President Trump posted on social media on Thursday that he had a “very productive” call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-says-he-wrapped-call-with-putin-calls-it-very-productive/
A viral exchange between conservative commentator Jeffery Mead and an unidentified Black woman sparked widespread discussion online this week after both questioned the Democratic Party’s long-standing political hold on Black communities.
The unidentified woman began by pointing to what she described as a noticeable improvement in safety and quality of life under President Donald Trump’s leadership.
“I’m always going to be the person to say it, and I don’t want to be the person to say it, but Donald Trump has been president for nine months, nine months, and I’m seeing videos from Chicago, DC, where people like, Yo, I feel safe. My kids feel safe. This is the best thing he ever did for us,” she said.
She questioned why such change seemed to happen so quickly after years of the same problems under Democrat-controlled leadership.
“So what was happening all these years that this sh*t like, literally, I’ve known DC and Virginia to have this type of sh*t going my whole life, and I’m, I’m in my 40s, okay, almost touching it. So what was really, truly going on if a motherf**ker became president nine months ago and cleared that sh*t out just a flip of the pen. I’m just thinking like, Did y’all really ever care?”
Mead responded that her frustration was justified and pointed to what he believes is a deeper political incentive at play.
“She’s asking the right question, because these areas are controlled by Democrats,” Mead said. “But the best way to understand people is to pay attention to their incentive structures. Democrats are not incentivized for black Americans to do better.”
He elaborated that the Democratic platform thrives on division and dependency.
“If you think about the Democrats platform, it’s about making everybody a victim,” Mead said. “If you’re black, the system’s racist and it’s against you, and we are the people who are going to fix that problem for you. Those Republicans, they’re racist. If you’re gay, they don’t like you because you’re gay. If you’re a woman, they don’t like you because you’re a woman. If you’re an immigrant, they don’t like you because you’re an immigrant.”
According to Mead, the Democratic Party keeps voters loyal by discouraging accountability and promoting the belief that success is limited by systemic forces.
“The reason you’re struggling is because of history, racism in the system. It’s not your decision making. It’s not you making poor decisions,” he said. “But here’s the thing, if they can keep you focused on everything except accountability and your own personal agency, that makes you a perpetual voter for Democrats.”
Mead argued that this dynamic keeps Black Americans politically dependent.
“You will continue to believe that the reason you and your people are not succeeding is because the system is racist and it’s against you, and you believe the Democrats are fighting to fix that system, when in reality, the system is not against you,” he said. “The biggest reason black Americans are now struggling is because of black Americans, our mindsets, our belief systems, the way we go about things. The system is no longer the primary factor. It’s us.”
He warned that genuine progress within the Black community would threaten Democratic dominance.
“If Black Americans start taking accountability, making better decisions and doing better, they will need the Democrats less,” Mead said. “Then the Democrats will actually have to be accountable for getting things done. As long as black people think white people and Republicans are racist, Democrats are like, Oh, we got it locked.”
Mead concluded that real success would force Democrats to change their playbook.
“If Black Americans start doing better and start catching up with the other races, and they start thinking, maybe this place isn’t that racist, Democrats have to have a new talking board,” he said. “They have to do something different to continue to get the black vote. That’s more work, and it’s more dangerous for their political power. So again, it actually works in Democrats favor for black people to continue to struggle. It doesn’t actually help them if they actually fix our problems. So simply put, Democrats are incentivized for black people to continue to struggle.”
https://www.lifezette.com/2025/10/viral-video-exposes-democrat-failure-wake-up-and-ask-the-right-questions-watch/
**Kansas SNAP Funding Controversy: Attorney General Kris Kobach’s Claims Debunked by Gov. Laura Kelly’s Administration**
Kansas SNAP funding was reportedly at risk of losing $10.4 million, according to claims made by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in a lawsuit filed against Governor Laura Kelly’s administration on September 8. However, these assertions were officially refuted by the Kelly administration on September 30 through a series of press releases, which addressed the most significant claim regarding the potential loss of funding for families depending on the SNAP program.
The Kelly administration stated, “After the USDA rejected the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Corrective Action Proposal, DCF filed an appeal with the USDA. The filing of that appeal immediately prevented the USDA from withholding the $10.4 million. The State of Kansas has not lost any SNAP administrative funding, and the program continues to operate as usual.”
Moreover, the administration revealed that Kobach made these allegations without conducting prior research or consulting with the Governor’s office. These unsubstantiated claims caused unwarranted panic among Kansas SNAP recipients and raised questions about the continued availability of their benefits. Gov. Kelly was quickly and repeatedly blamed despite no substantial evidence supporting Kobach’s accusations.
In response, Governor Kelly remarked, “Had the Attorney General met with my office prior to filing his lawsuit, as my office had requested, we could have explained the issue without having to go through the time and expense of the court.”
