05/21 -- Sudan: Army Says Khartoum State "Completely Free" of Paramilitaries; Politicians Talk "Transparency" While Hiding Anything Inconvenient or Unpleasant
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Thomas L. Knapp
May 21, 2025, 6:21:35 AM5/21/25
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 05/21/25
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Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Sudan: Army Says Khartoum State “Completely Free” of Paramilitaries
2) Trump signs Internet censorship bill
3) EU, British regimes go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump
4) WHO adopts “pandemic agreement” after chaos of COVID
5) SCOTUS orders Maine House to restore vote of state lawmaker Laurel Libby
6) Mexico: Personal secretary and adviser to Mexico City’s mayor killed in brazen attack
7) MN: Minneapolis police chief calls out city’s “bizarre” politics as detached from “reality”
8) France: Senate report alleges coverup of Nestlé illegal water treatment
9) Man jailed who allegedly helped smuggle more than 3,000 people into Europe
10) NE: Regime bans soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
11) LA: New Orleans jail employee arrested after allegedly helping 10 inmates escape
12) UK, Canadian, French regimes threaten Israeli regime with “concrete actions” over Gaza
13) Sesame Street headed to Netflix
14) Iran: Khamenei Slams “Outrageous” US Demands in Nuclear Talks
15) Zelenskyy says Russia “trying to buy time to continue war”
16) Trump regime lifts stop-work order on $5 billion New York offshore wind project
17) IN: State employees kill prisoner
18) After 37 years, stolen Jim Morrison graveside bust found by chance
19) Trump administration to pay $5 million to family of rioter who f*cked around and found out
20) CA: Business owner fatally shoots robbery suspect
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Politicians Talk “Transparency” While Hiding Anything Inconvenient or Unpleasant
22) “Local Control,” Fake and Real
23) Why Trump’s tariffs will lead to recession, even after he caved to China
24) Mr. President, Having 30 Dolls Is Good
25) The Problem of Extreme Cases
26) In Romania, clean politics clean up
27) The real cost of Trump’s cheap drug promise
28) How Trade Schools Can Beat a Four-Year Degree
29) No More Dog Whistles: Donald Trump’s War [sic] on Black People
30) Why the GOP’s Big Beautiful Bill Falls Short: My Take on Spending Cuts and Debt
31) Biden cancer announcement has my sympathy and my skepticism
32) The Gulf of Anti-America
33) Israeli Officials Explain Balancing Act Between Overt Genocide & Maintaining Western Support
34) For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
35) Separating Snake Oil From Science
36) Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
37) SCOTUS attacks a fool’s game for GOP
38) Cutting Military Spending Would Make for a Big and Beautiful Bill
39) Space is the new frontier of geopolitics
40) How to Prevent The Orbanization of America
41) Trump’s America First Agenda Threatens Fight Against Global Poverty
42) MMT, Chartalism, and the Colonial Experience
43) Cut Israel Off — for Its Own Sake
44) Trump’s tax push puts “free-market” label to rest
45) No Reason to Believe Democrats, on Biden or Anything Else
46) The Right-Wing Greedflation Myth Begins …
47) Law ≠ Power
48) The Mom Executive Order
49) Trump and the Tech Oligarchy
50) Not Even the Moody’s Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Conflicts of Interest, episode 801
52) Capital Record, episode 234
53) Trump Watch, 05/20/25
54) Rising, 05/20/25
55) Advisory Opinions, 05/20/25
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 05/20/25
57) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 05/20/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 05/20/25
59) The Mona Charen Show, 05/19/25
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 05/19/25
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Sudan: Army Says Khartoum State “Completely Free” of Paramilitaries
Source: Defense Post
“The Sudanese army said on Tuesday it had dislodged rival paramilitaries from their last positions in Omdurman, part of the Sudanese capital, securing all of Khartoum state nearly two months after recapturing the capital’s center. … In its biggest victory since the war began, the army in March recaptured central Khartoum, pushing the RSF to retreat to two holdout positions: Salha, south of Omdurman, and Ombada to the west. The army said it launched on Monday a ‘large-scale offensive’ to push the RSF out of both, with explosions from the clashes heard across the city, an AFP correspondent reported. The RSF did not immediately comment on the military’s latest announcement, which would cement army control over central Sudan, pushing the paramilitaries back towards their stronghold in the vast western region of Darfur.” (05/21/25)
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/05/21/sudan-khartoum-free-paramilitaries/
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2) Trump signs Internet censorship bill
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“United States President Donald Trump has signed a bill outlawing so-called ‘revenge porn,’ including images created using artificial intelligence. The Take It Down Act, signed on Monday, makes it a federal crime to publish intimate images of a person without their consent, and obligates social media platforms to remove such images within 48 hours when requested by victims [sic]. … The legislation, which passed the US Congress earlier this year with near-unanimous support, applies to realistic-looking AI-created images, known as ‘deepfakes,’ as well as genuine photos.” (05/20/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/20/trump-signs-bill-outlawing-revenge-porn
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3) EU, British regimes go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump
Source: Reuters
“The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for the United States to join them, a day after President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin failed to elicit a promise for a ceasefire in Ukraine. London and Brussels said their new measures would zero in on Moscow’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers and financial companies that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war. … The sanctions were unveiled without an immediate announcement of corresponding steps from Washington, despite intense public lobbying from leaders of European countries for the Trump administration to join them.” (05/20/25)
https://archive.is/Qefam
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4) WHO adopts “pandemic agreement” after chaos of COVID
Source: SFGate
“World Health Organization member countries on Tuesday approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus. Sustained applause echoed in a Geneva hall hosting the WHO’s annual assembly as the measure — debated and devised over three years — passed without opposition. The U.S., traditionally the top donor to the U.N. health agency, was not part of the final stages of pandemic agreement process after the Trump administration announced a U.S. pullout from the WHO. Many world leaders offered words of support for the U.N. health agency, and praised the show of multilateralism. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking by video, congratulated WHO and the other member states, calling the accord ‘a shared commitment to fight future pandemics with greater cooperation while building a healthy planet.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/who-members-adopt-a-pandemic-agreement-born-out-20336325.php
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5) SCOTUS orders Maine House to restore vote of state lawmaker Laurel Libby
Source: WMTW News
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday found that the Maine Legislature must count the votes of a Republican lawmaker who was censured after she identified a transgender teen athlete in a viral social-media post. The court majority sided with Rep. Laurel Libby after she filed an emergency appeal asking for her votes to be counted while her lawsuit over the punishment plays out. There were two noted dissents, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The majority did not explain its reasoning, as is typical on the court’s emergency docket. Jackson, for her part, said the case doesn’t seem to be an emergency needing attention from the justices now, since there are no significant upcoming votes where her vote could change the outcome. ‘The watering down of our Court’s standards for granting emergency relief is, to me, an unfortunate development,’ Jackson said in her dissenting opinion.” (05/20/25)
https://www.wmtw.com/article/supreme-court-sides-with-maine-lawmaker-laurel-libby/64829109
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6) Mexico: Personal secretary and adviser to Mexico City’s mayor killed in brazen attack
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The personal secretary and an adviser to Mexico City’s mayor have been shot dead by gunmen on a motorcycle in a brazen daylight attack in a central part of the city. Mayor Clara Brugada called the murder of her personal secretary Ximena Guzmán and adviser José Muñoz a ‘direct attack.’ Brugada said in a statement that the attack took place in the Moderna neighborhood. Authorities were investigating the motive and checking surveillance camera footage to identify the attackers, she said in a statement. … Mexican politicians and their aides have often been targeted by organized crime factions, but such incidents are relatively rare in the capital, which has remained relatively calmer than many areas of the country.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/20/mexico-city-mayor-personal-secretary-adviser-killed
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7) MN: Minneapolis police chief calls out city’s “bizarre” politics as detached from “reality”
Source: Fox News
“Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called out the ‘bizarre’ progressive ideology that overtook the city following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in an interview Friday with the New York Post. The outlet spoke with Minneapolis law enforcement and business owners as the city approaches the 5-year anniversary next week of Floyd’s death, which sparked global protests and riots by the Black Lives Matter movement. O’Hara, who previously served in the Newark, New Jersey police department, joined the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) as chief in November 2022. Even though he came from a far-left city, O’Hara said he was unprepared for how politicized policing in Minneapolis had become, saying that a ‘bourgeois liberal mentality’ had made it difficult for ‘reality and facts’ to break through.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/minneapolis-police-chief-calls-out-citys-bizarre-politics-detached-from-reality-after-george-floyd
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8) France: Senate report alleges coverup of Nestlé illegal water treatment
Source: Jurist News
“A report from the Senate of France released on Monday alleges that the French cabinet covered up the use of illegal mineral water treatment methods for mineral water by Nestlé, misleading the public. EU law imposes strict limits on the water treatment methods that can be used for water products that are marketed as mineral water. The Senate report alleges that Nestlé uses activated carbon filters and ultraviolet treatments in its Vittel, Hépar, Contrex, and Perrier factories, which are not permitted under EU law. Under Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure, it is a criminal offence for any public official not to report an offence that they are aware of to the Director of Public Prosecutions.” (05/20/25)
https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/05/france-senate-report-alleges-coverup-of-nestle-illegal-water-treatment/
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9) Man jailed who allegedly helped smuggle more than 3,000 people into Europe
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“An Egyptian fisherman who helped organise the movement of more than 3,000 migrants as part of a £12 million illegal boat crossing operation has been jailed for 25 years. UK-based Ahmed Ebid, 42, was involved in smuggling nearly 3,800 people from North Africa to Italy between October 2022 and June 2023, with some making their way to Britain, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Ebid is the first person in the UK to be convicted of being involved in people smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Italy. He arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2022 after spending five years in jail in Italy for attempted drug smuggling. He applied for asylum in the UK but never received a decision. That meant he had been in legal limbo, neither facing removal nor being granted permission to stay.” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce399l1329lo
