Independent Thought

Democrats Now Favored To Take Back Senate Control In Latest Election Forecast

Independent Thought — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 01:55:57 GMT

Let me start by saying this - the 2026 election is still months away & a lot can change between now & November…but things look really good today.

It goes without saying that the country is upset with Donald Trump. Recently, he posted the lowest approval rating for any President in recent history, heading into the midterm election.

And as is tradition in our politics, if the President is unpopular, his Party suffers with him in the election.

We’ve been covering polling across the country for months now. I’ve brought you updates from:

Maine
North Carolina
Ohio
Iowa
Michigan
Texas
Alaska
Georgia

The tide is turning against Donald Trump everywhere, even in a place like Utah, Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is on the decline right now.

Now recent Senate polling has given us an updated look across the country & it looks like numbers are starting to solidify…

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Corporations Spent $60 Million To Defeat Abdul El-Sayed In Michigan...And He Won Anyway

Independent Thought — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:56:22 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing our posts lately. Sharing information is one of the best ways to fight back against fascism! Also, if you’d like more posts calling out the fascist regime, please sign up to be a paid subscriber of our newsletter.
Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I’ve had my eye on this race for months now, but even more so since the primaries at the end of June.

The left flank of the Democratic Party has been challenging the Party’s establishment, across the country this election cycle.

You could say it started last year, with the victory of Zohran Mamdani. Then it was followed by wins in New York City & Denver, by candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

After those victories in June, it seemed the Democratic Party leadership was put on notice. They responded by coalescing around Haley Stevens in the Michigan Senate race. She’s a current member of Congress & backed by Chuck Schumer.

Over $60 million in corporate PAC money flooded into this race to back Haley Stevens against her challenger, Abdul El-Sayed. El-Sayed ran hard against big money in politics, Medicare for all, & ending aid to Israel.

Naturally, AIPAC responded by dumping over $30 million dollars into this race on behalf of Haley Stevens. That’s the most they’ve ever sent on a Congressional primary election before.

Even though Abdul El-Sayed was outspent $60+ million dollars to $7 million dollars, he overcame that 10-1 spending deficit, and won the Michigan Senate primary election.

This is a massive defeat for the Democratic establishment, who pulled out every trick they could think of to defeat El-Sayed in this race.

As each victory for the left flank has emerged, they rhetoric goalpost keeps getting moved.

1st it was: You can’t win a major election - then Zohran Mamdani won
Then it was: That was an isolated event, he had a great social media campaign - then 4 DSA endorsed members won Congressional primaries in June
Then it was: Okay, you can win in deep blue areas, but that will never work in purple areas, or statewide - Now Abdul El-Sayed has won a purple state, statewide.

Now, I’m certain, the next goalpost narrative will be you can’t win a general election with these stances.

Make no mistake, this movement continues to evolve, and I don’t think that will be the last victory this cycle. Keep an eye out for the Wisconsin governor primary election next week. Another DSA candidate is the frontrunner in that race as well. Another statewide purple state race.

For me these results are simple, and they echo what we’ve been talking about in this newsletter for over a year now…

The status quo of the Democratic Party is not good enough, we need something more. We need a party that will actually fight back against the fascist regime in the White House.

The Democratic Party has been pathetic in that fight during Trump’s 2nd term, and the people are pissed. If the current elected Democrats will not step up and reflect the will of the voters, we will replace them.

Keep holding them accountable. Vote out the establishments politicians that refuse to fight for us.

Until next time,

Desmond

Zohran Mamdani Directly Tells Donald Trump That ICE Needs To Be Abolished

Independent Thought — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 01:54:42 GMT

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According to a recent poll shared by CNN, Zohran Mamdani is the most popular Democrat in America right now, and it’s stories like this that make that fact obvious to me.

In a recent interview, the Mayor of New York City explained that he shared his feelings about ICE to the President of the United States.

“I’ve been clear with the president directly when we’ve had conversations around ICE that I believe it’s a cruel agency, I believe it’s inhumane, I believe it does nothing to serve in the interest of public safety, and I believe it should be abolished”

We’ve talked about ICE a lot over the last year and a half, and I’ll say it once again - ICE should be abolished.

It’s a rogue agency that routinely violates the law, kidnaps people, ignores due process, and sometimes murders Americans in the street.

In ICE detention centers, people are starved, denied medical care, physically abused, sexually abused…there’s no redemption for an agency like this.

ICE was formed in 2003, and we can & HAVE enforced immigration laws in America without the presence of this agency, and we must do so again.

It’s imperative that not only does the Democratic Party shift on its support of ICE, but that we the voters, vote out elected officials that continue to support ICE.

Please share this post on Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, or text it to a friend

Zohran Mamdani: “A lot of what we’ve come to accept as the facts of life across our country is driven by democratic socialist principles.
If today you and I were to introduce the idea of a building that lends out books for free, we would be slandered in the same way that so many new ideas are slandered today and yet that’s the library. And the same thing with the fire department and the same thing with public schools”
Two Israeli female soldiers photographed themselves posing beside a young, blindfolded Palestinian detainee who appears to be a minor and proudly posted the image on Instagram.

The post, which circulated widely online and was reviewed by Drop Site News, was uploaded by Israeli soldier Nikol Stelmashvski as part of a 20-photo carousel containing additional images from her time in Gaza. Her account [@ nikol.stel, IG] has since been made private after the photo drew public backlash.

The image is the latest in a documented pattern of Israeli soldiers publicly sharing evidence of Palestinian detainees being humiliated or abused. Such conduct violates international humanitarian law, which prohibits the degrading treatment of detainees.

A third of Democrats now identify as Democratic Socialists according to new CNN poll - A new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds that roughly a third of Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults describe themselves as democratic socialists. ⁠
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Compared with the rest of the party's base, this group skews younger, with 59% under age 45 versus 46% of other Democratic-aligned adults, and includes a higher share of white respondents, 57% to 49%. Members are less likely to hold a college degree, 66% to 54%, more likely to earn under $100,000 annually, 76% to 65%, and more likely to describe themselves as highly motivated to vote among registered voters, 66% to 57%. ⁠
⁠
Democratic socialists back Democratic congressional candidates at nearly the same rate as the rest of the party, 99% to 94%, and hold more favorable views of the Democratic Party overall, 68% to 60%. They are nearly twice as likely as other Democratic-aligned adults to want the party to move left on policy, and the two groups differ on aid to Israel: 48% of democratic socialists say they would welcome a candidate who supports cutting US support, compared with 20% of non-democratic socialist Democrats. ⁠
Republicans introduce legislation to end birthright citizenship in U.S. territories

After failing to overturn birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court, Republican legislators have introduced the “End Birthright Citizenship for the Territories Act” to disenfranchise people born on U.S. soil. The bill targets children born to noncitizen or permanent resident parents in U.S. territories like Puerto Rico, where the Supreme Court has said citizenship is granted by statute and full constitutional protections do not apply.

Anti-ICE protestors sentenced to up to 100 in prison for “terrorism” - A federal judge in Texas has handed down prison sentences ranging from 30 to 100 years to a group of anti-ICE protesters convicted on terrorism charges in March.
Federal prosecutors had accused the nine defendants of being members of an “antifa terror cell” for attending a protest outside the Prairieland ICE jail on July 4, during which fireworks were set off and a police officer was shot and wounded. Among those sentenced was Daniel Sanchez Estrada, who wasn’t even at the protest. He received a 30-year prison term for conspiracy to conceal documents, after he moved a box containing anti-fascist magazines and pamphlets.

Former U.S. Marine Corps reservist Benjamin Song, who was convicted of the shooting, received a 100-year sentence. In a statement, he said he only fired his rifle because he believed the officer was about to shoot another activist. Song said others had been punished just for knowing him, adding, “This is mass punishment. Collective punishment. This is guilt by association. This is injustice.”

In all seriousness, please read this last story again, and then please share it. This may be the most freighting thing I’ve seen all year.

Thank you to everyone that read until the end. A special thank you to the paid subscribers that support my newsletter, even though the economy challenges us all.

Until next time,

Desmond

Norway Imposes Near Ban On Artificial Intelligence In Elementary Schools

Independent Thought — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 10:32:38 GMT

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Some of you have heard me say this before, and a lot of you will hear me say this again — I am deathly afraid of what the future of world looks like, if we don’t seriously tighten restraints on artificial intelligence.

As a child, I grew up watching movies like the Terminator & the Matrix, so yes, I’m aware that there’s a bit of bias baked into my feelings on AI, but that doesn’t downplay the dangers.

Oh and before we move on, I also saw this on Threads yesterday:

Besides the obvious doomsday scenarios, rampant job loss it’s creating, the noise pollution of data centers, and the water crisis it’s worsening…it also has a profound impact on the way our brains are wired.

Passive reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) reduces brain activity, critical thinking, and memory recall.

Neuroscientists refer to the negative shift as "cognitive offloading," where outsourcing mental effort to large language models (LLMs) essentially bypasses the brain's prefrontal cortex. This is the mental equivalent of using a robot to lift weights at the gym—you get the final product (the lifted barbell), but your muscles receive zero workout.

For children and adolescents, the stakes are significantly higher because their brains are actively building neural frameworks, meaning AI over-reliance can stop key cognitive skills from developing in the first place.

