Views From The Left For August 13, 2025

 Views From The Left 

Articles:

Below is a list of articles from a sampling of leftist websites. The articles listed below express views that will sometimes be divergent from the views of the owner of this blog. Reliability ratings of each source will be in parentheses.

Martin Luther King statement made when speaking against the Vietnam War (click here for source):

'I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.'

• Alternet  
1. 5 Ways 'Parasite-In-Chief' Trump Is Turning America Into A 'Pale Lifeless Husk': Analyst
2. '1929 All Over Again': Trump Warns Of New 'Great Depression' If Judges Overturn Tariffs
3. 'Walking A Tightrope': Here's What The Smithsonian Now Says About Trump's 2nd Impeachment
4. 'Grim': Top Economist Says Americans In For A 'Nasty Shock' On Inflation Thanks To Trump 

• Common Dreams 
1. 'Cowards': Ramirez Hits Back At Republicans Who Threatened Her With Deportation
2. Texas AG Paxton Files 'Baseless' Lawsuit To Unseat 13 Democratic State Lawmakers
3. 'Kleptocracy In Action': Bernie Sanders Hammers Apple For Swaying Trump With 'Gold Statue'
4. In Swipe At UK, Huckabee Cites Allied Bombing Of Dresden To Defend Israel's Gaza Genocide
5. 'Horrifying Escalation': Global Outcry As Israeli Cabinet Approves Military Takeover Of Gaza City

• Democracy at Work 
1. Capitalism Hits Home: Epstein — A Marriage Of Capitalist Corruption And Misogyny
2. Economic Update: Best Of Series Part 2: The Most Viewed Updates

• Democracy Now
1. “They Poisoned The World”: The Corporate Cover-Up & Fightback Against PFAS, “Forever Chemicals”
2. Epstein Survivor Jess Michaels: Victims Want “Accountability & Justice,” Not Political Grandstanding
3. “War In Perpetuity”: M. Gessen Warns Putin Won’t Make Peace With Ukraine Because It Risks His Own Survival
4. From India To Brazil, Trump Intensifies Trade War Against BRICS Nations As New Tariffs Take Effect
5. “Tightening The Chokehold”: Amjad Iraqi On Israel’s Plans To “Empty Out” Gaza And Annex West Bank

• Jacobin 
1. Gaza Exposes The Bankruptcy Of Western Liberalism
2. How The UAW Became The First Big Union To Back Zohran Mamdani
3. The Iraq War Playbook, Now For Iran
4. Childcare Is Not Just An Economic Fix. It’s A Social Good
5. Democrats’ Gerrymandering Flip-Flop Erodes Their Credibility

• Mother Jones
1. Why Evangelicals Couldn’t Care Less About Trump’s Epstein Scandal
2. “It’s Not Just A Texas Problem. It’s An American Problem.”
3. Relentless Climate Disasters Are Wiping Out Local Businesses
4. “What They Did There Was Torture Us”
5. A Doctor In Gaza Describes The Horror Of Starvation
6. The Nation’s Landmark Voting Rights Law Just Turned 60. It May Not Survive Trump

• The Real News Network 
1. Leaked Drafts Show Trump Administration Scrubbing Out Human Rights Violations Of Favored Nations
2. Corporations And The Government Are Turning The USA Into One Giant ‘Sacrifice Zone’
3. 80 Years After Hiroshima And Nagasaki, Are We On The Verge Of Another Nuclear War?
4. Anti-Immigrant Agenda Means ‘Unprecedented Growth Opportunities’ For Geo Group
5. Top US Firm Modeled Economic Scenario for Relocating Palestinians From Gaza

• Socialist Worker 
1. Tube Workers Facing Deportation Will Fight State Racism
2. Hundreds Of British Jews Slam Labour’s Ban Of Palestine Action
3. Defend Our Juries Will Defy State Ban
4. Leading Figures Call To End The Ban On Palestine Action
5. Don’t Forget The Horror Of Hiroshima

• ZNetwork 
1. The Verdict Of History: How Political Calculations Betrayed Gaza
2. Fast Food Nation Revisited: Vietnamese Immigrant Writes About Low-Wage Work In U.S.
3. The Trump Death Cult, Part 2
4. More About AI? This Is Getting Serious
5. The Hidden Cost Of Integrity: Environmental Commitment In The Global South

<< Previous Views                                                       Next Views >>

Factual Reliability Rating

    I am using two websites that rate the factual reliability of news sources used by this feature. In comparing the two ratings, Mediabiasfactcheck gives more 'High' scores for various news sources while Adfontesmedia gives reliability ratings that are based more on bias. Also, while some news sources, none of these are listed below, will receive the highest factual reporting rating by Mediabiasfactcheck, that is not the case with Adfontesmedia.

I find that the best way to choose a news source reliability rating is to use the trial and error method. Here, one should count how many times a news information source site posts an article that is eventually shown to be false and compare that count with the factual reliability rating given by sites like Medeabiasfactcheck and Adfontesmedia.

• Alternet  
1. Mediabiasfactcheck   : High
2. Adfontesmedia           : Generally Reliable

• Common Dreams 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck :    : High
2. Adfontesmedia.           : Generally Reliable

• Democracy at Work 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.    : Not rated
2. Adfontesmedia.            : Not rated

• Democracy Now
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.     : High
2. Adfontesmedia              : Mixed Reliability

• Jacobin 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck        : High
2. Adfontesmedia.               : Mixed Reliability

• Mother Jones
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.         : High
2. Adfontesmedia.                 : Generally Reliable

• The Real News Network 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck          : High
2. Adfontesmedia                  : Generally Reliable

• Socialist Worker 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.        : High
2. Adfontesmedia                   : Mixed Reliability

• ZNetwork 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck            : High
2. Adfontesmedia                    : Not Rated

Is Trump Proving The Communist Manifesto To Be Right?

Well, perhaps, not the whole manifesto. But consider the quote below:

'The bourgeoisie, wherever it has got the upper hand, has put an end to all feudal, patriarchal, idyllic relations. It has pitilessly torn asunder the motley feudal ties that bound man to his “natural superiors”, and has left remaining no other nexus between man and man than naked self-interest, than callous “cash payment”. It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation.'