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10) NE: Regime bans soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
Source: The Hill
“Nebraska has received the first federal waiver to ban soda and energy drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1 as a part of a broader effort to restrict taxpayer dollars from contributing to the purchase of sugary drinks and junk food under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ‘SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver,’ Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said in a Monday press release.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5309053-nebraska-restricts-snap-benefits/
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11) LA: New Orleans jail employee arrested after allegedly helping 10 inmates escape
Source: New York Post
“A New Orleans prison maintenance worker accused of helping 10 violent inmates break out last week was arrested late Monday, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Sterling Williams, 33, admitted to cutting off the water in the cells at the Orleans Parish Justice Center so the inmates could pull the toilet from the wall and escape. Only four of the 10 prisoners have been captured as of Tuesday morning, with three other jail employees currently suspended as police investigate the escape. Williams’[s] arrest comes after Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed that jailbreak was likely an inside job.” (05/20/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/05/20/us-news/new-orleans-jail-employee-accused-of-helping-10-inmates-escape-arrested/
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12) UK, Canadian, French regimes threaten Israeli regime with “concrete actions” over Gaza
Source: Reuters
“The leaders of Britain, Canada and France threatened ‘concrete actions’ against Israel on Monday if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. … ‘The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law,’ a joint statement released by the British government said. ‘We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank … We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.’ In response, Netanyahu said that ‘the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/uk-france-canada-threaten-israel-against-gaza-offensive-2025-05-19/
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13) Sesame Street headed to Netflix
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Sesame Street and Netflix have struck a deal that will see the popular TV show appear on the streaming platform, after US President Donald Trump pulled funding for the free-to-air channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Netflix said the iconic programme is ‘a beloved cornerstone of children’s media, enchanting young minds and nurturing a love of learning’. Netflix will offer its 300 million subscribers a new season of the show and 90 hours of previous episodes, and it will still also be available on PBS. Sesame Street was also facing an uncertain future after entertainment giant Warner Bros Discovery, which owns the HBO platform, did not renew its deal with the half a century old programme. Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order to block federal funding for PBS and the National Public Radio (NPR) network, alleging they engaged in ‘biased and partisan news coverage.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80k7z8z77yo
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14) Iran: Khamenei Slams “Outrageous” US Demands in Nuclear Talks
Source: US News & World Report
“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran refrain from enriching uranium are ‘excessive and outrageous,’ state media reported, voicing doubts whether nuclear talks will lead to an agreement. ‘I don’t think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don’t know what will happen,’ Khamenei said, adding that Washington should refrain from making outrageous demands in the negotiations. Despite expectations that a fifth round of negotiations might take place over the weekend in Rome, nuclear talks are on shaky ground as both Iran and the U.S. have clashed on the issue of nuclear enrichment. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Monday that talks would fail if Washington insists that Tehran refrains from domestic enrichment of uranium, which the U.S. says is a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes.” (05/20/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-05-20/iran-reviewing-proposal-for-5th-round-of-nuclear-talks
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15) Zelenskyy says Russia “trying to buy time to continue war”
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“[Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of ‘trying to buy time’ to ‘continue war.’ ‘It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time in order to continue its war and occupation,’ Zelenskyy said in a post on social media on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine had no doubt the war must end at the negotiating table, but there must be clear and realistic proposals on the table, and called for more international sanctions pressure on Russia. He said he had spoken to Finnish President Alexander Stubb and that he would speak to more allies later on Tuesday.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/20/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-donald-trump-war-news-live-updates
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16) Trump regime lifts stop-work order on $5 billion New York offshore wind project
Source: Fox News
“The Trump administration lifted a stop-work order issued last month on an offshore wind facility planned off the coast of New York, the project’s developer, Equinor, said on Monday. Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, said construction activities could resume on Empire Wind, a $5 billion project that is expected to someday provide power for half a million homes in New York. The company had warned it could lose billions of dollars in response to the order issued on April 16, raising concerns that fully permitted developments representing billions in investment are not safe. It said it was spending $50 million weekly to keep the project afloat during the suspension. ‘I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.,’ Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said in a statement.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/trump-administration-lifts-stop-work-order-5-billion-new-york-offshore-wind-project
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17) IN: State employees kill prisoner
Source: United Press International
“The State of Indiana executed a 45-year-old man on Tuesday for the 2000 murder of a police officer, making him the 17th person to have their death sentence carried out in the United States this year. Benjamin Donnie Ritchie was executed by lethal injection, with the execution process starting at about 12 a.m. DCT Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m., the Indiana Department of Corrections said in a statement. … According to court documents, Ritchie fatally shot Toney following a police chase on Sept. 29, 2000.” (05/20/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/05/20/Indiana-Benjamin-Ritchie-execution/3361747730802/
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18) After 37 years, stolen Jim Morrison graveside bust found by chance
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A memorial bust of American singer Jim Morrison that was stolen from his grave 37 years ago has been found by chance, according to French police. The statue of The Doors frontman was recovered in Paris during an investigation conducted by its financial and anti-corruption arm that was unrelated to the original theft, it said in a post on Instagram. Morrison’s grave has long been a site for fans of the rock band to pay their respects in an unusual way — graffiti sprawls across neighbouring gravestones in the poet’s corner of the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery, which also houses the tombs of Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. Little information has been released about the investigation and no suspects have been named in the theft of the statue of the singer, who [allegedly] died in 1971.” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74qqje4kzeo
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19) Trump administration to pay $5 million to family of rioter who f*cked around and found out
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The Trump administration has agreed to pay a $5m (£3.7m) settlement to the family of Ashli Babbitt, a US Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer while breaching the US Congress on 6 January 2021. … Babbitt was part of a group that smashed windows in an effort to enter the chamber of the House of Representatives while it was still in session, forcing lawmakers to delay certification and flee for safety. Video of the incident shows her being shot in the shoulder after attempting to climb through a door. She later died in hospital.” (05/19/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gr3kdxkr7o
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20) CA: Business owner fatally shoots robbery suspect
Source: Westside Current
“A man suspected of taking part in a planned robbery at a business on the Third Street Promenade was shot and killed Sunday night after allegedly attacking the store’s owner with a chemical irritant, police said. … According to a preliminary investigation, the store owner had agreed to meet a known associate for a private, after-hours sale. During the meeting, a second man — allegedly conspiring with the associate — entered the closed business and sprayed the owner with a chemical irritant. In response, the owner, who police said legally possessed a firearm, shot the intruder. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The associate, identified as Karen Melikyan, 41, of Los Angeles, was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with homicide, armed robbery, and conspiracy, police said.” (05/19/25)
https://www.westsidecurrent.com/news/robbery-suspect-fatally-shot-during-after-hours-attack-at-santa-monica-business/article_f0208ccf-f41b-4b0b-81b7-62d49815bd32.html
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Politicians Talk “Transparency” While Hiding Anything Inconvenient or Unpleasant
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“‘I guarantee you,’ Joe Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper two months before winning the 2020 US presidential election, ‘I will be totally transparent in terms of my health and all aspects of my health.’ Even as we’ve continued to learn more about the Biden administration’s desperate attempts to hide his severe cognitive decline over the last couple of years of his administration, his personal post-presidency office issued a statement on May 18 announcing that the 82-year-old was diagnosed, on May 16, with stage 5 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. … Politicians love to squawk about ‘transparency,’ but in reality they spend much of their time hiding anything they don’t want known and punishing anyone who dares reveal it. If you don’t believe me, ask Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, or any of the other whistleblowers prosecuted for telling the public the truth.” (05/20/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19594
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22) “Local Control,” Fake and Real
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jason Sorens
“If a local government rules you can’t build on your land, but doesn’t actually seize it, who should pay for the value they destroyed?” (05/20/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/local-control-fake-and-real/
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23) Why Trump’s tariffs will lead to recession, even after he caved to China
Source: USA Today
by Michael J Hicks
