon the doctors and nurses that take on the toughest cases in the state.

May 6, 2026
By Bruce Japsen

Health insurer Oscar Health (click here) swung to a $679 million first quarter profit – the highest in company history – as its health plan membership jumped more than 50% and medical costs eased.

Oscar, which grew to 3.2 million health plan members as one of the nation’s largest providers of individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, on Wednesday reported net income of $679 million, or $2.07 per diluted share. That compares to $275.3 million, or 92 cents in the first quarter of 2025.

Founded in 2012, Oscar had yet to turn a profit for a full year until 2024, but Mark Bertolini -- the former chief executive officer of Aetna who was tapped as Oscar’s top executive in March of 2023 and his team – have delivered on their promises as they remain bullish on the individual health insurance market even as rivals are retreating. This year’s first quarter profit was several times what the company made last year and the year before.

Oscar’s revenue rose 53% to $4.6 billion from $3 billion in the year-ago quarter thanks to the 56% increase in health plan enrollment from 2 million last year after Oscar expanded sales of its health insurance products into new markets for this year.

The USA should reassess it's need in the region.

A large swath of the Straits of Hormuz belongs to Iran. There is no way at this juncture the USA military can believe it is in the least appreciated by Iran. Quite the contrary it is a threat. As a threat there is no way any country can expect Iran to stand down from it's state of readiness to survive any other attack sent it's way. With that reality comes the need to reassess and realize the peril the USA is creating for the global economy. Iran needs to be left alone to develop it's sovereign waters and allow passage of friendly ships. Not every ship is going to be considered friendly or desirable. 

The USA should escort any ships in the region considered in danger while standing down from any blockade or interruption in Iran's movement within it's own sovereign waters. As a reference point, Oman believes it has an agreement with Iran for peaceful intent for it's shared waterway. I think Oman's ability to broker a peace with Iran should be reinstated.

Any military activity by Iran is below the threshold of aggression into war. That reality is one that has sustained for some time and must be respected. It may very well be that is the only level of attack Iran is capable of with it's depleted infrastructure. Waiting for something greater to act on is hideous no matter how this is viewed. The USA needs to be underway to remove itself as a threat and allow Iran the authority it needs to establish conditions for passage through it's sovereign waters.

May 7, 2026
By Adam Schreck, David McHugh and Russ Bynum

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military (click here) said it intercepted Iranian attacks on three Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and “targeted Iranian military facilities responsible for attacking U.S. forces.”

The exchange occurred Thursday as U.S. Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said in a social media post. U.S. forces intercepted “unprovoked Iranian attacks” and responded with self-defense strikes, it said.

The U.S. military said no ships were hit. It said it doesn’t seek escalation but “remains positioned and ready to protect American forces.”

Iranian state media said the country’s armed forces exchanged fire with “the enemy” on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 people. It also houses a water desalination plant.

Iranian state media also reported loud noises and defensive fire in western Tehran. In southern Iran, explosions were heard near Bandar Abbas, semiofficial Iranian news agencies said. The reports from the Fars and Tasnim agencies did not identify the source of the blasts.

I congratulate the Crowned Prince.

This is a clear understanding Saudi Arabia wants peace with Iran. It is a wonderful realization and hope for peace for the region.

Saudi Arabia is the understood leader of OPEC. With the UAE leaving OPEC the organization had to reflect on it's future and the future of petroleum at all. The production from Saudi Arabia fell by 7.76 barrels of oil a day because of Trump's war. The remaining OPEC countries have increased production to attempt to stem the increasing global impact. Saudi Arabia had unearthed an oil pipeline that lie dormant for sometime in order to begin an alternate route than shipping. Other countries have begun land routes to move their oil. 

Moody's Analytics warns oil at $125 could trigger a global recession (click here)

Moody’s Analytics' Gaurav Ganguly expects the conflict to ease soon, with Asia-Pacific growth around 4% this year. He cautions that a prolonged Middle East conflict would drive oil prices higher, and warns Brent crude at a sustained $125 could trigger a global recession.

Iran's sovereign waters are it's to manage. I don't blame them for not only seeking control but an attempt to bring fiscal solvency to it's country.