Which brings us to our story for today, where the country of Norway has decided that they wanted to mostly ban the use of AI in their schools.

Norway will impose a near ban on generative AI tools for elementary school pupils and restrict their use for older students beginning in late August. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the rules are meant to protect core learning as test scores decline.⁠
⁠
“The most important thing in school is that our children learn to read, write and do mathematics,” Stoere said at a press conference Friday. Students ages 6 to 13 generally will not use AI, while ages 14 to 16 may use the tools under teacher supervision.⁠
⁠
Older students, ages 17 to 19, will be taught how to use AI for further education and work. The policy follows Norway’s school smartphone ban, new discipline rules for teachers and plans to fund more classroom books after years of computer and tablet use.⁠

Personally, I could not agree more with a smartphone & AI ban in schools, but I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Please tell me in the comments what you think of this ban? Do you agree or disagree with it?

Leave a comment

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Donald Trump is weighing military strikes in the country of Mali
Trump, whose administration labels him “the peace president” with a “peace through strength” platform as he openly seeks international peace prizes, is reportedly mulling whether to take action in Mali while mired in a months-long war with Iran, according to The Washington Post.
If approved, the attacks would add to a growing list of nations and international waterways bombed by the U.S. military since 2025. The president has previously ordered strikes in Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen in addition to killing more than 200 people on alleged drug-running boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Mali, one of the largest gold-producing nations in Africa, is among an alliance of military-controlled governments including Burkina Faso and Niger that have largely cut Western ties and turned to Russian forces for security help after recent military coups ousted their democratically elected leaders.
1 in 4 workers stay in unwanted jobs for health coverage, survey finds - A new West Health-Gallup report estimates that 23 million U.S. adults remain in jobs they do not want to keep employer-sponsored health insurance, up from 16% of surveyed workers in 2021 to nearly one-quarter.⁠
⁠
The rate reaches 41% among workers with at least three chronic conditions. KFF found nearly two-thirds of adults worry about affording healthcare, while Gallup reported that only 28% of workers viewed the job market favorably in May.⁠
⁠
Researchers said job lock can limit mobility, entrepreneurship and productivity, with rising costs and the 2025 expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies adding pressure.⁠
Ghost gun company ordered to pay $100 million dollars in the death of a Kentucky teenager, in a historic verdict
A Kentucky jury ordered ghost gun seller Husky Armory LLC to pay $104.2 million after an 18-year-old bought a pistol-building kit online and used the assembled weapon to end his life six days later.⁠
⁠
Henry Willis’ family said the company bypassed federal safeguards requiring background checks and age verification. The award includes $4.2 million in economic damages and $100 million in punitive damages, which Everytown Law called the largest verdict against a gun seller.⁠
⁠
Willis’ mother, Laura Herp, said, “A child in crisis should never be able to access a deadly weapon.” Husky Armory did not respond to the lawsuit or attend the Louisville trial.⁠ Reported by Ground News
Donald Trump has cancelled plans to sharply escalate the Epstein war in Iran - This comes over concerns that Iranian attacks could dangerously drain the Pentagon's already diminished stockpile of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions in the Middle East close to zero, per NYT.

The Pentagon has used more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors in the war at more than $4M each, with cheap Iranian drones and ballistic missiles depleting the US inventory. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine privately cautioned that resuming major combat operations would fully deplete interceptors available to US Central Command.

A senior US official adds that continued strikes have had "the opposite effect of what is intended, keeping Iran cohesive and allowing Iranian leaders to focus attention on an external threat."
Support for Iran war among MAGA Trump voters falls from 50% to 37%
Support for the Iran war among President Donald Trump’s self-identified MAGA voters has fallen as its economic costs grow, according to a Politico Poll. Thirty-seven percent of that group now say the conflict is worth higher prices, down 13 points since May.⁠
⁠
Another 37 percent of MAGA Trump voters support continued U.S. involvement only if costs do not rise, while nearly one in five want the war ended regardless of expense. Among non-MAGA Trump voters, 21 percent say the war is worth higher costs and 28 percent want it ended regardless of cost.⁠
⁠
The poll comes after two U.S. servicemembers were killed in Jordan and gas prices rose above $4 per gallon.⁠

Final Note

I’ll be starting to post some additional video content over on Patreon & I’d love for some of you to head on over and check it out.

Mostly everything over there will be free, but you can sign up for a paid membership if you’d like to support the account.

Here’s the link below to the Patreon account:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Independentthought

Until next time,

Desmond

Hunter Biden Showers Zohran Mamdani With Praise & Calls Him "A Leader"

Independent Thought — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:26:31 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing our posts lately. Sharing information is one of the best ways to fight back against fascism! Also, if you’d like more posts calling out the fascist regime, please sign up to be a paid subscriber of our newsletter.
Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Hunter Biden has been appearing all over social media lately. He’s particularly been active on X, where’s he’s been trolling Donald Trump, JD Vance, and the Republican Party.

Lately, he’s taken to the podcast sphere, where’s he’s had some choice words for our current President. You can listen to the video inside the Substack app.

He also has taken time to address his father pardoning him at the end of his term last year.

Most recently, he sat down with the ladies of the “I’ve Had It” podcast, where the topic of Zohran Mamdani came up. Hunter Biden had this to say about the NYC Mayor:

“I look at Zohran Mamdani and I go: there’s a leader. He made promises and you know what he did? He kept them.

He’s lowering rent, he’s building co-op grocery stores, pre-kindergarten. That’s all people care about. He’s really, really good”

He also went on to discuss how people said New Yorkers would flee the city, but in fact, no one has left. Life seems to be getting better for people in New York City under Mamdani. All the while, the Mayor continues to roll out more pieces of his agenda, to help everyday people in the community.

Here’s a breakdown of how this would work:

After thousands of tenants aired grievances to city officials, the Mamdani administration has made 23 recommendations to prevent rental ripoffs. One includes reducing income and credit requirements for apartment applications.
In a report released Thursday, the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants suggested restricting landlords from requiring both proof of income and a credit check. They also want to force landlords or their brokers to pay for the credit check.
The current system, which often requires an applicant to prove they make 40-times the monthly rent and pay for a credit check, is restrictive for the very tenants most frequently moving, Weaver said. Requiring one or the other will reduce the burden on tenants while still protecting landlords’ ability to choose qualified candidates.
Tuesday’s report includes a roadmap to improving and increasing inspections, mitigating mold, empowering tenant unions and pushing for litigation to improve the apartment application process.
“I spoke with NYers who told me about vents filled with mold, nights spent shivering in the winter… and landlords who, amidst all of this, refuse to do anything about it,” Mamdani said Thursday morning.
Reported by Pix 11

As a renter myself, I cannot stress enough just little the protections are when it comes to our situation with property owners. And unfortunately, it feels like renters rights is an issue that literally NO ONE ever discusses on the campaign trail.

So whether it’s looking out for renters, establishing pre-K for NYC children, taxing the wealthy, creating cheaper grocery stores, lowering cost burdens for small businesses, opening up additional access to public transportation…

It looks like Democratic Socialists can be good leaders.

I think it’s time we give more of them a shot to lead.

More primary elections are on the way in August. Let’s inject some new leadership into the Democratic Party.

Until next time,

Desmond

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Has Died

Independent Thought — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:55:34 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing our posts lately. Sharing information is one of the best ways to fight back against fascism! Also, if you’d like more posts calling out the fascist regime, please sign up to be a paid subscriber of our newsletter.
Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s official X account, posted late last night that the Senator had passed away

Our President, Donald Trump, took to his social media platform to release this response.

I’ve been up for a few hours now, so I’ve had some time to sit with my thoughts about how I wanted to cover this, and I have to tell you…I have nothing nice to say about this man.

Lindsey Graham was an intense warmonger, who thought it was funny how many people the United States was murdering abroad.

Here’s a video of him saying that Trump was “killing all the right people”.

He was also, routinely, more faithful to the concerns of Israel, than he was to the concerns of his own country. Something he was never afraid to express. He even flew to Israel to coach their Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on how he should manipulate Donald Trump into a war with Iran.

He also advocated for Israel to use nukes on Gaza. Which you can see in this video below.

There hasn’t been a war that Lindsey Graham wasn’t willing to sign our family members up for. He was a warmonger, a bigot, and someone who routinely sold out the working class to the elites in this country & abroad.

They say it’s “poor taste” to speak ill of the dead, but if I remember correctly, our President had some choice words when Robert Muller died.

So, frankly, I don’t wanna hear it from Republicans, who normalized this type of speech just 4 months ago.

The world is a safer place now that Lindsey Graham is gone.

Until next time,

Desmond

Trump DOJ Openly Admits To Preventing Epstein Files Investigation

Independent Thought — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 23:07:49 GMT

One thing I know about this audience, is how deeply most of you care about the Epstein Files. My first post, where I shared the files linked to Donald Trump, has been viewed on Substack over 100,000 times, & has brought in over 1.400 new members of our newsletter.

Reading the contents of the article is unsettling. Frankly, my mind goes blank trying to accurately express how horrified I am reading those details.

