Salon facilitator, Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery, kicked off the salon, engineered by Steve Caruso. He reiterated how it is now Pride Month and there is the usual Stonewall Pride parade next Saturday, June 17. The Community Pride alternative celebration is scheduled for September.

Watch the salon video here.

Mark spoke a bit about he and his wife Yoshie’s trip to Japan last month, to visit relatives and participate in G7 Summit protests and rallies. One message is the opposition to US involvement in the Ukraine situation, which caused a discussion among the people present. Yoshie gave a presentation on her perspective of the events in Japan and showed some photos and images. The Free Press recently posted an article about peace in Ukraine.

Europe keeps reminding us that geopolitical interests trump ideology.

European politics is the prime example of how states and political parties are willing to ditch their very ideological foundations to hold onto power, even if briefly.

The unmistakable political shift of attitude in Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Fratelli d’Italia party is the latest evidence that European politicians use ideology merely as a vehicle. Once in power, they are governed by the same neoliberal policies that control the rest of Europe.

This assertion applies equally to the Right and the Left.

By David Swanson, Executive Director of World BEYOND War; Kathy Kelly, President of World BEYOND War; John Reuwer, Board Member of World BEYOND War; Brad Wolf, Director of Peace Action, Lancaster, PA

Forty-eight hours before a global peace conference in Vienna, Austria, was to begin, the venue host abruptly cancelled. Peace, it seems, cannot be discussed, especially peace in Ukraine.

This news is a disturbing step in a growing trend.

Owners of the venue which was to host the Summit for Peace in Ukraine, announced on Wednesday, 7 June, 2023, their decision to cancel the agreement holding the summit on their premises. Fortunately, a new location was secured in Vienna (and anyone on Earth can sign up to take part online), but not before a smear campaign against the summit had been launched.

The venue owners reportedly explained: “We have decided to comply with the wishes of Ukraine and its embassy operating in Austria and have cancelled the rental of all rooms in the ÖGB catamaran for the event ‘International Summit for Peace in Ukraine’ next weekend.”

“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” is the new animated film that follows "Into the Spider-Verse." It will be succeeded by "Beyond the Spider-Verse." The movie is directed by a talented team, including Kemp Powers, known for his exceptional work on "Soul." The writing credits feature Phil Lord and Chris Miller, celebrated for "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and "The Lego Movie," along with Dave Callaham of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Though this film ends with a "to be continued," leading into a part two next year, it still stands firmly on its own despite being a part of a larger narrative.

Attempting a brief plot synopsis for a multiversal film like this is challenging. Like A24's "Everything Everywhere All At Once," its complex, intertwined narratives defy simple summaries. But I'll avoid spoilers and attempt to capture the essence of the story without divulging too much.