I realize the reputation Iran has in the world, but, in reality it never has really been let up of the mat. Iran, since the revolution, has had the Free World putting pressure on it's governing regime to bring about change. As a result the country, perhaps no different than North Korea, believes it's sovereign state relies on weapons of mass destruction as well as terrorism. 

Iran currently has no plans to recover any military nuclear program. There is no proof one exists currently or will in the future. The attacks by Trump's orders have caused widespread damage to Iran's infrastructure as well as civilian death. It is very difficult to believe the current leadership of Iran has not reflected on that loss to realize the future may be nothing but danger if nuclear war technology was resumed. 

(Click here)

...A refusal by Saudi Arabia to allow the US to use its bases and airspace to provide a military escort for oil tankers passing through the strait of Hormuz lay behind Donald Trump’s decision to shelve the plan days after it had been launched.

Riyadh told the White House it would not allow its Prince Sultan airbase to be used to mount the operation billed as Project Freedom, which the US presented as the successor to the bombing campaign called Operation Epic Fury.

Saudi Arabia refused to drop its objections despite a personal call between the crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, and Trump, NBC reported....

Trump and Netanyahu think they are achieving goals.

They are not. They are making the world less viable for capitalism and many may think that is a good thing. When the very militaries they are exploiting for their hegemony are supported by capitalism their venture is headed to doom.

Trump has managed to either crash over Iran, either through friendly or hostile fire every form of USA military technology. The opposition, including Russia and China no longer have to send spies to steal secrets, Trump just has to get pissed off enough to drop bombs. 

Iran successfully mastered the American drone to sell it to Russia. Ukraine is paying the price. Now, Iran has radar and F35 technology. It won’t be long before the Iranian F35 will be in the skies. The Iranians don’t need nukes, they have USA war capabilities.

Trump is an enormous existential threat.

Netanyahu is killing again.

Beirut is not a place where attacks should be happening. Israel has no right to do this. The IDF must stop random killing of civilians because a leader of some kind is in Lebanon. If there are crimes, chargeable recognized crimes of a so called leader of a group of believed to be terrorists Israel has no right to carry out extrajudicial killing. That is what The Hague is for. 

The indulgence of pure power to carry out unilateral killing is a violation of international law. The United Nations Security Council has not convened to first understand the problem Israel is pursuing nor is there a UN Security Council directive voted into effect. 

Additionally, the Israeli Prime Minister and Israeli Defense Minister are unilaterally deciding who lives and who dies. That is a violation of international law. The ceasefire has been violated unilaterally by Israel.

The Lebanese Prime Minister has been open to dialogue and cooperative in eliminating any threat to the people of the region. If there was nothing recognizable in dialogue and diplomatic initiatives it MAY be a different dynamic.

The Lebanese authorities, military, and police have been disavowed by Israel as a valid authority by these unilateral attacks involving innocent citizens. Simply because a radical leader that hates Israel is among the citizens that does not constitute the right to randomly bomb neighborhoods because it is located somewhere geographically. Israel may have great intelligence but that does not interpret into extrajudicial killing. What the intelligence does allow is greater validity to the authorities of Lebanon to pursue dangerous individuals. If the IDF wants to work with Lebanon it may prove helpful. Lebanon has a responsibility to protect innocent people from such unjustified attacks.

This is unjustifiable and outrageous violence on the part of an Israel. It has to stop.

(Click here)

The UAE is correct, Trump is resuming violence.

(Click here)

Trump is outside the 60 day window allowed by law of the USA.

The UAE went out of its way in friendship to leave OPEC and produce more oil to assist a world economy disrupted by Trump. You know, the guy that received the flying palace as a gesture of good will and friendship. 

The Prince of the UAE is making the same mistake that PM Netanyahu made. They expect trust and loyalty. Trump has neither. 

Trump attacks in hopes his audacious acts of violence will meet with approval by some invisible American tribe of people who will play well into his politics. This isn’t about Iran or the Straits of Hormuz, it is about popularity and being a political superstar.

The UAE is feeling the sting of disrespect. Trump got what he wants from the UAE. It turned its back on a family of countries it was affiliated with for decades if not a century. Amazing how Trump was able to con the UAE into submission to his will. Trump is all powerful. He is God.