 Now think of tariff policies towards allies or his plan to provide weapons for Ukraine or his stated plans for Gaza. Or think about how Trump's Administration has attacked foreign aid and domestic social safety nets, and regulations that protect workers, customers, and the environment. What characteristics has Trump, who is certainly an example of today's bourgeoisie, exhibited? Don't we see the best descriptions of the connections between the U.S. and other nations as being 'naked self-interest,' 'callous cash payment,' and  'egotistical calculation.' We also see that latter characteristic in his self-worship statements.

Or think about Trump's remaking of the EPA, his attacks on scientific and medical research or his takeover of the Kennedy Center. Isn't that where he exhibits 'philistine sentimentalism.'

Noam Chomsky's Profits Over People talks about some of those characteristics as being a part of today's Neoliberal Capitalism. Note to those of us Baby Boomers, today's form. of Capitalism is not the form that we grew up under. But when his book came out, which was 1999, many of these traits were hidden in the shadows. Now despite that in the foreign front Trump is not neoliberal, on the domestic one he is. And the difference that exists between 1999 and now  is that these traits are not just being exhibited in the open, they are being promoted as prized traits that benefits the common good.

It isn't that The Communist Manifesto is right about everything; it isn't. But its interpretation of the form of Capitalism of when and where it was written seems most appropriate to today's form of Capitalism as employed by the Trump Administration.

We should note that Trump is not the only problem here. In a commercial local to where I live, a congressperson is publicly thanked by certain taxpayers because they had their taxes cut. And the concluding statement is that this congressperson cares about these people because they cut their taxes. The logic employed by the commercial is overly simplistic and uses a form of all-or-nothing thinking which is part and parcel to accepting authoritarianism. For no matter what else that congressperson voted on, that they only had to cut taxes for particular groups of people to prove that that congress- person cared for them. Who cares if that congressperson also voted for legislation that allows businesses to pollute the environment or increase the emissions of greenhouse gases? Who cares if that congressperson also voted for legislation that allows businesses to exploit workers and/or cheat customers? Who cares if that congressperson also voted for legislation that will stop research on diseases and the environment? And who cares if that congressperson also voted for legislation that will cause the national debt to increase and perhaps reach a tipping point? All that congressperson had to do was to vote for tax cuts to show that they care.

Of course DOGE paved the way for those tax cuts. And I imitated DOGE's approach in my approach to life, it might look like the following. For example, if I wanted to lose weight, I could ask myself which limb I use the least and then have it amputated. I could refuse to pay my car insurance because I haven't had an accident in a while. What could go wrong with that philosophy?

Trump's 'America First' motto is calling on America to be a selfish nation. And this should be considered to be more than ironic because of Trump's support from the Evangelical community. But perhaps it should be expected since many in the Evangelical community uncritically embrace Capitalism, even today's Neoliberal form. That such an embrace of Capitalism exhibits traits such as 'naked self-interest' and 'egotistical calculation.' From their devotion to their information bubble, we know that many from the Evangelical community also show a 'philistine sentimentalism.' Perhaps we should ask ourselves if Capitalism has more of an influence on the Evangelical Community than our preaching of the Gospel has on Capitalism.

Capitalism revolves around making personal prosperity one's first pursuit. It derives its motivational energy from its promotion on maximizing profits. Perhaps, just as war corrupts all of its participants, something I have heard from both a war correspondent and people in the military, so too does Capitalism. For what drives a Capitalist nation is not just the desire to make profit seeking its number one priority, it is the consumer mentality. Consumerism makes Capitalist economies tick.

In a consumeristic economy, the strong tendency of its participants is for those people to measure their personal significance by what and how much they consume. Martin Luther King Jr. expressed this fear about America because of its Capitalist economic system when he wrote, in Stride Toward Freedom, that people would exclusively judge themselves by their income and possessions rather than by what they contributed to others and their relationships with people.

In his speech on the Vietnam War, he wrote the following, which has been cited on this blog a few times:

'I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered'

Note what King associates a thing-oriented society, which a consumer oriented society is: 'racism, extreme materialism, and militarism.' Do we see how the more consumer oriented we become, the fewer people can remain unscathed from how it corrupts. And that consumerism is driven by economic systems that lean heavily toward Capitalism--especially today's Neoliberal Capitalism.

It would be easy to point fingers at others at this point, but one can do so only when they are suffering from significant self-delusions. These points being brought up here for there for us to acknowledge where we have been corrupted first.

And so, no, we can't just point our fingers at Trump and others like him and be done with looking at how our nation should change. We also need to look at ourselves, and perhaps at ourselves first. If we have passionately embraced Capitalism because of how it has allowed us to become more prosperous consumers, how are we also confirming what was previously cited from The Communist Manifesto about Capitalism, especially Capitalism here and now. Just perhaps we can't change who our leaders are without first changing who we are.

 

 

Views From The Outside For August 8, 2025

Views From The Outside

The purpose of this page is to list news stories and reports from mostly Western sources outside of the U.S. You can use Google Translate to translate articles that are printed in another language. 

So far, news sources include:

International

• Médecins Sans Frontieres
1. Increasing Bombardment In Kyiv Threatens Lives And Medical Care
2. Leaving Gaza: A Medical Evacuation
3. US Plan To Destroy US$9.7 Million Of Contraceptives Is Unconscionable
4. For Women In Eastern DRC, Nowhere Is Safe From Sexual Violence
5. MSF Condemns Abduction Of Health Ministry Staff In Southern South Sudan
6. Mobilisation Is Urgently Needed To Avoid Further Deaths From Northern Nigeria Malnutrition Crisis
7. Aid Cuts Threaten Refugee Lives In Ethiopia’s Gambella Region
8. Redefining Healthcare: When Communities Lead The Way In Chad