“Judging from email and social media, my last column, which revised my 2025 economic forecast in light of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, seems to have angered a lot of folks. I’m sorry, but Trump has pushed the U.S. into an economic downturn that will be especially hurtful to Hoosiers. The numbers make that clear. So, if you are among the 37% of Americans who approve of Trump’s economic policies, this column is for you. As of Jan. 1, Hoosier factory owners could have expected to pay $2.8 billion in total taxes this year. Then Trump introduced new tariffs April 2, which he labeled Liberation Day. Those tariffs exploded taxes on factory owners to $22.4 billion. To put that in context, Indiana’s total state general fund for this fiscal year is in the $20.1 billion range. … The good news for businesses – and it is hardly good news – is that most of those taxes will be passed onto consumers.” (05/20/25)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/05/20/us-china-trade-trump-tariffs-recession/83729345007/
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24) Mr. President, Having 30 Dolls Is Good
Source: Cato Institute
by Chelsea Follett
“Recently, President Donald Trump said that children in the United States might only be able to get ‘two dolls instead of 30’ because of rising prices due to tariffs, shrugging off the loss to America’s children as a trivial sacrifice. As a mother of three, including a 6‑year-old daughter who loves dolls, I’m dismayed. … I have lost track of how many Barbies my daughter has, as some live at her grandmother’s house, but it brings her joy to have so many of them, all of them with their own personalities and professions. … We should be celebrating the fact that toys have become increasingly affordable over the years – with families able to provide more to their children – rather than making them harder to obtain.” (05/20/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/mr-president-having-30-dolls-good
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25) The Problem of Extreme Cases
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“John Stuart Mill famously wrote, about pushing principles to the extreme, that ‘unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good for any case’ (On Liberty). This is not obvious, for extremes often produce antinomic or non-generalizable results. One may perhaps affirm that stealing $25 from Elon Musk without anybody knowing (I suspect that Musk rounds up his accounting figures to the nearest thousand) and giving it to a very poor family for a meal at McDonald’s would increase the latter’s utility more than it would decrease the former’s. But in less extreme cases, it becomes obvious (or so I argue with many if not most economists) that any concept of ‘aggregate utility’ is meaningless because interpersonal comparisons of utility are scientifically impossible.” (05/20/25)
https://www.econlib.org/the-problem-of-extreme-cases/
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26) In Romania, clean politics clean up
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“Much of Europe seemed surprised Sunday night after the big election victory of Nicuşor Dan as Romania’s next president. It shouldn’t have been. Yes, a hard-right nationalist candidate appeared to be ahead in the polls. But the tipoff that Mr. Dan would win was right there in his campaign slogan: ‘Honest Romania.’ With a doctorate in mathematics, the independent politician had done his math. Last year, a poll of young Romanians ages 18 to 24 showed that 72% see corruption as their country’s main problem in the next decade. That strong desire among young people for honest and transparent government helped push voter turnout in the election to a record level.” (05/19/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0519/In-Romania-clean-politics-clean-up
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27) The real cost of Trump’s cheap drug promise
Source: Washington Post
by Eduardo Porter
“A long-standing assumption shared by politicians on both the Democratic and MAGA end of the spectrum is that pharma companies forced to equalize prices in the U.S. with those in Canada (or Germany, Australia, Japan, or wherever) would say ‘aw shucks,’cut prices in the U.S. and take the hit to their bottom line as their U.S. revenue was cut in half. This, of course, is wrong. If that were the cost, these drugmakers would be much more likely to simply stop supplying these foreign markets to avoid the comparison. The threat of departure would give them leverage to negotiate with public health authorities in these countries to raise their prices and limit the hit to revenue in their biggest and most lucrative market: the U.S.” (05/20/25)
https://archive.is/TwofH
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28) How Trade Schools Can Beat a Four-Year Degree
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Iulia Lupse
“With student loan debt surpassing $1.7 trillion, more Americans are questioning whether a four-year college degree is the only route to success. In fields like cosmetology and practical nursing, some are discovering a faster, more affordable path to financial stability, reshaping traditional notions of social mobility.” (05/20/25)
https://fee.org/articles/how-trade-schools-can-beat-a-four-year-degree/
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29) No More Dog Whistles: Donald Trump’s War [sic] on Black People
Source: TomDispatch
by Rebecca Gordon
“On May 5th, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute held its annual fundraising gala. The event showcases the extraordinary imaginations of people who design exorbitant clothes and the gutsiness of those who dare (and can afford) to wear them. I’m dimly aware of this annual extravaganza because of my interest in knitting, spinning, and weaving — the crafts involved in turning fluff into yarn and yarn into cloth. Mind you, I have no flair for fashion myself. … But I remain fascinated by what braver people will get themselves up in. One of my favorite movies is Paris Is Burning, a 1990 documentary about the underground Harlem ballroom scene, where drag queens and transgender folks, mostly Black and Latina, recreated a fierce version of the world of haute couture.” (05/20/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/no-more-dog-whistles/
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30) Why the GOP’s Big Beautiful Bill Falls Short: My Take on Spending Cuts and Debt
Source: Palm Beach Examiner
by Karl Dickey
“With $1.5 trillion in cuts against a $37 trillion debt, this bill’s loopholes and half-measures won’t stop the fiscal crisis.” (05/20/25)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-the-gops-big-beautiful-bill-falls
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31) Biden cancer announcement has my sympathy and my skepticism
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
“Former President Joe Biden announced over the weekend that he had just recently been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. A statement from the former president’s office identified the cancer as ‘aggressive’ but also ‘hormone sensitive,’ indicating the possibility of ‘effective management.’ The news generated an outpouring of sympathy from friends and foes alike. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, ‘Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery’. We share that concern and optimism; we hope the former president beats the disease. But, like much of the public, our initial sympathy has turned skeptical. Doctors say that it is highly unlikely anyone could be ‘suddenly’ diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/liz-peek-biden-cancer-announcement-has-my-sympathy-my-skepticism
-----
32) The Gulf of Anti-America
Source: The Bulwark
by Will Saletan
“On Friday, as he returned to the United States from a four-day tour of the Persian Gulf, Donald Trump berated Bruce Springsteen for criticizing him on foreign soil. ‘I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,’ Trump fumed on Truth Social. Out of respect for America, Trump wrote, Springsteen ‘ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country.’ Trump’s indignation was comically insincere. His whole trip to the Gulf was about badmouthing America and renouncing American values.” (05/20/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/gulf-anti-america-trump-demeaned-united-states-democracy-saudi-arabia-qatar-uae
-----
33) Israeli Officials Explain Balancing Act Between Overt Genocide & Maintaining Western Support
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“One of the talking points Israel apologists like to regurgitate is that Israel can’t possibly be acting with genocidal intent in Gaza, because if they had wanted to exterminate the Palestinians they could have easily done so in a matter of days. As luck would have it, leaders from the Israeli government have just helpfully come out and debunked that talking point with a few shockingly frank public admissions. Explaining the decision to allow a minuscule amount of aid into Gaza after months of deliberate starvation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel is now allowing ‘minimal humanitarian aid’ on the insistence of western officials so that they will support Israel’s murderous operation to conquer the enclave.” (05/20/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/05/20/israeli-officials-explain-balancing-act-between-overt-genocide-and-maintaining-western-support/
-----
34) For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Mark Episkopos
“MEGOBARI Act Georgia
For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
If Congress has its way, it will force the government in Tbilisi to purge its relations with Russia or face economic ruin.” (05/20/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/georgian-dream/
-----
35) Separating Snake Oil From Science
Source: The Dispatch
by Emiy Oster
“When the lines between expert and huckster are increasingly blurry, how do we determine what’s authoritative?” (05/20/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/health-claims-online-social-media-misinformation/
-----
36) Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
Source: The Hill
by Karin Johnson, MD & Lynne Lamberg
“The U.S. has tried permanent daylight saving time twice before, during World War II and in 1974. It quickly became unpopular and was reversed. Other counties have had similar experiences. Legislators in Paraguay are currently seeking to end the country’s experiment with permanent daylight time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations back permanent standard time. That would bring our inner clocks more in line with sun time, with the sun overhead at noon. Permanent ST would foster improved sleep, workplace productivity, academic performance, driving safety, and mental and physical health. It would also reduce health care and utility bills.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5307410-congress-should-put-us-on-year-round-standard-time-not-dst/
-----
37) SCOTUS attacks a fool’s game for GOP
Source: New York Post
by Isaac Schorr
“The Supreme Court rules against President Donald Trump sometimes — and that’s OK. But some of the very Republicans who fought for decades to bring the court back in line with constitutional values and the rule of law seem to have forgotten what that long battle was all about. In recent years, the Supremes have weathered a storm of smears and threats from left-wingers aghast at the idea that the judiciary might not accede completely to their wishes. Recall the catastrophic Democratic threats to pack the court that, had they been realized, would have done irreparable damage to the country’s political compact. Somehow that was the least of progressives’ offenses. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they would ‘reap the whirlwind’ if they didn’t substitute his political preferences for their legal judgments.” (05/19/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/05/19/opinion/supreme-court-attacks-are-a-fools-game-for-gop-even-when-rulings-dont-go-trumps-way/
-----
38) Cutting Military Spending Would Make for a Big and Beautiful Bill
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ron Paul
“Last week, Moody’s Ratings lowered the United States credit rating. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings had already lowered the US rating. This new downgrade was driven by Congress’s failure to make any efforts to reduce the almost 37 trillion dollars national debt. When Moody’s made its announcement, the House Budget Committee was scrambling to get the votes to pass legislation extending the 2017 tax cuts. … Tax cuts are always worth supporting because they advance liberty and sound economics by ensuring the people have more and the government has less. However, tax cuts that are not combined with real spending cuts are delayed tax increases. This is because cutting taxes without cutting spending leads to more debt that leads to higher taxes.” (05/20/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2025/05/19/cutting-military-spending-would-make-for-a-big-and-beautiful-bill/
