Gaza: A peace agreement isn’t really a peace agreement if all parties don’t agree to the terms, and Hamas has not agreed to the US’s plan to end the war. As Al Jazeera laid out, several things about this plan are unclear, including how Gaza will be governed under a “transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian authority,” when Israel will withdraw, and whether Palestinian statehood is possible under the agreement (Trump’s comments indicate he is not interested.)
Even if This Ends: The suffering does not. The Gaza strip has been destroyed. Israel has murdered more than 68,000 people. The survivors: the amputees, the grieving families, the people who’ve lost everything—they are not yet safe from illegal settlement, or from Israel’s extremist government.
Pete Hegseth’s Big Announcement: After creating a massive security risk by summoning top generals to Quantico, Virginia, America’s Top War Boy (Defense Secretary) took to a stage to say the “woke” military was over. He’s introducing new “gender-neutral,” or “male-level,” physical fitness standards. He declared war on “fat” generals, admirals, and troops. Trump stood with him and bragged about the US’s nuclear capabilities. “We must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us,” Trump said. “And so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us.”
A War From Within: At the meeting, President Trump told the Generals that he’s going to “straighten out” LA, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. “That’s going to be a major part for some people in this room. That’s a war too. It’s a war from within.” Trump said he told Hegseth “we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military—National Guard, but our military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon.” Trump added: “That’s a big city with an incompetent governor.”
Trump: “The ones that are run by radical left Democrats — what they’ve done to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles. They’re very unsafe places & we’re gonna straighten them out one by one. This is gonna be a major part for some people in this room. That’s a war too. It’s war from within”
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) September 30, 2025 at 7:13 AM
The Peace Train Is Experiencing Signal Issues: Yusuf, also known as beloved British folks singer Cat Stevens whose whole vibe is opening your heart with song, cancelled his US book tour, citing unspecified visa issues. Yusuf wrote on social media that “hopefully, fans will be able to hop on the Peace Train route at some time in the future.”
More Normalcy: The Oregonian/OregonLive published texts between Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s and President Donald Trump’s administration from the day after he announced he’d send the National Guard to Portland. The whole exchange was through Natalie Harp, Trump’s assistant and former Fox News personality who is known as a “human printer” because follows Trump around all day, showing him flattering articles about him that she finds on the internet.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!: “Governor: The ICE facility in Portland was attacked again last night,” wrote Harp, Trump’s assistant, quoting a message from the president. “In fact, it, and other Federal Buildings, are being attacked on a nightly basis. We can’t have this. Thank you for your attention to this matter! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.” When the Pentagon announced that they were activating 200 Oregon National Guard Troops, the Governor texted that he had broken his promise to consult her first. Trump replied: “I notified you to get things in order and you didn’t. They attacked our ICE Patriots last night, and at other times. If you get your state in order, we don’t come in, but everyone knows that Portland has been an unmitigated disaster for years. I won’t let that happen in America! President DJT”.
Swiper No Swiping: Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Attorney General Nick Brown, Police Chief Shon Barnes, Fire Chief Harold Scoggins, City Council President Sara Nelson and City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck held a news conference Monday to tell Trump to keep federal troops out of Seattle, the Washington State Standard reports. “Our message today is very clear: Stay out of Seattle,” Harrell said. (Both Harrell and Brown made clear that they haven’t heard anything from the federal government about sending troops to Seattle.) Trump has always been such a good listener, so problem solved.
Shutdown, Baby: President Donald Trump did not strike an agreement with Democrats to avoid an imminent government shutdown on Monday. For answers, he should consult the Good Book. The Art of the Deal.
What’s On Trump’s Mind: Monday night, Trump spoke with Politico “shortly after he posted to social media a vulgar AI-generated deepfake video that mocked Democratic leaders and depicted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero while mariachi music plays in the background.” He said he wouldn’t acquiesce to the Democrats pushing for the tax credits to help people afford their Affordable Care Act insurance plans. Trump told Politico that the Democrats wanted to destroy healthcare in America by “giving it to millions and millions of illegal aliens.”
