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Don’t Give Donald Trump’s Half-Baked Elections Plans More Juice Than They Deserve
This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.
An early episode of South Park features a subplot in which tiny gnomes sneak into the houses of South Park residents in order to steal their underpants. When asked why, they explain that collecting underpants is just the beginning: “Well, Phase 1, we collect underpants.” “What about Phase 2?” “Well, Phase 3 is profit.” When pressed, they explain again: “You see, Phase 1, collect underpants. Phase 2 … . Phase 3, profit.”
It’s a beautifully crisp lampooning of half-baked ideas, built for business plans but readily adaptable to any sort of scheme. And it’s profoundly relevant to the current electoral conversations.
Last month, President Trump noted that Vladimir Putin had suggested that he ban mail-in voting. Leave aside for a moment the provenance of the...
Chicago Has Hundreds of Thousands of Toxic Lead Pipes—and Millions of Unspent Dollars to Replace Them
This story is a partnership between Inside Climate News, Grist and WBEZ, a public radio station serving the Chicago metropolitan region.
CHICAGO—No U.S. city has more toxic lead pipes pumping water into people’s homes. And millions of federal and city dollars earmarked to replace them remain unused, a city official said Monday, at the same time that the city is struggling to keep up with deadlines to warn people of the risks.
Replacements of Chicago’s more than 412,000 confirmed and suspected lead service lines are lagging. The city doesn’t anticipate replacing all its pipes until 2076, some 30 years after a federal deadline. Lead plumbing can leach the toxic metal into drinking water, causing brain damage, developmental delays and other harms.
Water department officials say they can’t afford to move as quickly as federal deadlines require, but Department...
INEC promises transparent Anambra and FCT elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has pledged that the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council polls will be conducted transparently.
The assurance was given by the chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a strategic meeting in Abuja to review preparations for the elections.
The session also discussed the conduct of party primaries ahead of the 2026 governorship races in Ekiti and Osun States.
Yakubu said INEC was committed to ensuring that every stage of the process would meet the expectations of voters.
We are determined to deliver credible and transparent elections in Anambra and the FCT, he told senior officials of the commission.
The chairman also announced the approval of promotions for 471 junior staff members, following recommendations from the Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee. He said the decision reflected...
Top Hungary news: Ukraine bans Hungarians, Kádár canteen, population decline, Trump’s words, Budapest Airport rail — 26 September, 2025
Featured Hungary news stories:Storm alert as end of summer brings changing weatherHungary faces a Friday forecast of thunderstorms, heavy rain and possible hail, especially in the southwest, but conditions should improve into a sunnier, milder weekend.Read moreHungary’s population decline worsens: What’s behind itBirths in Hungary have fallen sharply in 2025, with the fertility rate dropping and deaths outnumbering births, driven by fewer women of childbearing age, lower fertility, and economic and social pressures.Read moreBudapest's Legendary Kádár Canteen Reopens!The famous Kádár canteen in Budapest, closed for years, has reopened its doors with nearly the same menu it had before, reviving a nostalgic taste of local history.Read moreTrump: Hungary should not be blamed for oil dependence on RussiaDonald Trump defended Hungary’s continued oil purchases from Russia, arguing that external pressure overlooks the country’s limited options and energy...
Livestream: The Probe discusses Africa’s contribution at UNGA
This Sunday edition of JoyNews’ The Probe will turn the spotlight to Africa’s voice on the global stage.
As world leaders gather for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), how well is Africa making its case? What successes can the continent point to, what gaps remain, and where have opportunities been missed?
Host Carlos Calony will engage a distinguished panel: Dr. Liborous Oshoma, Legal Practitioner and Foreign Policy Analyst from Nigeria; Dr. Lassane Ouédraogo, Associate Professor at Nazi Boni University, Burkina Faso; Jerolinmek Piah, Liberia’s Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism; and Gordon K’achola, Foreign Policy Analyst from Kenya.
Join in the conversation: DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements...
ZCash Breaks 8-Year Downtrend – What’s Driving ZEC’s 73% Surge?
ZCash has delivered a breakout performance this week, surprising the crypto market with robust price action and investor interest. Over the past month, the ZEC price has soared by over 73%, driven by a combination of technical, product, and sector-wide factors.
