Iowa House Oks Some Budget Bills While Broader Deal Unclear

When they first crawled out from under their rocks, Moms for Liberty pretended to be just a grassroots group of moms with everyday concerns such as having threesomes, underage drinking parties, shoplifting, book burning, fascism and quoting Hitler. But now they are dropping their facade and have announced an initial drop of $3 million on four swing states, including Wisconsin: The coordinated push in presidential swing states also raises questions about the group’s intentions and funding.

I hope you are all having a peaceful Memorial Day weekend! Here is your Sunday cartoon and open thread. Pull up a chair and tell us what you're doing this lovely weekend. - Karoli read more

Washington Post: “Over the past 16 years, Netanyahu has departed sharply from his predecessors’ studious bipartisanship to embrace Republicans and disdain Democrats, an attitude increasingly mirrored in each party’s approach to Israel.” “The war in Gaza has vastly accelerated the shift, as the once-broad support from Americans for Israel is shattering along partisan and generational lines.

New York Times: “Homicide rates are tumbling from pandemic highs in most cities, funding for law enforcement is rising, and tensions between the police and communities of color, while still significant, are no longer at a boiling point. But property crime, carjackings and smash-and-grab burglaries are up, adding to a sense of lawlessness, amplified on social media and local online message boards.” “Mr.

New York Times: “Now, with the battlefield crises seemingly behind him and Mr. Prigozhin dead, the Russian leader has decided to act, changing defense ministers for the first time in more than a decade and allowing a number of corruption arrests among top ministry officials.” “The moves have ushered in the biggest overhaul at the Russian Defense Ministry since the invasion began and have confirmed Mr.

“U. S. and allied intelligence officials are tracking an increase in low-level sabotage operations in Europe that they say are part of a Russian campaign to undermine support for Ukraine’s war effort,” the New York Times reports. “The covert operations have mostly been arsons or attempted arsons targeting a wide range of sites, including a warehouse in England, a paint factory in Poland, homes in Latvia and, most oddly, an Ikea store in Lithuania.” “But people accused of being Russian operatives have also been arrested on charges of plotting attacks on U.