Dear Commons Community,

Thank you to all of the dads, grandpas, uncles, godfathers, paternal figures, and other men in our lives who do so much for us!

I am spending this weekend in Kitsap Lake, Washington, with my wife, Elaine, my son, Michael, his partner, Lisa, my daughter, Dawn Marie, her husband, Bruce, and grandkids, Michael Anthony and Ali. I could not have asked for a better Father’s Day.

I also remember my dad, Amadeo, who died in 1973.  A day does not go by that I don’t think about him. 

God bless you!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Axios reported yesterday that several Israeli officials claimed they “had a clear U.S. green light” to attack Iran, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s quick statement distancing the U.S. from the attack.

Axios’s Barak Ravid and Dave Lawler reported on the 8-month-long planning that went into the wide-ranging attack on Iranian nuclear sites, as well as military commanders.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” declared Rubio in a statement soon after the strikes began.

“Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense. President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel,” Rubio added.

Axiso reported, however, that “Trump and his aides were only pretending to oppose an Israeli attack in public — and didn’t express opposition in private,” citing the Israeli sources, who remained anonymous.

Trump himself changed tune a bit on Friday, following the apparent success of the Israeli strikes.

“Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, adding, “They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”

The Axios report added that Trump’s statements calling for diplomacy ahead of the strikes were all part of the plan. “The goal, they say, was to convince Iran that no attack was imminent and make sure Iranians on Israel’s target list wouldn’t move to new locations,” reported Axios of the Israeli claims, adding:

Netanyahu’s aides even briefed Israeli reporters that Trump had tried to put the brakes on an Israeli strike in a call on Monday, when in reality the call dealt with coordination ahead of the attack, Israeli officials now say.

The report notes, of course, that the “U.S. side has not confirmed any of that. In the hours before and after the strike, the Trump administration distanced itself from the Israeli operation in public statements and private messages to allies.”

Read the full report here.

Tony

(Photo by ANDREW THOMAS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Dear Commons Community,

In what’s expected to be a massive display of opposition to Trump’s brutal immigration raids and other policies, throngs of Americans are slated to turn out at “No Kings” protests today across all 50 states in communities large and small.

The event organizers ― which include Indivisible, the American Civil Liberties Union and 50501 ― say there are approximately 2,000 demonstrations in the works on the same day that Trump has arranged a military parade honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which happens to fall on his 79th birthday.

“No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance,” a website for the event states. “From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism — and show the world what democracy really looks like.”

Trump’s event is a “spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else,” it continues, adding: “We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.”

Trump dismissed the demonstrations in remarks Thursday.

“I don’t feel like a king. I have to go through hell to get stuff approved,” he said from the White House, adding: “We’re not a king at all, thank you very much.”

The protest’s website has an interactive map to help demonstrators locate events, each of which has an individual page with details about start times and locations. In Wyoming, the reddest state in the country, more than a dozen protests are planned.

People seeking to organize a protest in their area are asked to use this toolkit to register one, though there’s one city organizers have said won’t have protests: Washington, D.C., the site of Trump’s military parade.

“We’re making the center of gravity on June 14 everywhere President Trump isn’t,” organizers said. “So rather than coming to D.C. to conflict with his military parade, we’re going to be everywhere else to contrast against it.”

Philadelphia, which is expected to have one of the bigger protests, will host a livestream of the event, Leah Greenberg, co-founder of Indivisible, told The New York Times.

She wouldn’t say how many attendees were expected at the protests but did say the events had more RSVPs then Indivisible’s massive “Hands Off!” protests in April, which in D.C. alone drew an estimated 100,000 people.

The protests come as agents from Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement descend on immigrant communities around the country, rounding up undocumented people in raids. Those taken into custody include people showing up to immigration court hearings and young, asylum-seeking children.

YES to No Kings Day!

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

“No Kings” protests are being organized to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating  Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The protests are framed as a response to what organizers view as authoritarian governance and a rejection of the spectacle of the parade, which they believe represents a display of power rather than true democratic values. As described at the No Kings website.

Date: June 14, 2025

Purpose

To protest against President Trump’s policies and the militarization of celebrations, emphasizing that the country does not belong to a king and advocating for civil rights and community empowerment.

Locations

Approximately 1,800 protests are planned across the country, with significant events in various cities. Notably, there will be no protests in Washington, D.C., where the parade will occur. Instead, organizers encourage participation in marches in nearby areas like Philadelphia.