The Kelly administration also clarified that its decision to withhold certain SNAP recipients’ information went beyond Kobach’s claim that Gov. Kelly was “making a show of resistance to the Trump administration,” a statement never issued by anyone in Kelly’s office. Both DCF Secretary Laura Howard and Governor Kelly have expressed distrust of President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring states to share more detailed information about SNAP recipients to prevent fraud.
Secretary Howard explained in an interview with the *Kansas Reflector*, “The release of information isn’t about detecting fraud because those procedures are already in place.” Since effective fraud detection measures were established, Governor Kelly concluded that complying with the federal request to provide additional personal information could potentially violate recipients’ privacy.
Despite this, Kobach characterized the refusal as a “political demonstration,” without providing impartial evidence to support his claim.
Concerns about the Trump administration’s intentions were echoed by multiple parties. U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney of California ruled against the federal agency’s effort to enforce this new policy after states raised worries that revealing such data could compromise sensitive applicant information—including income, family details, and immigration status—potentially facilitating mass deportations.
Although the Kelly administration did not participate in this lawsuit, its reasoning aligned with that of 21 states involved in the legal challenge.
Governor Kelly addressed the situation on social media, criticizing the “attacks” against her as “childish” and “idiotic.” She stated on X:
> “As public officials, we should be bigger than that and better than that. Kansans face serious challenges; many are just trying to make ends meet, and they expect us to be focused on their problems, not wasting time on idiotic memes. I’d like to invite the Republican officials who I know also disdain these types of silly attacks to join me in trying to restore a basic sense of civility to our politics.”
At the time of publication, Governor Laura Kelly could not be reached for further comment.
https://kstatecollegian.com/2025/10/16/kansas-snap-funding-accusations-examined/
**Former U.S. Embassy Security Guard in Norway Convicted of Espionage for Russia and Iran**
A former security guard at the U.S. Embassy in Norway was convicted of espionage on Wednesday after a court in Oslo found that he had spied for both Russia and Iran. The 28-year-old Norwegian man, whose name has not been made public, was sentenced to three years and seven months behind bars.
The defendant acknowledged the facts presented in the indictment but denied any criminal guilt. Prosecutors revealed that he handed over sensitive information, including details about the embassy’s diplomats, floor plans, and security routines, Norwegian state broadcaster NRK reported.
According to NRK, the man’s actions were reportedly influenced by American ties to Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza, which motivated him to reach out to Russia and Iran.
### Defense Response
In a statement issued Thursday, the man’s defense attorneys questioned the espionage verdict under Norwegian law. Attorney Inger Zadig of Elden Law Firm stated:
“He lied about having security clearance to agents from other countries and exaggerated his own role. He had roughly the same level of access as a janitor at the embassy. The information he shared was worthless and neither separately nor collectively capable of harming individuals or the security interests of any state.”
The defendant was found guilty of five espionage-related charges but was acquitted of gross corruption.
### Next Steps
The defense team is currently considering whether to appeal the verdict. Prosecutor Carl Fredrik Fari has also indicated that his team may appeal the sentence, as the state had originally requested a prison term of more than six years.
### Background
At the time of his arrest last November, the man was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in security and preparedness at Norway’s Arctic University (UiT). This case marks the second espionage-related incident linked to UiT in recent years.
In a notable prior case, a guest researcher at UiT, arrested on espionage allegations in 2022, was revealed to be a Russian national named Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin, who had been posing as a Brazilian named José Assis Giammaria. He was later involved in a major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last year.
### Norway-Russia Relations
Norway shares a 198-kilometer (123-mile) border with Russia in the Arctic. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Norway has implemented strict entry restrictions for Russian nationals, reflecting heightened security concerns in the region.
https://www.clickorlando.com/news/world/2025/10/16/a-former-security-guard-at-the-us-embassy-in-norway-is-convicted-of-spying-for-russia-and-iran/
Zohran Mamdani is intensifying his efforts in Jewish outreach by holding private meetings with rabbis and other community leaders across New York City.
These meetings aim to engage with individuals who oppose his stance on Israel, fostering dialogue and understanding despite differing views.
Through these conversations, Mamdani seeks to build bridges and address concerns within the Jewish community regarding his position on the issue.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/nyregion/mandani-jews-israel-palestine.html
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The other day, I searched for some of my articles regarding the housing issue and, much to my surprise, read an artificial intelligence summary of my position that misstated it entirely. It claimed I am associated with NIMBYs, and dozens of similar mischaracterizations will surely make their way to his desk next year.
In effect, Governor Newsom and the California Legislature are now making AI policy for the entire nation instead of Congress, which is extremely troubling for the future of the industry.
