2 months ago
Is it woke to lavation your hands? Pete Hegseth seems to deliberation so. Back successful 2019 erstwhile he was still conscionable a Fox News big alternatively than nan feline successful complaint of “the Department of War”, Hegseth said on-air that he hadn’t washed his hands for 10 years because “germs are not a existent thing.” He added: “I can’t spot them; therefore, they’re not real.”
Hegseth later claimed he was joking. But moreover if he was, nan defense caput is ne'er going to beryllium capable to lavation nan humor from his hands. The 45-year-old, 1 of nan strongest backers of nan warfare connected Iran, has said he wants “maximum lethality, not tepid legality” to nan beryllium nan hallmark of nan US military, and he’s been making bully connected that promise. Under his watch, a defense section programme aimed astatine reducing civilian harm has been dismantled, and experts who supply guidance connected keeping subject operations successful statement pinch world rule person been fired. And, of course, a school afloat of small girls has been bombed.
Hegseth doesn’t conscionable person a vulnerable disregard for rules of engagement, which he’s called “stupid”; he’s brought a disturbing level of bloodlust to his alleged Department of War. The pundit-turned-politician seems to return great delight successful violence, imbuing it pinch a belief righteousness. On Wednesday, for example, Hegseth prayed for unit (as you do) during a Christian believe work held astatine nan Pentagon. “Let each information find its people against nan enemies of righteousness and our awesome nation,” Hegseth said successful nan dream service. “Give them contented successful each determination … and overwhelming unit of action against those who merit nary mercy.”
The Trump management has framed nan warfare connected Iran arsenic a conflict against vulnerable extremists who want to bring astir extremity times. “We’re fighting belief fanatics who activity a atomic capacity successful bid for immoderate belief Armageddon,” Hegseth said of Iranian leaders during a CBS interview, for example. But nan belief fanatics are hardly conscionable successful Iran, are they? Increasingly they’re astatine nan highest levels of US government. Hegseth is affiliated pinch nan Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, founded by Doug Wilson, who self-identifies arsenic a Christian nationalist. He’s reposted videos of Wilson saying he’d for illustration to spot nan US go “a Christian nation” and has endorsed nan theocratic and authoritarian doctrine of “sphere sovereignty”, which is derived from nan extremist beliefs of Christian reconstructionism. These beliefs look to beryllium seeping into overseas policy: earlier this month, it was reported that US subject commanders person been invoking rhetoric astir biblical “end times” to warrant engagement successful nan Iran warfare to troops.
While Hegseth is praying for unit abroad, his soul circle is engaged praying for unit astatine home. Hegseth’s closest belief adviser, a man called Brooks Potteiger, precocious appeared connected a Christian nationalist podcast called Reformation Red Pill, wherever he made comments wishing for nan decease of James Talarico, Texas’s Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat. “I believe that God kills [Talarico] … Ultimately, that intends sidesplitting his bosom and raising him up to caller life successful Christ,” nan podcast big Joshua Haymes, a erstwhile pastoral intern astatine Potteiger’s church, said. In response, Potteiger agreed, saying: “Right, correct … We want him crucified pinch Christ.”
Potteiger, I should note, later released a connection saying that his words, which sound beautiful clear to me, had been misinterpreted. “As a Christian, erstwhile I believe imprecatory psalms astir those who observe babe murder, I americium not, from my heart, praying for their death. I’m praying for their conversion.”
I americium not religious, but you cognize what I’m praying for? For a world wherever extremists for illustration this are not influencing nan authorities – aliases sitting successful its highest ranks – but backmost successful nan fringes wherever they belong. For nan time we tin yet lavation our hands of wannabe strongmen for illustration Trump and Hegseth. Alas, nary saviour is going to travel and magically free america from nan authoritarian hellhole we are descending further and further into. No ultimate being is going to reconstruct democracy. We will person to do it ourselves.
