For Donald Trump, The Constitution is Optional

When Trump Jokes About a Third Term, Believe HimTrump has made repeated public comments hinting that he might seek a third term as president — he’s said he’s “not joking” about it and claimed “there are methods” to make it happen. Steve Bannon, a key Trump ally, has publicly asserted there is a “plan” for Trump to serve again in 2028, and has urged people to “get accommodated” with that possibility.On the other side, Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House and a constitutional lawyer, said he has discussed the issue with Trump and sees no realistic path to such a move because amending the Constitution is a long process.Trump’s Policy Could Bring Medical Debt Back to Millions’ Credit ScoresThe Trump administration is preparing new guidance that would stop states from removing medical debt from consumers’ credit reports.Fifteen states like California, Colorado, and Maine have already passed laws limiting how medical debt is reported.But under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, state laws that affect broad areas of credit reporting can be overridden. That’s the stance of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which outlined the interpretation in a rule set for publication Tuesday, first reported by The Lever and Bloomberg Law.Is this a form of indentured servitude when you cannot extract yourself from this debt?AI Lets ICE Spy on Social Media Like Never BeforeICE has signed a five‑year, $5.7 million contract via procurement documents for licenses to use the AI‑driven social‑media monitoring platform Zignal Labs. JacobinZignal Labs’ technology claims to process over 8 billion public social media posts per day, in more than 100 languages, using machine learning, computer vision and optical character recognition to generate “curated detection feeds”.The tool is already used by military/intelligence customers (including the Israeli military and the U.S. Department of Defense) and this marks the first public indication that ICE is now using it.Civil‑liberties groups warn that ICE’s contract means social media posts can be openly surveilled, geolocated, and used to trigger investigations, creating major risks for free speech, immigrant communities, activists, and anyone posting online.Because this surveillance can be near‑real time and at massive scale, the article argues that the contract isn’t just about “monitoring criminals,” it signals a shift toward broad social media dragnet capabilities being used for enforcement, not just investigation.Why does this matter?All Eyes on VenezuelaPresident Trump has ramped up U.S. military and covert‑action efforts targeting Venezuela, linking the Maduro regime to major drug trafficking operations and declaring the U.S. in “armed conflict” with narco‑terrorist groups operating via Venezuelan territory.The U.S. has conducted strikes on vessels off Venezuelan waters, deployed significant naval and air assets in the Caribbean, and authorized covert activities by the CIA in the region.Maduro’s government has responded by mobilizing militias, declaring “maximum preparedness,” and warning of serious retaliation, framing U.S. actions as aggression and attempts at regime change.Why it matters:This marks a significant escalation in U.S.–Venezuela relations, moving beyond sanctions and diplomacy into more direct military and covert‑action territory.The legal and geopolitical implications are major: the U.S. may be operating without clear congressional authorization, raising questions about oversight and international law.The situation could destabilize the region, draw in other powers, and risk unintended conflict as Venezuela braces itself and warns of reactionAre you worried this will be war?