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🤡 AOC Rewrites Revolutionary War as Battle Against Billionaires of the Era
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told an audience at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics on May 9, 2026, that the American Revolution targeted “the billionaires of their time.” She framed the event as a revolt against British aristocracy and an extreme marriage of wealth and state power that silenced everyday voices, tying it to her view that modern success does not universally include aspiring to billionaire status. Ocasio-Cortez made the remarks while defending her earlier podcast comments that individuals cannot legitimately earn a billion dollars because such fortunes require market power, labor exploitation, or rule-breaking. Critics immediately noted that many Founding Fathers, including John Hancock and Robert Morris, ranked among the wealthiest colonists, with Morris helping finance the war effort. The Revolution centered on opposition to British taxation without representation and monarchical overreach rather than class-based wealth redistribution.
The Post Millennial, 📹 OutspokenSamantha on X
🏛️ Virginia Supreme Court Halts Democrat Redistricting Referendum Over Procedural Flaws
The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled 4-3 on May 8, 2026, that the Democrat-controlled General Assembly violated the state constitution by advancing a constitutional amendment for congressional redistricting too late in the process. Lawmakers approved the measure after early voting had begun in the 2025 elections, skipping the required intervening general election that allows voters to hold legislators accountable. The court invalidated the narrow voter approval from the April 21 special election, preserving the existing 6-5 congressional map drawn after the 2020 census instead of allowing a new map that would have heavily favored Democrats.
⚖️ Alabama GOP Enacts Contingency Plan for New Congressional Primaries Pending Court Approval
Alabama Republicans passed, and Governor Kay Ivey signed, legislation on May 8, 2026, that establishes new U.S. House primary elections in certain districts if courts permit the state to use its 2023 congressional map. This move follows a recent Supreme Court decision narrowing Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The current court-ordered map features two districts with substantial Black populations that lean Democratic. The 2023 map preferred by Republicans includes only one such district and would likely shift the state’s delegation toward a stronger Republican advantage ahead of the midterms. State officials have asked the Supreme Court to lift a prior injunction and allow the change. The May 19 primary results could be set aside for affected seats with the governor scheduling fresh contests under the revised lines if approved.
💰 IRS Hands Out Millions in Wrongful Tax Credits to Noncitizens Using Nonwork Social Security Numbers
The Internal Revenue Service allowed at least $213 million in Earned Income Tax Credit payments on roughly 67,000 tax returns filed in 2023 and 2024 by holders of nonwork Social Security numbers. These numbers go to foreign citizens not authorized to work in the United States, such as certain migrants needing them for services or benefits. The agency’s inspector general determined the IRS lacks a systematic process to flag and block these ineligible claims during processing because it does not receive enough details from the Social Security Administration about why each nonwork number was issued. Manual reviews caught some improper payouts and prevented about $11 million more, but broader use of math error authority remains unavailable without better data sharing. The problem ties into larger EITC error rates that reached an estimated $21.1 billion in improper payments for fiscal year 2025. Officials at both agencies have known about coordination gaps since at least 2017 yet have not fixed them.
🔴 States Tighten Rules on Teachers Unions as Florida and Idaho Pass Reforms
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last week that requires a majority of members to participate in votes for teachers union certification or recertification. The measures also raise fines for illegal strikes and allow merit-based pay adjustments outside some collective bargaining processes. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little approved a bill effective July 1 that bars school districts from deducting union dues from paychecks, providing paid time off for union work, or letting unions recruit during school hours on district property. These steps follow reports from groups tracking opt-outs that more than 272,000 teachers nationwide have left unions. The changes aim to limit taxpayer support for union operations and boost accountability to educators and students.
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✅ Hundreds of Unopened Ballots in Locked Drop Box Months After Certification Found in California
Humboldt County, California, elections staff found 596 sealed but uncounted ballots from the November 2025 statewide special election on Proposition 50 inside a locked voting drop box. The discovery occurred on May 4, 2026, during a routine inventory check, long after the election had been certified on December 5, 2025. Officials attributed the issue to a staff error involving miscommunication about whether the drop box had been fully emptied before certification. The ballots showed no signs of tampering because the box remained locked and the envelopes sealed. County Clerk-Recorder Juan Pablo Cervantes accepted responsibility and noted that the uncounted votes would not have changed the statewide outcome of Proposition 50, which passed overwhelmingly and empowered the legislature on redistricting. The county has implemented new verification protocols, including a lock-out, tag-out system for drop boxes, and is consulting with the Secretary of State on next steps, even though state law calls for the destruction of the ballots after six months.
⚖️ State Department to Revoke Passports of Thousands of Parents Delinquent on Child Support
The U.S. State Department is set to begin revoking passports of Americans who owe substantial unpaid court-ordered child support. Revocations start with those owing $100,000 or more, affecting about 2,700 passport holders, and will expand under federal law to anyone owing more than $2,500. Officials are increasing coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services to enforce the long-standing rule. Once revoked, a passport cannot be used for travel. A new one becomes available only after full payment to the relevant state agency and verification that the debt is cleared, which can take weeks. Those abroad may receive limited-validity documents for return travel. The move aims to pressure compliance with obligations.
⚖️ Accused Killer of Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Deemed Incompetent for Federal Trial
Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., 35, faces charges for the unprovoked stabbing death of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte light rail train in August 2025. A Bureau of Prisons evaluation found Brown mentally incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness. Federal prosecutors stated the case will not be dismissed. Instead, treatment will begin to restore his competency so proceedings can continue, including the potential pursuit of the death penalty on the federal charge of violence against a mass transportation system resulting in death. Brown, a repeat offender with a lengthy criminal record, remains in federal custody. State proceedings are paused while the federal track takes precedence.
🤡 Stacey Abrams Accuses Conservative Southern States of Incubating Evil and Exporting It Nationally
Failed perinial candidate Stacey Abrams appeared on MS NOW’s The Weeknight to discuss Tennessee Republicans’ new congressional map that splits the state’s only majority-Black district held by Democrat Steve Cohen. Abrams argued there are no longer red and blue states but authoritarian states versus democracy states. She claimed conservative states aggregate power, foment corruption, push Christian nationalism, and relegate women to vessels under proto-natalism. Abrams stated that southern red states incubate evil and farm it out everywhere while also incubating solutions, urging Democrats not to abandon the South amid redistricting battles following a recent Supreme Court ruling on race and maps.
🥩 Copenhagen Council Caps Elderly Beef Servings for Climate Goals
Copenhagen’s city government enforces guidelines that limit beef, lamb, or veal to 80 grams per week in public institutions, including nursing homes. Officials tie the restriction to a municipal food strategy aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions from meals by 25 percent compared to 2018 levels, mainly by reducing ruminant meat. One council member from the Green Party, The Alternative, argued against exempting seniors, stating that older generations must contribute to climate targets as they had “screwed up the most.” The weekly cap is roughly 11.4 grams per day, less than a single Big Mac patty. Critics highlight risks of malnutrition for elderly residents who require higher protein intake to combat muscle loss and frailty.
US Forces Strike Iranian Ports in Self-Defense After Hormuz Naval Clash
US Navy destroyers came under unprovoked Iranian missile, drone, and small boat attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on May 7. US Central Command reported that forces intercepted the threats with no damage to American vessels and responded by striking Iranian military facilities at Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas. Iran claimed it targeted the destroyers in retaliation and accused the US of violating a fragile ceasefire. President Trump described the US action as a limited “love tap” and insisted the ceasefire remains in effect.
🔱 UK Deploys Warship for Potential Hormuz Shipping Protection Mission
Britain is sending the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East. The warship will pre-position for a possible role in a UK- and France-led multinational coalition to safeguard commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz once conditions stabilize after the Iran conflict. The Ministry of Defense described the move as prudent planning for a strictly defensive effort. HMS Dragon had been stationed in the Eastern Mediterranean to help defend Cyprus since March. A dozen countries have signaled interest in joining the initiative, though the Royal Navy’s limited resources could constrain Britain’s involvement.
❎ Reform UK Surges in Local Elections as Voters Reject Establishment Parties
Lee Anderson, the Reform UK MP for Ashfield, reacted to his party’s strong performance in the May 2026 local elections by stating that voters have grown tired of being treated as useful idiots and voting fodder by the main parties for decades. The Ashfield MP noted that people in traditional red wall areas had been promised one thing at the ballot box but received something different, leading them to turn to Reform UK, which bears no blame for past failures. Anderson highlighted that Reform is attracting votes from both former Labour and Conservative supporters, with enthusiastic public responses including people seeking selfies and autographs. He emphasized that the party plans to deliver on its promises and urged other parties to examine their own shortcomings at local and national levels rather than criticize Reform.
✅ AfD Surges Toward Possible Absolute Majority In Saxony-Anhalt State Vote
A new poll by Infratest dimap for Saxony-Anhalt shows the Alternative for Germany party at 41 percent support, up two points from the previous survey. The CDU trails at 26 percent, with Die Linke at 12 percent, the SPD at 7 percent, and both the Greens and BSW at 4 percent. The poll indicates the AfD needs just one additional point to reach an absolute majority in the state parliament, though parties clearing the 5 percent threshold could complicate the outcome. Voter dissatisfaction runs high, with 62 percent expressing limited or no satisfaction with the current government and 82 percent viewing the economy negatively. The state election is scheduled for September 6, 2026, four months from the poll date.
⛏️ USA Rare Earth Strikes $2.8 Billion Deal for Brazilian Rare Earths Producer
USA Rare Earth agreed to buy Brazil’s Serra Verde Group for about $2.8 billion in a cash-and-stock transaction announced on April 20, 2026. The deal includes $300 million in cash and roughly 126.85 million newly issued shares. Serra Verde owns the Pela Ema mine and processing plant in Goiás state, the only scaled producer outside Asia capable of supplying all four key magnetic rare earth elements—neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium—at commercial volumes. The acquisition pairs this upstream asset with USA Rare Earth’s existing processing, separation, and magnet-making operations across the United States, United Kingdom, and France. A related 15-year offtake agreement with a U.S. government-backed special purpose vehicle includes price floors for the magnetic rare earths. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to approvals, and will give Serra Verde’s owners about a 34 percent stake in the combined company while adding significant heavy rare earths capacity to Western supply chains.