There Are Two Possibilities Inside US: The credits could be extended, increasing the number of insured Americans by 3.6 million in the next five years and costing the government $350 billion over the next 10 years. Or they’re cut and millions of people lose health insurance. Bloomberg wrote that a family of four making $130,000 a year could see their monthly $921 premium nearly double to $1,716. To find that number, Bloomberg used this calculator from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Anyway, a Shutdown Is Likely: Money is to government services as gas is to a car. The Seattle Times wrote about what the local impact could look like, including delays for the 920,000 people in Washington who use SNAP benefits.
A Murder Case Without a Body: The Grays Harbor County Prosecutor is exploring a “no body homicide prosecution” for the death of Oakley Carlson, a 5-year-old Oakville girl who went missing in 2010. Investigators suspect her parents. The announcement comes just after the girl’s biological mother was released from prison on an unrelated charge. No arrests have been made.
Federal Way Walmart Closure: The company plans to close the store and its pharmacy on Halloween. About 250 people could use their jobs if they don’t accept transfers to other stores. Two of the locations are within five miles of the store, according to King 5. That might seem reasonable, but not everyone has access to reliable transportation.
Happy New Tax Day to All Tim Eymans Who Celebrate: New taxes on temporary staffing, live presentations (lectures, seminars, workshops, etc.), and information technology, among others, take effect tomorrow. Comcast is suing the state over a tax on advertising.
It’s in the Game Historically Significant Acquisition: A private investor group that includes Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and a firm managed by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is buying EA, or Electronic Arts, for $55 billion. It’s the largest private-equity buyout in history, the AP reports. EA makes Madden NFL, The Sims and Battlefield. The deal needs government approval, but it’s expected to sail on through.
Who’s the governor of Chicago? Harry Caray’s ghost?
Boy do I hope the Islamic resistance movement in Gaza decides to accept the peace deal endorsed by the US, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia, the European Council, France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Russia, and China. 🤩
The beauty of the plan is not only its peace but also its justice. Hamas must release the hostages, lay down their arms, and relinquish governance to the Palestinian Authority—all of which are fair and just outcomes for this war Hamas brought upon its people two years ago next week! 😃
Wild to be implementing a no fats no femmes policy under the fattest commander in chief we’ve had since taft and the femmest one sine buchanan (allegedly). Trump couldn’t have met fitness standards even at his peak and wears more makeup than tammie faye. The standards of masculinity are being redefined right before our eyes.
I wonder if one of the new fitness tests for the military will be an escalator that suddenly stops working when they step on it and they have to walk the rest of the way up? I’ve heard that’s pretty difficult.
@4, Who did you hear that from? Regular light rail riders?
@4 Maybe also drinking a glass of water with only one hand? I hear that’s tough.
Oh look, yet another Slog AM banner photo that shows just how trashy and shitty Seattle is.
Hegseth announces a “no woke military” policy. In other news, the Constitution and Posse Comitatus officially declared “woke” and also fat.
Every time I hear “Peace Train”, when it comes to the “ride on the peace train” part, I replace it with “kill Salman Rushdie” in my mind, or even sing it out loud.
so wormmy unveils
his sik sokkbott
THUMPF YOU*
almost on the
Anniversary?
Expect A Huge Fuss About The October 7 Anniversary As The World Turns Against Israel
Israel apologists are probably going to make a much, much bigger deal about the second October 7 anniversary than they did about the first anniversary, because they kind of have to. The world is turning against Israel in unprecedented ways in 2025, and yelling about October 7 is all they’ve got left.
They’ll need to do this, because what else do they have? All the attention has long ago moved from October 7 to the genocide in Gaza, because Israel is the victimizer in literally every news story that’s come out about Palestine since that one day.
Every relevant humanitarian institution on earth is saying that Israel is committing genocide and starving civilians, and we’ve been watching the evidence of this on our screens for two years.