• UN News
1. Cholera Spreads In North Darfur, 640,000 Children Under Threat, UNICEF Warns
2. Awaza Gears Up To Host UN Conference On Landlocked Developing Countries
3. Violence In Northern Mozambique Forces Thousands To Flee, Straining Aid Efforts
4. UN Official Decries Deadly Ukraine Strikes, Urges Return To Diplomacy
5. Gaza: ‘No One Should Ever Be Forced To Risk Their Life To Find Food,’ Says UN Humanitarian Agency
6. Gaza: Alarm Over Israeli Move To Deregister NGOs
7. Children Are ‘Skin And Bones’ As Sudan Marks A Grim Milestone
8. Israel Calls For Focus On Gaza Hostages’ Plight

From Canada

• Le Devoir
1. Pour Un Comportement Écoresponsable, Partir Ou Rester Au Moment Des Congés?
2. Sans Libération Des Otages, Israël «Continuera Sans Répit» Ses Frappes À Gaza
3. Scientifiques… Aux Barricades!
4. Perdre Le Premier Round
5. Les Reculs Des Droits Des Personnes LGBTQ+ Dénoncés
6. La Baisse D’affluence De Touristes Américains Nuit Aux Commerçants Du Vieux-Montréal
7. Du Texas À l’Ohio, Trump Veut Redessiner La Carte Électorale En Sa Faveur
8. Trump veut éviter que la Chine contourne ses droits de douane

• Le Journal de Montréal
1. L'armée Israélienne Annonce Avoir Mené Des Raids Terrestres En Syrie
2. Russie: Des Drones Ukrainiens Provoquent Un Incendie Dans Un Dépôt Pétrolier De Sotchi
3. Une Ancienne Présentatrice De Fox News Confirmée Comme Procureure De Washington
4. Le Musée D’histoire Américaine Nie Toute Pression De L’administration Trump Sur Le Retrait D’un Panneau Sur La Destitution
5. L'ancien Procureur Spécial Qui Avait Poursuivi Trump Visé Par Une Enquête Administrative
6. Wall Street Ouvre En Hausse, Les Résultats D'entreprises En Ligne De Mire
7. Trump Suggère Que Son Vice-Président J.D. Vance Pourrait Ëtre Son Successeur Pour 2028
8. Voici 3 Choses Que Vous Ignorez (Surement) Des Bombardements Nucléaires D’Hiroshima Et De Nagasaki

• Toronto Star
1. The Justice Department Seeks Voter And Election Information From At Least 19 States, AP Finds
2. They roll right over’: Many Democrats call their party weak and ineffective, AP-NORC poll finds
3. EVs Have Become A Litmus Test For Whether We’re Still America’s Buddy — Or Ready To Be A Global Canada
4. Ukrainian Drone Attack Sets Russian Oil Depot On Fire As Zelenskyy Announces Prisoner Exchange
5. U.S. Senate Heads Home With No Deal To Speed Confirmations As Irate Trump Tells Schumer To ‘Go To Hell’
6. Toronto Remains Under Smoky Skies As Haze Expected To Worsen Until Friday
7. New Study Sheds Light On ChatGPT’s Alarming Interactions With Teens
8. France’s Biggest Wildfire Of The Summer Has Eclipsed The Size Of Paris And Is Still Spreading

• CBC
1. Carney Wants To Spend An Extra $9B On Defence By April. Is That Possible?
2. Follow This Family In Gaza As They Chase The Dream Of Food
3. Cross Country Checkup: What Challenges Are You Facing While Buying Canadian?
4. The U.S. Bumped Its Tariff On Canadian Goods To 35%. How Big Of An Impact Will It Have?
5. 'I Won't Back Down': How And Why Canadians Are Boycotting The U.S.
6. Calm Before The Storms: Forecasters Say The Quiet Atlantic Hurricane Season Won't Last
7. Carney Hints At Dropping Some U.S. Tariffs If It Will Help Canadian Industries Hit By Trade War
8. U.S. Envoy Witkoff Meets With Vladimir Putin In Russia For Renewed Ceasefire Talks

From England

•  BBC
1. After A Blown Deadline, What Next For US-Canada Trade?
2. Trump Fires Lead Official On Economic Data As Tariffs Cause Market Drop
3. Trump Moves Nuclear Submarines After Russian Ex-President's Comments
4. Watch: SpaceX And Nasa Launch Crew Headed To The ISS
5. Watch: Why Mexico Got A Tariff Reprieve... And Canada Didn't
6. Watch: What To Know About US Interest Rates Staying Steady
7. Trump's Global Tariffs 'Victory' May Well Come At A High Price
8. Kremlin Says US-Russia Talks Were 'Constructive' As Ceasefire Deadline Looms
9. Stay Or Go? Under Trump, Dreams Fade For Chinese Who Trekked To US

• Reuters
1. White House Officials Defend Firing Of Labor Official
2. The US Said It Had No Choice But To Deport Them To A Third Country. Then It Sent Them Home
3. US Appeals Court Keeps Bar On Los Angeles Federal Immigration Arrests
4. US Judge Rejects States' Bid To Block Trump Diversity Research Funding Cuts
5. White House Backs Away From IVF Coverage Mandate, Washington Post Reports
6. US States Sue Over Trump's Targeting Of Providers Of Transgender Youth Medical Care
7. Trump: Fed Board Should Assume Control If Powell Won't Lower Interest Rates
8. Court Allows Trump To End Union Bargaining For Federal Workers

From France

• France24
1. Trump's Tariffs On Brazil: 'There Will Be Losses On Both Sides', Analyst Says
2. 'Trump Is Tightening His Grip On American Economic Policy And Institutions'
3. Their Families Fled The Nazis. Facing Trump, US Jews Are Making Germany ‘Plan B’
4. WSJ Bombshell Report: Trump's 'Bawdy' Birthday Letter To Epstein
5. 'Disappointed': US Trading Partners Around The World React To Trump's New Tariffs
6. El Salvador's Parliament Approves Reform To Allow Bukele To Run Indefinitely
7. US President Donald Trump Hits Dozens Of Countries With Steep Duties
8. Space Race: US Aims To Beat Out China And Russia With Nuclear Reactor On The Moon

