Tuesday, July 21, 2026

When healing becomes a luxury: the high cost of political theatre

A richly detailed illustration in the style of a classic adventure comic depicts two exhausted women seated together upon a lavish bed in a dimly lit bedroom. One, wearing a flowing white dressing gown over black lace nightwear, carefully pours amber liquid from an ornate glass decanter into a tumbler held by her companion. The second woman, dressed in a pale silk nightdress beneath a rose-coloured robe with a stethoscope draped around her neck, leans wearily against the carved headboard, one hand gripping an elaborate serpent ornament. A marble bedside table holds prescription bottles, handwritten notes, an official document with an embossed seal and a flickering candle. Beyond rain-streaked windows, a sprawling industrial skyline belches smoke beneath a dark night sky, reinforcing the scene’s atmosphere of anxiety, decadence and foreboding.
generated via ChatGPT

Arsonist Trump sets 100% tariff on generic drugs from August 2028, doubling a year later — pure nihilism. {Bloomberg 21 July}

https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/policy/articles/trump-plans-100-tariff-generic-230559381.html

FTA: (Bloomberg) -- The US plans to impose a 100% tariff on generic drugs imported to the US beginning in August 2028, President Donald Trump said in a social media post Tuesday.

That levy would then double a year later to 200% in August 2029.

"This is done in order to RESHORE Generic Pharmaceutical Production into America, with a penalty to those Companies that decide not to build Plant and Equipment within the stated period of time given to them," Trump said in the post.

Trump said his administration's tariff plans related to patented drugs would remain unchanged.

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

The Truth North stands her ground

A richly detailed illustration in the style of a classic adventure comic portrays a poised woman standing before the snow-capped Canadian Rockies beneath a glowing golden-hour sky. She is wrapped in the Canadian flag, the red-and-white fabric flowing dramatically around her like a ceremonial mantle while revealing only her neck, shoulders and one gracefully extended leg. Her dark wavy hair frames a serene, resolute expression as she gazes confidently into the distance, embodying dignity, resilience and national pride. Towering alpine peaks, dense evergreen forests and warm sunset light create a majestic backdrop, while bold ink linework, painterly colours and vintage adventure-comic aesthetics lend the scene an epic, timeless quality.
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Canada: PM Carney not about to roll over and play dead for Trump as new tariffs are imposed. {NYT 21 July}

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/21/world/canada/trump-carney-trade-tariffs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.zVA.vA3T.9qmkykQ78_Za&smid=url-share

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Liberty in the hands of her executioners

A richly detailed illustration in the style of a classic adventure comic depicts a pale, unconscious woman representing Lady Liberty reclining across an ornate Victorian chaise longue. She wears a flowing ivory gown and the iconic spiked crown, her extraordinarily long platinum-blonde hair cascading over the cushions. Small crimson puncture wounds on her neck, wrists and ankle suggest severe blood loss, leaving her complexion ghostly white. Five elegantly dressed women in lavish black and crimson gowns, each bearing subtle bloodstains at the throat, surround her with intent expressions, evoking aristocratic vampires. One gently lifts Lady Liberty’s chin while the others lean closer beneath candlelight in an opulent Gothic chamber filled with statues, heavy drapery and antique furnishings, creating an atmosphere of foreboding menace.
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Making America great again by draining the coffers of the world’s most powerful military? The Pentagon is rapidly going broke. {WP 21 July}

https://wapo.st/4wYclry

Another fine example of what y’all voted for, #Muricans. 

Just watch how quickly the federal government begins looking for savings elsewhere whilst ever more resources are devoted to sustaining the military machine. What shall be left? Social Security is already under ever greater strain, with insolvency projected for 2032; now that reckoning may arrive sooner still; Medicare and Medicaid are already effectively on the chopping block, so say ‘goodbye’ to healthcare for millions; infrastructure is already neglected, and will deteriorate further; and our military no longer capable of sustaining the commitments expected of it; and with it, any semblance of national security lost. Just look to Russia to see where Trumpistan is heading.

I wish I had the means to flee this country, for the gradual decline we have been living through hath been painful enough to witness. The pace of that decline is about to accelerate considerably. Americans voted for their own destruction, and they are about to get it.

Empires rarely collapse because they lack enemies — more often, they exhaust themselves — and history is not kind to governments and peoples that confuse spectacle with statecraft. Nor to leaders, such as Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin, who mistake recklessness for strength. I pray that those responsible for squandering the resources, institutions, and international standing that were painstakingly built over generations face their reckoning.

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, July 20, 2026

A moment's vigilance before the weekly shop

A highly detailed illustration in a classic adventure-comic style shows a petite woman standing in the entrance of a brightly lit Dollar Tree store. She has pale skin, expressive dark eyes and black hair tied in a high ponytail with loose strands framing her face. Dressed entirely in black—a fitted tank top, short skirt, opaque thigh-high stockings and slouch boots—she discreetly adjusts the top of one stocking while holding a large black handbag fitted with a clipped personal safety alarm. Her cautious, thoughtful expression suggests heightened awareness as shoppers move through the aisles behind her. Bold ink linework, warm hand-painted colours and crisp architectural detail blend vintage comic artistry with a contemporary retail setting.
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NOT for the faint of heart, thou hast been warned: '(M)asturbating in front of female customers at branches of Dollar Tree… fast becoming a national phenomenon'. {The Guardian 20 July}

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/20/dollar-tree-sexual-assault-gooner

Yes, thou read the above headline correctly. Disturbed women-hating men (‘incels’) engaging in the gamification of sexual harassment and sexual assault, then posting the video evidence online for the amusement and approval of similarly depraved individuals.