Organizers and Participation

The protests are coordinated by a coalition of progressive groups, including Indivisible, the American Federation of Teachers, and Public Citizen. They aim to mobilize communities to stand against what they perceive as corrupt and authoritarian practices by the Trump administration.

Events and Activities

In addition to the protests, there are training sessions and town halls planned to prepare participants for safe and effective mobilization. These sessions will cover crowd management, safety protocols, and strategies for nonviolent action.

Conclusion

The “No Kings” protests represent a significant grassroots movement aimed at fostering community solidarity and challenging the current political climate. Participants are encouraged to join local events and contribute to the collective message of resistance against perceived authoritarianism in American politics. For more information and to find specific events, you can visit the official “No Kings” website. 

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Israel struck Iran’s nuclear, missile and military complex early yesterday, in an unprecedented attack that reportedly killed three of Iran’s most powerful figures and plunges the wider Middle East into dangerous new territory.

The strikes on Iran’s nuclear program and senior military leaders could be a turning point in the long-running conflict, with Israel braced for a major Iranian retaliation – and the threat of a wider regional war breaking out now a real risk.

Later yesterday morning, that retaliation appeared to be underway after Israel’s military said Iran had launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and that Israel had begun “intercepting” them outside of its borders.  As reported by CNN.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel will face “severe punishment” for the attacks, and confirmed that a number of Iranian commanders and scientists had been killed. Iran’s Armed Forces spokesperson said both the United States and Israel would “pay dearly.”

The US was not involved in the strikes, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, noting that Israel had “advised” the US that it believed the “action was necessary for its self-defense.”

Washington has long sought to limit Tehran’s nuclear capacity, with the most recent negotiations in Rome last month ending with no agreement. A sixth round of US-Iran talks had been scheduled for Sunday in Oman – it’s not clear if it will go ahead.

In a televised address to the nation early Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military operation had “struck at the head of Iran’s nuclear weaponization program” and targets included Iran’s main enrichment facility in Natanz, Iranian nuclear scientists, and Iran’s ballistic missiles program.

“Moments ago, Israel launched operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival,” Netanyahu said.

“This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.”

Repeated explosions could be heard in the capital, Tehran, terrifying its residents, and multiple videos geolocated by CNN showed flames and smoke billowing from buildings across the city. Iran’s airspace has also been closed, its civil aviation authority said.

An Israeli military statement later Friday said Israeli fighter jets had also completed a “large-scale strike” on aerial defense arrays in western Iran. “As part of the strikes, dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers were destroyed,” it said.

One of Iran’s most powerful men, Gen. Hossein Salami — the commander-in-chief of the country’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — was among those killed in the attacks, the IRGC confirmed. Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces and the country’s highest-ranking military officer, was also killed, according to Iran’s state TV channel IRINN.

Iran’s former national security chief Ali Shamkhani, a key adviser to Khamenei who served as secretary of the National Security Council for almost a decade, was killed too, IRINN reported. Also among the dead were six of Iran’s nuclear scientists, state affiliated Tasnim news agency said.

Khamenei appointed new commanders on Friday to head key military entities, including Brig. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour, the new head of the IRGC.

Friday’s strikes suggest Netanyahu saw a window of opportunity to meet Israel’s longstanding objective of obliterating Iran’s nuclear program. Iran is in its weakest military position in decades following crippling economic sanctions, previous Israeli strikes on its air defenses and decimation of its most powerful regional proxies, including Hezbollah.

US officials had previously told CNN that Israeli strikes on Iran would be a brazen break with Trump’s approach on the Middle East.

Several countries voiced alarm and condemnation over Israel’s strikes, with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry saying the attack undermines Iran’s “sovereignty and security and constitute a clear violation of international laws and norms,” and China’s embassy in Iran calling the situation “severe and complex.”

Residents in Iran faced a long and terrifying night. “People reported the ground shaking, hearing explosions, and jets flying overhead,” Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, told CNN.

Azzam, a 35-year-old Iranian citizen who lives close to Saadat Abad in northern Tehran, an area targeted by Israel, told CNN: “I woke up with the whole house shaking. I was very scared, not knowing what had happened.”

Sam, 29, told CNN that he fears further attacks. “I am concerned about the escalation of this, and what this means for us in Tehran.” Like Azzam, he requested anonymity due to concerns for his safety.

Israel declared a state of special emergency, closing its airspace, shutting schools and banning social gatherings. “Tens of thousands” of Israeli soldiers were being called up in preparation for an Iranian retaliation, Israel’s military chief of staff said.