• Les Echos
1. Droits De Douane : Quand Trump Précipite Le Rapprochement Entre Le Mexique Et Le Brésil 
2. Etats-Unis : Quand Trump Fait De L'ombre Au Tourisme
3. Lula Assure À Trump Que « Ce N'est Pas Un Gringo » Qui Va Contraindre Le Brésil
4. Javier Milei Lance Un Bras De Fer Pour Éviter Une Hausse Des Retraites En Argentine
5. Les Rermiers Du Midwest, Fidèles Soutiens De Trump Malgré Les Droits De Douane
6. Madrid Écarte Le F-35 Au Profit D'avions De Chasse Européens
7. Pour Plaire À Trump, Apple Rallonge De 100 Milliards Son Enveloppe D'investissements Aux Etats-Unis
8. Droits De Douane : Les Entreprises Allemandes Prêtes À Réduire La Voilure Aux Etats-Unis

• Le Monde
1. 'The Americans Are The Ones Paying For The Tariffs
2. US Envoy Meets With The Families Of Israeli Hostages In Tel Aviv
3. US Court Upholds Order Blocking Immigration Agents' Patrols In California
4. Federal Reserve Governor Kugler steps down, giving 'very happy' Trump a slot to fill
5. Trump Gambles With Reindustrializing The US
6. Trump's Drive To Deport Migrants Is Running At Full Throttle

Illness has prevented me from providing more links from the sources below.

From Germany

• DW
1. Middle East: Israeli Minister Demands Gaza Reoccupation
2. Outcry In Israel Over New Hamas Hostage Footage
3. How Trump's High Tariffs Against Brazil Could Backfire
4. EU-US Trade Deal: Disaster For German Economy?
5. Trump Tariffs Hit South Africa's Auto Industry
6. Trump's EPA To Roll Back Cornerstone Of Climate Action

• DER SPIEGEL
1. Vater Der Gewalt
2. Donald Trump Sagt, Die USA Hätten 60 Millionen Dollar An Gaza-Hilfen Gegeben. Es Sind Bislang Offenbar Nur Drei
3. Er Versteht Nicht, Wie Unsere Atom-U-Boote Funktionieren«
4. »So Etwas Geschieht iIn Diktaturen, Nicht In Demokratien«
5. Russland Und China Beginnen Marinemanöver Im Japanischen Meer

From Russian Source 

• Novaya Gazeta Europe
1. Undocumented: Russia Is Stripping Political Prisoners Of Their Citizenship Using A Constitutional Loophole
2. Ukrainian Demonstrators In Vinnytsia Clash With Police In One Of War’s Largest Anti-Conscription Rallies
3. Ukrainians Evacuated From Basement On Russian-Georgian Border Complain Of Continued Inhumane Treatment
4. Russia Breaks World Record For Imposed Online Blackouts In July
5. ‘We’re Transporting A Heart, We’re Transporting A Heart’

From Spain

• El Mundo
1. Votantes hastiados de Trump tras seis meses de decepción: "Este señor no tiene humanidad
2. Alan Sokal, El Físico Burlón Que Ridiculizó A Las Humanidades E Hizo Estallar La Guerra Cultural
3. Donald Trump Alimenta El 'Teatro' De La Amenaza Nuclear Con Rusia
4. Netanyahu Expresa Su "Consternación" Por Los Videos De Rehenes Israelíes En Gaza
5. Evgenij Savostyanov, Ex Dirigente Del KGB: "Trump Y Putin Usan La Misma Estrategia, EL Miedo Al Apocalipsis"

• El País
1. Migrants Stuck In Mexico City Consider Returning To Their Countries Of Origin: ‘America Is Over’
2. This Is How Colombia’s Super-Rich Evade, Avoid And Pay Less Taxes Than The Poor
3. Claude Canizares, NASA Astrophysicist: ‘If Scientists Can’t Speak The Truth, Society Really Isn’t In A Very Good Place’
4. Iceland, The Only NATO Member Without An Army, Seeks To Strengthen Its Security

From Switzerland

• Neue Zürcher Zeitung
1. Texas Zieht Die Wahlkreise Neu, Um Trump Die Macht In Washington Zu Sichern
2. Wie Ein Brasilianischer Bundesrichter Ins Fadenkreuz Von Donald Trump Geriet
3. Der Amerikaner Derek Huffman Suchte In Russland Ein Konservatives Paradies – Stattdessen Landete Er An Der Front
4. Trotz Krise In Kuba: Bei Den Castros Geht Die Party Immer Weiter

From Ukraine

• UATV English

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Views From The Left For August 6, 2026

 Views From The Left 

Articles:

Below is a list of articles from a sampling of leftist websites. The articles listed below express views that will sometimes be divergent from the views of the owner of this blog. Reliability ratings of each source will be in parentheses.

Martin Luther King statement made when speaking against the Vietnam War (click here for source):

'I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.'

• Alternet  
1. 'Huge Political Issue': Workers Outraged As 'Fine Print' Excludes Them From Trump Tax Cut
2. Here's Why This GOP Senator Is Blocking Trump's Pick For Top Military Leadership Position
3. Trump Administration 'Beaten Up Badly' By Judges Doubting His 'Unbounded Power' Over Trade
4. 'Full Decade Of Minority Rule': Analyst Reveals How GOP Aims To 'Erase Democratic Power'
5. 'We Have To Bring Back Joe McCarthy': Fox Host Rages At 'Communist' NYC Mayoral Candidate
6. Economist Robert Reich: Trump Destroying America’s 'Credibility'
7. 'Why Is This So Hard For People?' Ex-RNC Head Tears Into 'Wholly Incompetent' Trump Admin
8. Trump Gets Dire Warning About MAGA 'Insurrection' If He Pardons Epstein Co-Conspirator

• Common Dreams 
1. Report Shows 'Financial Insecurity Is Widespread And Runs Deep' In Trump Economy
2. DOGE Wasted Tens Of Billions While Chainsawing The Government In The Name Of 'Efficiency': Senate Report
3. Deluded Don’s Climate Con
4. Jewish Safety And The Weaponization Of Antisemitism
5. ​Why Is So Much Of Corporate Media Caving To Trump?
6. Jewish-Led Protest Outside Trump Hotel Demands End To US Support For Gaza Genocide
7. Texas House Orders Arrest Of Dem Lawmakers Who Left State To Block GOP Gerrymandering
8. Senior Netanyahu Official: 'We Are Moving To Occupy' Entire Gaza Strip
9. The US Must Understand: The Story Of The Gaza Genocide Did Not Begin On October 7