Since this information surfaced last year, it has been apparent that Donald Trump has done everything possible to suppress this information, or create distractions in the news cycle.

He even fired his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, because he felt she hadn’t insulated him enough from the scrutiny surrounding the files.

Trump has since appointed a new Attorney General, Todd Blanche (his personal lawyer), to head the DOJ. And it seems Blanche is doing everything he can to prevent further investigations into the Epstein Files.

You don’t have to take my word for it. They’re openly admitting as in a recent post online.

For those of you who are new here, or didn’t see them the 1st time around. Here are the Epstein files implicating Donald Trump:

Share this information.

It’s obvious they are doing everything in their power to suppress this information. If Trump had nothing to hide, he wouldn’t go these lengths to suppress this information.

Until next time,

Desmond

Zohran Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep New York Primaries & Oust Incumbents

Independent Thought — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:12:17 GMT

Before we start today, I just wanted to mention today is my birthday! Last year, I had people ask me how they could send me a few bucks for my birthday & to thank me for my work. If you would like to do that, here’s the best places to do so:

Venmo - @DPrice1820

PayPal - indeethought@gmail.com

For months now I’ve been saying the same thing, over and over again - it’s not good enough to just defeat the fascist MAGA Republicans, we must also remove Democratic politicians who have been weak against fascism, or enabled it directly.

I’ve spent countless posts asking all of you to vote in your primary elections & oust these weak incumbent Democrats who haven’t shown up for us.

Tuesday night, New York City voters did just that.

As all 3 of the Democrats that were endorsed by NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, won their primary elections. Two of these candidates, ousted incumbent Democrats in the process.

Brad Lander, who ran for NYC Mayor last year, but dropped out & threw his support behind Mamdani, won his race on Tuesday, blowing out an incumbent Democrat by 30 points. Truly unheard of.

Claire Valdez was running in an open seat, against a candidate that had the backing of every establishment figure in D.C., including the outgoing Representative, but lost by 21 points.

And in the biggest shocker of the night, Darializa Avila Chevalier, who has never held office before, defeats 5 term incumbent Adriano Espaillat. Chevalier said she only entered the race, because she approached her Representative last year (Espaillat), and asked him to speak up for people being detained by ICE within the city, and he declined to do so. It was then, that she decided to challenge the incumbent, openly calling for the abolishment of ICE.

Incumbents also saw defeat in state legislative races as well last night, so the message is clear - the people want change.

If you haven’t had a chance to vote yet - please make sure to show up to your primary election. We need to oust more incumbents! We need to reform this Democratic Party.

Here’s a list of the remaining primary elections this cycle:

Colorado - 6/30
Arizona - 7/21
Washington - 8/4
Kansas - 8/4
Missouri - 8/4
Michigan - 8/4
Tennessee - 8/6
Hawai’i - 8/8
Vermont - 8/11
Connecticut - 8/11
Minnesota - 8/11
Wisconsin - 8/11
Wyoming - 8/18
Florida - 8/18
Alaska - 8/18
Massachusetts - 9/1
New Hampshire - 9/8
Rhode Island - 9/8
Delaware - 9/15

Finally, Mayor Mamdani was asked on MS Now what role Israel has played in the elections this year. Watch the video above to hear his response. You can watch the video by downloading the Substack app.

Available for iOS and Android

Please share this post on Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, or text it to a friend

We had 22 people share our last article outside of Substack. Can we get that number up to 30 this time?

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Joy Behar: “They’re not afraid of the term Democratic Socialism. I’m not scared of the term” -
“Social Security is Democratic Socialism. Unemployment insurance, the people who pick up your garbage, the people who take the fire out at your house. All of these things are Democratic Socialism. People have had it with this right-wing nasty politics that we’ve had to subject ourselves to since this guy got into office”

Zohran Mamdani defends backing challengers to Democratic Incumbents in MS Now interview -

Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Zohran Mamdani has serious “work to do in terms of the conversations that he’s going to have with members of Congress moving forward.” - While Jeffries warned Mamdani the Democratic establishment may be looking for apologies when speaking to CNN in the halls of Congress. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) says New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is going to have to smooth things over with congressional Democrats after backing several progressive candidates who ousted incumbents during Tuesday’s primary elections. (I usually don’t make comments in this section, but I can’t help but be grossed out at this. This is so unbelievably weak and soft on Jeffries’ part. We really deserve a better leader of the Democratic Party). Reported by Huff Post
Representative André Carson just introduced the AI Data Center Moratorium Act in the House - The bill would ban the construction of data centers until Congress addresses the economic, environmental, and safety impacts of AI. Additionally, Carson also introduced the AI Data Center Site Selection Transparency Act of 2026, which would require data centers “to be transparent and to make neighborhood input central to any new development.”
“Data centers cannot come at a cost to American families, who are already facing high grocery, gas, and housing costs.” Reported by Yahoo
Israel's Defence Minister: Israel will not withdraw from South Lebanon, even if the US demands it -
Israeli Defence Minister - Israel Katz

“The IDF is prepared… and we are not retreating,” Katz said in an onstage interview at the Muni Expo conference for local officials in Tel Aviv. “We announced that in any case we are not withdrawing.”

Israel controls a security zone in southern Lebanon that stretches across the entire length of the shared border, and extends up to 10 kilometers (six miles) into Lebanese territory, in some areas crossing the Litani River and reaching the outskirts of Nabatieh.

Katz said that “200,000 [Lebanese] residents will not return [to the homes they evacuated]. Because what happened in the past in security zones where there was also a civilian population [present] was roadside bombs and attacks against the soldiers, and therefore we will not allow that.”

Iran has repeatedly tied a ceasefire in Lebanon to its understanding with the US.

“For us, a ceasefire in Lebanon is as important as a ceasefire in Iran, and further, an end to the war in Lebanon is as important as an end to the war in Iran,” Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in Baku during a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Reported by the Times of Israel

Final Note

If you made it to the end of this article, please comment your favorite meal to eat on your birthday in the comments section. I have no idea what I want to eat for my birthday today & could use some ideas!

Leave a comment

Until next time,

Desmond

Democrat Josh Turek Poised To Flip Senate Seat In Iowa & Could Ultimately Flip Senate Control To Democrats

Independent Thought — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 03:57:43 GMT

Democrats haven’t carried the state of Iowa, since President Obama did it in 2012 & haven’t won a U.S. Senate seat since 2008...but all of that could change this November.

Recent polls coming out of Iowa, are showing Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee, leading Republican Ashley Hinson.

Turek, is a current member of the House of Representatives in Iowa, and his favorability numbers are outpacing that of generic Democrats in the Senate.

For complete transparency, Iowa is 1 of the 3 states I’m least confident in, where it comes to Democratic pickups this November.

On the map below, you’ll see 8 states that are a brown/tan color, these are the tossup Senate races this November, & Democrats need to win 8 of them in order to retake Senate control.

I have strong faith that Democrats will win in Michigan, North Carolina, & Georgia.

I also think the chances are high in Maine & Alaska.

However, I do have my concerns in Texas, Ohio, & Iowa, but let’s focus on Iowa for today.

We saw ample polling that showed that not only was Iowa in play for Kamala Harris in 2024, but that she should win the state. This cam from incredibly reputable pollsters at the time.

However, not only did she not win the state, she was blown out in that election.

With that being said, there is a strong through line from the last few elections that’s important to highlight here, that I want to share now.

Republicans do underperform when Trump’s name is not on the ballot. Whether this is while he is President, like in 2018, which saw a blue wave election. Or whether when he’s out of office, like in 2022, which promised a red wave year, but saw Republicans pick up only modest gains. Republicans don’t perform as well when Trump isn’t on the ballot.
One consistency of the last 2 elections - the economy was not doing well & the party in power was punished for that. I bet you can count on that again, especially in a state like Iowa, where the farming industry has suffered under Trump 2.0. Between tariffs & fertilizer prices (which have gone up because of the Iran war), farmers are hurting across the midwest. Something that Josh Turek has been leaning heavily into in his campaign

You combine these two points with the fact that Republicans have been retiring in masse, trying to redistrict, trying to pass voter suppression legislation, trying to purge voter rolls, & trying to deploy ICE to polling places…yes, they definitely feel vulnerable.

Do I believe the Democrats will flip this seat in November?

It’s hard to say.

As of now, I’m still less confident in Iowa, Ohio, & Texas, only because Republicans are starting from such a huge lead in these states. Trump won each by double digits in 2024. However, I do think all 3 are play & with the right campaign, I do think Iowa is poised to flip.

The economy, the one thing people expected Trump to fix, is in shambles under his leadership.

I expect this will lead to many Republican voters sitting at home this November, & so voting the other direction.