Dollar stores, with their chronically weak security, skeletal staffing, and tendency to be located in poorer or higher-crime communities, provide fertile hunting grounds for these predators (some of whom are employees). Similar incidents have occurred in other countries — I am not proclaiming that the former United States possesses a monopoly on sick people doing deranged things — but if ever there were a measure of how far this nation hath fallen, when women cannot safely shop for household necessities without becoming targets of sexual abuse, this would be it.

Do not read The Guardian article if one hath a weak stomach. It is genuinely horrible in detail. Yet women should know what is happening, and — wherever possible — exercise caution when visiting these establishments. Concealed carry whether it is legal or not to do so in one’s jurisdiction: guns, mace, whatever necessary. Best yet, just avoid dollar stores altogether — wherever possible.

And I stress wherever possible. Throughout large swathes of the former United States — in forever-neglected urban neighbourhoods, dying rural Trumpvilles alike, and increasingly everywhere in between — dollar stores have become the only practical place many people can afford to shop, or can physically access. Much hath already been written about the exploitative business model behind these chains, and I would encourage all readers to investigate it further. The very existence of so many communities dependent upon them is itself a damning indictment of America’s economic system and of the country's overall health.

America's problems are not exactly unique, though it is clearly responsible for the abomination that is the dollar store. Every nation possesses its own extremists, criminals, and cultural maladies. Yet my abiding impression is that most or all of those societies shall still possess functioning institutions and a sense of civic responsibility long after the final remnants of it have been stamped out here in Trumpistan (nearly there). We must accept decline as though it were inevitable, because y’all done made it inevitable, #Muricans. The rest of you in this world still have a chance to hang in for a bit longer, until climate change finishes the planet off, but another topic for another day.

Make no mistake, this grotesque behaviour is not merely the work of isolated deviants. It reflects a culture in which women are treated as objects to be humiliated rather than fellow human beings deserving of dignity and safety. The conduct described in The Guardian article is extreme, but it did not emerge from a vacuum. It grows in an environment where harassment is trivialised, empathy is in short supply, and cruelty increasingly masquerades as entertainment. An environment that gave rise to, and hath since been made immeasurably worse — to the point of no possible recovery — by President Donald J. Trump, his enablers, and his handlers.

All of this is profoundly sick. America’s modern culture is profoundly and plainly sick. What should one expect from a country that knowingly returned a man found liable for sexual abuse — among other things — to the White House? We have become a society in which people either actively despise one another or simply no longer care. In 2024 — knowingly so from past experience and in contempt for the most hated institution of any kind in white working-class America (the Democratic Party), and the (unfortunately politically untalented and personally untrustworthy) black woman who was leading the opposing ticket that year — the ruling plurality of citizens elected a government of wolves that are hostile to public safety, dismissive of civil liberties and human rights, and all too willing — eager, even — to subordinate ordinary people to powerful corporate interests. We should not be surprised when people who voted repeatedly for psychopaths begin acting like psychopaths. Nor that there be any remorse, even as their own lives deteriorate further. 

Women should not have to plan an ordinary shopping trip as though entering hostile territory. Until this country rediscovers both the will and the ability to protect ordinary citizens from predators such as these, remaining aware of one's surroundings and taking whatever precautions available is the only prudent thing. No civilised society should require its women — nay, any peaceful citizens, period — to live this way. Trumpistan is not a civilised society.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

The price of black gold

A dramatic fantasy illustration reimagines Lady Liberty as a resolute blonde woman striding across a devastated industrial wasteland beneath towering columns of black smoke and a storm-darkened sky. Wearing a weathered ivory classical gown secured by a broad leather belt and crowned with Liberty’s iconic spiked diadem, she raises a blazing torch high while her long platinum hair streams in the wind. Thick black crude oil stains her arms, legs, hands and flowing garments, contrasting starkly with her pale skin. Around her, ruptured pipelines, pools of oil, flames and burning refineries stretch towards the horizon, creating an apocalyptic landscape. Cinematic lighting, meticulous realism and powerful symbolism evoke resilience amid ecological catastrophe.
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Average gas prices in the former United States back above $4.00 per gallon as Iran conflict reignites. {AP 20 July}

https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/us-gas-prices-hit-average-4-gallon-us-134908471?cid=social_twitter_abcn