• Democracy at Work 
1. Economic Update: Best Of Series Part 1: Psychology & Trump
2. Dialectic At Work: Marx: The Business Analyst

• Democracy Now
1. UNRWA Rep Slams “Disaster” Of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Says Aid Must Flow Without Restrictions
2. NY Doctor Just Back From Gaza: Starvation Is Widespread & Undeniable, Despite Israeli PM Claims
3. As Canada, U.K. & France Move To Recognize Palestine, Two-State Solution Remains Taboo Inside Israel
4. 60 Years After LBJ Signed Medicaid & Medicare, GOP Cuts Threaten Lifeline For Millions
5. “The Most Peaceful Man”: West Bank Mourns Odeh Hadalin, Palestinian Activist Killed By Israeli Settler
6. “It Is Our War”: Palestinian American Scholar Rashid Khalidi On U.S. Complicity In Gaza Genocide
7. “A Danger To The Entire Planet”: Amid Deadly Extreme Weather, Trump’s EPA Rejects Climate Science
8. “Unprecedented Power Grab”: Trump & Texas Try To Create 5 More GOP House Seats With New Gerrymander

• Jacobin 
1. German Rearmament Is A Terrible Idea
2. Trump’s SEC Chair Has Scored A Massive Tax Break
3. The Marxism Of Mike Davis
4. The Crypto State
5. DC Voted To Raise Wages. The Restaurant Lobby Said No
6. Belgium’s Arrest Of IDF Soldiers Could Be a Watershed Moment
7. The Big Tech Lobby Has The DOJ In A Stranglehold
8. Trust In The Demos Isn’t Naive — It’s Empirical

• Mother Jones
1. How A Nazi-Obsessed Amateur Historian Went From Obscurity To The Top Of Substack
2. “It’s Abhorrent”: A Whistleblower Contractor Speaks Out As Gaza’s Famine Spreads
3. RFK Jr.’s MAHA Movement Is On A Collision Course With Trump’s EPA
4. Congressional Dems Sue After Being Turned Away From ICE Facilities
5. Trump’s Texas Gerrymander Is Supercharging A New War On Democracy
6. Brazil’s Key MAGA Ally Linked To Massive Fraud Scheme Involving Jailed Chinese Billionaire
7. Far-Right Militias Adored The Constitution. Then Came Trump
8. Donald Trump And The Deconstruction Of America

• The Real News Network 
1. These Ancient Ruins Prove Our World Today Doesn’t Have To Be This Way
2. How Israel Became The Symbol Of Brazil’s Evangelical And Far-Right Movements
3. America Is Built On Prison Labor. When Will The Labor Movement Defend Prisoners?
4. Latinos In Baltimore Are Living In Fear: ‘I Can Be Stopped Just Because Of My Accent’
5. Israel Is Changing The Legal System Governing The West Bank To Accelerate Annexation: Report
6. 12 Years For Words? Cop Watchers Address The Sentencing Of Controversial Activist Eric Brandt
7. He’s Worked In The US For 30 Years—Then Masked Ice Agents Beat And Kidnapped Him In Broad Daylight

• Socialist Worker 
1. The Battle Is Won—But Not The War
2. Western Leaders Offer False Promises To Palestine
3. Can The Greens Be A Radical Alternative?
4. Can We Reset Our Relationship With Nature?
5. Government Fuels Forest Fires In Greece
6. Sydney Harbour Bridge March Defies Repression Of Palestine Movement
7. Defence Industry Workers At Boeing Start Strike After Rejecting 20 Percent Offer
8. Racism And Oppression: Different Experiences, Same Fight

• ZNetwork 
1. Kathy Kelly On Afghanistan And Gaza
2. Nixon And Watergate, Trump And The Epstein Crisis
3. Europe Shows Yet Again That It Lacks A Backbone To Stand Up To Trump
4. ‘Moral Injury’: Murdered In Gaza, Disappeared In America
5. The Nightmare In Gaza
6. Critical Mass Achieved: Why The World Can No Longer Ignore Palestine

<< Previous Views                                                       Next Views >>

Factual Reliability Rating

    I am using two websites that rate the factual reliability of news sources used by this feature. In comparing the two ratings, Mediabiasfactcheck gives more 'High' scores for various news sources while Adfontesmedia gives reliability ratings that are based more on bias. Also, while some news sources, none of these are listed below, will receive the highest factual reporting rating by Mediabiasfactcheck, that is not the case with Adfontesmedia.

I find that the best way to choose a news source reliability rating is to use the trial and error method. Here, one should count how many times a news information source site posts an article that is eventually shown to be false and compare that count with the factual reliability rating given by sites like Medeabiasfactcheck and Adfontesmedia.

• Alternet  
1. Mediabiasfactcheck   : High
2. Adfontesmedia           : Generally Reliable

• Common Dreams 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck :    : High
2. Adfontesmedia.           : Generally Reliable

• Democracy at Work 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.    : Not rated
2. Adfontesmedia.            : Not rated

• Democracy Now
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.     : High
2. Adfontesmedia              : Mixed Reliability

• Jacobin 
1. Mediabiasfactcheck        : High
2. Adfontesmedia.               : Mixed Reliability

• Mother Jones
1. Mediabiasfactcheck.         : High
2. Adfontesmedia.                 : Generally Reliable

• The Real News Network 
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• Socialist Worker 
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• ZNetwork 
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Pedro Martinez On Trump's Aid For Ukraine?

The title of this article is a bit deceiving because I have no evidence for even hinting that MLB Baseball great Pedro Martinez has voiced an opinion on Trump's aid for Ukraine. But there is something that Martinez said about the dark side of MLB Baseball in the Netflix documentary, The Comeback. That dark side, according to Martinez, is the business side because it knows no loyalty or friendship.