The fact of the matter is that Iran demanded Trump withdraw the USA Navy from the Persian Gulf. When Trump didn’t comply Iran showed its aggressive side. Trump loved it. It was an excuse to start the war all over again.

We don’t know how Iran will conduct itself if left alone to its sovereign state. We do know how Iran will conduct itself when faced with brutality and no alternatives.

This blog…

…is non-profit with the sole purpose of teaching. As an educator I am exempt from costs affiliated with using published materials. Besides providing valuable opinions based in the truth, I have educated people here and other venues regarding conservation and climate. I have credentials. I also like my privacy. 

This blog has been in existence for over 25 years with unimpeded messaging. I expect the same will continue as a democratic act in sharing should be. I hold no special rights to any of my opinions and the facts I site. This is an open source of information based in the truth. 

Get out of the Persian Gulf

Real patrols may be necessary in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia and Egypt would know what is necessary. Iran does not want others in their sovereign waters. I would think that should be clear by now. 

Ships are rerouting through the Red Sea. Countries with oil to sell are also using land routes. 

By continuing tensions with Iran, Trump is way past 60 days of course correction. 

 

$1.4 trillion US

- to expand USA borders

- to eliminate the Shi’ites

- to carry out atrocities within the borders of the USA against the people 

That is a lot of hate along side the self-righteous ideology.

I think Trump is afraid of NATO.

(Click here)

(Someone is on Google is attempting to censor me.) The images in my library won’t post to the account from this device. It is deliberate. I could use a different device. I think people should know how desperate Trump is to have control.

What would NATO be like without the USA? 

Better question.

What would the USA do if NATO was more powerful? I believe at this point of depletion due to Hegseth’s enormous number of attacks and lost jets Trump and Hegseth are worried NATO is more powerful than the USA.

Now.

With the Senate about to take up funding for ICE and Border Patrol it is important to think about the response the people should make if the raids and killing break out in the country again.

Evacuation is always a good idea, but, what if the world formulated a different solution. A solution that required an invading force to protect citizens from their own government. An occupying force in the USA. What if NATO allies decided to end Trump’s coup? What if NATO came to protect innocent lives?

I believe Trump and his minions have played out such scenarios over and over and came to the conclusion NATO is an existential threat to their racketeering. 

Just sayin’.

MAMA

Make

America 

Moral

Again

Pellet?

(Click here)

What the heck kind of gun was the assassin carrying if all that was found in the vest was a single pellet? 

He couldn’t assassinate a squirrel.

This is malpractice.

Hegseth testified. That was testified. Hegseth testified he required 2X, 3X, 4X of the munitions he had upon taking his cabinet seat. He testified he had already used years worth of munitions over the year he is Secretary of Defense. Hegseth has expectations of annihilating populations of people far more than he already had if he is demanding 2X, 3X, 4X the number of munitions amounting to at least $1.4 trillion produced at new munitions plants. New munitions plants. That was new munitions plants that would be in addition to what already exists. Trump and Hegseth see themselves destroying civilization with stockpiles after stockpiles of munitions with a never ending supply.

Trump himself stated on national television he already won the Iran War but he wanted to win by a bigger margin. In other words he wants genocide. 

The USA was never attacked.

The USA was never attacked.

The USA was never attacked.

The Caucasians in the Trump Administration believe the White House is white in color for a designed reason. In other words the Caucasians have a building gifted by their god as a sign of who should be living on Earth.

A ceasefire is not a restart of an autonomous executive branch killing campaign.

Trump and Hegseth in lock step with Israeli aggression began a killing campaign on February 28, 2026. The war powers act is in full force for this killing campaign. The USA Navy has been misdirected in carrying out a naval blockade that resulted in deterioration of the global economy. That naval blockade is still in effect. The naval blockade is not mutually exclusive from Trump’s killing campaign of Shi’ites. They are the same strategy and Trump needs to stop the aggression. He is outside his powers of the presidency. 

The killing campaign is not a war. Trump is killing people, specific people and destroying a country’s infrastructure when it was never a threat in the first place. Trump ended a perfectly good diplomatic effort to contain Iranian nuclear weapons. He has replaced the diplomatic treaty with a killing campaign that has consumed children in it. 