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

An empty parsonage, an unanswered prayer

A photorealistic wide view depicts a weathered white New England parsonage standing in silence beneath soft afternoon light. An overgrown lawn surrounds the neglected porch, where an open suitcase spills clothing onto the steps beside a discarded clerical collar. In the foreground, a visa application and airline ticket stamped “CANCELLED” are pinned beneath a smooth stone, while a small Nigerian flag pin lies abandoned in the dirt nearby. A distant church steeple rises through the trees, barely visible beyond the house. Long shadows, peeling paint and the abandoned belongings combine to evoke profound loneliness, interrupted vocation and the quiet finality of a life abruptly uprooted.
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‘A beloved 54-year-old Massachusetts priest is said to have died by suicide after being forced to return to his home country of Nigeria’. {Irish Star 20 July}

https://www.irishstar.com/news/boston-news/massachusetts-devastated-after-priest-dies-37451659

Jesus was nowhere to be found for this servant of the Lord. FTA:

Under U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, Madu had to leave the country to renew his religious worker visa, known as an R-1 visa, according to church officials. While the department recently eliminated the requirement for R-1 recipients to wait a full year before applying for a renewal, options for the church to keep Madu legally in the U.S. were limited because the federal government has suspended processing of certain immigration cases for 75 countries, including Nigeria.

According to the US-Nigeria Civil Society Coalition, Madu suffered from intense emotional distress regarding his anticipated return to Nigeria, where there has been a rise in the kidnappings and killings of Catholic clergy.

Shortly before he passed away, he told parishioners and stated in a farewell message on the parish website that leaving the country was completely out of his hands. He wrote, "Sincerely, it is not my wish to return home right now, but circumstances beyond my control have warranted that my time in the United States come to an end. My heart is broken, yet my joy remains," he wrote, adding that he'd gladly return to minister and will miss the community.

The Boston Globe reported that Madu received emergency room treatment at a hospital after experiencing a panic attack on the Sunday prior to his death, which occurred as he was driving to celebrate Mass.

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

“Lettuce celebrate... mmm, maybe not just yet”

A vibrant, highly detailed illustration inspired by traditional Mexican art depicts a joyful woman kneeling amid a vast field of fresh green cabbages beneath a brilliant blue sky. She has long flowing black hair, a radiant smile and wears a flowing white dress that billows around her as cabbage leaves cling playfully to her clothing and hair. Behind her, rolling farmland stretches towards a majestic volcanic mountain framed by towering clouds adorned with colourful folk-art motifs. Rich saturated colours, bold decorative patterns and expressive painterly textures celebrate rural Mexico’s natural beauty, agricultural abundance and exuberant spirit, creating a scene filled with warmth, movement and infectious happiness.
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“Fruit and vegetable producer Taylor Fresh Foods says it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market amid an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country that has sickened more than 1,600 people.” {ABC News 19 July}

https://abcnews.com/GMA/News/taylor-farms-amid-cyclosporiasis-outbreak/story?id=134846473&cid=social_twitter_abcn

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, July 19, 2026

“Congratulations... now look at me”

A celebratory World Cup medal presentation unfolds before a packed stadium as Spain’s national football team gathers upon the podium wearing gold medals and red-and-blue kits, smiling, pointing and preparing for a commemorative photograph. Standing conspicuously at the front of the group is Donald Trump, dressed in a dark navy suit with a bright red tie, smiling directly towards the cameras while a FIFA official reaches from the right as though attempting to guide him aside. The Spanish players remain focused upon one another and the celebration behind him, creating a striking visual contrast between the jubilant team moment and the prominent figure occupying the foreground. Bright afternoon light illuminates the colourful, crowded sporting spectacle.
Getty Images

After being mercilessly booed, Trump refuses to leave the podium as the Spanish players celebrate their World Cup victory. {The Telegraph 19 July}

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/da89c91b7768d83e

Another giant embarrassment for the former United States of America inflicted by this man, on the world’s biggest sporting stage. King Felipe IV of Spain was on the field, but he did not deign to upstage his own countrymen in this manner. Trump hath spent recent weeks loudly expressing his displeasure with Spain — specifically related to trade — so this is an especially brazen gesture on his part. No, I do not believe this was mere aloofness. He knew exactly what he was doing. Trump must be the star of every show, no matter what it is.

Could not have happened to nicer guys: Andrew Tate and his little brother under arrest in Miami. {AP 18 July}

https://apnews.com/article/tate-brothers-social-influencers-arrest-82b6638219839dcf653c09309da66f16

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Saturday, July 18, 2026

The battle no one wanted to fight again

A sombre, highly detailed illustration portrays an Ebola treatment ward where a critically ill young African woman lies upon a hospital bed beneath patterned blankets, her face glistening with perspiration and tears as she stares upward in exhaustion. A healthcare worker in full yellow protective suit, gloves, respirator and face shield gently rests one hand upon her forehead while offering reassurance with the other. Additional clinicians in identical protective equipment prepare intravenous treatment and monitor her condition amid IV drips, medical instruments and isolation screens. Warm, muted lighting, richly textured brushwork and meticulous realism underscore the emotional gravity of humanitarian medicine confronting a deadly infectious disease in a temporary field hospital.
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Seven American aid workers quarantined in Kenya after Ebola exposure. {WP 18 July}

https://wapo.st/4vAlqp2

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Muscles, mirrors, and make-believe