-----
39) Space is the new frontier of geopolitics
Source: spiked
by Norman Lewis
“From the moment early humans carved boats to cross rivers and oceans, the drive to master nature and overcome its limits have propelled our greatest leaps. That same spirit and ambition are now focussed on space – the next great frontier for humanity to cross. In reaching beyond Earth, we are not just defying gravity – we’re also continuing a timeless quest to turn the unknown into the known. … it would be extremely cynical to regard this simply as a pissing-contest between two billionaires. There is much more at stake than mere profits or egos, and who can boast the biggest rocket booster (which Musk is winning hands-down at present). Space exploration might be a business opportunity, but it has also become the new frontier of geopolitics.” (05/20/25)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/05/20/space-is-the-new-frontier-of-geopolitics/
-----
40) How to Prevent The Orbanization of America
Source: Liberal Currents
by AD Blair
“A great deal of the opposition has stepped up, but the opposition party needs to start truly acting like one.” (05/20/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-prevent-the-orbanization-of-america/
-----
41) Trump’s America First Agenda Threatens Fight Against Global Poverty
Source: Foreign Policy In Focus
by Christian Mortelliti
“On March 4, 2025, Edward Heartney, a minister-counselor at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, remarked at the General Assembly that the Sustainable Development Goals ‘advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty’ and interests. This rejection of the SDGs aligns with President Donald Trump’s retreat from multilateralism and overall dissatisfaction with the U.N. For example, the Trump administration has moved to pull the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council, the Paris agreement on climate action, and the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the administration has frozen foreign aid, initiated a global trade war, and failed to pay its U.N. dues as of May 2025.” (05/20/25)
https://fpif.org/america-first-sdgs-last/
-----
42) MMT, Chartalism, and the Colonial Experience
Source: Cobden Centre
by Joshua Mawhorter
“MMT poses two propositions: 1) that money originates according to the theory of chartalism, that is, money is essentially created and regulated by the state; and, 2) that only ‘monetary sovereigns’ can employ MMT policies successfully. MMT’s favorite example of a ‘monetary sovereign’ is the modern United States. (Both of these points are crucial for MMT, but their definitions and explanations are not within the scope of this article). The problem here for MMT is that the monetary history of the United States belies chartalism. Rather, the evidence from the monetary history of the United States demonstrates evidence for commodity monies that emerged through barter-exchange on the free market, especially silver and gold.” (05/20/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/05/mmt-chartalism-and-the-colonial-experience/
-----
43) Cut Israel Off — for Its Own Sake
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day
“An ancient text sheds light on the ethics of America’s continued military aid to Israel. In Plato’s Republic, Socrates imagines a scenario in which a man has borrowed weapons from a friend who subsequently goes mad. Should the man give back the weapons, as pledged? Socrates believed that he should weigh the debt obligation against the potential harms of returning what was owed. In this case, as Socrates sought to show his interlocutors, justice requires withholding weapons from a friend who poses a danger to himself and others. The same logic applies to America’s military aid to its ally Israel, which has acted with a degree of violent recklessness in Gaza lacking any precedent in modern times. Indeed, this real-world case is clearer cut than the one imagined by Socrates, since the U.S. does not ‘owe’ Israel any weapons at all.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/cut-israel-off-for-its-own-sake/
-----
44) Trump’s tax push puts “free-market” label to rest
Source: Orange County Register
by Veronique de Rugy
“If you voted for Donald Trump last November because you believed he’d increase economic freedom, it’s safe to say you were fooled. Following a reckless tariff barrage, the White House and its allies are preparing a new wave of tax-code gimmickry that has more in common with progressive social engineering than pro-growth reform. And don’t forget a fiscal recklessness that mirrors the mistakes of the Left. Defend these policies if you like, but let’s be clear: The administration shows no coherent commitment to free-market principles and is in fact actively undermining them. Its approach is better described as central planning disguised as economic nationalism.” (05/19/25)
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/05/19/trumps-tax-push-puts-free-market-label-to-rest/
-----
45) No Reason to Believe Democrats, on Biden or Anything Else
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“Joe Biden is sick. This is not news, nor is it new. But he is sick. Prostate cancer, advanced and ‘aggressive.’ I’m no doctor, but wasn’t he constantly monitored by doctors while President of the United States? How are we just hearing this now? We were told last year that Joe Biden was completely fit and ready to serve another 4 years at President of the United States. … Joe was ready to rumble, they said. But it turns out that Joe was only ready to rumble with a dead Corn Pop, who I am told was a bad dude.” (05/20/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/05/20/there-is-no-reason-to-believe-democrats-on-biden-or-anything-else-n2657299
-----
46) The Right-Wing Greedflation Myth Begins …
Source: Cato Institute
by Ryan Bourne
In recent weeks, the White House has been the main aggressor in The War on Prices. First came the public outrage over Amazon daring to label price hikes as the direct result of President Trump’s tariffs — an accurate but politically inconvenient truth that quickly led the company to retreat. Then, in the surreal theatre of Saturday-night Truthing, Trump demanded that Walmart ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ warning them publicly to swallow higher costs rather than raise prices for consumers. The President’s press secretary piled on, ominously hinting that President Trump was ‘watching’ closely. This jawboning of private companies’ pricing decisions, and blaming firms for the inevitable effects of President Trump’s tariffs, is as predictable as it is regrettable. It’s straight from the progressive left’s playbook, which similarly blamed companies for the stimulus-driven inflation spike.” (05/19/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/right-wing-greedflation-myth-begins
-----
47) Law ≠ Power
Source: Persuasion
by Rebecca Roiphe
“Trump has declared war against the American legal system—and, for the most part, institutions have caved to him. Collectively, nine firms have agreed to donate almost a billion dollars in legal fees to the administration’s preferred causes. As heinous as Trump’s actions are, and without minimizing the severity of his attacks, it is important to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth—that legal institutions themselves bear a significant measure of blame. In the recent past, law schools and the profession as a whole have had an unfortunate tendency to portray the law as nothing more than an instrument of power. And the profession is now experiencing buyer’s remorse in seeing how similar that doctrine is to Trump’s vision.” (05/19/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/law-power
-----
48) The Mom Executive Order
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Christine Black
“Your mom was right. The government should not have closed schools; you should have been able to breathe and play freely with your friends; the Covid period fear and hysteria devastated and harmed and never should have happened. Young people didn’t need Covid shots that the CDC and pharmaceutical companies knew may hurt people. Many now call for their complete cessation. In spite of masks, arbitrary six-feet distancing, isolation, and shots, the virus spread anyway. I want that executive order. The Mom Executive Order.” (05/19/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-mom-executive-order/
-----
49) Trump and the Tech Oligarchy
Source: The American Prospect
obert Kuttner
“Trump seems to be destroying America’s innovation system, but he is really skewing it in favor of tech monopolies.” (05/20/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-05-20-trump-and-tech-oligarchy/
-----
50) Not Even the Moody’s Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm
“It’s true that the Biden administration made poor fiscal decisions. In that regard, it has a lot in common with the first Trump administration — which added nearly $8 trillion to the national debt in just four years — and the Obama and Bush administrations before it. As Moody’s pointed out in its statement about the rating change, the federal government’s worsening fiscal condition is the result of multiple presidential administrations and congresses. Still, that’s not a very good reason for making a bad situation worse, which is what the tax bill is likely to do. Blaming Biden for the obvious, negative fiscal consequences of a bill that Trump and his Republican allies are trying to pass makes no sense at all.” (05/19/25)
https://reason.com/2025/05/19/not-even-the-moodys-downgrade-can-make-republicans-take-the-national-debt-seriously/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Conflicts of Interest, episode 801
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Can Trump Put Russia and Ukraine on the Path to Peace?” (05/20/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-801-can-trump-put-russia-and-ukraine-on-the-path-to-peace
-----
52) Capital Record, episode 234
Source: National Review
“Markets Are Not Imposed by Politics.” (05/20/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/markets-are-not-imposed-by-politics/
-----
53) Trump Watch, 05/20/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“An Authoritarian Proclivity.” (05/20/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1yXKuwqq5s
-----
54) Rising, 05/20/25
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave delivers radar on how he thinks Democrats are demanding media to stop covering former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline after his cancer diagnosis.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5309172-rising-may-20-2025/
-----
55) Advisory Opinions, 05/20/25
Source: The Dispatch
“A Charge on Gettysburg.” (05/20/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/a-charge-on-gettysburg/
-----
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 05/20/25
Source: Law & Liberty
“The need for neighborhoods.” (05/20/25)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/the-need-for-neighborhoods/
-----
57) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 05/20/25
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Angry Walmart Tirade Backfires, Wrecking His Own Tariff Scam.” (05/20/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/195460/trump-angry-walmart-tirade-backfires-wrecking-tariff-scam
-----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 05/20/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Smotrich Says Minimal Aid Will Help Israel Destroy Gaza, Trump Speaks With Putin, and More.” (05/20/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufJlKlaEecE
-----
59) The Mona Charen Show, 05/19/25
Source: The Bulwark
“How Americans Can Cease Being Rich.” (05/19/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCGDSk3hYc
-----
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 05/19/25
Source: We Are Libertarians
“America Is an Idea. Here’s Why Civics Teaches Us That with Alejandro Ramos.” (05/19/25)
https://www.chrisspangle.com/p/america-is-an-idea-heres-why-civics
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Sudan: Army Says Khartoum State “Completely Free” of Paramilitaries
2) Trump signs Internet censorship bill
3) EU, British regimes go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump
4) WHO adopts “pandemic agreement” after chaos of COVID
5) SCOTUS orders Maine House to restore vote of state lawmaker Laurel Libby
6) Mexico: Personal secretary and adviser to Mexico City’s mayor killed in brazen attack
7) MN: Minneapolis police chief calls out city’s “bizarre” politics as detached from “reality”
8) France: Senate report alleges coverup of Nestlé illegal water treatment