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Tucker Carlson says “there's no chance I would support the Republican party” in this election - How could I support a political party that is not loyal to the United States. I voted Republican my entire life, I have been a consistent defender for 35 years of the Republican party, but there is no defending this. I'm out. Download the app to watch all videos on our posts

Federal judge halts Trump administration effort to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Walz, others in immigration enforcement probe - A federal judge has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to subpoena Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state officials, accusing the Justice Department of using its investigatory powers to retaliate against state officials for not cooperating with federal efforts to crack down on illegal immigration.
In a ruling unsealed Monday, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz found the “dominant purpose” of the subpoenas was to “coerce Minnesota officials into assisting the federal government with enforcing civil immigration law and to harass and retaliate against them for failing to do so.” Reported by PBS
Democratic candidate for Senate (Maine) Graham Platner: “We must codify the right to an abortion.” - “We also must create universal childcare programs, universal healthcare programs, and expand and protect reproductive rights for all. It is the only way we are going to build a future in which every single American can have access to a life of dignity and fulfillment”

Vermont has banned AI chatbot therapy, passing a law that requires a mental health professional to conduct therapeutic services - Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed H.816 on June 17, 2026, barring companies from offering AI-delivered mental health therapy and joining a small group of states that began restricting AI therapists in 2025. The law lets clinicians use AI for administrative tasks but reserves diagnosis, treatment, and therapeutic decisions for a qualified mental health professional or an approved research study. Reported by Recording Law
During separate press appearances on Monday, Vice President Vance told reporters, "We want Israel's security to be protected, and we also want Lebanon's sovereignty to be protected." - These appear to be the first televised remarks by a Trump administration discussing the importance of “Lebanese sovereignty.” Notably, the first clause of the U.S.-Iran MOU officially commits the administration to "ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon."

Vance criticized recent Israeli military operations in Beirut that killed Lebanese civilians with no connection to Hezbollah, calling the incidents "not acceptable" and stating that lasting peace requires ensuring "Lebanon's territorial sovereignty is respected by all parties."
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Until next time,

Desmond

President Obama Takes Multiple Shots At Trump During Ceremony Speech

Independent Thought — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 02:31:21 GMT

Tomorrow, President Obama’s Presidential Center will open in Chicago. Earlier today, President Obama made a speech in front of the new building, where he took a few moments to talk about the state of America, including a few shots at Donald Trump.

“No one is above the law or beneath its protection.
A belief in checks and balances in our government and an accountability that comes with an independent judiciary and a robust free press.
A belief that our military and law enforcement owe allegiance not to any president, or political party, but to the people and our Constitution.
A belief in the peaceful transfer of power, after the people have spoken in fair and free elections.”

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama also made a speech during the ceremony, where she also took a few shots at the Trump regime.

"No one — and I mean no one — has the right to sit in judgment of who's American enough.
A lasting legacy isn't an award or a name on a building or the number of zeroes in a bank account, but the difference we make in one another's lives.

Guests today included former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Joe Biden. Donald Trump was not invited.

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Donald Trump in interview with Axios, says there are “no limits” to his power - President Trump denied that the Iran war revealed the limits of his ability to exert power, telling "The Axios Show" he still believes there are "no limits." Still, Trump denied he was in any way humbled by that experience. Asked what he’d learned from the war about the limits to his power, he said: “There are no limits.” "I haven't learned that lesson yet. I know there are, but there are no limits," he continued.
Democratic Virginia Governor, Abigal Spanberger, signs legislation banning domestic abusers from owning firearms - Abigail Spanberger signed landmark legislation that closes the "intimate partner loophole", effectively prohibiting convicted domestic abusers from owning or possessing firearms. HB 19 and SB 160 - These laws fortify protections for survivors of sexual and domestic violence by prohibiting the transfer of firearms when a protective order is issued. SB 38 and HB 93: These bills establish strict firearm relinquishment procedures, requiring individuals convicted of domestic assault and battery to safely and lawfully transfer their firearms.
Mississippi police open fire into the vehicle of a family accused of stealing diapers, killing 1-year-old Kohen Wiley

Civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Kohen’s family, said the child’s mother has not been charged with any crime and that she says she was “trying to communicate to officers that there was a baby in the car.”

“They fired anyway, leading to the death of an innocent 1-year-old,” Crump said in a statement. “We intend to seek justice for baby Kohen and the life that was stolen from him.”

Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said in a video released through her attorneys that her friend was being pursued for allegedly shoplifting diapers. Reported by ABC News

Israeli drones in Lebanon are using the sounds of children crying to lure civilians outside - Human rights groups, paramedics, and local residents have documented instances of Israeli quadcopter drones broadcasting audio recordings of babies crying, women screaming, and pleading for help. This tactic has been reported across Gaza and in southern Lebanon.
Psychological Warfare & Luring: Residents and emergency responders state that the recordings are typically played late at night. The tactic exploits basic human empathy and the instinct to rush outside to help those in distress.
Targeting: Witnesses in both Gaza and Lebanon have reported that when civilians, paramedics, or others go out to investigate the distress calls, they are targeted or fired upon by the drones. Observers also believe the tactic aims to exhaust local populations and draw out resistance fighters. Reported by Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor
Vice President JD Vance rebuked Israeli ministers attacking the Iran-U.S. agreement - saying President Trump is “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel” and warning that Israel should not be criticizing “the only powerful ally” it has left.

Vance said Israeli officials should “wake up and smell the reality” of their country’s dependence on American support.
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A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂⁠

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Desmond

Donald Trump's "Peace Deal" To End Iran War Is Likely To Fall Apart

Independent Thought — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:25:49 GMT

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For about 24 hours now, the news cycle has been plastered with people talking about a “peace deal” between the United States & Iran, that is supposed to be signed in Switzerland this Friday, to hopefully bring an end to the war in Iran.

Before we jump into why this deal is likely to fail, let’s first look at the details of the agreement.

These details have yet to be confirmed by the U.S. government, but the Iranian government has released their understanding of the peace deal that will be signed:

$12 billion of Iran's frozen funds to be released before negotiations begin, with another $12 billion during the 60-day final negotiation window.
Oil and petrochemical sanctions suspended.
Full naval blockade lifted within 30 days.
The U.S. commits to non-interference in Iranian affairs, withdrawal of forces from around Iran, and no new sanctions or force deployments during negotiations.
An immediate ceasefire is required on all fronts, including Lebanon.
The Strait of Hormuz reopens within 30 days under Iranian arrangements.
Iran reaffirms its NPT commitment not to produce nuclear weapons.
A 60-day window is set to negotiate a final deal covering nuclear issues and full sanctions removal.
The U.S. and allies must also present reconstruction plans worth at least $300 billion.
Iran's missile program and support for resistance groups are removed from the agenda entirely.
No final negotiations begin until the $12 billion is released, oil sanctions are suspended, and the blockade is lifted.
A supervisory mechanism will oversee implementation, with any final agreement approved by UN Security Council resolution.

Now this isn’t the first attempt we’ve had at a ceasefire/peace agreement with Iran, and every time Iran has come to the negotiating table, they’ve made very clear that they will not agree to any deal with the United States that does not include Israel stopping its attack on Lebanon.

Every discussion we’ve had with them, they have said the same thing. They view the U.S. & Israel as a package deal, and they see Lebanon as one of their allies. So, no deal can be reached as long as Benjamin Netanyahu continues to invade Lebanon.

With that being said, the Israeli government has already come out & blasted this peace deal, with Israeli Defense Minister Katz saying:

The Israeli military will remain in southern Lebanon and warned that if Iran strikes, it will be hit “with full force,” promising that Israel will resist any pressure after the US and Iran agreed a deal to end the war that also reportedly includes a commitment to end hostilities in Lebanon.
Katz insisted that Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon, “despite all the existing pressures and those that will still come.”
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I are leading a clear policy that determines that the IDF will remain in the security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit.”
Reported by the Times of Israel

And if for some reason you’re thinking - “this won’t disrupt the entire deal, surely the United States & Iran can find a way to a peace deal that doesn’t include Israel stopping it’s attacks in Lebanon” …you’d be wrong.

As Drop Site News reported earlier today:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Lebanese leaders that the United States is responsible for implementing the U.S.-Iran memorandum and ensuring a complete halt to Israeli attacks on Lebanon, according to an Iranian readout of his calls with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

For the entire world to see - Iran considers Lebanon a part of the package deal & they will not agree to a ceasefire that does not include the United States forcing Israel to stop attacking Lebanon…but Israel has vowed not to stop.

So here we are, once again, being trapped in a war because of our inability to stand up to Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel has no desire to end its attacks & frankly, they don’t want the war in Iran to end.

Can Donald Trump force Israel to stop its attacks in Lebanon?

The short answer is - yes.

The United States has the ultimate high ground in this scenario, because it supplies Israel with protection & arms. Without the U.S. military protection & the weapons we provide, Israel would probably be overrun by their enemies.

All Donald Trump would have to do, is to threaten to remove aid & military protection, and he would definitely be able to force Israel’s hand. Yet, he seems to be unwilling to play that card, thus locking our country into this stalemate.

It’s hard to say what happens next, but I can’t imagine this peace deal going through with such a large obstacle standing in its way.