A richly detailed illustration in a classic adventure-comic style depicts an older silver-haired man standing before an ornate bathroom mirror, proudly flexing both arms while admiring his own muscular reflection. He wears a fitted grey sleeveless shirt and dark lounge trousers, his expression one of unmistakable self-satisfaction. Behind him, reflected in the open doorway, two young women in elegant satin nightwear pause, smiling warmly at one another while holding hands, seemingly amused rather than impressed by his display. The luxurious bathroom features polished black marble, gilded fittings, crystal perfume bottles, folded towels and a vase of white roses, all rendered with bold ink linework, warm hand-painted colours and meticulous vintage-inspired detail.
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Closet homosexuality, perhaps? — Inside #MAGA’s creepy obsession with testosterone as a marker of national strength. {The Telegraph 18 July}

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/4c55efbff4de55b1

Truth be told, I may be one of those ‘low T’ men: I am pale, anaemic, underweight, a lifelong smoker and drinker, and I hate exercising anything other than my mind. The only reason to believe otherwise is that I have a very manly voice: I have been told at certain times that I should be in radio, and did consider attending broadcast school when I was considering my college options. Perhaps I should have pursued it, but even thirty years ago it was clear that radio was no longer a growth industry (the Telecommunications Act of that very year, 1996, ruined it). More pertinently, I also lacked greatly in confidence, as a childhood of constantly being made to feel inferior to peers will do that to a human being. I have never been athletic, cut out for military service, and cannot fight my way out of a wet paper bag. Nor hath any of this ever bothered me very much, apart from the lack of confidence in myself and much regret over lacking a backbone to stand up to more than a few motherf**kers who should have been put in their place. 

Perhaps my nature hath bothered some other folks I have been unfortunate enough to know over the course of this thankless life, but they may kindly kiss my Anglo-Saxon ass. What the hell do I care about ‘measuring up’ physically to other men, when most other men are complete and total f**king bores and are nothing to emulate? I have never cared what other men look like, do not like most of them on any level, and it is so nonsensical and a bit peculiar to my, admittedly unorthodox, brain that anybody would. Beyond basic biology, I often wonder why women are attracted to us. On the whole, we are ugly creatures, inside and out.

Frankly, I have a hard time imagining how all these men can be so obsessed with their manhood, and the vitality of other men, and there not be some pent-up sexual frustration at play. How can so many men be endlessly preoccupied with other men's bodies and sex lives, yet insist this is simply normal masculine, heterosexual behaviour? I do not even know if I can explain in a paragraph or two, but it is just so bloody gross to me. Bodybuilding in particular… yuck. These fellows spend half their lives admiring themselves in mirrors and spending the other half evaluating other men's physiques, and we are supposed to think this is the epitome of manhood? People are too caught up in other people’s affairs to begin with, but having to engage in virtual dick-measuring contests all the time is not something I am interested in, particularly not at forty-eight.

Like most of these moral panics the extremes of American politics cook up, there is a basis of truth. Falling testosterone levels are a scientifically proven phenomenon, and may well contribute to why many men — to my ears, at least — my age and under have high, effeminate voices now. Have we noticed that not many men have distinctive voices anymore? I notice it most when watching baseball games: nearly all the younger play-by-play announcers have these flat, indistinct voices and there is not a new Jack Buck or Harry Kalas coming along. But I digress. Ultimately, it is simply a question of how grave a 'crisis' we believe this to be. My opinion is that there will always emerge ‘alpha’ males in society, for better and for worse. Basic human nature does not change, and boys are going to be boys, men are going to be men, and most — regardless of their ‘T’ levels — shall be forever insecure in their manhood. 

And there will always be grifters such as Trump, Andrew Tate, Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Dana White, Pete Hegseth, and the rest of these ‘manosphere’ figures ready to take advantage of the weak, insecure, and pathetic. 

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Charging ahead no longer

A highly detailed illustrated image in a classic adventure-comic style portraying a glamorous red-haired woman standing beside a champagne-gold contemporary electric saloon in a luxurious indoor garage. She wears a sleek, floor-length ivory evening gown with subtle gold trim, an elegant asymmetric neckline, and a dramatic thigh-high slit revealing one leg. Resting one hand lightly upon the polished bonnet, she faces the viewer with a poised, confident expression. Warm golden lighting washes across the vehicle’s sculpted bodywork and reflective paint, while bold ink linework, rich hand-painted colours, and carefully rendered textures evoke the timeless sophistication of vintage illustrated storytelling blended with modern automotive design.
generated via ChatGPT

Projections for electric vehicle sales in Trumpistan are slashed significantly. ‘Full withdrawal of federal regulatory support for electrification in the U.S. is the biggest factor’. {Yahoo! Finance 11 July}

https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/us-electric-car-outlook-tumbles-200700626.html

