CURE News Digest: Wednesday, May 6, 2026

[CURE News]

Don’t be misled:  Republicans want to hide the real monetary cost of the Iran war.

5-6-26  Popular Information

“The real cost of the Iran War:  72 billion for the first 60 days” by Stephen Simler

https://popular.info/p/the-real-cost-of-the-iran-war-72

Senate Republicans’ recent funding request includes 1 billion for “White House security” (aka funding the ballroom).

5-6-26  Letters from an American

“May 5, 2026” by Heather Cox Richardson

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-5-2026

Billionaires are one example of why we need to reform our tax system.  

5-6-26  Robert Reich substack

“Sergey Brin Is Making the Case for Why We Need a Wealth Tax” by Robert Reich

Reich states “It’s almost impossible to separate wealth from power, because the wealthy turn their fortunes into campaign contributions to politicians who will change laws to their liking and stop laws they’d detest — such as higher taxes on the super-wealthy. The wealthy also finance public relations campaigns and think-tanks to persuade the public of the wisdom of their positions.”

https://robertreich.substack.com/p/sergey-brin-shows-why-we-must-have

It’s all about the power that wealth can provide.

5-6-26  Lincoln Square Media

“The Shocking Palantir Manifesto:  A Guide to Post-Democracy Technofascism” by Frank Figliuzzi

In analyzing Panlantir’s manifesto, Figliuzzi reports “Instead of valuing academic learning, scientific knowledge, and governance for and by the people, there is an omniscient technocracy whose aim is to gain and maintain power by embedding itself in every facet of governance from the Pentagon to the IRS.  In this post-democracy philosophy, power is all that matters – common folk are merely along for the ride.”  

https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/the-shocking-palantir-manifesto-a

Americans’ reproductive rights continue to be an ongoing issue.

5-6-26  The Contrarian

“The Fifth Circuit Proves Abortion is on the Ballot this November” by Jennifer Weiss-Wolf

Weiss-Wolf reports that “The United States is one of only four nations worldwide actively rolling back reproductive rights — we share that distinction with El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Poland. And now we’re threatened with losing yet another right.”  This post describes what’s at stake. 

https://www.contrariannews.org/p/the-fifth-circuit-proves-abortion

A lesson from the advertising world:  the “dog food test” (aka “how to make you want something you don’t want or need”).

5-6-26  Lincoln Square Media | The Strategy Session

30-minute video featuring Rick Wilson

“Trump’s Playing Uno (not 3-Dimensional Chess)”

https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-playing-uno-not-three-dimensional

Quote for the day:

"Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need."

~ Will Rogers