Trump humiliated as vanity project goes up in smoke

Sunday’s Top Stories:

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Trump humiliated in court as judge torches his vanity project
A district judge did America a real solid on Friday and ruined Trump’s weekend in the process, ruling that the vainglorious nincompoop-in-chief’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center’s facade AND all official branding going forward. District Judge Christopher Cooper took things a step further and ruled the wannabe dictator cannot unilaterally shutter the doors for yearslong renovations, meaning Americans just might get their beloved performing arts institution back in time for summer.

A humiliated and apoplectic Trump took to his social media platform to lambast the ruling in Eric Cartman-esque fashion. You love to hate to see it.

Take Action: Investigate Kash Patel’s flagrant misuse of taxpayer funds!

Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” supercharges violence in the Americas
Nick Turse, The Intercept: The Trump administration’s aggressive diplomatic and military engagement in the United States’ backyard — dubbed the Donroe Doctrine — has led to more violence in the Americas, increased impunity by local security forces, and heightened danger from cartels in the Western Hemisphere, according to a new analysis by a top violence watchdog, shared with The Intercept. President Donald Trump has turned the Western Hemisphere into a war zone as part of what he and others have called the Donroe Doctrine.

This bastardization of the 1823 Monroe Doctrine has been used to justify strikes on civilian boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean; an attack on Venezuela and the abduction of its president; CIA operations in Mexico; joint counter-cartel operations in Ecuador dubbed “Operation Total Extermination”; and increased military and intelligence operations elsewhere in Latin America.

Take Action: End gun violence for ALL Americans! Don’t build a ballroom!

Trump gets nightmare news as his top impeachment witness launches run for Senate
Alexander Vindman for Senate: Alexander Vindman made history as one of the star witnesses in the first impeachment case against Trump — and now he’s running for Senate so he can hold the wannabe dictator accountable from the halls of Congress. Vindman has vowed to take on “a Republican Party that’s failing to deliver accountability and underwriting chaos and corruption,” but to win in Florida, he’s going to need some help. Can you chip in to help kick-start his run?

Pope Leo’s vital message about work in the age of AI
Timothy Noah, The New Republic: “The dignity of work” is a somewhat old-fashioned phrase that’s seldom uttered these days. The left tends to view it with suspicion because it sounds like a justification for mandatory work requirements for Medicaid and food stamps. The right rarely utters it because it risks implying that this dignity should be rewarded with labor rights. So leave it to the pope to enliven our conversation about artificial intelligence by reviving the idea that work is intrinsic to human dignity.

The dignity of work, or better yet “the dignity of labor” (since we’re referring to work specifically within the economic sphere), is a necessary concept as the AI era dawns because the tech lords are trying to persuade us that eliminating the possibility of labor for a great swath of the population would be a blessing to humankind. In fact, it’s a nightmare that would sideline vast portions of humanity from a basic societal function and consign them to poverty. To the inequality of wealth and income would be added a new inequality of participation. AI’s billionaire proponents think cutting workers out of the AI economy won’t be a problem because to these oligarchs, labor exists only as a burden. It has no dignity.

Take Action: Pass a national ban on partisan gerrymandering!

Workers are demanding a share of Samsung’s AI windfall
Kap Seol, Jacobin: A planned strike at Samsung this month would have been the biggest industrial action in a South Korean workplace since the heyday of labor militancy in the 1980s, involving more than 47,000 workers. It would almost certainly have been the biggest work stoppage in the history of the global semiconductor industry, where high pay and generous benefits often foster a sense of privilege and prestige among the majority of workers, despite their experience of chemically drenched working conditions, cutthroat competition, and long, risky working hours.

On May 21, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and two unions at the world’s leading memory-chip maker reached a tentative wage agreement, ending six months of contentious negotiations and heading off the prospect of strike action the following day.

The $687 million irony of Peter Thiel’s reported plan to ditch the US for Argentina
Josh Marcus, The Independent: Peter Thiel, the tech billionaire and influential right-wing donor, is reportedly looking for an exit plan to escape America. Again. And his timing couldn’t be stranger, given that he’s never had more sway in Washington nor more financial incentives to stay stateside.

Nonetheless, Thiel, who previously obtained New Zealand citizenship and reportedly pursued a Maltese passport, now has his sights on Argentina. In the last two months, the Palantir and PayPal co-founder reportedly bought a $12 million mansion in an exclusive district of Bueno Aires, temporarily relocated his family and children to the country, and met with leaders including Argentinian president Javier Milei, as the country reportedly mulls offering Thiel citizenship.

People familiar with Thiel’s thinking told The New York Times that the billionaire has concerns about the direction of the United States and in particular Thiel’s long-time base of California, which is considering a controversial billionaire tax.

Pre-order Brian Tyler Cohen’s new book today!
The Day After: Some exciting news from our friend, Brian Tyler Cohen. His new book, The Day After, is now available for pre-order! The book explores how Republicans have abused power, how Democrats have failed to effectively wield it, and finally, what Democrats must do when they get power back. It’s a blueprint for progressives who are not satisfied with the status quo. Please support independent media by pre-ordering here — and grab tickets to his book tour in NYC, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, or LA.