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Humiliation in aisle seven

A highly detailed illustration depicting a distraught blonde-haired woman standing alone in the centre of a brightly lit supermarket aisle after an embarrassing loss of bladder control. She wears a simple white slip dress that is visibly soaked across the front and lower skirt, with a small puddle spreading across the polished tiled floor around her shoes. Tears stream down her flushed face as she wipes one eye while instinctively clutching the front of her dress. Shoppers on either side of the aisle pause with expressions ranging from surprise and concern to sympathetic discomfort, some holding shopping baskets. Neatly stocked shelves and bright fluorescent lighting heighten the stark contrast between the ordinary setting and her deeply vulnerable moment.
generated via ChatGPT

US grocery unit sales fall as inflation and benefit cuts squeeze budgets, forcing shoppers to buy less. {Get Ready 16 July}

https://getready.team/news/economic/2026/07/16/the-us-grocery-slowdown-is-real

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Friday, July 17, 2026

The wildfire didn't need a passport

A highly detailed glamour-style illustration of a distressed blonde woman seated upon a white toilet in an opulent marble bathroom with polished brass fittings. She wears a white satin nightdress beneath a loosely draped silk robe, one hand pressed against her lower abdomen while the other supports her tear-streaked face. Her flushed cheeks, reddened eyes, and pained expression convey exhaustion and severe gastrointestinal illness. Luxurious details, including crystal perfume bottles, folded towels, and gleaming marble surfaces, contrast sharply with her evident discomfort. Warm golden lighting accentuates the satin fabrics and refined dΓ©cor, creating a poignant juxtaposition between elegance, vulnerability, and physical suffering.
generated via ChatGPT

Trump, Michigan Republicans theatrically and performatively threaten Canada over wildfire smoke covering US regions. {NYT 17 July}

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/17/weather/trump-canada-tariffs-wildfire-smoke.html?smid=url-share

Ontario Premier Doug Ford provides the best comeback to the latest display of nationalist hysteria, that Canada should be held liable for acts of God. Have they considered those times the shoe hath been on the other foot?

FTA: Earlier on Friday, Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, was visibly frustrated with complaints from American lawmakers about the smoke.

“As for other elected officials in the U.S., I have to remind the American people, when there was wildfires in California, we had our water bombers on standby,” Mr. Ford, a conservative, told reporters, listing other American disasters that Ontario has helped with. “If there’s some politicians out there chirping away, well, maybe what you should do rather than complain is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends. And that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

The answer to my own question is obvious… these smug #MAGA creeps simply do not care. When America's actions harm Canada or any other nation, they merely shrug. When the roles are reversed, they scream to the heavens and demand retribution (though they will not acknowledge any actual victims beyond invoking them as political props). They are bullies, thugs, and entirely emblematic of who and what the former United States of America hath become in its afterlife. 

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

No comfort in marble

A highly detailed glamour-style illustration of a distressed blonde woman seated upon a white toilet in an opulent marble bathroom with polished brass fittings. She wears a white satin nightdress beneath a loosely draped silk robe, one hand pressed against her lower abdomen while the other supports her tear-streaked face. Her flushed cheeks, reddened eyes, and pained expression convey exhaustion and severe gastrointestinal illness. Luxurious details, including crystal perfume bottles, folded towels, and gleaming marble surfaces, contrast sharply with her evident discomfort. Warm golden lighting accentuates the satin fabrics and refined dΓ©cor, creating a poignant juxtaposition between elegance, vulnerability, and physical suffering.
generated via ChatGPT

Figures: #Murican fast food icon Taco Bell and supplier Taylor Farms tied to cyclospora outbreak in five states. {AP 17 July}

https://apnews.com/article/cyclospora-lettuce-taco-bell-cdc-fda-13d9e9ebdc46a4d05a58da2ae8e8d0de

Not the first time either of these parties have been negligent. Food safety standards are not what they should be in what we — as Americans — are commanded to believe is the freest, richest, most advanced nation on earth. Alas, I do not suspect most Taco Bell consumers care all that much about food safety, but I digress. 

FTA: The FDA’s traceback investigation identified a single supplier of iceberg lettuce from Mexico used by the Taco Bell locations where people who got sick ate, federal officials said. The Mexican food chain is among the restaurants linked to foodborne illness outbreaks in the past. Taylor Farms also was tied to a 2013 cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to salad mix and a 2024 E. coli outbreak tied to onions served at McDonald’s.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

The slow suffocation of Lady Liberty

image generated via ChatGPT

‘The Treasury Department’s top tax policy official was forced out of his job after he warned that the White House was at risk of violating a federal law prohibiting senior officials’ involvement in IRS audits’. {WSJ 17 July}

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/top-treasury-tax-official-ousted-after-clashes-with-white-house-over-irs-audits-60d5b1df

This regime is not even trying to hide its corruption, it is wearing it as a badge of honour. Kenneth Kies, according to the Wall Street Journal, hath ‘been at the center of Republican tax-policy circles in Washington for nearly a half-century’, probably as partisan a creature as one is likely to find. Yet he retained enough sanity and common sense to warn these fascist reprobates not to violate federal law and become politically involved in IRS audits, and said reprobates responded like the petulant, belligerent individuals they are and forced him out.