Caitlin Johnstone, September 29, 2025
oodles, Damningly
[expect AIPAC to jump all
Over this with their Justifications]:
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/expect-a-huge-fuss-about-the-october
*emoji ai
Essentially, we’ll be having to pay a sales tax on our quilting classes.
@7 You should start a band called Triggered By Stickers. You can play the dumbbells.
1: He used the noun as a description and not as a title, as in a mayor governs a city.
Mandy Patinkin
draws fire for saying Israel
doing to Gaza what was once done to Jews
Jewish-American actor tells NYT of getting bad ‘vibe’ from Netanyahu in chance 1980s meeting; wife Kathryn Grody says antisemitism claims being used to silence criticism of Israel
“As far as I am concerned, compassion for every person in Gaza is very Jewish, and the fact that I abhor the policies of the leader of that country does not mean I’m a self-hating Jew or I’m antisemitic,” Grody continued, adding that Netanyahu’s politics are the “the worst thing for Jewish people.”
Patinkin, who is perhaps best known for his role as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride,” also invoked the character’s line from the movie in which he said,
“I have been in the revenge business so long. Now that it’s over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life.”
Recalling the quote, Patinkin said, “I ask Jews to consider what this man Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government is doing to the Jewish people all over the world.”
“They are endangering not only the State of Israel, which I care deeply about and want to exist, but they are endangering the Jewish population all over the world.
To watch what is happening, for the Jewish people to allow this to happen to children and civilians of all ages in Gaza, for whatever reason, is unconscionable and unthinkable,” said Patinkin.
“And I ask you, Jews, everywhere, all over the world, to spend some time alone and think, Is this acceptable and sustainable?
How could it be done to you and your ancestors, and you turn around and you do it to someone else?” continued Patinkin.
–by Grace Gilson, July 15, 2025, 12:41 pm
oodles:https://www.timesofisrael.com/mandy-patinkin-draws-fire-for-saying-israel-doing-to-gaza-what-was-once-done-to-jews/
happy
fucking
anniversary.
@2 not so fast my friend
“The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar endorsed the plan so long as it leads toward a pathway for a Palestinian state, unifying the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and prevents Israeli annexation of any territory.
However, their joint statement, unlike Trump’s remarks earlier in the day, acknowledged the deal remained a work in progress.”
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5527891-trump-gaza-peace-plan/
@12, Lol ok sure. You know what else is a noun that describes the person who runs a city much more accurately than governor?
The guy is in greater cognitive decline than biden ever was but you guys don’t care because he’s also more racist.
@7 Yeah, on my 9 block walk to work from the lightrail today I was stepping around countless passed out people covered in their own bodily fluids and I simply couldn’t help but think about how bad the sticker problem here has gotten. Out. Of. Control!
Maybe the National Guard will come help peel em off?
@12 I know you don’t understand that you’re brainwashed right now but someday you might actually get it. I truly hope you figure it out because this is honestly one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. I’m sincerely sorry, man.
@15: “The guy is in greater cognitive decline than biden ever was”
Where were you the past four years of cringe? But I don’t share the quest to compare. Both were too old to be President.
18, I was right here but where tf were you because Trump is orders of magnitude worse than biden ever was. He was already babbling incoherently for hours on end when he first campaigned but if you go back and listen to those early rallies he sounds like somerset maugham compared to the deranged ramblings you are taking a bullet for today. Between his mental decline and purple extremities it will be a miracle if he completes his term.
Trumps levels of cognition are truly amazing. He has the very best cognition. Best in the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_zaeohJuCQ
20: That clip has nothing to do with cognition, but all about obfuscation in trying to talk about something he knew nothing about.
@16 Suuurrreee you did.
@21 He knew nothing about who is personal favorite author or favorite book is?
You know 7 year olds can answer that question right? THAT’S where the cognition part comes in, sweetie. headpat
@14: lol, even the Qatari royals have decided it’s time to shut this party down. Amazing, the way an airstrike on one’s capital city can clarify one’s thinking! 😄
@22 I clearly didn’t. That was the entire point of the post, you silly little goose! I DID step around countless passed out homeless people. I do every single day. I can literally take a picture of some passed out in the planters outside our office right now and show you if you want. But no, I didn’t think about the stickers. That was kinda the joke.
