Opinion

• for RawStory
• October 9, 2025

Pay attention to this professional liar:

“I’m the only president in modern history who left office with a smaller national debt than when I came into office.”

That’s quite a whopper. Fact check: “During Trump’s presidency, the national debt actually increased by $7.8 trillion, nearly 40 percent and more than any president in history.”

The fact check is courtesy of Thom Hartmann. Indeed, Hartmann’s new book, The Last American President: A Broken Man, a Corrupt Party and a World on the Brink, is one giant fact check on the Whopper-in-Chief, and much more — a disturbing dive into the roiling miasma of self-aggrandizing, self-deluding, psychologically shattered, wailing man-child who is Commander-in-Chief.

A relatively new union at a Columbus east side cannabis dispensary remains on strike as they demand their corporate owner come back to the negotiating table to ink out a new contract. Herbal Wellness Center United or HWC United went on strike at the end of September, forcing their corporate bosses to shorten hours of operation and bring in scabs.

Out of Ohio’s 159 cannabis dispensaries only a handful have unionized, and this is the first time Ohio dispensary workers have gone on strike. Most dispensary workers, or “budtenders,” make between $14 to $20-an-hour.

HWC United organized with the help of local Teamsters 413 in 2023 not long before full legalization in Ohio was passed by a citizen-led amendment. Their busy medical dispensary was going to have far more customers and make a lot more money. That was predictable, and then they began hearing rumors their owner was looking to sell to a much larger corporation.

Organizers from across the state held a press conference marking two years of war on the people of Gaza and renewing calls for No New Bonds - divestment of taxpayer money from the state of Israel and its genocidal project against the Palestinian people.

“It’s been two years of destruction of my family and my people. Two years of starvation and dirty water. Two years of gathering pieces of bodies in grocery bags. Two years of kill shots on children. And two years of watching my elected officials green light all of it, a genocide funded and supported by my government.”, read a representative from the Baladna, the Palestine Society of Columbus.

At least 60 people packed into the gallery of the state capital building in downtown Columbus as the rain fell steadily on the streets outside. Organizers had planned to demonstrate on the steps of the capital, but weather moved the event indoors.

“Then they came for me . . .”

I can only begin here, at the emotional knifepoint of the ongoing ICE news. ICE in Chicago!

“More than 1,000 immigrants have been arrested since an immigration crackdown started last month in the Chicago area. The Trump administration has also vowed to deploy National Guard troops in its agenda to boost deportations.

“But U.S. citizens, immigrants with legal status and children have been among detained in increasingly brazen and aggressive encounters which pop up daily across neighborhoods in the city of 2.7 million and its many suburbs.”

I read this AP news fragment with particular shock and outrage because I lived in Chicago for fifty years. Today I live 200 miles north of it, in Appleton, Wisconsin, but the city is still me, in a psychological and no doubt spiritual sense. So when I read, for instance:

The Sumud Flotilla began its journey in early September 2025 as part of an international maritime initiative aimed at breaking the Israeli blockade of Gaza. It started its journey from various ports around the world, including Barcelona, Spain

On October 2, 2025, under the order of Crime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli pirates intercepted 40 vessels from 44 countries who were carrying humanitarian aid (food, medicine, toys, and baby formula) to the two million Palestinians under siege in Gaza. All 500 members (including 22 US citizens) of the Flotilla were kidnapped by the Israeli pirates. 

Prior to the Israeli interception of the Flotilla in international water, the vessels came under attack 9 times.

 * 9 bombs were dropped near the vessels.

* 4 vessels were hit.

* 3 sulfur devices landed on board.

* Some vessels were damaged.

* No serious injury.

This year’s Columbus City Council race is a battle between grassroots progressives and well-heeled incumbents. Challenging the status-quo, Jesse Vogel is a Democrat running for Columbus City Council - District 7 against establishment darling Tiara Ross. Vogel knows he can’t do it alone. So he’s building a coalition of progressive allies. One of them is Kate Curry-D’Souza, the third candidate from the May primary who recently endorsed Vogel. Vogel respects her a lot as “a principled, progressive leader who I’m honored to have on our team,” Between the two of them, Jesse and Kate received 60 percent of the votes in the primary, indicating a desire for a different kind of leadership. By partnering now, they’re able to show how people on the left are engaged and working together to win.

We begin GREEP Zoom by honoring Loretta Swit, MASH’s “Hot Lips” Houlihan, who has just left us.

We also note that Japan has just gotten its first female Prime Minister, who may also be pro-nuclear, a radioactive Maggie Thatcher.

We then hear from our Poet Laureate MIMI GERMAN who provides a brief leap into levity with an account of Portland’s upcoming “Naked Bike Ride,” being timed to connect with the possible arrival of the National Guard.

Mimi pays tribute to the Trump-appointed Judge Karin Immergut’s ruling that Trump can’t send federal troops wherever he wants.  Meanwhile we deal with reports that ICE has been tear-gassing the Chicago Police (!!!). 

We also note that the Trump Regime is sending Federal e-mail to fired employees blaming Democrats for the governmental shut-down.

Political activist DOROTHY REIK lauds Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for suing to keep ICE out of his state and describes the horrifying ICE attack on a Chicago apartment building with no warrants.

California’s DR. RUTH STRAUSS opens the door on Larry Ellison buying the American media.