9) Man jailed who allegedly helped smuggle more than 3,000 people into Europe
10) NE: Regime bans soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
11) LA: New Orleans jail employee arrested after allegedly helping 10 inmates escape
12) UK, Canadian, French regimes threaten Israeli regime with “concrete actions” over Gaza
13) Sesame Street headed to Netflix
14) Iran: Khamenei Slams “Outrageous” US Demands in Nuclear Talks
15) Zelenskyy says Russia “trying to buy time to continue war”
16) Trump regime lifts stop-work order on $5 billion New York offshore wind project
17) IN: State employees kill prisoner
18) After 37 years, stolen Jim Morrison graveside bust found by chance
19) Trump administration to pay $5 million to family of rioter who f*cked around and found out
20) CA: Business owner fatally shoots robbery suspect
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Politicians Talk “Transparency” While Hiding Anything Inconvenient or Unpleasant
22) “Local Control,” Fake and Real
23) Why Trump’s tariffs will lead to recession, even after he caved to China
24) Mr. President, Having 30 Dolls Is Good
25) The Problem of Extreme Cases
26) In Romania, clean politics clean up
27) The real cost of Trump’s cheap drug promise
28) How Trade Schools Can Beat a Four-Year Degree
29) No More Dog Whistles: Donald Trump’s War [sic] on Black People
30) Why the GOP’s Big Beautiful Bill Falls Short: My Take on Spending Cuts and Debt
31) Biden cancer announcement has my sympathy and my skepticism
32) The Gulf of Anti-America
33) Israeli Officials Explain Balancing Act Between Overt Genocide & Maintaining Western Support
34) For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
35) Separating Snake Oil From Science
36) Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
37) SCOTUS attacks a fool’s game for GOP
38) Cutting Military Spending Would Make for a Big and Beautiful Bill
39) Space is the new frontier of geopolitics
40) How to Prevent The Orbanization of America
41) Trump’s America First Agenda Threatens Fight Against Global Poverty
42) MMT, Chartalism, and the Colonial Experience
43) Cut Israel Off — for Its Own Sake
44) Trump’s tax push puts “free-market” label to rest
45) No Reason to Believe Democrats, on Biden or Anything Else
46) The Right-Wing Greedflation Myth Begins …
47) Law ≠ Power
48) The Mom Executive Order
49) Trump and the Tech Oligarchy
50) Not Even the Moody’s Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Conflicts of Interest, episode 801
52) Capital Record, episode 234
53) Trump Watch, 05/20/25
54) Rising, 05/20/25
55) Advisory Opinions, 05/20/25
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 05/20/25
57) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 05/20/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 05/20/25
59) The Mona Charen Show, 05/19/25
60) The Chris Spangle Show, 05/19/25
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Sudan: Army Says Khartoum State “Completely Free” of Paramilitaries
Source: Defense Post
“The Sudanese army said on Tuesday it had dislodged rival paramilitaries from their last positions in Omdurman, part of the Sudanese capital, securing all of Khartoum state nearly two months after recapturing the capital’s center. … In its biggest victory since the war began, the army in March recaptured central Khartoum, pushing the RSF to retreat to two holdout positions: Salha, south of Omdurman, and Ombada to the west. The army said it launched on Monday a ‘large-scale offensive’ to push the RSF out of both, with explosions from the clashes heard across the city, an AFP correspondent reported. The RSF did not immediately comment on the military’s latest announcement, which would cement army control over central Sudan, pushing the paramilitaries back towards their stronghold in the vast western region of Darfur.” (05/21/25)
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/05/21/sudan-khartoum-free-paramilitaries/
-----
2) Trump signs Internet censorship bill
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“United States President Donald Trump has signed a bill outlawing so-called ‘revenge porn,’ including images created using artificial intelligence. The Take It Down Act, signed on Monday, makes it a federal crime to publish intimate images of a person without their consent, and obligates social media platforms to remove such images within 48 hours when requested by victims [sic]. … The legislation, which passed the US Congress earlier this year with near-unanimous support, applies to realistic-looking AI-created images, known as ‘deepfakes,’ as well as genuine photos.” (05/20/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/20/trump-signs-bill-outlawing-revenge-porn
-----
3) EU, British regimes go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Trump
Source: Reuters
“The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for the United States to join them, a day after President Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin failed to elicit a promise for a ceasefire in Ukraine. London and Brussels said their new measures would zero in on Moscow’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers and financial companies that have helped it avoid the impact of other sanctions imposed over the war. … The sanctions were unveiled without an immediate announcement of corresponding steps from Washington, despite intense public lobbying from leaders of European countries for the Trump administration to join them.” (05/20/25)
https://archive.is/Qefam
-----
4) WHO adopts “pandemic agreement” after chaos of COVID
Source: SFGate
“World Health Organization member countries on Tuesday approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus. Sustained applause echoed in a Geneva hall hosting the WHO’s annual assembly as the measure — debated and devised over three years — passed without opposition. The U.S., traditionally the top donor to the U.N. health agency, was not part of the final stages of pandemic agreement process after the Trump administration announced a U.S. pullout from the WHO. Many world leaders offered words of support for the U.N. health agency, and praised the show of multilateralism. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking by video, congratulated WHO and the other member states, calling the accord ‘a shared commitment to fight future pandemics with greater cooperation while building a healthy planet.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/who-members-adopt-a-pandemic-agreement-born-out-20336325.php
-----
5) SCOTUS orders Maine House to restore vote of state lawmaker Laurel Libby
Source: WMTW News
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday found that the Maine Legislature must count the votes of a Republican lawmaker who was censured after she identified a transgender teen athlete in a viral social-media post. The court majority sided with Rep. Laurel Libby after she filed an emergency appeal asking for her votes to be counted while her lawsuit over the punishment plays out. There were two noted dissents, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The majority did not explain its reasoning, as is typical on the court’s emergency docket. Jackson, for her part, said the case doesn’t seem to be an emergency needing attention from the justices now, since there are no significant upcoming votes where her vote could change the outcome. ‘The watering down of our Court’s standards for granting emergency relief is, to me, an unfortunate development,’ Jackson said in her dissenting opinion.” (05/20/25)
https://www.wmtw.com/article/supreme-court-sides-with-maine-lawmaker-laurel-libby/64829109
-----
6) Mexico: Personal secretary and adviser to Mexico City’s mayor killed in brazen attack
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The personal secretary and an adviser to Mexico City’s mayor have been shot dead by gunmen on a motorcycle in a brazen daylight attack in a central part of the city. Mayor Clara Brugada called the murder of her personal secretary Ximena Guzmán and adviser José Muñoz a ‘direct attack.’ Brugada said in a statement that the attack took place in the Moderna neighborhood. Authorities were investigating the motive and checking surveillance camera footage to identify the attackers, she said in a statement. … Mexican politicians and their aides have often been targeted by organized crime factions, but such incidents are relatively rare in the capital, which has remained relatively calmer than many areas of the country.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/20/mexico-city-mayor-personal-secretary-adviser-killed
-----
7) MN: Minneapolis police chief calls out city’s “bizarre” politics as detached from “reality”
Source: Fox News
“Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called out the ‘bizarre’ progressive ideology that overtook the city following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in an interview Friday with the New York Post. The outlet spoke with Minneapolis law enforcement and business owners as the city approaches the 5-year anniversary next week of Floyd’s death, which sparked global protests and riots by the Black Lives Matter movement. O’Hara, who previously served in the Newark, New Jersey police department, joined the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) as chief in November 2022. Even though he came from a far-left city, O’Hara said he was unprepared for how politicized policing in Minneapolis had become, saying that a ‘bourgeois liberal mentality’ had made it difficult for ‘reality and facts’ to break through.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/media/minneapolis-police-chief-calls-out-citys-bizarre-politics-detached-from-reality-after-george-floyd
-----
8) France: Senate report alleges coverup of Nestlé illegal water treatment
Source: Jurist News
“A report from the Senate of France released on Monday alleges that the French cabinet covered up the use of illegal mineral water treatment methods for mineral water by Nestlé, misleading the public. EU law imposes strict limits on the water treatment methods that can be used for water products that are marketed as mineral water. The Senate report alleges that Nestlé uses activated carbon filters and ultraviolet treatments in its Vittel, Hépar, Contrex, and Perrier factories, which are not permitted under EU law. Under Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure, it is a criminal offence for any public official not to report an offence that they are aware of to the Director of Public Prosecutions.” (05/20/25)
https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/05/france-senate-report-alleges-coverup-of-nestle-illegal-water-treatment/
-----
9) Man jailed who allegedly helped smuggle more than 3,000 people into Europe
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“An Egyptian fisherman who helped organise the movement of more than 3,000 migrants as part of a £12 million illegal boat crossing operation has been jailed for 25 years. UK-based Ahmed Ebid, 42, was involved in smuggling nearly 3,800 people from North Africa to Italy between October 2022 and June 2023, with some making their way to Britain, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Ebid is the first person in the UK to be convicted of being involved in people smuggling across the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Italy. He arrived in the UK on a small boat in 2022 after spending five years in jail in Italy for attempted drug smuggling. He applied for asylum in the UK but never received a decision. That meant he had been in legal limbo, neither facing removal nor being granted permission to stay.” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce399l1329lo
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10) NE: Regime bans soda, energy drinks from SNAP under first federal waiver
Source: The Hill
“Nebraska has received the first federal waiver to ban soda and energy drinks from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. The move is set to take effect on Jan. 1 as a part of a broader effort to restrict taxpayer dollars from contributing to the purchase of sugary drinks and junk food under the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ‘SNAP is about helping families in need get healthy food into their diets, but there’s nothing nutritious about the junk we’re removing with today’s waiver,’ Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) said in a Monday press release.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5309053-nebraska-restricts-snap-benefits/
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11) LA: New Orleans jail employee arrested after allegedly helping 10 inmates escape
Source: New York Post