All I gotta’ say is: Kristo Fucking told you so-doo-da-doo-daaaa!
Kristo Fucking told you so-doo-daa-doo-daa-day!
The storm troopers are on their way doo-daaa-doo-daaa
The fucking storm troopers are gonna make you a slave
to Trumps Fascist parteh’!!!
Fuck you MAGA, I’m gonna’ take pleasure in salting the Earth for you!
@25 – the goofy libprogs who run Slog would never ever ever post photos of passed out homeless junkies, that runs counter to their “narrative”, so photos of shitty trashy eyesores will have to do, I guess. The really sad part is that they seriously think shitty trashy stuff like in the photo above is actually cool.
@27 I know your aesthetic is probably geared more toward burning crosses on black peoples lawns and such but we live in a big city so cute little stickers will have to do, baby doll. Sorry.
The banner photos occupying all three of this troll’s brain cells brings me joy
It would be nice to have a President who really understood the concept of “people can’t afford food”. For Trump, buying groceries is sort of an abstract concept and then for Biden or Hillary it’s just a vague and distant memory
@14: “…so long as it leads toward a pathway for a Palestinian state, unifying the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and prevents Israeli annexation of any territory.”
Not to worry. The “…plan carves out an eventual role for the Palestinian Authority—the Hamas rival that oversees parts of the West Bank—something Netanyahu swore he wouldn’t allow to happen. He also had to give up on the Jewish settlement of Gaza, which would expel Palestinians from the enclave, and acknowledged the right of Palestinians to sovereignty and statehood.”
It also explicitly states, “No one will be forced to leave Gaza, and those who wish to leave will be free to do so and free to return.”
(https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trumps-plan-for-gaza-hands-netanyahu-a-political-lifeline-000322c7?mod=mhp)
@7 How do you know that photo was taken in Seattle?
@32: It’s a logical deduction.
Again from the WSJ’s story, how to tell this peace deal would be a really, really good thing:
‘Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called the plan a “resounding diplomatic failure” for turning Gaza over to an international force.’
When all of the wrong people are bummed, that’s a sign of a good start. (Did he lease his name to JK Rowling, for her to use for one of her villainous henchmen?)
Speaking of a good start, when will the Stranger and supportive commenters start supporting this peace deal? You all want peace in Gaza, right? Right?
@the Wormtongue
how many Gazans
were a part of
this “Peace
Plan”?
@35: Hopefully all of them! 😜 But if anyone in Gaza wants to keep banging, Israel got plenty more where that came from! 😆
@36: “But if anyone in Gaza wants to keep banging, Israel got plenty more where that came from!”
B-b-b-but I thought the path to peace in Gaza required a US arms embargo of Israel! I mean, I clearly remember reading that somewhere… somewhere around here… sometime ago… I could have SWORN it! Anyway, it seems that relentlessly killing terrorists works better for peace than worrying about whether those very same terrorists might accept a peace deal. Who knew?!? NOBODY COULD HAVE PREDICTED!
@32 – It’s amazing how much leftist discourse is just them pretending not to understand things, thus making discourse impossible.
“… [in] the 20-point Trump peace plan,
the Palestinian Authority (PA) will only be
considered to have reformed itself [nice one!]
and be eligible to run what has been described as
‘New Gaza’ if it drops all involvement in the
legal cases being taken against the US
or Israel at the ICJ & the ICC.”
wipe that Slate
Clean as Fuck! forGive
and Forget, put it All Behind us!
‘war crimes’?
WHAT ‘War
Crimes’!?
from Al Jazeera:
The [Palestinian Authority] said it welcomes the “sincere and tireless efforts to end the war on Gaza, and affirms its confidence in his [Trump’s] ability to find a path to peace”.