Talking about numbers, the coin’s daily volume sits at $215.77 million, taking its market cap to $1.12 billion. It is worth noting that this rally is not just another speculative run but signals deep changes in ZEC’s narrative, positioning, and adoption profile.Top Reasons Behind ZCash’s Price SurgeRecent product developments have added substance to this rally. The launch of Zashi CrossPay on September 16 enabled shielded ZEC transfers across 20+ blockchains. Plus, ZEC’s market cap ranking improved, and adoption metrics for shielded transactions in Q4 are worth monitoring closely.
The broader privacy coin sector is also trending...
Zamfara, Kwara, Benue listed as Nigeria’s poorest-managed states
Zamfara, Kwara, Benue listed as Nigeria’s poorest-managed states
To fly you
A new governance performance review has ranked Zamfara, Kwara, an Benue as the worst-performing states in Nigeria between 2023 and 2025.
The ranking was contained in a midterm report released on Monday in London by the Good Governance Rating Index (GGRI), a UK-based organisation that tracks and evaluates leadership quality, service delivery, and accountability in developing democracies.
According to the report, the three states, under the leadership of Governors Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara, and Hyacinth Alia of Benue, performed abysmally across major governance indicators such as health, education, infrastructure, economic opportunities, transparency, and security.
GGRI said its findings were based on data gathered from official government reports, independent audits, field surveys, and citizen feedback mechanisms between May 2023 and August 2025.
“The performance of Zamfara, Kwara,...
Saudi Market Poised for Historic Shift as Tadawul Pursues Opening to Foreign Investors
TadawulIn a bold step aimed at fostering liquidity and attracting global capital, Saudi Arabias Capital Market Authority (CMA) has opened a public consultation on landmark reforms that would open Tadawul to foreign investors, according to Gulf News.
The CMA has published the draft amendments on the Public Consultation Platform Istitlaa, to collect feedback from the public and government entities on proposed laws and regulations.
Crucially, the draft plan proposes eliminating foreign investor restrictions, ending swap agreements, and granting direct access to Saudi equities.
Currently, overseas investors are required to register as foreign institutional investors.
Under the new plan, however, this requirement would be abolished, opening the door to unrestricted direct participation in the Saudi market.
Moreover, foreign investors would have full access to direct ownership of Saudi-listed stocks after removing the use of swap agreements.
A CMA board member told Bloomberg...
Political Risks in ACA Subsidy Debate Spark Blame Game, Test Parties’ Resolve
A clash over the Affordable Care Act that has led to a shutdown of the federal government has ramifications for public health as agencies cease some services. The Trump administration vows mass layoffs during the impasse.
The shutdown centered largely on a disagreement over the Obama-era health law. Democrats want a further extension of enhanced subsidies that reduce ACA health insurance premiums, but GOP lawmakers insist any debate wait until after a budget deal is reached to keep the federal government afloat.
With the sides far apart, federal funding ran out at midnight Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass even a stopgap budget. The issue now is how long the deadlock will continue.
In a KFF poll released today, more than three-quarters — 78% — of the public say they want Congress to extend the enhanced tax...
Diddy Prison Sentence, AI Music Lawsuits, Lil Durk Murder Case & More Top Music LawNews
In this week's Legal Beat newsletter, takeaways from Diddy's sentencing, a new front in the AI war, Durk's murder-for-hire case, and much more.Sean "Diddy" Combs attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs on January 25, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California.Gregg DeGuire/Getty ImagesTrending on BillboardTHE BIG STORY: “This was subjugation. Thats what Judge Arun Subramanian said to Sean Diddy Combs last week as he sentenced him to over 4 years in prison for violating federal prostitution laws, capping off a whirlwind two years of accusations, investigations, civil lawsuits and a blockbuster criminal trial for the rap mogul.
That sentence can be seen as both a win and a loss for Diddy. It was certainly far less than the life sentence he could have gotten when he was charged last year...
Celebrations erupt in Gaza and Israel on news of deal to end two-year war
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza/TEL AVIV - Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations on Oct 9 after news of a pact between Israel and Hamas
to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead.In Gaza, where most of the more than two million people have been displaced by Israeli bombing, young men applauded in the devastated streets, even as Israeli strikes continued in some parts of the enclave.“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Mr Abdul Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.“I am not the only one happy, all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed. Thank you...
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