Fears of wider war

Analysts and experts have long warned that Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear capabilities could trigger a massive Iranian retaliation and threaten to tip the region into a full-scale war.

And if Israel and Iran become entangled in wider conflict, it could risk drawing the US into the fray. The US is Israel’s closest ally and biggest weapons supplier, and there are currently about 40,000 US troops across the Middle East, including nearly 4,000 in Iraq and Syria.

Indications of that risk emerged earlier this week as the US ordered the departure of non-essential personnel from locations around the Middle East as intelligence warnings increased that an Israeli strike on Iran was imminent.

Netanyahu has repeatedly pushed for a military option to stop Iran’s nuclear program, and recent US intelligence reports said that Israel was seeking to capitalize on the destruction inflicted after it bombed Iran’s missile production facilities and air defenses in October.

Experts say an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would also likely spell the end of Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the US.

The facility at the heart of Iran’s nuclear ambitions was engulfed in flames on Friday, according to social media images geolocated by CNN and Iranian state television.

The nuclear complex in Natanz, a city about 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Tehran, is considered Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facility. Analysts say the site is used to develop and assemble centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a key technology that turns uranium into nuclear fuel.

The Iranian atomic energy agency confirmed that the Natanz facility had been damaged. The complex has overground and underground facilities and it’s unclear what was impacted but no casualties were reported, the agency said.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, said there were no elevated radiation levels at Natanz. Other nuclear facilities in Iran, Isfahan and Fordow “have not been impacted,” Grossi added.

Friday’s strikes came shortly after Tehran said that it would ramp up its nuclear activities due to the International Atomic Energy Agency passing a resolution saying that the country was not in compliance with its non-proliferation commitments, senior US officials told CNN.

Iran oversees a so-called Axis of Resistance across the region that includes loyal proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as various militia groups in Iraq and Syria. Since Israel’s war in Gaza began in 2023, attacks by those proxy groups have escalated in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Last year Israel and Iran’s years-long cold war erupted into the open with a series of missile strikes from both sides. At the time, the US warned Israel not to strike Iran’s energy or nuclear infrastructure.

Friday’s operation goes much further than previously seen. CNN’s security analyst Beth Sanner said that removing Salami is akin to taking out the US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff: “You can imagine what Americans would do,” she said.

Iran is now “under existential threat” and as such, the Israelis will be expecting “a massive, much bigger retaliation than what they saw last time,” Sanner added.

Tony

Dear Commons Community,

Nearly all the members of a board overseeing the prestigious Fulbright scholarships resigned yesterday in protest of what they call the Trump administration’s meddling with the selection of award recipients for the international exchange program.

A statement published online by board members said the administration usurped the board’s authority by denying awards to “a substantial number of people” who already had been chosen to study and teach in the U.S. and abroad. Another 1,200 foreign award recipients who were already approved to come to the U.S. are undergoing an unauthorized review process that could lead to their rejection, the board members said.  As reported by The Associated Press.

“To continue to serve after the Administration has consistently ignored the Board’s request that they follow the law would risk legitimizing actions we believe are unlawful and damage the integrity of this storied program and America’s credibility abroad,” the statement reads.

Congress established the Fulbright program nearly 80 years ago to promote international exchange and American diplomacy. The highly selective program awards about 9,000 scholarships annually in the U.S. and in more than 160 other countries to students, scholars, and professionals in a range of fields.

All but one of the 12 board members resigned, according to Carmen Estrada-Schaye, who is the only remaining board member.

“I was appointed by the president of the United States and I intend to fill out my term,” Estrada-Schaye said.

Fulbright scholars include recent U.S. college graduates who pursue further study or teach English overseas, American professors who spend a year at a university in another country and international scholars who come to the U.S. to study or work at universities here. Alumni of the program have gone on to serve as heads of state or government and have received Nobel and Pulitzer prizes. Notable alumni include Leslie Voltaire, president of Haiti’s transitional presidential council; Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh; Luc Frieden, prime minister of Luxembourg; and King Felipe VI of Spain.

Award recipients are selected in a yearlong process by nonpartisan staff at the State Department and other countries’ embassies. The board has had final approval. The recipients who had their awards canceled are in fields including biology, engineering, agriculture, music, medical sciences, and history, the board members said.

All the board members who resigned were selected under former President Joe Biden. The State Department, which runs the scholarship program, said they were partisan political appointees.

Tony

The Beach Boys in their classic striped shirts.  Brian Wilson is bottom right.

Dear Commons Community,

Brian Wilson, the heart and soul of the 60s rock group, The Beach Boys, died yesterday at the age of 82.

The family of Wilson, who was a founding member of The Beach Boys, confirmed his death on Instagram, writing: “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.”

Soon after the news broke, celebrities took to social media to share their condolences.

Elton John posted on Instagram calling Wilson “the biggest influence on my songwriting ever.”

“Brian Wilson was always so kind to me from the day I met him,” John said. “He sang ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ at a tribute concert in 2003, and it was an extraordinary moment for me. I played on his solo records, he sang on my album, The Union, and even performed for my AIDS Foundation.”

I grew to love him as a person,” John continued. “He was a musical genius and revolutionary. He changed the goalposts when it came to writing songs and shaped music forever. A true giant.”

Bob Dylan posted his condolences on X.

“Heard the sad news about Brian today and thought about all the years I’ve been listening to him and admiring his genius,” Dylan wrote. “Rest in peace dear Brian.”

The Beach Boys themselves shared a tribute on Instagram, writing in part, “Brian Wilson wasn’t just the heart of The Beach Boys — he was the soul of our sound. The melodies he dreamed up and the emotions he poured into every note changed the course of music forever. His unparalleled talent and unique spirit created the soundtrack of so many lives around the globe, including our own. Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom — music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities.”

In  the 1960s, there were so many great rock groups including the Rolling Stones, the Temptations, the Four Tops, etc. but The Beach Boys had a sound that was all theirs. Brian Wilson made it so!

May he rest in peace!

Tony

TIME photo illustration; Source Images (Donkey: Richard Bailey—Corbis/Getty Images; Paper: MirageC/Moment/Getty.

Dear Commons Community,

Time Magazine has a featured article describing the Democrat Party  in disarray as a result of the shellacking it took in the 2024 elections. The Time cover above says it all.  Here is an excerpt.

“Like a lot of Democrats these days, Chris Murphy has been doing some soul searching. For years, the Connecticut Senator, who took office shortly after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, was one of the nation’s most outspoken advocates for tighter gun laws. Gun safety was so important, he argued, that supporting an assault-weapons ban should be mandatory for Democratic leaders. 

Recently, Murphy has come to believe he was wrong. Not about tougher gun laws, but about trying to force all Democrats to adopt his position. “I bear some responsibility for where we are today,” he told me in a phone interview in April. “I spent a long time trying to make the issue of guns a litmus test for the Democratic Party. I think that all of the interest groups that ended up trying to apply a litmus test for their issue ended up making our coalition a lot smaller.”

Murphy’s shift in thinking is part of the reckoning that has gripped the party since President Donald Trump’s victory in November. Democrats could dismiss Trump’s first win as a fluke. His second, they know, was the product of catastrophic failure—a nationwide rejection of Democratic policies, Democratic messaging, and the Democrats themselves. The party got skunked in every battleground state and lost the popular vote for the first time in 20 years. They lost the House and the Senate. Their support sagged with almost every demographic cohort except Black women and college-educated voters. Only 35% of Democrats are optimistic about the future of the party, according to a May 14 AP poll, down from nearly 6 in 10 last July. Democrats have no mojo, no power, and no unifying leader to look to for a fresh start.

Everyone knows how bad things are. “As weak as I’ve ever seen it,” says Representative Jared Golden of Maine, who represents a district Trump won. Trump’s second term is “worse than everyone imagined,” says Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen. The Democratic National Committee has offered few answers as it prepares to release a “postelection review” sometime this summer. “I don’t like to call it an ‘autopsy’ because our party’s not dead—we’re still alive and kicking,” explains Ken Martin, the new party chair. “Maybe barely, but we are.”

You already know most of the reasons for the 2024 fiasco. Joe Biden was too old to be President, and just about everybody but Joe Biden knew it. His sheer oldness undermined all efforts to sell his policies effectively. Democrats lost touch with the working class, with men, with voters of color, with the young. Voters saw Democrats as henpecked by college-campus progressives, overly focused on “woke” issues like diversity and trans rights. They tried to convince people that the economy was good when it didn’t feel good; they tried to convince people that inflation and illegal immigration were imaginary problems. In an era when voters around the globe were in an anti-incumbent mood, Democrats were stuck defending the status quo. The pandemic election of 2020 and the post-Dobbs midterms in 2022 lulled top party officials into a dangerous complacency. They thought Americans hated Trump enough to accept an unsatisfying alternative. They thought wrong.”