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Additional stories I wanted to share:

Vice President J.D. Vance alludes that the $300 Billion reconstruction fund is indeed a part of the U.S./Iran peace deal in CBS interview:

New York Times reports that Trump & Vance strongly considered invoking Insurrection Act in Minnesota to deal with ICE protests - “Vance got to the point. They needed to invoke the Insurrection Act, swiftly, to crush the unrest in Minnesota. It would be painful in the short term, he said, but the message it would send - that paid agitators could not get away with disrupting ICE operations - would make sure no one tried it again. (There was no evidence that either Mr. Pretti or Ms. Good had been paid activists.)”
Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, suspends tax incentives for data centers - Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed a budget bill that imposes a three-year moratorium on new sales tax breaks for data centers, among the most restrictive state-level responses to an industry under fire from residents concerned about energy and water consumption. The moratorium was tucked into an $18 billion budget deal announced last week by Hobbs and Republican lawmakers.
Bots now generate more web traffic than humans - Bots now account for more web traffic than humans, according to Cloudflare Radar data cited by Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince. ⁠
⁠
The dashboard put automated traffic at 57.5% of HTTP requests to HTML content, compared with 42.5% from humans, reaching a crossover Prince had expected by the end of 2027.⁠
⁠
The shift is being driven by AI agents rather than older scraper bots and search crawlers. Prince said at SXSW that a person shopping for a camera might visit five sites, while an agent doing the same task could visit 5,000. ⁠
⁠
The change is pressuring publishers, advertisers and security companies whose systems were built around human users. Cloudflare has introduced tools including Pay Per Crawl, AI bot blocking and a machine-readable format for agents. ⁠Reported by Ground News
More Perfect Union posts video of what it sounds like to live next to a data center. You won’t believe what this sounds like:

⁠

Final Note

I want to give a shoutout to all the new subscribers that have joined Independent Thought in the last month! In the last 30 days, we’ve gained more subscribers than any other month in the last 18 months.

Independent Thought now has over 18,000 subscribers & we’re in 125 countries!

Thank you to everyone for being here. I hope to grow this newsletter into something truly special.

Until next time,

Desmond

J.D. Vance Now Connected In Epstein Cover Up - Please Share This Everywhere

Independent Thought — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 23:41:07 GMT

Democratic Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) went onto MS Now, to talk about the recent reports, that Vice President J.D. Vance held meetings in the Situation Room last summer, regarding how the administration would handle the release of the Epstein files.

This information came from recent reporting from the New York Times.

The reporting states that: the Vice President, the Attorney General, the head of the FBI, the White House Chief of Staff, the White House Counsel, the Press Secretary, the Deputy Chief of Staff, the Comm’s Director, & the Deputy Attorney General, all met without Trump to discuss the release of the Epstein Files.

J.D. Vance took a seat at the head of the table & said “this is a huge problem”, as the members in attendance tried to figure out how they were going to spin this story.

Vance floated the idea that they could ask Tucker Carlson to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, if she would be willing to say that Trump had not been part of any wrongdoing, involving Epstein (obviously, that has not happened, I wonder why…?).

Congressman Garcia is now calling for Vice President Vance to come before Congress, so they can ask him questions, regarding his involvement in this apparent cover up.

It’s been a few months since I posted about the details of the Epstein Files, so I wanted to share them again.

Below of the files that directly mention Donald Trump’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, please share these everywhere:

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The Department of Justice has come out repeatedly and denied these accusations against Donald Trump, but I’ll let you be the judge.

Our national conversation has had a lot of ground to cover with wars in Iran, ICE terrorizing our streets, rampant inflation, daily corruption…it’s a lot to keep up with.

With that being said, we CANNOT stop talking about the Epstein Files & their connection to Donald Trump.

Please share this everywhere.

Donald Trump will continue to flood the zone with new scandals, as a way to distract everyone from this information, so please don’t let him.

This information needs to be seen by everyone.

Until next time,

Desmond

In Order For Americans To Have Universal Healthcare - We Must Remove Politicians That Stand In The Way

Independent Thought — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:01:10 GMT

Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, was caught on tape saying Republicans plan to slash Medicare, Medicaid, & Social Security starting next year.

For those of you with the app, you can play the above clip to hear the audio. For those without the app, you can download it here.

Available for iOS and Android

And for those who are wondering, these cuts he’s referring to, would be in addition to the cuts that are already set to come into effect later this year, thanks to Trump’s “Big, bullsh*t bill”.

Trump’s bill will already impact the healthcare industry by:

PAYGO Sequestration: Because the broader legislation added trillions to the national debt, it triggered automatic spending reductions known as sequestration. This is projected to cut Medicare funding by approximately $536 billion from 2026 through 2034
Physician Payments: The legislation introduces changes to Medicare physician payments and medical student loan structures, which medical organizations warn could further restrict patient access to care.
Trust Fund Insolvency: The combination of benefit cuts and financial reshuffling has accelerated the timeline for when the Medicare hospital trust fund will face insolvency.
Provider Tax Limits: The bill severely restricts state-directed Medicaid payments and provider tax arrangements, forcing states to reevaluate their budgets to either supplement the losses or cut services.
Coverage Loss: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the legislation will result in over 10 million Americans losing their Medicaid coverage.

The "One Big Bullsh*t Bill" will enact the largest healthcare rollbacks in U.S. history, cutting nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and triggering hundreds of billions in automatic Medicare cuts.

We have been talking about healthcare being a human right, how everyone deserves healthcare, how our current system is no adequate enough when you compare it to other wealthy nations.

As bad as the system already functions, Republicans want to gut it FURTHER, while simultaneously calling for the Imperialism (defense) budget to be raised up to $1.5 Trillion dollars a year…

This is a graph of how much money we spend on our Imperialism budget, compared to other countries. Republicans want to add an additional $550 Billion to that number, while stripping your healthcare access at the same time…becasue we can’t “afford” it.

We need to be clear about the situation we find ourselves in - we need to get MAGA Republicans out of power. If you’re a subscriber to the newsletter, you probably already agree with this notion, but frankly, we’re not the problem.

The people who follow Trump maybe too far gone, and after a decade of trying to reach these people, I hardly see the point in trying anymore.

With that being said, there are plenty of people out there that don’t vote, or don’t vote consistently. In fact, you probably know a few of these people. They might be close friends, family members, or even coworkers.

We need to get these people to show up and vote this year. Bully them if you have to lol.

There’s too much on the line, and we can not afford to take a problem like our healthcare system, and make it even worse than it already is.

We’re never going to reach universal healthcare, if Republicans burn down what little infrastructure we have left.

We have to get them out of office this November.

Drag those “non-political” people in your life, to the polls with you.

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Additional stories I wanted to share:

Graham Platner wins Maine Democratic Senate primary & will face Republican incumbent, Susan Collins in general election

Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine. The result sets up one of the most closely watched contests of the 2026 midterm elections. Platner will face the senator Susan Collins, a Republican running for a sixth six-year term, in November. The race is seen as a must-win for Democrats to take control of the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority. Reported by the Guardian

In case you missed it last night, Donald Trump attended the NBA Finals game 3 in NYC. Where he was mercilessly booed. Watch below

CBS News boss Bari Weiss, is poised to oversee CNN editorial operations
CBS News boss Bari Weiss is likely to gain editorial oversight of CNN if and when Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery is approved, according to a report. Paramount executives are said to have held preliminary discussions with several candidates who would come in and run the business-side operations next to Weiss while she continues to oversee editorial. Reported by Axios
U.S. Strikes Southern Iran as Iran Vows Response -

➤ U.S. forces launched strikes against Iranian air defenses and radar installations in southern Iran Tuesday, with CENTCOM confirming the operation was carried out under direct orders from Trump. A U.S. official told Al Jazeera and Fox News the strikes are ongoing. Trump told ABC News: “We had to respond to the downing of the Apache helicopter.”

➤ Explosions were reported in Qeshm Island, Sirik, and Minab — all coastal areas near the Strait of Hormuz — with Tasnim News reporters confirming six blasts fired from U.S. fighter jets. Iranian state broadcaster IRIB confirmed explosions in Qeshm and Sirik.

➤ Iran vowed an immediate response. An Iranian official told Al Jazeera the Apache “was not flying over international waters,” disputing the U.S. justification.

➤ Tasnim cited Iranian sources saying Tehran “will give a definitive response to the U.S. aggression, carried out under the pretext of the Apache helicopter crash.” Arabic news outlets say the highest alert level has been issued at U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar. Reported by Drop Site News
Pentagon raises threat of Israeli spying on U.S. to highest level - The Pentagon is increasingly concerned about Israel ramping up its spying on the U.S., recently raising the counterintelligence threat level from America’s top ally in the Middle East to the highest level, according to two U.S. officials and one former U.S. official.
The Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency in recent weeks issued the new counterintelligence threat assessment amid rising tensions between Israel and the U.S. over the way forward in the war with Iran, the officials said. They said the DIA posted an internal message, viewed by one of the current officials, that raised the level for Israel to “critical.”
The designation stems from concerns within the Pentagon that Israel is making a particular effort to surveil top U.S. officials to get information on the Trump administration’s internal deliberations and decision-making on the conflicts in the Middle East, the officials said. Reported by NBC News

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who supports this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber.
We need 5 more people to sign up, to hit our monthly goal new paid subscribers! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.
A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂⁠

Until next time,

Desmond

Donald Trump CRASHES OUT When Journalist Won't Accept His Lies About "Election Fraud"

Independent Thought — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:44:48 GMT

Kristen Welker, a journalist for NBC News was interview our President yesterday when the discussion completely flew off the rails. In no part because of the questions of the interviewer, but rather the petulant nature of a man who refuses to tolerate dissent.