Trump reportedly doesn’t ‘want to guidelines adjacent to a Black female officer’
When not spending $15m connected steak aliases praying for “overwhelming violence”, Pete Hegseth appears to beryllium very engaged making judge Black women don’t get promoted. The New York Times published a report connected Friday alleging that Hegseth had struck nan names of 2 Black and 2 female officers from a subject promotions list. According to nan Times reporting, Hegseth’s main of unit told Army Secretary Daniel P Driscoll that Trump “would not want to guidelines adjacent to a Black female serviceman astatine subject events”.
Last week’s newsletter looked astatine nan lawsuit of nan 31-year-old Georgia female Alexia Moore, who was charged pinch execution aft allegedly taking abortion pills. Moore has now been released connected bond (set astatine a symbolic $1) aft a superior tribunal judge said it was doubtful location was grounds to move guardant pinch a malice execution charge.
Alleged Long Island serial slayer intends to alteration plea to guilty
Rex Heuermann is charged pinch murdering 7 women complete 17 years successful what are known arsenic nan Gilgo Beach serial killings.
The Olympic committee bans trans athletes from women’s events
Competitors successful women’s events will now person to acquisition a one-time SRY cistron screening, which looks for nan beingness of nan “Sex-determining Region Y” gene. (Men will not person to do immoderate familial testing). NPR reports that nan intelligence who discovered nan SRY cistron successful 1990 has publicly opposed utilizing nan trial to find biologic sex. Rather than making athletics fairer for women, location are concerns that nan costs of this testing could forestall poorer countries from sending women to compete.
Maternal mortality rises successful US aid-dependent countries nether Republican presidents
Global family readying assistance typically drops nether Republican presidents, caller investigation finds. These cuts are linked to an 11% summation successful maternal mortality, balanced to astir 45 further deaths for each 100,000 unrecorded births. The statement of family values!
Israel is pursuing nan Gaza playbook successful Lebanon and nan West Bank
There is increasing grounds that Israel is deliberately targeting healthcare workers and aesculapian accommodation successful southbound Lebanon, pinch medics saying location is simply a systematic usage of double-tap strikes successful an effort to make nan area unlivable. Oxfam has besides noted that “Israel’s subject blueprint of attacking h2o infrastructure, utilized passim its genocide successful Gaza, is now being rolled retired crossed parts of Lebanon.” And, conscionable arsenic happened successful Gaza, Israeli soldiers are filming themselves looting homes. Meanwhile, Palestinians successful nan West Bank are now experiencing aggregate violent settler attacks per day, pinch very small sum of this successful nan US media.
An OB-GYN accused of intersexual misconduct was allowed to support practicing
Between 2022 and 2024, 4 female patients complained to Washington’s aesculapian committee astir irregularities successful pelvic exams conducted by Dr Mark Mulholland (he has denied wrongdoing). ProPublica reports that it wasn’t until September 2025 that Mulholland’s licence was restricted; meantime he kept practicing.
The week successful pawtriarchy
You already cognize astir nan brain worm and nan dead bear he dumped successful Central Park. Now immoderate disturbing caller news has travel retired astir Robert F Kennedy Jr – this clip involving a raccoon. According to an excerpt from a caller book astir RFK, nan wellness caput has a diary wherever he wrote astir “cutting disconnected nan penis of a road-killed raccoon successful 2001, while his ‘kids waited patiently successful nan car,’ truthful that he could analyse it later”. There is nary explanation astir what this introspection involved, but nan communicative is yet different reminder that everyone starring nan US needs their caput examined.
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Arwa Mahdawi is simply a Guardian columnist
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The battle connected state pinch Mehdi Hasan and Arwa Mahdawi
On Monday 8 June, subordinate Mehdi Hasan and Arwa Mahdawi to talk nan existent seismic changes successful geopolitics, nan alarming emergence of populism and nationalism, and its world implications. Live successful London and livestreamed worldwide. Book tickets here aliases astatine guardian.live
