Topic: Standing Army

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's response to widespread riots in the UK is analyzed. Starmer's announcement of a "standing army" of 6,000 specialist police officers and the fast-tracking of criminal justice for rioters is discussed. The unrest, sparked by a stabbing in Southport, is framed by the government as "mindless thuggery" fueled by online disinformation.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, citing threats to their drinking water and the destruction of sacred burial grounds. While the pipeline does not cross tribal lands, it passes underneath the Missouri River nearby. The Army Corps of Engineers is under fire for granting permits without sufficient tribal consultation, leading the governor of North Dakota to call in the National Guard.