Trump is outside the parameters of the defense of the USA with obvious war crimes facilitated by Hegseth.

Iran never had the capacity to reach the USA with missiles. Israel was and remains perfectly capable of defending itself. There was never a reason for the violence forced upon Iran. Besides Israel and the USA there have been no other country in the Middle East that has taken up arms against Iran. In actuality it is the complete opposite. Oman has brokered a peace for the region to allow for economic functioning. Trump insists unilaterally on complete distribution of that peace. 

Trump cares nothing for our allies and insists they need to assist in his killing campaign. For what? Iran is not a danger to them? Nor is Iran a danger to the USA. The entire idea that Iran has nuclear capacity is a fabrication. Iran has no nuclear capacity and if it is seeking to recover any old uranium from old destroyed sites, to end the danger of leaking nuclear radiation into the environment. It is called a “clean up” of the most irresponsible bombing of nuclear facilities in the history of the world.

Trump and Hegseth’s killing campaign is a grossly obvious war crime. It must be ended.

The IAEA must find a way to safely enter Iran to direct the clean up of Trump’s irresponsible radiation pollution into the environment.

The American people have lost soldiers, jets, munitions in a year of killing when there is no enemy. There will be no replacement for the loss brought to the USA of it’s defense assets because we probably didn’t need all that in the first place, but, we sure don’t need to validate the approval of genocide.

This is malpractice.

There is no way a year at sea is justified. The missions were not sanctioned by Congress, and the USA had no threat level from either Venezuela or Iran. Israel's war for dominance is not a justifiable war. The Middle East needs to come to terms with each other and support common values while religious differences are tolerated.

It is good to have the Ford on it's way home. The soldiers need a break. Family needs to see their soldiers. The Ford needs to be assessed and restored to national defense level service. Battle ground repairs are only temporary.

(Click here)

Congratulations Democrats.

It isn't everything everyone wanted, but it is a darn good start for the minority party in the Senate and House. I guess it is debatable as to if Republicans are learning respect for the citizen. I hope they are. It is called murder when an innocent protester is killed by government agents.

April 30, 2026

by Brittany Bernstein

The House passed a bill (click here) on Thursday to fund most of the subagencies within the Department of Homeland Security after a 76-day shutdown of the department.

Lawmakers approved the DHS funding measure that was passed by the Senate more than a month ago to fully fund subagencies that do not carry out immigration enforcement, including the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

President Trump is expected to sign the funding bill shortly.

Republican lawmakers now plan to advance a separate bill to fund Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Trump's administration lives in a different orbit than reality.

This is the White House Press Secretary lying to the public. No one is responsible for the shooter's actions except the shooter himself. When is Leavitt going to admit Trump creates an environment of hate that permeates throughout the country and results in acts like this?

The members of this administration have all drunk the Kool-Aide. There is no dealing with them and they are determined to lie their way all the way through this presidency to justify their actions. 

Leavitt is guilty of "The Daily Big Lie." She is conducting official business as the White House Propaganda Secretary. In Russia it is called the Politburo. The administration across the board is not interested in the well being of the people. Trump made a video, right? Him flying over the people of this country dropping feces over the country. This is how a mature and responsible president conducts himself? And who exactly is responsible for that behavior, Democrats? 

No one of his staff will admit Trump is a very strange and unpredictable person. It is like there are two Trumps, the one that appears acceptable to the public and their is the evil Trump that manifests in all this mess he does all day long like the videos and tweets. He is a crazy SOB full of hate for the people of his country and no one in his administration will admit it. Imagine reporting to work at the White House only to find your boss is fomenting hate and creating videos that illustrate the hate he has the voters of this country. What was that video all about shape up or I'll shit on you more than I do now? 

That video reminded me of an actual Russia war relic that flys over the intended people and drops radiation particles all over them. It is real and exists. I think Trump if given half a chance at never being convicted of war crimes would like to do exactly all of Americans. He is a sick SOB.

April 28, 2026

Days after an armed man (click here) stormed the White House Correspondents Dinner, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed a finger at Democrats, including some prominent Massachusetts lawmakers, and alleged without evidence that they incited violence against President Trump.

The comments she alluded to described Trump as “a wannabe dictator” and a fascist, and encouraged people to protest, but did not call for acts of violence.

During a press briefing on Monday, Leavitt said that “crazed rhetoric about the president” from members of the Democratic Party inspire violence like what was seen on Saturday, when a man tried to storm the correspondents dinner. Authorities have charged the suspect with the attempted assassination of Trump.

Leavitt’s examples included comments by Massachusetts senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey. Leavitt also quoted Representative Ayanna Pressley of Boston....

Of course, Hegseth committed war crimes. It is a fact. Why hasn't he been indicted?

The problem is that the Republican majority refuses, that was refuses, to do anything except sit on their hands. They are not ignorant to the fact there were extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean Sea. When are they going to do something about it?

Best I can tell someone set Hegseth straight as to the crimes he was committing and somehow that is okay and nothing more need be done. Secretary Hegseth is a walking talking war crime boss with our military. He is drunk on Trump and can't understand why the public finds Trump objectionable. It is ridiculous.

Extrajudicial killing is murder. The entire episode of this administration is nightmare after nightmare. Military leaders, one after another refuse to carry out anymore unreasonable orders and they leave. They aren't respected. For Hegseth it is his way or the highway. He is a disaster as a leader. 

April 29, 2026

On CNN’s OutFront, Rep. Seth Moulton (click here) alleged that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth committed war crimes by orchestrating a maritime strike against boats in the Caribbean, asserting there was insufficient confirmation that the targets were narco terrorists and suggesting they were fishermen feeding their families. He criticized the initial attack and a subsequent strike on survivors, likening the actions to wartime precedents that resulted in executions. The remarks frame the episode as a controversial use of force with potential legal and ethical ramifications, while inviting comparisons to World War II conduct. The exchange highlights partisan critique over civilian casualties, military escalation, and the administration’s narrative around narco trafficking. Ongoing scrutiny and political fallout are possible as the debate over rules of engagement persists....

Alito - All Politics All The Time

(Click here)

What in the hell is an unconstitutional gerrymandering?

I guess when they let Texas gerrymander its pre-ten year districts that was supposed to put the Republicans over the top. Damn California came along and did the same thing.

Jeeze!

I guess it isn’t working out quite the way the Corrupt Republicans expected. See, the Republicans are smarter than everyone else and when they aren’t then media blitz takes over to sell the corruption of it all. 

Alito has painted himself into a corner and now whenever districts are likely Democratic they are illegally gerrymander.

I have a question. Just one.

Of all the states seeking to find victory for their party by gerrymandering how many are racist in their districts? Because that what Alito is saying. He is saying the Black Louisiana (Speaker of the House Louisiana) district is racist? 

I think the conservative Justices have a lot of explaining to do. The USA census is basically becoming meaningless. It is supposed to service the best outcome of the people. It provides really good information about how Americans are doing, how well the country is growing, as well as distributing congressional districts in the House of Representatives. 

Districting should only occur one every ten years and WITHOUT political boundary lines. What Alito did today was to say ONLY his boundary lines matter, only his political ideals matter. 

This decision by the Supremes puts a huge band of corruption straight on this entire movement against equity. We are going so far into political dynamics ruling this country when it comes to education of children we are all the way back to Brown vs. Board of Education. 

This decision today brings into focus the ideals of the conservative justices in their interpretation of the USA Constitution.

They are wrong.

They are wrong.

They are wrong.

The Roberts Court has been nothing but controversial in its decisions regarding race. They need to be reviewed. A review would reveal where the USA Constitution has been misdirected in their decisions, how, and why. It will provide noa roadmap for course correction that will assist the Senate in approving or disapproving appointments. 

Elections matter. THE VOTE is how Americans are heard and NOT controlled.

There is no such thing as unconstitutional gerrymandering. In all honesty,  gerrymandering is unconstitutional; period!

Unconstitutional gerrymandering is an oxymoron. It has no real definition. Gerrymandering is political manipulation. That is unconstitutional. How can an unconstitutional concept be unconstitutional in a way that is supposed to correct the path of decision makers? Alito is looking for control NOT ethical governance. The entire of the USA Constitution is supposed to provide ethical governance. There is no control within the will of the people except in the Rule of Law dealing with crime. Other aspects of governance is about ethical content in decision making.