And so when we come to Trump's aid package for Ukraine, note that Trump described it like a business transaction. The US will provide weapons for Ukraine's defense only those weapons are being sold. And they are; they are being bought by European nations that are committed to Ukraine's defense. Here, it seems, that Trump appears to be more focused on the US is making a profit than on helping a nation under siege. Would Trump have offered an aid package for Ukraine if there were no European nations willing to foot the bill? We cannot say for sure, but as things stand, Trump is showing no loyalty to Ukraine with his aid package.

And with Russia's war against Ukraine where it seems civilians are major targets, we need to ask this question: What does Trump owe Putin? For he has always expressed admiration for Putin and there is no doubt that he was elected with Putin's help. And he has been very slow to put new sanctions on Putin while quick to put tariffs on our, perhaps now former, allies. It could be that either Trump owes him a lot or, surprise, Trump will be reneging on a debt. If Ukraine meant more to Trump than just an avenue for revenue, he would show a certain degree of loyalty to Ukraine despite the costs. But if Trump's actions regarding the Russian-Ukraine war also show that he owes Putin a significant debt, then whatever sanctions he employs or actions he takes on Russia will be for PR reasons only. That makes Trump's positions and actions very interesting at this time.

Though this blog is adamantly opposed to almost all of Trump's actions as President, he should be given credit for the following. He said that Ukraine cannot be a part of NATO. Why? The first answer should be history. Russia's history with its western neighbors is horrific. And so we must respect Russia's sensitivity here. The second answer is that any move that the West made/makes westward after George W. Bush's agreement with Gorbachev violates at least the spirit of the agreement that they made regarding the reunification of Germany. So to be fair, if a peace agreement can be made prior to Russia conquering it, then Ukraine must not become another member of NATO.

I think that we would do well to interpret Trump's Presidency as being similar to how  a heavy-handed CEO runs a large corporation. This might explain Trump's criticisms of Biden. Trump compared how Biden was running the nation with how he, Trump, wants to run his businesses. First, many parts of the business that were  not contributing making a profit, such as many foreign aid and domestic social safety nets, were axed. Also axed were dissidents in government  and scientists whose findings he could neither refute nor control. We should note that corporations tend to foster authoritarian environments with some being more authoritarian than others. The more authoritarian the environment, the less tolerance is shown to those in leadership positions who disagree.

And if we continue along this line, then realize that Trump expects certain kinds of relationships with other nations (a.k.a., 'the competition') in Trump's eyes, that he wants his own businesses to have with other businesses. It isn't enough for the US to be coexisting with other nations in the world. He wants his business to be on top, which means that he wants America to dominate and even control other nations. When, under Biden, America was not dominating others and was giving away too many freebees, Trump saw America as failing. And let's be honest about Biden, he did fail in a lot of areas other than the ways that Trump views failure. 

So, in other words, Trump has taken a reductionistic approach to our nation. He runs it like a business with his own authoritarian way.

Now if we return to what Martinez said about the dark side of baseball, don't we see that playing out in Trump's Presidency? That for Trump, there is little room for loyalty to those subordinates who now disagree with at least some of what he says and does.  In contrast, loyalty is a trait that is best measured by how one reacts despite the negative consequences that come with remaining steadfast. His berating and even silencing of those people show his lack of loyalty and friendship while displaying his authoritarianism.

And so now, both our nation and Putin should be a bit leery of Trump. For if the business side of Trump's personality infringes on being loyal, then our nation must ask what would Trump's asking price be for betraying our nation. Some would say that he has already been doing that by how he has used his Presidency to increase his personal wealth. 

But Trump's lack of loyalty should also put Putin on notice. Suppose Trump turns on Putin for personal gain? Suppose Trump betrays Putin and reneges on paying his debt to him? That betrayal is not one that I expect to happen nor is it one to be taken lightly. But should that happen, the conflict that could arise from that betrayal would be ominous for the whole world.

Again, what Martinez said about the business side of baseball should very much concern us because of how Trump seems to rule as our President. For right now, we have a President who is behaving like a CEO. But what would happen if we have a CEO would be King?

Views From The Outside For August 1, 2025

Views From The Outside

The purpose of this page is to list news stories and reports from mostly Western sources outside of the U.S. You can use Google Translate to translate articles that are printed in another language. 

So far, news sources include:

International

• Médecins Sans Frontieres
1. Mobilisation Is Urgently Needed To Avoid Further Deaths From Northern Nigeria Malnutrition Crisis
2. MSF Finds One In Four Young Children And Pregnant Women Malnourished At Gaza Facilities
3. MSF Expands Support To Respond To People’s Unmet Needs Across Syria
4. Measles Threatens Children's Lives In Dhamar
5. MSF Is The Only International Humanitarian Organisation Responding To People’s Growing Needs In Walikale, DRC
6. As Mass Starvation Spreads Across Gaza, Our Colleagues And Those We Serve Are Wasting Away
7. Supporting Victims And Survivors Of Violence In Papua New Guinea’s Highlands
8. Never-Ending Violence By Israeli Settlers And Military Psychologically Scars Palestinians In Hebron    

• UN News
1. Pollution, Melting Microbes, Undamming Rivers, Risks For Elders: 4 Key Climate Issues
2. UN Urges Restraint As Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Displace Thousands; Security Council Meets
3. Syria: Deadly Sectarian Violence Displaces Thousands In Sweida; Healthcare Attacked
4. Gaza First Person: ‘The Best Of Humankind In A Place Abandoned By Humanity’
5. UN Warns Of Escalating Human Toll In Ukraine Amid Relentless Aerial Attacks, Mounting Aid Shortfall
6. In Hard-Hitting Human Rights Address, Guterres Calls For Urgent Action On Gaza, Authoritarianism And Climate Justice
7. Cholera Outbreak In West And Central Africa Poses Crisis For Children
8. Day 3 Of High-Level Conference On Two-State Solution For Israel And Palestine

From Canada

• Le Devoir
1. Le milieu de la construction s’inquiète de l’augmentation des coûts dus aux tarifs
2. Quatrième Jour De Combats Entre La Thaïlande Et Le Cambodge Malgré La Proposition Américaine De Cessez-Le-Feu
3. Des Écossais Protestent Contre La Visite De Donald Trump
4. Qui Tire Les Ficelles À La Maison-Blanche?
5. Le personnel de la NASA va fondre de 20%
6. Le Hamas Rejette Les Propos De Trump Concernant L’échec Des Pourparlers Sur Gaza
7. L’Inde Comme Nouvelle Cible De Trump, Qui La Menace De 25% De Droits De Douane
8. Aux États-Unis, Le Soutien À Israël Se Fissure Au Sein Du Mouvement MAGA

• Le Journal de Montréal
1. Tarifs Du 1er Août: «Il N’y Aura Pas D’extension», Dit Le Secrétaire Américain Au Commerce
2. Retrait Des Produits Américains À La SAQ: Les Vins Québécois Ont La Cote
3. Epstein Et Trump: De L’État Profond À L’État Superficiel
4. Pas De Deal Avec Trump, Pas De Problème Pour Carney?
5. Fouettée Par Trump, La Fed Ne Fléchira Sans Doute Pas Ses Taux
6. Tarifs Douaniers: La Date Butoir Du 1er Août Ne Sera Pas Repoussée, Assure Donald Trump
7. Cinq Produits Concernés Par Les Droits De Douane Du 1er Août Aux États-Unis
8. «Les Gens Se Dépêchent De Venir Au Canada»: Des Haïtiens Réfugiés Aux États-Unis Fuient Trump Vers Le Québec

• Toronto Star
1. NIH Cuts Spotlight A Hidden Crisis Facing Patients With Experimental Brain Implants
2. Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal’ aid as hunger grows
3. Trump’s Demand For Washington NFL Team Name Change Ignores Years Of Psychological Data, Experts Say
4. Trump Once Decried The Idea Of Presidential Vacations. His Scotland Trip Is Built Around Golf
5. It’s A Year Of Rapid Change, Except When It Comes To Trump’s Approval Numbers, AP-NORC Polling Finds
6. ‘It’s Disheartening’: Thousands Competing For Jobs At This Year’s CNE As Unemployment Soars
7. Questions Emerge About NYC Gunman’s Mental Health And His Security-Sensitive Job In Las Vegas
8. US Sanctions Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Overseeing Case Against Bolsonaro

• CBC
1. U.S., EU Agree To Framework For Trade Deal That Puts 15% Tariff On European Goods
2. True Sovereignty: Amidst All The Buzz About The Future Of The Canadian Arctic, Some Nunavummiut Believe There’s One Voice Missing — The Young Generation Of Inuit Who Call This Land Home
3. Destined To Be A Boy Mom? New Study Suggests Baby's Sex Isn't Always Random
4. What The U.S. Dairy Industry Really Wants From Canada
5. Bank Of Canada Holds Interest Rate At 2.75% As Economy Shows Resilience In The Face Of Tariffs
6. Many Canadian Exports Can Avoid Trump Tariffs If CUSMA-Compliant. Here's What That Means
7. Israeli Minister Hints At Annexing Parts Of Gaza As Hunger-Related Deaths Mount
8. Sask. Author's Anti-Racism Book Is Among 596 Banned By U.S. Department Of Defense For Use In Its Schools

From England

•  BBC
1. Summer Of Stink: Inside America's Garbage Labour Dispute
2. Canadian Wildfires Prompt New York Air Quality Alert
3. Insurance Giant Says Most US Customer Data Stolen In Cyber-Attack
4. Watch: Trump Voters In Florida React To Epstein Controversy
5. 'Come Hug It Out!' - How A Canadian Tourism Ad Went Viral
6. Eric Trump Not Ruling Out White House Family 'Dynasty'
7. Why Did Russian Mega Earthquake Not Cause More Tsunami Damage?
8. Americans Advised To Stay Indoors Due To Triple-Digit Heatwave

• Reuters
1. Epstein Furor Undermining Public Trust, Republican Election Hopes, Two US Lawmakers Say
2. Medical Group Urges Kennedy Not To Fire US Care Task Force
3. Exclusive: US Diplomats Asked If Non-Whites Qualify For Trump Refugee Program For South Africans 
4. Two Southwest Flight Attendants Hurt After Jet Dives To Avoid Mid-Air Collision
5. US Appeals Court Rejects Challenge To Washington Laws On Transgender Youth Care
6. US Reversal On Key Climate Finding Spells Uncertainty For Business
7. Trump Administration Memo Asks Federal Fund Recipients To Restrict DEI
8. Rebound In US Economic Growth In Second Quarter Masks Underlying Slowing Trend

From France

• France24
1. Trump Blurs Business And Politics At New Golf Course Opening In Scotland
2. USA: Trump Shares Awkward Exchange With Fed Chair Powell
3. Vote To Subpoena All Epstein-Related Files From Justice Department
4. War Against Captagon: Why Is Saudi Arabia Executing Drug Dealers On A Massive Scale?
5. Palestinian Activist Owdeh Hathaleen Killed By Israeli Settler In West Bank, Witness Says
6. 'EU Has A Lot To Lose': US-EU Trade Deal With Trump Counter To 'What EU Should Be Standing For'
7. Does Trump Seek To Levy Tariffs Across Globe To Fund 'Massive Tax Cuts & Cuts In Social Services'?
8. Arab Nations Call On Hamas To Disarm And Relinquish Control Of Gaza
9. Canada Will Recognise Palestinian State At UN General Assembly, Carney Says

• Les Echos
1. « Quand On S'attend À Un Ouragan, On Se Réjouit D'une Simple Tempête » : Les Premières Réactions À L'accord Douanier Entre Trump Et L'Europe
2. Droits de douane : ce que l'on sait des détails de l'accord conclu in extremis entre Trump et l'Europe 
3. Puma, le travail d'Hercule du nouveau PDG pour bondir au-dessus des droits de douane de Trump
4. « Climat : Donald Trump Serait-Il Maoïste ? » 
5. Aide À Gaza : Pressé De Toutes Parts, Israël Consent À Une Pause « Humanitaire »
6. Guerre En Ukraine : « La Politique De Sanctions Européennes Vis-À-Vis De La Russie Est Un Échec Total »
7. Droits De Douane : Ces 1.500 Petites Entreprises Françaises Menacées Par Trump

• Le Monde
1. Retracing James Baldwin's Footsteps In Istanbul, The City That Saved His Life 
2. Donald Trump Is On The Verge Of Winning His Trade War
3. 'If A Dictator Issued A Call For Tenders To Reopen Gulags, Some Consulting Firms Would Be Ready To Bid'
4. European citizens under US sanctions are being erased economically and socially within the EU'
5. From AI To The Military, The Expansion Of Tech Oligarchs' Empires
6. Kristi Noem, The Face Of The Trump Administration's Anti-Immigrant Raids
7. Trump Announces New Tariffs On Brazil, India, South Korea As Deadline Nears
8. US Treasury Sanctions Brazilian Judge Overseeing Bolsonaro Trial

From Germany

• DW
1. Trump Tells Europe To Get Its 'Act Together' On Immigration
2. No Epstein Vote: US Lawmakers Sent On Early Recess
3. Fact Check: Why Does Donald Trump Keep Sharing AI Fakes?
4. US Immigration Raids Stoke Fear Among Farm Workers
5. Tariffs Hit US Textile Industry Hard
6. NGOs: Gaza Airdrops Smack Of 'Cynicism' And Are 'Futile'
7. Desperation In Gaza Grows As Food Supplies Dwindle
8. US-EU Trade Deal Could Lock Bloc Into Fossil Fuel Dependency
9. US: EPA Moves To Gut Environmental Oversight

• DER SPIEGEL
1. Don't Allow Ghada To Die!
2. "The Goal Of The Trump Administration Is To Destroy The Elite"
3. Is Israel Committing Genocide In The Gaza Strip?
4. Merz lobt Handelsdeal zwischen EU und den USA
5. Trump Testet Amerikas Widerstandskräfte
6. Vater der Gewalt
7. Chatbots Sind Nicht Mehr Aufzuhalten
8. Kahlschlag Beim Klimaschutz

From Russian Source 

• Novaya Gazeta Europe
1. Wolf At The Door: Europe Must Now Show Țhat It Can Follow Through On Its Pledges To Boost Military Spending And Step Up Its Support For Ukraine
2. Russian Student Who Planned To Fight For Ukraine Faces Terror Charges After Prisoner Swap Return
3. Russia’s Sole Aircraft Carrier Likely To Be Scrapped
4. Behind Closed Doors: A Recent Retirement Home Abuse Scandal Has Laid Bare The Crisis In Russia’s Eldercare Sector
5. Big Brothers: Russia Is Playing Catch-Up With Belarus, Which Has Long Been Imprisoning People For Reading ‘Extremist’ Content Online
6. Putin’s Trojan Horse: An Upcoming Concert In Italy Is A Litmus Test Of The Kremlin’s Soft Power
7. ‘We’re Transporting A Heart, We’re Transporting A Heart’
8. Russian Justice Ministry Adds Alexey Navalny’s Memoir To List Of Extremist Materials
9. Six Killed And At Least 82 Injured In ‘Massive’ Russian Missile And Drone Strike On Kyiv

From Spain

• El Mundo
1. La Presión Internacional Empuja A Israel A Iniciar Pausas Humanitarias En Una Gaza Sometida A Una Hambruna Devastadora Que Tacha De "Propaganda"
2. Reformas Trump: guirnaldas dorados y un jardín sin césped
3. Venezuela Responde Con Más Abstención A La Nueva Parodia Electoral De Maduro
4. Las Últimas Horas De Jeffrey Epstein Y Las Teorías Sobre Su Suicidio: La Sábana, La Foto Del Cuerpo Y El Vídeo "Cortado"
5. Trump Advierte A Canadá De Que El Reconocimiento Del Estado De Palestina Va A "Dificultar Mucho" El Acuerdo Comercial
6. Comienza La Cuenta Atrás Para Putin En Ucrania
7. "No Nos Ha Temido Lo Suficiente": Macron Se Suma A La Críticas Contra El Acuerdo Arancelario De La UE Con Trump

• El País
1. ‘Sexile’ In The United States: Hundreds Of Transgender Americans Seek Refuge From Trump In Canada
2. Chapter 6: The Art Of Deception In The White House
3. The Migrants Heading South: ‘I Never Imagined I’d Be Migrating Backwards"
4. The New Cost For Asylum Applications And Other Immigration Procedures Under Trump’s Law
5. The Global Economy Holds Its Breath As Donald Trump’s (New) Trade War Is Set To Begin
6. Cuban Migrant On Hunger Strike At Alligator Alcatraz: ‘It’s Up To Them To Decide If I Live Or Die’
7. Fired Immigration Judges Prepare To Take On The Justice Department
8. Eduardo Bolsonaro, The Man Urging Trump To Punish Brazil 

From Switzerland

• Neue Zürcher Zeitung
1. Brasiliens Präsident Lula Ist Neuerdings Wieder Im Aufwind
2. Columbia Zahlt, Harvard Klagt: Unterschiedlicher Könnten Die Unis Nicht Auf Die Forderungen Trumps Reagieren
3. Freigelassene Venezolanische Migranten Berichten Über Misshandlungen In El Salvadors «Horror-Knast»
4. Wer Rettet Die Demokraten? Diese Favoriten Machen Sich Für Die Präsidentschaftswahl 2028 Bereit
5. «Alligator Alcatraz» Ist überall – Die Trump-Regierung Verhaftet Massenhaft Migranten, In Gefängnissen Herrscht Platznot
6. Curtis Yarvin Ist Der Dunkle Hausphilosoph Im Trump-Lager – Nun Hört Auch Elon Musk Auf Ihn
7. Eben noch eine lahme Ente, nun Superman: Trump hat den bereits abgeschriebenen brasilianischen Präsidenten Lula wiederbelebt

From Ukraine

• UATV English
1. The Crisis Is Coming: Trump's Ultimatum Hangs Over Russia | News Pulse
2. Ukraine Holds The Defense: The Final Stage Of Russia's Summer Offensive
3. Russian Propaganda Attacks The West: Hitler, NATO, And The Threat Of World War III | Hate Speech
4. Ukrainian Society Speaks Up – What Law 12414 Is About And Why People Protest?
5. The Enemy Is Panicking: Ukrainian Attacks And Russian Failures | Front Line With @StarskyUA

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