This year, Newsom waited until the deadline but issued an unusually lengthy and detailed veto statement of AB 1064 that touched on the key points:
While I strongly support the author’s goal of establishing necessary safeguards for the safe use of AI by minors, AB 1064 imposes such broad restrictions on the use of conversational AI tools that it may unintentionally lead to a total ban on the use of these products by minors. AI is already shaping the world, and it is imperative that adolescents learn how to safely interact with AI systems. We cannot prepare our youth for a future where AI is ubiquitous by preventing their use of these tools altogether.
Supporters expressed dismay that Newsom wasn’t protecting the children, but good intentions do not necessarily lead to good legislation.
The tech industry ended up supporting Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 243, which imposes a series of mostly reasonable safeguards on chatbot developers. Unlike others, it does so without obliterating the federal Communications Decency Act provisions that protect online platforms from facing the legal liability of publishers.
Newsom mentioned SB 243 in his AB 1064 message by noting that it “requires operators to disclose to minors that they are interacting with AI and prevent chatbots from producing sexually explicit material.”
As with all regulation, it’s best to start slowly in a way that negates obvious harm rather than impose some massive revamping of an industry. California should have learned that overly broad efforts always have negative, unintended consequences. But I don’t expect that it has learned any such lesson.
So, for now, California and the nation dodged a bullet. But, as Thierer noted, it might be a good time for Congress to disarm these meddlesome state legislatures.
And, as usual, Americans need to verify all the information they read, with parents taking a lead role regarding their kids. It’s a fool’s errand to expect the government to do it for us.
Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. Write to him at [email protected].
READ MORE:
– Self-Driving Cars Becoming Unstoppable
– Another Transit Shakedown of Taxpayers
https://spectator.org/newsom-goes-easy-on-ai-for-now/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=newsom-goes-easy-on-ai-for-now
MANILA, Philippines — The proposed one-month income tax holiday would primarily benefit the middle class, exclude low-income workers, and strain public finances without guaranteeing equivalent economic and social gains, GlobalSource said.
Senator Erwin Tulfo has proposed what he called an “extraordinary measure” in response to the “resounding clamor” to “return the people’s money” amid a widening…
https://business.inquirer.net/552760/globalsource-proposed-tax-holiday-poorly-targeted
The Tarn Taran assembly seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Kashmir Singh Sohal in June. Ahead of the bypoll, Congress candidate Burj held a roadshow before filing his nomination papers.
Several senior leaders participated in the roadshow, including Congress general secretary in-charge of Punjab Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhupesh Baghel called upon party workers to fight the election with full dedication and commitment. He emphasized the importance of this bypoll for both the Congress party and Punjab, expressing confidence that the party would win the election by an impressive margin.
Addressing party workers, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the Tarn Taran bypoll would set the tone and direction for Punjab ahead of the 2027 assembly elections. He appealed to voters to choose their candidate wisely — someone who would stand by them round the clock.
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa warned against the “return of dark days” in Punjab, when citizens did not feel safe and secure. He added that even today, safety remains a concern, particularly along the border belt.
Former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), stating that it had not only “betrayed” the people of Punjab but also let down its own workers. He pointed out that the AAP did not nominate a single person from the Dalit community, farmers, or poor families to the Rajya Sabha.
Important dates for the Tarn Taran bypoll are as follows:
– Last date for filing nominations: October 21
– Scrutiny of nomination papers: October 22
– Last date for withdrawal of candidature: October 24
– Counting of votes: November 14
*This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed/ agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, or accuracy of the data presented. Mid-day management and mid-day.com reserve the sole right to alter, delete, or remove content without notice at their absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.*
https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/tarn-taran-bypoll-punjab-congress-candidate-karanbir-singh-burj-files-nomination-23598857
“`
(2025/10/15 19:24 更新)
公明党の斉藤鉄夫代表は15日、共同通信のインタビューに応じ、自民党との連立政権からの離脱を巡り、派閥裏金事件を含む「政治とカネ」の問題に対する自民の体質が改まれば協力する可能性に言及しました。
斉藤代表は「再協力を排除しない」と述べ、今後の政治状況次第では両党の連携を模索する姿勢を示しました。
この記事は有料会員限定です。残り668文字。
7日間無料トライアルで1日37円から読み放題。年払いならさらにお得です。
政治｜自民と立民、物価高対策で協力 党首会談で暫定税率廃止も合意
2025年10月15日 20:53（20:55更新）
※この記事は有料会員限定です。
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自民党の高市早苗総裁と立憲民主党の野田佳彦代表は15日、国会内で会談を行いました。両党は物価高対策の実施に向けて協力することで一致し、特にガソリン税の暫定税率廃止に取り組む意向を示しました。
また、立憲民主党が求めている「給付付き税額控除」の制度設計に関しても、今後協議を継続していくことを確認しています。
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※この記事の続きは有料会員限定での配信となります。
7日間の無料トライアルも実施中。1日あたり37円で読み放題、年払いならさらにお得です。
https://www.nishinippon.co.jp/item/1411706/