“It reiterates its shared commitment to working with the United States,
regional countries, and partners to end the war on Gaza through
a comprehensive agreement that guarantees the delivery of
adequate [!] humanitarian aid to Gaza
{yeah, right!]
the release of hostages and prisoners,”
it said in a statement published by
the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
It also called for
the “establishment
of mechanisms that
protect the Palestinian
people, ensure respect for
the ceasefire and security for
both parties, prevent the annexation
of land and the displacement of Palestinians,
halt unilateral actions that violate international law,
release Palestinian tax funds, lead to a full Israeli withdrawal,
and unify Palestinian land and institutions in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
nutnyahoo
has shown ZERO
Interest in pretty much
ANY of the Above, so, what,
bibi’s gonna turn over a New Leaf?
and
when this
Lopsided ‘peace
plan’ Fails, which, based
on bibi’s and Our conduct
during this Massacre which
may not be a genocide, quite
Yet, it’s 99% Certain To Fail. I’d
LOVE to be Wrong on that, but
Come the Fuck ON, man.
when it Does Fail
Bonespurs’s given bibi
a Blanche Fucking Cheque
to Level Gaza and turn it Over
to his SIL Jared Kushner to Develop
as he and thedjt see fit with the Prince
of Peace (and Bankruptcy) djt
at the Helm.
it’s Already
fucking
Over.
@38
I realize
you Won’t
Read This, bippie,
but you’re Projecting. again.
The WSJ has an update on Hamas:
“Hamas Indicates It Is Open to Trump Peace Plan as It Faces Pressure From Muslim Nations”
[…]
“The U.S.-designated terrorist organization is also under pressure from leaders in Doha, Cairo and Turkey’s Ankara, the capitals with which it has the closest ties, to accept the terms of the agreement.
“Over the past few days, all three nations have warned the group’s leaders that this is their last chance to end the war in Gaza, the mediators said. They have told Hamas that if the group rejects the Trump deal, it will no longer receive diplomatic support from them, the officials said.”
[…]
“The diplomatic pressure piling on Hamas is compounding the impact of military force on it in Gaza, where Israel has expanded its operations against the group’s last remaining strongholds. The mediators say there are signs the group is cracking. For instance, they say, Hamas has dropped its demand that Israel withdraw entirely from the Philadelphi corridor, which runs along the border with Egypt in southern Gaza, and buffer zones between the enclave and Israel.”
(https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-indicates-it-is-open-to-trump-peace-plan-as-it-faces-pressure-from-muslim-nations-94ab2088?mod=Searchresults&pos=1&page=1)
Wow, remember when Israel was facing increasing international isolation because of the war? Now, countries around the world support this peace plan, and Hamas can’t buy a break from its own backers!
Oh, and please note this economic news:
“Meanwhile, the Islamist group is facing a cash crunch that is making it harder for it to pay its members—weakening its command and control over its rank and file, The Wall Street Journal has reported.”
Huh. Defeating Hamas by throttling its cash flow — where have we heard that one before?
“…pressure international police and banking regulators to throttle the flow of weapons and money to Hamas.”
tensorna on February 5, 2024 at 10:22 AM
(https://www.thestranger.com/guest-editorial/2024/02/05/79372189/please-help-end-the-gaza-war/comments/1)
Jughead’s crown don’t make him a king of anything but his own distorted fun house reflection.
With Hamas now willing to negotiate an end to the war in Gaza, let’s reconsider the Stranger’s two paragraphs here about the peace deal in question.
In the first paragraph, the Stranger starts by stating clearly how Hamas — the instigator and prolonger of this war, of Gaza’s misery — should have absolute and unquestionable veto power over whether Gazans get to live in peace.
In the second paragraph, the Stranger claims Hamas has had no agency — or even involvement, really — of any kind whatsoever in the Gaza war. Every last death is attributed not merely to Israel, but to the intent of Israel to cause that death. (And deaths of Hamas’ fighters in combat are mislabeled as Israel’s murders of civilians, but that’s been the Stranger’s M.O. for so long, it seems almost tiresome even to mention it now.)
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” ― George Orwell