“A New Orleans prison maintenance worker accused of helping 10 violent inmates break out last week was arrested late Monday, according to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. Sterling Williams, 33, admitted to cutting off the water in the cells at the Orleans Parish Justice Center so the inmates could pull the toilet from the wall and escape. Only four of the 10 prisoners have been captured as of Tuesday morning, with three other jail employees currently suspended as police investigate the escape. Williams’[s] arrest comes after Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson revealed that jailbreak was likely an inside job.” (05/20/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/05/20/us-news/new-orleans-jail-employee-accused-of-helping-10-inmates-escape-arrested/
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12) UK, Canadian, French regimes threaten Israeli regime with “concrete actions” over Gaza
Source: Reuters
“The leaders of Britain, Canada and France threatened ‘concrete actions’ against Israel on Monday if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions, piling further pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. … ‘The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law,’ a joint statement released by the British government said. ‘We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank … We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.’ In response, Netanyahu said that ‘the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/uk-france-canada-threaten-israel-against-gaza-offensive-2025-05-19/
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13) Sesame Street headed to Netflix
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Sesame Street and Netflix have struck a deal that will see the popular TV show appear on the streaming platform, after US President Donald Trump pulled funding for the free-to-air channel Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Netflix said the iconic programme is ‘a beloved cornerstone of children’s media, enchanting young minds and nurturing a love of learning’. Netflix will offer its 300 million subscribers a new season of the show and 90 hours of previous episodes, and it will still also be available on PBS. Sesame Street was also facing an uncertain future after entertainment giant Warner Bros Discovery, which owns the HBO platform, did not renew its deal with the half a century old programme. Earlier this month, Trump issued an executive order to block federal funding for PBS and the National Public Radio (NPR) network, alleging they engaged in ‘biased and partisan news coverage.'” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80k7z8z77yo
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14) Iran: Khamenei Slams “Outrageous” US Demands in Nuclear Talks
Source: US News & World Report
“Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran refrain from enriching uranium are ‘excessive and outrageous,’ state media reported, voicing doubts whether nuclear talks will lead to an agreement. ‘I don’t think nuclear talks with the U.S. will bring results. I don’t know what will happen,’ Khamenei said, adding that Washington should refrain from making outrageous demands in the negotiations. Despite expectations that a fifth round of negotiations might take place over the weekend in Rome, nuclear talks are on shaky ground as both Iran and the U.S. have clashed on the issue of nuclear enrichment. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said on Monday that talks would fail if Washington insists that Tehran refrains from domestic enrichment of uranium, which the U.S. says is a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes.” (05/20/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-05-20/iran-reviewing-proposal-for-5th-round-of-nuclear-talks
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15) Zelenskyy says Russia “trying to buy time to continue war”
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“[Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of ‘trying to buy time’ to ‘continue war.’ ‘It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time in order to continue its war and occupation,’ Zelenskyy said in a post on social media on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reports. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Zelenskyy said Ukraine had no doubt the war must end at the negotiating table, but there must be clear and realistic proposals on the table, and called for more international sanctions pressure on Russia. He said he had spoken to Finnish President Alexander Stubb and that he would speak to more allies later on Tuesday.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/may/20/russia-ukraine-vladimir-putin-volodymyr-zelenskyy-donald-trump-war-news-live-updates
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16) Trump regime lifts stop-work order on $5 billion New York offshore wind project
Source: Fox News
“The Trump administration lifted a stop-work order issued last month on an offshore wind facility planned off the coast of New York, the project’s developer, Equinor, said on Monday. Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, said construction activities could resume on Empire Wind, a $5 billion project that is expected to someday provide power for half a million homes in New York. The company had warned it could lose billions of dollars in response to the order issued on April 16, raising concerns that fully permitted developments representing billions in investment are not safe. It said it was spending $50 million weekly to keep the project afloat during the suspension. ‘I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.,’ Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said in a statement.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxbusiness.com/energy/trump-administration-lifts-stop-work-order-5-billion-new-york-offshore-wind-project
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17) IN: State employees kill prisoner
Source: United Press International
“The State of Indiana executed a 45-year-old man on Tuesday for the 2000 murder of a police officer, making him the 17th person to have their death sentence carried out in the United States this year. Benjamin Donnie Ritchie was executed by lethal injection, with the execution process starting at about 12 a.m. DCT Tuesday. He was pronounced dead at 12:46 a.m., the Indiana Department of Corrections said in a statement. … According to court documents, Ritchie fatally shot Toney following a police chase on Sept. 29, 2000.” (05/20/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/05/20/Indiana-Benjamin-Ritchie-execution/3361747730802/
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18) After 37 years, stolen Jim Morrison graveside bust found by chance
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“A memorial bust of American singer Jim Morrison that was stolen from his grave 37 years ago has been found by chance, according to French police. The statue of The Doors frontman was recovered in Paris during an investigation conducted by its financial and anti-corruption arm that was unrelated to the original theft, it said in a post on Instagram. Morrison’s grave has long been a site for fans of the rock band to pay their respects in an unusual way — graffiti sprawls across neighbouring gravestones in the poet’s corner of the famous Père-Lachaise cemetery, which also houses the tombs of Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. Little information has been released about the investigation and no suspects have been named in the theft of the statue of the singer, who [allegedly] died in 1971.” (05/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74qqje4kzeo
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19) Trump administration to pay $5 million to family of rioter who f*cked around and found out
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The Trump administration has agreed to pay a $5m (£3.7m) settlement to the family of Ashli Babbitt, a US Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer while breaching the US Congress on 6 January 2021. … Babbitt was part of a group that smashed windows in an effort to enter the chamber of the House of Representatives while it was still in session, forcing lawmakers to delay certification and flee for safety. Video of the incident shows her being shot in the shoulder after attempting to climb through a door. She later died in hospital.” (05/19/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gr3kdxkr7o
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20) CA: Business owner fatally shoots robbery suspect
Source: Westside Current
“A man suspected of taking part in a planned robbery at a business on the Third Street Promenade was shot and killed Sunday night after allegedly attacking the store’s owner with a chemical irritant, police said. … According to a preliminary investigation, the store owner had agreed to meet a known associate for a private, after-hours sale. During the meeting, a second man — allegedly conspiring with the associate — entered the closed business and sprayed the owner with a chemical irritant. In response, the owner, who police said legally possessed a firearm, shot the intruder. The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The associate, identified as Karen Melikyan, 41, of Los Angeles, was arrested at the scene. He has been charged with homicide, armed robbery, and conspiracy, police said.” (05/19/25)
https://www.westsidecurrent.com/news/robbery-suspect-fatally-shot-during-after-hours-attack-at-santa-monica-business/article_f0208ccf-f41b-4b0b-81b7-62d49815bd32.html
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Politicians Talk “Transparency” While Hiding Anything Inconvenient or Unpleasant
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“‘I guarantee you,’ Joe Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper two months before winning the 2020 US presidential election, ‘I will be totally transparent in terms of my health and all aspects of my health.’ Even as we’ve continued to learn more about the Biden administration’s desperate attempts to hide his severe cognitive decline over the last couple of years of his administration, his personal post-presidency office issued a statement on May 18 announcing that the 82-year-old was diagnosed, on May 16, with stage 5 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. … Politicians love to squawk about ‘transparency,’ but in reality they spend much of their time hiding anything they don’t want known and punishing anyone who dares reveal it. If you don’t believe me, ask Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, or any of the other whistleblowers prosecuted for telling the public the truth.” (05/20/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19594
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22) “Local Control,” Fake and Real
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jason Sorens
“If a local government rules you can’t build on your land, but doesn’t actually seize it, who should pay for the value they destroyed?” (05/20/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/local-control-fake-and-real/
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23) Why Trump’s tariffs will lead to recession, even after he caved to China
Source: USA Today
by Michael J Hicks
“Judging from email and social media, my last column, which revised my 2025 economic forecast in light of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, seems to have angered a lot of folks. I’m sorry, but Trump has pushed the U.S. into an economic downturn that will be especially hurtful to Hoosiers. The numbers make that clear. So, if you are among the 37% of Americans who approve of Trump’s economic policies, this column is for you. As of Jan. 1, Hoosier factory owners could have expected to pay $2.8 billion in total taxes this year. Then Trump introduced new tariffs April 2, which he labeled Liberation Day. Those tariffs exploded taxes on factory owners to $22.4 billion. To put that in context, Indiana’s total state general fund for this fiscal year is in the $20.1 billion range. … The good news for businesses – and it is hardly good news – is that most of those taxes will be passed onto consumers.” (05/20/25)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/05/20/us-china-trade-trump-tariffs-recession/83729345007/
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24) Mr. President, Having 30 Dolls Is Good
Source: Cato Institute
by Chelsea Follett