How many times now have we seen people with a degree of competence and sanity try to work with Trump and the lunatics around him, and every single time they are driven away. From Tillerson to Mattis and Kelly to Fauci to Bolton to his own former VP, and literally hundreds in between, Trump eventually exhausts the patience of serious people. Always. This second reign of terror hath not seen as much turnover as the first, predominantly because Trump took care to put the real lunatics and loyalists in key positions, but even now we are seeing defections, in-fighting, and firings. For there is no pacifying such a chaotic individual. 

Electing Donald Trump president in 2016 was a mistake. Wilfully returning such a proven failure and conman to power in 2024 was a collective act of political arson from which white working-class America shall never redeem itself — even those of us who have opposed this madness all along are forever tarnished — and the country as a whole shall never recover from it.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

This was not in the briefing

A highly detailed fantasy-glamour illustration depicting a blonde female Secret Service agent standing in an opulent executive office at night. She wears a tailored black blazer over a fitted white blouse, a short black skirt, sheer black tights, and black high-heeled shoes. Her posture conveys visible frustration: one hand rests on her hip while the other is raised in a dismissive gesture, her gaze fixed downward with an exasperated expression. Behind her, tall windows reveal a vast night sky dominated by the ringed planet Saturn. An American flag stands near dark wood panelling, leather furnishings, and a large presidential-style desk. Dramatic cinematic lighting and rich contrasts create an atmosphere of tension, authority, and weary determination.
generated via ChatGPT

Secret Service reportedly fed-up with VP Vance and family. {MS NOW 15 July}


Blatantly entitled, brazenly so, and only a heartbeat away from the presidency. Taking a young boy to a golf lesson aboard a military helicopter at taxpayer expense, reportedly costing more than $24,000. Meanwhile, JD Vance and his wife — ever the natalists — are expecting their fourth child soon. 

Vance is not fit for the office he holds, and certainly not the presidency: too young, too self-assured, too many contradictions about him, and too aloof in nature. Alas, thanks largely to his boss, standards no longer apply to most Republican office-holders, provided they remain in Trump's good graces.

White Americans and much of the mainstream media — generally speaking, of course — do not hold Republicans to the same standards they apply to Democrats. I believe this has been true for decades, beginning with the political realignment that followed the passage of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, but more acutely so since 2016, when a third or so of the overall American population decided what a wonderful idea it would be to join a political cult led by a foul-mouthed real estate mogul and ‘reality television’ star with closets full of skeletons. 

At the dawn of his political career, Donald Trump could have attempted to run as a Democrat. After all, he spent roughly a decade registered with the party in the 2000s. Yet he understood that his chances of success were far greater as a Republican. He needed the white working-class vote, and that constituency had been drifting away from the Democratic Party since the 1960s, a process completed with the election of Barack Obama as president in 2008.

Just look at the number of state legislative seats Democrats lost during Obama's presidency, particularly across the South. The scale of the decline is staggering. Trump was taking note. Trump could not have won as a Democrat, nor could he have gotten away with everything he has gotten away with as a Republican. No demographic group has proven more willing to overlook — or even embrace — his corruption, incompetence, and ethical failings than the coalition that now comprises #MAGA. 

So long as JD Vance remains Trump’s trusted VP, he shall be Teflon. Ask Mike Pence what happens, however, when one falls out of good graces. The best thing that can happen between now and the scheduled presidential election of 2028 (and I use the word ‘scheduled’ as there is no guarantee there will be any election in 2028) is for Trump to throw Vance under the bus and fire him, for he would be a horrible president (yes, worse).


πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

La Dernière Liberté

A highly detailed illustration portrays a red-haired woman lying upon an opulent four-poster bed draped in rumpled white silk linens within a richly furnished French-style bedroom. Wearing an ivory satin nightdress, she appears exhausted and emotionally distressed, with tears visible on her face and one arm resting across her forehead. Beside the bed stands a blonde nurse in a crisp white uniform and cap, carefully preparing medication or treatment on a tray. Warm lamplight illuminates ornate woodwork, lace curtains, floral arrangements, and luxurious furnishings, creating an atmosphere of intimacy and solemnity. The composition evokes themes of illness, caregiving, vulnerability, compassion, and end-of-life care.
generated via ChatGPT

Dignity: French Assembly approves assisted dying for incurable illnesses; Macron hails passage after Senate rejection. {France 24 15 July}

https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260715-france-expected-to-pass-final-vote-on-assisted-dying-after-years-of-debate

Not in a million years will assisted dying be permitted in #Murica.

Is there anything ultimately crueler than forcing a person in pain — to be clear, the legislation in France applies only to competent adults suffering from illnesses deemed incurable — to continue existing in this world? What obligation does any individual who is suffering have to everybody else that the force of law should compel them to remain?

Frankly, it is akin to slavery. Society does not legitimately own any individual; it can only claim such ownership through force. Anyone who opposes mercy for the suffering is claiming ownership over them, and that disturbs me more than I can put into words.