For those of you who have the app downloaded, you can watch the video above. If you don’t have the app, you can download it here:

Available for iOS and Android

Donald Trump continued his lies that that the 2020 election was rigged, & without proof, said the current elections in California are “rigged”.

Now, I’ve gone over this dozens of times since the 2020 election, and maybe I’ll come back to this later on with a deep dive, but not only was the 2020 election not in fact “rigged”, I can prove that Donald Trump knows that for a fact.

Trump's Voter Suppression Bill FAILS Again In The Senate

Independent Thought — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 23:54:45 GMT

Republican Senators Mitch McConnell (KY), Thom Tills (NC), Susan Collins (ME) & Lisa Murkowski (AK) have joined the 47 Democratic Senators to once again defeat the SAVE Act in the Senate.

Donald Trump’s SAVE Act is aimed at making it harder for people to vote in future elections, as he once again tries to subvert our current systems to maintain power.

After forcing Republican states to redistrict mid-decade (and force primary challenges to anyone who opposed him at the state level), this is the next attempt to effect the 2026 Election.

Democrats oppose the new law for a variety of reasons, including:

Existing Laws: Non-citizens are already strictly banned from voting in federal elections under a 1996 law.
Lack of Evidence: Opponents argue there is no evidence of widespread non-citizen voting in federal elections.
Strict ID Barriers: The bill requires documentary proof of citizenship (like a passport or birth certificate) to register to vote.
Impact on Citizens: Millions of eligible American citizens do not readily have these documents available when registering.
Targeted Groups: This requirement disproportionately affects married women (who changed their names), students, low-income individuals, and military voters.
Increased Bureaucracy: It forces local election offices to handle massive amounts of new paperwork, slowing down the registration process.
Voter Purges: Critics fear the bill’s verification requirements could lead to eligible citizens being mistakenly removed from voter rolls.

With most elections coming down to the margins, MAGA hopes that the combination of redistricting, the SAVE Act, & intimidation of ICE at polling places in November, will do enough to suppress the Democratic vote.

As of today, the SAVE Act has failed again & I’m happy that to say that.

It’s always a good day, when Donald Trump takes another L.

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Lastly, I want to thank everyone who supports this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber.
We need 8 more people to sign up, to hit our monthly goal new paid subscribers! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.
A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂⁠

Until next time,

Desmond

House Democrats Pass Bill To Block Trump From Continuing Epstein War In Iran

Independent Thought — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 04:51:43 GMT

The Epstein war in Iran took a major hit today, as several House Republicans joined all Democrats to pass a war powers resolution, which would force the President to end the war in Iran.

While this in and of itself is worth celebrating, it’s not over yet.

First, the bill now heads to the Senate, where 13 Republican Senators would need to vote for it, before heading to Trump’s desk for him to sign.

If Trump decides to cast a veto, it would be sent back to Congress, where it would need even larger margins to override the veto.

Now, I know what you’re thinking - is this even good news? It sounds like this still has a low chance of actually being enacted…

That’s true, but I’m glad to see momentum going in the right direction.

At its core, Washington D.C. is a largely pro-war community. Representatives in both parties never seem concerned with funding the war machine, or making excuses for whatever foreign conflict we’re involved in.

The first time this resolution came up for a vote, the Republicans successfully blocked the attempt. This time, Republicans joined Democrats to pass it.

At a time when Republicans are being ousted from D.C. for voting against the Regime, a few of them still see how unpopular this war is, and are still willing to vote against Trump.

Even if this vote ultimately fails, I believe another vote will come shortly after, and it will get even more support.

No one wants this war & Republicans may be afraid of Trump, but they’re also afraid of losing their seats in November.

You may see more and more of them vote to end this war, to save their seats in Congress.

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Additional stories I wanted to share:

Pro-war Democrats & Republicans upset with Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her push to pass a Lebanon war powers resolution -
Tlaib is moving forward with a forced war powers vote despite party leadership's efforts to alter the measure to address concerns from more moderate Democrats that it would would hamper current U.S. operations in Lebanon. Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Tlaib’s co-lead on the measure, told Axios changing the resolution would mean having to start the whole process over again and that “we wouldn’t be voting on anything until July. The groups are just tired of waiting,” Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, said U.S. forces in Lebanon are providing services that "need to continue," such as helping the Lebanese Army fight Hezbollah.
CBS News fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley after he criticized the program’s leadership
Pelley, who has worked on the show for nearly 30 years, said new executive producer Nick Bilton had “slender” qualifications to run it and said CBS News editor Bari Weiss “does not love this place.”⁠ “She was brought in to kill it, and she’s been doing exactly that,” Pelley said. In a statement following his firing, Pelley said the following: “New management has instructed me to inject falsehoods and bias into a politically sensitive story. I’ve been told to include assertions that are unverified. To date, in every case, I have managed to ignore these instructions or refuse them. Recently, politicians have been invited to choose correspondents for interviews on the broadcast.” The firing follows exits by Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, who accused CBS of limiting reporting at “60 Minutes,” as Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison moves to reshape the network.⁠
Washington Post reports that recent boom in data centers in Virginia, has residents breathing in exhaust that’s equivalent to 10,000 diesel generators - The 10,500 generators attached to data centers in Virginia produce enough pollution to harm public health even if used rarely, according to a new analysis of emissions permits for The Post.

Operating them for less than an hour per week, on average, can worsen lung and cardiovascular conditions and cause at least three premature deaths each year, the analysis found, based on state air permits and reported emissions from the data center owners.

If all the data center generators in Virginia released the full amount of pollution allowed by state emissions permits, the public health impacts would be several times greater, the analysis for The Post shows. That could cause many more incidents of respiratory problems and 27 premature deaths, concentrated in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Reporter of China State Television CGTN, broadcasting in front of Gaza Shifa Hospital: "I saw with my own eyes that there were at least 10 Palestinian children under the age of 5 without heads."

Sam Forstag, Montana Democrat endorsed by AOC & Bernie Sanders, wins Democratic primary election -
As a resident of Missoula, Montana, I was pleased to see a fellow working class Missoulian win their primary election last night for Montana’s 1st district. I interviewed Sam Forstag a few weeks back on Substack live & that episode is still available for those that want to watch it. Montana’s 1st District is a key race come November, as many believe it will be in play as a potential flip, as Democrats look to reclaim the House from the MAGA Republicans.

Leave a comment

Final Note

Lastly. I want to thank all of the newest subscribers who joined our newsletter in the last week.

We’ve gotten over 1,000 new subscribers to the newsletter since last Wednesday! That’s honestly amazing!

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing our posts, liking the posts within the app, restacking the posts, commenting their thoughts - the newsletter is becoming more and more popular.

I also want to thank the people who have signed up as paid subscribers. Substack subscriptions is currently my main source of income for this work & it means the world to me that 115 people have signed up to support this newsletter.

If you would like to sign up and help me continue this work, you can click the box below to join.

Until next time,

Desmond

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill That Gives Public 50% Profit From AI Companies

Independent Thought — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 01:32:20 GMT

The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would have the government tax AI companies, take 50% of the stock, and put it under public control.

I’m still uneasy about all things AI, but if we’re forced to live in a world where AI is about to dominate so many aspects of our lives, then we absolutely need this to be enacted.

AI is already dramatically changing the landscape of our lives, with pollution, water being siphoned to feed their data centers, the noise pollution of these centers, stress on our electric grid, increased consumption of fossil fuels, and I haven’t even spoken about the job loss yet…yes, we absolutely should tax these companies and use their profits to reinvest into our communities.

This was a passage from Mashable, who covered the story earlier today:

Sanders laid out the case for the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act — a bill that would create a federally managed fund created not with cash, but with stock.
Specifically, Sanders proposes a one-time transfer of 50 percent of equity from companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI to the government.
The idea: since AI is built on the accumulated knowledge, creativity, conversations, and labor of the American people — typically without permission or payment — the American people deserve a cut of the profits.
The fund would acquire half the stock of the largest AI companies in the country through a mandated equity transfer — Sanders is explicit that this is not a profits tax.
The government would then hold voting shares and receive equal board representation at each company, giving it formal power to block decisions deemed harmful to the public.
Revenue generated by the fund would flow directly to Americans as cash payments, with Sanders indicating that, as the fund grows, proceeds would eventually support broader public goods, including healthcare, education, and housing. He points to Norway’s sovereign wealth fund and Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend as working models of the concept.

Again, it’s honestly hard to argue against this position (unless you’re a billionaire, owner of an AI company, or a Republican politician whose paid to be a mouthpiece for the billionaire class).

The AI industry is set to make hundreds of billions of dollars of year & that will come with a heavy cost to all of us.

This proposal is radical - it’s just common sense.

Something to remember the next time you hear someone refer to Sanders’ policies as “extreme”.