“Recently, President Donald Trump said that children in the United States might only be able to get ‘two dolls instead of 30’ because of rising prices due to tariffs, shrugging off the loss to America’s children as a trivial sacrifice. As a mother of three, including a 6‑year-old daughter who loves dolls, I’m dismayed. … I have lost track of how many Barbies my daughter has, as some live at her grandmother’s house, but it brings her joy to have so many of them, all of them with their own personalities and professions. … We should be celebrating the fact that toys have become increasingly affordable over the years – with families able to provide more to their children – rather than making them harder to obtain.” (05/20/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/mr-president-having-30-dolls-good
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25) The Problem of Extreme Cases
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“John Stuart Mill famously wrote, about pushing principles to the extreme, that ‘unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good for any case’ (On Liberty). This is not obvious, for extremes often produce antinomic or non-generalizable results. One may perhaps affirm that stealing $25 from Elon Musk without anybody knowing (I suspect that Musk rounds up his accounting figures to the nearest thousand) and giving it to a very poor family for a meal at McDonald’s would increase the latter’s utility more than it would decrease the former’s. But in less extreme cases, it becomes obvious (or so I argue with many if not most economists) that any concept of ‘aggregate utility’ is meaningless because interpersonal comparisons of utility are scientifically impossible.” (05/20/25)
https://www.econlib.org/the-problem-of-extreme-cases/
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26) In Romania, clean politics clean up
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“Much of Europe seemed surprised Sunday night after the big election victory of Nicuşor Dan as Romania’s next president. It shouldn’t have been. Yes, a hard-right nationalist candidate appeared to be ahead in the polls. But the tipoff that Mr. Dan would win was right there in his campaign slogan: ‘Honest Romania.’ With a doctorate in mathematics, the independent politician had done his math. Last year, a poll of young Romanians ages 18 to 24 showed that 72% see corruption as their country’s main problem in the next decade. That strong desire among young people for honest and transparent government helped push voter turnout in the election to a record level.” (05/19/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0519/In-Romania-clean-politics-clean-up
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27) The real cost of Trump’s cheap drug promise
Source: Washington Post
by Eduardo Porter
“A long-standing assumption shared by politicians on both the Democratic and MAGA end of the spectrum is that pharma companies forced to equalize prices in the U.S. with those in Canada (or Germany, Australia, Japan, or wherever) would say ‘aw shucks,’cut prices in the U.S. and take the hit to their bottom line as their U.S. revenue was cut in half. This, of course, is wrong. If that were the cost, these drugmakers would be much more likely to simply stop supplying these foreign markets to avoid the comparison. The threat of departure would give them leverage to negotiate with public health authorities in these countries to raise their prices and limit the hit to revenue in their biggest and most lucrative market: the U.S.” (05/20/25)
https://archive.is/TwofH
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28) How Trade Schools Can Beat a Four-Year Degree
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Iulia Lupse
“With student loan debt surpassing $1.7 trillion, more Americans are questioning whether a four-year college degree is the only route to success. In fields like cosmetology and practical nursing, some are discovering a faster, more affordable path to financial stability, reshaping traditional notions of social mobility.” (05/20/25)
https://fee.org/articles/how-trade-schools-can-beat-a-four-year-degree/
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29) No More Dog Whistles: Donald Trump’s War [sic] on Black People
Source: TomDispatch
by Rebecca Gordon
“On May 5th, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute held its annual fundraising gala. The event showcases the extraordinary imaginations of people who design exorbitant clothes and the gutsiness of those who dare (and can afford) to wear them. I’m dimly aware of this annual extravaganza because of my interest in knitting, spinning, and weaving — the crafts involved in turning fluff into yarn and yarn into cloth. Mind you, I have no flair for fashion myself. … But I remain fascinated by what braver people will get themselves up in. One of my favorite movies is Paris Is Burning, a 1990 documentary about the underground Harlem ballroom scene, where drag queens and transgender folks, mostly Black and Latina, recreated a fierce version of the world of haute couture.” (05/20/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/no-more-dog-whistles/
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30) Why the GOP’s Big Beautiful Bill Falls Short: My Take on Spending Cuts and Debt
Source: Palm Beach Examiner
by Karl Dickey
“With $1.5 trillion in cuts against a $37 trillion debt, this bill’s loopholes and half-measures won’t stop the fiscal crisis.” (05/20/25)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-the-gops-big-beautiful-bill-falls
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31) Biden cancer announcement has my sympathy and my skepticism
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
“Former President Joe Biden announced over the weekend that he had just recently been diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer. A statement from the former president’s office identified the cancer as ‘aggressive’ but also ‘hormone sensitive,’ indicating the possibility of ‘effective management.’ The news generated an outpouring of sympathy from friends and foes alike. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, ‘Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery’. We share that concern and optimism; we hope the former president beats the disease. But, like much of the public, our initial sympathy has turned skeptical. Doctors say that it is highly unlikely anyone could be ‘suddenly’ diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.” (05/20/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/liz-peek-biden-cancer-announcement-has-my-sympathy-my-skepticism
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32) The Gulf of Anti-America
Source: The Bulwark
by Will Saletan
“On Friday, as he returned to the United States from a four-day tour of the Persian Gulf, Donald Trump berated Bruce Springsteen for criticizing him on foreign soil. ‘I see that Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen goes to a Foreign Country to speak badly about the President of the United States,’ Trump fumed on Truth Social. Out of respect for America, Trump wrote, Springsteen ‘ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country.’ Trump’s indignation was comically insincere. His whole trip to the Gulf was about badmouthing America and renouncing American values.” (05/20/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/gulf-anti-america-trump-demeaned-united-states-democracy-saudi-arabia-qatar-uae
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33) Israeli Officials Explain Balancing Act Between Overt Genocide & Maintaining Western Support
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“One of the talking points Israel apologists like to regurgitate is that Israel can’t possibly be acting with genocidal intent in Gaza, because if they had wanted to exterminate the Palestinians they could have easily done so in a matter of days. As luck would have it, leaders from the Israeli government have just helpfully come out and debunked that talking point with a few shockingly frank public admissions. Explaining the decision to allow a minuscule amount of aid into Gaza after months of deliberate starvation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel is now allowing ‘minimal humanitarian aid’ on the insistence of western officials so that they will support Israel’s murderous operation to conquer the enclave.” (05/20/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/05/20/israeli-officials-explain-balancing-act-between-overt-genocide-and-maintaining-western-support/
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34) For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Mark Episkopos
“MEGOBARI Act Georgia
For US in Georgia, political meddling is a hard habit to break
If Congress has its way, it will force the government in Tbilisi to purge its relations with Russia or face economic ruin.” (05/20/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/georgian-dream/
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35) Separating Snake Oil From Science
Source: The Dispatch
by Emiy Oster
“When the lines between expert and huckster are increasingly blurry, how do we determine what’s authoritative?” (05/20/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/health-claims-online-social-media-misinformation/
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36) Congress should put us on year-round standard time, not DST
Source: The Hill
by Karin Johnson, MD & Lynne Lamberg
“The U.S. has tried permanent daylight saving time twice before, during World War II and in 1974. It quickly became unpopular and was reversed. Other counties have had similar experiences. Legislators in Paraguay are currently seeking to end the country’s experiment with permanent daylight time. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and other health organizations back permanent standard time. That would bring our inner clocks more in line with sun time, with the sun overhead at noon. Permanent ST would foster improved sleep, workplace productivity, academic performance, driving safety, and mental and physical health. It would also reduce health care and utility bills.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5307410-congress-should-put-us-on-year-round-standard-time-not-dst/
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37) SCOTUS attacks a fool’s game for GOP
Source: New York Post
by Isaac Schorr
“The Supreme Court rules against President Donald Trump sometimes — and that’s OK. But some of the very Republicans who fought for decades to bring the court back in line with constitutional values and the rule of law seem to have forgotten what that long battle was all about. In recent years, the Supremes have weathered a storm of smears and threats from left-wingers aghast at the idea that the judiciary might not accede completely to their wishes. Recall the catastrophic Democratic threats to pack the court that, had they been realized, would have done irreparable damage to the country’s political compact. Somehow that was the least of progressives’ offenses. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer warned Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh that they would ‘reap the whirlwind’ if they didn’t substitute his political preferences for their legal judgments.” (05/19/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/05/19/opinion/supreme-court-attacks-are-a-fools-game-for-gop-even-when-rulings-dont-go-trumps-way/
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38) Cutting Military Spending Would Make for a Big and Beautiful Bill
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ron Paul
“Last week, Moody’s Ratings lowered the United States credit rating. Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings had already lowered the US rating. This new downgrade was driven by Congress’s failure to make any efforts to reduce the almost 37 trillion dollars national debt. When Moody’s made its announcement, the House Budget Committee was scrambling to get the votes to pass legislation extending the 2017 tax cuts. … Tax cuts are always worth supporting because they advance liberty and sound economics by ensuring the people have more and the government has less. However, tax cuts that are not combined with real spending cuts are delayed tax increases. This is because cutting taxes without cutting spending leads to more debt that leads to higher taxes.” (05/20/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2025/05/19/cutting-military-spending-would-make-for-a-big-and-beautiful-bill/
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39) Space is the new frontier of geopolitics
Source: spiked
by Norman Lewis
“From the moment early humans carved boats to cross rivers and oceans, the drive to master nature and overcome its limits have propelled our greatest leaps. That same spirit and ambition are now focussed on space – the next great frontier for humanity to cross. In reaching beyond Earth, we are not just defying gravity – we’re also continuing a timeless quest to turn the unknown into the known. … it would be extremely cynical to regard this simply as a pissing-contest between two billionaires. There is much more at stake than mere profits or egos, and who can boast the biggest rocket booster (which Musk is winning hands-down at present). Space exploration might be a business opportunity, but it has also become the new frontier of geopolitics.” (05/20/25)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/05/20/space-is-the-new-frontier-of-geopolitics/
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40) How to Prevent The Orbanization of America
Source: Liberal Currents
by AD Blair
“A great deal of the opposition has stepped up, but the opposition party needs to start truly acting like one.” (05/20/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/how-to-prevent-the-orbanization-of-america/
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41) Trump’s America First Agenda Threatens Fight Against Global Poverty
Source: Foreign Policy In Focus
by Christian Mortelliti
“On March 4, 2025, Edward Heartney, a minister-counselor at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, remarked at the General Assembly that the Sustainable Development Goals ‘advance a program of soft global governance that is inconsistent with U.S. sovereignty’ and interests. This rejection of the SDGs aligns with President Donald Trump’s retreat from multilateralism and overall dissatisfaction with the U.N. For example, the Trump administration has moved to pull the United States out of the U.N. Human Rights Council, the Paris agreement on climate action, and the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, the administration has frozen foreign aid, initiated a global trade war, and failed to pay its U.N. dues as of May 2025.” (05/20/25)
https://fpif.org/america-first-sdgs-last/
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42) MMT, Chartalism, and the Colonial Experience
Source: Cobden Centre
by Joshua Mawhorter
“MMT poses two propositions: 1) that money originates according to the theory of chartalism, that is, money is essentially created and regulated by the state; and, 2) that only ‘monetary sovereigns’ can employ MMT policies successfully. MMT’s favorite example of a ‘monetary sovereign’ is the modern United States. (Both of these points are crucial for MMT, but their definitions and explanations are not within the scope of this article). The problem here for MMT is that the monetary history of the United States belies chartalism. Rather, the evidence from the monetary history of the United States demonstrates evidence for commodity monies that emerged through barter-exchange on the free market, especially silver and gold.” (05/20/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/05/mmt-chartalism-and-the-colonial-experience/
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43) Cut Israel Off — for Its Own Sake
Source: The American Conservative
by Andrew Day
“An ancient text sheds light on the ethics of America’s continued military aid to Israel. In Plato’s Republic, Socrates imagines a scenario in which a man has borrowed weapons from a friend who subsequently goes mad. Should the man give back the weapons, as pledged? Socrates believed that he should weigh the debt obligation against the potential harms of returning what was owed. In this case, as Socrates sought to show his interlocutors, justice requires withholding weapons from a friend who poses a danger to himself and others. The same logic applies to America’s military aid to its ally Israel, which has acted with a degree of violent recklessness in Gaza lacking any precedent in modern times. Indeed, this real-world case is clearer cut than the one imagined by Socrates, since the U.S. does not ‘owe’ Israel any weapons at all.” (05/20/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/cut-israel-off-for-its-own-sake/
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44) Trump’s tax push puts “free-market” label to rest
Source: Orange County Register
by Veronique de Rugy
“If you voted for Donald Trump last November because you believed he’d increase economic freedom, it’s safe to say you were fooled. Following a reckless tariff barrage, the White House and its allies are preparing a new wave of tax-code gimmickry that has more in common with progressive social engineering than pro-growth reform. And don’t forget a fiscal recklessness that mirrors the mistakes of the Left. Defend these policies if you like, but let’s be clear: The administration shows no coherent commitment to free-market principles and is in fact actively undermining them. Its approach is better described as central planning disguised as economic nationalism.” (05/19/25)
https://www.ocregister.com/2025/05/19/trumps-tax-push-puts-free-market-label-to-rest/
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45) No Reason to Believe Democrats, on Biden or Anything Else
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“Joe Biden is sick. This is not news, nor is it new. But he is sick. Prostate cancer, advanced and ‘aggressive.’ I’m no doctor, but wasn’t he constantly monitored by doctors while President of the United States? How are we just hearing this now? We were told last year that Joe Biden was completely fit and ready to serve another 4 years at President of the United States. … Joe was ready to rumble, they said. But it turns out that Joe was only ready to rumble with a dead Corn Pop, who I am told was a bad dude.” (05/20/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/05/20/there-is-no-reason-to-believe-democrats-on-biden-or-anything-else-n2657299
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46) The Right-Wing Greedflation Myth Begins …
Source: Cato Institute
by Ryan Bourne
In recent weeks, the White House has been the main aggressor in The War on Prices. First came the public outrage over Amazon daring to label price hikes as the direct result of President Trump’s tariffs — an accurate but politically inconvenient truth that quickly led the company to retreat. Then, in the surreal theatre of Saturday-night Truthing, Trump demanded that Walmart ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ warning them publicly to swallow higher costs rather than raise prices for consumers. The President’s press secretary piled on, ominously hinting that President Trump was ‘watching’ closely. This jawboning of private companies’ pricing decisions, and blaming firms for the inevitable effects of President Trump’s tariffs, is as predictable as it is regrettable. It’s straight from the progressive left’s playbook, which similarly blamed companies for the stimulus-driven inflation spike.” (05/19/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/right-wing-greedflation-myth-begins
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47) Law ≠ Power
Source: Persuasion
by Rebecca Roiphe
“Trump has declared war against the American legal system—and, for the most part, institutions have caved to him. Collectively, nine firms have agreed to donate almost a billion dollars in legal fees to the administration’s preferred causes. As heinous as Trump’s actions are, and without minimizing the severity of his attacks, it is important to acknowledge an uncomfortable truth—that legal institutions themselves bear a significant measure of blame. In the recent past, law schools and the profession as a whole have had an unfortunate tendency to portray the law as nothing more than an instrument of power. And the profession is now experiencing buyer’s remorse in seeing how similar that doctrine is to Trump’s vision.” (05/19/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/law-power
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48) The Mom Executive Order
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Christine Black
“Your mom was right. The government should not have closed schools; you should have been able to breathe and play freely with your friends; the Covid period fear and hysteria devastated and harmed and never should have happened. Young people didn’t need Covid shots that the CDC and pharmaceutical companies knew may hurt people. Many now call for their complete cessation. In spite of masks, arbitrary six-feet distancing, isolation, and shots, the virus spread anyway. I want that executive order. The Mom Executive Order.” (05/19/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-mom-executive-order/
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49) Trump and the Tech Oligarchy
Source: The American Prospect
obert Kuttner
“Trump seems to be destroying America’s innovation system, but he is really skewing it in favor of tech monopolies.” (05/20/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-05-20-trump-and-tech-oligarchy/
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50) Not Even the Moody’s Downgrade Can Make Republicans Take the National Debt Seriously
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm
“It’s true that the Biden administration made poor fiscal decisions. In that regard, it has a lot in common with the first Trump administration — which added nearly $8 trillion to the national debt in just four years — and the Obama and Bush administrations before it. As Moody’s pointed out in its statement about the rating change, the federal government’s worsening fiscal condition is the result of multiple presidential administrations and congresses. Still, that’s not a very good reason for making a bad situation worse, which is what the tax bill is likely to do. Blaming Biden for the obvious, negative fiscal consequences of a bill that Trump and his Republican allies are trying to pass makes no sense at all.” (05/19/25)
https://reason.com/2025/05/19/not-even-the-moodys-downgrade-can-make-republicans-take-the-national-debt-seriously/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Conflicts of Interest, episode 801
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Can Trump Put Russia and Ukraine on the Path to Peace?” (05/20/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-801-can-trump-put-russia-and-ukraine-on-the-path-to-peace
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52) Capital Record, episode 234
Source: National Review
“Markets Are Not Imposed by Politics.” (05/20/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/markets-are-not-imposed-by-politics/
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53) Trump Watch, 05/20/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“An Authoritarian Proclivity.” (05/20/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1yXKuwqq5s
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54) Rising, 05/20/25
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave delivers radar on how he thinks Democrats are demanding media to stop covering former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline after his cancer diagnosis.” (05/20/25)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5309172-rising-may-20-2025/
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55) Advisory Opinions, 05/20/25
Source: The Dispatch
“A Charge on Gettysburg.” (05/20/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/a-charge-on-gettysburg/
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56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 05/20/25
Source: Law & Liberty
“The need for neighborhoods.” (05/20/25)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/the-need-for-neighborhoods/
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57) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 05/20/25
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Angry Walmart Tirade Backfires, Wrecking His Own Tariff Scam.” (05/20/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/195460/trump-angry-walmart-tirade-backfires-wrecking-tariff-scam
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58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 05/20/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Smotrich Says Minimal Aid Will Help Israel Destroy Gaza, Trump Speaks With Putin, and More.” (05/20/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufJlKlaEecE
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59) The Mona Charen Show, 05/19/25
Source: The Bulwark
“How Americans Can Cease Being Rich.” (05/19/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjCGDSk3hYc
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60) The Chris Spangle Show, 05/19/25
Source: We Are Libertarians
“America Is an Idea. Here’s Why Civics Teaches Us That with Alejandro Ramos.” (05/19/25)
https://www.chrisspangle.com/p/america-is-an-idea-heres-why-civics
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