I applaud the French legislators responsible for seeing this measure through, but it is only a first step towards establishing genuine respect for individual rights, personal autonomy, and human dignity.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

The long night of a Justice

A highly detailed illustration depicts a frightened blonde woman sitting curled up on a leather sofa in a warmly lit living room. Wearing a black dress with a white Peter Pan collar, she clutches a blanket and presses a thumb nervously to her lips while tears run down her face. Red-and-blue police lights flash through the window behind her, casting an ominous glow into the room. Family photographs, bookshelves, and soft lamplight create a domestic atmosphere that contrasts sharply with her visible fear. A bulletproof vest rests on a nearby armchair, suggesting concerns about personal safety. The composition conveys anxiety, vulnerability, and the intrusion of public threats into private family life.
generated via ChatGPT

Justice Amy Coney Barrett reveals bulletproof vest and swatting threats, as US Supreme Court seeks increased security funding. {The Guardian 14 July}

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/supreme-court-justices-security-budget

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Secrets in the wine

A lavish historical-fantasy illustration depicts an opulent reception hall inspired by imperial Kyiv, illuminated by chandeliers, candlelight, and gilded dΓ©cor. At centre left, a red-haired woman in an elaborate embroidered gown stands beside a banquet table, her attention focused on a glass of red wine. Around her, elegantly dressed guests mingle beneath Ukrainian banners and ornate architectural details. To the right, US Senator Lindsey Graham laughs with a group of dignitaries while holding a wine glass. In the foreground, a decorative chest displays labelled bottles, while documents, medals, flowers, and crystal stemware rest upon richly appointed tables. The scene combines diplomatic pageantry, courtly intrigue, and theatrical historical symbolism within a grand ceremonial setting.
generated via ChatGPT

Trump: FBI ‘wasting time’ in investigating the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham. {NBC News 14 July}

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/rcna587500

Translation: his puppet master Putin was the culprit, so nothing to see here, folks. 

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Steaks, sermons, and socialism

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Ron Paul: Trump polices ‘just as, if not more, dangerous to liberty and prosperity as anything proposed by Mamdani or Sanders’. {Ron Paul Institute 13 July}

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/congressional-ratification-of-president-trumps-corporatism/

Ron Paul: yes, he is still alive, and not at all wrong in the following assessment. I wish more folks would start making this point: 

“Despite regularly denouncing the rising socialist menace, President Trump has been pursuing a policy arguably just as, if not more, dangerous to liberty and prosperity as anything proposed by Zohran Mamdani or Bernie Sanders: using government funds to purchase partial ownership of private companies.” 

Here is a little secret that many people do not wish to admit: Trump's voters are perfectly comfortable with socialism, provided it is not openly labelled ‘socialism’ and provided its benefits flow primarily to them rather than to the ‘wrong’ people. They will tolerate endless wars and reckless government spending so long as Daddy Trump tells them society's problems are the fault of liberals, immigrants, and LGBT people, and gives them permission to hate. They will tolerate it so long as their churches continue telling them that Jesus supports Trump and therefore they must as well.

So long as social and cultural grievances remain foremost in these people's minds, they will continue running back to Daddy Trump — and to whatever demagogue eventually follows in his wake.

Ron Paul, Thomas Massie, and only a scant few others represent the remnants of a strain of uncompromising libertarianism that is now nearly extinct. One need not agree with all of their views or policy prescriptions — I certainly do not — but when they call a spade a spade and sound the alarm about what government ownership of previously private companies means for both the economy and individual liberty, fair people ought to give them a fair hearing.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Monday, July 13, 2026

Between the dragon and the sun

A fantasy illustration shows a blonde woman reclining on richly patterned drapery, wearing a flowing translucent gown with gold embellishments. She gazes confidently towards the viewer while seated amid a surreal landscape. Behind her, smoking industrial towers and flames contrast with crystalline cities, floating islands, waterfalls, wind turbines, and solar panels suspended in the sky. Luminous dragon-like forms drift through the clouds as a spiral of golden light ascends heavenward. The image juxtaposes industry, environmental change, technology, and utopian possibility within a vividly coloured dreamlike setting.
generated via ChatGPT

Energy prices soar, led by a seventeen-year high in the cost of natural gas. {Bloomberg 13 July}

https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/us-cost-gas-power-17-110000139.html

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

The burden of false guardians

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White Christianity having been thoroughly hijacked by #MAGA, a remnant of pastors with a conscience run in Democratic primaries. {AFP 13 July}

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/democratic-pastors-run-reclaim-jesus-013012065.html

Godspeed to these individuals, but they have a very long and steep hill to climb if they believe American Christianity is going to be reformed any time soon. Indeed, they may even be placing themselves in genuine physical and legal danger. The seeds were planted long ago; now, so to speak, the harvest is underway.

Many within the younger generations are being indoctrinated into Christian Nationalism, and informed by violent anti-Semites and misogynists such as Andrew Tate and Nick Fuentes. When the youngest members of that movement eventually come to power in force, they may unleash waves of repression across this country — and beyond — that are scarcely imaginable to the average Western citizen today. The Democratic Party should have confronted the political and cultural right's successful hijacking of Christianity and patriotism decades ago. To attempt to reverse the process now is too little and far too late for a party that is itself, in all likelihood, headed for the ash heap of history.