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Additional stories I wanted to share:

After numerous artists drop out, Trump names himself “headliner” for 250th anniversary event - President Donald said on Truth Social that he had directed aides “to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally on Wednesday, Washington, D.C., same time, same location,” after several artists pulled out over concerns that the event had become connected to politics. ⁠
⁠
Martina McBride, Young MC, Bret Michaels, and the Commodores were among the acts that withdrew, with McBride saying on X that she “was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.” Young MC wrote on Facebook, “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.” ⁠Reported by Ground News
Water shortages worsen across Cuba as oil supplies dwindle, due to Trump blockade of the island - Donald Trump has had our military blockading the island nation of Cuba for months now, not allowing the import of any oil, which has caused many internal systems to collapse. Cuba, a country of 10 million people, is already without electricity on most of the island, which has put many hospitals on the brink of collapse. Nearly 3 million Cubans face daily water shortages as the country’s water system runs on 37% of the fuel it needs, officials said.⁠
⁠
Antonio Rodriguez, president of the National Institute of Water Resources, said fuel shortages, aging infrastructure, stalled imports and reduced credit have weakened water service. The shortages come as Cuba faces power outages lasting up to 20 hours under the blockade of President Donald Trump.⁠
Iran warns Israel over Lebanon as Netanyahu vows attacks will continue - Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said he told Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that if Israeli crimes in Lebanon continue, Iran will not only halt U.S. dialogue but “stand firmly” against Israel.

Netanyahu, undeterred, said he confirmed to Trump that “the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon” — signaling that despite Trump’s earlier claim of a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, Israel has no intention of halting its offensive.

The Iranian Government is once again showing that it is unwilling to agree to any ceasefire with the United States, that does not include a ceasefire between Israel & Lebanon. Israel continues to show that it is unwilling to stop its attack on Lebanon for any reason, thus trapping the U.S. in a war with Iran.
Trump tells CNBC: ‘I don’t care’ if Iran negotiations are over - “I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less,” Trump told CNBC’s Eamon Javers in a phone interview midday Monday, saying he thought the protracted discussions “started to get very boring.”
Trump had been asked about the prospect of Iran ending talks with the U.S. in light of reporting earlier Monday that Iranian negotiators would take that step — and also move to “completely block” the Strait of Hormuz — due to Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah.
Asked if the Iranians told him that they are not going to negotiate further, Trump said, “No, they haven’t.” Trump said he was “going to ask” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “what’s going on with Lebanon.”
Here’s Why w/ Kevin Ortega-Rojas is the best place to stay up to date on the updates coming out of Delaney Hall - I’ve had quite a few people ask me for updates regarding the ICE detention center in New Jersey that needs to be shut down. has been posting invaluable updates on Threads & I highly suggest checking out his account to stay up to date on what’s happening on the ground. He’s been posting multiple times a day, from the site.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who supports this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber.
We need 10 more people to sign up, to hit our monthly goal new paid subscribers! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.
A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂⁠
Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Until next time,

Desmond

For America To Move Forward - The Criminals Of The Trump Regime Must Be Prosecuted

Independent Thought — Fri, 29 May 2026 04:21:16 GMT

In 2023, Donald Trump was found liable by a jury, for sexual assault against E Jean Carroll.

Carroll successfully sued Trump on sexual assault & defamation, which Trump has since appealed to the Supreme Court.

Yesterday, Trump is now using his DOJ to “investigate” Carroll to see if she committed perjury. The new investigation is being led by the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.

So now the man who was criminally convicted for sexual assault, is using his power as the President of the United States, to go after the woman he assaulted & still owes millions of dollars to.

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The amount of blatant corruption coming from the White House is staggering:

Defrauding his own supporters with a crypto meme coin
Looting $1.776 Billion from the Treasury to pay his January 6th rioters
Instructing the IRS to never audit him or his family again
2 of his sons are directly working for companies that have been given government contracts worth hundreds of millions
World leaders gifting Trump with property in return for United States backing
Insider trading happening on a daily basis inside the White House
Using his office to prosecute political opponents
Abducting world leaders & holding them hostage
Threatening countries with war if they don’t give up their territory
Threatening to steal elections
Forcing Republicans out of office how dare to challenge him publicly
Having his government refuse Court orders

This list could continue for several pages. It’s cartoonish. The level of corruption is beyond anything we’ve ever witnessed before & Washington has always been filled with corruption.

We’re sitting in 2026 & it’s hard to imagine what life will look like after Trump leaves in a few years.

But I have to say…

Under no circumstances - can Donald Trump and the members of his government be allowed to go free from prosecution when this is over.

Democrats have to vow that there will be trials & there will be jail time.

No functioning society can allow its leaders to operate like this. It’s not enough to remove these people from office.

They must be put on trial for what they’ve done.

Do you agree or disagree? Please tell me your thoughts in the comments below

Leave a comment

Additional stories I wanted to share:

ICE attacks peaceful protesters outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey:
You can watch the video above on the Substack App

ABC accuses Trump’s FCC of ‘unconstitutional retaliation’ in station license fight - ABC is laying the groundwork for a landmark First Amendment fight. On Thursday, ABC filed paperwork to renew its local TV station licenses “under protest in response to an unlawful, arbitrary, and unconstitutional order” by the Federal Communications Commission. ABC attached an extraordinary objection letter that accused the Trump-aligned agency of using “unconstitutional retaliation and coercion” to threaten speech. The filings came one month after the FCC ordered ABC to submit renewal applications for all eight of its owned stations, even though the current licenses don’t expire for years. “The only plausible reason to issue the order is to punish the station for speech the government does not like,” ABC argued in Thursday’s letter. Reported by CNN
55 people killed, 187 people injured in Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday - The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced today 3,324 killed and 10,027 injured across the country since March 2nd. Over 25 people killed in Israeli attacks across Lebanon on Thursday, L’Orient Today reported.

Reuters reports 20% of Lebanon is now under forced evacuation orders.
New reporting from Reuters indicates that Israel has issued evacuation orders covering 20% of Lebanon, far beyond the "buffer zone" it previously announced to the Litani River.

More than half of the evacuation orders were *north* of Litani.

Gaza tactics in Lebanon. Reported by Drop Site News

New poll shows Democrats with their highest lead of the cycle on the Congressional ballot:

5. White House pushes Congress to approve $250 bill with Trump’s image - The White House is pushing Congress to approve a $250 bill bearing Donald Trump’s portrait, the US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, said, which would require changing longstanding federal law that prohibits any living person from appearing on US currency.

Speaking from the White House at a news conference, Bessent said the bill would be in celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence, and that the treasury has already started preparing for the possibility of the new currency.

“As treasury secretary, I have two mandates for US currency at present: that no living person can be on US currency, and the currency must say ‘In God we trust’,” Bessent said. “So, right now, there is proposed legislation in front of the House, in front of the Senate, to change the first requirement, so that a living person – Donald J Trump – could be on the $250 bill.”

I know I don’t normally comment on these small stories…but WTF is this? The Republican Party is a humiliation to this country. This is so pathetic.

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Lastly, I want to thank everyone who supports this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber.
We only need 5 more people to sign up, to hit our monthly goal of 10 new paid subscribers! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.
A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂

Until next time,

Desmond

California To Impose 100% Tax On Trump's January 6th Slush Fund

Independent Thought — Thu, 28 May 2026 02:13:10 GMT

Remember when Republicans said that the only people that rioted at January 6th were Antifa, FBI agents , or some “left wing agitators”?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Well, after denying that the riot was committed by Trump cultists for years, Donald Trump took office last year & preceded pardon over 1,500 January 6thers.

However, that wasn’t good enough. The Jan. 6thers also demanded reparations - you know, those things we just can’t do for Black or Indigenous people in America.

Donald Trump obliged, creating a $1,776 Billion slush fund of taxpayer money, to give to Jan. 6thers.

Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced that the state of California will be taxing 100% of payments received by Jan. 6thers who live in California.

California will impose a 100% tax on payments distributed under the Trump administration’s nearly $1.8 billion fund for victims of alleged political “weaponization,” the state’s Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Wednesday.
“One thing I ‌think we’re going to try to do ... is tax 100%. Anyone from California who receives any of those funds, we want to tax 100% of those proceeds and that’s an action the state of California can take,” Newsom said. “It’s an action we look forward to taking.”
"(The fund) could potentially compensate someone who assaulted a ⁠police officer, admitted their guilt, got convicted, got pardoned and now we're going to pay them for that? That's absurd," said Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Thom Tillis is not running for re-election in North Carolina, so that’s why he’s actually willing to speak out against Trump…in case you were wondering.

A similar bill has been proposed in New York, but as of now has not been officially brought forth.

At a time of blatant corruption, this is the only appropriate response.

I have spent my fair share of time on this newsletter, calling out the rampant weakness that infects the Democratic Party, so I also want to give credit when I see the right move being taken.

Some will argue that it’s obvious that Gavin Newsom will be announcing his candidacy for President next year, and this is just an attempt for him to boost his popularity.

My response - so be it.

Regardless of his motivation, this is the right move. I hope more states follow suit.

Democrats must fight back, or we should replace them with fighters who will.

