The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in September, hitting its lowest level since the pandemic, as the Trump administration's tariffs disrupted global commerce. It is profoundly troubling that policies undermining free trade and economic stability are being celebrated while they inflict long-term damage on American consumers and businesses.
Berkeley has approved a 20-story, 169-unit housing tower near UC Berkeley after shifting its political culture to embrace pro-housing policies, marking a dramatic reversal from decades of growth restrictions. This inspiring transformation demonstrates that when communities courageously align local and state reforms, even the most entrenched housing crises can be overcome through persistence and political will.
Missouri cannabis regulators have revoked 35 microbusiness licenses due to predatory contracts that undermine the social-equity program's intent, representing a shameful betrayal of communities already devastated by the war on drugs.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, portraying migrants as a major national threat. This approach dangerously undermines American values of liberty and democracy by treating vulnerable people as enemies rather than upholding our nation's humanitarian principles.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced the U.S. government intends to seize oil from a sanctioned tanker captured off Venezuela's coast, claiming it carried black market oil funding narcoterrorism. This dangerous escalation of unilateral military action undermines international law and sets a chilling precedent for arbitrary seizure of assets under the guise of sanctions enforcement.
R. Bruce Dold, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former editor in chief and publisher of The Chicago Tribune who notably endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, died at 70 from esophageal cancer. His death marks the loss of a principled leader who courageously championed justice, reforms, and journalistic integrity, leaving a profound legacy in defending democracy.