Furthermore, I am no longer entirely certain that Jesus is opposed to any of this. Perhaps He is simply allowing these travesties to unfold as judgement upon an empire — not so much a nation as an empire — of hypocrites, sinners, and liars. I am almost certain that He hath forsaken this polyglot realm of the former United States (still known as such in name, of course), and entirely certain that He hath hated me from the day of my birth. As a nation, at least — I shall deal with my own spiritual house, thank you — seeking His favour at this point seems a futile endeavour.

In other words, America increasingly appears a lost cause, and I believe it is so. And if so many people genuinely desire their Christian Nationalist utopia, then perhaps we ought to carve out a large swathe of this empire — a substantial portion of the South and Midwest, sacrifices notwithstanding — and allow them to build it in earnest, no more ‘woke’ folk to get in the way. Raise a wall around and keep their citizens the hell out of everybody else’s lands. As someone living in Massachusetts, I have no desire to be governed by such people, nor to watch them continue to poison the well for the rest of us.

Again, though, good on these pastors for trying. If I lived in any of those states, I would not hesitate to give them my vote — even in vain. After all, it seems to me there have been many times through the years I have voted for candidates and ballot questions that I knew were going to lose, so do not mistake my cynicism for lack of approval… perhaps there is even some mild enthusiasm here.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Summer beyond the window

A highly detailed illustration depicts a glamorous blonde woman resting inside a vintage iron lung in a rustic ranch-house bedroom. Only her head and neck emerge from the polished metal cylinder, which stretches across most of the room and is fitted with gauges, portholes, valves, and mechanical components. Her hair is styled in elegant mid-century curls, and she gazes upward with a calm, reflective expression while resting on a white pillow. The warmly lit room features wooden panelling, framed photographs, a bedside lamp, a saddle draped over a chair, and a view of open countryside through the window. The contrast between the sophisticated portraiture and the imposing medical device creates a poignant atmosphere, evoking themes of resilience, isolation, and life sustained through technology.
generated via ChatGPT

The last American polio patient to still rely on an iron lung device hath died, aged 78. {AP 12 July}

https://apnews.com/article/iron-lung-last-patient-died-polio-41e5b4da4f4e710344dd0872d7fcf987

FTA: Polio was once one of the nation’s most feared diseases, with annual outbreaks causing thousands of cases of paralysis. The disease primarily affects children.

Vaccines became available starting in 1955. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a national vaccination campaign cut the annual number of U.S. cases to fewer than 100 in the 1960s and fewer than 10 in the 1970s. In 1979, polio was declared eliminated in the U.S., meaning it was no longer routinely spread.

If Americans had thought in the 1950s the way so many do today — and if public-health policy had been dictated by the likes of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — the widespread adoption of Jonas Salk's vaccine would never have been possible. There would be far more individuals like Martha Lillard in the world (albeit most would not live anywhere near as long), and the polio virus would likely remain a scourge upon the planet.

Martha Lillard was told not to expect to live beyond the age of twenty, and the fact that she reached seventy-eight is undoubtedly a testament to the human will to live. I would have thrown in the towel decades ago, so she hath my deepest respect.

Fare thee well.

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Sen. Lindsey Graham hath passed, aged 71

A formal portrait of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham smiling outdoors in bright daylight. He wears a dark navy suit, light blue dress shirt, and burgundy tie, with a small lapel pin combining the flags of the United States and Ukraine. His white hair is lightly tousled by the wind, and he faces the camera with a relaxed, approachable expression. The background is softly blurred, showing indistinct industrial or maritime structures that provide context without distracting from the subject. Natural sunlight illuminates his face and clothing, creating a clear, candid image typical of contemporary political and news photography.
Reuters

Would not have to explain myself to John McCain, and am thinking suicide. RIP all the same: Sen. Lindsey Graham is dead. {Washington Post 12 July; photo: Reuters}

https://wapo.st/4f6QMNV

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πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.

Saturday, July 11, 2026

The lady of the Black Sea

A highly detailed fantasy illustration depicts a blonde warrior princess standing atop a rocky cliff overlooking a turbulent coastal landscape. Dressed in richly embroidered Slavic-inspired garments with an ornate blue-and-crimson cloak, decorated belt, jewellery, and leather boots, she raises an elaborate sword high above her head in a gesture of defiance and resolve. Her long hair streams dramatically in the wind as she gazes towards the horizon with determination. Below her, a rugged shoreline stretches beside dark waters, while damaged infrastructure, smoke plumes, and signs of conflict scar the distant landscape. Overhead, Saturn hangs prominently in a cloud-filled twilight sky, its rings glowing against the fading light. The composition combines heroic symbolism, folklore-inspired costume design, and epic environmental detail to create a powerful image of courage, resistance, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
generated via ChatGPT

Inside Ukraine’s campaign to cut off Crimea by air, land, and sea. {The Telegraph 11 July}

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/261ace880b5d185a

linktr.ee/arthurnewhook

πŸͺπŸ’” #QueSeraSera π“…¨ πŸ•ˆ

Copyright 2026, Arthur Newhook.