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Pentagon has troops in place to attack Cuba at Trump’s command - Trump has floated an invasion of the country after blockading the country, depriving it of oil & causing nationwide blackouts, failed to topple the Cuban government. The armada in the region is slightly smaller than it was in January when the U.S. captured Maduro. But the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group entered the Caribbean in May, along with several guided missile destroyers and cruisers that can launch precision missiles at targets onshore. An array of advanced American drones and surveillance aircraft have also circled Cuba for months, according to flight tracking sites. Reported by Politico
U.S. military kills another person in latest boat strike - The U.S. military carried out another strike Tuesday on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person and leaving two survivors. The Trump administration once again claimed the vessel was carrying drugs without providing any evidence. Since September, the Pentagon says it has killed nearly 200 people in strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The attacks have been widely condemned as illegal. Reported by Democracy Now
U.S. officially breaks ceasefire with Iran, launching missile attacks in Southern Iran - The US said it carried out strikes in southern Iran on Monday, targeting missile positions and boats it said were laying mines near the Strait of Hormuz. ⁠
⁠
Iranian officials reported explosions near Bandar Abbas, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it had downed a US drone and fired at other aircraft entering Iranian airspace. ⁠
⁠
The reported attacks come as the US and Iran continue talks over a proposed agreement involving a 60-day ceasefire extension, renewed access through the Strait of Hormuz, and further negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.⁠
Tennessee man that was jailed for 37 days for Charlie Kirk social media post, awarded $835,000 settlement - Tennessee officials agreed to pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Larry Bushart, a retired police officer who spent 37 days in jail over Facebook posts about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Prosecutors dropped the felony charge in October.⁠
⁠
Bushart was arrested in September after refusing to delete memes about Kirk’s death, including one showing President Donald Trump with the words, “We have to get over it,” a quote the meme said referred to a 2024 school shooting in Iowa. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems told news outlets he knew the meme referred to Iowa, but said residents feared it targeted a Tennessee school with the same name.⁠
⁠
“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday. Cary Davis, an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said, “Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.”⁠
⁠
New Zealand citizen and Gaza flotilla activist, said an Israeli soldier detaining him told him: “I’m a crazy MF. I’m going to hurt you every minute you’re with me.” - Activists detained by Israel while on a flotilla attempting to deliver aid to Gaza have returned home, with organisers alleging abuse, sexual assault, and beatings, that left some detainees ‌in hospital.
Hāhona Ormsby, a New Zealand citizen said for roughly two hours, the soldier largely kept that promise: punching him repeatedly, knocking him unconscious, and running his head into a wall during a strip search.

Ormsby said the soldier approached him naked with a taser, stating he would taser his genitals. A second man, not in uniform, intervened, before the soldier struck him in the genitals instead.

Ormsby said he was urinating blood that night. He also described having his cable-tied hands placed over a chair while the soldier punched him in the stomach and kneed him in the back, aggravating a prior spinal fusion injury.
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Final Note

I want to thank everyone who has been supporting the newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber. It honestly helps out more than I can describe & I’m hopeful it will one day allow me to expand production of Independent Thought.

Thank you.

Until next time,

Desmond

For those who read until the end, please do me a favor.

Please share this article again. Too many people have stopped talking about the Epstein Files.

We need to change that.

Republican Redistricting Effort In South Carolina Is DEFEATED - Major Blow To MAGA Agenda

Independent Thought — Tue, 26 May 2026 23:42:50 GMT

Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn’s, lone Democratic Congressional seat in the state of South Carolina, is safe for today. The MAGA plan to eliminate his district has been defeated.

We’ve been spending an uncomfortable amount of time talking about redistricting on this newsletter over the last couple months.

Republicans are showing just how afraid they are of losing their majority, by trying to erase Democratic seats off the map.

After watching Texas erase 5 Democratic districts out of their state, and the Supreme Court gut the Voting Right Act, I assumed the dominoes would continue to fall, but today the MAGA plan hit a roadblock in South Carolina.

South Carolina state senators voted Tuesday against a plan to advance a new congressional map, putting a pin in the state’s GOP-led redistricting push amid the national back-and-forth ahead of the midterms.
“I can no longer support the passage of this bill for one simple reason: South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today,” Republican state Sen. Richard Cash said in a release. “Neither my conscience nor common sense will allow me to stop an election that has already begun.”
Tuesday’s move effectively blocks the plan from further action before the midterms. Reported by The Hill

While Republicans in South Carolina will never admit it, they know these redistricting efforts are only going to backfire in their face. It will increase turnout against them & they will still lose their majority.

As of right now, Republican efforts to redistrict have been put on hold in South Carolina, Louisiana, & Alabama. If anything changes on that front, I’ll be sure to bring you an update.

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Additional stories I wanted to share:

Alabama Federal Court Judge has blocked a Republican map to eliminate one of two majority-Black districts in the state

A panel of federal judges on Monday blocked Alabama from using congressional district maps that would dilute the votes of Black people in the 2026 midterm elections.

The ruling in U.S. District Court in Birmingham, Alabama, which found that the maps “intentionally discriminated based on race,” sets the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether the maps, which were first proposed in 2023, can be used by Alabama this year.

Protestors in Greenland were outside the U.S. embassy chanting “Go Home USA.” - Hundreds of Greenlanders gathered outside a new American consulate in the capital Nuuk on Friday to protest against Donald Trump’s ambition for greater influence over the island. The protest capped a week in which the US president’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, made his first trip to the territory, a semi-autonomous part of Denmark. “Our government already told Donald Trump and his administration that Greenland is not for sale,” said Aqqalukkuluk Fontain, who organised the protest. Reported by the BBC
Hundreds of ICE detainees in New Jersey start hunger strike to protest inhumane conditions inside the facility - “The conditions are brutal,” said Selenia Destefani, a managing attorney and CEO of Nova Law Group, which represents people in the facility. “People just sleep on the floor – overcrowded rooms, cold showers, no food, extremely cold in the cells with no blankets. Not sound conditions to live in.” Detainees with medical conditions like cancer and diabetes can’t access medical care, said Alex Minogue, another attorney at Nova Law Group. Reported by CNN
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes across southern Lebanon killed at least 31 people on Tuesday, including 4 children and 3 women, while wounding 40 others - Fourteen people were killed in Burj al-Shamali near the southern city of Tyre, home to a Palestinian refugee camp, Lebanese authorities said. Israel carried out more than 180 strikes across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Tuesday, local media accounts report, despite the U.S.-brokered “ceasefire.” - Reported by Drop Site News
Kamala Harris is calling for an “expanded playbook” to strengthen democracy — including discussing Electoral College reform, Supreme Court expansion, rules for SCOTUS including consequences for lying to the Senate, multi-member districts, and D.C./Puerto Rico statehood:
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who supports this newsletter by becoming a paid subscriber
We only need 5 more people to sign up, to hit our monthly goal of 10 new paid subscribers! If you’re able to sign up & support this account, I cannot thank you enough.
A monthly subscription costs about the same as a cup of coffee 🙂
Independent Thought is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Until next time,

Desmond

Independent Thought

Democrats Now Favored To Take Back Senate Control In Latest Election Forecast

Corporations Spent $60 Million To Defeat Abdul El-Sayed In Michigan...And He Won Anyway

Zohran Mamdani Directly Tells Donald Trump That ICE Needs To Be Abolished

“I’ve been clear with the president directly when we’ve had conversations around ICE that I believe it’s a cruel agency, I believe it’s inhumane, I believe it does nothing to serve in the interest of public safety, and I believe it should be abolished”

Additional stories I wanted to share:

In all seriousness, please read this last story again, and then please share it. This may be the most freighting thing I’ve seen all year.

Norway Imposes Near Ban On Artificial Intelligence In Elementary Schools

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Final Note

Hunter Biden Showers Zohran Mamdani With Praise & Calls Him "A Leader"

“I look at Zohran Mamdani and I go: there’s a leader. He made promises and you know what he did? He kept them.

He’s lowering rent, he’s building co-op grocery stores, pre-kindergarten. That’s all people care about. He’s really, really good”

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Has Died

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s official X account, posted late last night that the Senator had passed away

Trump DOJ Openly Admits To Preventing Epstein Files Investigation

Share this information.

Zohran Mamdani-Backed Candidates Sweep New York Primaries & Oust Incumbents

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Final Note

Democrat Josh Turek Poised To Flip Senate Seat In Iowa & Could Ultimately Flip Senate Control To Democrats

Additional stories I wanted to share:

President Obama Takes Multiple Shots At Trump During Ceremony Speech

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Donald Trump's "Peace Deal" To End Iran War Is Likely To Fall Apart

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Final Note

J.D. Vance Now Connected In Epstein Cover Up - Please Share This Everywhere

In Order For Americans To Have Universal Healthcare - We Must Remove Politicians That Stand In The Way

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Donald Trump CRASHES OUT When Journalist Won't Accept His Lies About "Election Fraud"

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Trump's Voter Suppression Bill FAILS Again In The Senate

Our last post was shared outside of Substack 16 times. Can we make it 20 this time?

House Democrats Pass Bill To Block Trump From Continuing Epstein War In Iran

Our last post was shared outside of Substack 18 times. Can we make it 20 this time?

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Final Note

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill That Gives Public 50% Profit From AI Companies

Additional stories I wanted to share:

For America To Move Forward - The Criminals Of The Trump Regime Must Be Prosecuted

Additional stories I wanted to share:

California To Impose 100% Tax On Trump's January 6th Slush Fund

Additional stories I wanted to share:

Republican Redistricting Effort In South Carolina Is DEFEATED - Major Blow To MAGA Agenda

Additional stories I wanted to share: