Author: Carma Henry

    In a 1 June New York Times essay, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed a more novel plan that would also ensure oversight and provide compensation for the use of the public asset. Sanders plans to introduce legislation that would establish an American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund, which will impose a one-time 50% equity tax on AI companies that would be paid in corporate stock. A federal commission would then control half of the voting shares in each company, thus ensuring public input.

    “The American Dream is Back,” President Trump boasted during his July 4, 2026, speech on the National Mall. This is the same man who said, “I love the inflation,” as he constantly assures us that affordability is a Democratic hoax. Trump no longer even pretends to give lip service to addressing the economic issues he ran – and won – on in 2024. As the New York Times just reported, Trump’s wealth has increased by over two billion dollars in the 15 months since he returned to office again. And much of this newfound wealth came from crypto-currency transactions that he directed the SEC to ignore.

       In short, the actual American Revolution was nonviolent for the most part, with the exception of some incidents of hanging effigies of tax collectors acting on behalf of the British crown. 

    Ordinarily, July 4 would be a time to celebrate the virtues of America. But whatever virtues we once possessed, Donald Trump and his inner circle of family and sycophants have abandoned them. Blind ambition, greed, and notorious self-promotion of the would-be king stand in their place. Today I want to focus on what those three negatives point to: a President who is out of control.

       The momentum is building. Last September, Kazakh President Tokayev stated that now is the time to have a “serious conversation about UN Charter review.” Kazakhstan and The Gambia officially endorsed Article 109 at that meeting, during which 148 countries, representing 78% of the UN’s Membership, called for the UN to be reformed. Brazil, India, and South Africa have also jointly urged “the convening of a review conference, in accordance with its Article 109.”

       Imperialism, of course, had severe drawbacks. For the colonized, these drawbacks included genocide, enslavement, exploitation, and the looting of resources. But the colonizers, too, despite the vast riches acquired by a small minority among them, suffered losses. They perished in imperialist wars, died of starvation and diseases, and became infected by arrogance, brutality and racism. Above all, imperialism denied people in the colonies the right to self-government and, therefore, the right to determine the future of their own nations.

   History offers no perfect blueprint, but it does offer wisdom. The experiences of Rwanda, postwar Germany, Chile, and South Africa reveal different approaches to accountability and reconciliation. Each illuminates both the promise and the limitations of pursuing justice after mass violence.

     The deadline to choose is September 29. Once borrowers complete their new enrollment, monthly payments will begin per the terms of each. After the deadline, any borrower that did not choose will be placed in a standard repayment plan. Further, pending SAVE applications will be denied.

     The Southern Baptist Convention’s vote to strengthen enforcement of its prohibition on women pastors landed like a thunderclap in some corners of American Christianity.

     The shift comes as churches across the country are also embracing initiatives like “Spend in the Black,” a Chicago-based effort led by the Rev. Dr. Charlie E. Dates of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and Progressive Baptist Church. The campaign encourages consumers to direct their dollars toward Black-owned businesses, framing spending as a tool for community empowerment.