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The Authoritarian Blueprint in Action: Quiet Moves, Massive Consequences While public attention has focused on the spectacle of Trump’s birthday rally and the wave of protests that followed on No Kings Day, the White House has been executing a rapid sequence of policy shifts. Together, they paint a clear picture: an authoritarian administration quietly but effectively re-engineering state power to serve elite, nationalist, and extractive interests. In just the last two weeks, we’ve seen new tariffs, aggressive executive orders, and moves to dismantle long-standing federal protections. These aren’t just bad policies—they’re systemic assaults on the idea of a democratic state accountable to the public. ...

The List That Never Was—Or Was Never Meant to Be For years, survivors, journalists, and concerned citizens demanded answers about Jeffrey Epstein’s trafficking network. Who enabled it? Who participated in it? Who did Epstein serve? This past week, the Department of Justice issued what they called a final word: there is no client list. That’s the official line from a joint DOJ-FBI memo released July 7th, which concluded that despite reviewing all Epstein-related case files, there is no credible evidence that Epstein maintained a blackmail list or dossier of powerful clients. Moreover, they declared that releasing further information would be unnecessary and potentially harmful to victims. ...

A Drill Without a Purpose—Or One It Won’t Admit On July 7, 2025, MacArthur Park in Los Angeles was the stage for a surprise joint “readiness” operation called Operation Excalibur. The drill included participation from nearly a dozen federal and state agencies: ICE, CBP, ATF, DEA, FBI, IRS-CI, U.S. Marshals, Homeland Security Investigations, and the California National Guard. A CBP press release described the event as a “static interagency site protection drill focused on readiness and coordinated response capabilities.” 1 ...

The Nobel Lie: A Peacemaker in Theory, a Warmonger in Practice In early July, Donald Trump was once again nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize—a headline that traveled fast through right-wing media and MAGA-aligned Telegram channels. The nominee was a far-right Norwegian MP with ties to European ethnonationalist movements. His rationale? That Trump had reduced U.S. troop presence abroad and “prevented new wars.” But the facts on the ground tell a different story. ...

📦 Tariffs: Shock Therapy for the Supply Chain Trump’s economic nationalism is back in full force. This week, his administration escalated its tariff regime with a wave of new actions that seem less about trade balance and more about coercion, profiteering, and projection of domestic power. Key Developments: 50% tariff on copper imports, justified under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act (i.e. national security grounds). Copper, essential for electronics and green infrastructure, is a critical input that impacts the entire supply chain (Reuters). Up to 200% tariffs on pharmaceuticals, set to phase in over 12–18 months. The rationale is “re-shoring” drug manufacturing, but the short-term effect is price shocks and supply gaps (AP News). 14 countries—including Japan, South Korea, and Germany—received “tariff threat letters” demanding trade concessions by August 1 or face new penalties (Politico). These aren’t strategic economic levers—they’re blunt force threats. They’re designed to provoke media coverage, fuel market volatility, and create space for elite profiteering. ...

Why We Publish a Warrant Canary In a time of growing state surveillance, secret subpoenas, and digital crackdowns on dissent, we’re taking steps to protect our community and stay transparent about government interference. That’s why The Antifascist Club now publishes a cryptographically signed warrant canary. A warrant canary is a public statement that confirms we have not received certain government orders — like National Security Letters (NSLs), FISA court directives, or gag orders — that are often legally prohibited from being disclosed. If the canary stops updating, it means something might have changed. ...

ICE Raids Trigger Crisis for Immigrant Workers and Local Economies This month, aggressive federal immigration raids have upended entire communities across Bakersfield, Los Angeles, and surrounding Central Valley regions. Federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), descended on farms, food processing plants, and Home Depot parking lots — detaining workers in large numbers. Local organizers report that dozens have already been transferred to detention centers, with families receiving no formal legal notification and zero access to counsel within the first 48 hours. ...

Undocumented and Under Siege Millions of undocumented people live, work, and raise families in the United States. Every single one of them deserves dignity, safety, and freedom. But the government treats these people as threats. Right now that threat is being answered with armed raids, detention vans, and mass deportations. In June 2025, ICE launched a national crackdown across over a dozen states. In California alone more than six hundred people were detained in just three days. Home Depot parking lots, farmworker housing areas, laundromats, day labor hubs became ambush zones. In Atlanta agents stormed apartments with rifles. In Houston workers were pulled off meatpacking lines mid-shift. In New York plainclothes ICE teams staked out train stations. This isn’t about safety—it’s about punishment and control. ...

Weekend Strikes on Iran: A Dangerous Escalation Over the weekend of June 21–22 2025, U.S. forces carried out “Operation Midnight Hammer”, launching targeted strikes on Iran’s nuclear program at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. B‑2 bombers dropped fourteen Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs (aka “bunker busters”) while a submarine fired Tomahawk missiles, marking a bold and aggressive military move. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} President Trump hailed it as a “spectacular military success,” claiming the core Iranian nuclear sites had been “completely and totally obliterated.” :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2} ...

Federal Troops Roll Into LA — This Isn’t About Safety. It’s About Control. On June 20, 2025, Los Angeles woke up under military occupation. Not just riot gear—actual federal troops patrolling the streets. California National Guard units, federalized under Title 10, and around 700 U.S. Marines were deployed alongside aggressive ICE and immigration raids. Authorities claimed it was to “protect federal property.” But the optics and strategy tell a different story. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} ...