They thought wrong “big time”!

Tony

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs

Dear Commons Community,

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed a proposal that would have banned teaching antisemitism at the state’s public K-12 schools, universities and colleges and exposed educators who violate the new rules to discipline and lawsuits.

The proposal would have prohibited teachers and administrators from teaching or promoting antisemitism or antisemitic actions that create a hostile environment, calling for the genocide of any group or requiring students to advocate for an antisemitic point of view. It also would have barred public schools from using public money to support the teaching of antisemitism.

Educators would have personally been responsible for covering the costs of damages in lawsuits for violating the rules.

Hobbs, a Democrat, said yesterday that the bill was not about antisemitism but rather about attacking teachers.  As reported by The Associated Press.

“It puts an unacceptable level of personal liability in place for our public school, community college, and university educators and staff, opening them up to threats of personally costly lawsuits,” she said in a statement. “Additionally, it sets a dangerous precedent that unfairly targets public school teachers while shielding private school staff.”

Hobbs described antisemitism as a very troubling issue in the U.S., but said students and parents can go through the state’s Board of Education to report antisemitism.

The measure cleared the Legislature last week on a 33-20 vote by the House, including a few Democrats who crossed party lines to support it. It’s one of a few proposals to combat antisemitism across the country.

Democrats tried but failed to remove the lawsuit provision and swap out references to antisemitism within the bill with “unlawful discrimination” to reflect other discrimination.

The bill’s chief sponsor, Republican Rep. Michael Way, of Queen Creek, called the veto “disgraceful,” saying on the social media platform X that the legislation was meant to keep “egregious and blatant antisemitic content” out of the classroom.

“To suggest that it threatened the speech of most Arizona teachers is disingenuous at best,” he added.

Opponents said the bill aimed to silence people who want to speak out on the oppression of Palestinians and opened up educators to personal legal liability in lawsuits students could file.

Students over the age of 18 and the parents of younger pupils would have been able to file lawsuits over violations that create a hostile education environment, leaving teachers responsible for paying any damages that may be awarded, denying them immunity and prohibiting the state from paying any judgments arising from any such lawsuits.

Last week, Lori Shepherd, executive director of Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center, wrote in a letter to Hobbs that if the bill were approved it would threaten teachers’ ability to provide students with a full account of the holocaust.

Under the bill, “those discussions could be deemed ‘antisemitic’ depending on how a single phrase is interpreted, regardless of intent or context,” she said.

The bill would have created a process for punishing those who break the rules. At K-12 schools, a first-offense violation would lead to a reprimand, a second offense to a suspension of a teacher or principal’s certificate and a third offense to a revocation of the certificate.

At colleges and universities, violators would have faced a reprimand on first offense, a suspension without pay for a second offense and termination for a third offense. The proposal also would have required colleges and universities to consider violations by employees to be a negative factor when making employment or tenure decisions.

Under the proposal, universities and colleges couldn’t recognize any student organization that invites a guest speaker who incites antisemitism, encourages its members to engage in antisemitism or calls for the genocide of any group.

Courageous decision on the part of Governor Hobbs!

Tony

Terry Moran and Stephen Miller

Dear Commons Community,

ABC News reporter Terry Moran has been suspended from the air after sharing an incendiary social media post about one of  Trump’s key advisers.

In the early hours on Sunday, Moran, the 65-year-old senior national corresponden,  took to X to share a post about Stephen Miller, the president’s homeland security adviser and deputy chief of staff for policy.

Moran referred to both Miller and Trump as “world-class hater[s]” in the post, which has since been deleted.

A spokesperson for ABC News commented on the post in a statement shared with PEOPLE, noting that Moran “has been suspended pending further evaluation.”

“ABC News stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others. The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards,” their statement noted.

Moran took aim at Miller and the president in the post, which was shared shortly after midnight on Sunday.

“The thing about Stephen Miller is not that he is the brains behind Trumpism,” Moran wrote. “Yes, he is one of the people who conceptualizes the impulses of the Trumpist movement and translates them into policy. But that’s not what’s interesting about Miller.”

The reporter continued: “It’s not brains. It’s bile. Miller is a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred. He’s a world-class hater. You can see this just by looking at him because you can see that his hatreds are his spiritual nourishment. He eats his hate.”

“Trump is a world-class hater. But his hatred is only a means to an end, and that end is his own glorification. That’s his spiritual nourishment,” he concluded.

Don’t hold back, Terry!

Tony

P.S.

After the above was posted,  ABC News announced: